One of the interesting things about being raised among the first television generation was that the airwaves were filled with people who had made their bones in an earlier generation, including more than one aging vaudevillian. Because of that voracious need of the young medium Jimmy Durante who was born before the Spanish-American war was fought became a fixture of my childhood imagination. He not only appeared on the evening variety shows favored by my parents but versions of his... Read more

In the Way of the Elders family of Buddhism the Buddha’s death is folded together with his birth and awakening into a single holiday, Vesak or Wesak, usually observed in May. However, within the traditions of the Great Way family of Buddhism the Buddha’s death is marked as Parinirvana Day or sometimes Nirvana Day, in solar calculation most commonly on the 15th of February, but for many the 8th of February. As he lay dying he continued what he had... Read more

Zen Buddhism, Unitarian Universalism, and Finding a Life that Matters, Or, Like Someone in the Middle of the Night Reaching Behind Her Head for the Pillow A Sermon by James Ishmael Ford 7 February 2016 Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach Long Beach, California Text Yunyan asked Daowu, ‘How does the Bodhisattva Guanyin use those many hands and eyes?’ Daowu answered, ‘It is like someone in the middle of the night reaching behind her head for the pillow.’ Yunyan said,... Read more

George Herman Ruth, Jr, was born on this day in 1895. Better known to us as “the Sultan of Swat,” the “Bambino” and, of course, simply as “Babe.” The Babe was a left-handed pitcher for the Red Sox, but was sold to the New York Yankees in the off season of 1919-20, where he gained his greatest fame as a “slugging” outfielder, establishing records for runs batted in, bases on balls, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, and, of course, home... Read more

Bunches and bunches of years ago I was working in Moe’s bookstore in Berkeley. Moe told me that William Burroughs was going to do a reading at the store and he, Moe, wanted me to make a flyer to post around the area announcing it. I wrote up the copy, you know something along the lines of William Burroughs, author of Junkie & Naked Lunch speaking at Moe’s Books, address & time, then got some magazines and a newspaper and... Read more

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was born on this day in 1913. The world, at least our corner of it, is a better place because of that… Read more

I was saddened and I admit a little surprised to learn that Bob Elliott, of the comedy team Bob & Ray, died this past Tuesday. He was ninety-two. His comedic partner Ray Goulding died in 1990. His wife Lee died in 2012, but he is survived by his children Chris, Coloney, Amy, Shannon, Robert jr., eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Oh, yes, and all of us… Rest in peace Bob. And thanks for the laughs! Read more

Sunday Jan and I went out for what is becoming an at least once a month and often twice a month film and dinner. We saw Carol. It’s 1952. A young girl, Therese, an aspiring photographer working in a department store in Manhattan has a chance encounter with Carol who is looking for a present for her child. When Carol leaves her gloves at the counter, Therese mails them to her. Carol responds with an offer of lunch as a... Read more

This coming Thursday evening, the 4th of February, at 7pm, at the Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, our forming Blue Cliff Zen Sangha will bring Boundless Way Zen to the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. Pacific Unitarian Church, 5621 Montemalaga Dr, Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274 This evening we will start a monthly informal sit and dharma talk at the church, it will feature a talk by me on the subject Why Zen? Then next Tuesday, the 9th... Read more

WHAT WOULD THEODORE PARKER DO? A Meditation on Theodore Parker and the Call of Liberal Religion as a Compass in Hard Times James Ishmael Ford 31 January 2016 Pacific Unitarian Church Rancho Palos Verdes, California The compromise of 1850 was meant to dampen the smoldering tensions between free states and slave, and, I guess, in the narrowest of senses it was successful. At least in that it pushed the final and it seems inevitably bloody ending to that terrible sin... Read more