.
(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever Judges
(O)ffers support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plain things you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality.
.
.
Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Lood at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got not girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy
.
.
A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.
A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and clean.
A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.
A simple friend seeks to talk with you about their problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.
A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.
A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.
A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight.
A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!
.
.
My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body. Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy."
.
She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer. So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."
.
She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."
.
Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No. But you are getting smarter every year, my child."
.
Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final goodbye to Grandpa. She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"
.
I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in our life. For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you were wrong and I have given you an example why. But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."
.
She looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."
.
I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"
She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."
.
Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one . It is sympathetic to the pain of others. People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.
.
.

Favorite Music

.
Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
Imagine, John Lennon
What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
Respect, Aretha Franklin
Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys
Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry
Hey Jude, The Beatles
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
What'd I Say, Ray Charles
My Generation, The Who
A Change Is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke
Yesterday, The Beatles
Blowin' in the Wind, Bob Dylan
London Calling, The Clash
I Want to Hold Your Hand, The Beatles
Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix
Maybellene, Chuck Berry
Hound Dog, Elvis Presley
Let It Be, The Beatles
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
Be My Baby, The Ronettes
In My Life, The Beatles
People Get Ready, The Impressions
God Only Knows, The Beach Boys
A Day in the Life, The Beatles
Layla, Derek and the Dominos
Sittin on - the Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
Help!, The Beatles
I Walk the Line, Johnny Cash
Stairway To Heaven, Led Zeppelin
Sympathy for the Devil, The Rolling Stones
River Deep - Mountain High, Ike and Tina Turner
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', The Righteous Brothers
Light My Fire, The Doors
One, U2
No Woman, No Cry, Bob Marley and the Wailers
Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones
That'll Be the Day, Buddy Holly and the Crickets
Dancing in the Street, Martha and the Vandellas
The Weight, The Band
Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks
Tutti-Frutti, Little Richard
Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles
Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis Presley
Heroes, David Bowie
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix
Hotel California, The Eagles
The Tracks of My Tears, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
The Message, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
When Doves Cry, Prince
Anarchy in the U.K., The Sex Pistols
When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge
Louie Louie, The Kingsmen
Long Tall Sally, Little Richard
Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harum
Billie Jean, Michael Jackson
The Times They Are A-Changin', Bob Dylan
Let's Stay Together, Al Green
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On, Jerry Lee Lewis
Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley
For What It's Worth, Buffalo Springfield
She Loves You, The Beatles
Sunshine of Your Love, Cream
Redemption Song, Bob Marley and the Wailers
Jailhouse Rock, Elvis Presley
Tangled Up in Blue, Bob Dylan
Crying, Roy Orbison
Walk On By, Dionne Warwick
California Girls, The Beach Boys
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, James Brown
Summertime Blues, Eddie Cochran
Superstition, Stevie Wonder
Whole Lotta Love, Led Zeppelin
Strawberry Fields Forever,The Beatles
Mystery Train, Elvis Presley
I Got You (I Feel Good), James Brown
Mr. Tambourine Man, The Byrds
I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
Blueberry Hill, Fats Domino
You Really Got Me, The Kinks
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), The Beatles
Every Breath You Take, The Police
Crazy, Patsy Cline
Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
My Girl, The Temptations
California Dreamin', The Mamas and The Papas
In the Still of the Nite, The Five Satins
Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley
Blitzkrieg Bop, Ramones
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2
Good Golly, Miss Molly, Little Richard
Blue Suede Shoes, Carl Perkins
Great Balls of Fire, Jerry Lee Lewis
Roll Over Beethoven, Chuck Berry
Love and Happiness, Al Green
Fortunate Son, Creedence Clearwater Revival
You Can't Always Get What You Want, The Rolling Stones
.

Favorite Movies

.
Titanic (1997)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Shrek 2 (2004)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Finding Nemo (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Independence Day (1996)
Spider-Man (2002)
Star Wars (1977)
Shrek the Third (2007)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
The Lion King (1994)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Transformers (2007)
Forrest Gump (1994)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
The Incredibles (2004)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
Ratatouille (2007)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Casino Royale (2006)
Men in Black (1997)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Night at the Museum (2006)
Armageddon (1998/I)
King Kong (2005)
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Home Alone (1990)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Ghost (1990)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Aladdin (1992)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Twister (1996)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Troy (2004)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Jaws (1975)
Pretty Woman (1990)
Bruce Almighty (2003)
300 (2006)
The Matrix (1999)
Gladiator (2000)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Shrek (2001)
Cars (2006)
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
The Last Samurai (2003)
Tarzan (1999)
Meet the Fockers (2004)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Men in Black II (2002)
Die Another Day (2002)
Dances with Wolves (1990)
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Cast Away (2000)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
The Mummy Returns (2001)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
The Mummy (1999)
Batman (1989)
Rain Man (1988)
The Bodyguard (1992)
Signs (2002)
Madagascar (2005)
X2 (2003)
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Superman Returns (2006)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Grease (1978)
Happy Feet (2006)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Ice Age (2002)
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Godzilla (1998)
Click (2006/I)
What Women Want (2000)
The Fugitive (1993)
Hitch (2005/I)
True Lies (1994)
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)
Notting Hill (1999)
Jurassic Park III (2001)
There's Something About Mary (1998)
Planet of the Apes (2001)
The Flintstones (1994)
Toy Story (1995)
Minority Report (2002)
A Bug's Life (1998)
The Exorcist (1973)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
I Am Legend (2007)
Basic Instinct (1992)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Batman Begins (2005)
GoldenEye (1995)
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Back to the Future (1985)
Se7en (1995)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Hannibal (2001)
Deep Impact (1998)
Dinosaur (2000)
Pocahontas (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Top Gun (1986)
I, Robot (2004)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
National Treasure (2004)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
American Beauty (1999)
Batman Forever (1995)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
The Rock (1996)
Over the Hedge (2006)
Fantastic Four (2005)
Rush Hour 2 (2001)
Crocodile Dundee (1986)
The Perfect Storm (2000)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Schindler's List (1993)
The Mask (1994)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Air Force One (1997)
As Good as It Gets (1997)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Ransom (1996)
Runaway Bride (1999)
Chicago (2002)
Liar Liar (1997)
Shark Tale (2004)
101 Dalmatians (1996)
Mulan (1998)
Hook (1991)
Rocky IV (1985)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Chicken Little (2005)
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Stuart Little (1999)
Look Who's Talking (1989)
Meet the Parents (2000)
X-Men (2000)
Ghost Busters (1984)
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
Superman (1978)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Coming to America (1988)
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Speed (1994/I)
Batman Returns (1992)
Wedding Crashers (2005)
Casper (1995)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
The Polar Express (2004)
4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
The Departed (2006)
American Pie 2 (2001)
What Lies Beneath (2000)
Van Helsing (2004)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
The Nutty Professor (1996)
The Green Mile (1999)
Bambi (1942)
Scooby-Doo (2002)
xXx (2002)
Indecent Proposal (1993)
Jumanji (1995)
The Fifth Element (1997)
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
The Firm (1993)
Bad Boys II (2003)
Total Recall (1990)
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Scary Movie (2000)
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
Charlie's Angels (2000)
The Full Monty (1997)
Erin Brockovich (2000)
The Village (2004)
Waterworld (1995)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
You've Got Mail (1998)
Hercules (1997)
The Truman Show (1998)
Babe (1995)
Unbreakable (2000)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Dumb & Dumber (1994)
Robots (2005)
Eragon (2006)
Rush Hour (1998)
Enemy of the State (1998)
The Godfather (1972)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Wild Hogs (2007)
8 Mile (2002)
Hulk (2003)
Face/Off (1997)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
'Crocodile' Dundee II (1988)
Out of Africa (1985)
Love Actually (2003)
Die Hard 2 (1990)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Batman & Robin (1997)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Bee Movie (2007)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Eraser (1996)
Big Daddy (1999/I)
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Enchanted (2007)
Bean (1997)
Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)
The English Patient (1996)
Sister Act (1992)
American Wedding (2003)
Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)
The Ring (2002)
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
Constantine (2005)
Vita è bella, La (1997)
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Something's Gotta Give (2003)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Brother Bear (2003)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Space Jam (1996)
Rocky (1976)
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Con Air (1997)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)
Presumed Innocent (1990)
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Ghost Rider (2007)
Elf (2003)
Knocked Up (2007)
The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Flightplan (2005)
The Terminal (2004)
Wild Wild West (1999)
Twins (1988/I)
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
The Patriot (2000)
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
Vertical Limit (2000)
Disclosure (1994)
Entrapment (1999)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
The Others (2001)
End of Days (1999)
Wo hu cang long (2000)
Jaws 2 (1978)
Red Dragon (2002)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Collateral (2004)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Miss Congeniality (2000)
The Jungle Book (1967/I)
JFK (1991)
Traffic (2000)
Braveheart (1995)
Moonraker (1979)
The Break-Up (2006)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
American Pie (1999)
Philadelphia (1993)
Vanilla Sky (2001)
.

Favorite TV Shows

.
The Abbott and Costello Show
ABC's Wide World of Sports
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
All in the Family
An American Family
American Idol
Arrested Development
Battlestar Galactica
The Beavis and Butt-Head Show
The Bob Newhart Show
Brideshead Revisited
Buffalo Bill
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Carol Burnett Show
The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Cheers
The Cosby Show
The Daily Show
Dallas
The Day After
Deadwood
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Dragnet
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ernie Kovacs Show
Felicity
Freaks and Geeks
The French Chef
Friends
.
General Hospital
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
Gilmore Girls
Gunsmoke
Hill Street Blues
Homicide: Life on the Street
The Honeymooners
I, Claudius
I Love Lucy
King of the Hill
The Larry Sanders Show
Late Night with David Letterman (NBC)
Leave It to Beaver
Lost
Married... With Children
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
M*A*S*H
The Monkees
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Moonlighting
MTV 1981-1992
My So-Called Life
Mystery Science Theater 3000
.
The Odd Couple
The Office [American]
The Office [British]
The Oprah Winfrey Show
Pee Wee's Playhouse
Playhouse 90
The Price Is Right
Prime Suspect
The Prisoner
The Real World
Rocky and His Friends
Roots
Roseanne
Sanford and Son
Saturday Night Live
Second City Television
See It Now
Seinfeld
Sesame Street
Sex and the City
The Shield
The Simpsons
The Singing Detective
Six Feet Under
60 Minutes
Soap
The Sopranos
South Park
SpongeBob SquarePants
SportsCenter
Star Trek
St. Elsewhere
The Super Bowl (and the Ads)
Survivor
.
Taxi
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
24
The Twilight Zone
Twin Peaks
The West Wing
What's My Line?
WKRP in Cincinnati
The Wire
Wiseguy
The X-Files
Your Show of Shows
.

Favorite Books

.
Watership Down, Richard Adams
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley*
1984, George Orwell*
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Non-Violent Resistance: Satyagraha, Mohandas K. Gandhi
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl
Island, Aldous Huxley
Green Shadows, White Whale, Ray Bradbury
In the Penal Colony, Franz Kafka
The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger*
The Last Battle, C. S. Lewis
Borderliners, Peter Hoeg
Animal Farm, George Orwell*
Our Town, Thornton Wilder
Beware the Fish!, Gordon Korman
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
The Mouse That Roared (series), Leonard Wibberly
Night, Elie Wiesel
Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
The Short Stories, Ernest Hemingway
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald*
Antigone, Sophocles
I Sing the Body Electric!, Ray Bradbury
Trout Fishing in America, Richard Brautigan
All Creatures Great and Small (series), James Herriot
Babar’s Anniversary Book, Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff
Pigs Might Fly, Dick King-Smith
James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling
Gandhi on Non-Violence, Mohandas K. Gandhi
The Little History of the Wide World, Mable Pyne
The Magus, John Fowles*
The Silver Chair, C. S. Lewis
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J. Gaines
The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
The Zucchini Warriors, Gordon Korman
The Celery Stalks at Midnight, James Howe
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: an
Beloved, Toni Morrison
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien
Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare
Danny, Champion of the World, Roald Dahl
The Illustrated Man, Ray Bradbury
The Time Garden, Edward Eager
The House at Pooh Corner, A. A. Milne
A Medicine for Melancholy, Ray Bradbury
40 Stories, Donald Barthelme
Matilda, Roald Dahl
The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
Losing Joe’s Place, Gordon Korman
Uncle Wiggily’s Story Book, Howard R. Garis
Nine Stories, J. D. Salinger
The Waste Land, T. S. Eliot
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
No Coins, Please, Gordon Korman
The Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling
The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader", C. S. Lewis
Franny and Zooey, J. D. Salinger
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Barbara Robinson
The Peace Book, Bernard Benson
The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain
Boy, Roald Dahl
Nothing But the Truth, Avi
Little House on the Prarie (series), Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Toynbee Convector, Ray Bradbury
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, Eleanor Coerr
The October Country, Ray Bradbury
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Roald Dahl
The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury
Bunnicula, Deborah and James Howe
Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis
A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag, Gordon Korman
The Haunted Bookshop, Christopher Morley
We, Yevgeny Zamyatin
Magic or Not?, Edward Eager
The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle (series), Hugh Lofting
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Driving Blind, Ray Bradbury
Long After Midnight, Ray Bradbury
Early Stories, Anton Chekov
Marcovaldo, Italo Calvino
Dubliners, James Joyce
Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
Quicker Than the Eye, Ray Bradbury
Miracle on 34th Street, Valentine Davies
A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
How to Play Better Baseball, C. Paul Jackson
Dear Mr. Henshaw, Beverly Cleary
The Golden Apples of the Sun, Ray Bradbury
Frog and Toad are Friends (series), Arnold Lobel
I Will Adventure, Elizabeth Janet Gray
The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
Mossflower, Brian Jacques
Who is Bugs Potter?, Gordon Korman
.

Favorite Quote

1. There is no almighty God in Buddhism. There is no one to hand out rewards or punishments on a supposedly Judgement Day.

2. Buddhism is strictly not a religion in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being.

3. No saviour concept in Buddhism. A Buddha is not a saviour who saves others by his personal salvation. Although a Buddhist seeks refuge in the Buddha as his incomparable guide who indicates the path of purity, he makes no servile surrender. A Buddhist does not think that he can gain purity merely by seeking refuge in the Buddha or by mere faith in Him. It is not within the power of a Buddha to wash away the impurities of others

4. A Buddha is not an incarnation of a god/God (as claimed by some Hindu followers). The relationship between a Buddha and his disciples and followers is that of a teacher and student.

5. The liberation of self is the responsibility of one's own self. Buddhism does not call for an unquestionable blind faith by all Buddhist followers. It places heavy emphasis on self-reliance, self discipline and individual striving.

6. Taking refuge in The Triple Gems i.e. the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha; does not mean self-surrender or total reliance on an external force or third party for help or salvation.

7. Dharma (the teachings in Buddhism) exists regardless whether there is a Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha (as the historical Buddha) discovered and shared the teachings/ universal truths with all sentient beings. He is neither the creator of such teachings nor the prophet of an almighty God to transmit such teachings to others.

8. Especially emphasized in Mahayana Buddhism, all sentient beings have Buddha Nature/ Essence. One can become a Buddha (a supreme enlightened being) in due course if one practises diligently and attains purity of mind (ie absolutely no delusions or afflictions).

9. In Buddhism, the ultimate objective of followers/practitioners is enlightenment and/or liberation from Samsara; rather than to go to a Heaven (or a deva realm in the context of Buddhist cosmology).

10. Karma and Karma Force are cornerstones in Buddhist doctrines. They are expounded very thoroughly in Buddhism. Karma refers to an important metaphysical concept concerned with action and its consequences. This law of karma explains the problem of sufferings, the mystery of the so-called fate and predestination of some religions, and above all the apparent inequality of mankind.

11. Rebirth is another key doctrine in Buddhism and it goes hand in hand with karma. There is a subtle difference between rebirth and reincarnation as expounded in Hinduism. Buddhism rejects the theory of a transmigrating permanent soul, whether created by a god or emanating from a divine essence.

12. Maitri or Metta in Pali (Loving Kindness) and Karuna (Compassion) to all living beings including animals. Buddhism strictly forbids animal sacrifice for whatever reason. Vegetarianism is recommended but not compulsory.

13. The importance of Non-attachment. Buddhism goes beyond doing good and being good. One must not be attached to good deeds or the idea of doing good; otherwise it is just another form of craving.

14. In Buddhism, there is consideration for all sentient beings (versus human beings, as in other religions). Buddhists acknowledge/accept the existence of animals and beings in other realms in Samsara.

15. No holy war concept in Buddhism. Killing is breaking a key moral precept in Buddhism. One is strictly forbidden to kill another person in the name of religion, a religious leader or whatsoever religious pretext or worldly excuse.

16. Suffering is another cornerstone in Buddhism. It is the first of the Four Noble Truths. Sufferings are very well analysed and explained in Buddhism.

17. The idea of sin or original sin has no place in Buddhism. Also, sin should not be equated to suffering.

18. Buddhist teachings expound no beginning and no end to one's existence or life. There is virtually no recognition of a first cause — e.g. how does human existence first come about?

19. The Dharma provides a very detailed explanation of the doctrine of anatman {anatta in Pali} or soullessness , i.e. there is no soul entity (whether in one life of many lives).

20. The Buddha is omniscient but he is not omnipotent. He is capable of innumerable feats but there are three things he cannot do. Also, a Buddha does not claim to be a creator of lives or the Universe.

21. Prajna [Panna in Pali] or Transcendent Wisdom occupies a paramount position in Buddhist teachings. Sakyamuni Buddha expounded Prajna concepts for some 20 years of his ministry. One is taught to balance compassion with prajna i.e.emotion (faith) with rationale (right understanding / truth / logic).

22. The tradition and practice of meditation in Buddhism are relatively important and strong. While all religions teach some forms or variations of stabilising/single-pointedness meditation, only Buddhism emphazises Vipassana (Insight) meditation as a powerful tool to assist one in seeking liberation/enlightenment.

23. The doctrine of Sunyata or Emptiness is unique to Buddhism and its many aspects are well expounded in advanced Buddhist teachings. Briefly, this doctrine asserts the transcendental nature of Ultimate Reality. It declares the phenomenal world to be void of all limitations of particularization and that all concepts of dualism are abolished.

24. Conditioned Arising [Paticcasamuppada in Pali] or Dependent Origination is another key doctrine in Buddhism. This doctrine explains that all psychological and physical phenomena constituting individual existence are interdependent and mutually condition each other; this at the same time describes what entangles sentient beings in samsara.

25. The concept of Hell(s) in Buddhism is very different from that of other religions. It is not a place for eternal damnation as viewed by 'almighty creator' religions. In Buddhism, it is just one of the six realms in Samsara [i.e. the worst of three undesirable realms]. Also, there are virtually unlimited number of hells in the Buddhist cosmology as there are infinite number of Buddha worlds.

26. The Buddhist cosmology (or universe) is distinctly different from that of other religions which usually recognise only this solar system (Earth) as the centre of the Universe and the only planet with living beings. The Buddhist viewpoint of a Buddha world (also known as Three Thousand-Fold World System) is that of one billion solar systems. Besides, the Mahayana Buddhist doctrines expound that there are other contemporary Buddha worlds like Amitabha's Pure Land and Bhaisajyaguru's world system.

27. Samsara is a fundamental concept in Buddhism and it is simply the 'perpetual cycles of existence' or endless rounds of rebirth among the six realms of existence. This cyclical rebirth pattern will only end when a sentient being attains Nirvana, i.e. virtual exhaustion of karma, habitual traces, defilements and delusions. All other religions preach one heaven, one earth and one hell, but this perspective is very limited compared with Buddhist samsara where heaven is just one of the six realms of existence and it has 28 levels/planes