Max.’s Neighborhood

Making a list, checking it twice... How's your holiday shopping going? Who's left on your list?

What’s the best action adventure epic ever made?
Sponsored by AVATAR. In theaters December 18. Buy tickets now.

James Cameron’s AVATAR is in theaters today. What about this movie interests you the most?
Sponsored by AVATAR. In theaters December 18. Buy tickets now.

What are you hoping to find under the tree this year?

What's the worst book you've ever read?

On the 9th December 2009, in an historic and beautiful ceremony presided over by Dharmavidya at the Buddhist House, Narborough, the following good people took various vows, refuges, precepts, new responsibilities and spiritual commitments as follows:

Prasada became an Acharya;
Modgala became an Acharya;
Sujatin became an Acharya;

Rachel Abel became an Order Member and was ordained as a Ganko-sha with the name Amita Kuvalaya;
Orna Matri became an Order Member and was ordained as a Ganko-sha with the name Amita Pundarika;
Yaakov Matri became an Order Member and was ordained as a Ganko-sha with the name Amita Vimalashri;

Massimo D'Alessandro became a Postulant;
Simon Williams became a Postulant;
Madrakara Albiges became an Aspirant;
Tony Danford became an Aspirant;
Dawn Hart became an Aspirant;
Zee-Zee Heine became an Aspirant;

Madrakara Albiges took the Five Precepts;
Zee-Zee Heine took the Ten Precepts;

Annetta de Quaasteniet was admitted as a member of the Amida-shu;

Bruce Coleman took the Five Refuges;
Brandon Haywood took the Five Refuges;
Dean Haywood took the Five Refuges;
Richard Ollier took the Five Refuges.

On the following day, the 10th December 2009, in a ceremony at the Buddhist House presided over by Sujatin, the good person and new Postulant Simon Williams was admitted as a member of the Amida-shu.

Namo Amida Bu
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video of highlights

What would it take to get you to start a new life on a new world?
Sponsored by AVATAR. In theaters December 18. Buy tickets now.

The UN Climate Change conference is underway from Dec 7th-18th, and leaders from all over the globe have come to be a part of this historic gathering.  One particular headline from Denmark caught my attention:

Greenpeace is trying to push President Obama to sign a climate treaty which includes the following:

-Emissions cuts of 40% by 2020 by industrialized countries (at 1990 levels)
-$140 billion a year from the industrialized world for developing countries to deal with climate impacts, act on climate change and stop deforestation
-An end of tropical deforestation by 2020.
-Developing countries must reduce their projected emissions growth by 15-30% by 2020, with support from industrialized countries

I am hopeful the countries who have gathered will support this treaty ~ I do believe we are at a crossroads with the environment and ignoring the problem is not the answer.

This op-ed by Kofi Annan eloquently makes a plea for change by global collaboration.  Excerpt from Saving Ourselves From...Ourselves
"A deal that stops at rhetoric and does not actually meet the needs of the poorest and most climate vulnerable countries simply will not work. The climate cannot be 'fixed' in one continent and not another. Climate change does not respect national borders. We are all in the same boat; a hole at one end will sink us all."

Even local artists are displaying work to support the conference
The melted ice of this polar bear will reveal a copper skeleton.

Copenhagen_Ice Bear

If you could hang out with any movie character for a day, whom would you choose as your sidekick?
Sponsored by The Official AVATAR Community on TypePad. See AVATAR in theaters December 18, 2009.