Thanks! The second and the third links you posted have plenty of references that I needed. I'm sure I'll be able to use them :)
Btw. We have the same name. :)
Thank you for the little book link. Lots to read while I'm sick in bed and the medicine Buddha video. Your loving kindness is greatly appreciated! Metta!
Hey I posted a response to your thread about anatta. Please let me know if I've provided any insight. I used an analogy to try and directly answer your question, but I think to truly answer what's at the heart of your question the mental phenomena of association needs to be investigated further.
Link to my post:
http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/174702#Comment_174702