So Annoying

Here I was sitting, watching "Martha Stewart Living" (is that what it's called? I don't watch it regularly) and a stupid "special" news report interrupts my show. Dum-dum is on TV right now responding to the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections, along with some other stuff. That dumbass was talking about he supports the democratic process and he likes the variety of ideas among people. But then he said that Hamas cannot be a partner in peace because they have in the past called for the destruction of the State of Israel. Whatever. America cannot be an honest broker, as they have claimed, in the Mideast peace process if they are so biased towards the Zionist state. Fuckerz. And Bush (in case you didn't realize I was talking about him :-P) also said that we are "living in historic times" and was supporting the domestic eavesdropping and was saying we need to keep America safe... If you wanna keep America safe, stop bein' such an ass and shittin' over the rest of the world!! He also said that we will continue to hunt out the enemy in Afghanistan and Iraq. My goodness - did we really have anything to fear in Iraq before we sent Americans over there and started droppin' bombs on Iraqi heads? I'm annoyed... The news is so depressing to me. Wish I could just escape...

Anyway, I had talked to my physician a week regarding my lab results. It showed that my "good" cholesterol falls within normal limits. However, my "bad" cholesterol is high, thus, I need to go on a diet. So, knowing all this, that very night I had french fries and cheesesteak. :-P Man, I was hunger and I don't eat very well. I actually hardly eat anything, period. That's not good, I know. But now I have to be conscious of what I eat. I never was one to do that. My doctor said red meats, cheese, butter... that kinda stuff is bad for cholesterol. She mentioned that almonds and walnuts and oatmeal were good for you. She said eating oatmeal can reduce your cholesterol 10%. And she instructed me to eat shellfish sparingly, to eat fish (I don't eat fish!), and to eat poultry. I coulda sworn she said to eat it with skin. But then I thought I read somewhere else that it should be without.

I mentioned in my last post that Thevy doesn't crawl. Well, I spoke too soon. Not long after I published the last post, lo and behold!, I saw that little girl transport herself. lol. She can crawl. It's just the lack of opportunity, I suppose, that I never saw her and she couldn't practice. It's funny cuz sometimes it seems she just wants to walk, lifting one knee up so that she's on her hands, one knee, and a foot. I haven't taken a picture of her crawling yet. That'll be my next task.

I believe I talked about in some previous post about how so many people have had babies within the last year and how culturally diverse they were. Thevy's got many contemporaries of mixed backgrounds. There's Taiwanese/Mexican/White, Black and white, Vietnamese/Korean, Filipino/White, Black/Cambodian... One of my former co-workers just had a baby in November who's Persian/Palestinian. And I recently caught up with an old friend of mine who had a daughter about a month after me who's Filipina/White/Black/Thai. Whew. What a mouthful! :-P

Speaking of mouthfuls... Thevy's diet is gonna be getting varied soon. Though she has no teeth, she's able to feed herself and I give her small bits of food sometimes for her to eat. Yesterday I gave her a little bit of mozarella cheese and chopped-up pieces of grapes. Gerber also has these little cereal-like snacks called Veggie Puffs and Fruit Puffs. They kinda melt in your mouth if you just suck on 'em. But if you just chew them, they're crunchy. They're shaped like a five-petal flower. It's funny when I give 'em to Thevy cuz sometimes they sorta stick to her lips before she gets it totally in her mouth. The result is this:
And I'm glad she doesn't use a bottle. She either gets "boob juice" from the source or juice and/or water in a sippy cup. Have you seen kids that are able to walk still usin' a bottle? Or a pacifier? Thevy doesn't use one of those either. And she doesn't suck her thumb or anything. So, so far I'm lucky. Hopefully, she doesn't develop any of those habits somehow later on. She can also drink out of a regular cup, but with assistance, of course. And she can suck on a straw, but she's not real efficient with that.

Oh, and we had bought a potty chair for her a few weeks ago. She has gone to the bathroom in it a few times. But we're not being real consistent with it right now. Supposedly, potty training doesn't typically begin 'til after age 2, I think. But my mom claims to have potty-trained me at 3 months. It's a Vietnamese thing, I suppose. Ya see, in my mom's day, they didn't have the convenience of disposable diapers, so they had to do things differently. Whereas I leave Thevy in a wet diaper all through the night, my mom said she didn't do that with me. I'm not sure of how the process of potty-training an infant works --Bush finally got off my TV, but now Martha is already over. Just switched to Ellen. That woman is silly.--, but somehow she did it. I remember reading this one Vietnamese American guy's web page and he mentioned this very thing of potty-training a baby, when he took a trip to Vietnam. He wrote and my mom even said something about making the "sssss" sound to encourage them to go. I don't know if that even works, the sound effect, that is, cuz how can they even associate that sound with the act of peeing? Anyway, we'll see if I can't potty-train Thevy over the next several months.

Crazy Weather

Last night/early morning, I went to let my dog out and when I opened the door, it didn't even seem cold out. I mean, the temperature usually drops in the evening, right? And then this morning it was all rainy. And now, though it may be a bit windy, it looks all nice and sunny out. But isn't there a winter storm on its way? Anyway, crazy weather. I'ma try and get out the house and take in some of this strange climate.

I've sorta been crocheting lately. I've always known the very basics of crochet from when I was younger, as my mom is an excellent crocheter. But I could never really make anything. So while I was pregnant, I began a project: a baby blanket. I purchased Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting. It really helped out with learning the sheer basics of these two wonderful arts.

Well... the blanket project never reached fruition. I was no where near done in my last month of pregnancy. I figured I could still work on it after the baby was born. But that didn't happen. I turned that bad boy into a scarf! lol. I tried making a hat for Baby, but it was too small. And I even made a mitten (yes, "a" mitten). It was too small, too, so I didn't bother making its pair. Thing is, though I've learned the crocheting techniques, I don't quite understand stuff dealing with gauge - which size needle to use with which size yarn, etc. and how that effects the size and look of your final product. I did end up making a new hat and mittens for Thevy. The hat's a bit snug, but it fits. And the mittens fit, too, but they don't stay on! :-P This photo is of the "failed" projects.

I don't have a picture of the new hat and mittens, but they turned out okay. :)

Thevy is approaching nine months of age. She still has no teeth and I am not looking forward to teething, which I heard can be pretty bad, with fevers and irritability. She's almost 22 pounds and I think she's gettin' close to being two-and-a-half-feet tall! :) I got her some clothes I bought from a lady who had lost her job and was trying to get some cash. I spent about 40 bucks for approximately 20 pieces. Not too bad. A few of the items were still brand new. The lady I got the clothes from has a two-year-old who weighs about 25 pounds. (Compare her weight with Thevy's, hehe). She was nice. A Chinese woman. Neither she nor her husband are citizens, which makes their situation difficult. Her husband is trained in mechanical engineering, but all the jobs are in government, which requires citizenship. And the woman said it takes about 5 years to become a citizen - once you apply. She's been here six years, but hasn't applied. She doesn't know yet whether they will ultimately stay or go back to China. She would like to stay here for the sake of her daughter. She finds the Chinese education system to be too rigorous (is that really a bad thing? Americans ARE kinda dumb, if you ask me! Sike. I'm just thinking of Americans like me. :-P). And she enjoys the access to different cultural venues around here. Anyway, I hope she and her husband can work everything out. The woman says that maybe after Thevy is one I can bring her over to play with her daughter.

So, yeah, Thevy is gettin' big. She doesn't crawl, but she's quite mobile. She's always reaching for and grabbing things you don't want her to have. Babies also have eagle eyes and so she sees things you don't notice. Examples: I sat her on the bed and put all these distractions in front of her (some toys). But what does she do? She reaches for a coil of hair on the bedspread, that I didn't even see cuz it blended in with the fabric. When I put her on a blanket on the floor with her toys, she moves toward the carpet and tries to pick up tiny pieces of paper or something. Again, she doesn't crawl. It's more like she creeps or slithers or whatever. I'm not sure if she doesn't crawl cuz I don't always put her on the floor to give her the opportunity to practice. But then, some babies skip the crawling step.

She has strong legs and can pull herself up to a stand. She's been doing that maybe a few weeks now. And I think she'll walk early. I, apparently, didn't take my first step until my first birthday. But babies are made differently these days. They reach milestones a lot sooner. I attribute this trend to whatever it is they put in our foods (hormones and what have you). Anyway, Thevy is startin' to get the concept of walking. Before when I used to stand her up and hold her hands, she would just stand there or bounce, or try to sit down. Now, she puts one foot in front of the other and goes. So, right now she can stand with support and cruise a bit. Cruising is when a baby gets around while standing and holding on to something. Like when in her crib (which is more of a playpen than a place to sleep!), Thevy will pull herself up and move around, side-to-side.

And she's got so much hair. She was born with about an inch of hair. She had a little bit of bangs. Now her hair goes maybe an inch under her eyes. I hate when people suggest I cut her hair, like give her bangs. Now why would I do that? I don't want her to have bangs. I want her hair to be all one length. Of course, I will eventually give her the occasional trim. But for now, I want her hair to get longer. It's long enough to put in a ponytail, but the hair doesn't all stay up. I often put a single ponytail on top of her head. My dad and sister don't like it. But screw them!! Everyone else finds it cute. :-P A few months ago my sister suggested I put a headband on Thevy. I'm like, no! That's for them bald babies that people put them on so you can tell they're girls! haha. She thought about it and was like, "True." You know those skinny pieces of cloth with an elastic band and a bow? But then my sis did send the headband that you see on Thevy in the previous entry. That one's much cooler than those headbands that look like garters. =P

Okay, this blog is long enough. I think I'll end with one finally picture(s). This is a collage of Thevy in her first month of life. I've heard that babies are ugly when they're born and just in the beginning in general. That they're wrinkly and have smooshed-up faces considering all they've been through (i.e. the trip down the birth canal). I dunno, but Thevy wasn't any of these things, in my opinion. See for yourself:

Baby's 1st Christmas

I wasn't particularly looking forward to Christmas, as some would think, seeing as how it was my child's first. Well, I lost the illusion of Christmas some time ago. It stopped being fun, I don't even remember when. But also, I guess it's since funds are kinda (not kinda - they ARE) low, I/we don't really have a lot to give Thevy - materially, at least. :-/ And also, I dunno if this is being realistic or a subconscious way of fooling myself into not feeling bad about it, but the rationale is that she's too young to even truly appreciate the commercialism of the holiday anyway!, which you can see from the following photos.

Ya see, when she pulled at the paper, she proceeded to put it in her mouth! lol. We couldn't get that girl interested in opening presents. She was much more into the wrapping paper, or the boxes the gifts came in, or just anything else! I swear, it seems just about every picture we have of her that morning is her tasting everything. hehe. And she was also still sleepy. I don't really have her on any specific schedule since I'm not currently working, not to mention, I've never been much for order anyhow... :-P So, Baby's been on a stay-up-late-sleep-in-all-morning pattern right along with me. So, we went back to sleep a little after that. So, I wonder if the fact that she was sleepy affected her not really seeming all that excited about getting to tear apart the wrapping paper. She's usually all for ripping up stuff, or trying to.

Anyhoo, I guess it'll be fun to show her the pictures when she's older. This last picture is funny; looks like she's waving, but she's not. :)

Happy New Year

My New Year's wasn't that great. I woulda been content to just stay home and do nothing, which is what I've done for most New Year's for most of my life. Peter, Baby, and I went to some overpriced dinner. It was sponsored by some Cambodian association at a Chinese restaurant. I do not like Chinese food. It was annoying cuz first, Peter said we didn't have to pay for the $30 tickets cuz a friend was posta get 'em for us. In the end, we had to purchase our own tix, and in the end, they didn't cost thirty, but thirty-five dollars. I hardly ate anything. And when I had Peter bring me a virgin piña colada, that shiet was nasty! Do you know it tasted like coconut and vomit to me! :-(

Peter also said all his friends would be there. I hardly met anybody. One person I did meet was hella annoying. He reminded me of this kid that used to work at the commissary that we laughed about. And this guy was drunk and definitely not someone I was pleased to meet. This fool even threw up a few times at the table. And then, he had the nerve to keep drinkin'!

Also, one of the things Peter told me was that there would be no smoking. Good, cuz I don't like cigarette smoke, and, we also had the baby with us. Then, after the disappointing dinner had already been served, the stupid drunk kid was all of a sudden smoking! Then this other idiot at the next table had a cig in his mouth and asked the drunk guy for a light. That's when I got up and told Peter I was outta there. We ended up leaving soon after. We were at this restaurant for a few hours. But I wish we hadn't gone.

The music was really loud there, too. Actually, it was only super loud when the band played. I didn't like that. I don't want Thevy to become hard-of-hearing! I dunno what it takes for that to happen, but that would be tragic. Anyway, despite the loud percussions and what not, she still managed to take a nap. (see middle picture) :-P

After we left that place, we went to Peter's friend's house. This friend was having a little house party. They were watching the game when we got there. Though I didn't really have anyone to talk to 'cept this friendly Korean chick who liked babies, I felt better there. We rang in the new year there.

So, that was that. Hope everyone who celebrated had a better time than I did!

And about this last pic... Thevy seems to like Dr. Phil. I'm not sure if it's the bald head. Like, on the Disney channel, there's this yellow blob of clay with eyes and a mouth that talks. It's name is "Clay" and it's some short segment that comes on between shows or something. Whenever he comes on, Thevy laughs/smiles. Same thing with Dr. Phil. lol. Well, in this picture, the "Dr. Phil" show is on and I can't seem to get her attention. Funny thing is, during this moment, Dr. Phil isn't even on the screen, but a guest of the show - with hair - is talking. She was engrossed. :)

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

It's that time of year already. Can you believe it? Two thousand six is just around the corner!

As you can see, I took Thevy to get her picture taken with Santa Claus, although I have no intentions of teaching her about him since I'm not a big fan of lies, superstition, and bull crap. :-P I just thought it would be fun while she's too young to understand what an icon of materialism this mythical man has manifested into. (Aw, shucks! Check out my alliteration! :-P) I hope to teach her the true meaning, if anything.

The pictures were definitely not worth their price. A huge rip-off, that I was about to go back to the mall and demand a partial/full refund. Maybe I'll still inquire about it after the holidays. Well, it was possible to just take your own pix, and I did snap a single shot with my digital camera, albeit, from an angle. And I wish I woulda done something to try to make Thevy laugh. But anyway... if you wanna get the mall's pics, at least at this particular mall, the minimum you had to pay was something like $10.99 for a 5x7 (not to mention blasted sales tax). And then a photo CD was $5.99. I ended get the top picture as a 5x7 and the bottom one on disc. I figured, though she's not looking at the camera in the first pic, it looks sorta-kinda-but-not-really touching how she's sharing a moment with Santa. And then with the 2nd shot, I thought I could just print out my own images.

Well, as you can see from the first pic, although it is a scanned image and so, won't be as clear as an original, it is very close to the print I received from the mall. Notice the color is lacking considerably compared to the other shot - the foreground is a bit washed-out, the background is rather dark. And the 2nd photo, you may not really be able to see it, but the image quality itself kind of sucks. You'd figure, a JPEG placed on a CD should be of fairly superior quality and that I should be able to produce some pretty awesome prints, provided I have a good printer. Now, my printer is not the best, but it's decent. And when I printed this last picture, the pixels were not that great!! For the amount of money I spent, it was SO not worth it! My friend Robert e-mailed the CD image of his nephew and Santa and the image file was way bigger, at the image itself was way clearer. I've been gypped!

So, looks like I just fed the pockets of those fat-cat capitalists and allowed Santa's fat azz to eat. :-P So...

MERRY CHRISTMAS, y'all!!!

"Baby Measles"

Roseola infantum or just "roseola" (roh-zee-OH-la), is a viral disease. They say it's caused by a kind of herpes virus - but not the sexually transmitted kind. Supposedly, it's common in babies between six and 24 months of age. It starts off as a high fever that last a few days and ends in a body rash. Well, apparently, Thevy's got roseola. :-/ We took her out on Thursday (to the mall), then Friday, her head felt hot. But she didn't exhibit any other symptoms. On Saturday and Sunday when I took her temperature, it was over 101 degrees. During the fever stage, she seemed to have lost her appetite, pretty much refusing to eat. She'd turn her head sharply if you put a spoon in front of her. I just had to nurse her all the freakin' time to make sure she didn't starve. Then, though she still felt hot to the touch, she didn't seem as feverish. Today, I noticed some red on her face. Later, I saw bumps on her chest, stomach, and back. And then I saw splotchy red spots on the side of her neck. But there's nothing you can do about it. You have to let viruses run their course. But there's no discomfort in the rash. You only feel slightly embarrassed taking her out in public. :-P I love showing her off, but I didn't want people to think "Ew!" when they saw her. It wasn't too bad while I was out (it seems to get worse, then subside, on and off), but I bumped into the mother of a girl I went to high school with, this silly guy I went to high school with, and then a high school Spanish teacher. The good news is, Thevy will probably never get roseola again. Supposedly, her body will have built the immunity for it now.

And just a little non sequitur... I saw this pic on an MSN.com:

Nick Koudis/PhotoDisc Red/Getty Images
and it just tripped me out a bit. I was tickled. Make anyone else laugh? Or is it just me. :-)

Imagine That...

Remember that one summer back in 2000 I spent 6 weeks studying abroad in the Middle East? And subsequently, two weeks traveling here and there? And then there was my obsession with a Palestinian guy I talked non-stop about for quite some time? Well, I've come across some info about him on the 'net. Check this out! Just like when I knew him in Jerusalem, he was into acting and theater. He even took me to the theater he was a part of in Ramallah. Now he's in Hollywood doin' his thing in indy films and other small roles, like playing historical figures in Discovery channel dramatizations/reenactments.

I used to be hella pressed over that guy! Wait'll I tell Peter about this. Hehe. And I do believe Bashar (the Palestinian guy) is married to the director/writer of many of the films he's been working on. Funny where life takes you. I remember when I was with him, that is partially how I started becoming more aware and learning about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I remember crossing the checkpoints from Jerusalem into the P.A. (what's considered the Palestinian Authority, or the territory that's "belongs" to Palestine, though I think ALL of that land belongs to Palestine). The way he had to show his ID card. Being an Arab male, he just had to go through daily harrassment. Heck, many people who couldn't readily be identified as a Jew had to deal with that crap. I know I did, too, on a certain level.

I also remember Bashar talking about how if he ever left Israel to go abroad, he would have difficulty going back. Even though he's a native Jerusalemite, apparently, Israel will try to prevent some Palestinians from returning. It's all in their plan to try to get a stronger, more complete grip on the land they stole.

Anyway, I just wanted to say, "Hey! I know that guy!", if you ever see him in a movie or show or something. :-P

Narnia

Peter and I went to the theater the other night to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". I liked the movie. It was the first movie in the theater that I had seen in a looong time. I can't even recall the last film I saw.

Did anybody else see the movie? Or read the book when they were younger? I remember being exposed to C.S. Lewis' tales back in elementary school; perhaps in fourth grade. I don't know if I read all or some of the books. I need to go back and read them now so I can compare them with the movie.

Can any body recommend any good movies for me to see? New or old? But only good stuff. Every now and again we do Blockbuster and one of the films we rented was "25th Hour." I had first heard of the film from a colleague in grad school who liked it. Then I heard about it from another individual. When I saw it, I was kinda surprised to see that it was a Spike Lee production. But overall, I didn't really like it. It just wasn't a good film to me. And Ed Norton - what a sucky actor! I saw him in "Red Dragon" and maybe one other film, and I don't think the guy can act! I'm not sure if it's his voice that makes me feel that way. He has this annoying voice and I feel he should play roles where he's being bullied or something. He seems like he should be the guy who's picked on; the victim. Doesn't he just seem like an over-sized Haley Joel Osmet? Except that I like Haley Joel (though now that he's hit puberty, it's kinda weird. "Second-Hand Lions" was so-so, but I liked him much better in "Pay It Forward"!)

I also recently saw "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". While I found it entertaining enough, I just didn''t find Angelina Jolie to be that credible when it came to the action. I mean, with her firing those weapons and what not, I didn't believe that she was doing anything. Basically, if it came down to it, I don't feel like that she could handle shit. Do you know what I mean? But Jennifer Garner, on the other hand, she makes espionage look like so much fun! :-P

Anyway, I'm no Ebert. Lemme stop with the wannabe movie reviews!

Okay, so we want another dog. I want one for Rocco, Peter wants one for the baby. We're interested in getting a French Bulldog. The only problem is that they're hella expensive! Do you know that these dogs go for over one grand and up to and sometimes over two??? That is crazy ridiculous!! I think I might be willing to splurge a few hundred bucks for a pet pooch. But over a G? Yikes! That money could be better used to buy supplies and pay vet expenses for the dog! I'd consider a pound puppy, yet, there are several problems with that route. What are the chances that I would find such a breed there? Would the dog be male or female and how old would it be, which would affect its temperment? I think with Rocco, it might be better to get a female dog, and I would want one young enough who could get used to him and the baby. So many factors... So, if anybody's got any good leads on where I could get one of these dogs... Let me know! Or, if you wanna get me/us a nice Christmas present.... :-P

Ha

I thought it was funny when good ol' Ken called me a "crazy loon-ball liberal" in his blog. I mean, I might be considered a leftist regarding certain views.


But it's not like I'm for lowering the drinking and driving ages! :)

Besides, Ken, remember, I'm a conservative when it comes to certain issues! I'm for traditional family values and I'm pro-life. But I am by no means a far-right Christian fundamentalist like you, you Bible-totin' pervert! :-P (I'm glad you finally admitted it! hehe)

And I'm still anti-unjust-war! You know something I found quite appalling? When one of my friends whose brother is in the Army told me about his early experience in Iraq. Do you know that this fool (the brother) would kick down doors and shoot indiscriminately because he had the mind set of a bigot? He had the mentality that "they" were all the enemy. That kinda shit pisses me off cuz I know he's not the only one to think like that. :-(

Any way, in more disappointing news, I just read that the network ABC has cancelled my favorite show. "Alias" will be completing it's fifth season in May. *tear* Life's just not fair!

Where Does the Time Go??

Can you believe it? Baby Girl is already 7-months-old! I took her to the pediatrician today. Originally, it was only to get her follow-up, second flu shot (apparently, not only is she in a high-risk group, but she's gotta get the shot twice). But I was a tad concerned because she had a cold and I wanted to be sure that that's all it was and that it wasn't some other more serious illness. Luckily, the doctor said it's only a cold. She got her shot and she didn't even cry! That was good, because when your baby cries in pain, you wanna cry, too.

I pointed out to the pediatrician how Thevy continues to be so happy-go-lucky. At her 6-month appointment, he had asked if she was exhibiting the typical stranger anxiety that many babies her age show. At the last appointment he said he she was the only baby who didn't cry when he held them. He agreed with the comment a friend's sister made, that she was "cuddly". Yes, that girl will go willingly to strangers. Only a couple of people have made her cry, and I think that may have been because she was tired. And when she's tired, she can get quite fussy.


So, Thevy's the pass-around baby. Last Sunday (the 20th), when I went to Ayanna's house for a mass birthday celebration, all these people I didn't know practically had a chance to hold and snuggle with her. And at Thanksgiving she was also quite a hit. People in the mall or passing by or whatever often stop and point (in a good way =P) or make some comment when they go by. It's a lovely feeling to see how your child can bring smiles to people's faces. :)

And I wish I was rich enough to allow Thevy to bring smiles to the faces of the staff of this school near my house. But gosh darnit!! I cannot afford to pay $1300 a month in tuition. :( I would really love to send her there, as they teach the kids sign language and Spanish, the child-teacher ratio is 3-to-1, and cleanliness is a priority. (They have an 18-step diaper change process, which includes washing their hands before and after the diaper change, as well as washing the child's hands, to prevent cross-contamination. They also make sure to clean the toys after one child has been gnawing/sucking on it by washing, rinsing, sanitizing, then air-drying it.) But alas, such a significant amount of money is a potential mortgage payment. :( Any donors willing to help? Thevy would LOVE a benefactor! :-P

Poor thing!
I startled her when I snapped
this photo in complete darkness.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?? Mine was good. We made our annual trek up to Philadelphia for the day. It was me, my parents, Peter, and the baby. The pic to the left was taken on the ride up. Luckily, Thevy slept most the way up and back. Anyone know what it's like to have a crying child in a car seat while in motion and not be able to do anything about it? See, you could take them out of the seat to comfort them, but what happens in the undesirable event that you get into an accident? You just never know when something like that could happen...

Also, as a parent and a driver, you become a little more aware of how devastating a crash could be. That doesn't mean I've all of a sudden become a much safer driver and now drive like a granny, which could also cause accidents, but I have a lot more things to take into consideration when I drive. Like, I've ALWAYS hated tail-gaters. And I hate them even much more so now with a baby in the car. And I especially hate it when it's a huge semi ridin' my tail! It makes me conjure up images of some crazy invention for a vehicle: to have the ability to press a button and have spikes eject from all sides of the vehicle. :-P

I have a "Baby On Board" sign on the car - not that it'll really do anything... I have to take into consideration abrupt accelerations and decelerations that I didn't have to consider when driving myself. I just have to try to be a more conservative driver with Baby in the car.

Speaking of Baby... she recently outgrew her infant car seat. It's crazy all the things you have to learn. Infant car seats are specifically for infants up to a certain weight and height. Thevy was a couple pounds away from the limit and already too tall for her seat. Her legs were dangling over the edge so I had to invest in a convertible car seat. A convertible car seat is one that can be positioned rear-facing and forward-facing. Since she's still under a year old, she's gotta be facing the back while in the car due to the anatomy of babies. Consider inertia and a baby's neck control.

Anyway, I'm on the phone with my sister who's called me while she's stopped over at some airport en route back to her duty station and we all know I can't multi-task. Later!

Wow...

This is, like, the first time in a long time that I've been able to access my blog. Usually, the sign-in page never loads no matter how many attempts. What do I owe this pleasure? Not sure, but I wonder if it has anything to do with the wireless router I now have hooked up to my cable modem. Anyhoo...

This is not gonna be a real blog because I am in the process of doing some research for a family member. I do wanna say that I located a girl from my kindergarten class a few days ago. Craziness! I remember she was the best colorer (is that a word?) and I was the best artist. Hehe. And I spoke to my kindergarten teacher the other day as well. Told her about me locating my former classmate and we chit-chatted about this and that... It's nice to be able to keep in touch with people. Speaking of which...

I hate people who fail to maintain "adequate" contact with you. For example, about a month ago I got a brand new cell - number and phone. My old phone broke, thanks to my stupid dog, and I hated my wireless carrier (screw you, Sprint!) and I switched over to something better (Yay, Verizon!). Well, once I was pretty sure I'd be keeping my new service and phone number, I sent out an e-mail to some people informing them of the matter. I made sure to mention that since my old phone was broken that many of my numbers in my cellular address book were unretrievable and for that reason to please give me their numbers again. Those "S. Hoes" didn't get back to me! Well, some did. But most didn't! Fockers. I take things personal, but is that wrong? I'll assume you don't want me to have your number, and even if I locate your numbers written elsewhere, I shall not contact you cuz you don't want me to have your number anyway. So, hmph! :-P Some people are sOoOooo RUDE!

I guess this one is a "real" blog. About my cell phone experience... I had Sprint PCS for 2-years. Yep. They got me with that 2-year contract. And my service would have ended some time this month had I not gotten pro-active. Ya see, Sprint, for me, at least, totally, totally sucked. I mean, the fact that my calls often got dropped was not cool. One friend of mine, who also had Sprint, which meant we could call each other free, would often choose to call me on my landline phone because she said whenever she called my cell it would sound like I was talking to her from a tunnel. Now, that just shouldn't be given we were talking on the same network. And then, my phone just would not hold a signal in my own house. I mean, my stupid phone would drain it's own battery cuz it was constantly searching for service while just sitting there on the kitchen table or wherever. What kinda mess is that?

So... the fact that I quit my job and became a stay-at-home mom meant: that's right - I was staying at home a lot. I'm talkin' 95% of my time is/was spent in the home. And since I was home all the time, I couldn't even use my own freakin' phone that I was wasting so much money on. One of the perks of having a cell is that you can call anywhere in this country at the same rate. I wanted to be able to use some of my "anytime minutes" for certain necessary calls. But I couldn't cuz I could never get a freakin' signal at home. And it didn't matter if I stood next to an open window or not. I would literally have to go outside to make a call. But that's not cool to have to go through all that trouble, especially when you also have to care for an infant. And to me, that's just simply not acceptable to have to spend your dough on inferior service!!

Well, I began to contact Sprint. I started by contacting them via their website, filling out an online form. There was a box to type in a number where you could be reached, so I typed in the house phone. But within the text of my comment, I provided them with my cell number so they could use it as a reference in case they wanted to access my account info or something. Well, those idiots called me back on my stupid cell phone even though I specifically told them in my message that I COULD NOT be reached on my cell phone because the stupid phone did not work inside my house, which is where I spent the majority of my time. So, the idiot who called left a message on my cell and sent me an e-mail. Oh, and let me digress for a moment...

At the risk of sounded bigoted, but I don't really care cuz I'm not particularly known for being politically correct all the time... I HATE for telephone representatives to have foreign accents. I really do! I mean, if I'm trying to get some help or service, I want easy and accurate communication. I do not like the feeling that what I have just said was not fully understood, nor do I enjoy having to say, "Hunh?" or "What?" or "Could you repeat that?" just because Mr. or Ms. Foreign Person doesn't know how to enunciate the proper English letters. If a company wants their customers to be happy and satisfied, they need to provide them with enjoyable experiences in every aspect. The same goes for those in the medical profession. I need to know what the hell my doctor is saying. You can't F with a person's health. Especially for the fact that some people are afraid to ask someone to repeat something for fear of sounding stupid or cuz they hate having someone repeat the same thing in their broken English over and over. Okay. Enough of that. Just had to get that off my chest. Back to Sprint...

There was a whole lotta back and forth correspondence, mostly through the e-mail because I didn't feel like calling and waiting in cue until someone could answer my call. One rep assured me my concern would be solved 100% to my satisfaction. It wasn't. So I continued to contact them. I had a main line and one additional phone line. My main line was scheduled to expire this month, and the second line, they told me, wasn't to expire until December '06. That was quite a shock for me. Because as far as I was concerned, my 2nd line would end right along with my main line. So I was upset to hear that.

There were times where I had to call them from my cell and stand outside. And this was when it was just starting to get crisp and cool outside. That would not have been cool for me, if I wanted to make a call using my cell phone and be able to watch my child, to have to go outside when we are approaching winter. I don't know how many people I spoke to and you can see that every rep has their varying levels of knowledge and experience. People would tell me slightly different things. Despite my rant about hating foreign telephone reps, don't get me wrong, all of the Sprint reps I dealt with were courteous to me. But courteous doesn't pay the bill. One of the things that I was told, since I wanted to lower my monthly bills if I was gonna have to be stuck in my contract(s) was that I could pay something like $5.95 a month for a vacation plan that would last 6 months and then revert to your original plan. I figured six bucks was better than paying $35/line. And then after six months, pay the $35 and then, "go on vacation" again. So, that was my temporary solution; to lower my payments if be released from my contract without paying that steep $150 cancellation fee. I figured it'd be cheaper to ride the contract out.

But then I went ahead and got me and my husband Verizon service because I really needed/wanted a cell phone and since we make most of our calls to each other, it made sense to be able to call each other for free than use up minutes, not to mention, when I did leave the house, I needed to be able to contact him (remember, my Sprint phone was broken). Well, the girl at the wireless counter told me that with the vacation plan, that's like suspending your account for six months. Which means, after 6 months, your plan goes back to having x amount of time left in the contract that it had before you went on vacation. For example, if I had about 13 months left in a contract and I decided to do the vacation plan, after six months, I thought I would have 7 months left in my contract. But no - after six months "vacation", I would still be at 13 months left. Ain't that a bitch? Had I not gone for new phones, I may never have found this out.

So I contacted stupid Sprint when I got home and the person I spoke to that time said that was true about the vacation crap. So much hassle! Then I was told a technician would be sent to my area to look into the coverage issue. I was told that if it was determined the service could not be improved, that my cancellation fee would be waived. This rep also said she was sure I would see improvement in my coverage, but that she wasn't sure when and to just wait. Crazy thing, though, when she sent me this message, I found out a few days later when I listened to the voicemail on the cell phone, a technician had left a message. His message was timestamped one day before the e-mail. He told me that technicians had already been to my area, that it was determined that the area was prone to poor signals, AND that there were no plans to improve service in the near future. This contradicted what the one lady told me in the e-mail.

Gosh. This story is too long. Lemme try to hurry up. Basically, the last call I made to Sprint, I talked to a nice woman named Melanie and she listened and looked into my record. She saw that there was no evidence that a contract had even been signed for that second line of mine and therefore, she basically helped me out by setting up the line to be cancelled. She also figured that since I only had one month left on the contract for the main line that it was no big deal to end my contract one-month early. My savior!

It was about time someone did something for me. She was thorough and I'm glad she answered my call! This took a few weeks, contacting Sprint and trying to get out of my contract, but thank goodness I was persistent! All that run-around for crappy service. My money had been going down the drain. There was little to no value for my money and I was a very unhappy camper. Those stupids would try to ask me if there was a lot of metal or if my house was made of brick, trying to give cause for the sucky service. I told them, did it really matter since even if I stood by the sliding glass door, I still couldn't hold a signal? And I was told some b.s. about the brick deflecting the signals, yada yada yada...

Now, I've been very negative about Sprint and maybe it's a little unfair since some people who subscribe have decent service. But it just was NOT the provider for me and Verizon has been better. I was so happy to discover that I could actually talk on my cell and not have the call be dropped immediately after initiating a conversation, or a greeting, for that matter.

Alright, so there you have it. My bittersweet victory. :-P

A couple blogs ago I mentioned a kid that was on "Big Brother 6" who I said went to my high school and bagged at the commissary with me... Well, if you went to my high school and have the 1995 yearbook, you can find him. And I believe his sister's also in the 1994 volume. Yeah, that f*ggot's name was spelled "Bo". And now he goes by "Beau". I remember him as being nice, though. Oh, and wouldn't you know it, I was looking through old notes from high school and I found one where I made direct reference to Bo. Anyhoo...

I'll end here cuz I was posta be doing some research. Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure. They're a few months old, but that's okay. I'll eventually bring you up-to-date. :)

Shirt says: "I'm having a bad hair day"

Just doin' some laundry! =)

Testing...

Good grief! I've had the hardest time getting onto blogger.com! It's still hard for me and I've been trying for over a month to update. For some reason, none of my web browsers wanna enter even the main page of the site. I bet if I logged on elsewhere, I'd have no troubles. Hmph! It's so frustrating not being able to blog the moment I have something to say. I'm not exactly ready to blog right at this time, so... More delays to come!

This Country is SoOo F***** Up

About a month ago I heard on the news another example of the injustice that exists in this country. Here's an article that talks about it. Basically, Congress voted a pay raise for themselves for the beginning of next year. You know how much of a raise? $3,100. So, do you know how much that makes their annual salaries? $165,200. They cited the raise was in order to meet the raising cost of living. Now, what in the hell kinda mess is that? Are they saying they couldn't afford to live without that pay raise? There are people in and around the District who are makin' $30,000 and under. Don't you think THEY, if anybody, should get a pay raise in order to be able to afford to live? I seriously hate how hard life can be in this "great" nation. Richest country in the world and so many, as this Spanish lady who attended my shower was saying: in this country you "trabajas para vivir" and how in Spain you "vives para trabajar". That is, here, you work in order to live; there, you live to work.

On the AFL-CIO website I learned that the Federal minimum wage, which is $5.15/hour, hasn't changed since September 1997. They've tried to pass a bill in Congress to up the low wage, but "the Bush administration and Republican leaders repeatedly have blocked congressional attempts to raise the federal minimum wage. On March 7, 2005, a bill to boost the wage to $7.25 an hour over two years was defeated in the U.S. Senate." (See Minimum Wage)

Some other stats on the website regarding the working class are:

• If the minimum wage had kept pace with inflation since 1968 when it was a $1.60 an hour, it would be $7.55 an hour in 2005.
• Since August 2001, worker productivity in the United States grew by 4.1 percent, while worker compensation grew only 1.5 percent—meaning workers received one-third of the benefits of increased efficiency. In the previous seven business cycles, workers gained about 75 percent of those benefits.
• A net 24,000 private-sector jobs have been lost since President George W. Bush took office.
• Workers who have job-based health care coverage are paying more, as employers are passing on health care cost increases.

Don't ya just love this country?! Hmph.

Hey, off topic, guess what I just heard on the news? Good ole Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were once Boy Scouts. No kidding?

Reality TV

You know that show "Big Brother," right? Well, I don't watch the show, but when the previews for this seasons show was on, it caught my eye. I wasn't really paying attention to the commercial when it was on. Only 'sort of.' Like, while I wasn't actively watching it, I pretty much saw how they were introducing the characters. Each person would talk and say something and their first name was at the bottom of the screen. Well, when one of the members of the house came on, when I caught a glimpse of him, I was like, "Hey! I think I know who that is!" I'm not sure if it was the way he looked, or if I did catch his name when it was said. I was like, that's this kid named "Bo." He used to work at the commissary! I waited 'til I saw the commercial again and was pretty convinced that it was who I thought it was. The name on the screen said: Beau. Now, I don't remember how his name was spelled when I knew this kid, but I can say that Beau is the gay member of the house. Quite feminine and supposedly into fashion. I thought it was crazy. I think he was a short guy when I knew him. And I believe his last name was Beasley or something. I wanna check my high school year books, but they're at my parents' house. Beau. What a riot. =P I called Robert up to see if he remembered him and he seems to vaguely recall this kid. He was like, didn't he wear, like, a necklace? I couldn't even remember. But it's just weird to see someone you once knew on some nationally syndicated show. And to see that he's a huge flamer. =X Anyway...

I have seen a couple of people I knew on TV in the past few months. On the news. Like, I saw this one chick from grad school on the local news for a story about internet phones. She had Vonage and the story was talking about how some alternative phone systems don't have 911 included. And I think she said hers did. And then another time, I believe there was some gay festivities on the news. Something taking place in Dupont. And I saw this one guy talking and was like, I know him! But where do I know him from. It showed his name - he was this Vietnamese guy. But I couldn't remember where I met him - from undergrad, College Park, or grad school. Then I figured it out: he was the president of the VSA (Vietnamese Student Association) in grad school.

Heh. It's a small world...

I've been meaning to blog...

Things come to mind from time to time to write about - stuff I've meant to jot down from way before or some new things. But I just haven't been able to get around to it. Still can't manage to! But in the meantime, enjoy the new photos!

Right out the tub...

...all dry and groomed...

...and playtime!

music... cinema... politics...

In my last post I mentioned Oprah and how I don't really care for her all that much. But I do plan to watch her show tomorrow. Joss Stone will be on it! I've said it before and I'll say it again: there's some really good talent coming out of the UK. I heard of Joss, I guess around the time her first single came out - "About a Boy", or something like that. I think they were profiling her on some show and I was impressed. But I never did follow up on her or anything, even though I had decided I liked her style. Then a few months ago, I was in the store - Wal-Mart or something - and spied her sophomore album on sale. So I snatched it up. Mind, Body & Soul. Loved it. You know how some albums, you need to listen to it a few times for it to grow on you or for you to decide whether or not you really like it? Well, I instantly enjoyed itthe CD and was glad of my purchase. I like all the songs; especially the hidden track. I later purchased her first album, but still contend that I like the second one much better. And I think that's the last record I bought...

So Joss' style is soul. And for this young chick (I don't know how old she is now - 17? 18?), we're not talking neo-soul or some new sound. Her style is reminiscent of the real deal old-school soul of the 70's. I mean, some of the people she's collaborated with are the OG's of this genre. You can sample some of her music on the official UK site. This girl is what's up. Not too many white girls I give props to for successfully singin' like a "sista". I mean, Teena Marie, I like her and she sings Black music. But you know what? She really don't sound authentic! She's imitatin' the style and makin' good music, but her voice would never fool me. On the other hand, Joss does a better job of "passing." She was performing at some benefit concert for the UNCF and you even see Quincy Jones bobbin' his head to her performance. But then again, don't ole Quince got a thang for white girls? =P

So me and music... I am so not into what's out now. Well, I just don't give it much of a chance. I can deal with some of the pop and alternative stuff that's out now. But contemporary Black music? What a huge disappointment! They just continue to crank out catchy beats, but the actual content has no substance! The mainstream has become garbage (well, it's been so for quite some time - from R&B to rap), and it almost seems you can only find something worth a listen in the underground. It's to the point where I think I've become an old soul. Or that maybe I've just finally become too old! You know when you were younger how some of the the "old" folks might not like the music of the youth? Like despising rock or rap and what have you... Well, now I feel I'm in that position. Heh. I've some how... regressed (can I regress to a state I was never at before?) to the old school. I'm more about becoming acquainted and gaining a greater appreciation of music from before my time. Like, I really like my Carly Simon Greatest Hits album. And I bought Carole King and like my Etta James CD... I wanna get more into the old jazz and blues era and into that white music of the 60s/70s. Any recommendations?

The last movie I saw in the movie theater was "Ong Bak: Thai Warrior". That was a good movie, in my opinion. Action-packed movie with a simple storyline. The movie was in Thai with English subtitles. I hear it came out a long time ago, but only recently (in February), hit all the cinemas in this country. And I believe this American version (with Wu Tang on the soundtrack), was edited. That is, I believe some scenes were left out because one of Peter's acquaintances had a version dubbed in Laos and I felt that there was stuff I hadn't seen when we went to the movies. And also, a friend of Peter's lent him a version dubbed in Khmer and he pointed out a scene that was left out of the American version. Anyway, like I said, the movie was good. The lead character did all of his own stunts - no Hollywood special effects. And the plot - it was poor village life in all its humilityand simplicity contrasted with the lively scene of the city (Bangkok) and its roughness and decadence. It was about honor versus personal gain. Good vs. evil.

Alright, I'm not Ebert, so that's the end of my review... What else can I ramble about before I close this blog? Just a question, why the hell was Laura Bush makin' her rounds in the Middle East to promote peace with regard to the Palestinian-Israeli issue? I mean, I don't see her as the most ideal goodwill ambassador, seeing as how she's married to one of the world's most hated men - within, as well as outside this country. And Mrs. Bush said that "they" want America to be involved in the peace process. Uh, yeah - the Arabs do so long as the Americans can be HONEST brokers, but that has not been the case! Anyhoo, I'm done. Bye!

"Alias" Season Finale in 30 Minutes

Yes, I am still an avid watcher of "Alias"! And having a baby hasn't stopped me from making sure I catch each episode. I jokingly said, while I was still pregnant, that Baby would have to wait if my show was on. Well, that is not the case. She's the one thing that'll make me turn my head from the television set when it's not a commercial. =P

I finally purchased my own copy of "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison a few months ago. I had been meaning to read it and buy it for quite some time. I finally bought it when I did because I found a copy that wasn't defaced with that stupid "Oprah Book Club" stamp. I wanted a nice, clean copy. I'll watch "Oprah" every now and again, but I am really not a fan of hers. And I definitely didn't wanna be possibly supporting her by buying a copy of a book that she somehow was endorsing! Anyway, I been reading it a little here and there. I'll let you know how it was if and when I finish reading it. Oh, and coincidentally, some of the main characters are a family by the name of Breedlove. And in recent news a couple by that same name just gave birth to a rare set of identical quadruplets. Ah - the symbolism of names!

I'm distracted by "60 Minutes" right now, so I'm ending here.

EDIT: Okay. I'm back. I was wrong. "Alias" hasn't come on yet (it's 9 right now). It comes on at 10 cuz "Lost" is 2-hours-long. Never really watched that show; doesn't appeal to me. So, I guess I can watch "American Idol" here and there. I have not been following that show. I was only into that show during it's very first season (with Kelly Clarkson). And the two contestants left, I don't care for either. They're not spectacular, if you ask me. They represent country and rock-and-roll. I'm into both styles of music, but I don't like either one of these singers. They were singing "Love Lift Us Up", or whatever it's called. The best part was the end - when they stopped singing! Nah. The ending part was the best part, though. Overall, their rendition did not sound too good, but the final notes were more sonically pleasing. Anyway, I think I might go read something and flip through the channels now...

Peter & Thevy

Father and daughter.

Damn Bureaucracy!

I hate dealing with the tediousness of government agencies and other "necessities." I went to my local Social Security Administration (SSA) office today. Ugh. I had meant to go first thing in the morning, that is, to be there by the time it opened at 9 o'clock. But I overslept and when I looked at the clock, it was 8:55. So, I didn't rush it. I even considered putting it off 'til tomorrow. But I eventually got me and Thevy ready and got there around noon. I was there over an hour. There were many people there. When I got there, there were several seats open, which quickly became filled. And it was warm in there. I ended up stripping Thevy down to her onesie cuz I didn't want her to overheat.

So I went cuz I need to add her to my insurance policy and there's a limited amount of time when you can do this. For some reason, I was thinking her card would be coming in the mail any day just cuz when I requested a new SS card when I had a name change, it took only a couple weeks. But then when I reviewed the letter from the hospital for proof of birth, it said it would take 17 weeks or longer for us to receive Thevy's card. And when I called the SSA, they said I had to go in in person to get her number, which, again, I need for insurance purposes.

So, when I got to the office, the East African security guard/"front desk" attendant guy gives me an application to fill out. I was annoyed by that cuz I thought the stupid proof of birth letter from the hospital was sufficient since it said I'd be receiving her social security card in the mail regardless... And I probably wouldn't have had to fill one out had her birth record or whatever already been entered in the system. When I got to the window, it appeared that nothing had been processed. If it had, that proof of birth letter would have been enough for me to get her number and go. But no. The clerk asked for other proof of identification. She doesn't really have any!! I don't even have her birth certificate yet. The info I received from the hospital says to wait at least 4 weeks before requesting one. She's only 3 weeks! (And ain't it robbery that I have to pay 12 bucks for the damn document? That shit should be free for the first copy!)

Anyway, all I had by way of documents for Thevy were from the hospital - stuff regarding the care she received and the discharge paper. But the hospital had given her a generic first name: "Girl". Therefore, these records were inadequate cuz the SSA needed stuff with her actual given name! And I had nothing else with her name! So, I had to go down to her pediatricians' office and grab something. Even they had some of the same paperwork I had with the name "Girl". And the receptionist printed out the notes from Thevy's 2-week appointment and a statement saying what vaccine's she'd been given. But they didn't look all that "official". In fact, the notes almost looked like they were printed from someone's Outlook e-mail. I was afraid they wouldn't work when I went back to Social Security. But luckily, they did! (Even though the clerk did ask if the one sheet was from my e-mail, but I told him it was printed from the doctor's system.)

So, with all that hassle - getting Thevy fed and in her car seat and into the car (it's a bit of an inconvenience, especially since I drive a 2-door coupe :-/) ... to the SS office... trying to keep her pacified... running out to the car to change her stinky diaper... going back in to wait some more... hearing her fart/poop and thinking, "Man, I can't go run out and change her diaper. They're on number 38 and I've got 39", so I was hoping she wouldn't cry for having to sit in her soiled diaper... talking to the clerk to find I didn't have all the documents I needed... having to put Baby back in her car seat and into the car... driving to the pediatrician, walking to the building, taking the elevator up one floor, walking all the way down the hallway (carrying a car seat with my bag - it can be quite cumbersome!)... driving all the way back to Social Security... not finding the closest parking space... going back up in that stuffy room that has more people in it than when I left... then finally back to the clerk I spoke with earlier. I didn't have to grab a new number this time. I was allowed to go straight to the clerk's window as soon as those immigrants were done. (hehe).

But NOW... I gotta freakin' go back to that dreadful place tomorrow to get her number! Supposedly, Thevy's social security number will be generated overnight. What a huge pain in the butt, all this running around!

Congratulations!

I have to congratulate my friend, Michelle, who also recently gave birth! And on MY birthday!! She had a little boy last weekend. All these multi-ethnic babies being born these days. If there's one good thing about globalization, that's it! :-)

How Sweet!

Peter said something rather touching the other day:

He was holding Thevy and was soon to go to bed. I asked him if he was going to eat anything. He responded, "No, I'm full." I'm thinking, hunh? But you didn't even eat anything? Then he goes, "My heart's full." Aww!!

Day 7

Baby Girl is Gangsta!

Happy Birthday to Me...

I'm now a quarter of a century old plus one. And little Thevy is 6-days-old today. You've got to see her; you'd fall right in love!



Anyway, I'm just takin' a break to check e-mail and thought I'd blog right quick.

Did you see the footage of the 83-year-old street vendor who was assaulted the other day in DC? OMG, I was so appalled that it brought tears to my eye. This heartless, cruel act calls for some poetic justice!

And what is up with the Bushes and their attending all these stupid Holocaust memorial events? (Yes, I called them "stupid".) I mean, shoot - if we're gonna remember an event that didn't happen on American soil, nor at the hands of Americans... we might as well pay homage to ALL the holocausts around the world: African-American, Cambodian, Palestinian, etc... Hmph.

First Name: Bob, Last Name: Weaddababy-eetsagirl

My husband and I (for those who didn't know, yes, I'm married =P) welcome to our family a brand new addition: a little girl. Here are the basics -

DOB: May 1, 2005
Time: 1:37pm
Weight: 8lbs, 4oz
Length: 20in


Sheena, Jr.
a.k.a.
Thevy
(tay-VEE)

She's a real mini-me. :-) I can see myself, my sister, and my nephew when I look at her. But I think she has Peter's nose. That remains to be seen, of course. She was born with a nice head of hair. So far it's straight. I wonder if it'll get curly/wavy? Anyway, she's so cute; I have to keep her away from the grandmothers - especially my mother - for fear that she will be stolen and indoctrinated. :-/

Anyway, for those who attended the shower, I hope to send announcements out as soon as I can. (Pictures are also available via e-mail.)

Gross!

Anybody hear about this piece of news: "Hungry crows may be behind exploding toads: More than 1,000 creatures have puffed up and popped"? What a gruesome sight it must be! *retch & heave* =P

What's goin' on with these bus crashes in the area? The tragic accident in Alexandria between the occupied school bus and the garbage truck? Then the school bus and the Metro bus in the District. Everyone was probably on their cell phones (even though it's against the law in DC)... :-/ I hate when people are all up on my tail when I drive. Sometimes they seem to continue to accelerate even though I'm hittin' my brakes and slowing down. Sometimes I see that they're on the phone while driving. And when people who tailgate finally realize they're following too close, I see that they must have really had to slam on the brakes cuz whatever they have hangin' from their rearview is shaking back and forth/side to side frantically. It's to the point where I think I'm driving more so through the mirror than through the windshield in front of me. It's cuz some months back, this one young driver rear-ended me and I saw it coming. I was on my way home from work and there was traffic, being rush hour and what not... I was slowing down, as were the cars in front of me, as we were approaching a red light. I looked in my rearview mirror to see that the girl behind me was not decelerating and then - CRUNCH! She hit me. Yes, "crunch". That's the sound I heard when she hit the bumper. Long story short, we pulled over, as did another vehicle who witnessed the accident, and so did a couple of firemen in one of their work SUVs. The lady who saw the accident asked me if I needed her to call the police and she also volunteered me her info in case I did decide to call the authorities. She said that the other driver was not paying attention. The firemen took a look at our vehicles. We couldn't really see any damage. My car was so dirty, I couldn't tell if there were any scratches. But it didn't appear to have any dents. The one firefighter said the sound I heard on impact was probably styrofoam that's inside the bumper. I had no idea they put that kinda stuff in bumpers. It just doesn't seem that... I dunno. Maybe I'm thinkin' there should be something a bit more "high-tech" or somethin'. :-P Anyhow, back to the accident - the girl was clearly affected by the whole thing, about to hyperventilate or something. Heh. She was so scared, talking about how she was in such trouble with her parents. Apparently, she had a brother or two with a not-so-great driving record, and so there would be issues with their insurance company. Finally, her father came to the scene and he was nice. I was upset, but I remained calm. I exchanged info with the girl, but never acted upon it. I told the girl that these sort of things happened. And since you can't really tell anything hit the car, I just left it at that. Of course, it bothered me, the whole incident. I was thinking - man, if only I had taken a different route home. Or, if only I had left work 15 minutes earlier. Stuff like that. Which reminded me of the movie Run Lola Run where the mere difference of a few seconds can affect entire outcomes in drastic ways. Check it out if you haven't already seen it. =)

5-Year-Old Arrested...

I am so tired of hearing about this: 5-Year-Old Cuffed, Arrested in Florida! A Current Affair is driving me crazy with this story - morning and evening they seem to be talking about it. Not sure if they re-air or keep talking about it, but all I gots to say is, that bad-ass girl needs an azz whoopin'! :-P Did ya'll see the video? And did you see that stupid family attorney try to exaggerate the matter? He said the girl was "forcibly" arrested. That girl was "gently" handcuffed. And it was mainly 2 cops - not 3! That third one came in a little later. Some people are asking, why did it take that many cops to restrain a little girl. Hello! Think about it - if you alone were going to try to hold an unruly kid (though at the time they approached her she wasn't resisting, but they were prepared for an outburst), you know full and well you might not be able to do it single-handedly without using some elbow grease. I mean, if I were to hold a fightin' child back, I'd really have to use force cuz I only got two hands (and a foot to stick up her butt) and so you'd probably have to hold her wrists or arms firmly and then she could claim you hurt her and what not. So, I see the logic in using more than one cop to control that little miscreant. Did you see the way she was acting all up and out? Whether or not you think that calling the cops was unjustified, there still ain't no kinda excuse for that girl to be behaving that way! I can't imagine ever having done that when I was little. Why do kids no longer fear, respect, or obey authority figures with reasonable requests? I tell you - that no-good mother of that spawn of Satan ought to be arrested as well! On A Current Affair they showed the girl with her mom in NY taking a break from the hoopla of it all and wouldn't you know? The mother was showin' the girl how to walk and act all grown, hands on hips and what not. WTF? I wonder what parents be thinkin'... And the mother had the nerve to say it's the schools fault for not helping her cuz she's tried to have the child moved to another class or whatever. That's still no excuse for me for anybody to be actin' like that. That show was tryna make the little girl seem like she's really such a sweetheart. Even if she is "nice" most of the time, they don't have to move away from the fact that that child was out of control! And this child psychologist, who commended the teachers/adminstrators for dealing with that vile (hehe) child by maintaining an even tone when addressing her, he had the nerve to pull the race card, saying this wouldn't have happened to a white kid. To me, that's beside the point. It's just like how black men are most likely to get arrested and sent to jail for "minor" crimes compared with their white counter parts for the same crime - but the fact remains: you shouldn't have been committin' the crime in the first place! Just 'cause white people may get away with murder, doesn't excuse the act. Enough of this tirade. I just hope the case gets thrown out and that the school isn't held liable because a parent doesn't know how to raise her child.

Yay - I got one of my state income tax refunds in the mail today! It was a LOT more than my Federal refund and significantly more than my other state refund is supposed to be. I just don't get it... It was my first time doin' my own taxes. I used the TurboTax software for Federal and one of the states I resided in. And since I didn't wanna purchase another TurboTax program for the other state, I went to the state's website and filled out some crap there. I tell ya, it was a bit confusing! I went to bed quite late that night cuz, as you know, I'm a procrastinator, so you know I was finishing my sh!t up the night of April 14th. :-) I had started a few days earlier, but I quit cuz I started with the Federal joints, and when I came to the end to see how very little I would be gettin' back, I was HIGHLY upset cuz TurboTax calculated for me chump change! But anyway...

Got a pedicure yesterday. First time, too. I thought I'd treat myself this one time. But I don't think I'll be rushin' to get another one anytime soon. Overpriced. I thought I'd at least get a more thorough treatment. I mean, I thought they were gonna give my feet a good scrubbin', sloughin' off all the dead skin and what not! But it wasn't that intense. :-/ But I got my little piggies painted. =P

I'm hungry. That's all the update for now. =)

Baby's Heart...

I had a doctor's appointment. Here is what her little heart sounds like:


She should be here any day now...

Lock your doors...

Lock the doors - Martha's out! (Stewart, that is.)

I've been MIA for quite some time, I know. But I've just been quite busy. And when I wasn't, well, I was just lazy. :-P I wouldn't say this is a 'return' post, but rather an "I'm still alive" entry. I'm just checkin' back in, but I wouldn't even know where to begin with updating you all on the past year. Besides, my memory just doesn't serve me that well. So, anything I recall that has happened since last summer will be brought to you in piecemeal, if at all.

Okay, so what's the deal? Umm... I guess since I last blogged, I had moved from my parents' house to my own apartment in a rich county in another state that's out of my league. I just do not earn enough to make my home there, unfortunately. And I also hate the state. Or "commonwealth," rather. It just hasn't grown on me. Maybe if I could fit in the income bracket of the average household here, I wouldn't complain in the same way. Or maybe I would. The average household, apparently, makes about ninety thousand per year. I'm livin' paycheck to paycheck. Not cool! But hey - it's America! You live a lot better, holistically, I think, in other countries. Even third world. It just seems that the only way to live comfortably in this country requires you to earn mad loot. Not all of us are that lucky. Not all of us are interested in professions that bring you that kind of money. It's just not fair. So... once my lease is up, guess where I'm going? I'm moving back home. Ugh - I dread it! I'm doing it for financial reasons, not because I miss the 'rents. Heck, I almost would much rather struggle with money (maybe I can be eligible for public assistance at that time... >:)) than to put up with Mom and Dad.

So, by moving to another state, I decreased my commute time. It used to take me nearly an hour and a half door-to-door from my house to my job. And actually, when I moved, it still took me nearly that long! But our office was scheduled to relocated less than a couple months after I moved, and that cut my commute by about 30 minutes. That's good stuff. But it's a significant amount.

And my job. I hate it. I'm not doing anything I'm even remotely interested in and I just cannot excel. I feel stagnant. And more and more each day, I reluctlantly head to work. Business Process Reengineering. What in the hell? I don't have any interest in business. So I get thrown into this line of work with no motivation to learn it and no proper training to smoothly transition into it. So I lack the guidance I need to advance and I'm working in an area where I lack the initiative due to unfamiliarity with this field of work and my exposure to it thus far has yet to pique my interest. It's just not a happy place. People have already left. More people will leave soon because they're not happy. Don't get me wrong, it's a good company if you're the right fit in your field/specialty and you get along with the execs and all... But other than that, it suck @$$. Hmph. I got Robert a temp job there and he went beyond his temporary period - about double it. But then he had enough and put in his two weeks. Lucky him. I can't wait until I can do that. And I hope to do it sooner than later. Robert's take on the place was that it was too "cliquish - you're either in or your not."

So, that's a tiny update on at least one aspect of my life. That's enough for now. We'll see when I get back to you guys. Hope all is well. :)

In memoriam...

Another great leader passes: Karol Józef Wojtyla, also known as Pope John Paul II. (1920-2005)

Yes, I've been MIA...

It's been quite some time since I last blogged and a "real" blog, at that. I don't think I could even re-cap anything that's happened over the past two months. Mostly I can say that I work everyday and chill on the weekends.

On May 23, Jeannie, Tara, and I went to see a Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit. Toulouse-Lautrec did some posters for the original Moulin Rouge; lithographs. The exhibit also included some other lithographs by other artists and not all were Moulin Rouge-related.

The cicadas were still out then. They're gone now. I didn't even see them when they first came out cuz apparently, areas that have had a lot of work going on, like construction, didn't really have them. I heard them before I ever saw them and didn't know what the heck they were. It was an eerie sound. I likened it to a banshee. Hehe. I don't remember the cicada song from when I first encountered them back in '87. Yeah, I remember them then. And I also remember the shells they would leave behind on trees.

This time, the first cicada that I saw of the season was one smooshed on the sidewalk on my way to work. Actually, I think the first cicadas I saw were hardly identifiable to me, as they were a delicacy at this Laos barbeque I had attended. Blecch. No thanks. They were goin' outside pickin' them out of the bushes in their backyard. I don't care how good they are. I'll stick to my processed meat! But then again, I don't know what's in that either. But at least if they tell me it's chicken, I can pretend that it really is. :-P

The last movie I went to see was "The Day After Tomorrow". I had never seen or read previews, nor heard of the movie before I saw it. But it was good; I liked it. I guess it was sort of an action-suspense kinda film. But it had it's light moments and I enjoyed a few chuckles.

I've been spending many weekends with the boyfriend. We went to Blockbuster the last couple weekends. I wanted him to see "Run Lola Run" - a German film that explores the vast differences a few seconds can make and how a person's decisions will affect the larger outcome of certain events. I saw "Hannibal" and that was good. I never saw "Silence of the Lambs" or "Red Dragon" yet. I did read Red Dragon while I was in Jerusalem. Don't remember what exactly it was about, though...

Finally watched "Casablanca" cuz I wanna check out all the classics. It was an alright film. I liked it sorta, but then began to not like it for an underlying theme, which had to do with the Holocaust. Then it reminded me of how many of the major movie studios are owned by Jews and I started to feel like this movie was sort of propaganda, even if it really wasn't intended to be that way. (Hey - can anyone tell me why there are so many freakin' Holocaust memorials in the United States when the Holocaust didn't even happen on American soil, nor by American hands, and most of the people in the US probably don't have any relatives that suffered because of it? Why don't we have a memorial for the victims of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam since American soldiers caused that one?)

Anyway, there are some classic quotes in "Casablanca". One such one that often gets misquoted is "Play it, Sam". I hear it recited as "Play it again, Sam." And the closing line of the film, I can't remember exactly how it goes, but it's something like, "This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship." And then there was one quote I swear I heard in a song. I don't know what song, but it's the soundclip of Humphrey Bogart's character saying, "Where did you come from and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think?" And finally, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, why'd she have to come in mine?" Hmm... I think I wanna go rent "Citizen Kane" next.

I also watched "Pi". It was a bit weird, but cool, as most independent films are to me. Speaking of independent films, there are a load of 'em I wanna see. Tomorrow night, a bunch of us plan to see Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11", as it opens nationwide. It won Best Picture at the Cannes Festival and discusses all this war business and criticizes the decisions and actions of the Bush administration. A co-worker of mine is supposed to lend me another of Mr. Moore's documentaries called "Bowling for Colombine", which discusses the problem of the gun issue in this 'great' country.

I also purchased to used movies at Blockbuster: "Big Fish" and "School of Rock." I already saw the latter when it was still in theaters and the former, I watched... But don't quite have an opinion on it. I think I need to watch it again to see if I can say whether or not I truly liked it.

Tara had moved into an apartment recently and I finally got to see her place. It's set up nicely. And we then watched "Moulin Rouge." I liked it.

Last weekend, a bunch of us: Tara, Taneka, Sherelene, and Sue, went to Cafe Tryst. All of us, except Sue, were in 7th grade classes together. Jeannie, unfortunately, couldn't find parking and went back home, but I met her in 7th grade as well. And the funny thing is that we ended up seeing another one of our classmates - from 7th grade there: Shemeka. It was such a coincidence! Anyway, we were there for drinks and convo. And that was it.

Hmm... I dunno what else I can try to recall. I think I'ma stop now and play Bejeweled with Tara. :) Bye!

AMJ, CAIR, and CNI Hold Press Conference to Condemn Israeli Massacre in Rafah

AMJ, CAIR, and CNI Hold Press Conference to Condemn Israeli Massacre in Rafah
from AMJ
MAY 19, 2004

(Washington, DC) – American Muslims for Jerusalem (AMJ) joined the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Council for the National Interest (CNI) at a press conference this afternoon to offer reactions to Israel's week-long assault on the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. The press event was held at CAIR's national headquarters on Capitol Hill.

AMJ communications director Raeed N. Tayeh blasted President Bush for his failure to condemn today's military assault on peaceful protesters, which resulted in the death of nearly two dozen Palestinians, many of whom were women and children, and the maiming of scores more. "When Israelis, both soldiers and civilians, are killed, the president condemns it, offers his condolences, and expresses his sympathies, but when innocent Palestinians are killed the president is silent," said Tayeh.

CAIR executive director Nihad Awad urged the Bush administration to support a UN Security Council resolution that is being drafted to condemn Israeli war crimes. "America's image in the Muslim world will never improve until we put forward foreign
policies that apply one standard of justice for all nations, not just for those that have a powerful domestic lobby," said a statement read in part by Awad.

CNI president and retired diplomat Eugene Byrd emphasized the need for Israel to leave the occupied territories, and warned of the serious consequences of our failed policies in the region.

AMJ is urging concerned Americans to contact their members of Congress to express their outrage at the lack of our government's condemnation of Israel's crimes. To view AMJ's latest Action Alert, visit www.amjerusalem.org.

It's finally starting to get hot out

It's finally starting to get hot out. You know what that means. Yup - all you skanky girls are starting to wear much less! :) I dunno what it is about when the sun peeks out just a little bit, some females' clothes just fall off. :-P

I've got two more ethnicities to add to my list for when I wanna front. =) I was talkin' to this Salvordean worker that's been working in my building and in Spanish. Then he asks where I'm from. I know that when people ask, they usually are curious of my ethnic origins. But I just smile and say "from Maryland." So his first guess was actually Haitian. And when I said no to that, he guessed Panamanian.

And why do all these somewhat older men and workers wanna get with me? The Ethiopian parking attendant wants my number so we can go get some coffee or something to eat. He even wants to give me stuff and he let me know he was single. He was offering me material things, but I declined. But he gave me twenty bucks and I took that! :-X

And then there's the Salvadorean guy that makes my sandwiches at the deli. He asked for my number and I'm like, "Are you serious?" And he was. I dunno what it is about these men. Oh, and I've left out this detail - my supervisor (another foreigner) has crossed the line with me. Pretty much by saying inappropriate things. I'm talkin' sexual harassment. Apparently, he says I send signals. Something about my eyes. And that I may send signals and not even know it. I won't tell you some of the other things he's said or done. I'll just say that some people should know better. He's got a daughter almost my age. Anyway...

Tell me why my dog can now jump the fence? We have a six-foot or so "long fence". What is up with that? If he thinks he's been abandoned, that fool will hop right on over. My dad warned me the other day telling me that when I leave the house to let Rocco back in cuz he can jump the fence. I'm like, what? Nuh-unh. So I'm like, okay. Not too long before my dad told me this, when I was leaving with Tara, out front in the car, I look toward our backyard where you can see a part of the fence and saw Rocco's little head appear over the top. I'm like, oh, my gosh! But who knew he could actually scale it? Then yesterday, I put Rocco in the backyard and then go out to the front where Tara is in her car. We weren't even going anywhere at that very moment, but I heard some noise from the backyard. Eventually, my crazy mutt comes darting out of the depths. That's too bad. That may mean we're gonna start having to tie him up when we put him outside... He's a smart dog. Almost human. I swear he is...

The Thai/Cambodian/Laos New Year Update :-P

Hmm... Since it's been so long since I actually wrote a blog, I just can't put myself to summarize a month's worth of events in one entry. Either cuz it's too much to remember, my horrible memory won't let me recall, or simply: I'm just too damn lazy. :-P

Anyway, let's see what I can talk about... Friday, April 16, I went out clubbing. Went with the Southeast Asian crew (Laos, Cambodian, Vietnamese...). Met Jeannie up at the club and, well, you can always count on this girl to wanna get buzzed. Shoot - "buzzed" is such an understatement cuz that night was pretty crazy for me! Let's see, I was with the Cambodian guy I mentioned in previous entries. Basically, he'd been chasing me for two months. And to use his "running" metaphor, I finally stopped running. I ceased to 'cringe' whenever I heard him introduce me to his friends as his "girl" or "girlfriend." In fact, we are now "official." Imagine that - Sheena's got a boyfriend. Haha. Took me long enough, right? I'm nearly a quarter of a century old and I'm just getting my first boyfriend. LoL.

So this was the first time Jeannie got to meet him. Tara had met him before, like while I was still "running" from him. Actually, I had been resisting him and only wanted to remain friends. But Tara thought he was cool. She even said she liked him for me. Ha. But I just told him I didn't trust him. I'm not a very trusting person, I'm not. And Jeannie also thought he was cool when she met him. She even said we make a cute couple and that he seemed real attentive to me. Taneka met him as well and said the same thing - that we make a cute couple.

But anyways, I digress... back to the club. Funny, ended up seeing a guy there that my sister had met off the internet. I thought he looked familiar. Jeannie was joking with him though she didn't know him. And she wasn't even drunk yet at that point. Then after we'd already had one drink too many, I finally asked him his name and then asked him if he knew my sister. Small world.

So... I got so drunk that night. I've never drank to the point where I don't remember anything. But that night, man - I blacked out!! I don't remember too much. I know that Jeannie said, let's go get a shot. We went for a shot, then wandered off from the people we had gone up there with. Then we ended up on this one circular, chair/couch kinda thingamajig. :-P We started talking to these guys. Then eventually my date found us. He had a rose for me. I remember that much. But after that, nothing except the vague memory of when this dyke hit on me. lol. She gave Peter (my man) a Peter said that he asked her, "You lookin' at my girl?" And she supposedly looked me up and down and said "Cute", then walked off.

I don't remember the rest of the night. I don't remember leaving the club. From what Peter and others said, Peter took care of me. He said I made it outside to the front of the club, turned to him and asked, "Why'd you let me drink so much?" Then he said my eyes rolled back in my head, I passed out, and he caught me. He carried me everywhere - to the car, into someone's house to clean me up - I was throwin' up and dry-heavin'. He said I even threw up on him. How embarrassing! He told me that any other girl, he woulda been hella turned off to see her so pissy drunk like that. But with me, he said all he wanted to do was take are of me, and that he'd do it again. :) So anyhow... I have no memory of that night and woke up in a hotel. Now don't go jumpin' to conclusions now! I was well taken care of and not violated (I'm sure of it). It was me, Peter, another friend and his girlfriend. He couldn't take me to my mother's house in my drunken state.

I had a horrible hangover. That nauseous feeling where all I wanted was to sleep it off. I woke up around 10 in the morning still feeling drunk. (Well, I didn't get drunk until after midnight either). My mom was calling my phone. I was like, shoot! What do I say? I ended up not answering. Then later, in the afternoon, my sis called. I picked up and told her where I was and what not. Told her to call Mom up and let her know I was okay. Cuz shiet, I ain't feel like talking to her! Plus feelin' all sick and trying to tell your mom your hungover and all that... Didn't feel up for the task, ya know? :-P

Anyhoo... it was Thai/Cambodian/Laos New Year, so my friends were posta go to the temple. The people I was with insisted that I go with them when I was like, no, lemme stay here at the hotel and sleep! But they wouldn't allow it. I ended up laying down and sleeping in the car. When they got to the temple, I stayed in the car. I was just hurt! I didn't eat a thing that day. I just couldn't. Eventually Peter got me to drink some water but I really didn't want to. Then I threw up the water. But he said that was better than the stomach bile. :-P

So I ended up returning home after 11:30pm. I had Peter go in and tell my mom the deal. She said something to him in Khmer. And though I don't speak or understand it, just by the look on her voice I could tell what she had told him. She was basically like, still, I should've called. You know, cuz she was all worried about me. And plus it had to do with cultural things... My mom was saying how Vietnamese and Cambodian think alike. A girl doesn't go out in the streets late at night with boys. It has to do with what people think and reputation. Then she went on about how in America, it's different, girls can do that, but in her/our culture, it's unacceptable cuz a Cambodian or Vietnamese guy will think badly of you. *sigh* Peter doesn't think badly of me. But you gotta understand the elders and the culture.

So, yeah... I been spending lotsa time with Peter these past couple weeks. And things have gotten so serious in such a short amount of time. When we were sitting with my mom one night last week, he expressed to her how much he likes me. How he wants me at his side. My mom I guess pretty much gave her blessings, letting him know that I'm Catholic cuz he's of a Buddhist background. It's funny, Peter said to me, how is it that if I'm Catholic, I have a Buddhist outlook on life? But he's weird, too, cuz you could almost say he's Buddhist/Christian, hehe. Anyhoo... He even met my pops! That's a big deal. Oh, and the day after my hangover, I went up to the temple to meet him and what not. His mom and step-dad were there. So I met his mom. I thought she didn't like me, but he said it was cool cuz his mom is supposedly a real good judge of character and would tell him if she doesn't like the girl he's with. But with me it was a good sign that she asked if we were hungry and offered us something to eat of what little food she had left...

Yep... that's what's been goin' on with me. Peter told my mom that when he comes back (for he's gone out of town to take care of an obligation; that is, to fulfill a vow to a deceased relative. He'll be back after a year, but I'll see him every now and again when we visit), he's gonna have a ring for me. He told his mom he's gonna marry me within a year's time. It sounds so crazy, but, it's true. :-P His boys ask me what I done done to him cuz he walks around all lost. Hehe... He's been smitten with me from the beginning. :) But he's so good to me. And he says I make him wanna be a better man. Isn't that nice? Well, gotta run. Gonna go get some grub with Tara...

Payce!

'US is bigger threat than terror'

Globalisation and the US pose a more serious threat to the world than war and terrorism, according to a BBC poll.

Corruption came second on a list of the biggest problems facing the world, the survey of BBC viewers worldwide found.

Conflicts - war and terrorism - ranked third, with 50%, followed by hunger, 49%, and climate change with 44%.

BBC World asked 1,500 viewers of its news and international channel for the biggest problems in the world with 52% saying the US and globalisation.

Respondents from Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia, ranked the power of the US and large corporations as the biggest worry (52.3%).

BBC World's head of research and planning Jeremy Nye said: "We were a little surprised that global superpowers and corruption were ranked top but we will track whether they are gaining from topical interest or are of greater long-term significance."

Wars and terrorism were ranked as the top concerns in Europe and the Middle East despite ranking third overall.

Illiteracy was ranked sixth overall with 38% followed by nuclear proliferation, also 38%, and the persecution of minorities with 36%.

Lack of drinking water and basic sanitation was ranked 12th, with 20%, while 16% rated migration as the most important problem.

[This article was taken from the BBC online]