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!