It's been such a fright.  Please tell me everything is ok.  Ok, go there, and let me know you're there.  Next week I'll put this behind the login but keep it just in case we get lost again.  If all else fails, look for me at my work blog or here.

-Name withheld.

I finally told my mother about my trip in July. She wasn't too excited about it. In fact, she got mad at me.
"I used to think you were so smart. But some of the things you've been doing lately make me think differently...."
"I'll be fine. I promise."
"You say that."
"I promise. I'll be okay."

So...she's mad at me. I think she's more scared than anything. To see her baby girl growing up...that's got to be terrifying. I can't imagine it. But she needs to understand that she didn't raise an idiot. I am going to be fine. I will. I have to.

My grandmother is back at the house. She went straight from the ICU to the house. There was no room in the hospital for her. And they needed to move 7 people into the ICU from the ER, I believe. So, they sent her home. She gained 30 pounds in less than a week. She doesn't even look the same. She just looks....miserable. She couldn't even feed herself. Her hands were so shaky that she kept spilling the food or drink. Her arms are swollen from the crap the hospital pumped into her in massive amounts. She hasn't been that big in years. It's scary. 30 pounds in 6 days. It's unhealthy.

So, I am going back to work. I am going to try to feel better. I am in one of those valleys today.

I started this blog on September 1, 2006, after 1) Kim's influence and 2) enjoying bloging for my team while I was in Africa.

The blog's a huge hit with my family. They like to read it (I'm gald someone does) and love even more when I put pictures up of them. My close friends read it too. Some of them have even started their own blog, like Whitney! 

Sometimes I don't know what to blog about ... and sometimes there are some dry spells in there (that's when I'm super busy at work and I can't handle looking at my computer at home), but I'm glad that there are still people that come back and check my blog!

Please stick around. And leave a comment sometime!! ;-)

Had dinner at NewYork and watched What Happens In Vegas. OMG THE MOVIE IS AWESOME! Seriously, the best I have ever watched. Okay I do know I say that quite often, but its really very funny and touching. TRY IT!

So today was also one of the most embarrassing day of my life, where I did countless embarrassing stuff.

• Tried out and took a photo of the slippers without buying. In front of the sales assistant!
• While waiting for movie, bought Ben and Jerry's turtle soup flavour at NTUC. Also bought a pair of metal spoons just for eating it OMG!
• Ate the ice cream right outside Macdonald's, sitting on the bench with Uncle Ronald. So many people staring O.O
• Took a picture doing the above.
• Went into Mac and took the serviettes without buying anything from them.
• While washing the spoons, I dropped them on the floor in the toilet, with two old uncles staring. MOST PAISEH MOMENT! I ran out.
• Played the arcade bball game and got 100 with the two of us shooting and many people watching behind. High score was 600+.
• After the movie, took a picture of me sitting on a cardboard chair for Prince Caspian's promo pinup.
• Went to the wrong floor of the carpark, but thats like the usual for me, so its ok.

And again, What Happens In Vegas is really very very nice, please go watch!

So, I've been thinking about this a lot. Sean Bell's homicide. Strange that his death was over a year ago, the police were only recently found not guilty of murder, and there have been "pray-ins" in New York City. Al Sharpton went to jail for being a protester and blocking traffic and he has threatened that there will be more of these pray-ins staged.

I realize it's a horrible death and that there appears to be no justice. I recognize that it's, once again, police brutality a la Diallo, and that black victims are always the victims of this sort of violence.

I cant remember the last time I've read an article that went: "Middle class white male in suburban home gunned down by police officers who mistook his remote control for a deadly weapon and unloaded 50 bullets into him-"

Thus, watching the news, on channel 9 news, SUDDENLY, there were more black American news anchors on TV in a row than I have seen in my entire life. That includes being in places like Atlanta, Detroit, or even Kansas City (areas typically more diverse than, say, Idaho).

So in some ways, I feel like this is a really good move politically to show power. Congrats.

However, some things are just poorly executed. One professor in my school has ripped apart a piece of large cardboard and covered her office's window with a sign that says "Justice for the Bell Family" scrawled in Permanent marker. Other people shown on the news were saying things like "50 bullets is just too much;" as if 1 really well placed bullet is enough?! or sufficient?

At least that individual was out in the streets, though, marching, protesting, shutting down traffic and getting arrested.

The sign is really just sort of stupid.

This, however, puts an interesting tweak on the intersection between technology and law enforcement, which might also be vaguely more productive. CLICK HERE

In essence, be part of a solution, not a greater part of a problem and you're contributing. But to focus on the problem alone as if that is sufficient is uncalled for. It only does so much, and makes the work of those who go out to actually take to the streets that much harder because they're not being supported.

Still, I get the gesture.

...

It is what it is.

Still there are other aspects of what's going on that need to be addressed as well:

Race is a social construct. It's not to say that it's not 'real,' but only that we define this continually as a culture. So already we walk into territory which is fraught with overburdened terms, histories, conflicts, and connections which are automatically triggered whenever anyone of a specific group is the victim of a heinous crime.

Is humanizing such a horrible thing?

In other ways it seems like divisiveness is the greatest harm for all of us and that these definitions often help to re-entrench the distinctions.

So in another, sense, I guess, my professor was right too.

Justice should be the unifying force.

Ethics Committee, gimme somethin'.

A Nonymous

I ordered a biscuit meal without meat, with coffee, and 2 Breakfast Jacks no ham for Kalayah and Austin.  The girl in drive thru was pretty nice, she's been kinda iffy before when I've gone through.  Meanwhile, the manager dude was all sorts of happy go lucky and maybe a little pompous.  He wasn't rude, but I could tell that he thought he was pretty freakin' cool, which who knows, he might be.  I mean, he did call the place, "The Box."

So long story short, we came home and I gave the kids their food, they know to check and make sure there's no ham before they take a bite, and there wasn't so they started scarfing away.  I opened mine to find that they gave me sausage, but no egg.  "Awww shit.  That sucks."  So I called dude, happy go lucky, pompous, manager guy.  This is how he answered the phone and I shit you not:

"This is Mike, what's your beef?"

I was so taken aback that I think I even laughed before I complained.  After I told him what was up, he's all..."Yeah, well that sucks."

Yeah, "It does suck, cuz I can't eat it."

He says, "I know."

"Umm..."

He says, "Well if you'd like to come back I can replace it for you."

"I can't come back now."

And you know the rest, they get your name and then you forget you had a freebie comin'. hahaha

So, for you Manager Mike, I wanted to let you know that you started my morning off just right.  Thanks for the laugh before you fucked up my order and thanks for kinda being a little bit of a dick.  Not enough that I dislike you, just enough to make me want to go back and see if you're still so shittin' happy.

"Welcome to The Box, My name is Mike, I'm the awesomely rad manager...by the way, I think I'm HILARIOUS!"

No such luck. :(

Phase VII of the Niven Lake Development is underway and they are drilling and blasting and the dust is flying. It's an interesting process to see them "sculpt" the land in this manner, but still it's disconcerting. Not only because the blasting shakes the entire house, but because we know the landscape is being changed forever.

On a lighter note, though we're dipping down into negative temperatures each night, spring has definitely arrived and we are REALLY enjoying the warmer weather. It's so nice to be able to go out without having layers and layers of clothing on!

We all make choices in our lives.

From the smallest choices to the biggest ones.

What we eat, what we drink, what we wear.

What we wanna be, career, and even relationships.

But whatever we do, it is by choice.

Sometimes choices are being made by ourselves and sometimes, they are enforced upon us. Sometimes we regret our choices, and sometimes, we regret initially but ultimately come to realization that the choices made, were for your best interest.

Since now my exams are finally over and I am not a student “unofficially”, there are plenty to think abt the things I wanna think about.

I don’t think I am just gonna blindly get a job. Cos I want a career, not a job. But now I am still kinda pleased with what I am offered. =]

I guess the choice to do uni right after poly was a good choice and the choice of HR major was right on target as well. =]

I guess going into uni was the first good choice I made for myself in my life. I would have said that my life was kinda like a disaster in primary school and poly. Not something I like to think back and feel proud of.

But I guess uni really made me a person I never thought I would be.

Who could have dreamt that I will be a graduate?

Who would have dreamt that I don’t need to look for job in a mad and hysterical way and wait for them to look for me?

Who would have dreamt that I can travel around places not worrying abt money issue?

Who would have dreamt that I might be getting my own new car at this age of 23 or 24?

Who would have dreamt that I might have the ability to fall in love again with a great great great guy?

All I can say is God’s blessing, right choices, and great friends and family. =]

After my paper yesterday, I suddenly knew what I was going to do. =] I know where my life is going. I know where my goal and priories in life are. These are one of the rare times I am so certain about my path.

Life has really been really kind to me. =]

I am glad to have friends who accept me for who I am and made me a better person. Family members, who are nutty but love me dearly, support me emotionally, mentally, physically and financially. Great gege I can look up to, crazy but gentle mama I can lean on, and a generous papa that always peep in my wallet to make sure it fills with cash.

Thank you God and everyone!

So now is just waiting for the days of travel to come!! I got a feeling I will be DARN sick of planes for a long long time to come..

Anyways, count down to

Taiwan: 7 days

Thailand: 15 days

Batam: abt 40 days

Macau and hongkong: planning after I come back from batam.

Graduation trip indeed, graduation trip indeed…

=] yes sam is still a very very happy girl.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

CHORUS
Hold on to things you can't explain
Hold on dancing in the rain
Hold on to kisses on the lips
Savor every sweet moment, cause baby this is it
And hold on
Hold on

I've been cleaning up this mess
Found a metal box with some black and white photographs
A little faded but baby you sure do look good in that old dress, oh yes
Didn't we wish we were superstars?
Sign our names in the dust on your family car
We'd be waving to the crowd
You be the diva
And I'll play guitar

CHORUS
Hold on to things you wanna be
Hold on to friends and family
Hold on to burning summer sun
It makes a difference, every one
Hold on
Hold on

Thinking that we'd say the same
But we didn't know that the world would change
Yeah it just keeps on spinning
And we just keep on holding on

CHORUS
Hold on to things can't explain
Hold on to dancing in the rain
Hold on to kisses on the lips
Savor every sweet moment, cause baby this is it
And hold on to things you wanna be
Hold on to friends and family
Hold on to burning summer sun
It makes a difference, every one
Hold on

http://technologyexpert.blogspot.com/2008/05/archbishop-desmond-tutu-loves-free.html

See what I am thinking is that you would just squirt up the colon with water into the regular colon and then you could have a double colon washout. If you could please have Mr. Colon (now that is Junior Colon, not Senior Colon) return my phone call, I would really appreciate it. Good day.

So when one of the boys left practice early last week, it was no big deal. His coach and teammates figured he had homework or piano lessons to get to. The thing is, while this particular boy is the tallest on the team - he can practically dunk - he doesn’t work at his game. He just stands there and waits for the ball to come to him.

My son and his friends aren’t trying to win the NCAA Tournament bracket, it’s a single day event with other elementary schools. But they’d like to be competitive, it makes the games more fun. And their best shot at winning is for this tall boy to spend a little energy and actually try.

(Would a flattering news article stroke his ego and get him going? We’re not talking a major daily. If Miley Cyrus can get in Vanity Fair, this boy could make the school announcement bulletin, no problem.)

Forty-five minutes after the boy left practice he returned, and he wasn’t empty handed. He was carrying an ice cream sundae. Whip cream, sprinkles, cherry on top. WTF!

He sat down and ate his dessert and watched his teammates practice. When he finished, he got up and came onto the court. His pants (yes, pants – no basketball shorts for this boy) and shoes were stained with ice cream.

Guess what? He got after that ball, dominated the lanes, grabbed every rebound, took good shots, made some passes, and actually ran up and down the court.

Must have been the ice cream shoes. Now if we can just sneak a quart of Ben and Jerrys ice cream into the tournament gym…

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Blog 440 here.

Read this.

This article should remind us all - Americans, Iraqis, Afghanis, Palestinians, Israelis, Burmese, and everyone else - that liberty and the pursuit of liberty is a work in progress.

Cuba, and other countries - including the U.S., -  will get there.

We have had and will have set-backs along the way.  There will be a lot of pain before the world is rid of things such as Myanmar (Burmese) junta and others.

But we will get there.

One step at a time.

One individual at a time.

It may not come in our lifetimes.

But it will come.

 

You filed your tax return and you're expecting a refund. You have just one question and you want the answer now - Where's My Refund? Whether you opted for direct deposit or asked IRS to mail you a check, you can track your refund through this secure Web site. Don’t fall for any email scams about your refund! IRS never initiates emails! Click here for more info about email and Phishing scams To get to your personal refund information, be ready to enter your: Social Security Number (or IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) Filing status (Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er)) Exact refund amount shown on your return If you don’t receive your refund within 28 days from the original IRS mailing date shown on Where’s My Refund?, you can start a refund trace online. If Where’s My Refund? shows that IRS was unable to deliver your refund, you can change your address online. Where’s My Refund? will prompt you when these features are available for your situation.

Reference from : http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html

The following above was from the WWW.IRS.GOV  website.   Please read thanks

I had a family funeral to attend to, sorry I was gone for awhile.  I today just recieved my 600.00 check in the deposit of my bank.  I filed taxes last year, and of course I didn't owe.  If you owe money, you won't recieve anything.  Go to the Irs website to see if you qualify or need help if you didn't recieve your check. 

There's numbers to call, and so forth from there.

Far as I know, they are going by your last two digits of your social security number, thanks for stopping in.

What else... she played with her friend and she is very competetive... she always wants to do better than someone else... and if she does not succeed she takes it hard... But she is great kid inside ... she has a good heart :)

Peruntungan: Tak perlu ragu ataupun bimbang karena kemujuran masih memayungi diri Anda, sehingga apa yang Anda lakukan akan lancar. (Ayo! Ayo! kalau mau tebar pesona, minggu ini waktunya. hehehe)

Karir: Jangan biarkan orang lain mengintervensi usaha Anda, segera dilakukan tindakan preventif agar tidak sampai meluas karena hal itu akan sangat berbahaya. (jangan terlalu banyak dengar omongan tim sukses gitu kali ya?)

Keuangan: Rejeki tampak terus mengalir, untuk itu tetaplah berlaku hemat. Jangan dihambur-hamburkan dan digunakan untuk senang-senang terus. (alhamudillah, ada dana lebih untuk kampanye)

Yusril (Capricorn)
Peruntungan: Masih ada harapan untuk bisa meraih hasil terbaik, dengan catatan Anda selalu ulet dan pantang menyerah. (mulai jadi khotib sholat juga boleh. Mulai dari yang kecil-kecil saja. hehehe)

Karir: Jangan bingung menghadapi berbagai tingkah laku kompetitor Anda yang mulai aneh-aneh itu, cobalah bisa disikapi dari sisi positifnya. (namanya juga dunia politik. hari ini A, besok B mah wajar lah)

Keuangan: Lakukan hipotesa yang tepat dari semua peluang yang muncul dan jangan takut untuk gagal. Bukankah keberhasilan itu tidak bisa terlepas dari kegagalan. (kalau takut keluar uang banyak, merapat saja ke yang kantongnya lebih tebal)

Hasil ramalan diambil dari detikhot.com. Rasanya, cocok untuk menggambarkan kegiatan mereka berdua minggu ini. Kalau keliru, yah... namanya juga ramalan.

ps: diasuh oleh Miss AG

]]> http://ashilling.wordpress.com/?p=240 Fri, 09 May 2008 16:50:35 +0000 Allie http://ashilling.wordpress.com/?p=240 so today is my last day of work as a temp!  yippee!!  i start my new job on monday!  sweet!

oh! and i found $5 this morning !  double sweet!! 

oh!  and i got my new zebra shoes and they're not very comfortable and are slightly falling apart, so i called shoeflake (which by the way has fabulous customer service and only took 3 days to ship to me from north carolina) and they gave me a full refund and told me to keep the shoes since they wouldn't be able to sell them again since they were damaged!  triple sweet!!!

oh, and these made me laugh this morning...enjoy!

and my favorite...

People who take slimming pills feel that they have total control over their actions and they will stick to their recommended dosage. In reality, it is not true. People have started increasing the amounts prescribed, as they wish to speed up their weight loss expectations. Slimming pills are often the last resort to help people, who are grossly overweight and need to lose some weight, or struggling to lose some more.

Many health professionals agree that slimming pills do help many people. However, it is an emergent trend that the general public feel suspicious that these pills may have some side effects too. Certain slimming pills, if consumed without prescription can be dangerous. The most popular slimming pills are Reductil, Xenical.

These pills are available through proper prescription only. Xenical works as a fat buster and hence, less fat is absorbed in the body. Reductil is quite effective as a slimming pill, but is best for severely overweight or obese people.

The pills mentioned above are a good option for weight loss. However, you cannot assume that these pills are magical pills. These pills will not help you to reduce weight overnight. It may take months or may be years before you visualize a weight change in you. Slimming pills does not come with a tag of calorie-controlled diet. So, before you buy any slimming pills, remember to consult your physician.

Mild Disadvantages:

Xenical slimming pills come with some side effects, although these effects are gentle and avoidable. The common side effects include a sudden bowel movement, oily stools, and repeated bowel movements. There are also complaints of losing control over bowel movement by many people.

Another popular and preferred slimming pill is Alli, which is quite responsible of giving diarrhea, anal leakage and various other side effects to its several users. This slimming pill is proved to help reduce just 1 pound.

Actually, this pill unites with fats present in the body and takes them out of the digestive system, making it impossible to digest properly. On the other hand, it also obstructs all those necessary fats that are required by the body to remain healthy.

Hence, it becomes a necessity to consult your doctor before starting to intake such slimming pills.

 DR has been a great way to stretch and challenge me in the way I live my life.  I knew it was quite the commitment going into it, and I almost chickened out.  Not like me to chicken out...I'm always up for a challenge.  I just happened to have a lot of things going on in my personal life...moving to a new state, starting a new job and several deaths in my family.  I felt so overwhelmed to even think about beginning something else new.  Even though I knew DR was the perfect next step for me, I had to take a few steps of faith and really convince myself that it was the right time for me.

I'm glad I pushed through my own resistance and decided to go for it.  I have new friendships with great people who love to serve in the same capacity as I do.  I've developed some new disciplines in my life.  I've also learned some great leadership principles, and have had many opportunities to put them into practice.  DR will make an everlasting difference in your life, you just have to go for it!

Check out Pastor John's blog to see a short video from our last class this past Monday.