I need a taser...and a free theatre ticket

What a long week it has been. LL says I shouldn’t have quitted my other job. But I did, and I don’t have regrets. I just miss the extra time I would have had at home. Then again, things aren’t great at my house. Flat mates are being unbelievably difficult. No…that’s not why I need a taser. Lately, I have been at the office doing Teacher Workshops (PLT, WET, WILD) until 8:30pm and bravely walking to the NY Ave/ FL Ave Metro at night to catch my train home. Pepper sprays aren’t as fun as electroshock guns. Despite the controversies associated with taser use, I want one! I’m only using the shock gun for self-defense. It’s easier to use the taser to take the creepy druggie down to the ground -- with minimal physical exertion, and with a minimum potential for injury, I think. Not to worry, I’m gonna call the cops and the paramedics to check on him after I electrocute him on the sidewalk. Anyhow, I’m just happy that the workshops ended for now. Maybe tonight, I’ll get to talk to my oh-so-wonderful housemates. I do like their company, it’s the lack thereof that’s keeping the distant farther and farther away. Whatever.

Nothing much is happening this DC weekend. The "Deadskins" (SG’s term for the Washington Redskins) are gonna lose this home game against the Jaquars. On Sunday, I need to reserve a couple of free threatre tickets for the October 19 productions. The League of Washington Theatre is giving out more than 2000 tickets for your chance to see a professional production. Still waiting for The Departed to come out in the movie theaters. What else is new?

$3b Investment to Fight Warming

British billionaire Richard Branson announced he would pledge about $3 billion to fight global warming at the Clinton Global Initiative.

"Venture capital companies that focus on renewable energy are popping up all over the place," says Deloitte's Professor James. And while Mr Whitehorn talks cryptically about a car he has been testing that runs on Virgin's own secret biofuel, the real secret to success in the renewable energy industry will be a long-term commitment and financing.[...]

It seems there is a compelling commercial logic behind Sir Richard's drive for new fuels.

Sir Richard Branson, the man behind the Virgin brand, said all the profits generated from his transportation sectors (airline companies) will be invested in finding renewables, sustainable energy sources in an effort to promote alternative energy, to wean the world off from fossil fuels.

Kudos to you Sir Knighted Richard. Thanks to President Bill Clinton and Al Gore for their endless promotional efforts.

Lưu Quang Vũ poetry

I’m in the mood for some poetry, and I find this Vietnamese poet and playwright interesting. Lưu Quang Vũ (1948-1988) is famous for his works in "Cô Gái Đời Mù Nỏ Xám" (The Girl in a Gray Beret), "Tôi và Chúng Ta" (Me and Us) "Lời Thề Thứ Chín" (The Ninth Oath) and "Lời Nói Dối Cuối Cùng" (The Last Lie) among his thirty plays in the span of ten years. I look forward to seeing one of his plays on stage one day. He writes very nice love poems too. His poems are dramatic and moving. The rhythm and tone flows together like – a song. Here’s one of my favorites.

Việt Nam ơi

Những áo quần rách rưới
Những hàng cây đắm mình vào bóng tối
Chiều mờ sương leo lắt đèn dầu
Những trẻ ngồi quanh mâm gỗ
Lèo tèo mì luộc canh rau

Mấy mươi năm vẫn mái tranh này
Dòng sông đen nước cạn
Tiếng loa đầu dốc lạnh
Tin chiến trận miền xa
Những người đi chưa về
Những qủa bom những hầm hào sụt lở
Những tên tướng, những lời hăm dọa
Người ta định làm gì Người nữa
Việt Nam ơi?

Mấy mươi năm đã mấy lớp người
Chia lìa gục ngã
Đã tận cùng nỗi khổ
Người ta còn muốn gì Người nữa
Việt Nam ơi?

Người đau thương, tôi gắng gượng mỉm cười
Gắng tin tưởng, nhưng lòng tôi có hạn
Chiều nay lạnh, tôi nghẹn ngào muốn khóc
Xin Người tha thứ, Việt Nam ơi

Tổ quốc là nơi tỏa bóng yên vui
Nơi nghĩ đến lòng ta yên tĩnh nhất
Nhưng nghĩ đến Người lòng tôi rách nát
Xin Người đừng trách giận, Việt Nam ơi.

Tôi làm sao sống được nếu xa Người
Như giọt nước bậu vào bụi cỏ
Như châu chấu ôm ghì bông lúa
Người đẩy ra tôi lại bám lấy Người
Không vì thế mà Người khinh tôi chứ
Việt Nam ơi?

Không vì tôi đau khổ rã rời
Mà Người ghét bỏ?
Xin Người đừng nhìn tôi như kẻ lạ
Xin Người đừng ghẻ lạnh, Việt Nam ơi

Người có triệu chúng tôi, tôi chỉ có một Người
Tất cả sẽ ra sao
Mảnh đất nghèo máu ứa?
Người sẽ đi đến đâu
Hả Việt Nam khốn khổ?

Đến bao giờ bông lúa
Là tình yêu của Người?
Đến bao giờ ngày vui
Như chim về bên cửa?
Đến bao giờ Người mới được nghỉ ngơi
Trong nắng ấm và tiếng cười trẻ nhỏ?

Đến bao giờ đến bao giờ nữa
Việt Nam ơi?

Your body and your government

I know my friend, TN, who is pregnant with child, is gonna kill me for posting this clip. But I must support this government initiative, (only because it wouldn't work) haha.



Talk about female reproductive signals...You men are too funny -- The vagina: Gateway to Information.

Catch 33 flash game

Here's a fun game of Catch 33. It's suppose to improve your memory and observation skills. My score was 61 seconds...shows you how much I don't give a damn -- I mean it shows I forget a lot of details :-)

On that note, go vote PG County!! You have 1.5 hours left. Prince Georges Co. has extended its voting time by one hour and Montgomery County by two hours (ending at 9:00 PM). Go vote!!

That Tuesday on Sept. 11

When I was a junior in High School, god parents JA and GG took me and NQ to Wall Street to observe the inside of the stock market – the so-call pit. The trip was mostly geared for NQ’s interest in the trading markets. I just tagged along for the sightseeing and who could refuse a trip with JA and GG? It was fun, educational, entertaining and always intuitive. After chatting with JA’s stockbroker and surviving "the pit" tour, we took a taxi cab to downtown. We stopped at the foot of the World Trade Center.

I remember looking up and up and up, unable to see the top -- wondering at the amazing architectural feat of engineering standing before me. I could’ve sworn that the twin towers were swaying back and forth in the sky as I look up. Face to face with these twin giants, we finally decided to take the tour up to the towers. I forget which one we went on, but we actually went to the 72nd floor or something like that. From the window looking down, I felt like a small bird watching over the city. It all seemed like I could take my boyfriend up to the tower one day and just hang out at the food court.

September 11, 2001. 8:30 am. I was getting ready for my Inorganic Chemistry class, all showered and incompleted homework in my bag (I didn’t get to finish it the night before because, yeah…) My roommate NQ turned on the TV to CBS The Early Show. I saw WTC, one tower standing, the other on fire with a hole near the top. It was the jetliner that made the firing hole. Before NQ and I could make a reaction, another jet dived into the other tower, and we all knew. My heart dropped, and I just walked out of the dorm without saying a word. Even Steven Spielberg can not do a stunt like that. I found myself at the CUB desk sitting on the couch (instead of sitting in my Chem class, which was cancelled anyway). I overheard someone said that a plane has hit the Pentagon, and I lost myself. My family were in the area. My friends live and work near there. My godparents are in the vicinity. What is happening? Are there more planes? Are my family and friends in DC ok?

I called my parents, but the phone line was busy. I tried again and again. No connections. I called everyone on my crummy paper phone list, and finally reached Cathy T (my niece-in-law (?), and she said that everyone is ok. The rest of the day was a blur. I managed to e-mail my HS Spanish teacher Mr. W to check on everyone. I dunno why I contacted Mr. W. He e-responded back that the school was ok, but everyone is pretty much shaken from the news. I finally calmed down when I got to talk to ba and mẹ, and they said that everyone in the family was ok.
I tried to talk to my co-worker, BB if his family and friends are ok, but I my voice was shaken and I could not continue. I think he was a little freaked out at my reaction, but BB was quite comforting for not pushing me to say anything.

Nearly 3000 innocent people died, just four shy of the number. Many of them heroes died trying to save lives. I think we grew up a lot since September 11, 2001. Many bloggers today are remembering September 11. It’s not easy to forget. It's easy to over analyze and twist the facts. It’s easy to point fingers and blame the ones that seem vulnerable. I'm not hurt or angry anymore. I'm just determined that it should never happen again. We need a department of peace, ya’ll.

Marriages: the real and the fake

I've talked about phony marriages ages ago, and I am contradicted. The state of Virginia is cracking down on fake marriages. Investigators have found that it is hard to tell between a real and a fake one.

Twenty-two people were charged, including "facilitators" who brokered the marriages for fees ranging from $2,500 to $6,000, illegal immigrants who wanted a marriage as a means of obtaining permanent residency, and U.S. citizens who received initial payments of $500 plus monthly installment payments totaling up to $3,600 for their participation.[...]

"We don't normally take an opinion on matters of the heart, but it's safe to say in this case that we do not believe in love at first sight," Rosenberg said.

The investigation, using confidential informants and undercover agents, revealed extensive evidence of the fraud, including payments between individuals and efforts by facilitators to coach couples on the questions customs agents might ask them to verify the marriage's legitimacy, like what side of the bed each slept on.

There is the ugly ugly truth, and there is the "opportunity" for a better life. Can you imagine the nightmare of a fake ceremony? Kissing and cutting the wedding cake with your “husband” while his real girlfriend looks on with rage. Then you have to go through the passport panel trying to prove that you and “your husband” are in a relationship. Personally, I can not fake things if my life depends on it. Everyone can tell when I lie, even my two year old nephew knows it. I scratch my right ear when I try to hide something. Don’t know why. Weird.

It is a dangerous position for taking the mid ground, but I don't have much to say about this scheme. I still think it's wrong (if you get caught). But what if you’re just trying to help a friend? Statistically, one in five marriages are bogus anyways :-) Do let me know your stories and your views (anonymously). I am curious.

Wicked frustrated with the judicial system

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day for Quyên’s murder trial. I knew I couldn’t attend because of work, but I waited patiently for any news. The last set date was postponed because the prosecutor was busy. This time the trial lawyer quit his job, so now the case has been pushed back again! For the third time!

The trial for Donta Allen, the accused killer of undergraduate Linda Trinh, has been postponed from Sept. 6 to Nov. 14 because the state's attorney assigned to the case has resigned.

This is the third postponement of the trial, originally scheduled for Jan. 17 and then for April 25.

If you had recalled, Donta M. Allen was indicted in April 2005 and was to be arraigned in May – got postponed. I’ve been trying to find any news on what really happened at the arraignment, but I had no information. I looked at the Maryland court websites and called the front desk myself, and I haven’t been successful.

I sure hope there’s a bright side to all these delays – that all the evidence are collected and all witnesses are gathered and all speeches are meticulously worded and the murderer has time to reflect on what a massive sin and hurt he has bestowed upon all of us. We still miss you very much Linda Quyên Trịnh.

Slay them teletubbies

Finally, a stress reliever that's worth my time. Go on, destroy those scary teletubbies with various weapons. The chainsaw is the coolest one of all. I've always hated the teletubbies, scariest children show ever! Muah hahahaha.

Blogging hiatus explained (sorta): C&O Canal towpath

I've been so busy trying to take over the world these last few weeks that I've forgotten about this lil' blog. I made a few weekend road trips here and there - wrote in my journal as I went and then burnt the sappy thoughts on the camp fire. I do, however, would like to share with you the C&O canal adventure.

Once upon a time, two crazies decided to take on a 184.5 unpaved miles bike trail in two days. One crazy tried "to kill" the other, while the other moaned about the pain of constant pedaling. One of them had never biked more than five miles; the other still wanted "to kill Trynn". One mid August weekend, SG and I bought our $14 bike racks and got too excited about a bike trip. Brother in Black daringly drove us to Cumberland, Maryland for our starting point. The day was beautiful. We load our food and camping gear (~15 lb/each) onto the racks. I won't go into details about how we shove two mountain bikes into Cammy's trunk. I will tell you that we used bungee cords and my dollar ropes to hold the trunk door down. I made a few stupid moves. One of which is not having proper gear, like biking shoes; instead, I was wearing sandals -- what an idiot (right photo). That was not such a big mistake. My seat cushion was not as comfortable as I thought. I could've easily pulled a hamstring if we had completed the towpath. My *ss was definitely aching for days. You would've noticed my pain if you had seen me walk. Aside the pain, which is good pain by the way, the towpath was amazingly beautiful.

We got to Cumberland at noon and biked 60 miles. We were not allowed to exceed 15 mph, and we didn't wear a helmet. SG enjoyed the Paw Paw tunnel very much, hehe. The last two miles on our first day was exceedingly painful for me. My pain threshold can only be pushed so far. Because of my constant complaint, SG agreed to stop and camp out. At that time her bike rack was falling apart and was holding on loosely in place by my dollar rope (lucky me!! ha.ha). Remember folks, rope and duct tapes are your two best friends for life! You don't know why or when you'll need them, but they're handy when you need them most. We were fortunate not to have experienced any violent summer tropical storms or have to use our supply of inner tubes. SG went down the Potomac River to relax her muscles. The Icy Hot patch helps too. For supper, I cooked curry-flavored rice pilaf with turkey slices. The two of us ate all four servings. My buttocks and legs were in so much pain that my brain could not register the loud banging of the train engines on the railroad switchyard during the night. I slept like a baby with her eyes rolled up. The next day, we biked to milepost 95 and got picked up by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Brother at Williamsport Visitor Center. This is another testimonial why I love my brothers.

I would recommend this adventure to anyone (not for the faint of heart). You could do 20 miles on Harper's Ferry or select some other segment of the C&O, and it shoudl be lovely. It would be much more enjoyable if you plan it on three to four days for the whole path. Leave some time to check out the local towns and the local shops. You'll probably look a little silly from exhaustion, but no one would dare laugh at you; instead, they would leave a shocking look to their faces when you tell them your trek. We had one lady that was speechless after we told of our lil expedition...And no...we did not do this for a cause, we just felt like biking 184.5 miles (though we only made 95 miles). For more information, check out the C&O Canal Bicycling Guide. Make sure you bring a friend or a group; it's more fun that way. Then again, you have to watch your back cuz SG would try "to kill" you along the way.

RIP Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin

What a shock. It is a sad day that naturalist Steve Irwin died. If I had to die young, I would not want to die from something I love.

UK wilderness expert Ray Mears said that Mr Irwin's death was a tragedy and that his thoughts were with his family, but that the incident served as a warning that "some things in nature should be left alone".

How unfortunate it is to be struck in the heart by a stingray's barb. Poor guy. I haven't forgiven him for holding his baby in one hand and fighting off a crocodile with the other. That was when I thought he had gone too far! Nonetheless, Steve was a real hands-on conservationist. His eccentric style served its purpose in that it brought awareness to the general public who see animals as scary and ugly. We will all wish the best for his wife and family.