April 27, 2007
[two weeks!] I have been (and still am) crazy busy working on the wireless project at work. Who woulda thunk that rolling out wi-fi across an office building could be so nosebleed-inducingly difficult? Argh.
Anyho, I have TWO weeks worth of pictures to put up. Obviously, I had to select the best ones since there are too many to choose from. Actually, most of them were kinda messy coz, well, this diva doesn't do well with pollen in her eyes (pollen count of 2000+ this past week?! WTF...). I looked like The Fly in most of the pics.
Anyho, I was gonna get all these up before the weekend starts cum hell or bitchy queers coz I know I won't hear the end of it otherwise. Yes, just in time for another crazy spring weekend in DC where, no doubt, there will be more pictures to be taken! Der, I am Asian after all.
Without further ado:
[L] Me, Rachel and Rob at Rachel's fabulous apartment-warming party two weekends ago!
[R] Rachel is totally fierce... and totally in love with gay guys, LOL!
[L] I ♥ boobies!
[R] Our winning trivia entry at JR's two Wednesdays ago. Guess what? We won again this past Wed, woohoo! Free drinks galore (not that I see any of it)
[L] The Fetch Trinity reunites at Halo last Friday! Why is Jason so pale? She's been screwed by so many black men she should be ashy instead.
[R] Veuve, oh how we love thee! (@ Jack's)
[L] Me with Bill and Danny @ Halo last Saturday for Michelle's Chris' 42nd b'day
[R] Patrick and Crack-a-ho-a (that's what she calls me)
[L] Danny, Adam, Bill, Leo and Me! Yes, I always have a drink in hand
[R] Chuck-alicious, Adam, Me and Patrick!
[L] Brett, Katie and Me @ the Victory Fund Brunch this past Sunday. So hot.
[R] Shawn, Me and Brett @ JR's after the Brunch (der, it was a Sunday)
The Adventures of Kiat in DC's springtime continues... @ 18:01
April 26, 2007
[king XIII] Malaysia installed its 13th "King" (Head of State) today at the Istana Negara (National Palace) in Kuala Lumpur. His name is HRH Yang di-Pertuan Agong (aka "Paramount Ruler", and it's also the title given to "Kings") Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. He is also the Sultan of Terengganu (one of 13 states in Malaysia), and his reign began on Dec 13th, 2006. He succeeds Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin of Perlis.
Confused? Well, Malaysia has 9 hereditary Rulers (Sultans) from the Malay States who form a Council of Rulers who then determine the next King. It's a rotational system and each Sultan gets to be Agong for 5 years (or less, if the current Agong dies). Yes, very confusing especially since Malaysia is only one out of 4 countries in the world that "elects" its monarch; the other 3 being the Pope, Cambodia and Kuwait.
Thirteen states but only Nine Sultans? Well, the other 4 have "Governors" (or Yang di-Pertua Negeri); including Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
Sultan Mizan, 44, is the second youngest Agong in Malaysia's history, and he is also the first King to be born after Merdeka (Independence Day or Aug 31, 1957). He was also the youngest Malay Ruler when he ascended the Terengganu throne at the age of 36 in 1998.
The two best things about having a King are (I'm gonna go to hell - or jail - for this):
1. The first Saturday of June is always celebrated as the Agong's birthday and it's a public holiday (I love holidays!)
2. Everytime a King dies during his reign, it is also a public holiday (I love holidays doubly so!!)
I remember looking forward to event #2 eagerly and fervently when I was a little kid *evil grin*.
Daulat Tuanku (Long Live the King)! @ 15:43
[high maintenance] I've had not one, not two, but THREE co-workers call me high maintenance today. All three incidents were separate, unique and unprovoked. And uncalled for!
If being pushy, manipulative and bitchy to get my job done like only a perfectionist can - albeit in a slightly less professional way - gets me the "high maintenance" label, then so be it. I'd rather be "high maintenance" than the lazy lumps of oxygen thieves that some of my co-workers are. Not to mention I'm right most (OK, all) of the time, so bite me if you think I'm high maintenance because I like to do things my way (coz it's the right way, der!). And if you don't fall for my persuasive arguments, I'll think of a devious way to get it done my way eventually.
*GRIN*
High maintenance?! Hrmph. The nerve!
And oh BTFW, if they're gonna call me Queen, I should have an ocean-liner named after me. Natch.
I'll show them high maintenance :-D @ 15:18
[lucky 13] The Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 of the largest and most widely held public companies in the United States, soared above 13,000 for the first time ever yesterday, closing at a record high of 13,089.89.
It took the Dow 6-3/4 years to recover from its pre-9/11 high (set on 1/14/00) of 11,722.98. And in 6 months, the Dow went from 12,000 to 13,000.
Amazing... for our portfolio!!!
[confucius say] I can never resist a good Confucius joke... (especially when it comes from a white boy *grins at Aaron*)
I think the funnier thing about this image is that they went to pains to use Hong Kong Chop Suey Chink Chong font.
Like, WTF, right? LOL!
The best Confucius joke (bar none) is still: Confucius say virginity like bubble - One prick, all gone.
My second fav is: Confucius say he who stand on toilet is high on pot. @ 14:34
[how dare you, sir?] Giuliani defends his suggestions that the nation would be safer with a Republican in the White House... to, of all people, conservative radio/TV host Sean Hannity:
"They do not seem to get the fact that there are people, terrorists in this world, really dangerous people that want to come here and kill us."
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann fires back:
"At least that Republican president under which we have not been safer has, even at his worst, maintained some microscopic distance between himself and a campaign platform that blithely threatened the American people with 'casualties' if they, next year, elect a Democratic president -- or, inferring from Mr. Giuliani's flights of grandeur in New Hampshire -- even if they elect a different Republican."
"How ... dare ... you, sir?"
How dare you, Mr. Giuliani, threaten that if you weren't our next President, that more Americans will certainly die. What a heinous thing to say.
Rot in hell, Mr. Giuliani. @ 11:15
April 25, 2007
[moderate my ass] Good ol' Rudy Giuliani. America s mayor. The face of 9/11. The man who rebuilt NYC by lowering crime and revitalizing the entire city from Brooklyn to the Bronx. And he famously shacked up with his gay best pal (and his partner) during his divorce.
So what if he's a Republican, right? Sounds like a pretty decent guy to me.
Until this:
"The Democrats do not understand the full nature and scope of the terrorist war against us. America will be safer with a Republican president."
The Republican Party platform should be: "Party before country." Disgusting. Thank God his true colors came out long before the Nov 2008 elections.
And Thank God Obama and Clinton fired back!
From Hillary:
"...If the last six years of the Bush Administration have taught us anything, its that political rhetoric wont do anything to quell those threats... One of the great tragedies of this administration is that the president failed to keep this country unified after 9/11. We have to protect our country from terrorism it shouldnt be a Democratic fight or a Republican fight... The next president... will have to do what it takes to make us safer and bring Democrats and Republicans together around this common mission of protecting our nation."
*Yawn* A bit of a snoozer.
But here's Obama's fiery comeback:
"Rudy Giuliani today has taken the politics of fear to a new low and I believe Americans are ready to reject those kind of politics. Americas mayor should know that when it comes to 9/11 and fighting terrorists, America is united. We know we can win this war based on shared purpose, not the same divisive politics that question your patriotism if you dare to question failed policies that have made us less secure. I think we should focus on strengthening our intelligence, working with local authorities and doing all the things we havent yet done to keep Americans safe. The threat we face is real, and deserves better than to be the punchline of another political attack."'
WOW. "...politics of fear to a new low... the same divisive politics... punchline of another political attack."
Obama for President!
I don't care if Rudy is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-gun control, or pro-whatever. I am so incredibly and virulently sick and tired of being told that I'm not American if I question stupid policies. What a despicable thing to suggest. He has just lost my vote (umm, I think I can vote by next November?).
Moderate, my ass. @ 15:17
[when i'm older...] Aaron sent this to me today. I guess I'm gonna be a smoker, drinker and the biggest whore this little town has ever seen by this time next month ;-)
*giggle*
P/S: Have lots of pics, but have been swamped at work and been going out every single night since, oh I dunno, March. No time. No time at all, sigh. @ 14:12
April 20, 2007
["life begins at 30..."] The Evitations have been sent out for the "Life begins at 30..." party at chez nous on May 19th (mark your calendars, bitches). If you didn't get your invite, well, you're just not fetch enough (or local).
There are already some funny responses in the Evite, but this is the best one yet (from Andy):
Life at 30? I can't even remember 40....what was I talking about? I'm hearing voices, are there little people in that cupboard? Where did my butt go, and what is that sagging thing behind my knees? Have you seen my teeth? I hate rice pudding. Oh no, not another sponge bath, I just had one last week, can't they just spray me with something? Ahh....old age,
LOL!
If you haven't responded, well, get with the program. Coz there's gonna be - and I quote - enough food to feed Randy, enough drinks to quench Paula, and enough Queens to out-bitch Simon. I'm trying to land some hot bartenders, alcohol will be free-(over)flowing all night, and the food will be catered (and served!).
And I won't remember a thing after ;-) @ 17:03
April 19, 2007
[1 asian small] In deference to uber-bottom Michael in LA (no, not Gary's Mike.. the Flaming one), I shall have to include this little snippet of exchanges over IM this morning.
Flaming:: Scary pic of you and Cuntina ... and yet no picture of me ... the man who bought you '1 Asian Small'. I am wounded. Deeply.
Me:: Bitch, pls. You have no feelings.
Flaming:: And your point is?
Me:: Can't wound if you don't feel?
Flaming:: Is that a bottom thing?
LOL! Bitch is baaah-ack.
Lemme 'splain. Last Wednesday night, Rick and I started off our Happy Hour at Halo's 2-for-1-till-midnight (I love their diet mojitos!). I was starving so we went to Logan Tavern where, after devouring a plate of of calamari and asian chicken wings, we ran into Flaming and some random mo. We picked up where we left off i.e. being viciously cunty to one another, but with lots of muahs. Flaming graciously picked up the tab (I'm sure he will never let me live that down). The bill came and there was a line item for "1 Asian Small".
Uh-huh. You can stop laughing now, bitches. It was referring to the chicken wings :-p @ 18:20
[buh-bye-a sanjaya] So I'm recovering from my hangover from copious amounts of alcohol last night with the ladies-who-trivia at JR's (plus a glass of Bellini at lunch with my fierce ladies at work), and I was telling one of my co-workers that I need to take a break from drinking during the workweek... and bitch says to me:
"Remember, Rehab is for Quitters"
LOL!
Anyho, last night was one of those legendary nights at JR's that will not soon be forgotten. I had an inkling that Sanjaya was gonna get booted last night (hah! hindsight...), so I decided to join, well, ehhhveryone at JR's to watch American Idol - Aaron, Brett and her bevy of boys, Evan, Blaise, Peter, David, etc.
You should've seen us all groan everytime a commercial came on, or cheered when Jordin, Chris, Melinda and Phil (yuck) were not in the bottom 3. Or how the whole bar cheered when Blake was safe (he's so adorable!). But then it was down to LaKisha and Sanjaya. In a normal world, there wouldn't even be a question as to who should be going between those two. Sanjaya totally shredded Bonnie Raitt's "Something To Talk About" the night before in an "utterly horrendous" rendition, and LaKisha still has some (but very, very little) star-quality goodwill leftover from her Dreamgirls performance many, many, Many weeks ago. But, this is American Idol and in their little warped world, aaanything can happen.
LaKisha and Sanjaya. Endless commercial breaks. I had both my hands wrapped around Aaron's right arm so tightly he lost blood in his fingers. One hand reached around and clutching my jade as we were both transfixed by the television screens in JR's. We weren't alone. The entire bar had reduced to pin-drop silence. *Every*one was staring at the multitude of screens that ring the bar, jaws open, and waiting with bated breath. Even the bartenders had paused their drink-making to look at the TVs.
And when Seacrest finally said: "Sanjaya... You... are going home", the whole bar ERUPTED. We were all jumping up and down and screaming. It was pandemonium at JR's as everyone celebrated the demise of a horrific but captivating singer. The "end of an American nightmare" party reached a fever pitch when the bar announced 30 minutes of open bar to celebrate Sanjaya's departure from America's most popular show.
The WaPo summed it all up so nicely:
"It was time for Sanjaya to go! Pack your curling rods, your flatiron, your extensions, your bandannas, your hair gel and GO! He will, however, live forever on YouTube."
Can you believe that was in the *Post*?? LOL!
Anyho... with the open bar, well, of course I had to stay. Resistance is futile ;-)
Open bar became trivia night and at that point (not quite down from our delirious high yet), it was just a moral obligation to stay for trivia (der). I had never been to trivia before so this was all new and quite exciting to me. Surprisingly, I suck at trivia *giggle*. Most of the questions were very American culture-centric and since I didn't grow up here, I had no clue what was served with sweet potatoes in the first ever TV dinner, blah blah blah. No clue. I didn't fare much better in the entertainment categories either - I didn't know half the actors, music artists, etc. that they were talking about.
But THANK GOD for all my other ho's that were there, coz they are totally brilliant at trivia. And they kick butt too. As in all the other team's butt. Our team name was "Buh-bye-a Sanjaya" *giggle*... and we won. $50 bar tab, woohoo! It was awesome.
Trivia (FOUR rounds of it) lasted way past midnight. Who knew there was life at the bars on a Wednesday night?? Anyho, Brett and I stayed. And drank. And stayed. And drank. And before we knew it, it was 1:30 and it was last call. We ended up closing out the bar at 2. But this wasn't one of my "one of the last to leave" kinda nights. Oh no. This was a "bar doors are locked, lower the blinds, turn off the music, wipe down the bar, count tip money with the bartenders, lock up the bar and set the alarm" kinda night. It sounds mundane but I was actually quite excited (if it's new to you...) It was quite a surreal experience and it wouldn't have happened without Boobylicious Brett. And my fav bartender Matt who adores us (well, Brett more than me).
I had fun. Going to bed at 2:30 (not drunk, mind you) and waking up the next morning at 8:30? Not so fun. @ 16:21
April 18, 2007
[ahh!] This picture of me and Rick @ Halo from last Wednesday (2-for-1 till midnight!) is scurrry.
I love it! Priceless... @ 20:13
[dr. kennedy?] *WHY* on earth, pray tell, is Congress (first) and the Supreme Court (today) playing doctor when they are most definitely NOT?!
By upholding the federal ban on "partial birth" abortion - a name that only Republicans can come up with - withOUT a "health exception" for a woman who might suffer serious medical complications, Congress and the Supreme Court are essentially trying to be your (yes, each and every one of you) doctor. Why are these branches of our federal government intervening in our lives??
Dr. Thomas, Scalia, Alito, Roberts and Kennedy... Nothing sounds more absurd to me.
Alright, I'll admit. The procedure being banned sounds gruesome to me and if I were any less staunchly supportive of women's rights, I would be hard-pressed to vote no when asked to ban it. And frankly, I don't think second trimester abortions are a good idea either, but it's not my body so I'm not gonna be all morally self-righteous about it. But if "partial birth" abortions were medically necessary (and who the fuck are we, much less the Supreme Court, to judge, 'scuse me, play doctor), I don't think it should be banned without a health exception.
In case you've been hiding under a rock somewhere, the procedure in question is only performed in the second trimester and it involves partially removing the fetus intact from a woman's uterus, then crushing or cutting its skull to complete the abortion.
*Cringe*, I know.
Even with the ban, other procedures are available for women wanting to terminate their pregnancy in the second trimester, such as dismembering the fetus in the uterus first which also happens to be far more common. 90% of all abortions happen in the first trimester so this ban has no effect on them. And the law doesn't limit when an abortion can be performed.
But that really isn't the point. This is just the start. If (the despicable formerly Republican) Congress and the Supreme Court are allowed to start making medical decisions on your behalf, where does it end? The overturning of Roe v Wade?
Well, that's just what the conservatives want, don't they?
Bunch of disgusting old white men trying to tell the majority population (yes, women are in the majority) what to do with their bodies and lives, with no respect or care for whether it endangers them or not.
Shameless! And I'm outraged. @ 11:38
April 17, 2007
[tax day] I am feeling very poor today, after writing just over $40k in checks to the Feds and DC State. I have not received a refund in 3 years! :-(
And you know what? Pardon me while I bitch about the US tax laws (amongst all the other things I feel like bitching about on here, but don't... like, oh, how my current employers dicked me over salary-wise and don't care to admit it or rectify it). Something is wrong with our tax code when it takes an average of 24.2 hours to complete tax forms. Per person! Americans spent 6.65 billion hours in 2006 complying with the tax laws, costing $258.5bn. Why? In just two years (2005-2007), the ridiculously muddled and bloated tax code grew from 593 to 841 pages - a 42% increase. Shocking.
I hate taxes. I need some charity... at JR's! :-D @ 21:34
[more parking!] If it's a weeknight, it must be another remote office in Asia (timezones suck) needing my attention. Tonight, it's Singapore. Groan.
I'm sitting here on my couch watching American Idol and waiting for those Singaporeans to wake up and get to the office. Jordin just delivered another amazing performance, and Sanjaya also delivered one - an amazingly bad one. At this point of the game, the line between funny and mind-bogglingly annoying is getting very, very thin. I am almost as entertained as I am disgusted by the whole Sanjaya "phenomenon".
Aaanyho, I have been doing a lil' (OK, a LOT) research about on-street parking in DC. I have always maintained that one can park between the stop signs and the intersection on weekdays between 10pm and 6am, and the entire weekend. Ehhh-veryone thinks I'm kwazy, of course, and it's been bugging me (I hate to be wrong, hah!). But we've never gotten a parking ticket doing so. So who's right?
Well, guess what I found. Proof!
The Parking Enhancement Amendment Act of 2006
Just google "B16-0383" (that's the DC Council Legislation Number). Taking effect on November 16th, 2006...
2411.21 Vehicles displaying a valid residential parking permit may park at all times, within a designated residential permit parking zone, twenty-five (25) feet or more from the intersection.
Since stop signs in DC are 40 feet from intersections, that leaves 15 feet pass the stop sign i.e. one (and only one) car can always (24 hours a day!) park between the stop sign and the intersection on all streets within a permit parking zone. Of course, you must have a parking permit which means all you VA and MD drivers are SOL (hah! more tickets for you bitches...).
Bear in mind, you can only park in YOUR designated permit parking zone. And parking zone boundaries follow the ward boundaries i.e. Zone 2 is Dupont, Kalorama, Logan, Shaw and Georgetown (woohoo!) but NOT Adams Morgan (I know, WTF?). And no, we Zone 2-ers cannot park north of Florida Ave (ugh). Sucks.
BUT! There is more parking relief in the Act. In addition to the 25-feet exemption above, there is a parking enforcement moratorium (i.e. no meter maids, no parking tickets, nada) in residential parking permit areas from the hours of 9pm to 7:30am everyday. I believe that applies to ALL cars (VA, MD tags included, but don't quote me on that) and you can never get a ticket during those off-hours. Only in parking permit areas, of course. The language is so broad, though, that I'm not sure if you are allowed to park "illegally" (fire hydrant, driveways, etc.) but one shouldn't anyway. But you can park anywhere else and be almost assured of not getting a ticket.
And if you do get a ticket under the above circumstances, all you have to do is send the ticket in and quote the Act to get it adjudicated and expunged from your record.
Isn't this great? More parking!
Yes, altogether now: "You're right, Kiat" (or in David's case: "Pussy always right").
I'm *always* right :-D @ 21:01
[1,049] I was asked yesterday and today at lunch by co-workers about why it was important for gays to get married. Not in a challenging way, but in an inquisitive manner. I rattled of a few of the more well-known answers like taxation on domestic partner benefits, hospital visitation rights, immigration, etc. and I realized that I had been somewhat ignorant on the subject. Not that I needed to defend such a fundamental right for two people in love to be recognized under the eyes of the law. But I needed to find out more.
1,049 more, in fact. That is the number of benefits denied to gays and lesbians because of the inability for us to get marriage licenses. Let's check out a few:
Assumption of Spouses Pension
Automatic Inheritance
Bereavement Leave
Burial Determination
Child Custody
Divorce Protections
Domestic Violence Protection
Exemption from Property Tax on Partner's Death
Immigration
Immunity from Testifying Against Spouse
Insurance Breaks
Joint Adoption and Foster Care
Joint Bankruptcy
Joint Parenting (Insurance, School Records, etc.)
Medical Decisions on Behalf of Partner
Property Rights
Social Security Survivor Benefits
Sick Leave to Care for Partner
Tax Breaks
Veterans Discounts
Visitation of Partner's Children
Visitation of Partner in Hospital or Prison
Those are just a few of them. Some are (or were) extremely important to me - taxes, immigration and benefits. Some are perhaps a little more obscure but no less important. But ALL of them are taken for granted by the vast majority of Americans. And I really don't have the energy or time to educate every single one of them or to change their blasé attitude about the issue of gay marriage.
Perhaps this will... from a man whose partner of 11 years was a flight attendant on one of the hijacked 9/11 flights, testifying against the Federal Marriage Amendment in Congress:
Jeff and I had exchanged rings and we were married in our hearts. Legally, it was another matter entirely.
After his death, I was faced not only with my grief over losing Jeff -- who was indeed my better half -- but with the painful task of proving the authenticity of our relationship over and over again. With no marriage license to prove our relationship existed, even something as fundamental as obtaining his death certificate became a monumental task...
During the years we were together, Jeff paid taxes and had social security deducted from his paycheck like all other Americans do. But without a civil marriage license, I am denied benefits that married couples and their families receive as a matter of routine.
Jeff died without a will, which meant that while I dealt with losing him, I also had huge anxiety about maintaining the home we shared together. Without a marriage license to prove I was Jeff's next of kin, even inheriting basic household possessions became a legal nightmare.
Married couples have a legal safety net of rights and protections that gay Americans are currently denied. Until Jeff died, I had no idea just how vulnerable we were -- where married couples have security and protection, gay couples are left without a net...
The terrorists who attacked this country killed people not because they were gay or straight -- but because they were Americans. It is heart wrenching that our own government does not protect its citizens equally, gay and straight, simply because they are Americans.
Two years ago we were all united against the common threat of terrorism. Now, less than two years later I am sitting here and being told that my relationship was a threat to our country.
Jeff and I only sought to love and take care of each other. I do not understand why that is a threat to some people, and I cannot understand why the leaders of this country would hold a hearing on the best way to prevent that from happening.
In closing, I would like to read an excerpt from a letter that Jeff wrote to me on our last anniversary:
"Keith, we've been through much the past 11 years. Our lives haven't always been easy, but through it all, our undeniable love for each other has carried us through! I love you -- don't ever forget that! When you're feeling lonely and I'm not home with you, just pull out this letter and read my words to you once again and know how much you will always mean to me! With loving thoughts of you now and forever, Jeff."
I truly believe I have learned the meaning of the phrase -- Love is Eternal.
For those of you (nobody I know, thank God!) who think that my ability to get married will somehow devalue or threaten your marriage, or offend your self-centered, morally righteous, bigoted self, then I hope I will never be able to understand why you feel that way.
Coz I don't want to be that person. @ 20:20
[worthless dollar] For the first time since 1992, the British pound finally broke the psychologically important $2 barrier today after flirting within 5 cents of the $2 mark for the past 5 months. The dollar's free fall is matched on the euro front by closing within 1 euro cent of the all-time high of $1.3666/euro set in Dec 2004. The dollar also hit a 17 year low against the Australian dollar, and is near an all-time low with the NZ dollar since the kiwi was floated in 1985.
And in Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) closed at a 13 year high on Monday, the highest level since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis which caused the KLCI to lose 75+% of its value. More importantly, the ringgit rose to a 10-year high of RM3.436/$1 making every ringgit spent by my mom in Malaysia that much dearer to me in US$ on my credit card. The ringgit has now risen almost 10% since the RM3.8/$1 peg was loosened almost two years ago. If I had bought property in KL then (and I wanted to), even with zero property appreciation I would still have earned 10% on my investment by now.
Hindsight is 20/20, sigh. @ 19:35
April 16, 2007
[exhausted] Oh, I forgot "physically" exhausted too...
From having to drag my pasty yellow ass in a heavy overcoat, sweater, scarf, etc. AND having to hold an umbrella while trying not to get blown away!
WTF?
So tired. Of this nasty, wet, cold, winter-like weather (it's been sub-50° since Saturday evening, ARGH).
Need warmth. Now. @ 23:23
[8 years later] Gosh, I'm completely exhausted right now - emotionally and mentally. Mentally coz I just got off working for 4 hours on a project in Tokyo (timezones suck!!). Emotionally coz, well...
From the NYT's Editorial "Eight Years After Columbine":
"Yesterdays mass shooting at Virginia Tech the worst in American history is another horrifying reminder that some of the gravest dangers Americans face come from killers at home armed with guns that are frighteningly easy to obtain."
"...it seems a safe bet that in one way or another, this will turn out to be another instance in which an unstable or criminally minded individual had no trouble arming himself and harming defenseless people."
"Our hearts and the hearts of all Americans go out to the victims and their families. Sympathy was not enough at the time of Columbine, and eight years later it is not enough. What is needed, urgently, is stronger controls over the lethal weapons that cause such wasteful carnage and such unbearable loss."
32 dead. The deadliest shooting rampage in US history.
The Brits lived through Dunblane on Mar 1996, half a year after I had arrived in England for University. I remember standing in front of the TV crying and in shock. Sixteen 5- and 6-year old kids - plus an adult - were gunned down. Massacred. Senselessly.
Not 7 weeks later, the Aussies lived through the Port Arthur massacre. 35 people were massacred in Tasmania.
The British Conservative gov't immediately banned almost all handguns throughout the UK. The Australian Liberal (aka Conservative) gov't introduced sweeping gun control across the continent. Both nations previously had laws granting the right to keep and bear arms, a legacy of English Common Law.
How many more have to die before the NRA gives in to common sense gun-control laws?
How many more Columbines and Virginia Techs do we need to crush us into action?
Sad :-( @ 23:15
April 14, 2007
[the export machine] In another shocking statistic of China's stunning ascendance to economic superpower status, a WTO report released two days ago showed that China surpassed the second-placed US in exports for the second half of 2006 and is almost certain to be the world's second biggest exporter for the full year of 2007 after Germany. For 2006, China recorded $974bn in exports vs. the US's $1.024tn and Germany's $1.133tn. Excluding HK (which is an entrepot economy where imports are re-exported), Japan and France round out the Top 5.
Export growth from China soared 27% last year, outpacing all other major trading nations and the global average of 8%. At current growth rates, China is projected to overtake Germany as the world's biggest exporter in 2008. Amazing. Since 2000, China has more than doubled its share in world merchandise exports to 8 per cent.
The amazing growth in China's export machine has been matched by the US's soaring trade deficit which set a record for the fifth consecutive year in 2006 at $765.3bn. The imbalance with China alone grew to $232.5bn, the highest ever with a single country. The US remains the world's largest importer buying up $1.869tn worth of goods, more than double #2 Germany ($916.4bn). China's $777.9bn worth of imports puts it at #3.
China's global trade exceeded $1.758tn in 2006. It first broke $1tn in 2004, more than doubling from 2001. Since China joined the WTO, she recorded 31.5% growth in trade in 2000 (from $361bn to $474bn), 7.5% in 2001 ($510bn), 21.8% in 2002 ($621bn), 37.1% in 2003 ($851bn), 35.7% in 2004 ($1.15tn), and 23.2% in 2005 ($1.42tn). Which means in 5 years between 2000-2005, China's trade quadrupled :-o
Shocking statistics indeed. @ 17:42
[olympic news] After NYC 2012 lost the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, ultimately won by London (most likely due to the fact that North America was gonna host the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver), the US is trying again for the Olympics with Chicago 2016 beating out LA in a USOC vote today as candidate for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Chicago will most likely go up against a tough field comprising of Madrid, Prague, Rome, Rio and Tokyo. The IOC will award the 2016 Games in October 2009. The US last hosted the Olympics in 2002 (SLC). In 3 months, the IOC will announce the winning candidate for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The bidding cities are PyeongChang (S Korea), Salzburg (Austria) and Sochi (Black Sea, Russia). South Korea last hosted the Olympics in 1988 (Seoul), Austria (Innsbruck) has hosted the Winter Olympics twice (1964 and 1976), and Russia last hosted the Olympics in 1980 (Moscow).
The next few Olympics? Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010, and London 2012.
I was at Torino 2006 (thanks Jason!). I can't wait for Beijing 2008! @ 17:12
[a capital, but not a city] WaPo's "D.C. Needs to Capitalize On Its City-Like Qualities" pretty much sums up what I think about DC, both in terms of how it is today and where it should be going in the future...
"First there was an idea, and then a plan. Then, over the course of Washington's first century of existence, there was a lot of building, a living-up-to the plan and a filling in of empty space. And with the 20th century, there was finally a city of sorts..."
"...calls for 'no more monuments' on the Mall, frustration with public buildings turned into mini Green Zones policed by surly guards with strange, freelance notions of the United States Constitution, and resentment with living in a town that people love to visit but won't allow to have basic democratic rights... Washington is a city defined by outsiders, by tourists who come looking to see their little piece of the American pie reflected back at them in a monument, memorial or museum, and by politicians who use the city (both literally as a place to gather and symbolically as a place to hate) but never really live here."
"...We have the infrastructure of a great cultural city, but so many of the city's cultural organizations play it safe. Our architecture languishes in a cul-de-sac of vitiated classicism. Even restaurants close early, a small but telling symptom of the city's crisis of urbanity. Real cities are filled with people who eat late, mingle late and walk home late."
"In many ways... Washington is a very successful city. We have better mass transit than most cities in the country. We have better cultural institutions than most cities in the country. We have better neighborhoods -- more lovely, more walkable and, for what you get, in many cases more affordable -- than most cities in the country."
"...the American notion of a capital is of a city that is "purified," an agglomeration of clean, orderly citizens that is not, in the end, really a city at all. It took Washington a century to look like a capital. And it took another century to make it feel like a city. Now it needs to start thinking like a city, showing the 25 million annual tourists the cutting edge of architecture, sustainable design and development, and the bustle and bumptious energy of a real metropolis. A good start would be a few restaurants that serve until 4 a.m."
We can start addressing this malaise, this crisis of confidence and identity, by demanding - on Emancipation Day (Apr 16) - that Congress grant DC its first small step toward statehood: voting rights in Congress.
It's interesting that Bush spent (and continues to spend) hundreds of billions of dollars to bring democracy to Baghdad, but tried (and continues to try) to stifle it in his own country.
Democracy now! @ 11:15
April 12, 2007
[gay idols] It's supposed to be "Change Freeze" at the workplace for the past two weeks (i.e. no changes to all IT devices) but it's been anything but. I'm buried up to my eyeballs with projects, and things are set to get crazier once the freeze lifts on Monday. And all this while, I don't have time to upload pictures! Ugh. Priorities, I'm telling ya...
Anyho, this is a wet dream cum true (thanks Aaron):
So photoshopped. But so delicious. @ 16:45
April 10, 2007
[sexy back] *double giggle*
JT's hot. @ 13:45
[winos] *giggle*
Or... "An alcoholic goes to meetings"
My friends and I are just all winos :-D @ 13:35
April 7, 2007
[cheap chinks] OMB, I totally forgot about this picture that Dave took while walking down the street (in public) in Cape Town...
LOL!!!
I have absolutely no idea what a "chink" is in South Africa, but it must be some sort of a flower (in my case, probably a pansy *grin*). I guess they must not have very many chinese peeps there (it figures since the chinese food there is horrible, according to my bosses) coz they would not use that word in public.
BTW, 8 Rands is like $1.12. I had no idea I was that cheap.
Suckie, suckie, one dollah twelve cents! @ 11:53
April 6, 2007
[freestroke or breaststroke?] Have you checked out directions from the US to Europe before on Google Maps? Check this out from New York to Paris.
Read Line 23.
Laugh, and forward.
Le week-end est ici! Joyeuses Pâques! (Happy Easter) @ 17:33
[april snow] I never thought I would read this in April:
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-[snip]
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...[snip]
307 PM EDT FRI APR 6 2007
...SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM EDT SATURDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A SNOW ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM EDT SATURDAY.
A LATE SEASON SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS EVENING AS LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS OFF THE DELMARVA COAST...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW EXPECTED TO OCCUR BETWEEN 2 AND 6 AM. BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDS SATURDAY MORNING...ONE TO TWO INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR WASHINGTON DC...WITH THREE TO PERHAPS FIVE INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG THE CHESAPEAKE BAY COASTLINE OF ST MARYS AND CALVERT COUNTIES.
If that forecast is true and we get more than an inch of snow, it would be DC's heaviest snowfall in April since 1924.
Snow could be fun. 28° tonight and 39° as a high tomorrow are definitely buzz-kills though. I'm already contemplating staying home, which would be a record considering I didn't go out last night either.
:-o
I know, I'm getting old. 44 more days!!! :-( @ 17:03
April 5, 2007
[csi dupont] I am nose-deep in work crap today and it stinks! Plus, I have a shit ton of work to do tonight (one of our Asian offices *groan*), and there's no soothing sound of a crying baby to come home to tonight, waaa.
But I did get forwarded this misconnection on CL today and I about fell off my chair laughing:
You wiped out like a kleenex - m4m - 28
You were jogging past me on 17th street when you twisted an ankle and went splattering to the pavement in front of all the thirsty queens having happy hour along the 17th St. Catwalk. I stopped to see if you were ok and helped hail a cab for you to go home (or the hospital?). I don't care if half of DC laughed at you, I'd still like to meet you, though it seemed inappropriate to hit on you at the time.
And this is the best part, are you ready?
I hope I won't have to have that bloodstain you left on my shorts DNA tested to find out who you are.
ROTFLMAO!!! Where do these ppl come from?? I love it! @ 15:31
April 4, 2007
[annoyed] Ugh, I just found out one of my best friend's (Ann) wedding is on the same weekend as DC's gay pride.
The wedding is in Malaysia and I already have plane tickets to go *shrieks in horror*.
I am *so* annoyed. @ 16:55
[weekend pix] Some setting was screwed up on my camera phone and most of the pictures came out kinda blurry *pout* But these were salvageable (though no less skanky).
[L] Jason, in his infinite wisdom, bought 3 1+1 to represent 32, LOL! Poor CakeLove...
[R] Rick's favorite pastime - Blowing!
[L] I caved in to his birthday wish - stabbing me to death, LOL!
[R] Trashy L'David in the elevator en route to the roofdeck
[L] The Fetch Trinity celebrates yet another member's birthday
[R] Me? Topping?! A wetback??! Oy vey!
[L] Me riding... That's more like it.
[R] "I love me some beans!" @ The BBQ
[L] Rob, L'David, Me, Rob (host) and Gustavo @ The BBQ
[R] L'David going from Wetback to Whorebag in 4.2 drinks
I just realized that, shockingly enough, I didn't go to any gay bar or club the entire weekend! In fact, I haven't been to JR's since Wednesday night! :-o @ 16:02
[springtime in dc] Mother Nature is cruel to me. Every year, she unleashes her best weather on DC in spring. This year, she brought on temps in the high 70s with low humidity to coincide with the peak bloom of the Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin. Glorious weather and amazing blooms add up to a sensational start to April and springtime in DC.
But what Mother Nature giveth, she taketh away. My allergies started attacking me last Thursday and really knocked me out these past few days. It didn't help that I was outdoors most of the weekend and the past two days. And what happens when my allergies flare up? I wake up multiple times at night, coughing and sneezing out balls of yellow goo. Gwoss. And my eyes swell up like The Fly or some really bad sci-fi movie character. It's actually very gross and annoying. Sometimes my anti-allergy regimen (shower, eyewash, eyedrops, nasal spray in the morning... eyewash, eyedrops, shower, Allegra at night) works. Sometimes, I forget one step and my eyes are itching so bad I want to dislodge my eyeballs out of their sockets and run them under the tap. You should see the layers of goo seeping out of my eyes in the morning. It's just disgusting. I have no idea why but my body reacts violently to tree pollen.
It all started on Saturday when I went to pick Jason up with the top down. Pollen everywhere, bad joo-joo. As it turned out, my car overheated anyway (long story... but the repair bill is a not-so-fetch $1500! F#?@ BMW!!) so we swapped cars and took Tony's to Rick's, at which point we headed up to Calvert Woodley for $600 worth of liquor :-o Another Saturday, another big-spending buying spree, wheee! From there, we went to Giant in Mount Unpleasant and then to Jack's where we sat outside with Gary/Adrian for hours on end, drinking and munching. More pollen. Later on, we reconvened at Rick's for his 32nd birthday extravaganza (I have pictures somewhere... patience!) and we made multiple trips to the roofdeck. Even more pollen, ugh.
Sunday was no better. We spent the better part of the evening at an outdoor BBQ at Rob/Carlos' (complete with the invasion of the Brits - Alex and Gustavo). Ate and drank ourselves silly. Outside. Neither one of which is good for me the next day. Multiple drunken exposures to pollen all weekend.
Tom/Gen/Hanora arrived on Monday and it was such a beautiful day . The evening hours were just perfect so we sat outside on the deck with them and Rick (for his actual birthday) for dinner and drinks. We totally and royally pigged out on Veuve, Heritage India delivery, and leftover CakeLove from Saturday. So bloatedly full. The pollen continues to pile up in my system.
And last night, my co-workers and I took advantage of the sensational springtime weather with not a cloud in the sky and decided to walk the few blocks to the Tidal Basin for some Cherry Blossom viewing. The Mall was packed! There were (trashy, fat, horrendously-dressed, smelly) tourists *e*verywhere; they descended onto the sidewalks in busloads. Madness! The whole city was in gridlock pretty much all the way through the evening rush hour. I had never seen such congested streets, all the way up to Dupont Circle. I guess everybody knew to catch the Cherry Blossoms before the storm...
[L] Preparing to sneak out of the office for a 2-hour lunch...
[R] In front of the WWII Memorial... (L to R) Rob, Loc, Soon, Me, Talibah, Diep, Karl and Serra
[L] If I had worn a Baby T, this would've been a plumber's crack photo
[R] At the Tidal Basin..
[L] We weren't the only ones playing hooky from work...
[R] The ubiquitous Cherry Blossom + Jefferson Memorial picture
[L] Diep, Me and Serra playing with a Cherry Blossom tree (such bad tourists we are) | [R] Me!
[L & R] The Cherry Blossoms, my co-workers and me!
[L] The WWII Memorial on a beautiful cloudless day. Look at all the tourists!
[R] Talibah and I with one of the new Star Wars mailboxes
It was a good thing we went yesterday too coz the heavy rains and strong winds last night meant that the blossoms are already way past their prime. The pollen count was off the charts and I suffered for it this morning.
No matter. The Cherry Blossoms, like everything else in life, is fleeting. Carpe diem! @ 15:37
[passover fun] No, we're not Jewish but in honor of Tom/Gen/Hanora's state visit to DC, we decided to throw a dinner party on Passover. And no, we didn't know it was gonna be Passover or we would not have gotten everybody (except for Hanora who will earn her seat at the drunken table soon enough) plastered on copious champagne, wine and one very, very, VERY special bottle of 1995 Chateau d'Yquem (thanks Tom/Gen!). What we did do was celebrate; and what's the point of having a holiday (religious or not, who cares) if it's not a cause for celebration, right? I'm sure the olden day Jews whose first born's lives were spared would agree.
Don't you love how I bend religion to suit my needs? :-D
I dare you to say that this is not the cutest picture of mommy and daughter, ever!
Chilean Sea Bass, Risotto with Porcini, Asparagus, and LOTS of wine!
I have no idea what they are looking at, but this picture is priceless!
Assuming the reclining Buddha pose...
Finally, one good picture! [L to R] Tom, Gen, Mikko, Rob, Alyssa, Dave...
Life's short. Celebrate!
BTW, my official period of mourning begins on Thursday when the "royals" leave. It coincides with the beginning of the countdown to the end of the world - the day I turn 30 on May 20th.
The next 45 days will be the biggest, longest, most drawn out pity party on the planet! @ 14:30
April 3, 2007
[pwincess hanowa] Guess who's here?
Pwincess Hanowa
Can we all say, Awwwww...
The cutest eff-ing baby in the whole world. And when she wants something, you'll know it (and hear it). Definitely a queen-in-training! @ 11:00
[357.2mph] The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) double-decker V150 train broke a 17-year-old world speed record today for wheeled trains, hitting 357.2mph (574.8kph) on the new Paris-Strasbourg TGV Est line due to open in two months' time. The old record was 320.2mph (515.3kph) also held by TGV. The fastest train ever is still a magnetically levitated (MAGLEV) train in Japan which hit 361mph (580.9kph) on Dec 3, 2003.
At 357.2mph, one could go from Union Station (DC) to Penn Station (NYC) in 39 minutes :-o
In regular service, however, TGV runs at a top speed of 199mph (320kph). Even at that speed, DC->NYC would only be 70 minutes apart. Can you imagine being able to go up to Nobu for dinner and be back before midnight? (assuming one has reservations for 8pm which is just as easy to obtain as sainthood)
The TGV technology is being used outside of France in Spain (Alta Velocidad Española - AVE), South Korea (Korea Train Express - KTX), and in the United States (Acela Express). Outside of Europe, only three other countries (all in Asia) have true high-speed trains - Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Operating since 1964, the world-renowned bullet train (Shinkansen) carried its 5-billionth passenger in 2000. That's three-quarters of humanity! The TGV, operating since 1981 in a country with half Japan's population, recorded its 1-billionth passenger in 2003.
Did you know that in France, you can only call it a TGV if the speeds are greater than 155mph (250kph)? Acela's top speed is 150mph; and its average speed is an abysmal 102mph. And that's the fastest train in America. You call that "high-speed", I call that pathetic. The state of America's inter-city rail transport is tragic to say the least.
Europe is light years ahead. By end-2008, one can travel from London to the Mediterranean, and Paris to Frankfurt and Amsterdam on pure high-speed lines. Imagine London-Paris in 2h 15m (with the opening of High Speed 1 line on 11/14/07), Madrid-Barcelona in 2 1/2h, Paris-Amsterdam in 3h, London-Amsterdam in 3 1/2h, Paris-Frankfurt/Zurich in 4 1/2h, etc. Western Europe, from Portugal to Poland, will soon be inter-connected by a high speed rail revolution that will shrink an entire continent to within commuting distances of one another.
I love trains! @ 10:50
27 :: two weeks!
26 :: king XIII
26 :: high maintenance
26 :: lucky 13
26 :: confucius say
26 :: how dare you, sir?
25 :: moderate, my ass
25 :: when i'm older...
20 :: "life begins at 30..."
19 :: 1 asian small
19 :: buh-bye-a sanjaya
18 :: ahh!
18 :: dr. kennedy?
17 :: tax day
17 :: more parking!
17 :: 1,049
17 :: worthless dollar
16 :: exhausted
16 :: 8 years later
14 :: the export machine
14 :: olympic news
14 :: a capital, but not a city
12 :: gay idols
10 :: sexy back
10 :: winos
07 :: cheap chinks
06 :: freestroke or breaststroke?
06 :: april snow
05 :: csi dupont
04 :: annoyed
04 :: weekend pix
04 :: springtime in dc
04 :: passover fun
03 :: pwincess hanowa
03 :: 357.2mph