Iraqi man accused of running down daughter found in Atlanta - CNN.com
I don't get it, if people are so afraid of their children becoming "westernized," there seem to me a very simple solution -- go back to your own damned country. And I am not just saying that because he is Iraqi, I have said that to my "own peeps" too. If you think China is so much better than us in so many ways, nobody is stopping you from hopping onto the next fight out. And why does your daughter holds US citizenship (mind you China does not allow for duel citizenship) when you think this is such a horrible country to live in. I guess at least they are paying income tax during their stay in US.
And sure, killing your own offspring is great conflict resolution...
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Origami Tea Bag
These looks so awesome! Where can I buy some?! I want! I want! I want!
Photo Credit: via Toxel
Cool tea packaging concept designed by Natalia Ponomareva from Russia.
Photo Credit: via Toxel
Cool tea packaging concept designed by Natalia Ponomareva from Russia.
Cakes. Cakes. Cakes.
I think I may be a tad too obsessed with cakes...
Photo Credit: Cake Bites
Naaah! One can't be too obsessed with cake... or chocolate... or money. =D
Photo Credit: Cake Bites
Naaah! One can't be too obsessed with cake... or chocolate... or money. =D
Romantic
Awwww, how romantic. LOL
Photo Credit: Swiss Miss
"Will you be my CSS? Without you, I am nothing." LOL
Photo Credit: Swiss Miss
"Will you be my CSS? Without you, I am nothing." LOL
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Cops say man drove more than a mile with crash victim stuck in his windshield - San Jose Mercury News
Cops say man drove more than a mile with crash victim stuck in his windshield - San Jose Mercury News
And now another case? Honestly, these people really think they can get away with driving down the road with a person STUCK in their windshields? Ugh.
And my other question is, why do they deserve an attorney? Yes, yes, I know it's our criminal-protecting judiciary system. But seriously? I mean, if we saw a guy standing over a dead body with a bloody knife in his head, we could still conceivably argue that he saw said body, freaked out, and pulled out the murder weapon. A person was caught driving down the road with a body stuck to his/her wind shield, what kind of defense could there be? Even if the original culprit ditched the car and ran away, it is highly unlikely that someone else would walk by and said, "Hey look! Free car!" And got in and start driving.
Then again, if man on wind shield can happen twice. Maybe there will be a Oh-Look-Free-Car moron out there.
Rhode Island State Police say a motorist hit someone with his car and then drove more than a mile with him stuck in his windshield. Another one?You've got to be kidding me. Have you ever seen the movie "Stuck"? It's exactly about that and said it was based on a true story. I found it so hard to believe I had to look it up for myself. Sure enough, it WAS based on a true story.
And now another case? Honestly, these people really think they can get away with driving down the road with a person STUCK in their windshields? Ugh.
And my other question is, why do they deserve an attorney? Yes, yes, I know it's our criminal-protecting judiciary system. But seriously? I mean, if we saw a guy standing over a dead body with a bloody knife in his head, we could still conceivably argue that he saw said body, freaked out, and pulled out the murder weapon. A person was caught driving down the road with a body stuck to his/her wind shield, what kind of defense could there be? Even if the original culprit ditched the car and ran away, it is highly unlikely that someone else would walk by and said, "Hey look! Free car!" And got in and start driving.
Then again, if man on wind shield can happen twice. Maybe there will be a Oh-Look-Free-Car moron out there.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Dating v Job Hunting
I have always thought that dating and job hunting have many things in common, especially online dating:-
(1) Browsing the want ads = browsing online profiles, waiting for friend's introduction, generally looking for opportunities out there;
(2) mailing in your resume = first contact, sending an IM, a winky, waiting for their calls, and most of the times you won't hear anything back at all;
(2) job interview = first date, where you compare each others' wants, needs, qualifications to determine if you are a good fit for each other (and you only get one shot at this!);
(3) receiving the offer letter to a job = announcing that you are officially a couple;
(4) employment = entering into long term relationship;
(5) termination/separation = breaking up.
The most similar part between the two events? They are equally demoralizing. Even if you are not interested in the job/person, being declined is still a blow to your ego. And even worse is if the fondness is only one way. A perfect match is hard to come by.
(1) Browsing the want ads = browsing online profiles, waiting for friend's introduction, generally looking for opportunities out there;
(2) mailing in your resume = first contact, sending an IM, a winky, waiting for their calls, and most of the times you won't hear anything back at all;
(2) job interview = first date, where you compare each others' wants, needs, qualifications to determine if you are a good fit for each other (and you only get one shot at this!);
(3) receiving the offer letter to a job = announcing that you are officially a couple;
(4) employment = entering into long term relationship;
(5) termination/separation = breaking up.
The most similar part between the two events? They are equally demoralizing. Even if you are not interested in the job/person, being declined is still a blow to your ego. And even worse is if the fondness is only one way. A perfect match is hard to come by.
DIY Botox: Site Offers Injectable Drug Without Prescription — With How-To Video | Wired Science | Wired.com
DIY Botox: Site Offers Injectable Drug Without Prescription — With How-To Video | Wired Science | Wired.com
So first there's home HIV & Hepatitis test kits, now there's DIY botox kits. Can't wait to see what I can do from home next. How about home baby-delivery kit? I would loooove to try to deliver a baby (not my own, of course, that might be a tad too challenging).
So first there's home HIV & Hepatitis test kits, now there's DIY botox kits. Can't wait to see what I can do from home next. How about home baby-delivery kit? I would loooove to try to deliver a baby (not my own, of course, that might be a tad too challenging).
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
From Reality TV Show to Romance
So I was watching Season 15, Episode 6 of Amazing Race, if you go to about 36 minutes or so into the show, you will see this couple facing this challenge where they have to jump off a water slide approximately 6-story tall at an almost 90 degree angle. The problem came when blondie could not jump because she could not overcome her fear of height. And you could see the boyfriend was quite tempted to push her off. I'm not sure if I should say he would if he could or kudos for finally withholding the temptation of pushing her off here. But since I saw part of it during the commercial, I made sure I grabbed Hubby to watch that part with me, only to make that point that I would not be jumping if it was me and what would he say if we were in that situation. Him, of course, gave the perfect answer that he won't make me do it. Whether he'd really say that or not should the situation truly arise is debatable, but since we have no intention of ever joining any crazy game shows, I guess we'll never find out. :)
Forget about the man who is willing to die for me, I will take someone who'd tell me, "That's okay, honey, we don't have to do that," and walk down the stairs with me any day of the year. I do not believe that romance has to be grand gestures; anyone can do grand gestures, even if he/she has no feelings whatsoever for you. Who can't mimic some sappy plot out of some cheesy romance comedy, as long as your wallet allows for it. I, however, believe that romance is something that should shine through in the smallest of all areas -- him remembering little things about me or things that I have said in passing (that even I forgot). And most importantly, would not push me off a 6-story tall water slide!
We will probably never find out whether the couple made it or not after the show. Given that their status is "newly dating," there are so many things that can go wrong. But if you ask me, I am going to go with "no," the relationship probably would not survive that, given that 40% arguments between a couple is over money. It will forever loom over them that they had a chance of winning $1 million and given it up. Then again, who knows, maybe they can tough it out.
Would I really do that if it was me? Depends, probably if the $1 million is guaranteed, but if that's just part of game and there are still other teams out there... um... questionable. I wouldn't know for sure till I am actually there.
Then again, people who goes on these shows, specifically the ones when you play as individuals, always cohort with others at the beginning and seem to have forgetten that no matter who you befriend and team up with at the beginning, in the end there could only be one winner. It's each man for themselves, baby!
Forget about the man who is willing to die for me, I will take someone who'd tell me, "That's okay, honey, we don't have to do that," and walk down the stairs with me any day of the year. I do not believe that romance has to be grand gestures; anyone can do grand gestures, even if he/she has no feelings whatsoever for you. Who can't mimic some sappy plot out of some cheesy romance comedy, as long as your wallet allows for it. I, however, believe that romance is something that should shine through in the smallest of all areas -- him remembering little things about me or things that I have said in passing (that even I forgot). And most importantly, would not push me off a 6-story tall water slide!
We will probably never find out whether the couple made it or not after the show. Given that their status is "newly dating," there are so many things that can go wrong. But if you ask me, I am going to go with "no," the relationship probably would not survive that, given that 40% arguments between a couple is over money. It will forever loom over them that they had a chance of winning $1 million and given it up. Then again, who knows, maybe they can tough it out.
Would I really do that if it was me? Depends, probably if the $1 million is guaranteed, but if that's just part of game and there are still other teams out there... um... questionable. I wouldn't know for sure till I am actually there.
Then again, people who goes on these shows, specifically the ones when you play as individuals, always cohort with others at the beginning and seem to have forgetten that no matter who you befriend and team up with at the beginning, in the end there could only be one winner. It's each man for themselves, baby!
Monday, October 26, 2009
'Digital dirt' can haunt your job search - CNN.com
'Digital dirt' can haunt your job search - CNN.com
Avoid joining groups or engaging in online activities that could embarrass or restrict opportunitiesThis is just great, so even during my personal time, I really should watch what I say/do online. Not that I plan on joining some Nazi or evangelical groups, but atheism still has certain stigma attached to it. Why do I need to tip toe around what I truly feel/think online on my own time while Christians can wear their belief like a badge and freely remind you of them every 15 minutes? Oh right, to hopefully land a good job one day.
Tatum suggests developing your own positive content by creating articles, starting a blog or posting to forums. As long as you can smother any negative information about you, you should be OK in an initial employer search.Even better, in addition to my real blog (this one) that I am trying painfully to keep anonymous, I should also start a fake one that will cast positive lights on my digital footprint. Just lovely!
Make your content usefulHelp people get something done or teach them something, Grossbart says. Respond to forum posts, answer questions or comment on blogs. Helping people is the perfect way to showcase your talents to potential employers.
Some of us really, really don't like using our real names online, even for a book report on Amazon. Should I be penalized for that? :(
Beware the cybertwinBe wary of people out there on the Internet with the same name as you, Merritt says.
Lucked out here, the top two or three cybertwins of mine are all more successful than me. :) I lost my attention span before I find myself online. Yay?
And people wonder why I prefer to stay anonymous online...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Mysterious White People Thing
Once upon a time I wrote about what my Asian girlfriend thinks are unexplainable white people things. Here's one of my own:- their complicated relationship with their ex's, or more specifically, their current partners' ex's.
Really, I consider myself quite melded with most of the US culture, to a point that my husband said the only thing Chinese about me is my skin color. Obviously he had forgotten about my Chinese palette and stomach. :) So I may not enjoy Superbowl (and understand that some find it offensive when I refer to it as a "ball game") but I can most certainly make a 7-layer chip dip and throw a party, so long as I get to surf the web during the game.
I have, however, learned that in this country, some people (specifically White people), try to maintain a friendship with their ex's. This is a phenomena that you do not see very often in Asia. I have given that a shot too, in the name of melding into the culture. But my conclusion from my little experiment is this: Why? Really, WHY??? For the love of God, can't we just let bygone be bygone?
If that's not the strangest concept to grasp, I also know that some people befriend their current partner's ex's. Why on earth would you want to do that? Are you really that desperate for friends? There are meet up groups online to make friends, and they are NOT your partner's ex's!!!
The only reason I can think of to want to meet up with Hubby's ex is to gloat to her about what I have with him that she could have had, had she hung around. And most definitely thank her for being a total idiot and throw that all away so I can have it. :) She may be the best human being in the world and I still don't see why I would want to be her friend. With the exception of two person having kids together, I don't see why one needs to keep in contact with their ex's.
I knew of this one woman who not only befriended her boyfriend's ex-wife, she also referred her a position at her workplace and then they work together. Ugh! In a wedding, the groom's ex-wife and the bride's ex-husband, and their current partners, and their kids can all show up!! Step siblings, half siblings, half siblings of step siblings, half siblings of half siblings, mix and match however you want. At this rate, forget about every one knowing everyone through six degrees of separation, pretty soon we'll all be related through 6 degree of separation. But is that really necessary for them to all be under one roof?
With the exception of me filling out an application for a top security clearance with some government establishment, I have no intention of digging out all these relationships. And definitely at no given time should they all gather in close vicinity!
Really, I consider myself quite melded with most of the US culture, to a point that my husband said the only thing Chinese about me is my skin color. Obviously he had forgotten about my Chinese palette and stomach. :) So I may not enjoy Superbowl (and understand that some find it offensive when I refer to it as a "ball game") but I can most certainly make a 7-layer chip dip and throw a party, so long as I get to surf the web during the game.
I have, however, learned that in this country, some people (specifically White people), try to maintain a friendship with their ex's. This is a phenomena that you do not see very often in Asia. I have given that a shot too, in the name of melding into the culture. But my conclusion from my little experiment is this: Why? Really, WHY??? For the love of God, can't we just let bygone be bygone?
If that's not the strangest concept to grasp, I also know that some people befriend their current partner's ex's. Why on earth would you want to do that? Are you really that desperate for friends? There are meet up groups online to make friends, and they are NOT your partner's ex's!!!
The only reason I can think of to want to meet up with Hubby's ex is to gloat to her about what I have with him that she could have had, had she hung around. And most definitely thank her for being a total idiot and throw that all away so I can have it. :) She may be the best human being in the world and I still don't see why I would want to be her friend. With the exception of two person having kids together, I don't see why one needs to keep in contact with their ex's.
I knew of this one woman who not only befriended her boyfriend's ex-wife, she also referred her a position at her workplace and then they work together. Ugh! In a wedding, the groom's ex-wife and the bride's ex-husband, and their current partners, and their kids can all show up!! Step siblings, half siblings, half siblings of step siblings, half siblings of half siblings, mix and match however you want. At this rate, forget about every one knowing everyone through six degrees of separation, pretty soon we'll all be related through 6 degree of separation. But is that really necessary for them to all be under one roof?
With the exception of me filling out an application for a top security clearance with some government establishment, I have no intention of digging out all these relationships. And definitely at no given time should they all gather in close vicinity!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Pretty Bath Tubs
Woo Ahhhhh. Wonder if I can one day afford something like this. Hahaha.
Is it just me or does the shower to the right looks like a paid phone booth? :)
Photo Credits: Oddee.com
Is it just me or does the shower to the right looks like a paid phone booth? :)
Photo Credits: Oddee.com
Appreciation
All of us (semi-normal women) should have a decent amount of appreciation for all the crazy b*tches out there. Why? When they are through with a decently nice guy, they tend to set the bars so low for the rest of us it's not even funny.
Take my husband for example, his only expectation / deal breaker in our marriage is for me to not cheat on him. That's it! Yeah, you would think that a given.
And this other guy friend of mine had just expressed to me that his girlfriend is "super cool." Now, I am nobody to argue with him whether his girlfriend is super cool or not given that I have never met her. And it's arguable that I'm even qualify in commenting on whether another female is "super cool," whatever that means. But one thing I do know was that his ex-girlfriend was crazy!
So said guy is a cyber friend of mine. We met online playing MMORPG. I have never met him; I have no intention of ever meeting him; and, quite honestly, I can't even remember which state he resides in. We just chat online occasionally (and I, of course, leave random comments on his Facebook entries. Who doesn't do that nowadays?). One day he came and inform me of this, "I can't talk to you anymore, my girlfriend is jealous of you." "Ooookay," I said. Not like there's anything else I could say? Believe it or not, not being able to chat with said individual is not the most crushing event / defining moment of my life. I felt a bit odd about the entire exchange, I guess he was at least nice enough to inform me of that? (Although, truth be told, I'd probably forgot this person ever existed if he had just disappeared, but what-ev. Still a nice gesture, I guess.)
I am talking to this guy again now that he has broken up with the crazy chick. So you see what I mean now? His girlfriend might have many other good qualities, but my hunches told me that after the last crazy chick, any girls who don't go ballistic over his online female friends will fall into the category of "super cool." Must have appreciation for the crazy b*tches, sista.
Take my husband for example, his only expectation / deal breaker in our marriage is for me to not cheat on him. That's it! Yeah, you would think that a given.
And this other guy friend of mine had just expressed to me that his girlfriend is "super cool." Now, I am nobody to argue with him whether his girlfriend is super cool or not given that I have never met her. And it's arguable that I'm even qualify in commenting on whether another female is "super cool," whatever that means. But one thing I do know was that his ex-girlfriend was crazy!
So said guy is a cyber friend of mine. We met online playing MMORPG. I have never met him; I have no intention of ever meeting him; and, quite honestly, I can't even remember which state he resides in. We just chat online occasionally (and I, of course, leave random comments on his Facebook entries. Who doesn't do that nowadays?). One day he came and inform me of this, "I can't talk to you anymore, my girlfriend is jealous of you." "Ooookay," I said. Not like there's anything else I could say? Believe it or not, not being able to chat with said individual is not the most crushing event / defining moment of my life. I felt a bit odd about the entire exchange, I guess he was at least nice enough to inform me of that? (Although, truth be told, I'd probably forgot this person ever existed if he had just disappeared, but what-ev. Still a nice gesture, I guess.)
I am talking to this guy again now that he has broken up with the crazy chick. So you see what I mean now? His girlfriend might have many other good qualities, but my hunches told me that after the last crazy chick, any girls who don't go ballistic over his online female friends will fall into the category of "super cool." Must have appreciation for the crazy b*tches, sista.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Amageddon
Amageddon (1998). Arguably one of the best movie ever made. Now I have Leaving on a Jet Plane stuck in my head. :S
Other movies that make my top lists are: Independence Day and Men in Black. Do we see a pattern here? It's not so much the science fiction of it (okay, it's part of it), but mostly the kind of humor they have in common. One of Bruce Willis's old movie Boy Scout also depicts the same type of humor. I guess I aspire to be someone who will still be able to maintain my sense of humor despite great distress. After all, it's not like your attitude (being overly serious) will alter whatever the shitty situation you are facing here. [Possibly another reason why people think I am younger than my real age. Most folks my age are just... very serious people.]
Funny thing, I once called my friend H in Hong Kong while she was watching Independence Day with her husband. Her comment was, "Why was it always the Americans that saved the world?" Well, the answer is very simple, my friend. The Americans made the movie. [Not to mention it's also called ID4 and was released on Independence Day. The entire title wouldn't even make sense if we, the Americans, didn't save the world.] We sure as hell aren't going to make the Japanese or the Armenians the savior of the world in our movie! If this movie was made by the Japanese, you bet your ass that the Japanese will be the ones who saved the world instead of the Americans!
Other movies that make my top lists are: Independence Day and Men in Black. Do we see a pattern here? It's not so much the science fiction of it (okay, it's part of it), but mostly the kind of humor they have in common. One of Bruce Willis's old movie Boy Scout also depicts the same type of humor. I guess I aspire to be someone who will still be able to maintain my sense of humor despite great distress. After all, it's not like your attitude (being overly serious) will alter whatever the shitty situation you are facing here. [Possibly another reason why people think I am younger than my real age. Most folks my age are just... very serious people.]
Funny thing, I once called my friend H in Hong Kong while she was watching Independence Day with her husband. Her comment was, "Why was it always the Americans that saved the world?" Well, the answer is very simple, my friend. The Americans made the movie. [Not to mention it's also called ID4 and was released on Independence Day. The entire title wouldn't even make sense if we, the Americans, didn't save the world.] We sure as hell aren't going to make the Japanese or the Armenians the savior of the world in our movie! If this movie was made by the Japanese, you bet your ass that the Japanese will be the ones who saved the world instead of the Americans!
Numbers Don't Lie
So numbers don't lie. I'm sure we have all heard that before. I, for one, is a big fan of numbers. I judge whether an activity is safe by it statistics. If the fatality rate is 0.01%, it's probably pretty safe. If the fatality rate is 40%, you probably should give it a second thought before attempting said stunt. Then there are activities that regardless of what the statistics says, you have to stop and ask, "And why do you want to do that?" Example: bungee jumping. I just don't get it.
But I digressed. Whilst numbers don't lie, people certain can. Numbers can be fabricated. And if they are real, we still have to question how they are obtained. They may not be accurate. But the above two scenarios are not what I want to discuss here. I want to take this opportunity (?) to discuss the presentation of numbers. Given that most laymen are somewhat mathematically challenged, it's not that difficult to lead them to think what they want you to think, while presenting you with partial facts.
Here's an example that I've heard on the news recently: swine flu cases among children in the bay area had increased by 80%. "Wow!" Right? Wrong. Whilst 80% sounds like a lot, one must stop to ask: 80% of what? If we had a whopping five cases before, 80% of that is 4 cases. That only give us a total of 14 cases. "Wow!" really?
Another one that I've heard in the past: 90% of those who don't [use this product] had back problems after the age of 70. Again, WOW! Right? How can we not run out there and buy the product after that statistics? Now let's stop for a moment and ask this question: What's the percentage of those who uses the product and have back problems after 70? Of course the commercial wasn't going to give you that piece of info. My guess? Still 90%. Where did that come from? 90% of the general population has some sort of back problems after 70. The product can be anything.
And here's a good one that even I almost fell for: 15% of women who lived above the age of 100 had never been married in their lives. WOW! Yeah, that one got even the best of us -- even I said Wow! Probably the reaction they were looking for. 15% of women who lived above 100 never been married. The deduction from that would naturally be: women can live longer without the stress of being in a marriage.
But wait. Question #1: the other 85% had been married. Now if it's the other way round:85% of those over 100 had never been married, that'd truly be a reason for women to reconsider getting married. 15% is really only the minority. Question #2: is it even established that being married or not has anything to do with a woman's life span? What's the percentage of married women in the generally population? For an even clearer picture, we should divide them up onto two groups: percentage of married women between the age group of 25 - 65 and percentage of married women between the age of 65 - 85. Without those numbers to compare with, the statement tells me nothing more than what it presents on its face value: that 15% of women lived over 100 had never been married. We cannot infer that marriage has anything to do with a woman's life span.
So the next time you have random studies and random numbers thrown at you, stop and think about what it really means or are you just listening to what they want to you hear. Even do a quick search online to see how the data is gathered. It just might pay off!
But I digressed. Whilst numbers don't lie, people certain can. Numbers can be fabricated. And if they are real, we still have to question how they are obtained. They may not be accurate. But the above two scenarios are not what I want to discuss here. I want to take this opportunity (?) to discuss the presentation of numbers. Given that most laymen are somewhat mathematically challenged, it's not that difficult to lead them to think what they want you to think, while presenting you with partial facts.
Here's an example that I've heard on the news recently: swine flu cases among children in the bay area had increased by 80%. "Wow!" Right? Wrong. Whilst 80% sounds like a lot, one must stop to ask: 80% of what? If we had a whopping five cases before, 80% of that is 4 cases. That only give us a total of 14 cases. "Wow!" really?
Another one that I've heard in the past: 90% of those who don't [use this product] had back problems after the age of 70. Again, WOW! Right? How can we not run out there and buy the product after that statistics? Now let's stop for a moment and ask this question: What's the percentage of those who uses the product and have back problems after 70? Of course the commercial wasn't going to give you that piece of info. My guess? Still 90%. Where did that come from? 90% of the general population has some sort of back problems after 70. The product can be anything.
And here's a good one that even I almost fell for: 15% of women who lived above the age of 100 had never been married in their lives. WOW! Yeah, that one got even the best of us -- even I said Wow! Probably the reaction they were looking for. 15% of women who lived above 100 never been married. The deduction from that would naturally be: women can live longer without the stress of being in a marriage.
But wait. Question #1: the other 85% had been married. Now if it's the other way round:85% of those over 100 had never been married, that'd truly be a reason for women to reconsider getting married. 15% is really only the minority. Question #2: is it even established that being married or not has anything to do with a woman's life span? What's the percentage of married women in the generally population? For an even clearer picture, we should divide them up onto two groups: percentage of married women between the age group of 25 - 65 and percentage of married women between the age of 65 - 85. Without those numbers to compare with, the statement tells me nothing more than what it presents on its face value: that 15% of women lived over 100 had never been married. We cannot infer that marriage has anything to do with a woman's life span.
So the next time you have random studies and random numbers thrown at you, stop and think about what it really means or are you just listening to what they want to you hear. Even do a quick search online to see how the data is gathered. It just might pay off!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Doctor says near-death experiences are in the mind - CNN.com
Doctor says near-death experiences are in the mind - CNN.com:
I mean, I probably would have said there must be some kind of scientific explanation for the near death explanation, but reading someone else' no bullshit scientific explanation of it just sounds sooo cold. I guess secretly I do hope there's some sort of life after death. :(
"Nelson thinks that near-death experiences are part of the dream mechanism and that the person having the experience is in a REM, or 'rapid eye movement,' state.
'Part of our 'fight or flight' reflexes to keep us alive includes the switch into the REM state of consciousness,' he said.
During REM sleep, there is increased brain activity and visual stimulation. Intense dreaming occurs as a result.
And the bright light so many people claim to see?
'The activation of the visual system caused by REM is causing the bright lights,' Nelson said.
And the tunnel people speak of, he says, is lack of blood flow to the eye. 'The eye, the retina of the eye, is one of the most exquisitely sensitive tissues to a loss of blood flow. So when blood flow does not reach the eye, vision fails, and darkness ensues from the periphery to the center. And that is very likely causing the tunnel effect.'
Nelson is doing studies now to prove that the same effect results from fainting."
I mean, I probably would have said there must be some kind of scientific explanation for the near death explanation, but reading someone else' no bullshit scientific explanation of it just sounds sooo cold. I guess secretly I do hope there's some sort of life after death. :(
My Path to Becoming a Lush
Yesterday I went to Safeway after work and stood in line for booze.
Do you know how many things were wrong about the above statement? Two!
(1) I do not stand in line. Unless it's utmost necessary (absolutely need to mail out/pick up a package from the post office will be one of those instances), I do not wait in line. I'd rather go back on a different day or go to a different store, even if it'll take longer that way. (I only said I don't like waiting in line. I did not say it's the fastest way to accomplish what I set out to accomplish.)
(2) Booze! Me! I've been asked by many why I don't drink and/or whether I think alcohol is "bad." No, I'm not Mormon, I do not think alcohol is bad. I don't drink because I don't like the way it taste. It's an acquired taste. Whilst I am sure I can acquire the taste, between the health risks of alcohol versus female bodies and the cost of alcohol, I simply don't see the point. And it is becoming progressively more acceptable to drink soda in social settings.
(3, much like Book 5 of a trilogy) Me standing in line for booze!
Why did I do that? I realized that a little bit of alcohol in my system is my only chance of sleeping through the night while the Hubby is gone, the cats waking me up multiple times in the night notwithstanding.
So why is there a line? And I am not talking about the check out line either. I mean a line to get to the booze, literally.
So I went to Safeway after work yesterday, planning on getting some Mike's Hard Lemonade and movies from the DVDplay boxes. Lo and behold, Safeway had a power outage. Storms are all fun and game until the power outage, but we didn't even have a storm yesterday, it barely sprinkled! Of all places, Safeway has auxiliary power!! I'll be damned. Safeway, of all places! Auxiliary power in this case means bare minimal lightnings over the aisles. Cardboard boxes were broken down to put over the frozen item, to keep them cold for longer. Unfortunately, the bread (give us this day our daily bread...) and the alcoholic beverages were stashed in a corner without auxiliary power supply. So is that going to deter the grocery store giant from selling those items? No!
First, they warded off the area. Then, they had one Starbucks girl (yes, this is one of those foo foo Safeways with a built-in Starbucks inside) standing guard, instructing people to stand in line, and another one will take two patrons at a time, with a handheld flashlight to fetch their items. It's like an early flashlight tour of the Winchester Mystery House, except in Safeway. Succumb to my weariness of the day, I joined the line of bread and alcohol patrons.
I have now, officially, hit the newest low in my life.
[Luckily, our apartment, a mere four blocks from Safeway, did not have power outage when I got home. I don't think 6-packs of Mike's Hard Lemonade would do the job. I might just have to take a Nyquil to knock myself out, literally. Better yet, take the Nyquil with the Mike's Hard Lemonade...]
Do you know how many things were wrong about the above statement? Two!
(1) I do not stand in line. Unless it's utmost necessary (absolutely need to mail out/pick up a package from the post office will be one of those instances), I do not wait in line. I'd rather go back on a different day or go to a different store, even if it'll take longer that way. (I only said I don't like waiting in line. I did not say it's the fastest way to accomplish what I set out to accomplish.)
(2) Booze! Me! I've been asked by many why I don't drink and/or whether I think alcohol is "bad." No, I'm not Mormon, I do not think alcohol is bad. I don't drink because I don't like the way it taste. It's an acquired taste. Whilst I am sure I can acquire the taste, between the health risks of alcohol versus female bodies and the cost of alcohol, I simply don't see the point. And it is becoming progressively more acceptable to drink soda in social settings.
(3, much like Book 5 of a trilogy) Me standing in line for booze!
Why did I do that? I realized that a little bit of alcohol in my system is my only chance of sleeping through the night while the Hubby is gone, the cats waking me up multiple times in the night notwithstanding.
So why is there a line? And I am not talking about the check out line either. I mean a line to get to the booze, literally.
So I went to Safeway after work yesterday, planning on getting some Mike's Hard Lemonade and movies from the DVDplay boxes. Lo and behold, Safeway had a power outage. Storms are all fun and game until the power outage, but we didn't even have a storm yesterday, it barely sprinkled! Of all places, Safeway has auxiliary power!! I'll be damned. Safeway, of all places! Auxiliary power in this case means bare minimal lightnings over the aisles. Cardboard boxes were broken down to put over the frozen item, to keep them cold for longer. Unfortunately, the bread (give us this day our daily bread...) and the alcoholic beverages were stashed in a corner without auxiliary power supply. So is that going to deter the grocery store giant from selling those items? No!
First, they warded off the area. Then, they had one Starbucks girl (yes, this is one of those foo foo Safeways with a built-in Starbucks inside) standing guard, instructing people to stand in line, and another one will take two patrons at a time, with a handheld flashlight to fetch their items. It's like an early flashlight tour of the Winchester Mystery House, except in Safeway. Succumb to my weariness of the day, I joined the line of bread and alcohol patrons.
I have now, officially, hit the newest low in my life.
[Luckily, our apartment, a mere four blocks from Safeway, did not have power outage when I got home. I don't think 6-packs of Mike's Hard Lemonade would do the job. I might just have to take a Nyquil to knock myself out, literally. Better yet, take the Nyquil with the Mike's Hard Lemonade...]
From Tabitha to Extramarital Affairs
So back in college I knew this crazy French girl with a cat by the name of Tabitha. Since that was the first time I ever heard of that name, I have always associated "Tabitha" as a cat's name (sorry to all the human Tabithas out there!). Of course the other well known Tabitha is the girl in Bewitched (?), that doesn't help the whole cat/witch imagery.
Digressing from Tabitha is why I said this chick is crazy. She has issues. Of course we all have issues, but some of us tend to hide it better. The reason I called her crazy (wonder what's the odds of her bumping onto this blog) is because her father had an affair (couldn't remember if her parents ended up with a divorce) and she believed that it was ALL the other woman's fault. And I meant ALL. If I so much as to suggest that perhaps, just perhaps, her father was also somewhat responsible, she'd want to bite my head off. Another one of those things that happened so long ago in my life but will forever remain a mystery to me.
It's takes two to tangle! You can lead a horse to water! How is it that in her mind her father shares absolutely zero responsibility in this fiasco? :O If we were to assess blame, and if one party must take more blame than the other, wouldn't it be the one who is in a committed relationship? Let's see here:- whilst the third person betrayed his/her own sense of moral (the Generally Accepted Moral Code of the society), the party in the committed relationship also betrayed his/her partner in addition to that moral code. Any way you look at it, it's one count versus two. Heck, the third person made no oath under God or local authority to be faithful to another individual! And who knows what really happened, maybe the guy didn't even divulge the fact that he's married!
Of course, if you were to believe in the Bible literally, it only says "Thy shall not covet thy neighbor's wife." Nothing was said about thy neighbor's husband... :)
Digressing from Tabitha is why I said this chick is crazy. She has issues. Of course we all have issues, but some of us tend to hide it better. The reason I called her crazy (wonder what's the odds of her bumping onto this blog) is because her father had an affair (couldn't remember if her parents ended up with a divorce) and she believed that it was ALL the other woman's fault. And I meant ALL. If I so much as to suggest that perhaps, just perhaps, her father was also somewhat responsible, she'd want to bite my head off. Another one of those things that happened so long ago in my life but will forever remain a mystery to me.
It's takes two to tangle! You can lead a horse to water! How is it that in her mind her father shares absolutely zero responsibility in this fiasco? :O If we were to assess blame, and if one party must take more blame than the other, wouldn't it be the one who is in a committed relationship? Let's see here:- whilst the third person betrayed his/her own sense of moral (the Generally Accepted Moral Code of the society), the party in the committed relationship also betrayed his/her partner in addition to that moral code. Any way you look at it, it's one count versus two. Heck, the third person made no oath under God or local authority to be faithful to another individual! And who knows what really happened, maybe the guy didn't even divulge the fact that he's married!
Of course, if you were to believe in the Bible literally, it only says "Thy shall not covet thy neighbor's wife." Nothing was said about thy neighbor's husband... :)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Ants on a Log
I have never even heard of Ants on a Log until yesterday. I'd lump it up to one of those mysterious White people thing except all Hubby knows about it was "some type of food?" I am attaching a picture here.
Photo Credit: Slashfood.com
Okay, cream cheese on celery sounds more stomachable, but peanut butter? Ugh. [Shall we give that a shot sometime, darling?] Not sure I like celery all that much... wonder if we can substitute it with hollowed out Chinese broccoli. =D
Photo Credit: Slashfood.com
Okay, cream cheese on celery sounds more stomachable, but peanut butter? Ugh. [Shall we give that a shot sometime, darling?] Not sure I like celery all that much... wonder if we can substitute it with hollowed out Chinese broccoli. =D
Saturday, October 17, 2009
My Soapbox
I had recently given the link to my blog to another friend (yeah, totally slipping from my original intention of random stranger only readers, but who cares about a random mad woman's rambling?) so I went back and read some of my old posts because I really don't remember what I had wrote and I have been surprised in the past by people possessing knowledge that I do not recall sharing, not a pleasant surprise, if I may add. Here's what I noticed when I went back and read my own blog: Boy, do I write in an angry tone!
Okay, maybe not entirely angry but definitely "high spirited." But hey, in my own defense, the title of my blog is "My SOAPBOX." One is supposed to be high spirited when he/she steps onto a soap box. If I'm not posting about my passionate opinion on a subject, I might as well be twittering about my mundane daily life (you can also find that on the right hand column, by the way, I like to have all my bases covered).
In the end, everything is better with some kicks to it, let it be food or personality. That's why straight laced people are always so boring. ;)
Okay, maybe not entirely angry but definitely "high spirited." But hey, in my own defense, the title of my blog is "My SOAPBOX." One is supposed to be high spirited when he/she steps onto a soap box. If I'm not posting about my passionate opinion on a subject, I might as well be twittering about my mundane daily life (you can also find that on the right hand column, by the way, I like to have all my bases covered).
In the end, everything is better with some kicks to it, let it be food or personality. That's why straight laced people are always so boring. ;)
Storm in the Bay Area?
Wow, after five years of living in the bay area, I finally got to see a real storm, not the usual drizzling that bay area people would call "raining cats and dogs." There was a real storm on Monday, which downgraded to occasional showers on Tuesday, then it was clear the rest of the week. I still don't understand why people hate rain so much, fresh water notwithstanding, raining just feels good. Even the air smells different and has a very cleansing feel to it. I also like it when the humidity is high and you can smell the ocean even from San Jose downtown. The combination of the ocean smell and pollution makes our building smell very much like Hong Kong, particularly Prince Edward Building in Admiralty. Even without any particular emotional attachment to Prince Edward Building, the occasional reminder is still welcomed.
Here are some crazy pictures from Monday's storm found on the San Jose Mercury News website:-
This puddle just looked very fun to play in. :)
This is not exactly a storm picture, but it's so pretty. :)
Photo Credits: San Jose Mercury News and Staff
Here are some crazy pictures from Monday's storm found on the San Jose Mercury News website:-
This puddle just looked very fun to play in. :)
This is not exactly a storm picture, but it's so pretty. :)
Photo Credits: San Jose Mercury News and Staff
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Liberating
Several enlightenments are liberating in life, here are a few:
(1) Gaining a new perspective on something; whether a friend finally beat that message into you, figuratively speaking, or you figured it out on your own;
(2) Learning that saying "no" is an option. This one is particularly enlightening if you are of Asia ancestry and were raised to be passive-aggressive. We were conditioned to say yes, albeit our disgruntlement, so learning that sometimes you can just say "no" is very liberating.
"Can you ...... ?"
"No!"
"Would you like to ..... ?"
"No!"
"Oh, c'mon...."
"No!"
See? Liberating.
(3) Last but not the least (I'm sure I'll have lots more to add to this list in the future), learning to distinguish your problem versus others' problems and to not worry about others' problems.
Your problem being defined at those that will have an (negative) impact on your life if you don't take care of it. Others' problems are, well, others' problems. And sometimes it's just nice that... it's not your problem. And try not to make it yours. :)
(1) Gaining a new perspective on something; whether a friend finally beat that message into you, figuratively speaking, or you figured it out on your own;
(2) Learning that saying "no" is an option. This one is particularly enlightening if you are of Asia ancestry and were raised to be passive-aggressive. We were conditioned to say yes, albeit our disgruntlement, so learning that sometimes you can just say "no" is very liberating.
"Can you ...... ?"
"No!"
"Would you like to ..... ?"
"No!"
"Oh, c'mon...."
"No!"
See? Liberating.
(3) Last but not the least (I'm sure I'll have lots more to add to this list in the future), learning to distinguish your problem versus others' problems and to not worry about others' problems.
Your problem being defined at those that will have an (negative) impact on your life if you don't take care of it. Others' problems are, well, others' problems. And sometimes it's just nice that... it's not your problem. And try not to make it yours. :)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Favorite Sayings
So in the Facebook profile it has this section where it asks what your favorite saying is. As I was thinking about it, I realized there were quite a few of them, so here goes (updated ones are in blue):
(1) "There's no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid ______." Although that''s more a philosophy than a saying.
(2) "Dude......" I like using the word "dude....," does that count?
(3) And my all time favorite: "Not gonna happen." :)
(4) "This is not going to end well...."
(5) And according to my friend D, evidently I like to say, "I have a bad feelings about this..." I don't recall saying it all that much, but since it was brought to my attention, I'll throw it in here, what the hell. :)
(6) "Awesome!" Can't go wrong with that.
(7) "Lovely!" In a sarcastic way. My friend E started using that back in San Diego, especially with regards to anything stupid at work, "That's just lovely," she'd say. I don't think I've use that word in a positive way since then.
(8) "Not gonna happen!"
I will slowly add to this list as more come to me...
(1) "There's no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid ______." Although that''s more a philosophy than a saying.
(2) "Dude......" I like using the word "dude....," does that count?
(3) And my all time favorite: "Not gonna happen." :)
(4) "This is not going to end well...."
(5) And according to my friend D, evidently I like to say, "I have a bad feelings about this..." I don't recall saying it all that much, but since it was brought to my attention, I'll throw it in here, what the hell. :)
(6) "Awesome!" Can't go wrong with that.
(7) "Lovely!" In a sarcastic way. My friend E started using that back in San Diego, especially with regards to anything stupid at work, "That's just lovely," she'd say. I don't think I've use that word in a positive way since then.
(8) "Not gonna happen!"
I will slowly add to this list as more come to me...
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
How Filmmakers Used Spy Tech to Catch Dolphin Slaughter | Wired Science | Wired.com
Another one of those depressing blog post from Wired.com, specifically because dolphins are such highly evolved animals.
The movie depicts a hunt in the waters off Taiji, Japan, where at least 2,000 dolphins are killed every year, with a few caught and sold to aquariums. The meat, containing toxic levels of mercury is sold to people, often passed off as whale meat. Dolphin killing receives less attention than whale hunts, but many scientists say their death is every bit as tragic.
"The cove is like a fortress. It’s protected on three sides by steep cliffs. To get in, you need to go through a natural tunnel system that’s protected by a dog and a sensor. Ric said you’d need a Navy SEAL team to get in there. I said that I didn’t know any Navy SEALs, but I did know Mandy-Ray Cruickshank,” said Psihoyos.
Another one of those depressing blog post from Wired.com, specifically because dolphins are such highly evolved animals.
The movie depicts a hunt in the waters off Taiji, Japan, where at least 2,000 dolphins are killed every year, with a few caught and sold to aquariums. The meat, containing toxic levels of mercury is sold to people, often passed off as whale meat. Dolphin killing receives less attention than whale hunts, but many scientists say their death is every bit as tragic.
Like other cetaceans, dolphins appear capable of such high-level cognition that in some ways they might be considered people. Their neurological systems of emotion and social communication are highly developed. Some researchers think their high-pitched vocalizations may contain aspects of language. They may even have names for each other.
"The cove is like a fortress. It’s protected on three sides by steep cliffs. To get in, you need to go through a natural tunnel system that’s protected by a dog and a sensor. Ric said you’d need a Navy SEAL team to get in there. I said that I didn’t know any Navy SEALs, but I did know Mandy-Ray Cruickshank,” said Psihoyos.
Cruickshank is one of the world’s top freedivers, able to dive 300 feet and come back up under her own power, capable of holding her breath for six minutes. She and freediver trainer Kirk Krack joined the team, swimming into the cove at night to install and retrieve cameras.
For once, I would really, really like to know what is it like to be the world's best of anything.Sunday, October 11, 2009
Living Life Dangerously
So as you may or may not know, I took a trip to Hawaii back in the July/August time frame. But this story has nothing to do with the actual trip there, but more the travelling part of it.
So it was my friend DS's birthday the day before I return, and luckily I remembered that she likes these caramel chocolates that you can only get from Hawaii. (You can get macadamia nut chocolates from Ranch 99, it will be silly to lug them back.) So the plan was to hit the Navy Exchange on the way to the airport to pick up a couple boxes.
Having the insight, and past troubles with overweight luggage, Hubby and I lugged my luggage down to the gym to weight it first. My luggage weighted 47.9 lb. The limit of a piece of luggage is 50 lb, you have a pay a fee after that or for a second piece of luggage. Ironically, I actually brought an extra duffel bag with me in case I decide to buy a lot of chit in Hawaii, but I didn't, so it's rolled up and stuffed into the big suitcase. Without the weight of the duffel bag, this would be a non issue altogether.
We got to the Navy Exchange and discovered that the net weight of a box of Caramacs is 12 oz., you throw in the weight of the box, that's a pound give or take. So the dilemma now is: Do I lean on the save side and only bring back 1 box or take a chance and get two boxes, which is what I wanted to do. After much mulling and ignoring Hubby's advice, I went with two. I like to live life dangerously. :)
When I got to the airport and put my suitcase on the scale? 49.9 lb!!! I swear, after the lady jotted down the weight, a gust of air came and pushed it to 50.0 lb! =D Parsonii 1, Evil Airline Company 0. :)
[Note to D : the "Parsonii 1, Evil Airline Company 0" part will be an example of a line to "wrap things up" so things aren't "hanging." =)]
So it was my friend DS's birthday the day before I return, and luckily I remembered that she likes these caramel chocolates that you can only get from Hawaii. (You can get macadamia nut chocolates from Ranch 99, it will be silly to lug them back.) So the plan was to hit the Navy Exchange on the way to the airport to pick up a couple boxes.
Having the insight, and past troubles with overweight luggage, Hubby and I lugged my luggage down to the gym to weight it first. My luggage weighted 47.9 lb. The limit of a piece of luggage is 50 lb, you have a pay a fee after that or for a second piece of luggage. Ironically, I actually brought an extra duffel bag with me in case I decide to buy a lot of chit in Hawaii, but I didn't, so it's rolled up and stuffed into the big suitcase. Without the weight of the duffel bag, this would be a non issue altogether.
We got to the Navy Exchange and discovered that the net weight of a box of Caramacs is 12 oz., you throw in the weight of the box, that's a pound give or take. So the dilemma now is: Do I lean on the save side and only bring back 1 box or take a chance and get two boxes, which is what I wanted to do. After much mulling and ignoring Hubby's advice, I went with two. I like to live life dangerously. :)
When I got to the airport and put my suitcase on the scale? 49.9 lb!!! I swear, after the lady jotted down the weight, a gust of air came and pushed it to 50.0 lb! =D Parsonii 1, Evil Airline Company 0. :)
[Note to D : the "Parsonii 1, Evil Airline Company 0" part will be an example of a line to "wrap things up" so things aren't "hanging." =)]
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Human Genome in 3 Dimensions | Wired Science | Wired.com
This is it, folks. You and I in a nutshell, figuratively speaking. What is this? A ball of yarn? You may ask. Nooo, this is the human genome, in 3-D rendition. To sum it all up, this is the best 3-D rendition scientists were able to come up with, and scientists "can now investigate how the very shape of the genome, and not just its DNA content, affects human development and disease."
Photo Credit: via Wired.com
The Human Genome in 3 Dimensions | Wired Science | Wired.com
Musings:
(1) IF the Bible is indeed the words of God, our creator, shouldn't it, in addition to general rules of proper behaviors within a societal structure, also act as a guidebook of sort and at least give us some insights into how our body works?? It can shave off a few years in medical advances and lives can be saved.
(2) On the other hand, am I really to believe that this entire complexity occurred entirely by chance? Especially with the Law of Entropy (that when left alone, entropy always increases) looming over our head?
Hmmmm, perplexing.
Photo Credit: via Wired.com
The Human Genome in 3 Dimensions | Wired Science | Wired.com
Musings:
(1) IF the Bible is indeed the words of God, our creator, shouldn't it, in addition to general rules of proper behaviors within a societal structure, also act as a guidebook of sort and at least give us some insights into how our body works?? It can shave off a few years in medical advances and lives can be saved.
(2) On the other hand, am I really to believe that this entire complexity occurred entirely by chance? Especially with the Law of Entropy (that when left alone, entropy always increases) looming over our head?
Hmmmm, perplexing.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Deeply Annoying Phrases
I found this list of "Deeply Annoying Phrases" on WashingtonPost in which readers are encouraged to pitch in their two cents' worth. Some are funnier than others, here's a few example.
"pwnd" - not even a vowel, I think one of my Gen Y friend told me it meant you were tricked, or something to that effect
"just sayin'" - I don't see anything wrong with it, at least in IM. I suppose it will be slang to use in proper writing, but how many in this country can still write properly, especially among Gen Y?
"Throw under the bus" - a friend of mine uses it all the time. Although I think wouldn't proper grammar be "threw under the bus" or "thrown under the bus"?
"I just threw up in my mouth a little" - eww
"Think outside the box" - love the saying, not sure what's the guy's problem with it.
"I know, RIGHT?" (when someone emphatically agrees with you) - the funny thing was: I just learned to use this "phrase" for the first time the day before I read this list :)
"At the end of the day" - perfectly good saying to me.
"It is what it is" - again, I don't see a problem with it.
"Quite frankly" & "I've got to be honest with you" - I use those two ALL THE TIME. LOL
Some people really just post for the sake of posting. British folks saying "indeed" is really cultural. But hey, different strokes for the different folks. At least it wasn't ONE person who was annoyed at all of the above. If it is, I truly feel sorry for said individual...
"pwnd" - not even a vowel, I think one of my Gen Y friend told me it meant you were tricked, or something to that effect
"just sayin'" - I don't see anything wrong with it, at least in IM. I suppose it will be slang to use in proper writing, but how many in this country can still write properly, especially among Gen Y?
"Throw under the bus" - a friend of mine uses it all the time. Although I think wouldn't proper grammar be "threw under the bus" or "thrown under the bus"?
"I just threw up in my mouth a little" - eww
"Think outside the box" - love the saying, not sure what's the guy's problem with it.
"I know, RIGHT?" (when someone emphatically agrees with you) - the funny thing was: I just learned to use this "phrase" for the first time the day before I read this list :)
"At the end of the day" - perfectly good saying to me.
"It is what it is" - again, I don't see a problem with it.
"Quite frankly" & "I've got to be honest with you" - I use those two ALL THE TIME. LOL
Some people really just post for the sake of posting. British folks saying "indeed" is really cultural. But hey, different strokes for the different folks. At least it wasn't ONE person who was annoyed at all of the above. If it is, I truly feel sorry for said individual...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
"He's Just Not That Into You"
So I was reading the book "He's Just Not That Into You" by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. Not that I am in the dating scene and thank God I am SO out of that hell hole, but my friend was talking to me about it, and I've seen the movie, (and watched the movie again while I was reading the book :). The entire book can be boiled down to one point: If a guy is not calling you, he's not interested in you. And the secondary message is: Never attempt to call, and move on.
Okay, as a female who was once in the dating scene, I gave the author (mostly Greg's male point of view) lots of credit for pointing out all the signs when a guy is not interested and all the excuses women come up with to explain the men's seemingly complex behaviors. I mean, wow, I have at some point in my life came up with most of those excuses myself. It would have been helpful to have read the book back then. That said, I strongly dislike his point that a woman should never initiate the call.
Sure, if a man is obviously not interested, there is no point in calling. I get that. But why do I get the feeling that men are encouraged to do the opposite? (Granted, the book is called He's Just Not That into You, not She's Just Not That Into You.) Haven't we all seen those stupid romance movies where a guy will persistently pursue a woman who's not interested and get the girl in the end? Why is that kind of behavior from a man considered as romantic??
Regardless, my point is not that women should all turn into stalkers. My point is: before there are signs and while you are still the murky area of perhaps and maybes, why can't a woman call? Sure, I get it that if he's interested, he'll call; if he doesn't call, he's not interested. Okay, re-read that last sentence and tell me it's not as sexist as Cinderella. Yes, the Cinderella; the story, not the character. Just take a moment and think: the prince is of the right age to wed. What did he do? Collected all the fair maidens in his kingdom, and possibly the next few over, so he can have his pick. And what did he base his decision on? Her LOOKS, and looks alone ... okay, maybe her hot bod too (and keep in mind that this female is to become the Queen of his kingdom. Ugh.) If that does not objectify women, I don't know what does. Telling a woman to just wait for the man to call is just the modern day version of it. There is a difference between "you don't need to call" versus "you shall not call, no matter what." Holy cow, are we still in the 1960's?
Is it really that horrible for a woman to be assertive, knows what she wants, and aggressively goes after it just like her male counterparts (and also take rejections just like her male counterparts)? Have I done that in the past? Yes. Did it work? No. (I didn't say Greg was wrong.) Will I do it again if I ever find myself in that situation again? Hells, yes. Frankly, if the guy can't handle someone aggressive and forthcoming, he's probably the right person for me anyway. Let that be the litmus test.
I sure hope that that is just the retrosexual Gen X males' unspoken standards/expectations/rules. I've polled a few of my Gen X male friends. They didn't seem too bothered by women who'd take the initiative and make the first call. Now, that's progress. (Hmmm, does that mean I'll have to look for someone Gen Y if I ever look again? That'd really make me a cougar. =D)
Okay, as a female who was once in the dating scene, I gave the author (mostly Greg's male point of view) lots of credit for pointing out all the signs when a guy is not interested and all the excuses women come up with to explain the men's seemingly complex behaviors. I mean, wow, I have at some point in my life came up with most of those excuses myself. It would have been helpful to have read the book back then. That said, I strongly dislike his point that a woman should never initiate the call.
Sure, if a man is obviously not interested, there is no point in calling. I get that. But why do I get the feeling that men are encouraged to do the opposite? (Granted, the book is called He's Just Not That into You, not She's Just Not That Into You.) Haven't we all seen those stupid romance movies where a guy will persistently pursue a woman who's not interested and get the girl in the end? Why is that kind of behavior from a man considered as romantic??
Regardless, my point is not that women should all turn into stalkers. My point is: before there are signs and while you are still the murky area of perhaps and maybes, why can't a woman call? Sure, I get it that if he's interested, he'll call; if he doesn't call, he's not interested. Okay, re-read that last sentence and tell me it's not as sexist as Cinderella. Yes, the Cinderella; the story, not the character. Just take a moment and think: the prince is of the right age to wed. What did he do? Collected all the fair maidens in his kingdom, and possibly the next few over, so he can have his pick. And what did he base his decision on? Her LOOKS, and looks alone ... okay, maybe her hot bod too (and keep in mind that this female is to become the Queen of his kingdom. Ugh.) If that does not objectify women, I don't know what does. Telling a woman to just wait for the man to call is just the modern day version of it. There is a difference between "you don't need to call" versus "you shall not call, no matter what." Holy cow, are we still in the 1960's?
Is it really that horrible for a woman to be assertive, knows what she wants, and aggressively goes after it just like her male counterparts (and also take rejections just like her male counterparts)? Have I done that in the past? Yes. Did it work? No. (I didn't say Greg was wrong.) Will I do it again if I ever find myself in that situation again? Hells, yes. Frankly, if the guy can't handle someone aggressive and forthcoming, he's probably the right person for me anyway. Let that be the litmus test.
I sure hope that that is just the retrosexual Gen X males' unspoken standards/expectations/rules. I've polled a few of my Gen X male friends. They didn't seem too bothered by women who'd take the initiative and make the first call. Now, that's progress. (Hmmm, does that mean I'll have to look for someone Gen Y if I ever look again? That'd really make me a cougar. =D)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Options II
A few blog entries ago I talked about options, or lack thereof. To quickly sum it up, my point was: if you found yourself stuck in the situation where you have none but once choice, suck it up and get it over with. In this entry, I would like to state that: "However, whenever possible, options are always a good thing."
Say you have a job that you are contend with, there's no harm in looking. You just might find this opportunity that you absolutely cannot turn down. Or, go back to school, take a few courses, improve yourself, open a few doors. Options are always welcomed.
The only time that one should not continue to look for "options"? -- When in a committed relationship. It will not end well.
Say you have a job that you are contend with, there's no harm in looking. You just might find this opportunity that you absolutely cannot turn down. Or, go back to school, take a few courses, improve yourself, open a few doors. Options are always welcomed.
The only time that one should not continue to look for "options"? -- When in a committed relationship. It will not end well.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
His Stuff / Her Stuff
Photo credit: ComicSpace/Dale H
This is SO true, I am one dinner table away from swapping out everything that Hubby brought into the marriage. (Yay!) And the only reason that survived for so long was because he purchased it after the conclusion his previous relationship -- it had no other female influences.
In my own defense, the furniture he brought into the relationship were god awful. I wish I had taken pictures to support my point.
For the male comrades who did not want their furniture replaced and/or be stuck with floral, butterfly, or ladybug patterns, here are a few of my suggestions:-
(1) Develop better taste so she wouldn't need to swap them out;
(2) Stay single;
(3) Have a non-female partner; or
(4) Be an ass and insist that your stuff stays.
When all else failed, find a woman with better taste. =D
Diamonds? Women?
I find these series of advertisements minorly offensive. It portrays women as highly shallow, and... do you REALLY want to marry a woman who'd run away because the diamond was wrong?
Photo credits: Ads of the World
That said, I have heard of requirements of 1.5 carat minimum and Cartier only. That's the cost of a low end luxury CAR that you are wearing. Holy cow!
Photo credits: Ads of the World
That said, I have heard of requirements of 1.5 carat minimum and Cartier only. That's the cost of a low end luxury CAR that you are wearing. Holy cow!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Teen’s DIY Energy Hacking Gives African Village New Hope | Wired Science | Wired.com
I have no witty insight to add, this is just one awesome article. :)
Teen’s DIY Energy Hacking Gives African Village New Hope | Wired Science | Wired.com
Teen’s DIY Energy Hacking Gives African Village New Hope | Wired Science | Wired.com
Friday, October 2, 2009
Love Or Selfishness
I still remember this movie I watched when I was a kid. It was a movie about car racing ('cause us Asians just loooove that type of movies) in which the protagonist was speeding down the road (not during a race) and his girlfriend, as women are expected to do, asked him nicely to show down. To which his response was, "Don't worry, if we get into an accident, I'll make sure my side take the impact first." What? Was that meant to be loving or romantic? Was the girl supposed to feel better because of that?
Let's re-examine the statement and see what's wrong with it:-
First of all, he was okay with the knowledge of a possible accident, so long as he didn't need to slow down. God forbid, driving within the speed limit? How could she even thought about asking??
Second, he assumed he would have the control over which side took the impact.
Third, let's give him Second that he could, indeed, determine which side take the impact. The statement seemed to suggest that in the event of an accident, only one of them will die. Yeah, leave your love one behind to grief. Way to show your love, buddy! That's also making the assumption that she'd walk away scotch free. What if she's maimed and/or disfigured? She's the one that is going to have to live with that. Or worse, what if he's mained and/or disfigured. Since he did it for her, she's going to have to take care of him for life. I'm not saying one should ditch their loved one in a traumatic event, but bear in mind that in this scenario, all this could have been avoided if he'd only SLOW DOWN. In fact, one could even argue that he brought it on willfully!
Frankly, I think that's the most selfish thing one could say to the love one. I fail to see the romance in that statement. (And if they both survived, she should still dump him. His stupid genes did not need to be passed on.)
By the same token, I also don't get Titanic, which most women loved. Every woman wants a man who'd die for them, they say. Um.. not I, probably why I did not care for the movie. She watched her lover died in front of her, for her. What the hell was wrong with her?? How does one continue to live with that knowledge? As if the trauma from the boat sinking wasn't enough, how will she sleep at night after that? I can't do that. If it was me, I'd rather die with him. Or, be the one who goes.
Back to my original theory, we know that the surviving one will have a lot of grieving to do. If you pass on, there's a 50/50 chance that "life" would be better on the other side. Don't they always say that the grass is always greener on the other side?
In a sense, that's also a very selfish thing for me to say, because I do not want to be the one left behind to grief.
Let's re-examine the statement and see what's wrong with it:-
First of all, he was okay with the knowledge of a possible accident, so long as he didn't need to slow down. God forbid, driving within the speed limit? How could she even thought about asking??
Second, he assumed he would have the control over which side took the impact.
Third, let's give him Second that he could, indeed, determine which side take the impact. The statement seemed to suggest that in the event of an accident, only one of them will die. Yeah, leave your love one behind to grief. Way to show your love, buddy! That's also making the assumption that she'd walk away scotch free. What if she's maimed and/or disfigured? She's the one that is going to have to live with that. Or worse, what if he's mained and/or disfigured. Since he did it for her, she's going to have to take care of him for life. I'm not saying one should ditch their loved one in a traumatic event, but bear in mind that in this scenario, all this could have been avoided if he'd only SLOW DOWN. In fact, one could even argue that he brought it on willfully!
Frankly, I think that's the most selfish thing one could say to the love one. I fail to see the romance in that statement. (And if they both survived, she should still dump him. His stupid genes did not need to be passed on.)
By the same token, I also don't get Titanic, which most women loved. Every woman wants a man who'd die for them, they say. Um.. not I, probably why I did not care for the movie. She watched her lover died in front of her, for her. What the hell was wrong with her?? How does one continue to live with that knowledge? As if the trauma from the boat sinking wasn't enough, how will she sleep at night after that? I can't do that. If it was me, I'd rather die with him. Or, be the one who goes.
Back to my original theory, we know that the surviving one will have a lot of grieving to do. If you pass on, there's a 50/50 chance that "life" would be better on the other side. Don't they always say that the grass is always greener on the other side?
In a sense, that's also a very selfish thing for me to say, because I do not want to be the one left behind to grief.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Moon, The Bunny, and The Whitie Hubby
Many Asian folklores involve bunnies on the moon. The Chinese one goes something like this, a bunny who lives on the moon makes these medicines with a pestle and mortar (yes, on the moon, don't ask, I didn't make this shit up). Woman stole the medicines, ate them, flew to the moon and could only return once a year to see her husband (I'm sure eventually my real Chinese friends will come around to correcting the details of this story). Point is, there's a bunny on the moon, and I have spent months, possibly years, trying to convince Hubby of that.
Take a look at this picture:
You can totally make out the ears in the upper right quandrant, right? Which makes the circular shape attached naturally the head, and the rest will have to be the body, right? Wrong! I even drew it out on a piece of paper once and still only got the blank look from Hubby.
Out of the blue today Hubby emailed me during work and happily announced that, "I can finally see the bunny!" (Don't ask me what he does at work. I have noooo idea and I am not asking any questions so long as the paychecks keep coming.) Then he sent me this link. Evidently in order to convince a Whitie that there is, indeed, a bunny on the moon, you literally have to draw it out, like so:-
Photo credit: Uoregon ?
Take a look at this picture:
You can totally make out the ears in the upper right quandrant, right? Which makes the circular shape attached naturally the head, and the rest will have to be the body, right? Wrong! I even drew it out on a piece of paper once and still only got the blank look from Hubby.
Out of the blue today Hubby emailed me during work and happily announced that, "I can finally see the bunny!" (Don't ask me what he does at work. I have noooo idea and I am not asking any questions so long as the paychecks keep coming.) Then he sent me this link. Evidently in order to convince a Whitie that there is, indeed, a bunny on the moon, you literally have to draw it out, like so:-
Photo credit: Uoregon ?
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