Waging a War on Anti-Americanism

I always have in the back of my mind that I’m not going to ever stop blogging, but with my new job that I started a month ago, I find myself very rarely on the internet like I used to be. My husband and I work on the other side of town, so we (once again) are moving. Our move will take place on October 22nd. The place we’re moving to is in an awesome neighborhood.

• Five minutes away from work
• Lots of entertainment/attractions including the Dollar Movie Theater
• Fantastic restaurants
• Very, very close to Six Flags Atlantis!
• And our new apartment is beautiful - huge, and lots of trees overlooking a very large pond.

I’m looking forward to this, but as you can see, I’m very busy as usual. I often bring my work home with me. Quite often by the time I get off work and arrive back home, it’s about two hours before bedtime to wake up at the crack of dawn for another day of work.

But I must say that I do love my job.

There are many things I’d like to blog about, but they’re all sitting on the back burner for the time being.

I really appreciate those of you who continue to be faithful readers of my blog and stop by every now and then to see what’s happening here.

Is it just me, or is the word, “I’m sorry” becoming watered down these days?

In my uneducated opinion, I always felt that when one says, “I’m sorry” that they are

1. acknowledging guilt and they they were wrong for what they did, and

2. will not (or at least try - by making it obvious to others) make the same mistake again.

I’ve been tagged. "What does THIS mean?", I asked myself. In the back of my mind, I was thinking that I won a lot of money or something. Well, it looks like I have to answer four questions. After a little research, these are what they call "Memes". I hope I found the right definition that best describes what I’m about to do.

In casual use, the term meme often refers to any piece of information passed from one mind to another. This usage more
closely resembles the analogy of "language as a virus" than Dawkins’ analogy of memes as replicating units. This definition has become popularly used on the Internet to refer to phenomena such as "All your base are belong to us" and Icy Hot Stuntaz.

For people new to this, here’s a list of example memes.

Now that I have that out of the way, and the reality sets in that I’m not winning a big money prize, the following are the questions I’ve been asked to answer:

1. Total volume of music on my hard drive: 3.58 gigs
2. Last CD I bought: Kelly Clarkson’s "Thankful"
3. Song playing now: Um. No music now - except for the theme song to Forensic Files on Court TV.
4. Five songs I listen to the most:

Okay…. this is a toughy! There are no 5 songs that I listen to the most.

• Let me just say that my favorite band is Garbage. Their first album is my favorite, so every song you see on this list would be what I listen to when I feel like Jammin’  - or as DB would say, "making my ears bleed". lol
• How about "Long Way Down" by the Go Go Dolls.
• "Burden in my Hands" by Soundgarden
• "Just a Girl" by No Doubt
• "Left My Wallet in El Segundo" by A Tribe Called Quest
• "Come Undone" and "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran
• "Love Profusion" (the "Headcleaner Rock version) by Madonna
• "Hero" from the movie "Spiderman" (I just LOVE LOVE that one!!!!!!) Mamamiya!
• "First Love" by Utada Hikaru (Japanese)
• "Goin’Back to Cali" by LL Cool J
• "Rush Rush" by Paula Abdul
• "Pop Life" by Prince
• "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
• "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane (God I love this one so much - it makes me feel so energetic and can’t help but to sing along with it!)
• "Swallowtail Butterfly" by the Yen Town Band (Japanese)
• "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth
• "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by errr (insert embarrassed look on face)…Britney Spears. Hey, lip singing sounds good too, sometimes!
• "The Rockafeller Shank" by Fatboy Slim
• "You Outta Know" by Alanis Morisette (and everything else she sings because she just plain kicks arse!)

Basically these are the songs that make me want to sing out loud to in the car with the CDs in the slot just blasting away, my hair flying in the wind, and trying to dance sitting down. Cars that pass by love me.

Looks like that’s more than 5 songs, but hey… I love music!

You meme’d a goon one on me, DB!

I stopped by Orge’s Politics and Views Blog and came across the following entry and picture, and couldn’t resist to share it with my viewers.

One of the things I think that really, really differentiates between cats and dogs is the ability of the cat to very effectively deny ANYTHING. No matter what has happened, the cat can just stand there, looking innocent, and you can’t even begin to question it. Dogs, on the other hand, if they even THINK they might have done something wrong, they’re hiding under the furniture, crawling on the floor begging for forgiveness, etc. Take, for example, exhibit A:

Read the rest of his post here.

Nothing more complex than him just wanting to hold his friend. Is that not the sweetest thing? Priceless.

I have come down with the flu, so I’m not going to be writing up new entries for the next couple of days.

But I’d like to leave a little poem that somebody left me here before:

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud, it is not rude,
it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

I visit several popular blogs where the author receives a large amount of comments. When I comment on those popular blogs, I don’t expect a comment back from the blog owner. When you reach a certain amount of comments per day, I find it unreasonable to reply back to everyone. We authors (as much as it may appear we don’t have a life) do have a life outside our blogs, and to comment to everyone that has dropped by with feedback is a major waste of time.

However, what I don’t understand is when you ask the blog owner a specific question, I certainly expect an answer back. Sure, the author’s busy doing other things, but when he/she is commenting to others and has time to post yet two more entries after that and continuing to reply to other bloggers, I find it extremely ill-mannered. The type of question that I asked required about a 5 word answer. Doesn’t take much time.

Now, for example, Little Green Footballs and other bloggers who receive anywhere between 50 to 500 comments per entry, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t check their comments at all. If that were the case, and I had a question for them, I would email them instead. And hopefully, I’d get a reply within 30 days.

I think what the problem is, though, is that popular bloggers only reply to their friends. If you are new to their blog, they find their time too important to waste on you. That’s very rude, and I won’t visit those blogs again. Some people just never learn manners.

I promise myself that I will never get like this. If I do, please bitch-slap me.

As I was perusing through one of my favorite blogs, I came upon Funky Fresh Freddie’s, "Where were you when America was attacked" post. I’d permalink it, but his permalinks don’t work. His entry inspired me to talk about my own personal experience on that day.

Granted, my experience of 9-11 was nothing in comparison to those who lost loved ones or even those who lost their own lives. But I’m still allowed to share, nonetheless.

I used to work for Delta Airlines, and as part of our benefits, we were able to fly in First Class (if available) for free on a stand-by basis. Both my husband and I were cleared for stand-by and were looking forward to our trip to one of our favorite places to visit, The Big Apple.

And here’s my stand-by boarding pass. (Click to enlarge the photo.)

Flying from Los Angeles on the red-eye, my husband and I made our connection in Atlanta. Anxious, yet sleep deprived, I got comfortable in my seat and fell fast asleep. We were to arrive in NY a little after 10:00AM. About half way there, the pilot interrupted that there were some problems and that we needed to revert back to Atlanta. Normally, an announcement like that would frighten me as I’m deathly afraid of plane crashes due to mechanical problems, but I had been sleeping, and half-asleep as I was, I didn’t care. I turned to my husband to notice that he was half asleep too and wasn’t affected by the pilot’s message. I sat back and closed my eyes again.

A bit later some flight attendants were nearby chattering. I heard them talking to other passengers about some kind of "bomb threat" to NY. I was still not phased. I whispered to my husband that we’d make the best of our trip regardless.

Our plane landed. As we began staggering for our luggage to deplane, I overheard a passenger on his cell phone, "Shit! The World Trade Center’s down!", he said startled.

I was surprised to hear that, but at the same time, I couldn’t believe it. When my husband and I entered Atlanta Airport still half-asleep walking and around in a daze, we went to a restaurant/bar to take a look at the TV screen to see what was really going on. It was almost like I was watching a movie on TV. I couldn’t believe my eyes! That’s when the reality started to hit.

For obvious reasons, we were unable to catch another flight to anywhere. So, in maneuvering ourselves through the mad chaos in and outside the airport, we were lucky enough to find a hotel to stay in. For two days, we spent most of our time watching the news on TV. It was hard to get away from the TV as I guess, in a way, I couldn’t believe what had happened. To say the least, we were in shock.

After two days of being in Atlanta, we were able to find a place to rent a car. We spent the rest of our vacation driving back to California. I kept my promise, and both my husband and I made the best out of a bad situation. I was able to explore parts of the U.S. that I had never seen before. I saw my first desert. It was beautiful. Here are some pictures I took in and around all the desert areas. Click the thumbnails to view the entire picture.

While it wasn’t the Big Apple, we still found it in us to enjoy our vacation.

The 9-11 attack never intimidated us. In fact, one month later, my husband and I went to Disney and Epcot Center in Orlando and had ourselves a blast! We were one of the very few people there as most people were too afraid to travel. In my opinion, it’s the best time to travel!

Life is too short to be a chicken.

So, there you have it. That’s my 9-11 experience.

UPDATE:

My husband just reminded me today that we were up in the WTC six weeks before this incident! I had forgotten about that. With the free flight benefits, we were always heading to NYC.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Seizures

Not too long ago while I was at work, one of my co-workers sitting next to me had a major seizure. I had never seen someone having a seizure before in my life. At that time, I had thought she was dying from a heart attack and completely freaked out! I had the paramedics there right away. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, I was told that she was actually having a seizure. A large group of people surrounded her, tried to stick candy in her mouth, and I noticed her seizure becomming more dramatic. It was quite frightning to witness - especially when I had thought she was dying before my eyes.

As soon as I returned from work that day, I looked "seizures" up on the internet to see what they were all about. From doing extensive research on it, I quickly learned that what I did and everyone else who attempted to help her was, in fact, the exact opposite of what really needed to be done to assist her.

Below are some snippets from the above website on what and what not to do upon witnessing someone having a seizure:

• Rule 1:   Be a good observer, keep calm.Speak softly and calmly to the person.  Don’t panic.People almost never die from a seizure, but subsequent
            medical care may depend critically on your observations of the seizure.  For example:  Did the patient stop talking in mid-sentence?  Did one limb start jerking before the others?  Were the movements symmetric and synchronous?
• Rule 2:   Do not attempt to force anything in the patient’s mouth! It is unnecessary, may cause the patient harm (break his teeth) or harm to yourself (he can bit your finger off).  The patient cannot swallow his tongue, and any tongue biting or cheek biting usually occurs within the first seconds.  Most seizures last only a few minutes, and there is nothing you can do to stop them.   
  Do not start CPR.  The patient rarely stops breathing and, if he does, it is usually brief.

• Rule 3:   Protect the patient from harm. The patient will fall down and his movements might cause him to hit his head or extremities on hard objects, so clear the area and put something soft under his head.  Don’t hold the patient down! Any attempt to stop movements may actually cause injury. If possible, the patient should not be moved.
• Rule 4:   Place the patient on his side after the convulsion to keep the
                 airway clear. Although uncommon, patients may vomit, and this will prevent
       aspiration.  Do not offer anything to eat or drink until fully awake
            (including seizure medications).

  Especially if this is the first seizure you’ve ever witnessed, or if you don’t know anything about the person’s medical history, feel for the carotid pulse. Feeling this should provide the necessary reassurance that the individual is not experiencing a cardiac arrest. Hopefully, you can relax enough to remember the following tips:

  Create the safest possible environment for the seizure. Position away from objects which threaten injury. Provide a soft surface, if possible. Cushion head with hands to prevent banging of head against the ground/floor.

  As the seizure ends and a state of deep relaxation ensues, place the person in the "recovery position" (as illustrated below).

Never should the individual be left flat on their back - that position invites airway obstruction (by a relaxed/swollen tongue dropping to the back of the throat, blood from a bitten tongue, or vomitus). If, after positioning the person as illustrated there is any sign of ineffective breathing (loud snoring type sound, little/no air moving to/from mouth/nose), ensure that there is nothing in the mouth by sweeping your finger through, removing any debris as you do so [NOTE WELL- The seizure has stopped at this point and the person looks as if deeply asleep]. If there are dentures, this is the time to remove them. If after doing the foregoing there is still a loud snoring sound, try extending the neck a bit more. Other options to help open the airway include use of an oral airway or a performance of a "jaw thrust maneuver" (illustrated here).

• Rule 5:   Do not call for an ambulance immediately.

  Patients with epilepsy will have seizures in public.  This does not require emergency room service and the high medical costs involved. Wait for the patient to wake up and ask if he or she wants
  an ambulance. If the seizure lasts longer than 30 minutes, or the patient has repetitive seizures, this may indicate status epilepticus and an ambulance should be summoned immediately.

• Rule 6:

  DO NOT TRY TO RESTRAIN THE CONVULSING LIMBS:

  Soften the surface, remove obstacles/furnishings, get the person to a safe spot, cushion head with your hands, YES. Restrain, NO.

• Rule 7:

  IF A PERSON KNOWN TO HAVE ‘CONVULSIVE’ EPILEPSY SHOWS A COLOR CHANGE TOWARD BLUE IN FACE, LIPS, NAIL-BEDS AT THE ONSET OF A SEIZURE- COUNT TO 60:

  The cyanosis (bluing of lips, nails, skin) that may accompany what in essence is a brief "respiratory arrest" at the beginning of a convulsion is caused by contracted and ’stuck’ respiratory muscles. It is not something that can be altered by any bystander/caregiver. It should pass relatively quickly, with improvement in color as the convulsion proceeds.
     

  If the above state lasts beyond a minute, OR if it is followed by relaxation (instead of convulsive movements) with persistent bluish color, it would probably be wise to assume that this IS a respiratory arrest and NOT a seizure. [In which case the proper response would be Basic Life Support].

• Rule 8: Recovery should proceed over minutes, though significant fatigue is likely. If there has not been any injury (eg.- no significant cuts to skin or tongue or concern regarding injurious effects of a fall to ground/floor), the person should be allowed to fulfill their desire to rest.

  Seek medical/hospital treatment if their is any concern about significant injury or if this is the individual’s first seizure.

For more information, please refer to the Fast Health Pages.

Just thought I’d vent about my frustration trying to get this blog going after my move. I’m about ready to scream! I’ve spent hours today trying to update my sidebar. I’ve been trying to get rid of my horizontal lines and add a Google search bar.

No matter what I do, nothing updates. I’m even updating the correct template set. I’ve refreshed and republished my files a kizillion times. It’s almost like my blog is there only in spirit, but not there physically.

It doesn’t listen to both my HTML and CSS commands. No matter what.

In my HTML history, I don’t think I’ve gotten this frustrated before. I even set up a "help ticket", but I’m guessing it will take a good amount of time before the Typepad staff gets back to me.

I have tons of bookmarks on HTML. I’ve spent hours reading them too.

Getting absolutely nowhere! Aaaargh ~ I’ll be lucky if this message even appears after I publish it.

I love Typepad! It’s way much better and more flexible than Blogger.

Although I’m very happy here, it’s a pain in the butt to re-list myself in all the search engines, blog directories, and all the blog-clicking sites. Ug!

I still have yet to get my "Site Meter" to work here. It’s not picking up hits from this site. I deleted the code from my old blog. I’m using the Pro-version of Site Meter so that’s why you can’t see the icon. The Type-List said that my character limit is 255. I guess that’s why the code for Site Meter doesn’t work?

It’s late now, and I’ve lost all my mental energy. But hopefully I will figure out everything tomorrow or the next day!

Oh goodness…. I just remembered another thing: trying to fit all my little stickers and links on the sidebar’s going to be a real treat. Argh!

In any event, it’s worth it all. I really do love it here so far.

Don’t forget about me. I will be trying to update you all on the latest events.

Thanks for stopping by!