Friday, September 30, 2005

Happy Birthday Tony!!!

Since I don't blog on the week-ends, I'm sending out a big hug and kiss to my peep Tony for his birthday!!!

Happy birthday Tony, here's wishing you a year of fun, laughter, pay raises and a parade of hot guys for your entertainment :-)

My virtual birthday gift to you:

http://www22.porsche.com/

you can pick the color!

Venice travelogue and etc.

Here is a brief portion of my travelogue from Venice/Milan:

Ever been to an amusement park where they try to do a global theme or the hotel, The Venetian, in Las Vegas? Well than you have gotten the best glimpse of what the real city of Venice looks like. It is something out of a person's imagination - like the song says "ain't nothing better than the real thing." Buildings that look like they belong in a children's fairy tale, painted in vibrant reds, oranges, browns, candy cane pier posts around each corner and oh the water - indescribable, green that changes throughout the day, looking more blue in the morning but giving off flecks of gold-yellow in the evening. It is exactly how I pictured it and at the same time completely beyond what I could believe. Boats take you everywhere and my sister and I rode down the Grand Canal (vaperetto #1), mouths agape, just taking it all in.

Overall, the trip was so relaxing - my sister and I made no concerted effort to do anything touristy and with the lines for St. Mark's Bascilla and the Doge's Palace ridiculously long, we were unable to get into anything. Instead we sat back and let various forms of transport show us Italy at a leisure pace, train, boats (going all the way around Venice and seeing the spot where Hilton has bought a huge swath of the city and is building a mammoth hotel), bikes and finally a car, driving us back to reality, our return flight home. Despite not knowing but four phrases of Italian (si, no, Grazi, ciao), we got by with a mix of English and Spanish!

Politics
I really, really, really want to sing that song "na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good-bye" to Tom Delay, but I don't want to crow prematurely. I will say, "what goes around comes around!" Can't wait to see what my girl, Molly Ivins has to say about this (she has covered Texas politics as a journalist and now as a opinion columnist, for ages).

Books
Just finished "White House Nannies" by Barbara Kline. Very interesting book a la "Nannie Diaries" but not as mean. If you are from the DC area, it gives one a fascinating glimpse into the lives of those snotty mansion dwellers of Great Falls, McLean, Georgetown and Potomac. Why these 'inside the Beltway' power players want children when they spend so little time with them is beyond me! Also, why are people so cheap about compensating their child care provider - for God's sake they are taking care of your supposedly most prized possession!!! Do you nitpik when you buy that $50,000 Mercedes?

Howard Stern Discussion
Yes, yes, I listen to Howard (I'm such a quandary to stereotypes, religious but listen to Howard Stern - gasp - how is that possible, shouldn't she have her head covered and carrying a Muslim rosary!) They were discussing if porn stars should be allowed to keep their children. I don't know, if someone really loves their child and is providing great care, does it matter what the parent does - really is a porn actor worse than the CEO of a company that uses child labor and disregards basic human rights? I mean certainly there would be psychological issues that this adult actor would probably have to address with the child, but when there are so many kids out there abused or abandoned, why take away a perfectly loving parent? Am I missing something?

Anyway (fave word of a cute Englishman), have a good week-end everyone!

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Banned Books Week

Did you know that this week is the American Library Association's - Banned Books Week? I love this idea - it is a week where libaries across America celebrate the freedom to choose, as the ALA say " Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them." Isn't that the foundation of democracy - allowing the minority, perhaps the unlikeable, ideas to be communicated?

Banned Book Week has been going on since 1982! It is amazing that we even have to have such a week, that there are people in this country who would dismiss basic tenets of American democracy and liberty out of a fear of a thought or idea in a book. I chalk up most censorship of books to poor parenting, if you don't want your kid to read a book, you go with them to the library when they pick books out, don't punish everyone cause your lazy.

Check out the ALA website (no pun intended) - they have a list of the 100 most frequently challenged books. http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm

I couldn't believe some of the books I saw on the list:
To Kill a Mockingbird - that is a classic, should be mandatory reading for all school children!
James and the Giant Peach - are you kidding me with this? What is wrong with this book?
Flowers for Alegeron - dealing with deep issues about choices we make, why ban this?
Summer of my German Solider - read a long time ago, can't remember what is objectionable?

Reading about this makes me glad again that my mother and grandfather instilled in me a deep love of the written word and never limited what I read.

"Go ahead and open up a book" - Reading Rainbow television show.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Amazing Race

I'm addicted to the show, The Amazing Race, last night was it's season premiere. It was the first time in the history of The Amazing Race that they had teams of four, instead of two. It was an interesting twist. I thought I would find it annoying, but it was actually quite fun to see all these big teams lumbering around.

The show started out in NYC (big surprise) and had the kiddies running around Manhattan before going down to PA. It was amazing to see who is stupid and who is smart, the clue simply said go to Washington's Crossing and there were some teams that had no clue that this might mean, oh I don't know...George Washington! After having to cross the river where George Washington did and retrive a flag (all the zealous patriotism displayed by some of the teams while carrying the flag disgusted me - its too showy, true patriotism is voting, taking part in the political system, not giving some lip service on national television). After that the teams had to spend the night in some park in Philadelphia, which made me think of my blogger friends in the Philly area (maidink in particular!). It rained. The next morning everyone had to race to Lancaster, PA - Amish country and either build a mini-watermill or race a buggy 1.5 miles.

What was fascinating about this season opener was - no international travel! Usually the Race has them leaving the States immediately for some place abroad, which is what I love about the show, getting to see all thes great places around the world, but not having to actually run in the race. I wonder if they stayed in America because the teams are so big this time? Looks like they will only be in America next show also, crossing my fingers that they might head south to my neck of the woods, that would be so cool!

As for the teams - I was really rooting for the Blacks, cause they are from Woodbridge, VA, which is right next door to my hometown. They were nice too, but man just didn't have the drive to win, they took everything so slowly - painful to watch, it's a race GD*# - move! They got eliminated.

That one family, with the two sons, that screams at each other all the time, oh so embarassing, hel-lo you're on national television, EVERYBODY YOU KNOW IS GOING TO BE WATCHING - is this what you want them to see? Good lord, have some class. Also I don't like that team with the little kids, the marathon runners, those kids are not so nice and the parents encourage this kind of mean "its a race we should be duplicitious" attitude. Ugh.

I'm rooting for the all girl team, the team with the dad and son-in-laws, or the daughters and dad team. Haven't made up my mind on the other teams yet.

Again I take my tv way too seriously - working on that.

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race8/

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Ciao Venice and misc.

I'm back from lovely, lovely Venice and super-chic Milan. The trip was very nice, Venice is beautiful and exactly how you see it in amusement parks, only 100 times better, cause it is real! On our third day there, my sister and I stayed in this gorgeous little hotel in the countryside of Venice (town of Quarto D'Altino). A former bishop's house, it was divine - four star, we enjoyed the day lounging by the pool and bike riding next to the fields of Northern Italy. From there we were able to day trip back into Venice, where you couldn't swing a cat without hitting an American, an Englishman or an Australian - who knew it was so popular with the Aussies?! But visiting Italy is no cheap feat and this brings me to my day's rant (and you thought just cause I'm back I'd be all sweet and nice, ha ha).
I'm broke - cause people owe me money - friends. How does one get this money back? Has anyone run into this problem? I hate to pester people, but I'm not made of money, my credit card bills are getting outrageous...what to do? It's nothing huge, nothing over $100, but it is still my money, no? For the time being I'm not buying anything for anyone else - I need to be compensated!
This really comes down too - how can I travel the globe without moo-lah?!

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Hola Italy!!!

Off to Venice and Milan - be back on Tuesday. I hope everyone has a lovely and peaceful weekend, may the peace rally/anti-war efforts go smashingly!

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Get some balls!!!

I try to keep my political rants to a low simmer but today something happened that stuck in my craw (saw that phrase used on Will & Grace the other day and have been using it ever since).

According to news reports, Vermont Senator, Patrick Leahy (D) will confirm Bush's Supreme Court nominee - Judge John Roberts.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/supreme_court

Its not that I'm vehemently opposed to Roberts (as bad Bush guys come, he is not in the top 10), its that I'm so tired of the Democrats just laying down like whores and letting the Bush Administration get everything they want!!!

I feel like screaming at the Democrats - stand up for something - God D*#! it! They don't say anything - is it fear of offending centerist America, or just don't care, or what?!!! It's like America has gone to a one party system. And we all know how well one-party systems go, can anyone say, dictator?

Really it comes to a point where I have to ask myself, why bother even participating in the government system of this country when my voice, at least currently, is silenced? Does no one in America care that Democracy and the governement we so treasure (fought wars for, apparently the one we are in now - Iraqi war) is being dismantled piece by piece - is it more important to learn about what the name of Britney Spear's baby is? When will this maddness end?

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

The Historian

I just finished The Historian by Elizabeth Kosova. It is on the New York Times Best Seller's List - has been since it came out. I usually avoid picking books that are blazing best sellers to the point of mass market cause they tend to be disappointing (Da Vinci Code, The Testament by John Grisham, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks). But my interest in the book was piqued when I heard the author on the Diane Rehm show on NPR. Apparently this was the author's first book, imagine that, right out the gate - hitting a home run with a best seller. Every author's dream!

The Historian is an intriguing story centered around Dracula. It tells the tale of a small family who during different periods of time, search for Vlad Tepes (Dracula) believing him to still be alive and trying to vanquish him. The book is 600 + pages long. It moves at a fairly steady pace. I found it interesting enough to finish in a week, but I'm not sure if it is worthy of all the accolaids it is receiving. Some of the story could have been cut, on a few occassions the author veers off onto some other subject that as a reader, I could care less about, and well the conclusion - when father, daughter and long-lost mother confront Dracula, VERY ANTICLIMATIC.

But in an arena already pretty full (there are tons of stories about vampires out there), the author is able to hold her own. I do like the attention to detail about the real Vlad Tepes life and the history of that region of Eastern Europe. Also the vampire and Russian Orthodox church lore is very interesting. Certainly after beginning to read this story, I checked my rearview mirror for strangely pale people around me and on more than one occassion, slept with the light on.

If you are avid reader who enjoys history and a good campfire scary story, this is a book to pick up!
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=mZ1F3mqB0c&isbn=0316011770&itm=1

Monday, September 19, 2005

Emmy's

Last night I sat down and watched the entire Emmy's telecast. I like the Emmy's, probably cause I'm a bit of a tvohlic, so more of the faces are familiar to me.

It is weird in a way, I'll watch the Emmy's, enjoy them but are they not just a big fat self-congradulatory party? These actors behaving as if somehow they are SO important, its a tad obscene - I feel like saying "it's not like your a teacher or policeman, someone important, take it down a notch."

But all the same I avidly stayed glued to the television. My observations on the show:
1.Why oh why did they do that Emmy Idol bit - so embarrassing, I had to flip the channel.
2. Do Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett really need another Emmy? They have like four and three a piece. Geez give someone else a chance!
3. So glad West Wing took home NOTHING - if I had to see Allison Janney crying on stage one more time I'd lose it.
4. Why did Ray Liotta get the award for best guest artist on a drama show, the episode of ER that he was on, had to be the WORST of the season, just crap.
5. Loved Jon Stewart's little bit about the Hurricane and than the censorship by the federal government - very funny.
6. Confused by the Peter Jennings tribute, does anyone really believe these guys give us the best news? Isn't it a firm belief by many that American Media is biased and that includes these three former anchors?
7. Why wasn't Ellen given more time to speak - I love her humor, always funny.
8. Jane Kasmarick (sp) from Malcolm in the Middle, robbed again, she deserves that Emmy!
9. Thank you Academy for keeping speeches under 30 seconds!
10. Will & Grace totally shut out - what was up with that?
11. Happy Tony Schaulib (sp) won, cause I loved him as Antonio on Wings and love him as Monk - but why do the same people keep winning?

Right, looking this over I can see, I take my tv much too seriously - gonna get help for that.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Friday Misc.

Just a few random thoughts before the weekend starts....

Does anyone watch the television show The O.C.? That show is becoming so predictable, I totally saw Ryan getting kicked out of school from a mile away and can anyone say that Julie is going to get NO money from Caleb's will. Ugh...what happened to this show, the first season was so good!

Still smarting from being summarily dismissed this week by two potential marriage candidates, apparently I wasn't good enough for them (in one case not intelligent enough and in another just not attractive enough I suppose). Yeah thats great, just perfect for my self-esteem (as I adjust the noose around my neck) - oh God I pray I am going through all of this because there is something better around the corner.

and finally, what is wrong with my blog...why are the posts so far down on the page? Did I hit something by mistake, please let me know if this is a human error and something I can fix, I'm still learning this whole blog thing.

Have a good weekend!

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Rest In Peace - Robert Wise

The director of my favorite film, "Sound of Music" has passed away. No matter how blue I feel, the beauty of your direction and vision lifts me up - God Bless you Mr. Wise.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/15/AR2005091500066.html

Fun question

My friend Random Kath posed this question on her blog and I liked it so much, have decided to abscond with it, hee hee.

Just for the fun of it, I pose a question:If you could pick any handsome gentleman, famous or not, to spend a lovely (but chaste) dinner, dessert and late night chat with, who would that gentleman be?

I chose the boy I like in England. Right now I could definitely use a nice dinner, dessert and late night chat with him, to end with us riding the London Eye. Unfortunately that seems very much out of the realm of possibility.

If not him, hmm..wouldn't mind a nice evening with Ben Affleck, Kurt Browning (figure skater), Reza Aslan (the kid who wrote "No God But God"), Emerson (the kid who created Mugglenet - he got to meet J.K. Rowling!), Prince Harry, or my favorite uncle in India - all of these people would make interesting and engaging dinner partners, someone I imagine I'd have a good time with and isn't that the best way to spend an evening...?

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

World Gets Crazier!

Wasn't sure what to post today, when I hopped over to Maidink's blog and she had a post on this story I had seen in last night's evening news.

It was about 11 children in Ohio, mentally or physically disabled, who were made to sleep in cages. They were adopted by this couple. What is wrong with the world?! I can't even think about this without getting teary. I had to flip the channel last night otherwise I would have started crying full out.

How can you do that to innocent children? Having worked in nurserys, I know kids can be a lot of work and they are not always little angels, but if you were in over your head, why adopt so many? Why not ask for help? There are so many people and groups in America, out there, who would have opened up their hearts and reached out.

Reading the story in the Washington Post, I don't know if the parents are totally evil as much as very misguided. I don't think they put those kids in cages out of malice as much as they thought they were doing the right thing and that is what is most scary. Made me think of my blog friend Pax - I don't know how you do it Pax, working in social services - you and your compatriots deserve mad applause, that is a tough tough job.

It makes my heart pang for all the children in the world who need to be loved.

All I want to do is hug those kids and hold them for a long long time (oh great now I'm weeping at my desk).

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Royal Tuesday


I was perusing a copy of the magazine "Hello" that I got from the airport on my last trip to London. They had a cute story about one of my favorite royals, Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth of Denmark. She is expecting and the baby is due in October. I love Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth because to me she represents the idea that the everday girl can have dreams come true. Her's is such a Cinderella story, this average girl from Australia meets the Crown Prince of Denmark at a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. She has no idea who he is. They hit it off, four years later they are married. Every little girl dreams of being a princess and in this case it came true - I feel like its a victory for all little girls around the world, from those children born to beggars on the streets of New Delhi to the little girl scout in suburbia America - we are not all destined to a life of mundanity and obscurity, it is not just those raised in privledge that get everything in life. Like the Disney motto "when you wish upon a star..." little girls of the world continue to dream big, be it a princess or the future president of the USA - anything is possible!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Crown_Princess_of_Denmark

Monday, September 12, 2005

Monday Morning Musing


So didn't make it to London this weekend....I was number 10 on the standby list and they got the first 9 on. Bummer. I tell you September is not turning out to be a stellar month for me..October could come anyday now and I'd be happy.
Spent the weekend moping at home - watched a lot of television. Have you ever seen the movie the Birdcage? Is it just me or is the son in that movie, a real jerk? He treats the Nathan Lane character so meanly, especially for someone who has taken care of him, raised him like a son. And why did they have to meet in South Beach? Why couldn't they have gone to her house? Also caught Gigi, a classic on Turner Classic Movies. Ugh, that movie is so cheesy - I thought I was going to have a sugar overdose and yet the commentator went on about it, as if it was something really great...go figure.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Maidink's Questionaire - harding hitting!

My stupid blog just cut out on me, I had all the answers so nice and clean - man this would never happen with Barbara Walters, sheesh :-) . Tough, deep probing questions....worthy of the mighty Oprah.

Here are the rules:1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below asking to be interviewed.2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions
Here are the questions:
1. You are an avid reader (at least I believe you are). Who is your absolute favorite author/authoress and why? Who do you most dislike and your evil reason for such disdain?
Going to do this backwards, can't stand Nicholas Sparks, his writing is so poor and sacchrine and yet always ends up on the best seller list - why??? Who is reading this drivel?? Why are they?? Favorite authors, hmm..that is tough, I like anyone who can put a good story together, which inludes J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame, Ronld Dahl, pure genius. Also if Anne Perry, Janet Evanovitch, Sophia Kinsella or Phillpa Gregory come out with a new book, I must get it! Some other perinnial favorites include Maeve Binchey, Jane Green, Maureen Dowd, Anna Quidlen.

2. Also from what I gather, you like to travel. To someone who hasn't been outside of the continuous 48 states (yeah, I know ... sad), what three places would you personally recommend a person visit before they die and your reasons behind each. It doesn't necessarily need to be a town or country (e.g., you could recommend an annual event).
London - it is THE city to go too - so much life and living, past and present in one location. I liken it to going to the big party of the year at the most popular kid's house.
Alaska - I know its in the States, but it is drop dead beautiful and so peaceful. At least once in your life you must go, to find zen.
Salzburg, Austria - I've never been but I adore the Sound of Music and I've always said before I die I want to visit this city. I imagine heaven looks a lot like those hills in the movie, so expansive yet comforting.

3. You are the eldest child. Out of how many? Are you close to your siblings and your parents? Are your family's political and social views the same as yours? Please elaborate. Yeah, I know that's three questions but it falls under the same subject manner.
I'm the eldest of two (one sister). We are a very close family (live in one house), still doing vacations and dinners together! My family is a bit of an anamoly from stereotypes in that we are all practicing Muslims who have a strong sense of values and God and yet we are all proud liberal/democrats. I think if you are truly religious you would have to be liberal - just look at the examples of Christ (pbuh) or the Prophet (pbuh), they displayed enormous amounts of compassion, love, forgiveness - a rush to judgement and leaning towards hate is a man-made portion of religion. I love my faith but sometimes I really agree with Marx, "religion is the opiate of the masses" no one thinks anymore when practicing, just blindly following some guy with a beard (yeah cause a beard automatically makes you an expert on my religion - not!). It's funny how people in the Mosque can't wrap their heads around us, my family and I just don't fit into any box :-)

4. Some people view the Bible-thumping extremist Christians as representatives of the Christian faith. Many Christians are quick to disagree by replying the extremists perverse the faith to their own means. You are a self-described liberal Muslim. What's your take on the Muslim extremists that have pretty much tainted the American view of the Islamic religion?
I don't think they are Muslims, they are practicing a blend of their patriachial culture and some tenets (that they like) of Islam. Personally I think they should stop saying they are Muslims and just admit they have created their own religion. I pray that Allah shows them the light and they stop using HIS name in vain (to kill people). They don't represent the beautiful religion that I practice.

5. The last and less thought provoking question. Adorable Tony convinced you to start a blog. How did you get to know us bloggers in the first place sans a blog? What was your view on blogging before your own? What is it now?
ahh my "birth" story...as it were. Well it started after the 2004 election, I was very depressed (cried when Kerry conceeded) and was surfing the net looking for like minded fellows, when a friend sent me a link to sorryeverybody.com. Cruising the pictures, I saw Pax's, and across it was his blog address, which I decided to take a look at (figured he must be a morning Kerry-ite also since he was on the sorry site). Finding it funny and relevant, I stayed on. I neandered over to Tony's after his sad annoucement about Parkinson's (which Pax told us about) and thought he was a hoot! From there baby-steps to other blogs. Before blogging, I knew little about it..thinking it was a world alien to me and I would never be able to join. Now I love blogging - it is fun and I've met (through cyberspace) all these great people - I feel loved :-)

Crossing my fingers this gets posted - I'm off to London for the weekend. Have a good weekend everyone!

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Rules for Driving in Virginia Gal Territory

Driving in Northern Virginia takes hutzpah - I would say we are the most aggressive drivers in the country - and having traveled much of the country on my flight benefits, I feel comfortable making that assertion :-) . I'm just as guilty as the next. Get me behind the wheel and mild-mannered Virginia Gal turns into Sailor-mouth, raged filled Virginia She-beast. But honestly there are just some really dumb people driving out there, to help these dingbats, here are some basic rules of driving in my neck of the woods:
1. Green means go - it is not a suggestion, put your foot on the accelator and MOVE!
2. If you drive exactly the speed limit, yipee for you, but move your butt out of the fast lane!
3. If the people to your right are taking a left, you can take a right - no one is coming from across the street - they can't because of the left-turners!
4. Take the right already, what are you waiting for a personal invitation from the DMV?
5. STOP TALKING ON YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING!!!
6. Seen one accident, seen them all - stop rubbernecking!
7. Do not ride side by side with another car and not allow others to pass - that is rude!
8. If I'm in the slow lane, don't push me - get into the fast lane and move around me!
9. If you don't know where you are going, PULL OVER, don't brake or slow down in the middle of the street - jeez!
10. Finally, if you enjoy sleeping on the road or taking hours to get to your final destination, bully for you, but get out of my way!
Good thing I don't believe in violence (though the State of Virginia does allow me to carry concealed, hee hee).

And on a sidebar - did you know Hootie and the Blowfish have a new CD coming out? Egads, put that music nightmare out of its misery!
http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/show_info/index.shtml

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Leaving the Compassion at Home

Looking at my title you'd think this was about hurricane Katrina or former first lady, Barbara Bush's totally inappropriate comments while visiting hurrican victims in Houston, http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/06/katrina.presidents.ap/index.html (which I still can't believe she said, clearly she is starting to lose it. The White House needs to watch her, she is becoming a loose cannon, as if Karl Rove doesn't have enough fires to put out, but I have to say Rove has been masterful in trying to deflect blame for poor hurrican response to the Louisiana Governer).

No this post is about my trip this weekend to Chicago, to a Muslim conference, ISNA. This is an annual conference that has been going on for years and I have never gone. I have found that many of the people who go there are hyprocrites who say they are going to learn about Islam but really just go to flirt with boys. Well this year, in my ongoingly desperate attempts to find a mate, I bit the bullet and signed up for the event. I was excited, I thought there would be tons of Muslim guys there and hopefully in such a crowd, I'd find my Mr. Right. I should have known from the second I entered that conference center, this was a mistake. So many of the people there were nauseatingly evangelical (if you think Christian evangelicals are nuts, you ain't seen nothing, meet Muslim "born-agains."!) . People were rude and unfriendly. The matrimonial event which I signed up for specifically was a diasaster, despite meeting close to 70 guys, not one showed an interest in me, which left me feeling like less than dirt, unworthy of being loved. Sigh.

What I learned from this conference is that the spirit of Islam is in the action not in the display - many of these people "looked" like "good" Muslims, but when push came to shove they behaved not in compassion, kindness or modesty but as inpolite, offensive and self-rightious. I'll never go again.

Oh God,You are Peace.
From You comes Peace,
To You returns Peace.
Revive us with a salutation of Peace,
And lead us to your abode of Peace.
- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Welcome back to School!




Welcome back to school, young Northern Virginia'ite's!I love Calvin & Hobbes and while I don't agree with Calvin's sentiment (personally I think they should be teaching foreign languages from kindergarten on), he does make you laugh. May your 2005-2006 school year be filled with interesting discoveries, enlightened discussions and numerous bouts of laughter!

ps - just a suggestion for Hurricane relief from my peep RandomKath, Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild the homes people lost.http://www.habitat.org/

Monday, September 05, 2005

Missing Monday II


This is someone from my neck of the woods, per Missing Monday's instructions. I hope this girl is ok and safe, may God protect her. - Virginia Gal

Sarah's photo is shown age-progressed to 20 years. She may be in the company of an adult male. She has an extra tooth growing from the roof of her mouth. She may use the nickname Susana.

Missing since Feb 18, 1997, from Kenbridge, VA.

Missing Monday


I know this is late - but I'm not at work and needed to ask my computer genius sister for help! Please pray to whatever entity you believe in that Daniel will be found.
Virginia Gal

Daniel was last seen at his residence on August 29, 2005 in Alloway Township, Salem County, NJ. Daniel has runaway prior to this occurance and was located in the Philadelphia, PA area.Daniel was last seen wearing a white button down shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers.Any further information, please contact New Jersey State Police Woodstown Station at #856-769-0775 or NJSP Missing Persons Unit at #800-709-7090.

Friday, September 02, 2005

P&T's questionnaire- those crazy Brit's!!!!

Hee hee, have to laugh at these questions, hope I answered them sufficiently :-) oh ps - have I dropped the ball, am I also to post questions for others? No one has asked to be interviewed, so I'm ok right?

1. There are two airtight rooms. One contains Bambi, the other contains ET. The oxygen in the rooms is slowly being removed which will result in the death of both. You can save ONE of them, resulting in the very slow and agonizingly painful death of the other. Which one do you save and why? Easy - Bambi, ET annoyed me, not cute. Of course I hate the idea of anyone, even evil people dying a slow agonizing death. God will punish them much more than I ever could.

2. You will become invisible tomorrow for the whole day. What’s the first thing you would do? Hmm..fly over to England and stake the boy I like :-)

3. If one of your recent dreams could become true, which would you like it to be and for what reason? tough question....a recent dream that I would love to come true is for me to marry this filthy rich guy and than rub it in the face of all those jerks who told my parents "no" for marriage, cause I wasn't fair enough or smart enough. Piss on them! If not that...than being accepted for the next season of reality tv show, Amazing Race with my sister, how cool would that be?!

4. What is the MOST embarrassing thing you’ve done when out on a date? Well, I don't "date" per se (good Muslim girls don't "date"), but once when talking to a potential suitor, I referenced that he needed someone to take care of him and now feel very embarrassed cause he stopped calling soon after, cleary I was not good enough to be the someone who took care of him.

5. Have you ever passionately kissed another woman? Decribe it in intimate detail. If not, why not? Hee hee, no, despite going to a womens college (or university as you call them in the UK), I have never kissed another woman - I don't swing that way. If its any consulation, I've never passionately kissed a man either....goodness it would be so romantic if the UK boy I liked, took me to the London Eye at night, and as the wheel moved up said "I'm falling in love with you" and took me in his arms as we reached the top and kissed me. That would be lovely (huge heavy sigh).

DA RULEZ1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below asking to be interviewed.2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Pax's questionnaire

Here are my responses to the all-powerful Pax (and I truly mean powerful - you would be amazed where I find links for your blog - you're like the popular kid).

1: It’s obvious you live in the Old Dominion State; if you could chose anywhere else in the U.S. where would you live, and why? tough question, I love Orlando, beautiful weather, relaxed city, relativly cheap. If not Orlando, wouldn't mind residing in San Francisco Bay area - such a fun place and so liberal!!! Could also live in Vegas - if I was in a penthouse at the Bellagio. Of course if Mr. Right came along, I'd be happy living anywhere he did, ranch in Montana, etc. sigh.

2: What was the last song you sang out loud? I think it was "American Pie" as I drove to the commuter lot this morning. They were having a marathon on the radio for the American Red Cross, raising money.

3: From what I have read, you seem like a sweet kid – what’s the one thing about you that would blow my perception of you? I can be moody, especially when feeling blue, I have a bad habit of holding grudges, I don't speak fluent urdu and well my sister says I can be smelly (especially after an 11-hour flight to India.).

4: Describe your ideal soul-mate. Oh God that is a tough one as I am in the throes of trying to get married (because as you know in Indian culture if I turn 30 and am still single, I official become an old-maid and am sacrificed into a volcano). He would be funny, open-minded, moderately religious (Muslim), strong, smart, Westernized, Indian background - a bit like someone out of a romance novel, a man's man! And despite my quirks and flaws, he would think I was adorable. Ugh, does such a person exist?

5: You luck out and win the lottery – an untold amount of riches come your way. What is the first frivolous BIG TICKET item you’d get and why? My hair permanently straightened and/or a Georgian townhouse in London, in a nice part of town.

DA RULEZ1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below asking to be interviewed.2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions