The raw, at least. Now I just have to wait for a scanlation or something. It’s always an event when a new chapter comes out.

(so, when can we have some hawt twin yuri?)

I swear, Sugisaki draws with an eye dropper instead of a pen. She will be dead long before the story goes anywhere. If this were any other manga, I would have lost interest a lot of time ago… but fortunately, DNAngel is one of my absolute favorites.

I already have a copy of Super Junior’s 3rd album! It comes with a free poster and a photo diary along with their signatures. Really love it! I never expected that the day would end with me being a proud owner of it. It was so out of the plan! I just accompanied my friend Audrey to a bookstore to buy a textbook and then we decided to have dinner at the nearest mall. But then, Audrey suddenly headed to the mall’s directory to find a music store so I could buy a copy of Super Junior. I told her last night that I got so damn jealous with my Kpop-addict friend who just grabbed her own copy that day, and now Audrey was so insisting me to buy my own. I told her I really have no intention of buying, that I just got jealous because the album looked so cool and it comes with a free poster and photo diary, that’s all. When we reached the music store my mind was already fixed, that I wouldn’t buy that CD. I just wanted to take a look. Well, it was a nice album indeed. Looks cool. And it really comes with a free poster. (Gosh, Kibum looks so good in it!).

We left the store and had dinner. But Audrey wouldn’t shut up! She was still insisting me to buy that CD! Suddenly, I found myself face-to-face with this dilemma: to buy or not to buy. I even sent an SMS to Kpop Lover to ask her say, and then she also insisted me to buy it. She said that being a very thrifty person that I am, it’s now time for me to buy something for myself, and that at that moment, that “something” would be that SuJu album. Wow, I was so overwhelmed, I was so convinced, I even cried (LOL).

Next moment, Audrey and I were already walking toward the music store where we were before. And now, as I am typing this, my very first SuJu album is sitting quietly next to me. I love looking at it! It is sooo cool! This is the very first CD that I bought for myself. Thanks mucho-much to Audrey, Kpop Lover, and to Kpop-addict friend who got me so jealous of her CD. Now I have my own, my very own!

Anarin blinked, and stretched, noticing she had spent the whole night sleeping on the Flammasari common room floor. It didn’t matter, since anything was comfy to sleep on in wolf-form. Her tongue lolled outside of her large mouth, the crimson accentuating her pointed white teeth. She sniffed, smelling stale jam, and the other Flammasari that had previously passed through.

After shaking her head once, to clar out the fuzziness of just waking up, she trotted to where the smell of jam led, assuming that Mirakuru and that thing that she carried around would be near by. It would be interesting to see the first years’ reaction to a wolf walking to her room, and maybe Anarin could become fully acquianted with the animal-thing she always carried around… was it Cheza? Chiza? Maybe Chisa

L’ordre Des Choses – The Way of Things

L’ordre Des Choses (or The Way of Things) our short film we started working on in the spring of this year has finally been completed. Leaving for the summer we had finished all shooting, but not began the long editing and sound design process. Returning this fall the task of starting work on this project seemed daunting. This was really due to feeling disconnected and not very motivated after the very difficult filming process. However diving in our team began to find motivation more and more as the final product began to reveal itself. Each step towards realization got us more excited. We had a rough edit and then recorded the narration. After rerecording the narration we trimmed 2 minutes off of the run time going from 7 minutes to about 5 (which is quite difficult when a film is this short). However this proved to focus the ideas of the film and shortly after a composer friend of my team leader Natacha recorded an excellent original score that put the cherry on top of the sundae.

Even though it is in French the film can be seen here…
http://vimeo.com/7647922
We are proud of the final product and are most thankful for all the things we have learned and can take with us in the process of working on future projects. This is by no means a perfect short, but thankfully God is really good at providing capability to the incapable and strength to the weak.

We finished this project middle October just in time for a large conference or celebration that took place in Strasbourg, France near the German border. It was called “Protestants en fête 2009″ or “Protestant Celebration 2009.” This is celebration is a gathering of the growing but still minority protestant Christian population in France. It was a huge opportunity to present in a broad sense a united front to France as a country, as well as in a specific sense impact the population of Strasbourg with an active and public week long celebration that included music events and speakers, countless organizations and churches, art and media expositions, and a chance to interact with the sometimes hidden protestant Christian population of France.

For our Innovation Team it was our first opportunity to have a screening of L’ordre des choses in the context of having a short film discussion event. At the event we screened 4 films with questions and discussion in small groups. We had a great mix of age groups as well as work and cultural backgrounds. It was great to connect with several students who were very excited about the prospect of using media in ministry to engage and cause reflection.

Tuesday November 24th we will screen L’ordre Des Choses at our Toulouse student discussion event, TheO Show. We are excited to use this tool but also to show the finished product to the community of Christian and non-Christian students that helped and supported the process to create it.

Please pray that we would continue to seek the Lord about how and where this film can be used. Pray that it could be even a little tool to help clear the fog of apathy and ignorance in the French culture who often blindly write off faith and Christianity without knowing what they are refusing.

If you’re like me and you don’t like Safari 4 for the one reason you have no progress bar, what’s all that about, having said that even Google Chrome is the same, but anyway, for Snow Leopard users its finally solved.

1. Download the same Safari 3.2.3 portable by clicking here! (Open in a new tab/window)

2. In a Finder window containing the file “Safari 3.app”, right click and “Show Package Content”

3. Open the only folder available marked “Contents”, then “MacOS”, then double click the Terminal file marked “TrueSafari” and a Terminal window will open and as will Safari 3.

4. However if you close the Terminal window you will also close Safari 3 as that is preventing Snow Leopard from knowing what OS the application requires. Safari 3 runs as it does on Leopard in my experience.

TIP; Right click the “TrueSafari” command and “Create Alias”, copy the alias file to a more convenient place, Documents etc, you then can launch Safari 3 by double clicking that alias!

In a country where people are not able to find sugar and other daily usage items and where electricity has become a real luxury , the elite political , military ,corrupt business and bureaucratic classes consider themselves above every law of the land and don’t think of themselves answerable to any system of justice.

Below is the list of NRO beneficiaries which include list of accused criminals who got their selves cleaned with this draconian law introduced by the dictator Musharraf.

———————————————————————————————————————–

Finally, dreaded NRO list is out and official

The News

By Ansar Abbasi
Source : http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=25672

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented to the government on Thursday a list of 248 politicians and bureaucrats, who were alleged to have plundered hundreds of billions of rupees but were cleared by the NAB under the NRO.

Sources in the Law Ministry while sharing with The News the “complete list” of NAB’s NRO beneficiaries, explained that thousands other cases of NRO beneficiaries did not belong to the NAB but with the provincial governments because they were criminal cases and were not covered by the NAB law.

On top of the list is the name of President Asif Ali Zardari while his several close associates, both political and bureaucratic, including Rehman Malik, Salman Farooqi and his brother Usman Farooqi, Hussain Haqqani and Siraj Shamsuddin are also reflected.

The list, which also reflects a brief introduction of the cases dropped against each name under the NRO, also includes the name of serving and former ministers, federal and provincial secretaries, ex-chief secretaries, existing or former members of the national and provincial assemblies and others.

According to the list, Asif Ali Zardari remained the beneficiary No 1 of the NRO as at least eight of his NAB cases of corruption and misuse of authorities were dropped. These cases included the alleged kickbacks from SGS PSI Company, grant of licence to ARY Gold causing huge loss to government, corruption in purchase of Ursus tractors under the Awami Tractor Scheme, illegal award of contract to Cotecna for pre-shipment, assets beyond means, received kickbacks from Sajjad Ahmad (late) ex-chairman Pakistan Steel Mills, illegal construction of Polo ground at PM House and the money laundering SGS Swiss case.

Others amongst politicians include Nawaz Yousaf Talpur, ex-MNA and former minister, who was co-accused in URSUS tractors case; Ms Nusrat Bhutto, assets case; ex-MNA and the PPP Secretary General Jehangir Badr, assets case and corruption in Sui Southern Gas Company; ex-minister for commerce and presently Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, misuse of authority in issuing sugar export permit to non-entitled persons in 1994; ex-MNA Malik Mushtaq Ahmed Awan, embezzlement in Octroi contracts; ex-MNA Rana Nazir Ahmed, assets case and misuse of authority; ex-MPA Mian M Rashid, assets case and illegal appointments; ex-MPA Tariq Anees, assets beyond means; ex-MPA Mian Tariq Mehmood Dina, assets beyond means; ex-minister of education Sindh Agha Sirajuddin and others, misuse of authority; ex-chief minister and former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao, misuse of authority, illegal allotment of plots and assets case; ex-provincial minister Ghani-ur-Rehman, assets beyond means; ex-senator Haji Gulsher, misuse of authority and acquisition of land; ex-provincial minister Habibullah Khan Kundi, misuse of authority and acquisition of land; ex-MNA Mir Baz Muhammad Khan Khethran, misappropriation of government funds allocated for people’s works programme; ex-federal minister Anwar Saifullah Khan, misuse of authority in allocation of LPG and illegal appointments; ex-provincial minister Sardar Mansoor Laghari, corruption in Utility Stores Corporation; ex-Mayor Sargodha Ch Abdul Hameed, assets beyond means; ex-chairman Zila Council Lahore Ch Shoukat Ali, ex-MNA Haji Kabir and ex-chairman Zila Council Lahore Ch Zulfikar Ali in Zila Council fraud case.

Amongst government servants and others, who had benefited from NRO and got themselves cleared from NAB cases include ex-additional director general FIA and presently Interior Minister Rehman Malik, embezzlement of funds on account of un-authorized released of imported yellow cab cars, illegal detention of complainant and illegal gratification; ex-secretary information and presently Pakistan’s ambassador in the US Husain Haqqani, co-accused in Ms BB case of TV channels; ex-federal secretary and presently principal secretary to the president Suleman Farooqi, illegal allotment of textile quota, forgery and fraud, obtained illegal benefits in connivance with exporters; ex-chairman Pakistan Steels Mill, caused loss to Pak Steels through illegal disposal of 15.93 MT of end cuts, procurement of Ferro Silicon at higher rates; ex-joint secretary PM Secretariat, former principal secretary to the PM Gilani and presently Executive Director ADB Siraj Shamsuddin, illegal appointment; ex-NBP president and presently Pakistan’s ambassador M B Abbasi, corruption and corrupt practices and loan default; ex-secretary Sindh Rasool Baksh Rahoo, KPT land cases; Mashook Ahmed Usmani, Aurangzeb, Moin ul Arfeen, Akhtar H Askari and Kher M Kalochi of Pakistan Steels Mills (PSM) in the case of purchases on exorbitant prices for PSM; ex-DG textile quota Nayyar Bari and ex-DD Export Promotion Board Anees Alam, illegal allotment of textile quota, forgery/fraud, obtained illegal benefits in connivance with exporters; ex- secretary commerce Brig (R) Aslam Hayat Qureshi, co-accused in ARY Gold case; ex-advisor to Prime Minister A R Siddiqi, co-accused in AAZ and BB cases; ex-principal secretary to the PM Saeed Mehdi, co-accused in polo ground case; ex-principal secretary to the PM Ahmed Sadiq, assets beyond means; ex-chief secretary Punjab Javed Qureshi, fraud in Zila Council Lahore contracts; ex president HBL, willful default, ex DG Intelligence Bureau Brig Imtiaz, assets beyond means; ex-MD Printing Corporation of Pakistan Pir Mukarram, corruption and corrupt practices; ex-DG Textile Quota Akhtar Alam in textile quota case; ex-secretary Petroleum Capt (R) Naseer Ahmad, misuse of authority in awarding contracts for OGDC; ex-Director Textile Quota Syed Arfeen, textile quota case; customs officials Khalid Aziz, Muhammad Nawaz Butt and Mumtaz Ali Changezi in illegal evasion of tax duties case and wrong refund of customs rebate case; Pak Steel employees Syed Iqtedar Rasool, Qaiser Raza, Irfanuddin, Hisamuddin and Qurban Ali Jatoi in import of PIG iron for PSM case; General Manager Port Qasim Authority Abdul Sattar Dero, corruption in PSM; businessman/transporter Pir Deedar Hussain Shah, yellow cab scam; ex-FIA Assistant Director Sajjad Haider, ex-Inspector Muhammad Sharif Qureshi and inspector Moeen Ashraf, all three co-accused of Rehman Malik in embezzlement of funds on account of unauthorized release of imported yellow cab cars case; Assistant Director FIA Agha Ishrat Ali, assets beyond means; ex-Deputy Director FIA Ch Muhammad Sharif, assets beyond means; ex-Additional Commissioner Income Tax Javed Iqbal Mirza, assets beyond means; ex Managing Director Karachi Water and Sewerage Board Aftab Ahmed, misuse of authority in awarding contracts; Project Director Karachi Water and Sewerage Board Fareed Ahmed, misuse of authority in awarding contracts; ex-Regional Commissioner of Income Tax Sindh Abrar Ahmed, assets beyond known resources.

The names of other beneficiaries are Collector Customs Imtaiz Ali Taj; ex-Secretary Javed Burki, DG Port Qasim Authority Irshad Ahmed Sheikh; AD FIA Noor Muhammad Kaka; Maj (R) Rashid Khan; Additional Director FIA Ali Qaswar Bokhari; ex-DG Peshawar Development Authority Syed Zahir Shah; Suptd Customs Check Post Mand Muhammad Younas Butt; Customs officials Sherdad Khan, Sajad Hussain, Muhammad Sarwar and Abdul Hameed Siddiqi; Senior Store Manager Muhammad Iqbal; District Engineer Water Supply Quetta Zamarak Khan; Revenue Officer Pashin Rehman Ali; Assistant Revenue Office Pashin Hafiz Matiullah; Superintendent Revenue Officer Pishin Muhammad Iqbal; Junior Auditor Ibrar Hussain; ex-SP Railways Inamur Rehman Sehri; ex-DC CDA Ch Muhammad Aslam; ex-Secretary CDA Abdul Ghafoor Dogar; ex-AD CDA Mushtaq Ahmed Baloch; ex-Sub Engineer CDA Muhammad Ismail; ex-DC CDA Ahmed Khan; ex-Account Officer Attaullah Khan; ex Patwari Muhammad Farooq; ex-Patwari CDA Muzamil Hussain; Clerk CDA Dawood Khan; ex-Deputy Director Planning CDA Muhammad Iqbal; ex-DC CDA Muhammad Amin; ex-DC CDA Shoukat Ali; Supervisor PTCL Sheikh Liaqat Ali; Assistant Manager GHQ Habibullah Tasnim; Assistant Store Keeper Muhammad Saeed; ex-DG Services CDA Mohiuddin Jameeli; ex DD CDA Muhammad Ashfaq; ex-Asstt Estate Manager CDA Din Muhammad; EGDC official Raheel J Qureshi; GPO Rawalpindi officials Muhammad Farooq, Salim Raza, Muhammad Anwar, Muhammad Akhtar and Arshad Mehmood; ex-Tehsildar Raja Zahid Hussain; Dy DG Military Land and Cantonment Department Abdul Naeem Khan; ex-SSD MEO Rwp Sh Muhammad Amin; Assistant Director Military Land and Cantonment Abdul Hayee Qamar; ex-DG Military Land and Cantonment Qazi Naeem Ahmed; Abdul Ghafoor Khan, Muhammad Ali; ex-Chairman SLI Zaheer; ex-DG NHA Iqbal Ahmad; ex-Chief Engineer CAA Raees M Irshad; CAA officials Ghulam Qadir Lakhan, Shafique Siddiqi, Ahmed Hussain, Iqbal Bangash, Khurshid Anwar, M Akbar, A D Abbasi, Kh Farooq Ahmad and Rafique Shad; OGDC officials Jaffar Mohammad, Khalid Subhani, Capt (R) Nazir Ahmed; Najmul Hassan, M Ishaq, Muzaffar Hussain, Shahid Ahmed, Qamar Hussain Shah, M Israel Khan and Bashir Ahmad Bhatti; PWD officials Mureed Ahmed Baloch, Sadaqat Ali, Khalid Mehmood Nasir, Akram Rao, Rashid Mujib Siddiqi, Aslam Shahid, Zahid ullah Khan and Shabbair Husain; Wapda officials Anwar Hussain, Wapda Line Superintendents Saifullah, Muhammad Arshad, Syed Ehsan Ali Shah, Mirza Saeed Ahmed, Akbar Ali and Allah Wasaya; Nadra officials Hakim Din, Sardari Ali and Nadir Khan; Zakim Khan Masood, Sadiq Ali Khan, Sardar Mansoor Leghari, Din Muhammad, Sikandar Ali Abbasi, Ahmad Yar Gondal, Amin Jan, Sharif Alam Padri, Usman Ghani Khatri, Adnan Khawaja, Nadeem Imtiaz; ex-official Abdul Hakeem, proprietor M/s Techno Int Pir Bux Solangi; private person Abdul Sattar Mandokhel; official S M Attaur Rehman; Sahib Dad Mengal; Hamza Khan Gabol; Riaz ul Hassan Rizvi; Shamsuddin, Ayaz Ahmed, Mukhtiar Ahmad, Muhammad Ali, Abdul Aziz, Rasheed Muhammad Qureshi, Mumtaz Ahmed Bhutto, Maqsood Ahmed, ex-UDC MEO Sialkot Naeem uddin, ex Asst Audit Officer Muhammad Hanif Rahi; ex-cameraman Abu Zar Jaffari; Auditor General officials Muneeruddin Ch, Abdul Razaak Bhatti, Mehr Sajjad Ahmed, Mirza Sajjad Ahmed, Mirza Muhammad Ayub, Muhammad Iqbal Shah, Mukhtar Ahmed, Malik Shahmat Ali, Mian Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Shafique, Syed Javed Hassan, Syed Muzaffar H Shah, Muhammad Sarwar Safi, Muhammad Shabbir and Tariq Mehmood; Food Department officials Ch Nazir Ahmed, Safiullah Awan and Muhammad Usman; Wapda’s Liaqat Ali, Customs Ali Muhammad Sheikh; PTCL’s Munawar Hussain, Muhammad Ashfaq Naz and Muhammad Shahid; Lahore Wapda’s Shahid Iqbal Ghauri, Manzoor H Chohan, Muhammad Javed, Abdul Rehman, Iftikhar Ali and M Qasim; Amjad Hussain Sandhal, Syed Zahir Hussain, Ghulam Mustafa, M Hanif; Sadiq Muhammad, Sameer Amjad, Ch M Siddiqi, Rasheed Ahmed Patwari, Mirza Sher Muhammad; businessmen Seth Nisar Ahmed and Zahid Mehmood; official Murid Ahmed Baloch, Qazi Afzal Hussain, Shaukat Hussain Shah, Maqbool Ahmed, Noor Jamal, Sardar Muhammad Nasim, Mirza Sher Muhammad, Rashid Ahmed Patwari, Muhammad Usman, Arshad Mehmood, Muhammad Akhtar and Waheedur Rehman.

FINALLY added a video!!!!!!!!!!! TAKE A PEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOOK at my page for more…..COMING SOON

TELL me what you think

THANX

OPENINGS

→ Angel Heart – Single OP1 – To You

Name: To You
Artist: Sowelu
CD Release: 2006/02/01
Tracks:

01. TO YOU
02. FINALLY
03. TO YOU-INSTRUMENTAL-
04. FINALLY-INSTRUMENTAL-
Download: Click Here (25.8 MB)

→ Angel Heart – Single OP2 – Lion

Name: Lion
Artist: Kouji Tamaki
CD Release: 2006/03/15
Tracks:

01. Lion
02. Yorusou
03. Lion (Instrumental)
04. Yorusou (Instrumental)
Download: Click Here (25.42 MB)

→ Angel Heart – Single OP3 – Battlefield of love

Name: Battlefield of love
Artist: Isawa Asami
CD Release: 2006/08/30
Tracks:

01. Battlefield of love
02. Tears for flower
03. Orange sunshine (thirsty remix English ver.)
04. Battlefield of love (cro-magnism love remix)
Download: Click Here (23.77 MB)

VOCAL COLLECTIONS

→ Angel Heart – Vocal Collection Vol.1

Name: Vocal Collection Vol.1
Artist: Various*
CD Release: 2006/06/21
Tracks:

01. Finally
02. Daydream Tripper -Angel Heart Mix-
03. Soba ni
04. Wings Of Love
05. A Brand New Day
06. Kanashimi no Angel
07. Gloria
08. Angel Tears
09. Guardian Star ~Shugo Hoshi~
10. Dare ka ga Kimi wo Omotteru
11. Rebirth
Download: Click Here (113.17 MB)

*Artist: Sowelu, U_Wave, Toku, Christy & Clinton, Junichi Inagaki, Kanon, Ami Ozaki, SKOOP ON SOMEBODY, KITAGO-YAMA

→ Angel Heart – Vocal Collection Vol.2

Name: Vocal Collection Vol.2
Artist: Various**
CD Release: 2006/12/20
Tracks:

01. Battlefield of love
02. Fellows
03. FriDaY
04. Serenade
05. Remembrance
06. Lion
07. parallel
08. FEEL ME
09. Back To The City
10. Umi no iro
11. More Than You Know
12. Setsuna
13. My Destiny
Download: Click Here (139.69MB)

**Artist: KITAGO-YAMA, LIL’G, Kanon, GAKUSHI FEAT.EMMA BLOOM, Kouji Tamaki, SHUNGO., Keizo Nakanishi, CRO-MAGNON FEAT.KYOKO, Junko Iwao, TOKU

50 CENT OFFERS CONTEST FOR SINGLE
MOMS

 

50 Cent will play Santa for single
mothers this holiday season as part
of “50’s Money For Moms” contest,
in conjunction with BET. Entrants
must explain in 200 words or less
why she deserves to win 1 of 3
grand prizes of $10,000 each from
50 Cent. Details available at
www.bet.com/Site/contests_50cent.

DARRIN HENSON TO HOST ‘BAYOU
CLASSIC’ EVENTS

Actor/choreographer, Darrin Henson
will host The State Farm Bayou
Classic Weekend Battle of the Bands
and Greek Show, featuring the
legendary music rivalry between
Southern University and Grambling
State University.

MEAN JOE GREENE FINALLY AWARDED FOR
COKE AD

Thirty years after his famous Coke
commercial premiered during the
1979 Super Bowl, Mean Joe Greene
has in his huge hands a CLIO award,
given annually for excellence in
advertising.

This time it’s different.  I didn’t mean to say goodbye.  God is a door toward which the wind takes us.  Open it.  He is a gate.  Beyond the gate another gate until you reach the last.  Finally, when you least need it, the thing you couldn’t have asked for comes.  It feels strange now to accept it.  To look the man in the face and say, God bless.  I knew it was a wound.  Still, custom makes men say terrible things.  But not so when he wants to be useful.  Then he is dangerous.  Then he might offer his life.  It might have been a gift if I were able to accept it.  Thank you.  Thank you.  And then, Goodbye.  When I was young I used to sing a song about forgiveness.  Now I want to know the other word for paradise.

I’ve finally definitely given up playing the trumpet/cornet, but now I have to play something else. Apparently keyboard’s really hard so Mum’s been teaching me a little bit of guitar. (I probably need a proper teacher)

After more than a year since his 11 year-old daughter’s murder, rapper Juvenile has broken his silence on her death and explained the incident’s aftermath.

For Juvie, the pain of losing his child will never fully fade away.

“Time, man,” he explained about how he has coped. “You don’t get over things like that. That’s something that goes with you for the rest of your life. I don’t know, man, just time to yourself. I’m not even comfortable talking about it. I stayed away from the press, everybody had a million questions. I’m not even comfortable talking about it. I got a great wife, good brother, great momma. My family is good.”

The fatal incident took place in late February 2008.

A teenage gunman allegedly shot and killed the New Orleans rapper’s daughter Thursday along with her Sheriff’s Deputy mother and older sister in their Lawrenceville, Georgia home, authorities have confirmed. The victims — 39 year-old Joy Deleston and her two daughters, 11 year-old Micaiah, and 4-year-old Jelani — were gunned down by Deleston’s 17 year-old son, Anthony Tyrone Terrell. Jelani was the daughter of Juvenile.

Wow.. I finally got my picture for the runescape forums. I decided to take one today after I started my thread. It looks empty on my thread when you see just a question mark sitting there next your name. And yes, my thread is doing pretty good. I have 18 supporters now and growing. These supporters encourage me everyday to get 91 runecrafting.

My progress today

Starting exp: 1,629,295

Ending exp: 1,710,453

Exp gained today: 81,158

Hotly anticipated video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 went on sale at midnight at stores across the UK…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: shoping. The blog is also related to: mobile shopping.

Action on the ACTA front.

At Michael Geist’s excellent blog, a post with a round-up of the news coverage following the last round of ACTA negotiations in Seoul. Apparently the chapter on Internet enforcement goes far beyong even the draconian limits of the DMCA and the present TRIPS agreement.

Abolishing the safe-harbor provisions of the DMCA or similar laws would be obligatory.  The plan of those who favor the ACTA seems to be: negotiate a secret deal that gives those who favor an extreme IP regime, then explain the need to enact that regime as “harmonization.” Will it work? I don’t think so.  The ACTA is increasingly looking to be DOA.  But that doesn’t mean we can be complacent! Exactly the opposite, now is the time to criticize it and bring this process to a halt.

The Obama administration has continued the Bush policy of trying to keep the provisions of the ACTA secret on grounds of “national security”    The criticism of the ACTA has expanded beyond the blogosphere and is now being reported in the press:

Last night, The House of Representatives passed the Health Care reform bill pushed by President Obama.

All I can say is, FINALLY, I feel like this Healthcare debate has been dragging on forever – and it basically has. I’ll be interested to see if and when this actually passes the Senate, what happens to all those who are “afraid” of Health Care reform – will Obama hold an open forum or press conference where he details, in layman’s terms, the changes that are going to happen in our Health Care industry? Because if you ask me, that would probably be the smart thing to do.

We’ll see how things pan out !!

the wakefulness at 4am is a pre-occupation of people who work the night shift, those with restless thoughts too loud to ignore.

(video reminds me of that foo fighters song “walking after you”. knock-off. but i’m such a sap, i think i’m gonna watch nicholas sparks’ “dear john” on the basis of this song. hayyret.)

EDIT: EW, EW, EW, EW. i can’t believe i wrote sappy crap like that. and i wasn’t even drunk. man, my left brain must’ve been asleep by then giving my left brain free rein over my mental faculties and thus, leading to this total sap-fest. gah! good song choice though.

MTV is reporting that women beater Chris Brown has released a statement about how he feels about Rhianna’s revelations about the specifics of her beating she received from him, and in a nutshell he expresses that he wishes that they remain private.

I bet he does, because they are reprehensible….

Chris Brown's Handiwork on Rhianna...No Excuses..

Here is a quote from the statement on MTV.com…

…”While I respect Rihanna’s right to discuss the specific events of February 8, I maintain my position that all of the details should remain a private matter between us,” he said in the statement. “I do appreciate her support and wish her the best. I am extremely sorry for what I did, and I accept accountability for my actions. At this point, I am taking the proper steps to learn about me and grow from my mistakes. I only hope that others in similar situations can learn from our experience as well. Abuse of any kind is always wrong. The rest I leave it to God.”

Chris Brown contacted MTV on Friday morning to issue this statement in the wake of the huge amount of publicity that Rhianna’s  ”Good Morning America” interview with Diane Sawyer, as well as the 20/20 interview tonight,he had better make a pre-emptive proactive gesture.

I  just suggest that he never claims to be confused about what he did to her that night, or that he blacked out from shock, and thus does not remember beating her.That’s not a good look, man.

Just be embarrassed, apologize, seek some help, and do not ever do it to another woman again.

The excuses are hurting you, but this statement is a step in the right direction.

Here is a link to the full article on the MTV.com website….

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1625767/20091106/story.jhtml

This is officially my 100th104th post! I had every intention of posting this on my 100th post, but then I lost my mind and signed up for NaBloPoMo and, in my haste to post a blog every single day (along with, oh, I don’t know, living my life), it took me a few days longer to finish this bigosity than I anticipated. In celebration of my 100 104 posts, I’ve done what I’ve managed to spare both you and me from thus far –a long, rambling list about the mundane minutiae of my life. But fret not! The list has officially arrived. You’re welcome.

I’ve lived in Canada for 895 days now (!) and have done way more than 100 104 things but, apparently, someone injected me with a little bit of lazy along the way, so 100 104 posts are all I’ve written¹.  It’s taken me eons longer than I expected to get to 100 104 posts for reasons that are unimportant. Let’s just say that, like Talullah Bankhead once said, “‘It’s the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls don’t have time.” 

Like many of you, I am a list nerd. Lists, for me, are like manna from heaven. I make lists about lists and I write already-completed tasks on my lists just to get pleasure of crossing them off. So, in honour of my 100th 104th post, I thought I’d do what I do best and list 200 208 things about me that you may or may not already know, but about which I’m sure you are dying to know. And, all for the mighty, mighty price of free. Because Catholic-family sized soliloquies is what the intertubes was invented for, yes? The good part of all of this is that I can’t see your eye-rolling, so it doesn’t hurt as much. Anyway, grab yourself a snack, put on your Snuggie, make yourself comfortable, and read some Carmen goodness…

Growing Up

1. I am an only child. 
2. I was born in Houston, Texas. It’s like living-on-the-face-of-the-sun-hot there.
3. I started walking when I was ten months old. I have no idea if this is an accomplishment or not. 
4. Apparently, I liked to climb as a child. My mom once walked into the kitchen after putting me to sleep and I was sitting on top of the refrigerator. I still like to climb on things.
5. My surname is French and is properly pronounced “meeyAy”. My peeps came from France, through Canada and down to Louisiana. Hence you could say that, with me living in Canada, the Millet family has come full circle. Or, that we hate the heat. Discuss.
6. I grew up with a Cocker Spaniel named Buffy, who I used to carry everywhere. Literally. If we went from the living room into the kitchen, I carried him. Poor dog. After Buffy died, we got a Miniature Schnauzer named Heidi. The first time she walked into our backyard, she fell into our swimming pool and had to dog paddle her way out. She never went near it again.
7. My dad used to tell me that when you ate oysters, they would come alive in your mouth and swim down your throat. To this day, I have never eaten an oyster. Thanks Dad!
8. I have direct relatives in Alaska, four cities in California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ohio.

School Stuff

1. I went to a private, Episcopalian² school until 4th grade. We went to chapel every Friday. 
2. I learned to speak Spanish in 1st grade and still speak it today, although not as fluently as when I lived in Texas since there are approximately 6.5 Spanish speakers in Canada.
3. I went to school with the same people from 4th through 12th grades.
4. I was accepted at all the universities to which I applied: University of Texas, Baylor University, Texas A&M University, and Louisiana State University.
5. I have a BA in Speech Communications and Marketing from Texas A&M University.
6. I was accepted into law school, but decided I didn’t want to waste my life away with my nose buried in law books. Instead, I now bury it in boatloads of email and project management red tape.
7. I have finished half of my MBA.
8. I will probably never finish my MBA, considering I reside in a country where I am not permitted to pursue any kind of formal education.   

My Deets

1. I’m 5′3″
2. Most people think I’m taller since I wear 4-inch heels 98% of the time. My knees hate me for it.
3. I have blue eyes, though they tend to change colour depending on what I’m wearing.
4. I have naturally blonde hair, but it’s getting darker as I get older. Hello,  highlights!
5. I’ve always wanted a tiny pink streak in my hair.
6. I wear a size 8 shoe.
7. I grew up with 20/70 vision in my left eye, but after wearing glasses until University, it is now corrected to nearly 20/20.
8. I’m a registered Republican. I’ve voted Republican in every federal election with the exception of the most recent one (gasp!).
9. I’m socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
10. I’m a cradle Catholic³
11. I’m a Sagittarius, which I’m pointing out only because it means you should be thinking about what to get me for my birthday.
12. I bought my first house when I turned 29 + 1. I bawled my eyes out the night before I closed out of sheer terror and six years later, it’s still a-ok.

 My Metaphorical Suitcase

1. I spend the majority of my discretionary income on traveling. It is my absolute biggest passion.
2. I’ve traveled to 26 US states and 43 major US cities.
3. I’ve traveled to 3 Canadian provinces and 8 Canadian cities. 
4. I’ve traveled to 13 countries on 3 continents.
5. I just started writing a travel blog called A Metaphorical Suitcase. It’s all professional sounding and isn’t nearly as much fun as ATGAIC!
6. My favourite cities are New York City and Paris. It’s cliché, but I don’t care. They live up to the hype.
7. I love, love, love to fly. I am a plane geek and can identify the type of plane just by hearing the engine⁴. I still get butterflies when I see planes take-off, land, and in the air. Conclusion: I should marry a pilot.
8. I want to fly privately just once. Travel gods, you can’t see me, but I’m down on my knees begging…
9. I recently went on my first helicopter ride. I got nauseous and nearly had to use the bag. Conclusion: I should stick to planes.

 Books I’ve Finished In the Last Six Months

1. When You Are Engulfed in Flames — David Sedaris (re-read)
2. Barrel Fever — David Sedaris
3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone⁵ – JK Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — JK Rowling
5. My Life in France — Julia Child
6. The Death of Conservatism  — Sam Teanenhaus
7. Infinite Jest — David Foster Wallace (I’m only halfway through this one, but it’s 1,079 pp, so cut me some slack, people! Also where I got my idea for blog footnotes)
8. Liberty — Garrison Keillor
9. The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry – Kathleen Flinn
10. The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde (my all-time favourite book)

Magazines To Which I Subscribe

1. Vanity Fair⁶
2. Wired
3. Newsweek
4. Travel & Leisure
5. Broken Pencil (zine)
6. Photography
7. The Globe and Mail (newspaper)

My Favourite Games

1. Taboo
2. 80’s Trivial Pursuit
3. Crossword puzzles
4. Scrabble
5. Blokus

My Monstrous Wanna-be Techno-nerd Tendencies

1. I have six email addresses
2. I own four URLs
3. I have 15 different blog URLs set-up over three blogging platforms, and actively blog on three of them.
4. I use an HP Pavilion 17″ laptop that is an absolute pig on weight and space, and is coming unhinged — literally.
5. I secretly want a Mac, but I’d never admit it.
6. I have profiles on more websites than I care to admit; they easily number into the 30’s.
7. I currently have 161 Facebook friends. I am very selective in who I add and know all of them IRL.
8. I currently have 4,029 images on Flickr  
9. I currently have 755 unread emails in my Gmail inbox, some of which date to 2006. If you’re still waiting for a reply, this is probably why.

Edible Material

1. I started drinking coffee about three months ago after I bought a french press. I am now addicted.
2. I still drink tea, especially sweet tea (also known as the “wine of the south”).
3. My favourite cuisine is Tex-Mex⁷.
4. My second favourite “cuisine” is french fries. I recently went on a french fry crawl with some Yelp friends and I was at peace.
5. My favourite vegetable is broccoli, although the only one I don’t like is eggplant.
6. My favourite fruits are watermelon (especially good to cure a hangover), pineapple and strawberries, but I love them all except kiwi.
7. My favourite Houston restaurants are Cafe Annie and Pappasito’s Cantina. My favourite Toronto restaurants are Grace and Nota Bene.
8. My favourite cocktails are Pimm’s Cup, gin & tonic and big red wines.
9. My favourite dessert is my dad’s world-famous chocolate sheet cake. It is fierce!

Things That Take Me To My Happy Place

1. My iPhone
2. My hard, candy pink iPhone case
3. My red, cast iron risotto pan
4. David Sedaris
5. Sparklers
6. Backtalking
7. Wearing pigtails
8. Eating brunch
9. Bubble baths in soaker tubs (TMI?)
10. Blogging
11. Hummingbirds
12. Bubbling hot tubs at 105 degrees Fahrenheit, especially ones overlooking oceans
13. The CBC
14. Cats and dogs
15. Hiking
16. Musicals, especially Chicago and Spring Awakening, and singing them at the top of my lungs in the privacy of my car. Sometimes I get funny looks from passers-by.
17. Year-round Christmas lights
18. Listening to “This American Life” podcasts and swooning over Ira Glass
19. 30 Rock, Entourage, Top Chef, Project Runway
20. Snow falling at night
21. In-town hotel stays
22. Jumping on said hotel beds
23. Haiku
24. Dancing
25. My passport
26. Trying new foods (I just had Korean for the first time!)
27. Witty repartee
28. 1% chocolate milk in a frozen glass
29. The Sunday Times
30. Queen Video
31. Cherry and orange Slurpees
32. Photography/photo safaris/my cameras
33. Stepping outside my comfort zone
34. Giggling/Laughing/Chest-shaking guffaws
35. Swinging on swingsets
36. Hip Hop karaoke and hip hop dance class
37. Public Radio International
38. RadioLab
39. Jalapeño hummus
40. Classic 80’s music
41. Jarritos Mandarin flavoured-drinks
42. Arm’s length photos, thusly
43. College football.  GEAUX TIGERS!
44. Madonna, the Dixie Chicks, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama, my momma

Things That Take Me To My Unhappy Place

1. People who use the word “reoccurring” instead of “recurring”. People of the universe: “reoccurring” is not a word!
2. People who drive slowly in the left lane. I want them to die very slow deaths please move to the right.
3. Smoke/smoking/smokers/people smoking and walking in front of me on the sidewalk whose smoke I am therefore forced to inhale
4. Being hot, unless I’m on a beach 
5. Liars
6. Cheaters
7. Balancing my chequebook(s). Unluckily for me, now that I live in Canada but am still paid in USD, I have to manage not one, but *two* chequebooks. They are the bane of my existence.
8. Clutter 
9. Migraines — I don’t get them often, but when I do, I get really, really sick
10. Oprah
11. Americans who travel abroad and act ignorantly. When in Rome, people. If you don’t like it, go back to your bubble.
12. Paying a $60 annual tax to the City of Toronto just for having a car in the city
13. Paying 5 cents for a plastic bag. I still giggle when I buy clothes and have to cart them out of the store over my arm.

Things On My Desk At Work 

1. Two flags: a Canadian flag and an American flag
2. The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy; Hirsch, Kett, Trefil
3. Coloured file folders with labeled tabs; mostly pink, with a smattering of blue, green, yellow and red
4. The Belvedere calendar, which I’ve had on my desk every month for ten years
5. An Ikea lamp
6. Green apple-flavoured Viraguard antiseptic hand spray, so as to protect myself against the pig flu
7. Two buttons: Toronto Maple Leafs/Raptors & Vancouver Canucks  
8. A Remembrance Day peony, which is on my desk because it keeps falling off of my coat.
9. Various pens, including a pink feathered ostrich that rattles and an Incredibles pen that lights up when I write
10. My perpetually refilled cup of Diet Coke (Conclusion: I require plentiful amounts of chemicals).
11. The original Wooly Willy

Things In My Refrigerator

1. Half a bottle of Cave Spring 2007 Riesling
2. Unopened bottle of White Zinfandel⁸
3. Fig & Walnut jam (the brand which I don’t know since I threw away the wrapper)
4. Goat cheese (beneath which said unnamed Fig & Walnut spread is spread)
5. Freshly grated gruyere cheese and a block of Parmesano Reggiano
6. Jalapeño hummus
7. A case of Caffeine-free Diet Coke
8. Whipped cream
9. Can⁹ of Amsterdam beer
10. Box of Jiffy cornbread¹⁰
11. Fresh spinach
12. Red onion
13. Cilantro
14. A motherload of condiments, but most importantly, salsa

The Last Ten Things I Listened To On XM Radio

1. The Bob Edwards Show, to which I listen every single day
2. We Both Reached For the Gun — Chicago soundtrack (Channel 75)
3. Not Ready to Make Nice — Dixie Chicks (Channel 25)
4. Enola Gay — OMD (Channel 44)
5. Kids — MGMT
6. West End Girls — Pet Shop Boys
7. Genius of Love — Tom Tom Club
8. My City Was Gone — Pretenders 
9. Bigmouth Strikes Again — The Smiths
10. Black Celebration — Depeche Mode

Random and Seriously Fun Facts About Moi

1. I will try absolutely anything at least once (except oysters. ew.)
2. iPhone apps to which I’m addicted: Fling!, Tetris, Scramble and Groceries
3. I wanted a 5-speed car after graduating University, so I bought one without knowing how to drive it. My friend Jill drove me home and taught me how to drive it the next day. I stalled my way to work for about a week, but loved every second of it! My current car has a Tiptronic transmission, but it’s really faux-manual and isn’t nearly the same.
4. My favourite artists are René Magritte, Julian Schnabel, Mark Rothko, and Cy Twombly.
5. My favourite museums are the Menil Collection in Houston; the Tate Modern in London; and the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.
6. I have an interest in both Surrealist art and art stolen by the Nazis during WWII.
7. I prefer to sleep only on white, high thread count sheets.
8. My favourite flowers are pink tulips, pink peonies and white orchids.
9. How I lived prior to having a PVR is beyond me.
10. I went tobogganing for the first time in March 2009. I was the only person over the age of five going down the hill.
11. I have a serious crush on Andy Williams.¹¹
12. My porn star name is Buffy Fairacres.¹²
13. My favourite number is 13¹³
14. I have a keen interest in the workings of the Intelligence community, specifically the CIA
15. I haven’t played a videogame since I kicked ass at Tron and Donkey Kong on Intellivision, circa 1985
16. I only run in Asics Gel Nimbus running shoes. They are like running on pillows.
17. I’ve never broken any bones or been stung by a bee
18. I don’t have any tattoos, but I had my belly button pierced during an otherwise mild rebel phase. It got infected after I went into the disgustingly polluted waters of the Gulf of Mexico and had to take it out.
19. Three of my closest friends don’t have Facebook pages. I find this bizarre.
20. I love timepieces, especially vintage ones (though I can’t afford them, so I only get to gawk at them in store windows).
21. My favourite piece of jewelry is my Tiffany “hook and eye” bracelet I bought with the first paycheque I ever earned out of University
22. My necessary extravagance is a regular 90-minute massage (I’m looking at you, Toronto Bodyworks)
23. My favourite all-time movie is “Moonstruck”
24. My lipstick is MAC Lip Glass in Flirt
25. My mascara is Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils in black
26. My blush is NARS “Orgasmic”
27. My shampoo/conditioner is L’oreal Professional Lumino contrast and Vitamino Color. It smells delish!
28. Other than shampoo and conditioner, I don’t use any hair products.
29. My moisturizer is Cetaphil
30. My toothpaste is Colgate Max Fresh Liquid Gel in Clean Mint; I also have an addiction to Closys (the nectar of fresh breath gods but that isn’t sold in Canada!)
31. My summer perfume is Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien and my winter perfume is either Coco Chanel Mademoiselle or Annick Goutal Mandragore
32. My favourite nail polish colours are OPI “Privacy Please” for my nails and “Lincoln Park After Dark” for my toes. I switch to OPI “I’m Not Really A Waitress” or Chanel “Ruby Slippers” during the holidays.
33. I’m an absolute candle *freak*. I have a candle closet in my house and currently have about 20 unburned candles. My very favourite scent is Votivo Red Currant and anything clary sage scented. Someone just told me that candles are the new “cat” for lonely single girls. If that’s the case, then I must be a complete hermit.
34. I wanted to learn to knit since all the kids are doin’ it. I took a class and am halfway through a scarf that looks like a ten year-old made it. Actually, that’s probably not fair to the ten year-olds out there! Stop laughing like that — I’m trying my hardest!
35. I was once driving in the rain and saw a man walking in it. I stopped and gave him my umbrella, and I’ve never met anyone more thankful.
36. I once entered a cake baking contest in middle school. The cake was called “Better Than Sex”. I won first place.
37. I’ve met and had my photo taken with Julian Schnabel. !!!!!
38. I’ve met David Sedaris and was so starstruck that I could barely speak. He signed my book with a hand-drawn photo of Abe Lincoln with a mouth bubble that said “Diabetes is for lovers”. Yeah, I didn’t get it either.

¹I’ve actually written more than 104 posts, but haven’t published 49 posts I’ve drafted. For shame.
 ²Anglican, for my Canadian readers
 ³ If you don’t know what it means, look it up!
 ⁴ This applies to Boeings only. I’ve only flown an Airbus once and that was in Europe, so I was probaby either inebriated or exhausted. 
⁵ Also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S. I have no idea why it’s called something else in Canada and the UK.
⁶ Although I despise its Canadian editor, Graydon Carter. His editor’s column was about George W. Bush every single month literally for eight years. I would think that someone as educated and revered as he is could surely come up with something to talk about other than GWB for 96 issues.
⁷ By “Tex-Mex”, I do not mean “mexican”. Everyone in Toronto thinks that I mean “interior mexican” when I say I miss mexican food. Clearly, they have never had the goodness that is Tex-Mex.
⁸ It’s from when my mom was here. It was, dammit!
⁹ Because I’m a classy dame.
¹⁰ Imported from Texas because the single, solitary store that sells it in Toronto charges 4x the price I pay in Houston.
¹¹ I am secretly a 75 year-old woman.
¹²  The name of my first pet and the street on which I grew up, yo.
¹³ Does anyone else find the irony in the fact that my lucky number is also the 13th footnote?! I swear I did not plan that!

Your esteemed bloggers here at LL2 took this morning off from their rigorous blogging schedule to drive to Richmond, so we could be admitted to the Virginia Bar. Today has now been the third time for someone to inform us that, “Today you are finally a lawyer!”, the previous two occasions being when we graduated from law school and when we passed the bar. At any rate, I am pretty sure that by whatever measure you’re going by, there is now no question that we are officially 100% actual real live little baby lawyers.*

-Michael & Susan

*Unless, of course, someone asks if we are lawyers in DC, in which case we are required by law to inform them that we are not in fact lawyers.

We all know the importance of keeping a positive attitude, especially at this time of the year. But some days it’s hard to find the energy to “crank it up.” Here are a few suggestions you might want to try when your attitude needs a little boost. You’ll be surprised at the big difference a little change can make.

• Encourage and compliment someone who is not expecting it.
• Say something positive as early as possible tomorrow morning.
• Smile when you answer the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
• Improve your attitude by improving your posture.
• Arrive five minutes early for appointments.
• The next time you’re tempted to say, “It’ll never work,” say instead, “Who knows? It just might”

With that, brothers and sisters, I must say goodbye. Make sure that you improve. Accept my encouragement. Share the same attitude and live in peace. The God of love and peace will be with you. ~ 2 Corinthians 13:11 (God’s Word translation 1995)