Play a game and feed the hungry!

Play a game and feed the hungry...those 2 things don't usually make any sense together. But today they do, check out this site!

http://www.freerice.com

It's a word game where you pick the synonym of words. For every right word you pick the sponsors will donate 10 grains of rice to help fight world hunger. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's an addictive little game, and rather quickly those grains add up...

FreeRice began on October 7, 2007 with only 830 grains of rice donated.... but as of October 27, 2007----330,228,600 grains have been donated.

Really, it's a brilliant marketing ploy...you see ads at the bottom for participating sponsors. But at the same time it works to make people a bit more conscious about world hunger and the companies that are committed to help solve the problem, I have to give them kudos for that.

So go on...play...you know you want to. It's educational, helps you build your vocabulary to see how many obscure words you know and at the same time you can earn rice to help fight world hunger!

Good, but not good enough...

Today the Georgia Supreme Court did what it should have done a LONG time ago...dismissed the 10 year sentence Genarlow Wilson was serving for having CONSENSUAL oral sex with a 15 yr old girl when he was 17 yrs old, at a party. He's been in jail for over 2 years because he (rightfully) refused a plea bargin that would have greatly reduced his sentence, because he maintained that he had done nothing wrong and was not going to admit guilt for a crime he did not commit.

The crime? He was charged with "aggrevated child molestation". Why? Because they were having oral sex and so the fact that she consented was not relevent in court... although it would have been if they had been having intercourse. Under that sentence he is considered a sex offender and upon parole would not have even been able to go home and live with his family due to the fact that he has a much younger sister, and being in contact with her would violate his parole.

I do not have words to say how incredibly disgusted I am over this case. I've been following the progression of this for a long time now. It's great that the charges were dismissed today, but no amount of apologies or justice NOW can possibly right the wrong that has been done to this young man. Nothing can give back the years spent in prison serving out a sentence for an act that should not be a crime. Nothing can take away the effects it will have on the rest of his life.

When will we as a nation learn that we cannot legislate what is and is not an acceptable sex act between consenting people? It's as if we are moving backwards instead of forwards.... Making consensual sex a crime, teaching abstinence only sex ed in schools, trying to personal impose religious beliefs as national law. We are supposed to be the greatest country on earth, and yet we are still so far behind where we should be.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/us/26cnd-georgia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_v._State_of_Georgia

Maxi-Pad Letter---this made me laugh so hard my stomach hurts!

I don't know if this is an actual letter someone sent or not. But it was posted on another list I'm on and it made me laugh so hard I just had to share it with all the women I know!

-Tiara

************ ********* ********* ********* *********
This is (supposedly) an actual letter sent to Proctor and Gamble
regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the
first paragraph...

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your "Always" maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the Leak Guard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts.

But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from "the curse"? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my "time of the month" is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call "an inbred hillbilly with knife skills."

Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from "Aunt Flo". Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior.

You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter.

Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: "Have a Happy Period."

Are you fu*ing kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James?

FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything "happy" about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like "Put down the Hammer" or "Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong", or are you just picking on us?

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bull sh*t. And that's a promise I will keep. Always.

Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin, TX

The love that will finally speak its name

This article was posted on a list I belong to. I read it and cried I was so touched. I thought I would share it with everyone else.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20427661/site/newsweek/

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1837112.php

Can you imagine, living with the one you love for 44 YEARS and not being able to be out in the open about it? Pretending to be roommates so you won't get fired from your job, shunned by your family, ostracised in your community...or even tortured and killed? What a burden that must be. And yet, it's a burden that many have carried and continue to carry this very day, all over the world.

Women and Porn

Ask a woman what she thinks about porn, and in my experience she will happily tell you....and it's not normally the most favorable opinion either. Why? Because, most feel it's degrading, objectifies women, and gives men a messed up view of sex. And they are right, there is porn that does that. But, many women also tell me that honestly porn just doesn't turn them on that much because the subject matter doesn't appeal to them. Doesn't get their motor running...so to speak.

Well, that's all about to change! I have found porn for women! That's right ladies, here it is, something that'll really stoke your fire! Check it out:

http://www.allowe.com/Humor/femalePorn.htm

I know it's made me all hot and bothered... *wink*

P.S. Thanks Janet for the hot link...*smooches*

Hey guys...remember this stuff??

This made me laugh so had I had to repost it! Thanks Bree!!!!

Age: 25

1. Did you listen to New Kids on the Block? Had the cassettes, sheets, blanket, video (that I memorised all their coreography from) and ALL the "action figures" several of which James cut to pieces one day when he was mad at me and made his GI Joe send to my Barbies in pieces...it was traumatic...NEVER play Barbies with him!!!

2. Did you ever own a slap bracelet? OMG yes and would slap then on and off 'til my Mom threatened to take them away...

3. The Babysitter's Club or Sweet Valley High? Babysitters Club!!! I had boxes of them...Those books were SO much better than Sweet Valley Crap!

4. Salute Your Shorts or Hey Dude? LOL! "Camp Anawanna, we hold you in our hearts, and when we think about you, it makes me wanna fart!!" (But honestly, I watched "Hey Dude" too...)

5. Kids Incorporated or The Mickey Mouse Club? "Kids Incorporated... K-I-D-S YES!"

6. Did you want Dylan to end up w/ Brenda or Kelly? My Mom wouldn't let me watch that show...but later on I saw enough of it to decide Brenda!

7. Remember ALF? Yes...and my Mom's dog Koa looks like his brother I swear!

8. Do you remember the show Dinosaurs? Remember the "I'm the Baby, Gotta Love Me..." music video? LOL

9. Do/did you know the words to the Fresh Prince them song? I know every word to it...ask me and I'll recite it...it's odd how those things get stuck in your head...

10. Kimmie Gibler or Urkel? "I've fallen and I can't get up!!"

11. Blossom or Clarissa Explains It All? Blossom....cause OMG her brother was so hot!!

12. Did you have a crush on JTT? Uh...yeah, but not as much as ROSEMAY did!!

13. Bobby Brown or Tevin Campbell? Neither... I was more of a "Kris Kross will make ya Jump Jump!!"...and remember Shai? "Lay down and tell me what's on your mind..." OMG I LOVED that song...

14. Step By Step or Full House? Full House...I mean come on, John Stamos? Need I say more?

15. Did you listen to Milli Vanilli? I did... Did you know that one of the duo actually COULD sing...very well in fact, and commited suicide a while back? So sad...

16. Mr. Rogers or Reading Rainbow? "Take a look, it's in a book, a Reading Rainbow!!" I loved that show...

17. Did you own a Glo Worm? I could swear I did....

18. Paula Abdul: better now or then? Then... I had all her CDs!

19. Wild 'n' Crazy Kids or Double Dare? Double Dare!

20. Remember Legends of the Hidden Temple? Yup... I always got mad when they messed up what they were supposed to be doing...LOL

21. The Mighty Ducks or The Little Giants? Ducks ducks ducks!!

22. Did you watch Saved By The Bell? All the way through "The College Years" I was a hardcore fan...and obviously a TV junkie back then!

23. Who was hotter: Zack or Slater / Kelly or Jessie? Zack was funny...Slater was sexy..and I always felt bad for Screech... Kelly was hotter...but so was Lisa....Jessie got on my nerves!

24. Camp Nowhere or House Arrest? Meh, didn't think either one was great... I was too busy watching "Encino Man" and "Biodome"!

25. Did you own a pair of Reebok Pumps? Nope...too busy with hi tops and Jellys...

26. Carebears or Smurfs? Carebears!!! I loved them...even had stuffed ones...

27. Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake? Strawberry Shortcake!

28. Did you watch Miami Vice? Nope...

29. Did you own a pair of Jelly Shoes? Yup, see above...LOL

30. Did you own a Trapper Keeper? Yes, begged my Mom for a new one every school year...then got those paint pens and drew on the cover of it...*grin*

31. Atari or Nintendo? Mario Bros and Duck Hunt...it took my parents FOREVER to let us have an Nintendo...

Jerry Falwell

As most of you know Jerry Falwell passed away last week. I felt like I should write a blog about the legacy he left behind...but I recently read this little compilation of a few of his quotes and thought they spoke louder than any words I could write... So check it out...

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/morford/

364 days....

364 days....'til I have to leave New Zealand...*grin*

It appears that Chris' call did some good because 3 hours later they approved my application...LOL I guess someone put in a call to the caseworker and said we were throwing a fit. It just makes me even more sure there was something going on there...

So this is AWESOME news!! Once my passport comes back from my name change we'll be able to start processing Chris' paperwork to come to the US!!! YAY!!!! *does a happy dance*

29 days....

This morning Chris called Immigration Services as soon as they opened to find out WTF they were doing because their actions don't jive with the procedures in their operations manual.....

The guy on the phone tried to give us some song and dance about how there's a cue (yup, improper usage, but I can't remember how to spell the right one) and my application has been it that for a while and so March 28th was the day they got it, not the day it started processing. April 18th is when it was assigned a case worker and started processing and May 2nd is when they sent off the medical check to be reviewed. No matter what we tried to tell the guy on the phone he kept insisting that was what happened and nothing odd is going on. He also said we have nothing to worry about because they wouldn't kick me out of the country anyways...if I have an application processing which they received in plenty of time and it's not been decided on by the time my permit expires I'll be fine and don't have to leave... I can wait 'til they've made a decision.

Interesting story....but it's SUCH bull shit! Why do I say that? Because...my case had a caseworker weeks ago and it wasn't the person he named had it this morning. How do we know that if they don't automatically tell you? Because Chris and I were having this debate weeks ago about when to send off my passport to have the name changed on it. I thought we needed to wait 'til after they appoved my permit extension because I expected to have to undergo more tests (like the doc that did my medical check expected) and I'd need my passport for identification...also I didn't think it would be good to change passport numbers on them in case they tried to verify my passport and it came up invalid. But Chris thought as long as we let them know of the change it would be fine. So we called Immigration NZ to ask about it and the woman we talked to said there would be no problem sending it off (since it would be back within 2 weeks) and that when we got it back to just send a fax to our caseworker stating the change in my name and passport number....so she gave us the fax number and the name of the caseworker processing my case, along with exactly what to say in the fax. That was around mid-April (although I can't remember the exact date) and I swear it was before the 18th of April.... The caseworker they claim has it now was not the same one that had it then....

So why the change? They won't admit there was a change... And why is it when we called weeks back when we were trying to figure out which permit to apply for that the woman on the phone commented on the fact that we had to allow adequete time for processing since I had a limited amount of time until my permit expired and I wouldn't be allowed to remain in the country while they made a decision on it? So we chose the faster process (applying for an extension) in hopes it would process in time? And why do they state that very thing repeatedly on their website, but yet tell us something completely contradictory on the phone this morning?

I know, I know, maybe it's my imagination working overtime, but I don't think so... There are just too many things that don't line up...too much that they're refusing to comment on or acknowledge.. The guy on the phone told us that he expected to hear a decision on my case in the next week, so to call back this time next week to find out what the status of my case is.

And then there's the matter of am email I got at 11:30 this morning from Immigration NZ (3 hours after calling them) notifying me I've had a change of status... I'm not logging on to their website to check exactly WHAT that is until Chris gets home....to keep me from calling and yelling at them if it's more BS...LOL

The guy on the phone this morning started sounding exasperated according to Chris who was being the middle person between the guy and me... He'd tell Chris something and Chris would say "Okay, one moment while I pass that on to my wife..." and then say whatever the guy said... Guess he got tired of having messages passed back and forth...but oh, he doesn't realise the good deed Chris was doing for him by being in the middle...because you all know how I get when I'm mad, it's justified, and I'm well versed in my facts on the matter... Like I said... Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Tiara!

30 days...

30 days....

That's how long I have left on my visa here....

48 days....

That's how long Immigration New Zealand has been processing my extension....the one that will allow me to legally remain in this country through the end of the year.

I've been through this process before to stay here past September of last year...it took them around 2 weeks to approve my extension then.

So why the long wait now? Because this time I had to have a medical check done as well...and there were some issues that came up, so we expected for them to have to send off the medical check for yet another independent review before requesting me to undergo more tests. Such a process would have taken around 4 weeks (according to their website) in addition to the average processing time for a visa extension.

So why is it that I haven't heard a thing after 7 weeks? And why is it that when I logged onto my account with Immigration Services in the hopes that I could find something out, that I find that my processing dates have been changed? I was notified on the 28th of March that they had received my application and it was processing....and my account always reflected that. But now it says they didn't receive it until the 18th of April??? The same date they said they received my medical check....even though they actually received it along with my other paperwork on March 28th! And now the date of receiving my medical check (which they claimed was the 18th of April) their site now says was received May 2nd!! May fucking 2nd? What the FUCK is going on??

I want to know who the fuck is changing the dates...and why. Is it to make it look like I didn't send my application in with enough time for processing?? Is it so that when we call to register a complaint they can say it's our fault and they are just doing their job within the estimated time they already state? Is someone fixing the books to look good, or covering their ass because they didn't send off my medical check for an additional review when they were supposed to??? Why haven't I received any email telling me someone fucked with all the dates?? They're sitting in their fucking little office with a stack of files that represent peoples LIVES! You know, I might be some little name on their list, but to me this means being forced to be apart from Chris...we've been married for less than 5 months!

I don't know what to do... I can't call and talk to the person who's reviewing my case...and they won't grant an emergency extension just to allow me to stay in the country 'til they approve or deny my application.... And now they've fucked with the dates it's been processing for???? I'd expect something like this from the US government...and I'd have the right to go sit at their offices and make a pain in the ass of myself...and I could write and call my congressman and senator...but here? I can't do anything here.... My hands are tied....

30 days....and counting....

Shift Happens

Hey, thought this was interesting... Check it out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWTLA8WecI

This video was done by Karl Fisch: http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html

He lists his sources at: http://www.lps.k12.co.us/schools/arapahoe/fisch/didyouknow/sourcesfordidyouknow.pdf