Just follow your Apple?

Pope's speech cut short

Pope Benedict XVI had to cut short a speech asserting the primacy of heterosexual marriage as a severe thunderstorm hit Madrid Saturday night, Agence France-Presse reports.

Pope Benedict XVI warned in a speech to more than one million pilgrims in Madrid that marriage is between a man and a woman and cannot be dissolved.

The 84-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church had to cut short the speech when powerful winds and sheets of rain struck at a vast air base, whipping off his skullcap, shaking the stage and knocking over at least one tent.

Though he was unable to complete the homily, Vatican officials said Sunday that the content of his entire speech the previous evening was still valid and could be published.

Read the full article at ABS-CBN News

Kind of reminds me of this absurd video by the National Organization for Marriage:



But like any other antigay videos out there, there's always one made in response:

Show me, don't tell me...

Don’t speak to me about your religion; first show it to me in how you treat other people. Don't tell me how much you love your god; show me in how much you love all his children. Don't preach to me your passion for your faith; teach me through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as I am in how you choose to live and give.

~ Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ

Talk about a Weeaboo...

While taking language lessons, she struggled to pronounce certain sounds in Korean. It was blamed on Rhiannon, of Beeston, Notts, having a slightly shorter than average tongue, caused by an unusually thick lingual frenulum – the flap of skin that joins the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Her parents agreed to her having a lingual frenectomy, a 15–minute operation under local anaesthetic that involved an incision in the flap of skin. "I'd been learning Korean for about two years, and my speaking level was high, but I was really struggling with particular sounds," she said.
"It became apparent after a little while that I was having trouble with the Korean letter 'L', which is very frequent and comes from a slightly higher place in the mouth than the English 'L', and that my tongue was too short."

Read the full article at The Telegraph.

Concert Update as of 8/20/11

2011 Concert Log...

Lady Gaga, March 1st: Check



Celtic Woman, April 8th: Check

My Chemical Romance, April 16th: Check


Adele, May 23rd: Check


Britney Spears: August 17th:


Katy Perry, September 11th:

I love Sriracha

Think about this...

Truth...really.

Bisexual? Or really just gay?

You like, they give $$$

Hey all!

If 100,000 people like their page by September 1st, they will personally donate $10,000 to the NOH8 campaign to help combat marriage inequality. No money involved! YOU JUST HAVE TO CLICK THE LIKE BUTTON!!!



Click here to read the full bio on the Montgomery-Duban family.

Young Boy Meets Gay Couple

The next generation? by satellithias

Watch how this little boy reacts to meeting a gay couple for the first time. It's so cute!!!

It makes me think that if you get exposed to it younger and earlier in life, you'll be less ignorant and more acceptable of same-sex couples. This video also gives me hope for the future. Since more and more couples are being granted the right to get married, get a partnership or civil union, the younger population will begin to see that there are more than just the everyday heterosexual couples you see. There are different types of relationships out there. Same-sex couples are just like any other couple.

"So...that means you love each other???" Yes. Just like any other committed couple :)

Updated Concert Log

2011 Concert Log...

Lady Gaga, March 1st: Check



Celtic Woman, April 8th: Check

My Chemical Romance, April 16th: Check


Adele, May 23rd: Check


Britney Spears: August 17th:
Katy Perry, September 11th:

Oops! I did it again...

Yes...I caved and bought a Britney Spears ticket. I'll be seeing her "live" at Van Andel on 8/17. I'm so excited!!!



With special guest: DJ PAULY D! (From MTV's Jersey Shore)

New FCKH8 Shirt I want

When I go to sleep...

2011 Concert Log...

Lady Gaga, March 1st: Check
Celtic Woman, April 8th: Check
My Chemical Romance, April 16th: Check
Adele, May 23rd:
Katy Perry, September 11th:

Victor Kim of Quest Crew and Yuri Tag of Kaba Modern

:D

WongFu Productions + Harry Shum Jr. ?!?!?!?!

Hair - Lady Gaga

Another amazing track off of her new album, Born This Way. I'm so excited to hear the rest of her album. Every single one she's released has been good so far...

Just A Kiss by Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum continue to break records and set the bar high for country music this week, as their latest single, ‘Just a Kiss,’ makes chart history. ‘Just a Kiss,’ the first single off Lady A’s forthcoming third studio album, debuts this week at No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, marking the highest debut for a country group in the chart’s 52-year history.

Read more at Taste of Country

Molly Wei Gets a Plead Deal

Molly Wei's attorney continues to insist that she's "not a bully," and simply a bystander in what happened. She can go on believing that all she wants. As I've said before, Dharun Ravi and Molly pretty much failed at being decent human beings the very moment they hatched their cruel idea.
-- Angry Asian Man

Visit Angry Asian Man to read the full story.

My Student Spotlight Profile for GVSU

Class Year: 2011

Hometown:
Waterford, Michigan, United States

Major: French

Why did you choose to attend Grand Valley?
I chose Grand Valley because I felt it was what I was looking for. It is a liberal arts college that seems to really promote diversity and really care about student education. And I like that the ratio of professor to student is not a lot, but not too little, like it was for me in high school.

What do you like best about Grand Valley?
The resources that they offer to students for developing student leadership. I really like that they have so many ways of promoting student leadership, such as student organizations and leadership summits. Professors encourage you to go to events.

How have you benefited from Grand Valley's liberal arts foundation?
I get exposed to different studies and different perspectives. Not only do I learn from the professors, but I learn from the students within my class as well. We are all from different places, from around Michigan, the country, and even the world. So to bring those different perspectives into a class that doesn't pertain to my major has definitely benefited me.

How will Grand Valley meet your future goals?
The networks that I have made here and the administrators have really encouraged me to do what I want to do and helped me find what I want to do. They have prepared me and given me the tools, shown me the way to get to where I want to be.

How has Grand Valley's faculty made a difference in your college experience?
Since the French program is relatively small, classes get smaller as the level of classes gets higher, so the professors build a great relationship with you. They prefer you meet in their office and not talk through email, which is great because then you get to practice speaking French and develop a one on one relationship. They really care about promoting activities outside of the classroom.

What advice would you give to prospective students?
Get involved on campus. That is the number one piece of advice I would give to students. You can learn as much as you want in class, spend as much time learning and studying in class as you want, but I think to really learn about different kinds of people and become a more informed, open, accepting citizen of this country, I think getting involved on campus is what exposes you to different people. It teaches you how to manage, to take the first steps out, to be that engaging person. And the people that you meet through student organizations, many of them will be your friends forever.

Click HERE to view the spotlight on GVSU's website.

Foods To Soothe Allergy Symptoms

From the Hufftington Post:

Eat:

1. Pineapples
2. Berries
3. Legumes
5. Nuts
6. Cherries

Avoid eating:

1. Processed foods like chips.
2. Some fruits: apples, apricots, cantaloupe or bananas

Read the full article HERE

Arms - Christina Perri

I hope that you catch me 'cause I'm already falling...

Governor signs Arizona-style immigration bill into law

Governor signs Arizona-style immigration bill into law

courtesy of Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com

Starting July 1 under Georgia’s House Bill 87, police will be empowered to investigate the immigration status of certain suspects. The measure -- which is partly patterned after Arizona's law -- also sets new hiring requirements for employers and penalizes people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants here.
...
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, ignoring months of protest from his state’s business, faith and immigrant communities, signed HB 87, an immigration enforcement bill modeled on Arizona’s SB 1070 that passed the state legislature last month.
...
“We have a right to remain in this state where we have lived, worked, and studied, for some of us, nearly all of our lives,” said Georgina Perez, an undocumented student and a member of the Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance. “We will not obey a law that is unjust, that is meant to drive out our families and criminalize our community.”
...

Read the full story at Color Lines or AJC

The Edge of Glory

Great song. Will she ever make a track that isn't?

Fabulousness...

LADY GAGA FOR V71 THE ASIAN ISSUE from V Magazine on Vimeo.

Go, J. Crew!

Graduated...

I'm back.

My last post was on January 31.

Wow...

I went on another hiatus and I didn't even know about it. This semester was rough. Very rough. I had my capstone class, which kicked my behind. Wow. I've never worked so hard on a French class before. I mean, I could have done so much better and contributed so much more to the class, but it was tough! I can definitely say that I am officially burnt out. I've never been this burnt out before. I think when I acknowledge the fact that I've been in school for 18 years of my life, I have the power to say that I am burnt out. Well, I feel like those who go straight through graduate even further education have more reason to be than I am, but I do feel it.
Now, 18 years of school. Say what? Really. Yes, 18 years. I've grown so much. I remember when I was in Kindergarten and I could BARELY speak ANY English. It was difficult communicating with the people around me, even my own teacher. Now, here I am, a college graduate with a bachelor's degree. Well I just want to say: "I did it!!!" This for you guys, mom and dad <3

Cool!!!

You know, I would run so much more often if this were possible. What a much cheaper electricity bill I would have to pay...



Click here to read the article.

My Apple products so far...

So as of January 2011, I own a 5th generation 60 GB iPod, a 2007 15-inch Macbook Pro, a 2nd generation 2GB iPod shuffle, and just recently bought a 1st generation 64 GB iPad with Wi-Fi.

I want more!!!

I'd like to buy a new bag in order to carry my stuff. A messenger bag with a laptop AND iPad pocket.

I wanted this bag, however, for some reason, it doesn't seal shut. It looks like it, but there are no buttons or locks to seal it. What a bummer! Such a stylish bag and it fails to even do the most simplest function of a bag??? Oh Kenneth...who designed this bag?


So I'm in the search for one...let me know if anyone finds one.

"Other Asian" T-shirt

I want this...like now. I love Harry Shum Jr.

R.I.P. General Vang Pao

"He was a larger-than-life figure for this community," Fresno City Council member Blong Xiong said. "It will take time to mourn this tragic news."

...a friend and veterans advocate in Fresno, said Gen. Vang was suffering from pneumonia and an ongoing heart problem. He also had battled diabetes and had developed cataracts in the past few years.

Vang Pao is revered by many as a father figure and leader who helped bring and settle the Hmong community into American life.

Click here to read the full story from the Fresno Bee

Hot 100 Songs of 2010

Billboard.com compiled a list of the hottest 100 songs of 2010. Here are the top 10 songs of 2010:

1. Tik Tok - Ke$ha
-- what? how? why? --
2. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
-- SO IN LOVE WITH THIS SONG!!! --
3. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
-- Very catchy and has a nice melody. Got tired of it after awhile. --
4. California Gurls - Katy Perry
-- Catchy, but VERY annoying --
5. O.M.G. - Usher ft. will.i.am
-- This be one of my clubbin' songs! --
6. Airplanes - B.o.B. ft. Haley Williams
-- Overplayed like whoa --
7. Love The Way You Lie - Eminem ft. Rihanna
-- Probably ONE of the ONLY songs I will ever like from Eminem. It's only Rihanna's part that I really like anyway. --
8. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
-- This song should be #1. Just sayin'...enough said. --
9. Dyanmite - Taio Cruz
10. Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris
-- #9 and #10 should not be in the top 10.

Click here to see the full list.

Snow!

Okay...I see you've made a come back, but you should leave again very soon.

Warrior Dash

O.
M.
G.

Looks like so much fun!

Warrior Dash
Mt. Morris, MI
July 30, 2011
3.3 Miles
Including:
*Junkyard Jump*
*Warrior Wall*
*Deadweight Drifter*
*Chaotic Crossover*
*Arachnophobia*
*Slithering Swamp*
*Walk The Plank*
*Cargo Climb*
*Warrior Roast*
*Muddy Mayhem*

"Future" Plans

You know...

Life really hates it when you make plans. Just when I thought I had everything right, Life just ripped mine up in my face, handed me another blank sheet of paper titled, "Future," and said to me, "I'm sorry. Please try again."

The teaching assistantship in France was my Plan A. Grad school was going to be my Plan A for the following year. I should have made it my Plan B. I had extreme, high hopes of going to France. However, I did not foresee the family obstacles that I would be faced with this year. That's why I will no longer be going to France. *Sigh*...

As far as grad school goes, I'll have to wait until this fall to apply for entry into fall semester of 2012's cohort. If I really wanted to, I could have sent in a not-so-great application to two schools. But, I'd much rather send in a well-done, well-prepared, STRONG application.

Now that grad school isn't happening, I'm stuck at a fork in the road of life.
A. Find a job. Work a big boy job for a year. Pay off loans. Apply for grad school.
B. Stay in school. Work a student job. Accumulate more loans. Finish a minor. Apply for grad school.
I'd much, much rather do Option A. It's just that big boy job part that will be a bit difficult.

You know, I think it is in these times of adversity that we really discover who we are. We draw on our strengths to know how to decide what is best for us at this time. In doing so, we remind ourselves of who we really are and move forward in life. I'm at that point right now.

In some ways, I feel as though I've screwed up. But, no one's perfect. We all make mistakes. I need to keep reminding myself that...

Looking Forward to 2011

LIVING IT UP WITH MY BFF!!!

LADY GAGA'S MONSTER BALL!!!

Revisiting U of I!!!

Seeing Celtic Woman for the 5th time!!!

Watching my baby sister grow up <3

Best Memories of 2010

Turning 21!

Meeting Linh and becoming closer friends <3

Meeting and working with Leezel Ramos

Interning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Chicago Pride

Summer Leadership Institute

My HASA organization

My new baby sister, Evaley

Halloween Party!!!

A Hmong Xmas party

First credit card!!!