The winds are really gusty tonight. I'm sitting here in my room, trying to read a book, but constantly interrupted by the forceful clattering of my windows. I hope my windows are sturdy enough to withstand the force. Someone please check on me tomorrow. Should the windows shatter and stab me to death, I wouldn't want to die unnoticed.

Beside the winds, the weather has also suddenly shifted cooler today. Much cooler. Is So Cal having cooler weather like we have here? If so, I hope it's helping with the firefighting efforts, although I don't see how strong winds can help. Too many lives and properties have already been lost to the fires. I wonder how the arsonists are living with themselves now. Knowing all the devastation they had caused, hope guilt eats them alive.

Wow, all these warm October days we're suddenly having. What a treat. Been taking advantage of it cuz I know these don't last too long in SF. But a couple of my coworkers, as superstitious as they are, aren't enjoying this weather as much as I am. It's not because they find the heat uncomfortable. Rather, they believe that these odd warm days coming so late in the year must signal a looming earthquake. Don't know where they got that notion. Don't know how scientifically correct it is. But what can you do? If it hits, it hits.

Red's account of the Southern California fires reminds me of the Oakland Hills fire in 1991. I remember one warm October day (not unlike today) in 1991. I was hanging out with my brothers in front of our old house in the southwestern side of SF. The air was filled with this charred smell, as if someone was barbequing next to us. There were also flakes and flakes of ashes floating around in the air. Sure enough, the ashes and burning smell came from the fires on the Oakland Hills. I was so awed by that. I knew from the news that the fire was big. But what's "big"? I had no concept of what "big" was until I saw the ashes floating on top of my head, a good 15 miles away from the source.

Change of subject.

I just bought an MP3 player so that I can listen to music while I work out at the gym. At first I was aiming to spend about $100 on it. But of course, after browsing at all the available models, I bought one for almost $200 cuz this particular model offers "so much more". So now I either have to go to the gym twice as much or work out twice as hard to justify this beefed up purchase. Yeah right. Ok, you guys can stop rolling your eyes now.

Yes, very well said Red. Totally sums up the matter of it all for us women in this regard.

Red, very well-said -- " Abortion is something most women want to avoid, it is a road no one wants to travel. It's not an easy road, but it should still be a road. "

Based on the crimes I see in the news lately, I think that maybe a lot of women should have gone through this road because society is now suffering from the children whom they brought to life but did not bother to teach.

Wait.. I thought performing abortion in the third trimester was ALREADY illegal? Now it's moved to the second trimester? I guess it doesn't take a psychic to know that pretty soon it will be illegal to perform abortion in even the FIRST trimester. What's next? Contraceptions soon to be illegal in the US as prescribed by Pope JP the 2nd?

I often wonder if it were men (who make and pass our laws) who carried babies, would pro-choice be written into the law as well? It's quite easy for people to tell others what they SHOULD do with their body, but it's a totally different story when you are the one being told what you must do w/ your body. In the ideal world, people will want to keep their babies, and provide them w/ lotsa love and hugs and kisses. But, we don't live in this ideal world. No one goes around chanting pro-death, pro-death. No one wants to be a baby killer. Abortion is something most women want to avoid, it is a road no one wants to travel. It's not an easy road, but it should still be a road.

It would be very sad to see abortion being banned altogether. It's totally possible since it seems to be headed that direction. I guess women could always rely on back alley abortion clinics, or just use clothes hangers, and just kill themselves. That's what will happen. Both the baby and the mom will be aborted. That's just dandy.

Sorry, Googi. Have not caught up with the reading on this issue -- so better keep my thoughts to myself until I know enough. I just feel like we're moving backwards.

Bush to Sign Partial Birth Abortion Bill

What do you guys think about this bill? I'm not a political person. Politics confuses me. I'm not totally clear about this bill either. But if I understand it correctly, I have a few thoughts to share.

The bill aims to ban "a type of abortion, generally carried out in the second or third trimester, in which a fetus is partially delivered before being killed." Even though I'm not a political person, I've always been Pro-Choice. A woman should have the right to decide if she is capable and suitable to have a baby. If she were indeed incapable and/or unsuitable but is forced to have the baby due to anti-abortion laws, the baby would just suffer later. However, I believe if the mother is entitled this right to decide the future of her life as well as that of her fetus', she should return the favor by having the decency to decide earlier in the pregnancy rather than later. The longer she waits to decide, the more the fetus will grow, take shape, and start living. It becomes increasingly unfair to the fetus to endure a "rejection" the more time it was given the chance to develop in the womb. Having said this, I'm leaning towards supporting this bill even though my stance remains Pro-Choice.

But of course there's the issue of protecting the mother if carrying on the pregnancy further would endanger her life. The bill addresses this issue. It provides "an exception when the life of the mother was in danger". But a fault was found in that "there were no protections for a woman's health". This is where I'm confused. What type of "woman's health" are they talking about? Until this confusion is cleared in my understanding of the issue, I cannot fully say I support this bill. That's why I said at first that I'm "leaning towards" supporting the bill rather than a full-blown "I support it".

Anyone have any insights to share? Particularly anyone care to explain to me what "woman's health" they are referring to?

A moment to remember Elliott Smith, a talented singer/song writer who lost his battle with drugs. Those who don't know who he is, listen to "Miss Misery" from the "Good Will Hunting" soundtrack.

6 kids to 1 Googi? That's a pretty harsh ratio. Don't know if I can handle 6 kids all at once. I have 4 nieces and nephews and that's already a chore. Well, I'll keep this idea in the back burner Redpanther. But in the meantime, if any of you married people want to start multiplying, I offer to take your little bundles of joy off your hands once in awhile when need be. Especially since some of these bundles of joy may be my god sons/daughters right Wanwanha?

How sweet! My coworker, one of the handful I supervise, gave me a gift and chocolate for National Boss Day. Jeez, I'm not even his boss.

One of my tires suddenly went flat this morning. Totally out. Don't know how this came about. Now the car is in the shop to change all four tires since its about time for new tires anyway. No point in patching up one now and then changing it again real soon. So...I woke up $400 lighter.

But I'm not gonna let this get to me. Wanna learn to relax and not let things get to my mood so easily. Wanna try to think more on the brighter side of things. For example, I don't know what happened to the tire. One theory is I may have ran over a nail or something lastnight. Thinking on the darker side would be: Damn, $400 down the drain! Why were there nails on the road?! Why me?! Thinking on the brighter side: Wow, what if the tire had popped on me lastnight when I was driving on the freeway at 70-80 miles per hour. The result may have been deadly. Fortunately that didn't happen. I was safe and sound and sleeping peacefully on my bed while the car was parked outside and the air in the tire slowly let out through the night. And now I'm alive and well blogging about it. Yes, this is a better way to think.

Now what if tomorrow I won't wake up $400 lighter but 4lbs lighter? That would be awesome!!!

That poor Chicago Cubs fan is taking all the blame for the Cubs' loss to the Florida Marlins in Game 6 of the NLCS. His reactionary lunge to catch a foul ball prevented a Cubs outfielder from catching it, thus allowing the Marlins to rally towards winning the game. Now that the Marlins have also won Game 7 and beat the Cubs to the World Series, the blame is coming down even harder. He is now the talk of town. His story is on media headlines nationwide. Late show comedians are using him as butts of their jokes. Web polls are logging thousands of blames towards him. Some people say he's selfish for not caring about the consequences of his action. His governor calls him stupid. Another governor considers offering asylum to him. A resort in Florida is offering him a free 3-month stay if he feels the need to get away from Chicago.

People give him a break! The poor guy already issued an official, and quite heart-felt, apology to the world.

"There are few words to describe how awful I feel and what I have experienced within these last 24 hours. I've been a Cub fan all my life and fully understand the relationship between my actions and the outcome of the game. I had my eyes glued on the approaching ball the entire time and was so caught up in the moment that I did not even see Moises Alou, much less that he may have had a play. Had I thought for one second that the ball was playable or had I seen Alou approaching I would have done whatever I could to get out of the way and give Alou a chance to make the catch.

To Moises Alou, the Chicago Cubs organization, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, and
Cub fans everywhere I am so truly sorry from the bottom of this Cubs fan's broken heart.

I ask that Cub fans everywhere redirect the negative energy that has been vented towards my family, my friends, and myself into the usual positive support for our beloved team on their way to being National League champs.''

Let it go people. Time to move on.

China's space mission was successful. Space capsule Shenzhou 5, carrying 38-year-old astronaut Lt. Col. Yang Liwei, orbited the Earth 14 times in 21 hours on October 15th, 2003. Although the mission didn't accomplish anything "cosmically significant", it proved that China is able to safely take a human to space and back. This mission officially puts China in record books as the 3rd country to ever do so. This is indeed a milestone for the most populated nation of this planet.

Populated it sure is. And I'm sure by smart people too. This mission can attest to that. But if only these people can have more human rights, their accomplishments can go even farther.

See ya WTW. Fly safe.

Speaking of flying safe, the Chinese are ready to go up to space. Big venture for them. Hope they have their act together.

What is Yom Kippur?? My nieces and nephews got today off from school (elementary) because today is "Yom Kippur". We never got that off when we were in school. I swear, school districts nowadays are getting lazier and lazier. They are off for the slightest holidays and I notice more and more "minimum days" where school is in session for only half a day. What's going on here?

One would think that the morale of my department at work would be lowered to some degree as a result of the looming doomsday. But surprisingly, this is not the case. Everyone seems to be going about their days as if they don't know, don't believe, or don't care. But they do know. So could it be that they don't believe it will happen? Are they so optimistic of the situation that they think management would keep us even though letting us go would cut costs? A little naive isn't it? Or could it be that they simply don't care? Are they that indifferent as to whether or not they have this job? Given our low salary level, I don't blame them to be indifferent. But in spite of that, we're still going to have to face the agony of a job search. That must amount to some level of frustration no?

But to be honest, I myself am not concerned of the situation. I've wanted a way out of this dead end job anyway. I just haven't done anything about it.

I joined this company more than 5 years ago. Moved myself up to one of three managerial positions in the SF office. Anymore upward movement would require surmounting the authorities of the other two managers, which in all nature, is impossible. So if the prospect of the closing of my department is taken away, I foresee myself to be stuck in this position for as long as I stay with the company. I'm 28. The thought of doing the same repetitive things for 40 more years until retirement scares me. This thought has actually been with me for a while already. Like I said, I just haven't done anything about it yet. Therefore, the impending doomsday of my department may turn out to be a good thing for me after all. For better or for worse, it could serve as a motivation for me to start looking for a way out...finally.