DRIVING IDIOTS

To add to my LIST OF ANNOYANCES are the idiotic drivers of the century. Yea I know it's usually "of the day" but there always have been idiotic drivers & always will be even when I'm gone, so... take that!!!

It's 6:20am, road is wet from overnight rain, skies still lightly drizzling, and there are idiots EVERYWHERE! I swear for part of the license exam they should have people pass a "rainy day" course. I'll even donate a sprinkler or two to recreate the rain or something...

So as an ode to the driving idiots & cuz I said I would in my previous blog REFLECTIONS ADDENDUM I'm going to list some dos & don'ts when you're on the road, especially with me. Cuz I am not afraid to blow my horn & hold it as long as needed to either wake your ass up or knock some sense into you. Either or, or whatever it is that the horn can do for you to make you a better driver :-)

* DOS & DON'TS*

1. Turn your lights on in the morning. People can't see your black on black car even if they have 21/21 vision. Or you can just get hit. Whatever you choose.

2. Stay in your lane. If you have to merge turn your blinker on. Don't merge all fast, especially without your blinkers cuz people are slow, especially in the morning. And once you turn/merge turn your damn blinkers off! That's another accident hazard. If you have it on for so long people will assume you're an idiot that's not gonna turn. And then you turn.

3. Let people over. Stop being assholes & try to speed up & make it difficult. Or if you're gonna speed up do it completely so they can get behind you.

4. Pay attention! Get off the phone, don't read/text, put on make up... etc. Keep your eyes on the road!

5. Slow down when you see pedestrians. Somehow they think they're invincible & just walk or run infront of your car.

6. If you see an accident & don't have anywhere to go, stick around & be a witness. Some people are liars & will try to blame the other person for their idioticness.

7. Don't drive in the fast lane, i.e. lane next to the HOV lane if you're gonna go under 75. I have places to be & can't get in the HOV cuz I'm riding solo. And since you're apparently not in a rush to get anywhere, get the $&%* outta my way!

8. In an addition to #2. Stay in your damn lane! Yes there's lines for a reason. If you need an alignment then get that shat! But if you're not then you better keep that wheel a little to the left or right to keep your car straight. Cuz I have insurance. Great insurance. Car & medical. So if you hit my car I wouldn't care. Do YOU have insurance?

9. Turn your music down. It's 6 in the morning! I don't care if it's a new banger, I don't wanna hear it right now. And not everyone on the road likes what you like so be respectful & keep it to yourself. I didn't say turn it down, just don't have it filling up the whole intersection is all.

10. Don't stare. Ok. This is a social rule period. I mean, what the F*$% is you looking at?! Did a diamond that I didn't know about fall in my car or something? Do I look like your ex-wife? Do we look like somebody on the wanted pix you saw at the post office or something? I'm usually calmer than Actor, cuz if he catches you staring he'll ask you what you're looking at. lol

So there they are: 10 rules to abide by when you're driving on the road with me, or if you're not sure, anybody that looks like me. There's plenty more but I don't feel like thinking about idiots anymore.

Until next time... Akanke

KEYVIN LYLE

In an addendum to my ORIGIN OF AIDS blog, did you know that it's a felony in Georgia to have sex with someone without disclosing that you have HIV? (I myself did not know that.) It's punishable by up to 10 yrs. in prison. Another reason why you should get tested cuz I don't think they'd care if you knew that you had it or not. You know the law: ignorance is not an excuse, even though some laws are not common or accessible to most citizens.

Police in Athens have arrested Keyvin Lyle, 34, and charged him with felony reckless conduct. The woman, who remains anonymous, apparently had sex with him 3 years ago & got infected. She just recently found out that she had AIDS & investigators traced back in time & established that it was him.

And guess what? He was arrested because police were responding to a domestic violence call & found out that he was wanted. He was also charged with simple battery on a police officer and obstruction of a law enforcement officer because he resisted arrest and tried to punch one of the officers. lol.

Good job buddy. It's sad because he probably didn't know that he had it; or maybe he did & was just being nasty & sleeping with everybody to infect them too. Hey I've heard that that happens alot.

Either way. Shame on him & I hope both of them get treated & not infect any more people.


~ Akanke

MARIE ANTOINETTE

I know I said that I was gonna post the library movies & that I'm extra extra late but hey I've been busy! So here goes the Marie Antoinette one.

A brief history lesson: Marie Antoinette was an archduchess of Austria whom's marriage to Louis XIV of France was arranged to make "peace" between the two countries during the Seven Years War. Antoinette & Louis' marriage, whom were only 15 & 17 yrs. old at the time respectively, was a disaster. He was a strange & standoffish husband & they didn't consummate their marriage for 7 years! (didn't have intercourse.) They became king & queen after his father passed away. She is best known for being flamboyant, free, wild & rebellious & was executed by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution in 1793 for treason.

The movie? Very indifferent for me... There were great things & things that are, well, on the other side of the spectrum. Let's start with the good shall we? The colors were perfectly rich & the costume & set designs were one of the best I've seen in a movie. I mean, the buildings, furniture, food, shoes, dresses... everything. The food, oh my god! Plate after plate, day after day the food were just so beautiful you didn't wanna eat it. Every single one of her dresses were to die for; they were the most gorgeous things you'll ever lay eyes on. And the buildings & furnitures? *shakes head* I told Actor I want our house to look like that. lol. Ok not the whole house cuz then that would be weird but at least one room, ok two. French furniture is THE best. It's exquisite! Basically everything in that movies was insanely & abnormally gorgeous!

Now let's talk about the other side of the spectrum... hehehe... I mean, the soundtrack... *shakes head* the soundtrack... It was not cool man, wasn't cool at all. At one point they had "I Want Candy" playing. Yea... I mean, I get the whole concept of "she was wild & free beyond her time" so you had a modern/rockish soundtrack to something that happened in the 1700s but some things are better left as a concept if you know what I mean. There were some parts that were so quiet & captivating & then loud ass rock music comes in and 1) scares the crap out of you cuz it's so loud for no reason 2) gets annoying after about 5 seconds & you have to move from the comfortable fort that you've made with the futon & blanket to reach for the remote & turn the volume down.

I adjusted the volume about 8 times during the movie. Not a good look. Not a good look at all.

Now usually I won't tell you anything about the movie cuz I want you to see it for yourself, but hey, I just gotta get this off my chest! Stop reading if you wanna watch it.












You're not still reading are you? Click away from the page I tell ya! Click away!















Last chance...



















Ok, whew! Now where were we? Oh yea... The night scenes. Oh my GODDDDD. The 8 million night scenes. Remember how I told you that they didn't have intercourse for 7 years after they got married? Yea... The movie showed just that. Scenes after scenes after scenes after scenes after scenes, well you get the point, after scenes... of them in their PJs saying good night & him turning the other way on his side to go to sleep. And then some more of the same scenes! Goody!

And they showed one undetailed & impersonal scene of them actually sleeping together to conceive the baby. You know the one where it fades out & they don't actually get naked or anything. Not that I'd want to see them naked anyway, they're not that attractive...

The ending... Wow, the ending was just them running away from the mobs of people that were angry at them because they were hungry. See, she had wasted all of the country's money on parties, clothes & shoes, and he had sent the rest of the money to America to support them in the war. Ergo, the people had nothing to eat. Ergo, they wanted their heads. Ergo, they ran away...

I was disappointed because it didn't show her getting beheaded. I mean, when you watch a Marie Antoinette movie you expect her to get beheaded. That's just like expecting Angelina to hook up with her costars. DUHHHHH.

Since I'm already talking about the movie & to ease it up a little because it wasn't THAT bad there were some scenes with substance: 1) Some people hung up a painting of her & her three children & the next scene is them taking it down & putting the same painting but with only 2 children up. Ergo, she lost a baby... 2) The affair she had with the Swedish Count Fersen was hot. He's way cuter than short & stuffy Louis. hehe.

Overall, I'd give this movie a 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. A 5 out of 5 for set & costume design though. If I haven't persuaded you not to cuz that wasn't my intention, you can go watch it & judge for yourself. For me, it wasn't my cup of tea...

Love, Akanke

MARIE ANTOINETTE

Marie: So, I hear you like to make keys as a hobby?
Louis: Yes.
Marie: And do you enjoy making keys?
Louis: Obviously.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME... OR NOT

Somebody tell me why I was the only one that missed the memo that daylight savings time was pushed back to next week?

At one point in the middle of the night between my turning over to the other side Actor asked me if we were changing the time back an hour. Sleepy but still coherent I mutter "Yes. I remember seeing it on my calendar at work." *falls back out*

I went to bed wayyyy past my bed time so I was glad that he said that. "Yay I got an extra hour to sleep" I said to myself in my dream. Yes I can do that. Can't you?

A few hours later I woke up to a beautiful day outside: clear skies, birds chirping, cool yet the sun was shining so warm rays hugged my body as I walked to the car. Somehow traffic was thicker than usual so I called my boss to let him know that I'm running a little late, well left a voicemail anyways, he didn't pick up.

I got to work as everyone was coming out of the morning meeting. My boss came up & said "What happened to you?"
"I was in traffic, I left you a voicemail."
"Yea I got that, but it's 8:20."
"Huh?"
"It's 8:20"
"No way! It's 7:20"
"Um, no. It's not" haha.
I told him how I changed the time back & etc & he just laughed. He said his computer & cell phone changed back too but he remembered that they said it wasn't till next week so he changed it back.

We had a good laugh & went about our day. Did I mention I love my job by the way? Everyone is extra cool, even my bosses. I'm never usually late & hate it when I am but they don't ever care. They're like "Hey Akanke's here!"

Everyone else was already at work too so apparently me & Actor were the only 2 people that missed the memo. Yay. We're special!

The end.

REFLECTIONS ADDENDUM

Ok seriously? This has got to stop! In an addendum to my REFLECTIONS blog are 3 accidents, 3 days in a row, in the same lane, right in front of me.

Wednesday I was driving to work & in the lane right next to the HOV. Halfway to work traffic completely stops. Feeling that it was more than traffic I merge over to the next lane & saw an accident as I drove past. It was only 5 or 6 cars in front of where I was.

Thursday I'm driving to work once again & a little more than halfway there traffic halts once again. Getting quite used to this, I merge over to the next lane & see another accident as I drove past. In the same lane. 5 or 6 cars in front of where I was once again.

Today I was driving to work & was feeling good cuz I was early. I get 3 exits away from my job & traffic completely stops. Ok, this is getting kinda old... We creep 2 miles an hour for about 15 minutes, making me late for work now by the way. I get close enough to see an accident being led to the left.

It's Atlanta so bad traffic is a given, but come on! Everyone go to bed early so you won't be sleepy for the commute in the morning! And pay attention! And stay in your lane! And turn your damn blinkers on! And... man I'm just gonna write a whole 'notha blog about traffic dos & don'ts. Screw this. Everybody gets on my nerves. *Napoleon Dynamite* "GOSHHHH"

But yea, to reiterate, I'm blessed. And I thank you Lord. Please watch over your other children also. They really need it. Thanks. Love you. K bye.

~ Akanke

REFLECTIONS pt.2

Did I mention that we're in a drought? There's outdoor water bans everywhere & people are getting fined left & right for taking care of their lawns or washing their car. Yeah, it's getting really bad; even our governor is fighting with Alabama's governor over the water supply.

I've been hoping for rain for a while now. It's been drizzling the last couple of days but nowhere enough to even compensate for our lack of so much water. I've been cautious of my water use, i.e. turning the faucet off when I brush my teeth & only using the dishwasher when it's full.

I keep thinking about my parent's garden in the backyard. Their beautiful plethora of Vietnamese herbs, spices, persimmon trees, not to mention the flowers, are going to wilter for the lack of water. My mommy love flowers & I hate that they'll all die. Well, I guess it's not as bad now that it's going to be winter soon anyway. blah.

I'm also thinking about the wildfires in Malibu, California. I hate that it happens so often in that state but it's never old or overrated news to me. I'm always hoping that everyone is ok. I heard on the radio that Mel Gibson's & Suzanne Somers' places have gone down under it too. I feel bad because Mel is one of our favorite actors & I feel connected to him (no I'm not a stalker. lol. Just a movie fan.) Not that they won't be fine cuz they're, well, rich, but just the fact that you lost your house is devastating. There's just some things you can't replace you know?

I also hope everybody else is fine & that they have insurance. And I hope that they can get back to their normal lives as much as possible. It's going to be a difficult challenge but may God bless & watch over them. Keep them in your prayers everyone!

Love,
Akanke

REFLECTIONS

I did not want to get out of bed this morning. But I did. Got my butt up, got ready & headed to work. I've gotten to the point of counting my blessings instead of my troubles, realizing that I'm blessed to be able to wake up and start another day while others might have not. That I have a great job to go to, my day's gonna go by fast & I'll get off early & still have the rest of the day to do whatever I want. That some people don't even HAVE a job so I just take it in stride & be grateful.

I get on the road & start my 40-45 minute commute to work. Tell me why there's always an accident around me? That's how I really know that I'm blessed & protected. I mean, I can recall at least 7 accidents that occurred in the next lane or right infront of me. Just a month or so ago me & B-Ball were in the car headed home talking, laughin & cruising. We were 2 lanes away from the HOV & I was slowly merging over. All of a sudden I had an instinct feeling to stay in my lane. Something told me to not merge anymore. So I didn't.

2 seconds later a car rams the car right next to me. I mean, totaled the back. It blew us away because one, it was so loud & unexpected that we thought something something blew up; two because that was supposed to be me, us. That was supposed to be my car that got hit. So we were talking about it the whole ride home. It still gives me chills to think about it.

A few days ago I was literally a block away from my job. Slowing my speed down from getting off the highway but still doing 65 on a 45, I was trying to get it! Feeling good cuz I'm early for work, I see the yellow light & stop. Usually I would just blaze right through it cuz that light stays yellow for a while & at the rate I'm going I'd clear it easily. But I didn't. So I stopped & reached down to change the radio station.

2 seconds later I hear a big crash. Not as loud as the former but loud enough to completely annihilate any sleepiness I might have had. I look up to see 2 cars slowly spinning, debris & parts scattered all over the busy 4-way intersection & honks from cars backed all the way up the street. Even though I didn't physically see what happened, from deduction skills I gathered that one car was going straight at at least 45 miles & the light turned green so he already had momentum & kept going. The other guy figured since his light just turned red that he could take a right while the left turning light was on. To his dismay when the lights turned green both the turning arrows & green lights came on at the same time.

One guy got out of the car (in the middle of the intersection might I add) to assess the damages. The whole right side was smashed in from bumper to bumper. I didn't see the other guy get out, I hope he's ok. Numerous people ran over to check on them so I didn't feel the need to go over & make a crowd. I went forward to work...

I guess I'm just feeling a little sentimental today. It's cold & raining & days like these usually cause me to reflect on random things. You should take a second to think about what you're thankful for. There's so many things people take for granted & it takes a tragedy or something dramatic to happen before people think about the great things that they have. Take a little time out to hug or tell your loved ones how you feel. Forgive. Love. Live. Be happy.

Love,
Akanke

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Random thoughts I'd like to put out into the universe:

~ Swiss Miss milk chocolate with 3 thingies of French Vanilla Coffee Mate = bliss. Add 2 if you want it less creamy.

~ Land O'Lakes white american cheese is so yummy. You can get it fresh from the deli.

~ Sandwiches taste good after they've been put in the fridge for a while. I made one for work last night (John Derst bread, brown sugar ham, LOL cheese, mayo) and somehow the mayo, cheese & bread just kinda fuse together after a while and taste so good. *This excludes Subway & etc. sandwiches. They're no good after you put them in the fridge.*

~ By the way, if you don't know you better get on it. John Derst bread is the bestestest bread there is. It's the softest you'll ever eat. If you don't believe me, next time you're in the bread isle look for a brown bag that says John Derst and feel it.

~ I need glasses. I really want some transition ones (that turns into shades when you go outside) & want to get them soon. I hope they can sandblast it down cuz I'm blind & don't wanna be wearing extra thick ones.

~ The CNN anchor lady Nancy Grace was really annoying me a couple of nights ago. Her voice is whiny & country, on top of the fact that she was chewing gum. I mean, I already had to get over how you sound & now I gotta ignore you using your tongue every other sentence to keep your gum on the side hoping that no one can tell that you're chewing. Come on! So unprofessional! *changes channel*

~ Just because you sing the SAME. EXACT. song, changing girl to boy & a couple of runs doesn't make it a remix. *stares at Justin & Beyonce* Yea I love love love that song ("Until The End of Time") but I hate it when people say something is a remix and sing the exact same song. *stares at Beyonce again for "Dangerously in Love"* I dunno, maybe I'm picky but a remix is supposed to sound different from the original song: i.e. faster/slower track, different words & notes, etc.

~ Speaking of bad remixes, what is up with Jagged Edge singing Neyo's hook for "You Make Me Better"? That joint is so whack!!!! Fabolous, I love you & your music and ya'll have done a hot song together before ("Trade It All") but for real though. I feel like I'm listening to somebody's dad's group reunited & the only gig they could get was a hook. So doesn't fit. Boo.

~ Speaking of Jagged Edge & bad remixes, what is up with Ashanti on the remix of "Umph In It"? Lordddd. I mean, the song already sucks & then you put her on there, singing all soft. I couldn't tell if it was Ashanti or Nivea or Ms. Piggy. I used to like Jagged Edge & Ashanti... now? Not so much.

~ Wow, I'm exhausted thinking about bad songs & how much they hurt my ears... Let's end it on a good note shall we?

THE LANDLORD

"I want my MONEYYYY!!!!!" lol. "I'll put you on the streets!"

Classic. lol.

LIBRARY GOODIES

In case you didn't know or forgot, you can check out movies from the library. Yes, they have good movies in there. Of course most of them are old school movies (which are great anyway) but they also have popular titles which are even better. Actor & I went to the Atlanta one (the Central library) for the first time & it's HUMONGOUS!!! There's 5 FLOORS filled with books & brain goodies as I'd like to call it.

Actor checked out numerous books while I hunted for movies. I would've looked for more movies/books but I was sick that day & the place was getting a little stuffy cuz I couldn't breathe that well. So I checked out 4 titles: "Munich", "Marie Antoinette", "Rebel Without a Cause" & "The Thomas Crown Affair" (old school one.) I've seen 3 of them so far & will be watching "Thomas Crown Affair" sometime soon, hopefully tonight.

I'll post the movies in the order that we watched it.

Check the next blogs for them. K thanks!

<3 Akanke

MUNICH

The first movie we watched was "Munich." Yes we know we're late, but guess what? Screw you. lol. I'm glad we finally saw it though; it was incredible.

*A brief history lesson for the day: In 1972, 11 Israel Olympian athletes were murdered, whose massacre was believed to be planned by 11 Palestinians. Immediately after the occurrence, Avner (Eric Bana) and a few others are chosen by the Israeli secret service agency, the Mossad, to murder the 11 that were responsible. (This is a true story people!)

Avner, brave son of an Israeli hero & soon to be father, joined by Steve (Daniel Craig), a strong Jewish patriot; Robert (Matthieu Kassovitz), a goofy & don't really know what he's doing bomb maker; Carl (Ciaran Hinds), a morally conflicted soul & Hans (Hanns Zischler), an accountant who is the truth! (You'll see.)

Their hunt takes them all around the world & they can't go home until all 11 targets have been, exterminated, if you will. Throughout the operation numerous people are killed in the crossfire, teammates begin to doubt the purpose & effectiveness of the mission & the coldhearted killings begin to take a toll on everyone.

Filled with twists, turns, stress, happiness, anxiety & ruthlessness, Munich is a deep, powerful & touching movie. It runs approx. 2 hours & 45 minutes making it longer than most movies, but nowadays you won't likely find a great, and I think epic, movie under 2 hours anyways.

If you haven't already, go rent or check it out at the library. Definitely worth your $2.99 from Blockbuster. Oh yea by the way, if you haven't heard, Blockbuster (well, at my location anyway, possibly yours too) rentals are only $2.99 now & you can rent them for 7 days. Whoo hoo!

But yea, Munich... Great movie. Great great great. A must see!

"We are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul."

"Hey, sweetheart, this is your papa... this my voice, my darling... don't forget what I sound like, okay?"

"There is no peace at the end of this."

KROGER IDIOTS

"I can't stand ignorant people. And I really can't stand people who know that they're being ignorant & don't care... And I can't stand cops who don't do their job. And I can't stand... UGHHHHHH I'm pissed off. Hmm, should I say something? Maybe I shouldn't. Cuz if I do & he says something rude back he's gonna make me go ape shat on his ass. And I can't do that in public. I'm a lady... Maybe I'll just watch & see what happens. Maybe the cop'll do something... Yea right. He's not gonna. Oh well. Mind your business Akanke. Mind your own business..." *la da da da da*

All of this is going through my head as I stand in the self-check out lane at Kroger. See, me & this guy was standing in line, (let's call him Bob. Cuz you know, remember to check for Bob. If you don't know, ask somebody in retail) him in front of me, waiting our turn. You know how there's 4 registers & you just kinda stand in the middle so whichever register opens up 1st you go to that one? Yea, that's what we were doing. All of a sudden, these two idiots come out of nowhere & put their stuff on one of the registers. While the person was still ringing up their stuff might I add.

So Bob says "Hey, there's a line"
"WHAT?! THERE AIN'T NO LINE! YOU WAS STANDING OVER THERE."
"Yes there is, we're standing over here. There's a line."
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU TALKING BOUT. AIN'T NO LINE."

Bob shakes his head & walks over to the opposite register that just opened up. I knew he wasn't gonna put up much of a fight cuz he was kinda nerdy looking; I was actually surprised that he spoke up at all. Way to go Bob! And I'm next in line, just standing there looking. The security for the store was an actual cop and he was standing on the other side of the register looking dead at them, but he was too busy on his phone caking to do anything about it. (Yes I knew he was caking cuz guys have that face on when they're caking, smirking, with their head kinda turned to the side speaking in the phone all sensitive & shat.) But anyways, he didn't do nothing about it. And it pissed me off.

Sorry excuse for a cop. Sorry excuse for a man. All 3 of them. (Not Bob, the cop & the 2 idiots. Keep up people!) He knew damn well there was a line, and his fat sidekick just standing there instigating. Bob finished his transaction & left, while the 2 idiots were still trying to figure out how to work the machine, and how to pay with their EBT cards. Your broke ass. And the sidekick's over there like "Where'd he go? Did he leave yet?" like he was gonna go out to the parking lot & do something. Man sit your fat ass down.

They were in their early to mid 50s, both looking intoxicated. I didn't know if they were high or drunk or both but they were acting ridiculously ignorant & I'm willing to bet that they'd act like that regardless if they were sober or not. Boo them. And boo the cop. You're all out on the streets gunning down speeders but nowhere to be found or won't so shat when a real incident happens. Boo you too.

Boo everybody. Get out of my way so I can go home & cook & eat & go to bed. Ain't got time for this foolishness. Everybody learn your damn manners & shut the hell up.

I'm out.

TAKE THE CAKE

I have GOT to get this out. Oh my GODDDDDDDDDD. So I somehow was up a few nights ago past my bedtime & saw "Take the Cake" on BET. Tell me why I wanted to throw up? That is the most horrible & stupid, brain dissolving, make you wanna choke the hosts & the people who are playing show. I swear BET is the worst thing that's ever happened to black people. Me & Actor talk about that all the time.

If you've never seen it, how can you not? The commercial to "text in your answer" comes on like 80 millions times a day. But anyhoos, it apparently comes on at 11pm weekdays and the hosts are Toccara (plus sized chick from America's Next Top Model a few seasons back) & Joe Clair (former Rap City & Madd Sports host.) They are the most annoying hosts in history. Thinking about the show makes me mad even now.

Live on a cheap looking set, callers text in the answers to foolish games like "What the blank?" (I think that's what it's called) where you fill in the blank to a sentence & "Word Circle" where there's a word spinning slowly in a circle & missing one letter & you have to guess what the word is, which is so easy it's insulting. There's plenty of other miscellaneous games that by then I was too appalled to pay attention to.

The "What the blank?" game was THE worst. The sentence was ________ game. You had to fill in with stuff that ends with game, like baseball game, for instance. So people were calling in "football" "board" "card" answers which I think were really good answers. But they were all wrong. And I'll be damned if the correct answers weren't "basketball game" "pre-game" "got game" Hold up. Stop the presses. One of the winning answers was GOT GAME. I mean, for real though? Got game. Wowwwwwwwwww. And guess what the number one answer was? A game. I swear to God. It was A game. For $2000 bucks. The answer was A game. Boy am I glad that person learned their alphabets in school...

Besides the fact that Toccara's voice is annoying as hell, she's dancing on the set & spinning some small rims that's on the wall every once in awhile. Cuz that's what the rims are for: to spin. On a game show.

The second most annoying thing on the show is the callers. Tell me why they are so dumb? I mean, they're calling in answers that have already been said. I swear people called in and said soccer game like 5 times, and somebody even said baseball game, which was the example that they used! Pay attention mindless people!

Whoever thought of this show must be secretly part of the KKK. The plan? Humiliate black people & get money from them at the same time. Think about it, it's 99c per entry & you can text up to 10 times per night. Multiply that by however many people are playing and there you have it. Big bucks. The prizes that they give away are probably only 1% of the profit that they are making per night.

Blah. That is all I'll ever say about that show. And I'll never watch it again.

~Akanke

GREAT HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS & STUFF & STUFF

You know how you see an advertisement & think, yea right, it probably doesn't work? Well I do; I'm a huge skeptic until I try it & it proves otherwise. Hey, I'm not a pessimist! I've just, over the years, bought things & expected it to work & it either broke within a day or two or didn't do what it was supposed to do. Well since then I've ran into a couple of things that I enjoy & appreciate, so in case you were wondering if certain products work, here goes my list...

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS & THINGS THAT I USE & LOVE:

1) Swiffer Sweeper (dry & wet.)
- The dry one is perfect for picking up crumbs, hair, and etc. My roommate used to cut my hair in the kitchen & the dry one would pick everything up. We didn't even have to use a broom.
- The wet one is good for sticky stuff like sauce & etc.
- When you're trying to use both, use the dry one to pick up the lint & stuff first cuz if you use the wet one it's gonna make a tiny pile on the floor & won't really go anywhere.

2) Dawn original scent (blue color.)
- You can get it from Wal-Mart for a dollar and it works great on any kind of grease. It even cleans my tupperware (cuz I hate it when you wash tupperware but it's still greasy.)

3) Yankee Candles
- You can get these from Linen & Things (ranging from $1.79- $22.99.) They smell sooooo good. And the best part? They still have a scent when you burn them, and boy is it a pleasing one... They have a plethora of scents from "fresh cut roses" to "midsummer's night" and they all smell just like they're named. I've recently gotten "Willow Breeze" & "Sun & Sand." They're fabulous. I call them "smelly goodies" :-D

4) Lysol Disinfecting Wipes
- They have a clean but not too sterile scent & they work wonders. Not only do they disinfect, but they clean most spots & stains on most surfaces. I'll wipe down all of my counters, tables & stove tops after I cook. It takes all of the grease & etc. off. I also use them to clean the bathroom & it's great in there too.

5) Liquid Plumber (I got the Gel kind)
- An unsurpassed declogger for any sinks/bathtubs. Our bathtub gets clogged up because I have too much hair. lol. But everytime we use it it works instantly. And trust me, I have alot of hair.

6) George Foreman Grill
- I'm sure everyone has one, but in case you don't, get one! They cook everything soooooo much faster than the oven, and the best part? They take so much fat off of your foods instead of having it marinade with your food while in the oven. We used to cook turkey burgers in the oven for like 40 minutes, but now it takes apprx. 10-15 minutes to make some for both of us (and that's only cuz I got a small one & can only cook one patty at a time.) We saw that it took like a cup of fat off of the patties & vowed to never cook it in the oven again. Seriously? This has got to be my favorite gadget in the whole house.

7) Glade Carpet & Room deoderizer
- Sprinkle this on before you vacuum & your place will smell like heaven. lol. I've been cleaning & Actor gets home & be like "Damn it smells good in here!" I like the "Clean Linen" one but they have other great scents too.

8) Scott Tissue
Ok people, we all know that it's a little more expensive than other brands, but trust me, it's worth it. No, seriously, this is the only tissue that I'll buy. It took me a while to start buying it but ever since then I haven't bought anything else. It lasts FOREVER. And you can get the 24 roll Family Pack at WalMart for 5 bucks. And that lasts us for a month. Back in the old apt. the 12 double roll lasted 3 people & occasional guests for about a month too. Get it!

9) Bamboo Cooking Utensils
- I like them cuz they're tanned & pretty looking. hehe. But they're the best because they don't scratch your pots & pans & holds up in the dishwasher. Sounds expensive but you can get a 6-piece at Linens & Things for $7. Whoo Hoo!

10) Pyrex Bakeware
- Ever since I've gotten these I've vowed to never use aluminum or any other cookware again. Aluminum pans are hard to clean if food gets stuck on there & they rust after awhile. The Pyrex pans are extremely easy to clean & food comes out better cuz, after all, it's better quality than aluminum crap. I've yet to try the Silicone bakeware but I want to cuz I bet they're amazing.

That's all I can think of right now, I'll add more to ze list as it comes to mind.

Until then,
Akanke

ORIGIN OF AIDS

Did you know that the HIV virus originated in wild chimpanzees? (or so the government would like us to believe. I, among others, feel that it was a man made disease & that they have a cure. blah)

But just to entertain the thought, after years of collecting wild apes' feces, scientists have discovered that it did indeed come from them. "The first human known to be infected with HIV was a man from Kinshasa in the nearby country of Congo who had his blood stored in 1959 as part of a medical study, decades before scientists knew the AIDS virus existed."

Presumably, someone from Cameroon was bitten by a chimp or cut while butchering one and got infected. All the while, people traveled along the Sanaga River transporting hardwood, ivory and etc. to urban areas & eventually someone infected made it to Kinshasa & it got worse from there.

In 2005 the United States' AIDS cases totaled 943,525 with 761,723 cases in males/ 181,802 cases in females, and 9,101 cases estimated in children under age 13. (The difference between HIV & AIDS is that HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the last stage of the infection.)

A little closer to home, here are the top 10 states in the U.S. with the highest number of AIDS cases through 2005: New York, California, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maryland & Puerto Rico. Georgia's number 8, great...

Not to be parental cuz I'm sure you guys are being safe out there *stares* but make sure you get tested at least once a year for HIV/AIDS cuz sometimes there are no symptoms. Please please do cuz I care about ya even though I never met most of you. I really do :-)

On a slightly different yet similar note, here's a list that I found interesting & think you should check out: THE TOP 10 MYSTERIOUS DISEASES They include creepy-crawly skin & odd fibrous strands coming from open wounds, an insatiable urge to eat non-food substances like dirt, paper, glue & clay, and flu viruses carried by birds. Check it out, maybe you might have it (just kidding! lol)

Have a blessed & exciting weekend everybody!
~ Akanke

* Note: the AIDS statistics came from the CDC website.

UNDER THE WEATHER pt. 2

Day 2.

Took some Tylenol last night & went to bed at 11:30pm. Was supposed sleep earlier but got caught up watching Heroes. Me & Actor rented the 1st dvd, literally the 1st 2 episodes. I'm officially hooked! We got lots of catching up to do, cuz damn that show is good!

Anyhoos, took the nighttime Tylenol & fell out a few minutes later. It was supposed to knock me out but I woke up & looked around at 3:30am. Went back to sleep for the rest of the night. Think that has got to be the best sleep I've gotten in a long time. I'm an unofficial recovering insomniac (a person who can't fall or stay asleep.) I used to stay up till wee hours of the night/morning, i.e: 6, 7, 8, 10 in the morning was when I finally wore myself out & fell asleep. But since I got my new job & had to get up at 6 cuz I had to be at work by 7am, I've been sleeping earlier. It took me a while to get adjusted too: the 1st month or so I still went to bed like at 3 or 4am, then it eventually turned into 1 or 2, and now, 8 months later, I try to make it in bed by 11pm, 12 at the latest.

Guest old habits die hard cuz I usually wake up at least once or twice every night. Seems like my body refuses to sleep through the whole night for some reason. I either gotta get up to use the bathroom or I'm extra thirsty & have to get some water. Sometimes I even keep a bottle of water by my bed so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night.

So here I am, best sleep I've gotten in a while and it's because of some medicine. I hate taking medicine by the way. I believe in natural healing; I usually just wait it out & let my body heal itself. But since having roommates & living with Actor for the past couple of years, every time I get sick they tackle me down & make me take medicine. I give in sometimes if I feel really crappy.

The Tylenol worked pretty well: my sore throat is almost gone & the only thing that's still bothering me is the runny nose. The sneezing & coughing went down too. Pretty good medicine they have there. I took Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom for those who want to know. I should've taken the Cold Multi-Symptom but already had the allergy one & didn't feel like running to the store.

It's safe to say that I'm having a better day than yesterday. How was yours?

UNDER THE WEATHER

I'm sick & I feel like crap. I've been worse, but I still don't like being sick. I'm hot & cold, my nose can't decide if it wants to be runny or stuffy or both, my throat is sore & I can't even breathe through my mouth too hard or it'll hurt, and I'm at work trying to make it through the last hour & a half. Feels like I've been at work for 3 days straight. Just wanna go home & go to sleep.

I hate it when my throat is sore or I'm if my voice is gone; it bothers me so much that I can't focus on anything else. I used to lose my voice alot, but it hasn't happened in like 2 years. I don't even know what I'm typing anymore cuz I'm all dizzy & fuzzy feeling. Excuse this blog if it doesn't make any sense. lol.

But anyhoos, I couldn't sleep at all last night. I mean, I closed my eyes & my body was sleep, but I was very well aware that my throat was hurting. That's all I felt through the whole night. Then I got really hot & Actor turned the A/C on; then I got really cold. My the time my body found a happy medium & the A/C somehow eased the throbbing pain in my throat I had to get up for work. Great. I felt like calling in but didn't cuz I'm hardheaded & feel like I can tough it. Hey, I can. Only a little while longer to go.

Despite my restless & uncomfortable night I had a good morning. I woke up, went to go warm up the car & saw a yellow Post-It on the door. It said "This is me loving you. Have a good day lovey. Boo Boo." It made me feel almost completely healthy again. Exactly what I needed. After cranking up the car I brushed my teeth, washed my face & got dressed. I only brush my hair occasionally in the morning, depending if I feel like it. When I get to work I just run my fingers through my hair & I'm all set. lol. Don't hate cuz I got good hair. Losers.

But anyways, so I'm dressed & headed out the door to the rental office to drop my rent off. As soon as I got to the gate I realized that I left my medicine at home. And my breakfast. And my lunch. Needless to say I whipped the car around & had to run back up some 15 steps, which felt like 50 cuz I'm in a rush & don't wanna be late. Opened up the fridge to get my food & saw another Post-It that said "More love. Boo Boo." I smiled again & ran out the door.

Finally made it on the road & there's traffic. Big surprise. I felt like turning back around but toughed it & made it to work 12 minutes late. Blah. (It's not a big deal if I'm late to work cuz nobody cares, but I don't like being late.)

Got to work, had 80 things to do, so now I'm really pooped. I sanitized my whole cube to lessen the nasty germs floating around so it makes me feel a little better. I like cleaning, the results make me feel good. I'm a germophobic by the way. More on that later.

I'll write about something more interesting tomorrow. Hopefully I'll feel better.

Till then,
Akanke

IOTD CASE #2

Ok I'm sorry you guys, but this has got to be heard.


*Breaking news: Man trying to kill wasps burn house*


Yea... Hugh Williams from North Carolina tried to spray insecticide in a hole next to the house, but apparently that didn't work. So he decides to stick some paper in the hole & light it on fire. Sounds logical right? Until the fire spread into the house & attic and did $80,000 worth of damage...

Don't worry, the family is safe, no one is injured, but they are now looking for a new place to live... I wonder if he'll face animal cruelty charges. Hey man, imagine the hundreds of wasps he tried to or did kill. Who's to say that dogs are better than wasps?

I give...

FRACTURE

Anthony Hopkins= the truth. That's basically it. lol. That's all you need to know.

But if you MUST know, Fracture is a great movie; we watched it last night. Filled with an amazing cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling (The Notebook), David Strathaim (Good Night & Good Luck, another great movie) & Rosamund Pike (Pride & Prejudice,) Fracture is a great thriller!

Hopkins is a structural engineer who shot his wife in the head & is being persecuted by Gosling, a D.A. who prides himself on winning. Boy does he have to work for his money this time! lol. Hopkins asks to represent himself so Gosling thinks it'll be a piece of cake, but everything unravels & he loses more & more evidence by the second. It's a battle of the wits & it's a damn close one.

Filled with twists & turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat, Fracture is a great story line executed by great actors. Gosling has a country accent that I think is cute, Hopkins scares me sometimes cuz he looks creepy, but I still love him to death, and Strathaim is the truth too. He's great in everything that I've seen him in so far. I love how Hopkins almost always play the smart, witty, creepy role (Hannibal, Silence of the Lambs etc.) It's perfect for him & he's just great period. The dvd has 2 alternate endings, go check it out. Holla.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day"







"If you look close enough, you'll find that everything has a weak spot."

SHE WILL BE LOVED- MAROON 5

The first song that I'm writing about is "She Will be Loved" by Maroon 5. It's me & Actor's song. It came out when we first started talking on the phone & it's been special to us ever since. We've been together for over 3 years and have known each other before we were dating. Even through all of our trials & tribulations, every time that song comes on it reminds me of him. When the song comes on in the store or on the radio we just look at each other & smile. He'll even put it on on the jukebox when we're at Waffle House; it's a beautiful song.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the song:

"I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I’ve had you so many times but somehow I want more

I don’t mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful

I know I tend to get insecure
It doesn’t matter anymore
It’s not always rainbows and butterflies
It’s compromise that moves us along
My heart is full and my door’s always open
You can come anytime you want"

I basically just put the whole song up there. lol

Sung by a handsome & talented man, Adam Levine, backed by James Valentine (guitar), Mickey Madden (bass), Ryan Dusick (drums) and Jesse Carmichael (keyboards), it's a song beautifully written & performed. They're one of our favorite groups, and every song is great from beginning to end.

I'm sure you guys know about Maroon 5, but if you don't (where have you been?!) then check them out. Go buy their albums, download it (legally) or whatever you have to do, just get your hands on some of their music. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Until next time... Akanke

ANTARCTICA

I'm cold. No scratch that. I'm freezing. I'm at work & they can't decide if they want it hot or cold. We have one of those systems that's controlled by someone that's not even in the state, so they couldn't possibly know how it feels here. Very smart whoever invented that.

Well, since I've never been to Antarctica, they figured they'd save me the plane ticket & show me first hand instead. Thanks.

I brought my picnic blanket (since I don't wanna bring my comforter/ sheets & don't have a small travel sized one. Go figure, somebody buy me one please. K thanks.) It's green on one side & is brown with green & turquoise leaves on the other. Hey, it goes with the fall theme! Yippee!

So here I am at me cube sitting Indian style wrapped in a picnic blanket. My coworker walked by & asked me if I was camping. I said yes. lol. It's actually kinda fun. You should try it.

MUSIC: WHAT FEELINGS SOUND LIKE

Besides movies, music is my other passion. I think I'm just an all around entertainment kind of gal :-D I love to sing, write songs, and listen to music, old & new, especially old. I love to hear Actor make beats (yes he produces, he's a rapper by the way. He's gonna produce most of his new EP. More on that another time.) I just love love love love love music.

My brothers can sing, but they only do it as a hobby. My dad is a great singer, often praised by the Vietnamese community as the best non-famous (is that a word?) singer there is. Back in Vietnam he used to get on the radios & sing live, and to this day he is still requested at weddings & other great events. He has a very strong, smooth, mellow voice.

Needless to say, music is in my blood. I remember that I sang alot when I was a little girl in Vietnam. We were poor & didn't have much at all & music made me so happy. I used to stand on the door stopper thingy on the bottom & swing back & forth repeating the songs that my dad sang. Ever since then music has been a significant part of my life; it has been there for everything, even when no one or nothing has.

Whether having a crush, breaking up, or if you just feel like dancing, there's always a perfect song that comes on & takes you away from reality, if only for 3 or 4 minutes. I remember crying my eyes out to so many slow songs after breakups, and on the other spectrum, feeling all warm & fuzzy listening to love songs during the dating phase. When I listen to a song, I really feel connected to the artist & really feel where they're coming from.

So I dedicate this series to all of my music lovers out there, cuz I know there are many. I'll start posting new & old favorites that I enjoy & connect with, and maybe you'll share some with me...

Love,
Akanke

SURIN OF THAILAND

Saturday me & Actor went to Surin of Thailand; it's our favorite Thai restaurant as of yet.

Distinct with a self-titled blue awning, Surin of Thailand is on the corner of Greenwood & North Highland Avenue. Parking is limited, but you can park on the streets or in a nearby plaza & walk there (Atlanta life for you...)

The excellent service begins at the door as you are welcomed by the host & a manager. After taking our seats we absorb in the yellow walls, trimmed with artistic photographs, beautiful bar, adorned with a massive leaning tree on top & decorative flower vases on the side, oil candles on every table, black embossed ceilings, and a hanging flag of a Buddha (don't know which one.)

The servers are always great here (we've been numerous times, the first of which was my 20th birthday) and we have a great time conversing & interacting with them. They're always pleasant & very informative about the food, which is the best Thai food we've ever had!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As usual, here is a mini breakdown of the menu:

Appetizers: $3.50- $7
Soups & Salads: $5- $9.50
Stir Fry: $8.50 for tofu or meats, $10.50 for shrimp
Curries: $10
Entrees: $9- $17
Deserts: $3.25- $6.75
Bar: Wines $4- $8 glass/ Beer: most $4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We started with Thai iced tea (sweet tea mixed with Half & Half cream) and the papaya salad for appetizers (green papaya shreds dipped in fish sauce & comes with beef jerky & sticky rice on the side.) Now before you say "Eww gross, fish sauce" Actor lovesss it. He says fish sauce makes everything taste good. True story... So we massacred the salad (Yea it was that good) and got started on our entrees.

Actor ordered Ka Proud Lamb & I the Spicy Mixed Seafood, shown here. Sorry the lamb pic isn't as clear; I had to stretch it. They both tasted as good as they look by the way...

There were 4 pieces of lamb, garnished with mushrooms & broccoli in Ka Proud sauce, which tasted like my spicy basil sauce (sweet & salty). The seafood was a medley of New Zealand Mussels, sea scallops, plump shrimp & squid, garnished with onions, and red & green bell peppers.

We had the Chocolate Brownie Crumble Sundae for desert, which wasn't as good as we expected. The brownie was very soggy at the bottom, and it had nuts in it which Actor doesn't eat... Hey, you win some & you lose some.

Overall, Surin of Thailand is a great restaurant with decently priced food. Ranging from soups & salads, chicken/shrimp curries, noodle/ rice stir fry, to catfish, lamb, and seafood, there is sure to be something appealing to every member of your party. It's a quiet, romantic atmosphere, perfect for dates etc. & small parties, but not recommended for big/loud parties. I mean, you can, but shouldn't have your tailgate or bachelor's party here. lol.

Go check out this great restaurant soon!

Love you guys,
Akanke

P.S.- Here's their website for more info:
SURIN OF THAILAND