Friday, September 30, 2005
This is what you get once you start to go down the slippery slope of defining marriage is anything other than the holy union between one man and one woman. Victor de Bruijn (46) got his civil union with two girls, Bianca (31) and Mirjam (35).
Thursday, September 29, 2005
I've heard that you can get a grand jury to indict even a banana so it's nothing new that the Travis County DA had one single vague indictment against House majority leader Tom DeLay. If you know Texas, you know Travis County, the bastion of liberalism, where this Ronnie Earle comes from. Even if it's serious, an indictment is nothing more than probable cause. One is innocent until proven guilty as far as criminal proceeding is concerned but politically, you can go up in smoke the way they had it with Dallas County Sheriff Jim Bowles.
We went out for lunch at the new Genghis Grill location in Plano to celebrate Duc's birthday today. Food was good and we saw the franchise applications they had at the counter so we were talking about the franchising idea. It does not look to be a lot of work since it's Mongolian barbeque and there's not really a need for a real cook.
The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce mixer went pretty well tonight. I am going to continue to come whatever chance I get to brush up on my Spanish, or at least that's the intention.
We went out for lunch at the new Genghis Grill location in Plano to celebrate Duc's birthday today. Food was good and we saw the franchise applications they had at the counter so we were talking about the franchising idea. It does not look to be a lot of work since it's Mongolian barbeque and there's not really a need for a real cook.
The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce mixer went pretty well tonight. I am going to continue to come whatever chance I get to brush up on my Spanish, or at least that's the intention.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
I told officer Shawn Henderson I had to take off an hour early from the Carrollton Citizen Policy Academy to go visit my friend. She's got a terrible case of bacteria infection in her bloodstream and the bacteria damaged one of her heart valves. Strong antibiotics didn't help so the doctors had to perform surgery to replace the valve with a merchanical one. She's woken up and are recovering fine, praise God.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
I had fun at our banquet last night and also the after party afterward. The fashion show by Lysabelle was a great hit with the audience.
By now, Katie Luong, Victor Vu, Philip Silverman, Van Pham and Vu Tran should be back home safe and sound. The feedback so far has been great both with the five short films: 1) Waltz, 2) Color Blind, 3) Yellow Bird, 4) A Soul Apart, 5) From There to Here, and our full length feature film, First Morning, which was a great movie, though intensely sad.
By now, Katie Luong, Victor Vu, Philip Silverman, Van Pham and Vu Tran should be back home safe and sound. The feedback so far has been great both with the five short films: 1) Waltz, 2) Color Blind, 3) Yellow Bird, 4) A Soul Apart, 5) From There to Here, and our full length feature film, First Morning, which was a great movie, though intensely sad.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Picked up the LC-X5 yesterday, put the lense in and tested fine. I had to get out of the auditorium because they had another event going Friday night so I didn't worry about the particular of the projected image size until this morning, found out that they didn't do the ratio correctly between the throw and the width of the screen and didn't give me the correct lense. I'll talk to Clayton or Dave about that on Monday. Other than that, the film festival went well today. Just a quick change before heading over to Westin Park Central for the fundraising banquet tonight for the Katrine and Rita hurricane victims.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Being an American of Vietnamese descent myself, joking between close friends about my Vietnamese accent or any other aspect of my heritage is fine in private but as councilman Harry Krebs himself admitted in this article, saying it in a public and televised session of a city council meeting is a very dumb thing, especially to someone who is in an argument with you.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Instead of doing our VPAC radio show tonight, we dedicated the slot to promote our film festival this Saturday, September 24th at the Lone Star auditorium on UTA campus during the day and the banquet to raise fund for hurricane Katrina victims at Westin Park Central at night.
FedEx overnight a cashier's check to Sabina with DeWitt Stern of California to pay for the premium of a short term rental equipment replacement insurance policy.
FedEx overnight a cashier's check to Sabina with DeWitt Stern of California to pay for the premium of a short term rental equipment replacement insurance policy.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Dallas County Republican Party chairman Nate Crain announced at the executive meeting tonight that he will not run for re-election.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Clayton Turnbow recommended the Eiki LC-XT3 projector for our VPS Film Festival this coming Saturday. I wanted something a little more affordable and he recommends either the Eiki LC-X5 or the Eiki LC-X4, both of which are much easier to set up and troubleshoot than the rest of the available projectors.
All the guys with wives and small kids picked up and left the party when the Cowboys were leading the Redskins 13 to 0 with a little over 5 minutes on the clock. One of the guys said it's possible for the Redskins to come back and win 14-13. It happened just like that. Sad, sad, sad.
All the guys with wives and small kids picked up and left the party when the Cowboys were leading the Redskins 13 to 0 with a little over 5 minutes on the clock. One of the guys said it's possible for the Redskins to come back and win 14-13. It happened just like that. Sad, sad, sad.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
I had fun at Sang's birthday tonight. Got to see Navin, Sang's boyfriend and his son Aaron for the first time, both of Sang's roommates, Amanda and Carolyn, and many of her friends, from church and small groups. I first met Carolyn at Taylor and Henry's wedding last November but I only met Amanda for the first time today.
Texas has become such a strong Republican state that basically, if you win the Republican primary in March, you win the statewide office in November. This is only sure for statewide office, not in certain county like Travis or Harris or Dallas County for that matter. Thus, you see more and more battles are being fought among Republicans in the primary. Let's try to keep track of who is running for what:
1. State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn (Rylander), mother of White House spokeman Scott McClellan, is running against incumbent governor Rick Perry.
2. State Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs is running for the seat vacated by the loud mouth grandma State Comptroller.
3. State senator Todd Staples (SD3) is running for the seat vacated by Susan Combs.
4. State representative Terry Keel (LD47) is running against Charles Holcolm for place 8 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Texas has become such a strong Republican state that basically, if you win the Republican primary in March, you win the statewide office in November. This is only sure for statewide office, not in certain county like Travis or Harris or Dallas County for that matter. Thus, you see more and more battles are being fought among Republicans in the primary. Let's try to keep track of who is running for what:
1. State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn (Rylander), mother of White House spokeman Scott McClellan, is running against incumbent governor Rick Perry.
2. State Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs is running for the seat vacated by the loud mouth grandma State Comptroller.
3. State senator Todd Staples (SD3) is running for the seat vacated by Susan Combs.
4. State representative Terry Keel (LD47) is running against Charles Holcolm for place 8 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Did you know that Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has become the fourth-largest voting shareholder in News Corp., the parent company of Fox News. Also, Viet Dinh, Georgetown law professor joined the Board of Directors in April of 2003.
Friday, September 16, 2005
The Dallas County Young Republican elected a new slate of officers last night at our monthly meeting at the Dallas County GOP headquarter.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Judge Marilea W. Lewis of the 330th Family District Court spoke at last night monthly meeting of the Metrocrest Republican club on all the things that passed through the legislature this year. Most are good, though it was the joke that you should lock up your daughters and your livestocks because the legislature is in session or that no life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session. Sibling can now sue for access to other sibling. The Family Code was modified to take into account our military deployment of moms and dads, to put limitations on CPS to hasten to provide a safe, secured and stable environment for the child as soon as possible after the child is removed from the family, to admonish family violence victims the right to a protective order, to clarify that parental obligation to support a child does not stop even if the parental rights was terminated, ....
The statistic are alarming. Divorce rate is 52% in Dallas County compare to 51% nationwide. Less than one-third of our children are being raised in what would be considered traditional family, committed loving mom and dad.
Among a few other things I learned was that in case of child support and spousal maintenance, (we don't have alimony in Texas) you do not have homestead exception under the new federal bankruptcy bill that has just been passed and signed into law, ie. your house is not beyond the reach of the collection agency.
The statistic are alarming. Divorce rate is 52% in Dallas County compare to 51% nationwide. Less than one-third of our children are being raised in what would be considered traditional family, committed loving mom and dad.
Among a few other things I learned was that in case of child support and spousal maintenance, (we don't have alimony in Texas) you do not have homestead exception under the new federal bankruptcy bill that has just been passed and signed into law, ie. your house is not beyond the reach of the collection agency.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Carrollton Citizens Police Academy, we got to try out both the radar and the LIDAR. Officer Craig DeCarlo said that if the red dot was aiming at the front license plate, most of the laser detectors out there will not detect it. Also, a patrol car is now equipped with radar that can detect speed from vehicle travels in any direction, same or opposite direction, coming toward or going away from the patrol car.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
I do speak out when the Republican elected officials are wrong. The city of Carrollton, with a Republican mayor and all 7 Republican councilmembers, is going to raise property tax on the residents. Now, I don't have a problem of giving pay raises to our police and firefighters, but I have problem with other spendings. These are hard times and I don't believe the government should take away anymore of working moms' and dads' disposable income.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
The DFWAACC banquet tonight was great. No major hiccup. Got to host Richardson Police chief Larry Zacharias and his wife Donna, Richardson Councilman Bob Townsend, Garland Councilmen Barbara Chick and Harry Hickey at my table.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Stopped by the Westin Galleria for the rehearsal of the DFWAACC 5th annual banquet after work today.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Those who advocate public transportation and total dependence upon the government to provide transportation should look at New Orleans. Those who had cars and fled, they survive. Those who did not ended up dying for lack of ventilation in the Superdome. That's not counting the thousands who drowned. It's a wake up call for you next time you go to the poll to choose your mayor, consider what incompetent Democratic mayor of New Orleans C Ray Nagin failed to do, utilize 150 buses he had at his disposal to evacuate people once the levee was breached.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Dan Leal of the Children's Advocacy Center for Denton County was the speaker at the Denton County GOP Women's club luncheon today. The fact that the luncheon was held at Abuelo's, my favorite restaurant and that it only took about 20 minutes on president George Bush Turnpike can only help to motivate me driving across town for lunch.
This article articulates exactly what I said in my post here a few days ago.
This article articulates exactly what I said in my post here a few days ago.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
I learned quite a few things about the Carrollton PD tonight at the first Carrollton Citizen Police Academy, one of them being the dramatic drop in the number of recruits they have experienced since 9/11.
Monday, September 05, 2005
More partying at Steve & Hannah's pool party today.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Our church's family camp went great. Everyone loves the facilities at Three Mountain Retreat. Stan and Linda were just so nice, and Cliff, Sheila, Chris, David and Stephanie as well.
Just now saw the news about chief justice William H. Rehnquist's death yesterday. That would only complicate the nomination of judge John Roberts but at the same time it is proven again that ultimately God is in control. The rumors had it that the chief justice was doing president Bush a favor by waiting for judge Roberts to be confirmed before announcing his retirement. As of now, that's not going to be the case.
Just now saw the news about chief justice William H. Rehnquist's death yesterday. That would only complicate the nomination of judge John Roberts but at the same time it is proven again that ultimately God is in control. The rumors had it that the chief justice was doing president Bush a favor by waiting for judge Roberts to be confirmed before announcing his retirement. As of now, that's not going to be the case.
Friday, September 02, 2005
The president said that we will help rebuilding the community, not New Orleans necessarily. Maybe the Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert has a point there.
Maybe the gun control nuts can learn a thing or two from what Thomas Jefferson quoted Cesare Beccaria in his The Commonplace Book: "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
Maybe the gun control nuts can learn a thing or two from what Thomas Jefferson quoted Cesare Beccaria in his The Commonplace Book: "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Bill O'Reilly is saying exactly what I have thought since yesterday, that things would have been much better had Rudy Giuliani been mayor of New Orleans instead of Ray Nagin. And the governor of Louisiana Kathleen Blanco too, I know she's a Democrat and I bet you the mayor is also. National Guard should have been sent in massive number on Tuesday morning.
