Harry Potter

My son and I started to read Harry Potter together. We just read a few pages every night before bed time. It's nice, he takes his shower, gets ready for bed and we read.

He has a lot of interest in reading. His teacher said that at 5 1/2 years old, he has the reading level of an 8-year-old.

We picked Harry Potter as a series of books to do. Plus when he's a bit older he can ready them all by himself. But we're pretty busy as it is now, there are quite a few to go, since we barely started the first volume.

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys

Women too, I guess... :)

Sound of Music mode on

When I was little girl, I watched "The Sound of Music" every single day. Our VCR was one of those that had a remote connected with a wire LOL. My cousin had taped it from the TV and I would watch it over and over again. My mother would get fed up sometimes - just like we do when our kids *have* to watch Monsters Inc every day.

Most of the times we watched all the way until the wedding scene, and then turn it off, cause after that the Nazis invade Austria and things go downhill.

But when we did watch till the end, it was amusing to count how many times the lady bows at the festival. My aunt and I used to count it out loud. I think it was 23 times :P

So, I was chatting with some friends in Orkut how much I love TSOM - what's my nickname, again? - and we all found out we have a Julie Andrews virtual fan club. We all want to go to Saulzburg to sing and dance - how sad is it? LOL

I was very fortunate that when I visited NYC in 1996, Julie Andrews was playing the main part in Victor/Victoria. My father and I were fortunate to get tickets (and a guy who looked exactly like Kyle MacLachlan was next to us). It was a dream come true and I even shed a little tear.

So, while searching youtube, I found these. Pretty cool!

BTW, Nicholas Hammond, who played Friedrich, also played Spiderman in the 1970's series.

10!

Exactly 10 years ago I boarded a plane from Rio de Janeiro to Washington, DC, connecting in Newark, NJ. The immigration line was so long when I arrived I missed my domestic connection and had to be on stand-by for the next flight.

It's easy to remember the date. The day I arrived was the day JFK Jr. died. I remember seeing all the commotion in the airport, people looking at the monitors, their sad faces. It took me a while to grasp what was going on, I was still sleepy.

It was supposed to be a 2-year stint, but hey, I'm still here!

So, I guess, happy anniversary to me!

Hey, Mauro same to you!!!!

A bit of everything

Well, where do I start? I write posts in my head, daily, then I get home and don't write anything...

I've been working a lot. No news there. Times are hard, the company slashed our overtime. We're not authorized to do it, they won't pay for it. I end up doing it anyway, the work has to get done. I guess management did notice I was going above and beyond the call of duty and gave me a promotion. I was pretty happy about that!

Now hubbs and I are shopping for a new vehicle. His car payments ended in 07, mine in 08, so we did have a few extra bucks every month (which was nice considering there is a recession out there). I'm going to get an appraisal on my car tomorrow to see what we are able to afford.

T is his happy self, as usual. We traveled to WDW/Universal during memorial day week. He had a blast, rode 2 rollercoasters with his Dad (which means he cannot possibly be my son) and the splash mountain. The following week was his Pre-K graduation, the same day we met "his lovey girl who he's going to marry". He has very good taste, I must say.

BTW, he has decided the theme of his birthday parties in 2009, 2010 and 2011, which makes everything so much easier for me. 2009 and 2010 are practically ready. For 2011 I already have a few things - yes, I'm a planner!

I am still volunteering my time at the Bring Sean Home Foundation. Despite favorable court decisions, appeals after appeals have been filed. Add that to a slow judicial system... that really makes me mad. The Federal Judge wrote a brilliant, airtight 82-page sentence on this case (followed by a 2nd ruling concerning parental alienation). I feel really bad for this child, all this abuse. The family wants to cut all contact between him and his legitimate father. It makes me sick to my stomach...

I just realized I didn't write a single movie review this year. We've seen a few. There's also the TV series. LOST is more awesome than ever. I can't believe next season will be the last. Since we have a lot of time to kill before the next season, we've been watching it from inception? Who's we? Well, I attend a LOST roundtable every Friday at my friend's workplace (down the street from me). Well, now I'm also addicted to Fringe. I found the episodes from Season 1 online and I'm almost done. It's like the X Files, many conspiracies, twists and freaky stuff (and cutie Joshua Jackson). Lil Ole Nerdy me loves it.

Just wish I were in San Diego for the Comic-Con.

Deadly Metro Collision in DC

To celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary:

Shortly before 5pm today, there was a major accident on the DC Metro Red Line. Yes, it's the line I use to get to and from work. Fortunately I was not injured in this accident since it was on the opposite side of the line.

Traffic and train circulation is a zoo, though, and the metro trip that usually takes 35 min + delays took over 90!

As of 10pm today, there are 6 dead and over 100 injured.

Sending my thoughts and prayers to the victims and their loved ones.

Images below: CBS News


 

Shocked!

Seriously, I think I've seen everything now.

There's a couple, they're friends with my Dad and it's the guy's third marriage. My Mom was telling me the things they say about each other.

First, he told his wife "you're not the wife I loved the most but I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you".

Pretty sweet, huh? Especially for a guy who's been divorced twice.

Now it's the wife's turn, talking about her husband.

"He's my master and I do everything he says, I'm here to please him".

That was my queue to start whistling the theme from "I dream of Genie"... This is 2009, people!!!!! How can someone act like that????

Collective Blogging - Bring Sean Home

Truly ashamed of being Brazilian right now.



Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro and David George Goldman got married and settled in Tinton falls, NJ. They had a child, Sean Richard Goldman, born in 2000. They had a very happy life.

On June 16, 2004, David drove Bruna, her parents and Sean to Newark airport. She was taking Sean to a 2-week vacation in Rio de Janeiro. Once she arrived in Brazil, she called David to tell him their love story was over and if he ever wanted to see Sean again, he'd have to come to Rio and, among many demands, sign off his paternal rights to Sean. It was a huge blow to David, who tried to reason with his wife, to no avail. David then started pursuing the matter legally, based on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which both Brazil and USA are signatory. The Convention says a child must be returned within a 6-week period to the place of habitual residence (NJ) which is the appropriate forum to make a decision on this case. Well, 5 years later, Sean is still in Brazil.

When in Brazil, Bruna got custody of Sean immediately in family court, claiming it was a consensual separation and David authorized Sean's permanence in Brazil (using a travel authorization given by David, something that every child traveling without one parents is required to have). She also got a unilateral divorce from David and married family law attorney Joao Paulo Lins e Silva, from the prominent Lins e Silva family of attorneys. The law office where he works, ironically, is specialized on Hague cases. His father is a scholar on International Child abduction and Parental Alienation.

David was denied the right to see his son, as well as communication via email or telephone. The gifts he mailed were returned, unopened. The judicial battle taking years, mostly due to the slowness of the judiciary.

Last year, in August, Bruna died from complications after giving birth to a daughter by her second husband, Chiara. David thought the case was over, when he found out Bruna's new husband has filed to get custody of Sean and had it granted on the same day (even though the judiciary is really slow, isn't it weird?). David's case got the media attention, being shown on Today Show and Dateline, but the Brazilian family had an injunction in Brazil, saying nothing about the case could be published because the case ran in secrecy of justice. It wasn't until the New York Times published an article about this case in February of this year that the Brazilian newspapers picked it up. The maternal family fired back, with material based on hearsay and making up lies, publicly slandering David, including a letter Bruna's new husband sent, commenting on the couple's alleged intimate life. The family's connections in high society and politics, and a massive PR job changed the coverage of this matter to "poor rich kid who lives with loving relatives is afraid of being taken to the US by a mean American who never pursued his son". Liars!

They also say Sean should not be separated from his baby sister since they are blood relatives... what about his father???? They say it's inhumane to take Sean from his posh life in Brazil... what about taking him from his father 5 years ago???

David's battle gathered many allies, such as SOS Hillary Clinton, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Senators Lautenberg and Menendez, among others. When President Obama asked president Lula about this case, Lula simply said it was in Federal Court and that Brazil has an independent Judiciary.

In February, David saw his son for the first time in years and saw their bond had not been broken.

Finally, on June 1st, 2009, Federal Judge Rafael Pereira Pinto, on a brilliant 82-page sentence, ruled that Sean was to return to the US. The family had 48 hours to present the boy to the American Consulate in Rio de Janeiro. The judge's decision says, among other things, that Sean has been brainwashed by the family into believing his father never tried to get him back, and also Sean said that it didn't matter whether he stayed in Brazil or returned to the US, that the judge would decide. But would only start repeating he wanted to stay after a psychologist sent by the stepfather questioned his response. David flew immediately to get his son.

But 17 hours before the deadline, the Supreme Court issued a stay on the order, when prompted by a political party whose leader is friends of the family (wait a minute, isn't the judiciary independent?) and is questioning the "constitutionality of the Hague convention".

On Wednesday, June 10, the Supreme Court will decide this matter, and we don't know what their decision will be. Let's pray that justice will be done and Sean will be sent home.

I have attended the DC Rally in March, as well as written my congressmen and senators in Brazil and USA. Can you help???

Please visit BringSeanHome for more info and documents.

Happy Easter!

I know I haven't been in here forever, but I haven't forgotten...

Things have been busy, @ work and @ home. I guess that can be a good thing, right?

Hang in there, I am preparing some posts, I will write again soon. If all goes well, I'll post something by the end of the week. I even have 2 movie reviews to post.

Don't give up on me yet! :)

Socrates' Triple Filter Test

I know I haven't been here in a while. Don't worry, I'm still coming back.


A friend sent me this, and it's so true (even if it didn't happen). I wish A LOT of people would use it.

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.
One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance that ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students called Plato?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test".

"Triple filter?"

"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student, let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say.

The first Filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.

Now let's try the second filter, the Filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued. "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the Filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good, nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.