It is hard to believe ... well, for me, at least, because I am passing-of-time-challenged in unpredictable and confusing ways ... that October has rolled around already. This year is going even faster than 2007, and that one had the rolling down to the equivalent of a sixteen-pound bowling ball flicked from the fingers of a fullback with torque ... zero to 365 in about as much time as it takes my electric kettle to boil.

Reality will out, though, and I have accepted the Octoberness of this morning, so with little fanfare and much consternation over how ridiculously... more

Two unrelated topics in one post! Hey! How do I do that? Why do I do that? Today, because I wanted to give the link that has all the low down on the "Final Rule" of the USCIS Application and Petition fee schedule, which also has information about the public comments collected on the proposal. It makes for interesting, if depressing, reading.

And I'm sorry to be getting to this a bit late in the month, but... more

Today is the day.

This is my second year posting information on World AIDS Orphans Day, and although I put the word out earlier in hopes that community leaders would be encouraged to join in on events, today is the special day set aside in efforts to draw attention to the plight of millions of the world's children who have lost parents to AIDS.

At last count there were... more

May is big on events. Not only does the month celebrate Mother's Day, Memorial Day Older Americans, Teacher Appreciation Month, Tennis Month, National Egg Month, Better Sleep Month, and more, it is also Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

This celebration began by congressional resolution in 1978, setting aside the first ten days of May to acknowledge... more

This year's Cambodian New Year rings in the Year of the Pig, and it's a time for great joy, laughter, prayer and gratitude. Smiling faces and happy people everywhere should, by all rights, come as a puzzling surprise to anyone recalling this same occasion just 32 years ago. April 17, 1997. The first day of the Cambodian New Year three-day festival that year. Ask any Cambodian over... more

Some may have noticed I've been writing about Cambodia more than usual lately. Most of the time, I limit coverage of my children's country of birth to Friday updates of news, but this is April. What does April have that other months don't? Quite a few things, actually: Easter, Cj's birthday, ... more

Sour Sdey Chhan Thmey !!! (That's Happy New Year in Khmer, the language of Cambodia.) Normally, I post Cambodian-related items on Friday, but with many communities in the US preparing Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey) festivities beginning on Saturday, I thought I'd get the information out early... more

Unlike last year when I wrote about World AIDS Orphans Day just the day before the occasion, this year I'm reminding everyone a full month ahead of the date in hopes that some will choose to get involved in one or more of the activities that lend support. Please look at last year's post for suggestions on... more

The 21st of February has been, since a UNESCO declaration in 1999, International Mother Languages Day. Unfortunately, UNESCO hasn't bothered to get their logo for this year's commemoration out and about, so I've posted an old one. If you're wondering what this is all about here's some explanation in typical UN-speak:

The General Conference,

Recognizing the need to improve understanding and communication among peoples,

Also recognizing... more

Over on the Older Parent Blog, I've been writing about time passing too quickly and trying to come up with ways of slowing things down a bit. I know I'm not alone in feeling like the world is spinning far too fast, out of control even, and a story from the BBC confirms this.

New Year's Eve in Nantes, France saw hundreds of demonstrators marching against the calendar... more