HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMINEM & WYCLEF JEAN!

Happy birthday to American rapper, Eminem! He turns 34 today, October 17. Snoop Dogg calls him the "great white American hope", although this totally cute rapper has tons of controversies on his back, mainly due to the content of his lyrics. His songs usually speak of depression, drugs, self-abuse, a bad childhood, poverty, criminal cases, and the like. But how successful is he? According to the Guinness World Records, Eminem is the fastest-selling rap artist, as "The Marshall Mathers LP" went to sell over 1.7 million domestic copies in its first week. True, he has so much angst and anger, but heck, who cares? He can rap and he's super cute! Hehe.
Happpy birthday also to another American artist, Wyclef Jean! He's also turning 34 today! He's been around for quite some time now (his first group was The Fugees, with Lauryn Hill and Pras), but I've only been made aware of his talent when he hooked up with Shakira to do "Hips Don't Lie". Jean has been active in his support of his native country and created his own foundation "Yéle Haïti" to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to Haïti, which is currently the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Yéle is a non-political organization intended to empower the people of Haïti and the Haïtian diaspora to rebuild their nation. A man with a cause.

OPERATION: RANCH HAND

Some facts for all of you, as presented by the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) regarding Operation Ranch Hand (ORH). Supporting article at : http://www.vava.org.vn/en-GB/newsopinion/2006/5/50193.vip

During more than a decade, from August 10, 1961 to October 31, 1971, Operation Ranch Hand planes sprayed 95% of herbicides over Vietnam.
1961
· April 12: a list of nine types of military actions in Viet Nam, including defoliation is submitted to President John F. Kennedy

· May: Vice-president Lyndon B. Johnson visits Saigon to decide, among other issues, the use of defoliants as a weapon.
· August 10: test spraying in Central Vietnam (north of Kontum)

· August 24: test spraying in the South (north of Saigon).
· September 23: Department of Defense and Department of State request emergency measures to support South Vietnam, including defoliation. Dissenting voices within State Department are ignored.

· November 7: Defense Secretary Robert McNamara requests the U.S. Air Force to provide the necessary (manpower, planes and chemicals) for implementation of ORH.
· November 30: John F. Kennedy authorizes use of defoliants in Vietnam. Code names range from “Trail Dust” for all types of spraying, “Hades” (Greek God of Death) for plane missions to “Ranch Hand”.

· December 4: December 15 fixed as start of ORH. More than 19,812 gallons of Agent Pink and Green are already stocked in Saigon.

· December 15: first shipment of 109,988 gallons of Agent Purple and 48,994 gallons of Agent Pink leave Oakland, CA, for Viet Nam.

1962

· January 10: first Fairchild C-123 sprayed 219 gallons of Agent Purple.

· September: ORH intensifies. Focuses on Ca Mau (southernmost province) and its mangrove forests.
· October 2: President Kennedy authorizes destruction of crop.
1963
· February: first US media articles criticize the “dirty war”.
1965
· January: introduction of Agent Orange and Agent White (more than 60% of herbicides used in Viet Nam is Agent Orange).
· December: focus on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the supply route from North to South. Laos is collaterally affected.
1966
· About 2.5 million gallons sprayed.
1967
· February: more than 5,000 scientists (including 17 Nobel Prize laureates) sign petition requesting President Johnson to stop the use of herbicides.
· Over 5.1 million gallons sprayed.
1968
· U.S. military involvement at its height with 538,000 forces in Vietnam.
· Introduction of Agent Orange II (“Super Orange”).
1969
· December 16: The U.N. stipulate that all chemical substances with potential adverse affect on humans, animals and plants are covered by the Geneva Protocol June 17, 1925 banning the Use of Toxic and Non-Toxic Gases
1970
· April 15: U.S. Department of Defense cancels use of Agent Orange in Viet Nam after ban of a component (2,4,5-T, found to contain dioxin) in the U.S.
· May 9: last defoliation mission, with Agent White. Destruction of crops continue.
1971
· January 7: Last three ORH sorties. Focus on crops in Ninh Thuan Province.
· October 31: last defoliation session by U.S. helicopter.
· About 10,000 gallons used in 1971. US forces withdraw gradually leaving defoliant stock to South Vietnamese army.
1972
· April: Department of Defense orders “repatriation” of 1.35 million gallons Agent Orange from Viet Nam to Johnston Island (Pacific). Almost 1 million gallons are already on a Mississippi military site.
1973
· January 27: signature of the Paris Agreement. Article 21: “[…} the United States will contribute to the healing of the wounds of war and assist the reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam”.
1975
· April 8: through President G. Ford’s executive order, the U.S. renounce the use of herbicides as a war weapon.
1977
· The Agent Orange stockpiled in the U.S. is transferred to a Dutch ship, the Vulcanus, and incinerated at high temperature in the North Pacific.

RAIN, RAIN, DON'T GO AWAY!

I'm sick with the flu. The rain wouldn't let up at all last night, and I got wet a few times. I loved every minute of it, though! Walking in the rain... Ahhhh.... But now I'm sick. I still love the rain. Always have, always will.
Wish me luck on my performance tonight! Sigh....

MY NAME IS NOT LUKA

I am no longer Luka, as I don't live on the 2nd floor anymore. Hehehe... Moved to a room on the 3rd floor a few days ago. It may be a couple of flights higher, but at least it's bigger and better. I have a larger bed, my own bathroom (with tub) now, and I even have a little terrace (not that I'd stay out there to bask in the sun. Hehe). Of course I made sure to move the thick curtains to my new room too. I don't want the sun waking me up when I should still be in Dreamland!
Special thanks to Thuy and Carlo for helping me move my stuff.

ARTICLE: "AGENT ORANGE:

THE LEGACY OF A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION"

Here are a couple of excerpts from an article that made me cry:
* "Some of the most severely affected babies, abandoned by their parents, live on two floors in a wing known as the Peace Village.
Entering it is like stepping back 40 years to the days of Thalidomide, the morning-sickness pill prescribed in Britain in the 1960s that left babies hideously deformed. In the first room, cots line the walls. In one, a four-year-old girl rocks on all fours, gently banging her head against the bars. A nurse turns her round to reveal a face with no eyes. Under a thick fringe of dark hair, there are soft indentations in the skin either side of her nose, where her eyes should be. Above her cot a printed label gives her name as Tran Sinh, and her date of birth as 27 February 2002. According to the nurses she was born in an area heavily sprayed with Agent Orange, where the land is still contaminated 35 years after the spraying stopped."
* "In the cot next to her, Tran Loan, aged five months, has a head the size of a melon and is whimpering softly. He has hydrocephalus - fluid on the brain. Next to him a child wearing a stripey red T-shirt has stumps for legs. A three-year-old with a crazily pointed skull and bulging eyes lies on his back staring at the ceiling. But for his Mickey Mouse T-shirt, he looks as if he belongs to another world."
Please do read the rest of this astonishing article : http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0401-07.htm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KUYA NOEL!

Happy birthday to Kuya Noel this October 8!!!
Kuya Noel has been my "dad" this past year & a half. I've been thru a lot of ups and downs during my stay here in Saigon, and he has always been there for me, watching out for me and taking care of me. A perfect gentleman and a real human being, he has been more than an excellent band leader to me... My dad, friend, computer guide, musical coach, clown, savior, and counsellor all rolled into one. And if you know me well, then you should know that I'm quite a handful! Hehehe.
But seriously, I don't think I would have survived being away from home this long if I didn't have Kuya Noel by my side (and Ate Nina too!). I am truly lucky to be working and living with him, for he has great talent, a good soul, and a kind heart. You can never go wrong with Kuya Noel, and I am damn proud to be on his team!
Once again, happy birthday to Kuya Noel! May He shower you with even more blessings, for you deserve each and every one of them.
By the way guys, check out samples of Kuya Noel's music at http://www.myspace.com/noelnicolas

A WORTHY CAUSE

How fortunate that the Caravelle Hotel will be hosting an event for something that I am currently so concerned about!
"Songs for Victims of Agent Orange" will be held at the Caravelle Hotel Ballroom at 6:30PM on Oct. 28, 2006. The night will consist of performances by our band, Sapphire, and the H.K. Welsh Male Voice Choir, a buffet dinner, and a raffle. Tickets cost only US$45 each. If you can't make it to the event, then you are free to simply make a donation for this noble cause.
I don't usually beg and plead, but for this, I am doing so. To all of you out there, wherever you are, please do get in touch with me by leaving a BLOG comment/message, or you can e-mail me at jennybaby_88@yahoo.com for information on how you can submit your donations to this worthy cause. If you feel you don't know me well enough to entrust me with your money, then please do get in touch with the Caravelle Hotel at 848-8234999. You may also e-mail them at hotel@caravellehotel.vnn.vn or directly contact the hotel's Marketing Communications Manager at mcm@caravellehotel.vnn.vn
For those who are not familiar with Agent Orange, please click here:
http://jennybaby88.blogspot.com/2006/09/i-wish-for-world-peace.html
I am hoping for your support regarding this, guys. Let's share our blessings with those who are a lot less fortunate than us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TLEE!

To one of the loves of my life, happy birthday to you! TLee turns 44 today, October 3, and he is as awesome as ever! Born in Athens, Greece, this Motley Crue drummer became the fantasy of millions of people (with a 10-inch d*ck... what do you expect?!) after a private sex-video of his was stolen and released.
TLee is a supporter of animal rights and PETA. He recently donated autographed drumsticks to support PETA's campaign with KFC and their abuse to chickens.
This man is one of the reasons (if not THE reason) why I got hooked on the show Rockstar Supernova, where him and his new band selected their lead singer, Lukas Rossi.
To TLee, good luck with Supernova, keep on rockin', and may we get to meet and get it on in the near future. Haha!

CRITICS' CONCERN

Why is it so difficult for most of us to accept criticism, constructive or otherwise? The way I see it, if a person isn't concerned about you, he wouldn't even bother telling you what he thinks you should improve or develop about yourself.
I used to be guilty of this, until I started working with Jorge, my ex-boyfriend / Liquified Orange band leader. I had already been singing for years prior to joining Jorge's band. By then, I could already sing and dance to both oldies and the latest hits. I've already worked with some really good musicians, and was getting gigs at popular venues in Manila. I could already make the crowd sing, clap, hoot, scream, and get on their feet. I was good! Or so I thought....
Jorge used to work with a popular Record Label in the Philippines. From in-studio work to packaging/marketing the artist, his experience was extensive. My trust in him was more than about him being a good boyfriend to me. I trusted and had faith in his musicality, his ideas, and his opinions. You better believe I got loads of comments and criticism from this guy! He covered everything! He taught me how to talk, act, dance, sing, dress, project, move, and smile on stage. He taught me how to do proper research on exemplary artists, and to know what to "copy and paste" from them. He taught me how to listen and hear the real meaning of songs, and how to internalize, sing, project, and move to them. Each and every day of working and being with him was a learning experience. It was taxing but, in the end, I became a better performer because of him.
We parted ways a year and a half ago, but I will never forget everything that he taught me. And so, to Jorge... My deepest, sincerest, and most heartfelt thanks.

WHEN RIGHT GOES WRONG

On our way home from work last night, we passed by the 24-hour convenience store. As I got out of the cab, a group of little girls who sell gum in the streets flocked around me. One of them was a familiar face. Han, a poor little bowlegged girl of about 6 years old was a regular sight just outside one of the popular bars here in Saigon. I would often ask her for a packet of gum and a kiss, and would give her more money than the gum was worth. And so I didn't think twice about doing the same thing last night.
As I was getting back into the cab, the other girls were pushing and pulling around me, but I told them I had no more money to give them. The cab pulled away from the store and I took my bag to get some cab money. Lo and behold! My wallet was gone! We went back to the store to ask them if perhaps I had left my wallet at the counter, but it was nowhere in sight... As were the little girls. The store manager told us that this was a normal occurence whenever those little girls were around. Damn! I just got my paycheck the other day too!
I'm trying to look at the bright side of this, which is that they need that money more than I do. Still, I can't help but think that maybe next time I see those poor(?) little girls in the street, I should just keep my wallet in my bag and walk away. Sigh....