rhymeswithcandi

Its no secret (or surprise) that Baltimore, MD and DC are among the most dangerous cities in the country for gang-related and violent crime.

You would think the politicians (many of whom are based in DC) would have done something to clean up their own city!

I am sick of seeing politicians talk a big game just to get voted in and then deliver jack ####. It is a bloody national embarrassment and disgrace that the nation's capital, the center of the country, has such a large crime problem and is so run down.

I didn't find DC to be run-down at all - I thought it was a beautiful city. Great architecture and historic sites.

DC is gorgeous... if you stick around the capital and monuments. DC is also one of the most highly policed cities - they have dozens of different types of law enforcement... not to mention a huge presence of private security. But that's only in select areas of DC like where the government buildings are and in embassy neighborhoods. Those areas are VERY safe. Outside of that, DC is pretty run-down.

Excuse me a moment, but can someone please tell me who DH is?

It's short for D!ckHead. I believe he is referring to VJ Troll, who he later calls Punjab in a really endearing manner.

I can't believe that thread is on page 50 something now. It has provided entertainment

Crikey's posts are freakin amazinnnnnn

Crikey is so full of #

For those of you who are Rick Mercer fans, and even if you have never heard of him (which means you are NOT Canadian, hahaha), I believe you will love this video clip.

Kite-snow-ski-boarding in Quebec. Crazy!

Enjoy!

That was hilarious. *wipes tears from eyes* Rick Mercer's a hoot. I went to see him at the Just For Laughs festival. What a great night that was. The only thing that would have made it better was if my date had shown up.

HAHA!! I fell in love with Rick Mercer when he did Talking to Americans... he makes me laugh-snort-cry.

Playa Del Carmen is amazing. I loved it there. It's close to Chichenitza and Tulum which are gorgeous places to go on day-trips from Playa del Carmen.

Morning !

Just happy and wanted to share with ya that I talked to my boss yesterday and they gonne pull me off the evening schedule within 1-2 months!

I am gonna have a day schedule only

That schedule is driving me nuts, people at night are nuts, and the lack of sleep makes me go crazy and isn't good on me and hubby

I was just stressing too much about it because they hired me for nights in the firts place and I didn't want to lose my job.

Have a great day

That's super news! I wouldn't like working nights either... I like the sunlight too much.

Ok. Show of hands. Should I request the mods to lock this thread or let it die a natural death over the course of the next few hours?

Personally, I think it'll die a natural death.

Yes, and it is problematic.

This can happen: READ: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...c=22057&hl= (They moved from CA to NY and informed USCIS even info passed with the CA office, a few months later the CA office started removal proceedings due to their failure to report to an AOS interview in the CA office)

Wow that is the most unlucky scenario ever! It looks like their address change and interview notice completely crossed in the mail. Maybe if I make the address change a little early and have someone collect our mail here (which we can do) we can avoid this...

when you went for the biometrics was it just for EAD or EAD and AOS ?,

( you can find out on the letter you had for the biometrics it should say code 3 wich is for AOS , EAD and AP ,on my letter it was written AOS EAD biometrics )

did they take your 10 fingerprint or just a few , if they took the 10 you probly already had the biometrics for AOS and EAD and dont need another apointment ,

but if they only took a few fingerprint then it probly was for EAD ,

I would make any infopass to clear things up if AOS was included on your biometric appointment

( take a look at the NOA biometric letter they send you when you went for the appointment , if the AOS is included ) if it was then all your waiting for now is the interview letter ( if interview is required ) if you move before you get this letter you will have to let them know of change of adress by filling A 11, but someone with more knowlage on moving while AOS pending might be able to help you more , good luck

That was helpful Lona, thanks.

It actually says "Code 2" and they only took one print of my index finger so it looks like it was just for my EAD and I'll probably have to do it again.

I'm just praying that I get something within the next 8 weeks but I'll make an Infopass appointment to try and get things sorted anyway. I've changed addresses once before (although within the same state). I did it over the phone and also filed AR-11 and it worked out well. I'm sure moving to another state will be a lot trickier though.

I'd just stay put until this is finished but my husband has to go back to CA to go to school so I'm kinda stuck.

Glad you listened to ur husband, he sounds like a smart guy!!

Hahaha! He has his moments I suppose. Mostly, I'm the smart one though (or I like to think)

Good morning everyone...

I'm currently listening to the angry chirps of the bird whose nest my husband had to push out of the dryer vent last night (we couldn't relocate it). I just keep thinking of how hard that little bird worked and now she has nowhere to lay her eggs

That was it. In total, it took about 15 minutes.

A snap!!

I'm leaving the country again tomorrow (this time by air) so I'll let everyone know how that goes I'm supposed to turn in the I-94 to someone at the airport when I leave - not sure who but I'll find out.

Wow. 15 minutes. That's gotta be a record!

They won't take your I-94 at the airport, Mandi. It's been validated with an expiry date to match your AP. At least that's been my experience. We all know that's subject to each officer's interpretation of policy. However, it's also been my experience that an expired I-94 is not removed at the airport. But it has been removed and replaced at re-entry.

Glad you had a great visit!

I thought it was pretty quick too! I had warned my husband that it might take 45 minutes to an hour and he thought I was crazy. When we left he said "SEE! I told you it wasn't going to take an HOUR!" Of course they had to prove me wrong

I've received a NOA Re my AOS notifying me that I will be receiving a biometrics appointment notice. That was about a month ago and I've received nothing since.

I've got AP already and did biometrics for EAD (which I received). When I called the mis-Information line they told me I would be contacted shortly for an interview appointment.

So, I'm lead to believe that any day now I should be expecting an interview and biometrics appointment here in VA.

The thing that worries me is that we're moving to CA in just 8 weeks.

Is that move going to delay/ mess-up where I'm at in the application process? Will my application be transferred to another office and cause problems for me?

Just wondering if anyone has moved to another state at this stage in the process and can shed some light.

Thank you!

I FINALLY got to go for a visit to Canada for Easter weekend and it was GREAT! The 10 hour drive was totally worth it (even though my husband did all the driving)

On the way back into the US, we crossed at the Peace Bridge (Fort Erie/ Buffalo).

We handed the officer my passport and my husband's military ID. He asked our citizenship and where we lived. We told him we both live in VA and were going home. Then he asked my status and I told him I was applying for AOS and had Advanced Parole documents which I gave to him (with my marriage certificate because my passport has my maiden name). Then he said "We need to stamp this don't we?" I told him it was my first time using the AP so I didn't know. Then he put our docs in an envelope and told us to go to the building and we could get our docs there. We waited about 10 minutes (the waiting room in the building isn't heated btw) before the officer called me up. He just handed me all my papers and ID and said we could go.

He had stamped my passport and put an I-94 slip inside. They stamped one of my AP papers and gave them both back to me. I've heard that sometimes they take one of them but they gave me both.

That was it. In total, it took about 15 minutes.

A snap!!

I'm leaving the country again tomorrow (this time by air) so I'll let everyone know how that goes I'm supposed to turn in the I-94 to someone at the airport when I leave - not sure who but I'll find out.

I say six one, half dozen the other.

my thoughts - if i'm holding a knife and fork and someone gives me a hard time about how i'm eating, they are liable to wind up with one if not both in one of their hands - or elsewhere.

I agree... correcting table manners is a huge faux pas. I think she was a b*tch and actually wanted to be rude. I explained the American vs. European difference at quite a bit of length and told her that the way she ate would probably been seen as "incorrect" in English circles. I think she felt exTREMELY silly because she had nothing to say to that!

Jesus, is that is the custom? I hope it's the only occasion to fork over money like that ??

If no one can help you with that question, I'll call my cousin, he has several friends there and travels there often. Maybe telling folks the province would help, customs may vary in a large country.

There are a few other times they give money - I remember lots of red envelopes (for putting money in) and they're given out at Chinese New Year too.

Gift giving customs are SO different in Chinese culture.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

You poor thing - I'm so sorry you've been having such a terrible go with the visa.

Try to relax (easier said than done) and don't worry about miscarrying. Stressing wouldn't be good right now

Good luck with everything!

My fiance lives in China and people tell her that it is customary to give gifts to the bride's parents when they marry. I said, "Okay, what kind of gifts"? She said, "Money and a few other small things". How much money ? 60,000 yuan. Holy cow! That alot of bread I said. With todays exchange rate thats got to be close to $8,000 U.S. This does not sound right to me. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing !

When I lived in Taiwan, a few of my Taiwanese co-workers became engaged. It is customary to give gifts to friends and family when you announce the engagement. Most girls came in and gave beautiful boxes filled with handmade cookies (I would imagine they cost about $20 each) I've also heard of giving the bride's parents money upon engagement. That being said though - I know that the married couples I knew also got a LOT of money from friends and family (people they barely knew) for wedding presents. To be honest, 60,000 yuan does sound a little steep.

I would ask your fiance to elaborate on the exact customs carried out by her own family as I'm sure everyone is different.

Hahaha! "I'm sorry I don't speak Korean"

I hope the one that got licked wasn't mine.

All this anti-gun talk is about as nonsensical as talking about bringing back slavery, taking the vote away from women, dictating religion to the people or denying rights based on race. These are individual rights in the US Constitution and they aren't up for review.

Why people feel the need to argue in circles about why we should take guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens is beyond me. It's all moot.

You can't amend an Amendment.

I'm a Liberal... and this ignorant rambling (and mudslinging at "gun-lovers") about how we need to wipe out guns is just silly to me. It makes Liberals look bad - just like defending the war in Iraq makes Conservatives look bad.

Most "gun lovers" as you put it, in fact are some of the most responsible, law abiding citizens you will meet. Disarming people is just another liberal bleeding heart leftwing load of bollox. A short drive from my home here in Northern VA, I could find a whole host of gang members and groups of young guys in hoods looking suspicious. The fact that they appear to leave the area when the sun goes down, and allegedly head out to the District speaks volumes (just what I have been told). With many people here in VA having concealed carry licenses, any attempts at criminal activity are a major risk to the criminal. DC is simply easier pickings. DC residents should be allowed to protect themselves, their families, and their homes.

Im originally from the UK and banning guns there hasn't prevented a rapid increase in gun crime. It won't work in DC either. IMO, disarming your residents and citizens, is simply helping the criminal element get one step ahead.

Woe betide anyone who comes into my home expecting to leave with a sack of loot. They are leaving in the sack itself.

Yea I have to say that I'm pretty annoyed with the picture being painted of gun owners on here (even if it i in jest). I believe that it is a person's responsibility to protect her own life and the lives of her family. Failing to do so (IMO) is as bad as failing to provide food and shelter. I think that most cops do a great job. But when seconds are critical, I think it's irresponsible to rely primarily on police officers. It's also pretty foolish in my eyes.

britty, I live in NoVA too and I know exactly what you're talking about. I don't care what anyone says - knowing that your "mark" is probably armed is a major deterrent for criminals. No one is going to car jack, rob, mug someone who is likely to be carrying.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/c...1,3492158.story

By Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

March 20, 2008

A West Covina woman who was on the phone talking with 911 dispatchers about a possible burglary was shot and killed Wednesday morning, apparently while the crime was in progress, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.

The victim was shot at a home in the 19700 block of Cameron Avenue about 11:40 a.m. while she was on the phone with 911 emergency dispatchers, said Lt. Dan Rosenberg.

The victim, whom authorities described as a "female Asian adult," was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It was perfectly obvious that she was defenseless and in absolutely no position to harm these individuals," Rosenberg said. "For whatever reason, they elected to shoot her."

Rosenberg did not disclose details of the shooting. He said the investigation was continuing and no motive had been established for the slaying.

"It was vicious," he said.

Detectives were canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses. One person told authorities that at least one person had been seen running from the residence.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.

andrew.blankstein

@latimes.com

Sure sounds like disarming the law-abiding and making them depend on 911 is a good idea ...

Exactly. Like I said earlier - In the event an intruder were in my home, I would rather be drawing my gun than hiding in a corner on hold with 911.

Yes silliness for someone to 'correct' how someone is holding their knife and fork - or imply they are 'wrong'....I mean really.

Personally I use the American version as described above - this is the way I was taught as a child. My Mother was raised by her American relatives, this is probably why.

Drives me nuts when people correct someone... the lady who corrected me, I think, was being rude. The old guy I think was being funny.

Gentle reader,

I find this problem can be solved easily by eating with one's fingers. In order to encourage my dinner guests to engage in this simple practical ettiquette, I always try to seat the left-handed guests next to the right-handed guests so that their elbows will bump should they try to use a knife and fork instead of their fingers. I also encourage them to speak with their mouths open by asking pressing questions just as they shovel in another mouthful. I hope this helps.

Sincerely, Miss Ing Manners

Okay, seriously, I tried to do it the British way just to be different, but found it difficult being right-handed. My fiance is originally British (even though I don't think he was using a knife and fork much before he immigrated to Canada as an infant) but I think he also does it the way we do. Now I'm probably going to stare at the poor man next time we eat together to see how he uses his knife!

Haha!!

I tried the American way but it seemed so awkward.

More biased "opinion" posed as "news".......

Five years in Iraq: a deep disquiet in the US

Its in step with the majority of public opinion.

I guess that makes the polled majority opinions nasty, dirty liberals.

Or nasty, dirty liberals and well-informed conservatives. NOt all republicans are supportive or bush or this war anymore... it's the truth.