Shades of life

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:24:16 GMT

I, I, I (of all people, yes, ME), have been accepted for an internship.
Can you believe it? An internship for me?
*is ecstatic*.
You know, what with my LOW self esteem, I always thought I'd never be good enough. But no, the gentleman who interviewed me said my cv was "impressive".
...I'm on cloud nine.
More when I've actually signed the forms and all!

Flat, flat, flat.

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:40:53 GMT

...Life in Nenyaland is getting all that much harder. I am extremely nervous about an appartment we are seeing in 1h50. It's like my dream flat, and I know it'll be the bestest... because I know this company and all their flats are perfect. This one happens to be a bit larger and a bit cheaper though!
I'm just worried about if they will give it to us, you know?

Otherwise, life in Nenyaland remains tough. But I'll live.

Life in Nenyaland.

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:52:40 GMT

1. I have stopped drinking diet coke. Completely. Yay me.
2. I have 5 research papers to write, first one due on Feb. 10th and lots of presentations due before that.
3. I have to come up with a new subject for my thesis (preferably, something scientific).
4. I am looking for a flat.
5. I am looking for an internship or a job.
6. I am looking for my brain.
7. I am looking for my courage.
8. I am not managing to lose weight.
Meep?

Mike Huckabee? ooookaaaaayyyyyyy....

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:56:07 GMT

This is a show by a Canadian guy (Rick Mercer), which was intended to show canadians how little the people of the United States know about Canada. And, as it were, a few important figures (erstwhile and to-be) feature on it.
Watch on as of the 7th minute (ish). And then tell me... how should we non-US citizens see the second-place win of a guy who "congratulates Canada on preserving its national igloo"?.

Me and my really weird dreams...

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:42:14 GMT

I've had some very weird dreams on occasion, but this one takes a prize:
I had just been appointed to be the new first-class teacher at my niece's new school. And I was doing great_ I started a small colony of insects for the kids to learn about, and taught them to read pretty quickly.
As in, a day or three.
Well admitedly, there were only 2 kids in the whole kindergarten, so that's not so very surprising.
And then the dream changed: my insect colony changed to 4: 1 colony of water turtles (trapped in a jar that was too tiny and had to be changed urgently, not to mention the fact the turtles were having young which I wanted to sell to a pet shop, but would have to raise a little first), 1 colony of mosquitos, 1 colony of wasps and 1 (hidden) colony of flies.

Each took up a room_ the first was in the inner room of the school, while the second was in my home. The third was in the outer room of the school, and the fourth was... doubling up with the turtles.

Now, I don't dislike bees and wasps (they're nice if one will just leave them alone)... but this was just terrifying to see. In my dream, I couldn't calm myself down_ and that put me at an imminent risk of being attacked.

Flies disgust me.

As for mosquitos? I hate them_ but I can't stand killing them. I dreamt that I plugged lots of mosquito repellant in before leaving the room, but I also dreamt that repelling so many of them was completely impossible.

I have weird dreams.

Dear Anonymous Commenter...

Sun, 13 May 2007 07:35:01 GMT

Dear Anonymous Commenter(s).

You are welcome on this blog, and on every other blog of mine, as a rule.

But if you try, if you so much as try to post any sort of link to any kind of pornographic content again, you will find me less than amenable.

How DARE you.

OWWWWWW

Tue, 01 May 2007 07:46:50 GMT

My. Poor. Back.
It's been hurting, hurting, HURTING... for a week now. It bloody. fucking. hurts. Who'd know hyperactive me would have such a problem?
I think that, excluding months of mourning, this has been one of the worst of my life_ pain, more pain, exams, and yet more pain.
I will survive. I think.
But, really, I'll have to look into this back problem thing... it's just a nuisance and a pain now, but in thirty years, it might be something more... I do suspect that it's mostly my own weight, weighting down my spine, but regardless_ I do want to be able to walk in my old age, and this obviously means, I have to watch my health today. Dieting some more? Duh. It's getting almost tritely repetitive, but I'll manage in the end.
Anyway.
I've started a new writing project_ volunteers for a read? it's merely 6,000 words long atm, but I have a good feeling about this.

At Stone Hawk, stone Drugs.

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:30:37 GMT

Have you seen all the recent controversity about how the production of heroine and cocaine are soaring, particularly given certain countries' er.... political attitude (eg, Afghanistan) or um, original leadership stance (ahem, Evo Morales)?
Well yes. Heroin and Cocaine productions are rising, and, while I do understand that the motive of the people that produce it is survival, I also have to say_ more and more people in western societies will be needing an effecting drug treatment.
I am not here to pass judgment or sentence upon the producer_ they are human too, and they need to survive. I am not here to discuss drug barons, either; but I had a good friend, Alex_ who started doing drugs to make up for the emptiness of his life; his mother was, as a matter of fact, a psychological wreckage, his father was... not in a position to understand his wife's problems, his sister and elder brother were...surviving it as best they could...and Alex was left to himself, trying to be the strong one.
He failed_ sank deeper and deeper into drugs_ and died in a chivalrous act of madness, taking a passenger on his bike and offering her his only helmet. It would have been fine, if the bike hadn't slipped on some oil.
My point? It's not that drugs kill_ we already know that.
I think the real point is that drugs give certain people a sense of... normalcy. As if the loss of control they experience over their own lives is normal, because life itself is not controllable, or sane, or sensible.
In that respect, drug rehabilitation programs that make you work, cleaning toilets for days and days until you fight off the addiction are a call to disaster_ one cannot make people recover control over their lives by imposing more tedious duties upon them.
Rather, a program such as Stone Hawk's seems closer to the mark; it substitutes comfort to discomfort, conscious decision to force, and personal motivation to outside pressure, putting forth the fact that you cannot truly heal unless you actively decide it.
If you have a drug problem, take a look at their website_ it's well organized and informative, well-distributed, and illustrates well enough the point that one must feel safe, secure, when one attempts to pull oneself back into emotional balance, and get past a dependency.
...Unrelated, but I like the color scheme; green's my favourite!

This post was brought to you by Stone Hawk!

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:05:31 GMT

I'm sick.
How sick? well...more than I'd want to be.
More than I can handle without disturbing my daily activities; I couldn't manage 2 hours of class this morning... not fun.
What do I have? to put it mildly_ a mere head cold. Just a head cold.
Of course, "just a head cold" means a constant case of the sniffles, a majorly sore throat (though the meds the doc prescribed take care of these two), eyes watering constantly, particularly when exposed to the radiant light emanating from, say, a computer, ears malfunctioning, sense of taste all but gone, and last, but not least, a brain that seems to have assumed the countenance of porridge.
...Try studying for 3 exams in two weeks with all that!

You'll need headphones for your computer after you read this post!

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:49:26 GMT

A few years ago, a very good friend of mine, Pascal, founded a "music collective"; the general idea behind it was for artist (mainly musicians) to meet and work together, more or less co-promoting each other until they all individually made it.
The problem, of course, was that you can't really make it in the music industry unless you can get your name out there_ and back then, online music was mostly napster and such stuff_ no room for those little artists who weren't big names to begin with.
Subsequently, my friend fought hard to organize parties and contests for his group, and he was successful... at great personal cost; he had to hand out flyers himself, not being in a position to hire people to do it. In the end, he made a name for himself in the industry_ but the collective ended up disbanding. A pity.
The internet's come a long way since then; if he'd started today, Pascal could have put his musicians' pieces on Unsigned.com, a site where 4000+ unknown artists can upload their music under their name, in the hope of... becoming known. And, knowing him, he'd have done a great job.
The site caters to a variety of tastes; Gothic, Jazz, and Trance Bands, and I don't know what else (it would, in fact, be simpler to list the genres that AREN'T on site_ the list of those that are is much too long).
From what I can see, however, unsigned has bigger plans_ it won't be content to stay a site to promote the nameless for long, as it is already planning ways whereby the nameless might acquire a name: offering site-building and CD-publishing options, live chat with fans/artists and all that... We should be keeping tabs thereon; from my perspective, a site like that might well turn out to be the "blogging" of the music industry, and as such, a valuable resource whereby we'll understand the corporal evolution of the various musical sub-genres.

This post was brought to you by unsigned.com

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:31:43 GMT

I was quite pleased to notice, on payperpost.com's blog, that the company recomends not over-monetizing one's blog; that is to say_ not making specifically 3 posts a day, each separated from the others by a single non-paying post.
Why?
Well I have 3 blogs, and each of them maintains a different style; I don't want to be boring_ I like my blogs to revolve around a general topic and if, for the life of me, I can't find some common ground between the topic and the blog, I just... don't post.
What that means? It means that with my 3 blogs I could be making 60 dollars a day, at the minimum rate of 5 $ / post_ this would amount to 1350 a month. My current total payout for the coming month is 265_ granted, it's been a particularly bad month for me, computer wise, but...do the math. I've grown up since the time when making all 3 of my allowed posts was so important. Possibly because now, I have... 9. Soon 12.
On the other hand side, I have to say that the posting on topic...well, depends. I have a very diversified field of interests; this blog is about my life_so I write in in much in the same way I would write in my diary, with no topic or tags. If not for ppp, I wouldn't even have opened it to the public. Therefore, the ops I chose for this one are as random as possible_ as long as they ring some sort of bell in my mind, I'm glad. Actually that's not true_ I am more wistful than glad, because, due to my father's recent demise, all the bells that were "rung" were of a morose, melancholic, I-miss-you-daddy nature. But still_ there is nothing bad about remembering, unless you count the deep hurt.
On my "international blog, I try to stay international.... And yes, I don't always make more than 1 post between paid posts; but would anyone object to that, considering that that one post might span 2 or 3 word pages, single-spaced? I mean, check this out: http://mythiclife.blogspot.com/2007/02/europhiles-vs-europhobesagain-do-you.html
3898 words_ 7 pages on word. I am making my own self gawp... and, apparently, that one made a reader gawp as well (which would be the cause for a scathing reply of mine_ I do not appreciate that sort of accusation). More posts between posts? Like this one? uuuuuh.... could be....could be not.... not always at least.

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:01:45 GMT

On www.mythiclife.blogspot.com, my other blog, I made a post to rebutte someone who was saying Europe was rubbish as a response to my post on Europhiles. And that person, a stranger, saw fit to react to an extra long and well-researched post of mine with a single accusation: plagiarism. Who, me.
It would have been funny if it weren't such a serious accusation. Plagiarist, me. Me_ the university student. Me, who kicks those plagiarists she happens to run into. Makes me maaaaaaad, so maaaaaad.
Still, who gives a stranger the right to say I am plagiarising some guru without having evidence or without having specific quotes? When I accuse someone of plagiarism, I am usually well able to quote the source they plagiarized from.
This? It makes me feel filthy.

Covering up the damage, or covering the car before it gets damaged_ it's your pick.

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 19:01:34 GMT

If only my poor dad had lived to see this, he'd have been drooling!
My father loved cars; particularly sports cars, elegant cars, beautiful, powerful, masterful cars. He used to say a car was like a woman... but he never told me what, exactly, he meant (most probably because I was his daughter, and one isn't supposed to tell stuff like that to one's daughter *g*).
Nothing was too good for dad's car... if he'd seen those wolf car covers, he would have bought 5. Of the same, yes. Not to put them all on the car at the same time_ and not because he had 5 cars, either. Simply, he enjoyed owning beautiful things, things of unimpeachable quality, and didn't particularly like having to replace them, when some jealous neighbour jealously pointed out a rip that had miraculously (AHEM!) appeared in them.
All these Wolf Car Covers, Dashmat Dash Covers, LeBra Car Bras look exactly like the sort of thing he'd have spent lots of money on... they are exactly what he'd have gone for for his precious sports car...LeBra even sells the product in his favourite colours_ dark blues.
I dont think he'd have needed Truck and SUV covers, but only because he didn't own any of those particular means of transportation... when he had a boat, though, the Boat Covers were the first accessory he would buy (I can't even count how many hours he and I spent in the shops while he got all, exactly ALL of the product specifications from the salesperson, and then matched that up against what his research had yielded, before he decided if it was good value for money... Ah, if only the net had existed back, then, he could've just gone to carcoverguys, and left ME to peacefully watch a movie for an extra couple of hours!).
Let's set sentimentality aside, though, for an honest, objective opinion: I don't own a car, myself, but I think buying a car cover is an important thing for those that do; not because it's classy or fashionable, but because it protects a very precious and expensive means of transportation, stopping it getting worn by adverse winds and agressive precipitation, or hail; spending a little on that miht save you a lot in repairs!

This post is sponsored by carcoverguys.com!

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:29:13 GMT

"I'm exhausted. I need my bed_ with a woman in it to cuddle". My best female friend read this message out to me_ apparently, the guy she fancies sent it to her; I thought it was quite flirty and cute_ and she considered it quite shameless of him. It took me a few moments to figure out why_ she thought he was being leery and commenting on the girlfriend she hadn't known he has.
(I should mention my best friend doesn't really speak English like I do, so she's excused).
Took a few moments to explain it to her, and then suggested she answer "got any likely prospects?" I think it's a nice retort... what do you think?

In Vitro Fertilization (in case you want a baby you can't have!)

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:20:36 GMT

IVF in English, and "FIV" in French; whatever_ it stands for "in vitro fertilization". Many make fun of it as a process reserved for homosexual couples. Not me_ I think it's a very laudable, very admirable procedure; a helpful one, particularly for those couples which, for one or the other reason, have found themselves unable to conceive children the natural way.
Myself, I am young yet, and do not presently ambition to become a mommy. But I'm one of those lucky women who have time and life ahead of them. Many don't, and for these, an IVF, or a PDG (=Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis,) are priceless gifts_ they are the gift of a life. Or three_ IVFs are famous for producing multiple pregnancies!
Ever heard that movie quote from Amelie? "she went to Notre Dame so God would give her a baby brother?" Relatively Speaking, IVF would be a little like divine intervention, divine remedy.
But let's leave the divine out, and get the doctor in.
In this case, the doctor in question would be Randy S. Morris, a specialist in reproductive medicine, Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology who's appeared on various television channels, websites and newspapers, discussing reproductive medicine. In Chicago IVFs are done by him.
Apparently, his point of view appeals to both established parenting and feminine magazines like Cosmo_ and more conventional, and neutral publications like the Chicago Tribune.
In other words, the POV of a specialist, and as such, worth taking notice of. You may not need an IVF to conceive a child (if and when your time comes), but you might know someone who will_ giving them the info might do them a world of good!

This post was brought to you by ivf1.com!

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:09:48 GMT

Don't you hate it when circumstances manage to make you not participate in things? my colleagues have created a newsgroup at the DA; the first meeting was one I completely and utterely forgot about. Vewy sheepish about that.
Second meeting was scheduled during a class that few were taking, so they didn't cancel it.
By now, everyone's taken over every responsibility, and I point blank refuse to exhibit any form of interest now. I am the one who wasn't there.
What irks, is that I had *told* the girl in charge that I'd be more than interested and able to handle the web- aspect of the thing... since I'm to handle that aspect for the uni's student initiative...
Meh, whatever. It isn't, and shouldn't be that important. Who cares.

352: 3 websites, 5 e-shops, and 2... er... two whats?

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:04:37 GMT

352 media. 352. What does the number mean? what does the "352" logo stand for? It's not the years they've been in business (obvious, considering they're an Atlanta web design company, and not your average dressmaker). It's not the number of different computer languages they can code under... no self-respecting coder would learn use 352 different languages on one page, as the quality would sink quite low in the end.
Perhaps it is the number of notable clients they've had? the names on their list include companies like Microsoft, American Express, and Ben'n Jerry's, and the company's been around since 1997. Plus, their services include a very long list of options_ webdesign, webdevelopment, web applications... I tend to think they must have had a much longer list of customers_ and the ones they specifically mention, are the most prominent ones.
Could it be the number of employees? according to their site, 352 media started out with 3 people, building sites from their dorms, and then expanded, and expanded, and now are in a position to take several interns each year. So that is a possibility, indeed.
Another option: the company's growth rate exceeds 300% a year, so 352 could be that average number since 1997. Maybe.
On the overall, however, what matters is the company's quality, and it's area of expertise; it's one of the many out there that provide Custom Website Design, Flash Animation, and Ecommerce Website Design and Development... but unlike many, it's one of the few that does it successfully, and whose label does convey a sense of quality.

This post is brought to you by 352media.com!

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 09:35:12 GMT

My niece, Rosie, has chicken pox_ apparently a small present by her best friend, Katia, who's mother followed instructions of swiss schools to the letter, sending the kid back although she wasn't cleared of contagion yet.
I'm not sure whether that is a bad thing really; it's always better to get chicken pox early, so you'll be over and done with it while still in Kindergarten... as opposed to missing out on school later on.
Not a bad thing, I guess; most docs also do seem to recommend not getting vaccines against those typical childhood diseases, on the ground it's better to get lifetime immunity the hard way_ rather than risking later complications.

Cupid's Card

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:17:37 GMT

This is bound to sound a tad ridiculous, but I feel much too old_ and much too, like, in love, to hear Cupid's best pickup lines .
Now the Cupid I like best, is the one from the french comic_ cheerful chap that always somehow manages to mess up his love potions (like the time when he made a gazelle fall in love with a leopard... which got the leopard incredibly depressed). But this cupid is, well, cheeky enough, funny enough, amusing enough_ contextually speaking of course_ to draw a giggle out of the least smiling person. Which is saying quite something.
In fact, thinking about it, I probably need to show that page to my boyfriend. Think that'd make him get me a sweet card on Valentine's day? Well who knows_ I've got a year until the next time.

Regardless of cupid's noble antics (I guess I should keep my mouth shut about HIM, given he's about as greek as I am, even though we call him Eros, not Cupid), I've got to say that among all the other cards that are available by subscribing to this site, there are many that remind me of my teenage years; cards such as this one:

are exactly the type of thing I'd get my father...to tease the life out of him. Does it look like a weird thing for a daughter to get dad? He had the sense of humor to match it... (In fact, it was pretty tame compared to the time his wife got him a birthday cake shaped like a naked female torso). Still, this simply shows that you can get any card to any person, as long as you read that person correctly and get something they'll like.
In that sense, that site_ eGreetings_ has a wide selection of funny cards, fit to appeal to all tastes and fashions; few could ask for more than that, really...
That being so, Egreetings doesn't need further promoting, but I'll add that I was quite pleasantly surprised to find one could schedule the sending of a card on a certain date... wonderful for an airhead like me, who has a sad propensity to, um, completely forget, about birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays (unless I myself am due gifts. My memory is marginally better THEN).
Here are some more sample pics, just in case you're interested:

This post was brought to you by Egreetings.com!

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 23:58:51 GMT

Exam came, exam went, and I'm still alive. Why is it that whenever I have an exam, I fail to see beyond it, fail to perceive that it ain't the end of the world? Beats me...
At present, I have a huge load of hwk for English.
The problem with the aforementioned is, of course, that I haven't figured out where I dropped the paper saying I've got homework to do, because in my flurry to work on my exam...I, well, got carried away. Bad Nenya.
So, it's 1h03 am, GMT+1, on February 15th, and I've yet to do homework that's due at 8h30 sharp tomorrow.
...And then people wonder why it is that I feel so impossibly depreeeeeeeeeeessed.
Mind you, things could have been a lot worse_ I could already have been apprised of my newest B- for instance...which has not been the case. whew.
Honestly, I'd rather fail and take it again, than get a B- in a core course exam...

It's a Dog's life. I wish.

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:16:01 GMT

Now, in my family, we're big fans of al kinds of canines. Myself, I grew up with two great danes around the house. I'm told it was downright funny when I was a toddler; when I was learning to walk, I would grab on to the dog's ears, and pull myself up (and I never got bitten). If I was tired, I would lie against the dog's back, and promptly fall asleep (and the dog wouldn't move a muscle for hour upon hour). I'm even told that the dogs once saved my life, barking wildly and pushing me back (gently) from the edge of the balcony, where I was trying to go. It was like having a guardian angel, I guess.
Not to wonder, therefore, that I was overjoyed at the prospect of writing something about lead dogs...
As it is, the dog in question turned out to be a metaphorical one_ Lead Generation's dog! Lead Dog is a company that specializes in creating helping a company market themselves_ according to their own website, they "uncover qualified opportunity areas in key market segments".
What this company does for new companies is not very different from what my dogs did for me_ nurtured my baby steps, until I was able to gauge by myself how I should act, and where I should go. I like the metaphor, and would suggest taking a look at their site; the client list, which includes IBM and Shell, shows that this company (which has been around since 1994) is serious about it's claims; their list of interesting Marketing Articles, their newsletter, all about specialized topics worth the detour, supports that perception.
All in all, worth the detour (and the walk down the memory lane for me... how I miss my dogs!).

This post was brought to you by Lead Dog!

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:13:57 GMT

I'm down to 2 pages with my reading-notemaking in macro. Not too bad, given that it's the eve of the exam, and that I've yet to, um, LEARN all those pages I summed up previously.
Don't you think?
Sigh_ yeah, I know, whatever am I thinking of, at 1 am of all times!
And on top of that, I was trying to post something for payperpost, and some bug is stopping me posting it on my other blog_ and only permitting me to put it up on this one. Oddness.

...I guess I'd never thought of writing ppp posts as a suitable break between exam revision...but now that I do, it qualifies. And I'd best get cracking_ I realised I'd be paid some 100 dollars about uuuh, very soon_ which means that my overall to-be-paid earnings will drop to 200 dollars....and I'd SAID I wouldn't go lower than 300 a month. If I could.
In other words, I'll be taking loads of between-study breaks. maybe.

Advance Restaurant Finance, with an Intermediate Macroeconomics Sauce!

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:58:52 GMT

According to my current headache (tomorrow's Macroeconomics exam), the Keynesian model says that expectations influence investment; in other words, if you're expecting a lot of return on investment, you're likely to make a much bigger effort to invest. However, this does pose a problem for small and medium-sized business owners_ investing implies having some capital to invest in, and that doesn't always happen to be the case.
That's where Business Loans come in, isn't it? They are a licensed lender for small businesses, specializing in quick and hassle free loans... and, on top of that, they are destined to clients with a less-than-sterling credit history.
That would indeed solve the main problem those profit earners would have by providing funds at an opportune moment... but it would do so much more than that for those profit earners who've had a rough time setting up their business, or who are just bouncing back from the, uuuh, side effects of the recession.

It's always nice to find a company that likes to make money by helping little people. It's even nicer when the company in question reflects scientific, macroeconomic facts... but when I actually chance to remember and match up those facts with the company, that's when I feel ecstatically happy. And while I may not be a small business owner, I therefore consider myself blessed by ARF too...
And not only because they're sponsoring this post, eh!

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:44:56 GMT

Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? I'm taking my macroeconomics exam!
Guess what I'm doing now? Posting here while I am NOT ready to pass the exam.
The former and the latter are related. I am posting here rather than studying because I am so, very, so terribly, so awfully TERRIFIED. Honestly, if I ever mess up an exam at the DA, it shall be this one. And IT WILL HURT, because it's a 5 credit course.
Awful.
...Did I mention being terrified? Yes? woops. I suppose I also said that I'm really, really behind on the topics we're studying, and that everything that's discussed between students, well_ is greek to me (though, I'm greek myself, so that might not be the best of analogies...whatevah' you take my point!).
At least, I guess you could say there's ONE good thing_ it's at 2 pm. So I guess that leaves me another 14 hours of procrastination. Or rather_ 5 hours of sleep, and 9 of study-attempts.
If you've got any positive thoughts to send, now would be the time.
I'm scared.

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:44:41 GMT

My beloved is currently taking his german exam...if he passes it, woohoo, he's accepted as a real student for the Uni of Vienna. That will include normal tuition fees, but also real, live, normal classes.
And how can he fail eh? Aside from the fact that he's absolutely brilliant and highly qualified to ace that test, it's his lucky week_ he became an uncle for the 3rd and 4th time! (that is to say, his sister has had twins).
I don't know the babies' names yet, but we'll be ringing in the USA later, to congratulate everyone on the birth of the twins. I'll say_ TWINS!

While I'm at it, I always have ask myself this odd question, but I never really pose it to anyone, so, here we go: why is it, that we always congratulate children on their birthday, and never the mothers for withstanding the pain of being in labour (which, by general admission, is not insignificant)?