Welcome to Portia's Secret Garden in USA-Pixnet

During the tax-free weekend, I a going to buy some sneakers... Originally, I was thinking to buy clothes, but it is too hot, so I did not have time to shop and also there are no clothes I liked.

這是我的戰利品

Today, i got my paycheck and i figured out i was withholding for social security and Medicare tax...
I went to payroll to argue with director and he just claimed that because I am a graduate student, i need to take the tax off my paycheck.
I can not argue with him, so I called IRS to verify my status... yeh..

Aug. 21 to 21 is the Sales Tax Holiday in Texas. The law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from sales and use taxes, which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. School Supplies - New in 2009!

The list of items qualifying for exemption from Texas state and local sales and use taxes during the annual sales tax holiday in August. Effective this year, in addition to clothes, footwear and some backpacks, Texas families also get a sales tax break on most school supplies priced at less than $100 purchased for use by a student in an elementary or secondary school.

Taiwan's leader takes blame for typhoon response

CISHAN, Taiwan (CNN) -- Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday he accepts responsibility for the government's slow response after Typhoon Morakot slammed into the island killing at more than 120 people and unleashing floods, mudslides and misery.

Aug 17, 2009: A day in South Padre Island

Today, becaue Jessica did not need to work anymore, we were heading to south padre island for surfing.

Aug. 16. 2009 A day to visit Mexico border City - Neuvo Pregreso

On Sun. Aug. 16, we are heading for Mexico. This is the first time, I had crossed the border of USA. While I was in San Diego, although it was only 30 min away from Tijuana, I never went to Tijuana for drink, because I thought that I needed visa to visit Mexico. This time, I just knew that as a student, you could visit Mexico where 50 miles away from USA without Mexico Visa. Usually, Mexcio immigration won't check your visa for visiting, but USA Patrol did check critically with the USA VISA. Prepare your passport, visa and I-20, and you are ready to visit Mexico.

Since Gary met Jessica from McAllen, Texas, he has been stayed in McAllen most of time. Therefore, this weekend, Jenny, Jenny's son Richard and me, decided to pay him a visit and also take a look of McAleen, the city close to Mexico border. Becuase these two cities are close to the border of Meico, the initial stereo type of McAleen and Edinburg just think there should be nothing around, country side city. However, I was totally wrong..

On Sat. Aug 15, because I needed to work, we went on trip a little bit late around 2:30pm. On the way, it is all country side. Also there were a lot of hwy patrols and troopers to give out speeding tickets.. I figured that Texas is a state who needed a lot of state fund, that is why so many police are around to catch people.. The distance between San Antonio and McAllen is about 240 miles around 3-1/2 hr driving. Take hwy 281 S. go straight to I37, change to hwy59, and back to hwy 281 S., we arrived in Edinburg where Jessica lived near Univerity of Texas Pan America (UTPA) campus. Jessica lived in one-bed room with bacony. Can you guess how much is the rent? $315 per month. How much did she pay for preminum cable and internet? $13 per month. I was totally shocked.. How can the livinig expense so cheap around here?

Two time Oscar-winning visual effects artist Hoyt Yeatman makes his feature directorial debut with this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced family film
美國政府拯救世界的秘密計畫，不再是帥氣的超人或蝙蝠俠，而是四隻有超能力的天竺鼠，他們各自擁有不同的超能力，合力對抗全世界最邪惡的勢力，故事是像天竺鼠版的《不可能的任務》+《X戰警》，小小天竺鼠特務不但是身懷絕技的打擊犯罪專家，這是迪士尼第一部3D立體版本真人演出的電影，吸引大小朋友一起觀賞。在美國賣座超過一億美金的票房，成為超級製片傑瑞布洛克海默個人電影生涯中第十八部破億的作品。

這次莫拉克颱風實在是嚴重重創南台灣，尤其是在位居於山裡面的居民。在短短幾天內降下相當一年的雨量超過2000ml，兩公尺的雨量，八八水災將台灣原本就脆弱不堪的山脈，終於大自然發出反撲的怒吼，再次發揮土石流的威力，吞噬一個個人定勝天建設出來的村莊。在這次的回台之旅，有幸重新拜訪南橫公路，對照現在滿目瘡痍的災後相片，一個個台南、高雄、屏東、台東縣南橫公路沿路滅村的消息，讓身在美國的我心中實在是感慨萬千，不勝欷噓。每每到台灣各地遊玩，總是令我驚豔台灣人民的活力與創意。有山有水皆在一兩個小時的路程中，這種地利之便，實在非居住美國這種大國的人民可以想像。滿山滿谷種類眾多，品質優良的水果，都是讓我最懷念的台灣的家鄉味。

都市的夏天好熱，可是當我們往山裡走，不到兩個小時，氣溫漸漸下降至涼爽舒服的微風陣陣，有時甚至是會冷，還需要外套。其實政府也花了不少錢在建設這些地方，因為他們的觀光資源豐富，不過，這些地方大部分是假日人擠人，平日小貓兩三隻，不過也是這樣我們才不會去碰到一大堆遊客，靜靜享受安寧的山中之美。九二一之後，其實台灣的地貌改變了許多，土石流，走山，將台灣中部山裡風貌賦予一些新的風情。中橫封山，鄰近的一些新景點的開發，在台灣很久的我沒時間去看這些事，反而這次回台短短的假期讓我好好重新認識台灣，也是一大收穫。當然除了台灣高雄成功的承辦世運，整個高雄都市風貌的蛻變，點點滴滴的自然之美，深深牽動我的台灣回憶，想趕快回台擁抱我的家園。這次莫拉克颱風重創台灣， 蠻熱我痛心疾首，每次看到救災的新聞，都很難過，在此時,真的只希望全台灣的民眾 能撐過這個艱苦的時刻 讓曾經美麗過的家園 再次重現...。