Heh, yeah it's been weird without a full-time job. Trying to get used to it and I had a bit of depression... but what's new about that right.

Having free time was really what scared me the most. I don't like the situation in my apartment right now. Basically its a mess. Books are everywhere (the jokes about books in the Kitchen, closet and restroom are not jokes) And the stacks of Magazines M & I have collected over the years is looking like a fire hazard. So yeah, free time at home was actually weird.

Literally had to adjust to being at home and man does that sound strange. Still, the transition has been pretty cool. First thing I got to say hi to was the oven/range top. I love to cook. You know about the curry addiction. I have been lazy with that. But that takes time... Something I had little of. Made myself some beef the last few days. That is a rare treat for me since the M and I both consider cows way too cute to eat (rabbits are not btw). Finally took the bike to get repaired... The poor machine was so beat up after hitting the mean pot-hole riddled streets of San Francisco, but I had to give it up. The price to get that old Peugeot repaired could have got me a 4 wheeled Peugeot. So I went shopping for a bike!! Got a sweet Miyato 10 speed with brakes high and low. Sweetness for someone who tends to carry too many books in his pack. And tonight I tried to make love with WordPress... I don't have a man-crush yet. David and Jack are going to have to help me with that. But I actually added stuff myself without exporting from LJ.

Tonight... well I am feeling so good I made Curry Udon!! Yeah, I kinda wish I were eating this at my favorite place in the shadow of Tsutenkaku Tower, mainly cause it's pretty quiet here alone, but I think I can deal with this. Hmm, do we have bonito flakes....

man that was so bloggy >_>

Unless you are sending your kids to boarding schools or you are currently studying overseas right now, you possibly know that the public education system in the US is a big joke. No Child Left Behind an already flawed and in essence a program that has the right to close down public school districts in its clauses, has been under-funded since its inception.

Well now instead of properly funding schools and hiring more teachers most states are trying to make their education systems profitable. In California districts are working on huge deficits. In Indiana the board of education was almost forced to shut things down last year. In Alabama there was legistation to completely end funding to public schools (based on the idea of anti-segregation because not enough white folks were sending their kids to public schools). And now Nebraska has decided to segregate one of their largest school districts, Omaha Unified, and turn it into three or four districts where one district would be mainly whites, there would be one or two for African Americans and one for Latinos....

The State Legislature approved it.
The Governor signed it.
And the sides supporting it are saying the plan gives minorities the right to properly fund their own school districts! Okay wait, so is the State of Nebraska going to give more money to the Latino and Black communities so they can fix their schools, hire new teachers, get computers and create a cirriculum on par with the white district? Or is this another example of the dreaded Ownership Society.

Minorities will now own their own districts with all the problems that they were already plagued with. There already is no money coming from the State or the Federal Government, so the community will have to come up with the money. Essentially you will have districts within a same city competing with each other for funding breaking down the system even further.

from CNN:
In a move decried by some as state-sponsored segregation, the Legislature voted Thursday to divide the Omaha school system into three districts -- one mostly black, one predominantly white and one largely Hispanic.

Supporters said the plan would give minorities control over their own school board and ensure that their children are not shortchanged in favor of white youngsters.

Republican Gov. Dave Heineman signed the measure into law.

Omaha Sen. Pat Bourne decried the bill, saying, "We will go down in history as one of the first states in 20 years to set race relations back."

"History will not, and should not, judge us kindly," said Sen. Gwen Howard of Omaha.

Attorney General Jon Bruning sent a letter to one of the measure's opponents saying that the bill could be in violation of the Constitution's equal-protection clause and that lawsuits almost certainly will be filed.

But its backers said that at the very least, its passage will force policymakers to negotiate seriously about the future of schools in the Omaha area.

The breakup would not occur until July 2008, leaving time for lawmakers to come up with another idea.

I don't know what is up with me right now. I have seriously hit a wall with my creativity, energy and luck over the past week or so and honestly with the SFIFF coming up in less than a week I am in serious need for some rest now. (actually that reminds me I need to send a mangacast staff email out.)

Anywho, while in my malaise I ended up doing a little marching. I doubt any of you all care but here is some audio from the San Francisco Day Without an Immigrant March that took place this past Monday. The audio is raw and you might hear me talking to people and friends along the way but seriously it was just cool to see people out there again. Next on is on May 1st.

Hopefully the SF-LA series will get me going again and if that doesn't work all of the film next week will pick up my spirits (and possibly wreck me with all the running around).

Okay I know the anticipation has been huge but here it is:

The second half of the US - Japan Football match at ATT Park. More of the same really me and my co-anchor eating garlic fries chanting "GOOOO! Nippon!" Fortunately there are a lot of goals so have fun or whatever.


Listen to Enhanced Recording Here:
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.

This recording features 33,000+ fans in San Francisco, Calif Feb 10, 2006 9:00p-10:00p.

Subscribe to the podcast at

About a week late and not complete since the file is HUGE!!! But here is some audio from the Japan USA match at ATT Park last week. You will hear me and my GF chatting throughout most of it, but you will also hear us snacking, yanking and clapping. Please don't mind the horns okay, but we were not mic'd (lots of ambience noise).

Have fun!


Listen to Enhanced Recording Here:
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.

This recording features 33,000+ fans in San Francisco, Calif Feb 10, 2006 8:00p-9:00p.

Subscribe to the podcast at

I couldn't listen to the prez last night but after reading the piece I almost vomitted.

Keeping America Competitive
A Hopeful Society

both came up over and over again.

And hell sure its nice to have a competitive America but that means having health care for everyone.
Keeping American competitive also means fully funding education instead of not funding crappy programs like No Child Left Behind.
Keeping America competitive means having Emergency Management Systems that are able to do their job.
Keeping America competitive means protecting major cities like New Orleans and Biluxi safe from all danger man-made or other wise.
Keeping America competitive means having police departments, fire departments and public hospitals fully funded.
Keeping America competitive means moving away from driving cars period. California approved a bullet train from SF to LA and after sitting on it through a Republican governership the money is going to be lost.
Keeping America competitive means keeping competitive jobs here in AMERICA. COMPETITIVE JOBS IN AMERICA FOR AMERICANS SO THEY CAN BE COMPETITIVE!
Keeping America competitive means being able to have freedoms given to us by the Bill of Rights!

A hopeful society is the only thing that can get us out of the darkness. Unfortunately we need to be much more than hopeful. We need to take action. We need to be like Coretta Scott King and we need to take to the streets (FU prez for even mentioning that great woman, your ilk never respected the Kings or those who continue to follow their path of peaceful protest).

The Bush Administration made 17 recess appointments this week. Recess appointments?? You know those appointments that are made because they were not able to go through congress (these last for only a year). Well these guys are the bureaucrats that influence policy and often end up being those who are directly involved in carrying the programs out.

Here are a few of them...

Floyd Hall: Member of the AMTRAK Reform Board.
Has no political experience but was the CEO of KMart (didn't that company almost go belly up before SEARS bought it out)

Enrique J. Sosa: Member of the AMTRAK Reform Board.
Another person without political experience but was an Exec at BP (one of the top four energy businesses in the world. Oh and for those of you don't remember BP owns AMOCO which was Standard Oil which in the early part of the last century bought out many of the light rail companies in the US... circle of life!!)

Gordon England: Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Secretary of the Navy is possibly best known for the fact that he has held that position while still holding his options with the contractors he has been working with.

Benjamin A. Powell: General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
This guy was held up in the Senate because the White House refused to present his notes on "war of terror" detainees. At least he has some sort of political experience but this torture and rendition supporter is now going to work for John Negroponte (cough* death squads in Honduras *cough) in the Intelligence Dept.

Ronald E. Meisburg: General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.
Has been on this board before and has some political experience, but was also the President of the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation (energy lobbiets) and on the US Council for International Business. Sounds like this guy really has labor in his heart. (woof)

Julie L. Myers: Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
She has no imigration experience but is former Joint Chief of Staff Richard Myers niece. And Michael Chertof's secratary's wife.

Tracy A. Henke: Executive Director of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness at the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal government did a report on racial profiling in the US through the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Henke ended up changing the stats when she worked for that department. This caused a problem with the deputy who worked on the report and Henke eventually scrapped the project altogether instead of letting it go through. The deputy was fired and now she got promoted. She also helped right sections of the Patriot Act.

Arthur F. Rosenfeld: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Director at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Worked in the National Labor Relations Board and helped make it harder to unionize in the States. He also took things a step further by making it almost impossible for new NLRB staff to unionize. Really dedicated man when it comes to mediation. Its his way or the highway.

Ellen R. Sauerbrey: Assistant Secretary of State (Population, Refugees, and Migration).
Was in the Maryland house for 12 years before she lost two campaigns for Governor. She was also Bush-Cheney campaign co-chair and is now going to run a $1 Billion department despite the protests of non-profit groups about her lack of experience in foreign affairs.

Dorrance Smith: Assistant Secretary of Defense .
Said once that the US Media that does not support the Bush Administration should be called terrorists. Smith should be in Homeland Security instead.

Robert D. Lenhard: Member of the Federal Election Commission.
Argued against the McCain - Feingold Act on Campaing Finance Reform.

Hans Von Spakovsk: Member of the Federal Election Commission.
Counciled the Administration as they rejected the Election Commisions report calling Texas Redistricting and Georgia Voter ID cards were unconstitional. So hey why not put him on that board right!!

Man I wish I got in on the last campaign run, I could be working in Washington right now too!

It's been a while since I went all tree-hugger on your friend's pages, so I decided to come back with a good one.

Some of you might remember a podcast I made dedicated to the environment. One of the things I brought up was how places like the Oakland Colesium have started using corn starch containers for food and beverages instead of plastics and other items that take millenia to biodegrade. Corn starch containers can come in cups, clam boxes or even bottles (a local water company now packages their water in starch bottles) and they look and feel much like plastics. While they are not quite as tough on hot items (cannot microwave yet). Their functionality is getting pretty diverse.

Case in point....



NEC's new cell phone the N701i ECO is the only phone I would possibly risk brain/ear cancer for since it is 75% plant material!!! I could eat the outside and then melt down the insides for their valuable alloys!!!

Seriously folks people just throw away cell phones nowadays, now you can sleep easier knowing that 3/4s of that phone will return to the earth instead of piling up in our highly toxic landfils.

Got to start working on that last 25% huh.

A wise man once said...

"God Giveth; the Government Taketh Away"
- Chuck D

You know I don't give a damn what any of you think about what Tookie did. I wasn't there and I was not on his jury so I don't know the evidence or any of the facts, so I don't know or care what Tookie did. But I do know this no man and no entity outside of life itself has the right to kill someone.

Last night my state government killed Tookie Williams. My national government through a Supreme Court case permitted this to happen. And Tookie has joined more than 1000 others killed with our tax dollars. And as such we have renegged on the concepts of "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". We are now taking those fundamental beliefs away.

I hate that my State continues to do this. We have more than 600 people on death row here, eating away at tax dollars with appeals, some of them innocent or in jail because of a biased judicial system.

If justice is blind why would it choose between punishments - murder over rehabilitation and redemption? If this country is in favor of life why does it take life instead of enrich and nourish life? This doesn't make us any better than Saddam. We have obviously not evolved yet to understand that.

Okay if you were looking for some political humor regarding the President or Bill O'Reilly or John Gibson but instead I will do this by simply giving you my letter to the Great Cthulhu. I think its my version of holiday spirit (a funky mix of teen spirit and Big Comics Spirit and Stoly) that I know some of you have tried already... Become a follower for the holidays!!!



Submit your own plea to Cthulhu!

Name some friends or leave them blank and let me look them up myself:

Dear Santa... Dear Santa, This year I've been busy! In June I put money in cbeveridge's expired parking meter (14 points). In April leongsh and I robbed a bank (-50 points). Last Saturday I gave change to a homeless guy (19 points). In March I donated bone marrow to geoduck in a life-saving procedure (300 points). In February I got in line at the supermarket at the same time as someone else and I didn't yield (-8 points). Overall, I've been nice (275 points). For Christmas I deserve an Easy-Bake Oven! Sincerely, naniwa

Write your letter to Santa! Enter your LJ username:

Oh and if you did not know St. Nic is originally from Turkey. Saint Nikolas is the patron saint of Bridges and Boats and in some European nations he goes around during the holiday season with his partner the Grim Reaper!!!!

Today I read that Mayor Re-elect Bloomberg spent $77 million in his campaign to be re-elected Mayor of New York City. Coming at you again... $77,000,000 on