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 >_>

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.

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!!!!

Investigate YOURSELF!!!. Brownie has been hired back by FEMA as a consultant who will evaluate FEMA's response to Katrina!!

Say it with me...

Life is Crazier than Fiction

Written by David Coffee
Tuesday, 27 September 2005

"CBS News' Bob Schieffer just announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has rehired ex-FEMA chief Michael Brown-- as a consultant to evaluate the agency's response to the disaster!"

Michael Brown former director of FEMA is still on the public payroll at full salary working as a consultant to FEMA. His job is to investigate FEMA's response to the Katrina disaster. Well he's the one who was directing that response, which adds up to Mike Brown is investigating himself. Think he'll uncover anything useful?

You know when I end up destroying a bar in a drunken stupor when the Giants finally when I World Series, I hope the government hires me to investigate myself. I think it would be the best thing since well I know baseball, I know being drunk and I have been to a few bars (hell thats a better resume than Brownie's. all he knew about was the ponies and he wasn't even good at that).

The Guardian (UK) has found out that Bush's pleas for money to rebuild have paid off.

Seriously I cannot believe that he has collected this much in the last week.

So how much is it you ask... How much money was raised when the "official" death toll of Americans crept over 1900 last week... How much money was raised when towns in eastern Texas were flooded by the another major hurricane made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico...

Wait for it...

Drumroll!!!!

$600

Thats $599 more than I thought it would be.

Here is what I thought would be in the lock box...
$0.01 from Bush
$0.50 from Cheney
$0.05 from Rove who took it back and then when he saw how little was in their rounded it up to a cool $1 to get the press excited!

.... To Pay Off the Rebuilding of Iraq

I am sorry but this is why I am disgusted by Libretarians... yes I said it. Add another political idealogy to the list (Repub, Libretarian, Fascist, Religious Whatever (Christian Democrat, Christan Socialist, Komeitou...)...) I have often read in their literature that they feel the generousity of individuals could take care of social issues like fire departments, social services and enviromental issues.

This piece from the Chicago Tribune (printed in the Louiville Herald Reader) is right up the Libritarians alley....

New twist on Iraq aid: U.S. seeks donations

BY CAM SIMPSON

Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - From the Indian Ocean tsunami to the church around the corner, Americans have shown time and again they are willing to open their pocketbooks for charity, for a total of about $250 billion last year alone.

But now, amid pleas for aid after Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration has launched an unusual effort to raise charitable contributions for another cause: the government's attempt to rebuild Iraq.

Although more than $30 billion in taxpayer funds have been appropriated for Iraqi reconstruction, the administration earlier this month launched an Internet-based fundraising effort that it says is aimed at giving Americans "a further stake in building a free and prosperous Iraq."

Contributors have no way of knowing who's getting the money or precisely where it's headed, because the government says it must keep the details secret for security reasons.

But taxpayers already finance the projects the administration is seeking charitable donations for, such as providing water pumps for farmers. And officials say any contributions they receive will increase the scope of those efforts, rather than relieve existing taxpayer burdens.

On a more basic level, experts wonder whether Americans will make charitable donations to a government foreign aid program, and whether the contentious environment surrounding Iraq will make a tough pitch even tougher.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, the federal government's primary distributor of foreign aid, said Friday, "Charitable contributions play an important role in enriching and extending U.S. government efforts."

The effort is just the newest twist in the administration's struggle to rebuild Iraq. Andrew Natsios, head of USAID, first predicted it would cost taxpayers no more than $1.7 billion. The tab has since risen to more than $30 billion, with congressional Republicans and Democrats sharply critical of the high cost and slow pace of progress.

In addition, the new campaign comes amid increasing concerns that some of the administration's major projects in Iraq will be scrapped or only partially completed because of rising costs, especially for security. Some officials fear money may run out before key projects are completed.

"I'm a little skeptical, and the timing certainly isn't the best," said James Ferris, director of the Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy at the University of Southern California. "It's going to be a hard sell."

Natsios announced the Internet-based campaign in a speech Sept. 9. In a press release issued the same day, USAID said its new Web site "will help American citizens learn more about official U.S. assistance for Iraq and make contributions to high-impact development projects."

Okay so we do not live in a libretarian nation so I don't donate to build bridges or levies. I do not pay tolls on highways like in Japan.

But look basically when the government asks you to put up money for rebuilding they are asking people to pay taxes. Seriously all of us who were kind enough to send money to the Red Cross and other organizations are just giving additional taxes since our government should have been able to take care of the relief without the monetary aide from countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Honduras and the Dominican Repbulic; nations we force into debt through the WTO and the World Bank. We also took cheap gas from our "mortal" enemies Iran which illustrates where our priorities are in regards to our relationship with that nation (promoting democracy in this year's election... pass; getting access to natural gas lines... sounds like an interesting idea).

How are we the most powerful nation in the world like this when we are asking a cash strapped populous to help rebuild a nation that the majority of people do not think we should be occupying in the first place? How are other nations buckling down to us when we need to ask for donations?

And when the government is cash strapped and ready for cuts to medicare, college grants and other social services they are starting to send out school vouchers to be redeemed at religious schools. Now vouchers tend to come in the thousands per student (some up to $3000) when a very good public education could cost less than $1000 a year per student (around $700 paid through property taxes). Now where is the government getting the money for this?

Cut where it is not profitable: health care, education, environment, pensions, public safety.
Give money where it is: "defense", private sector, religious organizations

Almost makes me want to start a religious based mercenary group that dabbles in energy and weapons.

Okay color me hypocritical cause I am anti-gun, but as long as the constitution gives us the right to bear arms I have to deal with it... However, the Bill of Rights does not cover what is happening in New Orleans after Katrina.

Police Sieze Guns of Civilians in New Orleans

Yeah so the military and police have the order to shot to kill while there are still people trying to survive out there but you cannot have a gun to protect yourself from all the violence. No self-defense for civilians, just like no social services, just like no foresight, just like no timely emergency relief, just like no equality....

Where is the NRA on this subject?

Rip them from my cold dead body... Just wait a few days and that might be possible.

Man a month long vacation from the Senate and one can get pretty rusty. Why not start off slow with the wife of former member of Congress (and a former First Lady)... Barbara Bush.

She shares some of her compassion with the people at Editor and Publisher this week by stating...

Things Working Out 'Very Well' for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans
( Read more... )

On Sunday the Iraqi occupation took the life yet another journalist. Waleed Khaled became the 66th journalist killed in this "war". He was shot in the face by American troops and was shot 4 more times. When his family came to identify his body soldiers asked them not to bother.

Khaled worked for Reuters as a soundman in Iraq. Khaled along with cameraman Haider Kadhem were driving in Bagdhad when they were shot at by US forces. Khaled was killed and Kadhem was taken into custody despite being a victim and witness to this attack.

A week before the US took two Iraqi brothers, also cameramen working for Reuters (along with CBS), into custody and have detained them in Abu Ghraib to be questioned under secret military tribunal. At least one of the cameramen could be detained for up to six months until his case is formally reviewed. This person will not be allowed visitors, including attorneys, for two months. The other brother was released August 31, 2005.

There have been more deaths to journalists in Iraq the two years than there were during the 18 year-long Vietnam war (where 63 journalists died). Many people speculate the US has been purposely targeting journalists from agencies like Reuters, Al Jazeera and Al Aribiya. We can also see many of the same in the Guiliana Sgrena incident. Here the US killed an Italian operative, under the support of the US embassy in Iraq (headed at the time by John Negroponte), that was in the process of rescuing Italian journalist Sgrena from kidappers. Sgrena was shot herself but survived the attack and has accused the US of a cover-up on her attempted murder and the murder of Nicola Calipari, a Major General in the Italian military intelligence service.

The government knows it has been successful in its control of the national media. However the international media is a different story. By threatening the rest of the journalistic community they believe they can control the growing sentiment that the occupation is wrong, was always wrong and should have never happened to begin with.

Feeling horrible today. Seriously, I am all pastey, sweaty and crampy. I have a headache that just won't quit. My muscles feel sore when I touch them (Yeah I touch my muscles so what!!) I feel as if my spinal fluid is burning. Poor balance and I don't really like sitting down right now. Joints are cold but body is hot. And my hair is sore.

No coughing but I am burping up some of the makerel donburi I had last night. I wonder if I got food poisoning or something.

Best of all I am at work!!! I am the only person in my department here today. People are on disability, getting married or back to school. So basically I am stuck here for at least 3 more hours before I commute on home to get some fluids. Luckily its really slow this week.

Gah I cannot even focus my eyes well, they kinda wander (look at the screen... focus on the screen... let the fingers do the typing)

Don't worry friends I am safe in my bunker watching TeleSUR on my Satelite tv. Pat hasn't caught me yet.

But what does Robertson want with Chavez and Venezuela? I mean since when was Chavez spreading "muslim extresmism" to begin with.

There are plenty of christians and catholics in Venezuela. The Chavez government is trying to support the poor through land-reform and regulation of the national oil company. He is improving literacy. He is giving tons of money to education. And is working on creating more jobs. Venezuela is not at war with nations or religion.

What could Roberston want?

... Outside of more power for his own media circus. The guy feels he can have people pray for seats to open up on the Supreme Court. He might have backed down from assassination to kidnapping but "taking a man out" is taking a man out. He basically wants to get rid of democracy and that makes him much more of a threat or terrorist than Hugo Chavez.

Ohio was one of the states that fell victim to voter fraud in 2004.

Ohio is currently going through a major scandal involving the Ohio Workers Compensation Fund, $50 Million worth, was put into a coin collection!! Auditors found out that a large number of coins were missing. The missing coins were later reported stolen. Then further audits found that a total of $215 Million dollars from a variety of Ohio programs were missing.

Now the Governor of Ohio... wait for it.... has been convicted of ethics violations. He took some illegal gifts and free golf outings. Some of the gifts came from Tom Noe, the man in the middle of Ohio's coin-gate scandal!

Do you know who else is involved with Noe... GW Bush! It all goes back to Ohio. WOW! Circle of Life!