Merry Christmas!!!

A very special Merry Christmas from a Japanese beatboxer. Yeah, I didn't know what that was either, but it's pretty cool--he does at least three Christmas songs--and he looks really funny in his santa hat.

Thursday Here I Come!

I'm consumed with Thanksgiving already. This half week of work is a veritable hell. The evaporated milk and cake flour is already sitting on my counter, boss. I'm thinking of meyer lemon cake, and cranberry sauce, and whether my new pumpkin pie recipe will work without following Martha Stewart's fifteen step recipe for a perfect pie crust. I am not thinking of drafting a case management statement or discovery. Judging by my silent phone, no one else is thinking of work either.

I'm already planning how many times I have to work out (answer: every day) in order to eat my fill on Thanksgiving. Thinking about what time I'll start my pie on Thursday morning (answer: shoot for the butt crack of dawn and actually deliver late morning). Willing my bread cubes to go stale for a tasty, sourdough stuffing.

I'm even already freaking out about Christmas gifts.

And don't get me started on Christmas cookies.............

I think I've become my mama.

Women in Combat

It's a little bit ironic that when a crazy shooting rampage happened on a U.S. military base the one person that was able to take down the assailant was a civilian female cop. She was actually a former soldier in the Army.

Poor little defenseless women. Yes military, now I see why you forbid women from fighting for their country. Crazy men, sure. Women, not so much.

Captain Tightpants Rides Again

For those Firefly lovers out there, Captain Mal got back into his tightpants (for those of you not in the know, and whoever you are, go watch Firefly NOW, Captain Mal's nickname around the internet is "Captain Tightpants") last night on whatever new show he's on. (Its called Castle but I must confess I've never seen it).

I love the reference to the fact that he wore that costume 5 years ago--you know, when the asshats as Fox canceled the show.

I hear the episode was full of Firefly references. Am I going to be required to watch a cop procedural show just to get my tightpants fix?

Derelicte!

Breaking News: Lady GaGa is the new face of Mugatu.

"Come Gaga, let me show you Derelicte. It is a fashion, a way of life inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique."

Down With the Pigs!

The City of LA just finished a new super-whiz-bang police station for the illustrious LAPD.

City thought it would be nice to install $500,000 of sculptures around the new station. Clearly no one reviewed what the artist was planning on installing.

Big animal torsos decorate the exterior areas around the new police station. A good example is the one above, which definitely looks like a headless pig on its side.

Pigs outside the police station. No wonder Police Chief Bratton isn't happy.

Normally I would be appalled at the $500,000 wasted on what's pretty hideous art, but the fact that they're big ugly useless pigs outside the police station makes it into a great ironic statement about the LA police.

But Does it Smell?

Yup, that's a moose poop necklace.

This site is absolutely chock full of interesting things. That you can buy. Hurray for weird handmade stuff!

I Pity the Fool!

This is what happens when Emily messes around on the internet late on Friday night. End up reading about Mr. T on Wikipedia and finding crazy pictures like this one.

Did you know that he started his gold-chain-wearing while working as a bouncer? Apparently he wore whatever jewelry was left in the club by its patrons. That way they could come back and get it off Mr. T from the entrance and not have to even re-enter the club, and it became his trademark.

The two of them look so cute together. I mean honestly, who DOESN'T love Mr. T?

Check this out!

Time Lapse Test: Station Fire from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

This video is amazing. I could see the smoke cloud from Santa Monica but this video really does the fire justice. The power of nature is astonishing.

This is why I love Boing Boing

One website that I follow quite regularly is Boing Boing.

Boing Boing covers all kinds of amazing things. Some stuff they cover, like new technology fads, steampunk, and ukulele videos, are not really my bag (baby), but there's always something new and interesting on their site each day.

I like this site for their coverage of weird science fiction, cool gadgets, old patents for interesting things like a device to inject ice cream into bananas, and even civil rights issues.

For example, today Boing Boing had a link to a Smithsonian story about micronations. Check this out, man. It's awesome. I totally intend to create my own little micro-nation within the People's Republic of Santa Monica. Our borders will consist of the alley, the walkway, and the walls I share with my neighbors, but dammit it will be a separate nation! Our currency will be cans of root beer (a precious commodity) and our motto will be "Suck it, Santa Monica!" I suspect we will still receive parking tickets, however, as the City may not be privy to our secession. If it leads to an "international" incident I'll let you know.

The Sun Tan

I remember at summer camp one year being made fun of by some other campers for having a "farmer's tan." I had tan lines on my arms from wearing short sleeves and on my legs from shorts. Until those kids made fun of me, I had never been aware that a "proper" tan was devoid of lines--that is unless they came from a swimsuit (lets ignore the fake bake orange people running around these days).

Ever since then I've always been conscious of my farmer's tan. I've never had what most consider a proper tan, except in my early years when the entire summer was spent at the pool. These days If I get a tan its from hiking or biking or washing the car, so likely there lines on my feet from shoe straps, lines on my arms, and the like. I'm way past the point of caring. I'm currently sporting a wicked farmer's tan.

But the revelation I had last night, and I'm sure to most of you this is nothing new, is that the tan is a total status thing. Those kids, whether they knew it or not, where making fun of my farmer's tan, because I had not acquired it properly, i.e. laying out in the sun and doing absolutely nothing but tanning. A farmer's tan is theoretically not as good as a proper tan because it was acquired while working or actually doing something. The value is placed on having the ability to do nothing but literally lie on your ass and bake.

That being said, in many other cultures the importance is on staying as white as humanly possible. The tan is associated with work. Pristine porcelain white skin is associated with privilege and being able to stay out of the sun. Darker skin=lower class. Ever see those Asian ladies driving on the road wearing welder-type masks to keep the sun off their faces? But generally speaking in America the tan is something that is sought in the summer, even with the risks associated with it these days.

So I say if you don't have some kind of farmer's tan in the summer, you got too damn much time on your hands. Get out there and do something, you lazy rich bastard.

The Aftermath

Well somebody partied a little to hard on their birthday and totally crashed on the couch.

ODed on frosty paws and kettle corn. Oh the crazy life of the Boo Boo Bear.

Top Ten Heathers Quotes. How Very.

1. Heather Chandler: Did you eat a brain tumor for breakfast? (Not-so-fun-fact: the actress that uttered this line died of a brain tumor in the early aughts).


2. Heather Chandler: "What's your damage?"


3. Veronica: "Oh come on! Mineral water has come a long way."

J.D.: "But this is Ohio. If you don't have a brewski in your hand you might as well be wearing a dress."


4. Heather Chandler: "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw. Do I look like Mother Teresa?"


5. Cop: "The quarterback buggering the linebacker. What a waste! Oh the humanity!"


6. Veronica: "Heather why can't you just be a friend? Why are you such a megabitch?"

Heather Duke: "Because I can be."


7. Veronica: "Heather says real life sucks losers dry. If you wanna fuck with the eagles, you gotta learn to fly. I said, 'so you teach people how to spread their wings and fly?' She said yes. I said 'you're beautiful.'"


8. Great pate but I gotta motor if I want to be ready for this funeral.


9. Kirk: "Hey Ram, doesn't this cafeteria have a no fags allowed rule?"

J.D.: :"Well they seem to have an open door policy for assholes though, don't they?"


10. Heather Chandler: "You stupid fuck."

Veronica: "You goddamn bitch."

Heather: "You were nothing before you met me. You were playing barbies with Betty Finn. You were a bluebird. You were a brownie. You were a girl scout cookie. I got you into a Remington party and what's my thanks? It's on a hallway carpet. I got paid in puke!"

Veronica: "Lick it up baby. Lick. It. Up."

Heather: "Monday morning your history. I'll tell everyone about tonight. Transfer to Washington. Transfer to Jefferson. No one at Westerberg's gonna let you play their reindeer games."**



**I didn't even have to look this one up. Its been memorized and embedded in my mind from the tender age of 12. In 1990, they were the awesomest lines I had ever heard.

Another Reason Why I Love The Japanese

I bought a plastic pitcher from the Japanese market on Sunday. The reason for this purchase is primarily the fact that any glass pitcher in our home lasts, on average, 2 days before breaking. I think we had one from Target that we broke the day we got it.

So I saw this little number for a good price and with a cute little pink cap, so I snatched it up without a careful examination. Once I got it home and washed it, though, I realized the special surprise that we got along with a functional pitcher.

Cute little sayings are written into the plastic on the side of the pitcher. I had an awful time trying to get you a good photo of what it says.


Just in case you can't clearly read what is says above, the pitcher reads: "The shining sun is very dazzling to me. When I lied on an open verandah and closed my eyes, wind sang gentle songs to me."

How awesome is that? And what the hell does it mean? According to the illustrious Mr. T, this is a perfect example of Japanese products, wherein they provide you not only with a pitcher, but with calming and peaceful says on the side for you to peruse while drinking your iced tea. I think it's hilarious.

And then when you finally get to the bottom of the pitcher, it includes this gem (which I had an even harder time getting a good photo of).



It reads: "It seems that I will be able to have a further comfortable summer."

But only because I drank that fabulous iced tea out of that fabulous Japanese pitcher! Arigato!

P.S. I just realized this is not far from the crazy ramblings that come out of Bai Ling, international acting superstar. Coincidence? I think not. Perhaps we will soon learn of her new joint venture with plastic company marine!

Retraction! Retraction!

I hereby take back everything I ever said about Christian Bale being the abslute (its a typo but I'm keeping it) hotness.

Apparently he's rocking the dead-man-walking look for a new movie, The Fighter.

His chameleon-like ways have enabled him to evade me in Santa Monica for years now. We live in the same city, Christian. How come I haven't seen you flipping out on someone yet?

The Power of Words

The LA Times posted a short piece last week about a federal judge in LA issuing a protective order and closing a trial dealing with the prison murder of Jewish Defense League ("JDL") member Earl Krugel. The article caught my eye as judges do not normally close trials to the extent that this judge did--apparently it was because Krugel was killed by a member of some skinhead prison gang that is very dangerous. But my point here is not legal.

The JDL is a terrorist organization, plain and simple. Not so active these days, but in the 1980s nd 1990s the JDL and its members, including Mr. Krugel, were responsible for planting bombs on American soil. Specifically, mosques and business offices of Arab Americans and Muslim Americans.

Now how do you imagine that the LA Times described Mr. Krugel, who was in prison for plotting two bombings in America--one on a mosque in LA and one at a Arab American politician's office? As a terrorist? A criminal? A subversive? A thug?

The LA Times referred to him as an activist.

For the LA Times to even imply that Mr. Krugel's actions were somehow legitimate has he was a "vigorous advocate" is simply bad reporting. Krugel planned and intended to plant bombs on American soil. He planned to kill people while worshiping. He plotted to kill American politicians. How is this not terroristic? If he were an Arab plotting to bomb synagogues, he would have been shipped off to Guantanamo years ago.

Upon examination, this seems to be a pattern with the LA Times. They have been referring to Mr. Krugel as an "activist" in their articles concerning his crimes since at least 2003. Even when he confessed to planning to kill an American congressman.

I'm writing to the LA Times today to find out why they have continued to shy away from the "terrorist" word in favor of the infinitely more respectful "activist."

I guess I thought that planning to bomb Americans was a terrorist act no matter who did it. How silly of me!

Worf's Grandpa Has Got To Be the Worst Klingon Lawyer Ever

For those of you opposed to geek-related posts, I suggest you move on.

Last night I was watching Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (definitely the best Trek film starring the original cast--yes I have gone against the popular grain here, but it's better than Khan. Khan's a little too campy and there's no Iman as a shapeshifter) and was floored by the trial scene. Worf's grandpa is supposed to be defending Kirk and McCoy in a Klingon trial. Worf must've gotten his cajones from his mom's side.

The trial starts out with the Evil General Chang bombastically proclaiming Kirk responsible for the death of the Klingon Chancellor and claiming that McCoy was negligent in failing to save the Chancellor's life. Worf fails to object to Chang's conclusory statements, his harassment of the witnesses, the introduction of heresay (although it was a statement against interest), and Chang's failure to offer any evidence. He is obviously too busy stroking the fabric of his awesome robe. And wondering where the hell his hairline went.

Of course, the legal rules of procedure may be different on Klingon. But even there I would assume that some type of objection would be permitted, although it is likely that in the Klingon Empire the judge would rule based upon which attorney drew blood first or something equally as violent.

But I digress.

Worf's most egregious omission was his failure to state any kind of defense for McCoy and Kirk. Does he call any witnesses? Make any arguments at all to exonerate his clients? Is it considered weakness to even offer a defense on Klingon?

I need to get my hands on a copy of the Klingon Rules of Civil Procedure. Somehow I doubt they have a meet and confer requirement, unless it involves bat'leths.

I think the combination of the Star Trek-geeking out and the legal-geeking out in this post may have pushed me over the edge of geek and into the realm of dork. And I think I'm okay with that.

Santa Ynez Canyon Trail

Lately, (I guess just in time for the state to start closing the suckers) I've been trying to get out and enjoy the state parks on the Westside. I've found Topanga State Park to be by far the one with the most trails, the most accessibility, and the least amount of crazy city people.

Look at all of the hikes you can do from Trippet Ranch, the main area of Topanga Park:

Within just a few miles of the ranch you can reach all kinds of different landscapes. We started out on Eagle Spring Fire Road.


Pretty quickly you come to an east-west fork in the road. To the right you'll go to the Pacific Palisades and toward an ocean view. To the left is Eagle Rock and more trails. We went left.


Here's the sign at the fork in the road:

The views are spectacular from the get go.

We didn't stay on Eagle Spring Fire Road too long, but instead turned right on to Santa Ynez trail, which winds its way down toward a waterfall and beautiful canyon.

It starts out as a grassland trail.

But quickly becomes more forested.


Once you get down into the canyon the trail follows a stream.

Awesome conglomerate rocks.


There is a side trail that heads to a waterfall. The end of the waterfall trail is rock climbing up into the waterfall itself.


On the way back we stopped for a snack on a long smooth rock formation that was essentially a huge slab of rock turned on a 45 degree angle. This was carved into the top.


All in all one of my favorite hikes. You can access the trail from Trippet Ranch off Topanga Canyon or from a side street in the Pacific Palisades from the other end. All sorts of weather, climates, and scenery. Out and back from Trippet Ranch to the Palisades is about 4.5 miles. Its about the same to the waterfall and back--there's a split in the trail with a sign.

Circassian Day Of Mourning

Yeah, two posts today. It's my birthday and I'm goofing off at work. Whatchoo gonna do about it?

But seriously, tomorrow is the Circassian Day of Mourning. The Circassians don't get much press--their neighbors the Chechens and Georgians, and their assorted disputes with Russia are the news of our day.

The Circassians are the native people of the Caucasus, they are warriors, they are mountain people, they are wild and independent and very very proud. (If you've ever met one, you're bound to know it.) They have to be this way because there are few of them left, and they are spread far and wide due to the Russians systematically devastating them for about a hundred years straight during the 1700s and 1800s. Most were forced to migrate to the Middle East or Turkey.

One of my best friends, a Circassian himself, posted this link which I thought was important to share. The text is below:

May 21st is the Day of Mourning for the Circassian people. In 2009, this day will commemorate the 145th anniversary of the forced migration and dispersion of their grandfathers from their homeland and the imperilment of their existence.

The Russian-Caucasian war started in 1763 and lasted for more than 100 years. The Russian Czarist Army outnumbered the national Circassian resistance by more than 20 times!

The impact of the war on Circassians was horrendous. The Russian army aimed to terrorise the Circassians into submission. In addition to employing a lethal combination of numerical superiority and systematic reduction of resistance, a scorched earth policy resulted in wholesale destruction of villages and corps.

The Circassians suffered heavy losses in terms of human life, as much as 800,000 dead, and their country fell into ruin. Many tribes were completely wiped out and others came close to the edge of extinction.

Each stage of [Circassia’s] occupation was followed by the expulsion of the inhabitants of the area … [This resulted] in the elimination of the whole Caucasian nations and wiped out any memory of them … The war was conducted with ruthlessness. Circassian villages were torched by the hundred, crops were wasted. Those who surrendered were resettled in the plains… Pikman (1956,p79)

As early as 1818, Kabarda was at her knees. Four decades of open conflict had demoralised the people and left the land in ruins. By 1818, the number of Kabardians had fallen from 350,000 before the war to a mere 50,000 - in 1810 alone more than 200 villages were burnt in Kabarda.

The Shapsough, who numbered about 300,000 before the war, were almost completely extirpated. All the Ubykhs, numbering about 30,000, chose to immigrate rather than be resettled in the Kuban region. Some Abkhazian clans, like the Sadzians, were expelled wholesale. The Abazas, especially the Shkharawas, were also subjected to mass expulsion.

It was really the first intentional large-scale genocide of the modern times, as well as the model case of the consequent tradition of ethnic cleansing. It was also the largest single genocide of the 19th century. Anssi Kullberg, The Eurasian Politician - October 2003.

In 1864, the Ubykh made the last stand – but they were already doomed. Afterwards, Circassians were given the option of either leaving the high mountains and settle in the plains. Those who refused were given an ultimatum to leave for Ottoman lands or otherwise be considered prisoners of war. Covertly, the Russians pursued a policy of organised and systematic terror, where whole villages were pillaged and then burnt down to the ground, and thousands of people were killed in cold blood. These horrific acts, together with the collusion of the Ottomans resulted in mass exodus.

On May 21, 1864 Grand Duke Mikhail proclaimed the end of the Russian-Caucasian war.

Hundreds of thousands of hungry and disease-ridden Circassians and Abkhazians were herded to seaports wherefrom they were transported to vessels across the Black Sea to Turkish ports.

It is estimated that the number of North Caucasians who left for the Ottoman Empire between 1859 and 1881 to be at two million. Conditions were extremely bad and as many as 20% died of malnutrition and disease. Those who remained in the Caucasus, between 150 – 200 thousands, were compelled to resettle in the northern plains of the Caucasus were they were easier to control.

There are no words to describe the situation of the Mountaineers in those days. Thousands of them died in the roads, thousands of them died due to illness and hunger. The coastal regions were full with people who are dead or on the verge of dying. The babies who are searching for milk in their mother’s cold dead body, mothers who didn’t leave their kids from their laps even they are already dead from cold, and people who are dead while they got closer just to keep warm, are examples of the scenes that were normal in the coasts of the Black Sea. Y. Abramov, ”Caucasian Mountaineers”

Today over 4 million Circassians live outside Homeland in over 40 countries across of the world.

If we don't remember, and keep remembering, things like this, they are bound to happen again and again.

Jesse Ventura FTW!

I keep trying to deny it, but I think I love Jesse Ventura.

His politics, that is. The hair is an entirely different story. If anything gives me pause about Jesse, it's the hair.

14th Thought Because I Left Out the Most Important One

14. Are people (passengers on the Black Rock, the 815ers, Dharma, the 316ers) merely test subjects for Jacob and Jacob's enemy?

The initial conversation between the two of them was the most interesting part of the finale. One seems to believe people are bad. One wants to give us a chance to be good. I read one review that likened them to Loki and Bartley from Dogma. I can really see that, actually. Two supernatural, maybe god-like beings debating humanity. Experimenting with humanity.

And per Jacob it only ends once, and all the rest is progress. It sounds like we're talking about redeeming ourselves, humanity, before some end of the world event? Maybe one time we'll get it right?

Totally reminded me of Battlestar Gallactica. Humans and Cylons keep going through the same cycle of creation and destruction. Cycle upon cycle, time after time, the same events occurred. Can humanity change, if given the chance? Is Jacob trying to give us that chance?

13 Thoughts On the Lost Finale

1. If this new Possessed Locke is the one that had Richard inform the time-traveling Locke to leave the island, get everyone back, and die, then all of this was clearly part of Jacob's enemy's plan.

2. Is Possessed Locke Smokey? Is Jacob's enemy Smokey? Smokey seems to be able to manifest itself as persons that have died on the Island (Christian, Yemi, Boone), is that why Jacob's enemy needed Locke to die and come back to the Island? If so, was Eloise in on it (she's the one who told Jack they had to bring Locke back)?

3. Speaking of Eloise, she was the leader of the Others circa 1977, not Widmore. Richard said there can only be one leader, and he specifically noted he needed to protect his Leader when he knocked Eloise out in the tunnels.

4. Was the ash ring around the cabin designed to keep something in, or to keep something out? Was that Jacob's enemy appearing as Christian to the lostaways?

5. Rose's "Oh heelllll no." and Bernard's "Son of a bitch!" were absolutely priceless.

6. Charlie's Drive Shaft ring.

7. Hurley is the only one Jacob really had a conversation with. Interesting.

8. Jack, jesus christ with the Kate thing!

9. Juliet, jesus christ with the Kate thing!

10. Why didn't Sun insist on seeing Jacob? She was all gung ho and then when they arrived she sat by meekly while Ben, John, and Richard headed in. Does she know more than she's letting on?

11. Sawyer's reaction to losing Juliet at the Swan=Sun's reaction to losing Jin at the Freighter last year. Both sent shivers down my spine. Does this bode well for Juliet?

12. Jacob gave items to Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, and Kate. He seemed to have saved John's life, and he definitely saved Sayid's. Did he give them all something?

13. Jacob was living in the foot of the statute back in the 1800s. Jacob was living in the foot of the statue in 2007. Why did everyone think he was living in a cabin? Was that his enemy in there, fooling them all?

I like it. I love it. I want some more of it.

I waded into the wilds of Westwood (how good is that alliteration?) last night for the premiere of Star Trek. Even an hour before the show the line was literally halfway around the block. As Westwood is the home of UCLA, it was an interesting mix of straight-up Trekkers, college nerds, and people desperate to prove that they aren't really into Star Trek, even though they were waiting in line with dorks like me. Homeless men even mocked us with Vulcan hand gestures while we waited. Fun for all.

It was worth the annoyance. What an awesome movie.

The movie had alot of ground to cover since it's introducing many people to its universe for the first time. Uhura had a pretty big role in the movie, partially I'm sure because she is literally the only female that gets more than 2 minutes on screen, and she does a good job with it. She doesn't get to do any ass-kicking, though. Maybe in the sequel they could let her go on an away mission, for God's sake.

The cast was pretty perfect. The dude playing Bones hit it almost too perfectly--his facial expressions were cracking up the whole theater. Chekov's accent is distracting its so over-the-top, but again, it served as comic relief. Surprisingly, there was really quite a bit of comedy to this movie, I laughed out loud many more times than I expected. And it was also kind of sad. But I don't want to spoil anybody.

Of course, and I don't think this is a secret, the movie is a whole new timeline for Kirk 'n' gang, so from here they can really go anywhere. I am sad to tell my Iowan friend that per new timeline, Kirk is no longer born in Riverside, Iowa, although he still does grow up there.

Overall I take my hat off to J.J. Abrams, not just for giving me TV to watch again (thank GOD for LOST and Fringe), but for making a fantastic Star Trek movie. I guarantee I'm going to see it again. In the theater.

I Just Had to....

Lord have mercy did this make me laugh. So cute.

I had a hard time not stealing my friend's title for this picture: Swine Flu-Patient Zero.

Its Time To Get Excited, People!

The Spocks have aligned! The time is almost nigh!

Long Black Veil

On my way home from work yesterday a local radio station (now that I've been forced to surf stations, damn you Indie!) was playing Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison straight through.

First of all, I had never heard it before. What a good record! 25 Minutes to Go, written as I found out later by my favorite childhood author Shel Silverstein (I never knew he wore so many hats? Shel and Kris Kristofferson, for example? Never knew!) is an awesome song. Now that I know who wrote it I can totally see it's in his style. In between the songs you can really tell that Johnny's enjoying his time playing for them just as much as the prisoners are enjoying the show.

But, as usual, I digress. Good god. In the parlance of our times, I think I have ADD. :)

Okay. So what I'm slowly getting to is the song Long Black Veil, which Johnny sang right after 25 Minutes.

I first heard this song on Mike Ness's Cheating at Solitaire album.

Then on a Dave Matthew's album.

Then on The Band's Music from the Big Pink.

I also have a Bob Dylan version I got from somewhere.

So I looked at my i-pod. Turns out I have FIVE different versions of the song. 5.

I checked it out on the god of all information, wiki, and turns out that everybody and his brother has covered this song.

The lyrics are basically the story of a man who dies for a crime he did not commit and the woman who mourns him.

A man is accused of murder. He won't provide an alibi for where he was at the time of the crime because he is having an affair with his friend's wife. So, for her honor, he goes to the gallows and dies for the murder he did not commit. All cuz he didn't want his friend to know his wife and he were cheatin'. The cheatin' wife goes and mourns her lover's death at his grave site at night.

Do they just like the idea of a woman secretly mourning this dude who hid her indiscretions? I can't quite figure out why this song catches the ear of so many artists. I mean, its a good song, but damn! Why no covers of 25 Minutes?

I think I gotta go and read Where the Sidewalk Ends. Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout would not take the garbage out!

A Step In The Right Direction

Horray!

The City of LA is FINALLY implementing water restrictions.

Residents can only water their lawns two days of the week, and even on those two days, watering is restricted to before 9am and after 4pm.

I realize these are not the most restrictive measures, but every bit helps. This is a step in the right direction.

Maybe in just a short 30-50 years from now Los Angeleans will realize they don't need to have big green lawns in the middle of the desert!

Good God Every Single One of Them Is Dirty Filthy Bastard

So have you heard yet? There's great news! Politicians in Washington DO reach across the isle. Bipartisanship is alive and well!

Of course, they only seem to cooperate when its (1) covert, (2) illegal, and (3) for the purposes of ensuring more and more power for themselves.

I'm referring, in case you haven't heard, to the lovely Congresswoman Harman, from right here in Southern California. One of my good buddies drew my attention to this story.

Basically Harman was approached by two pretty powerful Israeli lobbyists that were in some legal trouble for espionage. They asked for her help with getting the charges either dropped or reduced, and exchange would lobby Nancy Pelosi to give the House Intelligence chair to Harman following the 2006 elections. Harman agreed to help.

It gets even better. This is where the real bipartisan cooperation comes in.

The Justice Department found out what was going on as it was wiretapping (with court approval) these Israelis' calls. They began an investigation of Harman but were stopped by Alberto Gonzales himself. Actually they did more than began an investigation, they concluded that Harman had broken the law. I'm sure your asking yourself (as I did): why would the super-Republican torture and Bush-loving Gonzales be protecting Harman?

Because Harman was on the House Intelligence Committee and the Bush Administration needed her help as the media had just broke a big story concerning FISA.

You know, FISA, the "national security measure" that allows the government to spy on its own citizens without a warrant. Because if you're not a terrorist you shouldn't mind having your calls and emails monitored.

So because the Bush Administration needed some big gun Democrats to back them on the unconstitutional and wholly dispicable FISA, they wanted to let Harman off the hook and make sure she owed them a favor.

I gotta say this is ringing some bells with me. I few years ago I wrote to my lovely Senator, Ms. Dianne Feinstein (unsurprisingly, another big wig Democrat backing FISA), demanding that she vote against FISA as it is repugnant to the true values of American. The email I received in response basically said that she knew intelligence information that we (the public) did not, and that it was in the best interest of the national security of our country that we continue FISA. With congressional oversight, because I guess we need that more than, you know, actual warrants.

I wonder what Feinstein got from Gonzales? Or vice versa?

I Can Dig It

Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Part 2





You guys know My Morning Jacket? I had heard of them a few years ago, but I frankly brushed them off as one of those My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy kind of bands. Probably because of the name.

But dude. These guys are good. They got a little Eagles in 'em. A little Floyd. They're a little jam-y, but I dig that kind of music.

Unfortunately I don't know how to embed just audio cuz I'm a techno-idiot that can barely blog, but I did find at least one of their videos that's pretty cool.

And they got this song, Knot Comes Loose, that's beautiful. It's on their 2005 album, Z. I highly recommend checking that shiz out.

I Think He Misspelled "Bunch of Idiots" as "Christian Nation"

Maybe I just don't get it.

America was founded on the separation of church and state. We all learned the basics in elementary school. Religious prosecution in England. People wanted religious freedom. Came to New England. Puritans. Quakers. And so on and so forth. So yeah, the first Europeans that came here were Christians. This much is true.

When it came to establishing the country of the United States, our wise founding fathers did not want us to have to go through what happened in England. So they came up with the separation of church and state.

Thomas Jefferson himself, drafter of the Declaration of Independence (which I think might qualify him as a founding father) and a contributor to the Constitution and Bill of Rights stated:

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."

Those "Americans" who believe that this country is for "them," meaning white Christians, are the most repulsive and confused people. These are by and large the same "Americans" who think that all Muslims are terrorists or who think that all Hispanics are illegal aliens. They are bigots hiding behind their religion.

America was founded by Christians for the most part. Most of us are Christians. But we are NOT a Christian country.

How can we (theoretically) point our righteous finger at countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran for religious extremisms with these ya-hoos running around? Doesn't it pretty much make us just as bad as them?

The beauty of this country is that even these ridiculous illustrations of American culture are allowed and tolerated. Again, because of the First Amendment. Jesus these people make me crazy! (Pun intended).

Well Hello There, You Little Minx

When was the last time you saw guns marketed to women?

And as an accessory no less? They even describe the gun as "cute."

My my how times have changed.

Michael Scott and I Have Something In Common

And no, its not our love for Pennsylvania.

I was watching a recorded episode of The Office last night. I think it was from a week or two ago. Michael Scott (Steven Carell at his finest) is starting a new business. From home. And is wearing his loungewear--which includes a pair of crocs upon which he spills eggs.

I too wear crocs at home. Yes they are hideous, but absolutely perfect for keeping giving you a little cushion from the floor while providing ventilation. Seriously perfect slipperwear for not-so-cold places. And good for people who spill things in the kitchen alot, like me. And, apparently, Michael.

I'm still contemplating what this says about me. If I start coming up with harebrained ideas I have completely failed to think through or having wild delusions about my worth at work, please stop me before I become the manager of a Scranton paper company.

Happy Easter!!

All I could think while watching this video is that the dude that created this Rube Goldberg device has wayyyyyy too much time on his hands. Like infinitely too much time. But impressive. Definitely impressive.

I too smashed a bunch of Cadbury creme eggs myself this weekend. Nothing as elaborate as this, of course. Mainly just me and my teeth.

Maybe Because We're on the Coast They Figure We Have All The Water We'll Ever Need?

My parents live in Georgia. They have extensive water regulations in place there, including when one can water their lawn, wash their cars, that kind of thing. Common sense regulations designed to encourage conservation. Don't water your grass at noon in the summer, for example.

Here in L.A., technically a desert, we have zero water regulations. None. Like, use all the water you want, no rate hike, no penalty, no nothin'.

Consequently, we have yard after yard of unnaturally green lawns and luscious non-native plants like magnolia trees. Its not that people don't have to pay for water, but they obviously don't have to pay enough.

This week the L.A. City Council was presented with a proposal to increase rates for excessive water use. You know--if you fill and re-fill your pool once a month, or if you go crazy on the watering or fountains or something, the rate will increase after you cross a certain threshold. Well the City Council in all of its wisdom totally shot the proposition down.

Disgusting and unbelievable. How entitled are these people? Will we have to drain the entire West before we realize that maybe we should have gone easy on the greenery?

Work it, Girl!

Damn RDJ! Lookin' saucy! You think the trucker behind him was honking at him?

Temescal Canyon Photo Essay

Lately I have been exploring Topanga State Park, the largest wilderness park contained inside any major city in America.

Temescal Gateway Park is one of the ways to access Topanga and its myriad hiking trails and fire roads. The entrance to Temescal is right off of Sunset, which is probably one of the reasons why the place was so damned crowded.

The entrance to Temescal Gateway Park. Be warned, there is a parking fee.

The park has several trail heads. The ridge/canyon loop is very popular. If you start on the ridge trail all of the elevation is at the beginning of the hike. We took the canyon trail first, past the waterfall and then back on the ridge.

Wildflowers were in abundance this weekend. Just a week ago in the Pacific Palisades we saw almost none.

Temescal park has several outbuildings, including a general store, a conference center, and some seemingly abandoned buildings along the canyon trail.

Lots of lovely conglomerate rocks to gaze at along the way.

The waterfall is about a mile up the canyon trail. Right after the waterfall the hike gets HARD. Switchback after switchback, up up up! Thought I was gonna die, but I made it.


This is the payoff. Check out that view.


And this one. Amazing.

Thank god for trail markers.

A bevy of yellow beauty.

This was one of the easier parts of the downhill hike. My toes were totally shoved into the toes of my boots the last half hour.

And purple flowers too!


This one was my favorite flower. She was all by herself on the side of the trail. Big and bright!

Overall great hike if you can stand to be hiking with plenty of other people. Short but plenty of different things to see and if you choose not to do the loop you can keep heading out the canyon trail to a place called "Skull Rock," which I most certainly plan on checking out next time.