lego of my ego

The Things Kids Write

2011-09-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

I ran across some classics while I was cleaning out. Here are some vocabulary sentences from my hagwon students. The vocabulary words are in bold.

"No lady first lady second." - Owen, 4D

"I stopped smoking." - Danny, 11 years old

"School lunch yuck home lunch yummy"

Here's a reading comprehension question.

"Plants eat poop plants grew taller"

Mondays Have Purpose Again

2010-09-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

I sprang for NFL Game Pass, again so I can follow the Patriots' march towards Arlington, Texas.

Nice first game for the Patriots. The first half was all Pats. The third quarter, with the exception of Brandon Tate's 97 yard kick off return, belonged to Cincinnati. New England only ran three plays in the entire quarter. The Pats defense appeared more than gassed and struggled to contain the run.

The Cats had a rough first half. Their first five possessions went: punt, punt, punt, fumble and interception. Cincinnati punter Mike Nugent (no word on any possible relation to The Motorcity Madman) was busy. Nugent's career long 54 yard field goal accounted for Cincinnati's only points in the first half.

Quotables

"Somebody say, "Hey guys, the season has started."
-CBS commentator, Phil Simms on the Cincy defense after Fred Taylor ripped off a 24 yard run

"Ochocinco . . . "

I was amazed with the ease that Chad Johnson's new legal moniker was rolling off both Simm's and his partner Jim Nance's tongues. I mean really, how can you take that seriously. Johnson definitely still has it at 32 years old, though a lot of his stats were accrued after the Patriots had the game in hand.

~"It'll get the crowd back into it, if they(Cincinnati) take it down and score."
-Phil Simms during a Cincinnati Bengals' drive

Um Phil, did you forget the game was being played in New England?

"Coach Cowher . . ."
-Jim Nance referring to NFL Today Analyst and Former Pittsburg Steelers head coach Bill Cowher

I suppose if you win a Super Bowl (Super Bowl XL) and have as much success (141-90-1) as Bill Cowher did you've earned the right to be called Coach in perpetuity but he's in the studio now and it strikes me as a little bit WWE.

UN: Fix This

2010-07-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

North Korea's healthcare is a horror, report says
Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times, 7/15/10

"Amnesty International finds that the country lacks sterilized needles, clean water and medicine. Patients undergo painful surgery without anesthesia, the human rights group says."

North Korea spent under $1 per capita on healthcare, the lowest in the world. The global average was $716 per capita.

The collapse of the healthcare system compounds the misery of a population that is chronically malnourished and suffering from digestive problems caused by eating weeds, tree bark, roots, corn husks, cobs and other "substitute" foods.

North Koreans are eating tree bark and corn husks, yet North Korea just leased it's squid beds to the Chinese for cash. Where is the cash going to be spent? According to the JoongAng Daily, it will be used to finance state projects.

North Korea leases out its squid beds to China
JoonAng Daily, 7/15/10

North Korea has been hungry for more cash to finance state projects, including a so-called Pyongyang modernization project that involves paving major roads, upgrading railway networks and refurbishing urban streets.

“Many of the North’s fishing boats are extremely outdated and are experiencing intense fuel oil shortages, while squid prices in China have gone up due to supply shortages,” the official said. “So each side’s interests have been satisfied.”

Why not swap access to the squid beds for a portion of the catch, other foodstuffs, fishing vessels or fuel oil?

Sad, Shocking, Appalling & Unconscionable

More from the Times and the Amnesty International Report.

. . . 47-year-old man interviewed by Amnesty International who also described paying a doctor treating his son for tuberculosis with 10 packs of cigarettes.

. . . her patients had to bring their own bottles if they needed intravenous fluid. Beer bottles were preferred.

. . . people often used illegal drugs, particularly "ice," a highly addictive methamphetamine that is manufactured inside North Korea.

"You do drugs if you have a cold, a stomach ache, for whatever is wrong," said the girl . . .

West Beverly High School

2010-01-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Beverly Hills students may soon be required to prove their residency
The school board has decided to expel those who have been lying about where they live under a plan to recertify every family in the 4,900-student district.
Carla Rivera, LA Times, 1/17/10

Sounds like Andrea Zuckerman, in Beverly Hills 90210.

From wiki:

Andrea was introduced early in season one as living with her parents in Van Nuys, from where she was secretly commuting (against school rules) to West Beverly High. She was using her grandmother's (Lainie Kazan) small apartment in Beverly Hills as her mailing address.

Photos of the Week

2010-01-09T01:30:00.001-08:00

There's lots of web sniffing & sifting going on at the leg. Here are some photos that amused & intrigued me this week.

Federal Air Marshall training

Obama Orders Air Marshal Surge by Feb. 1: 'Race Against Time'
ABC News, Anna Schecter & Brian Ross, 1/6/10

Photos: Paradise on the Maldives
LA Times, Sally Tagg

Darwin Awards

2010-01-07T06:24:00.000-08:00

I in no way want to make light of the potential threat of airborne terrorism and I am thankful that both the underwear & shoe bomber were unsuccessful but I can't help wondering why both Richard Reid and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab didn't detonate their devices in the airplane bathrooms.

The obvious joke would be that they both wanted to avoid the fine for tampering with the smoke detectors.

The stupidity of Reid and Abdulmutallab along with the heroism of their fellow passengers is the only thing that prevented tragedy.

"The worm has definitely turned for you man."

2010-01-07T04:49:00.000-08:00

Hanes drops ads featuring Charlie Sheen

Hanesbrands has ended its advertising campaign featuring Charlie Sheen because of domestic violence charges filed against the actor, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

The "Two and a Half Men" star was arrested in Aspen, Colo., on Christmas Day on charges including felony menacing and domestic violence. His wife Brooke Sheen told police he put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. Sheen denies the allegations.

Really Hanes, accusations of domestic violence send you running but hookers & amyls didn't?

Playboy Interview: Charlie Sheen
June 2001

PLAYBOY: Is it true you and a friend took a World Sex Tour?

SHEEN: [Laughs] Which one?

PLAYBOY: Amsterdam. You and he did separate sides of a red-light-district street.

SHEEN: Yeah. Me and Jo-Jo [chuckles]. We set a goal for the one night, and we hit it. Ten each. He took one side of the canal, I took the other. Little single rooms, with women sitting in the windows. You walk up, look through the window, go inside, they pull the curtain and, you know. We left there very tired.

PLAYBOY: How did you manage to maintain your stamina?

SHEEN: I was doing a lot of amyl at the time, and that tends to get the sex thing going. Amyl and Heineken: the Amsterdam combination. Jesus, what a nightmare. You can stay hard, but you're shooting blanks after a while. Then it becomes about approaching the number. We said 10 each and you're on eight, and you're going, I need some fucking pasta or steak or something. Fuck it: Heineken, amyl—that's my dinner. Then you get to nine. We didn't want to leave there saying, "We got 17 but we aimed for 20." It was ridiculous.

The entire clip is excellent but Tracks of My Tears kicks in at the 6:40 mark, if that's what you're looking for.

Who knew there were Platoon dolls?

All Thumbs

2009-12-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

How did the Red Sox not know Lowell needed thumb surgery?

Red Sox assistant GM Ben Cherington appeared on Sirius XM's MLB Home Plate channel today with Holden Kushner and Jim Duquette and talked about the Mike Lowell situation.

And even at the end of the playoffs, in our exit physical, he barely made mention of it," Cherington said.

He's been a big part of our team for the last several years and the trade, as we talked to Texas, it wasn't about not wanting Mike Lowell. It was about possibly making a move to get a player we liked back and give us a little bit of financial flexibility to do some other things.

The Red Sox season ended in October. There's no excuse for not figuring out that Lowell's thumb would require surgery until December. Now Lowell's recovery is two months behind.

Riiiight, it wasn't about not wanting Mike Lowell. You were going to eat 9 million of his 12 million dollar salary in 2010, in return for a minor league catcher who hit .217 in 46 major league at bats last season. Who are you trying to kid Cherington?

Lowell preferred to have thumb surgery in October
Boston Globe, 12/22/09

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell spoke to WEEI's Rob Bradford yesterday and offered details surrounding his thumb injury that ultimately led to the Rangers canceling a trade that would have sent Lowell to Texas in exchange for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

. . . he disputed the Red Sox assertion that the injury wasn't discussed in the team's end of season exit interview.

Bonehead English

2009-12-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

Bill Cosby carries the PR ball for Temple
The comedian and former Owls running back has been making the rounds with the media and has offered tips for the team's EagleBank Bowl game against UCLA.
La Times, 12/18/09

Attempts to reach Cosby's closest UCLA counterpart, Mark Harmon, actor and former Bruins quarterback, were unsuccessful.

Harmon was a starting quarterback at UCLA for two seasons, finishing with 976 yards rushing and 791 passing in his career.

The two celebrities are arguably near-equals. Cosby has had television success ("The Cosby Show") and movie duds ("Ghost Dad"). Harmon has had television success ("NCIS") and movie duds ("Beyond the Poseidon Adventure").

Freddy Shoop was far from a dud, in fact he's been an inspiration in my teaching career.

Dig the Springsteen t-shirt, at the 2:00 mark.

I saw summer school in 1987, in the theater with my sister.

More on UCLA

But Cosby has been leading the Owls' media charge, while the last comment about UCLA football from a celebrity came from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Speaking at his daughter's USC commencement ceremonies last year, Schwarzenegger mentioned his daughter talked about the Victory Bell.

He said: "She sat me down and she told me it weighs 295 pounds and how the winner of the annual football game between USC and UCLA takes this bell and gets to paint it in the school colors. And I stopped her in the middle of talking, I said, 'Wait a minute, Katherine, back up a little bit. UCLA has a football team?' "

I could care less about the UCLA SC rivalry, but the Governor of California, thought it was appropriate to take a shot at a public school while giving the commencement address at a private university?

The only head coach to have a Final Four appearance vacated by the NCAA at more than one school.

Apropos of nothing, besides the fact that I don't care for Coach Cal and I always liked former Temple basketball coach, John "Elmer Fud" Chaney. Here's Chaney threatening to take down Coach Cal.

Riiight, what's an ark?

Here's some old Cos. Noah is one of my favs. My father had it on vinyl.

Planned Parenthood

2009-11-20T04:57:00.000-08:00

Catalina bison going on birth control
LA Times, 11/20/09

It wasn't the headline that struck me as funny but a line about bison souveniers.

"Gift shops sell furry bison figurines and gold-painted, dehydrated bison droppings."

Really? How do you explain that to a house guest?

"What's that Erv?"
"Oh, just some buffalo crap the wife and I picked up in Catalina. Go ahead you can pick it up."

I'm surprised zoos don't sell golden panda droppings.

Should you need a helmet in buffalo country.

Penalty! Unnecessary Blandness! Redesigning the Worst NFL Helmet Graphics

I like the "New" Patriots helmet design, even though it's a bit Captain America/Easy Rider/American Gladiators or Doonesbury as my friend said.

Tell Tale Month

2009-11-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

Former St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman and current NFL analyst Dan Dierdorf.

"The stat sheet is air." - CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf on Miami LB Joey Porter, after Porter spent the week barking about Tom Brady receiving special treatment from NFL officials. Porter finished with a a donut, zero tackles, zero assists.

Dierdorf Factoid

The sputtering walrus was born in Canton, Ohio, the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dierdorf was enshrined in Canton in 1996.

Pats Highlights

In a career full of highlights Randy Moss, added two more to his Canton reel. After getting stung early by Miami CB Vante Davis for an interception, Moss made a spectacular one handed grab against Davis. Later in the third quarter he stiff armed Davis, enroute to a 71 yard touchdown.

Laurence Maroney got tough today. He ran hard all day. Maroney finished the day with 20 carries for 82 yards and one touchdown.

We'll really see how good New England is in the next month.

Next week the Patriots face the 8-0 Colts, followed by their division rival the New York Jets (4-4), and they finish the month against the number one offense in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints (7-0).

"Back to you Dan."

Here's a few more shots of Dierdorf from his playing days. I love seeing old trading cards of coaches and analysts.

I can't figure out why they listed Dierdorf's kick return stats, since The Walrus wasn't known for his blazing speed.

OK, a 4.9 40 in 1972, was really good for an offensive lineman. Still, I don't think Dano was lining up to return kicks from Jan Stenerud.

OK, a bit of a selfish reference & picture, I own this card. But what is not to love about Stenerud?

Here are a few quick hits on JS.

~ He's Norwegian. I'm not sure how many foreign players (if any) were in the league prior to Stenerud.
~ He was one of the first dedicated or pure (meaning that was his sole responsibility) place kickers.
~ He was one of the first kickers to use a soccer style kick.
~ He came to the US on a ski jumping scholarship.
~ He played for 19 seasons.
~ He's one of only three place kickers, and the only pure kicker, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Here's one from Dierdorf's college days at Michigan. They should take press shots like this again for football.

Masked Man

2009-11-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

I was told to report to work with a flu mask tomorrow. Apparently the masks were made mandatory by the Ministry of Education, although there was no mention of the policy on the ministry's website.

The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (KCDC) English website also makes no mention of the mask policy.

Unfortunately, the H1N1 specific pages on the KCDC website are only in Korean.

The latest KCDC press release (10/30/09), states that the H1N1 School Vaccination Program will be started a week earlier than planned. The program will now commence on November 11th instead of the 18th.

A previous briefing by the Ministry's Central Influenza Headquarters, stated that after inoculation, it takes two weeks for enough antibodies to develop to protect against the flu. So the first children inoculated will not be protected until November 25th.

The release, dated October 26th, also states that, "given the current fatality rate of the pandemic, the Headquarters said that it is not considering to upscale the current phase of the crisis nor implement a nationwide school closure."

According to the Korea Times, HQ has changed its mind.

The administration will likely upgrade the nation's alert level to "Red," today . .
.

The change in the alert level is due to the surge in confirmed infections last week.

According to the China View website, "The move comes as there were an average 8,857 people confirmed as having infected the Influenza A every day last week from 4,420 tallied the week before."

The Korea Times, also reports that there is likely to be an uptick in the number of reported cases due to the current cold snap, which is expected to last until midweek.

Kids Write the Funniest Things

2009-10-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a sampling of my students' work.

Vocabulary Sentences
The assignment is to write a sentence of at least five words with the highlighted vocabulary word.

Vomit is very gross.

Jim dog die miss.

I catch cold because I play cold places.

I'm bleed the tissue is wife.

The cucumber is banana better.

I seem my sister pig.

people hate to the government so they throw the egges.

I'm the mouth catch.

dress a person('s) hide.

teach the young idea how to shoot.

I wonder why hit me. (?)

god is meaning not dieing and create world

I ate the paper But not deliouse

I am wonderful person.

I touch the rock it is flufy

I want bigger donuts because donuts are very delicious.

The sissors (scissors)is a little bit scared.

Since 1997 I was boring.

I don't have dream.

I would buy a lion.

I not used pencil.

The ink smells not good.

Diary Entries
The assignment is to write a diary entry that is five sentences long. Each sentence should be at least five words long.

School Trick (Trip)
I prepared many clothes.

The day when the Big Mom is sick plentifully.

I walk the streets.
And I have headache.
After 20 minutes I'm not headache.
I tell my mom.

Expressions
The students are given a sample expression and asked to write similar expressions.

Example: My finger is bleeding

My penis is bleeding.

Example: Here drink this milk.

Here drink this penis water. (pee)

Photo Backlog

2009-10-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

Here are my latest photo albums from Korea.

Return to Gyeryong-San National Park

Hiking & Around Town

The Little Rascals

Chuseok 2009

Around Cheongju

The DMZ

Aunt Martha's Visit

Lunch at Deacheon Beach

Richard & Lindsay's last days

You're going the wrong way!

2009-10-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

Pig Farmer Defects, would have been my title.

N.K. says S. Korean man defected across border
-The Korean Herald, 10/27/09

North Korea said Tuesday a 30-year-old South Korean man has defected by crossing the heavily guarded land border between the two countries, Yonhap News said.

The man, identified as Kang Dong-lim, crossed the eastern military demarcation line on Monday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a report monitored in Seoul.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it was checking on the report.

"He is now under the warm care of a relevant organ," the KCNA report said, adding Kang "is pleased with the accomplishment of his desire for defection."

According to the report, Kang raised pigs on a farm in South Korea's southwestern region after quitting his job at a Samsung-affiliated semiconductor company.

"During the military service he made several attempts for defection with his longing for the northern half of Korea, but in vain," it said. South Korea runs a conscription.

A 45-year-old South Korean man made it into the communist neighbor through the border between North Korea and China in 2007 but was expelled for reasons yet to be identified.

Last month, a 54-year-old man received a suspended prison term in South Korea for trying to defect to Pyongyang through a North Korean embassy earlier this year.

Can someone please translate, under the care of a relevant organ for me.

Why on Earth would someone defect to North Korea? No one was trying to get into the USSR (Save Gregory Hines and The White Album era Beatles) or East Germany.

SOKO NOKO Factoid

"Last year, $73.35 million worth of sand, $14,93 million of pine mushrooms and $25.1 million of anthracite were imported (to South Korea) from North Korea. Sand was the largest imported item . . ."-The Korean Herald, 10/27/09

That's a a lot of sand.

Sports Roundup

2009-10-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Pigskin

I truly wonder if London, will get an NFL franchise before Los Angeles. The NFL, seems far more interested in having a team in England than the second largest media market in the Untied States. Patriots' owner Bob Kraft is a big proponent of a London franchise.

“I really believe it’d be the right thing to do sometime in the next decade. There should be a franchise here. We’ve had great suppport here and in Germany, so we look forward and see what happens.” -Bob Kraft, Boston Herald, 10/24/09

I'm wondering about the logistics.

What conference and division will the team be in?

How many west coast games will they play?

How many west coast teams will have to travel to London? London is seven hours ahead of the west coast.

How with playoff game logistics be handled?

Will schedules be arranged so that teams' bye weeks will occur after they play in London?

Will the team be called the London/England Monarchs? The Monarchs folded in 1998. Their average home attendance in their final season was 5,944. Of course the Monarchs were part feeder league and not the NFL.

Germany which had five teams in, The World League & NFL Europe (Cologne Centurions 2004–2007, Berlin Thunder 1999–2007, Frankfurt Galaxy 1991–2007, Hamburg Sea Devils 2005–2007, & Rhein Fire 1995–2007) would seem a more logical home the first NFL team in Europe. Actually, another North American country, say Canada or Mexico makes more sense to me but I suppose the money is in Europe.

Hardball

Go Phillies! Wake me when the World Series is over. I hope Pedro, wins a game and the Yankees go down in flames.

"I have a problem."

In other baseball news, Steve Philips, recently canned ESPN baseball announcer has checked himself into a treatment facility to address his issues.

Phillips’s representative, said in an e-mail his client “is voluntarily admitting himself to an inpatient treatment facility to address his personal issues, and informed ESPN of his plans Friday.-ESPN

What exactly are your issues Steve? Serial adultery? Stupidity?

Step one in celebrity damage control, go to rehab.

MMA

I gave UFC, a shot last night. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida was fighting Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Frankly, I was bored. There just wasn't that much action. A kick here and kick there followed by some hugging and tugging with some close range punching and kicking. Seeing Michael Clark Duncan ringside and David Spade hoisting a solo cup and a nip of Jack Daniels was the highlight for me.

Pack your Wellies

2009-07-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

Not much of a five day for Cheongju. I think the rainy season is here.

The stream next to my apartment. I guess we'll call it Cheyukgongwonno (the street I live on) Stream, since I don't know the name.

The Cheyukgongwonno, is usually a trickle. Here's a photo from April.

Taggin'

2009-06-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Rebellion on the Range Over a Cattle ID Plan
Erik Eckhom, NY Times, 6/28/09

What they were emphatically not doing, said Jay Platt, the third-generation proprietor of the ranch, was abiding by a federally recommended livestock identification plan, intended to speed the tracing of animal diseases, that has caused an uproar among ranchers. They were not attaching the recommended tags with microchips that would allow the computerized recording of livestock movements from birth to the slaughterhouse.

“Now, when there’s an outbreak, we can’t trace prior movements quickly, and we end up testing a lot more animals than necessary,” said Neil Hammerschmidt, director of the identification program for the federal Agriculture Department. “We want to put in place the infrastructure prior an outbreak.”

Among all the different types of livestock, cattle have the most pressing need for improved records, said Mr. Hammerschmidt, who added that some opponents were misinformed.

“It’s never been our intent to implant chickens, especially chicks,” he said. “People out there are saying that they have to microchip every chicken, and if that chicken crosses the road they’ll have to report that event to the government. That has really stirred the pot.”

I wonder if director Hammerschmidt intended that bit of humor. The plan in theory at least, makes sense to me.

Paul Hamby, owner of Hamby Dairy Supply in Maysville, Mo., and a vocal opponent of the plan, said, “It is very much an economic and class warfare issue.”

“Fifty years ago,” Mr. Hamby said, “hundreds of thousands of farms raised hogs, and now very few players have control of the market. I believe one of the reasons for this plan is to consolidate the cattle industry.”

I see some validity to the class warfare argument, though I doubt even though the plan was devised under the Bush administration that it's as sinister as the federal government conspiring with big ag to put family farms out of business. Perhaps the federal government should underwrite some of the costs with tax breaks.

You're the Best Around!

2009-06-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Incheon International Airport

Korean Air's main hub is ranked world's best airport
LA Times, 6/24/09, Peter Pae

Incheon International is little known outside Asia. But results of a recent survey of 8 million fliers could change that.

In a recent tour of the airport before the survey results were released, U.S. travelers were shown amenities that few if any U.S. airports could match, including free use of showers and changing rooms similar to those found at five-star hotels. There is a $2 charge for towels and toiletries.

In one area, a dozen computers with free access to the Internet were available for passengers. In another, a dozen sleeping chairs for those with long layovers. There was also a free television news and movie viewing room, a children's playroom and a museum. The same facilities were available at the opposite end of the terminal.

Those with more than a six-hour wait for a connecting flight could also check into a full-service hotel next to the gates where a private room with bed and bath was going for $40 for six hours or $100 for 24 hours.

The airport, built in 2001, also provides one of the more useful services for connecting travelers. Bags are directly transferred to the connecting flight. They don't have to be retrieved, taken through customs and then rechecked, as required at most other international airports.

I've only flown in and out of Incheon three times but I've been impressed, especially with the organization and the ease with which I cleared customs. The free luggage carts are also a big plus. There are even reading glasses attached to the tables where you fill out your documents. Security inserts a musical device (it sounds like a little like a musical greeting card) in your luggage if there is something in there that they want to discuss with you.

I didn't know about the free showers or sleeping rooms. It's nice that you don't have to belong to some premium airline club to get those services.

Incheon International Airport Official Website

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

2009-06-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff

You might remember I wrote about the ticket mob fiasco in February.

AN UPDATE ON TICKETING ISSUES FROM JON LANDAU June 22

Somehow, a new flurry of interest has been created around Thrill Hill's ticket holds for the recent Izod Center shows. These are the same shows that became such a subject of controversy when they went on sale on February 2nd. The new theory is that Bruce's holds were the problem on February 2nd, and not Ticketmaster's already acknowledged failures on that day. But the truth is that Bruce's holds had nothing to do at all with the breakdown of Ticketmaster's system.

In case you're in need of a cleanse after reading about Mr. Azoff & Ticket Mob's dirty laundry:

The above Newsweek cover, sold for $131.50 plus shipping on Ebay.

"Here's one of Earl & I at Niagara Falls."

2009-06-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

The latest photos from Soko.

"You gotta be smarter than the dog."

Down in Fraggle Rock - Gosu Cave

The Mosquito King

2009-06-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

During one of my classes yesterday, a student wrote, The King Of The Mosquitos, on his forearm in permanent black marker. He didn't have an English name yet, so he is now the Mosquito King.

A student wrote the following sentence yesterday. The word he was suppose to use was socks.

"These is a Red Sox it is beautiful."

It broke my heart to correct him.

During a unit on time zones yesterday, the cartoon I was showing featured a kid wearing a shirt that said, "Be The Reds!"

Subversives? Should I alert the Korean version of HUAC? Are there infiltrators among us?

Let me bore you with my slides

2009-06-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Since everyone is not on Facebook I'm posting some links to photos.

Deeper Into Seoul

First Trip to Seoul Part Three (or are you bored yet?)

First Trip to Seoul Part Deux

First Trip to Seoul

Bangkok, Thailand May 2009 Part III

Bangkok, Thailand May 2009 Part II

Bangkok, Thailand May 2009

Cheongju 2nd Week

Cheongju 1st Week

Spelling Lesson

2009-06-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

The other night there was a new restaurant opening near my work and they had people handing out little "Yoghurt" drinks. It wasn't a yogurt joint so I didn't get the connection.

I did get a kick out of the yoghurt spelling. I thought it was another case of mistranslation and I was bummed to once again be
without camera but I was mistaken.

Swing & A Miss

Due to budget constraints, I'm my own fact checker here at the leg. When I typed in yogurt and the dictionary returned an alternate spelling of yoghurt, I was crushed. My despair almost matched the time I discovered that female bovines due in fact have horns after taking a picture of a life sized fiberglass Holstein (fiberglass animals are somewhat of an obsession) with udders and a large set of horns. The yoghurt post much like the hermaphrodite bovine post was not meant to be.

I had no idea yogurt could be spelled with an h. Admittedly, I am a horrible speller, often believing that if a word is spelled close enough phonetically it should be good enough for my reader. Heavens, with an attitude like that how long before the English language breaks down when we're all pushing shopping carts in the post apocalyptic dawn. In my defense, blogger thinks yoghurt is a misspelled word. I can't wait for someone to challenge yoghurt in scrabble.

From Merriam Webster:

Main Entry: yo·gurt
Variant(s): also yo·ghurt \ˈyō-gərt\
Function: noun
Etymology: Turkish yoğurt
Date: 1625

: a fermented slightly acid often flavored semisolid food made of milk and milk solids to which cultures of two bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) have been added

From the Wiki:

In English, there are several variations of the spelling of the word. In the United States, yogurt is the usual spelling and yoghurt a minor variant. In the United Kingdom yoghurt and yogurt are both current, yoghurt being more common, and yoghourt is an uncommon alternative.[4] Canada uses yogourt; in Australia and New Zealand yoghurt prevails.[5][6]

Five Guys

2009-05-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

President Obama stopped into Five Guys, last week for some burgers. There's been a Five Guys link in the eats section of the lego for a while. I'm not sure this is newsworthy but I'm glad the Potus appreciates a good burger.

Sherif Ali

2009-05-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

Lawrence & Sherif Ali

In another non camera moment, I saw a girl walking in town on Saturday with Omar Sharif ankle socks.

The socks were white with blue stripes and had "OMAR SHARIF", emblazoned on them in blue.

I was a bit befuddled, did Dr. Zhivago have a clothing line I didn't know about?

My friend informed me that, Omar Sharif, is a brand of cigarettes in South Korea.

The socks reminded me of the tank tops Newport used to give away in the early '90's. Unfortunatley, I couldn't find a picture of a fat guy in a stained tank top.

"Alive with pleasure" or Dead with cancer.

Omar Little (for a time, the Baddest Man on tv) from HBO's The Wire. "Gimme a pack of Newpor'"

Eric Blair

2009-05-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Retro blogging.

I've added a link to the Orwell Diaries, that the Orwell Prize has been publishing.

The Orwell Prize is Britain’s pre-eminent prize for political writing – run by the Media Standards Trust, the Orwell Trust and Political Quarterly. Every year, it awards a prize to the book, and for the journalism (and in 2009 for the first time, to the blog) which comes closest to George Orwell’s ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’.

Since 9th August 2008, we have been blogging George Orwell’s diaries from 1938 in real time, 70 years to the day since each entry was originally written. The diaries start as Orwell heads to Morocco (with his wife Eileen) to recuperate from injury and illness, and end in 1942 (or 2012) as the Second World War rages.

If you're a fan of Orwell's writing (especially if you've delved deeper than Animal Farm and 1984), you'll probably enjoy his posts.

Thanks to the LA Times for the heads up on the diaries.

Where's my camera?

2009-05-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

I was without my camera when I saw some classic signs last week in Cheonju.

There's a bar that advertises, Beer & War. I'm not sure if the War is on draft or in a can.

There's a restaurant called, Donkey Fried Chicken. I'm intrigued.

There's a pork restaurant that has two pigs doing a chest bump and going up for a double high five. "Yes, they're gonna eat us!"

Saber Rattling

2009-05-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

North Korea threatens war, berates South Korea, U.S.
LA Times, 5/27/09

"blindly yielding to its master as it is steeped in sycophancy and submission to the marrow of its bones."

"Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels including search and seizure will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty and we will immediately respond with a powerful military strike," the news service said, citing a spokesman for the North Korean army.

Really, Batshit Ill, what's your problem? Obama will get to you, you'll get your audience, with Hillary at least. Just wait your turn little buddy, right now the administration has its hands full with the economy and a couple of wars. You're really starting to look like Arnold Horshack, "Oh, Oh, Oh, Mr. Kotter, Mr. Kotter!" Why don't you focus your energy on keeping the lights on at night in Pyongyang.

Oink Oink

2009-05-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

The swine flu has hit Soko.

My boss received a call from immigration asking about the health of her foreign staff.

Apparently, some foreigners traveled outside of the country and came back with swine flu. Subsequent cases of the flu have been reported.

All foreigners who have traveled outside of Korea and returned after May 11th, must report to a clinic to be screened for the flu. Failure to do so within seven days will result in deportation.

Thankfully, I returned from Thailand on May 5th.

Scenes from Cheongju

2009-04-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Man driving woman's car. She is in the passenger seat.

Man stops car and gets out. Woman exits the car and hands man an unspecified amount of Won. No words are exchanged.

Man gets into car that was trailing them. Woman drives away. Trail car drives in the opposite direction.

I have no idea what transpired.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most nights I see a different trio of Korean men leaving one of the three bars across the street from my apartment. Usually one of the three revelers is too drunk to stand and his friends are guiding him towards a car or a cab.

Familiar Scandal

2009-04-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

South Korea's Roh faces prosecutors this week

John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
1:17 AM PDT, April 27, 2009

Like two predecessors, the former president is accused of corruption. Some point to a practice of the political party in power seeking to embarrass leaders of the party it replaced.

The onetime human rights lawyer and judge is the third South Korean president since 1995 to face a corruption probe after leaving office. He is suspected of soliciting $6 million in bribes from a shoemaking magnate that were allegedly paid to his wife and son.

Roh, 62, has acknowledged that his wife accepted $1 million from footwear manufacturer Park Yeon-cha but denied involvement in any influence-peddling. He has characterized the $5 million his son received from Park as an investment loan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, his wife got the money for what, being a nice lady?

When I first read the article, I thought it said, "his wife accepted $1 million in footwear . . ."

How many pairs of shoes will one million dollars buy?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Experts within South Korea say the general public has been dealt an emotional blow by the investigation into Roh. Chun Sang-chin, a sociology professor at Sogang University, said many voters believed Roh's campaign pledge that he was different from other politicians.

"People are really disappointed because they had believed that Mr. Roh was free of moral problems," he said. "But now people think that Roh is no longer different from the others."

Yet one presidential scholar calls the Roh probe a sign that South Korea is moving past an era of corrupt presidents. "All events involving presidents were kept inside a black box – no one had access to the dark side of Korean politics," said Hahm Sung Deuk, a professor of public administration at Korea University.

Your Ego Knows No Bounds

2009-04-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Photo via Bright Like Neon

Hooked on free Web services? Prepare to pay
David Lazarus, LA Times, 4/5/09

Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant is now charging a $49.95 membership fee for his recently relaunched website, KB24.com. The fee provides access to Bryant's blog, message boards and other features.

Because it's not enough that my fans buy my jerseys and shoes. I want them to pay for access to a site that promotes me. What a jerk.

From KB24.

Exclusive News And Updates, First.

This is where youre guaranteed to get the freshest, most current, and most a accurate info on Kobes every move.

You'll get all that info but apparently no apostrophes, those were omitted from the text on KB24.

Seriously, reevaluate your life if you're paying for exclusive updates on Kobe.

"Blowin' in the wind"

2009-03-18T06:39:00.001-07:00

Quote of the day via the Boston Globe.

"I really have not involved myself in Bob Dylan's toilet."
~Andy Stern, Mayor of Malibu, CA

asked to address reports that neighbors have complained about odors wafting from a portable toilet on Bob Dylan's compound

This One's For Lokie

2009-02-22T22:41:00.000-08:00

Mickey Rourke Acceptance Speech Best Male Lead Film Independent's Spirit Awards 2009.

Greatest acceptance speech ever.

Eric Roberts & Mickey Rourke in The Pope of Greenwich Village. (Another movie I watched for the first time with my old man.)

Gram Negative

2009-02-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Deadly bacteria defy drugs, alarming doctors
A new category of bugs becomes more resistant to treatment, and their toll -- which already includes a Brazilian beauty queen -- is expected to rise.
LA Times, 2/17/09

Move over MRSA, there's another bully on the block.

Acinetobacter doesn't garner as many headlines as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the dangerous superbug better known as MRSA. But a January report by the Infectious Diseases Society of America warned that drug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii and two other microbes -- Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae -- could soon produce a toll to rival MRSA's.

The three bugs belong to a large category of bacteria called "gram-negative" that are especially hard to fight because they are wrapped in a double membrane and harbor enzymes that chew up many antibiotics. As dangerous as MRSA is, some antibiotics can still treat it, and more are in development, experts say.

But the drugs once used to treat gram-negative bacteria are becoming ineffective, and finding effective new ones is especially challenging.

Gamorrah

2009-02-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

I've been reading Roberto Saviano's, Gamorrah.

Gomorrah
A Personal Journey Into The Violent International Empire Of Naples' Organized Crime System.

Ahh Naples, city of my youth.

Ladies, think twice before donning that Versace gown.

Here's are some quotes.

But that day I happened to meet a large woman who could barely jam herself into her seat. She had boarded the Eurostar in Bologna with an incredible desire to talk, as if she intended to fill the time the way she had her body.

I stretched out my arm toward the waves and fired two more shots. I didn't see them hit and maybe they didn't even reach the water. But it seemed courageous to fire on the sea.

The AK-47 can fire in the most disparate conditions. It won't jam, will shoot even when crammed with dirt or soaking wet, is comfortable to hold, and has a feather trigger that even a child can pull. Luck, error, imprecision - all the elements that might spare a life in battle - are eliminated by the certainty of the AK-47, which has prohibited fate from playing a role. Easy to use and easy to transport, it shoots with an efficiency that allows you to kill without any type of training. "It can turn even a monkey into a combatant," . . .

The AK-47 has even found it's way onto the flag of Mozambique . . .

Wow, a book, a hoe & an AK.

The book has been made into a movie.

CC in the News

2009-02-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

While it probably won't make the Culver City tourism brochure in an effort to cover all the news that is Culver City, it's my duty to report that . . .

Marshawn Lynch Arrested in California
Faces Gun Possession Charge
WIVB.com, 2/15/08

CULVER CITY, CA (WIVB) - Bills running back Marshawn Lynch was arrested earlier this week in California. He was charged with felony possession of a concealed firearm. The incident, first reported by profootballtalk.com, has been confirmed to News 4 by police in Culver City, CA.

Lynch was arrested Wednesday, February 11 in Culver City, which is located outside of Los Angeles. The arrest came three days after Lynch played at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Here is the official news release from the Culver City, CA police:

On Wednesday Evening, February 11 2009, Culver City Police Officers were patrolling the Fox Hills area of Culver City when they contacted three adult males seated in a 2006 Mercedes Benz. Upon contacting the occupants they learned one of the subjects was Buffalo Bills running back; Marshawn Lynch. A subsequent field investigation led to the discovery of a loaded firearm. The officers determined the gun belonged to Lynch and he was arrested for posession of a concealed firearm. Lynch was transported to CCPD booked and later released on bail. The case will be submitted to the District Attorney's Office for filing consideration.

Lynch was released on a $35,000 bond. The case now moves to the District Attorney.

I'll never understand why professional athletes insist on carrying loaded firearms. However, if they feel the need to carry a concealed weapon for personal safety why not get the proper permits.

Here's is a run down from the, California Office of Attorney General (for those of you not from California, that's Jerry Moonbeam Brown, former Governor & 2010 gubernatorial candidate), on obtaining a concealed weapons permit in California.

How can I obtain a Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) license?

Contact your county's Sheriff's Office or, if you are a resident of an incorporated city, your city's Police Department, for information on obtaining a CCW license. They can answer your questions and provide you with copies of their CCW policy statement and the State's Standardized CCW Application. If you live within a jurisdiction of a city Police Department, you may apply to the county Sheriff's Office for a CCW license. However, only residents of a city may apply to a city's Police Department for a CCW license.

California law does not recognize CCW licenses issued in other states.

(PC Section 12050)

Failure to Perform ?

2009-02-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

Elgin Baylor sues Clippers, claiming racism
The former general manager accuses owner Donald Sterling of bad behavior for decades. Lawyer for team says Baylor was treated fairly.
Lisa Dillman, 2/12/09, LA Times

I'll let the courts sort out the claims of racism & ageism, but Elgin, you made the playoffs four times in 22 years as General Manager. I don't know how you lasted as long as you did.

From Yahoo Sports.

Clippers
Playoff Appearances: 7
Overall Playoff Record: 20-27
NBA Championships: 0

2006 -- defeated Denver, 4-1, first round
lost to Phoenix 4-3, conference semifinals

1997 -- lost to Utah, 3-0, first round

1993 -- lost to Houston, 3-2, first round

1992 -- lost to Utah, 3-2, first round

Unsubscribe

2009-02-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

I started getting emails last week from RNC Chairman Michael Steele. This must have sprung from Governor Schwarzenegger's 2003 campaign. I didn't support the Govenator but someone signed me up for his campaign. Prior to receiving the emails the only other communication I received from the RNC were two frameable pictures of W & Laura; one in formal wear and the other in more laid back Crawford duds. A donation solicitation accompanied the pictures.

It's nice to see that six years after obtaining my email address the RNC has stepped into the twenty-first century and started to mimic President Obama's successful online organization.

Here are the subject lines from the emails.

2/12/09, Hope and change? Try fear and politics-as usual...

2/10/09, My Face Off with DNC Chair Kaine

2/7/09, RNC Chairman Michael Steele's Weekly Republican Address

I'm Countin' On A Miracle

2009-02-04T23:43:00.000-08:00

Springsteen Joins In as Fans Decry Ticketmaster’s ‘Scalping’
Adam Satariano and Greg Bensinger, Bloomberg.com, 2/5/09

She said the group ran into technical problems that froze them out. When the system began working again, March said they were steered to Ticketmaster- owned TicketsNow, a reseller offering prices hundreds of dollars above face value.

Complaints from disappointed fans have prompted a U.S. congressman to call for a federal antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster sales practices. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram said yesterday she’s looking into the matter. The Boss himself condemned the company for having “a pure conflict of interest.”

“Some artists or managers may not perceive there to be a conflict between having the distributor of their tickets in effect ‘scalping’ those same tickets through a secondary company like TicketsNow,” Springsteen said. “We do.”

Springsteen used the incident to voice objection to a reported proposal to merge Ticketmaster, the biggest ticketing outfit, with Beverly Hills, California-based concert promoter Live Nation Inc. A single company would bring back “a near monopoly situation in music ticketing,” Springsteen said.

My friend that was in charge of getting tickets on Monday to Springsteen's show at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, said they were sold out immediately and that he was directed to ticketsnow.

From wiki:

TicketsNow is a TicketMaster company. Ticketmaster simply buys their own tickets and then re-sells those tickets for 200% of face value on their TicketsNow website. This has created a monopolistic market making it near impossible for an average fan to buy a event ticket at face value. If you are trying to buy tickets to an event and the event is "sold out" the TicketMaster site directs you to the TicketsNow website. Most consumers are still baffled as to how this is legal. Also, they are baffled at how out in the open this process is and how nothing is being done about it.

Here's a great response from another friend.

One has to appreciate that Pearl Jam at least tried to fight them. The mafia is legal and won.

Since he performed at the inaugural concert, Bruce would appear to have President Obama's ear. Hopefully the federal government (are you listening Mr. Holder?) will investigate these crooks and finally put them out of business.

Testing Testing 1 2

2009-02-02T20:38:00.001-08:00

Just signed up for mobile blogging for the lego. Eesh, no spell checking.

Nothing too exciting to report.

Oh, the waste water pipe for my apartment complex is backed up between my neighbor and I. They are the last unit in a row and I am the second to the last unit. The pipe flows in a line from the neighbor's apartment passed my place and on to the next apartment. The pipe is visible in the carport. The apartment manger just said not to use the shower or flush the toilet until the pipe is fixed tomorrow. I'm wondering why if the clog is before my unit that I can't use the facilities?

Downtown Eats

2009-02-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

After taking in the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown, a friend and I wandered over the the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles.

At his suggestion we went to, Wurstküche. The two and a half month old restaurant bills itself as purveyor of exotic grilled sausages.

You place your order in a small trapazoidal room which houses the grill, a deli case and beer taps. You can eat along the wall in that room, at a couple of tables outside or in the expansive dinning room. The dinning room features a long bar along one side.

I had the duck, bacon and jalapeno sausage with caramelized onions and hot peppers ($7.75). My companion had the alligator and pork with caramelized onions and hot peppers ($7.75). The sausages come with your choice of two free toppings. Options include caramelized onions, sweet peppers, spicy peppers or sauerkraut. Additional toppings are 75 cents. The sausage comes on a hearty white roll that stands up to the juice from the sausage and toppings.

My friend opted for a beer, of which they have over thirty to choose from. The beers are mainly Belgian and German, though they do have PBR. The guy who took our order apologized because he didn't have the correct glass for my friend's beer and said that they will eventually have all the correct glasses i.e. a Chimay glass for a Chimay. For my beverage, I stuck with self service water, which they put cucumber in. I was new to cucumber in my water but it was quite refreshing. They also have a cucumber soda. We split a klein (small) order of Belgian fries ($3.50) and got the chipotle aioli dipping sauce. One sauce is included with the fries, additional sauces are 75 cents.

I topped my sausage off with dijon mustard at the self service counter. Both the sausage and the fries were excellent. The aioli was so good I could have eaten with a spoon by itself. The only detractor is that according to my friend they don't make their own sausages which seems like a shame to me but I can overlook that, Wurstküche has been added to the rotation.

Here's a Wurstküche review from the LA Times.

An emporium for the encased is ensconced

Read the Times while you can, I think it's going under within the year. They recently decided to eliminated the California section. According to LA Observed, the Times publisher has opted to, "- fold local news inside the front section — which will be reconfigured to downplay national and foreign news." Downplay national and foreign news!?! This after cutting 150 people from the news gathering staff and reducing the size of the paper earlier this year. The LA Times is owned by the cash strapped Tribune company. Can you imagine Los Angeles without a major daily newspaper?

Obama Water

2009-02-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

7-11 is selling Obama water. It's in a clear sixteen ounce plastic bottle with a picture of the Obama family on the label. They're $1.49 a piece. The owner said he's sold four cases (24 bottles/case) in the last two or three days. He's looking for a new vendor because the one that sold him his current batch is sold out.

I can't imagine the Obama's approved of the water or are receiving any of the proceeds. Though, I guess the President is stimulating the economy.

I found this photo on Flickr. It's not the same brand featured at my local 7-11.

Cheese Product

2009-02-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make my mother's Chile con Queso dip for my Super Bowl party. Last year I tried to make a highbrow version involving roasted poblano peppers that didn't cut it. The dip sat in a bowl and got cold. It reminded me of a tuna caserole my aunt made that the dog wouldn't even go near. Having failed last year, I decided to go back to tried and true recipe, a block of Velveeta and a jar of salsa.

I went to Ralph's to pick up the ingredients. To my surprise Velveeta is not housed in the cheese case at the grocery store. I went up and down the case several times thinking I might have overlooked it.

Here's the conversation that played in my head:

"OK, slow down, it has to be here."
"Tillamook cheddar, Munster, Kraft singles, ah ha Velveeta singles."
"Come on it has to be here. Where the heck is it?"
"Are they out of it?"
"Am I gonna have to go to another store?"
"How can they be out of Velveeta? Well, it is the Super Bowl."

Another pass confirmed that the store was either out of Velveeta or I was looking in the wrong place.

Cheese in a Can flashed into my head.

"Maybe they keep it next to the Cheese in a Can. I know where they keep that."

I kept my fingers crossed as I approached the aisle and sure enough next to the Cheese in a Can and Mac & Cheese kits, there sat the Velveeta. Relief. There will be Queso.

The dip was a big hit.

Here's the recipe:

1 Block of Velveeta
1 Cup of Salsa

Cube the Velveeta
Melt in a pot over low heat
Add salsa and incorporate

Velveeta facts via Wikipedia

. . . first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and was sold to Kraft Foods in 1927.

Velveeta is now sold as a "cheese product," using a term for items that contain less than 51% cheese.[2]

Velveeta does need to be refrigerated after opening.

Trout fishermen have reported success using Velveeta as bait.

Rump Shaker

2009-01-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

I just felt an earthquake. The apartment shook but it wasn't the big one.

Funny, I went to the latimes website for info and this article was on the front page.

Major earthquakes on San Andreas happen more frequently than previously thought
LA Times, 4:34 PM, January 23, 2009

Prophetic!!

The USGS has the skinny.

A minor earthquake occurred at 7:42:44 PM (PST) on Friday, January 23, 2009.
The magnitude 3.4 event occurred 2 km (1 miles) WNW of Marina del Rey, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 7 km ( 5 miles).

Slated for Removal

2009-01-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

I'm deleting the, Kissing Suzy Kolber link. It never makes me laugh. I still love the title though.

This Land Is My Land

2009-01-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

Pete Seeger & Bruce Springsteen - "This Land is Your Land" - The Obama Inaugural Celebration Concert

I must have watched this video ten times today. It should be the National Anthem. Today was a special day. We finally have a President that understands the song.

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me;
Sign was painted, it said private property;
But on the back side it didn't say nothing;
That side was made for you and me.

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

Thanks to DB for hipping me to this Pete Seeger article.

Rerun

2009-01-19T10:49:00.000-08:00

After watching a movie the other night I was flipping through the channel guide.

From 10 P.M. until 2 A.M., Channel 58 was was broadcasting a, Los Angeles Board of Supervisors meeting from 1997.

Really, four hours of a twelve year old Board of Supervisors meeting, from ten until two, who the hell is watching that?

Another Sunny Day

2009-01-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

It was in the 80's yesterday so instead of going home after the creek restoration I went to Venice Beach. I stuck around until after the sunset. To all my friends and family who are currently in the grips of negative temperatures: I'm sorry! All are welcome to visit if you need to thaw out.

No idle hands

2009-01-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

"It's not a day just to pause and reflect — it's a day to act," Obama said on King's national holiday. "I ask the American people to turn today's efforts into an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their communities, their cities, and their country."

I began my day of service a day early. Yesterday, I volunteered at a creek restoration at Malibu Creek State Park, that was organized by Heal the Bay. We removed non native plants (mainly mustard) and replaced them with native bunch grasses.

For those that are interested in participating, Heal the Bay Stream Teams do creek restorations once a month. You can sign up to volunteer via the Heal the Bay website.

Here are some photos from the day.

Volunteers removing invasive plants.

Volunteers planting native bunch grasses.

The Heal the Bay truck.

A mixture of volunteers and park visitors.

At PCH & Sunset on my drive home. I started noticing tsunami evacuation route signs near the beach a few months ago.

A Superior Creature

2009-01-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my parents gave me Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn's book, Charcuterie The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing.

From Thomas Keller's introduction:

A final reason for Charcuterie is important: it recognizes the pig for the superior creature that it is. From a culinary standpoint, the pig is unmatched in the diversity of flavors and textures it offers the cook and the uses it can be put to-from head to tail, from ham to tenderloin, it's a marvel.

This is a very hopeful time for the pig in America . . .

The pig might disagree.

Mistaken Identity

2008-12-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

It was a rainy raw day in LA yesterday, so I decided to skip the open air pool in favor of a trip to UCLA's Fowler Museum.

The Fowler, currently has some great photos from the mid 1970's of Iraq's Marsh Arabs. The Marsh Arabs, lived in the wetlands surrounding the Euphrates & Tigres Rivers in southern Iraq. They lived on islands made of compacted mud and reeds. Reeds formed the backbone of the Arabs lives. They were used to build their dwellings, feed their buffalo and woven into mats to be sold. Beginning in the 1980's, Saddam Hussien, undertook a campaign to drain the wetlands under the guise of development. In reality the campaign was designed to bring the Marsh Arabs under Hussein's control. The Marsh Arabs and their way of life were all but wiped out. Since 2003, efforts have been under way to rehabilitate the wetlands.

After I left the museum, I was sitting in my car checking my voice mail, when there was a tap on my window. When I looked up there where two uniformed parking enforcement officers standing in the rain.

"UCLA parking enforcement. We noticed you have a handicapped placard."
"Um, yeah"
"Can we see your registration for the placard."
Very confused, "Yeah, sure."
I produced the placard paperwork that I carry in my wallet.
"Can we see the placard."
I handed over the placard.
"Can we see your license. This should only take a minute."
I handed over my license.
After examining my documents, as he handed them back to me one of the officers said, "Well, this is anticlimactic."
The other officer then said, "Are you a student or faculty?"
"No, I was just at the museum."

That was then the end of the encounter. Bizarre. They must have thought I was Cade McNown.

McNown Also Had Parking Placard
LA Times, David Wharton, 7/17/99

Cade McNown, former UCLA All-American quarterback, briefly possessed a handicapped parking placard in 1997, apparently while he was fit enough to be practicing with the team.

Makin Bacon

2008-12-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

Pass the Pigs, has gone digital. You can play the game online now, though it's not quite as satisfying clicking a mouse as it is physically tossing the little piggies. Incredibly, if you toss a Makin Bacon, you loose all of your points.

Where was I going with that . . .

My vegetarian friends might want to skip this post.

A friend and I made home cured bacon a few weeks ago. The recipe is from, Saveur. Prior to seeing the recipe it never even occurred to me that one could make their own bacon. It turns out that bacon is pretty easy to make. First, you'll need to secure some pork belly. After a little poking around we found the pork belly at a butcher shop in the, Los Angeles' Farmes Market. A butcher at one of the shops that didn't carry pork belly (they offered to order it for us) was skeptical. He said, "I've been cutting meet for 40 years. Started out at Dennis & Dennis in Ohio. You can't make bacon without smoking it." The butchers at the shop where we got the pork belly kept trying to get us to buy their pre-made Belgian Bacon, though oddly they kept referring to it as Danish bacon. They didn't seem to get that the whole idea was to make your own bacon. The pork belly was about $4.30 a pound. It was frozen, so we thawed it in a water bath.

The next step is to grind up the seasonings and rub down the the entire slab. Since we were novices, we followed the Saveuer spice rub recipe exactly. Feel free to experiment with the spice mixture though. After rubbing down the pork, put the slabs into ziploc bags and place them on sheet tray.

The slabs need to cure in the fridge for a week. Flip them every two days. Caress them a little if you want to. My partner even named them. You'll notice sweat in the bag, that's normal, it's just the moisture being drawn out of the pork.

Here's the pork belly after seven days in the fridge.

Give the slabs a bath, washing off all of the spice rub.

My partner in crime. "We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious."

The proud chef just prior to baking the pork belly.

Bake at 200 degrees, until the internal temperature of the bacon reaches 150 degrees. This took about two hours. The recipe doesn't say whether to cook the pork belly skin side up or down. We went with the skin up, under the theory that some of the fat would drizzle down through the slab.

There was a lull in the action while we waited for the bacon to reach temperature. Here I am doing my best, Madam Trash Heap. Take your bacon seriously but not yourself.

Behold bacon! We're almost done.

Apparently, it's good luck if you eat the nipple. Sort of like chomping on the baby from a King Cake.

Side view.

Trim the skin and reserve. We'll be returning to that bit of goodness later.

Slice the bacon to desired thickness, chill until cool, fry and consume. For round one we skipped the chilling. We had already endured a week or waiting. Everyone has their preferred technique for cooking bacon. I use a cast iron pan on low heat, just like mom taught me.

Saveur made no mention of what to do with the skin once it was removed from the slab. I thought it would be a shame to just throw it away. Eureka! We decided to make crackling aka pork rinds. Cut the skin into small pieces and season with salt & pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for about three hours. By the way, those are split andouille sausages with bacon on the top rack.

The bacon was delicious, some of it even made it onto the Thanksgiving turkey. Home cured bacon tastes much more like a pork chop than the store bought variety. It's hard to go back to Oscar Meyer after the home grown.

Makin' bacon sparked my interest in Charcuterie. I asked Santa to bring me the bible, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing, for Christmas. Check out the author Michael Rulhman's blog, Notes from the Food World. I can already see salted meats hanging from the rafters in my apartment. The ultimate goal being homemade prosciutto.

More Magnum

2008-12-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

As further proof of my illness, I want to get a Vanagon and repaint it with the Island Hoppers color scheme.

Thomas Magnum

2008-12-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

I went as Magnum P.I. for Halloween. The short shorts were short. Luckily it was a warm night in Los Angeles. It felt good to be Magnum, if only for a night. I only wish I'd thought to bring a rubber chicken.

We ran into this guy on the way to the Asobi Skesu concert.

Pinkberry was my favorite costume of the evening. She had a giant spoon. I love giant everyday objects. "Sorry ice cream I'm dreaming of a different desert . . ."

I'd never seen a Tommy's truck. Appropriate in light of my costume. Only Magnum's mother Katherine called him Tommy. Obsessed you say? Yes, I have a sickness. Now that it's gone, I'll never forgive myself for not attending the Larry Manetti(Orville 'Rick' Wright) celebrity brunch in Las Vegas.

I ran into the panda later that night grubbing down at a taco truck. It looked like he was eating carne asada not bamboo.

Blog Backlog

2008-12-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

Wow just under a month since their was any evidence the leg was breathing. Fear not, I'm still able to take nourishment. It's been so long that I forgot my photobucket password.

Here are some photos from around town.

I prefer OB, but Hite will do. 4.5% alcohol, available just about anywhere in Koreatown.

The bird atop the roof is black with soot and generally appears to be unhealthy. Not the best enticement but they do clean and fry, for free of charge.

Chrysler and Masseratti? With machines like this, I can't see why the Big Three need a bail out.

Sir, your loyalties appear to be divided. Seriously, you can't be a fan of the New England Patriots and the New York Yankees. It's not allowed, it's a line you don't cross. The unholy hybrid of a Patriots Yankees fan is like an evil creation of Dr. Moreau. It's worse than Joe Lieberman campaigning for Maddog. It would be like Brezhnev railing against capitalism while wearing Levis and drinking a Coke.

I once came out of a bathroom at Yankees Stadium, in a Boston Red Sox jersey and someone from the crowd shouted, "Go back to Boston you fu%$#! homo!"

Just some good ol' boys

2008-11-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

"In a dispute before Feess over 2005's "The Dukes of Hazzard," Warners failed to get the underlying rights to the obscure movie (1975's "Moonrunners") upon which the TV show was based."
John Horn, LA Times, 11/16/08

You take a load of 200 proof corn liquor through a Georgia roadblock at 100 miles an hour and if you ain't a dead man, you're a moonrunner.

Moonrunners

Moonrunners Opening Credits

"Try to enjoy your Life Day."

2008-11-17T01:31:00.000-08:00

'The Star Wars Holiday Special': May the farce be with you.
The campy 1978 show with Harrison Ford, wookiees and (gasp) Bea Arthur holds a special place in fans' hearts.
Donald Liebenson, LA Times, 10/16/08

The plot of "TSWHS" plays like a demented "SCTV" sketch: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo and Chewbacca are racing to Kashyyyk, Chewie's home planet, in time for them to be with Chewie's family for the annual Life Day celebration. Chewie's wife, Malla, his son, Lumpy, and his father, Itchy, anxiously await his arrival, while Imperial Stormtroopers, under direction from Darth Vader, exhibit very un-Life Day behavior, ransacking homes, imposing curfews and shutting down the cantina.

Chewbacca, Malla, Lumpy & Itchy

Photo via www.starwarsholidayspecial.com

Staph Confirmed

2008-11-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

Infection slows Brady's rehab
More complications can't be ruled out
Shira Springer, Boston Globe, 11/11/08

Tom Brady returned to Boston recently for a checkup on his surgically repaired left knee by team doctors, according to NFL sources. Those same sources also confirmed that the Patriots quarterback suffered a postoperative staph infection and remains on antibiotics. Staph is the most common kind of postoperative infection.

Doctors fear nothing more than the development of infections and blood clots. If not caught quickly and treated properly, such complications can threaten a patient's life, never mind the success of a surgery. In Brady's case, the infection was caught early and treated aggressively with wash-out procedures and IV antibiotics.

But it still constitutes a major setback, since infection delays rehab, increases the risk of scar tissue buildup, and leaves the patient more susceptible to long-term pain and stiffness. Restoring range of motion is the most important aspect of initial post-op rehab from ACL reconstruction, and there is a limited window of opportunity to work on it.

In other superbug news

Finally, something positive to report on the superbug front.

Test Drug Does Well Against Hospital Infection
Andrew Pollack, NY Times, 11/10/08

A new antibiotic being developed by a small San Diego company fared well in a clinical trial, holding promise in treating an intestinal superbug that is commonly spread in hospitals and is becoming more deadly.

In the trial, the drug developed by Optimer Pharmaceuticals to treat a bacterium, Clostridium difficile, worked better than the only approved drug on the market.

The bacterium kills thousands of Americans a year, and that number has been rising sharply, in part because a more virulent strain has emerged.

“C. difficile, if you look at the numbers, probably far outstrips MRSA as a hospital-acquired problem,” said Dr. Stuart Johnson, an associate professor at Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University.

In the clinical trial, both Optimer’s drug and Vancocin were nearly 90 percent effective in initially clearing the infection. But only 15.4 percent of those treated with Optimer’s drug, called OPT-80, suffered a relapse within four weeks, compared with 25.3 percent of those treated with Vancocin.

The longer-term cure rate, meaning initial cure without recurrence, was 74.6 percent for OPT-80 compared with 64.1 percent for Vancocin.

Not a laughing matter

During last Thursday's Browns Broncos game NFL Network commentator Rich Eisen, made a staph related joke when referring to Brown's quarterback Brady Quinn and TE Kellen Winslow.

The joke went something like this: Quinn has already hooked up with Winslow twice for touchdowns, you might call it infectious.

Winslow, has suffered two staph infections since entering the NFL. The seriousness of staph infections has been recounted ad nauseam on the leg.

Not funny Rich. Eisen's inappropriate joke reminded me of SNF host Al Michaels, questioning weather global warming was a fact or not.

WASH YOUR HANDS & COVER CUTS & SCRAPES

The Bolsheviks Are Here

2008-11-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

Bolsheviki Seize State Buildings, Defying Kerensky
NY Times, 11/7/1917

"On Nov. 7, 1917, Russia's Bolshevik Revolution took place as forces led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin overthrew the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky."

I know it's a time of healing and looking toward the future but its interesting that the U.S. had it's own Commie revolution on the same week.

Quotables

2008-11-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Jim Brown during his Syracuse Lacrosse days. That was for you pop.

"Look what he did. He shut Sharpton up. He made Jesse cry."

-NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown on Barack Obama during the Broncos Browns pregame show

He went on to compare Obama to Nelson Mandela.

Jesse Jackson at Wattstax.

If you haven't seen it your music education is incomplete.

We'll see if Browns quarterback Brady Quinn is the real deal or not tonight.

Simpler Times

2008-11-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

Available at Trader Joes. $3.99/six pack. 6.2% alcohol. Highly drinkable. I'm off MGD in a can.

Before PETA. Via Martin Klasch

Stolen Knickers

2008-11-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

This is the first case of intimate theft, I've seen since the panty raids of 2006 and 2007.

Man grabs more than 130 panties from Victoria's Secret
AP, 11/4/08

DALLAS - A man has proven that you can never have too much underwear when he stole more than 130 pairs of panties from a Victoria's Secret store.

The Dallas Morning News reported online Tuesday that a man snatched $1,067 worth of underwear from a table at the Dallas store Monday.

A police report says a female accomplice held open the door during the theft and both sped away in a green car.

The report did not indicate what styles or sizes were stolen.

Chicken Loving Homophobes

2008-11-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

California voters approve Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriages
Jessica Garrison, Cara Mia DiMassa and Nancy Vogel, LA Times, 10/5/08

Prop 8 passed with a vote of 52.0% in favor and 48.0% opposed.

The bigots won.

I hope there is a massive effort to repeal Prop 8. My question to those who voted yes was and still is, WHY DO YOU CARE?

"I think the voters were thinking, well, if it makes them happy, why shouldn't we let gay couples get married. And I think we made them realize that there are broader implications to society and particularly the children when you make that fundamental change that's at the core of how society is organized, which is marriage," Proposition 8 strategist Jeff Flint said.

What implications? You and your supporters are absolutely insane Mr. Flint. I don't usually stoop to ad hominem, but since your basic premise is riddled with nonsense and hate I feel I can go there.

Elsewhere in the country, two other gay-marriage bans, in Florida and Arizona, also won. In both states, laws already defined marriage as a heterosexual institution. But backers pushed to amend the state constitutions, saying that doing so would protect the institution from legal challenges.

Proposition 8 was the most expensive proposition on any ballot in the nation this year, with more than $74 million spent by both sides.

The measure's most fervent proponents believed that nothing less than the future of traditional families was at stake, while opponents believed that they were fighting for the fundamental right of gay people to be treated equally under the law.

Separate but Equal

"This has been a moral battle," said Ellen Smedley, 34, a member of the Mormon Church and a mother of five who worked on the campaign. "We aren't trying to change anything that homosexual couples believe or want -- it doesn't change anything that they're allowed to do already. It's defining marriage. . . . Marriage is a man and a woman establishing a family unit."

Really, in these economic times you spent millions to define a word?

I wonder what the failure rate is for heterosexual marriages in the United States?

Why they hell do you love the word so much? What are you fighting to protect and save?

What evil will befall the nation if the word marriage included same sex unions?

Cluck Cluck

Farm animal proposition passes; redistricting measure appears headed for victory
Eric Bailey, LA Times, 10/5/08

Proposition 2, which would determine the fate of penned farm animals, won easily.

The high-stakes measure, debated heavily on TV, pitted animal rights activists against farm groups on the question of whether egg-laying hens, veal calves and pregnant sows should be allowed more room in pens and cages.

Dinner in San Francisco anyone?

Proposition 1A, the long-delayed effort to finance a bullet train linking Southern California with the Bay Area, was also approved by voters.

The cultural exchange between to the two cities will be amazing. Someday in the hopefully not too distant future, I will never again have to make the long ardious drive up Route 5 to San Francisco. I only hope the train stops somewhere reasonably close to Santa Cruz county

Turnout

More than 82% vote in L.A. County
Jennifer Oldham and Larry Gordon, LA Times, 10/5/08

Of the county's 4.3 million registered voters, about 3.5 million had cast ballots Tuesday at 8 p.m. To find a higher turnout, officials had to go back to 1968 when 86% of county voters cast their ballots for president. The next highest turnout was in 1976, with 81.08%.

U.S. Census Bureau's, 2006 American Community Survey, estimated the population of LA County at 9,744,896. Of those 9.7 million, 7,267,873 are 18 years old and over. So there are potentially 2.9 million unregistered voters in Los Angeles county. I sure would like to shrink that number by the next election.

News from the Homeland

Massachusetts voted to decriminalize marijuana. Voters approved the measure 65% to 35%. Offenders will be given a $100 fine for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

More Free Stuff

2008-11-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

From JAE

Tunes: Rock the Vote will give you eight free MP3s to download if you pledge to vote at www.rockthevote.com/pledge

Sex toys: Babeland locations in SoHo, the Lower East Side (the Leg's old neighborhood) and Carroll Gardens will give men a free $20 "Maverick" (get it?) penis sleeve. Women get a free $15 silver bullet mini-vibrator.

(I had to look up what a penis sleeve is. Wow. Mom, you probably don't want to click on the link.)

FREE

2008-11-04T12:21:00.001-08:00

Soviet Union Food Line circa 1987-88

U.S. Depression Era Food Line

Barry must be a socialist, we got free coffee, donuts and ice cream. Change is already happening!

Crispy Kreme is giving away a free star shaped donut with patriotic sprinkles to everyone with an I Voted sticker.

Ben & Jerry's is giving away a free scoop of ice cream between 4-8PM.

Starbucks is giving away a free small coffee to customers who mention they voted.

Carbon Free Voting

2008-11-04T08:41:00.001-08:00

I was able to walk to my polling place this morning. It was in the library of the local elementary school. The kids were running around laughing & screaming before class. Appropriate, as we're voting for them now. There were 10 people ahead of me in line. The whole process took less than twenty minutes. Much smoother than my primary voting. The elderly woman in front of me said I could go ahead of her if I had to get to work.

There was a woman with an Obama 08 football shirt on, I guess that's considered electioneering. My Country First neighbor, who was working at the poll pointed it out. The woman was allowed to vote but a poll worker made an announcement after she left.

After two years it's finally over. Actually, hopefully it's just beginning.

Now for my free coffee.

Go Umass!

2008-11-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Texas Tech knocked off number one ranked Texas at home 39-33. Texas Tech was rewarded with the number two spot in the BCS standings. The Red Raiders are 9-0, with three games to go.

It's too early to tell, especially with two tough games to go against number six Oklahoma and number eight Oklahoma State but Texas Tech could easily find themselves in the National Championship Game.

OK, so why is this important?

The University of Massachusetts, played Texas Tech back on September 20th. The final score was 56-14. Keep in mind, Umass is a Division 1 FCS (that's the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division 1AA, I'm not sure what was wrong with 1AA) team while Texas Tech is a Division 1 team. I'm sure Umass got paid handsomely for helping pad the Red Raiders record, but how am I suppose to take a Division 1 school that plays an FCS team seriously? Still, it would be kind of cool if Umass had played the eventual national champion.

Umass, is currently ranked 15th in the FCS with a 6-3 record. They're vying for a playoff berth. Umass' other losses came against number one ranked James Madison (52-38) and number 7 Richmond (30-15). Last season, the Minutemen lost in the FCS quarterfinals to Southern Illinois, 34-27. In 2006, they lost in the Championship game to Apalachia State 28-17. So, Umass has a pretty good run going.

The NCAA takes 16 teams for the FCS playoffs, eight of which are automatic bids given to conference championship winners. The remaining games on Umass' schedule are Maine, number 8th ranked New Hampshire and Wayne Crebet's Alma mater (Latin for "nourishing mother") Hofstra.

ESPN's Chris Berman interviewed both Maddog and Barry during Monday Night Football. Here's an exerpt:

Berman: Senator, let's bring it into our arena for a moment. If you could change one thing in sports, what would that be?

Obama: I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. You know, I am fed up with these computer rankings, and this and that and the other. Get eight teams. The top eight teams right at the end. You've got a playoff. Decide on a national champion.

It was obviously a prepared response but I couldn't agree more.

Hard Times for the Oldest Profession

2008-11-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

In this economy, even sex doesn't sell
At Donna's Ranch, a brothel in Wells, Nev., most of the customers are long-haul truckers. High fuel and food prices have drained them of 'play money.' So the 'working girls' sit and wait.
Ashley Powers, LA Times, 11/3/08

Tonight, she tries lingering at the dimly-lit bar that's decorated with red Christmas lights and smells of hot dogs and beans.

Signs of the economic free fall have cropped up in many of Nevada's 25 or so legal brothels. The Mustang Ranch, for example, has a steady stream of customers, but the number of women vying for work has soared. Even a 74-year-old applied. This summer, the Shady Lady gave $50 gas cards to those who spent $300. The Moonlite Bunny Ranch offered extras to customers paying with their economic stimulus checks.

Amy is staring at the Lazy Susan, snuffing out a Misty cigarette.

During even-numbered hours, the women take turns sweet-talking truckers. (They cede the odd-numbered hours to Bella's, the other brothel in this city of 1,300 people.) The tactic, which lures more than a third of Donna's customers, is more vital now that business is slumping.

The King of Pop

2008-11-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

Trick or Treat

2008-10-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

There are some great 80's Halloween costumes out there but who would want to be Johnny from the Cobra Kai Dojo!? He was the asshole that picked on Daniel. Ivan "I Must Break You" Drago, I can see that but not Johnny "Sweep the Leg" Lawrence.

If last year's rumor that Will Smith is remaking The Karate Kid, with his son in the lead is true, there is no justice in the world. The only way the KK, should be remade is with a down and out Daniel (perhaps Ali leaves him for John Kreese) in a role similar to Mr. Kesuke Miyagi.

H20

2008-10-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

California Aqueduct, The Central Valley

Dorothy Green's Final Fight: Before She Died, Heal the Bay Founder Said California's Drought Is a Fake
"If we managed water differently — better — there would be plenty of water for the state of California."
Judith Lewis, LA Weekly, 10/16/08

I didn’t go to talk to Dorothy Green because she was dying. I wasn’t looking to do a tribute. I went because I was working up a story about water, about how we use it and abuse it, mismanage it and waste it, and about how the bipartisan water bond being pushed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senator Dianne Feinstein — with its provisions for new dams and “water conveyance” projects — is a really bad idea. In August, I had gone to a protest rally against the water bond at which Green had spoken, and in the brief interview we had that day, I realized how much of my thinking about water — about Southern California’s wasted storm water, the Central Valley’s reckless and polluting agricultural irrigation, the rage that simmers up in me when people call storm drains “sewers” and dump crap into them —traced back to Green. I had never sat down and talked to her. She gave me her card and told me to call.

Her pauses were mitigated by the urgency of her message, by the sense she had that this was her last chance to save the declining species of the California Delta, including the smelt and salmon, and to put right more than a century of corruption that had robbed California’s citizens of their right to clean, safe water — to drink, to water their gardens, to swim in.

And she was still trying to persuade California’s lawmakers and citizens that “Big Ag,” as she called it, had spent the past century pulling a fast one on the public. At the time of the Reclamation Act, “a family farm was 160 acres,” Green explained. “The Central Valley clearly does not have family farms. And yet they exist on water subsidized by the state. It’s a huge scandal.” As she explains in her 2007 book, Managing Water: Avoiding Crisis in California,the limit was later raised to 960 acres. “But before that, they played a lot of interesting games, setting up farms to make them look like family farms, when they were actually corporations.

“What we want to find out now is who really owns the farms in the Westlands Water District, which is the largest water district in the nation. Nobody has really taken a look at this business of Big Ag, of all these corporations. Who are the real owners? How many owners are there, really, of this subsidized water?”

Which doesn’t mean backing off from the truth. Reading Managing Water, especially its fifth chapter, on state water policy, is like slowly peeling off the veneer of a great mythology: that California is America’s “bread basket” and must always stay that way. California does produce half the country’s fruits, nuts and vegetables, but “it’s not the economic engine of the state,” Green insisted. “It’s only 3 percent of the economy.” According to the Environmental Working Group, 10 percent of the farms get 67 percent of the state’s water. And 80 percent of the state’s entire water supply is used for crops — mostly low-value, irrigation-intensive crops like cotton. “Let the Chinese grow cotton!” she quotes cotton magnate J.G. Boswell out of Rick Wartzman and Mark Arax’s King of California,predicting there wouldn’t be any cotton grown in California 10 years from now.

That fifth chapter “is really about how Big Ag has really taken over water politics,” Green confirmed. It’s also about how big agricultural corporations in California are losing interest in the increasingly unprofitable business of farming, as Boswell himself predicted. “Big Ag is interested instead in getting control of the water supply in order to market the water and turn it into a commodity,” Green asserted. “And you do that by creating a drought, so that you can pin down water rights. You do that by inventing a disaster, and get the governor to create a water-rights shortage.

Environmentalists won that battle to stop the Peripheral Canal, and so it was with palpable dismay that Green, in her final months, saw the plan resurface, in carefully coded language, in Schwarzenegger and Feinstein’s water bond. Now tentatively slated for an April ballot, the measure was ostensibly drawn up to confront the historic drought plaguing California farmers. Green acknowledged there might be less water than usual: Eight years of decreased snowfall has starved the Colorado River, which supplies 60 percent of Southern California’s water, most of which goes to the Imperial Valley Irrigation District. Reduced precipitation in the mountains and an early-melting Sierra snowpack have all depleted the state’s reservoirs. But Green insists that were it not for irrational pressure on the water supply due to mismanagement, there wouldn’t be a problem.

“For the last five years, they’ve pumped the Delta dry because the Metropolitan Water District built [the Riverside County reservoir] Diamond Valley Lake and that had to be filled, and the Kern Water Bank [in Kern County] was pumping like crazy. So you’ve got these normal rainfall years, or a little bit below normal rainfall, but if you’re going to fill Diamond Valley Lake and the Kern Water Bank, then you have a real shortfall.” Westlands Water District now has a contract for 1 million acre-feet of water a year — more than 300 billion gallons, as much water as 2 million Los Angeles households use in a year. The Kern Water Bank was recently caught buying up subsidized state water at $28 per acre-foot and selling it back to the public for 10 times the cost. Along with water from Westlands, water from Kern gets poured onto arid soil that many argue should never have been irrigated. The water releases toxic selenium into groundwater, polluting rivers and eroding land with runoff.

“Their water rights ought to be taken away, their land taken out of production and their operations shut down,” Green said.

I could hear the cries of protest as she spoke — what about all those jobs? “California’s farming communities are the most poverty-stricken in the state,” Green said. “The profits, the benefits, go to Stewart Resnick. He’s the biggest farmer in the state — he owns Paramount Farms — and he lives in Beverly Hills.”

Before reading Judth Lewis' article, I'd always assumed California, especially southern California, was in a drought. I'm not entirely convinced we aren't but I want to know more. I think I'll check out Dorothy Green's book, Managing Water Avoiding Crisis in California.

Can we please have Halloween back

2008-10-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

I love topical Halloween costumes and the the Nixon mask always gets a laugh out of me but how many Palins, Obamas, and McCains am I going to have to weed through on all Hallows Eve?

Redondo resident takes down 'Nobama'
Larry Altman, Daily Breeze, 10/29/08

The lynched effigy of Democratic candidate Barack Obama came down after police officers and a representative from John McCain's local campaign office paid a visit to Lisa Castaneda last night and convinced her to take it down, according to authorities.

Emotions stirred in a Redondo Beach neighborhood Wednesday when a resident hung an effigy of Sen. Barack Obama from her balcony with a meat cleaver slashed through his throat as a Halloween display.

"I disapprove of him, period," she said. "I am appalled by a man who is so close to being our president who won't put his hand on the Bible, who won't wear a flag pin."

Castaneda said there was nothing racist about her display. She said she hopes any neighbors upset about the Halloween exhibit will come to her directly, but she has no plans to take the Obama effigy down.

Well she took it down so there is a goof in the article but the important part is the following quote.

"There was no malice," she said. "I just like Halloween. It's nothing mean-spirited by any means. We all have our opinions."

Nothing mean spirited, really?

Point Break

I'll take advantage of any opportunity to work Swayze in.

Stay of Execution

2008-10-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin effigy has been taken down
Raja Abdulrahim and Andrew Blankstein, LA Times, 10/30/08

No word on whether Maddog is still in the chimney.

“You go to work.”

2008-10-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

You can't kill Dalton.

Swayze’s Best Act: Being Able to Show Up
Bill Carter, NY Times,10/28/08

But of course something quite out of the ordinary was taking place. A celebrity film star, who was given a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer less than a year ago, was putting in 12-hour days as the lead in a television series.

“How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say you’re a dead man?” Mr. Swayze asked. “You go to work.”

Crazy Swayze as Jed Eckert

"Let it turn. Let it turn to something else."

Maddog is on Fire

2008-10-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Effigy of Sarah Palin hanging by a noose creates uproar in West Hollywood
Victoria Kim, LA Times, 10/28/09

A West Hollywood Halloween display showing a likeness of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin hanging by a noose has caused a furor among some residents who reported it as a hate crime, authorities said Monday.

The home's decorations also feature a doll of John McCain surrounded by decorative flames in the chimney, and other more typical Halloween items, such as skeletons and spider webs.

Around Town

2008-10-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

A giant fiberglass chicken. I'd say Foghorn Leghorn, supports California Proposition 2, the Standards for Confining Farm Animals Initiative.

She put $900 on the fifth horse in the sixth race
I think its name is "Chips Ahoy!"
It came in six lengths ahead, we spent the whole next week getting high . . .

I got a girl and she don't have to work
She can tell which horse is gonna finish in first
Some nights the painkillers make the pain even worse
-The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy!

I went to the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita this Saturday. We took mass transit from downtown LA. It took about a half hour to get from Union Station to the end of the Gold Line at Sierra Madre Village, where there were shuttles waiting to take people to the track. It was about a ten minute ride from the transit station to the race track. Total cost $1.25

The race was $20 for general admission, which is four times what it normally costs to get into Santa Anita, but it is one of the biggest horse races in the world.

Twelve oz. beers were $6.50 and premium mixed drinks were $8.25.

We saw Bobby Flay, walk by in an uncomfortable looking charcoal pin stripped suit.

Besides the usual track ambiance there were a lot of pregnant woman and families with baby strollers. I've never thought of the track as a kid friendly place. I mean you're liable to run in to somebody like this guy.

Charles Bukowski at Hollywood Park Race Track

Yes, that's a spoiler on the back of a pickup truck.

My favorite sandwich: Egg Salad on whole grain, with a slice of ham and cheese (cheddder or provolone) topped with mixed greens. The juice is a blend of orange and pommegranet. Sometimes I go for a glass of skim milk or a bottle of mineral water. A beer would work as well.

Earn It

2008-10-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

This guy is a pansy.

Tattoos of scars or stitches are lame. They're one step ahead of coloring yourself with a magic marker.

The leg, one day removed from it's third anniversary. Where were you on 10/28/05?

"Can't Do It"

2008-10-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Two days after I said there was a lack of ranting in the NFL this year, Mike Singletary, the interim head coach of the San Francisco 49ers stepped up and saved the day.

Mike Singletary's week 8 post game press conference. The entire clip is good but it starts to get juicy at the the 1:40 mark.

In case you missed it, the player Singletary was referring to was tight end Vernon Davis. Davis slapped Seahawks safety Brian Russell, in the face mask after making a catch in the third quarter. He was assessed a 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalty, which prompted Singletary to send him to the showers.

Drop the interim, if I'm 49ers owner Denise DeBartolo York, Singletary is my head coach.

Singletary, interim coaches face long odds to stick around
Bob Velin, USA Today, 10/21/08

Davis: 'I don't think I did anything wrong'
Tom FitzGerald, SF Gate, 10/26/08

Shaking his head in the locker room, the 49ers tight end said, "Not in my head. I don't think I did anything wrong. But when the coach thinks I did something wrong, I gotta listen to him. He's the boss."

That's not the best way to get out of the doghouse Vernon.

NFL Europa

Things couldn't have worked out better for the NFL in London. I'm not sure how successful the NFL will ever be at attracting Britains to American Football and in turn selling more t-shirts and pay per view games, especially since the London Monarchs and Scottish Claymores folded even before NFL Europa closed it's doors in 2007, but the 32-37 shootout that featured plenty of spectacular catches and vicious hits was a better showcase than last year's 13 to 10 snooze fest. Last year the 0-8 Dolphins, who were on their way to trying to complete a winless season were led by Cleo Lemon on a day when Eli Manning threw for only 59 yards. I'm sure that this year's choice of two high powered offenses was not by mistake.

It's an old story line but I love that Drew Bree's was going against the team that let him leave in free agency following the 2005 season in favor of Phillip Rivers. Brees won the battle but the stat lines were pretty close.

PLAYER, CP/AT, YDS, TD, INT
D. Brees, 30/41, 339, 3, 0
P. Rivers, 25/40, 341, 3, 1

I'm sure the incessant timeouts and the safety in the fourth quarter confused a few Europeans that are new to the game.

After the safety, I wouldn't have kicked anywhere near San Diego's dynamic return man Darren Sproles.

Maybe it was only funny to me but I cracked up at announcer Jim Nantz' line in the fourth quarter. After Fox flashed the final score of the Liverpool Chelsea soccer match he said, "We welcome those of you joining us from the Liverpool Chelsea game."

Liverpool won 1-0. It was Chelsea's first home loss since 2004.

Liverpool Ends Chelsea's 86-Game Home League Run; Spurs Victory
James Cone, Bloomberg, 10/26/08

History Lesson

I had forgotten the different scoring rules that NFL Europa had. Field goals of more than 50 yards were awarded 4 points, as opposed to the NFL where every field goal regardless of length is awarded 3 points. I kind of like that, I wouldn't want it in the NFL but I like it.

Unlike the sudden death overtimes in the NFL, in Europa overtimes each team was given at least one possession. I don't care for the rule since I think sudden death means a team must have a good defense and offense since possession is determined by a coin toss.

Unfortunately, like their parent league, Europa games could end in a tie. I've never liked that a regular season NFL game can end in a tie if neither team scores during the over time period. The game should be played until there's a winner. I've always thought penalty kicks are a horrible way to loose a soccer game but maybe they should have tried them in NFL Europe.

Around the League

Dick Stockton and Troy Aikman were calling the Cowboys Tampa Bay snooze fest(Tampa 9 Dallas 13).

My friend that I was watching the game with said, "Does anyone nickname their son Dick anymore?" I know very Beavis & Butt-Head, but it made me laugh and I don't know too many Dick's under the age of fifty.

Watching Pittsburg Steelers long snapper Greg Warren's knee buckle as he tried to walk off the field was gruesome. I'm amazed the training staff let him try to walk off the field after they examined him. As violently as his knee buckled there had to be at least some instability that they could detect.

"Shake it off Greg"

"Rub some dirt on it."

Staph

Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria

I found the above photo on a Fine Art Prints web page. Why in the hell would someone want to hang a photo of this nasty little bastard?

Kellen Winslow's one game suspension without pay for conduct detrimental to the club is an absolute joke. He spoke up out of concern for he and his teammates' health about an issue the Browns obviously aren't taking seriously enough. His comments were detrimental to the organization and rightly so but not to his teammates.

At the time the of Winslow's hospitalization two weeks ago the Browns organization said the nature of his condition was being withheld at Winslow's request. In light of Winslow's statement to the press I don't buy it.

Shame on the Browns and general manager Phil Savage who said in a statement:

"Kellen has expressed his desire to be a productive member of the Cleveland Browns. His comments and behavior on Sunday evening, however, were unwarranted, inappropriate, and unnecessarily disparaging to our organization.

"His statements brought unjustified negative attention to our organization, and violated the team-first concept of our football squad. Therefore, disciplinary action will be taken in the form of a one-game suspension without pay for conduct detrimental to the club.

Via the Freak

A Slew of Staph Infections Tackles the NFL
By Sean Gregory, Time, 10/25/08

The NFL is learning the hard way that a microscopic foe can be much more imposing than a 300-pound lineman, as a sudden slew of staph infections has sacked several players in the game.

Early this week, Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. revealed that staph (short for Staphylococcus) infection had sent him to the Cleveland Clinic for three days, and he accused the Browns of asking him to cover it up. Pro football teams are notoriously reluctant to reveal any information on player injuries, but since six different Browns have caught the bug since 2005 — Winslow has had it twice — the team's medical management looked suspect to some observers. "There's obviously a problem [with staph] and we have to fix it," Winslow told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Just look at the history around here. It's unfortunate, because it happens time and time again." The Browns, who denied that they had kept the news of his infection from his teammates, suspended Winslow one game for his rant, which included his claim that he felt like he had been treated like "a piece of meat."

But the Winslow medical controversy wasn't even the worst of it for the league. In the past week, it has become clear that two of its most marketable stars, marquee quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, had gotten infections. The New England Patriots' Brady has had at least two additional infection-related procedures since his initial season-ending knee surgery in September. It's now possible that his knee will have to undergo another operation, which could delay his return until 2010. Staph seems to be the likely culprit, but neither Brady nor the Patriots will confirm that. During training camp staph infected a bursa sac, which acts as a cushion between bones, in Manning's left knee. The infection required surgery and forced him to miss most of the preseason. Though the Colts released a statement on Friday insisting Manning didn't contract a more perilous staph, the anti-biotic resistant strain known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the incidents should alarm the NFL. "The NFL, and all the leagues, should be diligent, and not let their guards down," says Dr. Robert Gotlin, director of Orthopedic and Sports Rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. "They've got to do better. It's got to be one of the top five priorities."

Many athletes shave their ankles, legs, and arms because they don't want athletic tape ripping hair off their bodies, but experts say they should lose the razor. "No matter how careful the shaving is, you can have nicks and microscopic cuts in the skin," says Dr. Daniel Sexton, an infectious disease specialist at the Duke University Medical Center, who consults for an NFL team and several college programs. "Any time you break that barrier, it becomes a portal through which bacteria can gain access." Staph prevention is pretty low-tech. "You know, this is pretty simple," Sexton says. "Hand washing remains the primary defense against the transmissions of most organisms, including staph. Most people don't think of a locker room as a place where hand hygiene is important, but locker rooms are also mini-emergency rooms."

In 2003, a team of researchers tracked the St. Louis Rams and found five players who caught eight MRSA infections. "We observed a lack of regular access to hand hygiene (i.e., soap and water or alcohol-based hand gels) for trainers who provided wound care," they wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine. Other offenses included "skipping of showers by players before the use of communal whirlpools; and sharing or towels — all factors that might facilitate the transmission of infection in this setting."

I'm concerned about Tom Brady's health. I could care less about his playing carreer. Take care of the infection and then we'll talk football.

While I've repeatedly tried to ring the MRSA/staph alarm bell and I don't think it's a laughing matter at all. A friend did have a great one liner regarding Peyton's announcement of his infection last week.

"He was jealous of Tom Brady."

The World Series

During the game 4 of the World Series there was a Lincoln MKS commercial that featured a Cat Power cover of David Bowie's Space Oddity. Really David, a Lincoln? You let them use the song for a Lincoln commercial?

The original Space Oddity video.

"Crown Their Ass"

2008-10-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

The season is still young but there's been a distinct lack of freakouts in the NFL this year. I got nostalgic for Dennis Green, so I went to his website.

You'll be happy to know that Dennis has a new Fishing DVD out and a line of hats. I hope he yells at the fish.

I will take you to some of my favorite fishing spots as I travel across America. On this DVD, I am fishing in all four regions of the country and enjoying every second of it. I invite you to come enjoy the fishing with me.

Complete Dennis Green Flipout

Borrowed Clothes

2008-10-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Palin Shopping Spree Legal? Yes, but Barely
Loophole Lets Party Purchase Wardrobe the Campaign Could Not
Emma Schwartz, ABC News, 10/22/08

It would be illegal for the McCain-Palin campaign to buy a new wardrobe for Palin and her husband, say campaign finance lawyers contacted by ABCNews.com. But the law is silent on whether such purchases can be made by the Republican National Committee (RNC).

In the meantime the RNC says that the clothing is its property and after the campaign it will be returned to them and donated to charity, which it expects will eliminate any questions of gift restrictions or taxes.

What's a hundred and fifty thousand when the campaigns are spend hundreds of millions in their quest for the ring but it does seem to be really poor form especially in light of the current economic down turn, to spend that much on skirts & boots. Given the choice I wonder what America's hockey moms would spend 150 thousand on.

As for the auction, I hope ABC stays on top of that. I'm curious as to how much money the clothes will generate.

Pinko Alert!

There might be some Bolsheviks in the RNC, the auction smacks of socialism, taking a wealthy person's clothes and auctioning them for the needy, how dare they.

Active Morning

2008-10-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

My roomate woke me up at 7a.m. to move my car so he could go to work (we have tandem parking spots). This was after I picked him up at the airport at 11:30, last night. As I started my car, I heard his Jetta whimper. I knew it wouldn't start. The battery was on life support after sitting for two weeks. I decided to ignore it and continue moving my car. Another whimper from my roommates car.

"Bro, my car won't start."

I didn't feel like discussing solutions.

"Get in. I'll drive you."

"Sweet, a personal chauffer."

Now is not the time for humor.

When I dropped him off at 7:20a.m., there were 5 people waiting outside his store for the new google phone. The store doesn't open until 8a.m.

I was going to just go home but I thought since I was already up and about that I should at least drive home along the beach. It was a beautiful drive, things were just waking up there were only a few dog walkers and fitness freaks out.

I debated getting a coffee and going out to the sand. Normally, I wouldn't have hesitated but it was in the 50's and I was in shorts and a t-shirt. I opted for the coffee and the walk. A homeless man tried to bum a smoke.

"Sorry, I quit."
"Oh yeah, easy as that, no big deal huh?"

I stood in the sun drinking my coffee and stared out at the ocean for a while.

When I walked back to my car the homeless man had taken off his jacket and was doing his version of Tai Chi, complete with Bruce Lee sounds

On my drive home I saw a Prius with spinner rims. I'm not sure if the driver was trying to be ironic or if she really digs the DUB's. She had two small children in the back and her license plate bracket said, My other Car is a Zamboni.

Mom, if you haven't seen them, the Maltese cross part of the rim spins.

Another Prius, this one clad only in an Obama '08 sticker pulled ahead of the DUB mobile. I wonder if anyone has done a study on the correlation between owning a Prius and supporting Barry. I imagine the driver and his passenger were listening to NPR and there was a copy of the NY Times in the back seat. Full disclosure, I am guilty of both though, I save a tree and $1.25 by reading the Times online. That being said, some of the rudest customers I ever had when I was a gas pump jockey in New England, were NPR listening, NY Times reading, Sierra Club joining, Volvo drivers.

When I landed there was a text message from my roommate saying that he wasn't scheduled until 10a.m.

Frank Deford, had a good piece on NPR about Philadelphia and the World Series.

And here comes a politician daring to intrude onto the Flyers' ice. Standing before a phalanx of charging moose is child's play by comparison. Even before the governor stepped into the rink, a special Web site had been created with the main message, "It's time to hip check the right wing."

James, the Cure's Let's Go To Bed was also on the radio. I wanted to post the music video because there are some serious dance moves in it but embedding has been disabled by request. They should make a t-shirt with that written on it.

All Aboard

2008-10-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

MTA may have to cut commuter service
It may not be able to keep trains and buses running if it has to quickly pay investors in AIG-related lease-back deals.

The agency recently lost $133 million in state funds, and declining sales tax revenues mean it will have less money to help keep its buses and trains rolling.

Between the late 1980s and 2003, the MTA sold its rail equipment, more than 1,000 buses, a parking garage and maintenance facilities to investors that included Wells Fargo, Comerica and Phillip Morris in separate deals.

Lease-back deals are a common way to raise money in the corporate world. A manufacturer, for example, could sell its factory to investors and then lease it back. The manufacturer gets a large chunk of cash and the investors get a steady stream of lease payments as well as a tax break for their depreciating property.

Metrolink, the Southland's commuter rail agency, also sold most of its train cars and locomotives in four lease-back deals -- three of which involved AIG -- and made a $35.5-million profit as a result, said spokesman Francisco Oaxaca.

The lower credit ratings triggered a clause in the lease-back agreements that require the MTA to either find a new firm to guarantee the deals or reimburse investors for their down payments and lost tax benefits, a scenario that could cost the transit agency between $100 million and $300 million.

Under a worst-case scenario, Matsumoto said, the bill could rise to $1.8 billion, more than half the MTA's annual budget for this year. "There is no practical way we could ever pay that back," he said.

Both Matsumoto and LaRusch said the Federal Transit Administration encouraged transit agencies to make lease-back deals as a way to make money. The MTA said it made about $65 million on the deals.

But an FTA spokesman disagreed.

"FTA was not a cheerleader for these transit lease-back agreements," agency spokesman Dave Longo wrote in an e-mail. "We reviewed lease-back agreements submitted to us by transit agencies in terms of their compliance with federal transit law requirements. When we determined those agreements met the requirements, we approved them from that perspective."

So, we don't even own our own trains and buses in LA!?

We sold the trains to the Marlboro Man!? At the same time the county is trying to combat smoking it does business with a tobacco giant.

**In addition to the Marlboro brand Phillip Morris, also such owns such delicious brands as Capri Sun, Kool-Aid, Tang, Jell-O, Nutter Butters, Cheeze Whiz, Oscar Meyer and Grey Poupon.

Smoking cessation in Los Angeles County

The vision of the L.A. County Tobacco Control and Prevention Program (TCPP) is a smoke-free Los Angeles county. In over 15 years since the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health's Tobacco Control and Prevention Program was first funded by the California Department of Public Health's /Tobacco Control Program through Proposition 99, the California Tobacco Tax Initiative, many advances in the fight against tobacco have been made in Los Angeles County. The mission of TCPP is to reduce tobacco-related death, disease, and disability in Los Angeles County. To this end TCPP works closely with community-based organizations and coalitions, health advocates and other health providers to provide tobacco prevention, education, policy, cessation, and media services throughout the County of Los Angeles. The goals of TCPP are: 1) to decrease secondhand smoke, 2) to reduce tobacco availability, 3) to counter pro-tobacco influences and 4) to provide tobacco cessation. TCPP does this by using a comprehensive "social norm" change model.

*It reminds me of the, Children and Families Act of 1998, which, ". . . put a fifty-cent tax on cigarettes, generating more than $700 million annually. Local boards have discretion over how to spend the funds for children ages zero to five, but several counties are using the funds for universal access to prekindergarten. For example, Los Angeles County committed $100 million a year for ten years to jump-start the move to universal prekindergarten." -Prekindergarten Policy Framework

So, at the same time that the County is attempting to combat smoking it now depends on cigarette tax revenue to fund it's universal prekindergarten program. There is a clear conflict of interest. I don't deny that prekindergarten programs are necessary but why should the smokers of California bare the financial burden for providing prekindergarten?

But don't smokers cost the County millions in health care? Yes, undoubtedly.

Then shouldn't the county and state be able to tax tobacco to offset those cost? Yes, totally and they tried to with the 2006 California Tobacco Tax Initiative, which failed to pass but the Children and Families Act, provides no money to alleviate the increased health care costs that smokers create.

Whoa, reel it in, get back to the buses and trains.

I'm sure the MTA was strapped for cash but lease-back agreements seem as screwy as credit default swaps.

I'm not exactly Louis Rukeyser, but how does the MTA owe between $100 to $300 million and potentially $1.8 billion from a deal that netted only $65 million?

So, at the same time the city is trying to encourage mass transit use in an effort to reduce congestion and improve environmental quality, service may be cut.

Ridin' that Train

In other transit news according to the Build Expo website , phase 1 of the The Exposition Light Rail Transit Line (Expo Line), which will run from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City, is still on schedule to open in the summer of 2010. Phase 2 of the project, which will run from Culver City to the beach is currently undergoing environmental review. The Exposition Construction Authority, hopes to begin the construction of phase 2 in 2010, with service beginning in 2014 or 2015. Two routes are being considered for phase 2, one would travel down the median of Olympic Blvd while the other would travel down the middle of Colorado Blvd. The Authority also needs to determine where the maintenance facility necessary to service the Expo line will be located. It's a shame that Bergamot Station has been put to other uses.

Bergamot Station is the historical name for the site on which the gallery complex is located, dating back to 1875 when it was a stop for the Red Line trolley running from Los Angeles to the Santa Monica Pier. Bergamot is a flower of the mint family that once flourished in the area.

When the trolley cars stopped running in 1953, the site's warehouse buildings housed a celery packing operation, then an ice-making plant, and finally a factory for the manufacture of water heaters. Thereafter, the City of Santa Monica purchased the property which then sat abandoned, with plans for it to once again serve as an eventual transit stop, this time for a proposed light rail line running from Los Angeles to Santa Monica.

Plans for the light rail were eventually shelved and the City, seeking an interesting use for the site, approached Wayne Blank, developer and co-owner of the Shoshana Wayne Gallery. Blank's development expertise has already been tapped by the City of Santa Monica for an earlier project: the conversion of a vacant city-owned airport hangar into artists' studios. The City, pleased with the project's outcome, asked Blank to conceive of an artistic use for the Bergamot Station site. Bergamot Station, a campus-like complex that has retained its industrial and rustic look, held its official opening on September 17, 1994.

Phase 1 of the Expo Line

The terminus of phase 1 at Venice & Robertson is going to be an aerial station. Unfortunately, the Expo site doesn't have any more information or a picture detailing what the aerial station will look like.

Phase 2 of the Expo Line

The Food Chain

2008-10-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

With Goat, a Rancher Breaks Away From the Herd
Kim Seversonk, NY Times, 10/15/08

Mr. Niman said feed standards dropped and animals were transported distances longer than 500 miles, which he said stresses them too much.

Mr. Swain said feed and care standards for the 400 head of cattle they process a week have not dropped. Contractors follow a list of protocols that are similar to those Mr. Niman developed.

And although some animals are being transported longer than 500 miles for slaughter, he said they are allowed to rest for 24 hours before they are dispatched.

Oh that's nice they let the animals relax and calm down before they slaughter them.

"Rest up Bessie, tomorrow you become a t-bone."

More on Joe

2008-10-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Joe in the Spotlight
Larry Rohter & Liz Robbins, The Caucus, 10/16/08

Turns out that “Joe the Plumber,” as he became nationally known when Senator John McCain made him a theme at Wednesday night’s third and final presidential debate, may run a plumbing business but he is not a licensed plumber. His full name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher. And he owes a bit in back taxes.

Unlike some other states, Ohio does not have a formal statewide licensing system for plumbers. But the city of Toledo and other municipalities do, Mr. Joseph said, and Mr. Wurzelbacher has not met those requirements.

“All contractors are licensed, and he does not have a license, either as a contractor or a plumber,” the union official said, citing a search of government records. “I can’t find that he’s ever even applied for any kind of apprenticeship, and he has never belonged to local 189 in Columbus, which is what he claims on his Facebook page.”

According to public records, Mr. Wurzelbacher has been subject to two liens, each over $1,000, one of which — a personal tax lien — is still outstanding.

And his question to Mr. Obama about paying taxes? According to some tax analysts, if Mr. Wurzelbacher’s gross receipts from his business is $250,000 — and not his taxable income — then he would not have to pay higher taxes under Mr. Obama’s plan, and probably would be eligible for a tax cut.

Joe seems to have been as well vetted as the Hockey Mom. They've got a real cracker jack team of researchers over at McCain HQ.

For Amusement

2008-10-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Meghan McCain

Raising McCain
By Greg Veis; Photograph by Jeff Riedel, GQ

Meghan McCain is a 23-year-old, socially liberal John Kerry voter who loves Superbad, Dita von Teese, Bud Light (see right hand), and campaign blogging. Trouble is, this self-described “Daddy’s girl” will do—and say—almost anything to help her 71-year-old father win the White House

Meghan McCain's blog:

McCainBlogette
Musings and Pop Culture on the Political Trail

I'm talking to you Joe

2008-10-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama & Joe Wurzelbacher

If you watched the debate last night, I'm sure you're dying to see a picture of Joe the Plumber. I hope somebody counted the number of times Joe was directly addressed. Joe should forget all his worries about being in a higher tax bracket, with all the free press he's received Joe should soon be THE plumber in Toledo.

Joe the plumber is real hero of the debate
Anne Barrowclough, Times Online, 10/16/08

Joe Wurzelbacher from Toledo, Ohio, has become an unlikely media star after finding himself the focus of the debate between the two White House rivals.

He is a tradesman who has worked 12-hour shifts for years and now plans to buy his own small plumbing business. The trouble for Joe the plumber is that this would take his earnings to more than $250,000 - making him a target of Obama’s plan to tax the wealthy.

First Mr McCain reminded Barack Obama that Joe the plumber did not want to vote for him because his taxes would rise under the Democrat. Then both candidates repeatedly spoke directly to Mr Wurzelbacher, turning him into a real life version of "Joe Six Pack," the ordinary guy chasing the American dream, as they faced off in their third and final debate.

After the debate, Mr Wurzelbacher told familysecuritymatters.com that he hadn't been too impressed with either candidate. He repeated his complaints against Senator Obama, saying: "So he does want to punish me, he does want to punish me for working harder to - you know, my big thing is the American Dream," he said.

But he also refused to endorse Mr McCain: "There's a lot of things I wish McCain would say," he said. "As far as this, yes, I would like him to speak. Not so much about small businesses, but just people in general that make this money," he said.

"I guess I would like him to speak about that and a bunch of other things."

Asked which candidate would get his vote on November 4, he refused to say.

"That's for me and a button to know," he said.

Update via the NY Times:

The plumber came up directly or indirectly 24 times during the debate, an Everyman symbol of the divide between the candidates on how best to address the economy.

Anna Mae

2008-10-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to see Tina Turner tonight at the Staples Center. Full report to follow.

Rolling Stone's Maddog McCain Article

2008-10-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Via Santo & The Freak

If you can possibly take anymore McCain info, especially after last night's debate, this article is pretty good, well pretty crazy even if taken with an entire bag of salt. He's absolutely an evil insane man. Dovetails nicely with the New Yorker's profile of Cindy McCain a few weeks ago.

Make-Believe Maverick
A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty
Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone, 10/16/08

The author on W & McCain:

Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity.

John to Cindy McCain:

"At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Cindy McCain article:

The Lonesome Trail
Cindy McCain’s nontraditional campaign.
by Ariel Levy, New Yorker

Sox

2008-10-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

I got to go to games 1 and 2 of the ALDS.

Here are some photos from game 2. The Red Sox won the game 7-5.

Payback

2008-10-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Via Chandler

Norbert!

2008-10-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Norbert lashes Mexico's Baja peninsula

Mmmm Bacon

2008-10-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

Via JAE

10 Ways to Eat More Bacon

I would add an 11th.

Bacon Belgian Waffles - Pour half of the waffle batter into a waffle maker, place strips of cooked bacon on top of batter, pour remaining batter over bacon, close waffle maker. Top with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup.

They make a great version of the Bacon Waffle at the Log Cabin Cafe & Ice Cream in Kings Beach, CA.

Hey Goat

2008-10-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals

Drop em off at the pound

2008-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Via Hays

Parents Give Up Youths Under Law Meant for Babies
Erik Eckholm, NY Times, 10/3/08

The abandonments began on Sept. 1, when a mother left her 14-year-old son in a police station here.

By Sept. 23, two more boys and one girl, ages 11 to 14, had been abandoned in hospitals in Omaha and Lincoln. Then a 15-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl were left.

The biggest shock to public officials came last week, when a single father walked into an Omaha hospital and surrendered nine of his 10 children, ages 1 to 17, saying that his wife had died and he could no longer cope with the burden of raising them.

But Nebraska’s version was far broader than all others, protecting not just infants but also children up to age 19.

State Senator Arnie Stuthman, sponsor of the Nebraska bill, said some legislators had said they wanted to protect all children from harm.

“The law in my opinion is being abused now,” said Mr. Stuthman, who said he would push for a revision. “There are family services out there, but some people may lack the resources to take advantage of them, and we’ve got to take a hard look at what more we can provide.”

Avarice

2008-10-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

"What were they doing screwing around in the United States?" French President Nicolas Sarkozy reportedly asked his aides after he was forced to negotiate a $9.2 billion emergency bailout Monday for Dexia, the troubled Franco-Belgian bank.
-The Washington Post

Yeah, get out Frenchie and put down the freedom fries on your way out.

READ

2008-09-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

This week is Banned Books Week. Read a book to celebrate. Let me know what book you chose. I'm reading Issac Asimov's, Foundation. I suppose Ray Bradbury's, Fahrenheit 451, would have been an even more poignant choice, hence the photo above.

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks BBW's 27th anniversary (September 27 through October 4).

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

Read while you can.

My all time favorite Twilight Zone episode, Time Enough at Last.

Yes, that's Burgess Meredith as Henry Bemis.

The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last (Part 2)

The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last (Part 3)

Surger

2008-09-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's really rather clever, if we do say so ourselves! To create the GUINNESS® Draught magic, slowly pour the special GUINNESS® Draught SURGER® beer into your pint glass, place it on the SURGER® and press the button. The SURGER® sends ultrasonic sound through the beer activating that instant rush of GUINNESS® magic, creating a rich black body with a tight white creamy head.
-From Guinness.com

I meant to look this up last year after we saw it in Aruba, but it kept slipping my mind. I'm happy to confirm that the device exists and wasn't some prank the bartender pulled on me. I've gotten some weird looks from people when I've tried to describe the Surger to them. Now I can properly explain it.

Apparently, the Surger has been out for a few years but it's only available in the U.K. I have an email in to the folks at Guinness to see if the Surger will be making it's way to the U.S. anytime soon.

Ebay had an empty Surger can for $1.82 - An empty can, what good does that do me?

BTW when I tried the Surger it produced an enjoyable pint. Of course to properly rate the pint, I'd need to have a pub can and a draft as well.

This Machine Kills Fascists

2008-09-29T14:08:00.000-07:00