nostalgic for aplysia

Today I feel very nostalgic for my days as a Marine Biologist. I checked up on my old TA Kimo Morris, and read about all his exciting stuff. I also stole some graphics. see above.

a haiku on the eating habits of coworkers

white people will not
eat tofu or seaweed but
fungus-miso's fine

Joe Escalante!

Today I learned that my hero Joe Escalante was honored by “Tu Ciudad” magazine as one of the top 25 Latinos to watch in LA. (Nevermind that Escalante is from OC.) My top 10 reasons why Joe Escalante is awesome:

1) Joe went to UCLA and was heckled by stupid frat boys on Gayley for having blue hair.

2) Joe played guitar in a punk band called “The Vandals” whose videos I used to cherish like they were gold because you could only really see them on this video show called “Are Oh Vee” at 2 am on public access. They wrote like hundreds of songs on subjects such as: disproportionately large heads, being nice to your grandparents, Christmas, and having a date.

3) Joe currently plays in a Morrissey/Smiths tribute band called “Sweet and Tender Hooligans” which I’ve yet to see because they have shows every 6 months or so. But they’re free so that makes them more awesome.

4) Joe Escalante went to law school (which does not make him awesome) and passed the bar! He then became an entertainment lawyer and worked in house at CBS.

5) Joe Escalante was offered the chance to play the Warped Tour while working at CBS as in house counsel.

6) Joe Escalante was called “The Beaner” by his camp counselors at summer camp and then survived summer camp despite the subsequent hardship.

7) Joe Escalante currently has a show on Indie 103.1 called “Barely Legal” which he gives out free IP, entertainment, and other legal advice.

8) Escalante has another morning show on Indie 103.1 where he sits through the musings of the insufferable Liz Warner. Wednesdays are now “Wino Wednesdays” where he drinks wine on air and tells us about it as we all drive to work. He replaced Dickie Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bostones.

9) Joe is one of the founders of punk rock label Kung Fu Records. Kung Fu sponsors bands such as Ozma, English-style punk classic makers Stiff Little Fingers, and MxPx. Ozma I’ve seen live and they’re really fun. They sound like Pinkerton style Weezer with keyboards.

10) Oh and Joe Escalante and "Ask a Mexican" columnist Gustavo Arellano agree that if you’re half Mexican and half Irish and you go to prison, you could join a Mexican gang and be known as “that crazy red head” or join the Aryan Nation and be known as a ‘dirty white boy” decisions decisions! But easily made if you’ve seen “Blood in Blood Out”.

my first pleading. look what I did!

I had like 4 hours to find out what this objection was and do one. I think I did a good job!:

COMES NOW Plaintiff and submits this Objection to Defendant’s Requests for Judicial Notice, filed in support of Defendant’s Motion to Strike Portions of first Amended Complaint. Plaintiffs object to Defendant’s Request for Judicial Notice on several evidentiary grounds.
Defendant seeks judicial notice to clarify unambiguous language in the code. Judicial notice is not allowed where the plain language of the statute is clear on its face. People v. Brock (2006) 141 Cal.App.4th 1320, 1327. “If the language of the statute is not ambiguous, the plain meaning controls and resort to extrinsic sources to determine the Legislature's intent is unnecessary.” Id. The language of Cal. Lab. Code §226.7 regarding compensation for missed meal periods is clear and, as such, any judicial notice of legislative history is improper.
Assuming, arguendo, that judicial notice is appropriate in this matter, Defendant’s Exhibits 7,9,10, and 11to its Request For Judicial Notice are irrelevant to legislative intent. It would follow that materials relevant to the intent of the legislature while drafting legislation in the year 2000, were produced by that legislature prior to that time. However, Exhibits 7,9,10, and 11 either offer no date or were generated subsequent to the 2000 amendments to § 226.7. Moreover, courts have consistently denied judicial notice of press releases where they do not reflect a reliable indication that the Legislature was aware and agreed with the objective defined in the press release. See People v. Garcia (2002) 28 Cal.4th 1166, 1176.
Additionally, as explained in Plaintiffs Opposition To Motion to Strike Portions of First Amended Complaint, Defendant relies upon unpublished authority, and asks this Court to take improper judicial notice of same in Exhibits 9 and 11, in direct violation in Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 977.
Finally, Defendant seeks judicial notice of documents generated and gathered by the Legislative Intent Service. However where Legislative Intent Service produces documents which are irrelevant or inappropriate, judicial notice must be denied. See Kobzoff v. Los Angeles County Harbor/UCLA Medical Center (1998) 19 Cal.4th 851; Quelimane Co. v. Stewart Title Guaranty Co. (1998) 19 Cal.4th 26. Dated: September 29, 2006

Weddings

Weddings are horribly time consuming events. They involve planning, planning and more planning. Here are some pictures from a wedding I recently was a part of.

It was a beautiful ceremony with greata food! I had a filet with potato. I also had the fanciest salad ever. I think it was some type of caesar b/c of the ample amounts of parm. At one of the pre wedding nail salon events we also saw Debbi Mazar of Entourage!

Thailand

What an awesome picture of Thailand! I totally wish I was there right now. I guess everyone wonders where I have gone. Readership of 5 I have been working. I sift through documents. I call people on the phone and listen to their sad stories. I cite check like a madwoman! So far my coworkers are all great. Attorneys are friendly (such an oxymoron) and the administrative/paralegal staff are really nice! Some of us are from the same geographical area so we talk about our local Target etc. :)

Hapa Football Player Frankie Nelson

Check out my friend Frankie. Sacramento native Frankie Nelson has been trained from near birth to be a football star. While playing high school football he earned the nickname "tow truck" because of all the bodies that had to be caried off the field because of him. After high school he played football at the University of California at Los Angeles where he travelled the country and received personalized luggage to cary his gear. After determining that football was a "means to an ends" and a scary encounter which injured his knee, he switched his focus to his major in Physiological Science and minor in Public Policy, coaching girls football, raising turtles, and working at the popular X-cape Arcade. He thinks that people who worked at the X-cape Arcade are awesome. After returning to Sacramento he has rejected a lucrative contract to play for the Stockton Arena Football team to play in the semi professional league team, the North Valley Lions. He has enjoyed six wins this season and has entered the playoffs! Currently Frankie is involved in team sales, eating at Joe's Crab Shack, and baking cookies.

Likes: splenda, matching shoes and shirts
Dislikes: large bodies of water

Coming out of the closet

Queer-el?The May 23 issue of “The Advocate” explores the appeal of Superman to gays. The cover reads “How Gay is Superman? From the Man of Steel to the X-men, summer movies flaunt a bold queer spirit” I think that this article just points out what fan-girls have known for years: superheroes are hot.

For a minute lets explore some double entendre laden Superman lines and images:

* “Come to me, son of Jor-El. Kneel before Zod”
* Topps trading cards showing Superman coming out of closets
* Superman is characterized as an alienated outsider who masquerades in secret wearing leather boots and spandex.
* Even “Clark Kent’s” work wear and eye wear are so metrosexual.
*Look at that perfect little forelock on his head. That must be done with some super strong product. Can’t each stand suspend a 50 ton weight?
* Check out is eyebrows. Not even alien eyebrows are that prefect.

So you ask “Isn’t Superman’s love interest Lois Lane?” . . . of course it is. She’s the street wise tough as nails reporter he’s always admired but never seems to have a fully exceptional relationship with because someone always gets in the way. It’s not the same person every time, it could be Lobo, it could be bondage enthusiasts from his homeworld, but most likely it is Lex Luthor. Lex is one of the many important people in Superman’s life because he’s always trying to destroy him with kryptonite, compete in business with Superman’s friend Bruce, or seduce Lois etc etc. All this aggression is definitely a ploy to alienate him from all his friends and move in as Superman’s number one. Lex and Superman have some unaddressed sexual tension, but I blame that on the comic book industry.

Comic book fans if you’re so obsessed with how gay superman is, you’d be interested to know of other instances of homosexuality in comic mythology.

In the comic book world only recently have there been openly gay characters. In the Marvel universe, precognitive mutant Destiny and shapeshifting Mystique were to be life partners. However that proved to be too risqué for the comic book community of the 1970s and they were toned down to be “just friends.” However that leaves us with the question who are the openly gay superheroes? And don’t say Batman and Robin that’s just too obvious. Notable are Colossus and Northstar. Colossus is an old character, the Russian farm boy separated from his family to join Charles Xavier’s quest to create harmony between humans and mutants. He has always been characterized as sensitive. For example he was hardest hit when his sister Illyana dies of the legacy virus, and nursed the comatose Magneto in his satellite base when all his other Accolytes had fled. Perhaps letting Colossus come out of the closet was a way for the Marvel writers to modernize his character. However, his date to the homecoming dance Northstar seems like he has always been openly gay. After a long hiatus from superherodom, Northstar was running his own company in Canada. When asked to return to the academy as a professor, he returns with, “What would you like me to teach Charles? Boys Phys.Ed? Even you cannot be that progressive.” Charles Xavier: “Actually I was thinking Economics.”

The mutant population is one that meets alienation, hate crimes, and even mob lynching in the marvel universe. This aspect of their lives echoes that of closeted teens or anyone who doesn’t fit in. For example a mutant Angelo was killed in the same style as Matthew Sheppard. Also in the X-men movies Mrs. Drake asks her son “Have you tried not being a mutant?” before his little brother turns him in to the authorities. Just as a large percentage of teens who come out to their parents are subsequently thrown out, there are bands of homeless mutants for example the Morlocks or Gene Nation.However the most frightening parallel between the Marvel mutant universe and our own life is the impact of the Legacy Virus. The Legacy Virus attacks only mutants and results in the loss of control one’s mutant ability resulting in death. The human response to discovering this virus was that “Legacy cures Mutants” which was the same intolerant response to the straight population hearing about the AIDS virus which ravaged the gay community in the 80s, making boys towns into ghost towns. (just substitute Legacy for AIDS and Mutants for a slur.) In fact the parallels are intentional and downright scary but meant to hold a mirror to our own society and promote acceptance.

Asparabacon!

Dear Readers,My apologies for the long absence. In my sabbatical I have been experimenting with “asparabacon.” The Japanese love to abbreviate and squish two words together. “Asparabacon” = Asparagus + Bacon. For those of you who know, a common food in an izikaya (Japanese diner where you order many plates of tiny food) is roasted asparagus wrapped in bacon. Usually it comes on little skewers and I believe it is roasted on a grill. It’s delicious! Stateside, I don’t have a grill or little skewers. For this recipe I placed three spears of asparagus together and wrapped each bundle in bacon. (Not the fake turkey bacon that I usually buy.) Then, I roasted the asparagus bundles in the oven at 400 for 20 min. I can tell you that It was delicious. However next time I will choose a less fatty meat. Maybe AsparaPancetta should be in the works?

spring hash

One thing that worked out perfectly was Real Simple Magazine’s Spring Hash with Eggs sunny-side up. This recipe was surprisingly simple to do. The key is to use a well seasoned (therefore non stick) cast iron frying pan and to cook a lot of the water out of the zucchinis.

2 russet potatoes, peeled and grated
1 medium zucchini, unpeeled and grated
3 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 large eggs, cooked sunny-side up.

In a large strainer placed in the sink or over a shallow dish, combine the potatoes and zucchini. With your hands, squeeze to remove any excess water. Add 3 tablespoons of the dill and toss. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the potato-and-zucchini mixture, pressing it with the back of a spatula. Season with salt and pepper. Cook without stirring for 20 minutes. Flip the hash over in sections. Cook for a few more minutes until crispy on both sides. Transfer to individual plates along with the eggs. Sprinkle both the hash and eggs with the remaining dill.

Angels and Airwaves: Much Ado About Nothing

On April 14, I went to see the Angels andAirwaves show in Ventura CA. There has been significant fanfare and buzz about this band. Former Blink 182 frontman Tom DeLonge has formed a new band called Angels and Airwaves which isn't to be confused with former side project Box Car Racer. I think there was one word that capitulated the entire performance, and that was "hubris." I think it was apparent from the style of the music, tirades about the past year, instrumentation, and DeLonge's interpretive dancing, that Blink 182 broke up because of disagreements and ego. Subsequently, A&A was formed in the image that DeLonge had for Blink, but Blink wouldn't go. (Although significantly forshadowed in the group's latest release "Blink 182's" darker and more emotive sound) TRL is only attractive for so long, then you have to launch your own reality tv show right Barker? Maybe it was actually learning how to play the guitar. I guess their story could have been a page out of The Pretenders' book ie. learn to play and become a great band together, instead of Sting's ie. thePolice only hold me back and I can become a tantric icon on my own. DeLonge (in between dances) told us over and over again that even if someone told us thatwe couldn't do something, we should try anyway because their band was a testament to what could happen with positive thinking. (however isn't every band a testament to what can happen with positive thinking? )

The music was okay. I liked all the war themes. I remember thinking, "Wow, it's like U2's "Joshua Tree" vomited all over Blink182 songs." and "The Streets do have a name . .. they're called Angels and Airwaves." Sometimes the songs recycle old U2 and Blink 182 finger plucking sequences. The complexity of the songs has increased due to A&A being a 4 piece band (not 3) and plain maturity. Comparisons have been made to Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, but I don't see them. I think Dashboard Confessional or TRL favorite Hawthorne Heights is more appropriate. Some things are decidedly different, such as long gone are the ATTICUS clothes and DC shoes, and DeLonge had only one joke about sleeping with moms. Overlooking the dancing and the speech about following your dreams, congratulations to DeLonge for following his heart in music even if it cost him his two best friends. Congrats to A&A because they sold out a show with only one real single on the rock charts and without an album out so no one could sing along to their songs. Congrats to DeLonge because long gone are the days when BAd REligion opens for you, or members of Homegrown run onstage wearing only a moshing rabbit thong to salute you. And here comes mature professional success (maybe.)

As a highlight the Pink Spiders, opened for the band and although they sound garage-y like Jet, did a great Elvis Costello cover which had me super excited. "What is so funny about peace love and understanding?"

for more info on A&A

chicken cacciatore

I always wondered what this dish was and why it was so popular among kids at the Olive Garden. This recipe was great with boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken with skin. Save on fat here and eat ice cream later!


Chicken Cacciatore
from REal Simple Magazine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces (i used 4 of those really big chicken breasts from Kirkland)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Working in batches, lightly coat the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add some of the chicken to the pan, being careful not to crowd the pieces. Cook the chicken until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Crush the tomatoes in the can with a large spoon and stir them into the vegetables. Add the wine and the remaining salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and serve on individual plates.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Stats:
NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 803(63% from fat); FAT 56g (sat 14g); PROTEIN 54g; CHOLESTEROL 207mg; SODIUM 943mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 19g

more bentos

obento

"obento" is the Japanese word for sack lunch. little kids cary their tiny lunches in decorative tupperware boxes. as if the concept of "obento" wsn't cute enough . . .check these out!

Alkaline Trio in San Diego! My life is complete.

Saturday April 1, 2006 I saw my favorite band the Alkaline Trio. They had the lamest band called the Griffin opening for them. Basic stage dynamics Griffin boys you should introduce your band and not make us guess. However they did deal with the stage security brutality incident well and did an impromptu additional verse saying “Please security guards stop beating up our fans” as people rushed the stage to do seizure-esque dances and run around to be the back of the room.


As for the Trio they played an emotional 2 hours of the morose punk rock that I love. They played the entire “Goddamnit” album, which I thought was awesome. It’s the theme of my first year of lawschool which made me feel like there was someone more miserable than I out there. They have a really poignant tribute to clinical depression on the album which I love (Trouble Breathing.) I really liked how they didn’t play all the Crimson songs in a shameless attempt to plug the new album. I think that they know that their rabid fans are the real reason for their success and we all have the album and know what it sounds like. I would have liked “If you had a bad time,” the Cure cover of “Exploding Boy” or “Mr. Chainsaw” (I loooooooove Mr Chainsaw) But as to the lack of Cure covers, the Crimson album arrangements are reminiscent of the Cure in some places. I’m not the only one to catch the Cure and Joy Division parallels really! Speaking of tributes, at one time Matt says "This one's for Johnny Cash!" and I was expecting like a Folsom Prison Cover or something, but no it was "Burn."


"I used to long for broken bones I used to long for a casket to call my own I never had a problem facing fear But I'm done, over and out my dear and
Oh, mercy me, God bless catastrophe'Cause there's no way in hell We'll ever live through this"

Jennifer Government

Recently I read a novel by Max Barry called “Jennifer Government.” I borrowed this book from my good friend Paul C. At first he explained to me that it was about a world where people took the last name of the company they worked for because consumerism was so important. He also explained that it began with the release of a special Nike shoe which was worth thousands of dollars and people would camp outside stores and kill for. Likewise, Paul is a sneakerhead (or recovering addict) and would totally camp outside various stores for a pair of Tiffany Dunks. My interest was peaked.



Max Barry pens this novel with great wit and insight to attack modern day consumerism by creating a horrible universe where corporations rule that isn’t so far off from the system today.

Barry portrays corporate greed and power throughout the book. In this universe corporate culture takes over your life, your name, and in some cases even decides who lives or dies. The absolute power of those in the “Alliance” of the greatest companies does corrupt absolutely as we follow the path of the two John Nikes as they slime their way through the upper echelons of society. Max Barry’s scathing attack on consumerism, small government, and the “American” way fittingly proceeds to include the National Rifle Association as a militant evil assassinating association. It is no coincidence that Barry uses the NRA as a competing “army for hire” as a symbol of our Constitutional right to bear arms however twisted to be the platform for our crazy conservative gunslinging politicians.

Aside from being a comical romp through this “make believe” world, Barry wants you to think about the parallels to today’s society. Interestingly enough a future where the police are useless and one could get away with murder by paying the correct people is not that far fetched. There are police corruption scandals every day. A product today may have so much buzz that people do camp out and pay thousands for shoes. People camped out for days for the PS2 when it came out. Remember Star Wars Episode I before we were all asking what a metichlorion was? Doesn’t the Hermes Birkin have a 6 month waiting list? In Paris not even a woman with more money than God like Oprah can buy one of those! I’ve always been wary of companies teaming up to form “alliances” like how you can buy a McDonalds hamburger and eat it with Ronald inside a Walmart store. You can buy a book at Barnes and Noble and drink a Starbucks at the same place. The Hilton family of hotels is like all the hotels. The Star Alliance includes over 15 different airlines. If you’re blacklisted from one, you probably will not be able to fly any of them.

In conclusion Max Barry is awesome because he wrote Jennifer Government. However didn’t he sell the rights to a movie company? Whatever, I’d add it to my Netflix queue. You really can’t be too anti consumerism or you end up in an old abandoned house talking to yourself trying to erase the credit record.

Check out Max and his disdain for “Rub a Dub Dub”

copwatch

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

From the immigraiton blog...
"On March 31, a Dos Palos Unified School District bus (in the central valley of California), en route to school was stopped by immigration officers. Agents conducted a raid, took 7 children off the bus and placed them in ICE vans. It is assumed the children were taken to the Fresno immigration office. For more information, contact JoAnn Juarez: jjuarez@mcoe.org"

I plagerized this from Evo's friend:
http://www.xanga.com/m8im8i


Can you believe this? Cops kidnap kids in Fresno. Where’s the Fresno County Copwatch at?

Yellow Fever Video

http://www.youtube.com/w/Yellow-Fever?v=dUto_zdvb90&search=wong%20fu


Everyone needs to see this video because it's hilarious. Thank you to Mercedes Valle for sending it to me and congratulations Wong Fu Productions for such a successful short. I myself am mesmerized by butt hair.

Delicious Bass!

Check out this Delicious Bass! From ESPN Outdoors: Too much pressure, controversy Say it ain't so, Mac. A day and a half after boating the heaviest largemouth bass known to mankind, Mac Weakley and his two lifelong fishing buddies decided to drop the pursuit of angling's most important world record. "We want to let the 22¼-pound George Perry record stand, and we'll break it another time," said Weakley, 32, of Carlsbad, Calif., whose name has circled the fishing world since he boated a 25.1-pound largemouth bass early Monday on nearby tiny Dixon Lake in San Diego County. If officially recognized, Weakley's bass would have shattered Perry's legendary standard. Worry not, bass anglers, your cherished record is safe.

I caught you a delicious bass

Fisherman Mac Weakley caught a ginormous 25.1 lb bass in Dixon Lake near Carlsbad California. This bass is phenomenal for several reasons:
1) It was caught by his fishing buddy in 2003 when it weighed a mere 21.7 lbs. How do you know it’s the same fish? Because of the tell tale dark fish birthmark on its underbelly visible in the photo.
2) Prior to this challenger, the official largest bass ever caught was 22 ¼ lbs in 1934. So there’s been decades of constant angling and the record has never been broken!
3) This fish was caught on 15 lb test line. I mean I saw a fat catfish snap a pole in half in Kansas, I can’t imagine what happened to this guy’s pole with a 25 lb fish!
4) It was caught on accident. An issue with the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) has arisen as to whether this fish was “foul hooked” and therefore not qualify to break the standing record. Details of this exciting catch follow:

As for the catch itself, Dickerson explained that it was raining and dark early Monday when the anglers came across the bedding bass in 12 feet of water. A male — often much smaller than a female in the world of spawning bass — also was on the bed, and it made several stabs at the jig. The fishermen couldn't tell whether the male or female was hitting the jig when Weakley set the hook at about 6:40 a.m.

The fish surged to deeper water, and Winn, who said he was manning the boat, motored toward a nearby dock — where, Weakley explained, three people, including the dock attendant for the city-owned facility in Escondido, Calif., witnessed the action. There Winn fumbled on his initial attempt at netting the fish.

Yep, Winn swung and missed, which is surprising to anyone who saw him skillfully gaff saltwater fish on the fly when he was a second captain on a charter boat out of Santa Barbara, Calif., in an earlier career.

"My heart was in my throat," said Winn, 32, of Carlsbad, who now also works in the casino industry. "I was wondering which I would get next, a black eye or a bloody nose."

In the confusion and excitement that can at times underscore this level of fishing, Winn had picked up a net that wasn't his and was unfamiliar to him.

"I just grabbed for whatever was closest. I have never, ever missed a fish with my net," Winn explained. " But I got the fish halfway in and it freaked out and kicked out of this other net."

By this time it was quite apparent that it was the female at line's end, and one extremely large and displeased specimen. It again finned to deeper water, and the pursuers followed in their electric-powered rental boat (all that is permitted for use at this 80-foot-deep reservoir).



More evidence of big bass at Dixon Lake: Mike Long registered the largest largemouth in two decades when he boated this bubba in late April 2001.But a few moments later and five minutes after it was hooked, the big mother was in Winn's net. To the anglers' great dismay, the fish had been hooked in its side. Soon after that sad discovery — and determining that its own weight might hurt the fish in the handling process — the bassers decided to release it.

Thank you espn outdoors.

Many of you are wondering “fishing is cruel why endorse it? Or “it’s just a big fish.” But this is the kind of story that sparks interest in the outdoors. Activities such as rock climbing, fishing, hunting, hiking, diving, rafting etc expose people to what their environment is like. When people associate good times with clean environment they start to care and if they don’t work to protect it, they sure don’t vote to destroy it. When environmentalists do their job too well and close off parts of the wilderness to others, biodiversity is preserved, but preserves are always threatened by man because no one is allowed to enjoy the land therefore it has no value to the local voter, who makes the decisions about their fates. For example before Heal the Bay and other marine organizations started exposing the public to Southern California’s wetlands, they were just waterfront property sites that needed to be landfilled. Now we have protected estuary and wetland areas for naturalist activities and the tide of public approval is against development of these areas. Likewise, sportfishing associations organize and work to remove offshore oil pilings and work with environmentalists to make offshore preserves. Environmentalists take heart and suspend your disbelief. Sportfishermen care about water quality because it affects their catch. Sushi consumers care about bioaccumulation of toxins because it affects their meals. Beachgoers care about urban runoff because it affects their picnics. However it is up to us to make them see how their interests are connected to the environment and affect them personally; but the interest can start with an enormous bass.

Watchuwant Natalie?!

Natalie Portman was on SNL the other week and did this rap video and it's hilarious! She never said she was a role model.

my headshot

Asahi

I am Asahi and I live an active lifestyle. Don't bother me if you're not here to play games like "fetch" and "sock." I'm also into communication with the other dogs of the neighborhood. I love to bark at big scary dogs. I am a party peik so watch out Paris and Linsday there's a new party girl in town. Also like Paris, I love Carls Jr Hamburgers with Bacon. I do not like rolling over, shake, or speak (on command.)

Chauncey

My name is Chauncey. I am four years old and my interests include: long walks in the park, public urination, and fine dining. I am looking for a younger woman that can enjoys adventurous road trips and will keep me safe from other dogs.

Special Chili

Beef and Black Bean Chili

(recipe from Rachael Ray’s 30 Min Meals. 9/10 Americans agree that this is a good chili!)

2 lbs ground beef 90% lean. The recipe calls for sirloin yet I use normal beef and it comes out just fine.
1 tbsp EVOO
Salt n’ Peppa ( . . . uh pushit . . . )
1.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (if reading from Mexico “Salsa Ingles!”)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped ( if you’re a JA and you hate spicy food, can substitute those little Ortega chilies you buy in a can)
3 tbsp dark chili powder (again if you’re a JA and you hate spicy food, omit 1 tbsp, if you’re a JA’s hakujin boyfriend, adding the chili powder on top works well)
1 tbsp cumin
1 c beef stock
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce or puree
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained (super fibrous!)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1) in large deep skillet or pot, brown ground beef in olive oil over high heat.
2) Season meat with salt and pepper, and then add Worcestershire sauce.
3) Reduce heat to medium high when the meat is browned and crumbled, and then add onion, garlic, red peppers, jalapeno.
4) Season veggies and meat with chili powder and cumin.
5) Cook veggies and meat together 5 min.
6) Stir in broth and scrape up pan drippings.
7) Stir in diced and pureed tomatoes and black beans.
8) When the mixture comes to a bubble, reduce heat to simmer and stir in cilantro.

The same day I took a picture of this guy. I entitled this one "lonely hakujin" because I imagine he's waiting for his Japanese Girlfriend or hostess or whoever :)  

This was a very fast couple in Shibuya. If you're familiar with the area, this is right in front of the Shibuya train station. It's the busiest place in Shibuya because everyone meets at this famous dog statue which is just to the right of the picture.  

This couple was really fast! I have a feeling the guy in the gray sweatshirt and his girlfriend with the blue sweatshirt are foreign. Just a foreigner vibe I get. Maybe it's the non-permed/orange hair.  

Mos Def from okayplayer.com 

Chapelle's Show

Yesterday I saw “Dave Chapelle’s Block Party.” Unfortunately this is not 2 hours of Dave Chapelle being funny. But instead I was pleasantly surprised to see a marching band rendition of Jesus Walks by Kanye West, The Roots, my namesake the handsome and incomparable Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and a reunion of the Fugees. It was like Woodstock and they got it all on film!

Did you know English is Wyclef’s like third language and he advocates public libraries? I didn’t.

Did you know Lauryn Hill’s baby was really cute and big now? I didn’t.

Did you know Kanye West has the same taste in blazers as a college English professor? I didn’t . . . but I could’ve guessed because his parents are professors or something.

I was totally surprised by the energy of the performances and Dave Chapelle is always hilarious; but I thought the way they spliced in the commentary and didn’t really introduce anyone (with the exception of the members of the Roots) didn’t do a good job of telling the story. I totally would have put more footage of the kids from the Brooklyn Police Athletic League in. ** Over all great job on the movie Mr. Black Bush!

** Just a note that their PAL was the best looking PAL I’ve ever seen. The kids in Oak Park in Sacramento didn’t have all those nice floormats, lighting, proper chairs and tables.

http://www.chappellesblockparty.com/home.html

Today I wish I was here.  

A taste of Nice without leaving your kitchen. Famous for its film, this mediteranean locale has inspired award winning flavors.  

Salade Nicoise Sandwich

Salad Niçoise Sandwich

1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp EVOO
2 6 oz cans tuna, drained
1 c grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c kalamata (or other) olives
¼ red onion thinly sliced
¼ tsp black pepper
Salt
1 baguette

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until bright green and tender, 2-5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain again and return to bowl. Meanwhile add vinegar and 2 tbsp of the oil and salt. Drizzle this mixture over the beans and toss. In a separate bowl, combine the tuna, tomatoes, olives, onion, pepper, and remaining oil. Halve the baguette lengthwise, and then cut it crosswise into 4 portions. Toast the baguette if desired. Spoon some of the tuna mixture into the bottom of each baguette portion. Sandwich the top half and press gently but firmly. Serve with green beans.

I ate this sandwich with a cup of tomato and roasted red pepper soup from Trader Joes and it was yum-o! My mom is an expert on French food, and really enjoyed the authenticity of this dish.

Balsamic Poached Chicken

Balsamic Poached Chicken

1 lb new potatoes halved or quartered
3 tbs EVOO
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
1 14.5 oz can low-sodium chicken broth
1 c balsamic vinegar
1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the oil. Season with 1/3 teaspoon of the salt and pepper, and toss. Roast for 30 min, shaking the pan once. Add the asparagus to the pan with the potatoes, season with the remaining salt, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, 12 to 15 min. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the broth and vinegar to a boil. Add the chicken and if necessary ½ c water. (Really the liquid doesn’t have to cover the chicken because the steam created by the boiling liquid will cook the tops of the chicken. ) Simmer for 1 min. Cover, remove from heat, and set aside until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Return the liquid to medium – high heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup 10-20 min. Multitasking is key because the poaching and reducing takes so long. Thickly slice the chicken. Divide the ingredients among individual plates. Drizzle with the balsamic mixture.

Real Simple Magazine April 2006

Balsamic Poached Chicken ~ real simple magazine april 2006 

Alumna Embarassment

Pacific McGeorge embarasses me. I opened my "Pacific Review" alumni magazine to find a picture and article about a McGeorge "Alumna." (Why is she an alumna, aren't we all alumni? isn't that what it says on the title of the magazine?) The title reads "THE GOOD FIGHT: One Woman's Crusade to End Bias." So my ex-school endorses her "good fight?"

The picture was of a dowdy looking white woman, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt and went on to read “In 1996 California voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution that prohibits race and sex based preferences by state and local governments.”

“Is this article talking about what I think it’s talking about?” I asked. I’m sorry to say that I was right. This champion of the downtrodden is fighting “the good fight” in support of proposition 209.

Knowing that you’ve received the job you have because of your merits is a good thing, but the reality of knowing that you have to be twice as good as a white candidate to get the same job is another. That smug self satisfaction at the end of the day, or dare I say resentful feelings towards my less qualified colleagues who got their jobs because of the oh so prevalent “good old boys” network, is not worth the decrease in diversity that occurs when 209 is strictly enforced. The article goes on to say that civil rights groups immediately worked to get 209 repealed. Critical readers unite and question why civil rights groups wouldn’t like 209. So who’s fight is “the good fight?” Tell me Connerly?

During my first year of law school I had a job where there was one woman and two Hispanics and one asian in a firm of over 40. You do the math. A law was passed in 1996 to remove the shield which protected people from discrimination because it was no longer needed yet I can be all by my lonesome in 2003? No longer needed or no longer wanted? Just as a footnote I was the "minority hiring and retention committee fellow" that year and no one really questioned my ability because when I got there I shined like a new penny. If the initiative was passed in 1996, did the people's memories of 1992 just disappear? Los Angeles basically had a race riot because inequality exists.

I think the last nail in the coffin for me was that the woman’s work was funded by PLF the Pacific Legal Foundation and she was a public interest law fellow. I bet there were dozens of more left minded men and women waiting for that fellowship who would have done some real good.

Check out: http://www.equaljusticesociety.org/ for news and action by scholars, activists, politicians, and people in the know.

photo from "Real Simple" Magazine. April 2006
 

new things to do with coconut milk

This month's Real Simple magazine includes four different ways to use that left over can of coconut milk in your pantry.

Coconut, Shrimp, and Corn Chowder
(total time 35 min. makes 4 servings)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes- peel optional. cut into a 1/2 inch dice
3 cups corn (6 ears of fresh corn) or 2 cups (16 oz of frozen corn)
1 can (13.5 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (i've been using Trader Joe's Organic Chicken Broth- it comes in a box and it's resealable so you don't waste the remainder of a can)
1 tsp cumin
1tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined


Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 min. Add the gartlic, potatoes, and corn and stir to coat. Add the coconut milk, broth, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 min. Add the shrimp and simmer until pink and cooked through about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into individual bowls.

Note on coriander: I always wondered what the spice was that flavored the vegetarian fritata from a box mix I was using. It's coriander!

Note on tabasco: I bet tabasco would taste really good in this too.

Pictures of Couples.

Here are three more additions to the "dorky hakujin and Japanese girlfriend" photo collection. Perhaps these pictures are really "prelude to a hapa." For hapa issues try http://hiphapa.blogspot.com/ to read the rantings of one resentful hapa.


Let me draw your attention to the "fanny pack" that he's wearing. To his credit, it's very fashionable to have a Gucci waist pack in Japan. Paris would say "that's hot." However this guy needs another Joker magazine because to get the desired effect, your fanny pack must not have been made in the early 90s.

Tokyo is a walking town. As you can see everyone is walking, riding a bike, or showing off their boyfriend. I don't think I could date a guy who wore a coat exactly like mine . . . and is he wearing a bolo tie? 

Check out the hairdo on this guy! As you can see he's holding hands with his Japanese girlfriend and has added so much gel to his hair that he could comb a spiral into it. It's like a bullseye for birds.