More news that mainstream media should be focusing on but doesn't.
EFF Publishes Patent Hit List.
"The Electronic Frontier Foundation is spoiling for a fight, and on Wednesday it named the top 10 patents it wants killed, or at least redefined.
The EFF said all 10 patents are in some way illegitimate and are being used to limit free expression."
# 5 could mean the end of blogging and bloggies as we know it.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
This is scary. They're already thinking about the ramifications of a terrorist attack on the US right before the elections.
Voting Official Seeks Terrorism Guidelines.
Voting Official Seeks Terrorism Guidelines.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
I guess I must be taking the 2004 presidential election very seriously because I gave money to John Kerry and DNC. Every little bit helps they say, and elections are one vote at a time.
I hope it does some good, but I'm not very hopeful about it. I listen to way too much conspiracy radio, and I'm believer that it's not a matter of if but when will the terrorists next attack our country.
And mark my words, the next terrorist attack on the US will guarantee the reelection of the president. This isn't Spain folks. Look what happened after 9/11. This country was founded on its fighting spirit, and an attack is just going to further fan that fire.
The best line I heard at the conspiracy convention I attended a few weeks ago, where I heard 9/11 conspiracy theories galore, was that "given time, all conspiracy theories prove themselves to be true."
I hope it does some good, but I'm not very hopeful about it. I listen to way too much conspiracy radio, and I'm believer that it's not a matter of if but when will the terrorists next attack our country.
And mark my words, the next terrorist attack on the US will guarantee the reelection of the president. This isn't Spain folks. Look what happened after 9/11. This country was founded on its fighting spirit, and an attack is just going to further fan that fire.
The best line I heard at the conspiracy convention I attended a few weeks ago, where I heard 9/11 conspiracy theories galore, was that "given time, all conspiracy theories prove themselves to be true."
Monday, June 28, 2004
And since I was at a double feature, I watched Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring. A korean movie which was more like a meditation on Buddhism; very beautiful and visually stunning.
Again, from The Balboa Theatre Newsletter:
The exquisitely beautiful and very human drama SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER ... AND SPRING, starring director KIM Ki-duk, is entirely set on and around a tree-lined lake where a tiny Buddhist monastery floats on a raft amidst a breath-taking landscape. The film is divided into five segments with each season representing a stage in a man's life. Under the vigilant eyes of Old Monk (wonderful veteran theatre actor OH Young-soo), Child Monk learns a hard lesson about the nature of sorrow when some of his childish games turn cruel. In the intensity and lushness of summer, the monk, now a young man, experiences the power of lust, a desire that will ultimately lead him, as an adult, to dark deeds. With winter, strikingly set on the ice and
snow-covered lake, the man atones for his past actions, and spring starts the cycle anew. With an extraordinary attention to visual details, such as using a different animal (dog, rooster, cat, snake) as a motif for each section, writer/director/editor KIM Ki-duk has crafted a totally original yet universal story about the human spirit, moving from Innocence, through Love and Evil, to Enlightenment and finally Rebirth.
It helps if you know something about Buddhism and its concepts, but even if you don't you'll still get what this movie is about.
It's a slow moving movie but very, very worth the effort to watch it. I enjoyed this movie a ton, and was struck by how profound buddhism as a story can be told.
Again, from The Balboa Theatre Newsletter:
The exquisitely beautiful and very human drama SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER ... AND SPRING, starring director KIM Ki-duk, is entirely set on and around a tree-lined lake where a tiny Buddhist monastery floats on a raft amidst a breath-taking landscape. The film is divided into five segments with each season representing a stage in a man's life. Under the vigilant eyes of Old Monk (wonderful veteran theatre actor OH Young-soo), Child Monk learns a hard lesson about the nature of sorrow when some of his childish games turn cruel. In the intensity and lushness of summer, the monk, now a young man, experiences the power of lust, a desire that will ultimately lead him, as an adult, to dark deeds. With winter, strikingly set on the ice and
snow-covered lake, the man atones for his past actions, and spring starts the cycle anew. With an extraordinary attention to visual details, such as using a different animal (dog, rooster, cat, snake) as a motif for each section, writer/director/editor KIM Ki-duk has crafted a totally original yet universal story about the human spirit, moving from Innocence, through Love and Evil, to Enlightenment and finally Rebirth.
It helps if you know something about Buddhism and its concepts, but even if you don't you'll still get what this movie is about.
It's a slow moving movie but very, very worth the effort to watch it. I enjoyed this movie a ton, and was struck by how profound buddhism as a story can be told.
Then on Sunday, lest some of you think I only watch Hollywood crappy movies, I saw two asian films that were very good.
First, I saw The Twilight Samurai.
From The Balboa Theatre Newletter:
Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Ujio in Edward Zwick's Hollywood epic THE LAST SAMURAI, stars in a different kind of samurai film in Yoji Yamada's poignant drama THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI. Sanada plays the title character (Seibei Iguchi), who gets his nickname because he is a lowly worker who chooses to go home to his family every night at twilight instead of going out with his fellow employees or women. Seibei's wife has recently died, so he is raising his two daughters alone, as well as caring for his aging mother. His well-connected uncle believes he should agree to an arranged marriage so he can be more manly, but Seibei is dedicated to living the life he's chosen. But when his married childhood friend, Tomoe (Rie Miyazawa), wants a divorce from her abusive husband (Ren Osugi), Seibei defends her honor and defeats the sword-wielding man with a piece of wood. When Seibei's clan learns of his victory, the leaders command him to kill Zenmon Yogo (Min Tanaka), something that goes against everything he believes in. Based on the stories of Shuuehei Fujisawa and set during the Meiji Restoration of 19th-century Japan, THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI, which was nominated for a 2004 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, is a special kind of movie, loaded with heart and humanity, a very different samurai film that breaks movingly from the traditions of the genre.
Note: THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI swept the 2003 Japanese Academy Awards, winning 12 categories, including best picture, director, screenplay, actor, actress, supporting actor and cinematography.
Twilight Samurai was a good movie, and it even had a couple of very good sword fighting scenes. It reminded me of the early "Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman" movies. It must be a tradition in Japan to have a story about the reluctant samurai, who is all heart, doesn't really want to kill, is scruffy and dirty but always gets the hottest young japanese babe in the village, but who will kill the best swordsman around literally with his eyes closed without much effort.
This is such a different storyline and much more of a romantic view of the samurai warrior, then say, the probably more realistic picture of the samurai in Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai.
Here's the defintion of a samurai from a googled website I found:
The samurai (or bushi) were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors. Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns; but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword.
Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior.
Samurai are like hired killers, you know, assasins, mafia hit guys, someone who kills for a living.
This is a worthwhile flick if you're into the whole samurai warrior thing, and while the violence level was a little too low for my tastes, there are still two decent fight scenes and one okay sword through the body scene.
And if you're not into the samurai blood and gore fight scene thing the way I am, this is a grod movie with a great story about a man just trying to get on with life, and all the stuff that gets in the way sometimes.
This is like a jidai-geki film subject combined with a gendai-geki story line, or something like that.
First, I saw The Twilight Samurai.
From The Balboa Theatre Newletter:
Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Ujio in Edward Zwick's Hollywood epic THE LAST SAMURAI, stars in a different kind of samurai film in Yoji Yamada's poignant drama THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI. Sanada plays the title character (Seibei Iguchi), who gets his nickname because he is a lowly worker who chooses to go home to his family every night at twilight instead of going out with his fellow employees or women. Seibei's wife has recently died, so he is raising his two daughters alone, as well as caring for his aging mother. His well-connected uncle believes he should agree to an arranged marriage so he can be more manly, but Seibei is dedicated to living the life he's chosen. But when his married childhood friend, Tomoe (Rie Miyazawa), wants a divorce from her abusive husband (Ren Osugi), Seibei defends her honor and defeats the sword-wielding man with a piece of wood. When Seibei's clan learns of his victory, the leaders command him to kill Zenmon Yogo (Min Tanaka), something that goes against everything he believes in. Based on the stories of Shuuehei Fujisawa and set during the Meiji Restoration of 19th-century Japan, THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI, which was nominated for a 2004 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, is a special kind of movie, loaded with heart and humanity, a very different samurai film that breaks movingly from the traditions of the genre.
Note: THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI swept the 2003 Japanese Academy Awards, winning 12 categories, including best picture, director, screenplay, actor, actress, supporting actor and cinematography.
Twilight Samurai was a good movie, and it even had a couple of very good sword fighting scenes. It reminded me of the early "Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman" movies. It must be a tradition in Japan to have a story about the reluctant samurai, who is all heart, doesn't really want to kill, is scruffy and dirty but always gets the hottest young japanese babe in the village, but who will kill the best swordsman around literally with his eyes closed without much effort.
This is such a different storyline and much more of a romantic view of the samurai warrior, then say, the probably more realistic picture of the samurai in Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai.
Here's the defintion of a samurai from a googled website I found:
The samurai (or bushi) were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors. Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns; but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword.
Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior.
Samurai are like hired killers, you know, assasins, mafia hit guys, someone who kills for a living.
This is a worthwhile flick if you're into the whole samurai warrior thing, and while the violence level was a little too low for my tastes, there are still two decent fight scenes and one okay sword through the body scene.
And if you're not into the samurai blood and gore fight scene thing the way I am, this is a grod movie with a great story about a man just trying to get on with life, and all the stuff that gets in the way sometimes.
This is like a jidai-geki film subject combined with a gendai-geki story line, or something like that.
And then being the movie whore that I am, after the geisha I went to see The Chronicles of Riddick.
You know, it wasn't that bad. Judi Dench was an elemental, which I thought was really cool. I'd always wondered about elementals, and what they were about. And the scifi story line was kind of interesting as well, and I wished they'd gotten more into that. Supposedly there's a prequel to this movie which now I'm dying to see called "Pitch Black".
This is one movie where getting or renting the DVD would probably be worthwhile just because the DVD might explain the scifi stuff.
And yes, there is something about that Vin Diesel guy that is rather riveting to watch. Not quite sure why, although I'm thinking I might have been brainwashed by subliminal messages that flashed during "Triple X" because all I wanted to do during that movie was dive into the screen and get my freak on with the Vin-ness himself.
This is such a spooky, spooky thought because honestly Mr. Diesel is really not that physicaly attractive, from an aesthetic point of view. He's more like totally animal magnetism attractive, but not physically beautiful attractive.
But hey, all those sublimal messages must have worked because I plunked down $8 to see that man again and found him maddeningly attractive even though he didn't have the gorgeous tats he had in "Triple X". He had the best tats!
You know, it wasn't that bad. Judi Dench was an elemental, which I thought was really cool. I'd always wondered about elementals, and what they were about. And the scifi story line was kind of interesting as well, and I wished they'd gotten more into that. Supposedly there's a prequel to this movie which now I'm dying to see called "Pitch Black".
This is one movie where getting or renting the DVD would probably be worthwhile just because the DVD might explain the scifi stuff.
And yes, there is something about that Vin Diesel guy that is rather riveting to watch. Not quite sure why, although I'm thinking I might have been brainwashed by subliminal messages that flashed during "Triple X" because all I wanted to do during that movie was dive into the screen and get my freak on with the Vin-ness himself.
This is such a spooky, spooky thought because honestly Mr. Diesel is really not that physicaly attractive, from an aesthetic point of view. He's more like totally animal magnetism attractive, but not physically beautiful attractive.
But hey, all those sublimal messages must have worked because I plunked down $8 to see that man again and found him maddeningly attractive even though he didn't have the gorgeous tats he had in "Triple X". He had the best tats!
Then on Saturday I went to the Asian Art Museum and took a look at the Geisha exhibit. There were beautiful paintings, woodblock prints, and stunning embroidered kimonos.
When I was in highschool I thought it might be fun to be a geisha, you know, doing the whole subservient, master lave thing. But who knew you had to wear that awful kabuki painted white face makeup and sing those traditional classic japanese songs. YIKES! I just liked their kimonos, their getas and all those sticks in their hairs.
And no, Madame Butterfly is so not my favourite opera. How maudlin is it to commit harakiri for some guy?
When I was in highschool I thought it might be fun to be a geisha, you know, doing the whole subservient, master lave thing. But who knew you had to wear that awful kabuki painted white face makeup and sing those traditional classic japanese songs. YIKES! I just liked their kimonos, their getas and all those sticks in their hairs.
And no, Madame Butterfly is so not my favourite opera. How maudlin is it to commit harakiri for some guy?
I've been on a movie binge lately. I was off movies for awhile as I started getting depressed during movies for no reasons. This happened when I was looking for a new job.
I felt for sure there were hostile forces, rakshasas for the hindu minded, hanging out in the movie theatres waiting to enter my consciousness and make me even more depressed. But now that I'm three months into my job, I'm much stronger and less vulnerable to attack and I can watch movies in theatres again. I stopped renting movies too around that time, just because they seemed to be such a distraction to my life.
So on Friday, I rented and watched the movie Enigma. It really wasn't the best movie, and I only rented because it starred Kate Winslett and Dougray Scott, the prince from "Ever After" and the villian from "Mission Impossible 2". Much to my surprise Tom Stoppard, a playwright whom I dearly love wrote the play, which is astonishing because this really wasn't a very good script.
I mean, it wasn't the worst movie I've seen in my life but I wouldn't even recommned it as a renter unless you're a Dougray Scott fan and you have to absolutely see everything he's in.
I felt for sure there were hostile forces, rakshasas for the hindu minded, hanging out in the movie theatres waiting to enter my consciousness and make me even more depressed. But now that I'm three months into my job, I'm much stronger and less vulnerable to attack and I can watch movies in theatres again. I stopped renting movies too around that time, just because they seemed to be such a distraction to my life.
So on Friday, I rented and watched the movie Enigma. It really wasn't the best movie, and I only rented because it starred Kate Winslett and Dougray Scott, the prince from "Ever After" and the villian from "Mission Impossible 2". Much to my surprise Tom Stoppard, a playwright whom I dearly love wrote the play, which is astonishing because this really wasn't a very good script.
I mean, it wasn't the worst movie I've seen in my life but I wouldn't even recommned it as a renter unless you're a Dougray Scott fan and you have to absolutely see everything he's in.
Saturday, June 26, 2004
My savings plans is humming along. I opened up a money market account the other day. It pays more interest than a regular savings account, although the rates these days still suck!
I'm still trying to save 10% of my net income every month. It's hard as heck, but I like having lots of money in the bank. It's a good feeling.
I'm still trying to save 10% of my net income every month. It's hard as heck, but I like having lots of money in the bank. It's a good feeling.
It will be interesting to revisit Michael Moore's film on November 3, the day after the 2004 presidential election. On that day, we shall see whether his film has had an effect if any.
I'm a natural analyst. I make a living out of studying trends, numbers analyzing random bits of data to come up with a logical and reasonable conclusion. I have serious fears and reservations about what wil happen on November 3, and Moore's film does nothing to dispel any of my fears.
The San Francisco Bay Area is an anomaly, a glitch, not a window into how the rest of the country thinks. I don't kid myself about this fact, I don't blind myself into thinking that how we think and vote here is any indication of how the rest of the country will think and vote.
If you think Moore's film will make a dent in the voting habits of the red states on that famous 2000 presidential election map, then, well, you're deluding yourself at best and not seeing reality for how it really is.
I'm a natural analyst. I make a living out of studying trends, numbers analyzing random bits of data to come up with a logical and reasonable conclusion. I have serious fears and reservations about what wil happen on November 3, and Moore's film does nothing to dispel any of my fears.
The San Francisco Bay Area is an anomaly, a glitch, not a window into how the rest of the country thinks. I don't kid myself about this fact, I don't blind myself into thinking that how we think and vote here is any indication of how the rest of the country will think and vote.
If you think Moore's film will make a dent in the voting habits of the red states on that famous 2000 presidential election map, then, well, you're deluding yourself at best and not seeing reality for how it really is.
I'm a registered democrat, have been since I was old enough to vote. I've never ever voted for a republican at the national level, although I think I voted for a couple of republicans once that I met in a local election because I was impressed when I met them in person.
That being said, here's another review of Michael Moore's new movie that I heartily agree with, Fahrenheit 9/11:"Controversy...What Controversy?".
A friend told my I am coming off like like a total republican because I'm publishing bad reviews of Michael Moore's movie. And I'm like whatever! I know my own voting record, and I'm never been one to jump on the bandwagon for anyone including political party politics.
I didn't vote for George W. Bush, I don't like him, and I certainly will not vote him in 2004 or vote for his brother Jeb when his time comes. That being said, I detest propaganda of any kind, republican or democrat.
Truth, if it's the real thing, doesn't need to be spun, doesn't need to propagandized, can stand on its own with other facts and still be considered truth. I hate when peopel don't tell you both sides of an issue. It makes me think they're hiding something, and what they're saying doesn't hold much water and is based on supposition and god knows what else.
Because if a person really thought that what they were saying was absolutely god's honest truth and they believed in it with all their heart, they would present both sides of the issue and let you the audience judge for themselves. Why not show the other side and let people judge for themselves? I don't respect anyone who won't shows all sides to an issue, and then try to convince of why they're right and convince you with cold hard facts, nubmers, things that don't lie. Not supposition, not speculation, not conjecture, but cold hard facts and numbers that stand up to scrutiny in the cold hard light of reality.
But whatever ... I have never been easily led, I like to do my own research, make up my own mind, listen to every side of an issue before I make up my mind about an issue. But I know I'm in the minority that way.
That being said, here's another review of Michael Moore's new movie that I heartily agree with, Fahrenheit 9/11:"Controversy...What Controversy?".
A friend told my I am coming off like like a total republican because I'm publishing bad reviews of Michael Moore's movie. And I'm like whatever! I know my own voting record, and I'm never been one to jump on the bandwagon for anyone including political party politics.
I didn't vote for George W. Bush, I don't like him, and I certainly will not vote him in 2004 or vote for his brother Jeb when his time comes. That being said, I detest propaganda of any kind, republican or democrat.
Truth, if it's the real thing, doesn't need to be spun, doesn't need to propagandized, can stand on its own with other facts and still be considered truth. I hate when peopel don't tell you both sides of an issue. It makes me think they're hiding something, and what they're saying doesn't hold much water and is based on supposition and god knows what else.
Because if a person really thought that what they were saying was absolutely god's honest truth and they believed in it with all their heart, they would present both sides of the issue and let you the audience judge for themselves. Why not show the other side and let people judge for themselves? I don't respect anyone who won't shows all sides to an issue, and then try to convince of why they're right and convince you with cold hard facts, nubmers, things that don't lie. Not supposition, not speculation, not conjecture, but cold hard facts and numbers that stand up to scrutiny in the cold hard light of reality.
But whatever ... I have never been easily led, I like to do my own research, make up my own mind, listen to every side of an issue before I make up my mind about an issue. But I know I'm in the minority that way.
Friday, June 25, 2004
I got free tickets to see the new Metallic documentary, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster on Wednesday. I even dragged my friend Jon over at Hooray for Anything to the movie, and he's not a big Metallica fan at all.
Metallica so rules! Even in a documentary!!! They were so funny! The movie is a must see, especially if you want a good laugh and have been in therapy. Check out the The NY Times Magazize article on the movie, Band on the Couch.
The movie kind of reminded me of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" in a way, because all the characters in that movie were in therapy in some for or another as well. Since it's a documentary it's also kindof like of watching reality TV, but a reality TV show with one of biggest selling rock bands of the last 20 years.
Plus if you're a closet head banger chick (like me) or dude and love metal music that you can bop your head to, you'll love the movie.
If you aren't an art fan, I'll say it now so you'll know when you see the movie. Lars has great taste in modern art. He had a piece by Phillip Guston, an artist SFMOMA just had retrospective on last year. Guston is an amazing artist, a true pioneer of modern art. Every modern artist says they owe a debt to Guston, and Lars owned a Guston.
Kirk Hemmet is so great. He's like your total typical artsy fartsy guy, with this great valley boy accent. He was so darn cute! And Lars of course, was fantastic.
Being in a band is like being in a marriage it seems, only the marriage has more than two people. There were some pretty gnarly arguments going on in the movie, really serious emotional stuff that you normally never see in a documentary. The band really laid themselves bare and were seriously emotionally naked on camera. It's funny because they were so normal, and I laughed not at them but with them because I just so related.
My favourite scenes were the mission statement scene, the scene with the guy from Megadeath, this one scene where Lars and Kirk were grooving to the music and doing some serious head banging, Lars and his dad, and all the scenes with Kirk. I think Kirk stole the show. He was just so dead pan and artsy fartsy!
Metallica so rules! Even in a documentary!!! They were so funny! The movie is a must see, especially if you want a good laugh and have been in therapy. Check out the The NY Times Magazize article on the movie, Band on the Couch.
The movie kind of reminded me of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" in a way, because all the characters in that movie were in therapy in some for or another as well. Since it's a documentary it's also kindof like of watching reality TV, but a reality TV show with one of biggest selling rock bands of the last 20 years.
Plus if you're a closet head banger chick (like me) or dude and love metal music that you can bop your head to, you'll love the movie.
If you aren't an art fan, I'll say it now so you'll know when you see the movie. Lars has great taste in modern art. He had a piece by Phillip Guston, an artist SFMOMA just had retrospective on last year. Guston is an amazing artist, a true pioneer of modern art. Every modern artist says they owe a debt to Guston, and Lars owned a Guston.
Kirk Hemmet is so great. He's like your total typical artsy fartsy guy, with this great valley boy accent. He was so darn cute! And Lars of course, was fantastic.
Being in a band is like being in a marriage it seems, only the marriage has more than two people. There were some pretty gnarly arguments going on in the movie, really serious emotional stuff that you normally never see in a documentary. The band really laid themselves bare and were seriously emotionally naked on camera. It's funny because they were so normal, and I laughed not at them but with them because I just so related.
My favourite scenes were the mission statement scene, the scene with the guy from Megadeath, this one scene where Lars and Kirk were grooving to the music and doing some serious head banging, Lars and his dad, and all the scenes with Kirk. I think Kirk stole the show. He was just so dead pan and artsy fartsy!
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Why doesn't the media focus on news like this, FEMA: National Situation Update: Monday, June 21, 2004
US Western Drought Now Worst on Record
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assesses the current drought gripping the western U.S. as the worst and most widespread in 500 years and that its effects in the Colorado River basin considerably worse than during the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s. According to USGS, the Colorado River has been in a drought for the entire decade, cutting an important source of water for millions of people across the West, including Southern California. The USGS report stated that the drought has produced the lowest flow in the Colorado River on record, with an adjusted annual average flow of only 5.4 million acre-feet during 2001-2003.
By comparison, during the Dust Bowl years between 1930 and 1937, the annual flow averaged about 10.2 million acre-feet. Although USGS was uncertain on the duration of the drought, most droughts seldom persist for longer than a decade and that would mean the current drought is only half over.
However, there are indications suggesting that this drought could persist for as long as 30 years. Drought is one of the most complicated and least understood of all natural hazards. Floods and hurricanes are by contrast, more easily visible. However, in comparison of the three hazards, droughts characteristics set it apart and have an equally high toll. Deaths in the US associated with drought are usually related to heat waves and heat stress. FEMA estimates that drought costs the US $6-8 billion dollars annually. Most cost is attributed to crop and other direct and indirect losses, as well as other variables. In contrast, the average cost of floods is $2.41 billion and hurricanes is $1.2-4.8 billion annually. (USGS, Media Sources)
US Western Drought Now Worst on Record
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assesses the current drought gripping the western U.S. as the worst and most widespread in 500 years and that its effects in the Colorado River basin considerably worse than during the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s. According to USGS, the Colorado River has been in a drought for the entire decade, cutting an important source of water for millions of people across the West, including Southern California. The USGS report stated that the drought has produced the lowest flow in the Colorado River on record, with an adjusted annual average flow of only 5.4 million acre-feet during 2001-2003.
By comparison, during the Dust Bowl years between 1930 and 1937, the annual flow averaged about 10.2 million acre-feet. Although USGS was uncertain on the duration of the drought, most droughts seldom persist for longer than a decade and that would mean the current drought is only half over.
However, there are indications suggesting that this drought could persist for as long as 30 years. Drought is one of the most complicated and least understood of all natural hazards. Floods and hurricanes are by contrast, more easily visible. However, in comparison of the three hazards, droughts characteristics set it apart and have an equally high toll. Deaths in the US associated with drought are usually related to heat waves and heat stress. FEMA estimates that drought costs the US $6-8 billion dollars annually. Most cost is attributed to crop and other direct and indirect losses, as well as other variables. In contrast, the average cost of floods is $2.41 billion and hurricanes is $1.2-4.8 billion annually. (USGS, Media Sources)
What the media doesn't tell you about San Francisco Bay Area:
Rush Limbaugh is the second most listened to, sometimes the most listened to, morning radio program.
Sean Hannity is the most listened to afternoon radio program in his time slot.
The catholic churches in the city and county of San Francisco are one of the most conservative diocese out of all the nine San Francisca Bay Area counties.
As in the rest of the country, only 30-40% of the people in city and county San Francisco vote in the elections.
The 2003 mayoral race was decided by 14,000 votes, most of which were absentee ballot votes. I'm one of them 20,000 absentee voters. 2.1% of the total population of the city and county of San Francisco decided who would be next mayor.
As for the rest of the people who don't vote ... well, the statistics about the area's radio listening habits and the catholic churches make you wonder about them, doesn't it?
Rush Limbaugh is the second most listened to, sometimes the most listened to, morning radio program.
Sean Hannity is the most listened to afternoon radio program in his time slot.
The catholic churches in the city and county of San Francisco are one of the most conservative diocese out of all the nine San Francisca Bay Area counties.
As in the rest of the country, only 30-40% of the people in city and county San Francisco vote in the elections.
The 2003 mayoral race was decided by 14,000 votes, most of which were absentee ballot votes. I'm one of them 20,000 absentee voters. 2.1% of the total population of the city and county of San Francisco decided who would be next mayor.
As for the rest of the people who don't vote ... well, the statistics about the area's radio listening habits and the catholic churches make you wonder about them, doesn't it?
I've never seen a Michael Moore movie. Oh well.
From my totally favourite Brit intellectual, would love to have dinner with him every night, Mr. Christopher Hitchens, Unfairenheit 9/11, The lies of Michael Moore.
Since I'm an avid fan of conspiracy theory late night radio and have been listening to it since 1996, I've already heard every 9/11 conspiracy theory there is. I don't need Michael Moore to regurgitate to me when I've already heard countless interviews and seen presentations by all the so-called experts.
Like take the movie, "The Day After Tomorrow". I've been hearing about that book and listening to the doomsayers on global warming years before the folks at moveon.org decided it would be their cause du jour.
I'm even looking forward to the next movie that Hollywood is ripping from conspiracy radio which is all about the theories of Jesus, Mary and the Holy Grail.
What's ironic is the arrogance of Michael Moore thinking he's saying something new. He's like so not. If the audience share of conspiracy late night radio is any indication (8 to 10 million weekly listeners), then there's a ton of us around the country who have heard it all before and in greater detail than anything Michael Moore is going to dramatize in his movie.
And any good conspiracy theorists worth their salt never preaches the way Michael Moore proselytizes and rams his opinions down your throat, or so I've been told about Mr. Moore. A good conspiracy theorist always says "the facts are out there, do your own research, here's what I've read and here are the links to the websites that I've looked at, you decide if I'm right or wrong, you're an intelligent person, you pay bills, you raise a family and hold down a job, I'm just here to point you in the right direction."
Most conspiracy theorists read a lot; they are uber information geeks. Most subscribe to the theory of first source documentation especially if they're government conspiracy theorists, and they will give you a very, very, long list of congressional and senate testimony sources for your bedtime reading pleasure.
From my totally favourite Brit intellectual, would love to have dinner with him every night, Mr. Christopher Hitchens, Unfairenheit 9/11, The lies of Michael Moore.
Since I'm an avid fan of conspiracy theory late night radio and have been listening to it since 1996, I've already heard every 9/11 conspiracy theory there is. I don't need Michael Moore to regurgitate to me when I've already heard countless interviews and seen presentations by all the so-called experts.
Like take the movie, "The Day After Tomorrow". I've been hearing about that book and listening to the doomsayers on global warming years before the folks at moveon.org decided it would be their cause du jour.
I'm even looking forward to the next movie that Hollywood is ripping from conspiracy radio which is all about the theories of Jesus, Mary and the Holy Grail.
What's ironic is the arrogance of Michael Moore thinking he's saying something new. He's like so not. If the audience share of conspiracy late night radio is any indication (8 to 10 million weekly listeners), then there's a ton of us around the country who have heard it all before and in greater detail than anything Michael Moore is going to dramatize in his movie.
And any good conspiracy theorists worth their salt never preaches the way Michael Moore proselytizes and rams his opinions down your throat, or so I've been told about Mr. Moore. A good conspiracy theorist always says "the facts are out there, do your own research, here's what I've read and here are the links to the websites that I've looked at, you decide if I'm right or wrong, you're an intelligent person, you pay bills, you raise a family and hold down a job, I'm just here to point you in the right direction."
Most conspiracy theorists read a lot; they are uber information geeks. Most subscribe to the theory of first source documentation especially if they're government conspiracy theorists, and they will give you a very, very, long list of congressional and senate testimony sources for your bedtime reading pleasure.
Monday, June 21, 2004
Am I still in San Francisco?
On Balboa and 37th Avenue heading south, there's a billboard that says:
Avoid Hell
Repent
Trust Jesus Today
And just in case you missed it. Heading east on 36th Avenue and Balboa, you see the same billboard:
Avoid Hell
Repent
Trust Jesus Today
Plus, there are way too many windows with pictures of Ronald Reagan up.
On Balboa and 37th Avenue heading south, there's a billboard that says:
Avoid Hell
Repent
Trust Jesus Today
And just in case you missed it. Heading east on 36th Avenue and Balboa, you see the same billboard:
Avoid Hell
Repent
Trust Jesus Today
Plus, there are way too many windows with pictures of Ronald Reagan up.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
I've been on skirt buying binge, and when I was in Macy's this week I saw a skirt in the Ralph Lauren section that was so cute. The mini skirt was white with a blue pattern like what you would see on a china plate. It was so cute! Instantly it occurred to me that wearing the skirt would be like wearing a dinner plate pattern around my butt.
God, I love that. I love the thought of wearing a china plate pattern on my body. Now there's something you don't see every day and probably don't really want to either. But I love it, it's so original. The blue pattern can either be found on plates or on wall paper. I mean that's even better isn't it? Wearing wall paper on your butt! How bizarre and fun is that?
Anyway, the skirs were $23 each so naturally I bought two of them with different prints. Can't beat that price. Here's one of them, Cotton Sateen Porcelain Skirt
God, I love that. I love the thought of wearing a china plate pattern on my body. Now there's something you don't see every day and probably don't really want to either. But I love it, it's so original. The blue pattern can either be found on plates or on wall paper. I mean that's even better isn't it? Wearing wall paper on your butt! How bizarre and fun is that?
Anyway, the skirs were $23 each so naturally I bought two of them with different prints. Can't beat that price. Here's one of them, Cotton Sateen Porcelain Skirt
I was reading through my blog and saw that I forgot to mention that I had seen Kill Bill Vol. 2. Of course I totally loved it and had to choke back tears when I saw Uma Thurman watching the kung fu movie with her daughter. I used to watch kung fu movies with my grandma when I was young.
I'd love to see the Kill Bills back to back. I wonder if that's been done already and I just missed it. I know they showed The Lord of the Rings movies back to back. That would have been fun to do if I had the time.
I loved the chinese shaolin master with the fluffy white beard. He was quite the character. I will say I was shocked to find out how the story turned out. I didn't see that one coming. The violence wasn't as fun, excessive, and out there in Vol. 2 as it was Vol. 1, but there was enough of it so I can't really complain.
What I love the most about Quentin Tarantino is he is so true to the genre of Hong Kong kung fu and japanse samurai movie. Take the music. All Hong Kong kung fu movie have annoying as all hell soundtracks. And Tarantino did not disappoint because sure enough, bad music came on during the movie. The bad music was so reassuring familiar to me and I had to laugh because he got the same reaction out of me that a real Hong Kong kung fu movie would. "Turn that bad muzak off!"
I'd love to see the Kill Bills back to back. I wonder if that's been done already and I just missed it. I know they showed The Lord of the Rings movies back to back. That would have been fun to do if I had the time.
I loved the chinese shaolin master with the fluffy white beard. He was quite the character. I will say I was shocked to find out how the story turned out. I didn't see that one coming. The violence wasn't as fun, excessive, and out there in Vol. 2 as it was Vol. 1, but there was enough of it so I can't really complain.
What I love the most about Quentin Tarantino is he is so true to the genre of Hong Kong kung fu and japanse samurai movie. Take the music. All Hong Kong kung fu movie have annoying as all hell soundtracks. And Tarantino did not disappoint because sure enough, bad music came on during the movie. The bad music was so reassuring familiar to me and I had to laugh because he got the same reaction out of me that a real Hong Kong kung fu movie would. "Turn that bad muzak off!"
I was at Virgin Megastore this week, and broke down and bought Fallen by Evanescence. CDs are so expensive, $18.99 at full price. Yowsa! For the price of a $199 Ipod that holds 1,000 songs, you could buy about 10 cds at full price.
I told a friend of mine about it, and she said that you couldn't buy Evanescence's song off of ITunes. I thought you could buy all songs off of ITunes, but I suppose that's up to the artist and their record company.
The Evanescence CD is great, from start to finish. I have very few CDs, unless it's a greatest hits compilation, that I can make this comment about. I hear the group has broken up. That's too bad because the music is just so great!
I told a friend of mine about it, and she said that you couldn't buy Evanescence's song off of ITunes. I thought you could buy all songs off of ITunes, but I suppose that's up to the artist and their record company.
The Evanescence CD is great, from start to finish. I have very few CDs, unless it's a greatest hits compilation, that I can make this comment about. I hear the group has broken up. That's too bad because the music is just so great!
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
I probably shouldn't find something like this funny, but I do. I guess I'm just a sick bunny girl.
EMPLOYEE WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER NOT DISABLED
The 10th Circuit found that an employee with obsessive compulsive disorder did not show that he was substantially limited in a major life activity. Steele v. Thiokol Corp., 241 F.3d 1248, 10th Cir. (Utah) Feb.22, 2001. Other employees had called him "Psycho Bob", and hummed "If I Only Had A Brain", wrote "dunce" on the back of his hard hat, drew cartoons with his name on them with the comment "The Big Dumb One", and made cuckoo noises in front of him.
He suffered a nervous breakdown and took a leave of absence for more than three weeks. Upon his return, he was terminated during a reduction in force. The court found that he did not present sufficient evidence of substantial limitation in walking, sleeping, interacting with others, and learning/comprehending. He did not allege a substantial limitation of work. The court did not decide whether interacting with others is a major life activity, finding instead that he did not provide any evidence that his OCD caused him to have trouble getting along with people in general. The court stated that it need not decide the issue of whether a hostile work environment can be brought under the ADA.
EMPLOYEE WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER NOT DISABLED
The 10th Circuit found that an employee with obsessive compulsive disorder did not show that he was substantially limited in a major life activity. Steele v. Thiokol Corp., 241 F.3d 1248, 10th Cir. (Utah) Feb.22, 2001. Other employees had called him "Psycho Bob", and hummed "If I Only Had A Brain", wrote "dunce" on the back of his hard hat, drew cartoons with his name on them with the comment "The Big Dumb One", and made cuckoo noises in front of him.
He suffered a nervous breakdown and took a leave of absence for more than three weeks. Upon his return, he was terminated during a reduction in force. The court found that he did not present sufficient evidence of substantial limitation in walking, sleeping, interacting with others, and learning/comprehending. He did not allege a substantial limitation of work. The court did not decide whether interacting with others is a major life activity, finding instead that he did not provide any evidence that his OCD caused him to have trouble getting along with people in general. The court stated that it need not decide the issue of whether a hostile work environment can be brought under the ADA.
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