It's like "The Birds"

But with trash...

Fresh & Sleazy

I expected to love the new Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market that opened nearby, and to feel conflicted about shopping there because I know there are a lot of concerns about the company's environmental and labor practices throughout their supply chain.

But what I found on opening day was almost depressing: think beige version of Food 4 Less with a combination of brand name crappy food (mini corn dogs, chips ahoy) and own-brand yuppy food (organic yogurt, gourmet-looking prepared foods). The produce is all shrink-wrapped because the self-checkout stands aren't conducive to weighing veggies, and I was disappointed by the poor selection of enviro-friendly household products. I don't think Trader Joe's should be too worried about competition.

I was at the press conference depicted below, but missed the "conversation" with the head of security you see at the end. Not a smart move, Tesco!



FYI, the people at the "private event" were reporters, elected officials, real estate developers, important rich people, etc., who were invited to preview the store before the masses the next morning. Interestingly, U.K. press were NOT invited to the private soirée, though they were outside covering the press conference, and doing a much better job of it than did the U.S. press.

UPDATE - November 12, 2007

Just found this blog entry by Jon Plummer who also thinks the company is Fresh & Sleazy...but he went even further and made a cool graphic. Nice!

(Image is licensed as Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by Jon Plummer)

Jerry Sanders

Jerry Sanders recent announcement in support of same sex marriage is pasted below. I heard brief mentions about it in the news media, but had no idea his press conference was so powerful. Check it out.

Unhealthy handout from the California Department of Public Health

Because we work to improve school food at my office, we get a TON of stuff from the California Nutrition Network to spread the word of eating fruits and vegetables for better health.

The items are not of the best quality, which always makes me wonder how organizations that generally have bettering the world for people and the environment at the core of their mission, can justify buying all this crappy, bad for the environment, produced in sweatshops, stuff to promote themselves.

Well, today I'm not the only one wondering. The state of CA is issuing a recall on lunch bags handed out over the past couple of years because of dangerously high lead levels. Yes, eating fruits and vegetables is good for you, but eating them out of the lunch box provided by the public health department--not so good for the public health.

I don't mean to give the public health department too hard of a time, but really, why doesn't anyone think about these things?! Why does the World Wild Life Fund send me enough mail to cut down the entire rain forest where the world's wild life lives?

Park[ing] Day!

Park[ing] Day is tomorrow, and it's the first year that people in Los Angeles are participating. Think about how much parking there is in this huge, automobile-focused city, and what it would be like if all those parking spaces were turned in to parks, bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes or even soccer fields!

Tomorrow is your chance to turn a metered parking spot into the kind of space you'd like to see in your neighborhood. In other cities, people have put down sod and park benches (traditional park), a couch and coffee table (urban living room), raised beds for planting (community garden), bike rack (think how many bikes you can park in one parking space!) and more.

If you are LA-based like me, check out ParkingDayLA for a map of all the confirmed sites. (The place where I work is doing one in front of our Colorado Blvd. office--stop by if you are in the area!) Not on the map? That's okay! You can still participate. The website also has information about how to set up a site and any legal issues to be aware of.

For the rest of the world, check out the official Parking Day website for more info and a reclaimed-space near you.

If it doesn't say Camel, can I keep it?

You're f*$@ing kidding me!

That's what I said quite loudly to my mailbox when I opened it the other day. (Perhaps a little too loudly, considering the are-you-crazy-stare I got from my neighbor's gardener). What made me so crazy? This:


Yes, I received a promotional package from Camel cigarettes. I feel so invaded! I guess when they aren't allowed to advertise anywhere else, direct mail is all that's left. Makes me wonder what else I should expect in my mailbox now that I've made it on to Camel's list...

So to get to my moral dilemma....included in the package was a cute (pink!) lighter...and it doesn't say Camel on it anywhere. Is it wrong to keep it? :)


I've certainly gotten a lot of use out of my Jerome Horton for State Board of Equalization pot holder, but then again, I voted for him.

(Best campaign mail I ever got!)

Neck Goiter Boob

I love Stay Free!

Check out last Thursday's post - made me laugh out loud. You gotta read the comments too.

Bryant V. Nash

My boyfriend thinks Kobe Bryant walks on water--on the basketball court at least. I can never see past who Kobe is off the basketball court, and I'm not always impressed by his ball-hog game playing either. John Baker lays it out in this article about Bryant's "tantrum" after the Lakers were eliminated from the play-offs, as well as his general non-team oriented playing style that I find annoying.

Last year, when the Lakers were playing the Suns, I found Steve Nash--he was kind of random and hyper and I truly enjoyed watching him play. I decided that he must be a far better person then Kobe Bryant.

Of course, I didn't have any real information on which to base this decision, but this year, when Kobe expressed his irritation at not making it to the finals again at the post-elimination-game press conference, I couldn't help but think that maybe it was karma. So I looked them up--Kobe and Nash....

From Wikipedia:

In May of 2006, Nash was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the accompanying write-up by Charles Barkley, Nash was lauded for his unselfishness on the basketball court, and being "just a nice guy" who had paid for a new pediatric cardiology ward in a Paraguayan hospital.

The rest of Barkley's article can be found here.

Kobe Bryant, well, we all know what he's famous for.

Then there's the Steve Nash Foundation, which as far as I can tell, has been doing lots of good things for kids since 2001.

Kobe Bryant's Foundation, founded in 1998, was dissolved in 2002 after his contributions to charity declined to $10,000 in 2001 and $0 in 2002. In 2006, he started the Vivo Foundation which sent 8 students to Italy for two weeks last summer....and that's about it. I'm not suggesting that what Kobe Bryant has done isn't good stuff, but given his financial situation and iconic status, it's not like it wouldn't be possible for him to keep up with Steve Nash.

For me, the icing on the cake was learning about Steve Nash's "No War. Shoot for Peace" t-shirt and his strong stance against the war in Iraq. From Dave Zirin's article on Nash's MVP award:

When questioned on his incendiary attire, Nash said, "I think that war is wrong in 99.9 per cent of all cases. I think (Operation Iraqi Freedom) has much more to do with oil or some sort of distraction, because I don't feel as though we should be worrying about Iraq." He also showed far more prescience than Bush, Cheney, Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice saying, "I think that Saddam Hussein is a crazy dictator but I don't think he's threatening us at this point in time. We haven't found any nuclear weapons--no matter what anyone says--and that process is still under way. Until that's finished and decided I don't think that war is acceptable." He then reiterated his position that, "Unfortunately, this is more about oil than it is about nuclear weapons."

Nash also took issue with the pro-war media. Two years before the New York Times and the Washington Post were forced to issue apologies for their slavish, slothful pro-war coverage, Nash said, "I think a lot of what we hear in the news is misleading and flat-out false, so I think it's important for us to think deeper and find out what is really going on." He didn't backpedal from this stance despite criticism from his boss at the time, Mavs owner Mark Cuban and Spurs center David Robinson who said, "If it's an embarrassment to (Nash) maybe (he) should be in a different country." Nash also was profiled in one mainstream paper earlier this season where he casually mentioned that the last book he read was The Communist Manifesto. In a country where much of the media, and sports media, have been in a race to the right, Shaquille O'Neal would have been a more appealing choice.

Shaq's main dream after basketball is to become a cop. Already he has completed enough training to carry firearms and go on busts with local police. The Orange County Sheriff's Department in Orlando has even made O'Neal an honorary deputy. As OC spokesman Jim Solomons said, "He would definitely make an imposing officer, I'd love to see Shaq be the first through the door on a drug warrant." While news reports on O'Neal's ambitions are filled with cheeky references to his custom-fitted uniform and "size 22EEE boots," it's not a laughing matter to people on the other end of those shoes. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Shaq was accused of excessive force, specifically holding a suspect's head in a toilet and punching him repeatedly. This led to an internal investigation.

It's possible that racism played a role for some voters in Nash's selection. But politics also plays a factor. The peace activist beat the cop. For the basketball media to honor a serious anti-war voice like Nash--and to have that player lead a style of play so invigorating is cause for celebration.

I know, this was supposed to be about Kobe, not Shaq, but since Kobe wished he'd taken a cue from Shaq and paid-off the woman he raped, I have to think they might share some morals in common.

My verdict on Nash V. Bryant: Steve Nash is a good human. I may live in LA, but for now, I'm a Suns fan.

LAPD and the Immigrants Right March

I think the whole concept of riot police creates more problems then it solves. Knowing two LAPD cops personally, who I think are good people, I'd like to give the officers the benefit of the doubt that as individuals, most (probably not all) of the cops wouldn't get as carried away as they did at the end of the immigrant rights march yesterday in MacArthur Park. But as soon as they began the "Double time, It's tussle time!" chant, it was all over. Mob mentality works both ways...

Here are a couple of videos to check out:



Fox 11 unedited footage of their camera woman getting batonned (an update on Fox news said the two women reporters both ended up at the hospital, one with a broken wrist and the other with a dislocated shoulder) (Higher quality version here)



10 minutes from Jonathan Mann, a march participant and citizen journalist.

There was another one I saw last night that showed a toddler in the line of fire, as well as a man who was desperately trying to get to his bicycle that was on the other side of a wall, while riot police manhandled him, but the clip seems to have vanished from the internet.

2008 already - learn about the Red State

Apparently, it's time to start talking about the 2008 election....will YouTube keep us interested for the next 18 months?!

I have to say, I missed the democratic debate on TV, but certainly enjoyed Senator Gravel's comments:



I hope they keep Gravel around to commentate on the candidates and their positions. He may not be "viable," but he sure is more interesting and articulate then a lot of the people who are offering their opinions about the candidates.

Since we are starting so early, I encourage everyone to see the documentary Red State. I wrote about it before, and in response to the filmmaker, Micheal Shea, I think it's great! Definitely a thumbs up. This may be a low-tech documentary, but it's engaging and Shea manages to hold his tongue and not judge in a number of situations where I think I might not have been so patient.

I've seen a lot of political films, and I consider myself to be at least moderately aware of other viewpoints, but I didn't really "get" the whole red state thing until I saw this film. A must see for anyone who didn't grow up around people who believe that God, rather than government, is responsible for making sure the poor aren't left behind.

Start there. It may help you remember why this election is important.

Jury Duty

I reported for jury duty today, and though I wasn't selected to serve, I did get to hear a bunch of people interviewed by the judge and lawyers and it was pretty entertaining.

The case was about a dispute between parking lot owner and a parking lot operator. One of the potential jurors said she couldn't be fair because she was morally opposed to large surface parking lots because they are a poor use of space, are bad for the environment and encourage car-dependence. Man, if you ever want to get out of jury duty...take that approach. The judge asked her to leave before the lawyers even got a chance. It was great. I thought if I got called up, I might agree with her.

No Wayne Trent bolts in my courtroom, but Kirstie Alley did show up to do her duty--only in LA!

I also made it to the new Pirate bar downtown for a GREAT lunch. Veggie Reuben--what a good idea!

Buying a House

So my friend and I were looking at the Craigslist Real Estate ads in our price range...the list is pretty short....like, non-existent.

Then we found one!
...with a little catch. It's only the HOUSE that's for sale, not the land it's on.

$10000 HOUSE FOR SALE

---

Reply to: hous-302962746@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-03-30, 7:14AM PDT


For the entire house. The land is not for sale, we are only selling the house with all its attached appliances. The buyer is responsible for moving the house from the property. Meaning for $10,000 you can cut the house into walls and take it away with all its attached cabinets and appliances to anywhere you want.

The house is on a raised foundation and so it can easily be removed. It is 3 bedroom house with one bath. The house is 1,500 sq.ft. and it has has two fireplaces, all wooden floor, walk in closet. The kitchen was recently remodeled and so the counter tops are almost new, and so is the dishwasher, oven, microwave, the cabinets that come with the house.
There are more cabinets in the house.

The house will be ready to be moved in one one month and a half. The house will be sold As Is. The first person who pays $10,000 cash will own the house and must remove it from it's current place to where ever they want.

If you are interested call: (562) 207-7888
Ask for Mike
So we started looking for a vacant lot we could buy (since the house is only $10,000) and guess what posting came up in our vacant-lot-price-range? Cemetery Lot for 2!

$5200 Cemetery Lot for 2 - Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills

---

Reply to: hous-303352953@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-03-30, 3:54PM PDT


Forest Lawn, Hollywood hills, Lawn crypt for 2 in the tenderness section. Present sale value when buying thru Forest Lawn is $7200. Asking only $5200.

Project Bottled Water

The Environmental Working Group, which is responsible for one of my favorite websites: Skin Deep, is taking on bottled water! Help them out by clicking on the icon below to enter info from a bottled water label. And when you're finished, do check out Skin Deep if you haven't already. Good stuff!

High School Sports

Last Saturday evening, my boyfriend and I were driving down Fairfax, heading to a party at a friend's house, when we noticed a large number of policemen converging from every direction.

As we drove by Fairfax high school we passed what looked like about 50 cop cars pulled up to the school, and other police were closing down main intersections on Fairfax Blvd. with crime tape. Obviously, something serious was going down.

My boyfriend guessed that someone had been shot, and I thought that it must be something even bigger, like a hostage situation, or multiple shootings.

Turns out--it was just an oversold high school basketball game.

A high school principal defended his decision to call police to rein in fans at a weekend basketball game.

Fairfax High Principal Edward Zubiate said Monday that school district police were called after a ticket seller was hit with a bottle during a semifinal match Saturday between Fairfax and Pasadena High.

Fans were apparently upset because they were forced to wait outside as the game started. Zubiate said he saw several people throw things and curse as they stood in line to get into the gymnasium.

School police requested assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department. Once those officers arrived, they called for backup and some 70 officers in riot gear showed up.

Read more about it here and here.

I suppose going to a high school when its football players were the victims of the sharpened buckle incident, I shouldn't be surprised.

From the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Shame, 2004:

Eight years ago on a high school football field, Albuquerque Academy defeated St. Pius X 22-16 in double overtime.

Great game. Then the circus began.

Turns out Mike Cito, then a 17-year-old St. Pius X junior, had a razor-sharp buckle on his helmet. Five Academy players and a ref suffered cuts, and one of the Chargers required 10 stitches to close a gash in his arm.

Cito's father, Stephen, soon admitted to St. Pius X officials that he had sharpened the buckle because he felt his son had been pushed around unfairly in a previous game.

National media outlets, including USA Today and Sports Illustrated, covered the story. St. Pius X expelled Cito. St. Pius X students threw rocks at reporters who came to campus.

Good times.

The district attorney charged both Citos. Stephen pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit aggravated battery and served two days in jail. Mike entered an admission of guilt plea and was sentenced to a year of probation and 100 hours of community service.

After the incident, St. Pius students (and their parents) brought mini swiss army blades to the Academy v. Pius basketball game as a "joke." Let's hope Pasadena High can rise above.

Airplane = Bad

A few months ago I read an article in ReadyMade about the ecological footprint of air travel. I thought I remembered the statistics correctly, but when I told people about it, I was assured that I must have gotten it wrong--certainly the plane emits bad stuff and uses a lot of energy, but on a per-person basis, flying had to be more environmentally-friendly than driving.

Check it out folks--flying is just about the worst way to travel:

Planeless

And while you are at the Convenient Truth Contest site, check out some of the other shorts...there are some good ones! I knew plastic bags weren't great, but who knew the amount oil used to produce 14 bags plastic bags = 1 mile of driving?

Fun things from the past day or few

It takes a lot to bring me back to my blog...

Scooter Libby found guilty, Ben & Jerry announced a new flavor: Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler, a U.S. attorney from my home state isn't going quietly, curmudgeon Jon Winokur set the record straight on the definition of irony that Alanis got so terribly wrong, and Ellen made this great joke at the Oscar's:



And speaking of Ben & Jerry's, they have some good info on the cloning issue going before the FDA. Send in your comments this month!

So why I haven't I been blogging? Maybe it's because my hard drive crashed on my home computer for the second time in two years and I still haven't fixed it. Or maybe it's my sacroiliac joint dysfunction that has kept me off the dance floor & volleyball court, and made it hard to sit in front of a computer. Or maybe I just spend too much time being busy. Whatever the reason, I'm back.

Here's an interesting article that doesn't give me much hope for the prison recidivism rate in the U.S., and it looks like you are pretty much screwed if you don't have Windows XP or Vista come daylight savings time.

But on the more optimistic side of things, here's a little more New Mexico pride:
Senate Joint Resolution 5 was introduced by 8 Senators from NM. Yay NM! (perhaps this is a bit more important than the Bolo Legislation!) Look for impeachment actions starting this weekend, culminating in a national day of protest on April 28th.

The web makes everyone a celebrity.

Creative Commons with Attribution License is fun.

Here's my boyfriend eating a taco on the Austinist blog:

And Yahoo liked my photo of the bathtub at Hotel Garza and is using it on their Yahoo Answers front page. :) Hee hee.

Friday Kvetch

Last night it was windy in Glendale.

So windy, that Christmas trees were flying off the curb and into the street (dodged a couple on my way to work this morning). I couldn't fall asleep until 2:00am because the it was so loud.

What do you think woke me up a full hour and a half before my alarm was to go off?

A FREAKIN' LEAF BLOWER.

Yes, despite today's continuing 35 mph winds, apparently it was important to spend 30 minutes blowing the leaves off the sidewalk outside my window.

Oh, and the Christmas package I mailed priority mail to my cousins on December 20th? It arrived yesterday. Bah Humbug to you USPS!

But this is the best part. I received the tracking info in my inbox yesterday afternoon and check out the journey of my poor Christmas package:

Service Type: DELIVERY CONFIRMATION

Shipment Activity        Location                               Date &
Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delivered                TACOMA WA 98405                     
01/04/07  2:53pm

Enroute                  DENVER CO 80217                     
12/30/06 11:50am

Enroute                  FEDERAL WAY WA 98003                
12/24/06  7:23am

Acceptance               ALBUQUERQUE NM 87119                
12/20/06  4:00pm

Yes, that's right. It went from Albuquerque, to Federal Way, WA, which is less than 15 miles from my cousin's house, and then it went all the way to DENVER, CO before being shipped back to Tacoma. Grrr.

Trader Joes Good and Bad

My new favorite thing from TJ's: Calabacitas Quesadillas. Yummy.

What Trader Joe's should stop selling immediately: Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu. Seriously. That was perhaps the worst microwavable dish I've ever eaten.



Oh, and I'm not the only one blogging about TJ's. :)