It's officially the Golden Week holiday which started yesterday, but many companies don't always give an entire week hence why I'm stuck staring at my Dell drinking vending machine coffee. On the plus side most of the people I support took today off, so I've been able to catch up on my weblog reading. I recently started using an RSS aggregator (little behind in that respect, I know) populated with favourite weblogs and news websites.

We've really made no big plans for the coming week, most days, if weather permits, will be spent at Enoshima beach, catching up on some books I've started but never finished (Hegemony or Survival, Einstein Never Used Flash Cards and Me Talk Pretty One Day to name a few ) maybe even tune the guitar and learn a new song.

One thing I am going to try though is stay away from the "political blogging". That doesn't mean I will stop reading talkingpointsmemo.com etc. for a few days, I just won't be commenting on much during the holiday. My brain needs a break from all this, but most importantly my heart.

The Center for American Progress today launched a comprehensive Claim vs. Fact database www.claimvfact.org that documents statements from conservatives like President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress and Fox News personalities, and compares those statements to the facts. Each fact is sourced, and in many cases includes a web link directly to that source.

A personal favourite of mine from the database, with video to back it up.

In the currnet NEWSWEEK Elise Soukup introduces us to a new book on the study of rats in NYC "Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants." by Robert Sullivan.

Forget computer animation, and even claymation. This is veggiemaion. I watched a show with Fran this morning called minori no mori no nakama tachi on NHK in which the entire show is made of fruits and veggies.

Dick Cheney and Antonin Scalia star in Justice is Duckblind

gut wrenching photos from anonymous photographer in Iraq

link via consumptive via MetaFilter

... so Antonin, you're saying there is a price?

Top twelve reasons homosexual marriage should not be legal:

1 .Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control.

2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people can�t legally get married because the world needs more children.

3. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful, since Britney Spears� 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful.

5. Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time and hasn�t changed at all; women are property, blacks can�t marry whites, and divorce is illegal.

6. Gay marriage should be decided by people not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities.

7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That�s why we have only one religion in America.

8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

10. Children can never suceed without a male and a female role model at home. That�s why single parents are forbidden to raise children.

11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven�t adapted to cars or longer lifespans.

12. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a �seperate but equal� institution is always constitutional. Seperate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as seperate marriages for gays and lesbians will.

-credit goes to GatorGSA and link via SeanBonner.com

An excellent Op-Ed in the New York Times from Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation and Reefer Madness) on the difference in government polices in Canada and the US regarding marijuana usage and in particular medical marijuana.

On one hand, starting this fall pharmacies in British Columbia will be selling marijuana for medicinal purposes, without a prescription. But south of the boarder penalties for a first marijuana offence range from probation to life without parole. Schlosser writes that 90 percent of the 700,000 people arrested in 2002 were arrested for simple possession.

Criticism is coming from Canada though. Users of medical marijuana accuse the BC government of overpricing and supplying "lousy pot".

Japanese LDP member Takeaki Kashimura must be paying attention to how the Bush administration and the Right-Wing media in the US deals with dissent calling the recently released Japanese hostages "Anti-Japan" and "Anti-government" .

I thought this type of pointless language only existed in the US. I mean if you told an Italian or say a Mexican that they were Anti-Italian or Anti-Mexican they would most likely just laugh at you, but in the US, for many, those be fightn' words. [correction: the term I was thinking of was "Un-American" and not Anti-American]

Luis from Blogd.com has written and excellent post on the horrible treatment these brave humanitarians have received returning to Japan.

My letter to the editor of the Japan Times. This is the first time I have submitted a letter to the editor, but is not to say I never felt the urge to before.

=================

In the April 26 article, 'Quagmire' label doesn't apply to Iraq ROBYN LIM provided a very misleading statement about the war in Iraq.

She wrote,

“This war is part of the continuing war against terrorism, heralded by the surprise attack on America in September 2001 that killed 3,000 civilians.”

There is not a shred of evidence to support this claim. The unilateral/preemptive invasion by the US and its so-called “Coalition of the Willing” on Iraq was made with faulty, outdated and just plain hyped intelligence. She implies that Iraq had ties to 9/11, a crackpot theory that has been debunked long ago.

Not a single Iraqi was aboard those planes that killed 3,000 on September 11, 2001 and no connection has ever been found, but yet the Neocons still want cling to the fabled Iraq-al Qaida link to push there ideological fantasies.

The fact is that 16 of the 19 highjackers were Saudis but you never hear about the 9/11-Saudi Arabia link.

It’s this kind of misinformation that makes most Americans believe, 57% according to recent polls, there is an Iraq-al Qaida link despite absolutely no evidence to support it.

Buying an espresso drink in Japan can sometimes be a hair-pulling experience,

"A few weeks ago I went into a Starbucks in Shiga and ordered a double espresso. The clerk (can't call her a barista) looked at me as if to ask, "Do we sell that?" Then her supervisor stepped in and handled my off-the-wall request."
-Nils in Kyoto

So when we were in Victoria last Christmas I was amazed at the effort our barista put into creating this beautiful flower in the foam of our lattes. I almost felt bad drinking it.

But they're taking it to a new level here! -link via boing boing

messing with my web directories. Now most everything except for this weblog is pointing to vudeja.com. I really can't remember why I never just set up a blog to point to the root in the first place.

"The budget is busted; American soldiers need more armor; they're running out of supplies. Yet the Department of Energy is spending an astonishing $6.5 billion on nuclear weapons this year, and President Bush is requesting $6.8 billion more for next year and a total of $30 billion over the following four years." -slate

"Two days before her daughter was freed Thursday night by her captors in Iraq, 65-year-old Kyoko Takato was apologizing to the public, using words more befitting of the parent of a criminal." -Japan Times

What might young Japanese activists be thinking right now? Stick up for what you believe in, try to make a difference, and expose the reality war and in return be spit on and heavily criticized by the media and government. I for one think they did the right thing, and congratulate them on acting and not sitting back and letting the government tell them were they can or can not travel to.

"We can't force people to stop" traveling to whatever country they choose, Koizumi said. "But we'd like them to consider how much trouble (their actions) might cause a large number of people." link

Mr. Koizumi, remember their actions were to help in humanitarian projects, not to cause trouble. How about this, if Japan didn't violate its constitution and send troops to support the American occupation of Iraq, would they have still been held captive? Somehow I think not. So tell us again Mr. Koizumi, who exactly is "causing trouble" in Iraq?

Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions. via Achikochi

Take a stroll down US military intervention lane; 1801-2004

Seems someone or something goofed and listed Apple eMacs for 2787 yen, about 25 US dollars, on Yahoo Shopping. Some 20,000 shoppers purchase 100,000,000 eMacs before the glitch was fixed. link

Michael Moore's upcomming film Fahrenheit 911 has been selected by the Cannes Film Festival to premiere there in competition next month. see announcement

I've never been a big fan of these awards shows, you know all that "my art is better than your art" crap, but for Mikey's next film I'll make an exception.

Heading home on the train last night I sat down next to what seemed to be two couples, say in their mid sixties or so. Each couple sitting across from one another and from their attire seemed to be coming back from an afternoon hike in the mountains.

But what stuck me as odd was the intensity of their conversation, the heated debate, and the hilarious jokes told, maybe recalling a funny moment on the hike or at lunch that day. But honestly I have no idea what they were talking about and not because of my Japanese skill level, but because they used no words and communicated only in sign language.

Every day we talk, but do we ever really say anything?

this looks like a great magazine. If only I wasn't in the land of incredibly expensive delivery costs. $35.97 for one year subscription PLUS $59 postage!

Vincent Huang is having an exhibit of his Burning Man photography at Prinz in Kyoto. Prinz, www.prinz.jp , is located near the Chayama station of the Eidan railway in Northeastern Kyoto. The grand opening is Tuesday, April 20th at 6pm. link via japan tribe.net

Today I picked up the lastest compilation from Fat Wreck Chords titled "Rock Against Bush Vol. 1" The real gem of this comp isn't the 26 songs by punk rock legends like Descendents, Jello Biafra, D.O.A., Pennywise, NOFX and Social Distortion, but the included DVD.

The DVD features lengthy trailers for Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War , Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election, No More Enrons, and the four finalist ads from MoveOn.org's Bush in 30 Seconds Contest. Also on the DVD are four music videos including Frankie's favourite NOFX's Franco-Un-American.

The CD is a product of the newly formed PunkVoter.com which aims to "educate, register and mobilize over 500,000 of today’s youth as one voice."

Sounds like there are a lot of other bands wanting to get in on this compilation so I'm hoping Vol. 2-5 are out soon.

From: "BBC Breaking News Alert"
Subject: India win historic test series

India beat Pakistan by an innings and 131 runs to win the historic test series 2-1.

breaking news? puh-leaze!

QUESTION: Mr. President, why are you and the vice president insisting on appearing together before the 9-11 commission? And, Mr. President, who will we be handing the Iraqi government over to on June 30th?

BUSH: We'll find that out soon. That's what Mr. Brahimi is doing. He's figuring out the nature of the entity we'll be handing sovereignty over.

And, secondly, because the 9-11 commission wants to ask us questions, that's why we're meeting. And I look forward to meeting with them and answering their questions.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) I was asking why you're appearing together, rather than separately, which was their request.

BUSH: Because it's a good chance for both of us to answer questions that the 9-11 commission is looking forward to asking us. And I'm looking forward to answering them.

...Yeah, it was about here that I through my TV set out the window.

Last summer my mother and her husband spent 3 weeks traveling through out England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France. I got a call a few days after they arrived home and 90% of the conversation revolved around an incident in Paris. This was saved as a draft but somehow I forgot to publish it, so here it is. I asked them to write it in their own words.

"While on our trip to Paris, Elaine and i walked miles seeing the many historic sights of this beautiful and exciting city. One sunny day on a busy street we were approached by an excited Japanese couple who literally swarmed us and began pleading for help. Through hand signals and a brochure they held plus a few English words which seemed to consist largely of " thank you very much ",it became clear what they wanted.The brochure featured a display of designer handbags which were on sale for exorbient prices in a trendy and expensive looking store [luis vuitton] across the street.It was the kind of store i would normally avoid at all costs.

They wanted us to buy two purses for them. Apparently it was store policy to limit one to a customer, and since they had already bought one each they could buy no more. They desparately wanted another two, desparate enough to peal out 700 Euro dollars from a large roll and press it upon two astonished strangers. Elaine and i considered for a moment and with a shrug said " okay, what the heck". The store was staffed by well dressed and snobish looking sales people and security guards. We were informed it would be an hour wait in a long line; an hour we could ill afford from our precious time in Paris. However the deed was done and completed by handong over the purses and change to two very grateful Japanese. 700 Euros is over $1000 Canadian. It would have been so easy to walk away with it. However, they had chosen wisely.

The very next day we were astounded to be approached by another Asian couple making a similar request. Needless to say, we politely refused and walked quickly away. "

After playing Sonic Reducer with Tony Barber on bass Ed Vedder has this to say.

"If it weren't for the Buzzcocks who knows, we (Pearl Jam) might sound like, uh Good Charlotte or something that sounds like... oh they're good it's just sounds like, it sounds like, well it tastes like a Popsicle that's been stuck up somebody�s ass, but that's.. my opinion (a few boo's in the crowd) Some people are into that, who am I to say."

Ed and I think alike! I wouldn't go as far to mention the popsicle bit, but I did vent my frustration on their (Good Charlotte) suckyness in a past posting.

audio interview with J Grant Brittain, Director of Photography at The Skakeboard Mag. Grant talks about how most of his younger photographers are more resistant to digital compared to older pros like himself.

worth a listen but you have to wait through some ads, thanks to Brian from ShootNewt for that one.

Last night Larry King had on past G "dubya" Bush adviser Karen Hughes. I tuned in half way to hear a female caller say, First: terrorist dictator? okay Saddam was no Saint but have we not already seen that there was NO ties between his government and terrorist organizations, namely Al Qaeda. This late in the game and these morons just don't get it.

Second: Who screens these calls? do they just let any trailerpark twit call in? cause we know King doesn't challenge his guests when they lie or just spread their ignorance, never mind the callers.

And Last: That Annoying Weapons of Mass Destruction Sound... Yeah, that is was annoying isn't wasn't it.

Day after day, the entire bush administration, not to mention the puppets on the other side of the atlantic going on and on about these Weapons of Mass Destruction, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Weapons of Mass Destruction... We got so fucking tired of saying the entire four words that the acronym ("Dubya"MD) became the norm.

Now that we know this was all a BIG HUGE FAT LIE to the world I'm starting to enjoy hearing that Weapons of Mass Destruction Sound Over and Over again. We should NEVER forget why this illegitimate president and corrupt administration sent 643, and counting, US service men and women to their death not to mention the Thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians.

okay, I've imported all the entries and comments from my last weblog into this one. Why the hell didn't I do that to begin with you ask? I'm not sure why. I always wondered what that import/export button was for... actually I did once try to import a really old weblog of mine that used blogger and it went terribly wrong. very sad story indeed.

these would go well with my greenpeace nuclear non-proliferation deck. get yours today!

Yeah, I know this is nothing new. but still.

Salon.com's Gary Kamiya writes,

get my new feed (RSS 2.0) will full posts here.

a company called Tom Bihn is selling laptop and messenger bags with apologies in French on the tags. They read "We are sorry that our President is an idiot. We didn't vote for him." priceless.

link via boingboing.net

Deanna Laney: "God Told Me to Stone My Children to Death". Sentenced to a mental hospital for stoning her 2 boys to death and inflicting major brain damage on her youngest son.

George W. Bush: "God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did" For the crime of lying and deceiving to the world and as a direct result killing thousands of innocent civilians and US service men and women is sentenced to... nothing. make him pay.

The seared runes crossing your divided consciousness do speak of contemptuous cardinals setting a spanish villa ablaze.

Ever do I seek the elusive flexures of your large intestine.

My eyelids belch with effluvial afterthoughts when you tease me with jello and chicken rinds.

surreal commpliments care of The Surrealist Compliment Generator.

My most recent photo titled "waiting room" was actually taken a few months back at a clinic near our place. The title refers to lyrics by Fugazi "my time's like water down a drain" in Waiting Room (13 songs) easily their best record IMHO. this feels like a good topic to write about. but no time.

i emailed a question to lumpen magazine through a form on their site and this is what I got from their auto reply mailer.

Subject: Thanks for emailing Lumpen

Thank you for emailing Lumpen.
Your message will be reverse-engineered to
determine its compatibility with alien DNA.

You will be contacted shortly by Men in Black.