OH $NAP!

Nader just announced that our very own Matt Gonzalez will be his running mate for presidency!

If you all don't already know MG(:P) ran for SF Mayor in 2003 and narrowly lost to Gavin Newsom. If he had won, he would have had held the highest office for a Green Party member, something that sent the Democrats scrambling to fix. Lets take it back to 2003: Bill Clinton was hustled to campaign for Newsom- thats how scared the Dems were of losing this race and thats how scattered the Dems were, but look at them now and look at MG now! Gonzalez said screw running for mayoral race in 2007 and is turning to the presidency for '08! It makes sense that the most progressive SF Supervisor is running with the most 'progressive' political party. I really REALLY want to hate Nader, but this is big.

I'm still voting for Obama, but it would be nice if he was a (LOT) more progressive. Ideally he would run with a crazy left-wing for VP, but hey, how much can the Black man do! Seriously. If he was as radical as Nader and Gonzalez he wouldn't even be considered, he actually would be considered an extremest, not unlike Nader, in which his popularity would be drastically smaller. He's already having to be ultra neutral to take away from that whole brown skin thing.

A radically progressive black man running for president? hahahahahah. Maybe in 2012. :)

I hate baby steps, but Obama is better than no Obama.

Its a bird, its a Plane..

Indeed it is a plane.

Has anyone noticed that planes are flying awfully close to the SF skyline? Since 9-11 I feel like planes have been forced to fly at a far distance from any (Major) city and I've been noticing otherwise.

I'm not trying to be paranoid, nor am I trying to stir fear among my peers. Just maybe look up every once in a while and be aware of your surroundings!

Make 'em jump

Okay, if there ever was a race it should be this one:
Honda and Toyota are competing for the Eco-Royalty title and I have to say this one is tough. Toyota is sporting the Prius in this race and Honda is unveiling their Hydrogen Car. While the Hydrogen Honda creation is zero emission vehicle, which is where all cars should be, the price to create a Hydrogen gas infrastructure to rival the gasoline system is the real question. Plus, the zero emission vehicle is a SUV!! Have we learned nothing? Even with this ecological acheivement the values behind this movement are the same: consume, consume, consume. The commercial for the Prius has the better messeage, which is: the best way to impact is to have as little impact as possible, or something like that. Meanwhile, the actual Prius car isn't as progressive as the ad suggests.

WHAT I NEED IS MORE! More, more moremoremoremromeormoemroe. MORE.

This is a start and we need to start somewhere, I'm just glad that this day has finally come. No award will be given just yet, because I need more commitment from these companies and society before I can give such an endorsement. :)

What do you guys think of the ad's? Enough? Not?
(thanks to D. Santos for funding me with the Honda Ad)

Clo$e your window$

Ever heard of brown? Or apples? Or moths?
Add them all together now and you get a 'brown apple moth'. The state agriculture department plans to spray chemical pesticides all over the Bay Area, including SF, "to eradicate the potentially destructive bug" (Sf Chronicle, Feb 15). Key word being POTENTIALLY kids. Even though we do not know the actual impact that this moth can have on the agri-economy of CA, we do however, know the effects of the pesticides on human health. People in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties reported: coughing, wheezing, muscle aches, and headaches after they were sprayed in December of '07. One family even reported their child having an asthma attack, and that child doesn't even have asthma.

The spray's are expected to begin in August and may last for up to five years (that is, until 2013).

If you want to speak out about this, there will be a meeting on Feb 25 6-8pm at the SF County Fair Building Auditorium at 9th/Lincoln in GG Park. I will mos def be attending.

Lets not forget that they often sprayed DDT over humans regularly in the 1950's. DDT was the deadly pesticide that Rachael Carson wrote about in The Silent Spring.

Gentrification Alert! A Series.

We all felt it. We all knew it was coming, but Divizadero is gentrifying. With the final transformation of the corner space into NoPa at Diviz and Hayes, other hipster eateries have since moved in, and they aren't stopping. This new vintage store opened in December of 2007 and a bar is scheduled to open next door in April. Bar Crudo, a posh restaurant currently located downtown/(s)Nob Hill, are also expecting to move into the area and open another joint a few doors down from Brothers BBQ. From bike shops to bougie sushi spots, to the 99cent store and nail salons, this area will hopefully remain a selection of diverse interests. Lets not forget the best part of this neighborhood: Buckets on 22" rims blasting 94.9.

My very own Mochi Factory

There is a cafe place that makes their own Mochi's . THERE OWN MOCHI'$! Wow, talk about a little piece of heaven. And the people in there were even Japanese :#
The menu included: mochi, chili, hot dogs, coffee, milk shakes, and deviled egg sandwiches+extra mayo. Talk about a dime. Even better: an old Japanese couple at the counter asked me if I was part Japanese (:P) and proceeded to tell me that this place has been open for over 100 years.

$nap! What a find.

If you're nice, maybe I'll take you.

A Valentines Suggestion

If you want to really 'woo' your boo on St. Valentines Dizzle, than take them to Dimple$. Don't let the name fool you-- its a classy joint. There is a 'massage' room in the back (you can peek in on the way to the bathroom, in which there is shampoo). There are ample business men in the bar, so just in case you forget your wallet they'd be able to pay for your drink and your (wo)man. And don't worry about spilling, there are already paper towels lining the base of the bar. Its the joint where everyone knows your name, and where you can have a White Russian (and I'm not talking Kahlua).

You can thank me later.

Plea$e. If there was ever a time..

FOr the love of GODD. Someone, anyone. I'll make banana bread, I'll buy drinks, I'll, I'll, I'll have a LOOOTTTTT of fun! I mean, we, WE will have fun.






Ps. its in San Jose.. but thats okay!

Shawty is a Ten

Stephen Colbert went to the Washington Correspondents dinner in April of 2006. He surprised everyone by making extremely pointed comments directed to specific US media and governmental figures, Dubya included.
-He makes fun of Pres. Bush right in front of him and calls out crooked media figures and curropt military generals as well. Fearless!

His performance was so provocative that the governemnt/media didn't want it to be leaked to the public and if YouTube didn't exist, it might not have been able to.

'Bout Time.

Meet the Neely's yall, finally- black people on the Food Network. They are a couple from Tennessee with three BBQ joints in the state: two in Memphis and one in Nashville. This season the Network is spicing up their line up considering only white women and Bobby Flay are air right now. Even Giada is getting tired, don't even mention Rachael Ray to me. But this season the Neely's and Jamie Oliver are gonna heat up channel 35!!

Me+MTV+Eco-Grid= TV Gold!

Finally, my chance to be on MTV. I bet I would have to keep my lust for pop culture, gold, sneakers, fine dining, and land rovers a secret, but I think I have a chance!

I think that this installment will actually be harder to complete than MTV might think. Lets analyze this: they are asking if you're 'disgusted with pop culture' and have chosen to live without television and the internet in which case how would you even hear about this, let alone, why would you even want to participate in what you are trying to rid yourself of?

Whatever, I can't wait until this episode airs!

True Life: I'm Living Off The Grid

Are you literally living "off the grid" of regular American life? Do you generate electricity for your household through wind or solar power, chop wood for heat or draw water from a well rather than rely on (and pay) the government or utilities for these services? Has your family chosen to live without television, computers or the Internet, and dragged you "back to the land" with them? Or has your disgust with mainstream culture inspired you to abandon city life for a rural existence where "wireless" is meaningless? If you're surviving without relying on modern infrastructure, MTV wants to hear from you.

If you appear to be between the ages of 16 and 28, and you think that you have an off-the-grid lifestyle, email us at grid@mtvn.com with all of the details. Please be sure to include your name, location, phone number and a photo, if possible.

*iFOAM*

No, this is not another Steve Jobs project. IFOAM is the most aggressive organic certification and committee in the world. It looks at the organic agricultural movement holistically: incorporating social, ecological, and economic efforts. It is regarded the 'standards for standards' when striving to produce a genuine organic program. You won't see many products with the iFOAM logo here in the States, because the USDA standards are so much weaker that recommended by iFOAM.
ORGANIC is defined by iFOAM is looked at uses the guidance of the ecological hand to moderate production instead of external (synthetic) additions. It encourages biodiversity and the moderation of farming methods to fit the different regional environments. Not only does organic mean better treatment of the environment, but it also requires better treatment of the farming community as well. Social justice is as much a concern in organic farming as ecological justice.

$easonal Eats: FEBRUARY

Vegetables:

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Brussels Sprouts
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Greens
• Sunchokes
• Radishes
• Turnips
  

Fruits:

• CITRUS/CITRUS/CITRUS!!!
• Pummelo (only $1 @ the Ferry Bldg)
  
• Kumquat
• Grapefruit
• Madarin (mmmmmm)
• Naval/Blood Oranges
  
• Rhubarb
• (almost) rasp/strawberries
• cherimoya

http://www.kqed.org/topics/home/cooking/whats-in-season.jsp

Other NEW$

Hillary is nothing more than a scrapbook of sound bites.





Moving on:

Ralph Nader has put together an exploratory committee in hopes of running for president in November.......

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOooooNOooooOOOOOOOOOOO!

This means he hopes to gather volunteers and $10million via his website (which i'm intentionally withholding from you all, because I want him to fail!). Nader is the most self-centered/righteous person I have ever heard speak. He claims that he wants to infuse change into the country and unite the young voting force: last time I checked Obama was already credited for doing so. When asked if he is responsible for splitting the democratic vote, Nader replied that this country suffers from only having two parties represented in government, and that democrats need to simply 'get over it'. It being his pathetic attempt at running for the presidency.
While he is true that there might not be enough diversity in our government, currently, there are bigger fish to fry, the first being ending the Republican domination of the White House.
Nader would be running against Cynthia McKinney for the Green Party Ticket. McKinney, who is a black woman, is a former Democratic Representative.

The Nader interview can be heard on the Democracy Now! link below. :)
http://media.switchpod.com/users/democracynow/ftp/dn2008-0131-1.mp3

Just so you know:

Some of Super Tuesday's other revelations:

No on PROP 92: Giving $900 million to K-12 grades up to Community Colleges.
To be spread over 3 years this funding would drop tuition for CCSF to only $15/unit, instead of the current $20. Just two years ago each unit was as high as $26 which had been raised from $18/unit in 2003! I can't believe that CA didn't vote this PROP in. I am appalled and disappointed in this end result.

No on Prop 91: Forces the Legislatures to spend GAS TAX to be spent only on transportation. Ultimately, I'll support any opportunity to give MUNI more funding.

Yes on Props 94-7: Supporting adding more gambling slots on Indian Reserves
As my aunt Julie said, 'I'll vote for anything that helps the Indians" but I think most of California voted YES because it would help THEM, and by default help the Indians as well. This is because a portion of the added revenue from these additional slot machines will be funneled into the CA economy. I'm in full support of the AM Indians, don't get me wrong, but upon taking a step back and viewing the cumulative results I can understand why certain props won and lost, but I don't have to like it.

I cannot believe that the only PROPs that passed were those that would result in more $ and all the props that promised to support state services were denied. Community Colleges and Public Transit will suffer from these results. Since I am a firm supporter and patron of both of these entities I am furious by the outcome. California residents do not see past their own personal pocket books. How much more money can we divert from CA schools? The world's 6th largest economy has one of the worst educational systems in the country, notice the imbalance? Supposedly people were consumed by the idea that CA is in a $14 billion deficit, however, the deficit would be cured if Schwarzeneggar would REinstate the car registration tax that he threw out when he entered office (the disposal of which got him into office*). The values and morals of this state (and country) need to be re-evaluated because education and public transportation shouldn't be looked at as luxuries but a necessity to CA's overall success and economic stability.

Shake it off.

I am currently in shock with (not so) Super Tuesday's results. I thought hope would be enough.


Please be patient during my grieving process.

I like my president like i like my coffee...

just to spice up the day. If you haven't seen these clip$, you should see them now. If these won't convince you of Obama's potential I don't know what will.

Feb 5.

VOTE

VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE


obama obama obama obama.


VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE


the fierce urgency of now.

Grey (gray?) Energy

This term refers to the energy that is invested behind the product that you are enjoying. All the energy that goes into producing a certain item.

Real life example: Cafe Latte
The energy it takes to grow the coffee beans, the harvesting of those beans, the transportation of those beans, and then the processing of those beans in the roastery/coffee house etc.

THen the milk:
"to transport the chow to the cow," (www.pege.org/w/grey.htm) and then to move the milk to the creamery, then to the grocery store and into a refrigerator, and don't forget the energy needed to run the grocery store etc.......

THEN: the energy needed for the cappucino machine to froth the milk.. and you get the idea :)

Grey energy is something we should all consider in each and every product that we consume. How much energy is necessary to provide us (USA) with all of these options.? With endless amounts of products being manufactured overseas, it requires a lot of "energy" (OIL/GAS/FUEL) to make these items and then even more "energy" bring these products to this country besides to a store near you.

This is another factor guaranteeing an endless stay in Iraq--> our dependence on oil spans farther than just fueling our cars: it fuels the stability of our lifestyle and satisfaction of variety.

Just be aware of the GREY ENERGY behind our consumption.

Tip(s) to Reduce your G.Energy Output: BUY LOCALLY MADE PRODUCTS :)

February 5, 2008

Is the California Primary, popularly known as $UPER TUE$DAY. Since Californian's are notorious for wanting to vote on everything, lets make sure we all do so.

(and for the deserving candiate no less....obama.)

Becau$e I Can.

Supposedly these three are supposed to collaborate in a mega/super/hella crazy group. They are calling themselves CRS, which when googled directs you to the Country Radio Station, or CRS Syndrome . . . .Time will tell.

Out of all three-
Lupe has the best lyrics,
Pharrell has the best smile,
and Kanye has the best, um, shades (?).

The song is sampled from a Thom York song, who is from Radio Head.
and the video was directed by Pharrells exGirlfriend. Too bad I'll be directing his next. haha jk.

Word on the $treet

Upon purchasing some dates at the Civic Center Farmers Market, the date-vendor admired my Hello Kitty earring and mentioned that there was a new Hello Kitty restaurant that opened in Taiwan. I was astonished! and then came across this little gem (Sanrio Bento above) .

Also at the Civ Center Farmers Market :
-- Live Chickens--(digital proof to come).
-- Over priced grapefruits
((when I found out that one booth was selling theirs for $2.50/ea. I was shocked and told an old asian man where he could buy them cheaper-- he asked me to point, and I did.))

"Banana": Safe Bet.

There is a restaurant in Taiwan that advocates both good food and safe sex. Its called the Banana Restaurant. and they hand out condoms with their happy meals. Most of the items on their menu do not resemble male/female reproductive parts, however, the few that do are supposed to have arousing effects.

The establishment is the first in Taiwan to be partnered with the Center of Disease Control.

Hey yall lets spread the love worldwide and franchise Banana Restaurants near you!

I heard there was a space available on Polk and Vallejo... :)

Focu$ the Nation!

in case you missed it, Focus the Nation was a nation wide teach in spreading the word about Global Climate Change. It was hosted in over 1,500 school campus' around the country on January 30 and was a 2 day event at SFSU lasting until the 31st. SF State primarily focussed on Social Justice Issues with Speaker Van Jones bringing down the house. Jones is an Environmental Justice spokes person who was the catalyst for the Etta Baker Center in the East Bay and the Green For All foundation just launched; both striving to simutaneously help the environment and people in poverty.
"A new, multi-billion dollar economic sector is emerging, bringing new opportunities in green construction, clean technology, urban agriculture and energy. Our goal: ensure that this green economy is strong enough to lift people out of poverty."

http://ellabakercenter.org/page.php?pageid=5


When asked at Focus the Nation how Green-Collar Jobs will help end the War in Iraq or end global climate change Jones responded-- that we all think too big and need to focus on the 'little' things we can do now that will ultimately have larger outcomes in the future. Green Collared jobs is one of those steps. Using less energy will have paralleled outcomes in the future--> influencing overall energy consumption (which current levels of consumption is fueling our presence in Iraq and rate of global).

Some of the images above are of an display representing the carbon emissions released by varying vehicles. *please note the carbon emissions of the bicycle*

Wal-Mart--> a look inside

There are 35 of these SUPER Wal-Marts in CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hundreds of millions of Chinese consuming like Americans.. in the worst way possible.

Looking at Wal-Mart Pictures, the actual stores do not look like the Big Box models we are used to seeing in the States, but they look like movie complex's or shopping malls, and act much more enticing to enter than just a box with hella parking in the front.

Major differences between Wal-Mart China and Wal-Mart USA:

• Live fish sold in Chinese Branches
  
• Unions are allowed in Chinese Wal-Marts
  
• Unions are discouraged in USA Branches. Thanks Hillary :( news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5281218.stm
  

WalMart*Clinton

Although this it totally offensive.. its very fitting.


H.Clinton used to be on the board of WalMart from 1986-1992
She NEVER advocated Unionization of Walmarts 1.2 Million employees.
her Campaign is in support of unions now.

Beezy why you lyin????

FYI

To update you all on some current events

• over 1 million Iraqi's have died as a result of the war in Iraq. And this number could be higher since access to high risk areas were denied.
• 1/5 families have had a death in the family
• $280 Billion to be slashed from Federal Health Care (Medicare)
• Bush promised otherwise
  
• US Trade Deficit to double to $400 billion (WHich means we owe CHina)

With help from Democracy Now!
http://www.democracynow.org/

heaven on earth....

Low fat donuts have arrived yall! You can only buy them online (lame) and they're totally low in fat/calories/cholestoral/but not in flavor (so i've heard). They've been on dailycandy and cbs. They're just soo pretty! Since you can only buy them at a dozen a time, I'll be waiting for someone to go in on a dozen with me. .... . .. . still waiting!!!!!