Interesting...

I tuned into some local news tonight (I'll talk about the reason for that later, when the time is more appropriate), and saw a story about a girl being accused of cheating at USC. I wasn't paying too much attention at first, but the name sounded familiar and the face looked familiar... Paige Laurie... Yes! She was in my class! It was Sarah Banet-Weiser's Children and Media. She was the typical Mercedez-driving, Louis Vuitton-loving, dumb USC blond sorostitute (sorority + prostitute), but I didn't know she was the heiress to Wal-Mart, and she had some sports arena named after her in Missouri. She paid her freshman roommate $20,000 in 4 years to have her papers written and other projects completed. And she graduated with a 3.5 GPA. It's funny that some professor commented on Paige's paper that her paper was much better than her in-class work.. No shit! I hope she gets what she deserves.

Never say never...

This week, I did something that I thought I would never do. I joined a gym. It's not that I'm a lazy fat ass who hates working out. I'm quite the opposite. I have been practicing Bikram Yoga religiously for two years. The first time my friend Chisa took me to a Bikram class, I got hooked. I felt something different, something that I never felt before. Since then, I never looked back. Let me tell you - I'm not the type to stick to something for a long time. But I have been regularly doing this yoga for the last 2 years, and I do not see myself quitting. And the results are just amazing. I have become so flexible (I could not even touch my toes when I first started!), lost some weight, said good-bye to chronic back/shoulder pain, have a lot more energy, better circulation of blood, and less headache! Nothing had given me this kind of results before (I used to work out at the gym), so I thought screw the gym, I'm only going to do yoga from now.. Plus gym work-out is so boring, compared to 90-minute Bikram class.

So what changed my mind? Well, Bill joined LA Fitness and got me a 2 week trial pass. I went to work out a few times during the first week of the trial, and thought it wasn't too bad. I still think all those cardio machines are boring, but it's fun to lift weights, especially when you can see yourself building some muscle. Plus as much as I love Bikram Yoga, it is kind of a pain in the ass to prepare myself for the class. I absolutely cannot eat any food for 2-3 hours before the class (you get really sick if you do), so I have to plan my whole day around the class, especially on the weekend. And it's not like I can start a class whenever I want to. There is a set schedule. Also, even though the class is only 90 minutes, I like getting there a little early to stretch and get situated in the classroom, and I have to take a shower there after the class (you get drenched in sweat), so it is pretty time consuming.

So, the LA Fitness, which is 5 minutes away from my house and does not require all that preparing comes in pretty handy. That's why I decided to join. It's really convenient actually - like tonight, I got home from work, and I was doing stuff online, and got bored. It was too late for the last yoga class, so I just went to work out at the gym.

I'm liking it so far... We'll see.

When I first saw this a few days ago, I thought it was a joke.. like someone made it up. But it's so cool that Britain can actually publish something like this. Very nicely put...

America: The Rationals and the Irrationals

Does separation of the state and church exist in America? This presidential election was yet another reminder that it does not. And I think that's exactly why this country is split in half. When you bring religious beliefs into politics, it just doesn't work. That's precisely where the disagreements arise. You cannot expect a nation to be united when you make the nation's policies based on one religion.

I come from a country where there is a complete separation of the two. No religious beliefs affects my country's policies. In fact, if a political candidate starts talking about how great his God is etc., he will NEVER be elected in Japan. Everbody would be too creeped out to vote for that person. I'm not gonna say Japanese people are smarter than Americans, but at least, we can think rationally. We value science more than faith, and progress more than regression.

I'm not suggesting that everybody should drop their faith. But it should never be mixed with your politics. Honestly, I don't care what you worship or believe in, I really don't. But don't bring it out of your house. Don't try to force that belief on others. And most importantly, the government should always be neutral. I'm so sick and tired of all those extreme right-wing wackos (aka the Irrationals) running this country. And who suffers? The smart, rational people.

Why Faith and Beliefs are Bullshit

I love it when people say "I believe in God," because that just proves my point. They say "I believe...," because they are not 100% sure if God exists. If they actually know that God indeed exists, and therefore they can prove it, then that becomes knowledge, not a belief or faith. This applies to anything. You use the word belief only when you are not sure if a subject matter is 100% true. In other words, if you have to believe in something, you don't know if it's true or not. For example, I believed John Kerry would win this election, because I, in fact, did not know whether he was going to get elected. So beliefs can be wrong a lot of times.

For all those Bible lovers: Prove me wrong. Take one story in the Bible and prove to me that it is logical and true. Until then, Bible continues to be a book of fantasies.

What Freedom?

For someone who loves to say the word "freedom" over and over, George W. Bush takes away people's freedom too much. What happened to freedom of choice for Gays and Lesbians? What about freedom of choice for women? And where is our freedom of speech??? I want to listen to Howard Stern every morning, not Rush Limbaugh.

And now he claims to be the preacher of freedom for the Iraqis??? Something is wrong.

If someone loves "freedom" so much that he is willing to go through all the troubles to bring it to another country, you would think that person would give more freedom to his own people. Oh, but wait a minute, you can't think rationally when trying to understand Christians.

Disappointment, Disbelief, and Disgust

I still can't believe George Bush has been re-elected. Still too pissed off to do anything at work. What the fuck is wrong with those red-necks? To All the idiots who prioritized the moral values over the country's economy and jobs: I hope you lose your god damn job because your company shipped your job to overseas to get tax breaks. I hope your employer slashes your health care benefit so you and your family can't get decent health care. Then let's see if you made a right decision - voting for the arrogant, stupid hick who doesn't get foreign relations, economy, or anything that requires intelligence.

And I secretly hope Texas would get bombed the shit out of them by Bin Laden in his next attack. I'm so sick of all the modern, Blue states being targeted by the terrorists. We don't want that guy in the White House either!!!!

Why are the democrats being so nice about this again??? If Bush/Cheney were in the same position as Kerry/Edwards right now, they would be fighting to tip the balance in their favor like a maniac.

Here is Bill receiving numerous calls minutes after the Red Sox won the Game 7 of ALCS. Doesn't he look so happy? 

I have been so excited about Red Sox beating the Yankees and going to the World Series that I completely forgot to post something here! Was it unbelievable or what? To be honest, I didn't think they would come back from 3-0 deficit. I was in a sad, depressed, pissed off mood after Game 3. But somewhere in my mind, I was thinking "maybe they are just setting up a stage for a great come back..." But I told myself, "nah, that's a wishful thinking!" I'm just happy that they beat the Yanks!!!! It totally made up for the last year's mysery. I loved seeing the devastated look on A-Fraud's face. Well, it's starting again tomorrow - GO SOX!!!!

Here goes A-Fraud and Derek Cheater in Game 6 of ALCS! Yankees suck!! 

Somewhere in the October baseball frenzy, I have lost in touch with politics. To tell you the truth, I have been way more focused on ALDS and ALCS than on presidential debates. The only one I seriously watched was the first Kerry-Bush debate and Edwards-Cheney debate. I saw some of the second Kerry-Bush debate, but didn't even tune into the third one. But I was just looking at the polls right now, and Bush has a slight lead??? I mean come on, what more evidences do Americans need to wake up!?!? There is no weapons of mass destruction, no tie between Sadam and Qaida members, Osama is nowhere to be found... What more do you need to know to disapprove Bush's job? I'm so sick of thinking about this. Are American people that dumb???

I have a feeling this blog will soon turn into I-hate-my-job blog. I've started this job about 3 weeks ago, but I'm already thinking about how I really don't give a shit about my job. I just can't get interested in anything that goes on in the office. I'm always day-dreaming. But as much as I'm disinterested in what I do, I don't know what I want to do... One thing I know is I hate working as a team. I hate working with people. I spend good 3-4 hours everyday calling/emailing people. I'd be so productive if I can work on my own. I want a job which doesn't require me to interact with a lot of people... I mean, I like meeting people if it's for fun, but not in business occasions. The less talking and explaining I have to do, the happier I'd be.

And what the fuck is wrong with the Red Sox???

Ugh! I'm just having a bad day.

Sweet Sweep

Yesterday's Game 3 of ALDS was beyond exciting. I have been watching a replay of Ortiz's homerun, but just can't get enough of it! Bill and I were at a sports bar in Santa Monica watching the game yesterday. I called sayonara game (means walk-off in Japanese)!! There were so many Boston fans at the bar, so everybody went nuts.

At Johnnie "foot-fetish" Walker's request... hehehe 

A Grrreeaat Bill Maher Moment

Real Time with Bill Maher came back on air tonight - it was such a long, painful wait!! I have been a huge fan of the show since its debut. But tonight was the night. It was the best Bill Maher moment to see Michael Moore refute a Republican congressman (David Dreir). Maher had two Republican guests and when they were questioned about Bush sitting in an elementary classroom for 7 minutes after being informed "America is under attack," both of them gave the exact same bullshit answer. I wonder if the Republican party provides its members with the *excuses* to everything and they just practice it before they get interviewed? It's hard to believe that they actually believe in what they say.. After watching the show, I was all fired up about things, but now I think I have calmed down and am ready to go to bed.

Why men don't listen & women can't read maps

That's the title of a book I recently read. This book is not one of those "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus" type bullshit reading. It is packed with scientific facts that explain how men and women are biologically different from each other. After reading this book, I am amazed that men and women still get along! That's how different we are. I've never been a feminist and I never will be, because I believe they make things more difficult for women. Being equal is one thing, but assuming the two sexes are same is quite another. Men and women are fundamentally different, and that is not to argue that one sex is superior to the other. We are just different. Life would be much easier once you can accept that fact.

The authors argue that there are a "male brain" and a "female brain." All fetuses have female body and brain to start with. You can't tell the fetus' sex for the first 6-8 week. Around the 6th - 8th week of pregnancy, if the fetus has a XY chromosome, it starts to secrete lots of male hormones (like Testosterone) and its brain starts to get wired into a "male brain." If the fetus has a XX chromosome, it gives out lots of female hormones and its brain develops into a "female brain."

However, if for some reason, a male fetus doesn't secrete enough Testosterone, its penis gets formed but its brain cannot fully develop into a Male brain. When that happens, the person is likely to be gay (this is the most clever, complete explanation I've read about homosexuality, but I won't go into too much details about it now - maybe next time).

On the other hand, when a female fetus gets exposed to too much Testosterone, its brain becomes manly.

There was a test in the book to see if your brain is male or female. The test consisted of 30 multiple questions. I wasn't really surprised to see the result of the test. Most men's score fall within the range of 0 to 180, and most women score between 150 and 300. My score was 115. I know I'm not a lesbian, but I guess I think more like a guy than a girl. I get along better with guys. I like talking about politics and sports than someone's stupid boyfriend. But I love shoes and teddy bears, and I love to cook. My most favorite activity is yoga, but I also love golf.

Anyway, enough about me. Go read this book. I recommend it to anybody who wants to learn more about the opposite sex.

I have been watching the Democratic National Convention on TV. I've never thought Politics can be this exciting. I've never cared about politics so much. But I guess when things are going as wrong as they are now, one is forced to pay attention. Seeing Clinton and Gore speak on the first day of the convention reminded me of sane, stable America that we used to have. Gone are those days. Now we have a stupid, incapable man who prioritalize right-wing ideologies over what's best for the country, and send other people's kids to Iraq to help his friends make money. I'm sick and tired of watching the president give a speach and think "oh god, what the hell does this moron have to say now..." I just cant take him seriously anymore. I don't believe anything that comes out of his mouth. I'm so fucking sick and tired of having a mis-leader. We were so better off when Clinton/Gore were in the office. It's about time everybody realizes that and brings the nation back to normal. Let's hope: Hope Is On The Way!

Bill and I at a Red Sox - Angeles game on 7/15. Had tons of fun!! The stadium looks empty because we got there really early. It was actually a sell-out game. 

Yesterday on Tom Leykis Show, he was talking about how hot 14, 15 year old girls are and guys secretly look at them and have some dirty thoughts. I didn't get to hear the whole segment of the show, but as soon as I tune in, I hear a crazy, bitter, old woman arguing that anybody who checks out underage girls is a perverted loser who needs Jesus' help. I wanted to shoot her. She claimed that she has a wonderful life with her husband and kids, and she is HOT (rrrright!). She was a total nut case (so is anybody who says "you need Jesus' help"). What's the friggin' big deal about guys looking at teenage girls? I so wanted to call Tom and tell him that American women are CRAZY! It's like expected that all men look at teenage girls (especially the ones in school uniform) and fantasize about them in Japan. Everyone knows, but no one panics about it. I'm so sick of all those right-wing, Christian ideologies.

The old lady also suggested that the reason guys fantasize about 14, 15 year olds is because they can't handle "Real" women. I wonder what she means by "Real" women? For some reason, I can't help but think that being "Real" is about being fat, homely, bitter, bitchy, lazy, and demanding. Of course, those "Real" women would argue that they are curvy, confident, independent.. blah blah blah... But let's face it. No one wants big fat cow who complains all the time. And I bet you, deep down, they know it too.

My life is rated NC-17.
What is your life rated?

Like I really needed to take this test to figure that out...
My current life is not so NC-17, but I guess my past behaviors and language preference make it so explicit.

This Land--
Click here to see a really funny cartoon starring George W. Bush and John Kerry! Very clever.. It will surely make you laugh!!  *It might take a while to load.. apparently the site is experiencing very heavy traffic. But keep trying, it's worth it!!

My New Addiction #2: Red Sox  
 
When you live with a hardcore Red Sox fan, it's hard to resist. There is no day where Bill doesn't talk about the Red Sox. So I have been slowly influenced into liking the Sox over the last 3 years, and now I am a serious fan. Bill and I went to see a Red Sox - Angels game last week, and I had so much fun. I read articles about the Red Sox online, and I watch games on online gamecast or TV whenever it's on. Growing up, I've always liked baseball, since that's the only exciting pro sports in Japan. There is no pro football (American) or basketball league. And soccer just sucks. I wouldn't be surprised if the J-league (professional soccer league in Japan) was doing shittier than WNBA. But anyway, my favorite team in Japan was Hanshin Tigers, a team that's kinda similar to the Red Sox. Tigers fans are always crazy about the Tigers (and also very loyal) even when they are playing really crappy. The Red Sox is definitely a better team than the Tigers, but the fan's sentiment is exactly the same. 

Curb Your Enthusiasm: My New Addiction
 
Bill and I have been watching Season 1 and 2 of Curb Your Enthusiasm on DVD lately, and it has become my new addiction. The show is beyond funny. I just want to see more!! I had seen several of the episodes on HBO, but I was never really hooked. But I don't know.. the Curb Your Enthusiasm marathon has turned me into a huge fan of the show. The more I watch it, the worse my addiction gets. I mean, an episode of TV show doesn't really get funnier than the episode #8 "Beloved Aunt," where Cheryl's aunt dies and Larry offers to use his connections to place an obituary in the newspaper. But when the paper comes out, it says "devoted sister, beloved cunt..." What a typo!! And the funny thing is that Cheryl's parents think that Larry did it on purpose and Larry gets kicked out of the house for the night. There are plenty of other jokes that stand out in my mind, but I think Beloved Cunt wins the first place. I'm still laughing as I write this...  

Yoga has improved my golf game! I've heard people say this before, but I was kind of skeptical about it. Well, yesterday, I hit the range for the first time in 6 months. Even though I had not touched my clubs since January, I had a great day. I was driving balls way further than I used to. Considering the lack of swing practice, I must give full credit to yoga. While I have totally been slacking on golf, I have been practicing yoga at least 4 times a week. I feel like I have much more lower body strength and more flexibility in my shoulders. I'm hooked once again. I can see myself frequenting the range this summer. 

Finally saw Fahrenheit 911 a few days ago! I must say, the film was better than I expected it to be. It was very informing, yet absolutely hilarious!! I laughed my ass off. GWB is such a moron. But towards the end, when the film's focus shifted to the American soldiers in Iraq, it made me teary. It was so emotional to see a mother speak about her lost son. How could Haliburton and other giant corporations get together and discuss how much profits they can make off of this war when other people's sons and daughters are falling on the field?? Have they totally lost touch with conscience? How dare they lie to us and drag young soldiers of America to Iraq for oil!

The film also had the best war footage I've ever seen. It was so real. No TV stations would dare to show such footage. It was very bloody and very hard to watch. I wonder, do those chickenhawks in the White House ever see such images from Iraq? Do they even care? I loved how Michael Moore tried to recruit congressmen's kids to join the Army and nobody gave a shit. Such chickenhawks.

I know I've been saying this a lot, but I really wish networks got some balls to show what's really going on in Iraq. How can GWB say that Iraqi people have been liberated because of his actions when thousands are dying? Republicans are just a bunch of hypocritical dicks - well, GWB is just a jesus-loving, freedom-worshipping stupid country boy, but Cheney and Rumsfeld look like real shady assholes. We must fire them in November. This is nothing but a disaster. It must be stopped.

Chickenhawks:
A person enthusiastic about war, provided someone else fights it; particularly when that enthusiasm is undimmed by personal experience with war; most emphatically when that lack of experience came in spite of ample opportunity in that person’s youth.

I was just at Michael Moore's website and I must say, it was one of the funniest website I've ever visited (in a clever way). I laughed my ass off - my stomach hurts! He has nicknames for all the key-players in this administration and my favorite is: Dick "Dick" Cheney.

Bill and I went to the Grove to see Fahrenheit 911 today, but it was sold out. The movie was from 4:20, and we got there at 3:30, but the tickets were gone. Damn! I can't wait to see the film!!! I just hope people who aren't really interested in politics would go see this film - so hopefully they can get involved. I know Michael Moore's films tend to be one-sided, but if he can get people talk or even care about politics and thereby empower the people of America, then who cares? And if you want to talk about being one-sided, watch Fox News Channel. Besides, if Republican fuck heads are trying so hard to can this film, it must be really good. It must contain a lot of truth that they don't want us to know.

A Cat Person or a Dog Person?

I've always been a cat person, but Bill has influenced me into liking dogs more than cats (just big dogs though) lately. But I saw the cutest cat today when I was jogging. I saw the cat sitting on a front yard, so I started meowing to the cat. I do this often as I like cats and I do a good impression of cat's meow. But today's cat was different. The cat actually came up to me and started rubbing herself against my legs!! She had the softest hair.. it felt so good! I would love to have a cat like that...

So I read Japanese fashion magazine every once in a while. It's a lot cooler than American fashion magazines, because it actually features 100 times more photos than the American ones. It also seems like the Japanese trend is a little ahead of the American trend. For example, white purses and shoes are hot this year in America, but they have been all over the place (literally!) since last year in Japan. But, with that said, sometimes I have to laugh at what some of the Japanese girls wear. I found 2 particularly interesting T-shirts in the current issue of JJ.

1. "I LIKE TO BARY MYSELF IN YOUR BREASTS" - Not only they have misspelled the word "Bury," but also they must not know what this means. How could they? I just hope she doesn't wear this shirt outside of Japan.

2. "She Were Leopardskin And Her Tits Were Big" - What!?!? "She Were"? Maybe "She Wore"? And Leopardskin is not a one-word! On top of that, her TITS?! No one with the right mind would make this shirt or wear it. I just think people should be banned from making a t-shirt with English phrases/logos, unless they can speak the language.

Today, I took a trial Tae Kwon Do class with Bill at this martial arts school by our house. It was so much fun!! I had more fun than I expected. Everyone was so nice and polite that I felt like I was back in Asia for a moment. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art, but all the bowing we did in the class made me want to speak in Japanese. It was a good workout too - I was sweating my ass off. The instructor was holding a piece of hard paper for me to kick, and I guess he expected me to be weaker.. When I kicked, the paper went flying! hahaha. Ya, I don't look so athletic, but I'm strong. Growing up, I was kind of a slow kid in the class, but I could kick most of the classmates' ass, including the boys. It's called the size advantage. I remember a day where one of the boys picked on me and really pissed me off, so I beat the crap out of him. Of course, the teacher called my mom. But in any case, I'm definitely looking forward to my next class. I hope the tuition won't be too expensive, I want to continue doing it after the trail period.

Just saw Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine for the second time. I saw it in a theater when it first came out, but thought it was a good enough film to watch twice. Plus, I wanted to see the special features on DVD. I must say I liked the film even more this time. The first time I saw it, I thought the film was more about gun control and violence. But after seeing it twice, I realized that it goes much deeper than that. I think the main message of the film is that we Americans live in a culuture of FEAR. I couldn't agree with Marilyn Manson, who was interviewed in the film, more. We are constantly put in a state of fear by the government and the media, we are so scared that it has become vague as to what exactly we are afraid of. Local news is always filled with violence and stupid stories like "What you don't know could kill you... stay tuned to find out the truth about low-carb diet." Watching those local news channels doesn't educate you on anything. Absolute crap! I wonder why. But what pisses me off the most is that none of them has the balls to criticize the Bush administration. All they do is show how horrible things are in Iraq, praise our troops and justify the war in Iraq. I believe, if any of those news stations started covering things I read in Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush or even something as mainstream as New York Times or Newsweek, nobody would be supporting Bush by now. It's just that people don't have the unbiased, correct information to make judgements on. And I think it's the local news stations' responsibility to provide people with such information, because afterall, we live in a country where even the President doesn't read.

I just can't wait to see Michael Moore's new film - which apparently Disney has canned. How long are we going to tolerate such institutional censorship? I'll do anything to kick Bush-Cheney out of the White House this November. Whatever it takes.

By the way, am I the only one who is sick of hearing Bush say empty phrases like "War on Terror"?

Thanks to Mike and Bill, I have something funny to post today!
Read on.. My favorite is No. 6.

To be a Republican in 2004
Somehow, you have to believe that:

1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

2. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U. N. resolutions against Iraq.

3. "Standing Tall for America" means firing your workers and moving their jobs to India.

4. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

5. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

7. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.

8. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

9. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

10. HMOs and insurance companies have the interest of the public at heart.

11. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

12. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

13. It is okay that the Bush family has done $millions of business with the Bin Laden family.

14. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

15. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

16. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

17. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's Harken Oil stock trade is none of our business.

18. You support states' rights, which means Attorney General John Ashcroft can tell states what local voter initiatives they have a right to adopt.

19. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

20. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

21. Affirmative Action is wrong but that it is ok for your Daddy and his friends to get you into Yale, the Texas Air National Guard, Harvard Business School, part ownership of Harken Oil, part ownership of the Texas Rangers, the Governorship of Texas and then have the Supreme Court Appoint you President of the USA.

Interesting License Plate...
There is a BMW M3 parked in the parking lot next to the building I work in. Its license plate reads: 5EXT001. One morning I was walking to the elevator from my car and saw the car parked next to the elevator. I thought it read SEXTool! I wonder if it's intentional.

The Weekend
was a lot of fun - Bill and I went to LACMA on Saturday to see Diane Arbus "Revelation." It was my first time there, so I was gonna see Diane's exhibit and then check out the permanent collection. I loved some of Arbus' work, but there were some pictures that I didn't really get. My favorite was the inadvertent double exposure she took on the street of NYC. I also liked the Castle in Disneyland, the lighting in the photo was perfect. Another thing I enjoyed was looking at the pictures of movie theaters in the 50s - they looked more like an opera theater, so different from what we are used to now. I'm not an expert in Art, but I usually like pictures that captured people when they were not expecting it or when they know they are being photographed but not looking at the camera. So, for that reason, there were only a few pictures that I really liked in this exhibit.

Then we moved on to the Japanese Art building. I was impressed to see that they had a separate building solely devoted to Japanese art. It was very nice to re-visit Japanese tradition. It had been a while. I have to admit that I didn't really appreciate my own culture (traditional Japanese culture, that is) until I lived outside of Japan. I guess sometimes you have to get out of it to realize how good something is. Or maybe it's just that I'm getting old.

In any case, it was nice to do something different from our usual.

So I need to speculate more on how hot Brad Pitt looked in Troy. That man just can't look bad whatever he does, well, except that "Passion of the Pitt" look. But I think he looks better when he is wearing close to nothing (like the armor he was wearing in Troy), his hair undone, and some grease/dirt on his skin than when he is all dressed-up in nice suit like in Ocean's 11. I like that "rough" look. He's definitely the sexiest man alive.

Went to see Troy last night. I liked the movie overall, although there were some cheesy parts to it. But hey, I don't care - that $11 is well worth seeing Brad Pitt's ass on a big screen. He is soooo ffiiiiine!!! Eric Bana looked really good too. In fact, I thought Hector was more likable than Achilles. But seriously, I have been wanting to go to Greece for a long time and seeing this movie just made me wanna go there even more!!

I've noticed that I've been talking about politics a lot in my blog. Well, let's talk about something else I've been doing. Yoga!! I've been spending a lot of time at the Bikram's yoga studio lately. The more I do it, the more I get into the practice. I just love it. I have been practicing Bikram yoga for a little more than a year now, but I am amazed to see how much my health has improved. Not only I am 1000 times more flexible than I ever was, but also my backache is gone! That's right, GONE. Right now, I think my physical health is in the best condition ever, thanks to Bikram.

It's been a sad day. A bunch of people got laid off today. It is so quiet and awkward in the office. It just sucks! When I first came to this agency, there were about 40 people including the freelancers, but now the agency is half that size. Some people think that there will be more lay-offs coming. It seems like the agency is gonna disappear soon.

Bush's news conference last night was just another reminder that this guy should not be in the White House. He did not sound like a leader of a country, he sounded more like a missionary. America was chosen by God to spread freedom in the Middle East? Give me a break. He always gives optimistic speeches that are full of Christian ideologies and tries to shift attention from more important issues that he doesn't have any answers to. By the way, why is he advocating freedom in the Middle East, when he is trying to take that away from us in his own country?

Bad American President - this is so hilarious!! Listen to it if you haven't already heard it on Howard Stern Show. Click here and look for the sound file called "Bad American Presidents: George W. Bush" It's worth it!

Boycott Clear Channel

Leave Howard Stern show alone! Clear Channel is the biggest cocksucker who kisses up to Bush! Those corporate fuckers have taken Dixie Chicks off air and stopped promoting their events, all because of their negative comments on Bush. Now they are after Howard Stern cuz he badmouthes Bush. They can make up all the excuses they want (like Howard is obscene), but come on, this is very politically motivated. If Howard Stern was a Bush supporter, he wouldn't be in that position. I know average people don't really care until it's too late, but something needs to be done. It's all because of those religious fuckers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate religious institutions. They cause nothing but problems, hate and violence.

Every time I hear a free-speech debate, I think of Larry Flynt's statement in Bob Scheer's class. He said, "you don't have to like my work (Hustler magazine), but if you want the freedom to express yourself or enjoy the entertainment you enjoy, then you also have to recognize my right to express myself." Obviously, these are not his exact words, and when I say it, it sounds so cheesy, but when Larry Flynt was sitting in front of us in that Annenberg auditorium, it was phenomenal. Thank you, Professor Scheer for bringing in such a good speaker.

Well, in short, I just want Bush out of the White House. That's all I want. No more fucking Christian bullshit.

FUCK BUSH

Seriously, we cannot let him fuck this country up any more than he has already. Kerry MUST win this election. No time in my life I cared so much about politics. But this has got to stop! I'm seriously fed up with the decency in media arguments and gay marriage issues. Since when we let Christian values be this country's policy??

Decency in Broadcasting: This is nothing but censorship. FCC and all the right wing wackos are taking full advantage of Janet Jackson's boob incident and changing the media in the way they want. Janet's boob was all they needed. Now they have a perfect excuse to "clean up" the media. Howard Stern show may be going off air sometime soon. If we let this go on, there will be nothing funny or entertaining on TV or radio before we even know it. And when we realize it, it'll be too late. This needs to stop NOW.

Gay Marriage: Come on, give me one legitimate, reasonable reason why this shouldn't be legalized. None of that God-did-not-make-men-to-be-with-men bullshit. Again, not everyone is a Christian. Here is a really good article on this issue. It shows just how this country is divided into two groups of people. It also tells you why I want absolutely nothing to do with churches, Bible, and Christians. They are the most hateful, ignorant, idiotic pricks.

Back from Maya & Steve's wedding.. I had a friggin' blast!!! I'm so glad I went. I didn't think I'd be doing much of drinking while I'm there (except for the wedding night), but hanging out with Jared, Joel, and Tsuyoshi changed everything. My 3-day stay was in fact, all about drinking. If Takako was able to get drunk with us, it would have been much much better. But I'm sure lil' Raychell enjoyed her first taste of red wine! haha. On the wedding night, everyone went to a club after the reception, and since we got there so late, we chugged our drinks. By the time they stopped serving alcohol, I was so wasted that I didn't even feel the chill in the air (remind you, this is Michigan we are talking about!). Anyway.. Steve and Maya: Congratulations!!! You guys are so cute together.

This has got to stop. I learned this morning that Howard Stern show was taken off air in 6 cities.

Drug Free America

Have you heard of their radio ad lately? They have one on Ecstasy and it goes something like: "Find out why Ecstasy isn't right for you.. It's not right for anyone... A recent study shows Ecstasy is toxic to your body..." Well, No Shit! Does anyone need to be reminded that?

I have been thinking about this for a long time, but I must say I'm neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I believe any woman should be able to have an abortion if she wishes, and religions and politics should be completely separated. I think the sodomy laws are pure bullshit. You should be able to marry whoever you want - a male or female. Just because some people are Christians, it shouldn't have any influence on other people's lives. So in that sense, I am a Democrat. But I don't agree with Democrats when it comes to money/tax issue.

John Kerry: "What's on the table is whether people earning $200,000 and up ought to be getting a tax cut at the expense of the average American and the priorities of our country," he said. "If George Bush wants to stand there and defend people who earn more than $200,000 a year getting a tax cut, instead of giving health care to Americans and instead of investing in education and job training, that is the debate I want to have (New York Times, Feb. 10, 2004)."

Some people make $200,000 plus, so what? They probably work hard to earn it. Sure, there are people who inherit fortunes, but for every heir, there is a hard-working person who worked his/her way up. So why punish rich people by taxing them more? It's almost like a bad thing to be rich and successful. Everyone should provide for themselves. For instance, no steady job, no health insurance. It's not my problem that some people pop out more kids than they can afford. I shouldn't have to pay for other people's mistakes. If I make more than $200,000 one day, I wouldn't want to pay more than I should to help out other people. I don't work in the social service. Just because I can afford to pay more tax, it doesn't necessary mean I should. If I earn it, it's mine. Period.

Aside from money/tax issue, we shouldn't give any special immigration benefits to Latinos. All immigrants should be treated equally, no matter where they come from! When you find undocumented immigrants, you deport them. No exceptions!!

I'm finally back to my yoga routine. It is so hard to get back into it after a long break. The room seems hotter and the postures seem crazier... Yesterday was my third class after the 1-month break, and I finally felt "good" doing the postures. Once it feels good, it's easy from there.. cuz you just wanna keep going back for more!

Noticed any change here? I changed the title of this blog.. I'm not so lost in life anymore.

I'm dying to go to Hawaii... I've always wanted to live there. People tell me that I'd be bored if I lived there, but I disagree. I think it's the place to be!

Today was my Bro's 21st Birthday! Happy Birthday, Kai!! I know turning 21 doesn't mean a thing in Japan, but still, you won't face any difficulty getting alcohol next time you come visit me.

Super Bowl: Was a really good game, I'm happy that Patriots won, and there was also a great half-time show. At first, Bill and I were like, this is the most boring Superbowl game we've ever seen... and then the game started going. Half time comes around, and we were making fun of the show cuz we thought it couldn't get any cheezier... haha. But it was worth watching till the end. Janet flashed the audience, and that was cool, I mean at least entertaining. But what made it better was those uptight, jesus-loving fuckers calling CBS to complain. I don't really care about her tits (although I thought her nipple ring was cool), but I love it when those conservatives go mad over the stupidest shit. So for that reason, I praise Janet. By the way, who the fuck has time to call a TV station during an exciting football game??? Your kids saw her breast, so what? It's not like they've never seen breasts before. Let's not pretend like your kids are all virgins. We all know.

By the way, I love what Dean said about this incident. As much as I want him to be the next President, he probably won't be.. cuz he's too honest!! But I like the guy anyway.

Oh my god, where the hell have I been since my last post? I don't know... One thing that's for sure is I was quite motivated to keep up my Japan chronicle, but I got really busy towards the end of my stay in Japan. Ever since I went to the reunion in December, I got in touch with a lot of old friends that I had not seen for nearly 6 years. So I took full advantage of my time in Japan, and I hanged out with as many people as possible. It was tons of fun, but I was tired towards the end, due to food and alcohol coma...

And the last few days were all about this translation job (Japanese to English) my mom gave me. I had this assignment sittin' on my desk since around Christmas, but I procrastinated big time, of course. And then I realized, the document was so fucking long that it was impossible to finish before I left Japan. So I brought it back with me, and I'm still working on it! It's just never ending. But I absolutely have to finish it by the end of this month. I have been going to Insomnia every fucking night lately, trying to finish the damn thing!!!! I can't believe someone wants to do this for a living. I don't mind doing it once in a while, but this is definitely not something I want as a career... It's so tiring, trying to simultaneously think in 2 absolutely different lauguages.

Just visited Peter's blog... After I compeletely agreed with him on the Presidential election issues, I discovered that he was in Maui!! Lucky bastard!!!! That's one place I really want to go NOW. There is something about that island, I never get sick of it no matter how many times I go there. If I can play a round of golf at Kapalua in the morning, and spend my entire afternoon by the pool sipping Pina Colada, I wouldn't mind dying the next day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope this year will be better than the last one. I have tons of motivation to make efforts right now - I hope I don't lose it too soon!! Please everyone, discipline my lazy ass whenever you sense my laziness. I cannot waste any more time!!! I am posting this now, so I have something to look back and motivate myself when I get *laaazzzyy* in the future.

By the way, as I am eating what is supposed to be the biggest feast of the year in Japan, I am dying to eat chicken soft taco from Del Taco and drink Boba... I've been missing those two for quite a while, actually.