O hai

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Also, for your MJ enjoyment:

Jane Lui is the shit.

And so is Alfonzo Ribeiro, aka Carlton.

Peace.

Just one question.

WHY!?

Free Iran

Green is the color of the moment, of the need for freedom for the Iranian people.

Read here for more information (on facebook):

The 101 on the Iranian situation.

I definitely am trying my best to stay informed about the situation.  It's not easy, that's for sure.

And of course now, the Republicans are criticizing Obama for not taking a strong enough stance on the issue.  Oh great, so now you care about worldwide human and civil rights issues?  The same people who are for torture of "terrorists?"  Get out of here.

The people of the US need to voice opposition more than the government does.  But like Reza Aslan said on the Daily Show, "thank GOD for Barack Obama."

A good laugh

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It's a little gross, that this cat is like, this huge.

Anyway haha, having a good 'ol time being a little lame, since my ankle is going to take a while to heal.  Going to try and find the good things that can come out of it.

Had a great weekend though, I am so glad.

FML

I've been worked constantly for the past month from all sides - taiko, work, friends.  I think the nonstop-ness especially of the past few weeks has manifested itself in this week long cough with slowly developing mucus and my newly messed up ankle.

I was just trying to go for a run, and now I can't even walk around the house!

What's a girl to do!?

I'm such a teeny bopper

I haven't been able to get enough of the Wonder Girls lately - oddly enough, I randomly stumbled across them on YouTube one day, and this one and their other popular single, Nobody, just stuck with me.  Turns out, they're making an American debut sometime this year.  Yeah, they're bubblegum poppy and seemingly cookie cutter, but who cares?  Their English skills impressed me, and they're cutesies.  It's a lot of fun.

The song below isn't going to be released in English, but "Nobody" and another song will be.  For your enjoyment:

It's been an amazing past month or so - the group of friends I've made out here are just so awesome!  Clubbing for birthdays, weekend staycations to Maui, just hanging out every weekend - it's really been so much fun.  Makes me really glad to be extending my stay here another 6 months.  I will be leaving so much when I move back home.

But, so much going on - taiko has been crazy lately, and then home time in July, then again in August.  It'll be amazing.

And of course - HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYA!  I hope 23 and the year is everything you hope it will be.

Lastly but certainly not least, mad respect for T Swift after this shit.  hahaha

Just because

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This world

Had a great discussion with Alex last night as I watched the Matrix on television.  Such a brilliant movie, for so many reasons - definitely one of my top 3 movies, and my source for analogies to progressive politics.  That, and Keanu Reeves is a hottie.

Just wanted to post this, direct from Yglesias:

NR’s Sotomayor Cover

So National Review decided to run this very odd cover image of Judge Sonia Sotomayor:

It seems that what happened was that, as conservatives are wont to do, they tried to do something that would be racist, but also arguably not racist. Hence, instead of depicting a Latina with a racist stereotyped image of a Latina, they depicted her with a racist stereotyped image of an Asian. It’s hard to know exactly what to make of that. But National Review editor Rich Lowry seems to have known exactly what to make of it since as this post makes clear he was anticipating people criticizing the imagery.

At any rate, then he waited around a bit, got the accusations of racism he was waiting for, and then got to engage in every white conservative’s favorite passtime of wallowing in self-pity and calling his accusers humorless.

Unfortunately, there’s not a good shorthand term for the psychology behind this kind of behavior. “Racism” doesn’t, I think, capture it. But there’s this deranged fascination with walking up to the line and dancing around there in hopes of getting called on it. Then you get to become indignant. Because, again, the contemporary right’s main view on race is that actual racism against non-white people is only a tiny problem compared with the vast social crisis that allegedly exists around people being vigilant against racism.

Hat tip on this to Brian Beutler who adds a funny unrelated joke “Also featured on the cover in the current issue: ‘Jonah Goldberg On His Critics.’ That better be a long article.”

It's so true, about this "walking up to the line and dancing around" business and then pulling the indignant card about how it's the offended's fault for taking it too seriously and being humorless or unappreciative of the type of humor.

Instead of an F bomb I'm just giving this a huge fat throbbing middle finger.  People who dance on that line should be figuratively shot in the face.

The Daily Bruin did it with their article on "Asians" because it was supposed to be a funny satire; other college campus newspapers that have made the mistake of running "humor" racist articles or editorials claimed the same, and somehow they all think it's supposed to be funny to the rest of us.  Readers who were offended?  It's our fault for misunderstanding it.

Get out.  Just get out.

This whole thing about Sotomayor is so ridiculous.  White men - all about being color blind, except when a Latina is in a place of power like this.  Here's another read, courtesy of Race Wire: 

5 Reasons Why Only White Males are Supreme Court Material

This talking points memo must have landed in the wrong inbox…

TO: All red-blooded God-fearing Americans

RE: 5 reasons why white men are more fit for the Supreme Court than that Latina woman

• White men are objective. Women and people of color are inherently biased, making all their opinions suspect. This should automatically disqualify them from serving on the bench. White men look out for everyone and aren’t just interested in taking care of their own. Frankly, people of color are secretly “out to get” white men and would use whatever power they have to settle a score.

• White people are color-blind and can transcend race. Today’s racists and sexists are actually people of color and women who cling to their identity politics just for their own gain. Judge Sonia Sotomayor thinks that race shapes one’s experiences and perspectives and that diversity somehow makes things better. Her Puerto Rican roots must be coloring her views for she clearly has little understanding of America or its citizens. No wonder Newt Gingrich authoritatively labels her a “Latina woman racist.” White American-born straight men have secure identities and don’t need identity politics.

Indeed, whites don’t even see race because they don’t really have a race. They’re just part of the human race. They prefer to blend in without calling attention to themselves. And they know that if we’d all just ignore race, then racism would disappear. That’s why Chief Justice John Roberts, when striking down a voluntary school integration plan, nobly asserted, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” In other words, race conscious remedies to address racial inequalities are, by definition, racist. Simple logic. It makes you wonder how the authors of the Brown v. Board of Education decision could have been so blatantly discriminatory.

• White men are more qualified. They consistently score better on standardized tests. That’s why they get into elite schools and high-paying jobs, fair and square, without any affirmative action. If white men excel, it’s only because meritocracy works. Those who make the rules and play by them deserve to succeed.

• White men have the right judicial temperament. The last thing our highest court needs is angry people of color, hysterical women, or both. White men have well-honed skills for staying cool and collected. And they’re less likely to be “activist” judges. In fact, we’d be better off with a strict interpretation of our original constitution--before it got all mucked up with amendments that gave too many people rights they didn’t even earn or deserve, like the right to vote. Look where that’s gotten us.

• White men are the new minority. White men are endangered, having to fend off reverse racism at every turn. With a Black president, who knows what could happen to the Supreme Court and every other sacred institution? Under our unwritten quota system, every vacancy sets off a bean-counting frenzy. Now, anyone and their cousin with dark skin or limited testosterone is instantly qualified for a seat on the Supreme Court. That’s why this nomination fight is the new ground zero of Pat Buchanan’s prophetic “culture war.” And it may well become the frontline of the war on terror. For it’s not just the survival of white men at stake, but the sanctity of our entire social order.

-----

In case you didn’t get the memo, the bottom line is that we all just need to be color-blind, and gender-blind. Except when a woman of color gets nominated to the Supreme Court.

I went to First Friday today, an arts oriented event that happens in Downtown Honolulu, and there are so many white people that come to these events.  I felt like I was back in LA - its like an indescribable racial frustration I feel, reading too much into the white people that decide to walk slowly in front of me and then stop to watch while I'm watching a performance, or do other similarly seemingly rude things.  It'll sound ridiculous to a lot of you, but I'm just programmed that way.

I am going to have such a hard time when I have to move back home - to the swarms of white people, everywhere.

If I could, I would jam an enormous red pill down every one of those racist conservative throats. Especially the white ones. 

A new month

Time sure is flying by.  I can't believe it is already June and I have been in Hawai'i for about 10 months now.

Lots has happened, a Maui trip this past weekend in particular, and I saw Drag Me To Hell tonight.  Crazy movie, very Sam Raimi, left me pretty exhausted emotionally.  It is a stressful movie, but in a good way, as strange as that may sound.  Just see it, you'll see what I mean.

The trip to Maui was pretty amazing - I have to admit, I was kind of excited about just taking the trip, but I had no idea what a blast it would turn out to be.

We watched the sun rise out at Haleakala, got sunned out at Ka'anapali Beach in incredibly hot weather, and had the most fun drunk night ever.  Oh beer pong, how I had missed you.

Some pictures to share!

The sunrise went from this:

To this:

And finally to this:

It was pretty breathtaking to watch, and I think the most fun thing was just being with all of these great people.  Yes, we drove out there ridic early and slept in the car til 4:30 am to watch this, but really, so worth it.

Yeah, I know, the finger.  But it's such a great group picture.  As for the night, one picture pretty much sums it all up.

Let's just say: alcohol, temporary tattoos, and way too much fun.  I'll leave the rest to your imagination.  I still laugh when I think about some of these pictures we took that night.  You can see the rest of the trip here.  On facebook, though.

Am done with the Kaimuki kids, we finished off our class with an amazing experience participating in the Lantern Floating Festival that happens every Memorial Day, out at Ala Moana Beach Park.  Here are a few pics:

Above, my students with the lanterns they had made on a previous day.  There are candles inside to be lit.  Each lantern has names of people previously passed, written onto them by various folks and families.  I put the names of my paternal grandparents on one of thousands of lanterns that were floated that night.

I know its a blurry picture, but it was really the best one of my students could take before my camera battery died.  Bummer, but as you can imagine the spectacle was really beautiful.  That, and it was a great last bonding experience with the kids.  I'll miss it it later I know, but I like to be able to remember it positively like this.  It was an unexpected learning experience for sure, being their teacher, and I am so appreciative to have had the opportunity to do it.

Anyhow, that's all I've got for now.  Life here right now is just so wonderful, and I know I'm going to miss it all so badly when I have to move back home in March.  Living it up, while I can!  Yays.