Just caught an episode of a new series called "30 Days", by the same fellow, Morgan Spurlock (or something like that), who produced the popular documentary, "Super Size Me".  He takes the same premise of doing something for thirty days (i.e. 30 days of fast food from Super Size Me), films it quasi-documentary style, but in an entertaining form with messages understandable in layman's terms. 

The first episode was well done, but particularly because it dealt with an issue I'm most familiar with, the working poor.  Think of it as a film version of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed" if you read the book.  Morgan and his girlfriend (the same Vegan girl from Super Size Me) spend thirty days working minimum wage jobs, trying to survive each day at a time through thrifty spending.  There is a little "balance" indicator at the bottom of the screen that continuously pops in and shows how much the two currently have (or are in debt).  The message of the episode, though nothing new if you know anything about the working poor, pointed out clearly just how difficult and why these people are on-the-edge.  The slightest slip-ups can easily ruin people in this situation (and believe me, that is a large percentage of the country).  In the episode, an emergency trip to the ER (remember, they have no medical insurance) that turned out to be non-life threatening cost the couple a thousand dollars, which they calculated would take months to recover from.  Morgan's niece and nephew came to stay for a weekend, and they easily, without realizing, spent more than they could afford on soft drinks at a movie theater.  For Morgan's girlfriend's birthday, they had to debate whether to pay to visit an observatory that she loved or have dinner.  Small issues like these, but issues that affect relationships.  

Anyway there's much more but so far, I dig the concept of the show, which is that it seems to take issues and presents them in an entertainingly light-hearted way, but still manages to hone down an important message.  If you liked Super Size Me, you'll enjoy this show. 

Had lunch with a friend and his lady co-worker the other day, who was Asian; Vietnamese, I'm pretty sure. She was a bit introverted and didn't exactly exude the best participation of a two-way conversation.

Today, he tells me this: When he mentioned that a friend was coming to lunch, she asked, "What is he?", to which he responded, "Asian.". She sighs. "Why the sigh? What kind of answer did you want?", asks my buddy. Her response?

"White."

Oh well.

Local concerts of interest in the following weeks.  (in other words, anyone interested in going?  )

6/24-6/25 - Glen Phillips at Tower Records (6/24) , Great American Music Hall (6/25), both in San Francisco

6/29 - The Duhks at Espresso Garden Cafe, San Jose.  One of the hottest rising indie bands at the moment.  Coffee shop atmosphere, once in a lifetime

7/3 - Better Than Ezra at Day at the Meadow, San Jose.  Fun live band, fourth of July atmosphere.

7/12 - Beck and Le Tigre at San Jose Civic Center, San Jose.  Beck... 'nuff said.

7/14-15 - Ray LaMontagne and Rachael Yamagata at Mountain Winery, Saratoga (7/14) and the Warfield, San Francisco (7/15).  Awesome songwriters.

That's a good month.

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House Votes to Limit Patriot Act Rules

 … lawmakers voted Wednesday to block the Justice Department and the FBI from using the Patriot Act to peek at library records and bookstore sales slips.  The House voted 238-187 despite a veto threat from Bush to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that allows the government to investigate the reading habits of terror suspects.

Wow.  Yet, I still don’t feel fully secure about the confidentiality of my library book borrowing habits…

If you don't live in California, be glad.  If you do... brace yourself.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made official his long rumored plan to call for a special election for later this year.

The Governor wants California voters to approve sweeping changes in state government. Among the issues voters will face, a call to change tenure requirement for teachers to five years of service instead of the current two years. Schwarzenegger also wants to remove the power of the legislature to draw state congressional districts. Instead he wants a panel of retired judges to draw the boundary lines. Schwarzenegger is also calling for a spending cap on state government in an effort to make it easier to reach a balanced budget.

Members of the state's top teachers unions are already geared up to fight the Governor's planned changes to the state's education system. Some unions are raising dues to make sure they have enough money to fight a major media campaign. The Governor has also been raising money for what is expected to be an expensive and bitterly fought campaign.

(Copyright 2005, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)

And how much is it going to cost?

By Dan Morain, Times Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO — Brushing aside concerns that donors are tapped out and tired, campaign warriors are preparing to spend upward of $100 million on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election.

In what otherwise would have been an electoral respite this year, politicians and patrons might have squirreled away money for 2006, when Californians will elect a governor and other statewide officers. But preliminary campaign reports filed with the state show contributions of more than $44 million in the first half of 2005 to the eight initiatives that are expected to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. "An estimate of $200 million from all parties, I would call that table stakes," said Marty Wilson, Schwarzenegger's main fundraiser. "My guess is that the pot grows from there."

Donors spent $235 million on ballot measures last year, $88 million on the first-ever recall of a sitting California governor in 2003 and $130 million on the 2002 gubernatorial election….

 A few reactions in response –

"The state of California is today strapped for cash, and I think it is a mistake to spend tens of millions of dollars on a special election, just eight months before a scheduled election. These funds could certainly be used for a much better purpose — like improving our schools or closing the state's budget deficit." — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat.

"It's especially outrageous that the idea arises from the man who went to Washington in October 2003 bragging that he would be the "collectinator," using his newfound clout to scoop up federal funds for state projects, a promise that turned out to be merely rhetorical. Now that he's ready to be such a spendthrift, he should call himself the 'profligator.'" — U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Burlingame.

"In January of this year, Gov. Schwarzenegger asked the Legislature to work with him on financial, educational and governmental reforms to move California forward. It is unfortunate that the same majority party that found time to propose nearly $3 billion in tax increases this year refused to work with the governor on his reform agenda. It's time the politicians in Sacramento stop treating taxpayer dollars like their personal piggybanks and start acting in the best interest of California's working families." — Duf Sundheim, California Republican Party chairman.

"Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to call his taxpayer-funded special election is bad for politics and bad for California. Schwarzenegger ran for office as a nonpartisan, nonpolitical reformer. In two years he has devolved into a Bush-lite conservative politician who breaks his promises and sells out working people to satisfy his special-interest corporate donors." — Art Pulaski, California Labor Federation.

"California has a growing health care emergency. But rather than improve health care access or quality, this governor is promoting a plan that will almost certainly produce severe reductions in vital health programs, while seeking to silence the voice of caregivers to protect the safety of patients and all Californians." — Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association.

"The governor is wasting taxpayer money to hold an election that nobody wants and to push an agenda that will hurt our public schools, kids and local communities. And the plan announced by his advisers to use the election to create a 'phenomenon of anger' against teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public employees breaks his promise to unite our state for public good." — Barbara Kerr, California Teachers Association.

I've been on vacation and of course on hiatus concerning this site.  It's a bit refreshing to liberate myself from the grind of school, work, and attempting to type thought out thoughts on a computer.  But that aside, I'm a little more inclined to talk and be productive again. 

Over the weekend, I visited UC Santa Cruz for the first time, for a friend's graduation.  Through the graduation speeches and taking general observations, I could now see the... "importance"... "experience"... that people typically correlate with college in America.  The idea that college is this wonderfully unique experience where you are practically consumed into an entirely different life, opposed to the rest of your living days.  Visiting this campus, I could see how utterly detached it was from the rest of the city, to the point where in ways, it was its own city.  Speakers at the graduation reminisced not only on their often difficult experiences and how it helped them grow, but how they did it as a unit and a group.  People who knew each other.  Anyway, coming from a commuter school, I thought it was a bit enlightening that at least I could see this concept from the outside looking in, at the very least.  It helps explain the abundance of college alumni caps/sweaters/tshirts/other marketed material that people wear.   I'm hoping that I'll have this sort of bond in my cohort next semester. 

Pictures from Santa Cruz--

the graduate and me plus two friends



me atop a hill on ucsc

Thank Yous

It's been a crazy whirlwind weekend, of which my birthday was the least of concerns! 

My brother, Vinh, and his wife, Susana (sorry, I had to use that term one last time!), today took off on their next adventure (again, sorry I'm romanticizing, but I'm listening to this amazing tune by the Duhks called "the dregs of birch" which sounds Scottish but is quite beautiful), this time moving out of the States to Madrid, Spain.  They stayed over the weekend and I got to witness and take part in some emotional goodbyes, but also well wishes for the future.  We had a grand time in San Francisco on Saturday, the first I think I've been with them that wasn't for a concert! (believe me, it was many a time).  Some shots

Cliff House (Susana, Mom, Dad, Vinh)



Me at China Beach



Shot of the Bridge from China Beach



Palace of Fine Arts -- Site of my best Nickel Creek experience



We also had a final bbq for them Sunday, my birthday. 



Anyway, it's hard to say goodbye, so let's just call it a see you later, or until next time.  Thanks for everything over the past few years and beyond, you guys, especially for treating me like an adult   It doesn't sound like much, but it is a huge deal. 

And finally, thanks to the friends who beckoned the call of the 23rd hour to celebrate my birthday!  Other things took precedence that day, but it was not forgotten (even though it was by me), so thanks for the phone calls and the eleven o'clock wine

Thanks for reading.

Coldplay - X & Y

Anticipation and the increasing months leading to years after such large hits can and statistically consumes and overwhelms bands. That often is the case of the "sophomore slump" wherein the sudden overwhelming success adds up to unbearable pressure for bands to replicate. Should we continue sounding like the last record? The public likes song X and song Y (no pun intended), why don't we hit'em with an album full of these songs (sorry, sugar ray). Or... Let's make an album so quick on the road that it won't give the public an opportunity to speculate on the state of the band (sorry, Hootie). How about let's just continue exploring our sound and, cliche as it sounds, expand our horizons and musical palette?

These thoughts most likely kicked around when Coldplay recorded (and subsequently scratched and re-recorded) their album coming out next week, X & Y. After all, what would be going on in the mind of Chris Martin now that he's married to a movie star and has a kid (named Apple)?

After something like twenty listens (no kidding, check my audioscrobbler!), I've come to the simple conclusion that the new album is reminiscent of the first album in which there were many stand out songs, but a few leftover that just. well. songs i wouldn't feel remorse for by hitting the 'skip' button. But let's not dawdle on the 'skip' songs. The stand out songs? Wow. "Fix You", well, gives you the kind of goosebumps that "the Scientist" from their last album did. Easily one of the highlights. "Speed of Sound" is still that dreamy song I loved when I first heard it, especially the beginning piano solo. "Talk" features guitar playing that is reminiscent of the Edge of U2. "Square One" has some of the urgency in Martin's voice that is so captivating in the last record's track, "politik". Finally, "the Message" is that one track that all three Coldplay albums seems to contain. Martin's voice prominently featured with somber lyrics engulfed in a dreamy backdrop of acoustic guitars. Think "warning sign" or "everything's not lost" from the prior albums.

A few songs, however, detract. "Swallowed in the Sea" and "Twisted Logic" sound a bit contrived. The title track, "X & Y", interestingly is a bit moody and expansive sounding, but still requires a "skip". Who knows, maybe a few more listens?

I've yet to speak of lyrics, but that's due to listening to the album mostly in the office while packing boxes (we're moving new furniture in, but besides the point..) I'm sure I'll dig into the lyrics when the album comes out next week.
**** (out of 5)
----
Just got tickets to see Coldplay in August as well, today! Look for a live concert review of these same songs in oh... 3 months :)

Graduation!

It finally happened!  Six months after the fact, I finally had the opportunity to celebrate my bachelor's degree on Saturday in an intimate setting on the campus of San Jose State University.  Unlike most, I decided to skip the stadium bash of a graduation to instead help set up my department's graduation ceremony, which turned out to be a ceremony I'll always be proud to have helped put together because of its uniqueness and intimacy.  I don't often go into the intricacies of what's going on my life (unless it is a concert I can't stop smiling about afterwards), but writing this down will serve as a good log in a certain point of my life.  And I've just got too many cool pictures.

Here's the set up - Outside Hugh Gilllis Hall, with tons of food followed behind the chairs. 



Danielle, Sara, and me - Grad. Committee members, I like this pose



So I introduced the ceremonies, which went well because I had it scripted.  But... And I do this all the time, I made the bonehead decision to improvise my speech of the three most important individuals that I was to thank.  It didn't go too bad, but... I probably shoulda written it down   But... I did keep emotions in check, although a few of the eleven graduates did break down and had a few tears.  Who'd I thank?  The dept. of Social Science faculty, the "boys" (group of longtime friends), and my family, of course.  I got to embarass and have each of them come up  



I forget- Not all went perfect during my speech, my mike kept slowly trickling down!  I love this shot of Professor Rooks of the department helping me out. 



Love this shot!  Professors Do and Rooks, looks like those gowns really are hard to put on.  I learned more than I ever wanted to know about regalia that day...



After the ceremonies, all of the graduates!  Yes, it was THAT small! 



Another group shot, but with four of the faculty sitting- L to R - Professor Rooks, Gutierrez, Ochoa, Do. 



The Boys



The obligatory but perfect family shot



Buncha teachers



Lindsey, a great social sci. friend- But I wanted to point out the tower behind us, which was the backdrop for the entire ceremonies!  Very nice, indeed. 



So there you have it, quick and painless and each student got a few minutes onstage.  The best moment?  The end, when we, the graduating committee decided to close out with a few words.  Before we had a chance, Professor Rooks took over and began singing, beautifully, lines of an old slave song to which he described that he was inspired to share with us because of the emotional outpouring and brightened view of the beyond, for which he used rainbows as a metaphor for, or something like that.  I forgot entirely what he said, I think I, and my commitee mates, were just shocked, but in a good way of course.  We had no idea! 

I got more photos in a nifty slideshow here:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jdo11/slideshow?.dir=/f53b&.src=ph

Reality Check

Six months overdue, I'm having my bachelor's degree graduation in just about twelve hours.  Not the twenty-thousand people, stadium filled thing, but the department graduation, narrowing it down to a few dozen graduates.  I'm admittedly anxious for a few reasons.  First off, I headed a committee of students for the student-led graduation, from helping decide music to food to decorations.  Somehow in between I volunteered to at least emcee the first part of the ceremony.  Just a few words, but thinking back, I don't recall the last time I spoke through a PA and to such a large crowd.  Actually, it might have been when I read a speech running for President of my elementary school (i lost.  not as cool as pedro.) but that was eons ago.  And when my name is called during the ceremony, I'm supposed to speak and hand out certificates to the three inspirational individuals in my life (i'll update that later).  The other reason of angst?  I've invited certain people from different parts of my life.  It's one of those "worlds are colliding" instances, if you've watched Seinfeld.  Old co-workers, current co-workers, family, long-time friends, recent friends in my teaching department.  Not entirely too much people, though that may sound like it would be, but a group of people I would never expect to be in the same general area ever, well, except for if I got married, but of course that won't happen any time soon. 

Whew, too many words to say I'm a little anxious.

Song you can't live without.  The Doves - Black and White Town   -- This song's too cool.