Chai's Analysis

Man, He Smacks Me Wanna Smack Him!

Trust me, I usually don't get violent tendencies towards others. Hey, I work in the violence against women field and that hitting other people would probably ban me from all the cool joints we anti-violent people hang out in. But, this just gets me so angry to the point of violence. OJ Simpson has written a book book semi-confessing to the killing of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Seriously?

After a 12-year search, O.J. Simpson has found the true killer. Hypothetically. It turns out that Simpson murdered his ex-wife and her friend, hypothetically, and will get $3.5 million in blood money for a book titled ``If I Did It'' that gives all the gory details. This is one of those how-low-can-you-go moments. No one should fall for the Tripe of the Century.

In the book due out Nov. 30, Simpson describes his marriage and divorce and then switches into hypothetical mode to describe the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

``There's little that would surprise me from this murdering SOB, but this does reach an all-time low, even for him,'' Ron Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, succinctly told the New York Post.

The Fox network is promoting the book through a two-part special, ``If I Did It, Here's How It Happened,'' featuring Simpson being interviewed by his book's publisher, Judith Regan. It's an inside job: News Corp. owns both Fox and HarperCollins, which owns ReganBooks.

I mean for real?

In college, I volunteered for the Clothesline Project and one of the shirts we received a shirt made by Nicole Brown's sister. That shirt was special because it was placed among thousands of other shirts, symbolizing the crimes against those due to their gender. While reading the editorial and the numerous articles spitting on O.J. Simpson, I thought about the publisher. Who would want to publish his crap?

Well, she did. And she did it, allegedly to get the killer to confess, just like she wanted her ex-husband to confess. Now, I hear that. I get what she is saying, but to give him (or allegedly his children) 3.5 million dollars is just crossing the line. And did he confess? No. And even if he did confess, what would that do to us? Just show us that our judicial system is biased? That our judicial system takes crimes against women lightly? That our judicial system erred, like humans do? I don't think we needed this scumbag to show us that. I get articles every.single.day. reporting how the judicial system fails to adequately protect survivors of (spousal, parental) abuse. Seriously, Judith Regan, you could have interviewed men who committed spousal abuse (even killed their partners) to get a real inside look at a wife-killer. But him?

Rupert, Rupert, Rupert. Shame on you and your croonies for doing this. Shame on your stupid FOX Network and all the media outlets you own. Shame on you.

Ugh. All of this just disgusts me. All of it.

posted by Chai at 4:22 PM | 1 people analyzed.

georges all around

wow...this video is probably the best thing i have seen in some time. (hat tip AB via email)

posted by Chai at 12:01 AM | 1 people analyzed.

Da House.

I'm very excited. The Dems took the House back. Unfortunately, I don't have time to delve into the election results right now because I am off to NYC, but I can't go without saying some thoughts.

• How did Virginia voters vote for George Allen?
• Wow, the cigarette companies actually convinced most of the California public not to increase the tax because of the anti-trust laws that were written in!
• I'm really sad about Harold Ford, Jr. losing.
• Ohio went BLUE.
• Nancy Pelosi, 'nuff said.
  
• Who says looks count in an election? Did you hear that Joe Lieberman won?
• Did CNN have their blog meet-up at TRYST?!?!?!?!?
  
• Also, did anyone see a Gael Garcia Bernal look-alike (or maybe it was him?) behind Jim Webb while he was delivering his speech last night?

I voted for the first time in person! It was quite the experience. More thoughts and pictures in a bit. Off to catch the plane!

posted by Chai at 10:42 AM | 0 people analyzed.

Vote!!

It is so strange that people don't vote. As an immigrant, I have always voted since the year I became a naturalized citizen. It's important, it makes you feel like you are part of society, it is also something different to do in your mundane schedule.

Today, I will be voting, for the first time, in an actual voting booth. I am *so* excited! Every single year, I have had to file an absentee vote. Although I am voting, absentee voting is such a joy kill for me. There is no scandal! No mispronunciation of my name by a senior citizen! I get no sticker that states, with colourful excitment, "I voted!" I am looking forward to all of that, followed by the gym.

After last week's request, I did some research and decided on my votes. Here they are in ballot particular order:

Governor: Phil Angelides
Lt. Governor: John Garamendi
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen
Controller: John Chiang
Treasurer: Bill Lockyer (although I thought for a split second to vote for Mehul Thakker, but thought that was silly; two party all the way!)
Attorney General: Jerry Brown (btw, when are hip hop artists gonna do a song with Jerry Brown's name in it?)
Insurance Commissioner: Cruz Bustamante (tough choices because they all suck)
State Board of Equalization: Betty T. Yee (APA pride)
U.S. Senator: Dianne Feinstein

For the judicial officers, I researched a few of their cases and ratings by other judicial members, and I voted:

Joyce L. Kennard: Yes
Carol A. Coorigan: Yes
Conrad L. Rushing: Yes
Nathan D. Mihara: No
Richard McAdams: Yes
Wendy Clark Duffy: No

Now here come the propositions:
1A-1E: Yes
83: No
84: Yes
85: No
86: Yes (although I hate Kaiser and anyone excusing themselves from anti-trust lawsuits)
87: No
88: No
89: Yes
90: No

I am going to definitely record my experience as a first time voter in person. Are we allowed to bring cameras inside a voting booth? And I am asking for a paper ballot, if possible.

posted by Chai at 1:16 PM | 0 people analyzed.

A True Sign of Love

Yesterday night, my dad and I hunkered down on the couch to watch "The Office." My dad has never been the television person, except when it comes to "Cheers," "Seinfeld", or the 10 o'clock news on KTVU. (Sidenote: Probably the earliest memory I have of television is one of Dennis Richmond, the KTVU anchor for the past thirty years. Yes, even before the Smurfs, I remember Dennis. He's like my long lost grandfather.)

All week, my dad has asked me with a tinge of excitement in his voice, "Is the it on tonight? The Office?" So, why The Office? Yesterday, the show was on Diwali, portrayed as the Hindu festival of lights (although, I will let you know that after going to the Sikh exhibit at the Smithsonian Natural History museum, I learned that Sikhs also practice Diwali). Written by Mindy Kaling, the actor who plays Kelly Kapoor, the episode was funny, played on various stereotypes (of course!), and a bit all over the place. I'm not a television critic; hell, I rarely watch the boob tube. However, I missed the first two minutes of the show, and I feel those two minutes would have helped me understand the rest of the 24 minutes.

What was more amazing than the actual episode were the proposition commercials. Each commercial was trying to be "real" so they used "real" people to get their position across. One commerical had an African American doctor not supporting the proposition dealing with cigarette taxes (although this site doesn't have the ad I saw last night, it has other scary ads). Another commercial was a firefighter who didn't support another proposition. Another was a teacher who said something about another proposition. And finally, the other was one of good ol' Bill Clinton who was putting faith in Californian's to change the course of America's dependence on foreign oil (watch a segment of the ad here). For the first time, I felt bad for California voters. They are pummelled with television and radio ads. Their phone rings off the hook with recorded messages. The local and national media writes in support of a proposition or urges you not to vote for it. It plain sucks.

My dad, an true immigrant voter (read: he takes voting very seriously), asked me, as genuinely as he could, "Chai, would you mind doing the research on these various propositions? The numbers are starting to drive me crazy." I started laughing. He then went on this one mintue rant (quite short for a person in his position) about how not only is there is state wide propositions, there are local measures with all these letters and that confuses him. "So, please, for your mom and I, do a summary of the propositions and recommendation. We will vote according to your recommendation."

Quelle power! Quelle amour! I get to assert which propositions two individuals should vote for. Wow. If this ain't love, I truly don't know what is. Hey, and maybe this will be my stepping stone to becoming a policy consultant?

The research is due on Monday. Who said unemployment means no work?

posted by Chai at 12:29 PM | 3 people analyzed.