Rocketfuel’s Weblog

How can you tell the difference between a Sushi joint that’s owned by chameleons or actual Japanese people? First off, the waiters serve you edamame as soon as you sit down at your table. I’ve yet to see a Japanese sushi house do that. 2nd, the place isn’t named after the sushi chef like Nobu or Yamashiro. It’s either called Sushi Factory, Fusion Sushi, or Happy Joy Joy Sushi House with a cartoon looking thing for a logo. Lastly, the most telling clue is that they serve Korean soju instead of the Japanese version, Shochu.

I would have to say that Koreans are quite the chameleons when it comes to running a Sushi restaurant. They are able to trick the average American into thinking they are Japanese simply by screaming “irasshai” as new customers come in. Maybe that’s the reason why so many Koreans are able to play Japanese roles in Hollywood.

My boss used to think a Korean owned sushi restaurant chain, Kabuki, was owned by Japanese people until I pointed out the differences. When I went there with him once, the only Japanese guy in there was our waiter who was half-white but had Takumi on his name tag. Every other waiter was named Andrew, John, or Ben and common Christian names used by many Koreans.

There’s nothing wrong with it and I’m simply making an observation that’s humorous to me. Even more so since I know that in the Kitchen are the Mexicans who are making the delicious food, hot. So, there could always be a Kai Sushi Sports Bar owned by someone Japanese that serves edamame right away…but when I went to it, it wasn’t. They do have great lunch deals though and I’d recommend the Kai Chef special which is only like 15 bucks.

There’s sushi, sashimi, teriyaki chicken, tempura, eggroll…and other goodies….in there. If there’s one thing I would like to see Koreans do instead of pretend to be Japanese…it’s actually be themselves and sell the whole fresh from the fish tank sashimi angle.

is simply gorgeous.  She almost makes me forgive China for their ill will towards human rights and North Korean refugees….

Thank you Kineda!

Where as Miss Korea 2007 Honey Lee uses the power of make-up to level up, Zi Lin doesn’t even need it. Like most women of her caliber, she can manipulate her beauty with just a touch blue or dark eyeliner. But hey, Honey can play that traditional 12 string harp rather well..and that’s just as hot.

vs.

Rumours arose about the similarities of Jenny, Juno to a 2007 American comedy film, Juno, which also deals with teenage pregnancy and features a character with the name Juno (a girl). The film’s screenwriter, Diablo Cody, commented on the coincidence in October 2007, stating that she had been unaware of the existence of Jenny, Juno prior her own film’s release. She said that, although she had not yet watched Jenny, Juno, she was interested in seeing it.^[3]

Hmm, I don’t know….Juno is a rather rare name, even if it’s for a movie’s title. There’s nothing wrong with at least admitting inspiration even if the story ends up being completely different.  Well, it’s a possibility that it’s pure coincidence.

Kubler Swiss Absinthe

What is absinthe? It’s this rocket fuel liqueur from France that tastes like licorice, anise, and fennel. It’s the green stuff John Leguizamo was drinking in Moulin Rouge, it’s associated with Art Nouveau illustrations, and some say it made Van Gogh crazy and that’s why he cut off a piece of his ear. It’s suppose to have hallucinogen components which initially made it illegal in the states but since my Secret Santa was able to buy me a bottle…it seems to lack those extra gifts. I’m pretty well conditioned towards alcohol fumes but the strong licorice taste and 106 proof was too much even for me.

Maybe I just don’t have one of these cool drippers….

update:  I later found out that taking shots was the ignorant way to enjoy this pungent alcoholic beverage.  You’re suppose to mix it with cold water that’s 3/4 of the cup’s volume.  It tasted much better when diluted but unfortunately, I did not see Kyle Minogue dressed up in a Tinkerbell outfit as seen in Moulin Rouge.

Ron Paul will use white supremacist’s $500 to spread ‘message of freedom’

By keeping a white supremacist’s $500 contribution, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul will be taking that money away from someone with “small ideologies” and using it to “spread the message of freedom,” Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton tells the Associated Press.

If supremacist Don Black thinks he can influence Paul, “he’s wasted his money,” Benton adds.

The story of Black’s donation has been around for a while now — LoneStarTimes.com broke the news Oct. 25. Today’s AP story, though, underscores again the unorthodox nature of the Paul campaign since it’s safe to say most other politicians would have returned the $500.

haha…that’s awesome.

It will be many years more before my generation of progressive thinkers will lead this country in the right direction but if people younger than me are looking up to Ron Paul then it must be a good thing.

Sure, Ron Paul is popular with college kids … so what?

Dec. 21, 2007 12:00 AM

One of the real curiosities of the presidential races is the fascination college kids have for Republican Ron Paul. In terms of specific policies, his popularity on campuses shouldn’t be surprising. He’s a “hands off my life” politician, and he has been consistent about it. Independence-mongering college kids love that. But he also attracts conspiracy theorists and other whackos. And, well, he’s a Republican. Since when did they start drawing big crowds in Ann Arbor?

- Doug MacEachern, editorial writer

It’s been raining for the last two days and I was craving something soupy and I remembered an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation when he went to Korea and had this red colored pork shoulder soup. To me it looked like Gamjatang (potato soup), so I decided to make it for the first time…and I have to say I did a good job considering I just guessed what to put in it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of chicken broth.
• 4 pork chops with the bones still on.
• 2 stocks of leeks
• a tbsp of chopped ginger
• 2 spoonfuls of chopped garlic pre-minced. You can buy it at Korean markets, packaged.
• Chrysanthemum leaves
• some oil
• 2 big spoonfuls of Korean chili paste
• 1 Potato - peeled and chopped.

• Deep pot

Just heat up the oil in the pot and sweat the chopped ginger a bit. Don’t let it burn, just let the aroma get more intense. Next, pour in the chicken stock and let it boil. After the soup starts bubbling, add the chopped up leeks, garlic, chili paste, potato, and pork chops and just let it simmer. With the leeks though, make sure you clean it good because dirt hides rather well behind each leaflet. It took a hour for everything to come together…but it was soooooo good. Oh yeah, maybe 5 minutes before serving, add the Chrysanthemum leaves so they soften up a bit, then eat it with white rice.

It actually went well with some pinot noir. I wish I had soju at the time, but red wine and spicy pork potato stew is a pretty good pairing.

He was born the fifth of seven children in Osaka, Japan on Dec. 19, 1941. In 1946 right after Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule, his family returned to Korea and settled in Pohang, his father’s hometown. But the ship carrying them capsized, and his family lost what money they had. His father worked as an agricultural laborer and his mother sold fruit. It was a hand-to-mouth existence….

Due to his background as a “student activist,” he joined Hyundai Construction in 1965. He recalls, “I was on the government’s black list because I had been a student activist. With such a background, I couldn’t find a job in any decent enterprises. At that time, Hyundai Construction was a small company with a staff of a few scores. I applied for a job in the belief that I wouldn’t be stopped from working for such a small company.”

He got one promotion after another as the company grew rapidly. He was promoted to director five years after he joined, to vice president five years after he became a director, to president two years after that, and to chairman 11 years later. When he worked as a supervisor of the site for construction of a highway in Thailand, he put up stubborn resistance to local thugs wielding wooden sticks and knives and succeeded in preventing a company safe box from being stolen.(chosun)

He still looks stupid when he smiles…. Sometimes both his eyes dissappears and he just ends up looking like a cyclop because they become one straight line across his face.

Looks gangsta…

So long as he doesn’t smile…

Or at least put a patch over that right eye because it disappears anyways everytime he smiles. Lee, keep the straight face, don’t smile, and wear black suits all the time chico.

This story is about a week old…but still timely. I’m still waiting on some sort of update and social justice towards District Court judge Sarah Bradley.

Judge condemned over Aborigine child rape case

A judge in Australia was facing calls to step down today after she failed to jail a group of nine males who admitted gang-raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal community, saying the young victim “probably agreed” to have sex with them.

Instead of jailing the three adults, aged 17 to 26, one of whom was a repeat sex offender, and giving custodial sentences to the six juveniles aged 14 to 16, Queensland District Court judge Sarah Bradley handed out suspended sentences and probation orders. (Guardian Unlimited)

Yeah, because a 10 year old’s mind really understand what sex is and would really agree to have “it” with 9 boys. Are you freaking kidding me? How do such stupid people get these positions?

When sentencing the juveniles, Justice Bradley said: “All of you have pleaded guilty to having sex with a 10-year-old girl and (one of the juveniles) has pleaded guilty to having sex with another young girl as well.

“All of you have to understand that you cannot have sex with a girl under 16.

“If you do, you are breaking the law, and if you are found out, then you will be brought to court and could end up in jail.

“I accept that the girl involved, with respect to all of these matters, was not forced, and that she probably agreed to have sex with all of you.

“But you were taking advantage of a 10-year-old girl and she needs to be protected, and the girls generally in this community need to be protected.

“This is a very serious matter.

“It is a very shameful matter and I hope that all of you realise that you must not have sex with young girls.

“Anyone under 16 is too young.

“Some of you are still children yourselves.

“Others of you are adults but I am treating you all equally in terms of the behaviour.

“I am not treating any of you as the ringleader or anything like that.”

She asked each prisoner to stand up and said she hoped they would realise it was wrong to have sex with young girls.

Justice Bradley then offered them probation and when each agreed to accept that, she said she would not record a conviction.

To one of the juveniles, she said: “You are still a child. You have pleaded guilty to one offence of rape.

“You have been in a lot of trouble in the past, though, and you still have some community service to do.

“You have not been doing that well. I am prepared to offer you probation but you have got to stick with the rules of probation.”

The juvenile agreed and was then placed on 12 months’ probation, with no conviction recorded.(article)

What kind of judge even says “probably?” The child is a sexual abuse victim when she was 7 years of age, you don’t think she’s a bit screwed up in the head? There is no concensual sex, there’s only people taking advantage of a child who has no idea what she’s doing. Therefore it is rape.

Judge Sarah Bradley…go to hell, along with the offenders and may you all enjoy a room together…you douchebags.

…in the geeky romantic sense.

Pirates drink booze, eat meat off the bone, ride the Harley Davidsons of the seas, and either lead into battle with canons blasting or with two swords and pistols blazing in each hand. There’s no sneaking around for pirates, they just take and pillage….kicking down doors to relieve stress and to let their opponents know that daddy is home.

What do Ninjas do? They sneak around in black, looking like the shadows or any other ninja. I’m no fashionista but that’s…booooorrrrriiiinnnnggg. They also get told what to do like dogs and they have to “die with honor” in order to finish a mission. Sure they know ninjitsu, can use a katana, and throw stars between people’s eyes…but can they go into a pub, order a beer, and drink with the poor bastard they’ll be forcing to walk the plank? Nooooo….. They may also know ninja magic but that doesn’t mean pirates can’t do voodoo and parlor tricks!

That is all…..