Smiley's Tropical Escape

The Tooth of Dilemma

nobody@vox.com(Smiley) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:29:30 +0900

Sometimes the world throws you a curve-ball.

In my case, today, a generous gift from my wife ran smack into a long held, but rarely examined, political ideology.

Some background: My wife and I are in the middle of buying our first house. All the paperwork has been done, the house is under construction, everything is a go, all that remains is for me to sign some final loan papers. The loan officer told me I could sign them or stamp them with my hanko (Hankos are, in brief, carved stamps bearing a person's name that are used in Japan like signatures are used in Western countries. Here's the Wikipedia article for anyone who wants more information.) but that I would need to show the official registration for whichever method I chose.

I have been using a hanko for years, but I had never bothered to have it registered, nor had I ever made the trip to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to get an official registration of my signature. And since registering a hanko involved only a trip to the city hall vs. a weekday, all day, trip to Tokyo, I figured I would just register my hanko.

My wife asked me to wait as she had been wanting to get me a new, very nice hanko (mine's ultra-cheap) that I could register and use. Naturally, I agreed, but I was a bit confused, what did a very nice hanko look like and what made it so nice? She explained that very nice hankos are hand made, from an elephant's tooth.

I graduated from high school in 1993. Like many kids of my generation I was half-heartedly political. I knew that there were serious problems in the world and that the wholesale slaughter of elephants by poachers for ivory was one of them. I knew that the trading of Ivory had had a world wide ban since 1989. I knew that because it had been on a test in my social studies class, freshman year. And that was pretty much the last time I had thought about the ivory trade, until now.

She was surprised that I was surprised. So we talked about ivory and our different impressions of the ivory trade, then I got on the 'tubes and did a little research and found that, yes, Japanese hanko production is responsible for a large portion of the continued illegal ivory trade, as well as the limited legal trade.

Several years ago, my wife and I were in Nagasaki and were quite impressed by the artisans making jewelry from turtle shells, but we had read about the endangerment of the salt water turtles and elected not to buy anything.

My first reaction was to compare the two, but research on the web indicates that elephant populations are rising and that ivory trade may be resumed in very limited fashion in the next few years. Also, I held one of these ivory sticks in my hand and it is nice; I understand why people like having things made of ivory. The smoothness and heft of it in your hand is almost sensual in its solidity.

I really want one.

My wife thinks that I should go with another material - a nice dark wood, or crystal, or something. And that's probably what I'll do. But. Should the day ever come when the ivory trade is fully legal again, or should the shop staff be able to prove that the ivory comes from already extinct mammoth or not yet endangered walrus, well, then we'll just have to see.

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Obey Giant: Vote

nobody@vox.com(Smiley) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:26:27 +0900

VOTE

This blog being what it is, I tend to avoid politics and political discussions. I feel those kinds of discussions are best had in person, when we can read a person's feelings and tones more easily than in mere print.

Having said that, I came across this latest print by Obey Giant, the artist that purports to be a propaganda machine, urging people to go out and vote. The image is sold as a limited edition, high quality print, for $50.

The image, to me, is a perfect blend of retro-activism design and modern sensibility. If anyone feels like buying me one, well...

Anyway. Make sure you're registered, and make sure you vote.

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Reason.tv with Drew Carey

nobody@vox.com(Smiley) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:30:01 +0900

Reason.tv is one of the new slew of content providers based solely on the web. And they're political.

I found out about the channel because of Drew Carey. I admit it, I'm a fan. I loved the Drew Carey Show and the U.S. version of Whose Line Is It Anyway, hosted by Carey. Hey, I even liked his book. On Reason.tv, however, Carey is not being funny, well, at least, the program he's hosting is not a comedy. Instead, Carey is hosting a series of short political pieces for the channel.

The first, titled "Gridlock" address just that - the key issue of horrible traffic conditions in the Los Angeles area. The next issue? Medical marijuana. Carey's, and by extension, Reason.tv's, politics are fairly liberal, with occasional swings to the conservative that could best be described as the common man approach. For example, the solution to the gridlock problem in L.A., privatization of roads and freeways, seems to come from the Republicans' bag of tricks, while the issues surrounding legalized pot are clearly Democratic.

Reason.tv - Medical Marijuana

One reason I find this interesting is that this show is online. I am unclear on who created the show, or how, but I wonder if it is online to avoid censorship regulations or because a show this politicized will only reach a niche market. Either way, it is one show worth watching.

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Donations: Q1 Report

nobody@vox.com(Smiley) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:30:50 +0900

Last February, I posted a short essay about donations and the act of giving. Since then, I have kept to my aim of doing at least some research on various charities before donating and of selecting a new organization (roughly) every month. The organizations listed below represent a few of my political ideologies and are all groups to whom I feel comfortable entrusting my money and effort. I have attempted to provide a brief overview; I make no claims that everyone should follow suit, I only recommend these as organizations one may wish to examine if you are inclined to donate. Here is my recap:

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
The CBLDF is an organization that provides money and legal support to comic book creators and retailers who run afoul of obscenity laws and censorship efforts. As an example, the CBLDF are currently involved in a legal battle to protect a comic book retailer who has been charged with exhibition of harmful materials to minors during a free comic book day in 2004. Membership in the CBLDF can be cheap or expensive depending on the individual, but year-long membership results in gifts of various quality and number that have been donated by well known comic book authors and artists. (One note - the website is often a month or two behind, but inquiries are usually answered quite promptly.)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation
The EFF is dedicated to preserving and furthering electronic freedoms, such as net neutrality and anti-DRM reforms. Their website is quite up to date and provides an action center for members as well as useful documents, like the Legal Guide for Bloggers. Currently, the EFF is engaged in several campaigns, including support of the Fair Use Act, calling for Congressional investigation of NSA spying, and reformation of the Patriot Act. Membership in the EFF is either by a one-time donation or repeating monthly donations; the amount donated is directly proportional to the swag received by the new member.

The American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU exists to protect the Bill of Rights of the United States and the citizens thereof. They also provide an Action Center on their website. At the moment, they are actively engaged in calling for reformation of the Patriot Act, calling for the close of Guantanamo, and supporting Prevention First. Membership in the ACLU is much the same as it is for both the CBLDF and the EFF.

For the second quarter, I believe, due to some unexpected circumstances, that my donations will be of a more personal nature, rather than the political organizations listed here. I will, however, still endeavor to post an update on Q2 in late June or early July. Thank you for reading.

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