Friday, December 30, 2016

Friday 5 for December 30: Forward


From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog comes the last entry for 2016.

1. What are you looking forward to in your personal life in 2017?

Increasing my income, a new job, strengthening and maintaining my friendships, definitely maintaining my health and perhaps traveling.

2. What's something you're planning ahead for?

If I have enough money, travel to the mainland in August 2017 to view the total eclipse of the sun.

3. How intense is your to-do list for the last days of the year?

Not very. Do the laundry. Pay bills. Clean. Routine stuff.

4. What's something you'd like to jump past, between now and the end of the year?

Bills.

5. How will you ring in the new year?

Usually very quietly on New Year's Eve. I avoid any and all parties. I am not a wild celebratory type of person. I prefer to stay at home, observe the insane firecracker noise from the safety of my own place. I try not to drive on New Year's eve. Gotta avoid collisions with the drunk drivers.

Early the next morning as I have done for several years now, I go out and take a picture of the first sunrise of the new year.... rain or shine. If it is raining I take a picture of where the sun should come up and show the rain. I publish the photos to my Flickr photostream and other social media sites.

I will more than likely take my first walk of the new year by pushing it 3 miles that day.

After that I sometimes go to Don Quijote Store and watch them burst the fireworks and have the Chinese dragon people come over and make a lot of noise. Asians make a big deal of ringing in the New Year.

That's about it. Hope you all have a Happy New Year.


New Year's Day @ Don Quijote Store - 2013. For 2017 it is the Year of the Rooster.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Friday 5 for December 23: Something’s Afoot


1. What’s the nicest pair of shoes you’ve owned?

Some nice brown dress shoes I had several years ago. They were around for a very long time. Was nice. Worn off and on through the years. Recently disposed.

2. What’s likely to be your next shoe purchase?

Either new work shoes for office use when the time comes or more than likely replacement for my daily walker. 

3. Where’s your favorite place to get shoes?

WalMart or any other discount shoe retailer. I’m not a stickler about fashion and usually buy what is comfortable and cheap.  Low prices matters a lot when it comes to any purchase I make.

4. When did you last swap out the insoles or laces on a pair of shoes?

Never did.  Shoes go bad just buy new ones. The ones I own tend to be cheap from the get-go.

5. What were the last shoes you got rid of like?

Bad.

September 2015 - Kawaihae, Big Island of Hawaii - Puukohola National Historic Site....

I took a short walk around 2:00 pm in the afternoon - hot sun, hot day - before I knew it as I walked along the hot cement trail, the bottom of my shoes began to melt. After several minutes the sole on one side dislodged (see photos below). 

It is a drag to walk around in shoes where the soles are just barely hanging on. My sister and I both got a huge laugh out of this... hahaha. Needless to say, the shoes were disposed of later that day. They were about 10 years old originally bought from WalMart.

Can you say these shoes are ready for the dumpster?

Right foot almost dislodged, left foot melting under.

 The cement trail. Top photo is of Pu'ukohola Heiau in Hawaii.

Last mile for these rubber soled shoes. Never thought I'd be posting these photos to something more than a year later.



Friday, December 16, 2016

Friday 5 for December 16 - Back in the Highlights Again

Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band

1. What was your highlight in dining for 2016?

Not eating out as often as I did in previous years due to my health condition.

2. What was your highlight in relationships for 2016?

Trying to keep my relationships with various people stable.

3. What was your highlight in entertainment for 2016?

Ringo Starr and His All Star Band at Blaisdell Center. The Beatles are an endangered species with only 2 alive. It was good to see one of them live after being a fan for many decades.

4. What was your highlight in self-improvement for 2016?

Losing 30 lbs. since end of 2015 due to my heart surgery and healthier diet.

5. What was your highlight in completing something for 2016?

Starting a daily walking regimen and trying to keep to it as well as keeping and perhaps increasing the distance.


Map My Walk - on Android.... I walk about 2 miles a day. Not much but it is better than last year.

Top photo: Ringo Starr in concert... yes, I sneaked my camera in. More photos on Flickr.

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5.


Friday, December 2, 2016

Friday 5 for December 2: Celluloid Heroes


I hardly watch recent movies until most have made it to home video or streaming. That said.....

1. What movie most recently impressed you with its score or soundtrack?


From last year.... Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens. - John Williams always refreshes the Star Wars themes. He is able to deliver us familiar fanfares with new music made for whatever the latest story is. Been very consistent now for 4 decades. A Star Wars score is like comfort food.

2. What movie most recently impressed you with its costumes or makeup?

Can't think of any recently viewed movies with impressive costumes.... maybe The Martian from last year which is sci-fi but the look is grounded in reality... or The Revenant which I just saw. Most of its characters were scruffy frontiersmen in this 1820s period yarn of outback survival.

3. What movie most recently impressed you with its scenic backdrops?

I was impressed with all of the sweeping, wide scenic shots of The Revenant. Looks very good on the HDTV and I am sure it looked great in the movies. Just saw that movie this week.

4. What movie most recently impressed you with its originality?


This is not recent at all, but I find Quinten Tarentino's Pulp Fiction to be very original with its psychotic, violent, sideways and flashback story telling.

5. What movie most recently impressed you with its dialogue?

Can't really nail this one, but I think I liked the memorable dialogue in A Christmas Story (1983), Planet of the Apes (1968), and Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) to name a diverse few.... I dunno. I don't really notice it unless it is bad or not in English.


Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 page.

Image from 20th Century Fox's The Revenant.


Thursday, November 24, 2016

Friday 5 for November 25: You, Too

1. What are you too short to do?

Reaching high places.

2. What are you too smart to do?

(Revised answer) - See fears #3 and add any stupid daredevil tricks or anything that makes me look foolish. I also don't drive and text. I don't drink or smoke either.

3. What are you too fearful to do?

Skydiving, Bungee Jumping, Mountain / Cliff climbing, Cliff diving, contact sports. Many other things.

4. What are you too lazy to do?

There are things that I don't want to do - does it mean I am lazy? I put off doing a lot of things that I probably should do.

5. What are you too young to do?

Turn 100 years of age.


The questions taken from Scrivener's Friday 5 site.




-----------------------

Here are my answers for last week's Friday 5:

November 18 Friday 5: Fair Use

1. What was the last thing you put in the freezer not to freeze, but just to chill?

Butter that partially melted at room temperature.

2. What’s a non-food item you’re storing in a zippered, plastic bag?

Accessory cables and gadgets for cameras and computers.

3. What’s the most unusual item you’ve used as a bookmark?

Voter registration confirmation card.

4. What’s something unusual for which you’ve used a kitchen utensil?


Butter knife to open locked door or unscrew something when a screwdriver can't be found.

5. How many different kinds of balls do you have in your house?

I found a small glass ball more than 35 years ago at Clissold's Beach on the North Shore. Counting this one I probably have about 3.... the others being a tin foil ball, and a ball bearing... do marbles count?


Friday, November 11, 2016

Friday 5 for November 11: Sights Seen

On the Beach at Waikiki

1. What’s the tourist attraction nearest you that most people from other places are aware of?

Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. I live in Honolulu and these are less than 3 miles away!

2. What’s a tourist attraction you’ve visited that was better than you expected?

Most recently the Pacific Aviation Museum which I have visited at least 3 times, though I am always wowed by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park.

Pacific Aviation Museum

3. What’s a tourist attraction you’ve visited that was disappointing?

The White House in Washington DC. I waited in a very long line and we were just rushed through it in like about 15 minutes. Not worth the time standing in line. Better to just get a quick snapshot from outside and then, spend your time at the Smithsonian instead.

Cape Kennedy Space Center was kind of a disappointment too..... just mostly a widespread flat of unused rocket launching facilities and some junk lying around. At the time I saw it at the end of the Apollo era and the Space Shuttle was years away from flight. Perhaps it has changed a lot now.

4. What’s a tourist attraction you’re still hoping to visit?

There are many... here's a quick list:

* Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
* Other Aviation Museums
* Aircraft Graveyard at Mojave Desert, CA
* Rock n Roll Hall of Fame
* Museum of Broadcasting and TV
* Yellowstone National Park
* Haleakala National Park (again)
* Kalaupapa, Molokai - in fact the whole island
* National Parks in general are all interesting (so many).
* Cat Sanctuary on Lanai - Lanai island
* Alaska
* New Zealand
* Any place else where I can take plenty of pictures

Too bad I don't have enough money to travel these days.

5. Excluding restaurants, what tourist attraction you’ve visited had the best food and the best gift shop?

I generally avoid those because food and gifts at tourist attractions are usually outrageously expensive.

Questions pulled from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.



Friday, October 14, 2016

Friday 5 for October 14: Be of Good Cheer

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.....

Unboxing Samsung Galaxy J7

1. What’s something non-political you’re rooting for nowadays?

- Chromebooks that support Android apps
- Removable batteries in cell phones and other connected devices

2. What were the circumstances–and who was the recipient–the last time you were part of a standing ovation?

Mama Mia - Toyota Hawaii


When my friend and I attended the Diamond Head Theatre's performance of "Mamma Mia" featuring music from the 1970s Swedish pop group, ABBA - we gave the performance a standing ovation. It was fun and of course made better because I got free tickets!

3. What’s a cheer you remember from high school or college?

"Yum yum eat em up oofa, oofa!" - It's a stupid one but you asked -- Honokaa High School from many decades ago. (pronounced "oo-fa")

4. What inanimate object in your residence deserves applause for its outstanding role in your life this past week?

- As usual any of the cameras I used to take photos this week.
- My 2 MacBook Pros
- My Chromebook
- lastly my recently acquired Samsung Galaxy J7 smart phone with a removable battery

5. When was the last time a group of people clapped for you?

- A very long time ago... can't even remember. Maybe it was when I was in high school band.... I'm not one that seeks the spotlight.



Friday, October 7, 2016

Friday 5 for October 7: Bacon



1. When did you most recently have bacon, and what did you have with it?

Sometime last year was the last I had bacon. After my surgery I was told to keep away from greasy, fatty, oily foods. I must have had my last bacon with a breakfast food such as eggs and waffles.

2. How do you like your bacon? 

Chopped up and mixed with fried rice.

3. Where do you rate bacon among the standard breakfast meats?

Formerly essential, but sadly not anymore since I should not eat it.

4. What's something unusual you've had with bacon as an ingredient?  How was it?

Perhaps in a turkey sandwich? That is not very unusual.

5. Whats a better aroma to wake up to than bacon?

Bacon has a nice smell. Better than tofu. I'm not a tofu fan. Too mooshy.




Friday, September 23, 2016

Friday 5 for September 23: All Over

"Lame questions" from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

1. What would you like right now to be coated with?

Ten million dollars in cash would be nice.

2. What’s something you recently slathered on something else?

Butter on an English muffin.

3. What’s something you purchased recently whose purpose is to cover something?

Protective cover for my new Samsung Galaxy J7.


4. What do your current bed linens look like?

Used except for the one that has a Star Wars print on it.

5. Under what circumstances did you last wear some kind of gloves?

Pallbearer. :(

Friday, September 16, 2016

Friday 5 for September 16: That’s My Fund-Day

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog....

Save That Loose Change

1. What’s the last thing you didn’t want but purchased anyway because someone’s kid was raising funds for something?

Nothing in years. I rarely fall prey to little kids and their parents asking me to buy anything. I'm pretty tight with money.

2. What’s something you’re always happy to buy when kids sell it as a fundraiser?

If I did buy anything, and it's been years, it was either chocolate girl scout cookies or chili tickets from Zippy's.

3. What was the last fundraiser you participated in?

The closest thing that comes to mind is a political fundraiser that I helped out with a few years ago. I don't do that kind of stuff today.

4. What are your feelings about the endless cycle of fundraising?

I don't like it. With Hawaii's economy constantly being over taxed and priced extremely high, who has the cash to give to the numerous organizations always asking for money. I hate it when they use telemarketing to try and weasel people out of their money.

5. What’s something people don’t sell as a fundraiser but really should?

I think everything that is cheap with low entry level costs to the organization has been tried... re: cookies, chili tickets, sweet bread, donuts, home baked goods, etc.

Maybe for a healthful twist try some kind of fruits or vegetables... yep, not as enticing as cookies and candy, but hey, you asked for something.

Finally the topic title got the following ear-worm stuck in me today:





Friday, August 26, 2016

Friday 5 for August 26: Two Thousand Zero Zero Party Over Oops Out of Time


Blondie's 1999 hit "Maria" is from the album "No Exit".

1. What’s your favorite song from 1999?

How can I not resist another top 10 list? First of all my #1 song of 1999 is not on the Billboard 100 Top Hits. Others are:

1. Maria - Blondie
2. Steal My Sunshine - Len
3. There She Goes - Sixpence None The Richer
4. Smooth - Santana featuring Rob Thomas
5. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. Joining You - Alanis Morissette
7. Animal Instinct - Cranberries
8. Beautiful Stranger - Madonna
9. Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer
10. Anything But Down - Sheryl Crow

My Top 100 Hits of 1999 - http://macpro.freeshell.org/music/1999.html

2. What are some of your favorite films from 1999?


"Beautiful Stranger" by Madonna, the promotional clip for 
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- The Matrix
- American Beauty
- The Green Mile
- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
- The Mummy
- The World is Not Enough (James Bond 007)
- Wing Commander
- The Insider 
      (last movie I saw at my favorite theater - Cinerama in HNL)
- Galaxy Quest

3. What’s something interesting that happened on your birthday in 1999?

I got another year older than I was in 1998. I do not publicly disclose my birthdate.

One of the world events that happened on that day in 1999:

"Turkey - 13 people were killed in a bomb attack on a shopping center in the Goztepe section of Istanbul."

Some things don't change....

4. How did you ring in the new year as 1999 became 2000?

My friend Helena and I spent the evening cruising around Honolulu. We ended up at Magic Island waiting for the fireworks and the electricity to go off since the so-called "Millenium Bug" was going to bring down all of the computers around the world (except for Macs) that could not handle the date change from 1999 to 2000. Of course nothing happened and all we got was being enveloped in a huge ton of home burst firework smoke. Was fun.

I miss Helena (passed away 2013).

5. What’s something that’s gotten better since 1999?

1. Faster Internet
2. Movie, video, TV and audio streaming.
3. Better computers and connected devices.
4. Digital cameras are the norm and way better than 1999.
5. SSD drives

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.



Friday, August 19, 2016

Friday 5 for August 19: French Kissing

This week's questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog:

1. What’s your favorite kind of French fry? 

Decades ago at the old Dairy Queen in Honokaa, Hawaii they used to make their own french fries from fresh potatoes daily. They got the potato and used a machine to slice them into wedgy sticks and then deep fry them. I don't know what made those taste really great, probably using the same oil in the deep fryer daily. Anyway they were the best french fries on Earth and to me still are since it was my Aunt Clara who at one time used to work there, was the person who made those fries. She eventually went on to enjoy a look career as a master chef or something at the Mauna Kea Beach Resort in Kawaihae.

2. Where can you get really good French toast?

Again long ago, I used to like the french toast that were made in the old Woolworth restaurant, especially the one that used to be in Waikiki.

3. What are your feelings about French salad dressing? 

It's okay, I just finished a bottle. I do like Italian and Ranch better.

Citreon

4. What’s something you know how to say in French? 

 Renault, Peugeot, Citroen - car brand names made in France! :)

5. What French films have you seen? 

The most recent one I saw was Betty Blue from 1986. It streams online for free:

http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/betty_blue 

The film is about 2 flawed characters who are trying to make ends meet. The guy is a failed writer, Betty is an eccentric and attractive young woman. Probably rated a strong R or maybe even NC-17. Some strong sexual content.

The first French film that I saw and have always liked is The Red Balloon. From 1956 it is a children's fantasy film about a kid who finds and befriends a red balloon. The balloon in the whimsical, short film is the most colorful object in the story set against a city in post-war France (presumably Paris). Nice technicolor print if you can see it on film. I saw it for the first time in school back in the early 1970s on a 16mm projector screen. Streams for free YouTube.

 

Friday, August 12, 2016

Friday 5 for August 12: Down the Rabbit Hole

1. What was the subject of one of your memorable YouTube holes?

I love YouTube. Lots of free stuff to watch there. Some good, others ridiculously bad, most entertaining.



1. Aviation videos - plane take-offs, landings, in-flight, airports, Hawaii airlines
2. Aviation disasters: Air Crash Disaster and other channels.
3. Russian dash-cam car crash videos - They have some of the worst drivers in the world.
4. Maritime disasters - Titanic, Costa Concordia, Star Diamond, Andrea Doria, Britanic, freighters, container ships, etc.
5. Daily Bumps video blog. Subscribed to several related ones.

2. What was your most recent Wikipedia hole like?

Going deep to find out what happened to the cast of the NBC TV series L.A. Law and then being sidetracked to Star Wars because Jimmy Smits who was Senator Bail Organa is going to have a cameo in the newest feature, Rouge 1.

3. What’s a recipe you got from the internet and actually prepared?  How did it turn out?

Haven't tried any though I am subscribed to Active Beat, a channel on how to prepare healthy meals.

4. What apparently little-known website do you enjoy?

The easy answer here is http://f.riday5.com/ - Come at least once a week to read the questions, maybe answer them and see how other people answered.

5. What apparently popular website can you just not get into?

From this list of popular U.S. based websites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_popular_websites - I don't use the following:

1. Netflix
2. Bing
3. Instagram
4. Microsoft Office.com
5. CNN
6. Whatsapp
7. Microsoft
8. Windows Live
9. MSN
10. Reddit

Friday, August 5, 2016

Friday 5 for August 5: The Force Which Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower

From Scrivener's Friday 5 site:

"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses."

At the premiere of last year's The Force Awakens.

1. When did you last have to force your way into something?

A few years ago getting into crowded public hearings at the State Capitol.

2. What’s something you’ve recently used physical force on?

Pounding nails to join pieces together while building a shelf. Also on occasion, opening a jar for myself or my friend.

3. What was the last food you had to force down your throat?

Nothing recently that I can think of.

4. When did you last have to force a smile or a laugh?

When my friend says something that is supposed to be funny but I don't get it, or did not hear it correctly.

5. What are the best and worst things about the Star Wars movies?

Best things about the Star Wars movies:

1. The very first two movies in the series, Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980) in their entirety are the best of the series, especially if you can watch them as originally made.



2. Consistency with the music soundtrack / scoring throughout the entire series of main movies, thanks to John Williams. I am skeptical about the upcoming Rouge 1 movie that will not include new music from John Williams.

3. Going back to a more organic look and feel in The Force Awakens. It is everything a sequel to the original trilogy should be and in some instances better than Return of the Jedi. Way less CGI in this movie is great!

4. The fact that in the new sequel trilogy J.J. Abrams and hopefully future directors and producers do not include overly cute kiddie characters like the Ewoks. Keeping focus on being more adult oriented vs. being a kids flick.

5. Fan anticipation building up to the release and premiere of new Star Wars movies. It is always exciting to go to the theater on the first day one of these movies comes out.

6. Getting rid of George Lucas after he made a mess out of the prequel movies. George, you got your $4 billion. Don't complain. Disney owns everything now.

Worst Things About Star Wars:

1. Jar Jar Binks

2. Messing up the original 3 trilogy movies by inserting new CGI scenes into them. I like the fact that they digitally cleaned up the prints from the original 70mm films (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi), but adding in some of the new CGI backgrounds, monsters, characters, and music were not needed. The American Film Institute as I recall are opposed to the changes George Lucas made to these movies in the 1990s just because there was computer technology and he could. Many fans don't like this either. Unavailability of getting the original trilogy as released in 1977 - 83 on home video (DVD, BluRay) without the digital edits.

3. Use of too much CGI in the prequel trilogy (Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith) that makes the tech and overall look of the movies way more advanced than the original trilogy stories that come after these. It is one of the reasons why I hated the Star Trek Enterprise prequel TV series to the original series. Prequels should never have tech and a look better than the originals.

4. Replacing Sebastian Shaw's Anakin Skywalker in Return of the Jedi with Hayden Christensen in the final scenes as a result of digital editing nearly 20 years after the original version was released.

5. Trying to market the movie to kids and because of that, dumbing down the stories with goofy characters such as Jar Jar Binks, Ewoks and Sny Snoodles. Too "Muppety".

6. Disney dismissing most or nearly all of the expanded universe TV series, movies, books and games as being "non canon".

7. The Star Wars Christmas Special. Bad and also not legally available on DVD or a stream.

Meesa Kill Alex
Aack!


Friday, July 29, 2016

Friday 5 for July 29: Neither Here nor There

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog:

"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below, so we will all know where to check out your responses.  Please don’t forget to link us from your website!"



1. What’s something you have a love-hate relationship with?

Apple in general, my various Macs. Overall I love them, but like any other computer they do act up (I hate freezing; watching that miserable beach ball spin) and sometimes crash. I also don't like it when your Mac can no longer take software updates to apps and the operating system! Arrgh. I spent big money for this stuff and I only get 5 years of active support? Something is seriously wrong with this.

After many years of being a dedicated Mac user, a new interloper has come in: Chromebook. Hugely affordable and more secure.

I don't do Windoze.

2. What’s an issue you’ve teeter-tottered on?

Net Neutrality: Still not convinced one way or another. Some days I hate it and others I like the idea.

3. What was the topic of your most memorable back-and-forth with someone?

Recently the state of my health.

4. In personal and professional relationships, which end of the give-and-take do you seem to do more of?

It depends on the issue.

5. Which of your recent days was the most up-and-down?

The hours, days and a few weeks after heart bypass surgery. Certainly a downer when you have a heart attack, and then they cut you up. The road to recovery is slow and painful at the beginning. But now I can say that I feel better than I did more than 6 months ago.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Friday 5 for July 22, 2016 - (Im?)potent Potables

From Scrivener's Weekly Friday 5 site:

1. What's your favorite beverage that has chocolate in it?

Hot chocolate with whipped cream topping.

2. What's your favorite non-citrusy fruit drink?

#1 - Guava Juice #2 - Pineapple Juice

3. What's your favorite mention of a drink in song?



"Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" from late 1979 by songwriter and singer, Rupert Holmes. It's a great romantic story song and to me quite a flip for this guy who years earlier in 1971 wrote the song "Timothy" for the rock group, The Buoys which is about guys trapped in a mine and eating their dead co-worker.

1. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
2. Summer Wine - Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood
3. All the Tea in China - Susan Jacks
4. Toast and Marmalade For Tea - Tin Tin
5. There's a Tear in my Beer - Hank Williams & Hank Williams Jr.

4. Roy Rogers, Arnold Palmer, and Shirley Temple are among people who have mixed drinks named after them.  What would a drink named after you contain, and what would each of the ingredients represent?

I don't think anyone would want a drink with my name attached to it. Certainly my drink would be non-alcoholic and contain water as one of its ingredients... Can't think anything else that I would add to it... water is pure as one can get.

5. Besides milk and cookies (cause thats really too easy), what are a food and drink that you must have together?

For 99% of the time, I only drink water. In recent years I have severely cut back on juices and carbonated sugary soda drinks... re: no more Pepsi. I don't do alcoholic drinks either... so the answer to this question is water.... water... and water!

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Friday 5 for July 15 - Tubular

"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses.

Please don’t forget to link us from your website!

In honor of this week’s Emmy nominations."

Love TV even though I cut my cord in 2011.

1. What TV series have you watched every episode of?

I have watched every episode of the following:


- Babylon 5 (1994 - 1998 / Again on DVD 3x)
- Battlestar Galactica [re-imagined] (2000 - 2004 / DVD)
- Breaking Bad (DVD / online)
- Crime Story (1986 - 1988 / Again on DVD)
- Doc Martin (2000s - 7 seasons / all online)
- The Prisoner (1967? - all episodes online)
- Star Trek Classic (1966 - 1969)
- Star Trek The Next Generation (1987 - 1994)

2. What are your favorite instrumental and vocal TV theme songs?

Top 5 Instrumentals:



1. Hawaii Five-0
2. Star Trek The Next Generation
3. The Avengers
4. The X Files
5. Miami Vice

Top 5 Vocal Themes



1. Gilligan's Island - the best sing-a-long TV theme ever!
2. Cheers
3. The Beverly Hillbillies
4. Runaway - Del Shannon (Adapted for Crime Story)
5. Searchin' My Soul - Vonda Shepard (Aly McBeal)

3. What’s a TV series you stuck with even when it got bad?

- The X Files: First 6 seasons were great then it slowly deteriorated.
- LOST - I was lost at times trying to follow this; the ending was lame.
- L.A. Law - Slowly went downhill as original cast members left the show.

4. What supporting TV character would you like to have seen featured in his or her own spinoff?  If you’re feeling creative, what would be the premise of that series?



- "The Adventures of Lyta and Gkar" - characters from Babylon 5 who left the station and became travel companions.
- "Rebuilding a Fallen Empire" - Emperor Vir Cotto's story after the death of Londo Mollari (in Babylon 5)

5. What is the single funniest moment on TV you have ever seen?

Can't single one out, but several are memorable. Don't know if they are the funniest.

- George Castanza - "It's shrinkage" (Seinfeld)
- George Castanza - "You can't drive it in head first!" (The Parking Space - Seinfeld) - my favorite episode
- The Soup Nazi - "No soup for you" with Elaine (Seinfeld)
- Bapu - "Very bad man, I open Pakistani restaurant... where are the customers?" (Seinfeld)

 OK. yes, I watched a lot of Seinfeld but I cannot say I saw them all.

Funniest tragic moment on TV: Rosalyn Shays on L.A. Law - Going down......



Friday, July 8, 2016

Friday 5 for July 8: Food Pyramid


Friday 5 for July 8: Food Pyramid

"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses.

Please don’t forget to link us from your website!"

I premise answering this by stating that I have had to cut back on a lot of different types of food since I had heart bypass surgery. And since this blog entry is about health, I am also cross posting it to my Bypass Avenue blog. I had to change my lifestyle as to not eat out very often, especially at plate lunch places and other fast food restaurants. For most of my life I was a junk food junkie until it almost cancelled out my entire existence.

1. What constituted your most recent six to eleven servings of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta?

Recently Cheerios cereal but also Corn Chex, Rice Chex and Quaker Oats oatmeal. Multigrain bread, English Muffins, Minimal scoop per meal (not always since I had to cut back) of brown rice.

2. What constituted your most recent three to five servings of
vegetables?

Eat a lot of veggies every day. Most recently - Onions, Zucchini,
Broccoli, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Carrots, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Manoa Lettuce - Eat most just raw/fresh, other times cook with protein food such as fish or chicken, or just boil / steam them - like broccoli and carrots.

3. What constituted your most recent two to four servings of fruit?

Strawberries, Kiwi Fruit, Orange, Banana

4. What constituted your most recent two to three servings of yogurt, milk, or cheese?

2% Low Fat Milk or Skim Milk. Avoid cheese.

5. What constituted your most recent two to three servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, or nuts?

Salmon, Saba Fish, Ahi so far this week. Salmon is my favorite.

I like nuts but can't eat them all the time.

By the way - Pepper is the new salt!

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Friday 5 for July 1: Ten Years!


From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog. Happy 10th Birthday!

1. How long would it take you, via the quickest means available, to get to the place of your birth from where you are right now?

Driving from my place to Honolulu International Airport - About 15 minutes in light traffic.

Arrive at airport one hour before flight time, check-in and all that - 90 minutes.

Flight to Hilo International Airport on Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 - 50 minutes approx. gate to gate.

Drive to my sister's place in Honokaa - 50 minutes.

So let's add this up: About 3.5 hours travel time to get to my hometown and childhood home.


2. If a traveling food show were to visit your neighborhood, what are some unique, regional foods it would spotlight, and where would it go to get them?

While not exactly a traveling food show, our neighborhood has about 4 or 5 lunchwagons parked on several of the side streets in the area. They are "traveling food shows" in the fact that they have plate lunches, bentos and drinks for sale. Most of them sell popular ethnic foods which is quite common in Hawaii.

3. When were you last in ocean waters?

Got my feet wet last month walking along Waikiki Beach. I live about a mile away at the closest point.

4. What disposable item do you almost never use because you greatly prefer the non-disposable version?

In the 1990s and early 2000s I would have to say cameras since I always preferred a regular camera over the cardboard disposable ones. Today you can hardly find a disposable camera around.

5. What's the schwag that's physically closest to you right now?

I don't go to enough events to get any promotional items. I guess the annual car show is the one I have gone to in recent years where I have picked up brochures, free bags and other small items. The best schwag I get from them is a free yearly Motor Trend magazine subscription just to fill out the annual survey online.

Photo: Mamane Street in Honokaa, Hawaii.


Friday, June 24, 2016

Friday 5 for June 24: Scattergories Part 6

What random letter was generated by the online random-letter generator (this doesn’t really count as one of your five questions)? R

1. What brand or model of car, whose name begins with the letter, would you like to get?

R is for Rolls Royce. Nothing but the finest for this letter!

2. What summer activity, whose name begins with the letter, are you looking forward to?

Rest and relaxation though I do that year round.

My 4 radios + Rolls Royce: iPod Touch, Insignia, Alcatel, Sony.

3. What’s an item in your desk whose name begins with the letter?

Radio!

4. What’s something, whose name begins with the letter, that you find frightening?

ROACHES! The Big B-52 ones that walk upside down on the ceiling and fly toward you when you try to kill them. Yuck!

5. If you had to get a tattoo on your upper arm, what’s something whose name begins with the letter that you could live with?

I'm not a tattoo kind of a guy but if I got one showcasing the letter R, I guess it would combine a Rolls Royce with a Rose... then you got a Rose Royce... oh that was a disco group from 1976.



Have a great weekend folks!

Friday, June 17, 2016

Friday 5 for June 17: A Week of Good Behavior


I am blessed to be alive and share God's gifts with you.

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog: "Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses.  Please don’t forget to link us from your website!"

1. What’s the dumbest thing you did this week?

Skipping my daily walk.

2. In what way did you save yourself time or energy this week?

Usually walking to the nearby places that I shop at. Saved energy by not using the car.

3. How were you wasteful of personal and natural resources this week?

Sometimes I flush 2 or 3 times per session.

4. When this week did you take advantage of the opportunity to keep your mouth shut?

When I am with my friend Daniel, I avoid the subject of rail. He is strongly pro-rail, I am anti-rail. Best not to bring it up if we want to preserve our friendship.

5. In what way this week were you blessed or fortunate?

After my heart surgery nearly 6 months ago, I am blessed to be alive each and every day. Plus God gives us daily natural gifts to enjoy -- flowers, sunshine, sunrises, sunsets, the moon, stars and more.


Friday, June 10, 2016

Friday 5 for June 10: Drama

Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5! Please copy these questions to your webspace. Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses. Please don’t forget to link us from your website!



1. What was the last stage play you saw?

"Camelot" at the Army Community Theater in Fort Shafter 10+ years ago.

2. Which film genres do you like most, and which least?

Top 5 film genres:

1. Science Fiction
2. Fantasy
3. Action / Adventure
4. Drama
5. Comedy

Least: Pornographic

3. Why do some people seem always to have some kind of drama in their lives, while others apparently have very little?

A lot of the drama has to probably do with cost of living issues, drug use, disease, anxiety, unemployment, etc. It depends on how people live their lives.

4. One element of classic tragedy is the hero’s tragic flaw.  What’s yours?

Fear

5. What are some lines of a play’s or film’s dialogue you can recite from memory?

"We aren't in Kansas anymore"

"Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!"

"I am your father"...

"Join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son"....

"There is another ... sky..walk...er"

 OK that's 4 of them. Not very good at line memorization.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Friday 5 for June 3: WordPlay

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog:


"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses.

Please don’t forget to link us from your website!"

1. What’s a five-letter word describing the day you had today?

Sunny

2. What’s a six-letter word, ending with N, describing your plans for the weekend?

nothin

3. What seven words describe the last in-person conversation you had?

Helpful, hopeful apologetic rebuilding a lasting friendship.

4. How would you make an acrostic of the letters in SUMMER to describe your hopes for the summer?

Standing, waiting for the sunrise;
Understanding that clouds may block the sun.
My camera and I, we'll patiently wait;
Momentarily the sun peaks from behind...
Eureka! I press the shutter, take the shot.
Ready for the next image of summer to pop.

-- by Me! :)

5. What three rhyming words describe your most recent vacation?

Distant evident displacement

Friday 5 Extra - 26 Things About Me

Twenty-six things about me...



A- Age: old
B- Biggest fear: B-52 cockroaches, drowning, large earthquakes, severe inflight turbulance
C- Current time: 4:27 a.m.
D- Drink you last had: Water
E- Every day starts with: What time is it?
F- Favorite song: Too many to mention here.
G- Ghosts, are they real?: Skeptical about that but I'd believe if I got a photo of one.
H- Hometown: Honokaa
I- In love with: Cameras, Vinyl Records
J- Jealous of: Ugly guys who got a cute girl
K- Killed someone?: Nope.
L- Last time you cried? When my Mom died.
M- Middle name: "Ah" as mistakenly made by computers all the time.
N- Number of siblings: 3
O- One wish: Get tons of money
P- Person you last called: A friend
Q- Question you're always asked: How do you do this on the computer?
R- Reason to smile: I woke up, I'm still alive.
S- Song last sang: Hi Hi Hi with the Paul McCartney & Wings record
T- Time you woke up: 3:30 a.m.
U- Underwear color: white
V- Vacation destination: Molokai?
W- Worst habit: Swearing
Y- Your favorite food: The good stuff my doctor tells me I should not eat.
X- X-Rays you've had: Chest, teeth, arm
Z- Zodiac sign: Fish.

Cut and paste this post to your blog and of course place your own answers to these questions.... will ya?

Friday, May 27, 2016

Friday 5 for May 27: Good and Bad

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

Today's Waikiki Sunset
The pleasant warm weather in Hawaii is usually lovely.

1. What’s good and what’s bad about the weather lately?

Good - Here in Honolulu our weather is like 97% good. Clear sunny skies usually, light trade-winds, and an occasional shower or two.
Bad - The pleasant weather comes at a price - high humidity, heat.. which means running the AC in house. That can add to the price of your electricity bill. Otherwise the only really bad weather we have is the rare hurricane with destructive winds exceeding 75 mph.

2. What’s something that’s so bad it’s good?

I like old sci-fi B-movies. Those films had a lot of anti-nuclear paranoia or alien invasions in their story lines, most of them produced on a shoestring budget.

Some of my favorites include "Angry Red Planet", "Panic in the Year Zero", "Reptilicus", "Island of Terror", "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes",  "The Time Travelers", and "Crack in the World". From the horror genre, "Monster in the Closet", "Ssssss!" and "Night of the Living Dead" (the original 1968 movie).

3. What’s something that used to be bad but now is good?

Can't think of anything. Bad is bad, and good is good.

4. What are some of your pet words for very bad and very good?

Very Bad - "Oh shit", "crap", and of course "fuck" which is used in a variety of ways.
Very Good - "Cool", "Nice", "Love It, "Good, goood" and pretty much anything else that projects a positive feeling.

5. What’s your favorite song by Bad Company (or Good Charlotte, if BadCo isn’t your style)? *

BAD COMPANY - When I look at my iTunes music plays I have to say "Shooting Star". It has the most plays from all their songs. There are others that I also like including "Can't Get Enough," "Feel Like Making Love", "Bad Company" (album link), "Silver Blue and Gold", "Young Blood" (album link) and "Rock n Roll Fantasy".... yep pretty much stuff from their albums of the 1970s. Lost track of the band in the 80s.



BADFINGER - "Baby Blue" (always loved this song from way before Walter White met his fate), "Flying" (B-side of "Baby Blue"), "Day After Day", "Without You" (this is the original; later covered by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey), "Come And Get It" (money!), "Perfection" and "No Matter What". They may have been "the next Beatles".

BENNY GOODMAN - I have a few tracks from him but can't remember the titles.

BAD BRAINS - I remember when some of their songs were played on Radio Free Hawaii... not really my cup of tea. Can't even name one song.

"Thanks for participating, and have a goooooooood weekend, and all the world will love you just as long as you are a shooting star!"

Friday, May 13, 2016

Friday 5 for May 13: How Did You Learn That?

Student Driver

"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses.

Please don’t forget to link us from your website!"

1. How did you learn to throw a ball?

From my Dad, neighborhood friends and school.

2. How did you learn to drive?

My Dad started teaching me how to drive at around age 8 and 10. We had/have a big place to drive without hitting anything. So I first learned to drive a 1960 Willys Pick-Up truck and later a 1967 International pick-up truck. When it came time for getting my driver's license, my Mom led me through most of that process (learner's permit) using her 1972 Chevelle. It was fun. Still is when there is no traffic.

3. How did you learn to swim?

Add me to the statistic "living on an island, not knowing how to swim".... how bad is that? Next....

4. What is the most recent thing you learned how to do from an online tutorial?

Learning how to sew on a button!

I also keep referring back to a couple of Unix tutorials when I forget how to do something in the terminal shell and also to the one on how to eject a stuck CD or DVD from your MacBook Pro. I find the terminal command to be the most useful in getting a stubborn one out: drutil eject


5. How did you learn most of your social etiquette?

I credit my Mom with teaching us good table manners. Back in the day we all ate at the dinner table as a family, and this is where, as kids we learned how to eat, behave and which fork was for the salad, which one was for the entree, etc. These are good skills to know especially after you grow up and get into situations where you just need to know this, like at corporate functions.

In the larger scope of other social etiquette skills I learned from school, church, friends and other sources of information.

Friday, May 6, 2016

Friday 5 for May 6: Dexterity


"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5!  Please copy these questions to your webspace.  Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses.

Please don’t link us from your website!" (?????)

1. How skilled are you with a chef’s knife?

I can adequately cut my vegetables, fruit, and proteins for lunch and dinner. That's it. What the heck is a "chef's knife"? I just use the cheap knife I got from Walmart.

2. How skilled are you with chopsticks?

I am a disgrace to my partial Asian heritage. I am all thumbs with chopsticks. No coordination. I can't even play it on the piano!

3. How skilled are you with a hammer?

I can pound a nail in 90% of the time without bending it or hitting my fingers. I am an expert in destroying things with a hammer... where's that old PC laptop?

4. How skilled are you with a corkscrew?

I don't drink alcoholic beverages so given that some of these things come with corks, the question does not apply to me since I do not use one.

5. How skilled are you with a needle and thread?

After watching a video of someone teaching me how to sew a button on, I can safely say that I can do that without stabbing myself.