Friday, December 14, 2018

Friday 5 for December 14: I Spy



1. How do you feel about candy sprinkles (on ice cream, doughnuts, cupcakes, or whatever)?

They make sweets and desserts look more appetizing, but do they really add to the flavor? Perhaps but it depends on the amount of sprinkles that are on the item. Mild sugar on top of plenty of sugar.

2. Where’s a good place to look at Christmas lights?

I don't go out and stalk neighborhoods for Christmas lights, but here in Honolulu, I have to say the annual Honolulu City Lights display at city hall remains a perennial favorite. You have to stop by and walk around the entire area to get a good look at it all. Some of the best lighted displays are inside the city hall building itself.

3. What’s a good idea for a drive-through service or product that doesn’t yet exist?

Here's some that will never happen: Drive through voting, drive through driver licensing renewals, drive through art museum, drive through grocery shopping, drive through bookstore, drive through record store, drive in church. Some probably have been tried, and if so, I am not aware of them. Hey how about drive in movies??? Hehehe. Too expensive these days.

4. How confident a parallel parker are you?

Next to uncontrolled left turn lanes at intersections, I generally try to avoid parallel parking unless I really have to.

5. How much plaid do you own?

Currently nothing. Long time ago I had a plaid long sleeve flannel shirt.

Questions generated from Scrivener.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Friday 5 for November 23: The Game’s Afoot

Oops... I forgot to publish this post... so from last week now, the Friday 5 questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 site are now here:



1. Where’s a nice place to take a walk?

Since I live in Hawaii, just about anywhere near the ocean or out in the country will provide a nice place to walk.

2. What do your everyday shoes look like nowadays?

Old and worn.

3. What separates a good pedicure from a bad one?

Cost - For free I cut my own toenails. Going to one of those pedicure places are 1. usually for women and 2. represent a 100% increase in cost from my free option.

4. When did you last go for a hike?

It's been ages.... actively last was in the 1980s.... otherwise most recent was in 1999... and maybe a short one on the Big Island in 2005 (Volcano) and 2015 (near Pu'ukohala Heiau)



5. What’s a good song with the word “walk” in its title?

My Top 5:

1. The Walker - Fitz & the Tantrums
2. Walk of Life - Dire Straits
3. Walking on Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves
4. Walk This Way - Aerosmith
5. Walk Out in the Rain - Eric Clapton


Friday, November 16, 2018

Friday 5 for November 16: Ice Is Forming on the Tips of My Wings

The following questions are from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

It's time to de-ice those wings before the plane crashes!

Hawaiian Airlines N580HA

1. How do you feel about passengers riding in front of you reclining their seats?

I hate it. Some airlines have done away with reclining seats.

2. What single aspect of airplane flight do you dislike the most?

Top 10 things I dislike about airline flights.

1. Severe Turbulence (but in general turbulence)
2. Cost (ticket prices, bag fees, change fees, etc.)
3. Bad weather (rainy, windy, stormy, worst on night flights)
4. Weird people/person seated next to you
5. People who leave their window shade down
6. The seat in front of you reclined all the way back
7. Lack of legroom on some planes
8. Sharing the cabin with dogs
9. Crying screaming babies / unruly kids
10. Loud groups of people

Pre-flight: I hate long TSA lines, some airlines that require check in with a stupid app, malfunctioning kiosks, premium clubs, high prices

Post-flight: Lost bags, missed connection, and hopefully not - crash landing!

3. What was your longest flight on an airplane?

I rarely travel, but as I recall the longest flight for me was when I was much younger.. Pan Am Boeing 707 jet from Honolulu to Seattle.

4. What’s your favorite way to pass the time on a long flight?

1. Listen to music on my iPod or other portable device.
2. Listen to an audio book or podcast
3. Watch videos
4. Read book or magazine
5. Take photos from my window seat (prefer window)

I rarely do any of the above since most flights I take are well under 40 minutes long. Spend more time at the airport doing the above things.

5. What are the best and worst things you’ve eaten on a plane or in an airport?

Best thing eaten in an airport: Yummy Korean BBQ plate.
Best thing eaten on a plane: So long ago I can't remember.

Worst thing eaten in an airport: Nothing really bad, but the worst thing is the amount of money they charge for airport food! Ugh! Expensive!

Worst thing eaten on a plane:  While not worst, peanuts seem to reflect the frugality of the airline industry at least back in the day... now you just eat air! (re: nothing).

Friday, November 2, 2018

Friday 5 for November 2: After ‘Im

These questions come from Scrivener's Weekly Friday 5 blog.

Save That Loose Change

1. What improbable feat did you pull off this week?

I survived with very little money for another week.

2. What will you do immediately following your completion of this post?

Eat my breakfast, prepare a short fact sheet for a client on how to back photos up to Google.

3. In what way is your life lately imbalanced?

My finances... way under balanced.

4. What recent impulse purchases have you made?

In my tight financial situation, I do not have the luxury to make impulsive or wasteful purchases. No concerts. No movies. No eating out. No new records or CDs. No Amazon. No nothing. Just concentrate on the basics. Life currently sucks.

5. What immature behavior have you displayed recently?

No disclosure.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Friday 5 for October 26: Not Shaken

Getting Ready for Veteran's Day

1. When are you the straw that stirs the drink?

I can't picture this. I don't stir drinks. I only drink water.

2. Who has delivered the most stirring rendition of your country’s national anthem?

I like this version of "The Star Spangled Banner" by the group Madison Rising:



Stand for the flag. Honor our country. God Bless America.


3. Who or what is stirring in your vicinity?

Rail. Development in my neighborhood. Higher Taxes. Do I need to say more??? I hate the rail.

4. What do you like and dislike in a stir-fry?

Like: Chicken, beef, salmon, a wide variety of veggies, lots of onions, seasoning, pepper, side of rice and maybe a scoop of mac salad.

Dislike: Grease, salt (not supposed to consume too much of it).

Steamed Stir Fry Salmom
My salmon stir fry. Yum.

5. How do you deal with feeling stir-crazy?

I have the ability to put things in their boxes, so whatever is driving me nuts, I try to put away and not deal with it. Find a distraction like movies, video, book or podcast to divert attention.... go for a walk... go outside.

Questions are from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

Friday, October 19, 2018

Friday 5 for October 18: Social Capital

We're having a Christmas preview sale. 


1. Who or what keeps hanging around? 

Taxes, cockroaches and rail. All similar irritants to my life.

2. When was something most recently injected into you? 

I got a flu vaccine shot on October 15. I am "protected" for another season.

3. What were you most memorably the chair person of? 

Currently marketing director, "webmaster" and newsletter editor for Assistance League of Hawaii. It is an all volunteer task. I need a similar job that pays. Anyone want to help out with our blog?

4. When did you last gamble on a decision, and what was at stake? 

I had to decide whether or not I would be cut open for heart bypass surgery in December 2015. Life was at stake. They make you sign forms before that happens.

5. Where will you be heading this weekend? 

Home after I do whatever it is I do this weekend. Not going anywhere special. Mostly I stay home.

Questions from Scrivener's weekly Friday 5 blog.



On cell phones from last week: I have been contemplating about whether or not I should get rid of my landline. Hmmmm.....

Friday, October 12, 2018

Friday 5 for October 12: Again or Not Again

The following questions come from Scrivener's weekly Friday 5 blog.

3 Device Comparison

Left to Right: Apple iPod Touch, Alcatel Smartphone, Samsung Galaxy J7 phone. I like the Androids because they have removable batteries.

____________________

1. What is the story behind one of your scars?

I had a heart attack. I had major bypass surgery. There is a gigantic scar going down the middle of my chest. You don't want one of these. Believe me. You can read more about it at my Bypass Avenue blog.

2. What’s an example of your being pretty much like everyone else?

Top 5 reasons I am similar to most everyone else.

1. Part of the species "Homo Sapien".
2. Breathes oxygen every minute and second of my life.
3. Drinks water of which make up 70+% of our bodies.
4. I have a head, 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 2 arms, 2 hands, 2 legs and 2 feet.
5. I walk on 2 legs in an upright position.

3. What’s an example of your being pretty much unlike everyone else?

I am the only one in the world that is uniquely me. I am one of three surviving siblings of my Mother and Father. No one else can claim this.

4. Of websites you look at daily (or almost daily), which have you been paying attention to longest?

In order of the years I joined or made part of my daily online routine:

1995: Yahoo / Yahoo Mail - Way back then they were the big default search engine and first free email address service. While I rarely use Yahoo itself, I still regularly access my Yahoo email.

1996: Honolulu Star Advertiser (previously Honolulu Star Bulletin until 2010) - Daily local newspaper. Liked it better when it was all free, but now they have a paywall, way too many ads, auto-playing videos. Boooo! Still enough free content for at least a daily skim.

1998: Google - Yep, started using this search engine that early. Use it daily, despite Google's creepy tracking (see Gmail below).

2004: Gmail - When someone told me about Gmail I got onboard pretty fast. It is my daily driver for checking personal email as well as alternative accounts that I have created over the years. Plus a ton of other services connected to my Gmail account are used very regularly: Google Photos, Google Play, Google Music, YouTube, Google Docs, Google Chromebook OS, Android, etc.

Surely Google gets a lot of our personal information in return for the "free" services they provide... but since they have been doing it since the start of time... well I guess I must not have a problem with it, even though some of their things are kind of creepy in so far as they track practically your every move.

2004: HawaiiThreads.com - Was once a popular online, web based BBS community with a Hawaii focus. It is still maintained today despite user participation lagging for many years now, thanks mainly to Facebook. In its early years HawaiiThreads was often a toxic community where heated arguments on many subjects often exploded with people being banned and features taken away.

Today thanks to Facebook and other user curated social media services, we can be more selective in what we want to see and do as far as online communities go.

I still check into the place since I am one of the co-moderators with not much moderating to do today.

2006: Twitter - I still check in daily and post occasionally. Not much to say here except it has devolved into extreme partisan rants from both sides or mostly a lot of self promotion by various organizations.

2008: Facebook - Joined this thing to keep in touch with relatives and distant friends. I think I spend way too much time on it reading and posting to my own newsfeed as well as many other individuals and groups that I belong to. It is mostly a good place to be if you want to associate with like minded people on a variety of subjects... re: vinyl record collectors, LowEnd Mac users, Babylon 5 fans, 1970s music fans, Old Hawaii memories, Trump supporters, etc., etc.

Surely Facebook is just as creepy as Google in so far that they collect even more information on what you do in return to providing a "free service". Facebook is the "shopping mall" of all websites since more than 2.8 billion people are there and its reach seems infinite. It is a great platform in which to launch and maintain campaigns whether it be politics, a non-profit or a business.

Facebook and Google are two of the web's largest central points where the masses gather. Your blog, your business website are just on the outer fringes of the internet universe. You have to use Facbeook to connect to your audience and let them be aware of your blog and site because in the far reaches beyond Pluto on the internet, you are next to impossible to find.

2011: YouTube - I cut my cable TV cord in 2011 and have for the most part made YouTube the central service to most of my "TV" news, information and entertainment needs. And most of it is all free to use. It is good if your tastes are not for mainstream network programming and you don't want to pay for TV channels or services with crappy shows.

5. What’s something you wish a smartphone was capable of?

For many years I resisted getting a cell phone. I hated the plans that early cell phone users had to endure and I hated the thought of people bothering me when I am away from home. Generally I am not a phone talking kind of person. I find most phone calls annoying.

That said, I reluctantly became a cell phone user in mid 2014 after my Mom fell ill and was hospitalized. In 2015 the Alcatel smart phone that I had saved my life as it allowed me to call 911 when I was having my heart attack (see question #1 above). I probably would have been dead if I could not call the ambulance that early December morning.

Since that time I was forced to upgrade to a newer cell phone model as the service I was with (MOBI PCS) completely changed their network which rendered all of their gear obsolete in one fell swoop on a single day (we had several months notice of this).

I was angry because till today, that Alcatel phone still works fine. Trouble is it cannot connect to anything except for 911 service since it has vendor lock on the old MOBI PCS service.

So I rebelled and dumped MOBI and went to T-Mobile. So in 2016 I bought a Samsung Galaxy J7 smartphone. It's Android and it is not top of the line. At $239 (new cost), it was good enough. I still do not like phone calls, but as an internet device, it is mostly stable, and in reality a decent portable computer and camera for what it really is.

That said, the things I mention below are available on some but not all smartphones.

1. Vendor unlocked: Next time if I have to get another smartphone I will make sure I will get an unlocked model. I have learned a lot about smartphones since I started using them. I hate being tied to a single vendor which doesn't let me move to another one if I got dissatisfied with that vendor.

But then there is also that GSM vs. CDMA thing... and the goofy thing is that the top four major carriers are split between the two phone protocol technologies... AT&T + T-Mobile are GSM. Verizon + Sprint are CDMA. Can you say Beta and VHS all over again? Errrrr!

All phone despite the GSM vs. CDMA thing should be sold unlocked only. Someday hopefully, only GSM will prevail.

2. Removable Batteries: The main reason why I went with Android (besides having a wider variety of hardware to choose from at much lower price points) are REMOVABLE BATTERIES. I like the fact that I can easily buy a $20 battery from somewhere, pop the back of the phone out and easily install the replacement battery much like I do with a flashlight or portable radio.

All phones should have batteries that users can easily replace.

Sadly the trend is moving away from removable battery thanks mainly to Apple and their iPhones. Many of the Android makers copy Apple and they too have created devices with sealed in batteries.

Over the years I have grown to absolutely hate sealed in batteries where it is either totally non-replaceable or you have to spend stupid amounts of money to get someone else to replace them.

I know one of the main reasons manufacturers lie sealed in batteries is because they want to force obsolescence on you and hope that you buy the same type of phone again... and again... and again... I'm looking at you Apple!

I soured on Apple mainly because I had six perfectly fine iPods out of which four still work. However because I cannot run three of the four on battery power because the sealed in battery doesn't hold a charge, and I can't easily replace them. In fact my iPod Touch 4 battery is next to impossible to replace according to iFixIt. It totally defeats the purpose of having a portable device if you cannot easily replace the battery when it dies... because for all other functions, the device works well...

Sadly the iPod Touch completely gave up the ghost because I think the battery is like totally dead and won't even run when connected to the powered dock. Another iPod that I have, the battery swelled up and now I cannot get it out of the iPod. Ugh!!!!

You know I have three Android phones and all three have removable batteries. My 2016 Samsung J7 already went through one easy battery replacement and my original Alcatel phone battery was replaced two years ago. I can use the two older devices on my wifi network to play music, check email and other things that you can do with a smartphone that has full service (except tap into the carrier's data network or make phone calls)....

We pay hundreds of dollars for our portable devices and frankly I expect them to last a long time. Built in obsolescence and non-removable batteries are a disgusting turn-off for me.

If the trend continues and no more phones have removable batteries, I'll either just end using them or go to a cheap "dumb-phone".

3. FM Radio: Several Android devices have FM radios. There is a chip in most of them that allows this. Sadly the carriers in conspiracy with the streaming services don't want to activate the FM chip on many cell phones because they rather have you pay for streaming audio services vs. having to just listen to free FM radio.

I think all smartphones should have an FM radio. The radio industry has been asking the FCC to mandate this because it may be something needed in an emergency situation. Sure, we have text messages, but if the power goes out and the cell system goes down, you need another alternative to get that information. Free radio is one of them.

Sure, I have a couple of portable radios, but today many people don't. That is sad.

Two of my three Android devices have FM radio that I can listen to with headphones or hook into my stereo system or bluetooth speakers.

Apple never had this except on one iPod Nano model which has been discontinued.

I'm sure there are other features that one could ask to be included with a smartphone, but those three are the most concerning to me.

I commend you if you read this entire post. Aloha!




Saturday, October 6, 2018

Friday 5 for October 5: A Garbage Heap of Questions

Garbage Truck

The following is from Scrivener's weekly Friday 5 site.

1. What should be the collective name for accountants?

Bean Counters

2. What should be the collective name for cafe baristas?

Hard workers

3. What should be the collective name for tattoo artists?

Inkmeisters

4. What should be the collective name for people who vape?

Annoying

5. What should be the collective name for people in your profession or hobby?

Competitors

By the way... I don't get the joke. Sorry.

Friday, September 28, 2018

Friday 5 for September 28: Over Under Sideways Down

The following questions come from Scrivener's weekly Friday 5 blog.

Sony Betamax tape out of sleeve

1. What are you so over?

Betamax. VHS tapes. Collecting movies in general. Got rid of plenty of them in the last 2 years. Had to de-clutter my home. Got rid of a lot of DVDs too... though I still maintain a smaller collection of movies I like... However, I am not buying anything new. There are some places that stream movies for free, so there are plenty of old ones I can watch.

I am also so over actually going to the movies in a theater as prices keep on climbing higher and higher. The price of movies are now more than DVDs that you can buy in the bargain bin at WalMart. But again, I am not buying movies. Or TV shows. No time to watch em all.

The only movie I plan to see in the next year or so is "Star Wars 9".... whatever the the title is.... that is next year... and after that, I will call it a day for Star Wars... I am getting way too old to be waiting another six to eight years for another story arc to roll out in the next trilogy.

I'll probably get that one just to finish off my collection of the current Star Wars trilogy. And then I'm done.

Another thing I am totally over is iOS devices. I have an iPod Touch that I bought in 2010. It is an abomination that I cannot easily change out the battery. What I hate is built in batteries! Arrrrgh!!!! So yes, no iPhones for me. You spend hundreds of dollars for the damn things and in 4 to 5 years the battery slowly loses its charge and then dies... and you can't easily replace it like you can with several Android phones and older thicker, dumb phones.... Plus what is this crap about getting thinner all the time!!!! I think I would prefer thick since it is not as fragile as thin. How many of you have dropped and broken your thin smartphone? Or bought a sleeve to make it.... well... thicker? Isn't that stupid?

2. What’s something you’ve got under wraps?

Nothing at this time, and nothing that I would want to publicly disclose.

3. What does it take to get you sideways, and what’s your preferred method?

After looking up the definition of this slang word, I can say that I don't do alcohol... none at all... BTW, I never heard of this as a slang word...

To me sideways meaning turning something vertical to horizontal... like if you are making a video with your smartphone, turn it to landscape mode and shoot it that way. I hate vertical videos.



4. What’s coming down the pike?

Damn fucking ugly rail that I can't escape from paying more taxes on. Arrrrrrgh!!!!!

5. What’s the last thing you read directions for?

Visual Composer which is an extensive module set used for creating pages and content on the WordPress platform. I recently completed transitioning an entire website off another server to a WordPress platform for one of the local, private non-profit organizations. I learned a lot of new stuff with this neat module for WordPress.

I'm sure this thing costs a lot of money, so I think for now I can't use it on my own WordPress sites. I should look into this.



Friday, September 21, 2018

Friday 5 for September 21: “Nine times?” “Nine times!”

The following questions are from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

Kahala Beach Sunrise
1. If you were to play hooky on your next regular work day with no negative consequences, and if you could only spend the day by yourself, what out-of-the-house fun activities would you pursue?

a) Shoot the sunrise
b) Take an early morning walk near the beach
c) Go to either Hoomalahia Park or Lyon Arboretum, take photos because it's been decades since I been to the former and never to the latter. Probably try a hike also to Manoa Falls since I also never been there. Shoot more photos.
d) Back to the beach area to shoot sunset photos.

2. In the same situation, what stay-home fun activities would you pursue?

I'd probably end up on my computer doing stuff most of the day, as it is now... Otherwise I'd spend time listening to the many records I have in my collection or watching some movies on DVD or streaming videos.

3. If you played hooky specifically because someone else needed the time off, who in your life would be your accomplice and what would be first on the agenda?

Lisa and just getting out of the house with her would be the first on the agenda. Going anywhere she wants to and making it a day.

4. When did you last visit a museum, and what item on exhibit impressed you?

OK, my last museum visit was the Pearl Harbor Memorial area. There is a visitor's center / museum there that you can visit. Has ton of stuff about the infamous attack in 1941... and of course the whole thing is free. The highlight of course is the visit to the Arizona Memorial which you can only get there by boat. Sadly the memorial is currently close for long term dock repairs. Last went in 2016.

My favorite museum on the entire island is the Pacific Aviation Museum. Love that place. Try to go whenever there is a free admission day or event.


Iolani Palace Evening
That said, Smithsonian Museum Day is tomorrow. You can get free admission to many museums for that day all across the U.S.A. This year I will probably be visiting Iolani Palace which I last went to about eight years ago. They lifted the no interior photos policy a few years back, so it is a good time to return. Shoot pictures. Yes!

5. What’s something you’ve recently gotten away with?

Not disclosing anything here. Heh!

Boeing N2S-3 Stearman
One of many vintage, military aircraft at the Pacific Aviation Museum.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Friday 5 for September 7: The Whole Trial Is Out of Order!



The following questions are from Scrivener's weekly Friday 5 blog.

1. What’s something in which you took first place?

I was the first in line almost every day in third grade along with classmate Terry Brink in a boy - girl, alphabetical order by last name, daily line-up scheme we had going then. It was always nice to be first out of class and the first to lunch! Then one day the teacher decided to line us up from Z to A.... ugh!

Other than that I used to win music trivia contests on our old top 40 radio station in Hilo, HI. KPUA 970 AM. That was back in the early 1970s.

2. What’s something at which you’d like a second chance?

I already got a second chance on life... hmmmm... perhaps a second chance to visit an aircraft carrier out to sea again or fly in a Boeing 747 jetliner.

3. When did you last feel like a third wheel?

Sometimes at work.

4. What’s to look forward to in the fourth quarter of 2018?

2019!

5. Who had an especially good fifth film, fifth book, or fifth album?

MY TOP 5 5TH ALBUMS BY ARTIST

1. Band on the Run - Paul McCartney (and Wings)
2. Ring - The Connells
3. The Joshua Tree - U2
4. Our Time in Eden - 10,000 Maniacs
5. Help! - The Beatles

My favorite 5th movie in a series (though not in reality)

- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - 5th in the story arc but second in series production.

Can't think of a book that I read where there was a fifth story in the series. I generally avoid long serialized novels which seem to be more prevalent today than before. I like books with a beginning, middle and end, and after it ends... that's it. The End! No more sequels.




The album Ring by The Connells is probably one of my all time favorites from the 1990s. It  contains the hit "74 - 75" which was big in Europe but barely registered in the U.S. The group is from North Carolina.

=======

From last week's comment:

I was always aware of "Time for Me To Fly", but in the greater scheme of things I never truly got into REO Speedwagon except for the Hi Infidelity album. And yes, side 1 is stellar while side 2 is like... ok... there has to be something on the other side of the LP. Heh.

Friday, August 31, 2018

Friday 5 for August 31: Just Wing It

 As usual the questions comes from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

Fly

1. What’s something for which you are waiting your tern?

A better job.

2. What have you lately gone cuckoo for?

Records... though I have always been cuckoo for recorded media. So for like the longest time I did not buy vinyl records. I have a substantial collection which I had to pare down a few years ago. I also pared down my massive CD collection. Funny thing is that I don't miss the CDs very much that I got rid of, but I miss many of the vinyl records I let go. Now I want to get some of them back.

3. What’s got you feeling down?

My close friend's sad financial situation and her depressive state. All she needs is a good paying job that utilizes her incredible writing talent. If you can help contact me. macpro3000@yahoo.com.

4. What’s something you acquired that was unexpectedly cheep?

While not unexpected, I do occasionally run into cheap, used records in very good condition. We're talking vinyl LPs... for 50 cents to a dollar each. I also love it when I find 45s in good condition at under a dollar each.

5. What’s that fowl smell?

$10+ billion Honolulu rail project. Biggest stinking waste of taxpayer money this century.


And with that song, I'm flying the coop!


Friday, August 24, 2018

Friday 5 for August 24: Lyrical Gangsta

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

1. What’s a stupid lyric from a song you like?

I really love the music of Caro Emerald. Way back in 2009 I discovered her on "The 61" website when I stumbled into her song "A Night Like This"... good song.. and I shortly found "Back it Up" on the same site. Both songs were eventually issued to her debut album Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor. Both songs became big hits in Europe but never clicked so much in the U.S.

I bought the album on iTunes and have followed Emerald for the past 10 years or so. She is one of my most played artists on Last FM. Caro is not a native English speaker as she is from Denmark. So I guess when they needed lyrics, non-sensical ones were added into the song... and guess what.. in their own quarky way they work!



Caro Emerald - Back it Up

I can't stop shakin'
The room has a groove and the floor
It's almost earthquakin'
Uhuh
Look what we're makin'
History out on the floor
And it's just awakin'
Uhuh
So get that needle in the core
Scratch that back and gimme more
You know zactly what I came here for
Back it up and do it again
From the middle to the top to the end
Ba dlu dla dlun dloday
Ba dlu dla dlun dloday
Back to the middle to the front to the end
Za dlu dla dlun dloday

Everybody ba dlun dloday
I don't care if he's a friend
From the front to the middle to the back to the end
Back, back, back, back it up (I wanna)
Back, back, back, back it up (I wanna)
Back, back, back, back it up (I wanna)
Back it up and do it again
Back, back, back, back it up (I wanna)
Back, back, back, back it up (I wanna)
Back,

2. What’s a pretty good lyric from a song you dislike?



It is quite funny that through the many songs that pioneering rock n roller Chuck Berry is known for, the guy never had a #1 hit with such stalwart songs as "Johnny B. Goode," "Rollover Beethoven," "Sweet Little Sixteen," or "You Can Never Tell" in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Berry was a huge influence on rock artists such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

In 1972 Chuck Berry finally got a #1 record on the Billboard Hot 100... and it was not a rock n roll song! The novelty hit "My Ding A Ling" was very popular on the radio in the late summer and fall of that year... so much so that it went to the top and annoyed a lot of listeners back then.

I don't exactly hate the song, but it certainly is not on my Top 12,000 or 23,000 of favorite songs... it is far down in the ranks of my 24,000 song iTunes library... but I have it (was included on one of those year by year Billboard Top 10 CDs issued by Rhino Records in the 1990s).

The song goes way beyond the mentioned "my grandmother bought me a cute little toy".... and holds it in a swim across old turtle creek...

In the end he comes up with this....

Hmm, this here song it ain't so sad
The cutest little song you ever had
Those of you who will not sing
You must be playing with your own ding-a-ling

My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!
My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, I want you to play with my ding-a-ling!

Oh, your own, ding-a-ling, your own ding-a-ling, we saw you playing with your ding-a-ling

Yes, the song is NOT a masterpiece but is there to make you snicker and laugh... and well, I am sure that helped Berry with his retirement years later....


3. What’s a good non-Weird-Al-Yankovic lyric about food and drink?

By disallowing Weird Al, I had to go fish in my Doctor DeMento library of food songs... and of course I came up with this classic... lucky it was not animal songs cause I would have given you "Dead Puppies" or "My Dead Dog Rover".... muhahahahaha....  So just "Eat It!"



Barnes and Barnes.... FISH HEADS!

Fish heads, fish heads
Roly-poly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads
Eat them up, yum
Fish heads, fish heads
Roly-poly fish heads
Fish heads, fish heads
Eat them up, yum
In the morning, laughing, happy fish heads
In the evening, floating in the soup
Ask a fish head anything you want to
They won’t answer, they can’t talk
I took a fish head out to see a movie
Didn’t have to pay to get it in
They can’t play baseball, they don’t wear sweaters
They’re not good dancers, they don’t play drums


EAT AT HOME


Paul McCartney and his wife Linda have a pretty good song about "eating" heh... I don't think he's singing about food...

Come on, little lady,
Lady, let's eat at home
Come on, little lady,
Lady, let's eat at home, eat at home, eat at home
Come on, little lady,
Lady, let's eat in bed
Come on, little lady,
Lady, let's eat at bed, eat in bed, eat in bed
Bring the love that you feel for me
Into line with the love I see,
And in the morning you'll bring to me love
Just thought of another one... only people in Hawaii will probably know this... "Filipino Christmas" by Frank DeLima.... "black dog roasting on the open fire" It's a mashup of well known Christmas melodies.



4. What’s a good song lyric to describe your week?

The music more than the lyrics are frantic and somewhat descriptive of my week or even just a day or days, depending on the month. Been having some anxiety lately about the hurricane and feeling not as prepared as I could be... like forgot to buy a bath tub stopper, and they are now all sold out... plus I am working on an online newsletter and the people either send their articles at the last minute or even worst change their articles after I send out 3 proofs and have the thing set up for automatic mailing on Monday.. and now I have to make those changes... not very hard but I like to think when something is done... it is done... move on to the next project...



Billy Joel - PRESSURE

You have to learn to pace yourself
Pressure
You're just like everybody else
Pressure
You've only had to run so far
So good
But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
Pressure

You used to call me paranoid
Pressure
But even you can not avoid
Pressure
You turned the tap dance into your crusade
Now here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure

All grown up and no place to go
Psych 1, Psych 2
What do you know?
All your life is Channel 13
Sesame Street
What does it mean?

I'll tell you what it means
Pressure
Pressure

Don't ask for help
You're all alone
Pressure
You'll have to answer
To your own
Pressure
I'm sure…

5. What’s a good song lyric about inclement weather?

I get frustrated when it is sunny, I am outside... and then it starts to rain... like what the f***??? Of course this weekend I am waiting for BIG RAIN and WIND blowing in from Hurricane Lane. Ugh!



Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen The Rain
The song was also covered by Joan Jett in 1990.

Someone told me long ago
There's a calm before the storm
I know!

It's been comin' for sometime
When it's over, so they say
It'll rain on a sunny day
I know!

Shining down like water
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin' down on a sunny day?

Yesterday and days before
Sun is cold and rain is hard
I know!

Been that way for all my time
'Til forever on it goes
Through the circle fast and slow
I know!

It can't stop, I wonder
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin' down on a sunny day?

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Friday 5 for August 10: Great and Small

Steak and Potato

From Scrivener's Friday 5 of August 10.

1. What’s your favorite large, furry animal? 

Cow... I love them on my plate as steak, nearly well done with potatoes and a salad. Yum! Haven't had a steak in a long time! Hamburgers, barbecue and spaghetti with meat sauce are pretty good too. It is too bad with my health conditions I am not allowed to eat much beef or pork products.

2. What’s your favorite large sea creature? 

Kaiwi, Hawaiian Monk Seal

I'll go with the Hawaiian Monk Seal, since I shot one last year. They're kind of cute and hey... at least I am not eating them, because there are a lot of other sea creatures that I enjoy eating.

3. What’s your favorite insect?

Baby Monarch

Monarch Butterfly and butterflies in general because of the incredible metamorphosis they go through to get from baby stage to flying adult.

4. What are your favorite names for pets you’ve known?

Poof

The one that comes immediately to mind is my sister's cat, Poof (R.I.P.). Poof got her name from when she was a kitten. My sister had a couple of other kittens back in late 1998 when Poof appeared out of nowhere... well at least it seemed. She was a surprise from one of our cousins who gave her the kitten way back when.

Poof lived for a long time. She was a cat with an attitude. My sister loved Poof from the first time she got her to her very last days. That cat and her were always together at home. The cat's attitude was that she was not friendly with most other people. Poof hated my Dad. She was extremely cautious around my Mom. For me, Poof and I slowly got acquainted over the years to a point, she let me pet her and even curled up on my lap or around my feet.

The cat got used to me because she used to sleep above the area on my sister's desk where the desktop PC was. I used the PC a lot whenever I went to the Big Island for a visit, years before I bought a laptop Mac. It was through the use of my sister's PC  that Poof warmed up to me.

Poof lived for a long time... I mean a real long time. She died in early 2017 at age what... 18 or 19... which is a long time for a cat.

Rest in Peace, Poof. You are missed.

5. Besides unicorns, what are some mythical beasts you wish were real?



The first thing that came to my mind were TRIBBLES, one of the cutest mythical furry animals you'll ever meet. Heh... they are great detectors of Klingon spies, so a must on pre-treaty Federation Starships... of course you have to find some way to neuter them which can be difficult since they are born pregnant!

Friday, July 13, 2018

Friday 5 for July 13: The Road to H. E. Double Hockeysticks

Happy Friday the 13th. The following questions are from Scrivener's weekly Friday 5 blog.

Here are the questions and answers:



1. What are some titles in your to-read stack?

Funny thing about books, I tend to read one for several chapters and then skip over to another one before I continue, sometimes much later, finishing up the book I started to read....

Real Books

"Closer to the Light" by Melvin Morse, MD. - in progress
"Madam, Your Daughter is Molting" by Lisa Davidson, a collection of poems - read most but not all
"Radio Revolution" A novel by Sheriff Norm Winter - in progress
"Between the Songs" by Ron Gerber (Crap From the Past radio host / KFAI FM)

Kindle and Google Play Books

Got a bunch there, mostly freebies that I downloaded but haven't gotten around to read yet.

"Cyber Storm" by Matthew Mather - I hope it is not the beginning of a series.*
"Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy
"Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin"
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

Many others, mostly political, scifi or books in the public domain.

Audiobooks

I got so many here that I cancelled by Audible just so I have time to catch up with what I have. I also have a bunch of freebie books saved in my LibriVox library.

Currently listening to:

"Killing the Deep State" by Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. - in progress, about 50% done.

Waiting list but titles in my library:

"Dune Unabridged" by Frank Herbert + the 2 other books he wrote in the long going series. I read the originals in the 1970s. Want to re-read these again. I wonder why this book is unabridged? As I recall the story was long... so what did I get back 40 years ago? A shortened version??? I don't want to think about it.

"This Perfect Day" by Ira Levin
"Hawaii" by James Michener
"The Reagan Diaries" by Ronald Reagan
"Alien: Out of the Shadow" by Tim Lebbon, Dirk Maggs
"Kill Switch" by Jonathan Maberry
"American Sniper" by Scott McEwan, etc.

* Lately I hate reading new scifi books and other modern novels. A lot of them are set up so that they get you hooked to read sequels. Ugh. I want a good book with a great story that has a beginning, middle and end and that's it. No more sequels.... (I did make an exception for the Dune series.... never read "Lord of the Rings" but seen the movies... read "The Hobbit" but did not bother watching the movies... go figure).

2. What are the highlights of this weekend’s to-do list?

I do not make any physical "to do" lists.

3. Which current or upcoming movies are you looking forward to?

Movies are SO EXPENSIVE these days to watch in a theater. I don't keep track of them anymore since I rarely go. I am a big STAR WARS fan, but guess what? I haven't seen the latest installment, SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY. It's probably gone from the theater now.... I will probably watch it someday on DVD or a stream. Sadly, I missed the last installment of the current PLANET OF THE APES trilogy. I haven't gotten the DVD or watched on TV.

The only movie that I am looking forward to doesn't come out until next December 2019....

Drumroll please... STAR WARS 9: WHATEVER IT IS CALLED.... yep... and you know what.. this is the LAST STAR WARS movie that I will pay to see in a theater. It is probably also the last one I will get somewhat excited about. I have no problem with the stories moving forward and all that with new characters. It keeps the series fresh. But at my age, waiting another 9 to 12 years for the next trilogy to play out is probably not very prudent, given my life is about 2/3 over. I am getting older and who knows how long I will be around on Earth.

Lately too, my attention span towards movies or long form entertainment is not as great as before. I don't know why. Anyone want to buy some DVDs from my collection?

4. What’s something you meant to do this past week that will have to wait until next week?

It would be something I did not do this week and put off to next week. If I had to tell you this, the information would not be private. So hence that is known only to me. Sorry!

5. What’s an unfinished project (unrelated to media consumption) you haven’t touched in at least a year?

Clean out my storage locker that is costing me too much money. Need to get rid of 20 to 30 years of negatives and old photos. Should I toss them or give them away? I also have a Mac Plus computer and a bunch of stuff I need to rid of... probably sell.... all kinds of crap in there. I need to downsize even more... though I feel sad to think I got rid of a bunch of records and CDs from my collection a few years ago... The CDs I don't miss but some of the vinyl, I realize now, I do miss.... despite still having about 300 LPs in my current collection.

Clutter.... story of my life sometimes. Ugh.

Lastly if you got this far down in this posting... I'd like to thank everyone and anyone who has read this blog and commented. For about the last 2 years now, I can't reply to comments left on this blog. I don't know what is wrong with Blogger, but under my own or any name, I can't reply to comments.

So Scrivener, in answer to last week's comment... yeah I figured out the items was for trail mix... which I don't buy if it has raisins in them!

And with that,  I am outta here. Bye!

Friday, July 6, 2018

Friday 5 for July 6: Happy ASLIRT

What in hell is ASLIRT? Gonna have to look that one up. OK.. on Google it says ASLIRT "is not a valid Scrabble word".... if it is an anagram then you can get the words TRAILS and TRIALS from it.... so I guess these questions are a trial? I have no idea!

Anyway, from the Friday 5 page by S.

  M & Ms

1. What are your favorite and least favorite nuts? 

My Top 5 favorite nuts:

1. Macadamia Nuts
2. Walnut
3. Cashew
4. Pistacio
5. Almond

Least favorite: Brazil Nuts... they are ok but are a bitch to open and dig the stupid nut out.

2. What are your favorite and least favorite berries? 

Favorite: Strawberry
Least favorite: Probably black berry or anything that is poisonous.

3. What are your favorite and least favorite tropical fruits? 

Favorite: My all time favorite is grapefruit... unfortunately I am prohibited from eating that due to its bad interaction with medication I take. Bummers. Citrus fruits do grow in the tropics, right?

Otherwise #2 would be guava and #3 banana.

Least favorite: I love lemons but I hate lime. Are those tropical? If not I don't really care for papaya.

4. What are your favorite and least favorite varieties of m&ms? 

Best: Stick to the basics... m&m's plain chocolate candy.

Worst: Whatever the stupid new concoction is... did they have a coconut one at one time?

Just checked... they had coconut. Ugh.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%26M%27s#Varieties

Here is a dumb question. Why are M&Ms as a brand name in all caps when the candies themselves have lowercase "m" on them?

5. What are your favorite and least favorite raisin-containing foods?

Favorite: Huh are you kidding. I HATE RAISINS.

Least favorite: Raisin Bran cereal... I like the flakes but I will laboriously pick out those fermented grapes one by one before I pour milk on the darn thing to eat it. Ditto for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Ugh.

Going back to #4, at least M&M / Mars did not make an m&m candy with raisins in them. There have been other ones like Raisinets which I avoid like the plague.

There. Caught up. Done. No more raisins!!!!!!

Friday 5 for June 29: Scattergories, Part 8!

These are the answers to the annual Scattergories Friday 5 questions. So what letter did the "nifty online random-letter generator" give to me this year... Hmmmm.

I wrote most of this post last week but could not decide on question #5.... so here I am one week later answering this.

W!

1. What’s a movie you love whose title begins with the letter?




For the letter "W" this one is easy: The 1953 George Pal science fiction movie of the H.G. Wells story, War of the Worlds. Long long ago when I was a kid, the movie scared me. Over the years I have watched War of the Worlds and have never ceased to marvel at how great the special effects were, especially considering this movie came out when each effect had to be painstakingly produced using stop motion techniques and models. Combined with cool lighting, good acting, an interesting plot, the Martian invasion of Earth looked very scary and convincing. To me this movie is far superior to all other versions that have come out since, including the big budget Steven Spielberg edition that came out in 2005. Needless to say I own this movie on DVD and watch it at least 2 or 3 times a year.

I did read the book which took place in Victoria era Britain.

2. What’s a popular tourist destination whose name begins with the letter?

Waikiki Beach 2008


Um... about a mile away from where I live there is WAIKIKI BEACH and the entire resort area of Waikiki. Yep, it is super crowded there every day, but as far as popularity goes, it is one of the most popular places in Hawaii. To anyone who has not been to Hawaii, come here... spend your money... visit Waikiki and all of the other destinations around our island state.

3. What’s something you do, whose name begins with the letter, when you’re very happy?

In my life I am mostly an "observer" vs. being a "participant" in a lot of things. Usually with a camera around my neck I like to observe and photograph people, places and events. If I had to use the letter W to describe this I would say WATCH stuff...  It is a broad generalization, but I could not think of anything specific to the letter W.

4. What’s a frightening animal whose name begins with the letter? 

I had to look it up here for the letter W. I am going to fudge this one a bit, but my first frightening animal that starts with the letter W is:

GREAT WHITE SHARK

Why? Simple. If given the chance, a Great White Shark can eat you. That doesn't sound like much fun. My solution to not become shark bait is simple: STAY OUT OF THE WATER!

Runners up: White Tiger, Wasp, or any carnivorous animal name that is preceded by the description WILD.... Wild Lion, Wild Cheetah, Wild Leopard, Wild Tiger, Wild Dogs, Wild Snakes, etc. Anything wild that can consume a human being is frightening.

5. Who’s a person you admire whose name begins with the letter?

I can't think of anyone except for maybe George Washington who was the first President of the United States. I am reminded of him every time I pick up a quarter or a dollar to spend.

Friday, June 29, 2018

Friday 5 for June 22: GEAR



Catching up with the Friday 5 here... Gear... one would think I would answer this one sooner... but alas..

1. What kind of specialized equipment do you own for a specific non-electronic hobby or job?

Well I still have my old pica rulers, a reduction scale, exacto knives and blades, scissors, blue pencils, old paper clip art and stick on lettering someplace. Used to use this stuff as a graphic artist back in the 1970s to early 1990s.

2. In what way can this equipment be upgraded or souped-up, and how difficult or expensive would the update be?

It was very expensive but a whole lot better when everything in the graphic arts field was moved to computers. The Macintosh platform was groundbreaking with the introduction of the laser printer with software (Aldus Pagemaker) that allowed people to do all of the old manual graphic arts tasks on a computer. This started in the late 1980s and was complete by the mid 1990s.

3. In your fields of interest, what’s the gear envy like?

Plenty if you are talking about cameras, computers, video and stereo gear. All in that order I guess.

4. What’s something you own the old version of because it’s better than the new version?

Most definitely my two aging MacBook Pros from 2009 and 2011. They are better than the newest models which are hated for their keyboards and the touch-bar that took the place of the f1 to f12 keys. Ugh!

Frankly I think my old Power Mac G4 tower is better than most desktop Macs because it was modular and you could easily go inside them to change and upgrade stuff. Can't do that with most all in one computers (iMac, Mac Minis) that Apple now sells.

Oh I forgot, I still have CDs and plenty of vinyl records. All better than owning only MP3s of the music.

5. What’s a hobby you don’t engage in that intrigues you mostly because of its equipment or tools?

Drone owner and pilot which would combine flying and photography. I have no money to buy one plus there are not too many places to legally fly a drone in the city. Plus there is that learning curve regarding flying... I've read about people crashing their drones and that sounds quite expensive!

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Catching Up With the Friday 5s: June 2018

Magic Island Sunset

Haven't been doing much here, so this at least catches up with the last two Friday 5s. Questions are derived from Scrivener's Friday 5 site.

Friday 5 for June 8: With a Capital T

1. What kind of trouble are you getting yourself into? - Financial

2. What was your most recent car trouble? - Flat tire two months ago, leaking coolant hose

3. What’s a rhyming phrase (such as “work jerk” or “poo shoe”) to describe something causing you problems lately?

This doesn't rhyme but I will go with "cash flow".

4. What’s something that needs loosening or unsticking?

My car antenna is stuck

5. What’s your favorite board game involving rolling dice? -

Monopoly

Friday 5 for June 1: Esprit

"This week’s questions are ridiculous, but I’m dying to read your thoughts.  Someone asked me a few years ago what my spirit animal is, and it’s a fun question to think about, whether one believes in such things or not (I do not).  In this (ahem) spirit:"

I don't have a spirit anything except for perhaps my own soul. Otherwise here goes with the answered questions.

1. What’s your spirit animal? 

None. Certainly not man if you watched the Planet of the Apes movies….
"Beware the beast man, for he is the devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him (drive him back into his jungle lair) for he is the harbinger of death."
2. What’s your spirit tree? None.

3. What’s your spirit food or beverage?

Water - the basic substance we need to sustain life. I try to drink plenty of it every day. We all should do that.

4. What’s your spirit weather phenomenon? - None really, but I like sunny days.

5. What’s your spirit passenger vehicle?

None, but I guess Toyotas seem to last a long time. Nothing spiritual about that.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Friday 5 for May 18: How About a Knuckle Sandwich?

The original Foodland Meal Club card when it first started.


The following questions are from Scrivener's Friday 5 weblog.

1. When did you last punch someone?  Alternate question: When did someone last punch you?

That was probably in 6th grade or even earlier. I can’t remember. I haven’t punched anyone in decades or have been punched since. I try to avoid violent physical stuff.

2. How many of those frequent (whatever) stampcards / punchcards do you have, and which are you most likely to fill and redeem?

Foodland Meal Club card. When you buy a ready made sandwich (knuckles not included) or bento lunch, you get one stamp. Collect 7 stamps and you get a free sandwich or bento. I have used these several times over the years.

3. When have you had a really good fruit punch?

I can’t remember. Since my heart surgery and pre-diabetes diagnosis, I’ve more or less avoided nearly all sugary drinks.

4. What are your thoughts on boxing?

I’m not a fan of sport fighting of any type. Surely boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts, etc. are very popular. They are good for the promoters and pay per view TV networks, I just am not very interested. I have watched a few of the classic fights in the past, but none have moved me to fandom of any type. Overall I am not a sports fan of anything. I enjoyed watching the “Rocky” movies more than the real thing.

5. When do you usually punch in and punch out?

Currently late afternoon early evenings.

This song of course goes synonymous with the "Rocky" movies, the third one in the series:



Friday, May 11, 2018

Friday 5 for May 11: Who Put the Pomp in the Pomp Bah Pomp Bah Pomp



Been a few weeks since I did one of these Friday 5 blog postings. So here goes with my first post for May, 2018.

1. What’s something you remember about your high school graduation?

I attended the graduation for sure and walked the line to pick up my diploma. I think my parents were proud of me... most parents usually are. After graduation, we had a small gathering of my high school classmates and fellow graduates over at my home.

2. If you were asked to speak at a commencement ceremony this year, what would be the theme of your message?

Make America Great Again - It will be good for you and for our country. We need a strong country that is centrally focused on us, while retaining those important, traditional values that have made the United States the greatest nation on earth. Dedicate your lives and work to preserving and supporting our freedoms and the Constitution in all that you do.

Behind Honokaa School

3. What items in your possession are marked with the name or logo of your high school or college?

I have no idea where my high school diploma is. I am sure that has the State of Hawaii seal on it, since I graduated from Honokaa High School in Hawaii. I know I have my diploma stashed away from my college. It's in a file drawer, still in the foldable, red binder or whatever it is called. I think I have some class key or something from Honokaa, but don't know where that is. I was never one to buy trinkets like class rings since I considered them to be a waste of money. I do have my high school yearbooks.

4. What do you expect will be your next rite of passage? 

Well the next major thing will be death! Came close to that in late 2015. Enjoying my reprieve on life so far, but as the years go by the only thing that will be a major rite is passing on hopefully to that realm where the bright light shines ever so white and forever. Otherwise I am doomed.

5. What’s a good movie with a graduation scene, or a good movie with a graduation theme?

I can't think of anything recent since I rarely go to the movies or have seen many new ones (post 2010)..... My vague memory would like to recall the following:

Legally Blonde - Ellie did graduate right? Loved her pink Apple iBook G3. Been a few years since I last saw this comedy.

Back to School - Didn't Rodney Dangerfield's character also graduate? I think he did... this came out in 1986 and was one of two movies out that year that pushed the old Isley Brothers song "Twist & Shout", covered by The Beatles, back to the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year. The other movie with the Beatles song the same year was of course, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

OK those are the only two I can think off right now. I may amend this after I see some of your responses or think of another movie.


Friday, April 13, 2018

Friday 5 for April 13: Aloon Again, Naturally



1. With which Looney Tunes character do you have the most in common?

That is an intriguing question that I would have never applied to myself. While I watched Looney Tunes and its Warner Brothers Inc. related stablemate Merrie Melodies a lot when I was a kid, I never totally related to any of the characters in a personal way. After checking with Wikipedia, there are many, many Looney Tunes characters some of which I don't recall.

Any character that is frustrated with the outcome of whatever situation he or she is in. Often it is Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, and Yosemite Sam. 


2. Who or what are your metaphorical Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote?

Runaway government taxes and spending vs. citizens who just want to stop taxes from increasing and cutting government spending. It is so frustrating.

3. What’s up, doc?

The sky.
The moon.
The planets.
The stars.
The sun.
Birds.
Aircraft.
Spaceships (currently only Soyuz).
International Space Station.
Space probes.
Thousands of satellites and assorted space junk.

4. When did you last hear some opera music?

Just to answer this question I sampled a couple of tracks at this link: 


BTW, Accuradio is a good streaming service that has all kinds of music genres in a countless number of playlists that you can listen to for FREE.

5. What’s a good life lesson you learned from Looney Tunes?

Cartoon violence is funny. It is not harmful to your health. You just have to be able to separate the fiction (cartoons) from fact (your life). Looney Tunes is good entertainment. Th-th-that's all folks!

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5.


Friday, April 6, 2018

Friday 5 for April 6: Welcome to the Terrordome

Did something terrible happen to you? "I’m a frayed knot"... Friday 5....



1. What’s the scariest movie you’ve seen?

When I was a little kid, The Haunting scared both my sister and I. This movie came out in 1963. There wasn't much blood or gore. A group of people are recruited by a scientist to spend time at "Hill House" in New England. Stars Julie Harris. Directed by Robert Wise, whose next move was The Sound of Music.

Runner-up: Jaws... the Steven Spielberg movie from 1975.

2. What most recently startled you?

My bank account!

3. What’s something in your residence that’s frightening?

Nothing really except for the possibility of fire or a 6.0 and higher earthquake. Otherwise we have good security in our building.

4. What kinds of social settings cause you anxiety?

Mostly group settings, parties. Never liked them. I'm not a good mingler. I'm a better observer at these things. For the most part I try to avoid these whenever possible.

5. What’s something you are no longer afraid of?

Death. Came close once. Read up on it, and it doesn't sound too bad, as long as it is not violent and painful. I would not want to die in a plane or car crash, drown in the ocean or be murdered. It's mostly the process. Hopefully once that happens, we can all go to a good place.

Friday 5 for March 30: Waste

Holiday Fallout

From Scrivener's Friday 5, my week late entry....

1. What’s something you unintentionally threw away?

Two years ago, a big bag of a big pile of brand new plastic Don Quijote shopping bags were mistakenly tossed out. These bags were given to me by one of the clerks there as they neared the time when all, free, single-use plastic shopping bags were being phased out because a stupid law would make them illegal for stores to give out. Really, really sad. The clerk was nice enough that she gave me a big bagful of new, unopened plastic bags. This was in mid 2015. A few months into 2016 when my sister and I were doing the big purge of all the clutter in my apartment, somewhere that collection of bags were thrown out.

2. What disgusting memory of garbage do you have?

The terrible smell of rotting garbage comes to mind. More specifically some of the times that I had to clean the fridge out and there was rotting food in the back that I had forgotten about. It is especially disgusting when you have to remove the food from the container it was in. Sometimes it is so bad you just get rid of that dead food along with the container!

3. How are you about deleting emails?

Back in the old days of Eudora when emails used to download into your computer, I used to regularly delete them. Today with several free server based cloud accounts, I don't do this very often. I have email accounts on Google, Yahoo and Outlook which are the major ones. There are thousands of emails on my main Gmail account, many unopened. Up to last year there were tens of thousands on Yahoo, but after I was aware of the gigantic data breach they had, I got rid of most of them. Today the Yahoo account is still active and slowly building up with email inventory again. The Outlook account probably has a couple of thousand of emails, not too much. I also have email accounts at SDF.org, Headgap and AOL, but those don't get much use and when I got there I tend to clean them up fairly well.

4. What do you treasure that someone else considers trash?

All of the stuff I keep are "treasures".... I don't think people would consider my CD, vinyl records, DVD and cassette tape collections trash. I hope not!

5. What’s the litter like in your neighborhood?

Not too bad as some other areas in my city. Yes, we have some trash on the street. It can get bad when people put their bulky pick up items on the curb, and the city doesn't pick it up on the day they are supposed to. Sometimes they are a week late.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Friday 5 for March 23: The Shine of a Thousand Spotlights

Hello! It's Monday and not Friday. Heh.

This week’s five questions are inspired by the movie The Greatest Showman, which Scrivener strongly recommends. Perhaps I may watch this when I can find a free copy. Movies are just too darn expensive to go to these days.

1. What physical trait are you (or have you been) self-conscious about?

Since my open heart surgery in late 2015, the big "zipper" scar that runs down the middle of my chest. It is 7.25 inches long and looked extremely gnarly right after surgery. It took several months to heal. I have pictures of it with the stitches. You don't want to see it.

Under that big scar is a smaller puncture wound scar. That is where some kind of tube had to be rammed into my chest. I was out during the eight hour operation and recovery immediately after. When I woke up I could not speak, was hooked up to all kinds of high tech devices, and looked like a poor man's version of The Borg.

Today the wounds are nicely healed but still leaves an obvious scar. I won't go out in public without a shirt on.

Bottom line: Pursue a healthy lifestyle, especially if you are young.

2. When did you last do something risking injury?

Always Use a Crosswalk

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Crossing the street within a crosswalk risks serious injury or even death when drivers who are so focused on making a turn before the light turns red often don't look for pedestrians. I almost got hit several times by drivers making left turns who seem to be oblivious to pedestrians crossing the street. Hello! Look at the crosswalk before committing to that left turn.

3. Why do critics and the general movie-going public never seem to agree?

Critics seem to have this pre-conceived notion that films should either be 1. art 2. pursue some kind of message (usually liberal biased) or 3. be some kind artsy-fartsy character piece... throw in an overblown epic or two, and critics fall in love this crap. Critics don't like movies with a conservative bias, unless they are conservative... duh?

The public meanwhile vote with their hard earned dollars. Look at the weekly Box Office Mojo. Currently super hero movies are all the rage. Brings in big bucks for Disney and Sony Pictures. Marvel. DC comics universe.... yeah. All popular, big selling movies at the silver screen and on home video. Another category that the public loves are family pictures which includes a lot of animation. Toy Story, Moana, The Lion King, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, etc. I am most disappointed when some very good science fiction get dismissed by critics and most notably the Academy Awards. I was disillusioned by the Oscars the day the original Star Wars movie did not get its rightful "best picture" award for the year 1977. Bottom line is that people vote with their wallets no matter what in hell the critics say.

4. How do you feel about Hugh Jackman as an actor?

I have no opinion of this guy since I've seen only one of his movies. That would be The Fountain, which is a sci-fi fantasy film about three different characters who are seemingly the same person. I can't remember all the details since I watched this late in the night on some streaming channel. It was a good movie, but I think I have to watch it again. It seemed very disjointed at the beginning.

5. Who is the best singer you’ve seen in live performance?

I rarely go to live concerts because of the cost. Way too expensive just like the movies. The best concert performance that I enjoyed because I was up close and the performance was free, was by the group Dengue Fever in 2010. Chhom Nimol is a good vocalist for the type of surf-rock-Khmer-1960s era type of rock n roll music stylings the group is known for. So I'd put her on top of the few other bands I've seen including Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Norah Jones, and Jon Anderson of Yes.