Saturday, January 30, 2021

Friday 5 for January 29: Sound Tracking


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 can all check out your responses. Please don’t forget to link us from your website!

1. What are you listening to?

Most of the time music. As you know I track many of the songs I hear at Last FM. Music plays during most of the time I am not at work. Here are my top 10 artists that I listen to over the years. Today I mostly listened to The Beatles... again.












2. What are you hearing?

Besides Lisa, the sound of the fan running, cars passing nearby and myself typing this.

3. What are you turning a deaf ear to?

Progressive politicians, everyone on the far left and hard core rap music.

4. What have you recently overheard?

Can't share that here. It is confidential.

5. To whom have you recently lent an ear?

Lisa just about every day.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Friday 5 for January 22: Every family has one




This week's Friday 5 questions from Scrivener.. I don't quite get this one, especially the first question... "who"????

1. Who’s the nastiest flavor in the ice cream parlor?

I haven't been to an ice cream parlor in ages. Ice cream is so pricey these days. It is a luxury that I can ill afford at times. That said, if there is such a thing, I would hate Black Licorace Ice Cream with Raisins. 

2. Which item in the produce aisle is most likely to spoil the party?

Beets. I hate beets.

3. What’s the most embarrassing song by your favorite musician or band?

Top 5 Worst Songs by The Beatles (in reverse order with #1 being the worst)

5. Christmas Time is Here Again - came out in 1967.
4. Wild Honey Pie - McCartney must have been smoking something funny.
3. Sgt. Pepper Inner Groove - this doesn't even qualify as a song. 
2. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) - when they just goofed around.
1. Revolution #9 - Just taking up space on an album.

4. Which part of your body is always in trouble?

All of it. Getting old sucks.

5. What’s the worst film in your favorite actor’s* filmography?

Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors. Worst films include the following:
  • Road to Perdition
  • The Da Vinci Code
  • Volunteers
  • Joe vs. the Volcano
I haven't seen everything he's been in, so there may be a few others. Overall though I like many of his movies. My favorites are:
  • Apollo 13
  • Forrest Gump
  • Toy Story
  • That Thing You Do
  • Castaway
  • A League of Their Own
  • Captain Phillips




Saturday, January 16, 2021

Friday 5 for January 15: Groovy, rad, lit - It Is What It Is

Questions are taken from the weekly Friday 5 blog.

1. Which slang term from your youth, no longer in common use, do you remember fondly?

I think this one is a pidgin term that I haven't heard for a long time. I am not sure how to spell it either.

Footoo - pronounced foo-too - kind of like tutu... maybe even spelled like tutu...Futu.

Definition - 1. Funny, strange, ugly, gross.

Oh look dat car... da paint job is soo footoo.

2. What slang do you still use, ‘though it’s no longer in common use?

I can't think of one right now.

3. Which current (or sorta recent) slang terms do you particularly like?

It is what it is! - Yes.. my favorite. A great substitute way to end all discussion. Can't fix it? It is what it is! Huh! I love the finality of it. And while you  may not like it, a lot of people use it to end a conversation or topic. There is no further discussion. It is what it is.

If it ain't broke don't fix it. - Why should I buy the latest Android phone while mine running Android 7 just simply works. Plus it has a removable battery! Ugh. It's not broken. I don't want to fix it. It goes the same for the constant, nagging updates that pop up on MacOS, Android, iOS and even Windows. Ugh. The current version of my software is working perfectly fine... there is no need to update. It's not broken. I don't need to fix it.

4. Which slang terms, past or present, do you especially dislike?

I hated "Puuinsai"... gross! Figure it out if you are not from Hawaii.

"Eh brah!" - I hate when people call out at me with that term. A bra is something women wear. I am not a bra. I am a human being.



5. What slang terms are specific to your geographical region?

The two listed above as well as the kind of obsolete one in question #1 are all generic to Hawaii. Additional Hawaii specific slang terms, most of which I don't like.
 
Shaka brah. - I don't much like it and when it is combined with brah, ugh! I don't much care for "shaka" by itself either, nor the hand sign.
Da Kine. - I hate it when I occasionally catch myself saying this. Too local! Ugh!
Grindz - I don't much care for this one. What a bad substitute for "food". Name food for what it is. A hamburger... plate lunch... bento are all better terms that "grindz".
Aloha - I guess this overused word has reached epic slang proportions in Hawaii. I use it in professional correspondence, greetings, whatever. I try not to overuse it, but I still do. Be there... aloha! (Jack Lord)
Haole - This slang word for caucasian people has recently become politically incorrect. I try to avoid using this.
Popolo - The opposite of white, is black. This term is sometimes used to refer to black people. I never use it. In today's world it is probably more polite to use the term African American... though I think Black is still OK... Popolo rises about a few steps over the much hated N word.... but is way below other words.
Mahalo - Thank you. Used a lot I think second to "aloha".
Kanaka - It was once frowned upon to call Hawaiian people "kanaka". Many Hawaiian people like to now refer to themselves as "kanaka ma'oli". Whatever. I rarely ever use either terms.
Lua - Toilet. I rarely ever use this term. I just say I am going to the bathroom.
Benjo - Toilet. Same as above though I think this one is Japanese in origin.
Pau Hana - Done working. A popular term to describe that and then the gathering afterwork for "pupus" and drink. I use the term occasionally but rarely ever go out to socialize afterward.
All Pau - Done, finished, the end.
Pake - (pronounced pa kay - short a after p) - Chinese, tightwad, frugal.

OK... that is good enough of a list. There are probably many other words unique to Hawaii. Most of them contribute to our mix of English, Hawaiian and terms from Asian cultures, which turns out to be "Pidgin" that linguists probably argue over or at least study in academic circles. Do they?

It is what it is!







Saturday, January 9, 2021

Friday 5 for January 8: Watching my figure

 

Mel's Figurines












Friday 5 for January 8, 2021: Watching my figure

Questions from the Friday 5 blog.

1. What are some figurines you own?

I don't have much and they barely qualify as figurines. What you see in the photo above is what I have. Michelin Tire Man, Chinese Lucky Cat (the only one that I think is a figurine), Rubber Duckie with Lei and a small glass floater ball that I found at a North Shore beach more than 35 years ago.

2. What are you trying to figure out?

Life's complexities. Why can't life be simpler?

3. Two circles or one continuous motion: how do you write the figure 8?

For me on continuous stroke.... the same way I do a treble clef. Which brings me to this:

4. How do you feel about Fig Newtons?

I don't like them. Next...

5. What’s a good metaphor to describe your first week of 2021?

Trying to figure life out, related to #2. Plus I have work.... again. Can't think of anything metaphoric to it... it's just all routine. So far 2021 feels the same as 2020, though work is a good thing.



Saturday, January 2, 2021

Friday 5 for January 1: A-M-Z


Friday 5 for January 1: A-M-Z

It's a new year (2021) and another round for the ever-going Friday 5.

First questions of the new year:

1. What’s better in its middle than in its edges, beginnings, or ends?

The center aisle seats half way up in a surround sound theater. I think you get the best view of the screen and the sound from all directions. But then it depends also on how large the auditorium is too. The bigger, the better I think.

Also I think the center of hamburgers are better than the outside edges. Ditto for sandwiches of all types.

2. Why is a sunrise better than a sunset?

It is not as crowded during sunrise as it is during sunset at the more popular places. I can't say if the photo opportunities are better during sunrise or sunset. Whatever light you are shooting in, it usually is coming into the golden hour or waning into the twilight hour. Sunrise or sunset. I am not partial to either. I've gotten decent photos at both sunrise and sunset settings.

3. What’s better in retrospect than when you experienced it?

At this point in time, security lines at the airport were better prior to 2019 but not as great as it was prior to 9-11-2001. Before then, security was adequate but over the years things have been tightened down way too much. Now to travel, it takes more effort and sacrifice of personal information, government tracking, additional wait times, health testing and social distancing. All of this has made travel so bad, that at this time I have no desire whatsoever as to go traveling by airplane or any mass transport mover. Easier, safer and cheaper to just stay home.

4. What songs have wonderful endings? Hmm... have to think about that one. OK...here are three in no particular order.
  • Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - love how it starts as a ballad, slowly builds up and then rocks out for several minutes before settling down and ending on a rather soft and somber note..."and she's buying the stairway to heaven"....
  • A Day in the Life - The Beatles - Gotta love that sustained full note at the end that holds longer than it should, and then after a few minutes of silence you get the "Sgt. Pepper Inner Groove" which is just a loop of some guys saying some kind of jibberish... Paul, John, George and Ringo I presume.
  • The Streak - Ray Stevens - Damn funny song about streaking.. you know "running naked as a jailbird" and how the husband is trying to protect his wife Ethel from seeing what's going on... "Don't look Ethel!" ... Too late, ran out of the cheap seats and made the free shot.... Minutes later.... "Here he comes again. Who's that with him? Ethel? Is that you, Ethel? What do you think you're doin'? You git your clothes on!"... oh yes they call him The Streak fastest thing on two feet.... heh. FYI- The song went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #3 on the Billboard Country chart, both in 1974.
5. What was the first thing you unwrapped in 2021?

A new roll of toilet paper!