1. How well do you adjust to sleeping in an unfamiliar place?
It depends where it is. Some places about the same, others just toss and turn or stay up all night. Helps if I have music, talk radio or a podcast to put me to sleep.
2. When were you recently someone’s guest, and when were you recently someone’s host?
Someone's guest: Probably six weeks ago.
Someone's host: Last October, 2016. 3. What’s the ickiest place where you’ve ever showered or bathed?
Haven't gone to an icky place in decades, but if I can recall, public beach showers are pretty gross. The ones in the high school locker room were slimy. It's a good thing I am not in high school anymore.
4. What’s something you don’t need but insist on taking when you travel?
Computer, music player, radio, more than 1 camera..... all of the electronic stuff that keeps me happy. 5. Who’s got a comfy couch?
I don't own a couch, my place is too small. I can't say that I have sat on many couches in recent years except for a hotel last year. Don't remember it being "comfy".
Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5! Please copy these questions to your website. 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 film you consider overrated, and what’s a related or similar film you consider underrated?
Overrated:
1. Avatar - (2009) from James Cameron - the movie is very pretty visual experience, the sci-fi somewhat passable but the message is so anti-corporate. Big corporations exist to pummel and pillage. Sad. You know if corporations did not exist we would not have many of the wonders we take for granted today... cars, cell phones, computers, department stores, canned food, etc. Corporations make these and many other things. Corporations employ people. There is nothing wrong with corporations. 2. Blair Witch Project(1999) - There was a ton of media buzz singing praises for this film, which is essentially some idiots getting lost in a forest for a couple of nights and recording it all with a hand held camera. Today this movie is just too long, too shakey to sit through. If I want shaky crappy video I can watch shorter, crappy films of the same ilk or worst on YouTube.
3. Alien (1979) - It's a good movie, but I found it to be boringly long. I mean after the darn thing pops out of the poor guy's chest, you know everyone will eventually buy the farm except Ripley who survives to live on in the better Aliens 2 movie... more action.
Underrated:
Hillary's America by Dinesh D'Souza (2016) - A scary documentary on what could have happened to our country had Crooked Hillary won the presidential election. I love this movie as well as D'Souza's 2012 movie 2016: Obama's America. As most know D'Souza is an immigrant from India who has written a number of books from the conservative point of view.
2. What’s overrated about the area in which you live, and what’s underrated about it?
Honolulu - Overrated:
RAIL - Politicians are spending way too much tax money to build this elevated rail that they say will solve transportation problems. But we have all known for the longest time that rail is a development vehicle to enhance the pocketbooks of developers, well connected construction contractors and union labor.
In the meantime the legislature and the city council are scrambling to find ways to take more and more of our tax dollars to pay for this thing which currently costs $10 billion to build with estimates going higher to at least $13 billion. The project is billions of dollars short.
This has been a pain for more than 20 years. Rail should have never been built. This should have never become a priority for the City & County of Honolulu. Rail is the biggest and most expensive mistake ever unleashed upon the taxpayers in Hawaii... and you too, if you are a tourist.
Honolulu / Hawaii - Underrated: Can't think of much that is underrated in Honolulu or in Hawaii. An article titled "11 Amazing Underrated Places in Hawaii" singles out the Halona Blowhole on Oahu, Iao Valley State Park (when it is not flooded), and Ahalanui Hot Pond on the island of Hawaii.
3. Whose talent or skill is overrated, and whose is underrated?
Can't help but zeroing on Presidents 44 and 45 for this one.
Overrated: Former President Barack Obama. Not much to say except I am happy his term is over.
4. What item in the supermarket is overrated, and what’s underrated?
Overrated: Organic foods. Why pay more money for this stuff when regular food of the same stuff costs less? When we eat the food the body breaks it down to whatever it needs with the rest being expelled at #2. It's all the same at the trailing end. Runner up to overrated: Bans on plastic bags. Ugh! I love plastic bags. They are so versatile. Underrated: Parking. Every good retail store including supermarkets have plentiful free parking. We take this for granted, but I am always thankful that my favorite supermarket has lots of free parking so that when you buy stuff you can load and drive it home in your vehicle.
5. What’s utterly terrific except for one or two things?
Macintosh Computers and iOS devices: What's terrific about them? Mainly the operating systems are very well thought out. I have been a Mac user since 1988 and have lived through many incarnations of Mac OS. All have been mostly great. While I don't use iOS much these days, it is still a very good operating system.
The app ecosystem on Apple devices are good too. Most apps that I use are well thought out and function as intended.
That said, there are a couple of things I don't like about Apple products. 1. Built in batteries that cannot be replaced. This is leads to forced obsolescence which I hate. How many of you own iPods, iPhones and other, older iOS devices that are just sitting in drawers because their built in, non-replaceable batteries do not hold a charge beyond a few minutes? This totally defeats the portability purpose of these devices, when in many cases they work perfectly fine while connected to a power source!
That is one reason when I finally got a cell phone, I opted for an Android device that has a replaceable battery.
2. Un-replaceable batteries have also crept into Macintosh computers. This mantra has also crept into non-Apple devices too like Chromebooks. Sad.
When I buy something that is so expensive ($100 or more in my book), I expect that thing to last a long time. Ten years has always been my golden yardstick for expensive items. Has to last. Sadly these days way too many devices are just designed to become obsolete in 3 to 4 years and you have to throw it away. That is a crime considering the amount of money you have to pay for them.
1. The Magic Word is “please,” but what’s the magic gesture?
In Hawaii that would probably be the "shaka" sign which is a local acknowledgement of "yeah, you're cool" or "thanks brah"!
2. “Big D” is Dallas, but where is Big G?
Gotham City in the Batman comics, movies and TV (aka New York City). At least in my mind that is what I would consider "The Big G". Certainly not Grand Rapids or other urban areas that start with that letter.
3. Elvis Presley is the King of Rock and Roll, but who’s the king of your personal music collection?
King of my personal music collection: Paul McCartney collectively dominates my music collection because he recorded so many albums and singles on his own and with two of music's most successful rock groups. The Beatles and Wings. Plus he has another music group called The Fireman which I have one CD of. The Beatles by themselves dominate with 638 songs.
In my iTunes alone McCartney rules:
1. The Beatles - 638 songs
2. Paul McCartney & Wings - 196 songs
3. Paul McCartney (solo) - 195 songs **
4. The Fireman - 13 songs (1 album "Electric Arguments" 2005)
5. Paul & Linda McCartney - 11 songs (1 album "Ram" 1971)
6. Linda McCartney - 2 songs (billed as Suzy & the Red Stripes; 45 rpm / digital file)
** Includes documented pairings such as Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder, Kanye West & Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Rihanna & Paul McCartney.
Does not include tracks that are known to have McCartney singing or playing guitar by artists such as Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Mary Hopkin, Elvis Costello, Band Aid, etc.
Many songs from The Beatles and McCartney catalogs are duplicates and variations of duplicated songs such as live versions of "She's A Woman" or "Band on the Run".
Total known songs on digital iTunes only: 1055
Many of my digital songs are duplicates from CDs I own and vinyl records that I originally bought which are not counted in the total above.
The second and third most dominating artists I have are Elton John (384 songs) and Fleetwood Mac (245 songs). Digital, CD, vinyl. In numbers all by themselves for a solo artist, Elton would top McCartney but then he has never been in any official group except for The Elton John Band which is generally credited today as just being Elton John, solo artist.
4. The motherland is wherever you consider your family’s origins, but what’s the cousinland?
My family origins are in China, Hawaii, Japan and various parts of Europe if you had to mash all of the nationalities that were in my Dad and Mom. They lived in Hawaii all their lives and called the Big Island of Hawaii home. Nearly all of their siblings lived on that island too. So in the end, most of their children who are my cousins also live on the Big Island of Hawaii. 5. CBS calls itself the Tiffany Network, but what would you call the Walmart Network?
Great place to buy a lot of cheap merchandise. WalMart does not run a broadcast network, though they have a website and their internal music service that plays in the store is called, I think, WalMart Music Network.
Amending this answer after I read through a couple of responses from participants: I don't have cable, nor a TV, so my Walmart network is everyman's online streaming network where the price for entertainment is even cheaper than WalMart: YouTube! :)
I also like Fox News and I can get it online for free but I'm not saying where. Fox News also has plenty of clips on YouTube.
"Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5! Please copy these question 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 memory you have of a nearby stream?
The photo above is of a "stream" that flows in my neighborhood. In 2006 debris clogged this stream, it filled over because of heavy rains and flash flooding... and well, it flooded the roadway and surrounding area. Most of the time the water just slowly trickles down this way pooling deep enough at certain spots to attract the ducks.
2. What’s a good film scene or song lyric involving a river?
"And it goes on and on... watching the river run." - Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina from the 1973 album Full Sail. 3. What fond memory do you have of a lake?
I don't have any fond memories of any lakes since they are relatively rare in Hawaii. On the island of Oahu we have Lake Wilson up in Wahiawa which I never take notice of since I am just driving over the bridge that passes over it. Oh whoopee! 4. What’s the most fascinating sea creature?
The expensive ones that end up on my dinner plate... Mmmm... lobster, salmon, ahi, aku, opihi, etc.
5. What’s something that caused you to cry tears of laughter?
One day my sister and I had a hysterical fit of laughter after she noticed the sad condition of socks filled with holes that I was wearing. This was about 10 years ago.
Whenever my computer slows down or freezes. That beach ball of death that spins on the screen drives me crazy when it doesn't allow me to do anything else with the Mac except to force quit the offending app, the finder or rebooting. Often times you can't get to the "Force Quit" menu option even with the 3 finger salute... ARRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!
2. What are you unreasonably particular about?
For starters, one space after a period at the end of a sentence. Two spaces is like so typewriter and yesterday. If I get a document from someone that has to be imported into something else, the first thing I do is spellcheck and then a search and destroy (replace) of any and all double spaces after sentence ending periods.
Taxes! Life would be a whole lot easier and cheaper if income taxes were replaced with a consumption tax you pay at the cash register. Why should we continually be penalized for productivity (work)? 4. What are the best reasons for working in your field?
Perhaps like minded people within the organization you work for.
5. What are some good reasons for the most recent silly purchase you made?
I don't purchase silly stuff. Money is tight and it can't be wasted on silly stuff. Sorry.
1. The first quarter of 2017 is now behind us. How has it been?
At best: Mediocre. Haven't really done anything outstanding this quarter except take a few pictures of stuff that I like.
2. How has this past quarter of your life been surprisingly good?
I survived the quarter and hope to live through the next 3 without much difficulty.
3. When did you last drop quarters into a vending machine?
Since our condo building forbids us from owning our own washing machines, we have to use the ones that are on every floor of our multi-story dwelling. Therefore about every two weeks it is a gamble to toss your clothes into the washer, spend $1.75 in quarters per load and hope the machine works (which it usually does 95% of the time). The dryers are more like slot machines. They take quarters and only in multiples of 4 ($1)... It is a gamble because sometimes you get a dryer that only spins the clothes but emits no heat! Therefore your clothes do not dry. It is a bitch to go through the process with the management company to get a refund. I do the laundry about every two weeks. The last time was on Monday, March 27.
4. How do you feel about your state’s twenty-five-cent coin? If you’re not in the U.S., which of the coins do you think is especially striking?
King Kamehameha, the monarch that first united the Hawaiian Islands was worth the honor of being put on our state's coin. That happened in 2008. I have yet to see the one that honors our National Park. Don't even know if it is out.
5. Google’s corporate headquarters is called the Googleplex. What would be a good name for the corporate headquarters of your life?
The Melplex. I just need millions of dollars to build it.
