My Black Friday Purchases from Amazon.com’s $5 mp3 album sale

I didn’t get through listening to Hope’s newest album, and it’s good background music, but probably my least favorite of the four albums. Really mellow stuff.

Only heard about half of the tracks, and liking it.

This album is usually pretty pricey, and there were some interesting sound samples. DJ Spooky is no doubt a very cerebral DJ/producer. It feels like his work with Thirsty Ear Records has left him even more diverse than he was in the 90s. Lots of jazz / classical influences and the like. Interested in giving this a good listen.

This album is great. Possibly one of my favorites of all time. I’ve bought it for my mom and my sister, but never owned a copy myself until now.

thanksgiving lunch sans turkey

lunch at makino chaya:

Sent from my iPhone

here is where i ramble about phones with red receivers

As a kid I knew the red phone sat in the president’s office. It was a direct line in times of danger. No dialing necessary.

I snapped this because I liked the red phones in the middle. I had just watched “The Men Who Stare at Goats” and thought it was a pretty good movie. Something about these phones caught my eye. I had to stop, take a picture, give them the sparkly eyes for a second, and move on.

These particular phones seem to always be sitting unused for the mostpart. They feel to be a dying breed here on Oahu, payphones. But the red phones.. why are they red? I should have walked over to see how they are different, but it hadn’t occurred to me at the time. Maybe they’re not different. Just red.

It’s so rare that I use a payphone these days. As a teenager, I remember using them all the time. But nowadays, many of the payphones are fewer and far between, with loads of dirty on top. I used one when I’d forgotten my cell, and my inclination was to hold it away from my face so there was no skin-to-public phone-contact. There was a smell, and a greasiness that made me feel that happy teenagers weren’t calling their friends to talk story on this phone. I imagined if you analyzed the reasons behind the greasiness all over the buttons and receiver, you’d find an answer that would make you wash your hands a few extra times.

It felt that: This was a last resort phone. That the people using it were unwittingly or unwillingly untethered from their cell phones. Or were part of the population who still doesn’t carry the devices because they can’t or won’t afford them.

I didn’t get a cell until 2005, and only because I was about to graduate college and start applying for real-world jobs. I imagined a tumor would result in it’s usage. I dreaded the thought of having it with me. I didn’t want it to become a part of my lifestyle.

Fast-forward to July 2008, the Kahala Apple Store one Saturday morning. In line, I dreaded buying an iPhone because it was for my impending business trip to Maryland (and felt doomed). This “super” phone would help me if I got lost in the big world. I could call a lifeline, or turn on gps.. send an email, or twitter to come save me. But I hated it for it’s pure yuppiness, and trendiness. It was my tether to this place that has been carved into the world, like a small indention in a bar of soap where I lie half exposed to the elements. Very temporary, with a delusional sense of permanence.

But it’s a damned good phone, I tell ya!

“Up” on DVD Today!!

Blogging this via iPhone while on my break. I’m picking up 2 blu-Ray and one deluxe edition of “Up.”

One blu-Ray for Karma, one for me, and the regular special edition for mom. :)

The truth? the opening montage was one of the most beautiful sequences i’ve seen in a movie.. also had zero dialogue, which is a testament to the talent at Pixar.

Excited to watch it again. I’ll have to finally get around to buying a blu-ray now!

Sent from my iPhone

2009 Saucony Val Nolasco Half Marathon

Who is Val Nolasco? I googled and found that Val is the first American heart attack victim to complete a marathon. Kudos to Dr. Jack Scaff (who runs the Honolulu Marathon Clinic) and Val Nolasco!

Yesterday, I participated in the final race of the Honolulu Marathon Readiness Series here on Oahu. The Saucony Val Nolasco Half Marathon took place at Kapiolani Park and traced a portion of the actual marathon course. They said there were 1300+ people present. This time I opted to start on time with the majority of the runners (5:30AM) instead of doing the walk-start at 4:30AM.

When I got to the park, I noticed the bathroom nearest the zoo was closed. This was a bummer since the bathroom near the tennis courts and start line had an extremely long line, and unfortunately I’m the kind of person who feels a need to go to the bathroom about 15 or 20 minutes before race time. This meant I could stand in that super long line or take a chance and go to the bathroom across the street by the beach. I went for the latter, and by the time I came out of the bathroom, they had just started the race. It kinda sucked since I had to run to that bathroom, and then back towards the start line, so I already felt stressed from the beginning, and didn’t really get to start on time. (I think I actually did the run a little faster but it’s not reflected in my time because of this). I started the run and didn’t get to start up my music until I was more adjusted and comfortable. It honestly threw me off a lot to see everyone already running towards me as I was trying to get to the start line.

I really pushed myself on the run, and gave it more effort than usual. I’ve been taking things slow this year to avoid injury. All seemed to be going well, until somewhere between the 11 or 12 mile mark where I began to feel a really weird pain on the outside of my right knee. After readjusting my footfalls and putting on my jumper’s knee strap, the pain went away and I was able to finish. I was still worried about it, however, so I took it a little slower at the end.

I’m happy to say I didn’t walk too much, and did better than I’d thought I would. I ran in just under a 12-minute-mile pace, which is pretty good for me.

Today I woke with stiffness in my upper thighs which is normal after a long run, but new is the weird stiffness I feel when flexing my right foot up or down. I’m not even sure what to call it — is it considered stiffness of the ankle? or the forefoot? It’s not stiff on the sides or the bony part of my ankle, but the top where the foot flexes. Hopefully that goes away. I’m icing it now, along with my outer knee just to be safe. Probably gonna take it easy for a few days before trying anything.

Lesson learned- maybe I shoulda taken things a little slower.

Results can be viewed here: http://www.timelinehawaii.com/Results/VAL%20OVERALL%2009.HTM

Here’s my playlist from the run:

Æther – Beso  8:04am
Carla Bruni – Quelqu’un m’a dit  8:03am
Wu-Tang Clan – Tearz  8:01am
Charlie Parker – Yardbird Suite   7:56am
Kenny Dope – Success (Kenny Dope Remix)  7:53am
CandlestickMaker – Aquarius  7:48am
Attica Blues – Success  7:44am
Wake the president – Miss Tierney  7:39am
Jeru the Damaja – Come Clean  7:36am
The Cure – The Final Sound  7:31am
Flow Inc – Killuminati  7:30am
Dyad – paragliding  7:26am
Illa J – Swagger  7:19am
Æther – Milla Ann  7:15am
Æther – Rain or Shine  7:13am
Throwing Snow – A Long Tomorrow  7:10am
Audioboy – Lullaby  7:07am
Blue Sky Research – Northern Rainy City  7:03am
Lykke Li – Possibility  6:57am
Bing Crosby – Swinging On A Star  6:52am
Moroza_Knozova – Rosolam (Novomix)  6:50am
Hearin Aid – figz  6:46am
Æther – To Her  6:42am
Fulgeance – Low Club Anthem  6:39am
Sepalot – Measured Amount  6:33am
Guther – boys do not think  6:29am
The Cure – Lovesong  6:25am
Operation Ivy – Big City  6:22am
Bradata – Dead Steps  6:20am
Colleen – In the Train With No Lights  6:16am
Radiohead – Jigsaw Falling Into Place  6:14am
Digitalism – Pogo (Mentalism Version)  6:10am
The Cure – Seventeen Seconds  6:04am
Digital Truth – mish mash  6:00am
The Cure – Fire In Cairo  5:53am
Ms. John Soda – A nod on hold  5:50am
Nat King Cole – Song of Delilah  5:47am
Nancy Sinatra – Vagabond Shoes  5:44am
KMD – Nitty Gritty  5:42am

Standout tracks during the run: The Cure “Fire in Cairo,” Operation Ivy “Big City,” The Cure “Lovesong,” Jeru “Come Clean,” Charlie Parker “Yardbird Suite”

Kanye West – We Were Once A Fairytale (Short Film) – Sound of the City

I stumbled across this on the internets. Wow. Spike Jonze and Kanye West. “We Were Once a Fairytale” made me feel really sad. It was posted on Kanye’s blog earlier, but a note is now there apologizing for having to take it down. Some people will probably scoff at this as some kind of insincere cry for attention or help, but i liked it, and bought it from the iTunes store.

more about “Kanye West – We Were Once A Fairytale…“, posted with vodpod

My Damn Channel » Spärhusen » Episode #2

Sparhusen on MyDamnChannel.com and Keanu’s Return to Comedy:
Sparhusen now has 2 full webisodes on MyDamnChannel.com. Illeana Douglas and Keanu Reeves make the show for me so far. It’s really nice to see Keanu doing comedy again. I always thought he was so good at it, but it’s so rare that he takes on comedic roles since Bill & Ted, Freaked, I Love You to Death, and Parenthood. Constantine was darkly funny; but his delivery was so dead pan I don’t know if I count it as a comedic performance… loved them all.

more about "My Damn Channel » Spärhusen » Episode #2", posted with vodpod

Halloween 2009

Here are some pics from Halloween this year. :D Waikiki was crowded, and pretty fun. There were so many good costumes I missed because I wasn’t quick enough. The Menehune Water guy and the Devo group was pretty awesome, but I didn’t get their picture! Lots of female referee costumes, nuns, priests, etc. There was a surprising amount of Spider Man costumes.

There was also a Mario Van Peebles sighting, but I was too shy to approach him for a photo!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Boo!

Were these actual protestors, or was this their costume?!? hehehe.

Blurry jellyfish — good idea, bad photography on my part.

Most stoked to see Shredder among them.

Party lights

Too shy to get Buckethead form the front.

people

Gumby!

I forget what these are called…

It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

This is an intersection. The people just got out at the red light and started dancing.

jack!

empty tables and the dogs who guard them

What goes on inside the minds of doggies who are left outside while their masters go shopping?

IMG_1022.JPG

peko chan

IMG_1196.JPG