Another Type of Thief

Who would've thought it'd come to this? Yes, I know the gas prices are skyrocketing and closing in on $4.00 a gallon almost everywhere across Hawaii, but oh my goodness! I never thought people would sink to this.

In today's Advertiser, I read that people are starting to steal gas from cars and trucks. First copper wire, now gasoline? It's almost as if the world is slowly regressing instead of progressing.

Celeb Alert - Kala'i Miller

Today I saw Kala'i Miller at Jamba Juice on Ward. The place is always packed in the mornings so I didn't think anything of it. Then, I heard a voice that sounded familiar. I turned to my right and there he was, like an angel sent down from heaven. Well, not really. But he was sitting on my right talking to another guy. I was 98% sure it was him, and my suspicions were confirmed when a guy walked in and said, "Eh Kala'i, long time no see."

Wow, a real live, walking-talking celeb! My friend Lan (and probably Joc for that matter although I know she has a distinct dislike for the guy) would trip! Anyway, I looked around to see if anyone else in the place was trying to surpress a giddy giggle and a not-so-subtle smile. Nope. Nada. I'm not sure if it was because people hadn't had their Strawberry Toppers to wake them up yet or if it was because it's been almost 10 years since Baywatch Hawaii and no one gives a damn about him anymore. I mean, at least Jason Momoa is on some Sci-Fi channel series right?

Initial impressions of the real-life Kala'i:
1) Shorter than I thought he'd be
2) Very tan - none of that spray-on stuff for this guy
3) Spoke and acted like every other local guy
4) Apparently his real name/alter ego is "Dan" because that's what the girls behind the counter called out for his order.


Image: Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin

Paps News Briefs

Media Savvy Lady
MSNBC.com is touting Jessica Alba's wedding as one of the best PR strategies in her career. By getting married to her boyfriend Cash Warren on the heels of the Ashlee Simpson/Pete Wentz nuptuals (May 19 to Ashlee's May 17), Alba was able to avoid much of the hoopla that normally surrounds Hollywood weddings. As usual, she does everything with such class.

Perlman Less than a Gem
Guess the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync were right to quit their manager, Lou Perlman. More sleezy than a greasy Antonio Banderas, Perlman bilked individual investors and banks out of $300 million. I guess he had to move on to bigger fish once his boys left him.

Another Nanny Debacle?
Dylan McDermott has filed for divorce from his wife of 12 years. Think it might be a Rob Lowe nanny debacle? He does have two children . . . .

Free Katie! Free Katie!
Oh, sorry. Guess I'm fighting a losing battle on this one huh? It does not appear likely that Katie Homes will ever be released from the mighty grasp of Tom Cruise. But, he did let his girl go for a brief minute to perform in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" on Broadway. Good thing she's a actress and has a good imagination. She can pretend she's a free woman.

Actress Turned Singer?
Scarlett Johansson is the latest celeb to try her had at singing. Her debut album, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," seems to have bombed with the critics. Pesonally, I've gotta agree it sucks as well. Her voice seems overly synthesized . . . to cover a no-talent, wannabe singer's voice perhaps? Listen for yourself and you be the judge.

Survey Says . . .

As I'm too lazy to do a real blog, I figure a survey might be just as enlightening as a blog so here you go:

1. Name something that made you frown today?
My boss

2. What were you doing at 7:00am?
Just waking up. Now that I live and work in town, it's so much easier.

3. What were you doing 1 hour ago?
Probably checking email

4. What is something you will never forget?
My identity hopefully

5. What was the last thing you said aloud?
Bye

6. How many different things did you drink today?
Coke and strawberry lemonade

7. What was the last thing you bought?
Dinner at Chili's

8. What color is your room?
Off-white walls, beige drapes. Not my choice, I'm renting.

9. What is the weather going to be like tomorrow?
Probably vog-filled again

10. Vanilla or chocolate?
Chocolate

11. What are you excited about?
Nothing right now

12. Are you random?
Nah, not really.

13. Do you laugh a lot?
Sure, I guess so

14. Do you have plans tomorrow?
Work of course

15. Are you ticklish?
Yup

16. Are you typically nice to people?
I think so

17. Who’s the 1st person on your received calls list?
My sister-in-law

18. What’s the 5th text in your inbox?
I don't text - not included in my phone plan. Yeah, I know . . . I need to get with the times.

19. Do you chew on straws?
Nope

20. What is the next concert you’re going to?
I want to go to Birthday Bash since I haven't been to one in several years.

21. What’s on your mind lately?
That I need to lose some weight

22. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Snoring?

23. Is success in your future?
I sure hope so.

24. Do you have a nickname?
Yup, D or Dee

25. Are you a heavy sleeper?
I never used to be but in my old age I think I am

26. When was the last time you used a skateboard?
Probably when I was in elementary school

27. When was the last time you said I love you to a parent?
Been a while I think

28. Was today a good day?
I survived so I guess it was good

29. What are you listening to?
KHON2 news

30. What are you doing right now?
Syncing my iPod

31. What kind of music you like best?
I'm totally ecletic

32. How do you like to spend the holidays?
With the fam

33. Do you currently have feelings for someone?
Not currently no

34. How do you feel about Valentine’s Day?
I think it's a fake holiday

35. Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?
Nope

36. Where do you keep your money?
Where do YOU keep YOUR money? What a dumb question.

37. What was the weather like on your birthday?
Am I really that old that I don't remember what the weather was like only two months ago?

38. Would you make out with anyone on your top friends?
Probably not since most are fam (I got the survey from MySpace, which explains the dumb questions huh?)

39. What instant messaging system do you use?
I don't have time to message anymore. I used to use AIM and ICQ way back in the day.

40. Do you own a stereo that costs more than 100 dollars?
Don't think so unless an iPod counts as a stereo

41. Have you ever hiked up a mountain?
Does Aiea Loop Trail or Makapuu count?

42. Have you ever told someone of the opposite sex you loved them and meant it?
Yup

43. Is there anyone that doesn’t like you because of something you didn’t even do?
I wouldn't doubt it

44. Do you miss someone?
No, not really

45. When is the last time you laughed?
About half an hour ago when I was watching some old music video by Tommy Page

46. How are you feeling?
Rested and tired at the same time.

47. Where did you go yesterday?
Work

So, do you feel like you know me better now?

Some Really Ugly Mothers

I received an interesting email today that featured all these weird-looking animals. This got me thinking about natural selection, something you and I probably haven't thought about since high school biology.


You see, natural selection is pretty much the biggest, baddest mother out there living longer and passing on his genes to the next generation. Multiply this by several generations and this line becomes a strong one while others just fall by the wayside. Now how do you suppose these buggers lived so long?


1. The Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus), also known as long-nosed monkey, is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey. The most distinctive trait of this monkey is the male's large protruding nose. The purpose of the large nose is unclear, but it has been suggested that it is a result of sexual selection. The female Proboscis Monkey prefers big-nosed males, thus propagating the trait.

2. The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania . Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans.

3. The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a strepsirrhine native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker.

You Look Beautiful, Dahling

This weekend my two-and-a-half-year-old niece is being entered into a kids' beauty pageant at Ward Warehouse, and I'm not too sure how I feel about it.

First of all, she's not the most outgoing kid in the world. I mean, she's even shy around my parents (her grandparents)! I just went to her May Day performance, and let me tell you that she wasn't one of those kids singing their brains out. I wonder how she'll do if she has to strut her stuff down the runway?

Secondly, she's not even three years old. She doesn't know any better so it's not as if she wants or doesn't want to do it. At this age, the parents are running the show. I suppose this is where the stage mother/father is born. However, it's hard to picture either my brother or my sister-in-law as an overbearing stage parent.

On the other hand, this exposure to other children and I suppose "performing" might just give her a little push toward being outgoing. It may give her self confidence to see her family cheering her on. Exposure like this could lead to the development of a confident, young woman. After all, I'm told she was voted most photogenic in her preschool, so I guess this would be a constructive outlet for that.

Still, I'm quite wary about the weirdos and pervs out there (See Exercise Does A Body Good? for a sample). I'm sure nothing will happen but just the idea of it creeps me out. Remember all those eerie Vegas showgirl-like pictures of JonBenet Ramsay? Yuck!

It's Raining Men (and Boys)!

The other day a friend and I had lunch at Makai Market, the foodcourt at Ala Moana Center. We both got food from Chinatown Express, which has taken up residence in the old Patti's Kitchen. Not bad, I guess.

The foodcourt was certainly a lot emptier than normal, so we found some seats in the middle of a row perpendicular to Poi Bowl with no problem.

A young local haole boy sat a couple of chairs away with his lunch from Charley's Grilled Subs. I thought it was weird that a guy would eat lunch by himself, especially in a room full of families, tourist groups and business people.

I was distracted when three mainland haole guys sat on the other side of us. They looked like tourists so I didn't think much of it. I don't mind them pouring some money into our local economy, y'know?

Anyway, as we continued eating, more and more young guys joined the haole kid. Soon there were about 10 of them all eating one thing or another. All of them looked about 15 or so. It took me a while to catch on that they were some kind of sports team from Hawaii Prep Academy.

The next thing I know one of the tourists stood up and started waving. He flagged down three or four other guys, who joined them. As they started in on their meal I noticed they weren't just a bunch of friends on vacation, they were a bunch of gay friends on vacation. More power to 'em, I say.

I wasn't going to mention it, but my friend leaned in and said, "I think they're gay" tipping her head in their direction. I answer an affirmative, especially in light of the stereotypical lisping we heard. "Too bad though," she said. "The ones on your side are younger and pretty good looking." Now isn't that always the case?

This situation got me thinking: where are the good-looking eligible guys in their 20s or 30s? On one hand, I had a slew of very young and athletic guys, some of whom were pretty good looking. On the other hand, I had a gaggle of guys apparently good looking according to my friend but also 100% gay.

What's a girl to do when all the hotties are illegally underage or just not into chicks? Am I the only one who notices this increasingly common trend?

Photo: John Fischer, About.com
Image: toppun.com

My Jungle Fantasy

Tonight my family and I went to see Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy at the Blaisdell Center Concert Hall. We had great tickets (second row balcony) for only $50. (It'd be double that in Vegas.) It was pretty fun and interesting for the little kids - very colorful, lots of moving parts and super artistic. The jungle theme was very cute, and I especially liked the emus and frogs. While the performance was still abstract like a lot of the cirque-type shows, this one was a lot more understandable and recognizable and I'm thankful.

On the flip side though, I was a little disappointed in the acrobatics and circus tricks. I'd seen many of the tricks before in some fashion or other . . . for FREE! For instance, one acrobat used metal objects of various shapes and juggled/spun them. You can catch something similiar at the Rio in Vegas.

Another similar act was the strong man duo. You know, one big buff dude and one smaller buff dude do amazing balancing and strength acts on each other. It's a thin line between strength and being, dare I say it, sort of a sissy. I mean, how can these buff dudes be expected to prance around to the music? They're just not graceful like the bendy acrobats and dancers. But, these guys did, toe pointing, wrist flicking and all.

Even the guy in the adult-sized hamster wheel is a trick that's been done before. Still, the artistry and talent of the performers can't be denied. If you enjoy ooohing and aaahing over circus acts, you'll definitely have a great time. Personally though, I prefer "La Reve," which is at The Wynn in Vegas.

Here's a sneak peek of Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, courtesy of Cirque Dreams on YouTube.


Here's a snippet of the La Reve show, courtesy of TfZh on YouTube.

Over Hill, Over Dale

Upon the suggestion of my co-worker and friend, I decided to alter my walking route today. So, instead of going to Kapiolani Park I went to Kakaako Waterfront Park. I did about three laps of the place, which may have been shorter in distance but was definitely a lot hillier.

So here's the evaluation of the new route:

Plus
1. Always a nice breeze coming off the water
2. Not too crowded
3. Nice view of surfers when the waves are up
4. Close to work
5. Hills are probably giving me a better workout than the flat route at Kapiolani

Minus
1. Homeless/scary-looking people hanging about
2. Not too crowded
3. Stray cats (and their fleas no doubt) wandering around
4. Temptation to stop each time I get to the end and watch the surfers at Kewalos (at least I think that's what that surf spot is called)

I guess the pluses outweigh the minuses. For future walks, I'm considering leaving my car at work and walking there instead. It felt weird to leave all my stuff in my trunk because I had forgotten to bring a backpack. I'm not too sure how safe it is there. Still, that would mean adding an extra 15 minutes each way probably. Hmm, I'm not sure what I'll do.

One thing I noticed during one of the stops I made to watch the surfers was that I haven't been to the beach, or even near it, for a really long time. The movement of the water as the waves came in was actually really relaxing. The rocking nature of it all, the smell of the ocean and the feel of the sun beating down on me brought back happy childhood memories. Why didn't I come here (or any beach on the south shore) earlier since moving into town?

And where did all the time go? Today brought back memories of high school when my friends and I would lounge at the beach the entire summer. It also reminded me of when my dad used to take me fishing with him. (Today I saw some guys with their poles up just waiting for a bite. Not sure if they caught anything though.)

But times like today also remind me that I am different than I was. And sometimes that might not be a bad thing. Still, in honor of the past, I found this YouTube video by slgeebrr surfing Kewalos in 1964.

Exercise Does A Body Good?

Today I saw the wildest thing ever since I moved into my own apartment about eight months ago. As I stood waiting on my driveway for my ride, I happened to look at the apartment building across the street. A slight movement caught my eye on the sixth floor.

Upon further inspection, I found a man walking on a treadmill next to his window. The curtains and jalousies were wide open, and the treadmill was situated parallel to the windows. There was a white towel that blocked the sun from beating down on his face. Squinting my eyes, because my brain did not believe what my eyes were seeing, revealed that the man was indeed buck naked! After a gasp and a giggle, I thought, "This is what apartment living is all about - the freaky neighbors."

Hesitating for only a second, I ran back to my apartment to grab my camera. Some might think that I'm a freak myself for wanting to document this rare find, but I just think of it as being a good blogger. This was too good to not blog about, right? I tried to snap a pic from my floor, but there were some trees in the way. I ended up on the landing between my floor and the next shooting through a crack in the wall.

When my ride arrived, I told them to look at the freaky, naked dude. I still couldn't believe that a grown-ass man would walk next to the window naked. Was this for real? Can exercise really do a body that good that you're ignorant of your nakedness?

They looked up at the sixth floor and said he wasn't naked. He was wearing peach-colored board shorts. You could definitely tell because of the shadows the shorts created. Also, unless his ass was wrinkly, he was definitely wearing shorts.

However, as they say a picture (or pictures, in my case) is worth a thousand words. If you ask me, those aren't a pair of peach-colored board shorts. Not by a long shot . . . .

Through the Eyes of a Child

Tonight I had the privilege of having dinner with my brother and his family. We went over to Windward Mall and ate at Maruki Tei. It was my first time there, and I normally don't like okazu because in my mind its been sitting out for who knows how long. However, it was decent I guess.

On the way home, I sat in the back next to my niece. She's two and a half, almost three. With her sitting in her car seat and with one eye on her dvd, she poked her head around the headrest and giggled at me. So, like any aunt, I pretended not to notice for a while, then surprised her by peeking around the headrest and giggling back. Back and forth this giggle game continued. She peeking at me; me pretending not to notice and then peeking back. On and on as we drove home.

It's a wonder to me how such a simple thing could be so entertaining to a three year old. What a contrast to her adult counterparts, who slave away at work grumbling about every little thing. If we could only view the world through the eyes of a child, life would be a bit more colorful, a bit more enjoyable.

So how can we, as adults, get back to that time in our lives when the world was new? How do we get back to when everything around us sparkled so bright that we reached out to touch it? How do we find our inner child when he or she is buried deep under stress, frustration, responsibilities, disappointments, jobs, family issues, bills and other "adult" problems? How do we get back to Duck, Duck, Goose and Freeze Tag? Chase Master and Red Light, Green Light? Chinese Jump Rope and Hop Scotch?

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Kickin' Up My Heels

Since my clothes are getting a bit snug and I'm definitely getting fat, I decided to turn over a new leaf today - May Day/Lei Day. Starting today, I vowed to myself that I'd do some sort of exercise at least every other day. So, to begin my new exercise regimen I decided to take a walk 'round Kapiolani Park after work.

Now, it's been a while since I've been to Kapiolani Park. I used to frequent it in high school for soccer games and tournaments or just to hang out at Walls with my friends. Since then, however, I haven't really been back. Today I was shocked to see how busy it was. As I circled the park toward the smaller mauka lot that I always park at, I noticed that it was pretty busy. Continuing to the larger mauka lot, I discovered it to be completely full! Wow, who knew people used the park this much on a weekday? In the end, I had to swing around and park at the lot in front of the Shell.

After doing a bit of stretching, I started on my walk. I didn't realize either a) how out of shape I've become, or b) how damn big the park actually was . . . probably a bit of both. Before I knew it, my calves were killing me, but I kept going. You gotta start somewhere so May 1st is that somewhere for me. It took me about 45 minutes to go around the entire park - with some stopping to stretch more and to watch some soccer players. Not bad, I suppose, for the first day. Hopefully I can pick up the pace after a couple days of this.

The bad part was that because I started at around 6 p.m. the sun was already going down. By the time I was hitting the home stretch, it was actually pretty cool and breezy, almost chilly. Guess this means I need to leave directly from work instead of stopping at home first. I was tempted to go across the street to see the bodyboarders and surfers making good use of the south swell, but I decided against it. Maybe next time.

As far as first days of exercise go, this went pretty well. I don't want to over do it, thus giving myself a reason to "rest" a few days, which normally develops into a few months. It was good to be outdoors again rather than at a gym that reeks of sweat.

One highlight was that I saw two Brits walking and talking as they made their way toward Walls. Love their accents, and they were talking soccer . . . ahem, I mean futbol.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net