Satan's Luau

(Image: Star Bulletin)

Nice.

That was She Devil's reaction to last night's pop symphony show with RRHOFer Elvis Costello.

So on this most severe of 41 rainy days, the gods finally decided after a final deluge to end the onslaught on this island. Ironically, just in time for the pops show tonight.

Going in, we already knew that this was not going to be an EC rock show ... and honestly, that was a slight disappointment. However, this new incarnation of jazz and classical pop Elvis is still quite good. The reason why is that EC still sings with one of the most unique voices in music ... and the amazing stories that he can tell with it, are to be seen to be believed, and are uniformly excellent

The night began with excerpts from Il Sogno, and to our surprise, it was a pretty interesting 30 or so minutes ... then to everyone's surprise out came Elvis to sing a few, well four songs before intermission

The highlight of the first set was "The River in Reverse" from his upcoming album with Allen Touissant. EC pulled out the acoustic and rendered an excellent, angry rocker about New Orleans after Katrina. The first set was filled with fantastic renditions of jazz pieces, and featured witty, interesting stories from EC about how lyrics were come up with, among other comments ... and the funny comedic looks and gestures.

For the traditional fan, there were interesting arrangements both jazzy and jazz free, of classics like Almost Blue, Watching the Detectives, Veronica, and Alison (in encore) ... it was great to hear three songs from his collaboration with pop-master Burt Bacharach, including a surprise, Painted from Memory. And, "She" was such a delight with the symphony.

We didn't have much in terms of expectations going in, but EC delivered. There are times when from our third row seats that he connected with us. He really delivered in a different way than some of us old farts remember, but an entertaining night was had all around.

Off to home and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Posted by at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interesting time killer

here

Draw your own conclusions.

Posted by at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In 1992, the UN General Assembly designated March 22 as “World Water Day” to draw international attention to the critical lack of clean, safe drinking water worldwide. It is a time when we are encouraged to pause and consider the largest public health issue of our time – the global scarcity of clean water.

Despite the apparent abundance of clean water in the US and most of the developed world, more than 1 billion people world wide – 20% of the planet’s entire human population – lack access to clean, safe drinking water. According to the UN, this world water crisis leads to the death of more than 4,500 children every day and is a leading cause of poverty, disease, and social instability world wide.

This world water crisis isn’t confined to one particular region of the planet, though the crisis is most severe in developing nations and particularly acute in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Poverty, health, education, and economic growth all are impacted by the lack of clean water and sanitation in these communities, creating a perpetual struggle for basic survival.

(Source: World Water Day 2006)

Posted by at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every so once in a very great while, I go check out the news sites to see if there is any information on the defunct band with the initials, V-H

Soooo ... after the RockStar rumors came and went away ... D-L-R got his own radio show and "mirrored" (an El Busho presidency term ... for not saying what you mean, but people will catch on ... then you can deny it later) on a few occasions for a reunion ... S-H keeps playing V-H tunes like they were his on any given night of the week

If you go to VHND, there is a translated interview with everyone's favorite bassist and high note singer ... if I were to summarize, it would go like this.

- He blames D-L-R for the now THREE reunion attempts not working ... at points, blaming his control freakness, his weird ideas for music styles to be on an album (think ChemBros), his ego ... at this point, I don't know what to think about who is/who are the dick(s) preventing it, I think it's everyone

- Unique story about a drunken confrontation between Mikey and D-L-R on the S-n-D (or is it D-n-S) tour, 2002 ... basically, he got drunk, went to D's dressing room, ripped him about the reunion ... D agreed with him ... then spent the rest of the tour avoiding him

- The last Sam-Halen tour could have gone around the globe, but it was getting too difficult between S-H and E-V-H ... to the point, where they used TWO private jets to shuttle four guys around (guess who paired up with who) ... and S-H eventually called it

- He actually had to take less $$$ on the last tour because E-V-H actually did not want him on the tour ... but he did it anyways for the fans

- He thinks E-V-H doesn't want to play or tour anymore (big surprise there ...sarcasm) ... he basically calls this stage of V-H a hiatus ... but never playing again is a definite possibility

- There will be V-H played live this year in a band called The Other Half, which of course, features him, Sam, and two other dudes ... because the fans want it ... and as has always been the case, he wants to keep playing

Oh yeah, and have you seen the recent pix of E-V-H at an awards show ... YIKES, the dude looks like Quest for Fire ... yeesh

Posted by at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It just hit me that this blog has now been up for three years ... I suppose the greater irony is that it nearly parallels the length of the Iraqi invasion

As so many things have happened in the past three years, I have this to say -- much of it inspired by frantic thoughts that eventually I should make some real money ... and then being brought down to earth only moments later by the weekly editorial by the bearded one in PBN

So here are a few observations of someone who is half a decade away from the "new-30":

I was out with a realtor friend of mine, we went to the same HS, he is a little older than me ... and he was talking about his 20th year reunion this year. That made me realize that in two years I would be there too ... twenty years out of high school

So here at year 18, I still kind of wonder where did all the years since 1988 really go ... I know I spent a lot of it in grad schools here and there ... I lived in LA, I came back home ... I've worked in five jobs since then, I've added three degrees since then ... I've seen most of my law school pals, switch jobs at least once ... some twice

I am now hearing of my college friends, finally making a name for themselves from here to Wall Street to China to F500s to new media ... actually many of my local friends from college from school didn't go the dr., lawyer, engineer route ... they ended up teaching, and that really surprises me ... my longest term friends are working in new media and banking, didn't really see that coming either

I tried some tennis after golf ... after weightlifting ... after basketball ... and I guess now, it's back to tennis and golf because I can't really do the other things anymore without getting really sore

I've thought recently that a good friend of mine from elementary school DIED 25 years ago this year ... many of the people that I have gone out with are now long married, with kids, and I see them at Longs sometimes and it's totally weird

At this point in my life, I think that a few things are really key ... appreciate the people you have in your life that have supported you and are still there thick, thin, and everything in between ... because they still will be there in the end. Appreciate your parents and others in your life that have made it easier for you ... because sooner rather than later it will be your turn to give to some apparently indifferent and unappreciative child ... or person, whatever the context may be. If you have someone in your life, appreciate the intimate moments you have with them ... because sooner rather than later, you will remember those days as the good days

I don't think we all were made to be famous, public, or rich ... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't contribute our talents so that someone, some thing, or society in general cannot benefit in small and large ways from us.

I don't know what else to write right now. Thanks to everyone who makes it happen on this site, and in my life. May we all continue to be blessed, safe, and prosperous in our lives because of our relationships.

Posted by at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our fearless leader El Busho makes a claim so preposterous that even I can't let it go ... despite the fact that I think he and his administration are setting a "never to be broken again" pace of administrative incompetence and flat-out lying.

So the quote from our fearless leader today:
" First-just if I might correct a misperception, I don't think we ever said, at least I know I didn't say that there was a direct connection between September 11th and Saddam Hussein. "

Yeah, WE GOT IT WRONG, NOT YOU .... of course

Seriously, who the $@#! does he think he's kidding? The most offensive thing about this is how this administration thinks that we are just stupid.

Posted by at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, SD and I went to the taiko festival yesterday afternoon ... surprisingly, the rain had stopped already because as you may know, usually taiko brings rain (but that's another story)

I didn't really have any preconceptions going in, and for the most part, I found it to be fairly entertaining. I think we both agreed that the youth group performance was a bit more entertaining -- just because it was more dynamic, contemporary, and high energy

When the masters did their thing, it was kind of like taiko jazz ... and that was okay, too. There were some points that reminded me of noisescapes on classic rock albums like DSoTM. But all in all, it was a pretty cool thing to watch.

Posted by at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was thinking today ... when was the last time we pretty much had rain for an entire month. I actually find myself checking the weather more because of it.

Anyway, here is a great weather page with all sorts of imaging by Edward Dung.

In the meantime, Oahu gets pounded by thunderstorms this morning ... ehhh

Posted by at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It seems like we don't really see too many flicks in the theatres nowadays ... I guess part of it is that nothing really jumps up and grabs us to go, or other more pressing things get in the way

A History of Violence (DVD): B/B+

My first impression of this film after it was done was that Cronenberg had put together another movie that is very effective at being psychologically creepy. All in all, this movie seems like a fairly simple film, nicely packaged, well produced and tight ... we get from point A to B rather economically, and perhaps so much so that some will feel something akin to ... what was that all about. And the plot is fairly pulpish, a very familiar scenario

I'm sure everyone is familiar with the premise that this guy is Joe Wholesome in small town America and one day he shows some surprising abilities that mild-mannered Joes don't show. The plotline was fairly A to B as well ... and to me, there was a story there, but I think the more effective aspect of the movie was the psychology of the acting and the action/violent acts. The movie is so compact that it really doesn't do a shell game of is he/isn't he with the identity subplot

I didn't really find the action/violence to be intolerably graphic, like some have noted. In fact, I thought that most of it was short to the point and effective, certainly not under or overselling it. I think it was handled very well in that it did what every picture or demonstration should do ... communicate more effectively than mere words

There are parts in the movie that are so psychologically effective in how creepy and how dramatic they are just with facial expressions and body language ... I think there may have been a missed opportunity to explore the characters more, but I don't think that that was the movie that they were aiming for here

The performances are excellent all around, Viggo does another great job, Ed Harris and Maria Bello are great in supporting roles. Maybe my only quibble is that the movie seems at times a bit too clinical and pathological ... in other words, it could have been a lot more accessible with "let the character talk in ways that normal people do not to lay out plot points" ... this was like a docudrama type style where you look in on a totally odd scenario, and in the end, it is clear that the perfect life can continue on ... but only if people pretend that they haven't had their bite of the tree of knowledge

That's an interesting point ... I think one of the key themes of the movie is that you can have a life with a family, a love of your life, an occupation, and people see you in a certain way. Well, what if people saw you differently/or saw you for you truly were ... would that change everything or could you go back to that pristine, perfect life where everyone thought they knew you ... but didn't really

Anyway, it's a quite good movie, some have called it an art movie with violence. I think that it's a good movie, but it isn't great because it doesn't let you get close to it to know it ... whatever that means

Posted by at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And not noticed.

How is it that we can continue to grow here? Why is it that I feel no confidence in using theory du jour, "growth management strategies"?

Ultimately, why doesn't anyone tell the truth about where this road ends:

No, it's not mortgage rates ... No, it's not tax cuts ... No, it's not an influx of outsiders with money ... The stupid part is that everyone knew in the past 30 years that are now PAST, that this day was coming

- Why doesn't anyone say, if we grow that means more commitment to infrastructure? No, instead the brainiacs calculate how much longer we will sit in traffic ... yeah, great use of them PhDs at UH if you ask me

- Why doesn't anyone say that the government could get involved, and we all pitch in with higher taxes so that direct solutions like subsidies, loan programs, and SOME ... or should I say ANY "affordable housing" can be built? Funny, but I think this is where the Ainokea attitude of me first really will make the overall society suffer

- Why doesn't a developer tell the truth and say ... don't point your finger at me being the problem -- yes, how is it that luxury condo after condo, and development after development get built ... and no one in the business community, political leadership, government bureaucracy goes ... WAIT, that means most people can't buy or rent that, we can't have that ... where's the guts, where's the leadership, where's the balls to say, lookit, we do things differently here ... you don't want to be a good corporate partner in our society and share some of the burden of benefitting the society, you can't build here, you can't develop here

- What exactly do trade missions to Israel and Asia do anyways? Or with our previous mayor's trips around the globe to receive awards and acclaim ... I find it quite ludicrous that most leaders or politicians have poor focus on what is in front of their nose, what is in their backyard

- I really don't mind the real property tax hikes per se ... but what I do mind is this, can I be guaranteed that this money will go to infrastructure to support our overheating little place of nearly a million? Can I be assured that when it rains, old sewers won't backflow ... where dumb kids will play in puddles or standing water? Can I be assured that public transportation will be affordable and attractive for me to use? Can I be assured that I won't need a moon buggy to avoid potholes that could lose an SUV

At the end of the day because our economy is not diversified enough, is to no one's surprise too reliant on tourism ... the money is held in too few hands, things not only will not change. They CANNOT change ... and no one wants to get real and use the nuclear option, which is to increase the government (the fattest cat of them all)'s commitment to and participation in solving the issues

And no, it is not a republican governor problem either ... it really is up to the government to get serious about stepping up on some of this because this whole growth thing ... for the 3,823,456th time that I have said it ... is not working because many things on this island are not able to sustain it

Will it end where this place is Florida, Too ... a place for the rich and the very old, and let's not forget -- still a tourist destination (great to visit, not so much to live)? Honestly, maybe not

But I do wonder where it does end, where does the aloha spirit go to die ... maybe too expensive really is the last straw that this economy can take ... and the bubble will pop once again, only to be reinflated some day ten years down the road

Has it turned yet ... can it be pulled from the fire? I just don't know.

Posted by at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

SD and I finally saw WTL last night on DVD. And, it was pretty funny because it occurred to us almost simultaneously at the halfway point ... man, I don't think Reese W. had done anything out of the ordinary to grab the best actress this year, puzzling. Joaquin P. certainly was deserving of a Oscar nod, if not the award, however we haven't seen H&F or Cap yet.

Walk the Line (DVD): B

Without overly spoiling it for those who have yet to see it, it is a biographical picture of the man in black. I think if there are obvious themes, they are the lifelong chase that JR has over June ... his battles with substance abuse ... and his difficult relationship with his father. In many ways, the picture is 2/3rds ugly with him dealing with his demons related to these issues.

Only the thread of his pursuit of June is fairly solid, the other two threads aren't as well constructed ... so it is mushy at times a feels a tad bit drifty into the stereotypical 'subst-abuse' pic ... you know the kind, where you can't really relate to much to the main character because they are so lost and they do so much stupit shirt

However, I think for the most part, the movie is good. The performances really carry the movie ... By design, the movie moves ahead in terms of years, and all you get is scenes from the year ... some scenes move the narrative ahead, some don't really add to the threads

I guess this is good and bad because, on the downside, it just feels like we are rushing ahead to some watershed, which kind of pays off, but not really ... on the positive side, the movie feels largely easy to digest in terms of its short scene design because it doesn't really bog down.

I guess I always have a problem with bio pics ... primarily, is there a point that the storyteller wanted to get across ... or is it merely existence, and there really is no point than to show you different points in the subject's life. For me, I think it was supposed to be a love story, but it never showed how June would find things to love about JR ... who spends a good 2/3rds of the movie being a jackass

And the high points of the picture beside the performances, when I think about it, are the musical performances. They bring positive energy to certain segments where otherwise the movie would be largely dark.

In the final analysis, the movie is entertaining enough and a very solid choice ... is it great? no, not really, but it does do just enough. I think it is about a B

Posted by at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another major show doesn't quite make it out here

Our best to the member of U2 whose family member is ill

Posted by at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This may show how much I am actually paying attention, but I noticed WOXY has now gone to a listener supported model paid through BPass ... not unlike KNAC has had in place for quite a while now. I guess with KNAC it seems a litle less obvious that they are pushing a subscription on you. But in any case, with both, you can still listen for free at 24k which is quite generous of them ... and can also be used for indecisive mooching, I suppose

Posted by at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Parody of if MSlop marketed the iP here

Posted by at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I think most of you know that ... I, being a highly lazy peep, like to watch Countdown on MSlopNBC. Basically because it is a shorthand of most of the pertinent national news of the day ... ANDDDD it has no obvious political slant

Just when life couldn't become more bizarre, the nation's favorite pundit will turn your name over to bushy tail network security if you say KO's name ... damnnn, the collective intelligence of the world just dropped by negative IQ points

If you're curious, it's here ... be warned though, it requires MSlop Exploder, that alone should have precluded me, but I couldn't resist ... here

Posted by at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)