Aloha Daze

They Really Are Out To Get Me

Ok. I’m not a superstitious man. I’ll walk under a ladder if it’ll drive a friend nuts to watch me do it. Having said that….

Those that know me well know that I have this number that follows me throughout life. I see it in places all the time. I mention this to people, and they look at me like I’ve grown a third arm. When I point out the number, backed by photos and evidence, people are stunned. (Mostly me.)

My magic number is “214.” I grew up in Dallas, Texas, where the area code is 214, so I get a lot of grief from family. (”Yeah! I see that number all the time when I look in the phone book! Yuk yuk yuk.”)

Only I see it in other places all the time. It’s gotten to the point where I just ignore it and laugh. (I still remember watching President Bush give a speech on aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in May 2003. In the background was, I believe, an F-14. Printed in big numbers on the side of it was “214.”)

But today the numbers are all out to get me.

Yeah, it’s 06/06/06. Feh. Just another day. I don’t care. So I went about my business today. Paid a bill. Took the car to the shop (needed a tire.)

Then I left the auto shop.

At 2:14pm.

Of course.

Ignoring that, I went to Waikiki, where there was practically nowhere to park. I finally spotted the only open metered parking stall, and parked. The meters are numbered.

I parked at meter 214.

Laughing, I just got out of the car, paid the city it’s share of quarters for the day, and went about my business.

Afterwards, I wanted to stop at Sam’s Club to buy a couple of things. As is usually the case, I got everything I needed, and grabbed something I didn’t – an impulse buy – on the way out.

My total? 3456. That’s $34.56. Sheesh. I stare the receipt in disbelief. Then I note the time I checked out printed on the receipt: 8:41 PM. Only it’s printed in military time.

20:41.

I drove straight home, walked into my apartment, and locked the door.

I’m not superstitious. But I’ve had enough. I’m going to bed.

I’m looking forward to 06/07/06.

With my luck, I’ll wake up at 2:14 AM.

RLR

Grab Your Rabbit’s Foot

Welcome to the day that superstitious people throughout the land will be hiding in their homes, under their beds, one hand over their eyes and the other on a rabbit’s foot.

Welcome to the sixth month, the sixth day, in the sixth year of the 2000s. Welcome to 06/06/06.

There are any number of things you could do today to make it memorable. To counterbalance the evil of the day, I offer you three:

1. Go to Hell.
   Hell, Michigan, that is. Can’t make the drive? Visit their online site: Hell2U.com.
2. See a movie.
   A new version of an old classic, The Omen comes out in theaters today.
3. Buy a book.
   Ann Coulter’s Godless: The Church of Liberalism comes out in bookstores today. All about how the liberals on the left are working mighty hard to remove God from everyday life in the United States.

There you go. Three things to make your little slice of.. Michigan.. a fun and memorable day.

RLR

Batwoman Returns To Comics

Another topic suggested by Ken.

From the AP in New York:

Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the closet. DC Comics is resurrecting the classic comic book character as a lesbian, unveiling the new Batwoman in July as part of an ongoing weekly series that began this year.

The 5-foot-10 superhero comes with flowing red hair, knee-high red boots with spiked heels, and a form-fitting black outfit.

“We decided to give her a different point of view,” explained Dan DiDio, vice president and executive editor at DC. “We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family. That’s one of the reasons we went in this direction.”

…

“It’s kind of weird,” [DiDio] said. “We had a feeling it would attract some attention, but we’re a little surprised it did this much.”

You can’t change a comic icon, and not expect attention for doing so.

I’m not sure if I necessarily agree with their logic. Gay. Straight. Whatever: to each their own. But I was under the impression that sexual orientation isn’t supposed to matter in regards to being a productive member of society. Obviously it would matter to a significant other… but isn’t that supposed to be personal?

Having said that, isn’t it California that is changing [or trying to change] their school’s history books to reflect who was gay in history, because gay students need heroes too?

Huh? Aren’t heroes from the pages of history heroes already? Do they need to be listed as gay or straight before they’re allowed to be heroes in future publications of history books? Should anyone that’s a hero in today’s society be pulled aside, and asked if they’re gay, before their story hits the pages of the news, or is recorded in history books?

I wish DC Comics the best… but I still question their motives. I think it’s less about “being with the times,” and more about simple shock value. (”What? She’s a lesbian?! I have to see this.”)

Read the entire article.

RLR

Brainless Britney Attempts Bouncing Baby

You know, I never intended this column to become all about Britney Spears. Usually a single dose is all that’s really needed.

But this girl is just trouble.

In what is now becoming known as Seanprestonism, Britney stepped out of a store on Thursday, and… Continue reading Brainless Britney Attempts Bouncing Baby…

Brainless Britney Back in Baby Hotseat

Previously I mentioned that Britney Spears, that brainless, clueless mom wannabe was running around town with her baby in her lap as she drove.

She claimed at the time that the situation was caused because she was trying to avoid the paparazzi.

Well… later she apologized for her mistake. How nice. That’s makes it all better.

Then a few weeks ago child services checked her out because her baby received a hairline fracture in the skull. Fell out of a baby chair, you see. So, they took baby Sean to the hospital because he was sleeping longer than usual… a week after the incident. Oh, hey, no big deal. Just a little blood clog and a hairline fracture on the skull.

Guess what? She’s done it again. Britney was caught driving with an improperly installed child seat… and an improperly installed brain:

I can hear child services making yet another house call.

What’s better than all this? Britney is pregnant.

Oh joy. Another child to place in the capable hands of bubble-headed Britney.

RLR

Buy Yourself Some Cheap Sunglasses

Taken from National Geographic News:

Photo in the News: Housefly Gets Glasses Made With Lasers

March 28, 2006—Pampering pets with designer goods isn’t so unusual—and now even your houseflies can get outfitted in style.

I want to meet the doctor that fitted the lenses. Wow!

RLR

North Shore Resort Turtle Bay Plans Growth

There are a number of resorts and hotels here Oahu, as one might imagine.

About 95% of them are located either at Honolulu International Airport or Waikiki. Another 3% can be found at the growing location on the Leeward side of the island called Ko’Olina (the “next Waikiki,” if the developer and owners have their way.) The other hotels and resorts are spread across the three corners of the island: Windward, North Shore, and the far-Leeward side of the island.

For some visitors/tourists, it’s all about Waikiki: shows, beaches, sun, surf, food and fun. For others, it’s about “getting away from it all” but still enjoying everything that Oahu has to offer. For the rest, it’s about really getting away from it all.

But with most of the tourist traffic heading to Waikiki, it’s up to the hotels on the other three corners to offer world, and shoot for the moon, to get tourists to their remote locations.

On the North Shore of Oahu, that hotel is Turtle Bay. It’s a beautiful location, with some amazing meeting rooms, restaurants, and various other [in my opinion] untapped potential.

Not a new idea, the owners (Oaktree Capital) want to continue their plans to greatly increase the size of the resort. These plans have been on the table for several years now.

This is a tough one. I’m not one to bite the hand that feeds me, and I’m certainly not trying to do so here, but I think this is worth mentioning.

Turtle Bay has a fantastic potential, but has some … issues … regarding the Local 5 Union. I won’t try and address the issues here; I’m not involved.

But I think it’s important to work out such issues before trying to grow. A building needs a solid foundation. A business is no different. And whether the Union is at fault, or Turtle Bay, it’s important to work out the differences either way. I’ve not seen that from either side. It’s up to the management group at Turtle Bay to resolve the issue. They do, after all, represent the owners. Not to mention that it’s good business to make sure everyone is as enthusiastic about future growth for the Resort as the owners seem to be.

Now the owners recently finished spending some $60 million upgrading and updating the hotel. But when I recently walked around the resort, I saw several unfinished parts and pieces. Some were amazingly large unfinished issues. For example, I watched a woman, in her wedding dress, walk across broken rocks and busted sidewalks to get to her wedding on the beach. That sidewalk should have been fixed a long time ago, and with a budget of $60 million, they should have spent a measly few hundred dollars to do it.

I might be wrong. For some other reason I’m not familiar with, that sidewalk might have been busted up for any number of reasons. But that’s just an example. There were other projects that should have been finished and fixed up. I doubt that an excuse can be placed on all of the unfinished projects. And herein lies my point.

Jerry Doyle, actor and now talk show host, says often on his program that you should “question everything.” That’s what I think Oaktree Capital should do. They need to find out why their investment, Turtle Bay, is still having issues with the Local 5 Union. They need to find out why there are still portions of their investment that haven’t been fixed, improved or installed. Oaktree Capital needs to question everybody. The management group they hired [Benchmark Hospitality] to run Turtle Bay. The Local 5 Union. The local community that has reservations about Turtle Bay’s growth. Everything.

What can I say? For $60 million, I’d want answers and solutions. Not more problems and questions.

For more, see the most recent article from the Honolulu Star Bulletin titled “Proposed development at Turtle Bay bothers residents.”

RLR

Flooding in Paradise

Here in Hawaii, we’re not at all unfamiliar with rain. We get our fair share and, depending on which island, you can practically set your watch to the regular small showers that we get in Waikiki and Downtown Honolulu.

However, in the last week or two, we’re getting more than our fair share. A great deal more. Kaua’i – known as the Garden Island – is getting flooded, right along with O’ahu (the island known as the Gathering Place) and Hawai’i (the Big Island).

Here on Oahu, the Windward side of the island is taking the full force of the flooding. Although it is an island, those that have never been here would be amazed at the climate differences between one side of the island and another. On most average days, the South Shore [Waikiki] is sunny with the occasional light shower. Windward [Kaneohe] can look like something out of the movie Jurassic Park – extremely tropical with usually strong tradewinds and showers more often than the other parts of the island. North Shore, popular in name due to the fantastic surf conditions that have made it the most popular surfing location on the planet, and host to the popular show Lost, gets a little of everything… sunny conditions, rainy conditions, and windy conditions. In fact, it’s likely that this combination is what makes the surf location what it is today. Finally there is the Leeward side (Waianae) of the island, which enjoys if not sunny, then at least dry conditions most of the time. It is said that, if it rains in the Leeward side [Makaha Valley in particular], then that usually means that the entire Hawaiian island chain is getting rain.

Such is certainly true now. From the Honolulu Star Bulletin:

Nearly a foot of muddy rainwater rushed down Hauula Homestead Road and into at least five homes last night as heavy showers stalled over parts of Windward Oahu still recovering from last week’s flooding.

For a little reference, here is the island of Oahu, with Windward and Leeward sides highlighted. The blue dot indicates Makaha Valley.

RLR

From The Pimp To The Mountain

Alright. I admit it. For the first time in years I sat down and watched the Oscars. Why? One reason, really.

I’m a conservative that posts his political opinions in a column read by who knows how many hundreds [of search engines]. With a chance for the Democratic party [cleverly disguised as Hollywood] to make a political statement, I feel it’s important I watch for that. (Gee, where is Michael Moore when you need him?)

As a result, though, I did expect to see some politics involved in the choices for winners. Happily, when real talent was on the line, most of the time it was rewarded.

Until… they got to the category “Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song).”

They’d had musical numbers from the nominees all night. Dolly Parton for “Travelin’ Thru.” Kathleen “Bird” York for “In The Deep.” (Which I thought was a fantastic song. Good stuff. Great vocal talent!) And then there was the last nominee… and the winner.

Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard for “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp.”

First, I think the song stinks. The production number they had for it was just horrible compared to the other two nominees that sang earlier in the show. This song was just terrible.

Jon Stewart, host of the Oscars this year, mentioned how excited that the winners were to have won. Well no kidding. Really? I’d be excited too, if my dredge of a song won against real singers that had real talent. I’d be giddy, too.

I mean, c’mon people. Tell me that this wasn’t polically motivated somehow. All I can figure is that, because the movie that the song is from is about a pimp that makes it as a rap singer, we must be polically correct and agree with it. Here’s to the pimp that makes it as a singer! Yeah! Gimme a friggin’ break.

On the other hand, it looks like an upset for best picture. “Brokeback Mountain” lost to winner “Crash.” No, I don’t have a problem with a gay movie. It’s not on my watch list [and likely never will be]. So what is my problem?

You can’t sit there and tell me that, because of the two- or three-hundred people that went and watched “Mountain,” it should receive such acclaim. I think it’s more politics than genuine quality or interest that drives the Oscars. I always have believed that, and I still do.

However, overall I saw movies that were deserving of awards actually receive them. “Wallace and Gromit” winning Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. “March of the Penguins” for Best Documentary Feature. Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” for Achievement in Visual Effects.

As for politics… there was a quick quip from Jon Stewart in the beginning about Bjork putting on a dress, and VP Dick Cheney accidently shooting her. But that was pretty much all the quips in regards to partisan politics from Stewart.

Not wanting to miss a chance to prove just how much better they are than everyone else, George “Looney” Clooney said, in his acceptance speech:

“I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it’s probably a good thing. We’re the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn’t really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I’m proud to be a part of this Academy. Proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch.”

So, he’s really proud to part of a group that did great things back in the day. ?? So? What has that got to do with current events? That and $2 gets you a bag of chips and a cup of coffee. I guess it’s because Hollywood is always fighting for the little guy. Yep. That’s Hollywood.

I did think it was a nifty idea to have Chicken Little deliver the nominee presentation for animated picture. That was good.

On the other hand, Ben Stiller putting on a green suit (leotard, really) was a one-off joke that was old almost the moment he did it. (For those that missed it, Stiller believed he was a floating head via green-screen special effects, when in fact there were no effects and he was simply dressed in a green leotard.) That joke was old immediately, but was salvaged best when Stiller said “this is blowing Spielberg’s mind!”… and the camera cut to Steven Spielberg who – even without a microphone – clearly said “No, it’s not.”

Overall, it was a big waste of time. Which means it was business as usual at the Oscars.

RLR

Low-Fat Ain’t Where It’s At

According to an article over at FoxNews:

The widely-believed notion that low-fat diets are good for your health went “poof” this week … Low-fat diets didn’t reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer or invasive breast cancer, according to three large studies published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

So, basically, low-fat is high-bull.

That’s it. I’m going out and buying myself a gallon of Cookies and Cream. I’m drowning my low-fat tears [yeah right] with a spoon!

RLR