tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90138814516058788522024-03-05T22:10:26.461-10:00Solomishbecause abundance and inspiration surrounds us...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-14618991792402512572020-04-14T23:49:00.002-10:002020-04-14T23:49:40.254-10:00The Stars...2 days ago, it was hot day and working from home, in my home office without AC, was difficult. When the day ended my son wanted to go for a walk and we did so to meet up with the Big Green Gate. When we came home, I decided that I would sit in the driveway for a bit and avoid the heat within the house. It has been a while since I sat in the driveway around sunset. I plopped down my folding chair and instantly pulled out my phone to mindlessly distract myself. After a few minutes on Instagram I realized what I was doing and decided to not miss out on the best show in town - the sunset and the sky. With each passing minute, a new star would twinkle - 6, 7, 8, 9... Soon there were too many to count. The odd thing is that these stars were (relatively speaking) always there. They just needed time to come into view and for me to be a little more present and aware. It's ironic that outside of something so beautiful, there is a danger in the world, spreading. I guess one must truly focus on the positive to keep sane...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-60079701985711440272020-04-01T21:15:00.001-10:002020-04-01T22:08:47.746-10:00The Times Have ChangedIt's been a while since I've been here. According to the dates on my blogs, 7 years to be exact. A lot has happened since 2013. I have a son; a son who is exponentially more intelligent than I, more aware than I, and with every stimuli, I can see his wheels turning, churning deep thoughts. He is living up to his name... Bodhi. When I look into his eyes, I see much more than him. I see me. I see every thought, every deficiency, every challenge, every success, every improvement, and every dream that I have ever had and have and more. I see the potential for a better version of me, one who will not adopt all of my traditions for tradition's sake. I see myself painfully letting my son traverse his own path, forge his own way, and experience things that I am highly afraid of; and he will be better because of his courage. And he will prove that my limited mindset is obsolete; and that is okay. We must all be obsolete at some point to allow the next, to progress. <br />
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Since 7 years ago, my mind races a little faster and in many more directions, my awareness a little sharper, my interests a little broader, my experiences a little heavier, and overall, I see fate, I see the negativity, and I see improvement and hope. <br />
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I've traveled to a few places, enough to open my eyes, to prove my mindset obsolete and incorrect, and to prove that I must continually put in the effort to improve. Or be stagnant, stale, pushed to the side, and waste the talents that I have adopted. <br />
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And the environment has changed. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EexXu1UhLMY">We are amidst a pandemic</a>. They call it Corona Virus or Covid-19 or, it has many names... It appears to have stemmed from a bat. The Batman, a mere mortal among mutants and aliens was wise to choose the bat as a symbol. The tiny bat is a powerful being. But back to the virus or bacteria or whatever it is. People hate it. It conjures, it encourages an It against Us mentality. Humans have a gift of doing so; it is our default. Oddly, a year or so ago, a Marvel movie titled the Infinity Wars came out in which Thanos snapped his fingers and half the population of the "Universe" (aka, Earth) disintegrated. VERY oddly familiar theme. I don't mean any disrespect to anyone in identifying the similarity. But movies have a way to mimicking real life; just like art. Movies are art. Maybe this Covid-19 is a reset for our kind. Maybe we (energetically) did this to ourselves. We wanted to halt the nonsensical complexity we created. Our greed and insecurities can be quite the creator. Maybe this is the time we individually need to collect ourselves, to unfold our collars, to strike away the wrinkles in our attire, to infuse fresh O2 into our bodies, and just... catch up. As a surfer, I always wondered... What would happen if a shark took one or more of my limbs. What if physically I was unable to do the things I could do, with the same ease that I can, today? Who would I be? Would I overcome? What would I do? This time, this Covid bullshit is a sample of that, without the physical limitation of missing limbs. I mean, seriously... Stay at home, greet people from 6 feet away, and practically view every innocent and alien thing to your household, including groceries, the mail, the Amazon-delivered dog food for Rosie our beautiful snorting and toddler-crap-eating bulldog, and the pack of toilet paper that Mom just bought from Sam's club. How in hell did all of these things become deadly? It's so ironic. I Googled pandemic and a site indicated that AIDS was the last pandemic. But you had to have sex or share needles and just generally swap bodily fluids in order to pass AIDS from one person to another. Today, alls you need is to breathe on someone. Scary. If we get past this (and we will), for the next pandemic, alls you may need to do is to look at someone. I fear for my beautiful and bright son, weaving his way through that world. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-40858290836539348182013-09-25T11:49:00.002-10:002013-09-25T11:49:41.761-10:00Self security exalts open-mindedness.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-43603664443597465652013-06-12T11:45:00.001-10:002013-06-12T11:45:55.296-10:00How sick is this photo????How sick is this photo of Tippi Degré? Talk about living free...<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-42289645709911586232013-05-24T11:55:00.000-10:002013-05-24T11:57:04.131-10:00Spanish music and watercolor together? Yes, please.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/63759829" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-35464635477219846052013-04-15T08:50:00.003-10:002013-04-15T08:50:55.824-10:00Fuck it...Recently I've been around a lot of people who seemed to have a ton of conflicting (with each other and themselves) opinions and "passions." <br />
<a name='more'></a>Personally, anyone who tells me they have a passion but, their passions produce no action, is simply destroying our ozone layer. To be around these individuals, who I hope are working out their thoughts as well, is difficult. I find it ironic that if you didn't care, it would be much easier to be around these folks yet, if you didn't care, you probably wouldn't hang out with them, and as a person who's open-minded and loves to learn different perspectives, I often find myself at the nucleus of these protons and electrons.
I've been doing a lot of art recently and this weekend, and my creative mind came to a grudging halt, infuriated and unable to process the heaps of info and "passions." This morning I came across this video of David Choe, a rebellious artist from LA who reminded me to walk outside of my comfort zone, daily.<br />
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<span id="goog_358208352"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_358208353"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-55239676866635270512013-03-29T13:51:00.002-10:002013-03-29T13:52:30.603-10:00InspireI should really start an "Inspire" series, a series dedicated to those who are WAY outside of the box and inspire me as a result.
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u7dPlCzUG44" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-91138103140933546962013-01-20T23:52:00.000-10:002013-01-20T23:52:48.145-10:00I like continuous line drawings.I've always liked continuous line drawings. Also referred to as single line drawings, it constitutes drawing without lifting the pen or pencil from the paper. Ian Slarsky however, does it blind; meaning that he keeps his eyes on the model and does not look at his drawings.
It's hard enough for me to keep consistent ratios (eg. distance between a person's eyes is the same as the width of his or her eye), looking at the model. To keep these ratios and perspectives without looking at the drawing is a whole nutha ballgame. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/18605230?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=d40d38" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="400"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-6742458679608358382013-01-09T15:37:00.003-10:002013-01-11T09:51:01.162-10:00Travel plans 2013I've been thinking a lot lately, about traveling. For 3 years I was immersed in an MBA program that I completed, earlier, last year. The program, overall, wasn't too strenuous but, it kept my focus primarily on academics. After I wrapped that up, I traveled to Africa, Nicaragua, and Japan but, was still in that mode. Towards the end of last year, my right brain really began to kick in, and I began toying with art and ideas of my next adventure.<br />
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I hoped to travel to Nica this month to assess a health center in Chinandega, to formulate a plan to return with additional volunteers, but alas, with all of the recent activities at my job (which I absolutely love!), I had to postpone the trip.<br />
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I plan to travel to Nica sometime this summer, for a week, when the waves are looking good =) and hope to continue with my plans to assess the Nica health care system and provide some sort of support in the future. <br />
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As for my "big" travel plans, I have a coworker who traveled to Nepal to hike to the Everest Base Camp. She shared her itinerary and I researched (looking at the pretty pictures on Google) Nepal, and since then, I haven't shaken my thoughts of traveling to Nepal. Recently, a friend mentioned her plans to finally travel to Vietnam to cave spelunk. A few Google images of the Son Doong cave(s) and I was blown away! If anyone is planning to travel to Nepal and/or Vietnam in August/September/October, let me know! =)<br />
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During my research, one thing led to another and another and another and soon, I stumbled upon an inspiring blog by a fellow soul wanderer, Anna. Her blog is <a href="http://annzventures.com/">here.</a><br />
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After reading her blog, I'm all the more excited to travel this year. Her posts provide, not only her experiences, but a step by step of how she traveled, many of the questions that I would ask. Aside from her posts detailing the various places she experienced, I do recommend her posts located under Inspiration and Travel Tips. It's great to travel to distant places but, I agree with her, the journey to improve and enlighten yourself is far more valuable.<br />
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I'm going. Somewhere. Somehow. To live life, that is! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-87292265287801771712013-01-03T21:34:00.000-10:002013-01-03T22:07:52.109-10:00Da Aloha Chair(s)I found 3 chairs abandoned on a curb, that appeared to be from the 70's (maybe earlier). They had a nostalgic mustard colored vinyl fabric on the seats and backrests and were made of sturdy and very heavy wood. They looked a little disheartened, so close to the road and I felt that they would be perfect candidates for upcycling and a touch of art.<br />
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Regretfully, I was only able to fit 2 in the back of my car because my surfboard argued that it would make a much better girlfriend than 2 chairs. No argument there!<br />
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The cushioning material in the seats and backrests were worn out and once removed, each chair was half the weight. I decided to leave them off and replace them with leftover pallet wood from my <a href="http://www.solomish.com/2013/01/a-bench-for-pipeline-2012-contest.html">#dapipe13chair project</a> and this would allow me to apply stain, paint, or varnish. (If anyone is interested in the seat and backrest, message me.)<br />
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I sat for a while, beer in hand, pondering how to create a rigid backrest that had a contour and decided to string fencing wire through each of the 4 backrest panels. This would allow a person's weight to adjust the curvature.
I also decided that I would paint a few images of Hawaii using acrylic paint and with my friend, Risa's influence, I added some texture to Diamond Head using a small painter's spatula.<br />
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I am currently working on the second chair and decided to up the ante on detail. As soon as I am done, I'll post a few pictures. I'm new to painting acrylic and am discovering all the nuances with applying paint, different brushes, shading, mixing paint, and the list keeps growing. I haven't painted on a canvas yet but, I imagine that it must be easier than painting on the many faces and crevices of a chair. I have found myself lying on my back, on my side, and bending around the chair, to continue a brush stroke. All those yoga classes have helped! Once I have the second chair completed, I plan to apply a clear coat on both chairs to preserve the artwork, then who knows. Maybe they will be up for sale. =) Aloha!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-63208829344436419822013-01-02T22:25:00.000-10:002013-01-03T14:47:30.265-10:00A bench for the Pipeline 2012 ContestI've been spending a lot of time working on chairs, benches, and artwork in general. Having completed my MBA early last year, I felt as though my creative side was suppressed for 3 years. My right brain was screaming to make a comeback and it all started with <a href="http://www.solomish.com/2012/10/two-amazing-things-happened-other-day.html">#dakaikooschair</a>.<br />
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I began to research upcycling, woodworking, and pallet furniture. After discovering that the ideal chair had a seat that was somewhere around 18" tall, 18" deep, and canted at 5 degrees, and had a backrest that was canted at 5 ~ 15 degrees, I decided to collect a few pallets and make myself a bench. With the upcoming Pipeline contest, I thought what better way to continue the legacy of #dakaikooschair than to create another chair for Pipeline. What resulted was a bench made entirely of pallet wood. I did purchase screws, sandpaper, wallpaper glue, and some paint to put all the pieces together, but feel good knowing that a portion of it is made entirely from wood that would have otherwise ended up in the dump. <br />
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I've been interested in continuous line (or single line) drawing for a while and wanted to incorporate that into the chair somehow but, knew that doing so with a paint brush and paint wouldn't work as "continuous" as I would like. I decided to paste a few pieces of newspaper together to create a canvas and used Posca pens to draw an image that exemplified "good vibes". I cut out pieces that I felt could use the texture of the wood as an accent, such as the guitar, and used wallpaper paint to adhere my art to the bench. One evening, as I was tinkering with Microsoft Paint, I created an image of a woman lying down and thought it would be cool to have her hair represent the waves of Pipeline. This image, I transfered to the back of the bench, using house paint and Posca pens.<br />
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I learned a ton from this bench. First, pallet wood is very thin and the longer the piece of wood, the more susceptible it is to bending and eventually breaking. Posca pens, while convenient for drawing lines, run and smear when various clear coats are applied. The best way to apply a clear coat over Posca pens (that I know of) is to mist spray clear over it, a few times. My friend Risa, who is an avid acrylic painter, reintroduced me to glitter. I remember applying glitter over Elmer's glue, back when I was but a munchkin. For #dapipe13chair, I used a finer grade of glitter and sprinkled/blew it onto the clear coat. Don't use too much! Light color glitter, like the gold I used, intensifies the glare and dark color glitter, dark blue that I used, makes the artwork and furniture look darker, from afar.<br />
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All in all, it was a great project and I thought it would be fun to see who appreciated it, after dropping it off at Pipeline. My friends thought I was crazy to leave it at some public place, unattended, but I had no intention of retrieving it. I thought it could be a cool social experiment, like the dollar bill or the bookcrossing.com book that travels the globe. If you see it and have a moment to Facebook or Instagram it, tag yourself and #dapipe13chair!<br />
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Aloha!<span id="goog_391388498"></span><span id="goog_391388499"></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-6008210384706817672012-12-24T13:46:00.001-10:002012-12-24T13:49:08.832-10:00Inspiring, Upcycling, and Musical Efforts from ParaguayIt's been a while since I've posted. I've been working on some art, furniture art, and upcycling projects that have taken a good amount of time, and it's been fun to temper my creative side and learn new methods of creative expression. I ran across this video on Lost At E Minor. Having been to the dump yards in Nicaragua and my recent interest in upcycling, as an effort to reduce resource depletion, it really hit home. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/52711779?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&badge=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="400"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-35038686532018671802012-11-09T08:01:00.001-10:002012-11-09T08:01:23.121-10:00Obama's greatest speech?Arguably one of Obama's best speeches? Agreed...<br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="374" id="ep" width="416"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=politics/2012/11/09/pmt-obama-gets-emotional-with-campaign-workers.cnn" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=politics/2012/11/09/pmt-obama-gets-emotional-with-campaign-workers.cnn" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="416" wmode="transparent" height="374"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-83726516298517691192012-10-30T21:10:00.002-10:002012-10-30T21:13:45.208-10:00Continuousman!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oOe_It6J3BFvwD95jewZ2CMavSgWbKKLgV9ig3Tpjlne1EHqSRo2vc8XzbcJ9ZIJ1APG7qZLWHOwk71AbH4AaGnAjt0D_-P0zql-yaWqwRqVx9mY3kJuixZOniLjeVd_kB0071MVLlY/s1600/continuousline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oOe_It6J3BFvwD95jewZ2CMavSgWbKKLgV9ig3Tpjlne1EHqSRo2vc8XzbcJ9ZIJ1APG7qZLWHOwk71AbH4AaGnAjt0D_-P0zql-yaWqwRqVx9mY3kJuixZOniLjeVd_kB0071MVLlY/s400/continuousline.jpg" width="300" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-28537207071559400032012-10-16T21:19:00.000-10:002012-10-29T13:51:10.375-10:00The Kaiko'o's chair.Two amazing things happened the other day. I finally received my MBA diploma from Loma Linda University, signifying the end of a tedious learning session, and my friends and I painted a chair - the 2nd being better than the first.<br />
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It all started at my favorite surf break. A lone chair stood there for weeks, providing a rest stop for weary surf and sunset watchers. As the weeks went on, the fabric began to rip and people were no longer compelled to sit on it. While surfing, one day, I witnessed the most spectacular sunset and thought, "dang it would be neat to paint that chair. You should go get ice cream and beer." (I have many randumb thoughts.) Then my idea expanded. What if? What if my friends and I created an entire collage on the chair and returned it so that people could enjoy it, once again?<br />
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So, the transformation began. I thieved the chair. An innocent surf-Betty watched me load the chair into my car and chuckled, as if I were some furniture-less individual, a few years in the making to an episode on Hoarders. Little did she know, this would be the greatest chair to sit on at Kaiko'os. I drove up the street, chair in tow, and wondered how I would repair the fabric. I passed a dumpster sitting outside a house being rebuilt and decided to take a peek to see if anything could assist in my remodeling effort. Sure as the cold in winter, there was. I crawled into the dumpster, ignoring the scent of week old plate lunches and the many dangers of broken glass and rebar and found the perfect slat of wood. I returned home, cut the slat into pieces, ripped the fabric off the chair, and installed the slat pieces. Crap. I didn't have enough wood. Sitting there pondering the meaning of life and why I had forgotten to attain my beer and ice cream, I remembered the broken fins that I collected over the years. There had to be a way to incorporate those into the chair! An hour later and I had the fins fastened to the chair using copper wire, with a promise to replace the copper wire with stainless steel wire.<br />
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I asked a friend if we could host a lil' art gathering at his house. Thanks Double B's! A few emails later and the party promised an intimate setting complete with artists, booze, and food. People showed up in droves, mingled, laughed, ate, drank, be-merried, hot-tubbed, and then creativity gushed like a geyser. Stories were told. Ideas were shared. And, all in all, it was a great time. The chair now sports a new look with guitars, sharks, fish, trees, yellow pokka dot bikinis, swirlybobbers, R2D2, Saturn, waves, patterns, scenery, and everything important that cosmically exists! Beach Art Bandits unite!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-72812942533507874402012-09-24T12:26:00.001-10:002012-09-24T12:26:55.980-10:00Avocado SeedsI was being impatient. The day after I set up my avocado seeds, I checked it to see if anything was growing. The day after? Same thing.<br />
<a name='more'></a> I knew that it would take at least a week to sprout, according to sources on the Internet but, I just wanted to see something happen. Fast forward to today and it looks like they are ready to be put into the ground (or at least a pot of some sort). Of the 5 that I started with, 2 succumbed to algae, mold, whatever was growing in the water. 3, however have stalks ranging from 6 inches to 1 1/2 feet tall and they are primed for homes. I threw in a single-line drawing of the runt of the litter for good measure. With all of the trees being cut down in the world, here's to adding 3 more trees to Hawaii!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-91878225205075327112012-09-13T14:46:00.003-10:002012-09-13T14:46:44.298-10:00Tangled Up in YouHow did I let this one slip by? I've been a fan of Staind and Aaron Lewis from back in the day when Staind performed the grungy grunge and today, I still return to tunes like "For You" and "Waste" when I'm feeling a little emo, sans the black frame glasses.<br />
<a name='more'></a> (Although, I'd wear a pair, if I wore glasses.) <br />
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The other night I was perusing YouTube and came across "Tangled Up in You", both the Illusion of Progress and Town Line versions. Since then, I haven't been able to put down the headphones. I've blogged before about bands that evolve personally and creatively and how this progression is displayed through their music. Let's not forget that this evolution, this change, takes courage - the courage to tell fans, "Hey, I know you love our music but, we've changed a bit, and this is our new vibe." Bands such as Incubus have gone from yelling into the microphone with awkward vocal backgrounds and struggling coordination of disjointed instruments, (of which I happen to have a fondness for) to melodious and simple rhythms, mellow tempos, and profound lyrics. Aaron Lewis is no different. <br />
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Add to that, Mr. Lewis snuck out the backdoor of the mosh pits to find clarity in the open countryside. I've dabble in country, if you can even call it that. You can liken my dabbling to walking past an Ed Hardy or Affliction store and recognizing that there were indeed some sort of art-infused clothing being sold. You have to understand. I'm from Hawaii. We have some western country influence in our Hawaiian music. You can hear it in the "old" Hawaiian music of Gabby Pahinui, the Makaha Sons, and Cyril Pahinui (of which I have had a renewed sense of "Oh yah, I like this!"). This influence however, is not prevalent in today's Hawaiian music. <br />
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Back to Mr. Lewis. I find his personal story and views interesting and he may be just the character to introduce me to the world of country. <br />
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Like I previously inferred, I'm late to the game that you all are already playing. You've probably heard this song when it came out on the Illusion of Progress album, have already donned a pair of cowboy boots; a slick pair of blue jeans; danced with your "pardner" on the weathered, wooden floors; and have many memories associated with this tune. I haven't yet. But, like you, every new tune fires up my creative mind and I can mentally conjure fantasies of a world where old school values such as family, community, and self-reliance have overcome over-consumerism and other fleeting facades. (Whoa! Sorry to take you there!) <br />
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Maybe you feel the same way. We live in a fast-paced world that has been going a 100 miles a minute and it's nice to get off this train, once in a while. It's nice to ease my cognitive pace and allow my
often-suppressed, creative mind to dance, to appreciate, and to wander uncharted fields. <br />
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I don't know country very well and haven't extensively traveled to the heart(s) of mainland U.S.A. where country thrives. I have, however, been to San Antonio and have ventured out a few hours to small towns such as Lukenbach, where there is a population of 3, and have witnessed backyard bbqs, historic dance halls, saloons, and the sense of community, even with a population of 3. I have also been to rural areas in countries such as Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Nicaragua where people are rooted in family and friends and share good vibes with one another. My sense of country is growing.<br />
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When I hear "Tangled Up in You", I think of traveling the countryside, smelling the fragrances of all that is not man-made; watching fence post after fence post pass by the window; passing seemingly oblivious and content animals grazing the abundance offered by countryside; feeling unstressed by deadlines; accepting the good that resides within every human, even those who have very little; experiencing the simplicity of others who are equally, if not more, happy than I; and imagining the excitement that awaits me as I expand my travels. <br />
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So thank you, Mr Lewis. Your music is inspiring!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-63911860144899218362012-09-05T23:08:00.001-10:002012-09-05T23:08:28.538-10:00Vote.Someone recently told me that he/she refrained from voting because, "they are all crooks." Another person claimed that they, "all lie." There are so many sides to the "American" coin and there is no panacea for all problems. But if you say that you won't take a stand, for the country that provides you with all of perfections and imperfections you have been blessed with, simply because they are all liars or crooks, that sounds like cop-out to me. I'm not an openly political person and I won't sway you in any direction except to have a legitimate reason to take action but, will admit that this post was inspired by Michelle Obama's speech on 9/4/12. <br />
<a name='more'></a>The political landscape is mired with complications, is frustrating, filled with corruption and other "wonderful" human characteristics, will never be perfect, is expensive, and is exhausting; and for those reasons, in the past, I did not spend the time to research the agendas of political hopefuls or vote. I used the same excuses. They are crooks. They are corrupt. They are idiots. They liars. And if these were all true, by my negligence to vote, I put them in office.<br />
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Today, I vote. And sometimes, the people I vote for don't win. Double U, T, Eff?! Imagine that! I mean this is another reason why I shouldn't vote, right? Wrong. In the process, I learn valuable things like the state of our economy, health care mandates, gun control concerns, ideals of same-sex marriage proponents, our relationship with the rest of the world, job market, taxes, capitalism, socialism, small businesses, big businesses, the world energy crisis, and so much more. Does it make me worldy? I believe so. Are some of these topics daunting and bigger than I? They are. However, do they affect my actions as a citizen in the U.S.? As a health care professional? As an avid beach-goer? As a friend? As a son? As a homeowner? As fellow driver? As a small business patronizer? As a day dreamer? Absoltively. By me taking an initiative to vote, I begin a small chain reaction. It makes me a better person. It changes the course of my actions. It makes me more aware. So take a stand. Be a Republican. Be a Democrat. Be otherwise. Whatever you do, be informed and DO SOMETHING. Vote.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-51514451754237638422012-08-08T22:30:00.000-10:002012-08-14T11:27:18.102-10:00Continuous Line Sketch of Aloha TowerMy colleague "noticed" that during meetings, I'm either on Facebook or sketching. That's not true, I don't always sketch. Haha. Here's Aloha Tower for you.<br />
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Oh, and if anyone can tell me how you are snapping photos (from a cell phone - lighting, flash, etc.) so that the resulting snapshot doesn't turn out so dark, please, do tell. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-11750251330986461872012-08-07T20:48:00.000-10:002012-08-16T22:35:44.433-10:00You are "babe" no more.We spent the last 2 days together. All. Day. It wasn't exactly how I had planned things and it was a quaint reminder to be flexible, open-minded, and cognizant that even the best of people, things, and situations can go awry.<br />
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When we first met, I was giddy, giddy like an 5 year old gripping the brand spanking new handlebars of THAT bike that up until now, he had only seen in magazines and bike shop windows. A month prior, this kid could only ogle from the storefront, leaving oily hand prints on the window as mom reminded him that we couldn't afford it, I already have a nice bike, and IT WAS TIME TO GO. Sure, I already had a bike. Rust on the frame and holes in the seat was the new "in". And not to mention this 5 year old boy was riding a girls bike. I cut off the handlebar tassles, scraped off the pretty purple stickers, made sure the white tires were muddy at all times to disguise the shame. But, this hideous bike and the feeling it gave me, was the lowest point in a 5 year old's life. Then came my birthday! Mom and Dad rolled out the new bike. It was my dream! From the window! From the ad in the magazine, that I had taped on the wall, adjacent to my bed! The new whip! In that moment, I didn't want to sit on the seat or dirty the pedals. There was no rush. Just admiring every curvature of your frame was good enough. You were beautiful... <br />
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I mean, just. Wow. Not even the neighborhood kids had a bike that was remotely "teh baddassery." I was stoked. Stoked enough to forget that the word stoked describes the emotions you feel from a great barreling surf session with crystal clear water, energizing sun, and the laughter and smiles of your closest surf buddies. In fact, "stoked" doesn't even begin to describe my thoughts. The word isn't even qualified enough for this job. It's an inexperienced and uncoordinated white belt sparring a ferocious black belt whose only passion in life includes testosterone and pain. But, enough about bikes, barrels, and black belts.<br />
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This is about you and I, and on that first day, I played it cool. Nobody had to know. And as the days went on, I thought wow, this. This. This really is something that will work for me. And I got to know you better. Your architecture, your prowess, your intelligence, your savvy, it was all amazing! It was more than I had imagined.<br />
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And not to make you sound so machine-ish; you had and still have great features. And, I admire you. You make reason of rhyme. Or is it rhyme of reason? Hell, I don't know. They say you don't know what you have until it's gone. This is THAT moment for me. I can't think.<br />
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The best thing about you is you were "low maintenance." I would never use "dependency" to describe our relationship. Heck, I didn't WORRY at all, about what you were doing. I worried for you but, not about you. Sure, this where I start sounding selfish, like a complacent husband who habitually plays a round of poker with friends and comes home late, inebriated, smelling of whiskey, cigarettes, and boiled peanuts, and expects his significant other to stay. But hey, there's certain things I like, like everyone else in the world. You were pretty dang independent. You did your thing. I did my thing. We collaborated. We shared information. I know I turned you on a few times. =) But, like I said, we weren't in each other's faces. It wasn't as if I had to cook you every single meal or vice versa. Or spend hours and hours tending to your needs. There are others in this world, who would have found you boring. They wouldn't have been able to smother you. You, with your silent independence. And yet, it was brilliant to witness you in your element. You were smart. You could process so many things and juggle so many different activities at once. You were like that quintessential wife, mother, cook, scholar, worker, friend, lover, foundation, and source of peace, all rolled up into a single slender chassis. Every time I saw you, you would light up and a feeling of calm would settle in my soul. In life, it's great to know that you have backup. <br />
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But, things started to change a few days ago. You became difficult. Stubborn. Uncooperative. I mean, I have faults too, I won't lie. I had something to do with it. I'm not very good with maintaining anything, let alone any sort of relationship. Maybe we could have talked more, hell I don't know. But honestly, I should have saw this coming. I should have set you aside. We could have parted ways earlier. There's a time of reckoning for everyone and everything, and you are no different. So, I'm sorry. This is my public apology and my well wishes to you. I will have to move on. I will have to find another server to backup my files. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-38958008401045171312012-07-30T21:33:00.001-10:002012-07-31T21:14:24.461-10:00Create!Vida D. Scudder once said that, "It is through creating, not possessing, that life is revealed." <br />
<a name='more'></a>I'm lucky to be creative and artistic. Sure, my paintings don't sell for millions (in fact I have to give most of them away) and my Nicaragua seashell mobiles will probably rot on my balcony; but I have the ability to creatively perceive, to devise random art and silly thoughts that are near impossible to execute or are totally offensive. I've spoken about my infatuation with growing sea urchins (painful when stepped on) at my favorite surf break when I am old, cynical, and can no longer surf. I've made the pretty girls run away with my audibly ferocious (but, surprisingly un-smelly,) farts. And my crazy imagination and big effing mouth can astonish a room full of the most conservative professionals. These things have kept me sane and soulfully rich.<br />
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I'm not advocating not buying stuff. Heck, I like stuff too! But, if you're buying things for fleeting attention, your excitement for your purchases quickly dwindle, or material things don't spark your creativity, you may want to reassess your spending. Instead, stare out the window, let your mind wander, and imagine every cloud that passes is an animal roaming freely. Even if you're not 100% convinced or confident, go on a volunteer trip to a 3rd world country (be cognizant of your safety, obviously) and leave your expectations at home. Sketch all of your colleagues on those important meeting minutes. Take a sick day and go build astronomically large sand castles on the north shore (be sure to hide when news reporters come to scope out your work). To the amusement (and curiosity of your sanity,) of other morning traffic drivers, sing a song as loud as you can, and improvise the lyrics. Let the water be your paint's guide. Weld something that is abstract and has no distinct purpose. Write a check in the express lane, be sure to thank everyone for being patient, and break them off pieces of that Kit Kat bar. Turn the tv on mute and imagine what Freddy Kruger would say if he were psychotically in love with all of his victims or what Darth Vader would sound like if he had a really high valley girl voice (with a lisp). Snap photos without the person in the center, in focus. Swim against the current (metaphorically speaking), no matter how strong the current is. Create!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-82281116069821995632012-07-26T00:20:00.001-10:002012-07-31T21:16:46.474-10:00Yep, I like weird shit.I should make this an entire series of blogs, blogs about the "Weird Things That Intrigue Me," starting with this one, a blog about <strike>weird</strike> innovative fashion.<br />
<a name='more'></a>I've blogged about my friend, Marco, who owns Cafe Grazie <a href="http://www.solomish.com/search?q=cafe+grazie&searchsubmit=">(click here)</a> and his extensive collection of mannequins (mostly female) that have been decorated in the most eclectic and outrageous fashion. So outrageous in fact that I don't know any women who would dress like how he has his mannequins done up. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I attended an art showing where a very tall fella was dressed in all black, with wings, and the highest platform/leather/strapped/gnartothegnargnarsquared shoes, that I have ever seen <a href="http://www.honolulupulse.com/bars-clubs/pics-first-friday-july-2012#67472">(see attached photo stolen from The Pulse)</a>.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OzqpX7bDePP-ptt3UeQ7SmwW3BWcqeg5JdUIShRmEKB6FoOZAZeyIwAvVKLnTJpKhxUwhX_KSBL9xQyymadFuiGu0co3LY4vDz8K0PtqvfsxL9BKDk0eftsj7GpHm30v3yNx5OjUoZA/s1600/first-friday-stroll-39_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OzqpX7bDePP-ptt3UeQ7SmwW3BWcqeg5JdUIShRmEKB6FoOZAZeyIwAvVKLnTJpKhxUwhX_KSBL9xQyymadFuiGu0co3LY4vDz8K0PtqvfsxL9BKDk0eftsj7GpHm30v3yNx5OjUoZA/s320/first-friday-stroll-39_.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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The other weekend, I attended a birthday party at a homie's house and a gentlemen who clearly wasn't into buying Volcom t-shirts from Costco, Quiksilver shorts from a sample sale, or Hawaiianeken shirts from Town and Country, wore a fitted red tshirt, tucked into a pair of short gray shorts, and adorned with a pair of suspenders. Of course the entire story could not be told without describing the audience that surrounded these individuals. I will call them the majority, who made side comments, sneers, pointed, and chuckled. <br />
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I was intrigued by their fashion, partly because of their creativity. But, this truly isn't a story about creative fashion, now is it? This is a story about individuals who I envy in their bold and honest expressionism.<br />
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Now let's flip the script a little bit. I showed up to a hike with a pair of Prana capri pants (,that's very conservative compared to my heroes, the aforementioned individuals) and I received comments such as, "Don't only women wear capris"? "I know you do yoga but, it's only cool to wear Prana if you rock climb." I know these individuals were joking, but is there some truth behind their comments? Close-mindedness? Insecurities? Limits? Hiding among the majority? The reason why I pose these questions is because I once commonly made comments such as these, and the reasons why I snickered, I jeered, I pointed, and made fun of the "anomolies" was because I was close-minded, insecure, and had more limits, than I do today.<br />
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I confess, I won't be showing up at work wearing black wings; or surf,
wearing shorts with a 7" inseam; or don a skirt made of uncooked
spaghetti but nevertheless, I think it's very cool. And to end, it's pretty scary to think I've evolved from hiding amongst the majority, to finding the coolness in the very things and people I didn't before. Gadzooks, what will I think is cool, tomorrow?<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-3090527289817578272012-07-17T18:13:00.002-10:002012-07-17T23:56:15.066-10:00Vulnerability kicked me in the zipper today.I had an epiphany of a sort. To give you a little background, I'm a person who can barely read a sentence without my mind taking some sort of unchaperoned detour; will forget your name after 5 seconds; can never give you directions to my house using street names; has applied shampoo to my toothbrush; and without Google, my Google calendar, and my phone, would pretty much be an invalid. I do however, have a keen visual sense and when tagged to some sort of emotion, will never forget the image of your facial expression as you proclaim your absolute disgust of dark chocolate over 70%; your flailing hands as you re-enact fighting off hoards of other (equally) crazy women at a Black Friday sale for your favorite red blouse; clutching your iPad gleefully, as you play all 9 versions of Heartless (in a row); and you, flirtatiously tossing back your hair, knocking all 20 shots off a waitress' tray.<br />
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As I was streaming through a video of Dr. Brene Brown, explaining vulnerability, my tiny little brain replayed a bunch of comments made by myself and friends within the past year. It was weird - Rainman weird. I could see each person in slow motion, making their statements and gestures. One person apologized for a lesser crime, totally side-stepping the main infraction. Another person stated that, "we hit it off because I was vulnerable." Yet another made an adamant affirmation, only to give in to group think, a clear attempt to avoid being a black sheep. And in a disagreement, instead of hearing the person out and putting myself in their shoes, I chose to fire back with all guns a blazin'. All of these comments (in the context of each situation) have an element of vulnerability.<br />
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We tend to "numb vulnerability," as Dr. Brown describes, because it is often seen as a sign of weakness and when others exploit our vulnerability, we get burned; and certainly, no one likes either scenario. Right?<br />
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However, Dr. Brene Brown explains, "They believed that what made them vulnerable, made them beautiful," that "shame unravels connection," and "Shame - the less you talk about it, the more you have it." I paused the video here to let the statements sink in and to reflect on some of my past statements and actions. So if I put up my paper walls of courage, I'll look cool, courageous, and strong, and I won't get hurt. But, I'll forgo deep and meaningful connections and personal progression? I need to work on dropping my paper walls (that I and others can obviously see through), that really serve NO purpose other than aggravating situations, and hinder my potential(s). Obviously, one can't walk through downtown wearing nothing but his or her birthday suit but, vulnerability might not be a bad thing. What if we bolstered other aspects of our lives so that if someone did exploit our weaknesses it would be just another opinion or perhaps a chance to reflect (and improve if necessary)? Maybe vulnerability isn't a bad thing, unless you're constantly running from it.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X4Qm9cGRub0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-25907923820405256382012-07-15T12:56:00.001-10:002012-07-17T21:30:54.014-10:00Potentials?I started reading a monograph by Jim Collins, called Good to Great and Social Sectors and one particular line reminded me to constantly progress, "no matter how much you have achieved, you will always be merely good relative to what you can become." I've always used the term, "potentials." Yes, it's not a word that is normally pluralized but, I've always felt that my potential today exceeds my potential, yesterday and my potential tomorrow exceeds my potential today. Anybody doing anything great today?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9013881451605878852.post-80532247212704851972012-07-12T22:57:00.003-10:002012-07-12T22:59:23.421-10:00A great story!: Surf Shine: Nica HeartThere are stories that inspire me and this happens to be authored by a good friend and recent travel buddy to Nicaragua. Reading her story is like taking the trip again and viewing it from a different set of eyes. Good stuff! As I mentioned in my previous <a href="http://www.solomish.com/2012/06/it-is-all-different-time-place-and.html">post</a>, I expected to be inspired in a specific way and did not receive that. Kimmie's story reiterates that inspiration can come in all forms and in the many experiences that surround us, we just need to be a little more open-minded. Thanks Kimmie, for the reminder. =)<br />
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<a href="http://surfshine.blogspot.com/2012/07/nica-heart.html?spref=bl">Surf Shine: Nica Heart</a>: Traveling to Nicaragua was a lot to process, a sensory & emotional overload. I have found that there is always something to learn from eve...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0