In my last two columns, I shared 16 time-saving tactics of successful people. In this column, I'd like to share 10 things successful people DON'T do.
Successful people:
1. Don't major on the minors. Don't waste time on those unimportant, unessential things that are not relevant to your life or work.
In "The Purpose-Driven Life," Rick Warren writes, "It's human nature to get distracted by minor issues. We play Trivial Pursuit with our lives." Determine what's important and meaningful to you. Weigh how much time and effort you've put into something and compare it with the result or satisfaction you get from it.
2. Don't procrastinate on things that are important. Accomplishment requires action. There's always a price to pay for procrastination, and that price could be your success. Let your desire for success and progress be greater than the urge to procrastinate.
3. Don't try to be perfect in everything. Although we might like to do all things to perfection, in today's busy world there isn't enough time or energy to do this. Thankfully, not everything we do needs to be a masterpiece.
Be perfect in those areas that demand perfection (i.e. taxes, legal and financial matters). Identify those things for which "good enough is good enough."
4. Don't focus only on themselves. Make it a habit to express appreciation, give credit where credit is due, and do what you can to help others succeed.
5. Don't compare themselves with others. There will always be people who are better than you are, and that can make you bitter. And there will always be those who are worse than you, and that can make you vain. Any way you look at it, being bitter and vain is a bad combination!
6. Don't fill their lives so full that there's no margin for peace or relaxation. Just as it would be difficult to read a book that has no margins or paragraph breaks — one that has text filling the entire page — so is a life that is crammed too full with work and other activities. Be sure to leave margins in your life. For well-being it's a necessity, not a luxury!
7. Don't always stay in their comfort zone. Too often we get too comfortable where we are and don't enlarge our boundaries and abilities. There isn't anyone who isn't capable of doing or being more.
Dare to venture out and be all that you can be. According to Erica Jong, "If you don't risk anything, you risk even more." Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." If we're afraid to do something, sometimes we just have to "do it afraid."
8. Don't give up. There is a saying that "if at first you don't succeed, you're about average." We need to go beyond that first attempt. The more we persevere, the closer we get to our goal. According to famed football coach Vince Lombardi, "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."
9. Don't let one incident ruin the entire day. Don't let something that happened this morning ruin your entire day, and definitely not something that happened yesterday or last week! Let bygones be bygones.
10. Don't always take themselves too seriously. Cultivate the ability to laugh at yourself. Nobody's perfect all the time. Find the humor in what happened. Someone has said, "He who can laugh at himself will never lack for amusement." Perhaps we might be our own best source of amusement!
According to professional golfer Arnold Palmer, "The road to success is always under construction." That being so, the good news is that we are all "works in progress"!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Green Lama
A lot of comics from the past are offensive to modern sensibilities, reflecting as they do the derogatory racial stereotypes prevalent at the times. Not so "Green Lama," a 1940s character being reprinted by Dark Horse.
In some ways, the Lama is fairly forgettable as '40s characters go. He was published by the obscure Spark Publications. His costume was unremarkable -- hood, cape and leotard ensemble, all in various shades of emerald. Like Superman, Dr. Fate and a half-dozen others, his powers were super-strength, speed, flight and invulnerability. Like Batman, Sandman, Green Arrow and a host of others, his secret identity was the standard-issue "bored playboy" (Jethro Dumont). Like Captain Marvel, Johnny Quick and others, his powers were activated by a magic word or phrase ("Om Mani Padme Hum"). Like the Lone Ranger, Mandrake the Magician, The Spirit and many others, he had an ethnic sidekick (Tsarong).
But in other ways, the Lama was unique. For one thing, despite his regrettable name, Tsarong often acted more as an adviser than a sidekick -- despite not being white. Plus, the Lama was drawn by the remarkable Mac Raboy ("Captain Marvel Jr."), who was revered then and now for his graceful figures, clean embellishment, storytelling skills and breathtaking mastery of anatomy, foreshortening, design, perspective and rendering. Also, as his name implies, the Green Lama's powers didn't derive from the scientific and industrial prowess of the West -- they came from, and practically idolized, Tibet and its Buddhist tenets.
But most importantly, "Green Lama" may be the most enlightened comic book I've read from the '40s. For example, a full-page house ad in "Green Lama" No. 2 (February 1945) makes a plea -- no, a demand -- for tolerance. Under a stark image of a U.S. helmet next to a battlefield grave marker with no name, the text reads in part, "Let's put an end to the foul prejudice fanned by our enemies ... When you find anyone -- yourself included -- thinking, speaking, acting with racial or religious prejudice -- STOP IT! If Smith, Kelly, Cohen or Svoboda is good enough to die for us, he's good enough to live with us ... as an equal. Be American!"
You're not going to read that in "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" in the 1940s!
And in "Green Lama" No. 5 (May 1945), there's a story even more remarkable. The Lama reacts to a bigoted American soldier by taking him behind enemy lines and showing him the logical end of racial prejudice: Nazi Germany. Realizing that he's acting like the enemy, the soldier has a change of heart, even buying the "Negro" soldiers he had previously abused some ice-cream sodas!
As Chuck Rozanski says in his foreword, "though the underlying egalitarian message may seem obviously virtuous today, it was practically suicidal in 1945."
And it was. Spark Publications began receiving hate mail, of course. But the publisher didn't back down -- in fact, they turned it up a notch. In "Green Lama" No. 6, they published a real letter from an anti-Semite on the first page of the hero's adventure. In "An American Story," the Lama goes to Texas (where the letter was from) to confront the writer (fictionalized), whom he shows the error of his ways -- as he breaks up a KKK-like hate group, complete with white hoods.
Wow! Why is this title not famous?
Here's a hint: It was canceled two issues later.
There are a number of pedestrian reasons why this might be so. The market was flooded with new comics after the wartime paper-rationing was eased, and a lot of books came and went during the Lama's short run (1944-46). And some of the Lama's backup features, like Angus MacErc and Lt. Hercules, were painfully bad.
But it seems more likely, as Rozanski speculates in his foreword, that "Green Lama" was simply too liberal for its times. "It doesn't take a huge leap of logic," he writes, "to realize that when you write comics that are deeply offensive to a significant number of your readers, for many of whom racism was a deeply ingrained value in 1945, you're going to lose some sales."
In some ways, the Lama is fairly forgettable as '40s characters go. He was published by the obscure Spark Publications. His costume was unremarkable -- hood, cape and leotard ensemble, all in various shades of emerald. Like Superman, Dr. Fate and a half-dozen others, his powers were super-strength, speed, flight and invulnerability. Like Batman, Sandman, Green Arrow and a host of others, his secret identity was the standard-issue "bored playboy" (Jethro Dumont). Like Captain Marvel, Johnny Quick and others, his powers were activated by a magic word or phrase ("Om Mani Padme Hum"). Like the Lone Ranger, Mandrake the Magician, The Spirit and many others, he had an ethnic sidekick (Tsarong).
But in other ways, the Lama was unique. For one thing, despite his regrettable name, Tsarong often acted more as an adviser than a sidekick -- despite not being white. Plus, the Lama was drawn by the remarkable Mac Raboy ("Captain Marvel Jr."), who was revered then and now for his graceful figures, clean embellishment, storytelling skills and breathtaking mastery of anatomy, foreshortening, design, perspective and rendering. Also, as his name implies, the Green Lama's powers didn't derive from the scientific and industrial prowess of the West -- they came from, and practically idolized, Tibet and its Buddhist tenets.
But most importantly, "Green Lama" may be the most enlightened comic book I've read from the '40s. For example, a full-page house ad in "Green Lama" No. 2 (February 1945) makes a plea -- no, a demand -- for tolerance. Under a stark image of a U.S. helmet next to a battlefield grave marker with no name, the text reads in part, "Let's put an end to the foul prejudice fanned by our enemies ... When you find anyone -- yourself included -- thinking, speaking, acting with racial or religious prejudice -- STOP IT! If Smith, Kelly, Cohen or Svoboda is good enough to die for us, he's good enough to live with us ... as an equal. Be American!"
You're not going to read that in "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" in the 1940s!
And in "Green Lama" No. 5 (May 1945), there's a story even more remarkable. The Lama reacts to a bigoted American soldier by taking him behind enemy lines and showing him the logical end of racial prejudice: Nazi Germany. Realizing that he's acting like the enemy, the soldier has a change of heart, even buying the "Negro" soldiers he had previously abused some ice-cream sodas!
As Chuck Rozanski says in his foreword, "though the underlying egalitarian message may seem obviously virtuous today, it was practically suicidal in 1945."
And it was. Spark Publications began receiving hate mail, of course. But the publisher didn't back down -- in fact, they turned it up a notch. In "Green Lama" No. 6, they published a real letter from an anti-Semite on the first page of the hero's adventure. In "An American Story," the Lama goes to Texas (where the letter was from) to confront the writer (fictionalized), whom he shows the error of his ways -- as he breaks up a KKK-like hate group, complete with white hoods.
Wow! Why is this title not famous?
Here's a hint: It was canceled two issues later.
There are a number of pedestrian reasons why this might be so. The market was flooded with new comics after the wartime paper-rationing was eased, and a lot of books came and went during the Lama's short run (1944-46). And some of the Lama's backup features, like Angus MacErc and Lt. Hercules, were painfully bad.
But it seems more likely, as Rozanski speculates in his foreword, that "Green Lama" was simply too liberal for its times. "It doesn't take a huge leap of logic," he writes, "to realize that when you write comics that are deeply offensive to a significant number of your readers, for many of whom racism was a deeply ingrained value in 1945, you're going to lose some sales."
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
taking care of your brain
| Most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement - and that may be too little, too late. Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia, you need to start taking care of your brain in your 30s and 40s - or even earlier. | |
| 1.
| Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers. If you start volunteering now, you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire. |
| 2.
| Develop a hobby or two. Hobbies help you develop a robust brain because you're trying something new and complex. |
| 3.
| Practice writing with your nondominant hand several minutes everyday. This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons. |
| 4.
| Take dance lessons. In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all. |
| 5.
| Need a hobby? Start gardening. Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people, those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from dementia! Not only does gardening reduce stress, but gardeners use their brains to plan gardens; they use visual and spatial reasoning to lay out a garden. |
| 6.
| Buy a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day. Walking daily can reduce the risk of dementia because cardiovascular health is important to maintain blood flow to the brain. |
| 7.
| Read and write daily. Reading stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that process and store information. Likewise, writing (not copying) stimulates many areas of the brain as well. |
| 8.
| Start knitting. Using both hands works both sides of your brain. And it's a stress reducer. |
| 9.
| Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language,you are working your brain by making it go back and forth between one language and the other. A researcher in England found that being bilingual seemed to delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for four years. And some research suggests that the earlier a child learns sign language, the higher his IQ - and people with high IQs are less likely to have dementia. So start them early. |
| 10.
| Play board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly. Not only are you taxing your brain, you're socializing too. Playing solo games, such as solitaire or online computer brain games can be helpful, but Nussbaum prefers games that encourage you to socialize too. |
| 11.
| Take classes throughout your lifetime. Learning produces structural and chemical changes in the brain, and education appears to help people live longer. Brain researchers have found that people with advanced degrees live longer - and if they do have Alzheimer's, it often becomes apparent only in the very later stages of the disease. |
| 12.
| Listen to classical music. A growing volume of research suggests that music may hard wire the brain, building links between the two hemispheres. Any kind of music may work, but there's some research that shows positive effects for classical music, though researchers don't understand why. |
| 13.
| Learn a musical instrument. It may be harder than it was when you were a kid, but you'll be developing a dormant part of your brain. |
| 14.
| Travel. When you travel (whether it's to a distant vacation spot or on a different route across town), you're forcing your brain to navigate a new and complex environment. A study of London taxi drivers found experienced drivers had larger brains because they have to store lots of information about locations and how to navigate there. |
| 15.
| Pray. Daily prayer appears to help your immune system. And people who attend a formal worship service regularly live longer and report happier, healthier lives. |
| 16.
| Learn to meditate. It's important for your brain that you learn to shut out the stresses of everyday life. |
| 17.
| Get enough sleep. Studies have shown a link between interrupted sleep and dementia. |
| 18.
| Eat more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, sardines, tuna, ocean trout, mackerel or herring, plus walnuts (which are higher in omega 3s than salmon) and flaxseed. Flaxseed oil, cod liver oil and walnut oil are good sources too. |
| 19.
| Eat more fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables mop up some of the damage caused by free radicals, one of the leading killers of brain cells. |
| 20.
| Eat at least one meal a day with family and friends. You'll slow down, socialize, and research shows you'll eat healthier food than if you ate alone or on the go. |
http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/The_time_is_now_for_preventing_dementia.html
[forwarded from Donna]
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Paula Abdul leaving American Idol
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Paula Abdul has decided to quit the top-rated U.S. television show "American Idol," ending weeks of speculation about her future as a judge on the popular singing contest.
Making her announcement on her Twitter feed on Tuesday, Abdul said "with sadness in my heart," she had decided not to return to "Idol" which is due to start auditions for its ninth season within days. She did not give any reason.
Abdul, 47, a singer/dancer turned TV personality, has been a mainstay of the show since it was launched in 2002 and quickly became an audience juggernaut for News Corp's Fox network, growing into an estimated $1 billion-plus brand.
"I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon," said Abdul, who was known for finding something positive in almost every performance.
"What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me."
Fox and the show's producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment said they were "saddened" that Abdul would not be returning to the show as she had been "an important part of the 'American Idol' family over the last eight seasons."
"While Paula will not be continuing with us, she's a tremendous talent and we wish her the best," they said in a joint statement, also giving no reason for her departure.
Abdul's future with the show had been unclear since the eighth season ended in May with speculation rising as producers locked in new contracts with some of the other key players.
Making her announcement on her Twitter feed on Tuesday, Abdul said "with sadness in my heart," she had decided not to return to "Idol" which is due to start auditions for its ninth season within days. She did not give any reason.
Abdul, 47, a singer/dancer turned TV personality, has been a mainstay of the show since it was launched in 2002 and quickly became an audience juggernaut for News Corp's Fox network, growing into an estimated $1 billion-plus brand.
"I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon," said Abdul, who was known for finding something positive in almost every performance.
"What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me."
Fox and the show's producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment said they were "saddened" that Abdul would not be returning to the show as she had been "an important part of the 'American Idol' family over the last eight seasons."
"While Paula will not be continuing with us, she's a tremendous talent and we wish her the best," they said in a joint statement, also giving no reason for her departure.
Abdul's future with the show had been unclear since the eighth season ended in May with speculation rising as producers locked in new contracts with some of the other key players.
10 Secrets To Success
For years, Investors Business Daily has run a daily column with their "10 Secrets to Success," as follows:
1. How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.
2. Set goals. Write down goals and devise a plan to reach them.
3. Take action. Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started now. Just do it.
4. Never stop learning. Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.
5. Be persistent and work hard. Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
6. Analyze details. Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
7. Focus your time and money. Don't let other people or things distract you.
8. Don't be afraid to innovate; be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
9. Deal and communicate with people effectively. No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
10. Be honest and dependable; take responsibility. Otherwise, Nos. 1 through 9 won't matter.
1. How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.
2. Set goals. Write down goals and devise a plan to reach them.
3. Take action. Goals are nothing without action. Don't be afraid to get started now. Just do it.
4. Never stop learning. Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.
5. Be persistent and work hard. Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
6. Analyze details. Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
7. Focus your time and money. Don't let other people or things distract you.
8. Don't be afraid to innovate; be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
9. Deal and communicate with people effectively. No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
10. Be honest and dependable; take responsibility. Otherwise, Nos. 1 through 9 won't matter.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
nonkilling
A school for impoverished victims of war in Africa has been renamed in honor of Glenn Paige, a Hawaii professor emeritus of political science whose book inspired the teaching of non-violence to children.
Now called the Glenn Paige Nonkilling School, the two-room school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly named for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Paige, a retired University of Hawaii scholar, said he has never visited the school, but his book, "Nonkilling Global Political Science," inspired its formation in 2006. He has also helped to support the 180 students, who are casualties of war, disease and abandonment.
"The school was originally named after me. But I strenuously objected as being unworthy, and suggested it be named either after Martin and Coretta King, or Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi. They chose Complexe Scolaire Martin Luther King. Now they just renamed it by surprise for my 80th birthday on June 28," Paige said.
"It is something of a miracle ... how an academic book from Hawaii ends up as inspiration for a poor village school in the DR Congo that aspires to grow from nothing into a model for genocide-preventing, nonkilling education in Africa," he said.
Paige self-published his book and made it free on the Internet in 2002. It has been translated into 17 languages, soon to be 34, he said. He is helping the school on his own as chairman of the Governing Council of the Center for Global Nonkilling, which he originally founded as the Center for Global Nonviolence in 1994.
Paige said he coined the word "nonkilling" to describe a radical concept that advocates much more than the word "peace."
"A nonkilling society implies not only the exclusion of killing among humans, but moreover the absence of threats, weapons or justifications to kill," he said. "We have to cross the threshold of lethal pessimism that killing is inevitable."
Now called the Glenn Paige Nonkilling School, the two-room school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly named for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Paige, a retired University of Hawaii scholar, said he has never visited the school, but his book, "Nonkilling Global Political Science," inspired its formation in 2006. He has also helped to support the 180 students, who are casualties of war, disease and abandonment.
"The school was originally named after me. But I strenuously objected as being unworthy, and suggested it be named either after Martin and Coretta King, or Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi. They chose Complexe Scolaire Martin Luther King. Now they just renamed it by surprise for my 80th birthday on June 28," Paige said.
"It is something of a miracle ... how an academic book from Hawaii ends up as inspiration for a poor village school in the DR Congo that aspires to grow from nothing into a model for genocide-preventing, nonkilling education in Africa," he said.
Paige self-published his book and made it free on the Internet in 2002. It has been translated into 17 languages, soon to be 34, he said. He is helping the school on his own as chairman of the Governing Council of the Center for Global Nonkilling, which he originally founded as the Center for Global Nonviolence in 1994.
Paige said he coined the word "nonkilling" to describe a radical concept that advocates much more than the word "peace."
"A nonkilling society implies not only the exclusion of killing among humans, but moreover the absence of threats, weapons or justifications to kill," he said. "We have to cross the threshold of lethal pessimism that killing is inevitable."
Monday, August 03, 2009
Hawaii Auto Parts
After my mom ruined the rim and tire (Toyota Corolla 2005, tire size P195/64R15), I went looking for a replacement
Going through the Yellow Pages
Lex Brodie 949-4539
ToyotaHawaii.com 564-1150
Abes Auto Recyclers 455.4200 www.abesautorecyclers.com (Pearl City)
Auto Recycling www.autorecyclinghawaii.com 841-7872 (Sand Island)
Revolution Motorsports 772-5698 426 Ward www.rev808.com
None of the websites were very helpful
But then I happened to go to Costco to check their tire availability and asked the guy about the rim. He gave me the reference to Hawaii Auto Parts 845-1134, 1918 Republican Street 730-400 MF which sells used rims.
The rim cost $35. Then I saw they had used tires too so I bought a used tire. Another $35 or so. I guess it was a good deal (definitely cheaper than Toyota), but now when I drive the car I can hear an uneven sound like something's out of whack.
[got the rim and tire on 6/16/09]
Going through the Yellow Pages
Lex Brodie 949-4539
ToyotaHawaii.com 564-1150
Abes Auto Recyclers 455.4200 www.abesautorecyclers.com (Pearl City)
Auto Recycling www.autorecyclinghawaii.com 841-7872 (Sand Island)
Revolution Motorsports 772-5698 426 Ward www.rev808.com
None of the websites were very helpful
But then I happened to go to Costco to check their tire availability and asked the guy about the rim. He gave me the reference to Hawaii Auto Parts 845-1134, 1918 Republican Street 730-400 MF which sells used rims.
The rim cost $35. Then I saw they had used tires too so I bought a used tire. Another $35 or so. I guess it was a good deal (definitely cheaper than Toyota), but now when I drive the car I can hear an uneven sound like something's out of whack.
[got the rim and tire on 6/16/09]
Friday, July 24, 2009
20 Ways To Waste Your Money
Whether a newbie or seasoned budgeter, nearly everyone has spending holes -- leaks in your budget that drain money with you hardly noticing.
These small drips can add up to big bucks. Once you find the holes and plug them, you'll keep more money in your pocket. That spare cash could be the ticket to finally being able to save, invest, or break your cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.
Here are 20 common ways people waste money. See if any of these sound familiar, and then look for ways to plug your own leaks.
These small drips can add up to big bucks. Once you find the holes and plug them, you'll keep more money in your pocket. That spare cash could be the ticket to finally being able to save, invest, or break your cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.
Here are 20 common ways people waste money. See if any of these sound familiar, and then look for ways to plug your own leaks.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jerry Coffee on Islam
Now comes HCR100, a resolution declaring Sept. 24 as “Islam Day” introduced by state Rep. Lyla Berg and co-sponsored by Rep. Faye Hanohano. It passed, of course, and was voted for by every woman present that day in both legislative chambers (and all but three of the men). Never mind the obvious: There is no declared “Christian Day,” no “Judaism Day,” no “Buddhism Day,” no other “Day” generically honoring another religion.
But the greater irony is this unanimous female celebration of Islam, a system as much political as religious, which is based upon a Quran embodying several specific and significant rules concerning women that have apparently gone unnoticed.
James Arlandson, Ph.D, college professor of religion and philosophy, author, expert on Christianity vis-Ã vis Islam, says, “Islam, in its purest form, honors and elevates women, we are told; but does it?” He then goes on to list the top 10 rules of the Quran that “oppress and insult women”:
* * *
In his column “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), Jerry Coffee argues against having a state-sponsored Islam Day based on his (mis)understanding of Islam’s position on women.
To support his argument, Mr. Coffee quotes James Arlandson, whose hatred for Islam is well-documented. His writing, like state Sens. Hemmings and Slom, and others before them, is no more than a string of superficial indictments and factual inaccuracies based on bigotry, intolerance or failure to understand the basic principles of interpretations of the Quran. Relying on such sources for Islamic knowledge is no different than asking the KKK for their opinions of African Americans.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s column condemning “Islam Day” is on thin ice when he quotes passages from the Quran to prove that Islam oppresses and insults women. To be “fair and balanced,” he also should have listed similarly outrageous quotes from the Bible. There are lots of them. One of my personal favorites goes: “You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24) Presumably this includes marital rape, even domestic abuse.
* * *
I’ve noticed Jerry Coffee has been getting big hits (below the belt) in MidWeek letters recently. Well, I want to thank Mr. Coffee for speaking out for us in the silent majority. Why do we need an Islam day except to appease the PC crowd?
Where do Republicans get their “marching orders”? How about the Constitution, that includes a couple things like free speech and warnings against things like treason.
My opinion, Mr. Coffee’s opinion, is not hateful speech. This is America, and not an Islamic-dominated country that prohibits free speech, rigs elections, denies your mother, wife, sister or daughter basic rights, or stones any one of them if they get raped.
My opinion, his opinion, is not hateful rhetoric. People are freely allowed to disagree with you without you labeling them hateful.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s anti-Islam rant, the guest column from a local Muslim leader that followed, and recent letters on the topic remind me that the root of so many of the world’s problems today is religion and the narrow, small-minded world view it inevitably breeds.
* * *
Pretty arrogant, don’t you think, referring to yourself (as John L. Busekrus did in his June 24 letter) as part of a “silent majority.” I have no idea how many people agreed with my earlier letter on Jerry Coffee’s Muslim Day column. Judging from letters to MidWeek, I gather more than just a few. But I won’t be so foolish as to claim majority status.
Mr. Coffee’s column went beyond civil discussion and disagreement. It attempted to paint a large group of people as evil based on quotations from ancient religious text. As I and several other letter-writers have pointed out, the same kinds of outrageous quotations exist in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles.
Our Constitution protects our right to say just about any stupid thing we want. But if we are going to rise above the self-destructive behavior of the last eight years, people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment. They can start with Coffee and move on up to Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Malkin and others who incite hatred for a living. I am not talking censorship here, I am talking vociferous feedback. Maybe an “outspoken majority” can keep these folks from flying too far off the handle.
* * *
after publishing my column, “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), MidWeek invited Mr. Hakim Ouansafi, president of Hawaii Muslim Association, to write a rebuttal. This is great for lively pro-and-con dialogue occurring in professional journals where the other side is presented in the same issue. But with MidWeek‘s weekly format, many readers who may not have read my original column are left only with the impressions of the rebuttal - all negative. For that reason, on this singular occasion, I feel justified in rebutting Mr. Ouansafi’s rebuttal.
* * *
Defying some of his fellow conservative Christian critics, one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country told several thousand American Muslims on Saturday that "the two largest faiths on the planet" must work together to combat stereotypes and solve global problems.
"Some problems are so big you have to team tackle them," evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren addressed the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.
Warren said Muslims and Christians should be partners in working to end what he calls "the five global giants" of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.
A Southern Baptist, Warren has a record of upsetting fellow Christian conservatives by calling old-guard evangelical activists too partisan and narrowly focused. Ahead of his speech Saturday, bloggers who follow Warren had already denounced his appearance at the convention as cozying up to extremists.
* * *
Jerry Coffee states in his rebuttal that the point of his original column “Just What We Need, Islam Day,” was to point out the irony of our female legislators initiating and leading the passage of Islam Day because of his interpretations of Islamic theology.
As expected, his best defense was to take the offense by citing incendiary quotes and questionable conclusions. It’s simply a waste of time to pursue this. But I truly believe that we are not going to make it through the 21st century unless we drop the witch hunt and look at the bigger picture of what unites us as humans, not what divides us. We might begin by looking at ways that we can honor and respect our Muslim brothers and sisters. For example, most Muslims pray five times each day, including before dawn. How many of us can say that prayer is better than sleep?
A fundamental tenet of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and many other religions is to love one another. This is the spirit of aloha and this is why our all our legislators acted as they did. No political correctness is one thing, but how about a little aloha?
* * *
J. B. Young says that “people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment” (It’s Hate Speech). He goes on to name those whose beliefs he deems hateful - all conservatives. Young makes no mention of those on the left who do the same: Randi Rhodes, Bill Maher, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann - as if only conservatives are capable of inciting hate.
Anyone who does not believe as liberals do are instantly branded racist, haters, yokels, boors, oafs, uneducated and not worthy of free speech and the right to assemble.
But the greater irony is this unanimous female celebration of Islam, a system as much political as religious, which is based upon a Quran embodying several specific and significant rules concerning women that have apparently gone unnoticed.
James Arlandson, Ph.D, college professor of religion and philosophy, author, expert on Christianity vis-Ã vis Islam, says, “Islam, in its purest form, honors and elevates women, we are told; but does it?” He then goes on to list the top 10 rules of the Quran that “oppress and insult women”:
* * *
In his column “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), Jerry Coffee argues against having a state-sponsored Islam Day based on his (mis)understanding of Islam’s position on women.
To support his argument, Mr. Coffee quotes James Arlandson, whose hatred for Islam is well-documented. His writing, like state Sens. Hemmings and Slom, and others before them, is no more than a string of superficial indictments and factual inaccuracies based on bigotry, intolerance or failure to understand the basic principles of interpretations of the Quran. Relying on such sources for Islamic knowledge is no different than asking the KKK for their opinions of African Americans.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s column condemning “Islam Day” is on thin ice when he quotes passages from the Quran to prove that Islam oppresses and insults women. To be “fair and balanced,” he also should have listed similarly outrageous quotes from the Bible. There are lots of them. One of my personal favorites goes: “You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24) Presumably this includes marital rape, even domestic abuse.
* * *
I’ve noticed Jerry Coffee has been getting big hits (below the belt) in MidWeek letters recently. Well, I want to thank Mr. Coffee for speaking out for us in the silent majority. Why do we need an Islam day except to appease the PC crowd?
Where do Republicans get their “marching orders”? How about the Constitution, that includes a couple things like free speech and warnings against things like treason.
My opinion, Mr. Coffee’s opinion, is not hateful speech. This is America, and not an Islamic-dominated country that prohibits free speech, rigs elections, denies your mother, wife, sister or daughter basic rights, or stones any one of them if they get raped.
My opinion, his opinion, is not hateful rhetoric. People are freely allowed to disagree with you without you labeling them hateful.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s anti-Islam rant, the guest column from a local Muslim leader that followed, and recent letters on the topic remind me that the root of so many of the world’s problems today is religion and the narrow, small-minded world view it inevitably breeds.
* * *
Pretty arrogant, don’t you think, referring to yourself (as John L. Busekrus did in his June 24 letter) as part of a “silent majority.” I have no idea how many people agreed with my earlier letter on Jerry Coffee’s Muslim Day column. Judging from letters to MidWeek, I gather more than just a few. But I won’t be so foolish as to claim majority status.
Mr. Coffee’s column went beyond civil discussion and disagreement. It attempted to paint a large group of people as evil based on quotations from ancient religious text. As I and several other letter-writers have pointed out, the same kinds of outrageous quotations exist in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles.
Our Constitution protects our right to say just about any stupid thing we want. But if we are going to rise above the self-destructive behavior of the last eight years, people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment. They can start with Coffee and move on up to Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Malkin and others who incite hatred for a living. I am not talking censorship here, I am talking vociferous feedback. Maybe an “outspoken majority” can keep these folks from flying too far off the handle.
* * *
after publishing my column, “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), MidWeek invited Mr. Hakim Ouansafi, president of Hawaii Muslim Association, to write a rebuttal. This is great for lively pro-and-con dialogue occurring in professional journals where the other side is presented in the same issue. But with MidWeek‘s weekly format, many readers who may not have read my original column are left only with the impressions of the rebuttal - all negative. For that reason, on this singular occasion, I feel justified in rebutting Mr. Ouansafi’s rebuttal.
* * *
Defying some of his fellow conservative Christian critics, one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country told several thousand American Muslims on Saturday that "the two largest faiths on the planet" must work together to combat stereotypes and solve global problems.
"Some problems are so big you have to team tackle them," evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren addressed the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.
Warren said Muslims and Christians should be partners in working to end what he calls "the five global giants" of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.
A Southern Baptist, Warren has a record of upsetting fellow Christian conservatives by calling old-guard evangelical activists too partisan and narrowly focused. Ahead of his speech Saturday, bloggers who follow Warren had already denounced his appearance at the convention as cozying up to extremists.
* * *
Jerry Coffee states in his rebuttal that the point of his original column “Just What We Need, Islam Day,” was to point out the irony of our female legislators initiating and leading the passage of Islam Day because of his interpretations of Islamic theology.
As expected, his best defense was to take the offense by citing incendiary quotes and questionable conclusions. It’s simply a waste of time to pursue this. But I truly believe that we are not going to make it through the 21st century unless we drop the witch hunt and look at the bigger picture of what unites us as humans, not what divides us. We might begin by looking at ways that we can honor and respect our Muslim brothers and sisters. For example, most Muslims pray five times each day, including before dawn. How many of us can say that prayer is better than sleep?
A fundamental tenet of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and many other religions is to love one another. This is the spirit of aloha and this is why our all our legislators acted as they did. No political correctness is one thing, but how about a little aloha?
* * *
J. B. Young says that “people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment” (It’s Hate Speech). He goes on to name those whose beliefs he deems hateful - all conservatives. Young makes no mention of those on the left who do the same: Randi Rhodes, Bill Maher, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann - as if only conservatives are capable of inciting hate.
Anyone who does not believe as liberals do are instantly branded racist, haters, yokels, boors, oafs, uneducated and not worthy of free speech and the right to assemble.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Time 100
While googling Margaret Thatcher (hero of VE), I came across the Time 100.
Time has profiled those individuals who - for better or worse - most influenced the last 100 years. They are considered in five fields of endeavor.
Glancing at the Artists & Entertainers category. I note no Michael Jackson. No Elvis. Who's there? The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra.
Glancing over the list, I'm familiar (or at least recognize) only about half of them. Which might tell you something about me.
Time has profiled those individuals who - for better or worse - most influenced the last 100 years. They are considered in five fields of endeavor.
Glancing at the Artists & Entertainers category. I note no Michael Jackson. No Elvis. Who's there? The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra.
Glancing over the list, I'm familiar (or at least recognize) only about half of them. Which might tell you something about me.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Times to buy Star Markets
Times Super Market, founded 60 years ago by the sons of Okinawan immigrants, is buying 82-year-old Star Markets in a deal that brings together two longtime fixtures in the Hawaii food service industry.
Honolulu-based QSI Inc., the parent of Times, and Star Markets jointly announced yesterday that they have signed a definitive agreement for QSI to buy Star's seven supermarkets, which will be re-branded with the Times name.
Honolulu-based QSI Inc., the parent of Times, and Star Markets jointly announced yesterday that they have signed a definitive agreement for QSI to buy Star's seven supermarkets, which will be re-branded with the Times name.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Carroll Cox
Carroll Cox is a tireless watchdog, putting in countless hours combing through government documents, attending public meetings and following up on tips from whistleblowers to expose wrongdoing.
Last week he was busy in Leeward Oahu, shooting photographs and video of tons of construction concrete dumped in Mailiili Stream, home to the endangered Hawaiian stilt and other rare birds. Cox was alerted to the dumping by city workers who he said were told to dump the debris and keep quiet. His video ended up on the local news, exposure that caused the city to stop the practice and prompted city, state and federal investigations.
The approach is vintage Cox, who through his nonprofit Envirowatch Inc. is plugged into a community network that alerts him to potential misconduct, environmental and otherwise.
Accessibility aids his work — he's reachable through his Web sites www.carrollcox.com and envirowatch.org and a Sunday morning radio show on KWAI — but what really drives him is the personal knowledge that a government without oversight is capable of terrible things.
Q: What strategy works best, in terms of lobbying for change?
A: Going to the legislators has proven fruitless over the 15 years I've been doing this, so I try to take it to the public. There's an informal network of agencies, businesses, people who are willing to talk, willing to blow the whistle, without becoming too involved. They want to solve a problem, but they don't want to be an activist.
Last week he was busy in Leeward Oahu, shooting photographs and video of tons of construction concrete dumped in Mailiili Stream, home to the endangered Hawaiian stilt and other rare birds. Cox was alerted to the dumping by city workers who he said were told to dump the debris and keep quiet. His video ended up on the local news, exposure that caused the city to stop the practice and prompted city, state and federal investigations.
The approach is vintage Cox, who through his nonprofit Envirowatch Inc. is plugged into a community network that alerts him to potential misconduct, environmental and otherwise.
Accessibility aids his work — he's reachable through his Web sites www.carrollcox.com and envirowatch.org and a Sunday morning radio show on KWAI — but what really drives him is the personal knowledge that a government without oversight is capable of terrible things.
Q: What strategy works best, in terms of lobbying for change?
A: Going to the legislators has proven fruitless over the 15 years I've been doing this, so I try to take it to the public. There's an informal network of agencies, businesses, people who are willing to talk, willing to blow the whistle, without becoming too involved. They want to solve a problem, but they don't want to be an activist.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Restaurant Row Theatres shutting down
The lights will go out soon for the dollar movie theater at Waterfront Plaza after more than 15 years in business at the location.
The last discount movie -- which can be seen for $1.25 admission per person during the weekdays -- will be shown on Aug. 9.
Scott Wallace, president of Hollywood Theaters, which operates the nine-screen discount theater, said he agreed to a deal with Pacific Office Properties Trust Inc., run by the Shidler Group, to exit his lease early.
"The landlord made us an offer we couldn't refuse," said Wallace, echoing a line from "The Godfather."
Wallace declined to disclose the amount of the deal, saying only that it was in the multimillion-dollar range. About 40 theater employees, mostly part time, were informed of the shutdown yesterday.
* * *
[8/3/09] Restaurant Row theatres have shown their final shows. Shucks, I thought I had another week.
The last discount movie -- which can be seen for $1.25 admission per person during the weekdays -- will be shown on Aug. 9.
Scott Wallace, president of Hollywood Theaters, which operates the nine-screen discount theater, said he agreed to a deal with Pacific Office Properties Trust Inc., run by the Shidler Group, to exit his lease early.
"The landlord made us an offer we couldn't refuse," said Wallace, echoing a line from "The Godfather."
Wallace declined to disclose the amount of the deal, saying only that it was in the multimillion-dollar range. About 40 theater employees, mostly part time, were informed of the shutdown yesterday.
* * *
[8/3/09] Restaurant Row theatres have shown their final shows. Shucks, I thought I had another week.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Billy Mays
Billy Mays, the loud, fast-talking pitchman who epitomized the infomercial spokesman, died Saturday at his home in Tampa. Mays, who would have turned 51 on July 20, was found by his wife. Police do not suspect foul play.
However, Mays was aboard Saturday's U.S. Airways Flight 1241 flying from Philadelphia, which suffered a rough landing when its front tire blew out. He told a Tampa TV station that he was struck in the head during the incident. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
Dressed in a trademark blue shirt and khaki pants, the husky, bearded Mays had been among the best-known infomercial hucksters on TV for more than two decades, pitching cleaning products, wonder tools and other "as seen on TV" items that eventually made their way into retail stores.
However, Mays was aboard Saturday's U.S. Airways Flight 1241 flying from Philadelphia, which suffered a rough landing when its front tire blew out. He told a Tampa TV station that he was struck in the head during the incident. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
Dressed in a trademark blue shirt and khaki pants, the husky, bearded Mays had been among the best-known infomercial hucksters on TV for more than two decades, pitching cleaning products, wonder tools and other "as seen on TV" items that eventually made their way into retail stores.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson
We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50.
Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.
A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived. A cardiologist at UCLA tells TMZ Jackson died of cardiac arrest.
Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive.
We're told one of the staff members at Jackson's home called 911.
La Toya ran in the hospital sobbing after Jackson was pronounced dead.
Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.
* * *
When you think of Michael Jackson, the first thing that comes to mind might be his unique dancing ability — particularly his moonwalk dance, where he would spin then glide in reverse, giving an effortless impression that he was impervious to the laws of gravity. But those skills sometimes overshadowed his undeniable musical talents and innovations, which spanned several decades, beginning in the '70s and lasting into the new millennium.
It all began for MJ as a member of the Jackson 5, a sibling outfit comprised of him and his brothers.
* * *
Listening to and watching Michael Jackson tributes all day. On IMEEM, CNN, MTV, K59, and of all places Fox Business News. I'm kind of numb.
Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.
A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived. A cardiologist at UCLA tells TMZ Jackson died of cardiac arrest.
Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive.
We're told one of the staff members at Jackson's home called 911.
La Toya ran in the hospital sobbing after Jackson was pronounced dead.
Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.
* * *
When you think of Michael Jackson, the first thing that comes to mind might be his unique dancing ability — particularly his moonwalk dance, where he would spin then glide in reverse, giving an effortless impression that he was impervious to the laws of gravity. But those skills sometimes overshadowed his undeniable musical talents and innovations, which spanned several decades, beginning in the '70s and lasting into the new millennium.
It all began for MJ as a member of the Jackson 5, a sibling outfit comprised of him and his brothers.
* * *
Listening to and watching Michael Jackson tributes all day. On IMEEM, CNN, MTV, K59, and of all places Fox Business News. I'm kind of numb.
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett, the 1970s "It Girl" who was known for her cascading golden hair and bombshell body, died in a Santa Monica hospital today, ABC News has learned. She was 62-years-old.
Farrah Fawcett dies after a long battle with cancer. The 1970's icon was 62.
"After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," Fawcett's longtime romantic partner Ryan O'Neal said in a statement released by Fawcett's publicist, Paul Bloch. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."
Fawcett first stepped into the spotlight playing Jill Munroe in the TV series "Charlie's Angels" in the 1970s. The series became a smash hit and Fawcett quickly became an iconic pin-up model for millions of men. She pioneered a feathered hairstyle dubbed the "Farrah Do" or "Farrah Hair" that remained in vogue throughout the decade.
Farrah Fawcett dies after a long battle with cancer. The 1970's icon was 62.
"After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away," Fawcett's longtime romantic partner Ryan O'Neal said in a statement released by Fawcett's publicist, Paul Bloch. "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."
Fawcett first stepped into the spotlight playing Jill Munroe in the TV series "Charlie's Angels" in the 1970s. The series became a smash hit and Fawcett quickly became an iconic pin-up model for millions of men. She pioneered a feathered hairstyle dubbed the "Farrah Do" or "Farrah Hair" that remained in vogue throughout the decade.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
icarly.com
I'm starting to watch this kid's show on Nickolodean and am finding it enjoyable.
It's sort of a junior version of LaVerne and Shirley with a little flavor of Pee Wee's Playhouse (on their show in a show anyway), also starring Jerry Trainer as a young Jim Carrey.
This Jerry Trainer somehow seems familiar, but I guess I don't really know him from anything.
It's sort of a junior version of LaVerne and Shirley with a little flavor of Pee Wee's Playhouse (on their show in a show anyway), also starring Jerry Trainer as a young Jim Carrey.
This Jerry Trainer somehow seems familiar, but I guess I don't really know him from anything.
Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon, who died Tuesday morning in a Los Angeles hospital, was a carnival barker, game-show host and TV pitchman for Budweiser beer and American Family Publishers' Sweepstakes, but he will always be best remembered as Johnny Carson's sidekick for 30 years on NBC.
Mr. McMahon died at age 86 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with his wife, Pam, and other family members at his side, according to his longtime publicist, Howard Bragman.
Although Mr. McMahon left "The Tonight Show" with Carson in 1992, the fact that he managed to remain in the public eye owed to the savvy career moves and versatility that took him from selling vegetable slicers on the Atlantic City, N.J., boardwalk to his first job with Carson as the announcer on the game show "Who Do You Trust?" in 1957. Five years later, when Carson was tapped to take over the "Tonight" show from Jack Paar, Mr. McMahon took his seat on the couch next to Carson's desk.
Even today, four years after Carson's death and 17 since the duo left "The Tonight Show," few Americans would fail to identify the phrase "Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!" with Mr. McMahon, whose post-monologue chats with Carson made him one of TV's greatest second bananas.
Mr. McMahon died at age 86 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with his wife, Pam, and other family members at his side, according to his longtime publicist, Howard Bragman.
Although Mr. McMahon left "The Tonight Show" with Carson in 1992, the fact that he managed to remain in the public eye owed to the savvy career moves and versatility that took him from selling vegetable slicers on the Atlantic City, N.J., boardwalk to his first job with Carson as the announcer on the game show "Who Do You Trust?" in 1957. Five years later, when Carson was tapped to take over the "Tonight" show from Jack Paar, Mr. McMahon took his seat on the couch next to Carson's desk.
Even today, four years after Carson's death and 17 since the duo left "The Tonight Show," few Americans would fail to identify the phrase "Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!" with Mr. McMahon, whose post-monologue chats with Carson made him one of TV's greatest second bananas.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
IMEEM
I happened to turn to PBS which was running the David Foster tribute, Hitman.
Michael Buble was on and starting to sing Home with a twang alluding to the country version. It turned out the guy who did the country cover (which reached no. 1 on the charts) was there too. It was a guy named Shelton. The only Shelton I knew was Ricky Shelton, but the artist is Blake Shelton (which tells you how much I know music). I remember hearing this version on the radio (K59?) and liked it.
Anyway, I found his video on CMT.
Later on, Boys 2 Men showed up and was doing I Swear and a google search hit on a site called IMEEM. It's sort of like Pandora where it plays the song then plays a related song after that. You have to register to listen to all of the music, but it's free.
I switched to Michael Buble. Then to Sinatra. Then after a while it started playing Chicago music done in a jazzy style. It's kind of catchy. The album is named Bossa N' Chicago. And evidently out of print. Not even listed on Amazon. But you can hear it on IMEEM. (Here's a link to Hard Habit to Break.) They also have a Bossa 'N Beatles. But for some reason I'm more hooked on the Chicago one.
Hey, here's the playlist on IMEEM! (via a Google search of Bossa N' Chicago). Cool.
It seems the singer is Rita Lee who is from Brazil. But the wikipedia entry has no mention of the Bossa albums.
Hey, I see there's a bunch of Bossa albums (of questionable legality on rapidshare).
* * *
[7/1/09] I did a search on IMEEM for Fly Me To The Moon and came across a singer named Olivia Ong. She a jazz singer sort of like Diana Krall or Jane Monheit. But then I see from one of her albums she sings Bossa Nova. And now it sounds like she's singing in Japanese. Anyway, pleasant.
Michael Buble was on and starting to sing Home with a twang alluding to the country version. It turned out the guy who did the country cover (which reached no. 1 on the charts) was there too. It was a guy named Shelton. The only Shelton I knew was Ricky Shelton, but the artist is Blake Shelton (which tells you how much I know music). I remember hearing this version on the radio (K59?) and liked it.
Anyway, I found his video on CMT.
Later on, Boys 2 Men showed up and was doing I Swear and a google search hit on a site called IMEEM. It's sort of like Pandora where it plays the song then plays a related song after that. You have to register to listen to all of the music, but it's free.
I switched to Michael Buble. Then to Sinatra. Then after a while it started playing Chicago music done in a jazzy style. It's kind of catchy. The album is named Bossa N' Chicago. And evidently out of print. Not even listed on Amazon. But you can hear it on IMEEM. (Here's a link to Hard Habit to Break.) They also have a Bossa 'N Beatles. But for some reason I'm more hooked on the Chicago one.
Hey, here's the playlist on IMEEM! (via a Google search of Bossa N' Chicago). Cool.
It seems the singer is Rita Lee who is from Brazil. But the wikipedia entry has no mention of the Bossa albums.
Hey, I see there's a bunch of Bossa albums (of questionable legality on rapidshare).
* * *
[7/1/09] I did a search on IMEEM for Fly Me To The Moon and came across a singer named Olivia Ong. She a jazz singer sort of like Diana Krall or Jane Monheit. But then I see from one of her albums she sings Bossa Nova. And now it sounds like she's singing in Japanese. Anyway, pleasant.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Understanding
Please, tell me the secret formula on how to get rich, be the best thinker, lose weight, have a happy marriage and solve all my problems quickly. There are no secret formulas or shortcuts and beware of the articulate incompetents and false prophets – they sound impressive and clever but lack substance. I can only refer to what Buffett said in the foreword to Poor Charlie’s Almanack: “From 1733 to 1758, Ben Franklin dispensed useful and timeless advice through Poor Richard's Almanack. Among the virtues extolled were thrift, duty, hard work, and simplicity.” Of course, Munger’s views on how to get worldly wisdom help.
Personally, I read a lot. I have to work things out for myself to understand them. I try to use the “see one, do one, teach one” approach used in medical education (but change it to “do many” and in multiple situations and over time). I often go from reality (something I have seen) to find answers among ideas. I don’t try to fit reality to an idea. And then I try to find more examples on an idea from reality. Finally, I try to explain it to someone else. Writing Seeking Wisdom was such an exercise – I forced myself to learn by teaching someone else. And reading Feynman at an early point helped me where I clearly learnt the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing what goes on since knowledge is only valuable if it’s useful and something is only useful if I understand what it means. What I in my book called meaning and asking, “what happens?”
I try to concentrate on learning practical and consequential things that can help me reduce the chance of sorrow.
-- Interview with Peter Bevelin, author of Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger
Personally, I read a lot. I have to work things out for myself to understand them. I try to use the “see one, do one, teach one” approach used in medical education (but change it to “do many” and in multiple situations and over time). I often go from reality (something I have seen) to find answers among ideas. I don’t try to fit reality to an idea. And then I try to find more examples on an idea from reality. Finally, I try to explain it to someone else. Writing Seeking Wisdom was such an exercise – I forced myself to learn by teaching someone else. And reading Feynman at an early point helped me where I clearly learnt the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing what goes on since knowledge is only valuable if it’s useful and something is only useful if I understand what it means. What I in my book called meaning and asking, “what happens?”
I try to concentrate on learning practical and consequential things that can help me reduce the chance of sorrow.
-- Interview with Peter Bevelin, author of Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
health insurance
From a post on chucks_angels (arbofvalue) I looked at ehealthinsurance.
The cheapest is the Silver Plan at Kaiser Permanente for only $107 per month.
What does it cover? Well what does it not cover?
drugs: not covered
annual out of pocket: $5000
primary care physician: required
emergency room: $250/visit (Honolulu area)
hospitalization: $500 per day
So by my interpretation, the benefit is that it pays $500 per day hospitalization (which might be a fraction of what it actually costs). But since out of pocket is $5000. It pays for stays in the hospital for over 10 days. Since premium is about $100 per month ($1200 per year). It pays off only if you stay in the hospital for more than 12 days a year. For 12 days, you get $1000 (for two days over 10), but you're paying $1200. For 13 days, you get $1500.
Or it could be that you pay $500 per day for hospitalization and Kaiser pays the balance?
The cheapest is the Silver Plan at Kaiser Permanente for only $107 per month.
What does it cover? Well what does it not cover?
drugs: not covered
annual out of pocket: $5000
primary care physician: required
emergency room: $250/visit (Honolulu area)
hospitalization: $500 per day
So by my interpretation, the benefit is that it pays $500 per day hospitalization (which might be a fraction of what it actually costs). But since out of pocket is $5000. It pays for stays in the hospital for over 10 days. Since premium is about $100 per month ($1200 per year). It pays off only if you stay in the hospital for more than 12 days a year. For 12 days, you get $1000 (for two days over 10), but you're paying $1200. For 13 days, you get $1500.
Or it could be that you pay $500 per day for hospitalization and Kaiser pays the balance?
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Jukebox
Upchucky.com features a jukebox that plays music from 1940's, and from 1955 thru 1999, plus from genres such as Motown, Beatles, Eagles, Beach Boys, Elvis.
[via Paula]
[via Paula]
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Kenny Rankin
One of my favorite singers passed away at 69.
Kenny Rankin, an acclaimed New York-based singer-songwriter who contributed guitar to Bob Dylan’s 1965 classic Bringing It All Back Home, passed away June 7th following complications related to lung cancer, Billboard reports. He was 69. Rankin also penned songs like “Peaceful,” a hit for Helen Reddy and “Haven’t We Met,” which was recorded by Carmen McRae and Mel Torme.
Signed in his teens to a contract with Decca Records, Rankin soon moved over to Columbia Records, where he was recruited to join in on the recording sessions for his labelmate Dylan. Rankin went on to have a notable solo career in his own right, beginning with his 1968 album Mind Dusters and peaking with 1976’s The Kenny Rankin Album, which was recorded live with a 60-piece orchestra.
According to Rankin’s official site, he appeared on the The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson more than 20 times, with Carson himself such a big fan that he wrote the liner notes for Rankin’s Mind Dusters. Rankin also recorded a version of the Beatles’ White Album ballad “Blackbird” for his own 1975 album Silver Morning. The cover was so revered, Paul McCartney asked Rankin to perform his version at the ceremony where McCartney and John Lennon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Kenny Rankin, an acclaimed New York-based singer-songwriter who contributed guitar to Bob Dylan’s 1965 classic Bringing It All Back Home, passed away June 7th following complications related to lung cancer, Billboard reports. He was 69. Rankin also penned songs like “Peaceful,” a hit for Helen Reddy and “Haven’t We Met,” which was recorded by Carmen McRae and Mel Torme.
Signed in his teens to a contract with Decca Records, Rankin soon moved over to Columbia Records, where he was recruited to join in on the recording sessions for his labelmate Dylan. Rankin went on to have a notable solo career in his own right, beginning with his 1968 album Mind Dusters and peaking with 1976’s The Kenny Rankin Album, which was recorded live with a 60-piece orchestra.
According to Rankin’s official site, he appeared on the The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson more than 20 times, with Carson himself such a big fan that he wrote the liner notes for Rankin’s Mind Dusters. Rankin also recorded a version of the Beatles’ White Album ballad “Blackbird” for his own 1975 album Silver Morning. The cover was so revered, Paul McCartney asked Rankin to perform his version at the ceremony where McCartney and John Lennon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Kung Fu (the TV series)
[6/5/09] Kung Fu and Kill Bill actor David Carradine was found dead Thursday in a Bangkok hotel room. According to police, the 72-year-old actor appeared to have hanged himself. Carradine's manager said the actor was staying in the Thai capital while shooting a movie called Stretch. Carradine's rep said the death was accidental, telling celebrity new site TMZ, "We can confirm 100 percent that he never would have committed suicide. It was an accidental death. Everybody is in shock."
*** [11/4/12]
Wise Sayings
Favorite Quotes
Quotes of Wisdom
Quotes
Wikiquote
The Kung Fu Book of Wisdom
***
Wikipedia
Kung Fu Episode Guide
Reviews of the DVD set
Kung Fu: the Complete First Season
Kung Fu: the Complete Second Season
Kung Fu: The Complete Third Season
*** [11/4/12]
Wise Sayings
Favorite Quotes
Quotes of Wisdom
Quotes
Wikiquote
The Kung Fu Book of Wisdom
***
Wikipedia
Kung Fu Episode Guide
Reviews of the DVD set
Kung Fu: the Complete First Season
Kung Fu: the Complete Second Season
Kung Fu: The Complete Third Season
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
exercise helps brains beat back Alzheimer's
Exercise results in a healthier brain, prevents cognitive decline and in some studies has cut the incidence of Alzheimer's disease in half, says an eminent Harvard University professor of psychiatry.
A big study in the early 1990s showed exercise was one of three major factors - with low caloric content and continuous learning - that prevented the onset of the progressive brain disease, said Dr. John J. Ratey.
"It threw a little wrench into thinking because no one could explain it," he said in an interview. "It was by far the most powerful of preventive factors."
A clinical researcher and prolific author of papers and books, Ratey gave a series of talks in Honolulu last week about the huge benefits of exercise for health and fitness, especially for children and seniors.
He said "God's gift to us" is BDNF (brain-derived neutrophic factor), a protein that affects areas essential for memory and thinking.
He calls it "Miracle Gro" for the brain: "It acts like fertilizer. Things that challenge our brain like exercise, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, even low caloric intake, cause our brain cells to get stronger and more resilient and actually make things work better."
Author of "Spark - The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain," Ratey said the revolution is that "exercise causes our brain to get healthier and stay healthier."
A big study in the early 1990s showed exercise was one of three major factors - with low caloric content and continuous learning - that prevented the onset of the progressive brain disease, said Dr. John J. Ratey.
"It threw a little wrench into thinking because no one could explain it," he said in an interview. "It was by far the most powerful of preventive factors."
A clinical researcher and prolific author of papers and books, Ratey gave a series of talks in Honolulu last week about the huge benefits of exercise for health and fitness, especially for children and seniors.
He said "God's gift to us" is BDNF (brain-derived neutrophic factor), a protein that affects areas essential for memory and thinking.
He calls it "Miracle Gro" for the brain: "It acts like fertilizer. Things that challenge our brain like exercise, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, even low caloric intake, cause our brain cells to get stronger and more resilient and actually make things work better."
Author of "Spark - The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain," Ratey said the revolution is that "exercise causes our brain to get healthier and stay healthier."
Sunday, May 24, 2009
defensive driving
DON’T SPEED
According to the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety (IIHS), speeding is a
factor in about one-third of all fatal
crashes, which kill more than 1,000
Americans every month. In 2006, more
than 13,500 people died in fatal
crashes.
The faster you drive, the more likely
you are to die if you’re involved in a
crash. “Your vehicle’s safety features
and devices, such as air bags and safety
belts, are designed to protect you in the
event of a collision at speeds under 50
mph,” Solomon says. “But at higher
speeds, the force of the collision is
more dangerous to your body.”
Between 50 and 60 mph, your risk of
death from a collision is double what it
is at less than 50 mph. At 70 mph, the
risk of death doubles again. At 80
mph, it doubles again, and at 90 mph,
it doubles yet again.
OBEY THE THREE-SECOND RULE
Always leave plenty of room between
you and the vehicle in front of you. The
NSC recommends that you follow the
three-second rule, which provides a
cushion of space between your car and
the one in front of you. When that
vehicle’s rear bumper passes a stationary
object, such as a road sign, tree or
telephone pole, begin counting “onethousand-
and-one, one-thousand-andtwo,
one-thousand-and-three.” You
should be able to finish counting before
your front bumper crosses that same
point. “Add another second for each
deteriorating road condition, like snow,
rain, ice or fog,” Solomon says.
BEWARE OF TAILGATERS
When someone tailgates you, they’re
putting you at risk. The worst thing you
can do is contribute to the situation.
“Tailgating is aggressive driving,”
Solomon says. Don’t tap the brakes or
flash your lights. Doing so might make
the tailgater angry, and he or she might
pass you and cut you off, or worse.
Instead, let the car pass you, increase
your following distance and steer clear.
The tailgater is likely to tailgate the
vehicle in front of you. If that driver
reacts by braking quickly, you’ll need
extra stopping distance.
DRIVE IN THE PROPER LANE
When driving on the freeway, the left
lane is for passing. If you’re in the left
lane traveling the speed limit and cars
behind you want to pass, move to the
right and let them. If you don’t, they’ll
pass you on the right and possibly cut
back in front of you, increasing the
chances of an accident.
“Remember, on the freeway it’s
about survival, it’s not a contest; let
them go,” Solomon advises. “Your job
is not to be the police or to teach others
how to drive.”
Also try to avoid stopping on the left
shoulder in emergency situations.
“You’re only inches away from the left
lane and the fastest-moving cars on the
road,” Solomon warns. Instead, try to
move to the right, pulling off to the
right shoulder as far away from traffic
as possible.
DON’T GET DISTRACTED
A distraction is anything that diverts
your attention from the road, which
can include eating, reaching for something,
smoking, adjusting an iPod or
putting in a CD. According to the AAA
Foundation for Traffic Safety, inatten-
tive driving is a factor in more than 1
million crashes in North America
every year, and drivers are doing something
potentially distracting more than
15 percent of the time.
Cell phone use is one of the biggest
driving distractions. If you need to
make or take a call or text a message,
pull off the road. Better yet, turn off
your cell phone while you drive so you
won’t be tempted to answer calls.
“Using a cell phone while driving is
the equivalent, in terms of mental
impairment, of a blood-alcohol level
of .08,” Solomon says. “And if you’re
texting while driving, you’re as mentally
impaired as if you were on
cocaine.”
- GEICO DIRECT, Spring 2009
According to the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety (IIHS), speeding is a
factor in about one-third of all fatal
crashes, which kill more than 1,000
Americans every month. In 2006, more
than 13,500 people died in fatal
crashes.
The faster you drive, the more likely
you are to die if you’re involved in a
crash. “Your vehicle’s safety features
and devices, such as air bags and safety
belts, are designed to protect you in the
event of a collision at speeds under 50
mph,” Solomon says. “But at higher
speeds, the force of the collision is
more dangerous to your body.”
Between 50 and 60 mph, your risk of
death from a collision is double what it
is at less than 50 mph. At 70 mph, the
risk of death doubles again. At 80
mph, it doubles again, and at 90 mph,
it doubles yet again.
OBEY THE THREE-SECOND RULE
Always leave plenty of room between
you and the vehicle in front of you. The
NSC recommends that you follow the
three-second rule, which provides a
cushion of space between your car and
the one in front of you. When that
vehicle’s rear bumper passes a stationary
object, such as a road sign, tree or
telephone pole, begin counting “onethousand-
and-one, one-thousand-andtwo,
one-thousand-and-three.” You
should be able to finish counting before
your front bumper crosses that same
point. “Add another second for each
deteriorating road condition, like snow,
rain, ice or fog,” Solomon says.
BEWARE OF TAILGATERS
When someone tailgates you, they’re
putting you at risk. The worst thing you
can do is contribute to the situation.
“Tailgating is aggressive driving,”
Solomon says. Don’t tap the brakes or
flash your lights. Doing so might make
the tailgater angry, and he or she might
pass you and cut you off, or worse.
Instead, let the car pass you, increase
your following distance and steer clear.
The tailgater is likely to tailgate the
vehicle in front of you. If that driver
reacts by braking quickly, you’ll need
extra stopping distance.
DRIVE IN THE PROPER LANE
When driving on the freeway, the left
lane is for passing. If you’re in the left
lane traveling the speed limit and cars
behind you want to pass, move to the
right and let them. If you don’t, they’ll
pass you on the right and possibly cut
back in front of you, increasing the
chances of an accident.
“Remember, on the freeway it’s
about survival, it’s not a contest; let
them go,” Solomon advises. “Your job
is not to be the police or to teach others
how to drive.”
Also try to avoid stopping on the left
shoulder in emergency situations.
“You’re only inches away from the left
lane and the fastest-moving cars on the
road,” Solomon warns. Instead, try to
move to the right, pulling off to the
right shoulder as far away from traffic
as possible.
DON’T GET DISTRACTED
A distraction is anything that diverts
your attention from the road, which
can include eating, reaching for something,
smoking, adjusting an iPod or
putting in a CD. According to the AAA
Foundation for Traffic Safety, inatten-
tive driving is a factor in more than 1
million crashes in North America
every year, and drivers are doing something
potentially distracting more than
15 percent of the time.
Cell phone use is one of the biggest
driving distractions. If you need to
make or take a call or text a message,
pull off the road. Better yet, turn off
your cell phone while you drive so you
won’t be tempted to answer calls.
“Using a cell phone while driving is
the equivalent, in terms of mental
impairment, of a blood-alcohol level
of .08,” Solomon says. “And if you’re
texting while driving, you’re as mentally
impaired as if you were on
cocaine.”
- GEICO DIRECT, Spring 2009
how did that clutter accumulate?
Ruth Wong mentions four common reasons why clutter accumulates (Julie Morgenstern lists 10 psychological obstacles in the second chapter of her book).
Difficulty Deciding
Perfectionism
Not being wasteful
Creativity
I think my main problem is that I don't like to waste or let things go to waste. Which is a good thing. But taking it to an extreme, I wind up wasting time and space.
Ruth Wong writes, "Savers can be very conscientious, well-meaning people. Seeing that things are still useful, we hold on to them, to the detriment of our space. If the items are so useful, why aren't we using them? Is it time to pass them on so they can be useful to someone else?"
I think the closest of the 10 obstacles would be "sentimental attachment". If you have stuff piled all over the exterior surfaces of your home or office, see if what's filling your drawers and closets may stem for an earlier, no longer active part of your life -- papers from college, a former career, clothing in different sizes from different stages of your life.
Remember your identity comes from inside, not outside. Objects can remind us who we are, or who we want to be, but the real truth is inside us and doesn't go away.
* * *
More reasons clutter accumulates: unbridled buying, emotional attachment, inherited items, forgetting your goal, no time to un-clutter.
Difficulty Deciding
Perfectionism
Not being wasteful
Creativity
I think my main problem is that I don't like to waste or let things go to waste. Which is a good thing. But taking it to an extreme, I wind up wasting time and space.
Ruth Wong writes, "Savers can be very conscientious, well-meaning people. Seeing that things are still useful, we hold on to them, to the detriment of our space. If the items are so useful, why aren't we using them? Is it time to pass them on so they can be useful to someone else?"
I think the closest of the 10 obstacles would be "sentimental attachment". If you have stuff piled all over the exterior surfaces of your home or office, see if what's filling your drawers and closets may stem for an earlier, no longer active part of your life -- papers from college, a former career, clothing in different sizes from different stages of your life.
Remember your identity comes from inside, not outside. Objects can remind us who we are, or who we want to be, but the real truth is inside us and doesn't go away.
* * *
More reasons clutter accumulates: unbridled buying, emotional attachment, inherited items, forgetting your goal, no time to un-clutter.
Jack Kirby documentary
I saw the X-Men Trilogy at WalMart for $10 and I couldn't resist, though I resisted when I had seen it for like $12 a month earlier. Actually, I might have taken the $12 set but I had to go back and research what was in the pack. And I never saw it for $12 again, though I was like $14 at Costco.
Anyway, I started going through the DVDs. X-Men was a little odd. They have this special feature where you can play the deleted scenes in the context of the movie. But when you play the movie this way, for some reason the subtitles don't work. I looked and couldn't find any reference to this on the internet.
Then I made my way to X2 (watched about 40 minutes and it was pretty good). Then to X3: The Last Stand. I was going to the special features and saw the Fantastic Four Trailer. That inspired me to finally open up the Fantastic Four: Extended Edition that I had bought months ago from Best Buy.
They had a feature on the Silver Surfer as presented in the comics, which looked interesting. But as I watched, I remembered there was supposed to be a feature on Jack Kirby (which was one of the reasons I bought this edition), titled Jack Kirby: Storyteller.
It was on the second disk. And I loved it. It features the reminiscences and comments from many of the current artists, like Neal Adams. Kirby assistants Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman. I especially liked the remembrances of Len Wein and Marv Wolfman who became big names who went over to the Kirby household when they were aspiring artists.
This brings back a lot of memories because I was a big Kirby fan when I was growing up and collected a lot of his comics. I regret not getting Fantastic Four 1 because I was around when it came out. I did get some of the early Avengers and X-Men, but missed out on buying the number 1 issues. (Back then, I was subscribing to Justice League. Maybe World's Finest too. I think I started buying Fantastic Four around when the Silver Surfer debuted or maybe an issue or two before when the Inhumans came out?
Anyway, I enjoyed this feature far more than I enjoyed the actual movie (or in fact any of the Marvel movies). Highly recommended for fellow Kirby fans.
There's another documentary called Heroes are Born: The Making of Fantastic 4, which also seems to be getting good press. So probably any Fantastic Four fan or Marvel fan might enjoy this. So on the strength of these features, I'd definitely recommend this DVD even if you already own the first DVD (which I did). Especially if you can find it on sale (which I did too).
More googling. I see another review. Based on this, perhaps it could be called The World's Greatest Comic Magazine documentary.
* * *
Some random links (more added as they come)
Jack Kirby - the real comic book hero
The Fantastic Four at The Big Comic Book Database
Jack Kirby on Wikipedia
Jack Kirby covers
Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure
I remember seeing a DVD (around when ROSS came out) I think at Best Buy which contained that unfinished comic plus some extras, but can't find any reference to it on the net.
[5/28/09] Jim Cramer mentioned Kirby's Fourth World twice in a row on his show.
[9/26/14] Saw the story of Marvel settling with the family of Jack Kirby and came to this entry. I see there are more mentions of Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure on google, but no mention of a DVD. Maybe there was none. Here's one of the reviews of the Lost Adventures which was a graphic novel including The Lost Adventure issue.
Here's an interesting site commenting on the history of the Fantastic Four comics. Kind of more interesting than the actual comics.
[9/26/14] I thought I wrote about this somewhere before but I don't see it now [well it's sort of mentioned here]. So I'll put in in here. The other recommended Marvel documentary would be Marvel: Building A Cinematic Universe blu-ray bonus disc that came with The Avengers Blu-Ray set that was sold exclusively at Target. It was sold out when I went to Target too late, so I bought mine on ebay.
And I guess the documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story now playing on Netflix is good too.
I see Jack Kirby Storyteller on youtube [5/21/16 - link now broken, but search gets more]. And here's a shorter one called Jack Kirby: King of Comics. I wonder if this is related to the book of the same name. I'm guessing the speakers in the video are Mark Evanier and Jack Kirby's daughter. [5/26/24 - here's the the link from Kirby Continuum.]
[5/21/16] Besides the above, I noticed three more Marvel features on vudu last night. While they're in the movie section, they were all one-hour television specials on ABC.Anyway, you can find them by searching for Marvel on Vudu. Oddly, I only see one of them on Amazon. And only two of them on wikipedia (that I can see).
The specials are
Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
Marvel: 75 Years, From Pulp to Pop (I see it on vimeo now, after I bought it on vudu)
Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years (youtube with Spanish subtitles, hey it's on hulu)
Anyway, I started going through the DVDs. X-Men was a little odd. They have this special feature where you can play the deleted scenes in the context of the movie. But when you play the movie this way, for some reason the subtitles don't work. I looked and couldn't find any reference to this on the internet.
Then I made my way to X2 (watched about 40 minutes and it was pretty good). Then to X3: The Last Stand. I was going to the special features and saw the Fantastic Four Trailer. That inspired me to finally open up the Fantastic Four: Extended Edition that I had bought months ago from Best Buy.
They had a feature on the Silver Surfer as presented in the comics, which looked interesting. But as I watched, I remembered there was supposed to be a feature on Jack Kirby (which was one of the reasons I bought this edition), titled Jack Kirby: Storyteller.
It was on the second disk. And I loved it. It features the reminiscences and comments from many of the current artists, like Neal Adams. Kirby assistants Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman. I especially liked the remembrances of Len Wein and Marv Wolfman who became big names who went over to the Kirby household when they were aspiring artists.
This brings back a lot of memories because I was a big Kirby fan when I was growing up and collected a lot of his comics. I regret not getting Fantastic Four 1 because I was around when it came out. I did get some of the early Avengers and X-Men, but missed out on buying the number 1 issues. (Back then, I was subscribing to Justice League. Maybe World's Finest too. I think I started buying Fantastic Four around when the Silver Surfer debuted or maybe an issue or two before when the Inhumans came out?
Anyway, I enjoyed this feature far more than I enjoyed the actual movie (or in fact any of the Marvel movies). Highly recommended for fellow Kirby fans.
There's another documentary called Heroes are Born: The Making of Fantastic 4, which also seems to be getting good press. So probably any Fantastic Four fan or Marvel fan might enjoy this. So on the strength of these features, I'd definitely recommend this DVD even if you already own the first DVD (which I did). Especially if you can find it on sale (which I did too).
More googling. I see another review. Based on this, perhaps it could be called The World's Greatest Comic Magazine documentary.
* * *
Some random links (more added as they come)
Jack Kirby - the real comic book hero
The Fantastic Four at The Big Comic Book Database
Jack Kirby on Wikipedia
Jack Kirby covers
Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure
I remember seeing a DVD (around when ROSS came out) I think at Best Buy which contained that unfinished comic plus some extras, but can't find any reference to it on the net.
[5/28/09] Jim Cramer mentioned Kirby's Fourth World twice in a row on his show.
[9/26/14] Saw the story of Marvel settling with the family of Jack Kirby and came to this entry. I see there are more mentions of Fantastic Four: The Lost Adventure on google, but no mention of a DVD. Maybe there was none. Here's one of the reviews of the Lost Adventures which was a graphic novel including The Lost Adventure issue.
Here's an interesting site commenting on the history of the Fantastic Four comics. Kind of more interesting than the actual comics.
[9/26/14] I thought I wrote about this somewhere before but I don't see it now [well it's sort of mentioned here]. So I'll put in in here. The other recommended Marvel documentary would be Marvel: Building A Cinematic Universe blu-ray bonus disc that came with The Avengers Blu-Ray set that was sold exclusively at Target. It was sold out when I went to Target too late, so I bought mine on ebay.
And I guess the documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story now playing on Netflix is good too.
I see Jack Kirby Storyteller on youtube [5/21/16 - link now broken, but search gets more]. And here's a shorter one called Jack Kirby: King of Comics. I wonder if this is related to the book of the same name. I'm guessing the speakers in the video are Mark Evanier and Jack Kirby's daughter. [5/26/24 - here's the the link from Kirby Continuum.]
[5/21/16] Besides the above, I noticed three more Marvel features on vudu last night. While they're in the movie section, they were all one-hour television specials on ABC.Anyway, you can find them by searching for Marvel on Vudu. Oddly, I only see one of them on Amazon. And only two of them on wikipedia (that I can see).
The specials are
Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
Marvel: 75 Years, From Pulp to Pop (I see it on vimeo now, after I bought it on vudu)
Marvel's Captain America: 75 Heroic Years (youtube with Spanish subtitles, hey it's on hulu)
Friday, May 22, 2009
The School of Practical Philosophy
Seeking a deeper meaning in life, [Hugh] Jackman began to immerse himself 17 years ago in study at the School of Practical Philosophy, an international organization that provides courses and activities based on both Eastern and Western philosophical principles. He began meditating twice a day. Jackman says the school is about “taking duality and finding the underlying unity of things. Yin and yang, sacred and profane. And, yes, animal and human.” That dynamic of duality in himself, and his graceful way of unifying it, is at the core of his appeal.
Jackman was raised by his father, who is a devout, born-again Christian. His mother deserted the family when he was 8 and moved back to her native England. Hoping his son would also have a born-again experience, his father took Hugh to Billy Graham crusades every time the famed evangelist came to Australia.
“He takes his religion very seriously and would prefer I go to church,” Jackman says of his father. “We’ve had discussions about our separate beliefs. I just find the evangelical church too, well, restrictive. But the School of Practical Philosophy is nonconfrontational. We believe there are many forms of Scripture. What is true is true and will never change, whether it’s in the Bible or in Shakespeare. It’s about oneness. Its basic philosophy is that if the Buddha and Krishna and Jesus were all at a dinner table together, they wouldn’t be arguing. There is an essential truth. And we are limitless.”
-- Parade, April 26, 2008
Also in the same issue, I was surprised to learn that Serena Williams is a Jehovah's Witness (who wears sexy clothes).
Jackman was raised by his father, who is a devout, born-again Christian. His mother deserted the family when he was 8 and moved back to her native England. Hoping his son would also have a born-again experience, his father took Hugh to Billy Graham crusades every time the famed evangelist came to Australia.
“He takes his religion very seriously and would prefer I go to church,” Jackman says of his father. “We’ve had discussions about our separate beliefs. I just find the evangelical church too, well, restrictive. But the School of Practical Philosophy is nonconfrontational. We believe there are many forms of Scripture. What is true is true and will never change, whether it’s in the Bible or in Shakespeare. It’s about oneness. Its basic philosophy is that if the Buddha and Krishna and Jesus were all at a dinner table together, they wouldn’t be arguing. There is an essential truth. And we are limitless.”
-- Parade, April 26, 2008
Also in the same issue, I was surprised to learn that Serena Williams is a Jehovah's Witness (who wears sexy clothes).
Sunday, May 17, 2009
snagfilms
Entertain yourself for hours with free full-length documentaries at snagfilms.com, which has more than 600 movies to choose from. Catch Super Size Me, by temporary fast-food junkie Morgan Spurlock, or Run Granny Run, about a 94-year-old woman’s race for the U.S. Senate. Ever wonder what’s inside the President’s plane? Air Force One will give you a tour. Films are organized by title and topic, and the site allows you to “snag” them and place them on your blog or Facebook page to share with friends.
-- Parade, 4/5/09
-- Parade, 4/5/09
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Diet Myths?
I was looking on Channel 8 this morning (Today Show) and there was a lady talking about Apple juice whether it was healthy. I missed it, but she mentioned that red wine is healthier than white wine which has little nutritional value (or something like that).
I went on the next and found this page diet myths (fact or fiction). Here's a couple.
Vitamin C prevents a cold: Yes.
Studies have gone back and forth for years, and just when we thought the case was closed (a comprehensive review in 2004 of 55 comparative studies — carried out over a period of 65 years — determined that daily doses of 200mg (or more) failed to reduce the incidence, duration or severity of the common cold in the normal, healthy population)... a new study surfaced!
The latest Japanese study, published 2006 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed the risk of contracting three or more colds in the five-year period was decreased by 66 percent by the daily intake of the 500-mg vitamin C supplement. This study deserves special mention because it was much longer (five years) than the trials reported in previous studies and covered many cold seasons in which subjects were probably exposed repeatedly to many cold viruses.
Chicken soup helps when you're sick: Yes.
Grandma was right after all. Sipping on hot, tasty chicken soup (prepared with a variety of vegetables) may help you feel better.
First, hot fluids in general help keep nasal passages moist, increase mucus velocity, prevent dehydration and sooth a sore throat. And the psychological comfort that soup provides may also have a placebo effect for those who are feeling ill. But most interesting is the supportive evidence that was shown in a scientific study, led by Dr. Stephan Rennard out of University of Nebraska a few years back. Researchers concluded that chicken soup with a variety of veggies, may contain substances that function as an anti-inflammatory mechanism and potentially ease the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, including congestion, stuffy nose, cough, and sore throat.
In other words, a healthy dose of chicken soup with veggies is good for a cold.
It turns out the lady in the article (Joy Bauer) is different from the lady on TV today. The lady today was Nancy L. Snyderman plugging her book. Ah, here's the video.
And the answer for apple (and other fruit) juice. Not good for dieting. Contains lots of sugar and not a lot of nutritional value. And same for white wine which is sugar water.
I went on the next and found this page diet myths (fact or fiction). Here's a couple.
Vitamin C prevents a cold: Yes.
Studies have gone back and forth for years, and just when we thought the case was closed (a comprehensive review in 2004 of 55 comparative studies — carried out over a period of 65 years — determined that daily doses of 200mg (or more) failed to reduce the incidence, duration or severity of the common cold in the normal, healthy population)... a new study surfaced!
The latest Japanese study, published 2006 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed the risk of contracting three or more colds in the five-year period was decreased by 66 percent by the daily intake of the 500-mg vitamin C supplement. This study deserves special mention because it was much longer (five years) than the trials reported in previous studies and covered many cold seasons in which subjects were probably exposed repeatedly to many cold viruses.
Chicken soup helps when you're sick: Yes.
Grandma was right after all. Sipping on hot, tasty chicken soup (prepared with a variety of vegetables) may help you feel better.
First, hot fluids in general help keep nasal passages moist, increase mucus velocity, prevent dehydration and sooth a sore throat. And the psychological comfort that soup provides may also have a placebo effect for those who are feeling ill. But most interesting is the supportive evidence that was shown in a scientific study, led by Dr. Stephan Rennard out of University of Nebraska a few years back. Researchers concluded that chicken soup with a variety of veggies, may contain substances that function as an anti-inflammatory mechanism and potentially ease the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, including congestion, stuffy nose, cough, and sore throat.
In other words, a healthy dose of chicken soup with veggies is good for a cold.
It turns out the lady in the article (Joy Bauer) is different from the lady on TV today. The lady today was Nancy L. Snyderman plugging her book. Ah, here's the video.
And the answer for apple (and other fruit) juice. Not good for dieting. Contains lots of sugar and not a lot of nutritional value. And same for white wine which is sugar water.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
a filet o' fish analysis
Give me back that filet o’ fish,
Give me that fish.
Give me back that filet o’ fish,
Give me that fish.
What if it were you
hanging up on this wall?
If it were you in that sandwich,
you wouldn’t be laughing at alllllll!
* * *
Why does the talking wall fish want the filet o’ fish sandwich “back”? Did the bearded dude steal it from him? Something smells fishy here…
What if it was the guy eating the sandwich hanging up on the wall? I’d agree that that wouldn’t be a very pleasant predicament to be in, but if he were on the wall, he wouldn’t be in the sandwich, thereby rendering the last line meaningless.
Plus, if the guy was in the sandwich (being eaten), he likely wouldn’t be laughing because he’d be dead and processed in a McDonald’s fish-like sandwich. I’ve never heard any sandwich laugh in my life.
Not to mention that the bearded guy isn’t even laughing at the singing fish, nor is he laughing at the sandwich he’s eating. So why does the fish even say “you wouldn’t be laughing at all”? He’s NOT laughing! If anything, he’s trying to hold back from busting a serious move due to the wall fish’s amazing synthesizer beat.
The only part of this commercial that makes any sense is the reaction of Bearded Dude #2 when he walks in the garage and witnesses what is happening. Although, if I were him, I might take that drill in his hand to the fish’s skull, thus ensuring a safe world for everyone.
Yes, these are the things I think about. I probably wouldn’t think about it so much if they didn’t play this commercial every waking hour of every day.
-- by jamie
Give me that fish.
Give me back that filet o’ fish,
Give me that fish.
What if it were you
hanging up on this wall?
If it were you in that sandwich,
you wouldn’t be laughing at alllllll!
* * *
Why does the talking wall fish want the filet o’ fish sandwich “back”? Did the bearded dude steal it from him? Something smells fishy here…
What if it was the guy eating the sandwich hanging up on the wall? I’d agree that that wouldn’t be a very pleasant predicament to be in, but if he were on the wall, he wouldn’t be in the sandwich, thereby rendering the last line meaningless.
Plus, if the guy was in the sandwich (being eaten), he likely wouldn’t be laughing because he’d be dead and processed in a McDonald’s fish-like sandwich. I’ve never heard any sandwich laugh in my life.
Not to mention that the bearded guy isn’t even laughing at the singing fish, nor is he laughing at the sandwich he’s eating. So why does the fish even say “you wouldn’t be laughing at all”? He’s NOT laughing! If anything, he’s trying to hold back from busting a serious move due to the wall fish’s amazing synthesizer beat.
The only part of this commercial that makes any sense is the reaction of Bearded Dude #2 when he walks in the garage and witnesses what is happening. Although, if I were him, I might take that drill in his hand to the fish’s skull, thus ensuring a safe world for everyone.
Yes, these are the things I think about. I probably wouldn’t think about it so much if they didn’t play this commercial every waking hour of every day.
-- by jamie
Afghanistan's pig
KABUL (AFP) – Afghanistan's only known pig has been taken off display at Kabul Zoo and locked away to avoid panic among visitors who may be worried about swine flu, the zoo's director said Wednesday.
"We put the pig temporarily in his winter house under quarantine because of swine influenza," director Aziz Gul Saqib told AFP.
"Most people don't have much knowledge about swine influenza and seeing a pig, they panic that they will be infected.
"Just to address our visitors' concerns, we have put the pig away from public view for the past two days," he said.
The interned animal -- known simply as "Pig" -- was one of two given to Afghanistan by China in 2002, months after the ouster of the hardline Taliban regime, to help reestablish the zoo after it was destroyed during civil war.
However, the other pig -- and their offspring -- were killed in an attack by a bear.
Despite being the only pig, it was not too lonely, Saqib said.
"The pig made friends with a goat and was happy sticking to the goat in the enclosure, where some other goats and deer were on show for visitors," Saqib said.
"We put the pig temporarily in his winter house under quarantine because of swine influenza," director Aziz Gul Saqib told AFP.
"Most people don't have much knowledge about swine influenza and seeing a pig, they panic that they will be infected.
"Just to address our visitors' concerns, we have put the pig away from public view for the past two days," he said.
The interned animal -- known simply as "Pig" -- was one of two given to Afghanistan by China in 2002, months after the ouster of the hardline Taliban regime, to help reestablish the zoo after it was destroyed during civil war.
However, the other pig -- and their offspring -- were killed in an attack by a bear.
Despite being the only pig, it was not too lonely, Saqib said.
"The pig made friends with a goat and was happy sticking to the goat in the enclosure, where some other goats and deer were on show for visitors," Saqib said.
BeatlesTube
beatlestube.net tries to organize all The Beatles videos that you can find on the web. There are plenty of Beatles music footages on Youtube™ and Google Video™ but it's difficult to have them in a logical sequence. Beatlestube.net will help you to do that.
[forward via Donna]
[forward via Donna]
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
7 Habits For Longer Life
In the United States, life expectancy was about 48 years for women and 46 years for men born in 1900. Just 50 years later, it climbed to 71 for women and 66 for men. And recent numbers put life expectancy at roughly 80 for women and 75 for men.
There’s still considerable debate about the achievable upper limit of human lifespan, but France’s Jeanne Calment lived to be 122. American Gertrude Baines, believed to be the world’s oldest living person, is 114.
Most experts agree that increases in lifespan are due to better nutrition, health care, and disease prevention and treatment. But research is also identifying various traits and habits that aid healthy aging.
-- Parade 3/15/09
There’s still considerable debate about the achievable upper limit of human lifespan, but France’s Jeanne Calment lived to be 122. American Gertrude Baines, believed to be the world’s oldest living person, is 114.
Most experts agree that increases in lifespan are due to better nutrition, health care, and disease prevention and treatment. But research is also identifying various traits and habits that aid healthy aging.
-- Parade 3/15/09
Monday, April 13, 2009
Tip Jar
Google is harnessing the collective wisdom of its users to find tips on how to save money. Yesterday, the Internet search giant set up a site dubbed “Tip Jar” (www.google.com/tipjar), which allows users to submit money-saving tips across a variety of categories, ranging from finance and travel to food and shopping. Users can vote on the tips they like; over time, the most popular and useful ones float to the top of the list.
Looking to cut your food bills? One user recommends drinking water instead of sodas, coffee and alcohol to save money and calories. One of the top tips in the finance categories: Pay your bills online to save on postage. If you’re looking for a specific topic, the search engine will scour all the categories and bring back any tips related to your topic.
Other online personal-finance Web sites, such as Wesabe and Geezeo, also leverage their social networks by allowing users to share tips and goals with other users. By applying a “wisdom of the crowds” theory, Google is essentially betting that the collective wisdom of its users will yield better results than could have been made by any single person.
-- from Star Bulletin, 3/15/09
Looking to cut your food bills? One user recommends drinking water instead of sodas, coffee and alcohol to save money and calories. One of the top tips in the finance categories: Pay your bills online to save on postage. If you’re looking for a specific topic, the search engine will scour all the categories and bring back any tips related to your topic.
Other online personal-finance Web sites, such as Wesabe and Geezeo, also leverage their social networks by allowing users to share tips and goals with other users. By applying a “wisdom of the crowds” theory, Google is essentially betting that the collective wisdom of its users will yield better results than could have been made by any single person.
-- from Star Bulletin, 3/15/09
Thursday, April 09, 2009
My Favorite Restaurants
(and places I eat at)
Bangkok Chef. We usually order the yellow chicken curry and/or cashew nut chicken
Mr. Eggroll. We used go here all the time when we had the clubhouse on Ward. Fried rice, orange chicken, and eggplant.
Bob's Big Boy. I used to go there after Tuesday volleyball. Not so much now. Fried Noodles or Chicken Cutlet. [4/29/09 - unfortunately they had a fire]
Liliha Bakery. Fumio takes me here. I like the mahi and the county style omellette is pretty tasty (though it really doesn't fill me up).
And don't forget Costco Food Court. $1.50 for hotdog and drink. $10 for a whole pizza. Hard to beat.
Mama's BBQ. I probably wouldn't go here if it wasn't so close by. The food is OK, but I don't like the fact that their BBQ chicken has bones in it. Last time, I got around the problem by ordering chicken katsu instead. [4/29/09]
Chinese Kitchen (Nuuanu Plaza). Since Mr. Eggroll is kind of out the way now for me, we usually go to Chinese Kitchen. The food is OK, but nothing to go out of the way for. Other options are Hoy Tin and New Mui Kwai. New Mui Kwai has the advantage of having a little handier parking. [4/29/09]
One Plus One. This is a place we sometimes to go to get food when we go to volleyball games. I think we just saw it and decided to try something other than L&L. I liked it anyway. The shoyu pork roast (or whatever it's called) is tender. The spaghetti is tasty. They make it chinese style. [5/23/09]
Royal Kitchen - my favorite place for manapua. I like their char siu bao in particular. But their gok jai and siu mai is pretty good too.
Nice Day - got dim sum from here a few times. More variety than the Royal Kitchen half moon, okole, char siu bao offerings. The reviews aren't so good, but I thought the food was pretty good. Last time was the first time I ordered myself. They have a table from where you can choose your dim sum for take out. They come in these little covered baskets. Didn't know you have to take the whole basket. Can't break up the food inside. Well maybe for the big char siu bao you can but not the small baskets. So wound up buying more than intended.
Bangkok Chef. We usually order the yellow chicken curry and/or cashew nut chicken
Mr. Eggroll. We used go here all the time when we had the clubhouse on Ward. Fried rice, orange chicken, and eggplant.
Bob's Big Boy. I used to go there after Tuesday volleyball. Not so much now. Fried Noodles or Chicken Cutlet. [4/29/09 - unfortunately they had a fire]
Liliha Bakery. Fumio takes me here. I like the mahi and the county style omellette is pretty tasty (though it really doesn't fill me up).
And don't forget Costco Food Court. $1.50 for hotdog and drink. $10 for a whole pizza. Hard to beat.
Mama's BBQ. I probably wouldn't go here if it wasn't so close by. The food is OK, but I don't like the fact that their BBQ chicken has bones in it. Last time, I got around the problem by ordering chicken katsu instead. [4/29/09]
Chinese Kitchen (Nuuanu Plaza). Since Mr. Eggroll is kind of out the way now for me, we usually go to Chinese Kitchen. The food is OK, but nothing to go out of the way for. Other options are Hoy Tin and New Mui Kwai. New Mui Kwai has the advantage of having a little handier parking. [4/29/09]
One Plus One. This is a place we sometimes to go to get food when we go to volleyball games. I think we just saw it and decided to try something other than L&L. I liked it anyway. The shoyu pork roast (or whatever it's called) is tender. The spaghetti is tasty. They make it chinese style. [5/23/09]
Royal Kitchen - my favorite place for manapua. I like their char siu bao in particular. But their gok jai and siu mai is pretty good too.
Nice Day - got dim sum from here a few times. More variety than the Royal Kitchen half moon, okole, char siu bao offerings. The reviews aren't so good, but I thought the food was pretty good. Last time was the first time I ordered myself. They have a table from where you can choose your dim sum for take out. They come in these little covered baskets. Didn't know you have to take the whole basket. Can't break up the food inside. Well maybe for the big char siu bao you can but not the small baskets. So wound up buying more than intended.
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