Redeemables II

This is how bad my memory is getting. The reason for the previous post on dumpster diving was to mention that when I toss sharp objects in the garbage I have to make sure to wrap them safely so the the dumpster divers don't get injured as they're riffling through the plastic garbage bags. But I failed to mention that. Inexplicably, that was the whole crux of the previous post, but it still slipped my mind. The list goes on. But then I'll have to remember the other incidents which might take a while. Is it funny? Well, it's starting to get not funny.

Watched the pomp and circumstance of this year's Hawaii Five-O premier on tv. We get to see the opening episode a day earlier than the rest of the nation at least if you're devoted enough to make it to the beach and watch it on the giant outdoor screen. The crowd starts staking out front row seats the night before. Naturally, I watched it on tv even though the event is happening a stone's throw from where I live on the Ala Wai.

I noticed right off the bat that some of the Hawaii Five-O minor stars are getting star struck. At least by how they handled their interviews. Fiction is getting mixed up with their non-fiction lives. Or the lines seems to be blurred between their alter egos. Meahwhile, through it all, Alex O'Loughlin (Steve McGarrett Jr.) has as usual been able to maintain himself as a class act. Obviously, Alex realizes that although the crowd sees him as Steve McGarrett, he's not well Steve McGarrett in real life. Alex has this talent of making the tv interviewers feel like they're doing him the favor instead of the other way around. Like I said class act.

Redeemables

There's a stream of people who look for plastic bottles and other redeemables inside my apartment building's dumpster. The early bird of the batch arrives at 5am in the morning. Not all of these entrpreneurs are poor. For the non-poor the routine has become an addiction. Everybody brings a stick with a hook at one end, a makeshift gaft, to riffle through the rest of the garbage. There's even this girl who jumps into the dumpster, props one of the two hatches up with a cardboard box for barely a foot wide opening and spends an hour in there. One afternoon, the dumpster truck arrived while she was still inside. So I went over and, "Knock, knock. Hi, are you almost done. The dumpster people are here to empty out the bin. Just letting you know."

Leaving It at That

I noticed in the morning that somebody had gone through my saddlebags on Iron Horse. The saddlebag straps weren't locked in their buckles as I always secure them. It did set off alarms. Whomever it was (above) made off with my cigarettes, but left all my tools in the saddlebags behind, no, didn't take my engine or my transmission either. So, as far as I'm concerned about the incident .... case closed.

All Along the Ala Wai

Is it my eyes or the camera that's outta focus? The camera.

Belated Finish of Yesterday's Post

(Flushing Meadows) .... the reason I continue to watch the US Open inspite of the irritating suspended plays due to the rain. I was about to say I'll grudgingly continue to watch the US Open. Do not adjust your screen. Here's why, up until now, the reason my secretary canceled all my appointments so I could follow the US Open on tv is that the great Roger Federer appears to be in the mood to play, this by his early rounds. Usually, he falls asleep in the middle of a match even a semi-final match or a final and the rest is history. You snooze you lose and in that aspect Federer does not set the alarm, even on his Rolex. He's the spokesman for Rolex. That's what I meant. I don't know if this sleepwalking gig is happening becuz of his age. Or because he started a family and his mind is focused more on family matters than on the bouncing ball. All the other top ranked male players are not papa's at least in an official capacity. By now, the Great One should have amassed 20 grand slam wins, instead of the 17. Whenever Federer loses to a lower ranked player, the press encapsulates the phenomena with a, "So and so won in so many sets over the Great Roger Federer." No other active player receives the invocation in the wake of a defeat, not even Serena William on the women's side after she's upset by unlikely opponent.

After watching video replays of a match he lost, Federer himself admits that he is astonished how letargic he appeared to have been playing even though on the inside he felt he was playing full speed. This may be due to his unique metabolism going rogue on him. You will never see him huffing and puffing even at the end of a grueling five hour match. It's almost super human. During the early rounds of the US Open played in 90 degree temperatures Federer's shirt was soaked but his breathing was as if he was reclined on a couch. But so it went in his scheduled match on Monday, Federer's opponent called in sick and Federer won by default without a single serve. Thus, did a well rested Federer annilhilate his opponent in today's match (Wed) as the trend seem to preordain? Remember he had won Wimbledon, the previous major, and at least by all indications in early round play seemed to be surely on his way to another major win. His quarter finals and semi finals seemed at this stage all but a formality. The reality is that Federer could not start his engine. He hit so many foul balls and so off that the audience thought he was hitting them soveniers to be autographed after the match, and this was on spectacularly easy returns shots. It was inexplicably incredible. Your first thought was that perhaps his racket was malfunctioning. The sheer number of mis-hits that Federer strung together was stunning made you suspect an imposter was playing in his place. If this had been a soccer match the crowd would have stormed onto the field and strung Federer up. Well, that's how I felt about it. Now no more Federer in the US Open. No more me watching the tournament. Novak Djokovic is already the winner.

Tennis Rant

Following the US Open Tennis on tv is turning out to be an exercise in futility. Rain suspended most of last night's and today's matches. No, I'm not cursing the weather, although it reminded me of the delays at Wimbeldon. Of course, Wimbeldon had a retractable roof on its main stadium. A $125 million state of the art retractable roof at that, but which the Wimbeldon officials stubbornly refused to use, that is, until I personally phoned the Queen of England, and a few moments later the roof magically closed, and the matches resumed to the sheer delight of millions of irrate waiting fans worldwide. You simply cannot disappoint millions of viewers putting them on hold with delay after delay I don't care if it's a major. Thusly, the US Open should have a retractable roof as well on its main stadium. The amount of revenue the promotors reap in from the tv ads in many international languages is huge. It's not like we, okay not you, but people like me, are asking them to build a $14 billion levy just an umbrella, the cost of an umbrella comparative to the size of the general fund, they don't even have to fertilize the grass with a low maintainance hard court.  At this stage of the major tournament there are premier players matched up against each other. It's nothing like the early rounds. Sometimes I think that the broadcasters should be made to sit out in the rain to inspire them to speak out. Another thing that puzzles me about the US Open is the lines on the hard courts. The lines get slippery even after a slight drizzle. Is there no material known to mankind to make white lines non-slip when they get wet?

The only reason I still continue to watch, (later)

Dis n' Dat

Want to hear something that'll turn your stomach inside out? On today's Dr. Oz show, the good doctor said that if you're always feeling low on energy, etc, it might be due to parasites living inside your system I think it was the digestive tract. Not just the run of the mill parasites. But parasites that are tenants for 25-years or more at the same zip code. At that point I switch channels because they were begining to show pics. I normally watch 24-hour news channels, but a few days ago, there was a discussion on Dr. Oz of how beneficial to you health herbs a spice are to your health, so I decided to tune in again.

Stopped at Longs Drugs (CVS) in Kahala Mall at dusk, but the store is open til midnight even though the rest of the shopping mall closes at 9pm. There was lots of empty parking spaces. So I conveniently parked in a stall about 20 feet across the store's entrance. Then the door to Long's refused to open because you guessed it, Labor Day hours. All the lights were on inside. Four people were right behind me, and they reacted in unison with the same thing that I was thinking. Didn't really need anything that urgent. You know nothing near as bad as UH's opening game loss to No. 1 ranked USC on Saturday in front of a national audience.

Sunday's Random Pics and Navel Gazings

Final day for the Duke's Oceanfest. And yes, the resolution is bad. Definitely not the fault of the camera man. I tell you. Finally after struggling with insomnia for the past few weeks, I slept for 20 hours last night. Ah, insomnia, how you have robbed me, of days, of years. The only thing that even approaches being as much an irritation is loading pics and posts to Blogger.

Across the street, even at 10 o'clock there's a line out the door and into the street at Eggs n' Things. This is the newer second Eggs n' Things location.

Bouys and lane rope set up for the water races.

Funny thing happened, as soon as I got home, there was a burst of rain. It lasted only for a few minutes as it's a summer rain. Later in the year we'll get snow as usual. Wink. At any rate, 'tis not the season yet for the doom & bloom people.

Hard to see by the pic, but this inflatable raft was 5-feet wide across, and say, 12-feet long from bow to aft.

Duke's Oceanfest, all Week

We

At the start of the month, I noticed 2 people who park next to me in the basement garage had moved out of the building. One person owned a moped and a regular car so I definitely know he moved. The other person I assumed moved out. That is, he could have simply sold his car, but since I haven't seen him since, all bets are that he did move out. But then, even though 'we' live in the same apartment building, there are literally months that go by when we don't run into each other in the elevator or the lobby. Also, some people's batteries run out. Nothing you could do there. And they for you neither. I've been living in the same apartment building for almost 24-years with 12 apartments per floor and 12 floors. Essentially a vertical neighborhood sardine can style but not nearly as cozy since there are neighbors who I say hello to exuberantly as if they were a puppy and then there are neighbors who I just look straight ahead when I pass them in the common areas of the building.

I forget, either last year or earlier this year, a lady who lived on the same floor as me passed away. I remember her because she was saying the doctor's gave her 2 months more. This was just after she came outta the hospital, and happened to see seating on the steps of the building and inquired with a generic, "How are you doing?" Then a month later, she had to have another operation on a different organ. She complained that the second operation was giving her pain all the live long day, but the doctors or whomever refused to grant her request for some stronger pain medication. Remember, by now she had only a month left on the ticker. Nothing scientific, but I suspect the objective of second operation was just so the beancounters could get as much money as they could squeeze from her health insurance. Anyways, a month passed and the lady passed away. About every so many years a long time tenant kicks the bucket as well and the neighbors inform me about it. We actually could form a blog community all to our own, but that wouldn't work because the majority of the long time tenants do not have computers. The larger truth of the matter is that the people on the Internet know more about me than my neighbors in the same building as we never discuss the kinds of things that I post on the blog. It just wouldn't work the same in real life. It seems a few floors apart is a greater gap to bridge than thousands of miles over the Internet.

Voted and Beef Teriyaki Skewers

Earlier today, I voted at the polls in Hawaii's primary election for Senator and Honolulu mayor. Later, stopped by the Waikiki Bon Dance. It use to be held in a large parking lot. The Waikiki Bon Dance was then probably the largest bon dance on the island by square footage. From what I know, the hotel that owned the parking lot was sold and the new owners discontinued the annual bon dance which had become a yearly tradition around my neighborhood. Today the Waikiki Bon Dance is held in front of the Pacific Beach Hotel, that's the hotel which has the restaurant with the huge aquarium (oceanarium) in it, but the space that the dance is now held on is the size of a postage stamp without the paper envelope. There's minimal space for the stage and the dancers, much less, room for the people watching the festival. But then, the bon dance is held Friday & Saturdays for three consecutive weekends, whereas, the other local bon dances, only for a single weekend. Unfortunately, this Waikiki venue lacks the pièce de résistance in the food department .... teriyaki strips of meat on bamboo skewers, that's ubiqutious at local bon dances.

Tonight's, The Daily Planet

On my nightly stroll to the beach, I had to walk around a car which the driver had pulled off and parked on the driveway, on the part of the driveway that would be part of the regular sidewalk if the sidewalk ran through. Perhaps, the occupants whom were still inside planned to talk for an hour to each other just to take a break from tweets. Well, not quite. Instead, the driver walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for his date. Haven't seen that in a while, and all I can say is that the mars lander couldn't have been any more impressive, save if the lady, picked up the dinner and drink tab, which seldom ever ever happens. Later at the beach, and something fellow smokers could relate to .... I realized that I had forgotten my lighter dang it, and no my lighter's name isn't dang it. But to make the most of things, I lit my cigarette on a tiki torch. Thusly, if you, too, ever forget to bring your lighter to the beach. You now knows how to light your cigarette, but this only works at nights, of course, since the tiki torches are off during the day. At any rate, the most stoopidest thing .... the Hawaii court (or judge) has allowed a mental institution patient to attend community college classes unsupervised. The nutcase had been attending classes supervised. Which is senseless enough since there exists online courses. Acquited by insanity in 2010, the patient stabbed two people on a hiking trail in 2009 while he was naked. One of the victims, 18 times.

Saturday's Fountain

Dillingham Fountain at Kapiolani Park, Waikiki

People use to throw soap suds into the water. I think at nights they shut off the fountain.

Mitt Who?

Mitt Romney is in Poland, after visiting olympic London, Israel, etc. Why does he do this now before the November presidential elections? Free publicity back in the US, but also if he loses to Obama, Romney won't be receiving the same red carpet treatment from the host countries if he visited them later. Remember Obama had 200,000 people in Berlin cheering him when Obama was a presidential candidate demonstrating how he could walk on water on a pond in a park. Europeans must be getting irritated since their own political candidates challenging the incumbent prime minister, premier, etc. don't make it a point to visit Washington DC right before their elections. At any rate, Romney has everything to gain even if he does end up losing to Obama in November. His 2012 campaign would work out as a warm up lap for a more favorable presidential run in 2016 since Vice President Joe Biden nor any other notable Democrat aren't planning to run for president.

The Sound of Their Own Voice

I've never had the urge to 'tweet' or even 'text message', is there a difference(?) asides the 140 character limit in a tweet. To begin with, I lack the agility to hit the right alphabets on the miniature keypad on a pda. I'm not too bad typing on the larger computer keyboard. Terrible with the keys on a cell phone, though some people are able to touch type on their cell phones without looking. Dunno how they do that. If I had a choice, I would prefer emails to phone calls especially if there's a voice message that requires a return call and than the other party isn't home when you call or have their cell phone turned off, as opposed, to Email which is always ON. But between a tweet/text message versus a voice message, well, let's just say that I'd return a tweet/text message with a phone call instead of struggling to type a return tweet or a text message. You might be wondering what's the point or if there is a point to all of this? Well, let me explain. I was in Barnes & Nobles and this older guy was walking around in the aisles talking aloud on his cellphone oblivous to the presence of the rest of us quiet people in the makeshift audience and from the conversation I overheard it wasn't important or urgent talk just the usual generic nonsense. He probably didn't know how to tweet or text message. So there are situations where it would be more polite and appropriate to tweet/text message than conduct a phone conversation because a tweet/text message doesn't disturb and irritate nearby people.

Then there is this guy in the pic below, supreme commodore of the Ala Wai canal, aka, canoe practice coach for teenage girl paddlers. Da s.o.b. uses a megaphone to bark instructions.

One Among Many Bright Ideas

If you don't take these little halogen bulbs for desktop lamps with you to the store, you'd never get the right size. That's what I did. That's what I didn't. I didn't take the burnout halogen bulb with me to the store. The two pins on the bottom of the bulb are spaced a few millimeters apart on different wattage bulbs and they won't fit. It's not as simple for example as the bulb in the olympic torch. So I left the store empty handed knowing that it'll entail a second trip to the store later. Done it before too. However, as things would have it, while I was pulling the old halogen bulb out of the desktop lamp, the bulb lit up. So I guess it wasn't plugged in snug enough.

Scenic Drive, Sort Of

I saw this car in-gulfed with flames just outside the entrance to the tunnel on the Pali Highway, townbound. I say "in-gulfed" because while the interior was enfurled with orange flames, the outside of the car was perfectly visible and unharmed. The driver wasn't around either. But apparently the driver had pulled the car off to the right shoulder and the car wasn't impeding traffic. For all I know the driver might have been inside. The flames were that thick. I dunno. This is the part of the highway where there's a thousand feet scenic drop on the side and anybody standing or walking on the shoulder is hard to miss. At any rate, there was no signs of a collision with debris scattered all around and all that. Two cars infront of me, the driver pulls off to the left shoulder and stopped. The car immediately infront of me decides in the spirit of the moment to stop too, but in the middle of the highway to check things out. It's humanly impossible to render assistance in this situation hypothetically if the driver or passengers were unconscious inside the flaming vehicle. Fortunately at this portion of the two lane wide townbound highway, people decrease their speed. They're about to enter the tunnel and there's a change of direction curve before the entrance. The grade is also uphill so it's easier to slow in this particular situation to avoid the driver infront me stopped smack dab in the middle of the road. So I started beeping my horn because this is gonna cause a chain reaction crash real soon if we don't keep things moving along. About a hundred yards behind us there's an S-turn and people generally are speeding through that chicane. We were so close to the flaming car that you could feel the heat. I didn't think about it until later, but isn't there a possibility of the gas tank exploding? This was about 4pm in the afternoon. I didn't see it on tonight's news.

A Place in the Sun

There are few pleasures in the world that surpass nailing together plywood forms for concrete foundations all the while working in 85° weather under the blazing sun. If that sounds delirious perhaps there were a few solar bursts during the course of the work day that enhanced the over all euphoria back on Earth, as in, 85° but feels like 90°, also, I drink a gallon of water, but don't even pee once on the job. Than at home, another gallon of water. This time of year, there's always 2 pitchers of water ready in the frig. I wouldn't call it sun stroke but things do get overbaked.

Those 'Save Now' Stickers

As you can see for yourself, the cashier at Longs Drugs (CVS) neglected to remove the 50¢ stickers and of course I did not receive the manufacturer's discount off the Ziploc bags. I've already accumulated a huge collection of these unremoved instant saving stickers throughout the years to know better that you have to keep a watchful eye on the cashier at the checkout, but on this occasion I was preoccupied punching in my pin on the credit card machine. I assume cashiers are trained to spot instant saving stickers. But than, it's not their money. I even placed the Ziploc boxes side-by-side to each other on the conveyor belt with the stickers facing up to no avail to the eye of the beholder so to speak. Oddly, on the shelves that the boxes of plastic bags were stocked, not all the Ziploc boxes had instant saver stickers on them so I had to dig through the lot. And still, after all that effort, the stickers were not redeemed. I wonder whether enterprising shoppers remove the stickers on some of the Ziploc boxes on the shelves to use elsewhere or later. It's not if an alarm will sound. In reality, I already have enough Ziploc bags in the pantry, but they just happened to be on sale and when you run out and need to buy Ziploc bags they're on the expensive side. So I took the entire shopping bag, didn't buy too much stuff, and my receipt back to Longs Drugs and received back a dollar for the 2 stickers. As the stickers say, "Save Now!"

.... thee to a Summer's Day

Diamond Head Crater from Kapiolani Park