Living in a Spiderweb, leave a message and Ill call you back….maybe August 13, 2009

Gwen Stefani-No Doubt

No Doubt-Gwen

No Doubt-Adrian

Well my feet are hurting, my ears are ringing, and it sounds like everyone is talking with a helium voice, but I couldnt be happier! Went to the No Doubt concert tonight and it was Awwwwwesome!  Matt Costa opened for them and he was really good, so now I think im going to go download some of his tunes…maybe ill wait til i cant hear again first! I loved the fact that while going through security they cleared my camera for use, and then when I actually started using it, they told me I couldnt because ti was “too big” and it was just my point and shoot! Imagine if it had been my digital SLR! Oh well, I got some good pics and video anyways…and ive included some in this blog for everyones enjoyment.

Classes are slowly coming to an end, and I have 2 more papers and a presentation to write…I will get them done, i will get them done, i will get them done…I have to keep telling myself that because Id love nothing more then to be a slacker for a few days and relax…and maybe read for fun…that stack of books keep growing, and yet the HPU stack diminishes slowly only to be restocked…Its kinda neverending!

I am listening to some category 4 drizzle right now and its ringing in my ears. Hurricane Felicia never came to be, and we got hit by a tropical storm? tropical depression? tropical low? Who knows, its only meant an increase in rain, which for me isnt that big of a deal since I live off the Pali and get rain daily…just usually not in this quantity!  So Im hoping its passing soon because I want to head to Waikiki tomorrow, and somehow I think that even if its raining here, it will be nice and dry there…thats always how it is!

Well off to bed..maybe…kinda hope…probably not though!

Later!

The Mans Playground, a non-religious America, and the washing machine March 9, 2009

I have been missing days of blogging, mainly due to a lack of interesting news or lack of interesting life events out here in Hawaii.  Yes I may be in “paradise,” but it is raining, and raining, and raining some more. Which means beach days, fun in the sun, and even venturing out is limited. Since I walk everywhere, if i go out, then i look like a drenched rat the rest of the day.  While not a stop all to my social life, it does make me think twice.  Oh well, I love the rain, just not when I have someplace to be.

In a recent study, the level of those Americans claiming to be religious is on the decline, while those claiming no religion (not necessary atheists) is on the rise.  Which I find enlightening! Since I am not religious in any way myself, it is noceto see the cultural ideology in America slowly shifting away from evangelical principles.  Who knows, one day there may even be an non-religious President!

I am loving that a hoax on the web has led to false reporting by major media outlets, including Fox news! Apparently someone posted online that you can get Herpes from playing beer pong, which wsin turn picked up by a college newspaper, which continued to be picked up by larger and larger news organizations, and passed off as valid!  Um…hello!…you may get a cough, but Herpes?!  This is just too funny! Too bad it wasnt April 1 yet!

Liberating women the most was the washing machine?  Really?  While yes it may have been a time conserving appliance for the household, it didnt exactly liberate women, well not in the sense that the Vatican is implying. they believe women were more liberated by the washing machine, then the pill and the right to work!  Hmmm, im going to have to respectfully have to disagree. Washing machine may have saved time, but it still meant that women lived in a patriarchal society where family responsibilities were the primary  focus. the pill and the right to work meant family planning on the womans terms, and a capability to leave the house for more opportunities…but it doesnt surprise me that the Vatican would choose the washing machine over the pill….

There is a new playground…for the men. In Germany, there is a new Mens Playground where testosterone-fueled office workers can get in touch with their “inner ditchdigger” and play all day long on 29-ton backhoes, 32-ton front-end loaders, jackhammers and various other vehicles for a cost of admission of $280/day.  Yep, Im somehow guessing that Germany didnt get the memo that the world is in a recession!

In case anyone hasnt seen the new trailer for Public Enemies…check it out!  Johnny Depp as a bank robber…who could ask for more!

Updates on Sally for anyone interested….she has been to Disney and ridden the tea cups, been to New Orleans, and is next on her way to Italy, specifically the Vatican and Rome…shes doing more traveling then me! And Im jealous!

Later!

Breakthrough move by the ICC, Hugos Rice War, and the Beatles School March 4, 2009

Wow…the ICC actually issued an arrest warrant for acting President of Sudan for his role in Darfur crisis and crimes against humanity.  While Im psyched that the ICC has the guts to act, im sceptical to the realistic ability to prosecute a sovereign nations leader.  Not only do they face hurdles of international security versus national sovereignty, it will also face the largest hurdle yet on implementing international law across state boundaries.  I hoe it goes well, but the warrant is setting a precedent for future world leaders, to watch their backs, or they may be next.  I wonder what Obama is thinking right now?  There has to be a mixture of happiness and concern within the administration, and any response by the White House on this issue would be walking a fine line of US foreign policy objectives, where any comment could be construed as a support for or against the ICC…best to keep their mouths shut.  But wait, they didnt, and in a statement by Susan Rice, the US Ambassador to the UN,said the United States supported the court’s action “to hold accountable those who are responsible for the heinous crimes in Darfur.”  Well thats definately a departure fro the previous administrations policy on international agencies and international law…Either way, the warrant has some more immediate implications, mainly that President Omar al-Bashir has kicked out all foreign aid and humanitarian agencies from Sudan following the issuance of the warrant.  Now the Sudanese are on their own, with no NGOs oversight over an already bad climate. Lets hope that this “closing of the borders” doesnt lead to more ethnic cleansing.

Wow…i know Universities are expanding their offerings every year, but now a University in Liverpool is offering a MA in The Beatles…literally. Hmm…wonder if Jess B or Trish would go for this degree?

Ahhh…gotta love Hugo.  Rice isnt cheap enough? Then why not seize the independent privately owned companies that produce the rpoduct and threaten to nationalize them unless they produce rice at a cheaper cost.  Your price control methods arent working?  Hmm…maybe you need to relook at that before seizing rice mills…now you just look like an idiot…well to me you do, maybe not to everyone, but oh well.

Well its been raining here of and on for a couple of days now, and Im tired and have a headache from the constant drip outside my window. I never thought Id be thankful for tylenol, but I am.  Im off to read “A Faustian Foreing Policy” by Joan Hoff…and can i say that Im not impressed at all by the book…it also is another source of my headaches!

Later!

Will the US find alternative Energy sources? Not according to Hugo. February 3, 2009

Well Hugos back…and this time its not concerning his election, but his oil.  Hugo was quoted as saying ” The United States, a major Venezuelan oil consumer, needed petroleum “like air, like oxygen to live, to survive.” He doubts that we will succeed in finding alternative energy sources and reducing our dependence on oil.  Well of course he would!  Hello, he built his entire political career, and the Venezualan economy on oil, so if the US is even remotely successful in reducing oil consumption then it would mean he would lose business, money, and ultimately power over a country that he rules. His government may be successful on social reform issues, but it is still a loose democratic dictatorship, where people get a say, but he manipulates the rules. The entire economy is built on oil, and thus is only sustainable as long as there is a high demand for oil….thus his “no success for the US” rant.

Everyone is coming out with a perfume now-a-days. Even Diddy has a new one….but the oddest of them all?  FLAME, by Burger King.  Its no joke.  Apparently their marketing department has decided that burger scented body spray would be a good thing and is selling it for $3.99.  The hitch is that shipping is over $10. Unfortunately I know a few people who might buy it just because its meat scented…put a little on the leg and watch the dog go nuts…j/k.

Well…im beginning to wonder if we are starting another cycle of endless, noisy, and flooding style rain….cause its been rainging non-stop in my area of Oahu for over a day now…no flash floods reported that I know of yet, which is always a good thing! At least today I will not have an appearance of a drowned rat when I arrive somewhere, cause I have no intention of leaving the house today!  Well its 7am and Im off to study…

Later!

The curse of flying continues, mildew bedding, and pink polka-dot swim trunks January 12, 2009

Well…remember awhile back when I said I was a cursed flyer?  Well it still holds true. My flights actually started out fairly normal for me…Delta couldnt find my reservation but did finally, and then my bag was heavy but she didnt catch it or charge me until the TSA people lifted it and brought it to Deltas attention…oh well…everything else was smooth…until I landed in Honolulu…where the airline lost my bag…and so now Im bagless…Which I could totally deal with and can deal with…I wasnt too stressed actually…I will stress if they cant find it in a couple of days!  Then they will pay…until then it just sucks but Ill deal.

The real fun started when I got home…the daunting 82 steps aside (boy how I didnt miss those!), when I walked in the entire place smelled of lemon freshy goodness…That should been a trigger, but it wasnt…My housemates arent exactly slobs…they clean up after themselves, but our place never smells like lemons unless our landlord has had the cleaning lady in, or well there was a major need to clean…which there was.  Apparently while Ive been gone, the rains have not stopped, and the blackouts, etc have allowed the mildew to creep into our house like a miniature plague…my room included.  I walked in and there was mildew all over my bedding, and my side table, and floor…it was gross.  So instead of climbing into bed, I am currently doing laundry so that eventually I can sleep…eventually being the operative word. I have cleaned my tables and floors, well cleaned them as much as the light in my room will allow me to see the pesky dew…so tomorrow will have to be a better cleaning day…all I want is fresh clean sheets for me to curl up in! 

Well, at least out of the day… a few good, fun things happened.  I sat next to some funny guy from Cali on the flight to Honolulu.  Hes coming out here for a month to surf…so I told him of some places to check out while here…we actually talked almost the entire flight…about stupid stuff of course, like sci-fi (hes a fan of the twilight zone), playing spot the hooker in Waikiki, and his new pink polka-dot board shorts…I told you it was strange and stupid.  And of course its always nice to be surprised with the fact that I didnt have to take a taxi home, Erik showed up and gave me a free ride…and made up for lost time on the conversation front…well as much as can be made up in a 15 minute car ride, and 10 minute chat session in front of the house…I have a feeling it will only grow from here!

Well Im off to check on my laundry….

Later!

Rainy days, Hawaiian snow, and a non-mooning December 12, 2008

Well its been raining non-stop…and I mean RAINING!  I even saw lightning and thunder for the first time in HI the other night/morning.  The amount of rainfall is insane! Theres a little creek by my house which normally has a little trickle running through the rocks, well now its a raging river and you can’t see the bottom. There are waterfalls coming in all alnog the banks.  To top it off, several of my classmates homes flooded.  The garage at my place is flooded, but luckily its not impacting anyone very much! I heard that a couple of years ago there was what is now know as the 40day flood, in which it rained non-stop for 40days…schools were closed, work was cancelled, electricity was intermitten… Heck its only been raining for about 2 days now, and its already affecting these things!  HPU was without power 1/2 of Thursday, roads are being closed, and well, it just keeps raining..Im not use to seeing rain shut down the workings of a city…snow, ice, even tornados or hurricanes I get, but just rain?! Its insane I tell you!

Well, besides the rain, not much is going on!  Im relaxing, reading (for fun), and just being lazy today since the rain will not go away.  Tomorrow Im planning on venturing out for a little last minute shopping here in HI and perhaps try and take som epics of the funny Xmas holiday decorations here in HI. Its weird to see snow and penguins…granted they are in an enclosure and the snow is made from a snow machine.  Its a taste of the winter months, and then you step outside and its suny and 80!  Ok, so not today, but whatever.

Im actually a little upset about all this rain…cause tonight was suppose to be the night that the moon is at its biggest and brightest, instead Ive got overcast skies and rain…boooo.

Well off to be lazy!

Later!

Studying, Hitler, Palin, and a little rain September 23, 2008

done

More Boogy Board Surfing

 

Not much new happening today.  Im glad that at least some of you shared my pain over the loss of my dreadlocked cornerback!  And yes, I will be praying to some odd God that the Browns pull off a win in the Battle of Ohio for you all! (Well for Mandy and Leenee anyways).  So far my favorite responses to yesterdays blog has to be in response to my study abroad plans, and the abundent amounts of “where?” replies I recieved!  Too funny!

I spent most of the day trying to finish War before Civilization, and am about 40 pages away from finishing.  With any luck I will finish it tonight…and then its paper time!  Class today went as expected;  I always learn something new.  Todays random piece of information is: Hitler was Time Magazines Man of the Year in 1936.  Now that has me thinking….who else in recent history has been Times Man of the Year who might end up comparible to Hitler in 50 years time (as judged by History)?  I guess I will have to do some research and come up with a list of possibilites.  No I am not suggesting that there were any genocidal lunitics in recent Man of the Year Covers, but Im sure there will be some questionable people…Was Bush Man of the Year ever?  Hum…..The other half of this new tidbit is that now Im questioning Time Magazines journalistic integrity…I mean come on…I know Hitler helped turn around the Germany economy after WWI (yes Erik I am talking economics…you should be proud!) and helped “save” his people from terrible times, which may have been the motivation behind the Man of the Year nomination, but even then there was build up of troops and his public addresses that should have been warnings about his guy.  Oh well, I guess propaganda really works sometimes!  Ok enough on Hitler…

Apparently reporters have been “flocking” to HPU in search of information.  Turns out Palin attended HPU for a semester.  So everyone wants to know about her.  The funny thing is that according to my professor, no one remembers her even attending the school.  Its not that faculty have left, but more apt that she was a “forgettable” student.  Not exactly sure thats a comforting notion to me…not that the idea of Palin is comfoting anyways!  What can I say, I may have feministic views, but im more of a socialist, and she scares me!

My day has improved from yesterdays “hangover”. I even got to dance in the rain today…of course I looked like a drowned rat by the time I got home, but if you can’t appreciate a little rain every once in a while, then what can you do?!?

Enjoy the video!

Later!

Body art, the military, Kona Beer, and the live frog September 12, 2008

Waikiki Beach and my Pier in the distance

Statue of Surfer

 

Response to my previous post about tattoos and piercings has resulted in some interesting reaction to say the least!  First, I am planning on getting my nose pierced…and no it will not be a bull ring, just a small post…and yes my sister is aware of this and is ok with me having my nose pierced in wedding photos.  Second, just because i am getting it done and you dont want me too doesn’t mean I love you any less (MOM)…it just means I am marching to my own drum, and living my own life.  Third, more tattoos are coming…it just may be awhile since tattoos here in Hawaii are soooo expensive and I really don’t have any desire for Japnaese art as of yet (its really good here).   Fourth, I will prob get it done for my birthday…Happy Birthday to me!  Needles and Pain…its what I love!

Class today was interesting.  I really didn’t find the articles we were to read that inspiring, although I did decide one of the writers was an idiot.  The best part was that I got to see Erik all riled up because of the articles, which just made me laugh.  He thought the one article was idiotic too, but took it to heart (being that hes military and it was an article on education within the military).  I am going to have a hard time staying interested in this class.  Im just not into military historiography.  Yes, I do think that the study of history is important, but to study the study of history is kinda boring!    And to top it off we spent the majority of the class laying out the heirarchy that is the Army, Navy, Air Force.  Perhaps the sadddest part is that I actually knew most of it just from my previous studies!

So I really didn’t “party hard” tonight.  I ended up hanging out with a couple of people from class and talking about how the class is all military and us Civies are kinda outsiders looking in and not really caring.  We had our discussion over the ever tasty Kona beer….Im a big fan of the Wailua Wheat right now.  Hopefully I will bring some home with me when I comeback to Ohio for Jess’s wedding. 

So as I sit here typing, it is raining, and raining, and raining.  And with all this rain, I actually saw a live frog! Granted he almost gave me a heart attack (ive decided its a he), and I almost killed him by stepping on him!  Nevertheless, he survived (one fo the few) and was my greeting party when I was walking up the steps to my haven in the sky!  Hopefully he stays out of the way of the cars…and my roommates!

Enjoy the pics!

Later!

Diplomacy debates, Drowned rat, and the ever persistent reading September 9, 2008

So my first paper of the term sucked!  I admit it, it was 4 pages of dribble that really didn’t make an analysis of historical events.  I have discovered that its a hard adjustment to seriously analyze a piece of history without bringing in a philosophical or theoretical element to the discussion.  As a result, class today turned into a kind of boring discussion on whether the books we read were Euro-centirc in nature…which almost no one could argue against since the topics weere from Ancient Greece to Napoleon!  Yet, we seemed to find 3 hours worth of discussion, I was so bored!  I think in general I will like this class, but I am so ready for some Foucoult, Kant, or heck even Machievelli!  Bring on the theory please!

As always, the one friend that is consistenetly following me around the island is the rain.  What was its gift to me today you ask?  Well opening up and raining on me as I walked home from the bus stop.  As if the hills and those never ending stairs weren’t enough, I had to become a drowned rat!  Lessons I learned during this: 1)I need to bring my contacts with me when I come back to Hawaii, 2)you can listen to your MP3 player when it rains, and 3) Never wear a white shirt in Hawaii, at least not near the mountains!

Well I’m off to read…and read…and yes, read some more!  (WILL IT EVER END?!?)  I am planning on visiting Waikiki beach tomorrow and regenerating tha lobster skin that so likes me!  If i’m lucky, I should be getting some footage of the locals pier diving, and maybe…just maybe some video of them doing the fake seal calls and freaking out the tourists!  Stay tuned for possible video from Hawaii!

Later!

Rain, Rain….and those never disappearing fish August 21, 2008

    

Those never ending fish!

Africa finds me everywhere

 

So all day it’s been raining…and raining…and raining.  I love myself some rain but come on!  I am not allowed to complain here in Hawaii though because rain is good luck…or so I’m told.  At least it’s not full out thunderstorms…or worse a tsunami!  Although I think I’m up high enough that a small tsunami might not reach me.  Random thought of the day #24.  With that being said, I’ve been left to explore my new dwelling.  So I have.  I have successfully avoided the stairs today…but that will have to either end very soon or I can become a hermit.  What do you all think?  Ahhh  stairs are ok I guess.  I will tackle them again tomorrow.  But not like 8/20…I climbed over 400 steps up thanks to the UPS man (who did find me eventually!) 

Things I have discovered in my house: 1)that there are fish eyes following me everywhere!  We have 2 fish aquariums, and this freaky portrait of fish trying to kill me or something which happens to be hanging right outside my room so I can’t avoid it  2)I have finally found my washer and dryer…they are outside  3)that sand is everywhere….including now in my bed  4) I need to get some curtains or a sheet or something…otherwise It’s safe to say I will continue waking up at 6am QD (Noon East Coast time)  and 5) last but not least, that Africa seems to follow me everywhere.  I woke up this morning to my landlord speaking french to her 3 yr old son.  I guess this shouldn’t have surprised me because I did find out in the ride from the airport that her husband is from the Marquesas Islands off Africa. So maybe I will learn french yet.  I guess the scarier thing is that I actually understood her…and let me tell you her son was not behaving!  Also I keep finding these odd African sculptures everywhere, which make me feel at home!  The decoraing is very eclectic…right up my alley!  Although, I do miss my witch doctor doll above my bed…but my odd african dude is helping make up for its absence.

Later!