The other day, I asked a question that I thought might be a good topic for da akamai WWE `ohana. In preparation for marketing for my new clothing line, I was thinking of taking photos of some models/regular folks, wearing da shirts, with a nice, “scenic Hawaii” kine backdrop in the background. I came up with a few ideas, but wanted to reach out to my homeys (YOU!) to see if you had any other suggestions. And of course… FREE shirts and stickers to all ideas I end up using! Who knows? Maybe you can even model in the shot (if you not shame)!? π
Anyway, here are a few ideas that I thought might be cool. It should kinda answer the question, “When you think of Hawaii, what do you picture in your mind?” Add your ideas in the comment area below please. You da bes! π
Sunrise shot on Lanikai Beach
Kids eating shave ice
Kanikapila scene
Fishermen/Fisherwomen fishing off a rocky shore
Speaking of models, if you have any connections to hotties (women and men), or even non-professional, everyday (cute) looking folks, holla! If you wanna be a model too, let a brutha know below. Shoots! Thanks guys!
OK, so I’m a lil’ behind on this topic, but bettah late den nevah right? Besides, it’s a good way to start our week off riiiight?
So last week, the American public (and judges) narrowed down the American Idol finalists to the top 13. Let’s use this forum to gossip about our faves, the ones we hate, and other idol idle chatter that comes to mind for this 10th season. I’ll start:
Ashton Jones – way too much spunk/confidence for me. There’s more show than singing so far to me.
Casey Abrams – LOOOOOVE this guy! He cracks me up! He reminds me of Will Ferrell and Seth Rogen combined. Plus he can SAAAANG, and he still seems humble!
Haley Reinhart – good eye candy (right rayboyjr?), plus she can sing pretty good too. Don’t think she has what it takes to win though. Also looks like she might lose her temper at one of the judges down the road.
Jacob Lusk – pretty good singer, but don’t really like the way he overstylizes everything. If he sang straight-forward, he’d be a lot better.
James Durbin – Adam Lambert copycat. He can scream-sing ok, but not sure how he’ll do with regular songs.
Karen Rodriguez – one of my favorite girls to win the whole thing. She can blow!
Lauren Alaina – My pick to win. She’s so naturally talented and sings without any effort. Seems humble too. I like that.
Naima Adedapo – No idea why she made it. I can appreciate that she has so much passion for singing, but I still haven’t seen anything worthwhile from her. I hope she proves me wrong, because I really think the judges made a mistake by not putting Robbie Rosen through.
Paul McDonald – very quirky, but I like it. Seems like a nice guy and his smile is infectious.
Pia Toscano – OK, and pretty good voice. Need to hear more from her to have a better opinion.
Scotty McCreery – CAN’T STAND HIM!!! You can just tell how conceited he is. He is his own #1 fan. Dear lord he better not win! I will admit that he has a good country singing voice, but I can’t stand listening to somebody so into himself. He reminds me of last season’s Michael Lynche! And he tries to act all nice and respectful, but I’m not buying it! π
Stefano Langone – pretty strong voice in the upper register. Seems nice, but talks too much.
Thia Megia – kinda quiet, but can sing pretty good. That Michael Jackson comparison from Randy Jackson was a reach I thought, but she has a pretty good voice. Wanna see more personality from her.
You’ve probably heard this more than enough times already, but really… is there a limit!?…
Happy New Year!
(or, for you nihonjins… ζγγΎγγ¦γγγ§γ¨γοΌ)
Just wanted to send some love to y’all this 2011 and see how everyone’s year is going so far… Yeah, I know, it’s only 3 days old, but still. You’re bound to check the Star Advertiser site at least once during your lunch break today right? 8)
Today’s task, to make a REALISTIC resolution that we can each accomplish within the first month of the new year. We’ll check back in a month to see if we’ve done what we said we would. No pressha! π
So wot? What say you?
Ed’s Realistic 1 Month Resolution:
* Clean out my DVR! The storage on my DVR is about to explode. I record (and watch) all kine nonsense. I guess I gonna carve out some time so I can finally have my Sing-Off marathon. Hehe! Yeah, still haven’t watched back past the second episode! Ack!
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Oceanic Going Green:
For those of you who’ve been around our Mililani offices recently, you may’ve noticed that we’ve been having some mayjah construction action going on… In order to continue to decrease its carbon footprint and increase its commitment to going green, Oceanic Time Warner Cable is currently installing a PV (photovoltaic) system in its entire parking lot.
Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s Green Project
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My January AroundHawaii article:
Don’t forget to check out my AroundHawaii article for January: Tokkuri Tei – Revisited. Get planny food “pr0n”!
OK so I lied when I said that my “Christmas Lights in Kapolei” blog was the last post of the year, but there’s a good reason for disturbing your peace and quiet this holiday season. *grin*
You see, Tokkuri-Tei, my favorite restaurant on the planet, has moved, and tonight is the grand re-opening at their new location: 449 Kapahulu (the old Sam Choy’s/Sergio’s/Ranch House, above Hee Hing).
This post was made with equal parts of the following in mind:
inform you of the move (not everyone knows yet)
invite you down to come eat with us tonight
support Santa, Kazu, & the rest of the Tokkuri-Tei posse on this new chapter in their lives
encourage you to give them a try (once is all you need to get hooked) or
encourage you to continue to support them at their new location
starve you half to death with the following photos! hehe!
Teriyaki Cream Tofu
Ama Ebi
There’s a Spider in Da Poke
Stuffed Portobello
Sunagimo Karaage (Chicken Gizzards)
Lilipuna Poke
Ika Yaki (Squid Pancake)
Ahi Tempura Poke
Nori-chos
Soft-shell Crab
Seafood Risotto
(still trying to convince Santa that this should be called the Sugimoto Risotto π )
Santa Miyoshi
See y’all there! π
Tokkuri-Tei Restaurant
449 Kapahulu (the old Sam Choy’s/Sergio’s/Ranch House, above Hee Hing)
Honolulu, HI. 96815 (Street View)
(808) 732-6480 <— NEW Telephone Number!
So da oddah week, wifey and I went to a first birthday party at the Kapolei Rec Center (Happy Birthday Tori!)… On the way home, we noticed some bright lights shining up a storm across the street. Curious, we went to go check um out, and…
HOOOOOOOOOO! (HO HO!)
Good thing we did! Buggah was NUTS!
Apparently this (normally) unassuming cul-de-sac on Hanapaa Street gets into the holiday spirit like no other, every single year. And it’s not just one house… several of the houses go all out to provide some nice “Honolulu City Lights” action, only, it’s in Kapolei. Below are some shots from that night to help get you in the mood for Christmas this week…
A family signing the guestbook
Yup! That’s a Heineken Christmas tree! *drool*
The guestbook with signatures from locals as well as visitors from around the world!
The garage
The path separating one house from the other
Side view
Neighbor’s driveway
Neighbor’s yard
Bench for photo opps
They even have the Heineken tree lighting up in tune with the Christmas music playing in the background. Check out the short video below.
Christmas Lights in Kapolei video
I spoke with the owner of one of the houses and she said that they’ve been doing it for many years… Since their kids were small kid time, and they are all young adults now. With no tip jar in sight, they leave benches and hot chocolate out for anyone and everyone to enjoy… for free! When I asked how much their electric bill was for the month, she said, “About $1,100, but it’s ok, we prepare for this all year…”
Wow, talk about sharing the Aloha. Mahaloz Hanapaa Street residents… Mahalo!
Go check them out, go check um, go! Fun stuffs!
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With the holiday season quickly approaching, this will probably be my last blog until the new year. If I don’t see or talk to you guys until then, have a safe and happy holiday season k? See you next year! π
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Special Announcement! Tokkuri-Tei, my favorite restaurant in all the land, is moving this week! They are going from their existing 611 Kapahulu location, right down the road to the old Sam Choy’s and Ranch House location (above Hee Hing): 449 Kapahulu. They are planning to re-open on Sunday the 26th Monday the 27th! Please go and support them k? π
Are y’all stuffed from all that turkey? Well kick off your shoes, lean back, loosen that belt, and get ready for some belly shakin’ laughter!
Here’s Part II of last week’s hilarious “I’m a Man, I Can Fix That!” post forwarded to me by mamasan. Don’t forget to post your captions and comments for your favorite ones!
Following the popularity of last week’s hilarious #moviesinmypants blog (now up to 159 comments), I’m gonna piggy back off another recently popular/trending topic on Twitter called #tweetyour16yearoldself…
The idea is to write a message from your current self to your 16 year old self, based on the life lessons and experiences you’ve gained over the years. Fun right?
So in the comment area below, go ahead, post a message to your 16 year old (bad) self! I’m sure he or she could learn a few things! π
Happy November 1st y’all! I hope you’re all recovered from a lonnnng weekend of Halloween partying. *grin*
So the other day on Twitter, the hilarious #moviesinmypants hashtag picked up a lot of steam. It’s a funny game that cracked me up and made me think about you guys. The idea is to think of a movie name and fill in the blank for the following statement:
__________ In My Pants
The more creative you get with the movie titles, the more we’ll crack each other up. Yes it’s juvenile… but what the hey, it’s a good way to help each other get through this Monday together right? LOL!
So in the comment area below, post your favorite movie in your pants! Hurr’s an example: “40 Year Old Virgin In My Pants”… Ahahaha! Get um?
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In other news, check out my new article (including videos!) on AroundHawaii.com:
Yeah, I know. Dis post is more than a week overdue, but bruddah ova hea had to sift through 635 photos from all ova da creation (Twitter/Twitpic, flickr, Facebook, etc.) from like 20 different peeps. Finally whittled it down to a little over a hunny in the hopes of giving you a little glimpse into the event that absolutely consumed my life for the last year or so.
For those who don’t know, I am the co-founder of an event called Rice Fest , an event that I am very passionate about, and one that I can honestly say Hawaii wants/needs. Let’s face it. We love our rice here in Hawaii. The plan is to put the Rice Fest on every September (in line with National Rice Month), which we started at our inaugural event last week Saturday (September 11, 2010) at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Below are the scenes from that day. Mahalo to everyone for the support!
(A big mahaloz to our sponsors/partners: Diamond G Rice, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Lanakila Pacific, Vacations Hawaii, HPE Live, and the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace!)
Due to a tent mix-up, the ladies of the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court were out in the hot sun for part of the day. A big mahalo to all of them for being such troopers!
Also in the Keiki Zone, University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Science educator Dr. Maria Stewart shared her current research in an interactive and educational display entitled “Nutrition for Everybody: Learn How Rice Promotes a Healthy Body”.
Mahaloz to all of our #RICEHUNT participants: @amisan34 (and friend), @bitachu (and friend), @biznaz, @photolulutv, @princesstara459 (and friend), @emichan58 (and friend), and @lauriecicotello, and congratulations to @bitachu for winning the grand prize that included gifts from VG Addict, OhanaPCS, TNBLive, and Oceanic Time Warner Cable. Special thanks to @octobersoldier for coordinating the game and prizes! Awesome job!
And then, it was time for the Rice Fest to officially begin! 102.7 Da Bomb’s Bruddah Bryan gets us started…
Soon it was time for the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club to bless our event with good luck via a traditional lion dance. I was told to stand in front while the lions start on me. Love love LOVE this cool shot from @PhotoluluTV that totally captured the moment!
One of my favorite events of the day was the “Riceipe” Cooking contest that pitted 5 professional chefs against each other to see who could make the best dish that incorporated rice. Fun, adrenaline pumpin’, exciting stuffs!
The participating chefs were Chef Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi from Tokkuri-Tei, Chef Kendall Uyehara from HMSHost, Chef Robert Denis from Don Ho’s Island Grill, Chef Matthew Naula from RumFire, and Chef Colin Hazama from Kauai Grill.
I’m still trying to convince him that “Sugimoto Risotto” has a much better ring to it. π
Meanwhile the judges took their places on stage and prepared to feast on some ono kine (rice) grindz! Our judges were Star-Advertiser Food Critic Nadine Kam, Twitter Goddess and all around foodie Melissa Chang (@Melissa808), Professional Baker Ed Morita (@NctrnlBst), and Diamond G Rice’s Harrison Wong.
I was unfortunately running around so I was unable to capture the dish, but FYI, it was “Slow cooked New Zealand King Salmon” with miso yuzu broth, young ginger, soft tofu, and crispy jasmine rice… A dish Chef Colin serves at his Kauai Grill restaurant.
A big mahalo to everyone who came out to support our first event. Thank you to our hard working staff and volunteers (especially Lincoln Jacobe and my day-to-day partners in crime: Umma Kayvalyam, Harold Su and my wife Mai). Thank you to the media for all of your coverage, including Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Hawaii News Now’s Sunrise, KITV4 This Morning, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The Nikkan Sun, KUMU, Nonstop Honolulu and all those who talked/blogged about us in Hawaii’s Social Media space (@Melissa808, @ParkRat, @Mel808, @RickNakama, @sarakata, @PhotoluluTV, @fashiontribe, @octobersoldier, @LanakilaPacific, @randi808, @pacificsoul, @Nctrnlbst, @amisan34, @bitachu, @biznaz, @princesstara459, @emichan58, @lauriecicotello, @tweetpea, @haboolani, @HawaiiIRL, @hnlmark, @strobie, @SSquire, @MikeSumida, @ChrisHall78, @JKuroiwa, @atmarketing, @Living2Shop, @theodene, and more! Sorry, I know I’m missing a lot!). Mahaloz to @PhotoluluTV, @ParkRat, Kiman Wong, Todd Masui, Tyson Yamada, and more, for taking photos and letting me “borrow” some for this blog. π
Mahalo to our sponsors and partners Diamond G Rice, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Lanakila Pacific, Vacations Hawaii, HPE Live, the Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace, and Rob Yunich and the rest of the USA Rice Federation team. Thank you to all of our vendors: Arturo’s Hot Sauce in Hawaii, Big City Diner, Don Ho’s Island Grill, Dr. Maria Stewart (University of Hawaii at Manoa Professor of Nutrition), Eastern Food Center, Hawaiian Kine Seasonings, Himalayan Kitchen, Island Taste, KATS SUSHI, Lanakila Pacific, Leonard’s Malasadas, Mobile Gamer Guys, OISHI-GENMAI – GIC JAPAN, Pelekunu’s Teri Sauces, Primo Sushi, Thai Kitchen, Soul Patrol, SNOW |F|A|C|T|O|R|Y|, and Sweet Charlotte, and our entertainers: 102.7 Da Bomb’s Bruddah Bryan, Cookin’ With Cutty’s Chef Barry “Cutty” Cutler, Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum, Kai Market’s Darren Demaya, KITV4’s Lara Yamada, Kauai Grill’s Chef Colin Hazama, Hawaii News Now’s Minna Sugimoto, Ernie Loo and the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club, Heart & Soul (and Kalei Gamiao), the Ukulele Hale Keiki, Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii under the direction of Sensei Akemi Martin, Kapena (Kelly Boy, Kalena, and Lilo De Lima), Jonathan Murai and the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival Court, and Bubbles Duh Clown.
Thank you to our SPAM musubi eating contestants and our “Riceipe” Cooking contestants: Don Ho’s Island Grill’s Chef Robert Denis, Kauai Grill’s Chef Colin Hazama (again!), Tokkuri-Tei’s Chef Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi, RumFire’s Chef Matthew Naula, and HMSHost’s Chef Kendall Uyehara. Mahalo also to our Starwood contacts: Candice Lee Kraughto, Jocelyn Elfstrom, Joanie Matsumoto, and Chaunce Lovett, among others. Mahaloz to the “World Wide Ed” community for reading this far and always showing your support in whatever I do. I know I’m forgetting a lot more, so thank you to anyone and everyone who helped make the inaugural Rice Fest a reality. See you guys next year! π
World Wide Ed 