I knew that title would get your attention. 8) But fo’ real! It’s legit… and just one of the many things I like chat with you guys about today. They are…
Oceanic Time Warner Cable Mobile is having a neat little photo contest that asks you to show off your “Hotspot” (wherever that may be) using a “My Hotspot” graphic. The winning photo will get a FREE Netbook and 1 year of Oceanic Mobile Internet service! Check it out here: http://andhere.com/hotspot/, but you better hurry because the contest ends this Friday!
With my first post up, I am now officially a Time Warner Cable approved blogger for the corporate TWC Untangled web site. Woo hoo, reppin’ us here in Hawaii baby! Here’s my first blog, covering a recent iHeartRadio VIP event at the Road Runner Music Hall.
Hawaii’s Backyard writer Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi wrote a feature article on the Rice Fest in this past Sunday’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Travel section). Great coverage!
I know I sound like a broken record about this, but as a co-founder of this event, I guess I feel it’s my duty to help spread the word. Hope y’all can make it down! 🙂 Look for all details in a post tomorrow…
Yesterday, we spent a good part of the day shooting a viral commercial spot with Aria Studios for Oceanic Mobile‘s IntelliGo product, so this week’s theme for “Where In Hawaii” will be based off of the various Hawaii locations we shot at. You may even recogmatize some familiar faces… Enjoy!
Photo #1
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – February 9, 2011
Points for Photo #1…
* Most creative caption: 2 points
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Name da peeps!: 1 point each
* Name da car!: 1 point each
* Type of scene?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Photo #2
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – February 9, 2011
(Photo Credit: @Melissa808)
Points for Photo #2…
* Most creative caption: 2 points
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Name da peeps!: 1 point each
* Type of scene?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Photo #3
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – February 9, 2011
Points for Photo #3…
* Most creative caption: 2 points
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Name da peeps!: 1 point each
* Type of scene?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Last Week’s Results:
Woo hoo! Had one noddah point scoring fiesta last week, with onecupcoffee, Ynaku, Masako, carokun, NeedaHobby, Chicken Grease, rayboyjr, Rosette, Coconut Willy and Paco all scoopin’ da points! Big ups onecup, knockers, socks, c-chan, Hobbz, Ceeg, beej, Rosey, C Dubbs, and 2Pac! Check out da leadahboard below for da updates!
First off, big mahaloz to Chicken Grease, effenprincess and NeedaHobby for filling in (on short notice) last week with their guest posts! Your boy had to go on one business trip for Road Runner Mobile one quick one, so they chipped in and helped to keep our `ohana entertained up in hurr! Big ups!
I had CHOKE errands to do at home last night so I was finally able to sit down and watch an episode of Hawaii Five-0 in real time. And what better way to “watch” it than to join in on the #H50 convos going on simultaneously in the Twitterverse right?
Last night’s episode was called “Hana `A`a Makehewa“, which translates to Desperate Measures. Here’s the show’s synopsis:
“It’s Christmas in Hawaii, but instead of celebrating, Five-0 is negotiating a hostage situation when Victor Hesse, the man who killed McGarrett’s father, threatens to detonate an explosive that he’s strapped to Chin Ho’s chest.”
So wot? What’d you guys think?
Some possible talking points for us:
How sad was Danno’s Christmas tree? Hehe!
“Your house, your king’s English.” LOL!
Ikalani = Ihilani?
Chin Ho’s use of rice to pull the moisture off the SIM card. Gooooo @ricefest, er rice! 8)
Was that local MMA Fighter Harris Sarmiento in the chicken fight scene? First Niko Vitale and now him. Casting directors must be MMA fans! Sweet!
Danno’s hilarious quote, “Next time, shoot him in the face!”
Danno calling Sang Min (Will Yun Lee) the “Asian John Travolta”. LOL!
Since when was Bar 35 a private hostess bar in Nu`uanu?
Was that an Android app that they used to track Sang’s ankle tracker? DROID! 😛
Do coppers really have 28.5 mill just lying around like that in a secret asset forfeiture locker? If so, can somebody make me a copy of that blueprint please? 8)
I’ve swear we’ve all had a run in with a niele ol’ lady like that no!?
Wasn’t it just off hearing Chin Ho tell Kono “aloha” in that context? Didn’t care for that usage very much…
I almost cried seeing da $10 mill go bye bye in the fire. LOL!
How about another former local boy sighting with Mark Dacascos as the evil villain Wo Fat?
Alex O’Loughlin. Grace Park. That is all. 😛
In other news…
Finally catching up with my show The Sing-Off and watched back the first episode of this new season off my DVR. Woah! Committed’s rendition of Maroon 5’s “This Love” was off the chain!
When it comes to careers, they have an old saying… “Do what you love and you never have to work a day in your life.” Most of us chug along through the day to day of life, wondering if there’s a better way. Personally, though I love my job, I often wonder if the folks in Major League Baseball are still out there looking for a mediocre-ly built, over-the-hill, talented (in-his-own-mind) right arm to be the next best thing in the bigs. And then I wake up.
A lucky few, however, are fortunate enough to find something they fall in love with and follow that path towards something they can make a career of. Below is the story of three such men.
Jody Kamisato – `Ukulele Hale
Jody Kamisato is the owner of Ukulele Hale, an ukulele school in Kaimuki that teaches students – from small kid time all the way up to our senior citizens – the art of our beautiful 4-stringed instrument.
Though we both knew of each other from our Kaiser High School/Hawaii Kai days, I think I actually first met Jody when I asked him to perform at an event I was putting together back in September (the inaugural Rice Fest). Not only was I impressed by the talent he showcased during his performance on stage (through his group Heart & Soul), but I was also taken aback by the way he mentored and encouraged his students before their performances.
Here’s an interview I had recently with Jody:
An Interview with Ukulele Hale’s Jody Kamisato
[Edward Sugimoto] When did you first pick up the `ukulele and how long was it before you fell in love?
[Jody Kamisato] Geez, I first picked it up in elementary school. So I went to Kamiloiki Elementary and in their Hawaiiana class, they offered ukulele. So that was my first time, and started taking lessons, and actually it wasn’t until high school that I got really into ukulele.
[Edward Sugimoto] Kaiser right?
[Jody Kamisato] Kaiser. *winks*
[Edward Sugimoto] That’s right!
[Jody Kamisato] Kaiser! *laughs*
[Edward Sugimoto] Kaiser baby! *laughs* At what point did you know it was the path for you?
[Jody Kamisato] Um, well actually Jake Shimabukuro from Pure Heart had come to do one of our assemblies at Kaiser, and he was in a group called Pure Heart along with Jon Yamasato who’s another Kaiser graduate… Um, but after that, I just you know, I saw what he did and I was just amazed at what the ukulele, you know, the possibilities of the ukulele. And just the way he played and the style that he played in really caught my attention, so I just called him up and I was like “Hey, can I sign up for lessons?” and so I did and a few years later he asked me to teach. He opened a school called Ukulele Academy in Hawaii Kai and so that’s where I kinda got my start from… was teaching at his studio.
[Edward Sugimoto] Do you draw from any positive experiences from some of your mentors from your past and apply them to your teaching methods today?
[Jody Kamisato] Absolutely. You know, I think one of the greatest gifts with music is the ability to share it. And so, some of my mentors, which included Peter Moon, Jake Shimabukuro, Troy Fernandez…You know these guys have really done so much with music and really taken it to, not just Hawaii, but outside of Hawaii so, they’ve gone international. And especially with Jake, and so, just from that, he’s really opened a lot of doors with music and with ukulele. So that’s what I want to try to do with our music… it’s to take it on another level and share it with people not just from Hawaii but around the world.
[Edward Sugimoto] And you have a business: Ukulele Hale. Talk to me about your keiki.
[Jody Kamisato] Alright, well, we have a school called Ukulele Hale in Kaimuki and I’d say a majority is students, is the keiki. You know we actually teach students of all ages and skill levels. So we start them… Our youngest is 3 and a half years old, and we also have senior classes as well. Right now we have about 170 students.
Kody Kiyokawa and Jody Kamisato jammin’ on the uke
NOTE: Kody Kiyokawa recently represented Ukulele Hale at the Duke’s Ukes contest and came home with a brand new Kamaka Ukulele after winning the Best Showmanship award.
[Edward Sugimoto] On top of being a teacher, you also have a group with Chris Salvador called Heart & Soul? Tell me a little bit about that.
[Jody Kamisato] I partnered up with a friend of mine, his name is Chris Salvador, and we call ourselves Heart & Soul, and we are actually in the recording studio now working on our debut album. We’re hoping to have it out, gee, in the next few weeks and actually have our CD release party in November. It’s set for November 21st. Chris and I just got back from touring Japan as well as New York. We participated in the New York Ukulele Festival, and also Japan has this event called the Ukulele Picnic which draws 10,000 ukulele fans. So it was an amazing experience and we just feel very blessed to follow our passion and play music.
[Edward Sugimoto] Where can we pick up the album when it’s ready?
[Jody Kamisato] It’ll be available on iTunes and definitely in music stores and book stores throughout Hawaii. Yeah, so go out and support local music. *laughs*
[Edward Sugimoto] You were mentioning that you guys tour a lot, you were in New York and you go all over the place. You were at the Rice Festival of course…
[Jody Kamisato] Rice Festival, yeah!
[Edward Sugimoto] … Where else can we find you guys going forward?
[Jody Kamisato] We’re definitely going to be performing more. Right now we’re focusing on the recording. Once that’s finished, we plan to do more steady gigs for the public. And definitely we’re actually planning a Japan tour this coming December. We’re going up for about a week and a half. It’s a Heart & Soul CD Japan Release Tour.
[Edward Sugimoto] That’s awesome.
[Jody Kamisato] Yeah, we’re excited.
[Edward Sugimoto] You’re all over social media. You wanna give some plugs out there to your various locations?
[Jody Kamisato] *laughs* Sure. Alright well you can come check us out on Facebook. Um, I just set it up recently. It’s uh facebook…
George Kotaka is legend in karate. He is a 4th degree black belt with 30 years of training under that belt. He is the son of Chuzo Kotaka (a legend in his own right), the man responsible for bringing IKF (International Karate Federation) Karate to Hawaii. George is one of the main instructors for IKF Hawaii teaching students at dojos in Kamiloiki, Kailua, Kaneohe, Kapolei and the University areas.
My first memory of George was seeing him grow through the karate ranks right alongside of the rest of us. Under Sensei Kotaka (Chuzo), I was fortunate enough to earn my brown belt, and I remember little (at the time) George showing up at our dojo to train periodically. Eventually our paths crossed again while attending Kaiser High School.
George sat down with me during this recent interview:
An Interview with IKF Hawaii’s George Kotaka
[Edward Sugimoto] First of all, please introduce yourself George.
[George Kotaka] My name is George Kotaka, I’m 33 years old and I’ve been taking karate since I was 3 years old.
[Edward Sugimoto] Back in the day, your father (Chuzo Kotaka) was my sensei at IKF in Kahala. Is this where your interest in karate first came from?
[George Kotaka] My interest in karate began, like I said, when I was 3 years old, and my father actually didn’t really force me to take karate. He was just bringing me by the dojo and kinda like just like anything else, you know, where you’re introduced to it so often, after a while you just start to pick it up. I just was really kinda just drawn to karate. Never forced to start it.
[Edward Sugimoto] As the sensei’s son, did you feel any extra pressure to be better and perform well because your dad was the sensei?
[George Kotaka] Being the sensei’s son, I really didn’t feel any pressure at all. I always just went to practice, worked really hard, always had goals in mind that I wanted to achieve since I was young. Just, you know, just like short term goals in the beginning and then later on, fulfilling my long term goals, but never had the pressure because I always just knew that if I just relied on my training and my skill, you know, good things would come about.
[Edward Sugimoto]Lyoto Machida of the UFC, he became the Light Heavyweight Champion a while ago (UFC 98 on May 23rd, 2009) and probably burst karate into the mainstream. Did you kinda feel that karate/”Lyoto Effect” in your studios/dojos?
[George Kotaka] I would say there was a little bit of an affect from the UFC fight where Lyoto won the UFC title. We saw a little bit of an influx of students inquiring about karate, interested in martial arts, especially the traditional martial arts. He comes from a traditional Japanese background, his style is called Shotokan, and it’s a very very popular, I would say one of the four major styles of karate in Japan. So I would say there was a little bit of an influx of students when that happened.
George Kotaka knocks out opponent (from shotokan68’s channel)
NOTE:George does not endorse this clip (a popular video on Youtube with over 29,851 views) and was frankly quite embarrassed of it when I brought it up. I snuck it in here just to give you a glimpse at what George’s karate is capable of.
[Edward Sugimoto] What inspired you to take the next step and become an instructor?
[George Kotaka] I always was intrigued and motivated to be an instructor, to be a teacher. Ever since I was about 14 or 15 years old, I began helping my sister at one of the local karate classes and being kind of like a junior assistant or junior leader and from since that time on, I was really just drawn to teaching, I always liked working with other people. So even after the competition aspect, I could always rely on going back to teaching and falling back to that background.
[Edward Sugimoto] You mentioned your competition background. You’re pretty much a karate legend here and around the country. What do you have in store going forward?
[George Kotaka] Most importantly right now, after retiring from competition in 2008, is just to really work on my students and giving back to the dojo and going back to that teaching. Whether it’s producing the next state champion, national champion, Pan-American PKF Champion or even world champion, that would just be great. I just want to produce quality students most importantly. They don’t have to be champions. If that comes along that would be great but overall I just want my students to be good mannered students, have good morals and ethics and really go by the karate way.
George Kotaka Highlights (from CHAMPOFFICIAL’s channel)
NOTE:This clip I found on Youtube is probably a better representation of what George is all about (as opposed to the previous one). Check it.
Todd Tanaka holds a black belt under the prestigious Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu system. He is the owner and head instructor of the Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu Team HK team, with locations in the University area, Kaimuki and Lutherville-Timonium in Maryland. He teaches the art of jiu jitsu and self defense to keiki (ages 5-13) and adults of all ages. He (along with George above) also just started a women’s cardio kickboxing class on Sunday nights (5:30pm-6:30pm).
Of the three, I probably knew Todd the best during high school. We ran in similar groups and hung out at some of the same places. Todd helped me land my first “celebrity” interview with his good friend Jason “Mayhem” Miller and even let me train at his dojo for a little while.
Here’s Todd and I catching up in this recent interview:
An Interview with Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu Team HK’s Todd Tanaka
[Edward Sugimoto] Please introduce yourself.
[Todd Tanaka] Hi I’m Todd Tanaka and I’m the head instructor and owner of Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu Team HK.
[Edward Sugimoto] Long before the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)/Jiu Jitsu explosion, you were training with Relson Gracie before anyone knew what it was. How long ago did you start training in the art of jiu jitsu and why did you first start?
[Todd Tanaka] I started in 1990 and I was in, I believe, 8th grade. That’s when (Jean Claude) Van Damme and Steven Seagal was all popular, and me and my friends John and Jared wanted to take a martial art because of the popularity of the martial arts. We were thinking about taking like kickboxing, aikido and stuff and Jared’s father suggested that we go with him to this jiu jitsu class, Brazilian jiu jitsu classes, and we were like, “What is that?” We had no idea. And the dad was like just come down and see if you like it. So we went down, met Relson, started taking the classes from there, and we fell in love with it from day 1.
[Edward Sugimoto] What inspired you to take the next step and become an instructor?
[Todd Tanaka] Well after the UFC started (1993), a lot of my friends wanted to learn and they’d always see me at the weight room and ask me to teach them and I was like “Man, sounds like a good deal.” You know, I could use the side cash so I asked Relson “Eh, can I start teaching?” and he said, “Well I want you to take an instructor program from my brother.” So he flew me up to his brother Rorion’s school in Torrance California, which Royce Gracie was there at the time and the dad (Helio)… And I stayed there, I took their instructor program, and I came back and I helped Relson open his new school in Kaimuki. And that’s pretty much how it all started for me in teaching.
[Edward Sugimoto] Talk to me about your kids. What brings you the most joy when you teach them?
[Todd Tanaka] The most joy is probably just seeing the smiles on their face and seeing how they really like it when they actually do the move correctly.
Todd Tanaka watching over his students
[Edward Sugimoto] Do you have an opinion or any comments to those who feel jiu jitsu is dangerous for young kids?
[Todd Tanaka] Yes. You take a risk in any sport… You do… but they have to understand that jiu jitsu and MMA is totally different things. I don’t teach my students to fight. I teach them to defend themselves, self defense, you know. And, you know, if you go in there and you think that jiu jitsu is all about fighting, then yeah, you’re gonna have that perception, but I’m gonna let you guys know that the Relson Gracie jiu jitsu system is about self defense and not fighting.
[Edward Sugimoto] What about personal goals? You received your black belt in July of last year? Anything else in store?
[Todd Tanaka] Um, well, I’m just gonna keep training. I currently just opened two other schools this past year. I have a branch in Kaimuki, and I opened one with another Kaiser classmate/alumni Stuart Ramos. He opened a school under me in (Lutherville-) Timonium, Maryland. Hopefully I dunno, maybe my schools can start growing.
Relson Gracie Promotes Todd Tanaka to Black Belt (from GracieTeamHK’s channel)
[Edward Sugimoto] How about any professional fighting for you at some point?
[Todd Tanaka] *laughs* No, I’m too small and old for that.
[Edward Sugimoto] Finally, you’re big into social media. Do you find that it helps a lot?
[Todd Tanaka] Yes. I can’t remember where I heard this, and I’ve always been using this for years… It’s not who you know, it’s about who knows you. So I’ve always put myself out there. You know, they say there’s no such thing as bad publicity right? Everything’s good publicity, so whatever I do, I put myself out there, I’m easy to find. *smiles*
[Edward Sugimoto] Why don’t we do some plugging of some of those web sites?
Three great individuals doing great things in their respective communities… who, oh-by-the-way, all happen to be graduates from my proud Alma mater of Henry J. Kaiser High School. They have found a way to follow their passion and find a career doing something that they absolutely love.
I guess you can say they never have to work a day in their lives…
When wifey and I spontaneously decided to have date night out in Haleiwa the other night, I did what any unassuming young American would do: I checked out Yelp one fast one. At the top of the list was this curious place called Opal Thai Food. Curious because 1) it was a wagon and 2) it was a wagon that didn’t serve your banal Haleiwa shrimp. What are the chances? 😛
No offense to you non-locals, but my strategy when it comes to review sites like Yelp is to give higher precedence to da kama`aina. We’re usually quite honest about our eateries and tend not to get caught up in the hype of a place. After that, like most, I take into consideration the rating level and the number of reviewers rating it. Opal Thai Food had a winning combination of all: great reviews from us locals, high ratings (4.5 out of 5), and a high review count (currently at 75).
Done. We were off to visit our north shore neighbors for some curious Thai food for din-din.
Opal Thai Food Wagon in Haleiwa
Ed’s Tip: If you Google their listed address, it’ll actually show that they’re somewhere near Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. The Opal Wagon is actually more in the beginning of Haleiwa (coming in from the south), across the street from McDonald’s, where some of the other shrimp wagons are.
We started with their Spicy Glaze Garlic Chicken Wings (with deep fried basil) appetizer.
I’m not even a basil fan, and I loved the way the flavor of the deep-fried basil matched up nicely with their sweet, semi-spicy glaze. This is a MUST TRY!
Next up, we ordered our two go-to Thai dishes: Shrimp Pad Thai and Yellow Chicken Curry, with a side order or Sticky Rice.
Shrimp Pad Thai Noodle – $8.75
Yellow Chicken Curry – $8.25, with a side Order of Sticky Rice – $1.75
Like what some of the Yelp reviewers wrote, the wagon’s proprietor Opal was very friendly. He brought over a tub of a dry chili flake mixture and suggested that we add it to our Pad Thai. Later, he came over and poured the cucumber/onion namasu looking side dish (see above photo) into our curry and said that it’ll enhance the flavor. It did.
Opal seems to have a pay-after-you-eat methodology, much like sit down restaurants. We felt a little guilty digging in without paying for anything, but we just went with it. I’m convinced that he does this so that he can speak to each customer as to how they enjoyed their meal.
If you’re a big eater, you would probably think that the portions are on the small side. We did come near the end of the night (they close at 6pm with last call at 5:30pm) though so that may’ve possibly had something to do with it.
Ed’s Tip: Since you’re pretty much “roughing it” and dining on their outdoor tables, you may experience some annoyances from your friendly neighborhood fly or 6. You may consider asking for a take-out plate so you can close/cover things as you eat or take it with you if da little buggahs get to be a little much for you.
Overall a great find that we will definitely return to for future date nights.
Our Yellow Chicken Curry, Shrimp Pad Thai and Spicy Glaze Garlic Chicken Wings in front of the Opal Thai Food Wagon
Late yesterday afternoon, my homey at the Star-Advertiser asked me if I had a blog ready to go for today as they were planning on posting my mug in the print version of the paper again. Apparently, the demand to see my face again was that overwhelming.
CHEEYEAHRIGHT!
I wish. But yeah, a fella can dream right?
Regardless, bruddah ovah hea had to be ready with a blog, so I did what any red-blooded American would do in a crisis situation. Cry.
After wiping away my tears, I was able to regroup and figure out what I was going to blog about…
Last week Thursday, Oceanic Time Warner Cable and Road Runner Mobile held their Official IntelliGo Launch Party – at the Road Runner Music Hall – to introduce their newest wireless product to the public: The IntelliGo. The IntelliGo is their shiny/sparkly wireless device that acts as a personal mobile hotspot, providing a WiFi signal for up to 5 of your friends. (Click here for more info about the IntelliGo).
Various members of the media (both traditional and social media), current customers, contest winners, etc. were invited to this exclusive event which included free giveaways, ono kine grindz, and live entertainment from two killer local bands: Busekrus and Elephant! Check out the scenes and commentary below!
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Sixty bags of goodies went just like that! Apologies to the late comers who weren’t able to score one! 😦
60 bags of goodies to be given away to everyone who attended
And here’s a shot of the bags (with the IntelliGo poster in the background) from one of @ParkRat‘s tweets!
Photo from @ParkRat’s tweet
What kinda goodies were inside? Check it!
Goodie Bag Contents
The calm before the storm. Busekrus doing sound check before the Road Runner Music Hall gets packed!
Busekrus doing sound check
What we were all there for: the IntelliGo (and Road Runner Mobile) signage.
IntelliGo and Road Runner Mobile signage
The Road Runner Mobile logo getting some air-time on the big screen.
Road Runner Mobile logo on the big screen
The scene from the other side of the Hall: Two staffers relaxing before show time.
Big Mahalo to Lanakila Pacific’s Xpress Chefs for doing an amazing job with the eats! Based on what I was hearing, the Stuffed Mushroom Caps were probably the biggest hit of the night. 🙂
Catered food from Xpress Chefs
@johngarcia snaps a twitpic of the stage just before showtime. The anticipation mounts!
Photo from @johngarcia’s tweet
With the room packed, we were ready to go! Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s VP of Marketing Alan Pollock kicks off the show!
VP of Marketing Alan Pollock with some introductory statements
Standing room only! Busekrus starts the night with some acoustic sounds.
Busekrus on stage
Here’s @johngarcia‘s shot of Busekrus from the front. Yep, that’s @Mel808 tweeting away on her iPad.
Photo from @johngarcia’s tweet
@OceanicCable gets in on the (Tweeting) act with this crowd shot.
Photo from @OceanicCable’s tweet
Just outside, the media conducted one on one interviews with some of our guests. Here’s Maribel getting ready for her interview.
Back inside, @ParkRat and @maliachu get their hands on the IntelliGo!
Photo from @HawaiiIRL’s Facebook
Then it was time for the second band to take the stage: Elephant. Wow! Lead singer Kevin Jones (who, oh-by-the-way, is also a Star 101.9 personality) has gots some serious pipes!
Elephant’s front man Kevin Jones belting away
All too soon, it was over! Check out @HawaiiIRL‘s hilarious cartoon about the long hallways from the Road Runner Music Hall (featuring @Melissa808, @Mel808, and @johngarcia)! LOL!
Photo from @HawaiiIRL’s tweet
A big Mahalo to Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s VP of Marketing Alan Pollock and Road Runner Mobile’s Wireless Director Kiman Wong for helping to make this event a possibility. Also to the Marketing department (both locally and at the corporate level) for donating all of the great gifts and giveaways. Big ups to James Avis and Kevin Jones of Clear Channel Communications for the support, as always, and to Caroline Witherspoon and Malia Chung (and Marichris Diga) of Becker Communications for your media support as well. A special thanks to all of our guests spanning the local community… from our current Road Runner Mobile customers, to Hawaii’s social media leaders like @Bytemarks @DigitalSignGuy @HawaiiRealty @johngarcia @ktpoy @Mel808 @Melissa808 @ParkRat @peterkay and @ryankanno. Much love everyone!
* For more information about Road Runner Mobile, please see rrmobile.oceanic.com or AndHere.com.
* Tune in to thehall.tv in a few days to watch the encoded version of the event in its entirety.
* Check out the 3:11 mark of the following video to see @Melissa808 reveal the swag that was given away that night.
Gooooooood morning yo! Yep, it’s Fun Day Monday and your boy is here to post once again. Two Mondays in a row now? Miracle ain’t it?
Well, there’s actually a good reason…
Aside from missing y’all very dearly this weekend (as, I’m sure you did me 😛 ), my ugly mug is supposed to be donning the cover of today’s print edition of our wonderful Star Advertiser, bringing a whole new set of readers (well, hopefully) to WWE.
AURIIITE!
So here we be, with an oldie but goodie, Fun Day Monday blog. Dust off your keyboards and comment awayyyy kay!?
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A while ago, our friend Rox shared her method of how she remembers her friends’ license plates… She takes the first three letters of the plate and makes a catchy phrase out of it. For example: RBP would be Ronie Brings Peanuts, GVT would be Good Virgin Teacher, and PJN would be PaJama Nighty. Ahahaha! Eh, no ack! I know you do the same! LOL!
And speaking of license plates, let’s not forget about kuya.d‘s now legendary suggestion of VH07V on a previous “Custom Plates” blog (see comment #12)! Huuuu, dat be some history right dea!
VH07V Vanity License Plate
Anywho, let’s hear some of your memorization tactics. Can be with license plates or anything else. Maybe you can use Michael Scott’s tactics?
On a side note, here’s a feel good mini-story: This past weekend, I flew over to Maui to help out at our Road Runner Mobile booth at the Maui Spam Jam. Amongst other things, we were giving away one brand new SpongeBob SquarePants skateboard every hour. There was a cute kid named Jarrett there who signed up early on to try and win one of the skateboards. Hour after hour, he would come back to our booth to see if we had drawn names yet and if the name we had drawn was his. He just would not give up.
As the show started to come to a close, we had one more name left to draw. Jarrett was nowhere to be found. We figured he had either given up or left. Either way, the show had to continue. Bruddah Joel (da man from the Maui’s division) was about to pull the last name, but instead of pulling it himself, he decided to let one of two young girls pull the name. They too had been hanging around the booth for most of the day hoping to win the skateboard.
In an unbelievable twist of fate, the girl pulled Jarrett’s entry!!! Joel and I were floored! Something was in the air… It had to be divine intervention!
Making things more fairytale-like, we found out from Jarrett’s mom that little Jarrett was actually recently hit by a car and has been going through months and months of rehab to get his walking back to form. On top of that he is also an avid collector of skateboards.
WOAH! Talk about chicken skin!
Here’s a shot of Jarrett with his new skateboard (along with Joel).
Jarrett and Joel
Congrats Jarrett! All the best to you!
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K, so once you clear the tears from your eyes 8) , here’s the stuffs you can choose to comment about below if you like:
* What kind of memory tactics do you use?
* Creative words for the 3 letters in your license plate.
* Comments about the clip (above) from The Office.
* Comments about Jarrett or his story.
* Favorite things to do, places to eat, etc., in Maui.
* Comments about fate, and/or how things work out.
* How your weekend was.
* Randomness.
* How you, as a new reader, love me. 😛
* How you, as an old reader, missed me. 😉
* Hijacking topics.
* Anyt’ing and erry-thing.
A-ight peeps. Have a great last week of July!
P.S. Was good to see bB (again) and meet his wife, and also meet NeedaHobby for the first time IRL! Thanks for coming out to the show! 🙂
Late last month, Oceanic Time Warner Cable introduced an exciting, new product to add to the Road Runner Mobile lineup. Nicknamed IntelliGo, the Sierra Wireless W801 Personal Mobile Hotspot acts like a portable mini-router and allows you to share your Road Runner Mobile connection – on the go! – with up to 5 friends via standard Wi-Fi connectivity.
The IntelliGo, from Oceanic Time Warner Cable
Dimensions and Features
This portable little device (3.15″ x 3.15″ x 0.61″ and 4.6 oz) has a 1.4″ LCD display (displays key messages like your SSID and password, battery level, and amount of connected users), and comes with an 1800mAh battery (est. 6 hours of use) and USB/AC charger. There is also a microSD slot that can hold a card of up to 32GB. See below for a diagram and a hands-on video of the IntelliGo.
Diagram of the new IntelliGo
IntelliGo – Sierra Wireless W801 Personal Mobile Hotspot Unboxing
Technical Specs
Technically speaking, the IntelliGo receives in both 4G (WiMax – 2.5GHz) and 3G (CDMA – 800/1900 MHz) frequencies and transmits Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) using the 802.11 b/g standard protocols.
What does this mean exactly? In layman’s terms, this simply means that the IntelliGo will get the greatest coverage (both 4G and 3G) wherever you go, and will share that via a common Wi-Fi signal that many of your devices already speak to.
Several examples of Wi-Fi devices that you might use are:
Laptops
Netbooks
iPads
Mobile phones (e.g. iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, Garmin Nuvifone, etc.)
iPod Touch
Nintendo DS
Sony PSP
Eye-Fi SD memory cards
Microsoft Zune
Easy Set Up
The IntelliGo is really, REALLY easy to set up. Out of the box, all you would have to do is pop in the battery and hold down the power button to turn the puppy on. It will go through its cycle for a few seconds and display your default SSID (network name) and password on the external display (you can edit these in the settings later). Since it’s shooting out standard Wi-Fi, there isn’t any software to install device(s)!
Ed’s Tip: On the initial setup, I would recommend you use a laptop (something with a larger screen), as the setup wizard will guide you through several screens to configure your settings. I used my HTC EVO 4G (mobile phone) initially, and, although I was still able to get it done, it was a little tricky reading text and hitting buttons.
Once the IntelliGo powers up completely and has your default SSID and password displayed, go to your laptop and scan for new wireless networks. Select the IntelliGo’s SSID (named “TWC4GMobile-xxx”) and enter the password provided (a series of 6 random numbers). The LCD screen will then prompt you to open a web page, which will automatically redirect you to the Time Warner Cable’s Terms of Service page, which you must review and accept. This is a one time process.
One time Agreement screen
Once you have accepted the terms of service, you’re “All G”, unless you would like to configure your device further (change the SSID, password, encryption method, etc.).
Ed’s Tips: By default, the device uses WEP encryption. Probably for compatibility reasons (with older devices). I would recommend changing that to WPA or WPA2, as long as your connecting devices are compatible. I would also recommend changing the default SSID and password to something more personal and secure (the default 6 digit password is easy to crack). Lastly, I would recommend changing the default administrative password (“password” is used to access the IntelliGo’s administrative portal).
All of the above can be accessed by going to the administrative portal at http://twc4gmobile (192.168.0.1) while connected to the IntelliGo. This admin backend acts much like the 192.168.1.1 backend on your Linksys wireless router at home.
The IntelliGo’s Administrative Portal
Via this backend, you can also set up and control two other neat features of the IntelliGo: 1) GPS, and 2) the microSD Card.
You can use the GPS to find local points of interest, like hotels, restaurants, banks and gas stations. You can even pull up local Time Warner Cable offices! Sweet! With the microSD card configured, you can share files, music, pictures and more to your 5 connected devices.
If anything I wrote above went right over your head and confused you even more, here’s a more practical (and visual) look at what the IntelliGo (Sierra Wireless W801) is and how you can use it. It’s Hawaii’s resident tech expert Peter Kay breaking things down in simple, easy-to-understand terms in his video below.
Peter Kay’s Testimonial
Exciting huh? The IntelliGo is a pretty powerful device that I, personally, have been having a lot of fun playing with, and sharing with anyone and everyone who will listen. If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me using the form to the right or post a comment below.
If you’d prefer to educate yourself, feel free to check out one of the following, pertinent links:
If you can’t contain your excitement and know this is something you really want… NEED even 😛 , visit the ordering options page where you can order directly online via My Account, complete an inquiry form for a follow up, chat with one of our online reps, or call Oceanic Time Warner Cable direct.
Ready for some 4G/Wi-Fi fun? On your mark… Get Set… IntelliGo Go GO!
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Great News!
If you order between now and September 30th, 2010 (with a two year contract), you can have the IntelliGo for just $49 ($50 mail in rebate).
We be off to a good start gang! The first two (real) posts for WWE on the Star Advertiser side got 159 comments and 118 comments, with barely any linkage on the site! Sa-weet! Much love you guys!
What’s even better? I just noticed that the good peeps at the Star Advertiser created a “main” blog page that lists all of us bloggers in one location (check it out here: blogs.staradvertiser.com). Theoretically, that should mean easier access to this blog and even greater numbers right? RIGHT!!!??? Hehe! Nah! Let’s see if we can keep this comment train goin’ with this week’s photo yo!
Points for…
* Name of location?: 1 point
* General area?: 1 point
* EXACT name of dish: 2 points!
* EXACT price of dish (before tax and tip): 2 points!
* Month, Day and Year photo was taken?: 3 points!
* Google Street View Link?: 1 point
Where In Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – June 23, 2010
Hint:No hint… Just thought I’d make y’all hungry. 8)
Last Week’s Results:
Holy crikeys! Takeshi and Masako went to town last week and picked up 7 and a half points between them! Bruddah kesh especially scooped after working his Google magic to find my article on Diamond Head. Congrats to him and Sistah Masako!
Da “Where In Hawaii” Winnahz Circle (Round 2)!
Where In Hawaii Is Edward Sugimoto – June 16, 2010: Masako – 1 point (Name: Diamond Head (Trail Hike)), Masako – 1/2 point (Area: Diamond Head), Takeshi – 2 points (What it said: Elev. 703.556), Takeshi – 2 points (Who I went with: Wifey and Second Cousin Teppei), Masako – 1 point (Why: Touring/Hiking), Takeshi – 1 point (Google Street View Link)
On a side note, I’m pretty proud of this little video I shot of computer expert and “Your Computer Minute” guru Peter Kay, giving his testimonial for Road Runner Mobile. Indulge me for a few minutes and watch it when you have some time k? 8)
Road Runner Mobile first launched in Hawaii earlier this year, and, as with Road Runner High Speed Online residential service (launched back in 1997), there were a lot of early adopters. Like those who were “in the know” about broadband technologies (compared to dial-up) in ’97, those who are aware of 4G technology today have quickly jumped on the Road Runner Mobile bandwagon.
Road Runner Mobile Works Here!
There are some though, who need and want more information. With any new technology, that’s very understandable. This article will attempt to demystify everything Road Runner Mobile for you. I’ll break it down – in layman’s terms – so that it will hopefully give you the right tools to educate yourself as to what Road Runner Mobile is and see if it’s right for you.
What is Road Runner Mobile?
First thing’s first. Let’s watch the commercial to get warmed up…
Road Runner Mobile Commercial
In the opening scene, you’ll notice a female on the beach propping up some sort of device in her laptop. That is what’s known as a mobile device (or wireless card). Simply put, that tiny little device is what connects you to the Internet. It searches the airwaves for the 4G signal (or 3G if 4G is not available) and connects you to it. All you do is plug it in to your standard USB port on your laptop (or mobile device) and you’re good to go.
Currently, Oceanic Time Warner Cable offers the Motorola USBw100 or the Franklin U301 with more products and devices on the way (including hub/router-type devices, allowing you to share your 4G connection via WiFi). For more information on our current products, see below or click here.
For a hands-on look at the newest Franklin U301 device, check out this unboxing video:
Franklin U301 Unboxing
As the video mentioned, Oceanic Time Warner Cable is currently running a promo that actually allows you to get either card for free with your service (with a 2 year contract). If you’re interested in taking advantage of this offer, inquire with them today.
Every install comes with a free copy of the Connection Manager software, which allows you to easily manage all of your wireless Internet connections (4G, 3G, Wi-Fi) with just a few clicks.
Road Runner Mobile Connection Manager Software
You can customize it to do as much or as little as you’d like. For example, you can have it automatically find and connect to:
Wi-Fi networks if it finds it (e.g. when you use your computer at home, at work, or where hotspots like Road Runner Speed Zones are available)
You can even set the sequence of what to search for first, or turn them all off and set it to manual mode if you wish. The options are endless. It just depends on how you will be using it.
(Ed’s notes: Many netbooks and smaller peripherals these days do not have a CD drive, so you may wish to download them beforehand from the web here. This download should be the latest version of the Connection Manger software, but if there are any updates to it, or any other version(s) you load from the CD, etc., it will automatically download and install it for you as soon as you are connected. You may or may not experience a delay during this initial update.)
Where does Road Runner Mobile Work?
4G, which is short for 4th Generation, is a major upgrade from 3G. In fact, it is up to 10 times as fast as 3G*. For a reference, most mobile phones these days run over 3G. When you open up a browser on your phone and go to a web site, that is running over a 3G network. Imagine that same data going up to 10 times as fast. That’s 4G. (For more on 4G, read Kiman Wong’s articles here and here).
4G is the latest in cutting edge technology and we are fortunate enough to have it here in Hawaii so early on… even before the “big” cities like New York and Los Angeles. Currently, most areas on Oahu and the main towns of Maui are covered. Our unofficial 9th island: Las Vegas, Nevada is as well, as are cities in Washington, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and more. Over 35 in fact. For a growing list of 4G cities, please click here. To view a coverage map of ALL areas covered by Road Runner Mobile (4G or otherwise), click here.
Melissa Chang shows that Road Runner Mobile works in Hawaii
In Hawaii?
Perhaps you’re more of a visual person and don’t wish to read a boring, text based list of locations? Well, you’re in luck! Oceanic Time Warner Cable has developed a microsite called AndHere.com that illustrates where exactly Road Runner Mobile works around Oahu (and soon to be Maui). Oceanic Time Warner Cable, as well as some of Hawaii’s social media leaders (like Peter Kay, Melissa Chang, and Russ Sumida) take Road Runner Mobile out and about, take photos of where they’re at, run some speed tests, and post it for your viewing pleasure. It’s a pretty neat way to help us better understand what Road Runner is and where and how you can use it in your everyday life.
World Wide Ed 