Probably the biggest (recent) news – at least here locally – is the name change (again) of our beloved University of Hawaii men’s programs. It went from the Rainbows to the Warriors/Rainbows/Rainbow Warriors to the Warriors and then back to the Rainbow Warriors, or something to that effect. What are your thoughts on this? Do you care one way or another? That’s just one of my many topics of conversation in the “Scoops” section below. Holla!
* Did you guys hear this ridiculous story about Amy’s Baking Company in Arizona? It is quite hilarious (they’re now saying they were hacked), but also kinda scary how the power (and misuse) of social media can have such an impacting influence.
* OKC (1) vs. MEM (3), SAS (3) vs. GSW (2), MIA (3) CHI (1), or NYK (1) vs. IND (3)? Who you got?
* Candice Glover and Kree Harrison compete for the American Idol Season 12 crown? Who do you want to win? Tonight at 7pm on KHON (Oceanic channel 3, 83 or 1003).
* Anyone watching UFC on FX 8 (Belfort vs. Rockhold) this Saturday? 3pm on FX (Oceanic channel 554 or HD 1554).
* Anyone watching the finale episode of The Office on Thursday night? 8pm on KHNL (Oceanic channel 8, 88 or HD 1008).
* Anyone going to the final UH Rainbow Warrior baseball series at home against UC Davis? FRI 5/17 @ 6:35pm, SAT 5/18 @ 6:35pm and SUN 5/19 @ 1:05pm.
* VH07V Spotted!
This week’s “SPOTTED!” shot includes my friend’s son in one of his favorite Blue/Green Keiki colorways! Buy it and others here: VH07V.
* Waimea Bay Cliff Jump Video!
In case you missed it last week, here’s a cool new video that local boy ShibbyStylee put together at one of Hawaii’s famous dives: The Waimea Bay Cliff Jump. If you’re at all familiar with the DevinSuperTramp Youtube channel, then you’ll love what this local boy is doing for Hawaii. Using the beauty of Hawaii as his backdrop, “Shibby’s” videos have one part thrill/adrenaline/athleticism and one part EYE CANDY, all with a hand-picked, catchy song and in HD quality to boot! Bruddah is putting Hawaii on the map and it’s only a matter of time before he’s a household name! Here’s our first project together, which already has over 6,000 views in less than two weeks! Click the image below to watch the epic vid!
* New stock
We’re still waiting on our re-order for everything we were low and sold out on. We’re hoping to get that in soon, so we should be fully stocked again in the next week or so. Apologies to those who have been trying to order online, but your size(s) were missing.
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
Check out Hawaii Self Storage in Pearl City (98-138 Hila Place) next Wednesday, May 22nd at 10am (registration by 8am) for another exciting live storage auction! For more information, visit www.hawaiiselfstorage.com!
Sorry for missing our post last week. Been shmall kine crazy these last few weeks!
For anybody who cares, we recently hit a big milestone…
This World Wide Ed blog turned 5 years old!
Can’t believe it’s been that long. Crazy!
Since the very first post on April 28, 2008 entitled “Aloooooha” to now, I’ve written 642 entries, and you guys chimed in with a total of 19,839 comments. Pretty amazing yeah? Thank you guys so much for the support. It really wouldn’t be the same without you… Now get out there and buy me an anniversary gift. Hahaha, nah, nah!
New AroundHawaii Article: Rinka Japanese Restaurant – Go for the Gold!
My AroundHawaii.com article for May is out. It features a new Japanese restaurant on Makaloa named Rinka: Rinka Japanese Restaurant – Go for the Gold!
* VH07V Spotted!
I’m stoked to announce a new and exciting partnership between VH07V and a meeeeaaan local videographer named ShibbyStylee. If you’re at all familiar with the DevinSuperTramp Youtube channel, then you’ll love what this local boy is doing at the grassroots level. Using the beauty of Hawaii as his backdrop, “Shibby’s” videos have one part thrill/adrenaline/athleticism and one part eye candy, all with a hand-picked, catchy song and in HD quality to boot! Bruddah is putting Hawaii on the map and it’s only a matter of time before he’s a household name! Here’s our first project together, which already has over 5,000 views in less than a week!
SPOTTED: Waimea Bay Cliff Jump – VH07V by ShibbyStylee
* VH07V at the 11th Annual Waikiki SPAM Jam
Our VH07V booth at last month’s SPAM Jam was absolutely NAHTS (in a good way)! We sold out of ALL of our new stuff (racerbacks, “Tron” design, etc.) and was practically wiped out in everything else we brought, particularly in Size L and XL! Needless to say, it was a good day…
* New stock
We’ve placed our re-order for everything we were low and sold out on, so we should be fully stocked again in the next week or so. Apologies to those who have been trying to order online, but we didn’t have your size(s).
* Order Online!
Get all of the latest VH07V gear at:
Students! Call Hawaii Self Storage at 478-4440 today to find out about summer storage specials like FREE pickup from your dorm and more. While supplies last!
So wot gangy? Are you relieved that your taxes are finally pau? Were any of you naughty and nevah do um yet?
I’m getting a refund on both Federal and State, so I’m a happy camper. How’d you guys do?
This week’s photo is shmall kine stalker action. It’s a zoomed in picture of a random couple that just so happen to be in my shot. Can you guess where this is?
Points for Photo #1…
* Location: 2 points
* General area: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Google Street View link (if get)?: 2 points
* Why wuz I dea?: 3 points
* Month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1 point
* Day of the week photo was taken?: 1 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
The time has finally arrived! We’re just three short days away from the 2012 Hawaii Ocean Expo where I’ll be debuting the VH07V booth. The show is at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall and runs from Saturday, April 21st (9am-7:30pm) through Sunday, April 22nd (9am-5pm). If anybody has any expertise in booth design, or even just doing trade shows in general, please help a brutha out! 😛
We’re cutting it pretty close, but all three vendors (tees, hats, and stickers) assure me that my orders will be ready in time for the show. I plan on having CHOKE quantities and styles, with show only discounts, so come on down and say “Hi!” if you can k?
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This week’s “Spotted” shot for VH07V is of the winning team I sponsored during the Central YMCA’s 1st Annual Indoor Triathlon. From left to right, they are the jogger: Melissa Chang (@Melissa808), the swimmer: Dino Kawamura (@Legendjy), and the biker Shay F (@StarletShay). Congratulations guys and mahalos for reppin’ VH07V!
Since it’s a new year, and I’m in the giving mood (hehe!), I’ll make this week’s pics duck soup for y’all… At least I think it’s duck soup! Consider it your belated Christmas present. Ho ho ho! Ahahaha!
Photo #1
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – January 5, 2011
Points for Photo #1…
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Why wuz we dea?: 2 points
* Month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Photo #2
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – January 5, 2011
Points for Photo #2…
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Photo #3
Where In the Hawaii is Edward Sugimoto? – January 5, 2011
Points for Photo #3…
* Location?: 2 points
* General area?: 1 point
* Closest street(s)?: 1 point each
* Month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Day of the month photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Year photo was taken?: 1/2 point
* Exact time photo was taken?: 5 points
* Google Street View link?: 1 point
Previous Results:
Thanks to the holiday season, was shmall kine slow for our last post in December, but masako, NeedaHobby, and Coconut Willy was all still able fo snake some points for their pot! ‘Grats socks, Hobbz and C Dubbs! 🙂
Da Leadahboard (Round 2)!
80.5 – Masako
39.5 – Takeshi
31.5 – Paco
21.0 – kuya.d
18.0 – rayboyjr
12.0 – Coconut Willy
10.5 – AlMan68
08.0 – Rosette
07.5 – NeedaHobby
06.5 – tweetpeep22
06.0 – che, MakiSushi
05.0 – Kage
04.0 – am
03.5 – bB
03.0 – kickerbear
02.5 – pink lady
02.0 – sshawnn, M, EMM386
01.5 – Ynaku, mcat
01.0 – effenprincess, Chicken Grease, carokun, 9th Island Cuz
And finally…
Check out this heart-warming story! Homeless man Ted Williams is looking for a voice-over job with his amazing voice! The best part is that he seems so humble and appreciative…
Since mid-September, high schools across the state have been feverishly storyboarding, filming & editing home-grown videos in an attempt to answer the burning question:
“What does Road Runner do for you?”
Why?
Well, you see, the good people at Oceanic Time Warner Cable and Road Runner put together a neat-o competition called the Road Runner High School High Speed Video Contest in which the team with the winning video receives $10,000 for their school’s multimedia department. 10 Gs!?!? Holy Guacamole!!
Needless to say, the contest was a rousing success garnering over 16,700 total views on its Youtube channel during the short 2 month period. Of the over 30 entries, ten finalists were selected and invited to attend the live finale event – held last night at the Road Runner Music Hall – where this year’s winner would be crowned. Below are some of the sights and sounds of the evening. Check it…
Oceanic Time Warner Cable VP of Marketing Alan Pollock doubled as the entertaining emcee of the night. Here he is welcoming everybody to the event.
On the screen behind him was Kauai High School checking in via Skype. They were the first high school to present their video, which was entitled “Just About Everything”.
Kauai High team members: Kristen Sugihara, Meghan Fujimoto, Courtney Ochoco, and supervising teacher: Leah Aiwohi.
Next up was Hilo’s own St. Joseph School, who also checked in via Skype.
St. Joseph team members: Christian Borris, Kapualani Jacunski, William Scanlan-Leite, William Livingston, Evalani Walton, and supervising teacher: Nathan Yocum.
ARA’s entry was entitled “What Road Runner Does for American Renaissance Academy”.
American Renaissance Academy team members: Gray Goodhue, Erika Kang, Keean Braceros, Rachelle Wai, Lindsey Takeuchi, and supervising teacher: Wayne Grimes Hirakawa.
They presented their entry called “Go Granny, Go!”
Farrington High team members: Sugar Foronda, Jon Ibarra, Christopher Ellazar, Kristen Cabang, Marie Claire Magallanes, and supervising teacher: Christine Ho.
Perennial football powerhouse Kahuku High was up next. Presenting their video was members of their media department.
Kahuku High team members: Pono Requilman, Jasmine Hall-To’omalatai, Leialoha White, Sashakoko Lee, Zion Barcina, and supervising teacher: Debra Barenaba.
Myron B Thompson Academy team members: Honey Polido, Benjamin Menashe, Mark Kahuena, Nathaniel Menashe, Jayson Hayworth, and supervising teachers: Mr. Mike Pai and Mr. Danny Pai.
Waipahu High team members: Rion Takasaki, Masahiro Atsumi, Kevin Marin, Alisha Vendiola, Mark Pilar, and supervising teachers: Lori Murakami and Johann Montero.
Then, it was time for the judges to submit their scores. Here’s special guest judge Tony Silva – from OC16’s Da Bruddahs & Friends – critiquing a video.
‘Grats also to the team from Mililani High School (“Wake Up Call”)! With 26 points, they were the first (Road) Runner up and each won their own netbook to go along with their 2nd place plaque!
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…
First up. Gotsta give props where props are due. Bruddah kuya.d held it down the last two days with his 209 garnering WIH post. Holy smokes! Much love to all of you who participated in the convo as well! And with that said…
Jason Mraz‘s song “I’m Yours” (whose popularity can actually be traced back to Hawaii’s support) is probably one of the most over played/over done songs in recent history. We’ve seen it on American Idol, all over Youtube, and our very own band Ten Feet even covered it.
Not that that’s a bad thing. Mraz is probably flattered that so many people enjoy his music enough to want to redo it.
Jason Mraz – “I’m Yours”
One band I’ve been grooving out to lately is this a capella band called Straight No Chaser and they have a version of “I’m Yours” (which includes an Iz-ish version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”). Pretty cool. Check it.
Straight No Chaser – “I’m Yours/Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
And let’s not forget the cute, little kid who sang “I’m Yours” in this viral hit:
Little Kid on Youtube – “I’m Yours”
So today’s “Fave Friday” be on that very topic: Cover Songs. Rather than just listing the song name and the various artists who covered it though, let’s make things fun and a little more interactive.
Talk to us!
* Write the name of a covered song and wait for the next person commenting to guess who the original artist, as well as those bands who covered it, was/were.
* Write the name of a band, and wait for the next person commenting to guess the covered song(s) and who the original artist(s) was/were.
* Write the name of a song you wish would be covered and by who.
* Link to your favorite version of “I’m Yours”
* Anything else you like add.
K, your turn! 🙂
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Happy VHO7V Friday! Have a good weekend and I’ll see y’all on Monday! 🙂
Quick, you’re in a fire and you’ve got 5 things to save. What would you grab?
Heaven forbid this were to happen to any of us, but if it ever does, we’ve gotsta think fast and grab what’s most important. What does your priority list look like? Hurr’s mine:
1) Wifey of course. Awwww…
2) My personal effects (phone, wallet, keys, etc.)
3) My computers
4) My HDTV
5) Blankie (for wifey of course! 😉 )
Bonus content! I recently saw this HILARIOUS video today and thought I’d share. I don’t wanna give it away too much so just go watchum go. Alls I gotsta say is “Why didn’t I think of this!?!?” Hehe!
Instant Update
GIVEAWAY I have two extra tickets to this Sunday’s UH Men’s Basketball game again Lamar (12/06 @ 5:05pm). If anyone wants ’em, let me know!
Happy VHO7V Friday, and have a great weekend y’all! 🙂 Shoots!
Kay, I’m gonna get shmall kine heat for this one from the fellas out dea, but since it’s one year anniversary time for yours truly and the lady friend wifey, here’s a mushy topic for us to chat about today (sorry boyz!). 😛
There’s a new song out on the radio by former American Idol finalist Jason Castro called “Let’s Just Fall In Love Again” (see video and lyrics below). It’s pretty catchy and, dare I say, cute (*cringe*), but more importantly, the lyrics teach us a nice little lesson about love and how to keep that fire a burnin’ with your mate of many years.
We’ve probably got peeps up in hurr who’ve been married for decades, newlyweds, and even the singles (heyyyy!) looking for love, so along those lines, let’s post our favorite traits of our mates for a fun little Fave Friday listing.
To all y’all singles, your job is funner. List the traits you traditionally look for in a future mate. And fellas, please use “Pager Talk” like 58008 if you’re gonna be pervy! Ahahahaha! Nah! Let’s do this!
Cute (inside and out) – I may’ve mentioned this before, but a wise man (my friend) once told me: “Pretty is temporary, cute lasts forever.” Word.
Supportive – whatever I wish to pursue (Tin Man, getting my real estate license, interviews with celebs, etc.) she’s always so supportive.
Down – is always up for something fun and spontaneous (sports, new restaurants, etc.) and rarely monkus about it. Game for almost anything, as long as it’s with me. Awwww.
Tries Hard – no matter what it is, she tries her best to improve and impress.
Well Liked/Lovable – whether it’s my friends, family, co-workers, etc., she can get along with any of ’em. And they all loooove her. At least that’s what they tell me. 😛
Now for the fun list. If I were to put myself in the place of a single person, I’d probably look for the following:
Smile –Â shows that they’re nice (usually).
Honesty – liars are out like trout.
Genuine –Â can’t stand fakeness.
Thoughtfulness – shows that they’re interested in you.
58008 – Bwahahahahaha! Sorry, I just had to.
So what about you bu? No be shame ’cause remember, this post is mushy to begin with. 😛 Post away!
Jason Castro – Let’s Just Fall In Love Again
Let’s pretend baby
That you’ve just met me
And I’ve never seen you before
I’ll tell all my friends
That I think you’re starin’
And you say the same to yours
And oh, we’ll dance around it all night
And then I’ll follow you outside
And try to open up my mouth
And nothing comes out right
And I wanna fall in love with you again
I don’t have to try
It’s so easy
Who needs to pretend?
But because it’s so funny
Let’s just think about it honey
Let’s just fall in love again
I’ll call you in three days
Not too soon, not too late
And I’ll ask your roommate if you’re home
You call me on Thursday
And we’ll hang out all day
Then fall asleep on the phone
And oh, I’ll hold your hand when we drive
And we’ll lose track of all the time
And we’ll tell everyone
That we ain’t never felt so alive
And I wanna fall in love with you again
I don’t have to try
It’s so easy who needs to pretend?
But because it’s so funny
Let’s just think about it honey
Let’s just fall in love again
We’ll fall disgustingly fast
And we’ll stop hangin’ out with friends
And they’ll be so offended
And I wanna fall in love with you again
I don’t have to try
It’s so easy
Who needs to pretend?
But because it’s so funny
Let’s just think about it honey
Let’s just fall in love again
Let’s just fall in love again
So let’s just fall in love again
P.S. For anyone getting married soon, the song above is probably a cute little song for a wedding slideshow or the like. You heard it here first. You’re welcome! 😉
P.P.S. If you post something nice about your mate, and they give you a big fat smooch (or more?) as a result, you’re also welcome! 😛
Happy VHO7V Friday! Have a good weekend y’all, and be sure to tell that special someone you love them! 😉
I know, I know… I’ve probably mentioned or blogged about our wedding like 4 billion times now already, but I swear… this will be the last time! (I think). 8)
The other night, we had some peeps over and caught the amusing footage of our reception entrance dance from our wedding DVD, and it got me thinking about that mysteriously popular video that I posted on Youtube a couple months ago (now over 381,000 views). Since our videographer was too far away and everybody stood up to greet us for the walk in, that 3GP cameraphone video that my friend Chris took is the only proof we have of us dancing (along with some stills).
The problem with that video though, is that it’s only a short clip of the wifey and I, and just a small sampling of everything that had happened before. You see, the wifey and I basically strong armed the shy wedding party to do a little dance (and get down tonight) against their will so I wanted to give them theirs for their willingness to embarrass themselves and just have fun.
Sooo… I thought I’d try to piece something together with whatever content I could muster up: that cameraphone footage, video from the DVD, still photos, (whatevahz!) and see what I could come up with. The video below is the result. Not bad for a rookie video editor if I do say so myself. 😛 Enjoy!
AND… With all this fun I’m having now with the video editing ack-shone, you’ll be able to see my handiwork again this Thursday when I post my “Q&A with Shane Victorino” blog (where he answers some of your questions)! Stay tuned!
Talk to me!
* Besides us of course 😛 which dance did you like the best?
* Which song do you like the best?
* Have you seen wedding entrances like this?
* What did you like/not like about um?
* As a member of a wedding party, were you ever strong armed to do something you didn’t want to do?
* Any other wedding party horror stories?
* Will you do this at your up coming wedding?
* Feedback on the rookie editing? Tips/Suggestions for next time?
* If you have any questions about any of the wedding vendors below, just ask!
Mahaloz to:
* The stars of the show…Â our wedding party: Bari Carroll, Grant Lau, Janine Nakatani, Kelvin Ogata, Noele Kajiwara, Jennifer “Shorty” Nishiki and Tommy Baniqued.
* Bruddah Bryan (Emcee)
* Brian Ebisui (DJ)
* Vince Shin and Sharmil Elliott of Love Story Weddings (Photographers)
* Greg Ventura of Advanced Visual Arts (Videographer)
* Chris Kanemura for the 3GP video from his phone
Since mid-September, high schools across the state have been feverishly storyboarding, filming & editing home-grown videos in an attempt to answer the burning question:
World Wide Ed 