Today I stayed home so I could work on some non-work but work nonetheless projects, get a new bus pass and pay rent. The paying rent was an annoying fiasco - the office wouldn't take MY check because one of my roommates bounced one in the past. So, I had to go into Kapolei to my bank to get a money order. I walked a quarter mile to pick up a new bus pass while I was at it, then walked back to the nearest bus stop (another quarter mile) where a man was preaching loudly. I ducked into Starbucks to avoid him and assuage my caffeine headache. I couldn't wait forever inside or risk missing the bus, so I went out and sat at the bus stop with my iPod on full blast.

I could still hear the dude! He was that loud, and roiling off the most vile misogynistic, homophobic vitriol. He was making everyone uncomfortable. It was very rude and not at all Hawaiian (he was clearly a mainlander). I was beginning to seethe, so I asked him to "tone it down a bit". He got quieter for about 10 seconds, then went full tilt again. I asked him again, and again he went marginally quieter for like 10 seconds. I asked again, same thing. Then I lost it, and started screaming at him to shut up. I knew this would happen eventually, and it is always the evangelical Christians that rankle me. I mean, the Mormons have the politeness to ask you if you want to listen (Jehovah's Witness' as well). I don't mind someone passing me literature on the street, and church bells actually sound pleasant - but DON"T GET IN MY FACE WITH YOUR RELIGION!!!! I told him to fuck him and his god (which wasn't a very good defense on my part). I quickly walked to the next bus stop (a half mile away) sobbing (because I cry when I get really angry, and I had to resist the urge to strangle the dude - my dad would blame this on our berserker genes).


I was so embarrassed about having blown up in public. I do have a temper but I can usually keep it under control by trying to find something funny or just ignoring people. I am a defender of free speech, but I think it is offensive to be talked down to like that. On my walk to the next stop, I came up with a fantastic response to idiots like that (hopefully to the amusement of the other bystanders). I should have countered with a speech completely antithetical to his, to show how hypocritical, mean, and hateful he was. Something like this:

Let all drugs be legalized. Let citizens have a monthly stipend of marijuana provided by the one world government. May all borders between people disappear. Sex is good! Love is better! Compassion is the highest virtue. Orgies should be televised! Let the teenagers have as many free condoms as they can carry! Love thy Muslim neighbor! Praise Buddha, Shiva, Allah, and Pele! Let the people rejoice in all gods and goddesses! Or none at all! Whatever floats your boat friends! May all people realize their dreams and aspirations! Praise the beautiful thinking animals, for they are wise and can teach us many things! Praise the dolphins that teach us loving-kindness! Be humble in the vastness of the universe, we are but one of many probable civilizations! Praise the Earth our one and only home, let's keep her clean and safe for another 4.5 billion years. Praise the mulitudes of branes, and may a wonderful parallel universe open up to you! As you die, may you no longer exist, but may your memory live with your friends and children for a long time. You chose your path, and may you have many paths to choose from!

Okay, so maybe that's not coherent, but neither was that arrogant asshole at the bus stop preaching hate.

Yup, decided to write about that (I know my mom hates the Simpsons, but I don't think she ever gave the show a fair shake).

Also forgot to mention that the Simpsons word "embiggen" has been officially incorporated into the physics lexicon, as a term to describe how D3 branes enlarge to fill D5 spaces in order to relax a break in supersymmetry. Yeah, I'll be trying to wrap my head around that one for awhile as well.

It's about Time Travel (with two big Ts). While you are there, why not vote in the previous polls if you have not already done so? They're fun, and oh so nutritious!

...is not for the faint of heart. Or if you are like me, not for those who don't know how to swim. About all I know is how to tread water and doggie-paddle. I can also do a great cannonball. Other than that, I pretty much rely on my body fat to keep me afloat and alive.

A friend of mine recently chided me for not having gone swimming after being in Hawaii for all of 7 months. Well, today I decided to take a risk and go swimming. I chose Waimanalo Beach because the waves looked interesting. The 5 foot waves.

I waded out, feeling complete conspicuous in a bathing suit, and got pounded by the waves. I didn't realize I could get thrown in a somersault and spat back out onto the beach, arms and legs akimbo. The locals had a great time laughing at me.

Eventually, I watched what the resident keikis did to survive the waves giggling. They launched themselves up to be carried on the surface of the wave. I learned to do the same.

It was incredible, like flying! My fear quickly turned to shear enjoyment, and now I can't wait to get out to the ocean again!

View Full ScreenView Photos on Kindfish


Last night I went to the KCCN FM Birthday Bash concert at the Waikiki Shell. I was there with the crew from work, and got in with a press pass. As a favor, I took plenty of photos of the various acts, while a street crew took photos of people in the crowd, and the concert goers were also able to send in their cameraphone pictures. All of it is available at Kindfish. We did it to promote the site.

It was all Hawaiian music, which is mainly Reggae. The music was really good, and some songs went on for 10 minutes or more, giving it a 60s feel (not like I lived in the 60s, but what I figure to be the 60s). The thick marijuana cloud and mud and rain helped with that feeling.

Even though the music was really good - I didn't enjoy myself much. The crowd tweaked my social anxiety, and I had an anxiety attack and began dehumanizing the crowd (the revelry had a sense of mindlessness to it). I knew my anxiety would expand to panic so I retreated to the backstage area. I probably would have felt worse if I didn't have the camera. For some reason, having a job or a role helps alleviate the social anxiety. I think my work mates probably thought I was nuts for bailing, but oh well.

I felt like an idiot and not sure I would go to another concert. A smaller venue or a calmer crowd would be better.

My roommate Judy got stung (bitten?) today by a centipede - one of the big ass black Hawaiian centipedes (that travel very fast). I think she said it was about 6 inches, and I have seen one a foot long, so these are large insects. It happened when she was at work today, almost as soon as she got in (so not in the house at least).

It bit her between thumb and forefinger, and by the time she got to the hospital her whole thumb was swollen. She was given a tetanus shot for the bite and some Benadryl for the swelling. I saw her when she got back home and her whole hand looked a bit purple and was still a bit swollen. She said that it hurt "ten times worse than a bee sting", and it definitely looked it. Luckily though, centipede bites aren't poisonous (unless you have a centipede allergy) - but she did get the day off work. So, I hope she feels better soon.

The article can be found here. Hope you enjoy it. I am totally exhausted (and still behind).

Here it is folks, courtesy Suite101.

Just had a rough couple of days, and I am not referring to having finished the last Harry Potter (which was completely and utterly awesome btw). No, I felt completely defeated on several levels, and think I just inadvertantly destroyed what could have been a really great friendship :-(

Finally though, late this afternoon, I've been able to make some progress on some stuff at work, I got a free cup of coffee at Satura Cakes, and am now blogging from the bus stop on an open network. On the other hand, I did slip and fall in the hallway at work and was worried that my laptop would be damaged (but it's not, and I'll just be sore for awhile).

Just need to pound out a couple of articles, grade late homework (late on my part) and explain 3NF to a student. Plus some other book related stuff I can't discuss. Maybe then I'll feel like I am in charge again (but probably not).

1. Amazon sent me an email saying that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will arrive late, so now I will spend my Saturday ferverently trying to find the right sequences of buses to Borders or Barnes & Noble to buy another copy, instead of going to Foodland to buy groceries.
2. Am horribly late again on getting out a column :-( and Google docs just ate the draft I had on ultraviolet light.
   
3. Am fighting sed (it's a geek thing)
4. Tropical Depression Cosme is in town soon
   

Well, if you have been reading my blog for any length of time you will know that I am a fan of film and music video director Michel Gondry. His brother Olivier also directs stunning videos and commercials. Now Michel's son Paul Gondry has directed a music video for the Willowz. The animated content and themes are a bit crude (aka violent), but it is actually very well realized and engaging. The dystopic tone and feel is particularly enjoyable. The most impressive thing though is that Paul Gondry is only 16! Granted, he is probably benefiting from a boost in opportunities and resources from his father, but there is certainly some real talent there. I can't wait to see where these three continue to go in the future.

This is kind of neat actually (as long as it remains a tropical storm). Tropical Storm Cosme is headed roughly for Hawaii. It is unlikely to turn into a hurricane, but I should probably do some basic hurricane preparedness, like buying a flat of bottled water. The image is pulled directly from NOAA, so it should update automatically.

I've been wanting to post this list for quite some time. When I meet someone new, I will often ask them what their top ten guilty pleasure movies are, instead of their favorite movies - I mean come on, everyone likes Star Wars and Lord of the Rings - so the favorite list isn't all that reavealing. So here are my 10 current guilty pleasures:

1. Bridget Jones' Diary - sadly, this mirrors my life too much, but better than a bottle of wine
   
2. Legend - Fun in so many ways, but the sweeping electronica score carries the movie into classic cheesmo territory
   
3. The Princess Bride - "My name is Enigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!"
   
4. Blast from the Past - Brendan Frasier and swing dancing + Christopher Walken, need I say more?
   
5. Earth Girls are Easy - Jim Carrey in yellow fuzz and Jeff Golblum as an alien love interest are just two of the many delights
6. Matinee - Mant!!!!
7. War Games - Matthew Broderick as competent 80s hacker - it is the classic hacker movie
8. Hackers - Angelina Jolie as fantasy 90s hacker - not so classic, but Fisher Stevens and Penn (from Penn and Teller) steal scenes like crazy
9. Gone with the Wind - most people consider this a classic, and it is a darn good film, but the sumptuous costuming, settings, and scope make this total eye-candy, all the more amazing considering it was made in 1939 (the Wizard of Oz could fit here too, but the flying monkeys have always creeped me out)
10. Stargate - yeah, I'm a diehard Stargate fan nonetheless, but this movie is repeatedly watchable, I never get tired of the scene where they dial up the gate for the first time, and I always think, wouldn't it be cool if we could really do that?
    

The Superferry (sounds like a bad name for a superhero) has been quite a contentious project in Hawaii, but I was shocked when I moved here and realized there wasn't a ferry at all. So I've been anticipating this with excitment. Frankly, I am a little underwhelmed. The Superferry docks across the street from where I work in Honolulu and it looks rather small, and there is just one for all the islands! It is totally dwarfed by the cruise ships.

Anyway, there are some pictures on Flickr from the public preview. I did not take them. In the background of some, you can see the ultra cool building I work in.

I opened up iTunes after I got home from work today because I wanted to buy a song I like, and what do I see in the "What's Hot" section? A Dog's Breakfast! How awesome is that? I love the cover art too - whoever was involved with that did a good job. I am very happy for everyone who is involved with this fantastic movie!!!

Click on the image to the left to see an enlarged version.

My latest article is on the states of matter (not just solid, liquid, and gas my friend!). Also, I was having another lengthy philosophical AIM conversation with Skitz and he tried to lecture me on the meaning of theory in science, then I shot him a link to the article I wrote on Theory vs. Hypothesis vs. Law. We were essentially making the same point, but it was a grand moment for me to just be able to shuttle him my eloquently prepackaged thoughts. :-)

Okay, this is just silly superstition, but I firmly believe that celebrities die in groups of three. Well, really, if you don't set a particular time limit, you can group celebrity deaths in this way. My mom and I have made quite a pastime out of guessing who will fit in each set.

So, Lady Bird Johnson has just died (who seemed like a cool person - well Lyndon B. did get quagmired in Vietnam, but his civil rights legacy far surpasses that even though I am staunchly anti-war - and the other LB chose him to marry). Her copyright free portrait appears to the left (all White House official portraits are copyright free).

There are two more to go. Now, it doesn't seem like there is anyone else ready to go, so I don't have any good guesses on this one. Nancy Reagan maybe? Two First Ladies seems a little improbable, but Nancy does look a little frail these days. Hmmm, this will be interesting.

Okay, I am about to embark on a new project that I have little time for - which is actually an advantage I think - but I've been sucked into the world of social networking through my job at BLT and I want to try a social experiment: get 1000 new friends through social networking sites, and document the process. I have set up a separate blog for this purpose. And yes, I do sense a book emerging from this.

Woohoo! Well, anyway, still had a pretty good day. I actually knocked out a childhood dream today (your yesterday), when I got to briefly beta test a new version of Tetris. I work on the same floor as the Tetris people, and I got asked to try it out because they needed a "rusty user". Boy was I rusty! Yeesh. But the coolness factor of that moment was pretty darn high :-)

I went looking for camera equipment rentals, got distracted on Amazon, and found an interesting new hobby related to inexpensive medium format cameras and other, um, unique cameras: lomography, the art of crappy photography.

One of the most interesting things about this is how the manufacturers typically play up their intentionally crappy products. I thought this one was particularly outstanding, written about the serial lenses OKTOMAT camera:

Swing your head around and imagine your two eyes multiplying into 8 winking-in-a-2.5-second-serial succession. You, my friend, have tasted only the very beginning of the Lomography Oktomat Compact 35mm Camera with 8 Serial Lenses pleasure. With one touch of the shutter button, this camera's 8 tiny lenses fire in turn, creating a multi-frame mini photo vignette. Upload your masterpiece to lomography.com and create a full-action MiniMovie! Uses standard 35mm film and standard processing.

Yes, it finally happened. I went to a salon to get my roots colored, and the stylist calmly explained to me that I would have to let the dye sit for 40 minutes instead of just 20, because my hair is more than 50% gray. I was like "What!? I'm only 31."

Then she explained "Well, it's genetic. Some people just have the gene."

Fine. I have the gene. I should have know this would happen when I started going gray at the age of 7. The funny thing is though, total strangers that I talk to have the impression that I'm a college kid. I'm frequently asked "Do you go to school here?" So, I guess I'm a gray haired college kid. Maybe I could work the student and senior discounts at the same time. Alternatively, I could get the torture over with and go platinum blond.


Anyway. In other news, the music video is coming along. The choreographer signed on, and we discussed some concepts this afternoon. On the bus home, I finalized the story arc in my head, and when I took a shower, lamenting the fact that the story didn't quite pop, I figured out a fantastic twist - difficult to implement technically, but entirely within my means with ample planning. I'm sooooo excited!!!

Well, not the chocolatey-marshmallowy kind, but "A Dog's Breakfast" will be available on iTunes on Tuesday, ahead of a DVD release sometime in September. I have mixed feelings about this. I really thought that ADB deserved a wide release, but whatever. This further lowers my respect for the studio/distribution peeps. It will definitely have a cult following online though - and this format makes it as widely available as possible, benefiting David Hewlett's global fanbase. I'm just not sure if this will help his career (and his sister's, the fantabulous Kate Hewlett) - he is a fantastic writer and more people should know about him.

This sort of freaked me out (but must be coincidence of course). Just checked my stats on YouTube, and I have 7 subscribers and 343 profile views (7 cubed is 343) and in most of the world it is 7/7/7 already. Neat-o!

No, it is not some profound article on some political action issue, nor some heartwarming tale, but rather Stephen King's latest column for Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming release of Harry Potter 7. I absolutely love Stephen King the columnist, even if I am lukewarm on his fiction, and I think this article is a good case in point. He never talks down to the reader (plus he is interesting). I think that is important in nonfiction or at least something that I value as a nonfiction writer and reader. Never be pretentious, and never be dry.

Everything you wanted to know about plasma but where afraid to ask, right here folks. This was inspired by my earlier discussion with Leslee at Borders.

I spent the 4th of July with Leslee, and the highlight of our day was a trip to a near empty Border's bookstore to discuss physics. I wrote it up on my latest physics blog, so be sure to go and read it (less dry than articles, I promise!)

Lately, I felt that my life has gotten a little out of control. Not really in a bad way like I've picked up a meth habit or anything. But I've got a lot of projects going and a lot of momentum built up, and I need everything to just go smoothly but it hasn't, mainly because I have to interact with other people who tend to flake. Added to this are my transportation woes, and some days I am downright miserable trying to keep everything on track. So far nothing has derailed, but I've had to exert sometimes Herculean effort to keep the train moving forward, while at the same time I just want to step off for a bit to take a rest (would love to have a whole weekend to just veg - but it will probably be years before that happens).

Maybe I am just feeling sorry for myself. Just wish I could enjoy paradise more.

It was really cool though, yesterday (Tuesday). I had to do a reshoot for the magazine article I am writing, and after much phone/email tag, my subject actually came to meet me where I work and we were able to get some great pictures. Just hoping my editor likes them as well. It was a very kind gesture nonetheless, and took a lot of stress off my shoulders. I am very grateful.

In other news, I was ecstatic to find out that comic guru Scott McCloud is coming to Hawaii to lecture in August (WooHoo!) His book "Understanding Comics" is incredible and went far to promote comics as a valid literary format. His latest book, "Making Comics", which I blogged about previously, is also outstanding, and has given me lots of inspiration just as a regular writer. If I get to meet him, I will be a blathering idiot I'm sure, just like when I meet any celebrity (David Hewlett and Margaret Weis for example). I will try to get his autograph and a photo with him, and I might even videotape his lecture if it is allowed.

This is only 7 seconds but took a couple of hours to do. Read the YouTube description for more info.

Leslee and I headed to the Apple store at Ala Moana yesterday, Saturday, the day after the release of the iPhone, and hundreds of people were clamoring outside the store. Did I mention this was the day after the release?

Also read this review from Time magazine, and had to quote this:

every moment of user interaction has been quietly stage-managed and orchestrated, with such overwhelming attention to detail that when the history of digital interface design is written, whoever managed this project at Apple will be hailed as a Michelangelo, and the iPhone his or her Sistine Chapel (Steve Jobs can be Pope in this scenario).

Kudos to the reviewer for acknowledging such universal truth. The article also mentions that famed nerd author Steven Levy, a fellow reviewer, almost got his phone jacked by a stranger in public, on live TV, which of course, has since been posted on YouTube.