Cool Commercial......

Saw this cool commercial tonight:



Here's the original and still can't believe that MJ is not here anymore.....he was THE og Dancing Machine:

Feel Fine...

Today was a super great day...so...I'm hoping 2010 will be a really good year...hopefully a really good decade...

Since the legs have been feeling really spent lately I didn't expect much today, but, when I jumped on the bike this afternoon, they felt OK and even somewhat peppy. So, I decided to do a long ride out to Hawaii Kai and back. And, for the first time (maybe ever), I had an unbelievable ride out AND back.

When you hear someone say, "May the Wind Always Be At Your Back," after today, I really know how wonderful this is....especially with today's beautiful clear blue skies and perfect riding weather...

On the way out, with some pretty decent southerlies I was feeling fine and pretty easily rolling a 53-13/14ish gear on Nimitz, then Kalakaua, then Diamond Head Road and Kal Hwy. I was thinking I better not go too hard since it's going to be HARD riding back all the way home. But I couldn't resist, the speed felt so good...so...I kept on rolling the big gears all the way out. Up Lunalilo Home Road it was 53-12 and I'm flying way over 25 thinking...man, it's going to be a grind all the way home.

Took the left at the fire station and the wind feels not that bad...round bend back towards the ocean and it's not that bad again. Hit Kal Hwy and I'm flying back in the 53-14ish and I'm thinking What's Up??? Of course...the winds have somehow magically switched from Kona into into a light trade somewhere in Hawaii Kai and it's smooth smooth sailing all the way back!!!

Got home feeling spent, but great. Man!!!...what a great first long ride of 2010...

Kuraki Mai - Feel Fine
]

For 2010 - "May The Wind Always Be At Your Back..."

Merry Chirstmas - 2009...

The wonders of Skype - the most amazing program in the whole wide world...
Direct and live from Honolulu to Kurihama...

After a fun party - eating all kine and too much food last night, sleeping in till late, wrapping all my presents this morning, and opening all my good presents today...I just HAD to ride...but...I was dragging.....so I got out the door after 5pm, late as usual...

The dreamy dreary overcast weather this Christmas day sort of matched my melancholy mood...and Ipod set to shuffle, when these two favorite songs came on... it felt...just...right...

The Emotions - Flowers:

BoA - Do the Motion:

...Merry Christmas...

Yooooooo.....Been a While...

I've been very slowly getting my デブ arse back into bike riding again after a couple month break due to some strange sensations brought about by trying to change my riding position (way higher seat) and pedaling style (pelvis rotated forward). What were the sensations.....exactly like this: http://www.tipna.org/info/documents/BrochurePNE.htm

To "fix" the problem, instead of taking any too drastic measures, I just decided on good old stretching, r&r and time off the bike seat!!! Things have gotten a lot better, but not close to being fully "cured" yet. But, about 3 or 4 weeks ago, I just couldn't take it any more and HAD to get back on the bike.....riding for only short bouts initially, but up to over 3 hours recently...with a MUCH lowered bike seat...

Last Thursday, I got my first dose of some fast riding (due to seeing David on Lagoon) and now I can finally start to feel the fitness kicking in!

Yesterday after work was a good day. I got on the bike at 5:22 and even though I got to ride only 40ish minutes till the sun set...I rode pretty strong for the whole time. Towards the end I decided to do some super fast spinning and then this song by Orange Range came on which is PERFECT for super fast spinning...since it gives you some short breaks interspersed with some super MANIAC spinning tempo sections!

OrangeRange - Matsuri Danshaku

Although I only lasted for about 1/3 of the song yesterday...in a few weeks, I think I'll be strong enough to do the whole song!

Micheal Jackson...

Wow.....I'm still in a sort of shock...he was the Baddest...and only 50...life is sometimes too short...

Tonight, on my way home, a lot of stations were playing Micheal Jackson tributes and I gotta say...when I heard Off the Wall on the stereo, I couldn't help but to start grooving and singing along really loud...and suddenly my eyes unexpectedly welled up...man...I guess he had a deeper affect on me than I knew...

Here is one of my ALL TIME favorite MJ songs that, from what I can remember, wasn't getting overplayed like every 30 seconds on the radio back in '87...in fact, I still am rocking this big time on my Ipod and everytime I hear it...the pace automatically gets cranked up a few notches...

Micheal Jackson - Dirty Diana
Also gotta LUV the way this song just builds and builds and with Michael just laying it out - and that electric guitar just ripping it up in, MAN.....makes you so AMPED!!!

Another Bike Story...

A couple of weeks ago I was doing loops around Aliamanu Crater and had the coolest experience...

I almost always ride solo, but for a little while that day, I had a riding partner as a small mongoose ran along side with me. Actually, there was a new construction/dust fence along the right side of the road with absolutley no gaps in it. So, once the mongoose started to run along side with me, he actually had no where to go...running along looking for an opening in the fence. I just kept pace in back of him wondering how far he would go...

After about 30 seconds or so, he must have realized there would be no opening, so he stopped and let me ride on pass...

Bike Stories.....Southerly Winds and Smooth Roads...

Southerly Winds...the southerly winds the other day let me do something that I've really been thinking of doing since they FINALLY paved Puuloa Road...



On Monday afternoon, after just cruising around and listening to Utada Hikaru...on my last lap of Lagoon Drive, the winds changed just a bit to where you could really start to roll a big gear on the usually upwind return leg...

When I got to the last 1/2 mile of Lagoon, I was really moving with not too much effort and I must have stepped on something...cause I caught green lights at both the Keehi Lagoon Park AND Nimitz Highway intersections...

By this time, I'm really rolling the 53x12 and I blast through the Nimitz intersection and then get to do what I've been wanting to do...spin it up on the newly paved, smooth has glass, Puuloa Road.

Not wanting to let any cars get in my way, and in an fast moving Utada Hikaru trance...I decide whether it's worth trying to slip by the cars waiting to turn left at Wendy's...then just a couple of seconds later...it opens up and the cars begin to move, me almost on the back fender of the last car. The guy kind of sees me in the mirror and steps on it. I end up catching a draft for a short time and then just begin to crank it on Puuloa...what an awesomely smooth and powerfully effortless feeling it is...unreal...

Body On Me - Nelly Featuring Ashanti & Akon

I've been getting into piano music recently and I really dig the beginning of this song...it really grooves...



This song got kind of popular in the summer...but it never got to #1, which might be good cause I probably would have gotten sick of hearing it every 10 minutes on the radio. Infact, crazy or not, when there's a song I really really like, I actually turn the station so I don't over hear it...

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_on_Me

Okinawan Sound To A Modern Beat...

Song: Nishikaji


Now this is some really super awesomely goooooooooood music!!!

I just love how よなは徹 plays that sanshin mixing in that ウチナンチュ sound and singing into a very danceable modern beat. And, you even see that short clip of all those old people dancing the kachashi to this modern style song - Awesome!!! Listening to this, I just know that this music came from where I came from...

Back back back in my dad's dad days...before I was even born...he told me nights at the Okinawan camp in Kunia would be spent with a drink and my ジジ playing the sanshin singing ウチナンチュ songs...and when I see those people dancing...it always reminds me of him...

Let's Go!!!!! & Charge Yo Fone Foolio...

I've been looking, searching hi and lo for this song for a LONG time. By pure luck and persistance I found it on itunes while looking for more Lil Jon songs...

First heard it at a UH BB game as the UH Dancers dance to this song all the time...cause they never play this good stuff on the radio...and thank god too...cause they would just wear the cr@p out of this song...

Oh yeah...and people...make sure you always have your phone charged...cause you'll never know when you could miss some important calls and miss out on dinner...

Late Nite Runnin...

Just got back in the door at 10:20ish after about a 1 hourish run...probably the latest I've ever run in my life...

Been work'in late...and been all worked up...just waaaayyyy too busy at work...so no matter how late...had to run...BUT...I feel GOOOOOOOOOD now.......

Here's some bad a$$ music off my Ipod tonight...felt awesomely STRONG...especially when pumping this stuff...

You Don't Know - Eminem Feat 50cent, Cashis, and Lloyd Banks

Gonna start using this as my Pre-warmup/warmup music...

Push that N Push That H - Lil Jon feat. Eastside Boyz

This is another one that makes you feel Super Strong...

GN

Week Of Running...And A Short Trip to Japan...

Didn't bike at all on the week days due to the super short days...

Tuesday I ran my 3.35mi loop in about 31:50 = 9:30 / mile...felt not real good but really pushed all the way...

Wednesday = 29:25 = 8:47 / mile...felt real good and ran smooth and fast, not really pushing as hard as yesterday...although...by my old standards...8:47 is NOT so fast...

Thursday = 34:00 = 10:08 / mile...felt tired and just cruised it...

Today, because of all the rain, I didn't do any riding...so instead, I took a trip to JAPAN!!! It was pretty short at only 56 min, 36 sec...ran smooth and medium fast, and felt good all the way. Ran in the kind of soothing misty rain that actually makes running feel nice for some reason...

For the first time, with my Ipod ONLY playing J-music all the way (usually, I play mixed)...I found this beautiful song...

Hana by Kosuke Atari...



For me, it was one of those songs that I connected with instantly...my kind of music. Fittingly so, this song was popular on the オリコン (Oricon) earlier this year in Japan...

Running Today...

Today I ran medium fast and felt REALLY REALLY good the whole way...lots of gas in the tank with lots to spare...

While running, I heard one of my all time favorite disco songs and I really had an awesome rush while running to it...

This song by A Taste Of Honey is from the late '70s and just really grooves...and it also has one of the BEST guitar solos in the middle. I just love love LOVE!!! that synthesized guitar, and I wasn't sure whether it was actually a synthesizer OR a guitar. Only after I saw this video did I realize that the bass AND the guitar were being PLAYED by chicks!!! Holy cr@p!!! Not politically correct, but unreal too...you don't hardly see anyone playing their own instruments nowadays...

Boogie Oogie Oogie


Now that is My Kind of Music...better than taking drugs...

Now Running and Only Little Jogging...

Finally got some good running legs back as I did about 7kms today and a little over 5kms on Tuesday. And, I actually ran...sometimes, even pretty realatively "fast" when the good music on my Ipod comes on.

My Kind of Music: Today, the "good" music was one of the best most awesome grooving songs from the pure disco era. What an awesome song to really blast off on!!!

Although not really the best Youtube video around, it's the only one that wasn't a retro remake. Gotta love the origianl sound of a young Evelyn "Champagne" King.



Here's a better version...although a retro one...

1:07 A.M. - Turn Off the Light

1:07 A.M. and LATE on a Saturday nite.

It would be early in my clubbing days, but nowadays, it causes me to start riding my bike way too late the next day.

Like today(yesterday), I did almost 4 hours, starting at 1:15P.M. But with my new computer, this seems to be getting to be a habit.

My kind of music... This cool song by Nelly Furtado is what I gotta do...

My Ipod - Creative Zen Nano 1GB Review

I've had my ipod (that's what I call it), actually a Creative Zen Nano 1GB, for about one week now and I've used it for a couple runs and a couple bike rides. And from my initial impressions, for only $60 shipped, that thing is just awesome as I can finally get back into the groove.

I like it a little better than my brother's 4GB Apple Ipod Nano since it has buttons for volume /selection control, versus that circular touch volume sensor on the Ipod. When used while running and such, the button controls are a necessity since you can put the player in a plastic bag and still easily use all the controls. With the Apple, I had to stop and take the player out of the bag to fuss with the controls.

My ipod is actually a LOT smaller and lighter too, compared to my brother's. This makes it way better for active sports. The only thing I wish it had was a belt clip or something to attach it to my clothes with.

It also loads up fast compared to my old and broken 32MB player, that one used to take a while to get any music into it.

My Kind of Music: Here's an ULTRA SUPER COOOOL song that I WILL need to put on my player cause it makes me ... cue: BASS / GUITAR ... Hah hah hah hah haaah haaaaa ... Feel Good ... Feel Good ... Feel Good ... Feel Good ...

Aserejé by Las Ketchup

My Kind of Music...

Here's another song for my new mp3 player that's suppose to get here during the first week of June, according to Amazon.



I first heard it a couple years ago on an international internet radio station and although the title was strange, the song just really caught my ear right off the bat. It's called Aserejé or The Ketchup Song and it's by a Spanish group called Las Ketchup. When I play this video, I can't help but start dancing and doing the hand shuffle and leg shuffle right in front of my computer, the song is that catchy!!!

"Aserejé, ja deje dejebe tudejebe de sebiunouva majabi an de bugui an de buididipí "

There is also a interesting article about how some of the lyrics (above) were thought up: Wikipedia - The Ketchup Song.

Unbelivebly, this song was #1 in Spain, #1 in France, #1 in Finland, in Belgium, in Italy, in Sweden, in Germany, and #1 in Australia. Man, those folks are so lucky they get to listen to ALL KINDS of good music from all kinds of different countries. As I remember...I was listening to the regular radio back in 2002 and I NEVER heard this cool song here in Hawaii/America!!! Like...that's totally bogus man!!!

Now back to doing my hand shuffle... "Aserejé, ja deje dejebe tudejebe de sebiunouva majabi an de bugui an de buididipí "

Ipod and Running

Well, not really an Apple Ipod but sort of close. Last night I ordered a new Creative Zen Nano 1GB MP3 player from Amazon.com. It was very cheap at $60 w/ FREE SHIPPING!!!

The reason being...a couple of weeks ago I decided to start doing some "small kine" running again and I found that I really missed getting into my music while I run.

At first I used my trusty digital AM/FM radio, but I soon remembered that they only play cr@p on the radio - same back then as now! So after using my brother's EXPENSIVE and sort of heavy 4GB Ipod a couple of times, I decided that I needed to get my own tunes.

This one seems pretty good since it's lite and you don't need a proprietary battery as it runs off a single AAA battery. All I need to do now is buy some 700mah rechargables and I'll be set. I just hope this Creative product lasts longer than my previous Creative (Nomad) MP3 player that just went blank on one run last week after 2 or 3 years of non-use.

Believe it or not, I was one of the first persons I know to get an MP3 player. The Creative Nomad had only 32MBs of memory, barely ran 1 hour, and it costed like OVER $150 bucks! But, busting some sub-7 min/miles at Ala Moana back in the day with that thing was awesome! I know that once I get it loaded with my kind of music, I can get the same kind of "magic" as I had back then...

Oh man!!! I can't wait...I'm getting all hyped up just thinking about it! Here's one of the first song's I'm putting on...I just love this group MOVE, the cool J-rapper with the Blue Hair, the Kawaii Girl - this song has it all and JUST KICKS A$$!!!***%%%###!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year - 2006

Happy New Year!!!

It's still New Years eve here in Hawaii and already, the new year is well into its first day for my brother and his friend in Japan! He just called this afternoon from Fukuoka to wish us a あけましておめでとうございます！(after taking a couple of drinks of sake!) He said they are really having a fun time - their probably on the Shinkansen right now headed for Osaka...

On this new year's eve, I kind of wish I had something deep and philosophical to say, but, my brain is just not fully functioning since I seem to have come down with a really sore throat and some body aches...not that I would have, even without this cold...so...here's a thought that just came to mind!

For a long time, on new year's eve, I remember my grandma watching the Red and White New Years Music Festival on KIKU Television. Funny thing is, just now on NGN television, they are showing the Kohaku Uta Gassen show. Then I heard a song that really reminds me of New Year time. It was originally sung by Hibari Misora, called Kawa no nagare no you ni (川の流れのように) what a beautiful song!!!



On that "note"...to all my family and friends and everyone else out there...

...have a safe and Happy New Year everyone - あけましておめでとうございます！