My only Political Post ever... I promise.

So in between watching my chosen UNC Tarheels beat Louisville and another of my picks the UCLA Bruins destroy Xavier while 'exercising' over Power Point on my computer at work this afternoon... I came across this little opinion article in the New York Times on ole' John McCain today.  I must admit, politics these days illicit everything from dry heaves to downright disdain from me most of the time... the constant barrage of coverage on the topic just leaves me feeling hopeless somedays.  And this editorial, while being skewed to the left... (of course, it's the New York Times) Still gave me pause to actually read what Gail Collins had to say about good ole' John McCain... I'll let the article stand for itself, but let's just say that I appreciate her candid coverage of his track record.  And it really just bolsters my opinion of why I'll probably vote for the man.  In fact, I'm even going to add him to my list of predictions, as it seems I've been doing quite a bit on my blog here lately, and go ahead and pick him as the winner of the Presidential Race in November.  The great points this lady brings up are just too good to pass up.  Besides, John McCain is a Naval Aviator.  How can the world go wrong with a man that flew jets off of an Aircraft Carrier?

Oh yeah- in case you hadn't heard, if Memphis and Kansas both win tomorrow, it will be the first time in the history of the NCAA Div I basketball championships that all 4 number one seeds made it to the final 4.  I picked them that way this year... we'll find out tomorrow.

And one more thing... while I'm on predictions,  I'm going to go ahead and choose my American Idol winner... David Cook.  I know he wasn't in my original Idol prediction post, but I think he's got what it takes to win.  David Archeleta could pull it off purely from the popularity factor with the post-pubescent set with text messaging voting cell phones under their pillows at night, but David Cook is the real deal.  Much like Chris Daughtry of season 5.

Alright, I'm out.  McCain, UNC, David Cook.

Sushi, Sweat and Smells on a Saturday Night...

So I'm sitting here sweating after running I don't know... three miles or so with the Murphster... and proudly burning 400 calories... although I'm behind in my goal because I didn't have my iPod set right for calorie calculations... so my goal shows me 2000 calories behind... that's not good.  I was kind of mad when I found out that my last 2 runs that I ran didn't count.  Oh well... Apple still rules.  Anyway- so sweat is running down my back... I smell like a racquetball locker room and I'm eating sushi... on a Saturday night.  I don't know, it had a nice ring to it... what do they call it when the first syllables of words are the same?  Assonance... I can't believe I just thought of that... seriously.  Oh wait... actually it's Alliteration.  I looked it up... Assonance is any syllable other than the first that is repeated in a phrase.  Alliteration is when the first syllables have the same sound...  wow.  Glad I found that little tidbit tucked away in the cerebral cortex.

So today, being a Saturday and all, should have been a nice relaxing day... but no... Uncle Sam calls.  It's exercise time at work.  Glorious.  And when I say exercise, I don't mean deep-knee bends.  I mean that other military term, exercise.  What fun.  No weekend for me.  Fortunately, I've run into some old folks from days gone by in my military life.  An OCS buddy, a flight school friend, guys I've flown with in Japan, Air Force guys I've flown with... if anything is good about bringing a bunch of folks together in the good ole' DOD, is you are bound to know someone from days gone by.  It's always good catching up with old folks and hearing how old friends are doing.

Oh yeah- the Sushi was good.  There is a Food Pantry literally right outside the front door of my building that is so convenient.  I had Spicy Meguro Rolls (Tuna) with some Salmon Sushimi.  I love living in the city...

Cultural Distinctions...

So in an earlier post, on moving back from Japan, I wondered if and how I would adapt back into life in western society... while living in Hawaii could be argued that it's not quite 'western' it's quite closer to a western society than Japan... so I was talking to a friend tonight on the phone, and we were talking about how people walk around wearing Bluetooth ear-pieces... and I was reminded of how when I first got back to the states, that's one of the first things I noticed in the airport.  I don't know if I wrote about it, but I distinctly remember a very large black man, (and by large I mean tall and muscular) and quite well dressed I might add, pacing back and forth in the United terminal at Chicago O'hare about something obviously very important to him, and it almost as felt as if he was trying to make it seem important to his unwilling, captive audience.  I remember thinking it was such a spectacle, this guy, just carrying on like the whole terminal was his office, and we were invading... then of course, the guy sitting behind me piped up and started talking about his next visit to Idaho and various romantic interludes to one of his buddies.  It struck me at the time how completely loud and obnoxious these people were on their personal communication devices, and literally seemed to have no regard for the ears and thoughts and minds of people around them.  Maybe being that I've lived on a boat with 5,000 other dudes all within 1,000 feet of each other for months at a time... I kind of learned some self-restraint in the whole personal space issue.  Granted.  But I like to also contribute what I like to think is personal self-restraint to the fact that I lived in one of the most polite, kind, modern-day societies in the world.  At least on the surface anyway.  Regardless, a friend and I were laughing tonight at how silly people look and sound when they walk around with these contraptions on their ears and almost seem to project an air of importance.  But really they just look ridiculous.  I drove by a guy today gesturing and talking so animatedly I would have passed him off for a certifiable card-carrying lunatic deep in conversation with his alter-ego had I not noticed that bluetooth on his ear.  But I must admit... I have one.  But it's use is strictly confined to driving.  Or sometimes if I'm in a conversation, I'll wear it from my car to my condo... but none of this wandering around in public.  Heck, even if I only have my cell phone, I still like to excuse myself when I receive a call and at least go into another room or outside.  I read once that proper cell-phone etiquette dictates that you should only talk on your cell phone in places where you would have no problem belting out in song at the top of your voice.

So... is that a cultural issue... something that I brought back from Japan?  I have noticed recently that I have become a little less averse to talking on my phone in public, but I still like to do it away from the earshot of others just so they don't have to listen to my conversation... Who knows. Stay tuned, next week, a lesson on proper shopping cart driving behavior... what?

Now that I've got the filler out of the way...

One of the most interesting individuals that I know... a person whom I have a great deal of respect for and value his friendship tremendously, has a website.  He's one of the most talented artists I've ever met.  I shared my blog with him today, and asked if I could share his with you.  He agreed, so here it is:  musketmedia.  You've got to check it out... his command of the watercolor medium is well above average for those of you art connoisseurs out there.  He's also pretty good at counting to 100 considering he graduated from a service academy.  Anyway- check his site out.  It's well worth it if you've got the time.

The Dog Park and Church...

So Murph and I ran to the dog park tonight... I normally (and always) like to run through Waikiki, because the scenery and vibe is very pleasant... nothing like stopping on the beach for a break... but I also like taking the Murphster to the dog park... just because he gets to get a fix of chasing other dogs... or more like being chased by other dogs mostly, and he doesn't have to be on the leash.  So tonight, instead of running through Waikiki, we ran the 1.6 miles to the dog park... it was good, but he was at a disadvantage, because he was kind of tired when we got there... and he's so lanky right now with his super long legs and skinny body... that it's pretty easy for other dogs to just knock his legs out from under him... combine that with him being tired, and he was most of the bigger dogs' play toy for a little bit.  Anyway- it's all good.  We ran back home through a park next to the Ala Wai, (the canal that goes through Honolulu) and were practically attacked by a small herd of ankle-biters... no offense to you ankle-biter owners out there, but sometimes I can't stand little yippy dogs.  Murphy tolerates them, but I don't really dig them... especially when their owners pander to their every want and desire and they think they own the world.  Yuck.  Big cities are havens for small dogs with big egos.

Anyway- not much substance here at Paradise, written, as of late... maybe I'm more conscious of what I write now that I know I have an audience... I guess I will write about one thing tonight though... I didn't go to church yesterday... Sorry God...  I will say this... when you are in your 30's, single and looking for a new church home it really sucks trying to find one... well, it doesn't really suck, it's just an awkward transition finding a place that you can just be yourself and be real at... without coming across as, well... single.  I swear, singleness sometimes feels like a disease.  Churches are so family oriented, and finding commonalities with married people who you don't have a previous connection to is difficult.  I mean, all the guys I work with, it's easy getting along with them because, well, we have a lot in common beyond the family thing... even though 95% of them are married with kids... but when you go to a new church and don't know anyone, it just feels so awkward as the single guy... and then you go to like a 'singles group' and you just feel like you are hanging with a bunch of socially inept weirdos... well, that's not always the case... of course... I'm probably overlooking the fact that I am a socially inept weirdo... but that's beside the point.  I don't know... I guess I'm just trying to assign some blame for a reason why I haven't found a church home here in Honolulu.  But not having one for the last three years in Japan probably didn't do much for that whole habitual church-attendance thing.  Although I do know that Christ still loves me... and I really love Him... I'm just really good at finding excuses on why I haven't found a church home here yet.  Anyway.  That's reality.  Reality, written.

My March Madness Picks...

In case anyone is interested.  UNC is going all the way.  You heard it here first.

Good Friday's Flying Video...

Is it really Friday already?  And it's Good Friday no less.  Thanks, God, for sending your Son to die for me.

Well, here is my Friday Flying video... this one is a little more polished than my last two... it's produced/shot/edited by a squadron mate of mine who was formerly a professional videographer... so it's of a slightly better quality than my raw footage.  This one is also designed to focus on the couple of hundred guys it takes to keep our jets running.  It's amazing what our troops can do to keep us flying.  This movie is dedicated to them.  As an aside, I have a quick appearance in this video... see if you can find me!

Happy Saint Patricks Day!

From the coolest Irish Lad I know!

In search of the best Mojito...

So believe it or not, living in Paradise can get monotonous, just like anywhere else I suppose... although, I don't know if monotonous would be the right word, but let's just say, sometimes beautiful sunsets and 80 degree weather year round can just get a little stale... :D so it's good to get creative with your time, you know, just mix it up a bit.  So last night, a friend and I decided we would mix things up a bit and walk from one end of Waikiki to the other and back, sampling Mojito's at various beach front establishments.  For those of you who may not be familiar with a Mojito, it is quite possibly, the finest mixed drink known to man (or at least to tropical island visitors everywhere).  It's a mixture of sugar, lime juice, light rum, club soda and crushed fresh mint leaves, and it is by far the best tasting drink I've ever had.  I first had the pleasure of trying this particular imbiber at the Hale Koa's 'Barefoot Bar' back in July I believe, when I was here on... ahem... house-hunting leave.  I happened to be sitting at the Barefoot bar on a sunny day, as I was staying at the Hale Koa at the time, and was taking a break from the hard work of locating a place to live, when I noticed the bartender crushing leaves of some sort and putting them in a clear drink... I asked him what it might be that he was preparing when he told me it was the famed Mojito, which I'd only heard of, and never sampled, or thought to order.  So, I thought, why not try one, so I asked him to make one for me... never before had my taste buds been quenched in such a manner... I immediately placed this drink at the top of my list of favored mixed drinks.  Since then, it's been a favorite of mine, although I don't drink it too often... until last night.  As my friend and I were walking along the beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, I thought to myself how refreshing a Mojito would taste at the moment, so I mentioned to my friend, that we should try sampling a Mojito all along the beach... the next thing you know, we were bellied up to the Barefoot Bar at the Hale Koa, sitting next to a retired French Horn player in the Marine Corps band and his wife on holiday from Colorado.  We told them of our plans to sample the Mojito's of Waikiki this fine evening and they approved with laughter and enthusiasm... 

So starting at Hale Koa, almost spoiled the night for us.  We were treated to probably the finest Mojito here in Honolulu... but after sampling one, we moved on to the next.  The Shorebird Restaurant and Beach Bar was next... they had a nice sampling of the Mojito, and we sat next to a couple of locals that had lived here for 8 years or so.  We also listened to a great guitarist playing some great hits from the Eagles.  The Mojito's here were pretty sweet... they started with a not much of a taste and ended with an explosion of sweetness.  I think it was because the lime and the soda-water were added last neutralizing the taste until the sugar and rum and mint leaves came through.  These were quite tasty.  After saying goodbye to our new local friends, we proceeded to 'Rum Fire Waikiki' a new and beautifully nouveau decor upscale bar/lounge on the beach at the Sheraton.  

 Friends and I have made this one of our regular stops for socializing on the weekends, and it provides by far the best atmosphere of probably any place on Waikiki at this time.  In fact, we stayed for the sunset here (picture) and even had some delicious Wok Fried Onion Rings to hold us over until we could get our dinner at Dukes... 

After leaving Rum Fire, we made our way down the beach to the world famous Duke's Canoe Club, formerly owned by the world famous surfer and olympic medallist swimmer, Duke Kahanamoku.  We were planning to dinner here, but alas, Duke's, while being well known for it's Mai Tai's, served no Mojito's... and carrying on with the theme of the evening, we just couldn't interrupt our trend.  Our server graciously informed us that upstairs at the 'Hula Grill' they did in fact serve up our evenings beverage, so upstairs we went to try the next round of Mojito delight.  Our barkeep at Hula Grill was quite the entertainer, using our 'table pager' as a simulated cell-phone while mixing up a Mojito of average taste.  He was a Flight Steward / Flight Steward Trainer for United Airlines moonlighting at the Hula Grill Bar as a bartender.  Even if the Mojito was only average, his antics were worth it.  We finally got a table and had miscellaneous servings of Macadamia encrusted Mahi-Mahi, Swordfish and Butterfish, and then moved on in our quest for the next Mojito.  Along the way, while allowing our food to digest and some of the fuzziness to disappear from our earlier Mojito's we stopped and watched a street performer paint with with some inspirational gospel-country music... it was pretty inspirational... I wish I could remember the name of the song.  I'm not sure who sings it, but it was a good one... male vocalist, country twang, good words, moving chorus.  You know the one.  Anyway- after that we headed to Chili's, because we were starting to make our way back to the west end of Waikiki, and being out of memorable beach-front establishments, why not start working on the corporate-america chain restaurants?  Well, Chili's didn't come through with a Mojito's on the menu, but their assistant manager pointed us towards another well-known corporate monster, the one and only 'CHEESECAKE FACTORY.'  Well, we made our way over there, and along the way, ran the gauntlet of street performers on Kalakaua Ave. First we watched very talented Pan-Flute player, followed by a man painted completely silver, (yes, completely silver) stand completely still and silent while operating a creepy Elmo hand puppet.  The same one that freaks out my dog when I walk him by there at night.  He doesn't say anything, just makes his Elmo puppet look around while he stands completely still, and periodically he squeezes the little squeaky toy inside Elmo to get kids attention (and freak my dog out).  Then we passed a girl who played the guitar very well and performed an exact duplication of Fergie's 'Big Girl's Don't Cry' and a guy trying to get us to take a brochure for his shooting gallery.  All this and more happens, by the way, on the streets on Waikiki on a nightly basis.  At any rate, having run the gauntlet, we finally found ourselves in view of the almighty Cheesecake Factory Waikiki... finding our way inside, we were lucky enough to be served right away at the bar, and had a unique variety of Mojito's to choose from.  My partner chose the pineapple one and myself, being a fan of Pomegranate Juice, chose the Pomegranate Juice Mojito.  Quite a tasty delight... at this point in the evening we concocted a story that should we meet anyone else, we'd tell them we were from Lafayette, Indiana, students at Purdue, hoping we didn't meet anyone actually from there.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) we never did get to try this story out, but it sounded like a good one here in the dim lights of the Cheesecake Factory and the din of rum inspired conversation.  From here we decided we'd probably already had one too many Mojito's, but we decided to finish where we started, so we made our way back to the ole' trusty Hale Koa.  On our way, we stopped at 'Roy's' Waikiki  just because, well, we passed it, and it seemed like a good idea at this point.  The bar was relatively empty... and after tasting their Mojito... one could see why.  Entirely too much Club Soda... in fact, it was mostly just Club Soda and Lime Juice... but at least we know now.  Anyway- at the expense of being long-winded, we headed from there back to the trusty Hale Koa for two more Mojito's before calling it a night...

All in all, a good night.  Definitely fun, and definitely something different... my favorites were probably the sunset at Rum Fire, and the taste (not to mention the prices) at the Hale Koa...

By the way- if you are interested in reading about the history of the Mojito, check this site out...

The short of it is, legend has it, Sugar Cane workers in Cuba created the concoction... Hemmingway made it famous.  And I love it.

Cheers, or as they say in English bars in Cuba... Enjoy your Mojito!

Friday's Flying Video...

** Notice to readers- the below description (as well as the video) may prove to be entirely too boring for non-technically oriented readers... or for that matter, technically oriented readers.  Disclaimer complete.

So after being inspired by Matt showing flying videos, I decided to go through some of mine and see what else I had that may be of interest to you guys... so todays' flying video is one of me launching off of the good ole' USS Kitty Hawk... some things about the video:  I'm holding the small Canon Elph digital camera in my left hand against my chest to minimize the movement once the cat-stroke starts, and the immediate 6G onset begins.  The engines are at MIL, or full power, and the video starts with the last part of our pre-launch check-list... a wipe-out of all the controls, (moving the stick in a circular motion, and pushing the rudder pedals back and forth) This accomplishes two things- it gives the final checkers, who are positioned about 8 feet right and left of the fuselage, aft of the wings and crouched on the deck, to get one last look at the flight control surfaces to make sure they are all working.  For us in the cockpit, this is one last stress on the hydraulic system and gives us a chance make sure one last time our hyd's are in good shape... after the 'wipe-out' you can see his hand come up, and that is the salute we give to the 'shooter' that we are all set and ready to be launched, or go flying in literally 2 seconds.  You can see my oxygen hose in the picture at this point... we wear oxygen masks at launch and recovery (and generally during 'dynamic' phases of flight) but often if we are straight and level, the masks come off, because they aren't real comfortable.  At this point in the launch, as I mentioned, my left hand is holding the camera against my chest, and my right hand is resting lightly around the ejection handle between my legs, and my eyes are watching two things- engine instruments (bottom left of the instrument panel) and airspeed, if one of the engines fail on launch we are in a hurt-locker in a hurry- and if we don't get enough airspeed to go flying (our typical configuration/weight requires at least about 140 kts) i.e. from a 'soft cat' or a catapult shot that doesn't give us enough speed to go flying, we'll be a 56,000 lb paperweight going off of the front of the carrier.  Both of those scenarios require nearly immediate action with ejection being the last item to accomplish (among a litany of other things depending on the situation) so as the navigator, the closer my hand is to the ejection handle, the faster we can get out should things go south.  You'll see the 'stroke' of the cat is about 2 seconds long- we go from 0 to about 170 kts (about 195 mph) in that short time.  As you can imagine, it's quite a punch.  This video isn't all that exciting, but I figured I'd explain a little of what's happening.  Also, as soon as we are airborne, you can see the pilots' hand reach up for the gear handle and retract them.  Anyway- like I said- not the most exciting video, but a small sense of what's going on in the cockpit when one gets launched off of an aircraft carrier.  It's a huge rush- by the way- 6G's basically means your body weight immediately feels 6x what you normally weigh.  It's all lateral, and towards your back so there aren't any issues G-LOC'ng (Gravity Induced Loss of Consciousness)... but it is definitely a rush.

Enjoy.

My American Idol Predictions...

OK- I must admit- I've turned into an American Idol Junkie... when I was in Japan I actually rented the first few episodes (they rent them in video stores there) just so I could laugh at the train wrecks that are typically the first few weeks... but now that I can watch the whole season (compliments of my TiVo HD), I've been looking forward to it each week... so tonight, after watching the final 12 perform, I decided to lay out my predictions and see how I do... so here goes-

The winner will be one of the following:

Chikezie- a former TSA employee at LAX, turned singer.  This is his second attempt, and he's doing pretty well so far.  He actually did pretty well tonight- which surprised me.  I thought he wasn't going to make it this far, but he's showing some promise here in the end game.  I think he's got something unique that America might actually buy... which is what this show is all about anyway.

Brooke White

Probably one of my personal favorites- she's got an incredible 

voice, can play the piano, the guitar and can just sing very well.  Not to mention she is a Christian, and just seems like a nice person.  She kind of concerned me tonight though during the post-song interview... she got a little weird and emotional in talking about the piano and the set and the audience and the song... I guess that was humility but it came across a little weird- she recovered though.  She is an incredible talent, and I am sure she will be one of the last to get voted off, if she doesn't win.

Jason Castro- this kid has got skills... he plays his guitar most every week in his performances, and has one of those John Mayer / James Blunt voices.  He's definitely in the hunt; even if he does look like a poster-child for the legalization of weed/Woodstock '08...

Kristy Lee Cook:

Not only do I think this girl is beautiful, she can sing too.  She's not as strong at times as some of the above, but she's got the looks and she can sing country music really well, which is her specialty.  She did '8 Days a Week' tonight with a country twist, and even though the judges didn't really like it- I thought it was pretty good.

David Archeleta:

This kid has got some lungs, but tonight he didn't do so hot- I think he may have peaked too soon... he forgot the words to his song at first... he pulled it off, but I think it may be tough for him to recover... he's got promise, but I just don't see him going all the way anymore.  He may win, but I have my doubts... 

Honorable Mention:  My personal favorite early on was Alaina Whitaker.  I was actually surprised when she didn't make past the top 20 or whatever.  She truly had the best voice of all of the contestants... not sure why she didn't get the votes, but she should have been in the finals in my opinion...

And finally- my least favorite, although because of her unique identity may actually make it farther is Amanda Obermeyer... she seems like a nice down to earth individual, but her voice grates on me and her Elvira/Munster looking hair just doesn't do it for me.  She's got a voice like Janis Joplin, but I think it's getting tired.  I'd be surprised if she made it much further... but she could win it all just based on her looks/uniqueness.  I really think she's worn out her style though.  The grinding, angry woman sound is just getting old.  IMHO.

I could comment on the other contestants, but they are really just forgettable... and I really just spent 30 minutes on a post about American Idol.  I need a girlfriend.

Today's flying video...

Matt- this one is for you- it's my view of a trap on the USS Kitty Hawk.  Sitting in 'ECMO 1' or Shotgun, or front right seat in the mighty EA-6B... anyway- the LSO comments were, 'A little low start, fly through up in the middle, a little high in close to a fly-through down, drift-left at the ramp for a skip the 3 for a fair 4.'  Not the prettiest pass in the books, but safe enough according to NATOPS.  See if you can follow the fresnel lens (probably tough on YouTube)left of the LA (landing area) you can watch the amber 'lens' drift down in close, and of course, see how we ended up fully left of center line once we stopped.  The engines are immediately spun up to MIL as soon as we hit the deck as well in case of a hook-skip, (as we did in this case, but still caught the 4)  You can also see how close our nose is to the deck-edge or 'round-down' as we call it when you catch a 4-wire.  By the way, it looks much closer than it is, because the camera is about 11 feet off the deck when we stopped.  Realistically, the nosewheel is about 15 feet from the round down when you catch a 4-wire.  It's actually better at night catching a 4 wire, because you look down and see nothing but darkness as soon as you stop.  Much more comforting.  Enjoy.

The blogging family...

So I found out today I'm not the only member of my family with a blog... in fact, it seems almost all of my cousins seem to do it.  Looking forward to catching up with all of your lives... how interesting.  Thanks Mom, for sending those addresses out.  In fact, it motivated me to finally make this one public.  So enjoy my blog... while I enjoy yours.

By the way... I finally got the last piece of furniture for my living room... the StudioTech U-48 in Rosewood... wow- it looks great parked underneath my 40" Samsung LCD hanging on my wall in the corner of my living room.  They forgot to give me the castors when I picked it up today, so I have to get those tomorrow, but it's good to finally have all my A/V clutter organized nicely.  For those of you Audio/Video-philes out there- I'd highly recommend StudioTech- I did alot of research before I bought this one, and the reviews were right- this thing is pretty sweet.  Of course, now I'm going to have to get a new computer desk to match it... it never ends.

Well, my cousins' blogs:

 

Jason , his sisters Janice (or JJ as I know her) and Julie

and my Cousin (in-law? is that what you call your cousins husband?)  Matt... Leslie's Husband.

I've got quite a bit of reading to do...!

My Music...

So I just found this cool service that will show my iTunes listening history... don't know why that is useful, actually it's not, but I thought I'd put it on here.  Man- I'm going to have my own MySpace page here before long...

This is the Album Art from my most listened to songs...

Melancholy Saturday Night...

So last night, 2 of my friends had their promotion party for being selected to advance in rank... they are both in the Air Force... it was a good time- we finished work early yesterday which was nice, so I actually drove home, parked my truck, then took thebus back to base... that was handy- Hawaii actually has a pretty robust public transit system.  It's no Tokyo train system, but it works.  This was the first time I'd actually used it, and I was impressed- fortunately, it's not too complicated getting around on the island.  After that we went to Chinatown for 'First Friday' a monthly tradition here in Honolulu where the art galleries all open their doors and invite artists out to talk about their work.  It's usually a pretty good time- and it's always packed.  We had a good time.  I headed home relatively early though... tomorrow I'm having a cookout on my roof with some of my friends- my building has the greatest roof for cooking out- it's got a pool, great views, gas grills, the works.  I'll have to take some pictures.

I just watched that movie 'Michael Clayton' with George Clooney.  I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.  Interesting story, definitely watchable, but it never really took off like it potentially could of.  Something was missing... some movies really get your pulse going... this one had that potential, but it never realized it.  A decent rental though.  I have my Apple TV all set up, and with iTunes Music Store now offering video download rentals- I officially have no reason to leave the house if I don't want to.  Good thing I've got Murphy to keep me up and at em... speaking of which, I took him to Mililani today to run an errand, and we stopped at the 'Central Oahu Park' to get some exercise before heading home... took this picture... well... it's bedtime.