Wrong of Way

Published on September 30, 2009 in bike, car and rant by risu. Closed

At the bottom of my street, there is a T-intersection. While out riding today, I stopped at the stop sign at the bottom of the hill. Being the after work rush, there was comparatively a lot of traffic at this otherwise quiet intersection. There were two cars on the left, and three cars on the right.

No biggie.

I clipped out and footed down to wait for an opening. The first right car was a Lexus RX. She (I’m profiling here: Lexus RX + illegally dark tint + bad driving = short Asian mom) stopped appropriately to make a left into the street I was coming out of until the left cars passed. She then waited there. If the windows (including windscreen) weren’t excessively dark, I would have probably seen her waving me through. I had the stop sign: She had right of way. I unclipped the other foot and stood down. I was not going to trust her and go. Continue reading ‘Wrong of Way’

Repeat

Published on September 30, 2009 in bike by risu. Closed

For some reason, I felt inspired to ride today. Part of it was being off the bike for a long time, and another was getting used to a high level of daily exercise while in Kyoto. My arms hurt from riding BMX with the crew last night (thankfully, I wasn’t cut and bloody like JT). My ischial arches hurt from riding on Monday. Nonetheless, I went for an after-work spin when I got home. I forgot to switch out to clear lenses, so by the time I was heading home, I had to pocket the Oakleys in order to see.

D = 13.3 km (8.14-miles), Vavr = 17.9 km/h (11.1-mph), Vmax = 36.9 km/h (22.9-mph), T = 44-minutes

October Contest

Published on September 29, 2009 in Site by risu. Closed

Contest_2009_10Where is this?  …specifically, where is the white horse?  The first person to give me the correct lattitude and longitude and win a potentially fabulous prize!  To enter, register and add a comment to this post with your guess and I’ll tell you if you’re right!

This month’s prize is a foliage green Fastex Grimloc.  If you win and are outside the USA, there might be some issue in getting this to you, so you may just win recognition of your weird knowledge!

Contest ends 31 October 2009.  Contest terms subject to change.

Contest_2009_10_revealedOkay, the end of the month has come, and many of you were within the correct area, but nobody nailed the precise location.  Fabio even spent part of his day driving around the area looking for the white horse!  I figured the golfers amongst you would have had the best chance of seeing it, since it is just off the back section of the West Loch muni golf course behind HMC West.  Here are the longitude and lattitude coordinates of the horse: 21.370707,-158.031708

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Monster Mash

Published on September 28, 2009 in Art and Culture by risu. Closed

Monster_Mash_thumbnailI’m part of a group art show, “Monster Mash,” at Chinatown Boardroom this coming month. The opening reception is this Thursday, 01 October 2009, from 18:00 to 20:00. The show runs through Halloween. Come by and check it out and say, “hi!” If you can’t make it by for the opening, gallery hours are normally Tuesday-Saturday, 11:00-16:00.

Back in the Saddle Again

Published on September 28, 2009 in bike by risu. Closed

Wow – it’s been a month-and-a-half since I last rode my bike! I got home in time for a quick after work ride today. It was a bit dark as Summer has given way to Autumn, but my health has been good since I got back from Kyoto, and the artwork for Monster Mash was turned in, so I was hankering for some riding time. I passed on a trail ride with Ckucke and Root yesterday since I was still feeling burnt out from working on my paintings from Friday night straight through Saturday afternoon. The wind was strong when I started out, but after almost an hour of riding, it had subsided. Riding is fun.

D = 12.05 km (7.49-miles), Vavr = 16.4 km/h (10.2-mph), Vmax = 35.6 km/h (22.1-mph), T = 44-minutes

Beer Is Good – Hitachino Real Ginger Brew

Published on September 27, 2009 in Uncategorized by taro. Closed

P1010640The last of the Hitachino varieties that Maruka has brought in, the Real Ginger Brew. I popped this open tonight with a little trepidation. I know I like ginger ale, but this kind of ginger ale? Pours with a good head, semi-cloudy medium brown. Strong spice aroma.  It would take me a while to identify if I didn’t know what it was, but if you know then the aroma is unmistakeably ginger. It’s actually an intriguing aroma, but unfortunately I don’t like the transition to the taste. What bothers me is that it is sweet, which then kind of masks the strong hops and bitter. Fairly alcohol high at 7%.

I have to say I really don’t care for this one, and I don’t think it’s so much the ginger as the other flavors. If I were offered this another round, I would pass on it and give it a 1 out of 4 hopped out monkeys.

Urban Kookage

Published on September 24, 2009 in bike by taro. Closed

Picture 006-2Twas a strange evening in Kaimuki. Plans for an urban ride to shake out Ckucky’s 24″ BMX, and for Scat and I to just shake ourselves out with an urban ride got pushed back to tonight. I hustled from a training session in Aina Haina and managed to get to Ckucky’s house just before 5:30PM, and Scat was still stuck in his car somewhere on the freeway.  He arrived, not specially happy, but pulling out a bling bling 26″ BMX SE OM Flyer, you can’t stay depressed for long. He also had a 20″ beater BMX. Plans for me to jump on it were aborted when we found the rear tire flat. Time  was being lost, so I decided to just use my full suspension pig. Continue reading ‘Urban Kookage’

Back from Kamigata

Published on September 22, 2009 in Travel by risu. Closed

 Got back in just after 10 this morning.  Ckucke picked me up from the airport and gave me a lift in to work.  I did manage to sleep on the plane ride back from KIX since it was the same movies as on the outbound flight, and I had already watched everything interesting then.  There were lots of open seats on the way back, but not as much as on the way out – I had a row to myself as did almost everybody else!  The HNL-KIX food was the same “Kalua Pork Curry/Oyster (sauce) Chicken” that they have had catered in Hawaii for a while.  The KIX-HNL fare was better with an omurice and wonderful roll cake, but no other choice.  I only got offered the snack bag once on the outgoing flight, whereas they used to push the stuff like it was going out of style at every possible opportunity before.  I was unable to get Suntory Malts Premium either way, having to settle for Asahi outbound and Yebisu inbound.  The outbound snack is the same ham and cheese roll, but the inbound snack is now a sweet roll and a small anpan, which is superior to the weird Danish and hideous vegetable/fruit juice that they used to have.

Right Tool for the Job

Published on September 20, 2009 in car by taro. Closed

Once again, thanks go out to the boys, Fab and Scat cruised on by late afternoon to help me pull the engine out of the red Corolla. There wasn’t anything terribly wrong with it, except it’s not the correct block for the model, so techinically puts me into a different class for racing. It’s the supercharged block, without the supercharger. So in actuallity I’m makeing LESS power than stock since the pistons are lower compression. Anyway, previously we’d dropped the transmission and I’ve since rebuilt it with all new bearings and synchros. I decided to pull the engine since I have a spare original spec engine, and installing the transmission onto the engine should be easier. A few little snags, but it was relatively painless. Continue reading ‘Right Tool for the Job’

Beer is Good – Guinness 250th Aniversary Stout

Published on September 18, 2009 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1010639Stumbled across this at Foodland today and had to buy it. “Limited edition”, is this like the Beanie Baby tactics of the beer world? Anyway, I’m a sucker for a dark beer that promises to be good, since I like Guinness Stout. The draft widget one can’t be beat, except on tap. Anyway, on to this aniversary edition. Pours with a good head, opaque almost black, but doesn’t have the amazing inverted bubble action of the wiget or tap stout.  Aroma is nowhere as intense as their usual stout. Taste is likewise. Hints of the classic smokiness. It’s pretty clean and dry, moderated bitterness that tapers nicely. The blurb on the label describes it well, “a refreshing taste, which underlies the complex flavor of stout.” I’d call it Guinness stout lite. It hints at stout, but lacks the originals intense flavor, creamyness. It is quite drinkable. I’m just about done with my first and contemplating another. No idea of the ABV percentage, stouts typically are low, I feel a good buzz hitting. But I also had about 3 shots of sake with dinner about an hour ago.

I’m not sure how to rate this. I’d take a draft Guiness over this any day, but it’s good. And as mentioned, quite drinkable. The normal Guiness stout tends to be a heavier slower drinking affair. And doesn’t always get along with food. I’d give it 3 out of 4 tipsy monkeys.