You got to roll with the punches to get to what's real.

These guys are daredevil criminals. They've been arrested for jumping off tall things. I caught upp to them on Current, my new favourite TV-channel-I-didn't-know-we-had (Oceanic 0900 at my house). When they shot in May 2008, the French guy whose face you could see, and the English dude whose face is blurred, held the world's record for base jumping off the tallest building in the world, Burj Dubai.

Let's chase them as they illegally sneak on to the unfinished building site, climb and sweat uppward for hours, admire the view from above, parachute off a balcony, evade cops, then finally shake a shaka! as they revel in their rise to the top of their game.

La Vida Loco

Ripped off these images from the Royal Hawaiian Pool Service blog. Can't get 'em at their store no more, so I couldn't resist (at risk of being destroyed myself!). Brief but badass entries feature figures from skating's past, present and beyond, including local pool skating legends General Gary Owens, and Kale Sandridge the fuckin' rockstar. Hawaiians by heart & hardcore to the bones, this brigade of shredders showcase nifty novelties and shit on naff nostalgia surrounding the lives, steez, and lifestyle of these athletes.
Though entry can be exclusive it's far from elitist, as they invite you to jump in on their journey by going so far as to teach you how to build a pool. Don't be shocked if they show upp uninvited.
Live, learn, and support your loco skateboarders.

Shaka To Me!

Doing his best Gerard Elmore impersonation, because he knows how it turns me on, my huzzbin Taylor Lautner sent me some secret messages during his stint as host of Saturday Night Live last night.

good god go

I didn't hear all of Obama's speech the other day about his plans for Afghanistan, but I did listen to an interview by BB Kim, with Vietnam veteran Lenny, who was on his way to the hospital, comfortable with, though fearful of, the fact that he might not come out alive.

(press >play and if the player don't work, click on his name to hear BB's interview with Lenny, )

BB flattered me by asking if I'd be interested in being interviewed by her for an uppcoming project she's working on, perhaps for 'Olelo, the stations that broadcast my show Shaka Talk. I was at first shy about it. It's hard for me to talk about myself, expecially at the hands of another person. I've heard about, and in fact had experiences with the press, where they misinterpret a lot of what the subject says, or just misrepresent the subject altogether.

So when I researched BB's previous interviews, I was kinda happy to hear they are just straightforward questions, but with a probing curiosity. Her voice has no underlying tone, there's no agenda in her approach. However, she does have a point of view, and an insight that she reveals by her questions, and even re-asking or re-phrasing her inquiries to get at a deeper meaning. I like how she's almost indelicate, but it sounds like it's because she knows there's more truth beneath the surface. And although BB remains objective, she still relates to her subject and has a rapport that you hear in their willingness to be so forthcoming.

Lenny's story really touched me because of how he has a doomed outlook but wants to help others. He is haunted by, and fears God's judgement of, the atrocities he participated in during his time in Vietnam. The ambient noises during their talk are subtle, and a little ironic. Sirens when Lenny fears death; birds chirping as he tells how miserable his life can be. As heartbreaking as it is, his reverence for Israel Kamakawiwo'ole surprises BB for a second, that she has to laugh.
Lenny lives by a code to help and love others, in spite of his country's betrayal of himself and the others who fell victim to the politics of Vietnam, as well as the bureaucracy and economics of the Veterans' Administration. The interview displays so many moods and life lessons that it takes you on a tumultuous ride. Their talk ends with her question of how Lenny wants to be remembered. Strangely, it's something I relate to, and then it kind of vaguely trails off.
I'm not sure what direction BB Kim will be taking with her new project, and I doubt that I'll have the same impact on her listeners as Lenny or her other subjects. Even if we don't ever get together and talk, interviews are my favourite form of journalism, in print and on video. I'm glad and even inspired to have made contact with BB.

Shaka Talk #6 ~ 20 Minute HIV Test

December 1 is World AIDS Day, in fact, the whole month of December marks an international effort to raise HIV and AIDS awareness. In that spirit, we invited Life Foundation to be guests on our show to give me the 20 minute HIV test.

Shaka Talk #6 is finally upp on youtube and airing on Olelo Channel 52 Thursday nights at midnight thru to mid-December. It can also be streamed live or on demand at http://www.olelo.org/ .

Jaimie Callahan from Life Foundation had just barely gotten back from her honeymoon when she was asked to represent the HIV/AIDS organization during our taping. Love was still lingering as you can see in her sparkling smile and radiant eyes. I think that's what distracted Jaimie from swabbing my mouth before asking me all those juicy questions. So unfortunately, I wasn't able to get my test results before the show was over. We still had fun though, and hopefully were able to demonstrate how easy the test is, plus prepared our viewers for the test, should they decide to get one.

Normally when being tested at Life Foundation, it would only be the client and the counsellor alone together. The test results, and question and answer session are usually private and confidential. But for the purposes of our show, I had my sister Edna Mc Man in the studio to make sure I kept things moving along, and to ask important questions in case I forgot.

*Does this make any sense? Whatever. Watch the show and leave a comment to let us know what you think:

Shaka Talk #6, part 1 of 3


Shaka Talk #6, part 2 of 3


Shaka Talk #6, part 3 of 3


When conceptualizing the episode, I'd hoped to get get a few points across, I hope we were successful, but just to clarify.:

1)It's FREE!

2) NO needles! The main thing I wanted to stress was how quick and simple the new test is. The Ora-Quick oral swab test involves no needles or blood, and you get your results back in 20 minutes. You don't have to call or come back for results, and if you test positive, Life Foundation can hook you upp with the help you might need.

3) On The Go! You don't have to visit the Life Foundation to take the test. If you just call them at 808-521-2437 (521-AIDS), they can set upp a meeting anywhere you like, and give you the test and your results there and then.

4) HIV is submitted in 3 basic ways:
a) from mother to child (during pregnancy or childbirth)
b) unprotected sex (vaginal, oral or anal)
c) blood to blood (IV drug needles, bloody fights, and rarely but maybe thru blood transfusions)

5) Easy ways to avoid contracting HIV include the following:
a) using a condom or latex barrier during anal/oral/vaginal sex
b) using clean needles (and not sharing them) if you inject IV drugs
c) engaging in non-penetrative intimacy
d) abstaining from sex

6) The test is actually looking for HIV antibodies. Your immune system produces antibodies to fight off infection. If HIV antibodies are in your blood, a follow-upp test would be conducted to confirm whether or not you've been exposed to HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS

7) AIDS itself is not a disease. Like the name says, it's an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. That means that a person exhibits "a collection of signs or symptoms or diseases, that you would get when your immune system is compromised."
By coming into contact with the HIV virus, your body's natural defenses against disease become weakened because it's fighting a virus that can't be killed. This would lead to your developing certain ailments that a healthy immune system would be able to fight off easily ("opportunistic diseases").

Therefore, if your blood contains HIV antibodies, or you have a low T-cell count (disease fighting cells), plus any of a list of "opportunistic diseases", these signs would indicate that you have Acquired an Immune Deficiency.

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For more information, or help visit the following:

Life Foundation
677 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 226
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 521-2437
TTY: (808) 853-3275
Fax: (808) 521-1279
http://www.lifefoundation.org/
email: info@lifefoundation.org

Kulia Na Mamo
Ohia Building (Fort Street Mall)
1149 Bethel Street Suite 300
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: (808)791-2020
Fax: (808)791-2021
http://www.kulianamamo.org/
email: info@kulianamamo.org

CHOW Project (Community Health Outreach Workers)
33 S King St #313
Honolulu, HI 96813-4323
Phone: (808) 848-2469
hawaii.gov page
and/or
CHOW pdf