Land Rover Defender


Came across these pictures somewhere on the interweb a while back. In the future it would be nice to come across a vehicle like this and work on it until it was just the way I wanted. The Land Rover Discovery has a few models that would be fun to work on. This is a wishful thinking post.

Blitzen Trapper
Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer by wereofftherails
This is a good jam.

Undercity

It's not everyday you get to take a look and see what's underneath you. This video captured my attention like none other. I'm not sure if it's because it was taking me behind the scenes of an incredible city (a city that has always captivated me), or because what they were doing is illegal, or because I love checking out things from the past that supersede the tag of "old" or "historic". Instead these places seem to be hopelessly preserved for a reemergence and given a new life in the form of a documentation such as this video. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Here are some links to some more info about these adventurers. [1] [2] [3]

Carthew-Alderson Trail in Waterton National Park



I had a chance to do some hiking this summer. This was one of them. The summit hike has the best view you could ask for in all of Waterton and Glacier National Parks. Amy and I got on some plastic bags and slid down the glacier you see behind the two of us in the second picture. It was quite the rush. I look forward to getting back out to Canada this summer for a family reunion and to do some more hikes. Check out Amy's blog here. Click on these links [1] [2] for some more info on the hikes.

Warby Parker Glasses

So I've been lucky enough to have good eyesight my whole life. Until recently. Over the past year or so I had been noticing a lot of strain on my eyes whenever I read or was in front of the computer. People would often mention how red my eyes were. Because of this I decided to go to the eye doctor and see what was up. The consensus was that I had a slight problem and needed glasses for when I took part in the aforementioned tasks. Crap. I started to look around for glasses, and found a company called Warby Parker. They are new and have a neat business plan. They let you order up to 5 glasses online that they send you in a nice box so you can try them on. Then you send em back and order whichever one you liked best. Free of charge. I ended up getting the "Roosevelt". The neat thing about this company is that they are radical on several levels. One is the fact that when you make a purchase they hook someone in need up with new glasses. Sorta like a TOMS shoe thing. Plus, at the time they didn't ship to Hawaii so we worked out a deal where they let me get them sent to my sister Laurel's home on the mainland before she came out to Hawaii for Christmas Break. How nice is that? Laurel is a real swell gal. Take a look at the Warby Parker site here! By the way they were only 95 bucks, thats including the prescription lenses.

Brian & Bob Poppleton covering Neil Young


Several weeks back the Kahuku Grill had an open mic night. Brian Poppleton just happened to have his family in town so he was backed up on vocals by his father. It was pretty rad. His father is a character. He is awesome just like Poppy. I love Neil Young and this video does him some justice in my opinion. Seth Hannemann happened to be running the open mic night so he is in there being his usual silly self. I've been pretty sick with the flu the past couple days and Seth came over to the house with a meal for me. What a nice guy. I have some of the best friends a guy could ask for. Enjoy the video. It's a classic.

Wasabi Peas

Sometimes you need a legit snack to get you through long periods of time in the library. Wasabi Peas are perfect for that. They keep you awake because of the wasabi and they are crunchy which is what any good snack food should be. I have been munchin' on these a lot lately. Here is a link to a pretty legit song. It will be in a movie that is coming out that I don't care to see but I came across the song and like it.

Les Chevaliers du Ciel

Clips taken from a french film. I guess it's like their equivalent to Top Gun. This almost makes me want to join the Air Force. Pretty neat cinematography.

Local Natives

Been listening to this song quite a bit lately. Found this video and had to share it. It reminds me of the rolling hills by the house I grew up in, in good 'ol Newbury Park, California.

An Old Bottle

Found this little treasure while exploring the caves and rocks and tide pools under the cliff behind my living quarters.

Iron & Wine

Iron & Wine is one of my all time favorite bands. I haven't been as impressed with some of his more recent albums but his musical ability is still paramount. His older more stripped down and simple recordings are incredible. I've been able to come across some rare recordings and gathered up some other live performances over the years. They are a bit rough compared to his new album coming out on January 25th and his last full length, "The Shepherds Dog" but they are still so great. Here is a video of some of his newer songs and some others thrown in for good measure. My favorite song right now is "Walking Far From Home". This session is one from daytrotter.com. If you don't know about the site... now you do. So take advantage of it. It rules.

MLK DAY








Martin Luther King Day was perfect. Helped out with a service project in the morning, went kayaking in the afternoon and caught some waves, then had a BBQ on our lanai in the evening. The weather was great even though it called for rain. I like that.

Ender's Game

I finished reading this book over the winter break. I had been hearing about it for several years. I probably should have read this in High School but didn't. I finally decided to do it and it was great. I love this book. It threw me through a loop at the end. Truly. We're talkin' about a huge twist. I recommend it. I have never been a big novel reader... let alone science fiction, but this book was a treat. I hope a movie will be made sooner than later. Orson Scott Card needs to make it happen as opposed to just talked about. Here is a link to a short trailer of a little movie that a couple friends created. It shows some clips from a few scenes from the book.

The Kalalau Trail on Kauai's Na Pali Coast

My buddy Devin Graham just posted another amazing video. This one is a documentation of the island of Kauai, but mostly of the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali coast. It looks like I should have opted to go on the adventure with them this time around. During the summer of 2009 I had a chance to hike it over the 4th of July Weekend with Greg Wilson, Bryan Pearson, and Andrew Laverick. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. EVER. We had the time of our lives. I could go on and on and tell you all about it here but I won't. Here is a link to a bit more information on the trail if you're interested. I would recommend it to anyone.
Postscript: I would also recommend watching it in HD.

Yoho National Park

It would be nice to be there right now. I miss North American Mountains. Not that I don't like Hawaiian Mountains... I didn't take this picture but someone on the internet did and they did a good job.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - Fire & Water (iTunes Session) by VagrantRecords
Had a chance to see them play a couple months ago in Honolulu. It was a fun show. Besides being there with some pretty legit people, the band played a great set. They rocked and rolled right on the harbor at the Aloha Tower. This song is one they played that happens to be pretty good. Not to mention it's not on their latest album. I have a funny story about the show I'll share later. It involves dreadlocks, a motorcycle, and a small world. Hope I have you hooked with that little teaser.

Freelance Whales

I'm diggin this band. Here are a couple other videos you can watch here, and here.

Ko'olau Loa Mountains

I took this picture as the clouds were lifting from a recent storm. I have spent much time hiking these hills, valleys, and mountains behind Laie. I love where I live.

The Head & The Heart

Some great new music. Comprised mostly of transplants to the Seattle area. Enjoy the vid.