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Thanks for the Memories, LOST

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After six seasons, LOST has come to an end, and all I can say is thanks. Thanks for the weekly adventure into the mystical, the philosophical, the mysterious, the fantastic, and always exciting island of LOST.

And thanks for showcasing Hawaii and all its beauty and becoming part of our community. That’s how we got hooked on the show, meeting the stars in our community. Our first personal LOST encounter was meeting Josh Holloway in the parking lot of Foodland Hawaii Kai. He was a regular guy buying his groceries and didn’t mind taking pictures with us.

There was that brief run in with Henry Ian Cusick followed by not one, not two, not three, but four encounters with Jorge Garcia. The first time I was unprepared. The second time was awesome and even awesomer with a blog comment from Jorge himself. The third time was a near passing as I spotted Jorge at the local farmer’s market but missed a photo opportunity. And the fourth time was a surprise as he strolled right in front, parked across from us at Longs.

Let’s not forget the LOST filming inside Club 939. Watch the segment if you missed it, and here are some screen grabs with commentary.

I’m pretty sure that was Sonya Walger aka Penny Widmore at brunch at Halekulani, and that was definitely Naveen Andrews at Ala Moana, shopping at Neiman Marcus and at the Lego store.

There was the accidental encounter of the LOST crew setting up at Miki’s for this brief scene with Miles. And most recently, the filming at Bishop Museum for the music concert that brought together many LOST memories.

So LOST, thank you. Thanks for becoming part of the Hawaii community and thanks for all the great memories.

First Run in Awhile

It’s been close to 5 weeks since I last ran so who knew what this first run would be like. According to Nike+, I ran 2.28 miles in 22 minutes and 23 seconds (that’s 9’48” per mile) and used my Power Song on the home stretch. Felt pretty good though the legs are little wobbly now. I’m sure it’ll be worse tomorrow.

Still Looking for Lenses

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Changeable lenses in the DSLR world is evil.  You start with the basic included lens then start wanting more.  Faster, sharper, longer reach – it’s endless.

I’ve been looking for a general purpose lens to replace the 18-55mm kit lens that came with the Canon T1i.  Something with a bit more zoom that I can use for everyday situations.  Here are some popular ones I’ve read about.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. Takes awesome pictures since it’s top of the line “L” class but costs a bunch. Reviews say this lens is heavy and kind of a weight burden for everyday use.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens. Has a wide range and is relatively cheap at $350. Here’s a review by Ken Rockwell, and he likes this as a do-it-all lens.

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM UD Wide Angle Zoom Lens. A relatively new lens that is getting solid reviews. For a comparison to similar lenses, read this review. Less zoom than the 28-135 but better pictures, solidly built, and that ultra wide zoom is appealing to me.

Foursquare + Starbucks = No Mayor Respect :(

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This is a harsh lesson about the virtual meeting the real. Starbucks and Foursquare have teamed up to offer virtual Mayors special offers at real Starbucks locations. But this is what it meant for me in real life.

The Starbucks location I went to wasn’t aware of this promotion, so I didn’t get my $1 Mayor discount for my Frappuccino. Is this promotion available in Hawaii even though the Foursquare app shows the discount? Or was the staff uninformed of the promotion? I wonder if there’s any recourse for getting my discount or a way of fixing this for the future?

Cost Comparing the Linchpin

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Walking through Borders at Windward Mall (you know, the mall that cares), I saw a new book by Seth Godin called Linchpin. Here’s a snippet from a review of Linchpin:

We need linchpins to solve our problems, keep us connected, and inspire us with art. People who are linchpins are creative, good at connecting with others, and able to see solutions like no one else. They truly are indispensable.

I was immediately sold but… I didn’t want to pay full price for these words of wisdom. Go figure. So I did some price checking on Linchpin, and here’s what I found.

Hmmm, listening to audiobooks is convenient during the drives to and from work. The Hawaii public library system actually does have one copy of the book and audiobook (yes, only a single copy and you can’t borrow the electronic audiobook until it’s been “returned”), but there is a waiting list of five. The discounted book cost at Amazon is reasonable, but that eBook format is intriguing. I’ve never tried that medium before. So of course, my rationale is to buy an iPad in order to read Linchpin at the median cost of $13.

Makes sense right? Work with me people.

A Sweet Semi-Finals for Dancing with the Stars

Whoa, the Semi-Finals for Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars was sweet! The level of competition was up there, and everyone was on their game. Erin Andrews proved she belonged in the top three with continued improvements, and Cheryl Burke shaped Chad Ochocinco into a contender.

The real battle is between Evan Lysacek and Nicole Scherzinger. Evan and Anna’s paso doble to Evanescence’s Bring Me To Life was primal and controlled fury. Best all-around performance for Evan I think.

But then there’s that Hawaii girl turned Pussycat Doll. She and that master choreographer Derek Hough, that’s a power packed duo. The Argentine Tango is becoming one of my favorite dances. The complexity and timing of this dance can make you or break you. I loved the lines of Derek and Nicole in their perfectly scored performance.

Nicole and Derek’s second dance of the Semi-Finals got a sneak peek before the commercial break and what a setup that was. Nicole decked out in purple looking like his highness Prince doing the cha cha cha. And that ending. Just watch Bruno’s contortions in the background and you’ll understand.

To no surprise, the dancers headed to the DWTS Finals are Evan, Nicole, and Erin. Chad Ochocinco became a dancing contender, but he’s not a dancing champion (yet).

DWTS Finals. Next week. Derek Hough and Nicole Scherzinger. Freestyle. Can’t wait!

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