Entertainment & Style

Life is an Exhibition in WaikikiYesterday on my routine walk, I encountered lots of unselfconscious people.First, an emaciated young Hari Krishna devotee wearing a monkish wardrobe suddenly took off his shirt, revealing his scrawny chest and exposed ribs. Then he began to mumble a mantra; and in a trance-like state, he passed by me, evidently unaware of my presence.As I was approaching the Ala Wai Boulevard, I saw a middle-aged man running backward on the sidewalk abutting the polluted Ala Wai canal. Even though he looked at ease as he maneuvered dangerously close to the edge of the waterway, I was so apprehensive about his safety that I couldn’t watch him anymore.Rounding the bend, I saw a much younger man who was boldly walking ahead of me. Despite the heat, he wore a ski mask with a tangled hank of rainbow-colored hair sprouting from a hole at the top of the covering. Above his baggy pants he wore a frayed yellow short-sleeved T-shirt over a faded red long-sleeved flannel shirt. He

Don’t Discount the Little Things When I was growing up under the tutelage of my father, a classical music aficionado, we bought dozens of opera recordings that exclusively included the most melodic excerpts from Baroque to post-Romanticism. I had no interest in the translations or the plot. All that appealed to me were the soaring cadences of the lusciously soul-stirring arias that enveloped me.Not until I subscribed to the Met on Demand did I take a more balanced approach. At first, listening to the “filler” between the featured highlights was irritating. I wanted to get to the prime operatic portions, not the gristle in between. But after a while, I began to enjoy following the story lines, whether they were silly or cerebral. By doing so, I embraced a good deal of background and foreshadowing that wasn’t as tuneful as I would have previously preferred. And whenever I come across an operatic gem, it is more dramatic and meaningful because of the plot development conveyed by low-key,

What do you sing in the shower? What do you sing in your car when it plays on the radio? What do you sing with your friends when you get tipsy? What song did you sing today? Do you have a shower speaker synched to iTunes?                

What is Your Favorite Song? I'll go first: "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong - you can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/p-T6aaRV9HY  What is Your Favorite Song? Comment below with your favorite songs!

Dear founding Eagles member Randy Meisner has passed... His genius was so astounding for those of us who heard his voice.      Eagles: Take it to the limit  be at peace, dear friend, and let us know if you can what it's all about? Take it to the limit for all of us believers, please, and thank you... lymy

A couple of days ago

 

Does AARP have a chat room or chat group other than this site? I would like to meet friends to chat with.

Thank you ALL for joining me on this thread. Today is my last day on this site. Take care my friends.

Loveliness Everywhere I GazeDespite the drought that has recently enveloped Hawaii, the foliage in Waikiki is still magnificently displayed. The area surrounding my Leisure Heritage condo is as lush as a botanical garden. Various mimosa trees have mammoth clusters of flowers, some of them stark red, or brilliant orange; or they are studded with a conglomeration of pastel colors, whether gauzy pink or light yellow. Because I fell on uneven ground the other day, I have decided to walk on the level cement in the parking lot at my condo, and especially since I found out that some tree roots have unsafely elevated parts of the pavement on my regular route.  I figured that I’d miss lots of the gorgeous scenery that I have enjoyed for so long, but I have to protect myself. As I circled the parking lot a few times, I peered across the street; and for the first time, I noticed a huge monkeypod tree with thin, long, maroon, spindly, prickly (almost surrealistic) protrusions ornamenting the

A Trifecta of Aloha in HonoluluMost of the injuries that I have incurred over the years have targeted the right side of my body. The other day was no exception. Near the end of my power walk, I tripped and fell onto the cement, lacerating my right knee and bloodying my right arm. A middle-aged man who had witnessed my plight helped me get up. As I grimaced from the pain, I told him how grateful I was for his assistance. After seeing how much blood was seeping out of my arm (compliments of my blood thinner medication), he suggested that I put firm pressure on the wound. I did so, using my left hand as a tourniquet. When I arrived at my condo, the blood was completely staunched.The next day, I brought a bunch of pants into the dressing room at Nordstrom’s Rack. I was astonished when I found out that all of the doors were locked. Eventually, a clerk opened one of them for me. Instead of keeping the door open, I closed it and then trudged over to my wife so that she could inspect one of th

My Communion with Baby Birds and a Small DogAt the beginning of my walk yesterday, a swarm of tiny twittering birds with acrobatic panache fluttered beside and above me. They followed me that way for at least a block. I was amazed at and delighted with their playful yet precise choreography and their ecstatic chirping: What an entrancing, exquisite, and inspiring routine! O I guess it was possible that these birds would attack me, but I never feared them; they were hardly predatory like the ones in Alfred Hitchcock’s horror saga The Birds. Just the opposite—they reminded me of the small song birds that so lovingly accompanied Snow White.As I turned the corner, the baby birds that had rejuvenated me zipped along elsewhere. But at the end of my walk, I had a warm reception from another animal. As I chatted with a partially disabled man whom I occasionally see walking his dog, I noticed that the dog tried to reach out to me. The man slightly let go off his grip on the leash. That gave the

 A Welcomed Incongruity at SafewayThe other day during my quest for a relatively short line at the Safeway express checkout counter, I found an opening with only one person ahead of me. But all did not go as smoothly as I had anticipated. A man who had already bagged a few items started to harangue the cashier because he had a long-standing “credit” due to him. After spending a few moments consulting her computer screen, the cashier, a petite elderly Asian woman, patiently tried to explain to the man that he was mistaken. But the man relentlessly pursued his claim. There was no doubt at all that Safeway owed him, and he wanted to use his credit right away. The unfazed cashier, however, repeated that the store had no record of any credit owed to him. She was sincerely apologetic, while the man was nearly apoplectic.  However, when he realized that he was not going to receive any compensation from the firm but polite cashier, the man huffed and quickly exited the store. This in

June is national accordion awareness month. So before the month’s end, following my past reviews singling out instruments from harmonica, flute, base, piano, keyboard, I thought I’d give accordion it’s due. The accordion, also called the “concertina,” is primarily used to accompany traditional polka music but has been featured in many classical and modern musical works, from jazz and zydeco to folk, gospel, blues, and even rock and pop.Some top songs featuring accordion include several songs by John Mellencamp, Billy Joel, Bruce Hornsby, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Counting Crows, Jethro Tull, Mark Knopfler, Los Lobos, and the Beach Boys, as well as individual songs by artists including Bruce Springsteen, the Talking Heads, Elton John, Styx, Aerosmith, R.E.M., The Band, The The, Roger Waters, even Paul McCartney. An interesting fact given The Band and The The appear in this playlist: The The chose their name to try to come up with what they felt was a more ridiculous, less creative, less de

It's S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night and you're listening to a little R-o-c-k in the USA.  What's your favorite song that spells something in the lyrics?  Another of my favorites: R.A.M.O.N.E.S Ramones!

 💛 Heart of gold. 💛 Koko, gorilla who communicated with sign language and raised kittens, dies at 46 (June 21, 2018) [PBS] Koko (gorilla) [WIKI]  

June 22, 1963, little Stevie Wonder first entered the US singles chart. His song, also featuring a young Marvin Gaye on drums, was not only the first live non-studio musical recording to reach No.1 , it also made him the youngest solo performer to ever reach No.1, actually only 12 years old when the song was recorded. His song provides the theme for today’s blog and playlist, songs that feature the harmonica. Harmonica, also known as the French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used prominently in folk music, jazz, country, classical music, and rock. Stevie is highlighted in both his solo career as well as his collaborations with the likes of Dion Warwick, Elton John, Sting, Eurythmics, James Taylor, and even Snoop Dog and Jason Derulo, among many others. Artists with several songs on the list include: The Beatles with “Love Me Do,” “From Me To You,” “Should Have Known Better,” and “Rocky Racoon;” Led Zeppelin with “When the Levee Breaks,” “Bring It On Home,

So, what are you doing?  Use a song title to tell us. It's a gray day and a bit chilly outside today, so I'm  . . .  Watching The Wheels  -  John Lennonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6xMc-PQ25Q I'm just sittin' here doing time  

Name any song that has another song’s title in the lyrics. Songs that refer to another song, but may not have the complete title, are also acceptable for this topic. I’ll start with this one - Speed King - Deep PurpleGood Golly Miss MollyTutti FruittiLucilleHard Headed Woman   

Spoiler (Highlight to read) Hair, it's part of our bodies but a different kind of body part.  It grows forever or vanishes completely. Sometimes it gets frizzy in the rain.   It can turn colors by itself even without our help.  Other body parts don't do those things (we hope).   How many songs can we come up with that are about or mention hair?  I will start with the obvious, "Hair" from the musical and by the Cowsills.  Hair, it's part of our bodies but a different kind of body part.  It grows forever or vanishes completely. Sometimes it gets frizzy in the rain.   It can turn colors by itself even without our help.  Other body parts don't do those things (we hope).   How many songs can we come up with that are about or mention hair?  I will start with the obvious, "Hair" from the musical and by the Cowsills. 

Don’t think this one has been done before. How many songs are there with “Always” or “Never” in the title? Always Somewhere - Scorpions Never Before - Deep Purple

Nothing like a good Dad joke! Always told in the car, in front of your friends, and to total strangers. Goal: Embarrassment. Laugh riot. Super dry. Unforgettable (because they're so bad). Oy yoi yoi.  [Happy Daddy's/Father's/Pops'/Papa's/Step Dads' (too) Day]

I'll start with: Laugh Laugh:  Beau Brummels

 ▶️To reply, click on reply button at bottom of this post. Enter your text. Click reply button again.◀️ ***READ comments and/or ADD a comment*** What FREE activities are YOU doing? 🤔 Thanks, Nicole ‌🛶‌ (Leisure & Lifestyle Forum)

A Parrots’ Paradise Overlooking a Busy Street in HonoluluYesterday before dusk as I was looking at the street across from my friend’s apartment, I saw a stunning vista. Hundreds of brilliantly bright green parrots were enveloping at least twenty spacious banyan trees. At first, the birds didn’t land on any branches; they just teasingly swirled and twirled, curled and cavorted around the width of the trees, from top to bottom. Some of them even dive-bombed and, at the last second, fluttered away towards adjacent lush foliage. Although none of the parrots were in sync, they had a predetermined plan. After about fifteen minutes of acrobatic arabesques, they all nestled into different canopied areas of the banyan trees, presumably for the night.What a spectacular ritual that is just one of the kaleidoscopic life-enhancing distractions from the hub-bub of the city: iconic trade winds invigorate me, resplendent rainbows briefly enveloped in mist stir my soul, sprightly roosters followed by h