The Simple Voice

Myspace gets choke(tons of) coverage everywhere these days and oh, for about, what, the past year and a half.  It sounds like a wonderful story of the American Dream.   It’s about how Tom Anderson, a “visionary”, put together this awesome site for people to come together and experience new music and network socially. 

Until…

The plot thickens…

I found this article buried:

http://www.valleywag.com/tech/myspace/myspace-the-business-of-spam-20-exhaustive-edition-199924.php

Obviously, it was suppressed by Big Brother, the Man, News Corp, and who ever else we
can think of to blame. Maybe we should blame ourselves.

Myspace was too good to be true. A nearly overnight success. Like Friendster, only better. Great way to connect with old friends and be exposed to new music. What a deal.

No. Frak that. Myspace is still great. I mean, come on, would Tom lie to us…

You know, I hadn’t thought otherwise until now. I mean I thought it was mere coincidence that I knew someone who claimed to date him previously. Real people don’t date celebrities? Right?

Oh sh!t! There’s a pounding on my door. “Who is it?” I ask. “New Friend Request” is the reply from a sinister The Man voice. I think it is true. They are coming to suppress the simple voice. No they say. It can’t be simple random.

Quick. Jump to Virb. I’ll see you all there. Myspace is a scam. Facebook is lame. Virb is our only hope…

You know I used to despise little dogs. I thought it was so stupid how people would dress them up against their will and then carry them all around in bags or whatever else. All I could say was stupid people with their stupid little dogs. Stupid because they were so small that they couldn’t scare anyone coming at you. They were high maintenance. Paris Hilton had one. They were barky dogs. I couldn’t stand them

Then one day it happened: I got a little dog…

He’s part Jack Russell, part Fox Terrier and part Chihuahua. He may be all these parts of different breeds but he’s 100% love if you ask me. Ever since we got him my life has not been the same. Cleaning up accidents here and there. Dog hair all over my work clothes. You name it, all kines is going on. But you know what? He is worth it. My little Hilo Boy, Puppy Man, P-Dog, all of the above.

So to those dumb fucks on the moped riding next to us last night who called my pup a rat… I was once like you. No idea how joyful it could be to have a little dog. You’re ignorant comment will be let go this time. But if the same two people ever call my dog a rat…

I figured out what we could do to hurt oil companies, conserve, save the world, feed the hungry, and there’s more… give our technology a well earned day (time) off. 

Why couldn’t we, the world’s people, the users of Digg.com, del.icio.us, and everything else, work together and agree on block periods of time where we boycott anything oil dependent.  Call it Technology’s Day Off or something catchy that some crafty, witty marketing genius could come up with. 

Now at first glance, this can seem like an utterly horrid idea.  But eh, give it a try.  It might just possibly be the way to help the world, stick it to the oil companies, and have fun at the same time.  I mean sure we’d have to go without our late-breaking movies, music, games, news, rumors, Myxangabookvirbster.com’s, and most importantly Digg.  But if we could agree on random blocks it wouldn’t be so bad. 

Since this idea is a winner, I’ll go ahead and claim that prize money offered by Branson and Gore and ask that they do this instead: throw massive barbecues instead around the world. 

We could even use solar powered grills to cook the burgers.  Imagine providing beef to a worldwide BBQ.  That would surely help to cut down the gaseous emissions that exit said beef’s rear.

All we’d need would be for a quality Beer and Wine makers to jump on board and we’d be in business. 

The BBQ’s would be free thanks to Almost President (or President, depending on who you talk to) Gore and Billionaire Branson.  And if people wanted, just give a dollar or a canned good donation to enter the BBQ and then we have donations to help feed some of our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

So there you have it.  Technology Day Off BBQ Extravaganza Food Drive.  Let’s get started on the days/times.  Choose multiples and we could do this year round.   

Note: Mahalo Talan for your comment on my last blog (http://www.thesimplevoice.com/?p=11)  which inspired this idea.

The price of gas as you all know is fricking out of control. even the gas cap over in hawaii, gas went up 9 cents where i’m at. a few years ago this wouldn’t have mattered but when the average cost to fill up is anywhere from 30-50 dollars, this is definitely a problem.

So what’s the answer? good question. i’ve seen a bulletin for the 70 million or so myspace users for not going and buying gas on may 15th because it would hurt the oil companies.

Interesting approach but it wouldn’t work. why am i, a forever optimist, being cynical because, oh probably half the users are really underage and can’t drive (i’m not talking about the the 24 year who lists his/herself as a 14 year old on their page user, the real 14 year olds.) so cancel them from the equation of 2.5 billion profit loss the brainiac, who thought this idea up, thought we’d be hurting the oil industry.

And there’s more. let’s see, oh, perhaps that another half of those people share a car or do not even own a car. so you figure we started at 2.5 billion, went to 1.25, now we’re at 625 million.

Now let’s say that for that one day, the rest of those people decide to not to drive, and boycott, or whatever. i am going to surmise that what they do in place of driving will shoot the electric bill, water bill, other bills that much higher that it’ll break even in some way, thus the oil company will not lose money in the long run. not to mention the overall 4 billion profit made. say hypothetically that 2.5 billion is lost for the year. there is still a profit of 1.5 billion, which last i checked, still meant that the company would be in the black ink and not losing money.

Lastly, just because you don’t buy gas one day doesn’t mean you don’t buy it on another day. i’m willing to bet that the amount of oil sold each day goes up and down from time to time because there is no way possible that the same amount of people buy gas, oil, whatever, on the same day throughout a year. it’s impossible. so in the end, it evens out regardless.

Novel idea. i applaud the concept, but truly unrealistic. instead of continuing dependence on oil support alternative types of energy.

FOR the people running energy in Hawaii and those going into it. I have one word for you: Solar. Despite the recent crazy weather, Hawaii still gets more sunshine than not. AND, excess energy can be sold back to power companies and/or stored.

FOR the people living in America’s Heartland, here’s your one word: CORN. I saw this thing about these farmers who invested their life savings to build a factory to take their corn and make Ethanol because every year there’s a surplus, and no one is feeding the oh around 2-3 billion starving people in africa, china, and india and wherever else. So why not make it into an alternate form of energy.

FOR any country, living near the ocean. I’m not even going to get started with this one. Just a tidbit. Research is being done on windmills being used underwater and storing the energy produced there. Oh, who would have thought endless energy without pollution because the water is always moving.

People need to think bigger than just one day boycotts and protests and immediate results. There’s an old saying, “May have won the battle, but far from winning the war.” Great concept nonetheless, but care enough to take it all the way meaning investment of more time, thought, and individual/collective energy.

Aloha.

So I was pondering the idea of being depressed and how it really is easy to get out if you try. Here’s the list of things I’ve compiled thus far which I’m sure, at least one of these can work for anyone.

Go for a walk…
Wow. All I gotta say is wow. I’ve been walking alot lately and it’s inspired me to jump rope and hike and yesterday I did Diamond Head two times in a row. The first time I timed it and I did it round trip in 34 minutes. The second time, as I passed people for the third time, the elation really hit me because everyone thought I was insane. All I could think was 1) you’re darn right and 2) the power of the mind.

Keep and Read a Journal…
Fairly insightful when you go back and think about what you were doing when, where, and when. It’s also pretty tight because you can release whatever is being stored up there.

Shave your head…
There’s nothing like buzzing off most or all of your hair. It just feels cool. Cool to the touch, the air is cool, all around cool.

Watch South Park on Mute while playing rap music…
The choppy cartoon movements makes it look like they are rapping and it’s awesome to see how the song you’re listening to may or may not relate to the episode. Try it, you’ll bust out in laughter, guaranteed.

Put golf balls in an old sock…
Makes a great, simple foot massager. Reflexology is pretty big these days and one of the things suggested is to take better care of your “dogs”. I’ve even seen it suggested to go hike barefoot because your feet will naturally get a massage because you walk differently barefoot on trails then if you were to wear shoes.

Make a celebrity dart board…
I try not to be big on hating on celebs but it’s impossible not to these days. I already talked about this in a previous blog so I won’t dwell, but hey, take your least favorie celeb’s photo and use it to improve your dart game. Who knows, maybe you can became a professional dart thrower and you’d have a pretty sweet story to tell about how you honed your skills.

Watch any news cast in America…
There are some pretty crazy and intense segments that make me realize how lucky I am because someone else always has it worse.

Get creative with food…
There are some really healthy, cool things to make that isn’t that hard. It’s a rather exciting challenge to make something great out of three random things that you have in the cupboard and/or fridge/freezer.

While we’re on food…
Eat spicy foods because your body releases feel good chemicals to combat the burning sensations.

Theater hop…
Especially in the coming week. There are choke movies out and with the mass of people going because of Thanksgiving you’ll be able to see three in a day easy. Almost as good as the dollar theatre.

Drink Water…
Lots and lots of it. It’s great. Your body is made up of it so keep it flowing.

Reader’s contribution…
Add your own.

live. love. aloha.

A man walked and saw a child
She was scaling a tree
He ran to her and said,
Stop, what are you thinking?

She looked at him, smiled
And kept climbing
He started up after her,
What if you don’t make it?

He kept on after her
She climbed as if she were born for it.
He slow to a crawl the higher he got.
Child, please you’ll have nothing to fall back on?

She disappeared through the canopy.
He clung for dear life.
She spread her arms out like wings and soared.
Child, how can this be?

She flew down and sat on a branch near him
He cringed in fear
She spoke
This can be, because I believe?

Who will you choose to follow?
Who will you choose to be?
The one taking flight?
Or the one scared to be?

I know we don’t want to hurt
Let’s put down the knives
Our words already cut deep
There’s no need to fight

We were never meant
To be locked
In this casket
That we backed ourselves into
Little did we know, that buried within
A part of each us is another tomb

Each day I struggle
Each day I battle
To never let that part break free

Glimpsed for moments,
But it still passed,
I was myself
No matter how much I was pushed
How it tore at me
Fought in its chamber
To “protect” me

I took all hits, the falls
The cuts never healed
Believe me I tried
As tour conflicts were waged
Chopped down what pillars
Of strength were left inside

Until free that part became
Though only for a brief time
A few minutes was too long
Powerful enough to diminish

All that we ever worked on
That greatness
That beauty
Is it now in peril?
Did we really do this to ourselves
Because it is as much me as it is anyone else

I am saddened (We are saddened)
Throughout all of time the best of friends have made better enemies
As the lines were drawn… blurred… crossed… lost

While I look at this
Take it all in
I can still see the good
I will allow the buried to rise
Let it be free
For Right always prevails
The day may have been stolen
But our calm will reign in the end

You know, I can remember when everyday was a new one,
But was still really familiar.
I can recall how we would walk out hand in hand, across our island.
We explored Together!

Shit, nothing could stand, in our way.
A tree, no match, adversity from others, pshhhh, nada!
Eh, you remember we wen climb the highest mountain.
We were so high, above the clouds even.

Back then, I would never have believed it
If someone told me that with time
The ever emotional
Elements could erode any mountain.

Sad rainfall,
Angry gusts,
The trembling earth,
Would knock us off the Mountain

I never imagined it
Did you?
Now, here we are in an Ocean
We’re swimming alone
The wading, it breathes shared remnants
Of when we adventured together.

The water,
It’s too much.
I’m so cold. It’s so deep
We are both,
So far, far away.

I can’t even see you
But I know you’re out there.

Do you feel the same,
If you do then
That would be another thing
We could share.

I ask:
Have we really come that far away?
Is the tide really pulling?
I thought the ocean brought calm
Why is it that I feel a panging of unease?

But, I’m not alone.
Neither are you.
We have our, old selves

Still locked within
I felt my anger
Swim from the depths
Of my own ocean
And I could see your frustration
Paddling in along your Horizon

Old selves.
Old friends.
Old demons.

Does a tiger
Ever really change
It’s stripes?

I believe so
But, we weren’t careful,
Because the stripes
Will always linger.
Waiting to prey
On all of us.

If only we’d have known.
I’m still swimming.
Are you?

Fuck that! We did know better.
Our tigers shouldn’t have bit each other.
I’m going to fight this.
But I can’t. Not now.
I can’t tread water whilst keeping both tigers at bay.
Can you? Did we ever? Does it matter?

All I know is
We never spoke of such nonsense
High atop the mountain.
There were challenges,
But we didn’t focus on them.
They only became obstacles when our tigers roared.

For now, I’ll keep swimming.
I’ll find land.
When I do, the next adventure is a safari
To take out the tigers
Tame them at least.

Until then, I pray safe passage
For us, for others,
The waters rough you know,
The rain pelts and the wind rips.
I can see the sun
It has to rise
I know it will

Until then, I pray safe passage
For me,
Always for you
Even if we land on different shores,
I know we’ll climb mountains again
Scoff at obstacles
And toast the light.

I believe that.
I’m sorry I couldn’t hold back the tiger.
I was tired of being bit.
Everything is going to be good.
Someday, maybe, it’s today.

Mahalo Ke Akua.

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 Real Local Kine Hero

if only had primo backing…

(ukulele music to the tune of Budweisers Real American Heroes)  Real Local Kine Heroes

Primo salutes you angry pedestrian guy who stood in the middle of the crosswalk by the old tower records and walmart and defiantly stared down in-a-hurry-driver guy, who was in such a rush, he had to run the red light, and then almost hit like five people.  Angry pedestrian just stood there like the champ and raised his arms in a local kine gesture that could only be described as “Wot”, the singlest most deadliest word in all of modern day.  All in-a-hurry driver guy could do was sit there and block traffic, and make ass.

So raise Primo if you can find um or the green bottle of your choice.  Primo Salutes you angry pedestrian guy.

Real Local Kine Heroes!