Happy Birthday, Brudda Iz

Together In IZ World: Be part of HIZ story

You are a huge part of IZ’s success. Now become part of his story. His ‘ohana (family) around the world has grown in to a tight-knit, knowing community of music lovers. Get to know this community better by hearing their story and comparing it to yours.

Tell us how you discovered IZ, did you see him in concert, what’s your favorite song, how often you listen to IZ, has his music helped you through a rough patch?…it’s all part of the story.

Send us your IZ stories, photos, artwork, videos, etc. and on the week of May 20th, IZ’s birthday, we will post all the submissions we’ve received from you, the fans.

Together In IZ World.

Today, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole would have been 53.

Twinkle, Twinkle

70 Years Later, Or How America Ended Up In WWII

Two words -- Pearl Harbor.

As one that lived in Hawai'i, and who has been to Pearl Harbor dozens of time, I can attest to the rather overpowering images that sit to this day in homage to those that lost their lives on this day in 1941.

From Wikipedia:

The base was attacked by 353^[10] Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.^[10] All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of the eight damaged, six were raised, repaired and returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship,^{[nb 2]} and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed^[12] and 1,282 wounded. The power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.

The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day (December 8) the United States declared war on Japan. Domestic support for isolationism, which had been strong^{[citation needed]}, disappeared. Clandestine support of Britain (for example the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day.

Memorial to the Battleship Arizona, which I have visited numerous times, still gives me the shivers and goose bumps.

The Big Man, Bruddah Iz

I have no idea why I suddenly got into the Hawai'ian mood, but I am. I love to do the hula, and I was always looking to join a hula dance group. I think I am going to do that ... I have the time, and an opening is available.

I have already posted this, but you just can't have enough of "Hene Hene" !!!!

Cecilio and Kapono

For Arno (LOL): C&K were like Loggins & Messina, Hawai'ian style. They were never one of my favorite groups from that time, but hey, they were a pop Hawai'ian group.

Good Times Together

Na Leo

Sorry, into that mood tonight! Lei's to all around.

Pineapple Princess - Na Leo

If You Can't Get Love In Hawai'i, What The Fuck?

Many of my readers know my affection for all things Hawai'ian. Hence, my displeasure at Hawai'ian Gov. Lingle's veto of the civil unions bill.

Time to "channel" bruddah Iz.

In This Life

A Birthday Bash Tonight!

I went to a good friend's 60th birthday party tonight. Man, it was a bash, and I am going to be hard pressed to beat it in spectacularness.

Anyway, it was a fabulous bunch. I knew the birthday girl since 1984 and we cross paths in our business world (although, she's always invited to our office Christmas parties!)

I met lots of people that I didn't really know, despite "hearing" about them from time to time, so it was night to put a face to a name, so to speak.

At our dinner seating, which was not prearranged, on my right was seated a lady that was raised (maybe born there, I forget) in Hawai'i. And she studied ballet ... how coincidental!

I actually wore this bracelet that was my mothers which she bought in Hawai'i in the 1960's, made up of indigenous beans and nuts. Nice to be seated next to someone that enjoyed the aloha spirit ... and could hula, too!

Nice video, Uluwehi Gerrero and Pual Liliehua.




Then Chubby Checkers" "The Twist" came on. I was channeling Jane Krakowski!. I've spent over an hour trying to find (again) the video of her and Chubby Checker doing the twist on" Alley McBeal." Hey, you hit a dry spell now and then!

(cough, cough, exhaling ...) Um, and yeah, some of us took a break (tee hee hee) Pass the dutchie on the left hand side (grins).

Jake Shimabukuro LIVE Concert: Crazy G

The quintessential Jake ... playing the uke with no added acoustics or pedals!

I still have about ten ukes in the house ... my family makes them. I used to teach uke classes to kids, and I sure miss that.

Aria Bruss

Since I am highlighting family, here is Aria's MySpace page, with some songs. I don't have time right now to load them up directly onto my blog, so go to the page, and listen to the songs.

What I like is that she and her brother, Gia, sing the songs in Spanish and play the ukelele! Kind of reminds me of the wedding I went to in Seattle (laughs) where the husband was Mexican (among other ethnic combinations) and the wife was born in Hawai'i, hence, the "spanish and uke" reference!

The Lord Of The Rings

I finally watched the last of the three movies tonight, and cried my eyes out!

I read the Hobbit and then the trilogy while in Hawai'i back in 1978. I had the good fortune to read all four books in one week, 7 to 8 hours a day, and I lived in "Middle Earth" while at the same time living in a paradise on earth, so to speak.

Over the years, many people tried to turn the Hobbit and the trilogy into movies and television specials, but no one did it like Peter Jackson did. He had a vision, and yes, it took three movies to tell the story that was in those four books. If you were able to get past the first 100 pages of The Hobbit, you were definitely into Middle Earth (because those first 100 pages are boring as shit!).

I still don't own the last of the three movies (just the first two) but am definitely going to finally purchase it, and one day, just for the hell of it, watch all three of them in a row.

I almost named my daughter Galadriel (the character played by Cate Blanchett), but I was afraid most people would not even know how to pronounce it.

Haole Hula By Raiatea Helm ft. Keali'i Reichel

Going to close out the night with Haole Hula (haole meaning NOT Hawai'ian). Enjoy!

Aloha Hawaii Ku'u One Hanau

A lot of times, most people want to remember the Tahitian aspect of the Polynesian islands, and call it Hawai'ian. Hawai'ian dancing is not Tahitian, although they share aspects.

This is a lovely example of traditional Hawai'ian dancing.

Mele Kalikimaka

My girlfriend just came back from the Islands and she brought me these plumeria blossom leis, which are my favorite flowers. The aroma that comes from these flowers is just amazing.

Enjoy "Merry Christmas" in Hawai'ian.

Pago Pago Tsunami Pictures

I found these pictures browsing an Hawai'ian newspaper, the Honolulu Star Bulletin. I read a few other state newspapers online.

These series of photos show the tsunami waves hitting the FBI offices in Pago Pago recently.

Eeerie to view.

Pearl Harbor, Remembered

Today is the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i.

I figure if this date has never been made a national holiday, 9/11 will also never be made a day we do not work.

Funny, when I used to live on Oahu and took the bus to work (yes, even back in the 1970's I was still using mass transit, on the island, no less!), when I'd get into Honolulu, at practically every stop an old couple (usually with a New Jersey accent) would ask the bus driver if this was "the bus that went to Pearl Harbor?" After all these years in Los Angeles, and seeing the temperment of the L.A. bus drivers (most are asses) I was always impressed by the patience of the Hawai'ian bus drivers. Me? I would have shot the 100th couple that asked me that question, damn it!

List of those killed.

Another Friday Night In L.A.

These are plumeria flowers, and it is rare to see them in Los Angeles. I first saw them as a teenager in Hawai'i, where they are abundant, and where they are the number one flower used to make the traditional lei. However, they are not considered the state flower. The plumeria blossoms are very fragrant, and last as long as a gardenia with respect to smell. I could not believe I saw this little tree right on my block walking home today!

The critical mass bike riders gathered again this evening. I did not have my camera with me, only my cell phone camera. When I posted this video last month on YouTube, my bus came before the bikers took off. Tonight, however, the bikers took off just before my bus came. Man, oh man, what a sight. Hundreds of bicycles taking up all three lanes on Wilshire Blvd. heading west, where they all turned left on Crenshaw. It was an awesome sight.

Henehene Ko Aka

11 years ago today, Bruddah Iz passed away.




One of my most favorite Iz songs, which I am sure I have already put up one or more times on this blog!

Now, if you want to learn to play it on the ukelele, this video is helpful.



Here is the link for the words and the chords to the song.

Golly, Gee, Carrie's Gonna BUY A CD!

I haven't bought a CD in years. I download my music (cough, cough). I purchased a Diana Krall CD about 8 or 9 years ago, and when I actually spent over two years trying to download the album "Jack Jones Sings Michel Legrand" and came up with only three of the songs, I actually bought it, although I couldn't find it in a store; I purchased it off E-Bay. I am still trying to find a place to purchase one of the two albums recorded by Hula Joe & The Hutjumpers.

I don't listen to radio. And now that artists and the RIAA are going after public radio to finally start paying them royalties for the songs played, that will spell the end of radio as we know it.

Obviously, radio had it's importance for a good many years, and it was what drove popular music and sales. That's why so many "payola" scandals arose from radio and the music industry.

I stopped listening to it when radio stations were changing format every couple of months! You'd finally get a groove on with a station, and next thing you know, it's an all Spanish station, or a right wing talk show. When KZLA, the only country station in Los Angeles on FM radio just disappeared, which followed the earlier withdrawal of Los Angeles' only jazz station, it was the last straw for me.

At first, I just started streaming radio stations over the internet, but not from Los Angeles. I found it funny I could listen real time to stations in Hawai'i or NYC. Then somewhere around early 2000/2001, that changed, when the stations had to go dark (not stream) during commercial breaks, which made listening tough. Also, the lack of proper broadband space to actually deliver proper streams back then made the stations start and stop a lot during the "buffering" phase.

Then all the internet communication sites began offering music, like AOL and Yahoo. I started streaming music from Yahoo about two years ago, and was impressed that there was no buffering. I could actually listen to music from the net without any interruption, for hours at a time. When I checked Yahoo Music's catalogue, I just had to throw up my hands and admit defeat! I actually pay $36 a year to have access to the Yahoo Music catalogue and stream. At work, it is on all the time, with mostly jazz. At home, I play it a lot depending on the mood I am in, funky 70's disco/jazz/fusion or 80's head banging!

I watched the country music awards last month because I wanted to see Garth Brooks live. I ended up becoming a fan of the group Sugarland, after viewing their performance. They did a song that I YouTubed, but could not find on the internet. Finally, browsing their website, I realized the song hadn't even been released yet! Sugarland will be the third CD I will have purchased in the past 8 or 9 years.

King Kamehameha Day

Most of you who read my blog know of my love for the islands of Hawai'i. Today is King Kamehameha Day, celebrated in Hawai'i. Wikipedia has a good rundown on the history of King Kamehameha, which is worth a read.

Happy ho'olaule'a!

Sugarland, My New Fave Group

From Sunday's awards show. Made me a fan forever of this group!

Here's the video of the song. Appears to have been filmed in Hawai'i (since it's Bruddah Iz' birthday, like the symmetry).