I, me, whatevah...

I was tagged by (someone in my contact list). But since he didn't even stop by at all after tagging me, I may just default to Sam since she came by to do so...

 

I took this pic a couple of weeks ago as part of a "before and after" series.

Before, that is... THE CUT!

 

Yup! I chopped off ALL of my hair to a buzz cut (with just a little length on top). And for the record, this was NOT my normal look before the haircut. Yes, I look dour here (as well as being unshaven), but I hoped it would enhance the difference when I post the new pic with a happy face plastered on me (haha). I usually wore my hair styled back over my ears a bit, and am always clean shaven. Plus, the intentional dark vignetting helps to make the mood dark here as well!

 

As part of the "16 Random Things" tag game, most are posting SPs, so I thought I would go ahead and post it anyway--against my better judgement, (and the recommendation of others who collectively said that I look: scary, scared, mad, like a caveman and my personal favorite from a college buddy who really knows me... "evil.") Trust me, I'm not (hehe).

 

View larger and scarier!

 

On to the:

 

16 random things about me...

 

1) I love music!!! I am constantly either listening to my iPod, or playing my iTunes playlists. I have a dedicated computer "just" for music and movies that I've ripped into iTunes.

I play guitar. Mostly solo, acoustic, fingerstyle guitar in altered tunings and Hawaiian Slack Key style (hence my long nails on my right hand in the picture--I had actually just trimmed them for the pic, they're usually longer, but it is only the thumb, forefinger and middle finger nails.)

 

My favorite genres are: Acoustic guitar, Hawaiian Slack Key, Contemporary Hawaiian, Classic Rock, '90s alternative and early '90s grunge, some good ol' '70s disco, and early '70s soul and R&B. My favorite song...? Impossible to come up with one. But I will say my favorite part of a song is from 3:05 to 7:05 (end) of The Beatles' "Hey Jude." It's nothing but, "Naaaaa, na na, na na na naaaa, na na na naaaa, heeeeey Jude!" for four minutes... And it's still not long enough. Perfect music there! The most listened to track in my iTunes Playlist (counting the number of times listened to in iTunes (since 2001--I've had the same system file catalog since then), my iPod and iPhone is: "Hijacker" by Preston Reed. It is a reeeeeally cool, solo, acoustic, tap 'n' slap-style, percussively played song! I sometimes put it on repeat and will listen to it during long walks or bike rides!

 

2) I am very much into self-configuring my media center. In addition to the iTunes machine above, I also have a Mac Mini hooked up to a Samsung 42" HD flat screen via HDMI. I have it connected to an external terabyte drive with nearly 1000 movies ripped to it. I use the remote that comes with Macs, and the built-in Front Row engine to watch all of the movies! It sure beats thumbing through several, large wallets of DVDs, or having to watch DVDs right away on the night that you rent them.

 

3) I totally do not get the whole ring tones craze for phones! Especially why people will pay twice to three times as much (2 or 3 bucks) for them than what the regular version of the song costs online (99 cents). I mean, what is up with the fifty-somethin' year-old guy who's phone rings with "My Hump" by the Black Eyed Peas? (haha--Loved that episode of The Office). Personally, I'm really hip on using the "old phone" ring tone. You know the one that sounds like a phone used to sound in the '50s, '60s and '70s before electronic sounds took over?)

 

4) I get annoyed at the incorrect usage of the pronoun "I" as well as the incorrect usage of the apostrophe character when typing. It's to the point of me becoming curmudgeonly :-) For example, when someone posts an image of themselves and their dog Spot, it isn't "Spot and I," it's "Spot and me!" It's simple really... whatever sounds correct by itself (I or me) is also correct when coupled with another noun. Also when others use apostrophes when pluralizing abbreviations or numbers, that drives me nut too. It's '70s, '80s and '90s, not 70's, 80's and 90's... and, it's CDs, DVDs and MP3s, not CD's, DVD's and MP3's!

Sorry if you're one who does either of these... I should probably take a chill pill and get over it! (haha)

 

5) I eat all of my food portions off the plate one at a time. Growing up it drove my mom crazy! She used to call me out on it in front of people during dinners...

 

6) I have used Photoshop since the original beta version (pre-1.0) in 1990! It has come a looooooong way baby! In 1998, I taught a seminar called "Photoshop for Architects" in 25 cities around the country. I broke even on the fees made vs. the costs to put it on, but it was worth it to visit the 25 largest cities across the county in one summer! I would do it again, only to break even, in a heartbeat... Who's with me?

:-)

 

7) A lot of people call me a chameleon because I never look the same from one moment in time 'til the next time they see me. Really, nearly 50 people or so in my life have said something to this effect. My hair will either be long, medium or short, or I'll have a full beard, goatee, soul patch, or be clean shaven, I'll be slightly underweight, very fit, or a little heavy. Combine all of those traits into different combinations, and you have a master of disguise, hehe! Although I can probably count on just two hands the number of years in my life I have had short hair. It's fair to say I've had long hair for 75% of my life.

In addition to the traits above changing, even my height has changed after the normal time of growing. In my junior year of high school, I was 6'-1" (185 cm). I didn't grow again until my junior year of college when I grew to 6'-2" (188 cm). And finally, several years later in my 30s, I grew to 6'-3" (191 cm) where I currently reside. I'm 43 now, so I'm pretty sure I'll only shrink from here on out!

 

8) I took piloting lessons but had to suspend them due to recored rains in Hawaii in the Spring of '06. I completed ground school, but just need to go back up with a CFI and continue the lessons. My friend Paul has a Cirrus SR20 GTS. I go up with him fairly often flying between Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Lanai and the Big Isle! It is a four-seater single-engine (prop) Lexus in the sky! It's a blast! It's as easy to fly as driving a car...

 

9) My fave photographers are Ansel Adams and George Tice. Together, they have shown America better than any photographers I can think of. And both of them show different aspects. Ansel focuses on the majesty of nature, (in particular the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite Valley), while Tice expertly captures the urban, suburban and rural living aspects of America and its people!

 

10) I am of Spanish descent but have never been to Spain, and I have forgotten whatever Spanish I once knew... However, I have been to Italy twice, and speak Italian (moderately). I'm a bit ashamed of this so I feel that I must rectify it and explore Spain soon!

 

11) I loooooove single-malt Scotch whisky. Not the blended kind like Dewar's, Chivas and Johnnie Walker; but real, single-malt, distilled whiskies like Lagavulin, Oban, Laphroaig, Glenmorangie, etc. Any of the classic six really! (thanks for the spell check G.)

 

12) I once fell asleep when younger on a hard tile floor using an upright Coke can as a pillow. My roommates marveled at this and even took a picture! And no, I don't remember being drunk, just very tired.

 

13) Sports: I am a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE college football fan and root incesantly for my alma mater (Oklahoma Sooners), who's QB just won the Heisman trophy, and our team is playing in the National Championship game on January 8. If we lose, I will be inconsolable! :-(

I was a huge Tennis fanatic when Andre Agassi played, but not so much now that he's retired; and now that Andy Roddick has failed to compete against the giants that are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

 

14) Even though I live in Hawaii, I rarely go into the ocean. I go to the beach a lot for photos, but only wade ankle deep for the shots. No real reason except that I'm just not that into ocean/water sports/play or surfing. I do however love to hike and road bike all over the island, including some very, very steep and high bike routes (Tantalus). I am hoping to ride in the "Ride to the Sun" race in August 2009 which will race from Paia, Maui at sea level, to the summit of Haleakala, 40 somthing miles away and 10,000 feet (3048 M) up.

 

15) I worked in my small town movie theatre growing up. I was the projectionist, concessionist, and marquee changer. I was able to watch every movie that came out in the late-'70s/early-'80s multiple times! When I changed lettering on the marquee, I would climb a 16 foot (5m) high ladder and "walk" the ladder by leaning back and teetering the ladder on only one leg and swaying left to right to have it change from the left to right support and walk it forward. People used to drive out specifically to watch me do this when movies changed over night from Thursday to Friday. In five years, I only fell once, and that was because the aluminum ladder leg buckled. I was OK.

 

16) I am a klutz. I am ALWAYS stubbing my toe, and a couple of times to the point of bleeding or dislocation (I have boats for feet). I also have scrapes and bruises every now and then from just generally running/bumping into things... This is particularly frightening to me because I am not at all afraid of heights, and will get myself into precarious situations trying to get the shot. I just know my klutziness will "do me in" one of these days! ...and I've nearly poked my eyes out dozens of times from my guitar nails... (haha)

 

Well, I'm sure I could've picked a better list of 16 random things, but I decided to just let them come to me as I type. Beware now, as I may tag you if you haven't been tagged before... (mmmmwwahahahaha!)

 

Farewell to 2008 and have a happy and prosperous 2009 everyone!

 

Rex

 

P.S.

Visit back in a few days as I will add links to some of the items in the list if anyone is interested...

Done