This is my blog of broken dreams... not really. Just me posting shit to the internet. It's not all shit. Some of it is really cool shit! Parental Guidance is strongly advised. Mostly because kids might need help reading some of this shit. Shit be all fucked up.

Weird instances, are they destiny?

Destiny, it is an interesting word: a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency.

It is strange how my life has turned out as of late. I have come to realize that the past has effected me more than my own comings and goings of everyday life. The things I do today are not that different from what my family had done before I was even born. It is all as if my destiny were to continue on with the things my family has done in the past.

You are probably wondering, “WTF is he talking about?” Let me explain. If you have followed me on my blog for a long time, then you know that I love photography. If you seen me live video streaming music to anybody who wants to listen. If you follow me on twitter, you know that I love the hell out of entertainment and the entertainment business. So let’s talk about these things here.

Photography:

Before I was even thought of, my grandfather (Mom’s Dad) worked for the US Military during the Korean war. He was responsible for “Recon” is a good word to say without calling it “spying.” So he was basically a photographer and come to find out liked it. I never knew this because I have never seen any of the photos he’s taken. I found out when I was digging through my grandmother’s closet back in 2008. I had moved out years before and I was trying to find some stuff I may have. I looked up and there was an interesting leather case that resembled a camera. Sure enough, it was a camera.

A little brief information about the camera:

  • It is from 1957
  • It is the Argus C-Fourty-Four
  • It is technically an SLR as the lenses are changeable
  • The lens it has is a 50mm/f2.8
  • You control the f/Stop via the front ring
  • Focus is controlled through the Range Finder
  • Shutter speeds go from 300 – 10 and Bulb

For how old the camera is I am pretty impressed with the features it does have.  I told my self that I would fix it, but I never really got around to it. In my last blog post, I talk about a family member I lost to cancer just a few weeks ago. During that time I really needed to take my mind elsewhere. So I went about figuring out what I needed to do to get this camera working again. Didn’t take much but it does work. The first photo is something I took  riding home from work one day.

Here are some other sample shots:

Music:

Music has always been an important part of my life as I’m sure it is for a lot of people. In my life my parents brought me up listening to a lot of music from the their past and pushing me to always either play or sing music. I’ve played quite a few instruments in my time of being alive and there are many more still yet to be played. Back in the day my dad played bass for some band, my mom did hula and sang Hawaiian songs whenever the occasion called for it. These are things I knew growing up, but recently I have found that I guess my family did a lot of these things in their days. Sure I knew that the sound guy “Hutch” at Shack Waikiki is my uncle and used to play music with my dad. Sure I knew that my family was friends with many influential groups/bands in days of really good old Hawaiian music. I just never really knew how many of them knew of my family.

It was a real eye opener to hear of all the stories they all had, but one that I found real interesting is my Aunty Ahi. I remember meeting her a long long time ago as a kid but I never knew how important she is to a lot of people I interact with on a regular basis.

As for me, I never knew this but apparently everyone else did that my Aunty Ahi basically taught a lot of the local (and I hate to say it this way) Old School DJs how to DJ and mix music. Another piece of my life that I have been doing for a while and finding out that my family had been done it way before me.

Now lets get into entertainment part of it all here. Yes, I went back to working with the radio group I worked with before. One day I walk into a studio with DJ Kool-E, Potato, and DJ 720 discussing something about some back in the day stuff that was on the air about who was the hotter DJ, Ahi or Lisa D. I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that just a few days before I found out that she is family. I don’t know if it’s just the size of the island or the fact that I’m right where I should be sort of.

You tell me what you thing and if you made it this far thank you for reading. It really means a lot.

Life and Death

Sorry if this is a seriously depressing one for you all to read but I just need to put down my thoughts of late.

Recently my aunty died from cancer just two weeks ago (June 26, 2011) and tomorrow we will be having the funeral. I’ve been fighting to stay strong this whole time but I’m finding harder and harder to do so. The family has requested that my cousin (her daughter), my brother and I sing a few songs for her. It was a hard challenge to choose a song for such a wonderful person. She lived through a time when music was up lifting, heartfelt, produced by those who sang them, a time when it wasn’t just about making money, but telling a story.

Right now I’m listening to some classical piano jazz music (well in the style of it even though it is Final Fantasy Songs) to keep my head up. Tomorrow we’ll be singing, and I’m going to try my best to keep my head up for her. Right now I know that things are better for her and she is no longer in pain. I just hope that the music we sing will reach her and bring her peace.

If you are wondering the songs we are going to be singing, I choose C&K – About You and everyone remembered that she loved The Eagles – Best of My Love. Two great songs.I remember back in the days when I was still working with KUMU and we had C&K playing a show for us. Mandy said something that I will never forget, “Through all the years of C&K music, there will always be one song that they can relate themselves to.” I’ve thought about it and I have a few that I can relate to, and tomorrow I can add one more track of theirs to my list. I love that song and I know she did too.

It is just amazing how much music is a big part of my life. Probably before I was even born music has been a part of me. I may not be the perfect singer and I know it, but that doesn’t stop me from singing. I play mediocre at best, but my family is still proud of the fact that I can play instruments. I will always be proud of the fact that my family thinks of my brother and I when it comes to doing something special.

I am especially proud of all things that my aunty was capable of doing in the life she lived. Oh the stories and memories that we shared. It was interesting to hear all the stories of what growing up for her was like. I thought I was crazy in all the things that I do, but back in the day sounds like even better times. I think I barely scratched the surface of what can and is possible. I am glad that she got to enjoy so many things in life and that she fulfilled so many things. She has two wonderful daughters who I am happy to have as cousins. An amazing husband whom I cherish as an Uncle. (Sorry uncle Brian for not taking a beer the other day, but I got my health problems too lol. Thanks for the water though.)

As for the words I never had the chance to say:

Aunty Renee,

I love you. You have always been a big part of my life. As screwed up as we always think we Criscolas can be, it is in our screwed up ways that make us amazing people to be around. It was always a blast the whole family getting together talking story like a bunch of drunk potogees. It was all those good times that I will forever remember. It was all those good times that make me remember what a great person you were. You a light in my heart that I will never let go out till my very own last breathe. You are a big piece of my heart that shall always remain and will be there to remind me that good times are a simple story, joke, smile, and a laugh away.

I love you Aunty Renee Ige-Criscola

Sunset Beach – June 10, 2011 – Kamehameha Day

So, for the first time in a very long time, my girlfriend and I had a day off together. YAY! So we decided to go to the North Shore here on Oahu and snorkel at Sunset Beach.

It was a great day. Woke up early to beat the long line that usually forms and got there around I’d say 10AM. Great parking up front and our usual spot under the palm tree to the right.

After relaxing for a bit and waiting for the sun to warm up the water, I had started putting together a story board in my head. I wanted to shoot with my GoPro again and see what I could do if I thought about it before hand. So here’s the result of that.

Music: Dub-FX – Love Someone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiInBOVHpO8
http://www.dubfx.net/

The guy is a musical genius!

So what have I learned from this experience of shooting?

1. I need to get some fins for myself. You have no idea how hard it is to keep a little camera stable while struggling to stay down.

2. Where to point the camera. A lot of the time I’m pointing the camera at the horizon. Something I really can’t tell with my version of GoPro. It has no screen so I have no idea what I’m looking at. So I need to over compensate that wide angle lens. Not just left and right but up and down.

3. Practice staying down. I used to be able to stay down longer, but I don’t go diving as often as I used to. Ear pains keep me from staying down and running out of breathe is not good.

All in all though I am very proud of my baby diving down. She isn’t the best underwater swimmer and here I have proof of her taking the plunge. YAY!

Video Editing

So recently I have found my self trying more and more to shoot some video. Yes, I love being a photographer, but I want to do more with videos as well. I just have one problem, damn do I hate editing. It takes so much more to do, either that or I’m just not sure yet what I want my videos to contain.

I have recently picked up a GoPro 960 (not the full HD on just yet) and I have to say, what it shoots is simply amazing for such a little thing. Putting something together? well that’s my challenge. I think it’s mostly because I don’t know how to use Sony Vegas hahaha.

Well here are some videos, I hope you like them.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ZXRPLEFvE&hd=1 640 390]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYUHAGZuPSk&hd=1 640 390]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XWDZe-5sWA&hd=1 640 390]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDa5YCFOZIg&hd=1 640 390]

More coming soon I hopes!

David Choi – LIVE! Hard Rock Cafe Waikiki, Honolulu – May 07, 2011

YouTube sensation, David Choi, performed live on Saturday night to a packed house. Well when you consider how many people are on YouTube doing music, It’s amazing that so many people here in Hawaii know of his music. Of course it also helps that he is asian and well we have a pretty big population of asian people here.

There was something I noticed though while trying to get pictures of the event… iPhones were out numbered by Android devices. Now you’re probably wondering, “How do you know that?” Lately at concerts it has become apparent that everybody and their Grandma got a cellphone and now most record video. Well when David came out on stage all the cellphones went up in the air and I noticed almost all were Android devices. I was so happy to see that lol :-p

See all the little screens? LoL Anyways if you want to see the rest of the photos here’s the link. You can also view the slideshow :-)