Idol Banter

Going Home

I hadn't been home in more than 10 years, and I suppose there's a bit of truth to the saying that you can never really go back. All of my family have moved to the East Coast, and only a few cousins remain behind. Nonetheless, San Diego will always hold a special place in my heart. My childhood was idyllic - and I can honestly say I wouldn't change anything. The good times, fond childhood friends, and memories all came rushing back as I drove around and tired to remember things the way they were. I was surprised that I pretty much knew my way around without thinking about it too much. You see, I left home in the 80's, and even though I would visit my family when I was in the military, San Diego seemed to grow and expand almost overnight every time I returned. The first photo is of the house that I spent the majority of my childhood in. The second is of my parochial school, St. Didacus which I attended through the eighth grade, and the third is of course my High School - St. Augustine, one of, if not the best HS in Southern CA in the opinion of many (not just mine!). I will say that "Saints" has changed dramatically since my HS school days, but definitely for the better. It was, and is an all-boys Catholic HS, but not to worry, we had a "sister" school just two miles away, Our Lady of Peace, which to my delight was actually a mere two blocks from my house! Next up are Old Town and the San Diego Zoo in the vacation post series. In the meantime I'm going to try and make to Bayfest this year for the 4th and hope to have a few photos, so stay tuned and have a happy and safe holiday!

DCA Impressions

The last time I went to Disneyland (oh, 1993 or so) Disney's California Adventure had just barely opened and didn't seem that interesting from afar. However, this time when I purchased all my tickets for the various places I planned to visit, one of the options was a "Park Hopper" pass which allowed unlimited admission to both parks for two days. Since DCA is literally right across from the Disneyland gates I figured "why not?"

I have to say that as a true Disney aficionado, I was somewhat disappointed by not only the park layout, but also the nature of the rides. To me, the DCA  attractions seem more like something you'd find at any Six Flags park. The rides are very similar except for two, Soarin' over California and The Tower of Terror, which definately have the Dinsey flavor in my opinion. It probably didn't help that Anaheim was in the middle of a heat wave (temperatures were in the 95 F range) and my feet were tired from walking around Disney all day (I know, poor me) - but after only a few hours in DCA we decided to head back to Disneyland to finish the night. It's not that DCA isn't fun, it is - it just seems like it could be "anyparkUSA" to me. Here's a few of the photos I took. Next time I visit I'll probably skip DCA and spend more time at my favorite :) Think it's time to move on to the next phase of the vacation - next up, San Diego!

Diablo III

It's official! Go here to check it out. To say I'm looking forward to this game is an understatement. Leave it to Blizzard to come with something even more compelling than World of Warcraft :)

So Long LynchPhotojournal.com

After more than 10 years, I've decided to pull the site for a number of reasons. Actually it will help motivate me to finally publish some of the more recent photos I've taken, and...this time I will fore go the whole code-from-scratch-hassle and simple post them in a gallery using .Mac. For those of you who visited the site and appreciated the photos and stories - mahalo for all your kind words and encouragement. I'll keep you all updated here as I make progress on the new site :)

If any of you would like a copy of any of the material or photos on the site you can contact me at mjlynch101@mac.com.

Disneyana (part II)

So, I've been reliving fond childhood memories lately and as you might expect, my recent vacation has left me with many, many fond recollections. In that vein, I've also started perusing the various Disney related blogs and even managed to order a few DVD's related to the subject. The first is a collector's edition of "Disneyland: Secrets, Stories, and Magic" which even came with an "old school" ticket book (A-E)! There are plenty of excellent shots of the park and of course a wealth of information about the conceptualization and realization of Disneyland by the folks who know it best. The next DVD I actually purchased at the park and offers a detailed look into all the"imagineering" that went into the the entire park. Not content to simply watch a few videos, I also purchased the "The Disneyland Encyclopedia" which spans the entire history of the park, from its founding more than 50 years ago to the present, this fascinating book explores 500 attractions, restaurants, stores, events, and significant people from Disneyland.

Each of the main encyclopedia entries illuminates the history of a Disneyland landmark, revealing the initial planning strategies for the park’s iconic attractions and detailing how they evolved over the decades. Enriching this unique A-to-Z chronicle are profiles of the personalities who imagined and engineered the kingdom known as "The Happiest Place on Earth."

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a few more of my own photos, so here they are: one of Space Mountain, the Matterhorn (although the skyway is no longer in place, just the towers - so there's no riding through the Matterhorn any more), The entrance to the Jungle Cruise, and the last is of the Mad Hatter's Party teacups. I have so many pictures and my own stories that I could probably start another blog about Disneyland - but that's already been done many times over. I may post a few more photos, or I might move on to the San Diego portion of the trip - we'll see :)

PS - Here's a little something straight from the Haunted Mansion - your very own , authentic, wallpaper :) Save this picture to your computer's desktop and use it, it works best if you "tile" the pattern so that it appears seemless. Check out more ghoulish delights at Doombuggies.com!

The Maunawili Trail

Hiking is one of my favorite activities, regardless of where I may be. Whether it's the slopes of Mt. Rainier, The Palgong-san Provincial Park in Daegu S. Korea, or any of the many, many trails here in paradise, it's not often that I'll turn down a chance to hike. For me it combines several of the things I love most - the outdoors, photography (most of the time), and a chance to stretch my legs and just be thankful that I live here...pretty simple actually. So, last Saturday I decided to head down the old Pali Highyway and see what happens.

The beginning of the trail is all downhill, of course I always keep in mind that with hiking what goes down, must come up (unless you hike from one end to the other)! The old Pali Highyway and Pali Lookout are popular tourist destination for two reasons - spectacular views of the windward side, and the history surrounding it.

So, with all that in mind I just wanted to see where it ended - so to speak. Despite the fact that is was overcast on the Pali (not unusual as rain falls here just about every day of the year), the views were still amazing. Here's a shot looking up toward the beginning of the trail.

After a brief walk the Windward side comes into view - and I can honestly say I never get tired of looking at the mountains and valleys, even when I'm driving.

It wasn't long before I reached the bottom where the new Pali Hwy crosses over the old. Here I had a choice to make - continue on beneath the current freeway in search of a waterfall I'd been told about, or take the Maunawili Trail- whose simple sign beckoned me onward.

The entire trail length is about 9 miles, and wraps around the Koolau Mountain Range and consists of mostly level trails, although there are some definite ups and downs along the way. The trail is well maintained and usually dry this time of year despite all the rain the Windward side gets. If you follow the entire trail you will eventually end up at the Maunawili Falls and then into Waimanalo Town.

I reached the trail head split and made my way down to the falls area, however, since I hadn't really planned to hike this far originally, had half a bottle of water left, and the entire return trip to make (a good idea would be to take two cars, leave one at each end of the trail), I decided to head back with the falls in sight. Here's a shot of Makapuu and Goat island in the distance to give you an idea of perspective. Next time I plan to start earlier in the day, bring more water, and hike the entire route!

Big Brother is a WoW Player...

As I predicted several years ago, our government has finally admitted that they are actually monitoring, and obviously playing several of the most popular MMORPGs out there, including World of Warcraft - so watch out all you cyberterrorist, bullies, and..well...everyone! It won't be long until until your internet usage time, patterns, and personal information ends up being regulated. Cheers to PBS for an accurate and unbaised report.

Murder in the 808

Hawaii: beautiful - check, expensive - check, clueless legal system – check,  increasingly violent and moving towards Mainland ideology -*sigh* Sure - the papers report that "crime is down for the fourth straight year" here in paradise - however, as one who works for City & County and knows far more than the papers/media (at times laughingly) report, I can only shake my head in sad disbelief.

Two days ago yet another Good Samaritan was murdered, and surprise, the murderer is a FELON WITH 19 PRIOR CONVICTIONS including the possession, use, and distribution of methamphetamine. To say the court system here needs to be revamped is sickeningly obvious. 

"Police yesterday arrested a felon recently released from jail for the fatal stabbing of a Good Samaritan who intervened when the suspect allegedly struck a woman early Sunday morning in Kane'ohe. Glenn J. Keohokapu Jr., 35, was arrested by police shortly after 7 p.m. and was expected to be booked for second-degree murder in the stabbing death of 19-year-old Steven Wilcox of Waimanalo.

 

The suspect has 19 prior convictions and was recently released from prison. He was sentenced to five years confinement with a two-year mandatory minimum sentence in April 2003 for third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug. Keohokapu also has felony convictions for second-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and felony shoplifting. His criminal record dates back to December 1991.

 

Wilcox was the third attack — two of them fatal — on Good Samaritans on O'ahu this year. Ned Nakoa Jr., 58, was fatally beaten last month after he tried to keep two young men from stealing a tourist's purse in Waikiki And in January, a 69-year-old man was knocked unconscious when he tried to intervene in the beating death of Janel Tupuola in Kailua.

The Kailua incident prompted a bill in the Legislature to protect Good Samaritans. The bill failed in conference committee. Introduced by Sen. Fred Hemmings, R-25th, the measure would have increased penalties for people convicted of injuring a Good Samaritan."

Why are these parasites of society given a second, third, fourth, fifth etc etc chance? I'm not going to invoke religion, politics, or anything of the sort here - and I could care less what all the bleeding hearts out there think (you are the very people who allow these waste of genetic material animals so many opportunities to repeat and continue their felonious ways) but I do believe this wholeheartedly: The minute you take away someone else's rights - as in this case, permanently, you give up your own rights. Stand this motherfucker up in front of a wall, give me a rifle and I guarantee his felonious way will end. Think that's harsh, try seeing what I see on a daily basis, and try dealing with the families and friends of the ones who are senselessly victimized. One way or another, the madness and total disregard for human life needs to STOP.

Disneyland - part 1!

What can I say about Disneyland that hasn't been said a million times over? To me, it truly is a magical place full of fond childhood memories and excitement. I remember the semi-annual trips my family would make to Anaheim from San Diego, and the excitement my brother and I would feel as the Matterhorn came into view from the freeway. Flash forward a number of years and I still felt the that sense of happiness and anticipation as the shuttle approached. All of my favorites were there - The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain (much improved since I last rode it)...you get the idea. And that's perhaps what makes Disneyland so special to me, for no matter how many times I visit, or how long I stay away, Disneyland always feels like home to me, like it truly is "The Happiest Place on Earth." Here's a few photos (click to enlarge of course)  - I have much more to share, but you'll just have to wait :)

Done Sorting!

In the meantime here's a nifty clock until I post the pics - It actually tells time...sort of :)