Back at One - Cover

This song has a lot of emotional baggage attached to it. When I first learned it, I was trying to get over the fact that the woman I thought I wanted marry had different plans...and they didn't include me.

At that time, someone new came into my life. We met at the health club where we both had memberships. She was an exchange student from Japan and she asked me to help her with writing assignments because she wasn't confident her English was strong enough. While proofreading her work, I fell for her charm and beauty. Things went well for a few months, then out of the blue, she said she couldn't continue because her family wouldn't approve.

In both cases, I was left on my own because both women were more attracted to White men. The first woman told me, "You're everything I could've ever wanted in a man. I'm sure you'd make me very happy. It's, it's, it's just that you're not White." She had grown up dating other Filipino-American guys with disasterous results. There was nothing I could say or do to convince her that I was "different" than the others. The other woman, I later found out, was looking for someone to marry here in the U.S. so that she wouldn't have to go back to Japan. I guess she did me a favor and saved me a future break up.

In between these two women, I had dated a few other women while in college. But, as time has revealed, I kept finding myself on my own. That made me wonder: Did nature intend for me to have a solitary existence? I hope not.



Recently, I've started playing this song again. With good reason. I never thought I could shed the shackles of the past. My first true love has the happy life she deserves and I can't spend the rest of my life in envy of it. My best therapy is to just move on. I've found new inspiration and new life. So this song brings me happiness again. I used to play it over and over again as punishment for not being good enough, or tall enough, or rich enough, or handsome enough, and most unfairly not "White" enough. No more. And, even if I spend the rest of my life as a bachelor, I know I will have lifelong friends to uplift me.

Ninjabeats vs. erniesbudolab - Vegemite Challenge

Oh My God! Nina totally surprised me on her blogTV channel. I showed her my bottle of Vegemite, and then she challenged me to an eating contest. I think we both "lost" and "won." She won the volume category, and I won the least number of gags. We both lost because we had to eat something afterwards just to kill the aftertaste.


No Title- Broadcast your self LIVE

Nina's a kick-in-the-head fun friend. I'm so glad I've got a buddy to joke around with on the internet!

Doorstep Guitar

I was pretty tired from shooting and editing "Skank Session 1." So, I just wanted to cool off and relax. I sat by my front door to meditate to the sounds of the wind and traffic flowing by. After awhile, I had the urge to play guitar. I still had my production gear out...So, I recorded this piece which I composed about five years ago. None of my compositions really have names. "Doorstep Guitar" is just a title I've used to name this post.

Go Pei Sho

Grand Master Robert Trias founded his own style of karate called Shuri Ryu in the late 1950's and early 1960's. He's on record as opening the first Japanese-style dojo in the United States in Arizona.

GM Trias also founded the USKA (United States Karate Association). Around 1971, my former Master (now deceased), was for a short time a member of the USKA. In order to help unify the organization some Shuri Ryu kata were modified to allow for other styles to learn them and compete in open tournament fairly.

Go Pei Sho was created by GM Trias, based on his learnings from the Hopei school of Hsing-I. This kata was one that underwent modification. Some time during the mid-1970's, all Shuri Ryu kata in the USKA were restored to their original forms.

To my knowledge, the modified forms have long been out of practice and probably only exist as file footage on 8mm/16mm films, quadruplex video tape, and hand written notes.

The version of Go Pei Sho that I first learned as a 13 year old from my teachers has remained in tact. I haven't changed anything that was taught to me. If there are others out there that know this or similar version, I'd really like to hear from you.

All My Life - America [Karaoke]

My YouTube friend Riza (aka: bykrgrl17) after FAVing my cover of M2M's "Pretty Boy" (my version was "Pretty Girl"), she requested that I do America's "All My Life."

I found out that "All My Life" became a #1 hit in the Philippines...in 1979. So, when you hear it and think: Boy, that sure sounds out of date! Like Bread's song "If," you'll know why.

Anyway, without any further adieu:



All I need now are some wide collars and flared jeans and I'm set!

Gigil(ing) Grandmas

GIGIL: A most perplexing Tagalog word. Watch this video and find out what it means.

Talking with Miss Lulu (YouTube - BruneiDoLL)

Lulu is a breath of fresh air. She's got a keen sense of observation and international humor which can be seen in her many YouTube posts. She speaks four(?) languages fluently! Through our mutual friend, Nina, I learned about Lulu and found out she's a fellow karateka (Oss!). When not spending time in the dojo at home in Brunei, she's attending university in Australia. The following is an observation she made...

Story of Teenage Rebel:



Since all my closests friends, here in California, have moved out of state to find new lives and new careers in this tough economy, and even though I keep in touch with them by phone, for weekly and daily contact with people I've come to rely on the friendships I've built on YouTube and Blogger to keep me sane. Lulu and Nina are the kid sisters I never had, so it's cool joking around with them. And Aviva from Bowmansinoki (Blogger), has been a real lifesaver and another sister to me. Back on subject: Lulu asked at the end of her video if her viewers were going through a "rebellious phase" with their parents...

My Video Response:



By the way, Lulu is an absolute choco-holic! Mention chocolate, and she perks up. She also takes pretty good pictures as a hobby. See her self portraits and those of her friends and associates (and love of chocolate) here at passion4cocoa!

When You Say Nothing at All

I am in love with this song (at least the Alison Krauss and Union Station version). For many years, I've been playing this song all for myself from time to time. In the mornings on weekends; late at night when no one else is home; or when I'm so sick of being lonely that the only way to get rid of the "blues" was to just explore it until I arose feeling rejuvenated.

There was a woman in my life that I always pictured when singing this song in the past. I don't think of her much these days. She has the life she wanted and deserves. But, there'll always be that place and time we had when some of the best moments during conversations were the pondering silences in between words.

Now, I feel it's time for me to share a song that's kept me company and given me comfort. Strange when you lose a friend. Another one can appear like magic!

Two Videos in One Day = No Sleep

I'm cranking out as many vids as I can before the Holidays really puts a cramp in my side. And, I've got another gasshuku to go to in mid-October.

So, here's two videos I made yesterday:

VIDEO #1: "My New iPod"



The cassette player in my pick up truck finally croaked. Lately, I've been getting tired of "rewind" "fast forward" and "search" just to groove to my road tunes. I won't toss all my mix tapes. Those are going into my archives. All these non-linear functions on all of digital gear has created an impatient society. Now I'm one of them. Good bye analog cassettes...hello iTunes!

VIDEO #2: "Kevin's Birthday Salute"



Kevin is my bestest buddy. In ways, he is more a brother to me than my real life brothers. We've known each other since the age of 14. I've helped him, in small and subtle ways, to grow in the entertainment industry. And for the last 12 years, I've spent almost every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve with him and his family.

Kevin and his wife Melinda now live in Cape Cod. They've found the kind of setting where they feel safe to raise their children as well as launch new careers.

Ernie's Interview with Professor Stephen Hawking

No! Of course it's not a real interview. I wanted to challenge (with the hopes of improving) my editing skills.

This project required about six hours of sitting in front of my computer just to research, locate, and download stills and flash video. Then, I had to convert the flash into mpeg and avi files in order to edit them in Premiere.

At times, I had to separate the audio from the video. Such was the case when I created the Hawking dialog. Speach synthesis was generated using the speak function in the software Movie Magic Screenwriter.



In all there are about seven layers of complexity in this project and another six hours of meshing all the elements together. After watching the final cut, I know there's lots of room for improvement. Primarily, I need to step up from Premiere to Final Cut Pro which means I need a new and more powerful computer to run FCP. Great... Certainly, I haven't truly maximized the potential of the platform I currently have. A few more projects with what I've got will convince me one way or the other. Still, it's tough being a one man show!

But for now, I'm pleased with my progress. For my next project, I'd like to try audio punch-ins, over-dubbing, and green screen video. Just to keep things interesting.

Hamabe Gasshuku and a Walk in the Woods

Every year, for the past eleven years, I've helped raise college scholarship funding for "at-risk" youth. A bunch of us karateka here in Northern California meet at a beach and donate money and buy T-shirts. The non-profit organization also raises funds from other sources. Over the years, we have supported several people up to Bachelor Degrees and technical degrees.

Pretty Girl - Cover (Pretty Boy/M2M)

Whenever I hear a song I want to learn how to play and make a part of my repetoire, inevitably the song is usually sung by a woman or women. From Bjork to Alison Kraus to Joni Mitchell, women have a musical voice that grips my heart at the intro.

Pretty Boy was a hit song in the 90's. M2M was a Norwegian pop music duo composed of two girls - Marion Elise Raven and Marit Elisabeth Larsen (Wikipedia).

To make this song my own, I had to change "boy" to "girl." I made my own guitar arrangement because other covers of this song I found on YouTube I found sadly lacking in rhythm and melody. Mine isn't perfect and as always, with my guitar playng, is a work in progress.

I play this song so much better off camera. It's not so much nerves, but impatience with the production process.



All the different ladies that have given me laughter, inspiration, an ear, and nourishment...this is dedicated to you!

Ernie's Randomania 1

Just some random goofiness:

Budo Rant #2

I don't get pissed off easily. I give most people a lot of wiggle room and forgiveness before I cast them off.

One problem with open forums on the internet is the vulnerablity to hate speech or unjustified negative comments. I've created a new rule for my YouTube account. I will delete negative comments made by people posting from "fake" channels. Fake channels on YouTube are created by people to be used to shield their identities from the public. These people are often referred to as "haters." I'm perfectly willing to accept negative/constructive criticism on my YouTube channel so long as I can respond back in the public forum to "real" accounts. I define a real account on YouTube as a channel that depicts the true identity of the member with a facial record, their real first name (at least), and original video content.

Here's an incident I recorded that I hope I'll never have to repeat:

Hakkakukei Nunchaku Episode 6 - Bonus

Here's the bonus footage promised:

It's a Cakewalk!

Actually, I'm demonstrating the fancy ringtones I have loaded on my cell phone with the aid of Cakewalk's audio production software Sonar 6.

Ernie's 5 Facts - Tag Game

Them YouTubers keep tagging me to say "5" of this or "5" of that...



This was a good exercise in organization and optimizing production and post-production time.

What's Bugging Wilson?

When I get really bored looking at my own blog and YouTube channel, I'll randomly enter in search words or I'll find a video (but not watch it) and click on related videos listed in the side bar.

I don't know how I arrived at YoolerTV. It's a Chinese YouTube channel that usually won't end up on an American/English search. Yet, here it is:



I have no idea what the girl is saying, or why Wilson the cat is so annoyed. The rest of YoolerTV seems to be a bit pervy. But, as an audio technician, I think those canned sound effects in the background are "corny cool!"

Hakkakukei Nunchaku Episode 5

This episode brings my first "How to Make Nunchaku" series to a close. But, it's not completely over. I've promised my YouTube viewers a demonstration of nunchaku techniques using the nunchaku I built from scratch.

I Punched a Cop - Parody

I'm just a silly magnet. Here, I sing a parody of Katy Perry's song I Kissed a Girl.



I needed a break from working on nunchaku videos.

Hakkakukei Nunchaku Episode 4

Here's the fourth installment of my "How to Make Nunchaku" series. [Almost done!]

I Hope I Don't Become Too Fame-Ass

My YouTube following(?) is growing steady, and my tutorial video library is too.

Hakkakukei Nunchaku Episode 3

Here's the third installment of my "How to Make Nunchaku" series.

Hybrid Shmybrid!

Here is the USA, we have very big cars. Even our "economy" cars are bigger than economy cars found in Asia and Europe. Why? The American diet has made us huge. I've done my part (and continue to do so) by lowering my body weight. I used to be as heavy as 243 lbs. I'm now 217 lbs. I feel that I can drop another 20 to 30 lbs. in another year or so.

Back to cars: We Americans need to do more to reduce our carbon emissions (make our carbon footprint smaller). Reducing our tendencies to be obese; using more efficient light bulbs; building tighter homes; cleaner and safer energy generation/collecting; AND making cars that produce less pollution.

I thought about hybrid vehicles. Then, I discovered that the auto manufacturers have no plans on how to dispose of the hybrid batteries once the cars reach the end of their service lives. They are so new that disposal sites do not have a way to process or contain them. That led me to think that we need to improve the efficiency of internal combustion engines until we have a way of applying solar, flywheel, or some other imaginative energy storage solution not yet available.

We're already seeing Smart cars being brought over from Europe here on American streets. People giggle and point when they see them. I think "cool!" Can they be made even smaller?

Then I found this:



The Chinese are notorious for producing counterfeit products; usually jewelry, fashion clothing, electronics, and software. This inventive guy in Shanghai built this car from planks of wood tied together with wire and pieces from the farm yard. It even has a headlight! Somehow, though, I don't think this will pass as a Prius. All I can say is...I WANT ONE! I'll be the envy of all the local Green warriors.

Ernie Opens His Prize From GirlTalkMD!

A few weeks ago, I entered a YouTube Contest conducted by GirlTalkMD, a Mother/Daughter team from Canada. They wanted to know: What's in our purses? They revealed what they had in theirs and invited the YouTube community to video reply with the contents of their purses. Well...I don't carry a purse, but I revealed what I carry in my fannypack. Technically, it's a gun holster that looks like a fannypack. Don't worry. I don't carry a gun. I like it because it's got lots of cargo compartments.


[One more thing to carry...yeah, I know!

Chill Pills or Sloppy Joes?

Christine's original video here

Hakkakukei Nunchaku - Episode 2

Here's the second part in my how-to make nunchaku series on YouTube:

Where Do They Get The Names?

Fellow blogger, Aviva Bowman, asked how do they (Japanese food/candy companies) come up with those strange flavor combinations when they adapt Western recipes/snacks for their markets. I'm like her; some work, others don't.

It's chocolate. It's crunchy... It's CRUNKY?



I thought CRUNKY would have the taste and feel of CRUNCH, but it misses the mark big time. Perhaps it's the percentage of cocoa or the way the "crispies" were made. I assume the candy was made the way it is so that it can survive tropical shipping. An American bar would melt a lot faster, in my opinion. On the pallete, CRUNKY has an almost plastic feel on the tongue, like the residue those wax-lip candies leave behind after you chew on them for awhile.

The parent company LOTTE is huge!

Lotte Group is a large South Korea-Japan chaebol (conglomerate). LOTTE Co., Ltd. was established in June 1948 in Tokyo, Japan by a Korean businessman, Shin Kyuk-Ho (신격호) also known as Shigemitsu Takeo (重光 武雄).

Lotte Group consists of over 50 business units employing 38,000 people engaged in such diverse industries as candy manufacturing, beverages, hotels, fast food, retail, financial services, heavy chemicals, electronics, IT, construction, publishing, and entertainment. Today, Lotte is South Korea's 5th largest conglomerate. Lotte has major operations in South Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, USA, and Russia and continues to expand. (Wikipedia)

I would like to submit my name for the position of: Official Candy Name Thinker-Upper. (I'd like to have offices in Tokyo, Naha, London, New York, and Culver City.) I'll head up the task of re-branding items people think are "weird."

[Scroll down for my "Pocky Party" video. I back dated it to coincide with the original YouTube posting date.]

Hakkakukei Nunchaku Episode 1

This is the first installment of what will be a multi-part DIY kobudo series.

New YouTube Channel - The Legion of Ernies

Here's a place where all YouTubers named "Ernie" can meet each other. The channel will act as a central repository for links to our work, and a hub where the YouTube community can easily find people named Ernie, both men and women.

Pocky Party

Here's a YouTube video response to YouTuber "wallofweird" (aka Katrina).

Rockin' on the 4th of July

Hakkakukei Nunchaku Episode 3

Here's the third installment of my "How to Make Nunchaku" series.

New Nunchaku Videos in Production!

Questions to Asian Males About AMWF Relationships

A fellow YouTuber sent me a link to the video below. I watched her video several times so that I could rephrase her questions in my mind. The second video below were my responses.





I became aware of Asians and White people co-mingling in the early 1970's. This was a time when Vietnamese refugees were arriving in the United States by the thousands. For years, Servicemen were bringing home Asian brides from Korea, the Philippines, and Japan. Predominantly, couples were made up of White men and Asian women. The reverse, Asian men and White women, was an extreme rarity.

Only in the last ten years or so, have Asian American men been able to rise in status in the USA. This has been accomplished partly due to rising prominence in business, sports, entertainment, and intellectual opportunities. Some may also note that perhaps it is just "our time" to enjoy the chance of becoming a popular option for not just White women, but for all kinds of women.

The old stereotype of Asian men being geeky, nerdy, and low on self-esteem is out the window. These stereotypes were actually prejudicial interpretations of Asian character. What was most offensive was the perception of "low self-esteem." In Asian culture, "humility" and the ability to humble one's self is seen as a virtuous trait in a person.

In the USA, according to the current socio-economic norms, if I want to succeed in the dating scene (to attract Asian women AND other ethnicities), I need to be boisterous, self-centered, and treat women like objects. If this is true, I'd rather go on living lonely and alone. That's not who I am. I'm a warrior and gentleman which means I approach everyone with a measured cup of respect.

One last note: Even tough guys need to be rescued. Please ladies, sweep me off my feet!

World Have Your Say - Are We Over-Educated?

Earlier today, I was listening to National Public Radio. They were carrying the BBC Radio's production of World Have Your Say. It's a public call in show that receives views and opinions from around the globe on a variety of topics. Responses can be phoned in; text messaged in; or emailed via their blog site.

One subject they were discussing, pertaining to Africa but open for general discussion, was the topic of over-educated Africans. The dilema, as discussed by on-air talents, was over-educated Africans are not able to function in the "real world" where people must work the available jobs that don't require a PhD. Hosts and callers pointed out that mainly taxpayers covered PhD candidates' expenses and complained that after graduation, graduates leave Africa because they cannot find work in their field of study.

That got me thinking: Are we as global citizens over-educated? How many of us are over-qualified for the job we have (or had)? In the BBC blog, one commentor stated that "education" is for the enrichment of the mind and soul. Education should not have anything to do with "vocation." I didn't get into an argument with anyone, but fifteen years ago, I would have wholeheartedly agreed. After suffering through underpaying jobs, piling debt, and dismally apparent job dissatisfaction, I wholeheartedly...semi-disagree now(eh?).

Committing four (or more) years and tens of thousands of dollars (or more) to one's higher education, in my opinion -these days- cannot be separated from one's vocation. Think of it this way: An insensitive manager at a business demotes a junior back to hourly employee status and says, "Don't take it personal, it's just business." Dammit! If that happened to me, you bet I'd take it pesonally. I spend more time at work than with my family and my friends. Given that analogy, I view university education as practice for working life. School is "on the job training," and work is "training on the job." (Yes, that's what I meant!)

Here's what I had to say on World Have Your Say: BBC Radio Blog

Ernie Replies to GirlTalkMD

The Girls at GirlTalkMD (on YouTube) subscribe to my YouTube channel. They're a mother-daughter team, and they're both a kick in the head. Recently they posted a video called "What's in Our Purses?" Responders, mostly women, have to disclose the contents of their purses.

My buddy, RetardedMango and I, as far as I know are the only guys to participate. Mango described his "purse" as a MAN-BAG. And, I said guys don't carry purses, but I opened up my fannypack for public inspection...



[Double click the frame above to go to YouTube to find links to the original GirlTalkMD video as well as other responders.]

Ramune Soda in the USA

I've seen posted on YouTube clips of kids in the USA trying to open bottles of Ramune soda from Japan. Up until a couple of hours ago, I haven't been able to find a store in my neighborhood that carried the brand.

Well...



Thanks to Sangria USA, Inc. of Torrence, California for bringing this shower in a bottle to America!

I need to get these babies iced down. Taste test coming up! Stay tuned.

Tim Tam Slam-a-thon

Sorry for not posting for awhile. I've been doing some heavy research and video editing for an upcoming project.

On another note, my "Triple String Nunchaku" video tutorial on YouTube has surpassed 5,000 views. It also has been featured on AOL Video, Truveo, Freestyle Nunchaku Forum, and I've received several emails from nunchaku enthusiasts around the world.

To celebrate this achievement, it is customary on YouTube to "glut-o-nize" yourself on some kind of food. I've seen people eat big buckets of chicken wings, an extra large pizza, tubs of this-n-that.

I'm going to binge on Tim Tams from Australia. But, I'm going to "slam" each Tim Tam. "How do you slam a Tim Tam?" you ask. Easy. Bite the ends off, get a cup of your favorite hot beverage, and sip said beverage with the Tim Tam as if t were a straw. When it's filled, it'll start to melt. So, you have to quickly pop it into your mouth where it will EXPLODE with orgasmic deliciousness.

I now present to you, my Tim Tam Slam-a-thon (with musical accompaniment by the B-52's performing "Rocklobster."

Okinawan Pork Products

I bought one of these four years ago:



...and I ate tebishi two years ago!



But Aviva wins the pot pie contest with THIS ONE.

Wiggle Your Big Toe...

I'm not going to try and gloss this over with humor and whimsy. This is one of those mid-life crises we all dread:

What am I going to do with the second half of my life?

Job satisfaction diminishes exponentially. Where are all the women I'm supposed to be compatible with? And 29 years of martial arts training (and all the injuries that comes with it) doesn't exactly have me jumping out of bed in the morning all sprite and ginger.

I chose a lifestyle (or did it chose me?), to follow a humble path of the minstrel-warrior, and have found that I live paycheck to paycheck; I'm up to my neck in debt; My creative juices have become bitter-sweet because the American work ethic demands I work myself dead-tired before I attempt anything I really enjoy; If I ever have children, I'll be too old to play ball with them; And, I'll consider my self lucky if there's anyone present at my funeral (which should take place approximately another 40-50 years from now).

My birthday is a couple of weeks away. I'm like a Klingon from Star Trek, when it comes to birthdays. I don't like parties, or cakes, or gifts. I like quiet meditation (or if I were a Klingon, I'd gloat and wonder why I didn't die a glorious death in combat), and watch some DVD's or catch up on some books I've been meaning to read. Many years ago, my good buddy and his wife took me out to dinner a few days before my actual birthday. They're sneaky like that. At the time, I was in my survivalist-mountainman yamabushi phase. So, they bought me a watch with all the gismo MacGuyver features on it. I put it to good use until it finally ticked its last tock. Sentimentalist I am, I still have it. And that's as far as I'll allow my birthdays to go.

California (SF Bay Area) is becoming increasingly more difficult for single people to stay. I check Craigslist almost everyday for used audio, video, and photographic gear. Artists and engineers are leaving California everyday, dumping their old gear before they go. I've picked up some really good bargains, in the hopes of building a side business in order to raise enough funds to move out of state as well with some savings as a buffer. California is too expensive, overcrowded, drought-prone, under-educated, air polluted, too many bond-measured, and lately - over rated.

As a trained audio recording engineer, people here in the Bay Area have said "Go work for Lucas." Yeah right. There's a group of former Skywalker Sound people that started their own recording studio because of the constant state of fear under Lucas. These guys named their studio: Banned From the Ranch. I tried getting in with these guys and found shut doors there too. [Curiosly, I work with a guy who is cousins with a BFTR guy. He mentioned me to his cousin and forwarded my complaint that "Banned" is just as closed door and arrogant as "Skywalker." His cousin's answer was: Yeah. That's about right.]

Sheesh!

Thank goodness for Blogger and YouTube. Great places to vent and be creative. Thank goodness for friends and family. AND...Thank goodness my one and only student chose me to be his teacher.

Like the character Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill Vol. 1 said after coming out of a coma and struggling to get back on her feet, "Wiggle your big toe." All I have to do is get past the hard part...Everything else gets easier.

We hope!

Walking Around SF Japan Town

SF Sakura Matsuri 2008 J-Town Champloo

I've Been Tagged, Dagnabbit!

A vortex from outerspace must have formed above my head because I'm being suckered into proliferating this cosmic trend.

Six Quirks About Myself

Well, Aviva Bowman tagged me. She and her family are stationed in Okinawa (Her hubby is a Marine; daughter attends school and is Aviva’s favorite photography subject.) I discovered her blog while creating my own.

Now, I have to reveal six quirks about my character.

1. I’m Filipino, but I prefer colder climes.
2. When it comes to books, I have a “read within 5 years pile” and “read within 20 years pile.”
3. My preference is analog over digital.
4. I wish I could sing tenor.
5. I don’t like leftovers, but I’ll eat from dented cans.
6. Deep down, I’m just a “sci-fi kinda guy.”

Here are the tagging rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules in your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers' blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

I’d like to add: No tag backs, please.

Here's the list of people I've tagged. (Half of whom don't know me for which I apologize, but maybe something positive will arise - if you like my blog. I certainly liked yours, otherwise I wouldn't have chosen each of yours.) Back track the tag histories. I've found many interesting and talented people, which is what I suppose this whole game is about: Networking.

Kevin
Perpetual Beginner
Katie
Mostly Torn
Pam
Retarded Mango

Aviva's Future Gear

Aviva is a fellow Blogger and fantastic photographer. She's tagged me. She's challenged my limited Japanese language skills. So, I thought I'd poke fun at her where it hurts the most...


Aviva...If you brought this home, would Craig think you found the keys to the ordinance locker? "Hey Sarge! Where's the rocket launcher?"

OR---


On your next day trip, just throw this simple 160 megapixel 6x17 Seitz in your ruck. How the heck do you pull focus on this thing? And, does Lowepro make a bag to carry it?

OR---[and here's my favorite]


When you're back Stateside, get yourself a surplus stepvan and build yourself a portable (and drivable) gigantic pinhole camera. Let Mia design the paint job.

Actually, Aviva is a great sport. She and her family are based in Okinawa (Hubby is a Marine). Her blog and photos can be found here.

Martial Arts Photos of the SF Sakura Matsuri 2008

I got my act together and opened a Flickr account. I'll still use Photobucket to maintain older posts, but I really like Flickr's variety and my future albums will be hosted there.



Slide Show

Some video:

Kiki's Delivery Service

I'm a big Japanese animation fan. From early Tatsunoko Productions (Speed Racer, Space Cruiser Yamato, and Macross) to Studio Ghibli...

which brings me to:



I have many Studio Ghibli DVD's, but Kiki's Delivery Service (aka: Majo no Takkyubin which translates as "Witch's Delivery Service.") just happens to be my favorite. We're all supposed to go through rites of passage or go on separate journeys to go find our true selves. This film captures that spirit of discovery.

I have both the English and Japanese versions, and both are nice to compare. The essence of Miyazaki's vision carries on in the English. When I want to sit back and enjoy the story, I'll watch it in English. If it's time for me to brush up on my Nihongo, I'll throw on the original version and switch on the subtitles.

This is a nice cozy family film. Get the DVD, make hot coco and snuggle with your little one(s) and/or sweetheart.

Not sure how long these links will last, but for your convenience preview the English version here:

part 01
part 02
part 03
part 04
part 05
part 06
part 07
part 08
part 09
part 10

2008 San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival

I've attended the SF Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) on and off for the past 20 years. Photography, videography, and audio field recording has always been in my blood. This year, I'm documenting everything I find interesting. The celebration takes place over the course of two consecutive weekends, and I plan to test some of my "new" production gear.

What you see here is a montage of screen grabs of some of the video I shot with my retro Sony DCR-TRV27 w/wide angle lens adapter and Beachtek DXA-2 XLR audio adapter set to mono fed by a Shure SM58 (this is my audio test platform which will eventually be either a Canon GL1 or XH-A1 OR Sony VX2100 or FX-7, and some stills with my P&S Fujifilm Finepix S5000. I'm debating on getting a DSLR or go totally retro and do medium format Mamiya...but that means a darkroom.



I've never seen so many people shooting with Canon 1D's before! I think more than half of them didn't use them to a fifth of its potential. They just dropped their credit cards on the counter and bought the best money could buy in the belief they could snap that perfect shot of their kids on stage. But they were never bold enough, like me and the real pro's, to get right up to the stage apron, to ignore yellow security tape and GET THE SHOT NO ONE ELSE DARES. So many people shot full panorama all day long. Photoshop can't fix that!

One shot I'm particulary proud of is one where I set the camera's timer and used my two meter monopod to suspend my camera over a group of taiko drummers. I even had one of my feet on the stage. The pro's couldn't do this because their foot long telephoto were too heavy. My P&S was just the ticket!



I'll have video and more pictures up next week after the conclusion of festivities. I have this weekend's video in rough cut form. Slide show is next. This was just a tease.

Road Rage vs. Road Sage

This is a true story with a laugh track.

Ernie is a [Girl Scout] Cookie Monster

A friend at work bought a couple of boxes of Girl Scout cookies as a favor to a friend. She's been on a diet and had left the cookies on her desk since late February. As a favor to keep her on her diet, I relieved her of the temptations. I just recently dropped twenty-seven pounds and decided to celebrate...by eating some of the cookies.



Thanks Le Ann!

Algorithm March! with Ninjas

Imagine your students getting into this craze:

More Mango...

Hopefully this vid will gain me more subscribers which in turn direct them here to my main blog.



Plus, I had lots of fun making this video and replying to all the responders.

Really Cool Pizza Delivery Guy

...Dan Balan: Crazy Loop

If I could end up being surrounded by Romanian supermodels, I'd deliver pizza.

My Favorite YouTuber - Retarded Mango

Mango is the man! He stands up in defense of the Asian-American male and fights the stereotypes that haunt us and hold us back. Through humor and serious commentary, the Mango strives to make right the many wrongs WE endure everday. (At least until we get girlfriends...)

Witness his genius below:


Here's my tribute poster to the Mango:

Samurai Sword Mekugi Repair

YouTuber karlos91 from Mexico asked how to fix his loose handling daito:

Sarcasm 101

I enjoy a good dose of sarcasm. Sarcasm is what keeps me sane. Too bad some people confuse sarcasm with "rude insensitivity." I believe the Brits are the best at it. Rowan Atkinson is a master of it (check out his Black Adder series).

Who would've thought, we had a sarcasm expert on this side of the pond. Check out Jennifer's lesson here:



Her choice of presenting from her living room makes me feel comfortable...NOT!

Saving Childhood Photos

I thought I had lost this photo, but I recently unearthed it among some other precious and not so precious treasures.

This is my second grade class photo. In an earlier post, I expressed my infatuation with Mrs. Gagnet. (She's gorgeous!) I'm the only Filipino in the class, so I shouldn't be hard to find.

[Original]


[HP Auto Color Corrected]


I'm so glad I found this picture before the color deteriorated too far. I'm going to archive this in gray scale as well.

Odd, I can still remember a few of my classmates names. Eric is to Mrs. Gagnet's left. Wade is top left. The guy in the white shirt (center) is Skip. I think the girl up front, left is Julie. And the half-pint behind Skip is Scooter...maybe?

In other classrooms, the coat room was accessible from both sides of the room. Kids often used the passageways as places to run laps and play tag before and after class. Mrs. Gagnet was smart enough to close off one side with a fish net to control traffic and tame us wild children.

I Miss My Cat

A few years ago, a feral female cat had a litter in my backyard. Though she was too wild to approach, she ate the food I set out for her. She rejected three of her kittens. I've always wondered how she could tell which ones weren't going to make it. None of them died quickly. So, heart broken, I'd collect them and kept them warm and as comfortable as possible. In my hands, I could feel that their rib cages were either incomplete or they were missing shoulder blades. The malformations were probably due to in-breeding.

Among the survivors, there was a jet black male with golden eyes. I called him "Bubba." He was the only male survivor, and his four sisters (I never named the girls...just called all of them "Kitty.")

Bubba was a real lazy cat. He'd climb a nectarine tree next to my house and take naps high in the branches. As he got older and heavier, he settled on sleeping on top of the fence on the property line between my neighbor and I. When I watched TV, sometimes I could hear him through the ceiling run across the roof just before feeding time. The sound of his padded feet was a reminder to me that it was 4:45 PM.

Bubba had to fight his mother and sisters to get a share of food I set out. I also had an old Cocker Spaniel, named Spotty, that would share his food with him. But would bark whenever any of the girls tried to steal a bite. (Note: Spotty used to find the dying kittens, gently pick them up, and bring them to me! I think he was just tired of hearing them cry all the time, and wanted me to make them quiet. Cute, huh?)

Anyway, as the feral mother had more litters, the number of cats got out of hand. My neighbor trapped a few and I trapped a few and brought them to the SPCA. We were never able to catch the mother, and I think she eventually passed away. Two of her daughters that escaped capture gave rise to two rival factions for my backyard and civil war ensued.

During the following two years, Bubba layed low and would occassionally visit to see if there was anything to eat. All of his sisters never let me pick them up or get close enough to touch them, unless I had food. Bubba, on the other hand, was the most docile. The first time I picked him up, he was asleep...in one of my bonsai pots. He wrapped himself around the trunk of black pine tree. Instead of shrieking out, claws exposed when I removed him from my tree, he just slowly opened his eyes and yawned. I wiggled my finger in front of him and scolded him, "No sleepy sleepy on the bonsai...Okay?" From that day on, he never slept in any of my bonsai pots.

As the feline civil war grew to its highest ferver, Bubba looked very ill. His black coat started turning yellow at the hackles and he lost a lot of weight. I think the women were starving him out. Eventually he stopped coming around. I always hoped he found better digs, for he frequently would disappear for longer and longer periods of time only to show up hungry. Perhaps he was seeking new territory and finally found the promised land.

Either way, I miss him a lot. Not long after Bubba stopped coming around, Spotty died. I don't think his death was because of Bubba. Spotty was almost twenty years old (in human years)! The last of the cats are now gone and my back yard is very quiet and peaceful.

I saw this vid on YouTube and it reminded me of Bubba so much, I just had to share it here:

200,000 Miles!

The Toyota 22RE engine is near bulletproof. Witness my truck's odometer reach 200,000 miles...

Manoj: Telemarketer Elite (Mockumentary)

I just had to link this jem!

HappyTips for HappySlip

Christine asked, so I made this video.

Dream Camaro

Sai Sword Wrapping Tutorial

Sorry for the jittery video. I had to compress it to meet YouTube's size limit.

New Guitar + Insomnia = Bouree' in e Minor

Commentary within video. Boy was I sleepy. I just couldn't fall asleep.

Budo Rant #1 - Don't Scream Like Bruce Lee

Tetchy...Aren't I?

Hillary...I've Found My Voice!

Here I am trying to sing. With better gear, my voice and guitar could sound warmer.

Boys and Their Toys

Here I am messing around with my new webcam. It's a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000. After working out all the bugs and figuring out how it works, I think it's a pretty decent piece of tech; not as smooth as an Apple set up...perhaps I'll upgrade to that in a couple of years.

AOL Snags My Video!

I don't know if I should feel honored or annoyed. America Online has reposted my "Triple String Nunchaku" tutorial on their portal without informing me. I guess it's OK since I left the embedding option open on my YouTube account.

As long as the lesson gets out there and safe nunchaku practice is promoted, I've no argument. But as for intellectual property, I want to make it clear to everyone that the video is mine. AOL did the right thing and maintained all the YouTube associated information (my Channel name, my website url, and clip description).

Anyone else that would like to embed my video may do so, so long as credit is given and the video is not altered in any way.

AOL snag Here's AOL's video page.

Shout Out to Ben

Ben from Ohio was the very first person to respond to my nunchaku picture post. When I posted the "Triple String" tutorial, I sent him the YouTube link and in this next video, I thank him for his interest and answer some follow-up questions.

New Logo Design

I figured since I spent hard earned money on Adobe Photoshop, I ought to figure out how to use it. Here's a logo I'll use to intro my video posts on YouTube.

You're looking at the utaguchi or the mouthpiece end of a shakuhachi flute. My YouTube posts will have a few notes played underneath.

Cup O' Joe

Here's my first musical post. I'm breaking in this new Big Baby Taylor Guitar. It's got great projection and a bright tone. Now and then, I flub or buzz a note or two. But as "we" grow together, the more fluid we'll become. Enjoy.


Notes: 1) Yeah, I should have shaved. 2) No, that's not a double-chin. I've got a 21-inch neck...all muscle! 3) I'm wearing gym shorts. 4) At the end, I'm imagining Starbucks goes out of business. 5) Those are nunchaku hanging on the wall.

This is Just Silly

Japanese TV Show: Silent Library

Vintage Karate Lesson for David Bowie

This clip is from the Dinah Shore Show from 1975. Sound advice that still applies.


Bowie hasn't changed much, has he?

I Want One!

Uchinaguchi is Making a Comeback

The people of Okinawa almost lost their native language. In my youth, I thought since Okinawa was part of Japan that they always spoke continental Japanese. After I started practicing karate, my sensei encouraged me to do historical research. Most karateka (practitioners) know the story of the Satsuma invasion and annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The banning of swords led to the development of kobujutsu (improvised weapons) and uchinadi (empty hand fighting).

Like several other indigenous peoples such as Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maori, Native Americans, and even recent immigrants and their children to the USA subject to the education policies of the 1970's (Assimilation-Acculturation models), the Uchinanchu (Okinawans) were compelled to stop speaking their language and use Japanese since the 1800's.

Recently, the elder population of Okinawa have been promoting the use of Uchinaguchi (Okinawa Hogen). They have opened schools and sponsored speech competitions in order to promote and preserve their native language. Of all places to find resources for preserving Uchinaguchi is here in the USA. Southern California and the Mid-West have the largest concentrations of Uchinanchu population outside of Okinawa. Some of these elders were interned along with Japanese-Americans during WWII. Without the influence of the Japanese education system, these native speakers have been speaking pre-WWII Uchinaguchi. There are also other populations in South America.


Yaeko Yokota competing in a language tournament in December 2007.
The subtitles are for people who only speak Japanese!

Byron Fija, son of an American, grew up in Okinawa and teaches the Uchinaguchi he learned from all the "aunties" and "uncles" that raised him.

How to Triple String Your Nunchaku

Wow! Making this video was truly an exercise in patience, endurance, and humility ALL wrapped up in one project. I trashed my original footage and shot/edited what you see below. I'm learning "the ropes" as I go with all this non-linear video, various compression algorithms, and bit rates. Life was much easier during the analog years.

Anyway, I 86'ed the idea of narrating over this tutorial. Speaking was what slowed down the original project in the first place. Just follow along with each of the steps, pause and rewind where you need more detail. (Ocassionally, the two rods are tied together, near the wide ends. This was done for ease of videography. It's actually easier to leave the rods loose.)



Tools & Supplies: 4 piece probe set (from hardware store); parachute cord (#650); rope cutter (or scissor); mini torch (avoid short matches, melted nylon drips); sand paper (to knock down splinters/raised grain); flashlight (when peering down bores); tape measure (to check for equal endplay).

Heavy Metal "Nunchaku"

Yup...the band's name is Nunchaku. From what little I can understand underneath all the power chords and screaming, I'm gonna slap an "MA" (Mature Audience) rating on the lyrics.



I'm using this song to help motivate me to finish editing my first tutorial video which should be done tomorrow. Faster, faster!

Disaster!

Sorry folks...I shot one hour's worth of video and then paired it down to ten minutes as YouTube requires. But, my file size was still way too big (2.1 Gigs).

I cut the video into two halves (planning to post them as "part 1" and "part 2" and then my 'puter started screaming for more disk space. I inadvertantly lost some scene information in the second half as I was transferring the project to my external drive. For some reason, I couldn't recover the data from Premiere's autosave file.

Luckily, I exported the entire file in .avi format before the disaster struck. So, I can use that video to guide my "new and improved" version.

Looking back now, even though I spent the whole weekend working on this, I'm seeing this as a blessing in disguise: This project's pace was way too slow. This video shouldn't be any longer than five minutes. What was I thinking?

A few things I know I need to do: Get a proper lighting kit and a higher resolution camera. And, I need some kind of workshop to do these "how to" demos.

It's almost 3:00 AM and that's the reason why I shelving this failed project. But don't worry. As promised, I will post video on how to re-string nunchaku using the "triple string" method.

At least I got to teach a student this morning (uh no, that was yesterday morning).

I need sleep,
Ernie - Chief Lab Rat

First EBL Video in Production

Due to popular demand, my first video will be "How to 'Triple String' Your Nunchaku." Pictured above, I'm not just bringing my work home, I'm literally taking my work to bed. Yes, that's my notebook computer on a breakfast tray on my futon. I'm getting the hang of Adobe Photoshop and Premiere. I was originally trained to edit video on analog linear systems. Non-linear software is super!

You can also see that I'm not big on decorating. If I had a fisheye lens, you'd see I have five rokushaku-bo, a nunti-bo, and a iyeku stored in my custom built wall rack. I ran out of wall space. So, my other small weapons are stored in a military surplus ALICE pack.

Anyway, I should have this first video in "the can" this weekend. Stay tuned in.

Ernie, Chief Lab Rat

Other Famous Ernies

Yeah, like I’m really famous…


Ernie Borgnine Wikipedia Info


Ernie Hemingway Wikipedia Info


Ernie Banks Wikipedia Info


Ernie Dingo Wikipedia Info


Ernie K-Doe Wikipedia Info


Ernie the Keebler Elf Wikipedia Info


Ernie Pyle Wikipedia Info


Ernie from Sesame Street Wikipedia Info


Ernie Ball Wikipedia Info


Ernie Hudson Wikipedia Info


Momma Ernie Bayer
Founder of the Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club & Mother of Womens Rowing

Perhaps one day, I too can join the ranks of these exemplars!

Less is More

The rain and wind here in the SF Bay Area has put the kibosh on my video shoots. Until I get some clear skies, here's some classic Sesame Street:



Ernie Rules!!!