Finally! We’re not slackers!

By October 27, 2011 Musings, The Daily Dish

If you were playing a word association game, whenever you’d hear, “Generation X,” the word, “slackers,” would likely follow.

Ah, but not any more.

According to a new study, Gen-Xers — those 84 million Americans between 30 and 50 — aren’t the detached, aloof, melancholic bunch we’ve been labeled as. We’re actually technologically savvy, active, balanced and — get this — happy.

In “The Generation X Report,” a research report from the University of Michigan’s Longitudinal Study of American Youth, this generation — born between 1961 and 1981 — are defying the stereotypes.

For example, Generation X devotes more hours to work than average and pursues continuing education, compared to all U.S. adults. A whopping 86 percent are employed and devote at least 40 hours a week to work. And half of all Gen-Xers have completed a post-secondary degree.

That myth that we’re hopelessly single and pessimistic about marriage? Turns out a higher percentage of Gen-Xers stay married than Baby Boomers — I know! — two-thirds are married and 71 percent reported having children in their homes. The vast majority — 83 percent – say finding the right person to marry and having a happy family life is very important.

And my misunderstood generation isn’t made up of existential isolationists. After all, we are the “Friends” generation. We are social, networked and active in our communities. Two-thirds are happy with their jobs. And on a scale of 1 to 10, the median happiness score was 8. (Read more at CNN.com)

Yeah, but I knew this.

I knew were weren’t slackers.

We were part of the Yuppie movement. We’re creative in very deceptive ways. We are part of the generation that founded, defined and evolved the Internet. We used email first. We pirated movies. We traded music online illegally.

We weren’t a bunch of slackers. We just dressed like it.

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Cat Chat: Sweaters and boots

By October 26, 2011 Musings, The Daily Dish, Videos

I’ll be the first to admit: I’m no fashionista.

I rarely use accessories. I primarily wear slippers. And I tend to use the same four solid colors just so I don’t have to worry about matching anything.

Good thing I have friends like Tanna Dang of Eden In Love who can help me in the fashion department! (Trust me, I need the help.)

We stopped by the boutique at Ward Warehouse this week to find out what are some of the latest trends for fall — and how I can actually incorporate them into my life.

Eden In Love, Ward Warehouse, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd. Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Phone: (808) 591-1005

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Not a fan of haunted houses

By October 25, 2011 Musings, The Daily Dish

The last time I went into a haunted house, I decked the guy who scared me.

I’m not kidding.

That was back in intermediate school. Some guy jumped out at me and I hit him — then torn down the wall to get out.

You could say haunted houses aren’t for me. I never got into them, even in high school when all my friends were hanging out at the old Kress Store on Fort Street Mall. I refused to go in, despite how uncool that made me look. I didn’t care. I wasn’t doing it.

My students have been trying to get me to go to Nightmares Live, a haunted attraction at the Dole Cannery run by one of my coworkers at Kapiolani Community College. (Photo, above, was taken by Sean Nakamura.) They raved about it — including the new Claustrophobia that, in name alone, doesn’t appeal to me.

Here’s the thing: I get spooked out easily. And I don’t need to go to a haunted house to feel frightened. I get scared just walking from my office to my car!

So you tell me: what’s the appeal of haunted houses? Or scary movies for that matter? I don’t watch those either!

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Some movies shouldn’t be remade

By October 24, 2011 Musings, The Daily Dish

No, I haven’t seen the remake of “Footloose,” in theaters now.

And I don’t plan to.

The original movie, which hit screens in 1984, wasn’t that good to begin with. Why would I watch a remake?

Granted, it’s starring one of my favorite dancers-turned-actress — the adorable Julianne Hough — and this version doesn’t feature Kevin Bacon in those faded jeans or that equally bad red suit. (Although the skinny tie has made some kind of comeback.)

While there are legions of diehard fans, I don’t think the movie was remake-worthy.

(And, to be honest, classics shouldn’t be remade, either.)

And if I can’t convince you, maybe movie guru Roger Ebert can: “This new ‘Footloose’ is a film without wit, humor or purpose. It sets up the town elders as old farts who hate rock ‘n’ roll. Does it have a clue that the Rev. Moore and all the other city council members are young enough that they grew up on rock ‘n’ roll? The film’s message is: A bad movie, if faithfully remade, will produce another bad movie.”

There.

There were two ’80s-related movies that opened last weekend. The revival of “Footloose” racked in $16.1 million in its opening weekend; the prequel of a 1982 John Carpenter cult hit, “The Thing,” pulled in just $8.7 million.

Those two join the list of ’80s remakes — “Fright Night,” “Conan,” “Arthur,” “The A-Team” — that didn’t have radical results at the box office.

So why can’t these classics — or, at the very least, cult flicks — make it in 2011?

Don’t get me wrong, some of my favorite films — “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “The Breakfast Club,” “The Goonies,” “Say Anything” — were from the ’80s. But I wouldn’t want to see a remake of them, shot with different actors, in a different era, in a different context. It just wouldn’t work.

What do you think?

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Did This: Nonstop Kakaako

By October 23, 2011 #CatTravels

Forty food vendors, eight hours, five artists, three streets and a man cave.

Welcome to Nonstop Kakaako, a (hopefully) annual block party in Kakaako that brought together food, retail and entertainment over a six-acre space along Auahi Street.

Thousands turned out last night to be part of this mega pop-up experience, courtesy of Nonstop Honolulu and Kamehameha Schools. It featured everything from live entertainment to a ladies lounge to a beer garden. Definitely something for everyone. Not to mention, we announced the winners of the Best of Nonstop awards.

I got to emcee the event — yes, all eight hours of it — with my pal, Doc Rock, and had a front-row seat to the entire experience. We saw food trucks like Simply Ono and RB’s Ice Cream Desserts generously give away food to the crew working on the main stage and bands like Yoza and Lost at Sea tear it down. Lots of positive vibes everywhere.

Here’s what last night’s event looked like:

Nonstop Kakaako

Image 1 of 23

This event celebrated the one-year anniversary of Nonstop Honolulu and Kamehameha Schools' plans to develop the neighborhood. Turned out to be a nice pairing.

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