Welcome to Jankenpon…and thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy playing rock, paper and scissors, too.
You can experience Jankenpon by reading the 30 most recent posts below. After scrolling to the bottom of this page, click on “Older Entries” to read previous posts. You may also view posts by Category or by month, by clicking on the appropriate link in the “Browse” section on the right.
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David on August 28th, 2010
On August 28, 1963– 37 years ago today– Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his landmark speech, “I Have A Dream,” at the March on Washington.
The speech seems as relevant and important today as it did 37 years ago.
David on August 28th, 2010
Today’s video is a recording of Bobby Goldsboro performing his pop hit from 1974, called “Hello, Summertime.” Happy Summer from Jankenpon!
Birds and bees and all the flowers and trees, fishes on the line
Girls and guys and yellow butterflies singing hello summertime
A homemade boat and a river to float nothing on our mind
Summer moon above two people in love singing hello summertime
Summertime laying back in the sun, yes summertime having summertime fun
It’s a time for two just me and you and the summertime
Swing from a limb drop in for a swim, hey the water sure looks fine
Ain’t nothing wrong just floating along singing hello summertime
Summertime grins, lots of good friends we’re all feeling fine
Watch the sun go down, hear the summer sounds singing hello summertime
Summertime laying back in the sun, yes summertime having summertime fun
It’s a time for two just me and you and the summertime
David on August 16th, 2010
“I have woven a parachute out of everything broken.”
– William Stafford (1914-1993)
David on August 15th, 2010
Age is opportunity no less,
Than youth itself, though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.”
–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), Morituri Salutamus
David on August 14th, 2010
This Fall, CBS reboots the classic TV drama Hawaii Five-O, which aired for 12 seasons, from 1968 to 1980. The re-imagined series stars Alex O’Loughlin as Detective Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Grace Park as Detective Kona Kalakaua, Jean Smart as Governor Patricia “Pat” Jamenson.
Here’s the official CBS trailer for the new show.
And here’s a video from CBS showing one of the sessions where the famous theme song for Hawaii Five-O, which was popularized by The Ventures, is being re-recorded.
David on August 14th, 2010
“Doing so is consistent with California’s long history of treating all people and their relationships with equal dignity and respect.”
– California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), in his filing that recommended same sex marriages be immediately allowed in the State of California following Judge Vaughan Walker’s ruling on August 12, 2010 that voter-approved Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equality and due process under law.
David on July 4th, 2010
“O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.”
– Excerpt from “America the Beautiful,” Lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates and Music by Samuel Ward
David on June 26th, 2010
Today’s video is Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking music-video, Black or White, directed by John Landis and released in 1991 on the Dangerous album. The video is a reminder of the creative genius of Michael Jackson, who passed away on May 25, 2009, at the age of 50.
David on June 9th, 2010
The Annual “Take Your Dog to Work” Day is being observed on 6/25/10 and Jankenpon encourages all dog owners to bring their dogs to their workplace, wherever that may be.
To learn more about the event, visit the official Take You Dog to Work website by clicking here.
David on June 5th, 2010
Today’s video is a charming tribute to dachshunds and the joy of dogs, courtesy of Sean Van Damme. Enjoy!
David on June 3rd, 2010
“Compassion is the foundation of everything positive, everything good. If you carry the power of compassion to the marketplace and the dinner table, you can make your life really count.”
– Rue McClanahan, who passed away today, 6/3/10, at the age of 76
David on June 2nd, 2010
“We cannot change the past, but we can change our attitude toward it. Uproot guilt and plant forgiveness. Tear out arrogance and seed humility. Exchange love for hate — thereby, making the present comfortable and the future promising.”
– Maya Angelou (B. 1928)
David on May 29th, 2010
Happy Memorial Day Weekend.
To read more about the history of the national holiday, visit the official Memorial Day website sponsored by the US Department of Veterans Affairs by clicking here.
David on May 29th, 2010
Today’s video is an amusing and witty homage to the genius of Velcro and the Apple iPad– together, at last.
David on May 28th, 2010
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Celebrate!
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
To learn more about the Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, go to the official website by clicking here.
David on May 22nd, 2010
“Hope will never be silent”
– Harvey Milk (1930-1978)
In Honor of Harvey Milk Day, May 22, 2010
David on May 16th, 2010
I’m astounded by people who want to ‘know’ the universe when it’s hard enough to find your way around Chinatown.”
– Woody Allen (B. 1935)
David on May 12th, 2010
We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”
– Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)
David on May 10th, 2010
“It’s not the load the breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”
– Lena Horne, who passed away on 5/9/10 at the age of 92
David on May 8th, 2010
“Always fall in with what you’re asked to accept. Take what is given, and make it over your way. My aim in life has always been to hold my own with whatever’s going. Not against: with.”
– Robert Frost (1874-1963)
David on May 5th, 2010
Happy Cinco de Mayo to all the friends and visitors of Jankenpon.
Above: Peggy (left) and Lucy are celebrating Cinco de Mayo! Let’s party!
David on May 1st, 2010
The TOP 10 FAVORITE HOTELS where I have stayed are:
To go to other posts in the TOP 10 category, click here.
David on May 1st, 2010
Today’s video is an amusing and entertaining tribute to Lady Gaga’s and Beyonce’s music-video “Telephone,” filmed by American troops in Afghanistan.
David on May 1st, 2010
May 1st is Lei Day in Hawaii, where residents celebrate the art of lei-making with contests and exhibitions and when lei makers are busy supplying lei for everyone to wear on this very special day.
Happy Lei Day!
David on May 1st, 2010
This month Jankenpon celebrates its second anniversary. Thank you to all the friends and visitors who have supported Jankenpon over the past two years.
David on April 18th, 2010
Today’s video is “Bad Romance,” by Lady Gaga. According to YouTube, this video has been viewed over 183 million times– astonishing!
David on April 17th, 2010
Every American city possesses some unique qualities and attributes that distinguish it and make it special to its residents and visitors. My personal TOP 10 MOST SPECIAL USA CITIES are:
* Boston, MA
* Charleston, SC
* Key West, FL
* Los Angeles, CA
* New Orleans, LA
* New York City, NY
* San Francisco, CA
* Sedona, AZ
* Savannah, GA
* Washington, D.C.
What are your favorite American cities?
To go to other posts in my TOP 10 LIST category, please click here.
David on April 17th, 2010
Today’s video is called the Renate and Charly Dance Tour, featuring the couple dancing in front of iconic visitor attractions around the world, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Machu Picchu in Peru, Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, to name just a few. The concept of this video is reminiscent of the famous series of videos, called Dancing Matt, by Matt Harding. Enjoy!
David on April 17th, 2010
The two-hour PBS documentary, called The Buddha, directed by David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, can now be viewed online, in its entirety, via the official website. To watch the video, click here.
The film tells the story of Prince Siddhartha, who lived 2,500 years ago in Northern India, and his journey to understand life, death, and the nature of human suffering. Told through a combination of interviews, narration, and animation, the film traces the life of The Buddha, or the “awakened one,” and the growth of Buddhism around the world.
To purchase the DVD from the PBS website, click here.
David on April 9th, 2010
The Summer 2010 movie season gets underway next month with a variety of bigger-budget, lighter fare, including Sex and the City 2, the much-anticipated sequel to 2008’s Sex and The City, The Movie, which grossed $150 million domestically and over $400 million worldwide.
Here’s the latest trailer from New Line Cinema. The film opens May 27.
Other big summer movies include Inception, Salt, Iron Man 2, Toy Story 3 and Robin Hood.
David on April 7th, 2010
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”
–Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
To go to previous entries in the “Today’s Quote” series, click here.
David on April 5th, 2010
“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.”
– Alan Alda (B. 1936)
David on April 4th, 2010
Where is that drink?
This beautiful martini, with a wonderfully long and nicely-curled twist, is served in a generously-sized cocktail glass at Paul K, located at 190 Gough Street, near Oak Street, in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. The cozy restaurant specializes in new Mediterranean cuisine, served in a contemporary, intimate dining room, with a full-service bar.
Above: The sign at Paul K welcomes diners into the cheerful, contemporary dining room (Below).
Above: The small full-service bar at Paul K includes a limited number of stools and an abudance of fresh flowes. Below. The delcious and moist roast duck entree, served with spelt, dates, watercress and hazelnuts– one of the signature dishes.
Paul K is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and for brunch on weekends. To view sample menus from Paul K, click here. To go to the official Paul K website and to make reservations, click here.
To go to previous posts in the “Where is that Drink” series, click here.
David on April 4th, 2010
Today’s website is Noodle and Friends, an online retailer specializing in products designed specially for miniature dachshunds.
Photos above: Examples of some of the products from Noodle and Friends that are designed and sized for miniature dachshunds.
To go to Noodle and Friends, click here. You can also become a fan of Noodle and Friends on Facebook.
David on April 2nd, 2010
So many places, so little time. What are the places I still want to visit? Here is my current TOP 10 LIST OF PLACES YET TO GO.
* Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile
* Bora Bora, French Polynesia
* The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
* Luang Prabang, Laos
* Lhasa, Tibet
* Cairo, Egypt
* Palermo, Sicily
* Thimpu, Bhutan
* #10 is to be determined
Create your own list of TOP 10 PLACES TO GO. To go to the official website of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die, click here.
To go to previous posts in the “TOP 10″ category, click here.
David on March 27th, 2010
“There’s a wind behind evey one of us that take us through our lives
We never see it
We can’t command it
We don’t even know its purposeI would have stayed among you longer
but that wind has taken me awayI will miss it here
And I will miss you
But I am content that the power that propels me
does so with superior knowledge as to what is for the best
and that is my faith.”
–Father Brendan Flynn (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman), in Doubt, 2008 (Written and Directed by John Patrick Shanley, based on his play), Miramax Films
David on March 27th, 2010
“Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life.”
– Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)
David on March 26th, 2010
“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”
— Cesar Chavez (1927-1993)
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on March 26th, 2010
Although the award season for 2009 films is now over, here are my TOP 10 FAVORITE ACTRESSES, which changes from time to time.
* Kate Blanchett
* Glenn Close
* Judy Davis
* Judi Dench
* Faye Dunaway
* Jane Fonda
* Audrey Hepburn
* Katherine Hepburn
* Diane Keaton
* Helen Mirren
* Julianne Moore
* Vanessa Redgrave
* Gena Rolwands
* Susan Sarandon
* Meryl Streep
* Elizabeth Taylor
And, oops, there are more than ten names in this list.
To go to previous posts in the MY TOP 10 category, click here.
David on March 21st, 2010
Today’s video is an appeal from the Humane Society of the United States to Sea World to consider releasing Tilikum, the 29-year old, 12,000-pound captive orca who caused the death of veteran Sea World animal trainer Dawn Brancheau on February 24, 2010. In the video, Naomi Rose, Senior Scientist for the Humane Society of the United States, recounts the story of Keiko, the orca who was made famous in the movie “Free Willy,” and released into the waters off Iceland in 1998, as an example that Sea World could consider.
David on March 20th, 2010
Today’s video is a commercial for Lipton Ice Tea, featuring Australian actor and Tony-Award winner Hugh Jackman, who also serves as International Ambassador for Lipton.
David on March 20th, 2010
“Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite a virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.”
– Reinhold Niehbur (1892-1971)
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on March 20th, 2010
Today is the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, also known as the First Day of Spring! Happy Spring to all of Jankenpon’s friends and visitors.
David on March 18th, 2010
Matt Harding is back– and he’s still dancing. This time, Matt is learning the Diski dance and traveling across South Africa.
To go to a previous post with another video of Matt Harding Dancing, click here.
David on March 17th, 2010
“May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step along the way. May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that’s always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.”
– Irish Blessing
“Erin go brah.”
David on March 13th, 2010
“Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of humankind.Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of people.
I have wished to know why the stars shine.Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.This has been my life; I found it worth living.”
– Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on March 12th, 2010
Today’s video is an outrageously fun music video, called Telephone, featuring Lady Gaga, the high priestess of dance music, and Beyonce. The 9-minute video features more of Lady Gaga’s signature “over the top” costumes, as well as some very fine choreography. Within one day of its posting on YouTube, the video has been viewed over 2 million times. Enjoy!
David on March 11th, 2010
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
– Melody Beattie
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on March 7th, 2010
In honor of the 82nd annual Academy Awards, being held today in Los Angeles, CA, here is my list of the TOP 10 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY.
NUMBER 1: Barry Lyndon; Cinematographer John Alcott, Director Stanley Kubrick (1975)
The remaining 12 (oops, could not stop at just 10, unfortunately) are, in alphabetical order:
* Day of the Locust; Cinematographer Conrad Hall, Director John Schlesinger (1975)
* Days of Heaven; Cinematographer Nestor Almendros, Director Terrence Malick (1978)
* The English Patient; Cinematographer John Seale, Director, Anthony Minghella (1996)
* Fanny and Alexander; Cinematographer Sven Nykvist, Director Ingmar Bergman (1982)
* Godfather Part II; Cinematographer Gordon Willis, Director Francis Ford Coppola (1974)
* The Last Emperor; Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, Director Bernardo Bertolucci (1987)
* Manhattan, Cinematographer Gordon Willis, Director Woody Allen (1979)
* Out of Africa; Cinematographer David Watkin, Director Sydney Pollack (1985)
* Reds; Vittorio Storaro, Director Warren Beatty (1981)
* Tess; Ghislain Cloquet and Geoffrey Unsworth, Director Roman Polanski (1979)
* The Thin Red Line; Cinematographer John Toll, Director Terrence Malick (1998)
To to go the official Oscars site from the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences, click here.
Above: Marisa Berenson as Lady Lyndon and David Morley as Bryan Patrick Lyndon, in Barry Lyndon.
To purchase Barry Lyndon on DVD, go to Amazon.com by clicking here.
To go to previous posts of things on MY TOP 10 LIST, click here.
Watch the trailer for the film Barry Lyndon below.
David on March 5th, 2010
With the annual movie award season now at its peak, I thought this would be a good opportunity to select my TOP 10 MOVIE ACTORS (which changes from time to time), in alphabetical order:
* Jeff Bridges
* Robert DeNiro
* Gerard Depardieu
* Robert Duvall
* Colin Firth
* Gene Hackman
* Dustin Hoffman
* Ian McKellen
* Paul Newman
* Tom Wilkinson
To go to previous posts of things on MY TOP 10 LIST, click here.
David on March 5th, 2010
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
– Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on March 5th, 2010
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
– Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
David on March 4th, 2010
“All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don’t. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.”
–Robert Kennedy (1925-1968)
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on March 3rd, 2010
“Our dreams must be stronger than our memories. We must be pulled by our dreams, rater than pushed by our memories.”
– Jesse Jackson (B.1941)
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on March 2nd, 2010
“We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.”
– W. Somerset Maugham
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on February 28th, 2010
“There’s always hope.”
–Aragorn (played by Viggo Mortensen), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Written by Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Peter Jackson; Directed by Peter Jackson
David on February 27th, 2010
“A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.”
– Winnie the Pooh
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on February 26th, 2010
“Could we see when and where we are to meet again, we would be more tender when we bid our friends goodbye.”
–Marie Louise De La Ramee (1839-1908)
To go to previous posts in the Today’s Quotes category, click here.
David on February 23rd, 2010
“My darling, I’m waiting for you.How long is a day in the dark?Or a week?The fire is gone now and I am horribly cold.I really ought to drag myself outside, but then there would be the sun.I’m afraid I waste the light;And the paintings and am writing these words.We die.We die rich with lovers and tribes,tastes we have swallowed,bodies we have entered and swum up like rivers,fears we have hidden in, like this wretched cave.I want all this marked on my body.We’re the real countries, not the boundaires drawn on maps;the names of powerful men.I know you’ll come and carry me out into the Palace of Winds.That’s what I’ve wanted; to walk in such a place with you,with friends, and Earth without maps.The lamp’s gone out,and I’m writing in the darkness.”
David on February 22nd, 2010
“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
– Hannibal Lechter, played by Anthony Hopkins, “Silence of the Lambs,” 1991, Orion Pictures (Directed by Jonathan Demme; Screenplay by Ted Tally)
To read more about the 2010 USA Census, go to the official USA Census website by clicking here.
David on February 22nd, 2010
“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.”
–W.C. Fields (1880-1946)
Jankenpon is a collection of observations and images on a variety of topics that interest me. Please come back often to check it out and to leave feedback and comments.
