ODDly, it’s a small world!

Sometimes I even surprise myself. That is, when it comes to road rage.

If any of you are familiar with the Iwilei Costco entrance/exit that leads to Dillingham (not from the newly added parking lot), you’ll know what I’m talking about. Once you drive down the lane to enter the main lot, there is a stop sign. You can either go straight (which not many people do as it runs along the end of the parking lot), or turn right and keep going. If there is a stream of cars waiting to exit and blocking that first aisle after the stop sign, I have no problem with continuing further into the lot then insist on making the first left and back up traffic behind me.

But obviously some drivers think differently.

The other day I was among the line of cars waiting to exit, slowing inching forward every time one car made it past the stop sign. Just after I rolled forward, which ended up blocking that first aisle, some big truck entering wanted to turn down the lane I was blocking. Well, turn on your blinker, mister! And do it BEFORE I move forward. If I had known you just needed to turn down that aisle, I could have easily left you a space.

The male driver then had the nerve to shake his head at me as if I were stupid. In that one second, I got so pissed off that when he decided to not turn after all and go straight, I stuck my finger at him and shouted an expletive (with my windows rolled up, of course!). Stupid a**hole! (No, that wasn’t what I shouted.)

I was fuming all the way home but felt much better knowing that I let him know how idiotic I thought he was being. Of course I did check my rearview mirror a few times to make sure he didn’t decide to follow me out of the lot.

Once I calmed down, I had one nerve-wracking thought. What if I knew that guy? Or if he were a client of ours or was someone I met in a professional setting. I’d definitely be embarrassed.

An hour later I nearly forgot about the incident…to the point that I didn’t even tell anyone about it.

Then it came to my mind again when I found this ODD story to share. It really can be a small world…

Excuse me, but aren’t we brothers?
yahoo.com

Luck, fate, kismet — whatever you want to call it, two guys named Joe and Rick got hit by all three on a beach in Hawaii.

It started innocently enough: Joe Parker was walking on the beach one day. He saw a family taking pictures and offered to take a group photo of Rick Hill and his family. Rick and Joe get to talking, one thing leads to another — and voila: Turns out they’re related! And not as 13th cousins twice-removed — the pair discovered they were from the same part of Massachusetts, which led them to find out that they had something else in common: Dad.

Who knew?! Clearly not these two, which means Dad has a LOT of explaining to do when they get home.

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Click on the yahoo.com link above to see the funny video that accompanies this story. The “news anchor” is hilarious. There are a few stories on that episode — the last one being even more ODD. Yes, I actually snorted out loud a few times.

It got me thinking how fun it would be to have a TV news show focused on ODD news. Many times, our local news stations end the news with one ODD story from somewhere around the world and it’s often the most interesting feature to begin with.

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O&E ODD image of the day:

Got game? Spell out your best!

As you go about your daily business, how often does the written word catch your eye? Whether it’s advertisements, store signs, menus or what have you, are you always “analyzing” the way something is worded?

And it may not even be that you put that much thought into the verbiage, but your mind just sort of automatically processes the word or phrase. It’s either just the wordsmith in me or I may be in the minority.

But despite my love for words, one thing I have not seen is this so-called Supermarket Scrabble hitting Hawaii stores yet (or one reason could be I haven’t been shopping much lately). How about any of you?

Supermarket Scrabble puts rude words on shelves
news:lite

Facebook users are said to be making life difficult for supermarket staff —  by constantly rearranging stock on the shelves to spell out rude words.

Known as Supermarket Scrabble the game has become a hit on the social networking site with users competing to see who can create the most offensive words.

Typical examples see people rearranging jars of spices and herbs to spell words like “cock,” “tits” and “boobs” — then taking a photo that is uploaded to Facebook.

news:lite photo

But supermarket staff say the popularity of the game is making life hell for them as they’re constantly having to put the letters back — unless they can come up with something ruder themselves.

The hit game was created by Andy Wright from Jarrow in Tyne & Wear, who says he was shopping for spices when he accidentally created the word “COCK” and was tickled by it (so to speak), so he snapped a photo and posted it on Facebook.

Since that fateful incident, the popularity of Supermarket Scrabble has boomed and other people all around the world have started playing the game and posting their own images.

“Supermarket shopping can be so boring, I thought they could do with some lightening up,” the 38-year-old told Newslite.

“I have been an avid reader of VIZ magazine since 1986, and a regular contributor to “Roger’s Profanisorus” page. I suppose that’s where I get my puerile sense of humor.”

Wright says he’s not yet been caught creating the profanities by supermarket staff, but his mom did once see him taking a photo of something he’d rearranged to spell “SEX POT BUM” and wasn’t too impressed.

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So do you think some people have too much time on their hands or they’re just having a little fun? Are you the type that would be seriously offended by seeing an obscene word spelled out with bottles of spices at your local Safeway or would you see the humor in it?

Has anyone seen other clever or prank-type incidents at the supermarket?

If you plan to play some Supermarket Scrabble anytime soon, be sure to spell out ODDS AND ENDS!

Oh yeah, if any of you play Words With Friends on the iPhone, be sure to find me at @ShaunaGoya!

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O&E ODD image of the day:

Oh baby!

Poor baby! Seriously, sometimes you see kids stuck in far from ideal situations thanks to their not-too-bright parents. What do you do? Help the poor kid or mind your own business?

Take a look at these photos and ask yourself, “Why?”

Granted, all parents have a learning curve. Taking care of a baby is probably a lot of trial and error that no manual can prepare you for.

For all you parents, what “innocent” mistakes have you made once, and only once in your life? Did you ever accidentally put your kid in danger?

Has anyone seen some ODD situations babies have been subjected to?

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O&E ODD image of the day: For crying out loud…

Alcohol-free beer?

You gotta love how some phrases just leave you shaking your head. Such as alcohol-free beer. What does that even mean? Wonder what that even tastes like.

Well, apparently it’s the new hit in Germany among athletes…

Alcohol-free beer marketed as sports drink
news:lite

A German brewery has started touting its no-alcohol beer as the latest sports drink for athletes claiming it has “regenerative benefits.”

Erdinger Alkoholfrei is now being given out at the finish line of sporting events — like the World Cup biathlons — and sports stars are even being signed up to help promote it.

news:lite

Brewery bosses say the no-alcohol beer is “a very healthy product” and that being isotonic and vitamin-rich makes it an effective drink to sip on post exercise.

However, unlike traditional sports drinks, it’s served with a frothy head and is a familiar golden color — not in a squeezey bottle.

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What other oxymorons are you particularly fond of? Any ODD ones you can think of?

When it comes to sports drinks or energy drinks, what are your favorites? I started with Red Bull and still enjoy that but have cut back drastically. I found a brand called XS and that was pretty good. I’m always on the lookout for “healthy energy drinks” so let me know if you know of any new brands.

And here’s your O&E ODD image of the day that sort of touches on this theme:

I saw this in a Bed Bath & Beyond ad and was a bit curious on how this worked. Wonder if it tastes just like real soda as the product claims…

Happy Heart Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all you couples out there! Though I wonder how many people already celebrated and got their Valentine’s roses a day early to save on the jacked-up prices on this over-commercialized so-called holiday…

Anyway, today’s blog fits in with the lovey-dovey theme in a slightly ODD way. Here are some photos from a wedding, if you can even call it that. The only thing missing are the captions — which I hope you can provide for some entertainment. Don’t forget to focus on what’s ODD in the photo!

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And speaking of showing our love, if anyone is in the mood for pizza tomorrow night, help reader M out with his son’s fundraiser: Kalani_HS_Japan_Study

We’ll end with our ODD photo of the day…featuring diamonds — on a toilet handle!

Where in Hawaii is this?

It’s ODD to think that in a state as small as Hawaii, there are still many places I’ve never been to despite living here for more than 30 years. It’s a really neat feeling to visit a place for a first time — especially an outdoor hidden gem. Taking a cue from World Wide Ed’s “Where in the World is Ed,” see if you can identify this spot that I visited recently. Here are some photos to help you.

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So what’s your best guess? Here are a few hints. There was a locked gate at the entrance, you can’t find this spot on a map and it took about a leisurely hour to reach the waterfall.

Random ODD visuals

I’ve been desperately trying to clean out my computer files for years but always seem to get distracted and then never get the job done. But in my attempts to do so, I find a lot of files that I had saved at one point or another that was meant for this blog. So here are some random photos that really scream strange or what we would find just a tad ODD…

Merry Christmas!

It’s the day before Christmas and shopping for gifts this year in Hawaii may have been a bit more difficult with the multiple power outages at Ala Moana Center. Were any of you there when the lights went out? Thankfully I finished up my shopping the day before all this madness started.

But for those of you still in need of gifts, here are some ideas — ODD ones naturally — if you’re lucky enough to find them! And maybe calling these a gift may be going too far. They’re more like stocking stuffers with a twist…

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Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and sincere thanks again for supporting Odds and Ends. For those on Facebook, be sure to find us at Odds & Ends.

Plug it in… if you dare

With computer viruses not so uncommon, it’d make you wonder what kind of person would trustingly open a file from a stranger without at least considering the risks. Some of the spam e-mails you get can be quite tricky, as they sometimes include some form of your name or tempting subject lines. But better to be safe than sorry, and with a click of mouse I quickly delete the tons of junk mail that clutter my inbox daily. More on that classic mistake another time.

So this next story is ODD in why someone would want to even create a file-sharing network in a public place, especially one in New York. Maybe the idea could work in a city with a name like Podunk — the ghost towns in Oklahoma or Nevada, not the actual one in New York — if at all.

Artist creates off-the-wall idea
news:lite

An artist has created a file-sharing network with a difference — it consists of USB sticks stuck into walls around New York.

Aram Bartholl says his “Dead Drops” project allows people to share whatever files they want and discover what other people have uploaded.

At present there are five USB flash drives — each containing a document explaining the project — that have been embedded into cracks in walls across the city, though more are planned.

The idea is that people simply walk up to them with their laptop and plug it in… meaning there’s now yet another way to pick up a dodgy virus on the streets of New York.

Bartholl said “Dead Drops” is an anonymous, offline, peer-to-peer file-sharing network in a public space.

“I am ‘injecting’ USB flash drives into walls, buildings and curbs accessible to anybody in public space.

“You are invited to go to these places to drop or find files on a dead drop. Plug your laptop to a wall, house or pole to share your favorite files and data.”

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Do you have any regrettable or ODD experiences to share regarding a computer virus? Do you limit the type of files you open just to play it safe?

But speaking of flash drives, I rarely save anything to them. Don’t know why I choose to clutter my desktop instead with every file I open and save…

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O&E ODD image of the day:

Halloween week — guess what I’ll BEE?

It’s almost Halloween and the party got started early for me this year. Guess what I dressed up as this year? Wait for it, wait for it…

A Queen Bee!

Yes, I was a Honey Bee last year, but I graduated to queen status this year, complete with a crown. I figured it’s still a down economy so I might as well recycle my costume from last year. My bee wings did break down after getting hit by lots of folks throughout the night. So this year I got bigger and higher wings to reflect my queenly costume.

Here are some photos from the annual “Crazy, Sexy, Ghoul” Halloween costume party hosted by the Diamondhead Hui. I tried to look for the more creative and ODD costumes…

The Queen Bee and her Hive. Do those O&E bees on the shirt look familiar?

With a sexy angel and referee…

Here’s an idea for matt!

Or an idea for BananaFysh!

This guy was carrying around the Shake Weight! Wonder if he read my post…

The BP oil spill costume was reportedly supposed to be one of the more popular ones for 2010.

But I saw many more variations of the Chilean miners.

There were a whole lot of “dirty cops” at the party. My friend also had the handcuffs!

And yes, there were still lots of honey bees flitting around. The guy in the back was the flower! What’s up with the partners hiding behind sunglasses?

Didn’t know these characters…

Star Trek? Star Wars? Transformers?

The second guy on the right was a psycho sushi chef…

Role reversal!

Fairy friends…

My poor friend on the left had a hard time seeing in his costume.

Hot nurse and half-clothed guy who got to stay cool!

Lots of couples came as a theme…

Though single girls might want this guy instead!

Forgot what my friends said they dressed up as…

But this is the O&E picture of the night! Anyone recognize this guy with the head tilt?

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So this is countdown week if you’re going to dress up for Halloween. Who has a costume so far? Anyone got any ODD ones this year?

Besides costume parties, what other fun Halloween traditions do you have? How many of you carve pumpkins? Or would you rather just eat pumpkin pie? Well, maybe not if you knew how they were made. See below…

O&E image of the day: