Ryan Kanno: The diary of an Enginerd in Hawaii

Internet memes rock my socks!

Unfortunately, I was tagged by Harper for a “7 things” meme where I have to divulge seven tidbits of randomness about myself. I’m generally not a big fan of these things since most of you on the Interweb could care less about me, but it is Harper… and well, he is my new bicycle, so here goes:

1. I have “girlie” handwriting

I blame this 1000% all on my sister. Throughout the years, people have told me that I write like a girl – whatever that means. I don’t know how many days of my childhood I spent playing “school”, but it’s quite apparent that it was damn too many. Thanks Stace!

2. I used to play an inordinate amount of video games

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this one just might make you speechless. Damn you, John Carmack, for making one of the greatest games of my generation and *almost* failing me out of college. I’ve just recently been sucked into this wonderful World of Warcraft. God, help me.

3. I <3 puzzles

Whether it’s the crosswords, sudoku, kakuro, chess, or that damn Bejeweled, I absolutely love puzzles. I typically have a really short attention span, but puzzles have known to captivate me for hours on end.

4. I am ultra-competitive

I don’t know if it was the math games my mom challenged me with as a child, but I’m probably on the extremely far end of the competitiveness scale. It could be eating (grr, Kobayashi, here I come), games at Dave and Buster’s, or just a game of pickup basketball, I’ll compete at anything. And if you’re lucky, I’ll probably throw in some trash talking as well.

5. I am a total sucker for 80’s cartoons

Whether it’s G.I. Joe, Transformers, M.A.S.K., Thundercats, Voltron, or Silverhawks; I’m an uber 80’s cartoon fan. I don’t know if I should be admitting this as a 30 year old, but I have an extensive collection of Transformers and G.I. Joes safely stored away at my parent’s house. Thanks, Mom & Dad!

6. I love to read

I’m not sure when this happened in my life, but I’ve come to love reading. When I was younger, I absolutely loved Encyclopedia Brown and the Choose Your Own Adventure series. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve stuck to the more non-fiction variety, and I’m currently working on these books here. One of these days, I’m hoping someone will get me an Amazon Kindle. =P (*hint* *hint*)

7. Hi, my name is Ryan, and I’m a caffeine Coke Zero addict

Since my parents never allowed me to drink caffeine as a child, I don’t know exactly when this happened. It could have been all those all-nighters in grad school trying finish up the last bits of code, or the late nights playing online games. In any case, I drink a six pack a day, on the conservative estimate, but I’m really, really trying to stop. I think.

Whew!

And there you have it folks – a few lame tidbits about me. Now, according to Harper, to make this official, I have to tag 7 other unfortunate online souls. So… I tag:

• Ed S – I met Ed through a basketball league, and it just so happens we share a similar interest in all things technology. Not only does he manage one of the larger media sites in Hawaii, but he is also a featured blogger @ the Honolulu Advertiser.
• Stephen F – A former co-worker, I’m hoping that this will kick-start his blogging. Since he’s busy with kids, school, and work, I’m not sure he’ll have time for this, but hey, it’s worth a try. He knows all things .Net and Ruby.
• Kevin M – We met during our freshman year at U of I in calculus. He’s a .Net machine working for Clarity Consulting and is full of zany ideas. He was even featured on Microsoft’s Coding4Fun for his DIY foosball hack. I’m sure he’ll have something great to write.
• Greg Y – We used to work in the same organization, and I’d help him out with small projects. He’s leading the Hawaii Web 2.0 charge in the organization and also masquerades as a part-time blogger @ Pulp Connection.
• Mark Q – One of my current co-workers who knows all things CSS and Mac. He’s a Symfony user *cough*fanboy*cough* and is currently trying to convince me to switch over to the darkside. “Resistance is futile.“
• Scott V – We met during our freshman year at U of I playing what else but Quake. Not only is he half man, half crazy, but he’s also the nerdvana of all things system administration. He currently works at Threadless with Harper causing all sorts of havoc.
• Trent N – I mentored Trent through HiTechQuest. He’s a young’un but has all types of technological potential. Since he’s the youngest I’ve tagged, I’m sure he’ll have all sorts of interesting things to teach us old folk.

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“50 years from now, when you look back at your life, don’t you want to say you had the guts to get in the car?”

Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, Transformers

As some of you may know, I recently left my position as a Navy contractor at COMPACFLT for another position at a small, local technology startup. Having come from a family of “lifers”, it wasn’t an easy decision. Even though I absolutely loved both the work and people, I felt that I would have too many regrets not taking this opportunity.

So with that said, here’s a few of my lasting memories:

• Late nights in the dreaded server room with Wally and co.
• The lunchroom gang – Our topics ranged the gamut; from MMA to the next 4chan meme.
• Admiral’s Cup – We won a basketball game! (Not by forfeit!)
• Ping pong Fridays!
• Almost killing my co-worker Cindy with the Wii controller… and then my yo-yo.
• Monday morning chats with Gits about his weekend PS3 adventures.
• Steve’s yellow lunch truck

Though I came in a contractor, I feel as though I’m leaving as family. So with that said, farewell, good luck, and Godspeed to everyone at FLT!

Click on my picture to check out my flickr set!

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I finally succumbed to peer pressure.

After some careful online research (like here, here, and here) and being persuaded by my co-worker Stephane, I finally mozied on down to get myself a pair of Vibram FiveFingers. After all, being named one of Time Magazine’s Inventions of the Year couldn’t be all that bad… right?

After perusing their website, I found only two retailers on Oahu that sold them.

• Uyeda Shoe Store across from Puck’s Alley (map)
• The Wheatgrass Center behind the Bank of Hawaii on Waialae (map)

After calling Uyeda’s several times and being greeted with one of those funky fax feedback tones each time (note – please update your online phone number), I finally decided to ring up The Wheatgrass Center. For those of you instructionally-impaired like myself, just take a left on Waialae Ave. before the Bank of Hawaii heading Kahala bound. Located behind the bank, The Wheatgrass Center is quite an interesting store selling both the Vibram FiveFingers and of course… wheatgrass. (Why people want to ruminate like cows is still truly beyond me.)

Review

When I first saw the Vibram FiveFinger, I did what any other (semi) normal human being would do – I laughed. Not any normal laugh, mind you – but a “there’s no f-in way I’m wearing that in public” laugh. They resemble footwear of a ninja-in-training, and since I’m neither of the two (a ninja or in training), I really couldn’t fathom seeing myself in a pair.

But after trying them on, I was immediately taken back; back to small kid time when I ran barefoot and carefree in the red dirt hills of Mililani. The Vibram FiveFingers not only allows you to feel the contour of the ground, but also provides protection to the soles of your feet. After being given the sales pitch by Mr. Fukuda, I was sold. There’s a few models; I ended up purchasing the Classic. (Check out their website to see the entire product line). Not to mention, Mr. Fukuda instructed ordered me to wear the pair out the door. After a full weekend’s worth of wear and tear, here’s a few images of them on my feet – along with a short list of my pros and cons.

The Pros

• It’s surprisingly comfortable. Sometimes my toes still feel weird being separated, but it’s pretty neat to actually feel the ground without fear of having a rock in your foot. Btw, if you like the separated toe thing, check these socks out from Injini.
• If everything the Internet world says is true (like we all know it is!), I’ll have crazy leg/toe muscles, damnit! And, not to mention, it promotes a more natural walking motion. To learn more, read this article about barefoot running.

The Cons

• I developed a blister on the back of my foot near my Achilles from the back strap. It’s pretty sore, but after reading other reviews, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
• Since I’m fairly self-deprecating and a non-fashionista (you should see my car), the design doesn’t faze me one bit – but I could see how embarrassment could set in.
• The price. $73 bucks isn’t a drop in the bucket in this economy. Damn, do you know how many beers I’m giving up for this?

I’ll tell you in December how the Honolulu Marathon goes with these on!

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Unlucky for all of you, I’m back.

Here are some of the highlights of my sweet two week hiatus to Cali4nia:

• The 2008 Rose Bowl – Though my Fighting Illini got killed, it was still quite the experience.
• Seeing friends – Big Fisch and Steder, Steve-o, Lyle, Marshall, Allen, KK, Bobby!, Tricia, and others.
• Hanging with la familia in San Jose.
• House of Prime Rib with the Townsends!

(Click on our group picture to see my flickr set!)

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Welcome, to the rest of my life.

Today, I officially received my Masters in Business Administration from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii. Though it took me four long years as a part time student, I’d like to thank everyone who made it possible. Thanks for all the late nighters, the fun times running student body, but most of all, thanks for the memories. Not to mention, thanks to everyone who came to see me graduate! Whee! Since I hadn’t participated in a graduation ceremony in a few years, it was quite exciting.

At least I can say I graduated with Colt!

Go Bows!

(I’ll post videos once I can figure out how to convert them from my camera!)

And as a parting thought, the proof is in the pudding!

(Click on the diploma cover to see my flickr set!)

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