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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, April 20, 2008

ISLAND LIFE SHORTS
Earth alert

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

World music and conga beats will flow freely at Friday's ARTafterDARK at the Academy of Arts.

SHUZO UEMOTO | Honolulu Academy of Arts

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WHAT'S ON YOUR IPOD?

Josh 86, The 86 List, promoter of Kaleidoscope Tuesdays at NextDoor

1. "Artibella" by Ken Boothe

2. "Filler" by Minor Threat

3. "Free Time" by Aggrolites

4. "Soundhouse Punks" by The Hell Caminos

5. "The Plank" by Devil Makes Three

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As we zoom through traffic, rushing to meet deadlines and expectations, let's not lose sight of our fragile, beautiful Island surroundings. As Earth Day approaches on Tuesday, it's time to take action to reduce our carbon emissions and produce less waste. Green methods are becoming easier to access, with recycling posts in many neighborhoods, cash incentives on compact fluorescent light bulbs and cash back for recycling grocery bags. Start by pledging to reduce your use of one item, such as plastic bags, disposable coffee cups or water bottles. And why not carpool, or shop your community farmers market?

Learn about local programs and events at www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org. Visit www.envhonolulu.org for recycling redemption center information. Eat local food; visit www.hfbf.org for information on the farmers market nearest you. Start making a difference for a lifetime.

— Lacy Matsumoto.



ARTAFTERDARK GOES RAW, GLOBAL

With only recycled materials to work with, local artists will present live installations amid a swirl of raw world music, conga beats and acoustic melody at Friday's "Conserve eARTh" ARTafterDARK.

Artists (and thirtyninehotel partners) Richard Earl Leong Yu Ralya and Gelareh Khoie, along with the trio of Newkon, Koak and That Guy Shaun, will be challenged to create pieces that reflect Earth Day, while a zip tour at the Museum Learning Center will offer viewers a glimpse at the painstaking work Bhutanese monks put into creating and restoring the sacred and powerful thangkas on display at the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Aside from the art, visitors can chill in a geodome made with used milk cartons, kick back to the acoustic sounds of The Rising Melody or listen to conga beats from percussionist Eli and raw world sounds spun by Italian DJ Silvana.

Food and drink will be provided by E&O Trading Co., using local and/or sustainable ingredients. Chef Nick Salvi will offer buttery shiro maguro with citrus basil sauce, chicken soba noodle salad and Kahuku shrimp in a roasted chili and cilantro dipping sauce, while mixologist Joey Gottesman will feature a special cocktail mixing tomato juice with spirulina and organic Ocean vodka.

The three-hour event, starting at 6 p.m. Friday, is free for academy members and $10 for everyone else; www.artafterdark.com.

— Treena Shapiro.



HAPPENING



SAVED BY THE BELL

What do De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls and Zack Morris have in common? Beside being answers to a '90s trivia contest, the old-school hip-hop music and pretty-boy icon come together at Illmatic, a Chinatown monthly held the last Thursday of each month. (The party's name comes from the very first Nas album, a high point of hip-hop released in 1994.)

And speaking of music of the '90s, Chris Kam, also known as DJ Delve1der, above, is one of the few disc jockeys who still spin vinyl. "I'll be playing some Bell Biv DeVoe, De La Soul, Groove Theory, you know, the best of the '90s — that's me," says Kam, who has been buying records since 1989, and began DJing publicly in 1993. "I'm very confident about what I do," he says.

And OK, it's not the actual Zack Morris from "Saved By The Bell," but Zack Morris the DJ, also known as Aaron Sakai.

Illmatic, 9 p.m. Thursday, NextDoor, 43 N. Hotel St.; $10, 548-6398.

— L.M..



SALES & BARGAINS

  • Do Mother Earth a favor and say goodbye to plastic for good. Envirosax bags (www.envirosax.com) are adorable, stronger and hold twice the amount a plastic grocery bag can carry; they even roll up into a conveniently small pouch you can carry in your purse, so you'll never say, "Oh, shoot, I forgot my bag" again. Available in floral, geometric and keiki-lovable prints, they're great for giving to friends or keeping for yourself. Five come in a pack for $42 or buy just one for $10 at Lily Lotus, 1127 12th Ave., Kaimuki; 735-3400.

  • Renting? Aching to decorate and paint your place to make it yours? Spruce up your pad with simple, cheap additions that aren't permanent, and you can take them with you when you leave. At Home Depot, sleek stainless steel electrical faceplates will run you no more than a couple of bucks each; all you'll need is a screwdriver (screws are usually included with the plates). Not a lot of work for big visual change. Go to www.homedepot.com for locations.

  • Get excited about spring: Anthropologie's retro-inspired furniture styles come in a variety of fun, yet nostalgic, prints and colors. Perk up your room and save 25 percent on all furniture, now through April 30. www.Anthropologie.com.

  • Bring more spring color into your home with a bunch of cut tropical flowers or orchids after a visit to the Saturday farmers market at Kapi'olani Community College. For a lot less than you'd drop at most florist shops, grab a bouquet or two (flowers next to the shower feel especially glamorous), and add instant spring and color to your daily routine. It'll cost you less than $15. Diamond Head end; 7:30-11 a.m. each Saturday; 848-2074.

    — Pualana Lemelle.



    IT'S LUCKY TO BE ORGANIC

    Lucky Brand Jeans is introducing 100 percent organic T-shirts to its collection. The ultra-soft, vintage-inspired shirts bear environmentally conscious messages such as "Recycle," "Preserve Wildlife" and "Rock With Nature." The American-made tees sell for about $44 at Lucky Brand Jeans in Ala Moana Center. (Yeah, being eco-conscious can sometimes be a costly endeavor.)

    — Paula Rath.



    EARTH-FRIENDLY BOTTLED WATER

    The latest, best way to carry bottled water is to pour it from the tap into your reusable steel or aluminum bottle. Lanikai Bath and Body, 767 Kailua Road, Kailua, created aluminum Hawaiian Tap models ($18); a portion of the proceeds supports restoration efforts at Kawainui Marsh. www.hawaiiantap.com, www.lanikaibathandbody.com.

    Lily Lotus, the new yoga/wellness/workout boutique at 127 12th Ave., Kaimuki (in a space previously occupied by Off the Mat), carries Swiss-engineered, aluminum SIGG bottles ($24). With a nontoxic inner liner (no taste or scent transfer) they carry the messages, in '60s-style hippie-inspired graphics, "Make Love Not Landfill" and "Rise Above Plastic." See them today at the Lily Lotus booth at the Kokua Festival.

    — P.R.