Category Entertainment

My Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday Tree

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

I have had a 4-foot Christmas tree for many years which is an accompaniment to the 7.5-foot Christmas tree I also have. Sadly though, I have never had the same enthusiasm for the decorations on the smaller tree as I do for the ones I place on the big tree, but since I love the glow of the tree lights in the den, I always put it up during the holidays. There have been a couple of times I have considered coming up with a theme for that tree, but nothing ever sparked enough for me to take action.

Everything changed this year when I decided to have a Nightmare Before Christmas theme for my front door Halloween decorations. One of the most wonderful aspects of the film The Nightmare Before Christmas is that it honors both Halloween and Christmas. Since the film is one of my favorites, I finally got the inspiration to change the theme of my smaller tree, and I have been so happy with the results. I even added the curl onto the existing tree to mimic the spiral mountaintop in the film.

Online Games As Stress Relievers

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Online games can be a lot of fun, and are often a great way to relieve stress for many people. Whether it’s getting lost in a fantasy world, or solving puzzles at your own pace, online games offer a kind of escape that’s both engaging and satisfying. One of the biggest appeals is the chance to step away from real-life pressures for a while. When you’re focused on gameplay—strategizing, reacting quickly, or just exploring—you’re giving your mind a break from whatever might be stressing you out. That kind of mental shift can be incredibly refreshing.

There’s also a real sense of accomplishment in progressing through a game, leveling up, or unlocking new content. That feeling of achievement, even in a virtual world, can be a confidence booster and help you feel a bit more in control—especially when real life feels overwhelming. It’s also fun to play online games if there’s a bit of downtime during a workday (provided you can clock out and play games on your own time). I recently got into the habit of using lulls in my telemedicine work schedule by playing some fun games which I found online.

I have always liked Mahjong, so I was happy to find a Chinese New Year Mahjong. Here’s what it looks like:

https://www.mortgagecalculator.org/money-games/chinese-new-year-mahjong/

I also found a unique and fun game which reminded me of a teenage dream I had, to own a sushi bar. The game is a simulation game in which you serve sushi as the orders come in, collect money, and also order food supplies when you run low. Instead of opening up an actual sushi bar, I can play this game and indulge in my sushi bar ownership fantasy.

https://www.mortgagecalculator.org/money-games/sushi-bar/

I could actually imagine a younger person playing the sushi bar game and learning the cadence of running a restaurant. It turns out that the website on which I found both of these games has a plethora of fun online games of all kinds.

Wicked Has Made Green Cool Again

drstaceynaito 1 Comment

123rf.com Image: ekina ID 139588183

Thanks to the release of Wicked, the color green (evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495–570 nm) is very much in style, which is fantastic for someone like me who has always adored most tints of the color family. To top it off, emerald green in particular has been one of my favorite hues, especially if the item is somehow faceted or sparkly. I have enjoyed seeing a plethora of items for sale right now which feature the verdant shade, because this is a color which rarely gets center stage. Of course, when the second act of Wicked is released next November, there will be another surge of green things popping up, which is absolutely fine with me.

Suddenly, the green designer leather handbags, clothing items, makeup, and even luggage that I have longed to be able to find are popping up everywhere. In perfect keeping with Wicked, that also means that pink has made a strong comeback, almost on the heels of the Barbie Movie craze which popularized the bubble gum hue. Since I absolutely abhor the color pink, this is a downside I must endure, especially because the rosy shades that are popping up are rather pastel and girly, and certainly nowhere on my list of preferred tones. Yet Glinda is known to say, “Pink goes good with green!”, and I know that if my mother were still alive, she would agree with Glinda’s assessment of the two shades beside each other.

I’ll just stick with the green.

Don’t Get Genie Plus When At Disneyland

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

I have gone to Disneyland three times in the past two years, and was foolish enough to believe that Disneyland’s Genie+ app would provide a better experience while at the park, primarily because Genie+ enables people to access the Lightning Lane feature. However, after struggling with the app during all three recent visits, I honestly believe that the app is a complete waste of money and time. There are numerous reasons why I came to this conclusion, and they are listed and detailed here. 

Cost and Value for Money:

In order to have the privilege of using Genie+, you must pay for it. When I went to Disneyland in 2022 and in April 2023, the app was $25 per person, and in December of 2023, it jumped to $35. Given the fact that tickets for entry into Disneyland are egregiously costly ($104-$194 per person when I checked on 12/30/2023), as well as parking ($35 for general parking access), I can’t help but feel that Disney is gouging their customers from every angle. 

Glitches and User Interface Issues:

After using the Genie+ app three times, I have found it to be glitchy and definitely not user-friendly. Imagine struggling to get the app to work as you traipse through the park, all the while staring at your phone and cursing at it because the Genie+ app interface is poorly designed and also doesn’t update quickly. Instead of looking around the park and taking in all the sights, I was frustrated by the fact that I kept having to check the app to see which rides offered Lightning Lane reservations.

Limited Lightning Lane Rides and Inconvenient Time Slots:

Every time I checked the Genie+ app, only a few rides were available for Lightning Lane access at any given time, and the rides I wanted to go on the most (Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain, Rise of the Resistance, Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion) were often either unavailable or had time slots which were unreasonable. The other infuriating feature is that once you book an attraction for Lightning Lane, you cannot book another ride for Lightning Lane until you redeem the reservation. Another thing is that once you book something for Lightning Lane, you will be tethered to a schedule, and have to manage your time and figure out which other rides you might be able to go on before you need to be at the ride you reserved. In other words, you simply aren’t free to roam the park at your leisure.

Additional Costs for Certain Attractions:

Certain rides within the Genie+ system come with an additional cost beyond the standard Genie+ fee, and those fees are outrageous. Rise of the Resistance is an incredible ride and wildly popular, so at times it will have the Lightning Lane option, but at an additional charge of $28 per person. Sorry, but I’m not about to pay an additional $28 to go on Rise of the Resistance.  

As a result of the recent struggles I had while using the Genie+ app at Disneyland, I will not pay for Genie+ again. I would much rather spend time at Disneyland NOT staring at my phone and dealing with an app which doesn’t offer much over the general park experience. 

Why Raves Are So Appealing

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Copyright: cunaplus

Back in March of this year, I attended my very first rave, a smaller event which was held indoors at a theater in downtown Los Angeles. What surprised me was how loving, accepting, and cool just about everyone was at the event and how consistent they were with PLUR, an acronym which stands for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. It was as if all judgement, criticism, pretense and posturing had been left at the entrance to the event, and I have to admit that it was refreshing and lovely. I was so enraptured by the energy at the event and so into the music that I was left wanting more when it was time to leave.

I have to admit that I am a bit hesitant to attend the larger, outdoor festivals, for a number of reasons which are well detailed here. It just doesn’t seem like it would be very fun to sit in a Porta-Potty with a full length bodysuit gathered around my ankles, nor does it seem like fun to have a bunch of strangers sweating on me while I dance to electronic music. It was already quite stuffy and hot while I was at the indoor venue, and that was during a part of the year when the outside temperature was in the upper 40’s Fahrenheit. Bear in mind that it is customary and almost required that attendees dress scantily, primarily to offset the increased ambient temperature which develops as a result of all the human bodies gyrating and dancing together in a small space, and also as a proclamation of body awareness and acceptance.

Despite the fact that the venue was pretty packed, and the ambient temperature was pretty toasty, I had an incredible time, and can’t wait to attend another rave. There is something so liberating about dancing without a care in the world, moving with the beat of the music, and feeling absolutely no judgement from other people at the event. It was also fun to dress up, especially because it has been years since I have dressed up for Halloween or masquerade balls. Raves are a fantastic way for adults to align with their childlike energy, and let go.

Incredible Doja Cat Schiaparelli Inspired Look By Holly Murray

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

I simply cannot get over how dazzling this makeup look turned out for UK based makeup artist Holly Murray, who was inspired by Doja Cat’s look which she donned at Schiaparelli’s Couture Spring-Summer 2023 show. While I am not a fan of the rather frightening effect of Doja Cat’s red body paint and 30,000 Swarovski crystals, I absolutely adore how Holly’s rendition turned out. She spent 27 hours affixing 13,000 Swarovski crystals on her face, head, neck, and decollette. It truly is breathtaking.

If you like following premiere makeup artists, be sure to follow @hollymurraymakeup on TikTok!

@hollymurraymakeup

DOJA CAT SCHIAPARELLI INSPIRED LOOK ✨ THIS TOOK 27 Hours! Guess how many rhinestones?!

♬ desperado x need to know II by altegomusic – ALTÉGO
@hollymurraymakeup

DOJA CAT SCHIAPARELLI inspired look! Ok had to do one last video with this because it took 27 hours 😅 ib: @Doja Cat

♬ Get Into It (Yuh) – Doja Cat
@hollymurraymakeup

Doja Cat Schiaparelli Inspired look Draft ✨ it took me 27 hours! ib: @Doja Cat

♬ Need to Know – Doja Cat
@hollymurraymakeup

Removing 27 hours worth of makeup with liquid latex! 😱

♬ original sound – Holly Murray Makeup

A Queen and a Princess

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

With my mom a couple of months after being selected as SFVJACC Queen.

When I was a little girl, my mother told me that one of her dreams was for me to be in a Japanese American beauty pageant which was closely tied to a week-long festival in Los Angeles known as Nisei Week. The first Nisei Week celebration took place in 1934, and a year later, the queen pageant was added. With the exception of the years during which World War II took place, the Nisei Week Festival has taken place yearly. I knew how much my mother wanted me to participate in Nisei Week, but since I wasn’t that interested in vying for a queen title and being in a pageant, I tucked the idea of pursuing such a goal in the back of my mind and kind of forgot about it.

Shortly after I turned 18, I decided to contact the Japanese-American community center close to where I lived and inquired about the pageant, only to be told that the age requirements for queen candidates were changed to 19 to 25. The following year, I inquired again, but the area’s queen selection had already been made at that time. After that, I simply forgot about the Nisei Week queen selection. Then the year that I turned 25, I figured that I had one final chance to see if I could win a queen title and advance to the Nisei Week pageant. So I submitted my candidate profile and waited for the queen selection day to approach, while also keeping my plans completely hidden from my mom. I thought that if I wasn’t selected as the San Fernando Valley queen, I wouldn’t say anything to my mother, so as to spare her any disappointment.

While at the queen selection event, I noticed that I was up against only one other candidate, but that candidate had competed for the queen title for two consecutive years previously, and since she was also 25 years old, the event was her final chance at being selected as queen. I made an assumption that since the judges were familiar with the other candidate, she would most likely be chosen as their queen.

We were assessed on our physical appearance and poise, were asked impromptu questions while standing on a small stage, and were interviewed individually by every single judge. When it was time to announce the 1991 San Fernando Valley Japanese Community Center Queen, who would then go on to compete at the Nisei Week pageant with 8 other regional queens, I prepared myself to hear the other candidate’s name, so it was a complete surprise when I heard my name called. Next thing I knew, the judges and guests were congratulating me, and the former queen placed a bouquet of tulips in my arms. When I arrived home, I called my mom to tell her the news, and she was incredibly proud and thrilled.

At Mayor Tom Bradley’s office with fellow Nisei Week Princess and WLAJACC Queen Alice Akahoshi

Over the next three months, I went to pageant practice 3 days per week, attended events with the rest of the court, and was primed and polished for business visitations and parades. It was like attending Japanese-American charm school, and I was grateful for the experience. I wore a tiara to many events, and also wore a sash whenever clad in kimono or in the matching outfits the court was expected to wear during events and visitations. We performed in front of 1,200 guests during the pageant, and though I didn’t win the Nisei Week Queen title, I was a Nisei Week Princess, still held the Queen title for my region, and became part of an incredible community.

Cool Radio Websites

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Copyright: popovia

I stumbled upon two very interesting radio websites which I wanted to share with you. The first is http://radio.garden/ which enables you to tune into thousands of live radio stations all over the globe. The site consists of a globe map which enables you to explore different regions of the world and listen to their local radio station offerings. You can save favorites to visit later, and you can also utilize the search bar to search by country, city, or specific station.

I also got a kick out of https://radiooooo.com/ which enables you to search for music from different eras, spanning from 1900 to present. The music featured is worldwide, so if you wanted to hear music from Italy in 1975, you could plug into that region and era, and listen to the music that Italians were grooving to in 1975. You can listen for free, but if you want to skip or rewind songs, or bookmark tracks, you would need to join their club, which is $4.99 per month.

Happy listening!

Dipping Into Indie Funk

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

Image ID : 132080302
Source: 123rf.com
Copyright : skovoroda

If you were to listen to the songs which I have in my iTunes and Spotify libraries, you’d probably scratch your head in wonder over the vast assortment of genres which I enjoy. One of the reasons why I have so many different genres in my music collections is that I tend to obsess over a certain artist or genre for a while, soaking it up until I begin to get tired of it. The latest musical genre which has caught my attention is Indie Funk, and I specifically latched onto one band in particular, Magic City Hippies.

If you want to listen to music that has an easy vibe, catchy beat and tempo, and just puts you into a feel-good mood, then I would definitely recommend checking out Magic City Hippies, Cool Company, and other related groups which create this vibey, groovy music. The past several months have been pretty difficult for me, so I rely on my relaxing home space to provide consistency and comfort. This means that on most days when I find myself hanging out or working at home, I turn on the Magic City Hippies Spotify station. Friends and clients have actually commented on the station, asking about the musical artists featured. I’m not kidding when I say that indie funk can instantly put you into a great mood and cause stress to just melt away.

Here are a few YouTube videos from bands within this genre:

My Songbird Fantasy

drstaceynaito Leave a comment

source: 123rf.com
Image ID : 16616006
Copyright : Sergey Nivens

From the time I was a little girl, I fantasized about having a beautiful singing voice, but I wasn’t destined to be blessed with such talent.  Though I am not tone deaf, and can carry a tune, the quality of my singing voice is very basic and certainly not worthy of any type of showcase.  At least I was realistic at an early age (eight years old to be exact) about my utterly ordinary voice, and never attempted to delve into some delusional idea that I might someday develop pipes which would rival Mariah Carey.  Instead, I happily lived vicariously through my favorite singers, imagining what it must be like to have such sweet melodies emanate from one’s vocal cords.

Of course, like most of you, I’m not afraid to belt out a tune while driving my car or taking a shower.  There is something so cathartic about being able to let loose like that, so I allow myself to indulge in it frequently.  Why not?  It’s not like I’m going to try out for American Idol or The Voice.

It’s pretty sobering to think that the majority of singers never really get a chance to fully live out their dreams of stardom, despite having massive talent. I recently watched “Twenty Feet From Stardom” which follows several prominent backup singers from the 1960’s to present time. In one portion of the documentary, Merry Clayton describes her experience recording the vocals for the 1969 song “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones.

In an excerpt from an article on openculture.com, Merry describes the evening:

Well, I’m at home at about 12–I’d say about 11:30, almost 12 o’clock at night. And I’m hunkered down in my bed with my husband, very pregnant, and we got a call from a dear friend of mine and producer named Jack Nitzsche. Jack Nitzsche called and said you know, Merry, are you busy? I said No, I’m in bed. he says, well, you know, There are some guys in town from England. And they need someone to come and sing a duet with them, but I can’t get anybody to do it. Could you come? He said I really think this would be something good for you.

I said, Well, play the track. It’s late. I’d love to get back home. So they play the track and tell me that I’m going to sing–this is what you’re going to sing: Oh, children, it’s just a shot away. It had the lyrics for me. I said, Well, that’s cool. So  I did the first part, and we got down to the rape, murder part. And I said, Why am I singing rape, murder? …So they told me the gist of what the lyrics were, and I said Oh, okay, that’s cool. So then I had to sit on a stool because I was a little heavy in my belly. I mean, it was a sight to behold. And we got through it. And then we went in the booth to listen, and I saw them hooting and hollering while I was singing, but I didn’t know what they were hooting and hollering about. And when I got back in the booth and listened, I said, Ooh, that’s really nice. They said, well, You want to do another?  I said, well, I’ll do one more, I said and then I’m going to have to say thank you and good night. I did one more, and then I did one more. So it was three times I did it, and then I was gone. The next thing I know, that’s history.

Now listen to her raw vocals.  You’ll get the chills from her energy and passion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqXyjbgs5rU&feature=youtu.be

Now that’s magical talent!