Honolulu Star-Bulletin from Honolulu, Hawaii • 33

A I'T 'n Vx rt A Star-Bulletin Monday, August 4, 2008 Hh A IT FEATURES EDITOR Betty Shimabukuro bettystarbulletin.com 524777 SECTION it LlA; 1 in i TirTrrTrtr'TiiirTTTiifMrt fcflj niiliiiiihiaMMBMMi COURTESY YUSUKE Y0K0I Yusuke Yokoi'8 blngata or stenciled designs, above are created using a traditional method that begins with creating a stencil on washl paper, below left, then applying a mochiko paste, followed by hand-painting, below right. 1 DIGITAL SLOB CurtBrahdao Net novelties make horseplay epic spectacle As we began to address last week, Digital Slobs have an almost supernatural ability to combat the late-summer blahs. Actually, we treat goofing-off season like an Olympic event. We train year-rbund, hours and hours a day, just so when TV goes into reruns and politics spirals into Its deepest form of vacuous dementia, we'll be ready to salvage our sanity when it counts. We have the cunning, the specialized training and the motivation to defeat boredom, just like James Bond, minus his contractual obligation to go shirtless somewhere between the first and second acts (in fact, some of us have signed agreements that expressly forbid such displays).

So here are a few more Web sites that can help you kill time before time kills you: Passiveaggressivenotes.co This site combines the timeless joy of complaining via notes on the fridge about your roommate's creative housekeeping with new, 21st-century tools like camera phones and a blog. It chronicles various examples of snotty complaints, and often -snottier retorts, painted with every sarcastic hue in our lexicon's spectrum. Example posted on a bulletin board: "(Band) requires drummer tor regular gigging. Previous applicants may apply again. Except Graham." Another favorite from a coffee shop restroom: "The barista who cleans this rest-room also makes your coffee.

Their mood determines the quality of your coffee. Thanks!" Consumeristcom: Face it, in these hard economic times, when it comes to customer satisfaction, some major service sectors are becoming emotional basket cases. At this point, if the airline Industry had a baby, Kevin Federline would be granted sole custody. Keeping that In mind, this blog, subtitled "Shoppers Bite Back," examines the woes of consumers and offers tools and strategies to stop the cycle of abuse. Dreammoods.com: Since i was a kid, I've had this recurring dream where a gorilla chases me around the living room while I try to protect a tuna sandwich.

Thanks to this online dream dictionary, I now know the ape represents my "wild nature and repressed sexual energy," and the sandwich represents a conflict between my "spiritual beliefs and what Is practical," In this case my spiritual connections to tuna sandwiches versus my practical need to avoid gorillas. Sleep, dream, remember, then check out this Web site, and soon your life will suddenly make complete sense to you and only you but still, you. Smithmag.netslxwords: Sure, you could write your life story and try to hawk it to publishers or, even more humbling, lug the 6-pound manuscript around your network of acquaintances just to see who your real friends aren't, but why put on the literary performance of a lifetime only to play to an empty house? Abridge that tome and bring it to the masses. This site challenges the world's best summa-rizers to boil their whole lives down to just six words, and it is quite illuminating. Expect to read funny ones like, "English major.

You do the jarring ones like, "Little brother becomes my daughter's and my personal favorite (because It's mine), "Married Russian. Brush teeth with vodka." Reach Star-Bulletin columnist Curt Brandao and subscribe to the free "digitalslobpod" podcast atdigitalslobcom. li i i in textiles Yokol employs a highly traditional style of creating bingata, which entails creating stencils from thick wash! paper coated with persimmon juice for a waterproof surface, applying a paste of mochiko flour, painting the fabric, drying it, rinsing it and repeating the process for each color. Yokoi also crafts his own brushes. The blouses, dresses and scarves.

He also creates traditional costumes for stage performance, as he has for Wada's troupe, which will be performing twice this month in his costumes. It's been a long road of dedication for Yokol, who took an interest in Okinawan bingata in 1978 after watching a Ryukyu THE ART OF BINGATA Recent works by Yusuke Yokot On exhibit: Wednesday through Aug. 19 Place: Academy Art Center, 1111 Victoria St. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesdays to Saturdays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays Call: 532-8741 Also: Yokol leads workshops In bingata textiles, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $130 per day.

RELATED EVENTS "The Living' Textiles of Dance performance by Ukwanshln Okinawa Performing Arts Troupe, featuring Yokoi's costumes; 7 p.m. Saturday, Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts. Tickets are $20, $15 Academy members, $10 seniors, students free. Call 532-8700. "Loo Choo nu Kwa: Children of Ukwanshln dance troupe performs at 2 p.m.

Aug. 24; Mamiya Theatre, Saint Louis School. Tickets are $25, $20 seniors and children. Call 5503457 or visit (Okinawan) dance performance in Tokyo. He moved to Okinawa and sought out three families who had for eenera- )i tions created bingata for only aspect of modernity to seep into his work is the inclusion of chemical pigments, which allow the natural dyes to hold faster to the material.

The process for one kimono takes about a month, at the cost of about $4,000. "1 give these (arti An artist crafts styles similar to traditional clothing worn in the Okinawan royal court By Joleen Oshlro joshirostarbulletin.com When artisan Yusuke Yokoi sits down to create an Okinawan blngata, or stencil-dyed textile, his work embodies no less than the history and culture of Okinawa. Traditionally, Okinawan bingata was clothing literally fit for a king. Royal courts wore the kimono adorned with representations of nature, stenciled with dyes made of bark, berries and roots. But how many even knew that Okinawa was once a kingdom at all? This Is the precisely why artists like Yokol are so vital, says Eric Wada, artistic director of the Ukwanshln Okinawa Performing Arts Troupe, which is sponsoring Yokol in a visit to Hawaii.

The artist will hold two bingata workshops at the Academy Art Center, and an exhibit at the center will showcase his works. "Many people think that Okinawans are only peasants and farmers. Bingata represents the lineage that Okinawa has," Wada says. ine royai court, wnen they refused to teach him, he researched and studied whatever he could get his hands on: And he con Yusuke Yokol tinued to revisit the families until the early 1980s, when one succumbed to his persistence. Yokol is excited to share his art with the Hawaii community for the same reason Wada promotes Okinawan culture.

"The opportunity to watch bingata made by traditional technique is rare," Yokol said via e-mal. "Look and experience It and feel It. And I want you to enjoy It. Bingata is a splendid thing. The people of Okinawa that produce bingata want you to realize the splendor of the Ryukyu culture again." sans) credit for making It their livelihood," says Wada.

"It's so time-consuming and expensive, you can't make money at it. You don't even know if you'll have another piece to work on the next month kimono are not in high demand anymore." To keep up with modern tastes and practice his craft regularly not to mention secure a steady paycheck Yokol spends much of his effort on wall hangings and modern street clothes such as WHAT'S INSIDE rr rt FLASHBACK: Ron Cooper remarks on a long career on radio and TV. D2 3 BOX OFFICE TOP 1 0 The highest-grossing movies in North America this weekend, with estimated earnings: 1. "The Dark Knight" $43.8 million 2. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" $42.5 million 3.

"Step Brothers" $16.3 million 4. "Mamma Mia!" $13.1 million 5. "Journey to the Center of the Earth" $6.9 million 6. "Swing Vote," $6.3 million 7. "Hancock" $5.2 million $4.7 million 9.

"The X-Files: I Want to Believe" $3.4 million 10. "Space Chimps" $2.8 million Source: Medic By Numben ENTERTAINMENT "Wheel' watchers, take note: Ticket deadline is Friday "Wheel of Fortune" fans have until Saturday to apply for free tickets to see the show when It tapes at the Hilton Waikoloa Village next month. Tickets for the Sept. 12-16 tapings will be awarded by random drawing. To put your name in, visit khon2.com, download the ticket application and mail it in.

Each applicant chosen will be entitled to four tickets, which will be mailed by Aug. 29. Star-Bulletin rt PORTFOLIO: KCC exhibit lets artists explore. D7 INSIDE Cel Shaded D2 People DS Get Your Game On D3 Television D6 Science D4 Comics D8.