Magnum lifestyle on the cheap

[Reef monkey]

Their hulls remind me somewhat of rowing shells. The instability is heightened when not moving or going slowly, perhaps analagous to a bike, but at speed they are fairly stable. .

That's actually the best metaphor for explaining primary vs secondary stability I have ever heard.

[Pahonu]

Their hulls remind me somewhat of rowing shells. The instability is heightened when not moving or going slowly, perhaps analagous to a bike, but at speed they are fairly stable. .

That's actually the best metaphor for explaining primary vs secondary stability I have ever heard.

I do my best.

[Waterbug Blue]

Their hulls remind me somewhat of rowing shells. The instability is heightened when not moving or going slowly, perhaps analagous to a bike, but at speed they are fairly stable. .

That's actually the best metaphor for explaining primary vs secondary stability I have ever heard.

I do my best.

Successfully!

[Reef monkey]

Thanks for all that Reef Monkey. Very useful advice! So what do you recommend for an ocean-front estate?

Marry into money.

Seriously, though, while we can't all live in Hawaii, or even on the ocean, there are steps you can take to "Magnify" your house. If your wife doesn't mind, or you have a "man-cave", you can certainly decorate it in a tropical or tiki theme - a lot of rattan and bamboo, wooden masks on the wall, etc.

I'm fortunate in that my wife shares my eclectic decorating tastes. I have traveled a lot in Mexico, Africa, Europe and Japan and have brought home folk art, so our living room has an old school globetrotting adventurer look, wooden masks, carvings, a Maasai spear, etc., kind of like the Adventurer's Club on Pleasure Island in Downtown Disney in Orlando, if you've ever been there. It is certainly a place that Higgins would be comfortable in. I also inherited two chinese chests as end tables and a chinese coffee table from my grandmother, so that has informed our style in that room.

If you don't already have the stuff I have but want to go for that look, hit Pier One and Cost Plus World Market.

Indoor plants like Neanthabella palms can lend a tropical flair.

Then in the backyard, go with tropical landscaping. I am on the Gulf Coast, so I can do a lot of tropicals - bananas, ginger, philodendron, hibiscus, bird of paradise, canna lilies, etc.

If you live in a colder climate, there are a lot of "tropical looking" plants that can survive freezing, like canna lilies, some hibiscus, and rose of sharon, even chinese windmill palms do really well in cold climates. You can also keep more tender tropical plants in pots, and bring them inside during the winter. I do that with my pygmy date palm and plumeria (the plant Hawaiians use the flowers of to make leis).

If you have a swimming pool, that is a great way to have a tropical resort feel in your backyard. I don't but I did put in a 150 gallon pond that really adds to the feel of the backyard, especially in the summer when the water lily is in bloom. I also keep small, colorful native fish that I catch nearby, like sailfin mollies, golden topminnows, and orangespotted sunfish, as well as small crayfish.

Of course, I don't recommend this for everyone, but if you were really hardcore, you could choose your house to fit your Magnum lifestyle. There are a lot of mid 1960s ranch-style houses out there which had an Asian flair. Here is an example of one I have driven by a few times

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23274210@N ... hotostream[/url]

[Danno]

Nice one, Reef monkey. I like that house.

Check out the work of Vladimir Ossipoff- he's probably the most famous mid-century modern architect in Hawaii.

Living in Sydney, the Pacific Ocean is a big factor. I don't think I could live far from it. It's so different to the Atlantic.

Need salt water in the Magnum life-style.

I always think jogging along the beach feels very Magnum to me.
I have the Magnum, P.I. theme on my iPod running playlist.

[Reef monkey]

Nice one, Reef monkey. I like that house.

Check out the work of Vladimir Ossipoff- he's probably the most famous mid-century modern architect in Hawaii.

Living in Sydney, the Pacific Ocean is a big factor. I don't think I could live far from it. It's so different to the Atlantic.

Need salt water in the Magnum life-style.

I always think jogging along the beach feels very Magnum to me.
I have the Magnum, P.I. theme on my iPod running playlist.

Very true how important salt water, and warm salt water is to the Magnum lifestyle. The Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico, where I reside, are certainly different than the Pacific, especially on the shoreline. I do find, however, that when I'm in my kayak out on the Gulf on a warm summer day, and I've crossed the blue water line and am looking out at the horizon, I could imagine myself as Magnum crossing the Molokai Channel.

Here is another midcentury modern with asian flair closer to my house:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23274210@N ... hotostream


I haven't found the exact version of the Magnum PI theme played in the opening credits, some that sound similar or even exact at the beginning, but go off in a weird direction after a minute or so.
So who's your favorite Danno, James MacArthur or Scott Caan?

[Danno]

So who's your favorite Danno, James MacArthur or Scott Caan?

I've never seen any original Five-O, so it'd have to be Scott Caan.
That's probably controversial around here!