Hawaii

Hawaii’s Sen. Daniel K. Akaka is the latest “superdelegate” to back Hawaii-born Barack Obama’s bid for President of the United States. His announcement was first noted by NBC’s Domenico Montanaro on MSNBC and confirmed via a Star-Bulletin report on Akaka’s official statement. His announcement brings the number of superdelegates pledged today to four, all supporting Obama. Obama previously backed Akaka’s reelection in 2006, appearing in a local television commercial when Akaka faced a challenge by former Rep. Ed Case, so his endoresement may not be too…

Today is the last day of shooting for Season 4. And driving to work past Honolulu Harbor this morning, what should appear like a vision but the Freighter Kahana. She was docked at Kewalo Basin, where tell-tale trailers and crew trucks were gathering. But I had to do a double-take. She wasn’t the rusty, dirty vessel we’ve been seeing on “LOST.” She was painted and clean and looking good. Before? After? UPDATE: Looks like the Kahana is getting a facelift, but separate from “LOST” production. There was a base camp with trailers and crew at the adjacent lot…

Hawaii grassroots politics, going virtual: The reality of eDemocracy in Hawaii gains momentum as members of HawaiiConCon.org and Citizens’ Committee on ConCon call on citizens to join Hawaii’s newest open online community at HawaiiConCon.org. Over 70 Hawaii citizens including prominent political and technology leaders have already joined HawaiiConCon.org to “learn, discuss, and decide” on the merits of whether to hold a State Constitutional Convention. Former Congressman and co-founder Ed Case stated, “What we are trying to do here is to lay those pros and cons out and to have a…

A couple of tidbits to start the week. First, local “LOST” fans may want to make their way down to the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel tonight for the taping of the “NightTime with Andy Bumatai” show. Tonight’s star guest is Michael Emerson, a.k.a. Benjamin Linus. Head down to the S.O.S. Showroom at 6 p.m. to see if Andy’s easygoing style will be able to pry any answers out of one of the show’s most incredible actors. Secondly, of likely interest to “LOST” fans everywhere, a chance star sighting at the Halekulani yesterday. Pulpconnection reports…

Renown “digital wonderer” Burt Lum will soon be returning to the airwaves with “Bytemarks Cafe,” a radio show about technology and the web coming in July on Hawaii Public Radio (KIPO-FM 89.3). “It’ll be a magazine format with news bytes, interviews, cool websites and an audio pick of the week,” he explains, and adds that he is already on the hunt for topic suggestions and interesting people to interview. Burt says he’s always had a love for radio, having once had a regular show during his college days at Stanford (where he earned an M.S. degree…

Yesterday I happened to notice the fine print at the bottom of the KHON web site with a link to the “EEO Public Report”. It seems that the FCC has required each broadcaster to post their latest Equal Employment Opportunity report on their web site. FCC rules require broadcasters to widely distribute job notices and [...]

A press release announcing the University of Hawaii has signed on to The Climate Registry prompted several stories this past week, with the Star-Bulletin and all the local television news broadcasts covering the issue. Only KHON’s Andrew Pereira also spotlighted a climate change skeptic. While carbon footprint measurements have become a popular way for governments, companies and [...]

Poor Neil. Hawaii Congressman Neil Abercromie can’t be enjoying this week’s mentions in the news, from our local papers to the Washington Post and out into popular blogs like TPM Muckraker. That wasn’t Neil’s only mention in the Washington Post this week, though. He also had an interesting write-up with his own advice to the Obama [...]

Advertiser business writer Rick Daysog has joined the ranks of bloggers with his new “Biz Bites” blog. Shouldn’t that be Biz Bytes? His entry on Hawaiian Tel was pretty ambitious and sets a high standard for regular blogging. Good luck, Rick! The Star-Bulletin reported the sudden closing of Holokai Grill on the new Waikiki Beach [...]

There’s disturbing news from Kauai regarding major police over reaction to Superferry opponents who are also sovereignty advocates, apparently in official circles now considered a dangerous mix. What in the world is going on over there? News of the video strike by Advertiser reporters brought this reply from a reader: What’s the other side of the [...]

From an Advertiser op-ed piece today: if we see record gasoline prices in our neighborhoods and then hear of record oil company profits, the natural conclusion is that oil profits came from our neighborhoods. But where do those record profits come from? In Exxon’s case, more than 75 percent came from foreign countries. Only 10 percent were [...]

No, not my dog, Perl, but my preferred scripting language, perl. As I mentioned a few days back, I thought it would be useful to be able to have a record of every vote cast by each legislator. The data are available now, but they are organized by bill, i.e. the Capitol website does not [...]

Remember the strange scenario I wrote about some time ago regarding the disputed election results for the MEC? Well, the Molokai Times now reports that the “pro-development” faction of the not-fully-populated board has held a closed-door meeting to amend its bylaws so that the (final) annual election to fill seats on the board would [...]

An Advertiser report on the Iolani Palace occupation concludes with this though-provoking passage: Despite widespread media reports, [”head of state’] Kahau said it is incorrect to call the Hawaiian Kingdom Government a “sovereignty group” or even “protesters.” “We’re not protesting against anything. … We’re not a sovereignty group,” she said. “We are the seat of government for [...]

I don’t blog about national politics, but I’ll note a passage from this Star-Bulletin article about attempts in Congress to lower the price of gasoline. Senate Democrats introduced an energy package this week that ignores the calls for the tax holiday. Instead, the proposal calls for a windfall-profits tax on oil companies and a rollback of $17 [...]

by Larry Geller I thought that the NIE would be an obstacle to Bush's plan to bomb Iran. Not so, according to Scott Ritter, former UN arms inspector, in this interview by Progressive Review editor Matt Rothschild. Bush is using the NIE to prove he must bomb Iran. Ritter explains the "logic". He thinks the danger of a military attack on Iran is very high just now. And according to Ritter,

by Larry Geller Kauai is a beautiful place, and the people are the best. I love the Big Island and particularly the volcano. Never been to Molokai, and Maui is ok. But Oahu is for me. Here's one example of why (snippet): Monks to perform ritual at extended 'Dragon's Gift' exhibit Advertiser Staff "The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan" exhibit will remain open at the Honolulu Academy of

by Larry Geller I can't stop wondering why the Superferry issue keeps coming up. Probably because the underlying conflicts have yet to be resolved. None of them. But it seems that Kauai is deep in the throes again. Hey, it's May already and it's still not going back there, but it's clear that Kauai is in the Superferry's cross hairs again. Following new CEO Admiral Tom Fargo's broadside that

by Larry Geller "Adm. Fargo is a strategic thinker and a visionary who has the depth to continue growing Trex Enterprises," said Kenneth Tang, chairman and CEO of Trex Enterprises. [Fargo named Trex president, Pacific Business News, November 16, 2005] It's safe to say that everything Thomas Fargo says as CEO of Hawaii Superferry is also strategic. And so when we read the AP story (via KPUA),

by Larry Geller The AP seems to have gone right to the issue: the Superferry will not be punished for its underreporting of lobbying expenses (article via KPUA): State Ethics Commission says Superferry will not be punished HONOLULU (AP) _ The state Ethics Commission says Hawaii Superferry will not be punished for grossly underreporting its lobbying expenses last year. The company spent nearly

Here are the Top 10 Reasons FUSER ROCKS, From the Mind of NEENZ: 10. The Fuser mascot is so cute, take a look at the rejected ideas. 9. The LEADERBOARD tells you exactly who’s dropping and poking the most love on you. One day you may need this data, oh perhaps while petitioning for a restraining order? 8. You never have to log into MySpace again to read and reply to messages and bulletins. 7. You never have to log into Facebook again to read and reply to messages and wall posts. 6. If you insist on “dropping some love” complete with glitter graphics or participating in super…

When I was 14-years-old I had enough skills to make my high school Varsity basketball team, not because my Dad was my coach but I had earned it. Now, nepotism would have had me monopolizing minutes per game, however my skill set was not as good as many of my more seasoned and talented teammates. I understood my role, and accepted it. I was to practice as hard as anyone else, learn the game, develop my skills and encourage my teammates from the bench prepared to enter the game at a moments notice if the score warranted. Like it takes a village to raise a child, so it takes an entire team to…

At 2, Taimane has an itinerary when she travels to Oahu which is a short list that includes visiting Papa and Tutu, swimming in the pool at my home and to Chuck E. Cheese in Aina Haina, “where a kid can be a kid.” She may be young, but she already has a growing bank of miles with Hawaiian Airlines, and sadly had to forfeit her miles with the unfortunate close of Aloha Airlines. I miss my Tai Tai, so befitting to the category Family, this post is dedicated to the captured memories of Taimane’s most recent visit.

“Burt Lum is Bytemarks and Bytemarks is on the pulse of the technology movement here in Hawai’i.” I first met Burt at the inaugural and very successful Unconferenz here on Oahu, but it wasn’t until we were both pitted to challenge each other in the White Crane stance that I grew to truly respect his leadership abilities. If given the opportunity, Burt and I could talk for hours about everything and anything because he is just that interesting and very well versed. Many of you may recall the Bytemarks name from a column that Burt wrote for the Honolulu Advertiser or his…

I received an email from one of my readers, Bruce Wheeler of Seventh Wave PhotoGraphics on Maui that Tony Roma’s in Lahaina had shutdown. Living on Oahu now, I immediately dispatched my protege and Maui correspondent, my 2-year-old niece Taimane. NEENZ: “Hi, Tai Tai.” TAIMANE: “Hi Auntie. What are you doing?” NEENZ: “Working. Can you ask Mommy to confirm that Tony Roma’s in Lahaina closed down.” TAIMANE: “OK.” NEENZ: “OK. Tell Mommy.” TAIMANE: “OK. What are you doing?” NEENZ: “Still working. Tai can you…

Special from Hawaii Free Press

Officials say it is, “more than just a road”; Site for Kroc Community Center also blessed

     Chaminade University of Honolulu is holding commencement exercises for 400 graduating seniors this evening at the Neal Blaisdell Center.       One of two student speakers is Shaunalei Awong, featured in this morning's Honolulu Advertiser. Shaunalei was working as a janitor when she was inspired to follow her mother's example of going back to school and graduating from Chaminade.       She went back fired up! Shaunalei is being honored tonight as Chaminade's most outstanding graduate in historical and political studies.  …

     "By the time this TV program is broadcast, I might be wearing a ring on my finger," smiled Senator Daniel Inouye, as he sat down with me for the taping of LONG STORY SHORT.       He'll be a bridegroom at age 84.        As it turns out, our two LONG STORY SHORT episodes featuring the Senator will make the air before he reaches the altar. We'll present them on PBS Hawaii at 7:30 pm Tuesday, May 13, and Tuesday, May 20. His small private Los Angeles wedding ceremony with California museum executive Irene Hirano takes place May…

      I don't have any personal use for guns, but I just heard another wise saying that derives from gun imagery.     Flipping through television channels, I came across an old Bette Davis movie in which her character was referring to how she was dealing with her meddling, anxious mother: "Stick to your guns but don't fire."      I like that. And I also like an expression that offers a different take: "Fire and fall back." Very useful thing to do when you believe strongly that others are charting the wrong course. You share your…

      We have about 20 college students working at PBS Hawaii, learning the television business and getting paid. Most work in production, assisting with weekly programs we shoot in our studio in Manoa.       In the last few weeks, our college workers have felt the pressure of final exams. We can always tell when exams hit, by the furrowed brows, lunch breaks spent hitting the books and requests to take a day off.       One of our workers, David Bergeman, is a master's degree candidate--and he's about to defend his thesis in…

     Loretta Ables Sayre, starring on Broadway as Bloody Mary in the classic musical "South Pacific," sent friends back in Hawaii an email that started out:      "Guess who knocked on my dressing room door last night?"       It turned out to be another fabulous singer/actor with Hawaii roots, Bette Midler.       "We both graduated from Radford High School and we talked pidgin like two titas!" Loretta wrote.        Bette, as you recall, created The Divine Miss M persona and…

The Sixth Annual Waikiki "Spam Jam" is set for the first Saturday in May; May...

Hawaiian Airlines today announced that it has signed a "definitive purchase agreement" with aircraft manufacturer...

Royal Gardens subdivision was back in the news again this past week as a lava...

A man reportedly threw a toddler to his death from a freeway bridge in Honolulu...

Greg McMackin has been named the new head coach of the University of Hawai'i football...

I've posted some photos of the East Maui Taro Festival which was held April 26-27. There are four photo galleries, each one from a different day showing a different step in the process. I think there's some nice photos in here, so I hope you'll take the time to check them out and enjoy. (I recommend clicking the "Slideshow" button on the bottom.)Thursday: Harvesting kalo at Kapahu Living Farm Friday: Making poi and laulau at Kipahulu kitchen Saturday: East Maui Taro Festival in Hana Sunday: Planting huli at Kapahu Living Farm

Haleakala Times has this story about the protest for returning water to the East Maui streams that was held at Honomanu the morning of the East Maui Taro Festival April 26 to catch all the traffic coming in.If you drove out, as I did, on Saturday, April 26, 2008, the first day of Hana’s 16th annual East Maui Taro Festival, it would have been difficult to ignore the series of bright hand-lettered signs posted on some of the one-lane bridges. They were taped in front of the places where you have to slow down or stop to let cars coming toward you pass by. The first and largest sign, just…

Advertiser reports that negotiations over the so-called ceded lands (Hawaiian national lands) settlement are at an impasse:Just days after the end of the legislative session and a failed attempt to reach an agreement over how much ceded-land revenue is owed to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the key parties involved appear to again be at loggerheads. This time the issue is over what should happen next. While Gov. Linda Lingle says her administration stands by the existing proposal, lawmakers and OHA want to go back to the bargaining table. Lawmakers did not approve an agreement reached…

The New York Times covers this week's occupation of the Palace grounds by Mahealani Kahau's Hawaiian Kingdom Government. And here's an article in today's Advertiser that covers their discussions with DLNR about their presence at the Palace, which they say will continue every weekday.

Rec'd via email...From: Mahealani Wendt <mawendt @ nhlchi.org>Subject: Kanaka Maoli Occupation of Archives & PalaceDate: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:23:57 -1000Late breaking news: It is reported by an on-scene observer, an NHLC staffer, that approximately 100 Kingdom of Hawai`i citizens have barricaded and are guarding entrances to the Archives and `Iolani Palace. They are refusing entry and exit to anyone who is not kanaka maoli. Many DLNR enforcement officers are on the scene.  They feel it is time to take steps to take our country back. Let us hope everyone stays safe. xxx…

[See post to watch Flash video] iPod | Phone | Audio MP3 | Embed Beach Walks Copy and paste the html code below into your site. Beach Walk 633 - Reception or Deflectionlt;/a> Monday seems like a good time to discuss one of the ways energy gets moved around between/among people, since Monday's tend to have a lot of "incomings" - messages, requests, complaints, etc. I use a little phrase (when I remember!), to slow things down and help me regain my footings. Please welcome and check out our show sponsor, Primo Water. Primo Water is a new, environmentally-friendly water bottled in a natural…

[See post to watch Flash video] iPod | Phone | Audio MP3 | Embed Beach Walks Copy and paste the html code below into your site. Beach Walk 632 - Island Adventurelt;/a> Beauty Alert!!! We had friends visiting and borrowed the Foti family canoe, the Waʻa Lele, and paddled out the Mokulua Islands. The sunshine and the water and the colors are just beautiful! Dan Brown brought his HERO camera rig for the canoe, Mindy Clark of outriggercanoe.blogspot.com steered us, and friends Jeff and Carlos (you met them in Episode 369 along with Stacey (Episode 296) and Kaile (Episode 572, and I had a…

[See post to watch Flash video] iPod | Phone | Audio MP3 | Embed Beach Walks Copy and paste the html code below into your site. Beach Walk 631 - Interludelt;/a> A nice simple scenic Hawaii today. No talk. Just waves, tropical breezes, sunshine, and lapping waves. Enjoy! P.S. I mis-edited the show last night and had the rwong file link in our iTunes feed! Please excuse the duplicate (but now corrected_ iTunes feed. Hawaiian word: Nānaina: scenery Join us at The Reef and Listen to Reef Radio Add this to your Technorati Favorites Support us by buying your own copy of our Beach Walks Theme…

[See post to watch Flash video] iPod | Phone | Audio MP3 | Embed Beach Walks Copy and paste the html code below into your site. Beach Walk 631 - Interludelt;/a> A nice simple scenic Hawaii today. No talk. Just waves, tropical breezes, sunshine, and lapping waves. Enjoy! Hawaiian word: Nānaina: scenery Join us at The Reef and Listen to Reef Radio Add this to your Technorati Favorites Support us by buying your own copy of our Beach Walks Theme music. Please check out our Blogroll page with many more links to our friends' web sites.

[See post to watch Flash video] iPod | Phone | Audio MP3 | Embed Beach Walks Copy and paste the html code below into your site. Beach Walk 630 - It Takes Onelt;/a> Relationships can be so illuminating and so misleading. I often find myself wishing the others would just change, instead of focusing on myself, which is the only change that really matters, the only change where I have any power or influence. Focusing the light on each of us by each of us a great way to start the week I think. It's a beautiful day and we are joined by my little friend Kaile, who is just learning to explore the…

Visitor arrivals to Hawaii will decline by 3 percent this year, twice as much as previously projected, in part because of the shutdown of Aloha Airlines and ATA, according to the quarterly economic report released by the state on Monday.

Hawaii's wholesale workers make 39.5 percent more a week than they did five years ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A new forecasting report from the U.S. Department of Energy asserts wind power could generate 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs by 2030.

The cost of a gallon of gas cost more in five states than it did in Hawaii on Monday, according to AAA.

Hawaii-based C4 Waterman announced Monday it bought a global surfboard distribution company.

These are my Hawaiian music links for May 12th: Facing The Music - The musicians of the Honolulu Symphony struggle to make ends meet as the symphony's financial struggles continue ShareThis

These are my Hawaiian music links for May 12th: Aquarium’s ‘Ke Kani O Ke Kai’ resumes June 12 | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser - The Waikiki Aquarium's "Ke Kani O Ke Kai" summer concert series, a popular beachfront Thursay evening event, will resume June 12. This summer's lineup includes Kaukahi, Hapa, Jerry Santos & Jay Larrin, Eddie Kamae and Willie K. ShareThis

John Berger of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin discusses the dominance of new artists and Hawaiian music artists in this years awards, and notes a ‘there’s some backstage controversy brewing’. First, my congratulations to all nominees. The controversy that John refers to is ‘the decision of the HARA Board of Governors to define “The Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame Presents — Na Lani ‘Eha,” an album recorded by board member Ku’uipo Kumukahi and the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame Serenaders, as the work of a female vocalist rather than a group because the other…

Hale Koa Hotel presents “This Is Hawaii” starring Marlene Sai tonight (Wednesday, May 7). One hour Dinner Show is 7:30PM. Marlene will be accompanied by the one-and-only Kenneth Makuakāne. ShareThis

These are my Hawaiian music links for May 6th: Celebrating Aunty Nona - A lu'au and a celebration of life will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14 at Kamehameha Schools to honor the memory and achievements of the revered Hawaiian treasure, Auntie Winona Kapuailohiamanonokalani Desha Beamer. ShareThis

Hi! sorry it said “weekend picks” all day Monday. I meant to have this update here for you. Like a surprise. like, woah! christa updated fast! i just heard about that miami-style pool party that everyone was at on sunday and bam! here are the photos! ya, tell me when i ever let you down…. starting with friday. i was at W salon lurking models. HI! (more…)

OH WOAH! guess what people. HiFi is doing an exclusive designer showcase/fashion show thing at Candy Bar tonight… the same night Ravi Drums is back!! i haven’t seen him since the white party. talk about damn special. Want to know something MORE special?? YOU ARE ON THE LIST! ALL OF YOU! until midnight too. so find some damn non-sneaker shoes and a non-t-shirt shirt and get over to the mall and support me us. i’ll obviously need your full name by 5pm today for all this to happen. let’s make it happen! later today you should cruise by exclusive. i read somewhere that…

just let it load. it’s gonna be a while. if you are one of my iphone friends you might want to set it down for a bit. sorry. you know me. such a wordy mcworderson i am. let’s see. OH! and hey, these are totally out of order this week. my bad! but i see here that i’m starting with this past saturday. i had to work… (more…)

….uh. thanks for rocking the crap out of honolulu. you hipsters you. my head hurts a little. let me get my shit together and give you a weekly pic update. last week was killer. and last night was woah. trust!

wear blue. it’s echo’s birthday. woooo.

Kaela Teho is living proof of the great things that happen at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, thanks to the Children’s Miracle Network. Hawaii loves a celebration. From baby’s first luau to sister’s graduation party to tutu

Suits for any personality! That’s the theme for this year’s highly anticipated MidWeek swimsuit issue featuring beautiful local models in the latest swimwear fashions. In past years, the swimsuit issue featured about a dozen models with only one or two suits each. This year, we photographed only three female models: former Miss Hawaii USA

Business exec Tom Ocasek is fighting to save polar bears as climate change warms up the Arctic Circle and imperils their future on earth. For many Oahu residents, snow is something that

No, he’s not related to that other famous musical Ho, but with his third Grammy win, Daniel Ho is creating his own legend in Island music. In fact, the two never met. “I can’t tell you how many

As the guy who runs the Waikiki Shell and Blaisdell Center, John Fuhrmann has seen more concerts and shows than anybody. 

Even though there's no medical cure for HFMD, here's our home remedy which is making things more bearable - Tivo loaded up with all kinds of cartoons and Jamba Juice.No better pain relief than vegetating in front of the television, and while eating solids is too tough, non-citrus Jamba Juice is just right.

Looking for a booster seat for the kids?

That would be Hand Foot Mouth Disease. HFMD wiped out our plans for a joining a Mother's Day brunch at Tsukiji's. Ah, the joys of parenthood!Happy Mother's Day!

The HawaiiBusiness magazine published their annual Best Places to Work issue for 2008. You have to buy the printed version for the complete writeups of the various businesses, but the online version has some interesting tidbits including #1 Xerox Hawaii, a photo gallery, 7 Things Employees Love, and a self assessment of your work place.Who knew working at a law firm could be fun? #3 in the "Small" category. I guess having a picnic at Secret Island and going on a sunset cruise is fun. Maybe it's that average annual salary of $84,838 that's fun or the 61% female employees? I must say though,…

The perennial favorite Top Chef challenge, Restaurant Wars, got a change up this season, converting to Wedding Wars. Top Chef teams catered wedding dishes according to the tastes of the bride and groom, but for the groom's team, Wedding Wars broke down into flat out war.The team of Dale, Lisa, Nikki, and Spike never gelled and was easily the losing team. The current Chefs admitted to watching previous seasons of Top Chef, but Nikki must have missed Restaurant Wars from Season 3. That's the one where Tre, the Executive Chef for the team, was eliminated for not acting like the Executive Chef.

Jason Genegabus photos Supposed to be on vacation this week, so I’m going to keep this short. If you missed Jason Mraz last Friday at the Waikiki Shell, I’ve got more pictures and video highlights from the concert after the jump. It was a fun night, with Mraz mixing hits with new material and a couple of interesting covers (Elton John and Bob Marley!?!?) for good measure. Oh, and I kinda called it… “I’m Yours” was Mraz’s final song, before the encore. I thought it would be the encore. But you had to love that Mraz used what appeared to be a baritone…

Bil Zelman photo I’m still a little torn over the decision to move tonight’s Jason Mraz (pictured) concert from the Blaisdell Concert Hall to the Waikiki Shell. (more…)

Jason Genegabus photos The past few weeks have been like that picture above. Just a blur. Sorry about the lack of posts lately. I’ve been busy with other aspects of my job, and my blog was the first thing that got pushed aside. But I did take a few pictures while I was out last weekend, plus a video I shot before the UH spring football game at Aloha Stadium, after the jump. (more…)

Jamm Aquino photo Another year, another pair of sold-out concerts for Jack Johnson. This is my fourth year covering the Kokua Festival, after skipping the first one because it meant having to drive alllll the way out to Kualoa Ranch. I know. Terrible. But true. (more…)

Parents and keiki do ‘The Hustle’ on down to The O Lounge for an afternoon dance party called - are you ready? - Baby Loves Disco. The O Lounge transforms from its usual hip nightclub to a child-proof disco this Saturday, welcoming youngsters (from 6 months to 7 years) to let loose in an afternoon dance party.

In the first regional robotics competition staged in Hawaii, local high school teams perform exceptionally, while having a ton of un-geeky fun. Robots invaded UH’s Stan Sheriff Center for three days recently. It was basically a peaceful invasion as the robots, under the control of their human overlords, came in the spirit of peaceful competition. 

A new guide points the way to where every TV and movie has been shot on Oahu. The pristine beaches, majestic mountains lush greenery and sweet morning air are just a few reasons why our Island home is considered “picture perfect” - something you’re surely bound to find on a postcard as you’re browsing the stands and shops in Waikiki.

On a recent weekday, the tiny Pacific Island nation of Moku was struck by a super typhoon that left 2,000 dead, 2,000 more in need of medical attention and more than 50,000 homeless. Fortunately for the residents, airmen from bases in Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, Texas and Washington were on the ground within 24 hours to begin providing emergency medical care to the storm-battered island.

The QuikSilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge at Makaha welcomed a slew of seasoned surfing greats and showcased the newest wave of surf competition, all for a charitable cause. From glowing sunshine to gentle winds to crisp, clear winter swells, Mother Nature treated surf pros and fans alike to a spectacular Valentine’s Day

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono endorsed Barack a few days ago and now Daniel Akaka has stated his support for Senator Obama. Senator Akaka summed it up quite nicely with the following words: “He is the antidote we need to cure Washington of the uninspired, partisan politics that has plagued our country far too long. What makes him uniquely qualified? A March 2008 feature in Vanity Fair magazine offers a clue: ‘He was born and came of age in Hawaii, the 50th state and in many ways among the freest‑thinking, where mixed‑race ancestry is …a given. If Obama comes across as a bit of…

The composition of our chain of islands has a perceived yet invisible strand that holds us together. Okay, I’m not much on the topography of the ocean floor. While there may be years of lava flows keeping us tight, the strand I’m referring to is the cultural and emotional strand shared by island residents — no matter which island they’re living on. For the most part, we love our environment, we love our weather and we love our ocean and its wealth of sea dwelling creatures. A few weeks back, my mother and I took a little whale sighting cruise. We didn’t see any.

That’s all of the Net in one net. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration but if it keeps growing, this description of Alltop may not be so much of an overstatement after all. In any case, this aggregated conglomeration of informational blogs and news sites just appeared under my nose. A lot of things have just appeared right under my nose recently! Have you ever been oblivious to your surroundings and suddenly been shaken into the realization of something? Imagine yourself swimming at Hanauma Bay only to suddenly notice you’re swimming alongside a 500-pound manatee —…

I knew it. You knew it. It’s been in the news. We’ve known about it for quite some time (since 2004 or so). But, to see it dissolve right before your eyes is not the easiest thing to witness. As an ardent fan of the dairy industry, that orange circle with the “f” in it didn’t simply mean “Foremost” to me, it meant milk! I still remember, when I was little, how excited I was to see the cow on the lawn at Foremost. The cow was fake but I kept looking for real ones. It’s a dairy! I used to think, “They must be milking the cows…

Things have been so crazy around here lately I just wanted us to kick back just a bit and enjoy the Carnival at a relaxed pace. I thought we could just borrow one of these old-fashioned carriages from the filming that was happening near and around Iolani Palace. I didn’t think anyone would mind. I don’t think we can go much more leisurely than that! I wanted to smell the plumeria and the gardenia flowers but a blogger, who is new to us, is going to add to that — he’s going to talk to us from under the stars! Andrew Cooper presents The 2008 MATE ROV Challenge posted at…

Koa Rice leads the party of travelers to an ahu at the juncture where Saddle Road intersects with the road leading to the Mauna Kea summit. Ho’okupu carefully placed, she chants “E Ho Mai” and offers pule asking permission to visit the sacred summit. The only answer is steady makani and the sound of nearby heavy equipment. Saddle Road is undergoing long-planned upgrade which will straighten and widen the once-treacherous, narrow, winding road. Finished sections are wide enough to accommodate four lanes, turning lanes, emergency shoulders and freeway signs advising of 55 mph…

Sammy Hagar said it so well all those years ago: “I Can’t Drive 55.” And I’m swearing up and down, all day long, that I have that song in my collection. I know I’ve heard it a thousand times, probably live with Van Halen, but for the life of me, I cannot locate it among the 7,000+ songs in my collection. So it was fitting that tonight, right around 11 p.m., I purchased the song from Sammy’s VOA album off of iTunes for $0.99. (Picked up a free Carrier video, too.) A fitting way to mark my midlife crisis. What do you know? I’m halfway to 110! I’m…

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Mauka Kea, too, originally uploaded by zztype.

Mauna Kea summit, originally uploaded by zztype.

Rod Tam says homeless being sent to Hawaii from U.S. Mainland

Even when I specified them in June of 2003, the Dell OptiPlex GX260s that we use at work were not leading edge. This is because I’ve tried to keep costs down while getting the most for tax payer’s dollars (pats self on back). Hence, I usually buy at the “sweet spot” rather than the bleeding edge. At that time, the sweet spot was a 2.66GHz P-IV, 512MB of DDR266 RAM, and a Maxtor 40GB hard drive. But although they are kind of getting long in the tooth, as it were what with dual/quad/eight/sixteen/core processors becoming available, our budget is getting eaten up by…

‘Iolani Palace, located across the street from our offices in Ali‘iolani Hale, acts as a symbol to many native Hawaiian groups. It served as the residence of the reigning monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii until the overthrow in 1893. The building then served as the location for governors, legislatures, and other government offices unitl 1969 when the present state capitol building was completed. Yesterday, one such group occupied the property and chained the gates shut (read the story here) for several hours. Unfortunately, other such groups also lay claim to being the legitimate…

Guy Kawasaki is at it again. He, along with a couple of friends, started yet another website. This one is called Alltop (the other is Truemors). Feel free to explore each and decide whether either or both add value to your life. I’ve read his blog off and on for awhile now and every time I go there, I learn something new (or am reminded of something old) that I can use here at work. To me, his site is an invaluable resource, one that I’ve linked to before and probably will again. If you should ever have the opportunity to hear him speak, do so. If you can’t hear him speak,…

Recently, I’ve been trying to decide whether to put together a PC to act as a home file server or to get a network attached storage device (NAS). Although it is possible to setup a really cheap PC for the price of an entry-level NAS, I think it’s more trouble to setup and has functions that are not needed, which could act as vectors for evil doers. So, I’m about to order a NAS and a couple of Seagate 250GB drives to be used as a RAID 1 array. I’ll let you know how things go when the items come in sometime next week. Until then, my criteria for choosing a particular NAS…

The Citizen’s Against Government Waste website is at it again. Before going there, remember that what one person may define as wasted tax dollars may actually serve a critical public purpose. That said, it is very interesting that the top two for both the House and the Senate are Republicans. Senator No.of Projects Total (millions) Cochran (R-Miss) 245 $892.2 Stevens (R-Alaska) 150 $469.4 Shelby (R-Ala) 206 $464.5 Landrieu (D-LA) 161 $458.5 Byrd (D-W. Virginia) 111 $386.0 Representative No.of Projects Total (millions) Wicker (R-Miss) 43 $176.3 Young, Bill (R-FL) 87 $169.5 Murtha…

This is one of the last Microsoft Mobile Posts. You see this logo and it means I'm posting on the go. Again, thanks to Microsoft for underwriting this Maui trip (indirectly, of course). So here we have a picture of Mala(WARNING-SITE AUTO-PLAYS LOUD MUSIC), the second location of this [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

A post on the go from Iao Valley on Maui. We stopped at the phenomenal little cafe in the back of the Hawaii Nature Center in the valley and sucked down an insanely delish mango smoothie (I also wolfed down a crab salad and avocado on foccacia sandwich that [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Like most big kids, I dig aquariums. I spend a lot of my spare time in the water so any chance I get to learn about or see up close the sea life native to my nautical haunts is a good thing. Natch, on this Maui trip (doh -- [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

This post is brought to you by Microsoft, which generously sponsored my trip to Maui (indirectly, of course). When you see the Mobile Post icon, you know I'm posting somewhere in Hawaii. Look closely. Here's a picture of Wailea Beach on Maui in the ritzy Wailea subdivision. It's pretty [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Aloha from Maui. Here's another Microsoft Mobile Post, on the go from the most beautiful island in the world and underwritten by Microsoft (literally). Thanks, Steve! Three years ago our neighbor's son Sage Spalding moved to Maui with a wacky plan. A licensed boat pilot permitted to steer anything [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Two more of Hawaii's superdelegates have pledge their votes to Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Daniel Akaka gave his endorsement to Obama Monday.

A ground blessing in Kapolei for what will be a major thoroughfare for generations to come. The $17-million East West Road will connect future neighborhoods in what is called the second city. The new road will eventually intersect with the future North...

A judge has cleared several roadblocks in the Aloha Cargo sale. The judge has rejected the ongoing contract dispute with the pilots union and is allowing the sale to Saltchuk Resources to move forward. The Airline Pilots Aassociation had tried...

The death toll from Monday's deadly earthquake in the Sichuan Province of China reached 10,000 by Tuesday afternoon Hawaii time and was still climbing. An estimated 160,000 people of Chinese descent live in Hawaii, so there is obvious interest in what...

It's being called the deadliest earthquake in China in more than 30 years. At last count the death toll in the Sichuan Province was more than 10,000 and that number has been rising all day. Scientists with the U.S.Geological Survey...

One candidate's name I should have mentioned in my "Five races to watch" post  is another one running for Stacy Higa's  Fourth District Council seat.Jet Heng is a 26-year-old Operation Iraqi Freedom vet and UH-Hilo political science student. Campaign manager Christopher Todd e-mailed me to say he and Heng have "started to meet with community associations and organizations to gain a feel of how Jet can best serve the community if he is voted into office."  Todd included Heng's resume, which I've posted here. They are both Hilo High grads and Todd is the son…

West Hawaii Today is currently conducting a Web site survey on the Hawaii County mayor's race. A few moments ago I checked the results and, not surprisingly, West Hawaii Councilman Angel Pilago is leading but with less than half the votes -- 476, or 46 percent of the total.What's surprising is that Stacy Higa is second  with 187 votes (18 percent), and more surprising is that Lorraine Inouye is fourth with only 4 percent (45 votes). "None of the above" and "Undecided/Not sure" each got 7 percent. Billy Kenoi is third with 165 votes (16 percent).I'm not sure how long…

Rob Tucker, who moderates the Punaweb Forum and helped found Friends of Puna's Future, tries to effect change by using good information, common sense and persistent moderation in his approach to getting the County to recognize that Puna is not getting the services it should be. But Tucker apparently reached the end of his rope recently, resulting in a scathing critique of Parks and Rec Director Pat Engelhard's performance in Puna, which was published Friday on Punaweb Forum and in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday. It's worth a read if you haven't seen it.

Rep. Bob Herkes (D-Puna, Ka'u, S. Kona) apparently hit a nerve with Harry Kim in his well-publicized letter to the governor about the state's readiness to deal with volcano problems.Herkes should have gone to Harry first, the mayor complained in a cranky response to Herkes reported in Sunday's Hawaii Tribune-Herald.Kim said Herkes' complaints were all being addressed and that he could have told him so had he only asked. That's one of the problems we've been addressing here since lava started flowing toward Pahoa last July. Harry keeps saying that the county has plans, yet the public isn't…

Strawberry Guava Opihikao resident Syd Singer has had thoughtful and provocative insights on coqui frog eradication in the past and now he’s weighing in against the DOA’s plan to introduce new insects to Hawaii to stop the spread of strawberry guava trees. I've always been a little troubled by these attempts to control nature. Importing an insect to harm another species lends a kind of bio-ethnic cleansing aspect to the work. Since the bugs will be released first in Puna's Olaa Natural Reserve, it's of vital local interest and it would be good for everyone to have a thorough…

. . . miro . . . while visiting my mom earlier this year, i happened upon a story on the rebirth of the kahala sportswear line (which became part of tori richard a few years ago). the design that caught my eye was kahala's homage to mid-century style (shown above) perfect for hipsters seeking to revisit the cocktail culture of the rat pack. my curiosity was piqued so enjoy this little show and tell of the venerable alohawear brand! . . . native . . .. . . nuku hiva . . . . . . surf spots . . . say goodbye to the tired reverse print seen on every other island "suit" and visitor industry worker…

treat yourself to a malie kauai island ambiance reed diffuser and score a complimentary hand soap ($18 value). secret code: mom expires: sat, may 10th stop by the lily lotus boutique in kaimuki this weekend to save 10-30% on select yoga gear, jewelry and gifts for mom. when: now to sun, may 11th where: 1127 12th avenue janet jewelry is on the move which means everything in the shop is 15% off until moving day! secret code: movingsale08 expires: mon, jun 30th

. . . ka pilina earrings : niho cuff . . . it's been far too long since i last checked in with paradisus and i was happy to discover the mother and daughter design team have begun to collaborate with sonny ching to create a collection named after the renowned kumu hula. the kapa series is the first to make its debut and traces its roots to hawaiian kakau (tattoo) and 'ohe kapala (the bamboo stamps used to print kapa). . . . ka makaloa pendant : kukulu-o-ka-lani cuff links . . . anyone who appreciates the beauty of traditional hawaiian design is sure to fancy the sterling silver pieces marked…

eileen of honolulu who was the lucky winner of toast's mother's day love fruits! basket. mahalo to everyone who entered the giveaway and congratulations eileen! p.s. jeremy from toast also sent along word that the toast website is having a mother's day special on the remaining baskets.

a modern take on tropical design made in the very islands that has influenced designers from all around the world has been my sasquatch since starting h|h two years ago. always hopeful for its existence which remained ever elusive until i walked into pacific home over the holidays and stumbled upon a small display featuring linens with a happy hibiscus motif. it was like hitting the design jackpot and i immediately started to make a mental note of everyone on my gift list who would swoon for the pretty cloth confections. alas, it turned out the display was simply a teaser for honolulu…

A man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl appears in court.

The number of passengers Hawaiian Airlines flew in April increases sharply as Aloha Airlines shuts down.

Two Hawaii superdelegates help Sen. Barack Obama take the superdelegate lead over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The beginning of a new sewage system means the return of free parking for Waikiki residents.

Molokai businesses are feeling the effects of the Molokai Ranch shutdown.

When everything is going well, there is usually no reason for change -- but then when everything begins to go wrong, fall apart, then there is great motivation, if not urgency, to do something about it, to do something different.That’s what we need to realize about whatever happens in our lives -- wherever we are, and think we might be along life’s trails. How successful we are, or think we are, is dependent on the perspective and what we think the ultimate objectives in life are. If it is to get and consume more than anybody else, that manner of thinking in everybody, will lead to…

There's plenty of room on the sidewalks for both the bicyclists and pedestrians -- and of course, the bicyclist should defer the right of way to everything else. That universal law is observed by most sensible people everywhere -- unless some people make it their own private war to protect their "turf" -- but that happens in every arena of life, and are the unfortunate most visible and memorable encounters many have of others.But by and large, bicyclists and pedestrians actually create the goodwill and aloha in Hawaii -- from their pleasant and respectful encounters with one another.The…

There are good times and bad times, even in Hawaii, and they seem to run in ten year cycles when everything seems like paradise, and then in the others, it is a day of reckoning in which nothing seems to go right, and nobody knows how to make it right, even if they wanted to.People already forget the years of hopelessness and despair of Hawaii in the ‘90s, in which the governor’s job was mainly to explain how things were not as bad as it obviously was -- and the main reason national studies showed Hawaii last in every category, was that the researchers were not aware that in Hawaii, all…

At the rate of one airline ceasing operations every other day, shortly, not only will the cost of tickets into and out of the Islands be prohibitively expensive, they may be difficult to come by at any price, and thus those on the Islands, may feel increasingly trapped as the recognition of their fate there -- after many years of being the relative travel “bargain” in the world, considering the distances of other trips.At first, it is just a matter of money, but shortly begins to affect the whole psychology of being prohibitively expensive and not a viable option -- of coming and going…

If that were true, most of the banana republics in the world would not be located in the tropics with their famously unjust and corrupt governments -- conducted in the oppressive heat and humidity that saps the people’s energies from ever thinking they could make society different. There seems to be some value in at least minimally having to plan to accommodate the challenges of changing climatic and environmental shifts that cause societies to optimize their resources -- instead of taking them for granted, knowing if they simply wait long enough, things will revert back to their “comfort…

    May 12 Update: The Reef under Reef Productions Inc. kicked off filming today at the Hawaii Yacht Club where the MGM-Brookwell/McNamara Entertainment straight to DVD will shoot six days during four-weeks ending June 6. A traditional Hawaiian blessing was conducted by Blaine Kamalani Kia who did the same for the The Last Princess. Part of the HYC’s [...]

  UPDATE MAY 2: Island Film Group and Lifetime wraps two weeks of Oahu production of Flirting with 40 today at Waimea Valley Park. The extra half-day shooting at Waimea Valley was necessary when film shot there last week was damaged.The “Publicity You Can’t Buy” quotient was huge during three days of filming in and around the Royal [...]

The Reef looks to be the final name for MarVista Entertainment-MGM co production movie of the week that films on Oahu May 12-June 6. Director is Stephen Herek who has a storied list of credits including 2001’s Rock Star, Holy Man (1998), 101 Dalmatians (1996) and Mr. Holland’s Opus. Screenwriter is Mitchell Kapner. Names of the ensemble [...]

Heather Locklear filming “Flirting with 40″ at Haleiwa. Entourage star Adrian Grenier prepares for scene with director. Entourage actors wait for a scene to be set up. Entourage beach shack set at Waimanalo Beach. Entourage star Adrian Grenier films a scene at Waimanalo Beach Park during the production’s three days of filming on Oahu last week. In the show, [...]

  BREAKING 4/26: Look for director Stephen Sodenbergh (Out of Sight, Traffic, Ocean’s 11) to bring his big budget pic The Informant (Warner Bros.) starring Matt Damon to Oahu in June. Prepping would begin next month. There have been two scouts here already. Filming would be no more than two weeks. Some of the Oahu filming will be on the island’s [...]

HANAUMA BAY (KHNL) -- Adjusting to life back home can be tough after fighting overseas. We met a group of Iraq War ...

HONOLULU (KHNL) -- It seems like a simple solution to Hawaii's homeless problem, put them in hundreds of ...

HONOLULU (KHNL) -- If your safety isn't reason enough, perhaps a $92 fine will be. Police across the state are now combing the streets for ...