The Aloha Festival Floral Parade is On!

While you won't see this early twentieth century float, according to the official Aloha Festivals web site.you're likely to experience,

"A colorful equestrian procession of female and male pā‘ū riders, extravagant floats with cascades of Hawaiian flowers, hula hālau and marching bands will brighten Kalākaua Avenue from Ala Moana Park to Kapi‘olani Park. This “must see” event will pay homage to the art of hula."

Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated few the cash-challenged parade will carry on for it's 62nd year this Saturday, as reported in the Honolulu Advertiser, in Waikiki.

The Floral Parade plays an important role in spreading the virtues of Hawaii tourism beyond Hawaii Nei. Supported in part by The Hawaii Tourism Authority it’s unfortunate that its Board of Directors couldn’t have redirected HTA President Rex Johnson’s recent $40,000 porn penalty into the event. That way the fine folks leading the “Save the Parade” charge would have only needed to raise $10,000 required to secure the $200,000 HTA grant rather than the mandated $50,000. Maybe next year.

Remember to wear your sunscreen and enjoy the parade and all of The 2008 Aloha Festival events!

Kapiolani Park Homeless Map

While visiting Waikiki you'll see that the main area of homeless residents in Kapiolani Park are next to The Waikiki Shell and adjacent to The Waikiki Aquarium. While City and County of Honolulu officials have passed a no-camping ordinance aimed at removing the homeless, as of September 10, 2008 they have opted not to enforce the law.


View Larger Map

The Hindu Monkey King Mayor of Honolulu - An Update

A follow-up to The Waikiki Observer's The Hindu Monkey King Mayor of Honolulu ...

While Mufi capitalizes on his recent face time with Barrack Obama, the Honolulu Advertiser reports today that according to local Obama officials,

"A campaign advertisement featuring Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was not sanctioned by the Obama campaign and does not amount to an official endorsement."

I would've done it, too. It's easy to be swept up in Obamamania but I'm not the mayor of the forty seventh largest city in the US. That's some old-school style politicking Mufi's doing. He should heed Obama's call for change.

Best French Fries in Hawaii Nei

Town Restaurant in Kaimuki without a doubt. Not curled, not garlic-ed, not cut into the size of a baseball bat. As perfect as can be; straight, crispy brown
Think June Cleaver

Town

3435 Waialae Ave # 104
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 735-5900

Triumph The Weather Dog

Years ago many of the local TV newscasts here didn't include weather reports. With mild conditions that don't vary much perhaps they spent greater time on reporting news; but, that was then.

This clip starts with Triumph The Insult Dog at an American Idol tryout at Aloha Stadium--home to "Hawaii's biggest outdoor swap meet with unbelievable bargains from hundreds of vendors selling an enormous range of items"-- before he fills in as The Weather Dog at KHNL.

A New Kodak Hula Show!

In and around Kapiolani Park for sixty-five years members of The Kodak Hula Show spread the Hawaiian message of aloha worldwide through their shows of music and dance of Hawaii. That show ended in 2002 and now another message of aloha is being spread by new residents of Kapiolani Park as the Honolulu Homeless take up residence. Eschewing available homeless shelters while enjoying the balmy tradewinds all tourists and locals enjoy, their colorful tents are popping up all-around the park and lean-to shacks are being constructed along the fence of the old Kodak Hula Show stadium. Open Daily, Rain or Shine!

On Labor Day 2008, the stands from the old Kodak Hula Show are visible in the background

The mayor's office may be reached at mayor@honolulu.gov for comment.

The Hindu Monkey King Mayor of Honolulu

The single best reason to pay for our local paper, The Honolulu Advertiser, is to follow columnist Lee Cataluna's take on our small, often parochial, hometown activities. She is insightful, compassionate and funny. On 28 August 2008, of our running-for-reelection, Obama-bandwagon-hitching Mayor she writes,

"Adding to the cheekiness of the whole thing [recent campaign ads] is that the quote from Obama was just the obligatory mahalo that a speaker gives to the person who just introduced him. He wasn't praising Hannemann out of the blue, he was thanking him for calling him up to the stage, like you'd say, "Mahalo to Uncle Chippy, the hardest working emcee in Kaka'ako."

Hannemann had just introduced Obama to the waiting crowd. Gave him a big buildup. Obama took the stage to cheers and, before thanking Hannemann, first introduced his wife. Then, he said, "I want to thank one of the best mayors in the country who has just made Honolulu even better than it was before: Mufi Hannemann." That's the quote in the ads.

The best part, though, is Obama doesn't quite say the mayor's last name the way everybody else says the mayor's last name. Obama doesn't mispronounce Hannemann, not really. But he makes it sound more like "Hanuman," the Hindu monkey king in the Ramayana epic."

That cracks me up. Thanks, Lee.

see also The Hindu Monkey King Mayor of Honolulu - An Update