#The Honolulu Advertiser

[goshyesvintageads]

United Air Lines, 1955

[elvis1970s]

Wayne Harada is an entertainment writer, who in the 1970s was a leading reporter for the Honolulu Advertiser. He wrote with great enthusiasm about Elvis' performances in Hawaii, and penned possibly the definitive review of the Aloha From Hawaii concert. The line, 'A thrilling compact hour, long on music, loud on screams' has been widely quoted, including by leading Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick.

Elvis had also played three shows in Honolulu in November, 1972, which Wayne Harada also reviewed;

"...Elvis Presley remains one of the most electrifying showbiz marvels - an incandescent musical force who's a legend in his own time. And the 26,000 fans who took in his three sellouts at the H.I.C. Arena over the weekend will long remember Presley's mystique, the charisma and that indelible animal magnetism that combined to make him a Big Leaguer nearly two decades ago... when he hits that stage, there's no denying. Elvis is a champ, the king of rock, a living American myth..."

Harada was one of a minority of concert reviewers who appreciated the talents of warm-up comedian, Jackie Kahane;

"...Comic Jackie Kahane turned out to be a pleasant opening surprise. His gags are witty, timely, and above all, clean. And unlike so many others, Kahane quits when he's ahead, never overstaying his welcome..."

Reviewing the January 14th, 1973, satellite broadcast show, he described the Honolulu International Centre (with reduced capacity to accommodate the broadcast equipment) as a 'supersized TV studio' with camera crews everywhere, "on stage, in the aisles, in the audience, zooming in on Presley and his breakthrough performance."

"...Perhaps only a phenomenon like Presley could pull off such a coup, at such a wicked showgoing time - 12.30 am curtain, Hawaii time - yet draw a full house..."

He referred to the show as 'smartly paced and packaged to suit all camps in the Presley following', noting the effective blending of older songs and later hits.

(The setlist had been put together by Elvis, Red West and Charlie Hodge).

The inclusion of local musicians in the orchestra was noted with appreciation, as was Kui Lee's ballad, I'll Remember You, and the fact that the gate was a benefit for the cancer research charity in his name;

"...For the Hawaii audience, his I'll Remember You vocal easily was the most sentimental. The Presley version retained the Hawaiian flavour, but also capitalized on the International scope of the tune; it easily could emerge as Presley's next No. 1 hit..."

"...Yesterday's show reaffirms Presley's and manager Col. Tom Parker's philanthropic fondness for Hawaii. Like the enduring nature of Kui Lee's music, the incandescence of Presley is incomparable..."

Wayne Harada retired from the Honolulu Advertiser in 2008 after 45 years as entertainment editor and columnist. You can find his current work at www.wayneharada.com.

Concert review content thanks to www.elvisconcerts.com

[harrisonarchive]

Screenshots from George Harrison's "This Is Love" music video, filmed on Maui, Hawaii.

"Nahiku residents, such as Arnold Allencastre [the gentleman pictured in these screenshots, sporting the red T-shirt] knew George Harrison simply as Keoki. 'He was a good guy, a nice guy,’ said Allencastre, whose father once owned the land Harrison had acquired. ‘He liked the local people, too.’ Harrison hired Allencastre, a heavy-equipment operator, to help clear his land so he could build his house and plant his gardens. But their relationship wasn’t just a working one. Allencastre and his wife, Cynthia, would socialize with the Harrisons. George and his wife, Olivia Harrison, would come to their parties and they, in turn, would be invited to an occasional lunch. The last time Allencastre saw Harrison was about a year ago when he and Olivia stopped by to say hello and catch up on what was happening in town." - The Honolulu Advertiser, December 1, 2001 "[On several occasions, the Harrisons and Allencastres spent New Year's Eve together, on which occasion George would] 'stay till 1 o'clock. He played Hawaiian [songs on the guitar].' - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1 December 2001 "Cynthia Allencastre says she will always remember Harrison for his kindness. 'We are saddened by his death. I loved him. He was so happy to see you,’ she said. 'He made you feel comfortable.’ 'He was really kind, open and hospitable.' [...] She said Harrison hired local residents to care for his estate and employed a lot of Nahiku people. [...] She said Harrison didn’t talk much about himself, 'he’d want to know how our family was,’ she said." -Honolulu Star-Bulletin, November 30, 2001 (x)

[juniorig0327]

Wrote this in like two hours how do y'all feel about this?

Percy can’t believe it went wrong so quickly.

He was enjoying his well deserved retirement from the demigod life, hell he was getting to a point where he almost believed he deserved it. That’s when he heard his mom call his name.

“-Percy! Hurry come quick!” Sally called out and he came rushing into the other room, clutching his pen.

“Mom? What’s wrong..?”

The only thing she did was point to the radio and turn up the volume.

“…This is KTU in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am speaking from the roof of the Advertiser Publishing Company Building. We have witnessed this morning the distant view a brief full battle of Pearl Harbor and the severe bombing of Pearl Harbor by enemy planes, undoubtedly Japanese. The city of Honolulu has also been attacked and considerable damage done. This battle has been going on for nearly three hours. One of the bombs dropped within fifty feet of KTU tower. It is no joke. It is a real war–”

His hands began to tremble. War? Oh no, oh hell no. He’d had enough war in lifetime. First with Kronos and then with Gaea. He was not going to fight in another war, he wanted no part in it, especially a war against mortals. Killing insane Titans and Primordial beings was one thing, but humans? Humans who bled red? Humans in which the only difference between them is that their ambition wasn’t golden? Not humans. He’d avoided directly killing demigods, people with flesh and blood like him – maybe not like him, he felt more god than human these days, those people were more human than he was weren’t they? – before, but he had a feeling. This might not be something he could escape from. He clenched his fists as they began to tremble and the talking continued.

“The, uh…public of Honolulu has been advised to keep in their homes and away– uh from the Army and Navy. There has been serious fighting going on in the air and on the sea. The heavy shooting seems to be…”

Fuck. Was it just his mind or did everything seem to be closing in on him? It got way harder to breathe, like it was a struggle to inhale and exhale. He could feel shaking at the balls of his feet but he didn’t know where it was coming from. All he could hear was static in his ears. Was he dying? Was this the part where his life would flash before his eyes? Would he open his eyes (he doesn’t remember closing them) and be in Charon’s boat? 

“--Percy!”

Something cut through the static. It sounded familiar, the voice (not like the voices in his head– something real). He heard the voice again, calling for someone. Percy? Who was Percy? Was that him? He didn’t know. 

“Percy. You’re in New York right now and I need you to calm down sunshine.’

Annabeth? That sounded like Annabeth. But Annabeth wasn’t here, was she? (Suddenly it got a lot easier to breathe.)

“Sunshine, I need you to open your eyes.”

Well, if it was Annabeth, he could trust her. He opened his eyes hesitantly to see an IM of Annabeth in front of him. “Annabeth..” He let out a sigh, looking up at her. “... I– we’re going to have to fight. Again. Against mortals.” 

“Percy you can’t think like that.”

“Yeah, you’re right I guess.”

-

“Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong: Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.”

Percy began packing his bags, staring at the sheet of paper on his desk. He felt a surge of rage and bitterness thinking about it. He was supposed to be done with fighting, all of this. But no, now he has to go fight for a country he’s not even sure he wants to fight for. But he has to fight, he has to fight against another evil, an evil that's not something of the godly world, but someone (thing) so terribly human it disgusts him.

“But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.”

He slung the bag over his shoulder with the letter in his pocket, taking – possibly – one last look at his room before closing the door. He stepped out to see his mom and Annabeth standing beside each other. He couldn’t help but smile a little as he stepped forward to kiss his mom on the cheek. “I’m gonna miss you both. Ma, don’t get all lonely without me. Don’t forget I’m an IM– or a letter – away, don’t hesitate to reach out.” He couldn’t help but be upset. Paul was at Pearl Harbor and died (in water, in his domain, in his dad’s domain. He can’t forgive himself for that) and now he was being drafted. His mom would be all alone (because of him the voice in head head helpfully supplies).

“With confidence in our armed forces with the unbounding determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us God.”

He turned to Annabeth and cupped her face, leaning in for a passionate kiss. He could taste the coffee on her tongue as he brushed his thumb over her cheek. After kissing way too long for being in front of his mother he pulled away. “I’ll be back. I promise. Never Again remember?” He said, his voice shaky, as if he was trying to convince himself more than her. 

“Yeah.” She said back, her voice just as shaky as they pushed their foreheads together for a brief moment. Annabeth was the first one to pull back. “Go.”

“I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”

 February 5, 1942 Percy Jackson left for war.

[ourshadowstallerthanoursoul]

On this day... - September 6th

+ 1970 : Honolulu International Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

“Times have been good to Led Zeppelin. They are making both good money and good music. If their heavy sound has gotten to be too much for you, rejoice. It has had the same effect on them and they are back into more acoustic material. They did some material from the third album, which has four or five acoustic tracks. They drew heavily from folk traditions for the first album and the success with which they did it was the most impressive thing about it. The new one sounds even better.” (Honolulu Advertiser)

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 20 January 1900, health officials in Honolulu, Hawaii, trying to fight an outbreak of bubonic plague attempted to conduct controlled burnings of homes and businesses in Chinatown which quickly got out of control. The fire accidentally set light to the wooden roof of the old Kaumakapili church, then continued to spread for 17 days, devastating an area of 38 acres, including 4,000 homes of mostly Chinese and Japanese residents. Authorities disregarded evidence that rats spread the disease, and instead scapegoated Asian residents for the disease which had killed a Chinese bookkeeper. They based their tactics not on science but on racist stereotypes about Chinese homes being dirty. So they set up a cordon sanitaire, effectively quarantining people of Asian descent in the city for weeks. Their possessions were thrown out into the street, their homes sprayed with carbolic acid, and they were forced to shower in public in mass, makeshift cleaning stations. Officials then began burning the homes of Chinese and Japanese people. When the January fire first started spreading out of control, residents fleeing for their lives were turned back by the National Guard, backed up by white vigilantes. Eventually a single exit in the cordon was opened to allow people to escape the fires. The Honolulu Advertiser declared that “intelligent Anglo-Saxon methods” had been employed to combat a “disease wafted to these shores from Asiatic countries”. Another local paper celebrated the fire for supposedly eradicating the plague while also clearing valuable real estate. After the fire, many of the residents made homeless were never able to return to live in the area, and its demographics were permanently altered. Read this story are hundreds of others in our book, Working Class History: Everyday Acts of Resistance & Rebellion: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/working-class-history-everyday-acts-resistance-rebellion-book Pictured: cordoned off Asian residents https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2190944831090655/?type=3

[truecrimecrystals]

Marianne Waters has been missing since August 2008. The then-22-year-old was last seen in the Waikiki area of Honolulu, Hawaii. Marianne was due to travel to Oregon to visit her mother on August 23rd, 2008, but she never arrived. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Marianne was living in Hawaii at the time of her disappearance. Her family lived in Oregon and other parts of the mainland United States. Marianne spoke to her family members on the phone regularly prior to her disappearance, but it appears that she fell out of touch sometime between mid-to-late July and early August of 2008. 

Marianne's NamUs page states that she last spoke to her mother on July 18th, 2008. It was later determined that Marianne was last seen in Waikiki on August 3rd, 2008. Her family members reported her missing weeks later, after she did not show up for her planned trip to Oregon. 

Very little information is available about Marianne's case. Local Hawaiian news sources have reported about her disappearance, but details have been minimal. In April 2014, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that Marianne's husband filed for divorce - but further details about the husband and their relationship prior to Marianne's disappearance are unknown. 

Despite the lack of information, it's clear that Marianne's absence was immediately worrisome to her loved ones. Reports state that relatives living as far away as Japan came to Hawaii to search for Marianne. According to Charley Project, Marianne's family believes that foul play is responsible for her disappearance.

In late 2016, an obituary for Marianne was posted on Legacy.com. The obituary lists her date of death as August 4th, 2008. However, it appears that Marianne's remains have never been found. She is still classified as a missing person to this day.

Honolulu Crime Stoppers is offering a monetary reward for anyone with information that could solve Marianne's disappearance. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip. 

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Mother Jones:

Advertise with Mother Jones

The Chevron refinery in El Segundo, California.Genaro Molina/TNS/Zuma

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Far-right fossil fuel allies have launched a stunning and unprecedented campaign pressuring the Supreme Court to shield fossil fuel companies from litigation that could cost them billions of dollars.

Some of the groups behind the campaign have ties to Leonard Leo, the architect of the right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court who helped select Trump’s Supreme Court nominees. Leo also appears to have ties to Chevron, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

“He’s really crafted the Supreme Court,” said Lisa Graves, executive director of the progressive watchdog group True North Research and an expert on Leonard Leo’s network.

Honolulu is one of 40 cities and states suing big oil for an alleged decades-long effort to sow doubt about the dangers of burning fossils. If successful, the case could force the defendants to pay for climate damages.

In October, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the suit can go to trial. But oil companies petitioned the US Supreme Court in February to review the state court’s decision; they argued the cases should be thrown out because emissions are a federal issue that shouldn’t be tried in state courts.

Supreme court justices met on Thursday to consider whether or not to take up the fossil fuel companies’ request, and the justices could grant or reject the petition in the coming days.

If granted, the request could catalyze the dismissal of the wave of climate accountability lawsuits against big oil—a major win for the defendants seeking to limit their liability for the climate crisis. But it’s the kind of ask about which the Supreme Court would not normally offer its opinion, advocates and legal experts say.

“The court would probably not think this request is important, unless someone told them it was very important,” said Kert Davies, a director at the Center for Climate Integrity, which supports the litigation against big oil.

Some conservatives have been telling them exactly that. “I have never, ever seen this kind of overt political campaign to influence the court like this,” said Patrick Parenteau, professor and senior climate policy fellow at Vermont Law School.

In recent weeks, conservatives have published opinion pieces in Bloomberg, The Hill, the Wall Street Journal and the National Review calling on the court to grant the petition. “Honolulu is attempting to use the law of one state to dominate the others,” wrote Carrie Severino, president of the conservative dark money group JCN, formerly known as the Judicial Crisis Network, in the rightwing National Review.

JCN is a trade name for the Concord Fund, one of many nonprofits led by Leo, the powerful far-right judicial activist who also co-chairs the rightwing legal advocacy group the Federalist Society. Justice Clarence Thomas once quipped that Leo was the third most powerful person in the world.

Asked about the influence campaign, Severino told the Guardian: “Liberal dark money groups…are freaking out because the Supreme Court is being asked to step in and correct the damage those dark money groups are doing with their massive campaign to subvert the law and the constitution with a radical climate agenda.”

[busterkeatonsociety]

This Day in Buster…April 9, 1929

Charles Eugene Banks reviews “The Cameraman” for the Honolulu Advertiser: “With his droll manner and acrobatic stunts and machine tricks, he keeps his audience in constant laughter.  There is sympathy, too, for Buster.  You pity him for his mishaps and disappointments which are many and poignant.  Then he suddenly turns them to comedy.”

[mayberrycryptid]

HQ post #7

@bertolio great additions--I am making yet another post! I'll just add one more note to the set/location issues they had first season.

The Bayer estate is not a residence, it's a wedding venue. So there was constant scheduling conflicts. Once the sound stage was renovated, they also built the entire McGarrett house inside the soundstage (there was a movie screen behind it, to recreat the ocean)

So yeah, a lot of stuff changed, mostly cuz the studio was built in 1974 and they used the old Honolulu Advertiser building until 2014? I think? Then they finally had a real soundstage. with a/c😆

[eptodaytommorowforever]

Elvis Presley’s Events History Today On The 20th November In 1972 At The Hawaiian Hilton Village Hotel Hawaii He Gives The 2nd Press Conference And Announces To The World Press The World Wide Satellite Benefit Cancer Fund Show Done To Honour The Hawaiian Composer Kui Lee And Also To Raise’s Funds And Awareness Of Cancer that will be a TV Special Elvis Aloha From Hawaii in the Morning Of The 14th of January of 1973 The Next Year.

Elvis Presley gave a 2nd press conference at the Hawaiian Village Hotel In Hawaii to announce.

the satellite show once again. The date was set on the morning of January 14, 1973,

with a concert dress rehearsal for a live audience the night before.

Since the Las Vegas press conference it had been turned into a charity concert at the instigation of Honolulu advertiser columnist Eddie Sherman, who along with Elvis Presley Marty Passeta and RCA who suggested that it should benefit the Kui Lee Cancer Fund. Elvis Presley Himself made the first contribution with To The Benefit Fundraising Show Of a $1,000 check.B/W Photos And A Colored Photo Taken By RCA Press Office.

[kp777]

By Edward Carver

Common Dreams

June 10, 2024

A monumental case against Big Oil could go to a jury trial. But the industry has undertaken a "stunning and unprecedented campaign" to have the case dismissed, according to the The Guardian.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the Biden administration for its position on a climate lawsuit against Big Oil following a pressure campaign the industry has mounted to have the court dismiss it.

The case, brought by the city and county of Honolulu, is one of dozens of state and local lawsuits seeking to hold Big Oil to account for the climate impact that its products have had and for the deception and disinformation used to sell them. The industry could be found liable for many billions of dollars if such cases reach jury trials, and so a group of companies has filed a petition, supported by legal briefs and a public advertising campaign, to the Supreme Court to hear their case for dismissal.

The Center for Climate Integrity (CCI) wrote Monday that the solicitor general, the administration lawyer who will handle the request, should advise the Supreme Court that states and municipalities can file these cases in state courts—to ignore Big Oil's petition, effectively.

"Big Oil companies are fighting desperately to avoid trial in lawsuits like Honolulu's, which would expose the evidence of the fossil fuel industry's climate lies for the entire world to see," Richard Wiles, the group's president, said in a statement. "Communities everywhere are paying dearly for the massive damages caused by Big Oil's decades long climate deception. The people of Honolulu and other communities across the country deserve their day in court to hold these companies accountable."

In November, the Hawaii Supreme Court rejected a previous Big Oil effort to stop the case, which set the table for a potentially momentous jury trial—none of the climate lawsuits have yet reached that stage, and City and County of Honolulu v. Sunoco et al. could be the first. The industry had tried to argue that the lawsuit sought to regulate interstate and international carbon emissions, which states don't have the right to do, and thus the case couldn't be brought in state court. The court ruled the case wasn't about the regulation of carbon emissions.

Big Oil then filed its Supreme Court petition, backed by a major campaign: right-wing groups have not only filed amicus briefs with the court but also mounted an unusually public campaign calling for the court to dismiss Honolulu and other such cases.

"This looks to be the most aggressive campaign yet to influence the court on behalf of Big Oil," Kert Davies, CCI's director of special investigations, toldE&E News. "The fossil fuel industry and its allies are clearly threatened by these legal efforts to hold them accountable, and they're going to unprecedented lengths to send out distress signals in the hope they'll be rescued from standing trial."

"Far-right fossil fuel allies have launched a stunning and unprecedented campaign pressuring the Supreme Court to shield fossil fuel companies from litigation that could cost them billions of dollars," according toThe Guardian, which tied the campaign to Leonard Leo, the so-called architect of the Supreme Court, thanks to his influence in conservative legal circles and over Donald Trump, who appointed three of the current justices as president.

An ad produced by the Alliance for Consumers, a nonprofit that has ties to Leo, posits the Supreme Court as the "solution" to the overreach of "left-wing officials" who are pushing a political agenda through the courts by misusing public nuisance lawsuits.

Conservatives have also published opinion pieces in favor of the Big Oil petition in outlets such as Bloomberg Law, The Hill, National Review, and The Wall Street Journal, which titled its piece "Honolulu Tries to Mug Energy Companies."

"I have never, ever seen this kind of overt political campaign to influence the court like this," Patrick Parenteau, a professor at Vermont Law School, toldThe Guardian.

The fact that the Supreme Court asked the solicitor general for the administration's position indicates that some justices are interested in the case—the court throws out thousands of petitions a year without asking for such input.

CCI, like the Hawaii Supreme Court, finds no merit in the industry's legal argument that Honolulu is an attempt to regulate emissions.

"Lawsuits like Honolulu's are not seeking to solve climate change or regulate emissions—these plaintiffs simply want Big Oil to stop lying and pay their fair share of the damages they knowingly caused," Alyssa Johl, the group's vice president of legal and general counsel. "The solicitor general should make clear that federal laws don't preempt the ability of communities to hold companies accountable for their deceptive claims under state law."

In a similar case last year, Biden's solicitor general sided with Colorado municipalities that had filed suit and rejected the arguments in a Big Oil petition, urging the Supreme Court not to take up Big Oil's petition. The court followed the administration's advice on that and a few related cases. Roughly 40 states and municipalities have filed such suits since 2017.

There remains the possibility that the federal government itself could bring a case against Big Oil for propagating disinformation and blocking a green transition. Last month, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the industry for those alleged crimes, following a three-year probe that their congressional committees had conducted.

Monday's Supreme Court request of the solicitor general notes that Justice Samuel Alito didn't take part in the considerations of the case—"probably because he owned stock in ConocoPhillips, a defendant in the case," according to The Guardian.

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork with Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Toby and Bob Rafelson and others in Honolulu, December 1966; Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter onstage in Honolulu on December 3, 1966. Photos by KRLA Beat, Jerry Y. Chong for the Honolulu Advertiser, unnamed (including a screenshot from Peter’s My Generation interview), Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

“The Honolulu International Center Arena was jammed when The Monkees took the stage. Even Russian poet Yevgeny Yevutshenko was there to see what the Monkees could do. The Monkees — David Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz — are an ingenious combination of music and mirth. They sing fairly well — when you can hear them between the screams — but what they lack in vocal finesse, they make up in stage presence. Talk about energy! […] Micky’s take-off […] on James Brown — and remember those gaudy aloha shirts that were used? — featured some fancy footwork and from-the-heart wailing. It, easily, was the evening’s highlight. Perhaps the favorite Monkee was David who, with puppy-dog eyes and long, flowing hair, was the best-overall performer. His Broadway stage experience — he was in Oliver — was very much in evidence when he belted out ‘The Joker’ and ‘I Wanna Be Free.’ Peter, too, was a sensation when he plucked his banjo (he’s usually on guitar) and chanted a folk tune. He had a Ringo-like naivete, and looked like the Dutch Boy on the cleanser. Mike, unfortunately, gets into the act too infrequently. He has the makings of a real charmer — he’s a funny fellow — but he lets his buddies take the spotlight. […] The Monkees were dynamite.” - Wayne Harada, The Honolulu Advertiser, December 5, 1966

“Mike also does a very funny imitation of L.B.J. and during the hour and a half takeover of KPOI by the Monkees, he demonstrated this in what has to be the funniest newscast ever, anywhere. ‘Peter Tork, Honolulu, and Mike Nesmith, Honolulu,’ did a Huntley-Brinkley five minutes that proved their ad lib and improvisational ability. Mike reported, ‘President Johnson called the United Nations today and asked U Thant if he might be a little more familiar with him and call him “U.”’ Peter chimes in, ‘And he replied, “Nu.”’ [Micky] Dolenz was having such a ball playing disc jockey [(]’Hi there everybody, this is the [Micky] the D show on KPOI’) that he begged for permission to come back and do the all night show. […] During their hectic airport arrival last week, the Monkees were mobbed when several hundred screaming teenaged girls broke through a restraining rope. Their limousine was surrounded, but all the boys got inside except Peter Tork who was forced to climb on top [of] the car in the rush. One of the show’s promoters saw the car start to pull away and leaped on the trunk to try to keep Peter form falling. As the car sped down the runway, a safe distance away from the mob of girls still chasing after it, Peter turned to the passenger clinging to the trunk and said calmly, ‘Tom Moffatt, I presume?’ He was right! During the ride in from the airport, some enterprising fan pulled alongside the Monkees’ car and handed a wool hat to Mike Nesmith, who still clutched it as they checked into the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. As they rested in their rooms on arrival, devouring fresh pineapple as if they hadn’t eaten in weeks and listening to the radio, Mike said in his Texas drawl, ‘How come it’s so low?’ Although it seemed a normal level to me, he walked over and turned it louder than radio has ever been in the Royal. The Monkees clown among themselves just as much as they do before an audience. The Saturday night show was sold out even before the group arrived Thursday afternoon.
The Monkees demonstrated that they were actors, performers and showmen, and in live performances, that is what’s important, what with all the screaming that inevitably goes on.” - Dave Donnelly, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, December 7, 1966

“[W]e went to Hawaii and then we did our first hour long show. [...] We started off with just the four of us and then we broke down and solo turns with the backup band, the opening act band came out and backed us up for solo turns — and then they left and we finished the hour, just the four of us. We did an hour that way. It was nerve-wracking because we’d never played an hour in front of people before and we had a few ideas and we tried them and they didn’t work very well. But it was an out-of-town tryout. We were in Hawaii (laughs) and word was not gonna get back if we were really, really terrible. (laughs)” - Peter Tork, Rock Cellar Magazine, 2016

[gusty-wind]

Over 2,000 Children Missing From Lahaina Public Schools Two Weeks After Maui Fire: Report

The Hawaii State Department of Education issued a report Thursday stating that 2,025 students are not accounted in the Lahaina public school system in the wake of the August 8 fire that ravaged the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. The four schools, two elementary, one intermediary and one high school that comprised the Lahaina school district had a total of 3,001 students enrolled before the fire. The schools are closed due to damage from the fires, with one elementary school heavily damaged and not likely to re-open for some time. The other three suffered damage from high winds, debris and soot. The report does not mention whether--or even the likelihood–many of the missing children were killed in the fire.

The report states that as of August 21, out of the 3,001 students enrolled as of August 8, 538 have “re-enrolled in other public schools”; 438 have “enrolled in the State Distance Learning Program (SDLP), English and Hawaiian language immersion”; and says of the 2,025 not accounted for: “Remainder of students who have not re-enrolled in another public school or opted for distance learning (may have moved out of state, enrolled in private schools)”

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported one private school on Maui has received about 1,000 new applicants since the fire. However the article also mentioned a private school with 200 students had been destroyed by the fire (excerpt):

Meanwhile, Maui’s private schools also are in flux. Maui Preparatory Academy recently received a surge of about 1,000 applications for new openings the school made to accommodate displaced students, officials posted online this week. “We shuffled, rearranged the entire campus to welcome 110 new students (a 40% enrollment increase from last year). It is only a drop in the bucket. So many students not in classrooms today,” the school posted Monday on Instagram.

Sacred Hearts School has posted on its website that its campus faced a “devastating fire that has left our campus in ruins.” A Hawaii Association of Independent Schools report shows the school enrolled about 200 students.

Government officials have not been forthcoming on the number of children killed in the fire. Two weeks out they still only report 115 official deaths and anywhere from 850 to 1,100 people of all ages missing. Officials have not released a list of those presumed missing.

School children in Lahaina were kept home that day due to high winds from an offshore hurricane, with many home alone because their parents were at work.

[harrisonarchive]

George Harrison, 1992; photo by Nigel Parry.

“Maui guitarist Harry Troupe, a former Bounty Music manager, said he was stunned to find [George] Harrison in the shop one day. ‘He was so humble to me,’ he said. ‘It really floored me to see a guy of that stature treat me the way he did. You could just feel the warmth from him.’” - Honolulu Advertiser, December 1, 2001

“Former repairman Ron Chambliss remembers George Harrison coming in [to McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica] not long before his death. (‘A lot of stars come in. We have a hands-off policy.’) Harrison chatted Chambliss up, shared his deep passion for songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, hipped Ron to a reissue of Carmichael’s recordings and then left. (For Beatles completists: He also bought a metal-body National ukulele with a brown wrinkle finish.) A little stunned, Chambliss went back to work. A half-hour passed and someone told him he had a phone call. He picked up the phone: ‘Hello Ron, this is George, I was in there a little while ago.’ Chambliss affirmed that he remembered who he was. Harrison had simply called to give Chambliss the catalog number of the Carmichael CD so he could order it. ‘He took the time to call me back. It gave me a boost in humanity.’” - LA Weekly, September 24, 2008 (x)

[siderealscribblings]

LeBlanc Coffee and Curry Honolulu, Hawaii 

Jimmy Tanaka’s Japanese was godawful, but he had grandparents that lived in Okinawa so Sojiro made an effort to help him practice. He had done so much evil in his life that a handful of good deeds would do little to cleanse his soul, but Sojiro hoped that the occasional act of kindness would at least earn him a kinder form of damnation. 

Jimmy spoke Japanese with all the hallmarks of a young man alienated from his parents’ culture, drawing out the u in Sojiro’s last name until it sounded like he was saying “Sah-KOO-rah” despite his gentle admonishments. Still, he was a breath of fresh air among the aging Japanese expats and locals that typically flooded his cafe. They would cluster around the front stoop, grousing about tourists and playing cards while they smoked and waited for their orders to arrive.  It wasn’t too popular; Sojiro never made it a point to advertise. Advertising invited unwanted attention, which Sojiro had avoided successfully for years. 

Hiding in a bustling tourist city on American soil offered him more protection than hunkering down in a bolt-hole somewhere in Japan. S.E.E.S. might be bold enough to march armed into hell, but not bold enough to provoke a response from the United States. The rather liberal Yankee gun-policy meant that Sojiro could reliably stow a weapon under his register without too many eyebrows being raised. He had never been a field operative and would likely die in any fair gunfight. But he kept it meticulously oiled and loaded and never far from reach. The other shoe was going to drop someday, and Sojiro would be ready for it when it finally did. 

Until then, he had work to do; at home, and at the restaurant slinging plates of warm curry and hot coffee. 

“Jimmy, order for Table 2!” Sojiro called in Japanese, sliding two katsu curry plates onto a tray and ringing the doorbell. 

“Table…” The young man’s brow furrowed, trying to remember his Japanese. “Ah, naruhodo!” 

Do you really? Sojiro thought, watching the young man walk to Tables 3, 4, and 5 before finally remembering what the Japanese word for two was. Then again Sojiro’s English was only adequate after nearly a decade abroad. Between the two of them, they had enough English and Japanese experience to carry on a full conversation in two broken languages. 

“You get the overseas news, Sa-ku-ra-san?” Jimmy asked as he returned behind the counter. 

“Nah…been busy,” Sojiro grunted in English, cracking open a glass coke bottle and taking a sip. Synthesizing baalsulfuric aether with components outside the Metaverse was impossible, so naturally it took a whole week of sleepless nights to figure out how to do it. “Anything interesting?” 

“Some hella yabai stuff going on,” Jimmy whistled. “Bunch of…uh… thieves?” 

“Thieves?” Sojiro snorted. “What did they steal?” 

“Nothing yet; they’re like crazy, uh… hacker thieves,” Jimmy said after a moment of fumbling with the pronunciation. “Took over a radio station or something I guess; started making threats to the police and a bunch of famous people.” 

“That so?” Sojiro chuckled. Everyone is a drama queen these days. 

“They got a couple of babes with them though,” Jimmy said, scrolling through his phone and pulling up an image clipped from one of the broadcasts. “Check out the blonde in the catsuit.” 

Sojiro sighed, leaning over to look at Jimmy’s phone for a moment before turning back to the stove. “She’s a bit young for me, but I guess she’s up your- wait! ” 

Panic raced through Sojiro as he suddenly reached out and grabbed Jimmy’s phone before he could tuck it away. “Let me see that again.” 

Jimmy’s smirk spread as he passed Sojiro the phone. “Told ya she was hot…though the chick in the biker gear has some nice legs too.” 

Sojiro was half listening, eyes tracing the lines of glowing energy that snaked under the thieves’ masks in disbelief. “H-How long have they been robbing people?! Have they appeared in public or just on the news?! When did they show up?!” 

“Uh…” Jimmy blinked, struggling with the flood of Japanese. “I don’t really know…maybe a few weeks, or so ago? The forums are all buzzing with gossip but- hey!” 

“Watch the shop!” Sojiro called over his shoulder, grabbing his pistol and tucking it into the waistband of his slacks. “And send me that link!” 

Sojiro heard his protegee call something back to him but couldn’t hear what over the pounding in his own ears. The afternoon sun cast long shadows on the sidewalk as he made it towards his car parked in a side-alley. He whipped out a pocket mirror, carefully inspecting the undercarriage for misplaced wiring or lumpy blocks of C4 before sliding into the driver’s seat and tearing out onto the main road. 

Traffic was infuriatingly dense on the way back to his unassuming white house tucked away in the corner of an unassuming neighborhood. The money from his previous career could have furnished beachfront property, yet the small, overgrown home far away from the tourist spots had been perfect. Neighbors were friendly, but old, blind, and hard of hearing; if the gadget in the basement blew up, it would only kill those who had lived full lives already. Heavy iron bars rattled on the front door as Sojiro’s hands shook trying to open it, the eye of a single security camera following him into the house as he slammed and bolted the door behind him. 

"Hey!" Sojiro called into the house. "Get up here; you need to see this!" 

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