Who knows how we’re going to turn out?
Honolulu Academy of Art’s local artist picks for 09.
Very touching photo essay will make you rethink your family relationships.
The poetry that hides between the lines of your daily newspaper.
Filed under: Events, Family, Hawaii, Honolulu | Tags: hawaii book & music festival, hype, jake shimabukuro
Color me underwhelmed by the Hawaii Book & Music Festival. After all the hype around it in the local press, the event seemed sadly understaffed and underattended (from 4-6:30 on Saturday, when we were there). Vacant booths and an aura of half-heartedness characterized the experience.
But, well, I guess we were more there for Jake than the festival itself. As always, Jake put on an energetic, surprising and gracious performance. The highlight this time was an amazing rendition of Sakura (for all the Japanese fans in the crowd). As a bonus, we caught a glimpse of Jake up close and personal on his way to the portapotties prior to the show.
Filed under: Branding, Hawaii, Random | Tags: gas company, milquetoasty, tagline
Due to persistent issues with our ancient water heater (a whole nother saga), I have paid several recent visits to Hawaii’s Gas Company’s website. A large part of my profession is paying attention to corporate identity, especially its verbal expression, and , consummate professional that I am, I just can’t turn it off after hours. As I scoured the site for the phone number I wanted (which, incidentally, I couldn’t find – I had to be redirected), their tagline really started to annoy me. While not an absolute abomination, its milquetoasty construction smacks of decision-by-committee gone lazily wrong. For starters, it’s just too long. You don’t need so many words to convey “customer service”. The first phrase sets the tepid tone, essentially claiming “We intend to satisfy customers.” Clearly they don’t feel confident enough to make the claim “We deliver satisfaction”. Then comes the punchline, “And we want yours”. They might as well have said, “Hopefully, if we don’t screw it up, we will make you satisfied”. Furthermore, the construction somehow makes it seem like your satisfaction is more important to them than it is to you – their achievement rather than your benefit.
Had it been up to me, I would have crafted something much more pithy and succinct. Something along the lines of “Got Gas?”
If the future of Polaroid is uncertain, at least its past is not.
The disturbing documentary that won this year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize.
Stunning work.
The visual display of quantitative information for the 21st century. Apologies to Edward Tufte.
History repeating repeating itself. Have you had your swine flu shot?
Sad state of society: the most watched viral vids of all time.
Obama porn. Will it never cease?
I’ve finally finished reading Gavan Daws’ nuanced history of Hawaii, by all accounts the best, most comprehensive volume ever written. The first three quarters of the book are really engrossing. Daws has a real knack for making the characters of Hawaii’s past come alive, teasing out very believable psychological profiles and tangible motives from the primary sources. He is also adept at weaving the large themes with well-told “talk-story” anecdote in a way that gives them ring of near-irrefutable truth. I thought the narrative began to drag through the WW2 account and subsequent battle for statehood. Perhaps, having much more source material to work with, and less perspective (Shoal was published in 1968), it was more difficult for Daws to massage these storylines into a seamless narrative. I’ve read that native Hawaiians don’t rate Shoal because it ignores the indigenous perspective. I actually thought it gave fair air time to native personages, events and perspectives, and would be willing to bet that a comparable “native” history would be far less inclusive of “haole” events. But I am withholding final judgment until I’ve read that book.
Taiyo’s been off training wheels for a few months now, but it was only recently that I was able to get him on camera. The process of getting him to take off on two wheels is a great metaphor for parenting. At first, I was running with him, gripping the back of his seat to keep him steady. But after a few runs I realized that my controlling grip was actually making him more unsteady. That’s when I realized, you just have to let go… And then, he started to ride, nice and smooth.
