A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-01,02-05....Aloha! Back to Hawaii

Billie

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Dutchess, DollyCali, Mama_Bear ~

History and Statistics

Hawaii was admitted to the union on August 21, 1959 - the 50th state. The state of Hawaii consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii. Its capital is located in Honolulu, on the island of Maui. Hawaii is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth. It is 2,390 miles from California; 3,850 miles from Japan; 4,900 miles from China; and 5,280 miles from the Philippines.

Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee, and more than one-third of the world's commercial supply of pineapples comes from the islands.

There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet. The Vowels are: A, E, I, O, U, and the Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, and W.

State symbols of Hawaii include the bird, Nene (pronounced "nay-nay"), or Hawaiian Goose. The tree of Hawaii is the Kukui, or Candlenut. The beautiful Hibiscus, or Pua Aloalo is Hawaii's flower.

In 1988 the yellow hibiscus, which is native to the islands, was selected to officially represent Hawaii, but you might see the red hibiscus, or any other color, as the state flower in many older photos and postcards.

From east to west Hawaii is the widest state in the United States.

There are four counties in Hawaii (Kauai; city and county of Honolulu; Maui; and Hawaii). Each city has a mayor and council in charge.

Hawaii has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time.) There is no daylight savings time.) The time runs two hours behind Pacific Standard Time and five hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

The wind blows east to west in Hawaii. The highest recorded temperature is 96' F (Honolulu Airport), but temperatures over 92' F generally occur only once or twice a year. The lowest temperature (under 3000 feet altitude) is 56' F. Temperatures under 60' F may occur, but rarely more than once a year. In July the average daytime temperature is 82' F. Average daytime temperature in January is 72' F.

There are no racial or ethnic majorities in Hawaii. Everyone is a minority. Caucasians (Haoles) constitute about 34%; Japanese-American about 32%; Filipino-American about 16% and Chinese-American about 5%. It is very difficult to determine racial identification as most of the population has some mixture of ethnicities.

Hawaii was once an independent kingdom. (1810 - 1893) The flag was designed at the request of King Kamehameha I. It has eight stripes of white, red and blue that represent the eight main islands. The flag of Great Britain is emblazoned in the upper left corner to honor Hawaii's friendship with the British. The combination of the stripes of the United States flag and the Union Jack of Great Britain is said to have pleased the merchant shippers of both nations. The flag was adopted for official state use in 1959.

December 7th, 1941

The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan.

~ Eye Witness Account (excerpt)


Pearl Harbor: Remembered
USS Arizona Memorial

The final resting place for 1,102 crewmen of the U.S.S. Arizona who lost their lives on December 7, 1941. (75 were recovered) They are still entombed within the Arizona herself. The sunken battleship is commemorated by a 184 foot-long memorial structure that spans its mid-portion. No part of the edifice touches the ship.

There are three sections in the memorial: The entry and assembly room, (a central or middle area) used for observations of the sunken ship and for ceremonies. Many visitors drop flower leis into the water from this section, honoring the dead. The third section is the shrine room. The room contains the names of all those killed on the Arizona and their names are engraved on a marble wall. Upon entering the shrine room, the reverence and honor it is was intended to inspire is immediately noticeable. All persons are keenly aware that this is hallowed ground.

The memorial's architect was Alfred Preis. After years of fund raising efforts that began 1950, the memorial finally was dedicated in 1962.

The USS Arizona is no longer in commission, contrary to popular belief. A flag of the United States of America does fly above the sunken battleship. The flag is attached to a severed mainmast of the USS Arizona.

In recent years, the memorial has come to represent all the military and associated personnel killed at Pearl Harbor.

http://my.execpc.com

I have a whole new appreciation for Mama Bear's "State" threads after spending several days researching endless Hawaii websites, collecting all kinds of information and graphics to edit and then trying to put it together in some sort of orderly fashion. Hats off to you, Lori - you have this stuff down to a science! It is not easy!

Aquamarine, Dansangel, Dutchess, Lori and I had already spotlighted our own state, and when Lori offered not long ago to 'give' us any other states we might enjoy featuring, I thought it would be fun to do Hawaii. Well! It was fun to do, but at the same time, I was a bit overwhelmed and couldn't begin to touch upon all the wonderful things about these beautiful islands. You just must go there yourselves. I did, and how I loved it! The beaches, the water, the history, Pearl Harbor, the people, the luahs.....truly an unbelievable Paradise!

I must also credit the following websites for the information used for today's post:

encarta.msn.com
www.50states.com
www.hawaii.com
www.colormatters.com
www.aloha-hawaii.com
www.melekalikimaka.com

Oh, and one more thing ..........

No Hawaii post would be complete without Hula Dancers, because we all know that in Hawaii, everybody and their dog can hula.

Mary Lucas Faustine's delightful Hawaiian art

09-27-05 ~ Hall of Fame #13

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 10-31-05 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Hey tulip! Wish you could go shopping with Billie & I
: (

[MoJo2001]

This picture isn't of Hawaii, but Samoa. However, you could do the same things on either Island.
When I was little, I used to take waterfall baths.
One of the many things I miss about the Islands. I wish they would've told me there were no waterfall baths to be had in Ohio. They probably thought I'd change my mind! Hehe!
 

[Billie]

Oh, no.. don't want Dixie's 4 dudes.. I want my own. two would be fine!

Okay - you got 'em. Dolly's very own beach boys. :)

[DollyCali]

okay! good work Billie..

The Billie Matchmaker service will surely be the hit of FR.

[Billie]

Thanks, Aqua. You probably saw the whole post last year when we had Christmas in Hawaii. Thought it was just a bit too soon to do Christmas this year. :)

I hope you get to go someday - everyone should go at least once to Hawaii. :)

[Billie]

Does this mean I get a free trip to Hawaii? ;-)

You *could*. Anything's possible. All you need is someone ELSE to pay for it, and it's free. LOL

[Billie]

Is this better?

MUCH!! LOL!

[Billie]

Aloha, BGU - nice to see you in Hawaii with us today. :)

[Billie]

Ohhhhh, lovely. Hey, I'll have some roast pig for breakfast.

Hang On! Almost Ready!

[DollyCali]

think I will pass on lunch Billie! outside for a bit now.. neat pix today

[Billie]

Are we shopping yet?

Yes! and Hilo Hattie's is just the place to do it! Good choices, PaL - especially the navy halter top. :)

[CounterCounterCulture]

Man, I wish I was back in Hawaii right now. :-(

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Mmmmm yum! Thank you!

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Thank you! The blue halter has a matching skort on the same web site!

[Pippin]

Hi!

I tried to FRmail you to an idea I had for my nexrt "Pippin's Thoughts" Freepmail me your opinions on this

My subject is Richard III, my side step from mostly American subjects. but I'm also interested in English history, also I'm a past member of the Richard III Society, Or "Ricardians" as they are sometimes called as they are tring to debunk they rumors, myths and outright lies told throughout the past 500 years since King Richard's death. Tell me if this would be a wise idea to put it on the forum with my theories and some of the things I've learned about this meligned king.

[LadyX]

Billie, you said: "everyone should go at least once to Hawaii. :)"

Unfortunately, my Kevin's first wife went wild in Hawaii, picking up with a very wrong crowd.
When she brought their son home from the hospital, she that same night left Kevin to care for him while she went out to "party," and called later to say she was going to stay out all night.

When he told her she needed to get home right away, she the next day packed up and flew home to her parents in Ft. Lauderdale, where she had been a "Princess" and could manipulate them.
When Kevin was then sent to Ft. Campbell, they persuaded her to try to make thigs right for the sake of the baby.
That fizzled when she soon left him and moved into a trailer with 4 single men. He filed for divorce, and desperately wanted to get custody of B.J., but that was impossible with his military schedule. He had to rely on her parents (newspaper owner/publisher, and both great) to influence her.

The story got even uglier, she moving to Baltimore with B.J. and her new love - became a mule and ran drugs for him and friends to D.C.! - stunning blonde never examined, of course...but somehow, he was murdered (by the drug ring?), and she fled back to Florida.
Eventually, a quite dramatic 'God Thing' happened to her, and in an instant, He turned her life TOTALLY around!
Beautiful Happy Ending, and she later became a daughter of our heart.

Kevin had moved on and married someone else, a girl who was getting her law degree, and he took her to Hawaii on their honeymoon, knowing she would love it.
He then arranged to return 5 years later - and at 10, surprised her with a secretly arranged trip to a high point on the island - where he had conspired with a place that did dramaticlly set wedding ceremonies at the top of a cliff - and there renewed his vows to her.
(went back at 15 years, too)

I did a good job of creating romantic sons..:))
Steve and Sandy married in a church in Columbia, SC my grandfather had pastored, and who was on the Board to ordain the minister who married Steve and Sandy.
I could feel my grandfather *smile,* with him looking through the same stained glass window behind the pulpit at another generation taking its place.

His blessing held, for in January 2006 they will celebrate 27 years of marriage.
Instead of Hawaii, they went this past Spring to Scotland, both of them with strong Scottish roots.

[Billie]

Mojo, that's the most beautiful, lush waterfall I've ever seen! Look, Maggie - pretty private, too. :)

[Billie]

okay! good work Billie..

Too bad you didn't want 3 of them - I had to take out one that was standing behind you and the one on the left (your right). :)

[Mama_Bear]

Aloha, Finest FRiends.

I am so happy to go back to Hawaii, Billie! You don't have to ask me twice (well, I guess you did, since I was awol yesterday, LOL). Your presentation is beautiful, and I still can't quite get over that gradient background. I am as impressed as I was the first time you posted it. :-)

It's been about 15 years since we visited there, time to go back again.

For those who haven't been to Hawaii and are planning a trip, I would recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center if you are interested in the history of the islands....

It is located in the northern part of Oahu. And, while there, take a glider ride over nearby Sunset Beach. It was the highlight of our visit. :-)

(An aerial view of some of the beaches on Oahu)

Now, I think I will find a beach chair and sip a Mai Tia.

[Billie]

think I will pass on lunch Billie! outside for a bit now.. neat pix today

I sorta thought you'd pass on today's lunch. Having fun with the pix today, since there aren't that many posts to answer I have much time to get creative. :)