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!

[Billie]

Thank you, Temple. 'preciate you!

Hope Ink is still fit and sassy.

[Billie]

Afternoon, Gail.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Have spent two hours trying to get today's thread formatted and posted so that it didn't look like a first-grader did it.
Man! I had problems. :(

Poor baby. Kinda like this, huh? LOL!

Afternoon, darlin' BillieBlue. Really great thread!

[tuliptree76]

Beautiful thread, Billie! Thank you. :-)

[Billie]

Great thread. I would love to go there and while away the days lying on the beach with a darling beach boy to attend to my every need and desire..

LOL! Thanks, dixie. Why just one when you can have four?!

[Billie]

Poor baby. Kinda like this, huh? LOL!

OUCH!!! LOL! Yeah, sorta like that!

Afternoon, darlin' BillieBlue. Really great thread!

Afternoon and thank you, you sweet thang. :)

[Billie]

Hi, tulip - thank *you*! I guess I'll have to get a luau lined up for tomorrow - would you like to teach hula lessons? :)

[tuliptree76]

LOL! Sure. ;-)

[Billie]

You're on! That should bring a few more to the party. :)

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Sorry Billie, I was working. I would LOVE to go shopping, but I'm leaving for the day now. I'll check in tomorrow.

Have a good night!

[Billie]

Okie Dokie - we'll get us a cute, short grass skirt and flowered halter top tomorrow. :)

[dixie sass]

Oh yeah!!!!!!!! Sighhhhhhh!!!!!

[LadyX]

"we'll get us a cute, short grass skirt and flowered halter top tomorrow. :)"

Oh, Billie - you *know* the memories THAT brings up!!
Many here are not aware of Our History from 1998-99-2000, as creators and primary residents of the first/Original Freeper Island.

Short History:
When Susan MacDougal (friend of Clinton) was on trial in California for "charges of swindling $150,000 from conductor Zubin Mehta and his wife," it was a slow day on Free Republic.

I merely suggested to Billie she and I go to lunch, using the credit card in question, while no one was looking..:)
Several of our friends demanded they go, too, and our dear friend, Invictus, chimed in with, "If the Clinton/Whitewater mess gets any worse, I'm going to sail back to a special island I know in the Pacific where there is no war - just peace and quiet!"

Seizing the opportunity, we decided to do just that, and a jolly crew 'went out there' and established Freeper Island.

Simple Rules were created - never was any dissension allowed. All discussions were to be conducted with the utmost respect and courtesy, even if you *happened* to disagree with the other person..:))

A1stus created a saloon that became the center for discourse and imb consuming stuff, complete with huge velvet painting (won't say of whom!) over the back of the bar - and a moose head over the door. Razorback_bert had a fully operating still; also used to make Christmas fruitcakes for profit!
All discourse was a classic lesson in utmost civility, no matter how far apart were the positions.

Miss Billie was dubbed Empress, and I was for a long time the only other female there, as Princess.
Our assignment was to for the Friday luaus, give hula lessons!!
One week, just before that began, CHIEFnegotiator(RIP) mowed our grass skirts down to about 4" in length!
Billie and I frantically replaced them with fronds in time to have the lessons go on..:))

You have no idea the hilarious adventures we made up as we went along!

Billie - do you still have part of that archived for newer posters to enjoy?

[luvie]

Have never been to Hawaii...but this would be a good time of year to kick back in the sun!

[humblegunner]

You have no idea the hilarious adventures we made up as we went along!

Whaddaya mean 'made up'???
Don't you go bursting my bubbles right before hunting season!

[LadyX]

"You have no idea the hilarious adventures we made up as we went along!"

Wish we'd known you back then, gunner. You'd have fit right in!

I should have said we made up "our descriptions" of what went on as we spoke of them..:)

One example was the beautiful waterfall area I claimed for Billie and me ONLY...you could have guarded our privacy..:)
Once when I was there alone bathing, all of a sudden I became aware of 80 beady eyes watching me - - belonged to the 40 seabees who were rumored by the natives to be on the far side of the island, left behind during WWII.

Realizing my immediate peril, this Marine dove under the water and came up behind the falls, knowing of a hidden passage to the outside....

[Darksheare]

I remember hearing about "Hijacked to Freeper Island", and read some excerpts from Freeper Island.
But I myself never got there.
*sigh*

No, I just ended up in the Dimensional Doors..

[Temple Owl]

Damn, I missed all the fun.

[Diver Dave]

Now you've gone and done it. Y'all prompted me to do some google searchin and look what I found. Not the original Freeper Island - The Once More.... With More!!...It's Freeper Island Again.

The Once More.... With More!!...It's Freeper Island Again

[LadyX]

Oh, Dave- THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU!!!

While not the first thread, it gives an idea of how much fun we had with one another..:))

We never knew what anyone would say, and just sparked off the next reply, as we did later with Our Travels With ofMagog; sorely missed.....

Going back to read some more of it!!