"First rate men and women will not and cannot work under conditions fixed by those who are afraid of ideas." Henry Steele Commanger
"Fire the MBA's and hire a poet!" P.J. O'Rourke on saving the US auto industry
Princess Kaiulani & Peacock
"There are joys that long to be ours. God sends ten thousand truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, then fly away." Henry Ward Beecher
In 1881, Hawaii's King David Kalakaua was the first head of state to meet with Emperor Meiji after the opening of Japan.
Kalakaua requested, and Meiji later signed, an agreement (1885) allowing the immigration of Japanese workers to Hawai‘i.
Those issei (first generation) immigrants and their descendants have contributed much to the multicultural society that is Hawai‘i.
During his visit, Kalakaua also proposed betrothing his 5 year old niece Princess Kaiulani (statue above) to Japanese Prince Komatsu Akihito. Though ultimately this came to nothing.
Next week, another Akihito will be visiting us here in Hawaii. Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will be here to observe the 50th anniversary of the local Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation.
"The Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship is awarded to 1) graduate students in Japan for study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (My alma mater ;-) ; and 2) American graduate students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for study in Japan who are pursuing a subject area leading to better understanding between Japan and the United States."
The royal couple is also slated to lay a wreathe at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. In doing so they will honor many WWII veterans including the grandfather with whom President Barack Obama lived.
The president of Taiwan was here a few days ago. . .
Rumor has it that our president will be visiting in December. . .
