Duane Walker, Herman Aizawa
WHAT'S in a name? A lot, apparently, if you're trying to make jocks look like "student athletes." What we used to call "Gym" back in the Dark Ages later came to be called "Physical Education," and it's remained that for so long that it's lost any implication of serious study. In keeping with the times, we now can give an A-plus to the University of Hawaii, where the course catalog now refers to "Health, Physical Education and Recreation" in even more academic terms. It's now listed as "Kinesiology and Leisure Science." I can hear it: "OK, you Leisure Science buffs, drop and give me 20." ... Gym, PE? No,
‘leisure science’POSSIBLY the worst titled film since "The Shawshank Redemption" is "Krifendorf's Tribe," currently filming in the islands. The movie stars Richard Dreyfus and Lily Tomlin and over the weekend was being shot in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Filming continues today and then it's off to Kualoa Ranch, where the production will wrap on Sunday ... Speaking of actors, don't be surprised if Gary Busey disappears from the cast of "Hawaii Five-O" if CBS picks up the pilot for a series. Scuttlebutt on the set has it that while he's fine at emoting, he's a "bad actor" in other ways ... Speaking of actors, Dustin Nguyen from "21 Jump Street" was jumping for joy over the ono food at Alan Wong's last week ...
SO THIS is how words are coined! Maria Quiban -- who I swear would smile ear-to-ear if a hurricane were hitting the islands, she's that cheery -- came up with a new word to describe the returning tradewinds, calling them "brisky." (I guess it's a combination of "brisk" and "frisky" but you never know.) A reader reports "she used it so often I actually looked up 'brisky' in the dictionary thinking I might be mistaken." ... Boom Boom Sharrar, manager of the Washington Square Bar & Grill in San Francisco, dropped by Murphy's to say hello to those who frequent her eatery. The bartender asked what her real name was and she handed him a business card: Boom Boom Sharrar. That's it, folks ...
WHILE we're on the subject of names, you may recall that entertainer Pat Dickson changed his name to the Rev. Sky St. John when he gave up piano bars for preaching the gospel. And now ex-radio personality and soundman Mike Michaels has found a great way to get a good table in a restaurant as well as have other doors open for him. He's still in the sound business, but he's legally changed his name to Senator Mike Michaels. Now another local entertainer is wondering if a name alteration would do the same for him? How does Governor Keith Haugen sound? Or how about Pope Paul Conrad? What's in a name?
HE'S still getting awards, but they're getting nicer and nicer. I'm referring to Duane Walker, V.P. for nursing at Queen's. Last July he came home to find a banner reading, "Happy Birthday. This Pile's for You," over a large deposit of horse manure. Now he's been surprised by his profession to receive the highest award given by the American Hospital Association for creative and contemporary leadership, the first person from Hawaii so honored. No bedpans came with it, however -- instead Walker was awarded a crystal trophy ...
ONE of the best Hawaiian music groups ever was the Sons of Hawaii, and many island musicians were at one time or another "Sons" -- legends like Gabby Pahinui and Sonny Chillingworth, for example. Always the leader of the group was the redoubtable Eddie Kamae, who late in life, surprising to some, turned his talents to movie-making. Now we can add a new "Son" to the roster -- Department of Education Superintendent Herman Aizawa. At a ceremony presided over by BHP Hawaii President Henry Neal, the company presented as a gift to the DOE an educational curriculum utilizing Kamae's award-winning video "Words, Earth & Aloha." Kamae happily turned over his ukulele and microphone to Aizawa, who dedicated the song "Waika" to BHP and noted that the ceremony fulfilled his lifelong dream of singing with Kamae ... Another 'Son of Hawaii'
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.