Wood Craft
Ollie and Burl show
on subs is a winnerI had good reasons to watch Ollie North's "War Stories -- Attack of the Japanese Midget Subs!" which was planned to happen just before the anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. One reason was because the Star-Bulletin's Burl Burlingame was the main man for info about the subs as the story was taken from his book "Advance Force Pearl Harbor." Another reason was that I was a kid on Piikoi Street on that Dec. 7, spinning tops with my best pals, Hank and Mark Auerbach. Those were scary days. The hourlong program was broadcast twice by Fox News Sunday and I could not take my eyes off it. Burl was excellent as North interviewed him. Ollie fired questions and Burl shot back knowledgeable answers like a pro. Film of the subs, events and key individuals leading up to and after the attack also kept me riveted to the show ...
Active Alice Inoue
The grass doesn't grow under Alice Inoue's feet. The former media personality is in great demand as an astrology consultant, has become an ordained minister, conducting marriage ceremonies and doing all those other things ministers do, and she is a feng shui consultant. "I grew up in Taiwan and feng shui is the art of living in harmony with your environment," Alice said. With all these sources of income, Alice will not go hungry. Another reason Alice will not go hungry is because she is engaged to Chef Alan Wong, who owns the very popular restaurant named after him...Looking for Christmas gifts? Here are ideas: The CD "Owana," on which the talented Owana Salazar displays her singing, slack-key and steel guitar talents on island numbers. She even composed one of the songs. Mountain Apple DVD releases of Iz's "Hot Hawaiian Nights" and the Cazimero Brothers' "25th Annual May Day Concert 2002." "Hula Records Hits" CD features Don Ho, Kui Lee, Gabby Pahinui, Eddie Kamae, Nina Kealiiwahamana, the K-Lake Trio, Genoa Keawe and more. Hula fans will enjoy Kim Taylor Reese's latest big photo book of hula dancers, "Hula i ka la: Dance in the Sun." Kamaaina Christmas auction items are open for public bidding today at the Academy of Arts ...
2100 Kalakaua's big blast
People jammed the Honu group's opening of six shops at 2100 Kalakaua last weekend. The rain was a bummer early on but that didn't stop the 1,500 black-tie guests from checking out Boucheron, Chanel, Gucci, Tiffany, Tod's and Yves Saint Laurent and consuming drinks and pupus in those stores. About 1,200 others crowded around the stage on blocked-off Kalakaua where Al Green was the headliner and Na Leo Pilimehana and other acts performed. They could also see Chanel's New York models strutting in the store's second-floor window. A 14-carat, $6 million ruby ring and a $1 million, 18-carat diamond ring at Boucheron were big draws. Tiffany designer Paloma Picasso wore her 129-carat tanzanite and pearl necklace. Gucci played designer Tom Ford's favorite CDs and displayed his latest fashions ... I will be on vacation until Jan. 2. My next column will run Jan. 4. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com