Ok so the recent Supernatural convention in Hawai'i got me going and now I can't stop thinking about a monster of the week show (aka, my idea of a supernatural reboot) but in Hawai'i (with all of the ensuing local jokes) instead of on the mainland and here's what I've got so far:

First thing to know about Hawai'i is that Honolulu's a melting pot that'll give New York City a run for its money. So when immigrants came here, it wasn't just humans - all sorts of cryptids and spirits and demons and gods are here for one reason or another. And all of them are trying to find some sort of equilibrium on modern day O'ahu.

Pre-show there was a massive multi-island turf war between the various factions called The Spirit War. The war reached a stalemate after some unspecified Big Event, and now modern Hawai'i has all of the monsters in a tense ceasefire, with human hunters (brutally) enforcing the peace.

which is where Sam and Dean come in. Rather than christian demons, Sam's touched by demons from Chinese mythology who have started manipulating human psychics to try and gain an edge over the other monster factions and start the whole spirit war over again. what does that meddling do to Sam? IDK yet!

Sam does have the ability to talk to spirits and interact with the spirit world and any other invisible cryptid - normally hunters need special gear or spellwork to interact with them. Dean, the spirits say 'is about as psychic as a pigeon that's been hit with a brick." which Sam thinks is hilarious

The rest of what I have is solely local jokes:

Sam's cardinal sin was not just going to college but something even worse: going to college On The Mainland.

This leads to constant complaints from Dean about Sam 'being too good for his roots' and saying shit like 'i dunno Sammy I was gonna get something from seven eleven but I know you're too good for spam musubi now.' and Sam is about ready to murder him.

The impala is Dean's boat because I think it's funny that instead of long road trips the boys take long sea trips to neighbor islands.

Of course, then they get a call from a hunter in Samoa who needs help with a case and Dean insists The Impala can make it (Dean we are not taking that tiny boat over 3,000 miles of open ocean.' 'she can make it Sammy!')

Every episode there's tourists bothering the boys and causing problems. Every. Damn. Episode.

Dean consistently shows up to hunts in flip flops and it drives Sam nuts

Instead of weird motels the boys jump from vacation rental to vacation rental. There is at least one episode about some sort of stepford-wives-esque summer home horror.

I've got so many more ideas but I don't want this to get too long - let me know if you want more.

PBS HAWAII PRESENTS A Place In the Middle by Alex Redcay

Just a lil much-needed queer youth joy - we need to talk about these students and allies in Hawai'i!

Students from Campbell- Kapolei Complex Schools used funding from one of our 50 States 50 Grants to give SO much support to their queer communities.

They bolstered their GSA clubs, held community based education events like a Halloween party and craft day, and even got to attend Honolulu Pride - where Hawai'i-raised Bretman Rock showed up for a surprise visit and marched alongside the students to honor them and their work, having attended the same schools themself growing up!

So proud of these students for recognizing what they need in their own communities.

And lucky for y'all...apps are open for the 3rd season of 50 States, 50 Grants right now through April 1, 2024 - if you're a high schooler or middle schooler in the US/DC/territories and have an idea for how you'd use the funds at your own school, don't miss out on applying: 50states50grants.org

Cyndi Lauper photographed by Michael Putland in Hawaii, 1986.

Hawaiian dancers, Hawai'i, by Ian Allen

Britney Spears Hawaii 2000

My trip to Kaua'i, Hawai'i

Yellow Hibiscus: The state flower of Hawai'i. Called the “pua mao hau hele�� or “Ma’o hau hele” in the Hawaiian Language (ʻŌlelo).

Nēnē (Hawaiian Goose): The rarest waterfowl in the world. Nearly brought to extinction in 1990 with 50 wild individuals. Captive-breeding programs and reintroduction efforts have given the native nēnē a chance with now over 3,862 birds statewide. I was lucky enough to see wild nēnē goslings. Very special.

Honu (Green Sea Turtle): An endangered species most commonly found near the Hawaiian Island Chain. Typically reaching sexual maturity around 20 years of age, Green sea turtles nest on the same beach where they hatched. This is a photo I took of a female rising up from the shore to lay her eggs.

Landscape photos I took on my trip in Kaua'i.

Kaua'i is one of many islands comprising the Hawaiian Volcanic Island Archipelago. I bought a Kaua'i Geologic History Book to learn more about the island and I am very excited to read it.

HAWAIIAN ANCESTRAL BONES AT RISK ON MAUI

Hawaii News Now - April 5, 2023

Tensions surrounding the planned expansion of a luxury hotel on Maui are rising. The Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, has been wanting to expand for years. But protectors of ancestral bones, or iwi kupuna, say enough already. “I feel I was really called to do this. Like I was tapped on the shoulder and said, ‘come and help,’” said Clare Apana, head of Malama Kakanilua. Apana, along with Hooponopono o Makena president Ashford Kaleolani DeLima, are committed to protecting iwi kupuna on Maui. DeLima’s ancestors are from South Maui, where the Grand Wailea is located. “You feel this wind? This wind is gentle. That’s because my kupuna knows that I’m here speaking about them and trying to tell the truth,” DeLima said. DeLima, Apana and others say the Grand Wailea was built on sacred burial grounds. They are against the resort’s plan for expansion and renovations. “This is one of the areas where you find concentrations of burials. You don’t find this on any other property. You may find burials … but you don’t find burials in the concentrations that are on this property,” Apana said. The Grand Wailea wants to add 137 guest rooms, enhance its landscaping, pool amenities and restaurant facilities and improve its infrastructure. Maui Planning Department recommended approving the project with conditions in 2019. But last month, a Maui Planning Commission’s appointed hearing officer recommended that the Grand Wailea’s permits be denied until they can make “adjustments in the areas of traditional and customary native Hawaiian practices, traffic and water.” The permits are needed to complete the expansion. The resort says the project scope was reduced by nearly 40% to reflect community feedback and avoid ground disturbance in areas of archaeological or cultural sensitivity. “The hearing officer’s report was a welcome confirmation of Grand Wailea’s enhancement plans and commitment to being a good steward,” said William Meheula, counsel for the resort. “We agree with almost all of the recommendations, including that the project’s archaeological inventory surveys and monitoring plans that were approved by the state met the legal requirements, and have submitted a response largely supporting the report and demonstrating the project has satisfied the necessary conditions to proceed if approved by the Maui Planning Commission.” The hotel says its commitment to giving back is reflected in the more than $5 million donated to nonprofits over the last seven years. The resort’s managing director added that the hotel employs more than 1,200 people, and that the expansion will create hundreds more jobs. Apana and DeLima said all they want is respect. “The right thing to do is malama the iwi,” DeLima said. “Show respect and not only make money....”

Girls in frangipani blossoms swirling in a frenzied dance | Eliot Elisofon | The LIFE Picture Collection

brief break from my usual posting. bit random. but. hawaiian music is such a unique and beautiful form of music and i just really wish it had more recognition outside of Hawai’i as being more than just the background music at a tropical resort. it’s very existence is political; many older hawaiian music was written at a time where hawaiian kids were beaten by their teachers in school for speaking ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. some songs describe landscapes and places that don’t exist anymore due to colonization. not saying that it has to be your favorite genre cause i know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea (as with any genre in the world). but like so many other aspects of hawaiian culture it’s become so commodified for the tourism industrial complex that it’s become divorced from its original meaning and form.

Kim & Kourtney in Hawaii, 1994 🌴

Wearing a tiaré flower in your ear is such a small and simplistic thing, yet it carries so much history and culture with it!

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a large amount of time I've been spending on -untitled undefined scope original fiction project- since the last time I posted about it has been trying to develop the protagonist concept I came up with last summer or whatever into like, a character that would feel real and era appropriate.

it's fun research to do. naturally a lot of the details I assigned to her are things that I already think are cool, so it's been a lot of fun trying to trace her traits back through the relatively recent past, getting reminded of how much things have changed, or where the gaps in my intuition are, and then doing a flurry of reading to get a sense for exactly how someone like her and the people around her could have happened and what her life was probably like leading up to her present day. hopefully this results in some good good verisimilitude.

Mary Kawena Pukui

Mary Kawena Pukui was born in 1895 in Kaʻū, Hawaii. Pukui was a scholar who devoted herself to preserving traditional Hawaiian culture. She produced thousands of pages of translations and wrote or contributed to over 50 scholarly works. Pukui co-wrote The Hawaiian Dictionary with Samuel H. Elbert, and the 1986 edition of the book is still the standard source for spelling and definitions in the Hawaiian language. She collected and translated nearly 3,000 Hawaiian proverbs and sayings in the book Ōlelo Noʻeau. Pukui was also a hula expert and composed more than 150 songs and chants.

Mary Kawena Pukui died in 1986 at the age of 91.

Acting too much for you culture? Keep going. You belong in your cultures.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/teriunderhill/acting-too-much

Hawaiian child, Hawai'i, by kahihaefloral