Category Archives: video

Waipahu c. 1947

This started out as a simple post after I ran across a short video digitized from an old 8mm film of my parents. It was among a very few surviving family movies that survived since they were taken in the 1940s.

It shows my grandparent’s home in Waipahu, along the mauka side of Farrington Highway just after the bridge over Waikele Stream. My grandparents bought a large piece of property, built their home, and then sold off several other house lots over the years, using it as their savings account. It’s the house that I recall visiting when I was growing up. But my sister always referred to it as the “new” house, which sent me looking for more information. A quick search in Newspapers.comm turned up a legal notice that construction had been completed in January 1947. I was born in August of that year.

My original intent, besides just sharing the brief glimpses of the area in area nearly 80 years ago, was to see whether any readers have experience in using software to clean up old video like this. I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has done that.

Okay. That was the plan. Simple.

But then it got complicated.

I’ll pick up the story and explain what happened in another post.

More on the plight of Union Plaza tenants

The third story in Stewart Yerton’s series on the situation of residential tenants in Union Plaza, a 9-story commercial building in downtown Honolulu, was published this morning (“Honolulu Officials Are Doing Little To Help ‘Hell-Hole’ Tenants“). It documents the abysmal failure of the system to respond to the situation. Although courts have ruled in favor of tenants and ordered changes, these court orders have not been enforced. Police, elected officials, and other agencies have managed to tip-toe around the need for action.

Here are links to Yerton’s earlier stories in Civil Beat:

October 1: They Signed Up For Co-Living In Honolulu And Got A ‘Hell Hole’

November 10: ‘Hell-Hole’ Building Tenants Gain Traction In Court As Conditions Deteriorate

But while public officials and government agencies are missing in action, others have stepped up.

Honolulu Tenants Union has been a presence in the building, offering education on the laws of tenants rights and helping to spread the story of what’s going on in the building.

Food Not Bombs Oahu, a group that for years has fed the hungry and homeless on Sunday evenings at Thomas Square. “Solidarity Not Charity” is their motto.

And legendary Hawaiian songwriter and musician, Liko Martin, along with longtime Hawaiian Peace activist and musician, Laulani Teale, have quietly emerged as key participants, using music, along with their simple presence, to lessen tensions and seek peaceful solutions.

Here are two of many videos available online, either on YouTube or Instagram. Additional video can be found on the YouTube channel of @Aloharevolution.

The first video was made at a gathering at the building on Thursday evening, November 20. It provides an overview of the situation through stories of tenants and supporters.

This is an excerpt from a longer video made last week at Union Plaza with Liko Martin and Laulani Teale, who said they try to be there at crucial times to diffuse some of the hostility, which reaches dangerous levels.

“It could get somebody killed, it is that tense,” Teale said.

“But it’s really awesome to be restoring some kind of calm and peace, what we’ve been trying to do,” she said.

Portland Urban Crows #2

This short video was taken on the evening of Wednesday, October 29, 2025 on the corner of SW Morrison and 10th Avenue while standing in front of Mayas Taqueria.

This is the second video I’m posting of the fantastic urban crows of Portland.

Entertaining Ms. Kiko

Late Thursday afternoon. I was just finishing up a Feline Friday photo gallery to be posted early Friday morning. Kiko was “helping” me by sitting next to the keyboard and occasionally reaching out to try to grab the cursor.

Finally I stopped and quickly searched for online “cat entertainment.”

That search took me to a simple little scene of bees buzzing around a field of flowers.

Kiko was quickly hooked.

Don’t forget to come back in the morning for Feline Friday.