Homespun Honolulu

Here is another one of those events that I keep missing.  Coming up on us very quickly is the 5th Annual Hawai’i Book & Music Festival, a Celebration of Story and Song.

This year’s event comes with an added touch for those who are literary-minded.  We have an O’ahu resident whose book will debut at this event!  Douglas Corleone was an attorney in New York but he left the practice and moved to Hawaii.  Now Douglas is a beach-going writer who is enjoying life at a much slower pace than what he found in New York city!

This is great — we have a resident novelist among us!  His book, One Man’s Paradise, is an award-winning crime-drama/mystery using Honolulu as the back drop.  It will be  interesting to see, and fun to watch, how this young author will do with this novel and the novels that follow!  I’ve started reading it and the personality of Mr. Corvelli, the book’s protagonist, is already an interesting study.

The book is now available at our local book stores and if you want to get a head start on One Man’s Paradise before the Festival, or if you can’t make it to the Festival, you can still get a copy and meet the author at:

     Barnes & Noble, Ala Moana on Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

or

Borders, Waikele Center on Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m

Then there’s the Book & Music Festival where Douglas will be on May 16, 2010 at the Barnes & Noble Bookseller tent for signing at 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. followed by a reading and a Q&A at the Author’s Pavilion.

If you still don’t have a copy at that point, there is still June 5, 2010 at Barnes & Noble, Kahala Mall from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Mahalo to all of the sponsors and contributors to the 5th Annual Hawai’i Book & Music Festival!  Try to get there if you can!

As I was sitting listening to Haunani Apoliona talk about OHA’s role in the community, and as I watched the keiki at one of the ‘Aha Punana Leo schools talk about ethnic food dishes (using the Hawaiian language of course) I can’t help but feel a need to share some gratitude with Oceanic Time Warner Cable and the State of Hawaii’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) for their continued support of community programming!

We almost lost it, or at least a big chunk of it, or so we thought! The franchise contract was up for renewal and one of the articles I read seemed to have a very negative view of what the outcome would be.  The concern was largely focused on the availability of channels designated for various types of community programming.

No need to worry — there’s good news!  The conditions of the newly-restored, 20-year franchise include, aside from other things, the addition of more community channels!  Instead of the six (6) we had before, there will now be fourteen (14)!  We will have even more places to accommodate the PBS, ‘Olelo, and PEG (public, educational, and governmental) channels than ever before!

Mahalo to DCCA and Time Warner Cable for staying on top of the things deemed important to the viewers!

Movie Contest for the Keiki!

Here’s a summary of the storyline for an upcoming film:

“In Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies’ family comedy “Imagine That,” Eddie Murphy stars as a successful financial executive who has more time for his BlackBerry than his seven-year-old daughter (Yara Shahidi).

When he has a crisis of confidence and his career starts going down the drain, however, he finds the solution to all his problems in his daughter’s imaginary world.”

This movie opens Nationwide on Friday, June 12, 2009.  It runs for 107 minutes and stars Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox and Martin Sheen.

I like Eddie Murphy movies and this one sounds like fun! Besides, bringing fantasy and the real world together is something I think we should always strive to do!  It makes life all the more enchanting.  Apparently Hollywood thinks so too!

Anyway, we thought it would be fun to have a little contest.  Here are the rules:

• You need to be 13 years old or younger.

• Submit one or two paragraphs telling us about a dream of yours and why you think it should come true.  (Send submissions to evelyn@homespunhonolulu.com)

Winners will be randomly selected and the grand prize winner will receive our “IMAGINE THAT Dreams Come True” prize package and passes for an advanced screening of the movie on June 9th!  Hippo Toes will be sponsoring our little contest with a $40 gift certificate for the grand-prize winner.

I need to post the following disclaimer so you need to read it:

DISCLAIMER:NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Seating is first-come, first-served and cannot be guaranteed.  The theatre is overbooked to ensure a full house.

Passes received through this promotion do not guarantee you a seat at the theatre. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, except for members of the reviewing press. Theatre is overbooked to ensure a full house. No admittance once screening has begun. All federal, state and local regulations apply. A recipient of tickets assumes any and all risks related to use of ticket, and accepts any restrictions required by ticket provider.

Paramount Pictures, homespunhonolulu.com, Hippo Toes and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of a prize.  Tickets cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. We are not responsible if, for any reason, recipient is unable to use his/her ticket in whole or in part. All federal and local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Participating sponsors, their employees & family members and their agencies are not eligible.  NO PHONE CALLS!

There!  Now hurry up!  Start using your imaginations and tell me your dreams and why you think they should come true!  The deadline for entries is this Thursday, June 4th!  I want to be sure I can get you your passes in time for the advanced screening the following Tuesday!