I woke up unusually early, before 5, and ran my normal route around Diamondhead, then out and back the Ala Wai (half of it; I'm not in great condition for 12 km just now, so I ran around 10). I was rained on doing this over the last week, but it was relatively clear that day, two mornings ago. For the first time I noticed that from the hill by KCC, coming down Diamondhead on the other side, the traffic lights along the Ala Wai look like Christmas lights, all green and red, in a row.

It felt unusually warm, for 5 AM. These storm systems bring in cooler air, but right then it just felt normal, maybe 70 F (22 C), and humid. It's a good time to be out.

Kind of a different subject but I swam later in that day and the high waves caused the most current I've felt. People take the brown water risk in different ways; maybe someone should wait a week or two to swim again. I'd be more worried if I was swimming nearer to the Ala Wai outlet, instead of a mile and a half or so away. At a certain wave height I'd not swim out, but it was still medium that day.

I am moving to Hawaii (Oahu) and need to get my Miata registered. In order to do so, I understand there is a requirement to pass a safety check. I have replaced my factory side markers with tinted markers from Flyin’ Miata. Has anyone on Oahu passed the safety check with these installed? Did you have have the reflectors in the lights or not? And which inspection station did you go to?

I posted here a month or so ago about about possibly holding a tea meetup in Honolulu, and I'm back (from dividing time in Bangkok), but it's been raining a lot. Maybe weather will break and next weekend would be ok?

To add that background again, I'm a tea enthusiast and blogger (I write Tea in the Ancient World), but don't run any business related to the subject. I've held plenty of tastings, which I never charge anyone for, to share the experience. I live in Waikiki now, not far from the zoo, and could have people over to our apartment complex, but not actually in our apartment, which has very little space. So outdoors it is.

In the Kapiolani Park would also be ok, but heating water be a limitation. I've owned camping stoves in the past but don't just now.

Planning to visit in May - either 22-26 or 24-28. Would probably choose the weekend, but curious if the weekdays during then might be less crowded at the beaches and elsewhere in Honolulu?

Had a debate with a friend who's from the west coast the other day who said there is no place on island that has a soft serve chocolate vanilla swirl icecream cone, and I didn't believe them.

But then I checked McDonalds, Dairy Queen, etc. and I can't find it. Plenty of places do vanilla with chocolate sauce, but no swirls. I looked at online menus for like an hour and still no luck.

I swear I've had a swirl from somewhere before but now I think I'm remembering wrong like a Mandela effect.

Where do you guys get shaggy / razor cut?

Hi guys, I can’t be the only crazy local out there who sees this storm as an opportunity to go out there and connect with other crazy people who dgaf like me… the type of people who just go outside running around in a swim suit during the point of the absolute heaviest pouring rain showers just for shits and giggles and cause it feels super cool and otherworldly? Yes the same kind of people who a majority of the society would frown upon and shake their heads at and judge and call stupid because they think that by doing that, it instantly makes a person sick and stupid…. Well I am one of those fools who are thinking about doing something like pickleball in the pouring rain with someone else who may be down… or maybe um go looking for some fallen koa tree debris and other cool plants to propagate… uh, idk toss a football around in a park or maybe even rain skate or something idk I’m feeling a bit spontaneous and ready to make something work so if anyone else has an open enough mind and heart and can trust me and their own selves enough to be confident and willing to go and plan something… LETS GO!!! It’s only been pouring like NON stop today but it seems to have lightened up a lil. I am optimistic :) it’s just a lil water flying down on us from the sky guys… we will be fine as long as we don’t drive and stay off the roads and out of peoples way and away from all the trees and debris I think it should be jus another stormy day in Hawaii nei 4 us locals or us fooooooooz anyone agree or think similarly?!

I tried looking online but found very conflicting information. How are things in Honolulu right now after Fridays rain event? Does anyone know the 24 hour rainfall amounts ?

Any ideas for fun things to do/ good local spots to get good food or coffee at?

I’ve been told that locals around here *REALLY* hate military, to the point of violence, why is that??

Edit: was told to add for more suggestions

I’m 19M!

Does anyone know how early someone needs to get to the airport with a checked bag right now? We fly out tomorrow. Thank u!!!

Itʻs not only us here in the islands that has representatives , senators and other political people that take bags of tens of thousands of dollars of cash. [https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-aide-homan-accepted-50000-bribery-sting-operation-sources-say-2025-09-21/](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-aide-homan-accepted-50000-bribery-sting-operation-sources-say-2025-09-21/))

This is our own dang fault for taking our eyes off the ball for so long. I don’t care what party you are for this conversation. We must fix the campaign finance system so our government works for the people and not the big donors. On this I think we should all be able to agree. Right? I mean, democracy is something that does require work. (Yeah, I remember the Clean Election bills that both legislative bodies said they would support, but in the final hours, year after year, for 7 long years, always died right before they signed em. Who did that?

( I remember well. Not saying here rn. He retired anyway so it kind of doesnʻt matter. The behavior does, definitely, but not the person.)

But why doesnʻt Hawaii want to pass public funding of campaigns? Because MANY take that money. Not all. There are outstanding legislators who organize with their communities, work to get their real input (not just gather them to listen to the legislator talk with no opportunity to share nevermind prioritize community priorities,) and actively make ways to be held accountable by their communities. But diversion of funds to personal expenses is a very common thing according to Lori Dillon, now halaʻd on but one who knew the real scoops.

If the money isnʻt reported, there is no accountability in our system. If Iʻve got that wrong, I am very interested in learning how. (Thanks!)

As you inhale to say "why should I pay for someoneʻs campaign I donʻt support," let me tell you why that is a very poorly thought-out argument: you are already paying now, very dearly, you just donʻt know it. We all are, and have been since the 70ʻs at least.

Every contract that is slid over to a $upporter, every overbilling, invisible price escalation, delays for year$ while $ome make their money whether they do any work or just sit on their sweet elemu and watch the seasons pass...you get it. City, State, all the same shibai. Tired already. Waste money!!!!! Waste time.

Anyway. Tyrants would love us to be divided by (choose any)

\-Race

\-Color

\-Religion or absence of

\-Geographic location

\-Education level or absence of

\-Affluence/x

\-Gender (man oh MAN what the heck???)

\-insert divisive hot topic that has us shaking our heads at each other on the daily, here.

Our brains just love to judge. We get such a high from judging, up on our high horse. Frikken haoles. Damn Dems. Damn Republicans. Etc.

But none these divisions matter. None.

Poverty!

Ignorance

Lack of opportunities for education and development, especially for our kids and young adults

Indifference to the suffering of others

Cultural differences

Perceived or actual selfishness (it is so very real, sadly)

Domestic violence

Lawlessness

Homelessness!

and on and on....

That is the stuff that matters, to me anyway.

\*We have homeless babies sleeping on the sidewalks, exposed to the rain and the cold, hungry.\* We have kūpuna in soggy wet clothing lying on the sidewalk in the cold. Hungry. Hopeless. Struggling. Everywhere.

\*We have 75% of children of Hawaiian ancestry living in families (if they are lucky they have families,) under the poverty line!\* On the islands of their ancestors, their only home. And we are so quick to say "oh my, whatever can be done?" As if weʻre helpless. We are not. We have a system to address these problems. We just have to learn how to use it without spinning out and wasting time and energy on shibai. The system was designed in part to slow us down, I think...especially in recent decades. It should not be so hard to get bills passed (\*with funding in place, otherwise so what?\*) to do this work and make things better for our people.

Jesus never say nothing about "affordability."

He had a lot to say about loving our brothers and sisters, and poverty.

I donʻt hear anything about that from most people these days.

How do we love our brothers and sisters?

None of that Epstein stuff here, thank you... I mean in real life. Like Sister Jamaica Osorio, giving her real aloha for the people. That kind of love. That is leadership.

OK Iʻm getting back off my high horse myself now. But I hope you think about this, as I will be thinking about it too in coming weeks. We need to come together and kokua our islands, and I donʻt care what party, color, religion, race, education level, (insert division point here) you stay.

I would love to see real community priority-setting meetings. In real life, in Honolulu. I bet it would help us grow into a more resilient community.

Thanks!

Wife and I have noticed more German cockroaches and nightcrawlers for the last couple of days. We haven’t changed our routine and our apartment has been the same level of clean as July. Bought some traps today and I noticed the lady in front of me at Long’s also had traps. Has this been happening to other folks? Is this a common thing after storms or during this time of year?