I propose a cultural exchange with New Orleans.

[KamaAina]

There might be problems with outright annexation (see thread below) :-) but there are still things we could do to promote Hawai'i culture in one of the few places that might actually "get it".

* A Hawai'i tent at Jazz Fest. This is actually one I had thought of long before this. They'd go in there thinking Don Ho, but come out grooving to our "Jawaiian" reggae music, and maybe even getting a free 'ukulele lesson, just like the tourists do! On the way out they could grab a shave ice, cousin to that New Orleans original, the Sno-Cone. Plus, people from all over come to Jazz Fest, so what an opportunity for Hawai'i to promote itself.

* A Hawaiian reef tank at the Aquarium of the Americas. Sadly the Aquarium seems not to have fared particularly well; though it is on the "highest" ground, its backup generators failed, causing the tanks to cool to a deadly low temperature. I know of no mainland aquarium that has a Hawai'i exhibit, complete with native limu (hey Opihi, I'm talking to you!) and of course the humuhumunukunukuapua'a (just try saying that after you've had a few Pat O'Brien's Hurricanes!)

* And something we might do in the near term: Aren't there still two hotels on Moloka'i, the Kaluakoi and the Pau Hana, that are closed? Shouldn't we give a few hundred Louisiana families a place on the sacred 'aina?

edit: italics

[Liberty Belle]

1. Now that's the aloha spirit!

[KamaAina]

2. I just realized Hawai'i isn't in the Americas

it's part of Oceania, not North America. I wonder if the Aquarium of the Americas would cavil at that, or include us in the "Americas" since we are the 50th state of the USA.

And in fact, such an exhibit might be the largest of its kind in the world, including Hawai'i, which has never been able to get a major aquarium built. All we have is the pleasant but smallish Waikiki Aquarium, which is operated by UH basically as a "teaching aquarium" in the sense that, say, the Yale Art Gallery is a teaching gallery or Yale-New Haven Hospital is a teaching hospital, rather than specifically as a visitor attraction.

[opihimoimoi]

3. I concur..there should be more cultural exchanges everywhere.

But more import, is the notion of re building the city.

I started on my other computer but was informed by my savvy daughter of NO INK. So here I am trying to get some ideas to you via this route.

NOLA represents a unique op to rebuild a new and better city of the future that can be a model.

Many hurdles stand in the way.

1. To be the winner in the BEST IDEA Contest. The Idea has to garner support. It has to make sense in a convincing way. It has to be attractive to both old timers and new comers/investors...a win win.

2. It must not end up a burden on the taxpayers...self financing...

3. The final design should be disaster proof as much as possible.
safe, comfort, ease of living, energy efficient, pleasing to
the eye, attractive, culturally vibrant, etc.

4. Makes use of the existing conditions in an advantageous way.
Survey entire area, use best idea approach, determine outcome.
Create Islands in such a way to house the City. determine
best location for several Energy Units, each of which will produce
electricity, etc found in No#7 below.
The design would call for all areas to be above sea level. No
levees required.
Make the place one big fish pond with a flushing design using the tides as a power source

5. Allows flexibility for Architectual Innovations/concepts.

6. Addresses roof top farms/ pastures/ parks/ rec centers/ restuarants
etc.

7. Central use of fuel for
a. ceramic/steel production, etc
b. steam production/energy production
c. hot water production
d. Sterilization
e. cooking, baking
f. heat during Winter
g. compressed air

8. Ease of transportation from dwelling unit to all parts of the city

9. Pneumatic delivery for small goods to dwelling units, etc,
including Gov't/business/

10. Promotes self sufficiency as much as possible...via a closed system concept.

11. Promotes ART, visual and performing

Mark,

I will add laters, my brain needs a rest

Opi

[opihimoimoi]

4. Addendum #1.001 Re engineering concepts.... Paris should be studied for

its design in totality...

Sanitation,
Open Spaces, parks,
Broad streets, tree lined

Fountains,

Water parks,

etc.

[KamaAina]

5. Very nice. Now you see why I wanted you to get in on this.

I've reached Mom and Repuke Man's weekend place in NJ, where there is Net access at last.

pleasing to the eye, attractive, culturally vibrant, etc. They've already got those things down pat!

Create Islands in such a way to house the City.
I'm leaning toward the Ninth Ward (flooded again :( ) and adjacent St. Bernard parish as the locale of the "Venice of the South". Remember, it's a huge city geographically, so there's no need to impose a rigid top-down plan on the whole thing.

5. Allows flexibility for Architectual Innovations/concepts.
In an NY Times article Sat., Walter Isaacson, head of the Aspen Institute and an N.O. native, proposed hip architectural firms as good fits for the newer, smaller, less industrial city.

8. Ease of transportation from dwelling unit to all parts of the city

Before 8/29, there were already 100,000 or more New Orleanians without cars (remember, I was one of them!). Add to that all the cars that lay beneath the wave for those weeks, and you can see that N.O. needs to get serious about transit. Think about how Kaua'i added transit for the first time after 'Iniki. There was already a web page called "Streetcars Desired Everywhere"...

9. Pneumatic delivery for small goods to dwelling units, etc,
Very Parisian, but nothing built underground is really practical in N.O., not even cemeteries!

11. Promotes ART, visual and performing
Again, been there, done that. (The only Impressionist works created in North America were by Edgar Degas during a yearlong visit to relatives in la Nouvelle-Orleans in the 1850s.)

Meanwhile, I am busy plowing through Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel". You want some of this. It resonates with a lot of what you've been saying about early history and prehistory.

[opihimoimoi]

6. Lets review other Planned cites for their values...Brazilia, Canberra, etc

But NOLA can be the model of a new way of building cities. especially w re to efficiency.

make it so energy is used almost completely instead of going up the stack. Take the highest heat used today...making steel...ceramics..
and use the by product to make steam, cooking, sterilizing, etc etc

this could run in such a way the average per person usage of oil comes way down on a per year basis. like an 80% or more reduction, and ,,, we still live comfortably and safely... Cane proof, tornado proof, and earth quake resistant, etc.

Roof top growing areas, gardens an shit, pastures for our animal/poultry/zoos/ etc

Incoming tides flush the whole system with the next low tides controlled with giant gates...out flow cleaned biologically so the water goinbg out is cleaned beyond the incoming water. What is the salinity of the area?? What kinds of fauna/algae can be grown/raised for human/animal consumption? Crabs/shrimp?? Think of a city with uka million open spaces and a series of ponds/small lakes for recreation and chilling out...lessens the misery rate/level.

That is all for now

Opi

[opihimoimoi]

7. PS

copy and paste to whoever you wish..if any questions, feed back plz.


Opi

[opihimoimoi]

8. PPS: How to get the most outta every BTU spent... That is the KEY towards

building a new city.

Reduce the need to travel for mundane shit by installing a pneumatic delivery/shipping system to every unit. create a size that uses 2 cu feet and it will work...

Compressed air comes from the engineering dept using steam as means of obtaining pressurized air. Easy as pie. The same air can be used for survival incase of fire in high rises. This is also easy as pie.

Food produced within the city reduces transportation costs...makes the city more "closed" less dependent...

[opihimoimoi]

9. The Nation will be well served if the CONSERVATION DEPT over sees

and funds this project.

The Goal is to reduce our consumption of energy by new ways of city living. This shouod be a DEM Project and a DEM should propose this lest the Pubs steal the notion.

What happens to the landowners,...? They get to choose...take the emminent domain thing, or, get 2 new units in the new city, location by lottery/other.

[opihimoimoi]

10. Kama,.....??? are you there??

[KamaAina]

11. Yes, back in the Iwilei cubicle at last

complete with person sleeping in the bus shelter!

Funny you should mention steam. I just learned that when Watt invented (or rather, perfected) the steam engine, it was not meant to power locomotives -- but to pump water out of British coal mines. Maybe we could adapt it to pump water out of American culture mines?

[opihimoimoi]

13. Steam is a wonderful way to heat homes/buildings, that is to say if we can

get past the dangers. The engineering gatta be on the money.

But more import, its a way to power large pumps, etc without too much maintenance as the parts wear very slowly due to low rpm's.

Can even run generators to make electricity, and air compressors for which the Mega City will require.

Now is the time when Mankind should be thinking of new cities where we can get the most bang for the buck$ in terms of fuel.

PS

With re to transportation. design people movers in oposite directions that goes around the city in such a way that it don take loing to travel from one part to the next. a smaller set for the middle part of the city would be nice. this way, a person can travel without a car anywhere in the city and to some degree outside of it.

Cars would be available via a rental agency for long journeys. Why pay expenses for a car when one only uses it for to and from work and sitting there at night> Pay as you go seems to be an attractive op.
This can be set up with a preapproved card thingy. easy as pie

think of the energy saved...big bucks, makes the city and its peeps that much richer to spend on Hawaiian Vacations, LOL

That is all for now...more laters

Aloha

Opi

[KamaAina]

12. self delete

double post

[opihimoimoi]

14. The Carpet Baggers have taken ROOT.....

Kill this....