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Friday
March 12, 2010 Since 1922 |
Wild and exciting storyline
By Jim Finley
Contributor Published October 20, 2009 When people speak to me at all – not counting family members, most of whom still love me – they often ask me where I come up with such brilliant column topics.
Like, they’ll say, “Jimbo, you just blow me away with many of the things you write about. We know you have a fertile, exceptional mind, but where, oh, where do you find all of those wonderful, really entertaining subjects?”
Thank you, I’ll reply, always pointing skyward. The Big Guy – you know, the Big Editor In The Sky – he supplies them. We have this sort of partnership.
As a leading columnist, I’m always on the lookout for things to write about. Most of the time, I don’t have to look far.
Here’s an example: Once, a few years back, I found myself driving down the road without having my seatbelt on. That got me to thinking about those days not that long ago (really) when cars didn’t even have seatbelts. So a column was born.
Also, a lot of Discerning Readers will send me either ideas they think up or e-mails someone else sent them. I sometimes use the ideas, but rarely the e-mails, which have already been circulated all over the world, which, generally speaking, includes Massachusetts and California.
(NON-EDITOR’S NOTE: The way the State of California is being run by nutty politicians, we won’t have to worry about that state much longer. I look for it to just drop-off into the Pacific Ocean any day now.)
All of this brings us to today’s topic: Humuhumunukunukuapua’a.
I felt a real sense of urgency in writing about Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. I figured if I got lazy, all of a sudden the talented Natalie Whatley would do a Sun column on Humuhumunukunukuapua’a before I did, leaving me out in the cold on such a cool topic.
For you out there who were not schooled at Harvard like I almost was, I should tell you that Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is some kind of café in Wailea, Hawaii. My research shows Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is a fish place. Hope it’s as good as Captain D’s.
Also, for you non-Harvard people, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is “one of several species of triggerfish native to Hawaii’s coastal waters.” I believe it just might be the State Fish, and has a “snout like a pig (go, Hogs!).”
Since I’ve never been to Hawaii, you’re probably wondering how I found out about Humuhumu-nukunukuapua’a. Fair question.
Because I am a hopeless romantic, I read every wedding story I can get my hands on. With the world going to Chicago in a handbasket, I need all the good news I can get.
Thusly, it came to pass I was looking over wedding stories in the Big-City-Paper-To-The-West and came across a piece on the nuptials (fancy word for wedding) of Julie Chen and Scott Burton.
And, no, I don’t know them. Told you I was hopeless.
It was in this Love Story that I learned a “dinner followed [the wedding] at Humuhumunukunukuapua’a, where the guests dined on surf and turf and the newlyweds cut their butter cream and passion fruit wedding cake.”
My first thought was that I had to do a column on Humuhumu-nukunukuapua’a. I had to beat Natalie.
My second thought was: What the heck is passion fruit? And maybe more importantly, where can I get some?
So, Discerning Readers, this is how we leading columnists do it. Subject matter is everywhere, although I admit topics like Humuhumunukunukuapua’a don’t come along often.
Moreover, I bet Emily Dickinson never wrote about Humuhumu-nukunukuapua’a. Or George Will for that matter.
But I now have.
In closing, I want to sincerely wish Julie and Scott a happy, wonderful life together. Say, 60 or 70 years. At least.
And thanks, guys, for the column topic.
Jim Finley is a retired managing editor for The Baytown Sun.
Contributor Published October 20, 2009 When people speak to me at all – not counting family members, most of whom still love me – they often ask me where I come up with such brilliant column topics.
Like, they’ll say, “Jimbo, you just blow me away with many of the things you write about. We know you have a fertile, exceptional mind, but where, oh, where do you find all of those wonderful, really entertaining subjects?”
Thank you, I’ll reply, always pointing skyward. The Big Guy – you know, the Big Editor In The Sky – he supplies them. We have this sort of partnership.
As a leading columnist, I’m always on the lookout for things to write about. Most of the time, I don’t have to look far.
Here’s an example: Once, a few years back, I found myself driving down the road without having my seatbelt on. That got me to thinking about those days not that long ago (really) when cars didn’t even have seatbelts. So a column was born.
Also, a lot of Discerning Readers will send me either ideas they think up or e-mails someone else sent them. I sometimes use the ideas, but rarely the e-mails, which have already been circulated all over the world, which, generally speaking, includes Massachusetts and California.
(NON-EDITOR’S NOTE: The way the State of California is being run by nutty politicians, we won’t have to worry about that state much longer. I look for it to just drop-off into the Pacific Ocean any day now.)
All of this brings us to today’s topic: Humuhumunukunukuapua’a.
I felt a real sense of urgency in writing about Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. I figured if I got lazy, all of a sudden the talented Natalie Whatley would do a Sun column on Humuhumunukunukuapua’a before I did, leaving me out in the cold on such a cool topic.
For you out there who were not schooled at Harvard like I almost was, I should tell you that Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is some kind of café in Wailea, Hawaii. My research shows Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is a fish place. Hope it’s as good as Captain D’s.
Also, for you non-Harvard people, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is “one of several species of triggerfish native to Hawaii’s coastal waters.” I believe it just might be the State Fish, and has a “snout like a pig (go, Hogs!).”
Since I’ve never been to Hawaii, you’re probably wondering how I found out about Humuhumu-nukunukuapua’a. Fair question.
Because I am a hopeless romantic, I read every wedding story I can get my hands on. With the world going to Chicago in a handbasket, I need all the good news I can get.
Thusly, it came to pass I was looking over wedding stories in the Big-City-Paper-To-The-West and came across a piece on the nuptials (fancy word for wedding) of Julie Chen and Scott Burton.
And, no, I don’t know them. Told you I was hopeless.
It was in this Love Story that I learned a “dinner followed [the wedding] at Humuhumunukunukuapua’a, where the guests dined on surf and turf and the newlyweds cut their butter cream and passion fruit wedding cake.”
My first thought was that I had to do a column on Humuhumu-nukunukuapua’a. I had to beat Natalie.
My second thought was: What the heck is passion fruit? And maybe more importantly, where can I get some?
So, Discerning Readers, this is how we leading columnists do it. Subject matter is everywhere, although I admit topics like Humuhumunukunukuapua’a don’t come along often.
Moreover, I bet Emily Dickinson never wrote about Humuhumu-nukunukuapua’a. Or George Will for that matter.
But I now have.
In closing, I want to sincerely wish Julie and Scott a happy, wonderful life together. Say, 60 or 70 years. At least.
And thanks, guys, for the column topic.
Jim Finley is a retired managing editor for The Baytown Sun.