Saturday, May 28, 2011

Six Degrees of Seperation - Spam to Scotland

Blogger Update - Following Dani's advice, I installed Google Chrome.  I signed onto my blog through it and now I can leave comments under my own name.   Others throughout Blogger are still having problems.  Blogger posted a notice dated May 24 that they are working on it.  Meanwhile, try three options:
- Install Google Chrome
- Leave a comment as anonymous (but include your name)
- Send your comment to sos.aloha@yahoo.com (and I'll post it for you).


1.  Yesterday I was spammed ... so those readers in my "SOS Aloha" email database may have receive a "friend" request for a social network.    My apologies ....

2.  While email spam is annoying .... Hormel Spam is considered an Island treat!   Locals eat it with eggs, in sandwiches, and atop Misubi (rice cake wrapped in seaweed).


3.  Rice is a staple of most Hawaiian meals, including breakfast.  Many diners serve Loco Moco - hamburger patty stacked with fried egg with a scoop of rice on the side.

4.  Loco Moco represents the diverse immigrant population that exploded as the Hawaiian Islands cultivated sugar and pineapple.  Most of the landowners were enterprising Americans and Europeans.


5.  These enterprising landowners influenced the Hawaiian monarchy to adapt to Western religion, dress, and politics.  The European landowners also married into the Hawaiian monarchy - Scotsman Archibald Cleghorn married Princess Miriam Likelike.  Their daughter, Princess Victoria Kai'ulani, was the heir to her uncle's thrown, King David Kalakaua.

6.  Archibald Cleghorn and Princess Miriam petitioned the king to deed the land with the Captain Cook Memorial to the United Kingdom.


Archibald Cleghorn, Princess Miriam,
and Princess Kai'ulani


7.  Captain Cooke was the second of eight children born to James Cooke, a Scottish farmer, who would appreciate the fertile land that his son "discovered" during his Pacific voyages.

Ok, that's seven degrees.  But the point is Hawaii has many connections to Scotland.   Our majestic volcanic mountains often remind me of the splendid Scottish Highlands.  And the warrior spirit - from medieval times to today - remains a part of the local culture in Hawaii and Scotland.


King Kamehameha and William Wallace

Enter Margaret Mallory - author of Scottish books set in medieval times and the Tudor Era:

- All the King's Men series:

Travel back in time with a medieval knight for a dramatic tale of romance and adventure. Follow our gallant knight as he meets the heroine-and faces his toughest battle yet. Sparks fly but danger follows, for this is a woman who is willing to spy for a prince, lure an enemy to save a friend, or use that dagger she has hidden under her pillow.

A cast of medieval characters-wily royals, charismatic rebels, unlikely spies, and traitorous relatives-raise the stakes for our knight and his lady. Together, they must face the dangers... and discover the true meaning of love, honor, and loyalty.

  

- Return of the Highlander series kicked off with THE GUARDIAN:

Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.


Terri from Bodice Ripper Novels would like to giveaway a copy of KNIGHT OF PASSION here at SOS Aloha to one US resident.   KNIGHT OF PASSION is the last book in the All The King's Men series (it can also be read as a stand alone book). 

And I'll sweeten the pot - I'll donate my ARC of THE GUARDIAN - the first book of the Return of the Highlanders series - to one international reader.

To enter the giveaway,

1. Name a magical place - Scotland?  Hawaii?  Your home town?

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 29, 10 pm, as I would like to send Terri the winner's address on Monday, May 30.

What a fitting tribute for Memorial Day to giveaway books about warriors!

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii



Perhaps Linlithgow Palace (outside Edinburgh) represents the transition from Medieval Scotland to the Tudor Era as it was the royal residence of King James IV and Queen Margaret Tudor - sister to England's King Henry VIII.   Their son, James V, and their granddaughter, Mary I, were born at Linlithgow.   But James V abandoned the palace in favor of "manor houses".   Further conflict left the palace in ruin. 

Likewise, Pu'ukohola Heiau  (on the Big Island of Hawaii) may represent the transition from "medieval" Hawaii to "Western" Hawaii.   King Kamehameha (of the Big Island) built Pu'ukohola Heiau  (Temple on the Hill of the Whale) in 1791 to ultimately slaughter his cousin.  His cousin's death fulfilled one of three prophecies that predicted one warrior would unite the eight Hawaiian islands.   That warrior was King Kamehameha.   Yet he used Western weapons and Western advisers to accomplish this task.  Those advisers began to influence the Hawaiian monarchy (in fact, one of the advisers was given land near this sacred site).   When King Kamehameha died, his son succeeded him to the throne and abolished the old religion.  This cleared the way for Christian missionaries to convert the Hawaiians.  The heiau lost its
significance and fell into despair.  Today, many heiau lay in ruins like medieval castles but retain the "history" of the land.


29 comments:

  1. Always associated magic, like the druids and faery rings, to Scotland and Ireland. Dunno, those two places tend to ooze magic. I guess just as New Orleans seem to represent magic.

    Raonaid

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  2. I still think of the Big Island of Hawaii as a magical place, even if the black sand beach and the green sand beach may be gone. Any *one* place with three different colored beaches got to be magical!

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  3. I've never been tempted to eat spam though.

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  4. Hi Kim,

    Scotland is a very magical place, because when I went there for the first time, I had the eerie feeling like I was coming home and that I have been there before.

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  5. The previous post should have been with my AIM, but I guess blogger doesn't like

    Danny

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  6. Hi Kim,
    Is everyone having the same problem leaving comments.
    Every site I go to has an empty spot where the followers should be.
    Marjorie

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  7. My husband loves Spam -- in fact he just had a fried Spam and cheese grill sandwich!!

    I'm know logging in through Google Chrome.

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  8. I was having a problem logging in so I tried Fire Fox and it seems to be working fine for me now. I would love to string the hackers up by their thumb nails. lol

    I haven't been to many places but in the pictures I've seen, Scotland looks magical to me and I would absolutely love to go there and kidnap....err I mean meet a tall, handsome scottish, kilt-wearing man. lol

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  9. I would love to go back to Hawaii - it was a magical time when I met my husband there on R&R.

    I never knew Cook was Scottish - I love learning all these historical tidbits!

    I really enjoyed Knight of Pleasure and look forward to her other medieval stories - one of my favorite genres!

    catslady5(at)aol.com

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  10. Thanks Kim & Terri for featuring my books again!! I had an amazing time on my trip to Scotland to research my new series. (I have photos on my website & FB.) Seeing the ruins of Dunscaith & Knock Castles on the Isle of Skye, both of which are in THE GUARDIAN, was magical for me. I hope I captured some of that feeling for readers.

    Margaret Mallory

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  11. I think Scotland is magical. I would love to go there one day. I also wanted to go to Hawaii. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

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  12. Walt Disney World in Florida! Hubs and I vacationed there a few years ago. We stayed for a whole week; just the two of us. We never left the park and had a fantastic time. I'm looking forward to a return trip.

    Blogger is misbehaving again!

    Artemis

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. Hi Terri and Kim! Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend. And in honor of this post, I shall be heading to L&L Hawaiian BBQ and ordering some spam musubi's. I loooove spam.

    When I think of a magical place, I think of the road to Hana. The views are spectacular and there's so many places to stop along the way. Actually, I think all of Maui is a magical place. I guess I'm partial to it after living there for a few years.

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  15. Florida is my magical place, but then I have not traveled over seas... yet :)

    robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com

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  16. France was a magical place for me. Please enter me. Thanks!

    ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

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  17. I'd have to say Ireland is my magical place :D

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  18. I would have to say the Island of Oahu.

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  19. Ever since I read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Scotland has been linked in my mind with rugged beauty and mysterious magic.

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  20. Onboard a Disney cruise ship is the most magical place we have witnessed. Although I must say that the beach in Hawaii felt very magical too! After reading this post my son is begging me to let him try Spam. As a child, my dad ate it often, whcih we endured too if we wanted any "meat". What do you think? Should I fire up the frying pan and let him try? It would be a huge change from the Turkey burgers and vegetable base meals that I make. It does bring back fond memories;)

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  21. Hello everyone...
    Kim As you Know I love my Scotland the Hills & Dales the smell of the heather I could go on.
    My DH & I just came back from the UK Had only 4 days in Scotland We visited Luss a wee village where they still heat with Peat the smell is wonderful.
    DH & I took the Buss from Leeds England to Glasgow, I said to DH tell me when we cross the border, he Did it is almost like a vial was lifted The Hills are greener, higher I always say I feel it in my soul as my heart fills with gladness HOME.
    So Scotland Is & always will be My Magical Place.
    I love Margaret's Books I have to get the Guardian A friend of mine just read it gave it a Keeper thumbs up.
    I am excited about the series can't wait.
    Have a good one Ann.

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  22. Whenever I think Scotland, I always think magical :-)

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  23. I am all for Scotland, I've never been but it is number one on my list of places to travel. Maybe it's the books I've read or the pictures I've seen but there is most def something magical about Scotland.

    bookflamereviews@gmail.com

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  24. I found Ireland to be so magical. the stories our guide told were incredible and filled with magic.
    debby236

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  25. No need to enter me in the contest as I already have this book, but I wanted to share my love of Margaret Mallory. I discovered her books last year and thoroughly enjoyed her Knights! I shared with my daughters and they are huge fans too!

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  26. I have never been to Scotland but I'm sure its magical! I know it is! Thanks for sharing!

    ~Johanna Jochum

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  27. Kim, I already receive your e-mail about spam.Good God I never click that link! Yeah, spam is suck! :(

    Magical place, I think, it's my country Indonesia. We have so many beautiful and exotic place here!! :D

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  28. That's why i received a funny invitation :) thank god i didn't click it.

    I saw on tv about Bora bora ? it looks magical :)

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