Here's a couple of nice links with a tropical theme courtesy of J-Walk who's going to Kauai. Bastard.

Thanks to an entire month of prospective jury duty in December, my own incipient plans to go to the islands will be postponed indefinitely. The only place I'm going in the near future is back to frickin' Detroit for two weeks in January to teach a class. I'm convinced that it's God's punishment for my European trip last month.

Anyway, here's the links: the first one is a fun little history of the cocktail umbrella via Cecil at The Straight Dope. The second link features a plethora of vintage Hawaiian shirts in both rayon and cotton. I prefer rayon, myself.

I think I'm going to put on my Oceanic Arts shirt and mix myself a Sufferin' Bastard now. Yeah, I know it's only 6:30 in the morning. What's it to ya?

Posted by MrBaliHai at 8:37 AM | Permalink

While the sublimely creepy Dummies and Their Ventriloquists was making the 'blog rounds last week, I hope that everyone who visited took some time to browse the rest of the Pariarts Tropic Art Outpost website run by Paul Torrigno and Richard Guitierrez, two former Disney Imagineers. The site is loaded with fun tiki and lounge themed stuff like these handcrafted bar signs and whimsical acyrlic paintings. Be sure to drop by and have a look at their ultra-loungey interior decorating project Martiniland and their incredible backyard tropical outpost Tikiland (complete with luau instructions).

I am so totally filled with envy I could just spit.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 6:37 PM | Permalink

Aloha! I'm back from LA with major Exotica booty in hand. While browsing through a thrift store, I found a mint copy of the original 1968 Trader Vic's Pacific Island Cookbook! It's chock full of lip-smackingly delightful dishes that you can make at home like Suckling Pig Hawaiian, Tahitian Chicken and Bananas, Hawaiian Curry Sauce with Chutney Aspic, Curried Lamb Cheeks, and a Tiki-riffic dish with an alliterately surreal moniker that simply trips off the tongue... Tahitian Mahimahi Dali Dali. Dig that glowering idol in the background. Beauty, eh?

There's also a lovely shot of a fully loaded luau table, along with a tantalizing array of tropical libations.

And what cookbook from the 1960s would be complete without a shot of some regrettable foodstuff that's bright green and totally unappetizing?

Oh yeah, the reunion was fun too.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 9:59 PM | Permalink