The Islands of the Fraternal Order of Moai

Aloha!
I'm Hep, an initiate from Dayton. I made my initial bow before the tiki gods at the Hot Rod Hula Hop with my friend Jeff (screen name TBA) and our beautiful wahinis, Beth and Lora. We really enjoyed meeting everyone, and had a great time hanging out with Cannibal, Ahu and Savage HiFi. The bands rocked, the cars were cool and Chisel Slinger's tiki carvings totally made the scene.

I come by my tiki fixation honestly. As a kid, I lived on Guam for several years during the mid-'60s when my dad was stationed there with the Air Force. Previously, he had served in Okinawa and Japan, so our house was always decorated with Polynesian carvings and the like. Our family tradition for years was to have dinner on New Year's Day at our local Hu Ke Lau. When I went to college in Boston, one of my regular hang-outs was the late, great Aku Aku near Kenmore Square, thanks to their killer scorpion bowls and liberal carding policy. And, of course, their tikis.

I moved to Ohio in 1990 and presently work as the film critic for the Dayton Daily News. It's a great gig, and beats the hell out of heavy lifting.

Before getting married two years ago -- we got engaged in Maui, by the way -- I had a stylin' bachelor pad decked out in swanky retro style. A lot of the furniture was stuff my folks had passed along, from the '40s and '50s, plus Shag prints, tiki mugs, etc. I also had a cool wall of signed movie star photos, inspired by LA's Formosa Cafe (as seen in L.A. Confidental and Swingers).

Much of my stuff is packed away at the moment as Beth and I work on fixing up our house. I'm planning an even more elaborate home tiki bar once we refinish the basement. I've been scouring antique malls and buying mugs online from Tiki Farm and Munktiki in anticipation. Hopefully, I'll have one or two of Chisel Slinger's works on display there as well!

Tiki bars are a regular part of our travels, from the Tonga Room in San Francisco on our honeymoon, to Trader Vic's in Chicago this past January when we caught the pre-Broadway run of Monty Python's Spamalot.

In short, I'm a tiki fanatic who was thrilled to find cool, like-minded people here in the heartland at FOM and the HRHH. I'd be honored to become a member, and look forward to hanging out with everyone at other tiki-related events!

Cheers,
Hep

Hep, welcome aboard! A film critic for Dayton Daily News? I've gotta ask ya, which is the better "Ocean's Eleven" movie, the original, or the Geo. Clooney edition? Just kidding. I think we all know the answer to THAT one.
So anyway, I hope you keep posting and get to know ya better.
"Mahalo!"
kid mongo

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"If voting could change anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

welcome!

Hey, there's one of my new Dayton pals!

Aloha!

I promised this guy I'd sponsor him, and so I will. He's the goods.



Ahu

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"Yo, she-bitch.. Let's go."

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Follow me on Twaddle: @kukuahu

Welcome Hep! Great to hear from another Dayton tikiphile. Thanks for
the write-up in the Go! section of the DDN. I wondered how a DDN writer
would hear of (or care about) our event. I'm looking forward to meeting
you. Expect a Dayton FOM get-together very soon.

Mahalo for the warm welcome! Thanks also to Ahu for sponsoring me.

Simon -- I look forward to an FOM shindig in Dayton. Please keep me posted.

And Mongo, there's no question which is the best "Ee-O Eleven." As much as I love Don Cheadle, Sammy is the man, baby!

With enough advance notice, I'd be down with a drive to Dayton.

Maybe even bring some Columbus Moai with me.



Ahu

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"Yo, she-bitch.. Let's go."

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Follow me on Twaddle: @kukuahu

Aloha Hep! Can't wait to hang out with you, Jeff, and the Wahines again!

Kick ass! Another Daytonian!
Glad to have you aboard, brother.
We're hoping to try to get some small get-together in Dayton, Fairborn or Enon some time in the distant future. Hope you can join us.

Sorry I was not able to meet you at the HRHH. So many people...so few introductions.

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"My occupational hazard is my occupations just not around."

Sounds like another perfect fit. Welcome, and enjoy your stay. Just make sure if you hang out with Cannibal again, he's well fed!

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When life hands you limes, just add RUM.

Yo, Hep - we're talking about getting the Dayton crew together for a wingding some time soon - you up for it?

Aloha, Big D. I'd love to meet my fellow Gem City Moai. Please keep me posted on the details. Have fez, will travel!