It's that time of year when prices drop after the winter months.  This year, I'm offering some major price reductions for Keauhou Palena & Keauhou Kai which are both condos located near Keauhou Bay.  Palena starts at $85/night and Kai is a long term rental for $1400/month, but also available for family/friends to rent for vacation. 

Aloha!  It's that time of year when the leaves start to turn and the first snowfall (for some of you!) is in the air.  It's a wonderful time to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, do some whale watching, get out in an outrigger canoe or kayak at Kealekekua Bay or just sip some Kona coffee while eating fresh tropical fruit from the big island!  AND...to warm you up and get in the mood, check out these books about Hawaii (from guides to novels and thrillers)!  I'm offering some special rates (as little as $100/night!) for friends and family depending on the length of your stay so contact me if you are interested in visiting paradise and staying at my place in Kona!  Mahala (thank you)!  Michael  415 519-9374 Launching outrigger canoes at Place of Refuge

It's been a while since I wrote in this journal - but an old friend and classmate of mine found me through this so that alone has been very exciting!  And just as exciting is the fact that we are launching a leadership and team building program called "Immersive Institute".  We have collaborated with the San Francisco Outrigger Canoe Club to build a program for groups and individuals who wish to test their skills through a real-world outrigger canoe experience on San Francisco Bay!  Check out the website for full details www.immersiveinstitute.com!

As the economy took a turn for a turn this past year, I set up my own consulting business and soon found myself working with friends and acquaintances who needed digital media and marketing support.  My latest creation is Polu Manu Productions.

I built this site for a fellow outrigger paddler, Bird Levy Strain, who represents emerging artists, many of which have some connection to Hawaii or other ethnic culture.  What she does is so in-line with what I support such as diversity, international relations and art, that I couldn't resist taking on the project.  I found it fascinating to learn about Leonard Peltier and and Shawn Gillis, two artists she represents, each with their own unique causes and styles. 

Take a look at Polu Manu Productions and support emerging artists!

Greetings from Breckenridge, Colorado!  It's amazing how one can travel and with an iPhone and laptop in hand, not miss a beat whether in the Rocky Mountains or Mauna Kea on the big island of Hawaii!  Have you heard about the Twitter phehonomenon?  Upon my re-entry to warmer climates, I attended the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco and learned how "twittering" is taking the business community by storm.  There are many practical uses for twittering.  The most useful I found to be was for conducting on-line research.  Set up an account for free, conduct searches on various topics of interest for your business or social needs, and find out who is "twittering" about that topic.  You can also see which topics are being twittered the most and make direct connection with thought leaders in your area of interest. Check out www.twitter.com and start experimenting with the latest on-line marketing tool for business.