Carnival of Aloha

Local blogger Evelyn Hunter of Homespun Honolulu has unveiled the first "Carnival of Aloha," highlighting blogs in and about the Aloha State.

A "blog carnival," explains the eponymous dot-com, is "a particular kind of blog community." Compared to magazines, they're published periodically and compiled by an editor, who frequently decides on a topic or theme.

The first "Carnival of Aloha" includes an entry from the infamous Aunty Pupule, a.k.a. Lynn Vasquez, and a recap of a Hawaii visit published in the excellent "Rat Hunter Diaries." There's also an item about an Aloha Airlines jet published in the "Aircrew Buzz" blog.

The latter two, though, are mainland-based blogs and aren't usually focused on the islands. And the remaining submissions? While undoubtedly about Hawaii, they're from commercial blogs that are as much about revenue-generating keywords as they are about anything else.

A blog carnival highlighting local bloggers is a brilliant idea, though, and long overdue. There are certainly lots of excellent bloggers in Hawaii that deserve attention. Here's hoping future tours through the local blogosphere turn up more genuine island gems. And to that end, I hope to submit something, anything, the next time the "Carnival of Aloha" comes around.

For more information, visit the official "Carnival of Aloha" page at Blog Carnival, where you can browse through the archives, submit your own entries, and even volunteer to host.