THE LEFT LANE
The way of the lei

Advertiser Staff and News Services

"Big this year was the (ribbon) 'ohi'a 'ahihi lei, crocheted with something called 'eyelash,' " a stringy thread with fine tassels, says Jenny Bowling, manager of the Ben Franklin store in Enchanted Lake.

Also popular: rickrack lei, handmade ribbon lei in school colors, candy lei with the graduate's favorite sweets, and satin ribbon carnation lei.

At Mililani's graduation last weekend, some teachers said they saw a lot more ribbon lei.

Signed, personalized inflatables were as big as ever. And crepe paper, yarn, feather, origami-star and bead lei were also trés chic. A lei that really hit home: Some baseball players sported lei with tiny toy baseballs strung in netting.

Single dads online

More than 17,000 single dads are desperate enough to seek out dates through the Internet and have passed an "emotional health and readiness test" to join the dating pool at eharmony.com.

The Web site is touting these guys for a Father's Day campaign that announces: "Single fathers are not all deadbeats, they're not all commitment phobic, and they're not all men who have abandoned their wives and children.

That is why on this Father's Day, eharmony.com would like to recognize the good qualities single fathers have, especially those registered on its site."

The matchmaking service says all 17,274 dads on the site have "answered a 1,500-question personality profile, have been screened for emotional health and relationship readiness, have passed a 19-item lie scale, and have come out shining to the other side."

As if burning the food and failing to present perfectly sanitary bathrooms weren't enough to worry about when throwing a dinner party, Ron and Julie Malloy, authors of the new book "It's Just a Dinner Party" (Capital Books, $20), have now given us something new to fret about: 10 things people say to guests that practically ensure you'll never see them again. (Of course, this is a problem only if they are dear enough to want to see again.)

In order, the offenders: 1. Have you gained weight? 2. You look tired. (Also: You look bloated.) 3. Why don't you have kids? 4. How much did that cost? 5. Have you found a job yet? 6. You know, you're beginning to look just like your mother. 7. How come you're still single? 8. Did I hear your dog died? 9. The last time I saw you, you were stumbling drunk. 10. Are you pregnant?