Former New England Patriots running back Mosi Tatupu died Tuesday at the age of 54.

Tatupu, father of Seahawks Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu, had reportedly been “dealing with high blood pressure,” but no cause of death has yet been established. A friend spoke briefly to the Honolulu Star Record about Tatupu’s death:

“He had some health issues,” said Barry Markowitz, a family friend who was told of the death by Tatupu’s ex-wife, Linnea.

Tatupu played 13 seasons for the Patriots, and was named as a special teamer in the 1986 Pro Bowl. Tatupu also played in Super Bowl XX in 1986, where the Patriots saw a 46-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. When Tatupu retired in 1991 after five games with St. Louis, he held the career record for most games as a running back at 199.

At the time of his death, Tatupu was a coach for running backs at Curry College in Waltham, Massachusetts. A service is being planned by his family in his native state of Hawaii.

Stephen P. Leatherman (oddly fitting last name for a dude who spends his days basking in the sun) published his annual “America’s Best Beaches” list this week. Leatherman — er, sorry, Dr. Beach — says he looked at dozens of different factors in making his selections. Everything from water quality to temperature and cleanliness to safety, he says, came into play.

Hanalei Bay & Beyond

While Hanalei Bay, Hawaii takes the honor of best beach, nine other sandy locations are also getting a nod. Here’s Dr. Beach’s list of “America’s Best Beaches” for 2009:

1. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

2. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Fla.

3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, N.Y.

4. Coronado Beach, San Diego.

5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii.

6. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.

7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, N.C.

8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Fla.

9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.

10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.

Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser the USS Port Royal has run aground off Hawaii.

The ship hit sand approximately half mile off one of Honolulu International Airport’s main runways Thursday evening.

Navy tug boats tried to get the ship off the sand Friday morning, but were unsuccessful.

The last of the Ticonderoga-class, the USS Port Royal cost $1 billion to build, and has a crew of 360. The ship is permanently stationed in Hawaii. The Port Royal was last in the news January 2008 when it was the center of an international incident in the Gulf, when Iranian boats came at it, and the USS Hopper.

Hawaii is famous for many things, and one of those things is the traditional Lei, the traditional Hawaiian floral garland placed around the neck.

You’d think therefore that the Lei being a Hawaiian thing that Lei’s would be sustained by a ready supply of local flowers, but you’d be wrong.

Most Hawaiian Leis are made from imported flowers from Thailand, and presuming you haven’t been living in a cave, you know what’s going on there at the moment.

The flowers used for Lei’s are in short supply because of the shutdown of Bangkok’s international airport by anti-government protesters, according to reports. Lei shop owners say they are substituting other flowers when they can and not filling some orders.

The good news is that the shortage of Thai flowers isn’t affecting the price of Lei’s yet, but only due to a seasonal lull in tourist traffic. If the issues in Thailand continue, the cost of Lei’s may go through the roof in the new year, presuming Lei makes can find any.

Remember the next time you go to Hawaii: you may joke that most things you buy are Made in China, but apparently Hawaiian tradition is manufactured in Thailand.