Musings: Monday Mish-Mash

It's a full moon Monday, a time for sharing a few things that caught my eye, or were sent my way, in recent days.

Let's start with this, from the Los Angeles Times:

Meanwhile, Falko Partners has sold Kahuaina Plantation — 360 acres of ag land along the pristine, secluded coast at Waipake — to a buyer who wants to keep the land open and build just one house, or maybe nothing at all. It was listed for $67.5 million, but I'm not sure how much it finally sold for. Only that it did, and there will be no development of the 76 CPR lots — and thus no new beach access. The access was exacted as a condition of the subdivision, triggered once density exceeded six homes. But since the subdivision is being withdrawn, the access condition disappears.

Gee, if only the Council had approved the access when Falko first laid it on the table, it would've been a done deed, instead of a dead deal. But no, Councilmen Gary Hooser, Tim Bynum and Mason Chock, egged on by misinformed activists, wanted more, more, more. This is what happens, people, when you stupidly wrangle for something better, when you were already getting something great, and thus end up with nothing at all. 

But hey, it's wonderful news for the area's monk seals, turtles, birds and other wildlife, who won't have to deal with the masses.

Speaking of which, cops aren't just getting armored tanks and automatic weapons from Homeland Security. As reported in The Guardian:

Local police have also received millions of dollars in grants for Stingray surveillance devices, the invasive and controversial spying tool that police have been using to secretly suck up cellphone data from entire neighborhoods – then covering it up.

And at least 10 schools in Texas are also stocking up on surplus military weaponry, ostensibly to respond to campus “shooter” incidents:

In all, the departments received 64 M16 rifles, 18 M14 rifles, 25 automatic pistols, and magazines capable of holding 4,500 rounds of ammunition as well armored plating, tactical vests, and 15 surplus military vehicles.

Continuing in the category of “dumb fuckin' ideas” — the subject line of an emailed link sent to me by a surfer — you'll find a plan by the Coco Palms' hucksters to also develop a 400-unit resort in West Oahu centered around a four-acre surfing wave pool. As the surfer noted:

Waves are energy and take a lot of energy to create.

Besides, who wants to come to Hawaii and surf in a pool?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water:

The election, meanwhile, continues full force, with a few images speaking volumes:

And finally, as a thoughtful counter to Facebook memes, bumper sticker philosophies and knee-jerk activism, check out Luke Evslin's most recent posting on his blog, Ka Wae. 

What, the world isn't black-and-white?