Musings: Smatterings

After watching “Aina: That Which Feeds,” a friend emailed to ask: “Did you notice that the 'Documentary' started with a disclaimer?”

I did indeed. And it made me wonder why filmmakers and producers would be involved in a “documentary” that didn't reflect their views. So what, were they hired guns, paid in part by Joan Porter of Kauai Rising? Or just covering their asses against libel?

KKCR host Felicia Cowden was lamenting on-air that local politicians weren't in attendance at the movie premiere, like it was something important. Heck, even anti-GMO Councilman Gary Hooser didn't show, nor did he attend the anti-Roundup talk in Waimea. Could even he be sick of all the BS and drama? Or is he just smarting because he wasn't given a starring role?

Gary will be at Big Island Sen. Russell Ruderman's fundraiser this Friday night, where he's billed as speaking on “Taking Back Our Government: the Why, the How and the Hope.” Gee, do you suppose he might cover how we can take back our government from self-serving ideologues who have wreaked extreme havoc, for no clear purpose or public gain?

Or rescue it from nonprofits that function as paid lobbyists, at taxpayer expense and without disclosing their funding, while they simultaneously demand full disclosure from agricultural companies? At any rate, it's hard to imagine anyone would pay $50 to $100 to hear Gary, even with dinner included.

Speaking of disclosure, or more specifically, the lack thereof, Rhonda Stoltzfus has a good blog post on how Dr. Lorrin Pang has failed to turn in the financial disclosures required of some state employees. Lorrin's day job is state health officer for Maui County, though he spends extensive time campaigning against GMOs. Indeed, he's on Kauai this week, delivering anti-Roundup lectures.

Rhonda writes:

Now why should we even care about this little lapse in ethics? Perhaps because Lorrin Pang has made “disclosure” his battle cry this past year. I can’t tell you how many times I sat in Maui council chambers during testimony about the GMO moratorium and heard Lorrin Pang testify about disclosure and transparency from the seed companies on our islands.

Funny, how the seed companies disclosed, but Lorrin did not.

Meanwhile, Maui folks are using the silliest strategy yet for an anti-GMO protest: a Guinness world record attempt at conch shell (pu) blowing outside the “secret” TPP meetings under way at Kaanapali. Maui activists have elevated the TPP talks to “emergency alert” status, claiming:

if TPP passes,12 major countries with 40% of the global GDP will be handing over almost all forms of protection for citizens including our rights to regulate Monsanto!!! Monsanto is a part of this deal they want to make it so even COUNTRIES cannot ban or regulate GMOs or pesticides.

Oh, no doubt the pu blowing will prove decisive in turning those TPP talks on their ear.

Here's something far more fascinating taking place on Maui: Ae'o chicks and Akekeke (Ruddy Turnstones) feeding near the Kealia coastal boardwalk in North Kihei. The photos were taken by Walter Enomoto, and emailed over with the subject line: Something to make you smile.

And they did. Thanks, Walter!

Something else that made me smile, or actually, laugh out loud, was this gofundme appeal from failed mayoral candidate turned failing farmer Dustin Barca:

There's something sort of poignant about his hopeful hashtags: #bealeader; #beafarmer; #feedthepeople; #bethesolution. 

Except he forgot the ones that reflect reality: #gimmemoney; #beggarboy; #needhandouts; #nevahdidabusinessplan; #wayovermyhead; #farmerwannabee, and most important, #notaseasyasitlooks.

All I could think was, those poor animals.....