Monday, November 16, 2009

Musings: Warning Signs

The stars, brilliant last night, remained so this morning when Koko and I went walking a good two hours before dawn. Orion, Makalii and Triangle sparkled in the western sky, which was rimmed around its edges by a band of clouds that promised rain.

As we walked, the wind whistled past my ears and sighed through the ironwood trees and caused a metal fence to creak and groan. It feels so good to have the cooler temperatures back.

Meanwhile, in a warming world, rising ocean temps have caused some 2,000 species of jellyfish to greatly expand their range, wreaking all sorts of havoc on human activities. As the Associated Press reports:

The gelatinous seaborne creatures are blamed for decimating fishing industries in the Bering and Black seas, forcing the shutdown of seaside power and desalination plants in Japan, the Middle East and Africa, and terrorizing beachgoers worldwide, the U.S. National Science Foundation says.

It seems that overfishing has reduced jellyfish predators, while polluted waters have increased the supply of microscopic plankton that they feed upon.

Yet another example of how we’ve greatly changed our world in ways we’re only beginning to understand, although none of it seems to be positive.

These increases in jellyfish should be a warning sign that our oceans are stressed and unhealthy," said Lucas Brotz, a University of British Columbia researcher.

And yet another warning sign that will likely go unheeded.

Closer to home, folks in Hanalei remain without drinking water after Saturday’s big rains — the kind of severe weather event that scientists are predicting will happen more frequently in a warming world.

I talked to a water department guy there yesterday, and he said they didn’t know when the water might be turned on, as it appears there’s a leak in a pipe beneath Hanalei Bridge.

Situations like this once again raise the issue of whether it’s really wise to allow extensive vacation uses in remote areas subject to flooding and lengthy road closures that leave people trapped. Resort managers have back up plans for their guests. Vacation rental occupants must manage on their own.

As a friend noted: “The county is completely unprepared when it comes to disaster preparedness.”

Another friend, who had to drive quite a bit on Saturday, said he saw things he’d never seen before while on the road that day, including the mouth of the Wailua River swollen to the size of two football fields. The river took up more than half the beach, he said.

But no worries, say the Path people. It’s an accreting beach.

He also encountered streams flowing over roads, torn up pavement, rock slides and downed trees. “Look what happens to us after just one day of rain,” he said. “We’re so vulnerable.”

It seems Gov. Lingle, whose only hope for a political future lies on the national stage, is vulnerable to federal criticism. What better explanation for her about-face on Furlough Fridays? Borrowing an idea floated initially by Sen. Gary Hooser, she’s now saying we should call a special session to allocate money from the rainy day fund to put kids back in school.

While it’s great she’s finally come to her senses, did she have to put people through so much angst in the process? Think of all the scrambling that’s been done, all the time, energy and money that’s been wasted, trying to deal with the school closures. And now she’s advocating a solution that could have been implemented from the get go.

I think it all boils down to a telling paragraph in today’s article in The Advertiser:

Lingle, who has second-guessed her decision to sign off on teacher furloughs, said her viewpoint changed on the rainy day fund as she watched the furlough debate unfold from afar during her two-week trip to China.

Have you noticed the pattern here? When things get tough in Hawaii, Lingle is so often off traveling, observing the train wreck from a comfortably safe distance.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Lege goes along now that it's the governor calling for a special session rather than one of their own, whose political aspirations they find threatening.

To end on a happy note, here’s a video clip that will make you smile. See, if you just take your dog out of a box and spend some time with it, you’ll be amazed at what it can do, and how much joy it can bring.
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65 comments:

Anonymous said...

About-face is an understatement. How about TWO-FACE? She cares nothing for our keiki and she knows it. The people that support Duke as an extension of the Lingle era are nuts.

Anonymous said...

Took my kids to the AYSO party at Lydgate on Sunday. The ponds were filled with branches and what looked like a dead cow. Walked to the heiau and looked mauka towards the Wailua Bridge. All the sand in front of the bridge was gone. I've seen Wailua Beach in the past few years look pretty narrow after a few weeks of strong trades and big east swells.

Anonymous said...

Lingle needs to be impeached NOT rewarded with a furtherance of her ʻcareerʻ.
As for the confused, fake Hawaiian Iona....

Anonymous said...

A few years back, many thought Lingle was the best man for the job. They got half of it right...



snicker....

Anonymous said...

November 16, 2009 1:55 PM

good one (or two)

Anonymous said...

"Another friend, who had to drive quite a bit on Saturday, said he saw things he’d never seen before while on the road that day, including the mouth of the Wailua River swollen to the size of two football fields. The river took up more than half the beach, he said."

They should't be driving while under the influence.
That breach of the bar is typical during periods of heavy rains. Never came close to the path route.

Anonymous said...

Is anybody else reminded of the monkey pod tree episode in Koloa?

Anonymous said...

"About-face is an understatement. How about TWO-FACE? She cares nothing for our keiki and she knows it. The people that support Duke as an extension of the Lingle era are nuts."

She/he doesnʻt like blind people either.

Anonymous said...

Dontcha think it's childish and ignorant to harp on Ligle's "unlady-like" qualities? I mean, come on! Grow the flip up. You sound like a stupid moron.

Anonymous said...

Build the path over the Wailua Beach, using suspension bridge technology. Keep it off the sacred grounds. I can't believe that this is even being considered.

Anonymous said...

How does it being sacred mean you can't have a walking path there? That's just lame. It doesn't even make sense. You jokers are just against the path. Period. You're just against any development. Period. You're just against everything. Period. Joan has already admitted numerous times that she's against making the beaches more accessible to people, also that she doesn't like to have to look at man-made stuff. Nature only for her. Well, that's one aesthetic. Luckily, she doesn't get to set the rules for all of us.

Anonymous said...

Nature shmature. Let's build some hotels on Wailua Beach and a cement factory on the banks of the river. Then let's build some hotels on the Na Pali coast. Kokee could use a few luxury subdivisions. All that greenery! Ugh, how distasteful. This place gotta look more like L.A. C'mon Joan, get with the plan.

Anonymous said...

Because those are the only two choices, either no path, or totally like LA.

Brother.

Anonymous said...

Because those are the only two choices, either no path, or totally like LA.

Brother.


That's why these people are so predictably anti-everything. They have no perspective. It's all knee jerk.

Anonymous said...

"It's all knee jerk."

Yeah, like it HAS to be on the beach and CAN'T POSSIBLY be moved mauka.

Anonymous said...

Good idea! Let's move a COASTAL path up away from the beach and into the traffic and the business district!

What a stupid idea.

Anonymous said...

Just run the COASTAL PATH along the COASTAL HIGHWAY, instead ON our beaches.

duh

Anonymous said...

Just run the COASTAL PATH along the COASTAL HIGHWAY, instead ON our beaches.

Because pedestrians and bicyclists want to be next to a highway, not along a beach.

It is evident why we don't let you do our planning for us.

Anonymous said...

The path is next to the highway at Kealia and people use it there.

Anonymous said...

The BEACH is next to the highway at Kealia. So, yeah, anything running along the beach would have to be next to the highway.

Anonymous said...

"Because those are the only two choices, either no path, or totally like LA."

What have you got against LA?

Anonymous said...

It is extremely interesting for me to read that blog. Thank you for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to them. I would like to read more on that blog soon.

Anonymous said...

"What have you got against LA?"

Are you kidding? In California, they're actually planning for the rising sea level. A project like this would probably be located away from the shoreline instead of adjacent to it. When this bike path was being planned, the pavilions at Kapaa Beach Park were falling into the ocean. Guess where the bike path runs? But it's all about perspective, planning and vision, right?

Anonymous said...

"You sound like a stupid moron."

Does not "moron" emcompass "STUIPD", and does this fact make the writers opinion so? Stupid that is.

Anonymous said...

I've been to LA many times. It is polluted and about as far from pedestrian and personal alternative transportation friendly as one can get. The height of Kar Kulture. That's why we are being Californicated by folks from LA with already acquired wealth. For about the same price they can live here on Kauai in what they hope becomes a gentrified Whiteopian paradise free from all objectionable sights and neighbors.

Anonymous said...

"Stupid moron" is a colloquial redundancy and is perfectly appropriate for casual commentary. Anyone who doesn't know that is a stupid moron.

Anonymous said...

You are right on the mark, Joan, and donʻt EVER let the mediocrity cause you to doubt your viewpoints.

And, by the way, LA is the epitome of everything undesirable. Can you say, "garbage"?

Some of us donʻt forget the privilege of respecting a place like Kauai. AND, keeping it from further toxification/californification.

Anonymous said...

And you know having a coastal pedestrian - bicycle path would make Kauai JUST LIKE Los Angeles. You wouldn't be able to tell them apart! Yup. bike path = californication. I think you got some drool on yourself there.

Anonymous said...

"The BEACH is next to the highway at Kealia. So, yeah, anything running along the beach would have to be next to the highway."

What IS your point? The BEACH is next to the highway at Wailua too.

Anonymous said...

What IS your point? The BEACH is next to the highway at Wailua too.

Some idiot said, "The path is next to the highway at Kealia and people use it there" as if that means nobody would mind if the pedestrian path ran along the highway. The point is, of course the path is next to the highway at Kealia. That's because the BEACH is next to the highway. Ergo, anything next to the beach is also next to the highway. Does that mean it is acceptable for the path to run along the highway everywhere? Der, no.

Anonymous said...

"And you know having a coastal pedestrian - bicycle path would make Kauai JUST LIKE Los Angeles."

Don't parts of LA have bike paths along the coast? Anyway, what's really making Kauai just like LA are all the people from SoCal who moved here.

Anonymous said...

LA has highways, Kauai has highways...Oh no! Kauai is LA!

Anonymous said...

"LA has highways, Kauai has highways...Oh no! Kauai is LA!"

Poipu and Princeville are LA suburbs and the lineup at Hanalei at times resembles the lineup at Malibu.

Anonymous said...

Or Venice beach.

Whatever you want to nitpic back and forth, it really isnʻt up to the foreigners to be saying what ʻshould beʻ or ʻshouldnʻt beʻ. Unfortunately they have more say than is tolerable already.
Thatʻs whatʻs fukked this archipelago up in the first place.

Whatʻs wrong with you people that itʻs so hard to allow a few areas to be respected as Hawaiians wish?

I mean, after all, if want to run the disgusting blubber off, htereʻs plenty of other places to do it. Or do you need a path to show you which way to go?

Anonymous said...

"Whatʻs wrong with you people that itʻs so hard to allow a few areas to be respected as Hawaiians wish?"

-- when read a certain way, your point is bitingly strong, effective (aside from being well put). i would imagine the response might be ~ "hey, all of this was known and approved... and at the 9th hour a few persons convinced the dept of hawaiian whatever to do a 180, which was well after money was earmarked, awarded for building, etc etc...and so now all of that is scraped? for what?...a tacky hotel crumbles...but a resource everybody loves is not kosher all of a sudden...seems strange"

i trust you are reasonable enough to see that point of view as well, just as others can see the merit in your rhetorical suggestion


dwps

Anonymous said...

"Whatʻs wrong with you people that itʻs so hard to allow a few areas to be respected as XXXXXXX wish?"

Replace XXXXXXX with:

Indians (aka "Native Americans")

Mexicans (rel to "old Calif", etc)

Mountain Men (rel to "conquering the West")

Mormons

Huguenots (old Europe)

Hawaiians

etc etc etc

See a pattern forming?

See any changes likely in the future? I thought not...

Anonymous said...

"See any changes likely in the future? I thought not..."

You thought wrong my friend. I see great changes ahead. No empire lasts forever. Western Civ has had about 500 years, however episodic change intervals are increasing dramatically. Time's about up IMHO. Expect eruptions and disruptions both biological and political beyond the command and control of anyone who thinks they have it. Alan Greenspan recently saw his life's work and entire belief system gone in an instant. "I was wrong" was the last I heard from him. Pop goes the weasel!

Anonymous said...

"See a pattern forming?

See any changes likely in the future? I thought not..."
November 19, 2009 10:28 AM

No actually I do not. Your comment is uninformed and simplistic and obviously coming from a biased perspective.

Hawaiians, Kanaka Maoli, are NOT Native Americans and the only pattern I imagine could come from your comment is the abuse of indigenous peoleʻs lands and lives.

Regarding Hawaiians, they are from Hawaii. This is their land. Period.

Anonymous said...

"i would imagine the response might be ~ "hey, all of this was known and approved... and at the 9th hour a few persons convinced the dept of hawaiian whatever to do a 180, which was well after money was earmarked, awarded for building, etc etc...and so now all of that is scraped? for what?..."

Because,,,,,,at the time these things are approved and there is public opinion sought, it is usually disregarded. Besides the fact the overwhelming and wrong opinion may be that the forces that be will do the right thing until it gets to this stage-the 11th hour.
It appears that the system is SET_UP this way to only ʻhearʻ opposition when it threatens to stop the steamrollers.

But, some of us in the community are taking this recurring fact to heart and consulting with a legal team to stop them BEFORE the 11th hours. We are actually TRYING to apply ourselves constructively as opposed to ʻtalkingʻ on blogs.

Anonymous said...

"at the time these things are approved and there is public opinion sought, it is usually disregarded."

-- actually, for that item (path), ive seen random public input incorporated into it a great deal. but i follow the overall point you make


"It appears that the system is SET_UP this way to only ʻhearʻ opposition when it threatens to stop the steamrollers."

-- largely seems that way for the kokee thing, from what little ive seen anyways


"a legal team to stop them"

-- RE bike path? good luck


dwps

Anonymous said...

"But, some of us in the community are taking this recurring fact to heart and consulting with a legal team to stop them BEFORE the 11th hours. We are actually TRYING to apply ourselves constructively as opposed to ʻtalkingʻ on blogs."

Didn't Maui try "lawyers" with the Stupidferry, but it took direct action at the 11th hour from enraged Kauai citizens to turn it back NEVER TO RETURN? Keep your cel ph batteries fully charged and check your tweets. The countdown begins. tic tok tic tok

Anonymous said...

Didn't Maui try "lawyers" with the Stupidferry, but it took direct action at the 11th hour from enraged Kauai citizens to turn it back NEVER TO RETURN?

Duh no. It took a bunch of rowdies on Kauai to temporarily stop the superferry from docking there. But it took lawyer Isaac Hall to ultimately eradicate the superferry.

Believe me, if the superferry case had gone the other way in the supreme court the superferry would have sailed back to Nawiliwili victorious and the activists wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell against the Kauai riot police who WOULD have cleared everyone out of the way and thrown resisters in the hoosegow.

The Kauai activists like to pretend to be the heroes here, but it was the Maui legal strategy that actually stopped the superferry.

Anonymous said...

Definitely it was Isaac Hall, Maui Tomorrow, the Sierra Club, and the Hawaii Supreme Court who got rid of the superferry. The Kauai activists put on a good show for a couple of nights. But it was just a show and wouldn't have had any lasting impact. It was the Maui legal team who permanently saved the islands from superferry.

Anonymous said...

Maybe put Kaiulani out in a tent on Wailua so she can save it like she saved Naue.

Anonymous said...

"Believe me, if the superferry case had gone the other way in the supreme court the superferry would have sailed back to Nawiliwili victorious and the activists wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in hell against the Kauai riot police who WOULD have cleared everyone out of the way and thrown resisters in the hoosegow."

I do not believe you. The SF has its way with Maui. Riot police are only effective against a riot. You think the opposition would use the same tactics. Think again.

Anonymous said...

The SF has its way with Maui. Riot police are only effective against a riot. You think the opposition would use the same tactics. Think again.

Keep smoking that smart weed. The supreferry would still be here if it hadn't been for the Maui legal strategy. If Act 2 hadn't been overturned then the superferry would have had the force of law behind it, and interfering with it would have been a violation of federal law. That means hard time for those convicted of interfering in the lawful activities of the superferry. Your little band of Kauai thrill seekers would have evaporated to nothing and gone home to their families, jobs, and pot plants once the state and federal government started arresting and prosecuting. To 99.9% of people, stopping the superferry is not worth a stint in federal prison.

Anonymous said...

Would the SF have been financially successful? Given the discounted fares and poor ridership plus the economic downturn, I doubt it. Can you imagine what the ride between Oahu and Kauai would have been like these past few weeks?

Anonymous said...

Would the SF have been financially successful?

Maybe not. Either way the Kauai hippies and protesters were meaningless to the ultimate outcome.

Anonymous said...

The Superferry continued to do "community outreach" because it was concerned about the reception it would get. Lingle also came to Kauai to threaten us, so she must have been concerned about the impact of the protests. Plus, it was so much fun!

Anonymous said...

"If Act 2 hadn't been overturned then the superferry would have had the force of law behind it, and interfering with it would have been a violation of federal law."

Before Act 2 was overturned IT DID HAVE THE FORCE OF LAW BEHIND, but the SF went to Maui not Kauai. Why?

You seem to forget it was the State of Hawaii that violated the law and yet nobody went to prison or even lost there jobs! In fact people that broke the law often got promotions. All the legislators that voted for ACT 2 to are still at large!

Would taking a cell phone picture of cars coming off the SF and sharing them with anonymous others using digital networks be a violation of the law?

Anonymous said...

whatever, Jethro. If you want to wallow in your fever dream that a dwindling band of anarcho weedheads with cell phones was going to monkeywrench the superferry to a grinding halt be my guest.

Down here on Earth we will continue to thank Maui Tomorrow and Isaac Hall for ACTUALLY driving the SF from the islands.

Anonymous said...

"The Kauai activists put on a good show for a couple of nights. But it was just a show and wouldn't have had any lasting impact. It was the Maui legal team who permanently saved the islands from superferry."

Agreed the final blow was delivered by Isaac AND his perseverance and strategies sealed their coffin.
But I believe it was a culmination of the Kauai action and donʻt forget the attorneys from here as well that gave us all hope in the event one hearing fell through, there was always another brief ready to be filed.

Donʻt undervalue the Kauai action as it provided the impetus that maybe even the lawyers to had to feel to realize the fight was worth risking all in the courtroom.

Anonymous said...

Iʻm kind of shocked at the pettiness of who brought down HSF.

Isaacʻs diligence is to be forever praised but would it all have gone so far if Kauai hadnʻt been so brave demanding their rights?

Donʻt feel bad but youʻre asking for this: Maui protesters wimped out...that was their problem and waited for Isaac to do all the work.

Kauai thinks for itself. We all sure donʻt agree with each other but when the call is heard, weʻre there.

Anonymous said...

"Down here on Earth we will continue to thank Maui Tomorrow and Isaac Hall for ACTUALLY driving the SF from the islands."

ACTUALLY! Perhaps not, for it may be back "NEWS FLASH! – While kids go without Furlough Friday classes, the Lingle Administration is developing a previously secret plan to revive the Superferry. State may be using it’s Third Mortgage to negotiate with MARAD to bring the two ferries, Alakai and Huakai, back to Hawaii to operate. Feds would own and operate the ferries to be subsidized with additional operating budget appropriations to be arranged by Inouye. Story to follow at blog site."

Anonymous said...

"Isaacʻs diligence is to be forever praised."

Praise is cheap and faint how about paying the guy?

Anonymous said...

"a dwindling band of anarcho weedheads with cell phones was going to monkeywrench the superferry to a grinding halt be my guest."

Whatever Gubba. Just keep looking at your feet to keep grounded and ignore the reality all around you.

Seemed people were coming out of the woodwork in droves. More upstanding, bright eyed clear headed, citizens resisting an illegal act by their own government every night. It was a smart mobs a self-organizing group of people who were operating like a swarm of bees one minute and a flock of pigeons the next -- forming into a group that is controlled by no single person, yet which moves as if it has a mind of its own. Since mobile text-messages can be instantly forwarded like e-mail pass-arounds, the mobs frequently involve masses of people who have never even met.

Try educate yourself before shooting from the lip with your smug seelf assurances and check out the monkey-wrenching that happened in the Ukraine's Orange Revolution, the Philippines, and South Korea, not to mention the "Battle in Seattle" and Somalia all based on Cell phones.

Anonymous said...

Bunch of weird-ass Kauai activists.

Too many people...too small a space.

Once that island goes the way of Maui, where will the activists go then?

Anonymous said...

"Maybe put Kaiulani out in a tent on Wailua so she can save it like she saved Naue."

-- nice one. just give her some pot


"whatever, Jethro. If you want to wallow in your fever dream that a dwindling band of anarcho weedheads with cell phones was going to monkeywrench the superferry to a grinding halt be my guest."

-- pls comment more here


"Try educate yourself before shooting from the lip with your smug seelf assurances and check out the monkey-wrenching that happened in the Ukraine's Orange Revolution,

-- you have got to be fucking kidding. that had nothing to do with localism

philippines...marcos? again - wtf?

nice non sequiturs dude


dwps

Anonymous said...

"-- you have got to be fucking kidding. that had nothing to do with localism"

Duh! its the cell phone dude they are everywhere (also available locally).

Localism! Everything is local now pal.

Anonymous said...

They should throw a fence around Kauai and study it like an ant farm.

Like Bugs Bunny says: "What a bunch of maroons!"

Anonymous said...

"Duh! its the cell phone dude they are everywhere (also available locally)."

-- modern telecommunications came into play in iran as well

and the similarities (and/or righteousness) of that event, tian'anmen square, etc et all...to SF protests, are so thin as to be meaningless and the analogies largely wishful thinking

that said, should some esprit de corps via local SF protests help: get an on island drug rehab facility going, stop leaking fuel tanks, stop sewer run off into the area beaches, etc etc....fantastic / bravo / thank you. i and others would take any one of those over an additional regional ocean transport option

thank you for your reply. pls pardon the f bomb


darwin_was_pretty_smart

Anonymous said...

"and the similarities (and/or righteousness) of that event, tian'anmen square, etc et all...to SF protests, are so thin as to be meaningless and the analogies largely wishful thinking"

Wishful thinking? Not at all. I must assume you were not there at all three protests to directly observe what was going on with cell phones. Regarding "righteousness" I would assert communications technology can be used for both good and evil. My point was the use of riot police will only deter one method of resistance and there are MANY OTHERS the cell phone is but one example. I'm not even saying the will is there to continue the struggle, but neither Gubba nor anybody else knows when the will of the people will lead to direct action. It was pretty obvious "Central Command" was taken by surprise, and to use that same tactic again would be foolish.

Anonymous said...

"...we are being Californicated by folks from LA with already acquired wealth. For about the same price they can live here on Kauai in what they hope becomes a gentrified Whiteopian paradise free from all objectionable sights and neighbors."

--------

Man, I'm ALL for that!

Anonymous said...

Even the Caliwhackers who moved here in the last 10-15-20-30 plus years ago are bummed by the Californication of Kauai. You must be one of those who came here in the last year or so and said "Ahhh, paradise".

Anonymous said...

Almost paradise. I want it to be more like Maui, but situated where it is. Then it would be paradise.