Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Musings: Magical and Not

In timing that couldn't be better for the Bernie-Donald campaigns, we learn that unicorns actually did once exist. Magical thinkers of America unite!
Ye unicorn of olde actually looked more like a wooly mammoth-sized rhinoceros than the oft-depicted white horse, and it's unlikely to have possessed special powers. But hey, don't let reality impinge on a good fantasy.

Until it slaps you upside the head.

Now that they've found unicorns, scientists are turning their attention to Mahaulepu, where they're busily hunting for shit. Literally. Actually, they're searching for a smoking gun, some proof that Hawaii Diary Farms forever fouled the aina with Enterococcus when it widened a ditch back in 2014. Not sure how, exactly, that would happen, unless they dug up an ancient kukae deposit. But ya never know.

So how much do you suppose it cost to fly in these “independent scientists from around the nation,” and who is footing the bill. There sure is a lot of dough floating around for activist causes. Maybe the council could slap a tax on agitation. At any rate, I hope the Hyatt was kind enough to comp rooms, since it's suing to stop the dairy.

Of course, they don't actually know nuttin' fer shure yet, but that's no reason why Councilman Gary Hooser shouldn't try, convict and execute the dairy in the press. After all, that strategy worked so well with the seed farms:

Hooser said water contamination is just the tip of the iceberg. He said the proposed dairy puts water aquifers at risk, jeopardizes coastal resources, and risks “serious negative impacts to the crown jewel of our visitor industry.”

Hell, yeah! Who needs local food production? Let them eat tourists. Or chickens. Or cats.

Actually, I find it rather amusing that the dairy — funded by Pierre Omidyar — is getting so much heat from the anti-ag activists he has helped to fund. Yes, Pierre, they will bite the hand that feeds them, so long as it's organic. And you are, right?

Speaking of Pierre, his publication, Civil Beat, has a column today lecturing KHON about its lapse of journalistic ethics in re-hiring Nestor Garcia. I couldn't resist leaving a comment asking whether the columnist planned to also examine Civil Beat's lapses, such as allowing Pierre to provide editorial direction when he's also bankrolling CB and numerous “nonprofit” advocacy groups, including some that are favorably covered in CB.

See, I'm prone to my own magical thinking.

Getting back to that elusive kukae, it really is serious stuff, especially when it comes from cats. As an article in Scientific American points out:

Uncontrollable, explosive bouts of anger such as road rage might be the result of an earlier brain infection from the toxoplasmosis parasite, an organism found in cat feces, a new study finds.

The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that toxoplasmosis — usually a mild or nonsymptomatic infection from a protozoan parasite called Toxoplasma gondii — may somehow alter people's brain chemistry to cause long-term behavior problems. Previous studies have linked toxoplasmosis to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, impulsivity and suicidal behavior.

OK. So Kauai has tens of thousands of defecating wild cats. Is it a stretch to think that their doo-doo is making people here all wild and pissed off and nuts? Suicide is the number one cause of death among the island's young people. Surely there has to be just one thing we can blame.

I mean, if we're going to accept that agricultural pesticides are poisoning the water, why not kitty poo?

In the meantime, you know something's going on when the mainland lawyers start circlin' and a-lickin' their chops:
I love how TGI labels it "paid advertisement." Because it is kind of hard to tell it apart from its usual sensationalistic news coverage.

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hahahaha!
Great post; got my morning Joan fix. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Maybe it is not a case of biting the hand that feeds you, but an orchestrated act. If Pierre can't have a dairy there, guess he'll just have to build a resort there. Suddenly, the agriculture land must be developed because it can't have agricultural endeavors. Instead of the usual outcry, he will be supported and thanked for developing a resort,( a first rate one too) instead of those nasty cows.Seems like a load of shit.Give me cows over tourists any day.

Anonymous said...

Eh, I wen look for you comment on da Civil Beat about Nestor and nothing there.
What, sistah! Blacklisted again?

Joan Conrow said...

@ 9:08 Ah, so it seems. In Civil Beat we see an oligarch's version of a free press.

Nick said...

I usually agree with you Joan but not today. To poo poo the connection between agricultural pesticides and poisoned water sounds pretty lobbyish. The stream at Mahaulepu has the most bacteria by far of any on the island. A dairy will not help that. Do you work for Pierre?

Joan Conrow said...

I gave you points for the pun, Nick, but then I had to dock them for your silly question.

Anonymous said...

From the article- "For the past several years, Surfrider Kauai Chapter’s Blue Water Task Force’s water samplings have shown the Waiopili Stream’s bacteria content to be thousands of times higher than federal standards." So exactly how will a dairy farm improve this situation? Any answers, Joan?

Joan Conrow said...

First, is Surfrider's data accurate? Second, if it is, and the source of bacteria is, say, a large colony of feral cats, or illegal cesspool dumping or a major homeless camp, then the dairy, simply by its presence, could eliminate that source. Third, we haven't seen anything yet to indicate that waste from the dairy would be going into the stream.

So do you think we could at least wait for the EIS to come out to get more data before rejecting it out of hand?

Anonymous said...

Joan, Where exactly does that waste from cows end up? If not in the water table and ocean, then where? The location is right next to the ocean in an area already highly polluted. Perhaps there are better locations for such a farm?

Anonymous said...

@ 10:46AM - a better location is in your backyard....frickin NIMBY

Anonymous said...

Joan says Civil Beat is an oligarchʻs version of a free press when they censor her. She fails to mention that she also is guilty of this same censorship of commenters. Joan loves to find fault with others, but is a complete failure at seeing her own faults. Hypocrisy I think it is called? Mustnʻt own up and let your readers know youʻre actually no better than Civil Beat, right Joan? Humility does not seem to be one of your greatest virtues. Nevermind, coconut wireless still one of the best news sources around!

Anonymous said...

@10:57- Do you mean your backyard? Joanʻs backyard? My backyard? I get it- maybe one cow in everyoneʻs backyard?

Joan Conrow said...

@11:04

Nevermind, coconut wireless still one of the best news sources around!

Well, that partially explains your ignorance. And yes, I do reserve the right not to publish abusive comments on my own personal blog.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to Joan. You have finally acknowledged your own censorship of commenters. I thought I would never see this day. There is still hope for the world. I love comment sections where everything gets posted except those which are libelous or extremely hateful or obscene. Freedom of the press is so important.

Allan Parachini said...

I don't know how you could have missed the sheer logic of this, Joan, but you clearly have. The County Council could enact an ordinance requiring all feral cats to get a defecation license. The license fees would go into a toxoplasmosis mitigation fund that would operate sort of like Super Fund cleanup sites. Violations would result in criminal charges against the owner of the nearest land to where the feral cats reside. Feral cats and domestic cats could engage in a kind of cap-and-trade system in which feral cats could purchase surplus defecation rights from domestic cats. Of course, the feral cats are without funds, but the County Council could set up defecation cat and trade trust fund to help them out.

Joan Conrow said...

11:22 -- I have stated my comment policy many times. It's called "moderating comments." Perhaps you were too busy tuning in to the coconut wireless to have noticed.

Allan -- Great idea! You should run for Council!

Anonymous said...

It's Joan's blog and she can publish comments as she sees fit.

Anonymous said...

I thought 11:04's comment was pretty abusive. You must have a thick skin.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone noticed how many cattle are filling pastureland all over the island? Aren't you gonna protest that? Oh, and human waste might be what causes earthquakes in central and eastern United States (according to national news this morning). Live the moment as best you can, cause you never know what will happen tomorrow?

Anonymous said...

Joan may like this book by Wendy Williams, The Horse. Wendy presents the evolution of the horse across 58 million years, how it has survived and adapted to climatic changes across the globe. She delves into the special relationship that has evolved between horses and humans.
She,like yourself is an scientific journalist.

Anonymous said...

Some people are very critique. Some not. The people that critique a lot can only critique. That is what they do all day. Critique, critique, critique. Try doing your own blog and take it from there. In the meantime, enjoy the truth if you dare. Thank you Joan for the blogs.

Anonymous said...

Let's not leave out the puppy Gary Hooser bought from a breeder and intends to breed. Hard to believe this caring soul would further contribute to the island's huge animal overpopulation, particularly when one takes into account that the county council cut funding to the Kauai Humane Society. Any shit and bacteria that comes from his poor puppy's poo, or any cow's for that matter can't come close to the shit that comes out of his mouth.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget all the human poo poo that is constantly entering the ocean in Poipu!
Great blog Joan and do tell where the unicorns are at. Here on Oahu the unicorns are on the northshore ;)

Anonymous said...

eh da friends of mahaulepu and that hawaiians down by the mahaulepu is all dat branch harmony guy, who is supposed to be da "ahupuaa representative" of Mahaulepu. that guy is f-ing nutcase and so is his son. wen u know u know.

no believe the poo hype. get da facts before da blames.

hyatt get personal stake in dis and they no kea about da locals! dey kea about da money.

Anonymous said...

11:01 HooserPup is a campaign prop so that HooserPop will be able to give Nixonesque "Checkers" speeches when attacked for dragging the poor animal to events. But Checkers was given to Nixon by a supporter and not purchased. Kids and dogs sell, but people weren't buying HooserKid. Hence the dog. First Checkers speech is on the way.

Anonymous said...

Leave it to Hooser to get a purebred dog when there are hundreds in the shelter. What a jerk.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand how a stream that was initially reported unusually polluted by bacteria (a norm in tropical lowlands around the world) years prior to any thought of a dairy, can be thought polluted because of some bank work now.
And I am of an age when I remember this very parcel in cattle pasture, cane, and diversified ag at various times. As far as I am concerned, this is a perfect place for a dairy.I like this stretch of coastline being with housing and resorts.
In fact I m embarrassed that the people of Kauai have become so addled that they now do not want real agriculture.

Anonymous said...

@ 11:51

In the freedom of the press business you have to be able to take it , if you dish it out. But I have noticed that Joan does more of the dishing and has far and few takings. Which means that Joan is most times right because her spin is usually minimal and her facts are maximized! Being fact based is what has made Joan's blog as successful as it is.

Anonymous said...

Cows and people have lived together for tens of thousands of years.
Kauai and nimbys have lived together for 40 years.
The new organized elite Fistees and their nimby dingleberries have lived in parallel worlds for 3 years.
Will the Fistees and people live together, or will the outside elitists keep the separation of infinite degrees?
Good post.
But we all know the 3 thousand or so acres at mahalepu is better suited for Ag CPRs, with beach villas at Gillan's.
Gary and his new RE company (Fistee Properties- "There is not a place we won't go") may already have the listings.

Anonymous said...

Re 7:51. I meant being without houses and resorts. During canoe races and runs, this is a spectacular coastline to paddle.

Joan Conrow said...

Thanks, 8:03. Though I get a lot of personal attack comments, it's rare to get a comment refuting my facts.

Anonymous said...

"When you can't refute the message, attempt to refute the mouth."
From the Fistee Book of Rules, Ch. 3 Emotional Tirades

ekcoll said...

Being facts based becomes propaganda when bias is the filter through which facts are selected to be highlighted. The best propagandists never lie but always use facts that support their position. Unfortunately selective facts is not the same as truth.

Anonymous said...

@ 9:29am

Unfortunately selective truths is not the same as facts.

Anonymous said...

re- 9:29 am said , " The best propagandist never lie but always use facts that support their position."

So if they never lie they must be telling the truth, which makes a never lying person, a person of truth.

ekcoll said...

12:12 They only tell the truth about selected facts and ignore facts that undermine their position.

Anonymous said...

So I guess if you had told 100 truths about 100 selected facts and you ignored one possible fact that you felt was not important or necessary, or fit your m.o., does that makes you a propagandist?