Archive for April, 2008

A recent article in Fortune Magazine Online sparked my interest in a new trend on The Big Island, sustainable farmed fish. Especially after going to the Kokua Festival this last week and soaking up the energy of the “green scene,” I thought it would be a good idea to do a little more research and pass this article onto our readers.

It turns out, whether we like to admit it or not, the waters in Hawaii and around the world are being over fished. Yup, that big blue ocean is being messed with, and it’s not just the global warming that’s giving it problems. Too many people trying to catch too many fish and not doing so in a sustainable way.

That’s where a company off the Kona coast of The Big Island comes in. Kona Blue Water Farms grows a special breed of yellowtail tuna dubbed Kona Kampachi. The nets are a half mile off shore in some 200 feet deep water. This is a big difference from farmed fish which usually reside in man made reservoirs causing the fish to be lower in nutrients, lack flavor, and be susceptible to diseases in such close corners.

Kona Kampachi on the other hand is claimed to be very flavorful and richer in omega-3 than any other fish in ocean. It’s not genetically engineered. It’s not treated with antibiotics of any sort, or any other growth hormones. It’s also claimed to be of sashimi-grade (which I wasn’t aware there was such a grade of fish.)

The fish are bred on the island in special breeding stations, the eggs are grown up to inch long fishes, and then those fish are taken to the nets until they’re about 4 to 6 pounds. One of only down sides to the growing of fish like this is that the feces could create potential problems for local aquatic life. However, I see this as a much more solvable problem than hormone injected fish, or depleting our oceans.

If you’re interested in the fish you can order right from their website for $17 per pound plus shipping and handling, or you can head to your local Whole Foods which carries the fish for $20 per pound. Kings Supermarkets, Kroger and Costco are all carrying the fish in selcet locations as well.

I think it’s an interesting idea and with the population growing and more and more people looking towards our oceans for food, we’ll need to have ideas like this help keep our oceans from being depleted.

You can read the Fortune article here.

The Hawaii Superferry has been in local news for over a year. The main topic of choice has been to write about how the company was able to start operation even without doing an environmental impact study. Or how people tried to stop the vessel from entering one port or the other.

But this article isn’t about that. This one is about how the Superferry is actually making runs between Oahu and Maui, taking passengers and their vehicles on the trips between Honolulu Harbor and Kahului. Tickets still cost only $39, an offer that will continue through June 5th, for one way per passenger on a trip that takes just under four hours.

Vehicles will run you another $55 each way which brings the total for two people back and forth between the islands, $266. Considering that plane fares look like they’re going to continue to rise with rising gas prices and Aloha Airlines closing its doors, if the price of the voyage doesn’t rise drastically, this may be a decent alternative.

But now onto the good news. In addition to traveling everyday, leaving Honolulu at 6:30 am, arriving Maui at 10:15 am, then doing the return leaving at 11:15 arriving in Honolulu at 2:15, the Hawaii Superferry will increase routes and run another round trip on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The second trip will leave Honolulu Harbor at 3:30 pm, arrive Maui at 7:00 pm then leave Kahului at 8:00 pm and finally return back to Honolulu Harbor at 11:00 pm. This schedule will begin on May 9th, 2008. This may mean that the Superferry is doing well, but I haven’t heard much. The ship still takes gas so I can’t imagine it’s immune to the rise in gas prices. Do we think it can sustain the $39 and be competitive?

Has anyone been on the Superferry? Any pictures, any opinions? Is it crowded? Are they doing well? Let us know if you have any scoops.

You can check out the Superferry website here

Check out this blog from the Honolulu Advertiser site.  Capitol Journalist Derrick DePledge reported on some bad blood brewing in the House of Representatives amongst the staff of all people.  It’s amazing to see the response and feelings of the people there, not to mention the names being thrown around.  I won’t go into details, as you can read it for yourself.  This is my comment on it all.

In my opinion, it’s obvious that politics has itty bitty nasty bits but the way that people are talking on these blogs, it’s obvious to me why Kimo Public feels like we stay taking it in the behind from the government.  

This is my second session at the Capitol.  I’ve seen so much in such a short time and still believe there is room for change but it’s the fact that people are getting so worked up over BS that’s frustrating.  I can see both sides of the coin.  I always try to take the middle path, it just makes no sense that there’d be such a fuss over a party.

Why would someone have to be forced to do anything?  Perhaps it’s the lingering effects of Hawaii’s illegal occupation or the martial state that was here in WWII.  Perhaps, it’s the effects of having one political party that’s too big for it’s own good.  Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

I wanted to run for office this year.  I live in House District 24, University and Manoa area.  I was still at UH, when the current Representative, Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell was elected.  I never saw him once.  He had 3,000 potential voters there and not once did he come to us.  I heard this from the Horse’s mouth so to say, but that is beside the point.  I wanted to run because I love this area, I love the students.  

I thought, I could be young, and inject some new blood, energy into the process if you will.  As much as I believe that, the current culture there, man, ugly.  And there are some amazing people working there, on both sides of the aisle, from Representative to Senator, to Permanent and Session staff, really amazing people, but the true challenge is the culture.

How do we change the culture?  How do wash away the sand so it doesn’t get in the places it has no business in, like a party for example…

Shoots.

JMAW of Hawaii

If you’re a regular traveling back and forth over the Pali you might have noticed an increase in a certain group of civil servants. I’m not talking about the group that’s put up the netting to prevent mudslides on the eastbound side of the Pali, or those that are doing the weed whacking and lawn maintanence.

No, I’m talking about all the police vehicles that are lining the roads these days on the town side of the Pali Highway. Mostly I’m noticing all the police motorcycles and the cops that are standing next to their bikes firing their radar guns your way as you speed around a corner.

Next thing you know, a half mile up the road is either another motorcycle cop or another cop car waiting for the radio from their other half about who was speeding (or at least I think that’s the way it goes.)

I’m not sure if there have been a lot of accidents on the Pali Highway lately that I haven’t heard of or what the deal is but the cops seem to be cracking down. Maybe it’s that the speed limit changes from 45 to 35 to 25 in spots on the highway and these cops are just taking advantage of all the sudden speed changes.

Whatever it is, slow down when you’re driving on the Pali.

Living close to Iolani, I was realy surprised to hear of a shooting that happened pretty close to where I live. A few days ago, a 20-something year old male was shot half a dozen times at his head and body, stabbed a few times, and dropped out of a car near Washington Intermediate school in McCully. Neighbors did not hear the shots, so they presumed the shooting took place elsewhere and then somebody dumped his body off in the residential area.

How scary is that? The vicitm remains in critical condition, and to be honest, I don’t know how he survived. I actually drive on that road going to work, and it looks like a nice peaceful area. To find somebody left out to die over there makes me think twice about the area I live in. I also run to the gym and run back around 8 or maybe 8:30pm. Now, I think I’d much rather drive instead just to be safe.

This is just getting too crazy folks. I don’t know what prompts people to do such insane things. It just boggles my mind.

Hawaii State Senator Ron Menor, a Democrat whose district includes Waipahu and parts of Mililani and Mililani Mauka., was arrested just after midnight this morning by police for allegedly Driving Under the Influence. Details were not released as to what police did to determine if the Senator was intoxicated.

Menor posted bail at $500 dollars shortly after and was released. Menor is the second Hawaii legislator to be caught for DUI in under a year. The first was former House Vice Speaker Rep. Jon Karamatsu. Rep. Karamatsu shortly thereafter stepped down from his post as Vice Speaker but remained in office.

It will be interesting to see how this effects the upcoming election. Both legislators are Democrats and the Democratic Caucuses reported record showings around the state. An up and coming Democrat could have a chance at landing the post or maybe a Republican for that matter.

In this world where one President did not have sexual relations with that woman while the next can wage an unpopular war that breaks records for debt, it’s a good chance both of these legislators will be forgiven for something as “insignificant” as a DUI.

What do you think?

JMAW

Finally! On the second day of the NFL draft, Colt Brennan was picked in the 6th round by the Washington Redskins. Scouting reports showed his light slowly fading during pre-Draft workouts, but let’s hope Colt shows them wrong and sticks it out long enough to start in the NFL someday. Recent hip surgery will keep in on the injured list for some time, so we’re all hoping Colt can bounce back and show everyone what a great, professional quarterback he is.

Just like day one of Kokua Festival this year the second day was just as good.

Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds, Paula Fuga, Mason Jennings, Go Jimmy Go, and of course Jack Johnson, rocked the Waikiki Shell as best they could for the second day of the Kokua Festival 2008. Here are the photos to prove it.

The lineup included Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds, Mason Jennings, Paula Fuga, and Go Jimmy Go, in addition to Jack Johnson.  It really was an amazing show and here are some photos from the action.

These are photos from just the first day.  Head over to our day two Kokua Festival 2008 photos if you’re looking for those.