The Sad State of Big Island Newspapers

These days on the Big Island at least, you can probably save a tree and get better quality local island news by reading it online. The recent demise of locally owned Hawaii Island Journal* -the Big Island’s best and oldest “weekly” (officially three times monthly)- will certainly leave a hole to fill when it comes [...]

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The Sensual Allure of Marijuana

The spirit of marijuana is female. She is alluring, very seductive. In her presence time passes almost without one noticing. Her sweet fragrance intoxicates the senses and uplifts the mind. She is delighted by heroic men and sensual women. When a couple shares marijuana, they are allowing her participation in their relationship. Accepting their invitation, [...]

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Legislative Superferry Circus Makes Island Tour

Possibly the final chance to get your voice heard regarding the Oahu-centric Superferry, as they decided to kindly offer public hearings on all the neighboring islands affected. But what are these hearings exactly?
No matter the rulings, ultimately stopping the Superferry seems out of the people’s hands. These hearings -which are being called “Public Informational Hearings” [...]

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Yawn From Cincinnati Wipes Out!

I recall this summer, my So. Cal surf buddy Marguerite made a funny comment regarding HBO’s then new “John From Cincinnati” while we were walking to the showers at El Porto and found ourselves bombarded with the show’s poster campaign. Well, the comment was more cleverly phrased but the gist was something to the effect [...]

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No Bad Kitty: The Secret of Negative Thinking

I’m housesitting. It’s a nice and needed respite because I’ve been living in a tent in a rat infested plantation house with termites to the extent that every once in a while you notice the wall crumbling to dust. Despite the sound of it, I am forever grateful to my friend for making his home [...]

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My Apple, My Surfboard, My Bendable, Mutable Life

I’d been enjoying some extra bed time while getting over a bug, when I had this annoying nightmare. In it my MacBook was catching viruses off the internet. Could have been guilty download conscious, but I balance out such thievery with the reality that I wouldn’t buy any music even if I didn’t get it [...]

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If the Dalai Lama Was a Surfer…

No matter how peace and love one wants to be, or wants others to be, sometimes we fall prey to our immediate reactions and needs, where even the telling of the story shows my own inability towards benevolence. The Zen of surfing makes all of our experiences out in the water relatable and symbolic on [...]

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Quit Smoking! Me?

by contributing writer Ms. Reef Rash
I remember when I started smoking cigarettes. It was 1977 and I was in the 4th grade. I started this bad habit so early on in life because my older sister –who my parents always had me tag along with– turned me on to everything fun. Back then, [...]

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Will The Real Three R’s Please Stand Up…

No, not the Three R’s of Recycling: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, that Hawaii local boy Jack Johnson likes to sing-song about with his pal Curious George – making environmental awareness fun for kids! Nor the Three R’s of Compassion, used by religious groups to revive the ghettos: Relocation, Reconciliation, Redistribution. Nor the foundation of the “undo” [...]

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Apple Computers: My Long-term Love/Hate Relationship

Okay, say what you will, but I am a devoted Mac user/lover. They may kick me, cajole me, break my piggy bank all they want, but I still come back for more. I started on my dad’s Macintosh Plus (though I did do some initial tinkering on an older Apple with the big floppy drives) [...]

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