Hawaii: When the Hurricane Hits, or Doesn’t

When storms are named and media starts click baiting the looming disaster, there’s an expectation of a certain level of death and destruction, accompanied by adequate catastrophic imagery. If the gratification goes unfulfilled, unsatiated social media fiends hijack the threads and call everyone out for “crying wolf.”

This often happens with Hawai’i, whether it be for potential tsunamis or hurricanes. The tsunami comes in at a few feet with no Fukushima kine drama. The hurricane doesn’t impact land or turns into a tropical storm along the way (which is typical because of the effects of the massive mountain volcanos Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea), and it’s like someone let all the air outta the balloon.

Follow-up headlines will proclaim “Tsunami hits… Little Damage”, as they did after the Honshu Tsunami in 2011, even though there was actually over $30 million in damages. There was no Japan-horror footage, people getting swept out to sea (though a few ignoring warnings did in Cali), but the impacts were still profound for our lil’ isles. Boats, docks, businesses destroyed; Kona Village still hasn’t reopened five years later.

When in 2014 Hurricane Iselle didn’t seem to pack enough punch, social media was rife with complaints. And the follow-up news reports barely covered the effects on Puna, which left many with damaged homes, trapped by fallen trees, without power for almost a month. Though it was a let-down in terms of action / drama, damage across the islands was about $80 million, making it the third-costliest to ever hit the state.

Reality is, in Hawai’i we don’t need a direct impact to feel the repercussions. A little river can quickly turn into a massive flood zone with heavy rains (everything flows rapidly off the mountains / volcanos to the sea). These storms dumping over 15″ in a day is not unusual, and can easily result in flash floods (which have been known to wash oblivious tourists out to sea). Many low-lying areas, from Hanalei to Waikiki to Hilo, have a bad habit of flooding (Oahu was a temporary shit-storm just last month from Hurricane Darby). There are many who live beach front, who only need an storm swell and a high tide to be at risk. As far as the winds, we have too many invasive albizia, which do not need hurricane force to break or completely topple – as we saw with Iselle crushing homes and taking down the tree tunnel Pahoa.

This slideshow from a random 2012 storm that got little buzz: two weeks of rain, 50″ in a week, the highway blocked, towns flooded, crossing ragin’ rivers with ropes to get home….

LOL

Those who lived through the tsunamis of the ’40s, ’60s, or Hurricane Iniki in ’92 – or heard the tales – probably don’t mind precautionary warnings. Better safe than sorry. Sure we’re used to natural disaster events being downgraded after lots of hoopla. You simply can’t be certain of the worst-case scenario (aka a hurricane AND an Obama visit). In this case, hopefully the side-effects of Madeline and Lester won’t be too bad. If they don’t live up to the hype, we’re really really okay with that!

*All posteed videos are from Hurricane Madeline; sources shown.

Check Hawaii Weather / Storm Updates Here:

National Weather Service

Hawaii News Now

Windy.Ty

Hurricane News

 

 

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Obama Rally in Hilo with Maya Soetoro-Ng

Big Island getting some Obama Love. Okay, it’s actually the Democratic “Grand Rally” where Barack Obama’s sister Maya Soetoro-Ng will be making an appearance on behalf of her bro. That’ll be this Friday, September 19, 2008 from 4-7pm.

Where’s it at? In Hilo at Mooheau Park, 231 Kamehameha Avenue. Supposedly there is only space for 300 (at the park?) – so, click here to RSVP ASAP! More info: Hilo Bay Oceanfront Contact Al Beeman (808.895.1813). Did someone say free hot dogs and chili?

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Men of Honor Protect Children

by Campus Queen

Those who know me know that I’m very passionate about child protection. Let me tell you a few reasons why.

When I was 10, a friend confessed to me that her stepfather had molested her and her sister.

When I was 12, two friends, sisters, confessed to me that their cousin molested them when they were under six-years-old. The way they described it is that is how they lost their virginity.

When I was in college, two of my friends confessed to me that they had been molested by their fathers.

In college, another friend confessed to me that her cousin repeatedly molested her. When he called and said he was going to come visit her at boarding school, she tried to kill herself.

I kept every secret for every one of those girls.

Now at 40, my best friend’s daughter was abducted, molested, and murdered at age 5.

I’m a mom now and I’m not keeping any more secrets.

Two days ago John McCain released an ad attacking Barack Obama for supporting sex education for kindergarten students. In fact, what Obama supported was age appropriate education for children as a means of teaching them what was proper or improper touching to help protect them against sexual predators [read NY Times for facts behind the distortion]. McCain completely distorted that fact. The cold hard facts are that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys are molested by the age of 14 (Department of Justice statistic). And because this crime is so greatly underreported, those numbers are extremely conservative. In 85% of the circumstances, the molester is someone close to this child, which makes this education even more important. If the molester is in the home, they will not be getting this education in the home. Children need to know that no one has the right to hurt them. No one.

Earlier this year Joe Biden introduced Senate Bill 1738, the PROTECT Our Children Act. At the core of The PROTECT Our Children Act is a computer system that enables law enforcement to track and document the trading of child pornography in real time. This system allows the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforces and other authorized law enforcement officers throughout the country to quickly determine who the worst offenders are in a given area. The statistics illustrate how law enforcement is facing literally thousands of new leads every day. The PROTECT Our Children Act will create oversight, accountability and cooperation among the many agencies working to stop this problem and give them the resources, forensic labs and US attorneys to prosecute these cases successfully. Thus far, this system has resulted in a 96% conviction rate without a child ever having to take the stand; the images, videos and narratives justifying the heinous abuse of children stand for themselves.

This Senate bill is Congress’ most aggressive support for law enforcement’s efforts to address the exploding U.S. child pornography industry which consists of more than 600,000 known computers that have been recorded actively trading grotesque videos and images of sexually violent crimes against children. Currently, fewer than 2% of these known offenders are being investigated due to a lack of resources. However, in one third of child pornography arrests, evidence leading to a local child victim is found at the scene. If Senator Biden’s bill passes, we will have the power and resources to rescue as many as 200,000 children from ongoing abuse.

There are several senators who have yet to sign off on this bill. One notable absence is John McCain. Joe Biden sponsored it and Barack Obama supported it.

I am outraged that John McCain would use Obama’s support of something that is desperately needed for our nation’s children and distort it so blatantly. How he can represent himself as someone who cares about our children, release this ad, and then fail to support Senate Bill 1738 is deplorable.

Last week in an interview with Time Magazine, John McCain aggressively refused to define the word “honor.” Now I know why. Men of honor protect our children. I hope you will join me in supporting our nation’s children, our future, in this next election by supporting true change.

* * * * *

Supportive Links:

Not One More Child – The video and transcript of Special Agent Flint Waters’ testimony before congress, which can be found here, is unlike anything you’ll ever see/read.

National Sex Offender Public Website

The National Association to Protect Children

Stop It Now – Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Dru’s Voice

Democracy In Action – Though it passed in the House 415-2, the Child Rescue Bill may likely be killed in the Senate due to politicking. Click here to send a message to the Minority and Majority Leaders in the Senate.

Code Amber – Hurricane’s have displaced the Louisiana-based Amber Alert offices yet again, and they are struggling with added operating expenses. They are funded solely through donations.

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Obama Body Surfing the Election

Hopefully Obama can maintain his integrity and smooth style as he surfs the candidacy for president. But we hope he doesn’t play it too easy! Michael Moore, in his recent rant entitled “How The Democrats Can Blow It, In Six Easy Steps” seemes to adequately point out some of the strange maneuvers as of late – of the Democratic Party side-stepping toward center, to try to win over both sides (though instead potentially losing for exactly those same reasons). I’m not into the extremes of Moore on most occasion – but he brings up some important points. It goes -in much greater detail- something like:

For years now, nearly every poll has shown that the American people are right in sync with the platform of the Democratic Party. They are pro-environment, pro-women’s rights and pro-choice. They don’t like war. They want the minimum wage raised, and they want a single-payer universal health-care system. The American public agrees with the Republican Party on only one major issue: They support the death penalty. So you would think the Democrats would be cleaning up, election after election. Obviously not….

Just follow each of these steps and you, the Democratic Party establishment, can help elect John Sidney McCain III to a four-year extension of the Bush Era….

1. Keep saying nice things about McCain…..
2. Pick a running mate who is a conservative white guy or a general or a Republican.
3. Keep writing speeches for Obama that make him sound like a hawk.
4. Forget that this was a historic year for women.
5. Show up to a gunfight with a peashooter.
6. Denounce me (Michael Moore)!

While we’re doing a small dose of politics right now: There are key core issues on which Obama hasn’t waivered (or offered amenable middle-of-the-road variations). One is women’s rights – specifically to abortion. When women say they are on the fence -especially women I know who have had abortions- I am dumbfounded. And it’s not really about whether or not you like abortions, who does!?! But it’s about what would happen to women if there were no choice. And McCain – he’s #1 top dog for restricting abortion rights (and replacing any competent birth control for the lovely but ignorant dream of abstinence – which, is proven, only puts more young people’s lives at risk). And, in conjunction, are you ready for the after-effects of more right wing conservative members on the Supreme Court? Though there are many good reasons, especially when looking at our country after the past eight years of idiocy, these alone should help make one run not walk to the polls, whether it’s a vote against McCain or for Obama.

Obama, we love your water style, but McCain is playing old school type politics – he knows no other way. He’s like Laird’s character in North Shore – pulling your leash. Don’t let him get away with it – it’s your heat! So while surfing your aloha with a smile – not only remember your competition, but also remember to maintain your ideals and what got you here in the first place. Now go rip it up!

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Hawai’i Caucus Experience

Was that really a caucus? Look, I didn’t have any grand illusions that it would be professionally organized; I know these people are volunteers, most first timers. And we have already seen how this election has brought the Democrats out in force. On top of that, certain areas here on Hawai’i Island have grown during that last housing boom (some spots experiencing population growth of over 8x since just 1990) – so one could only imagine this year it’d be a little more crowded. But one might also assume there would be a proportionate increase in caucus locations… not so much….

<one volunteer explains, “tink they got da pakalolo over dair”>

My polling place was packed. Considering past presidential caucuses in the whole state of Hawai’i haven’t exceeded 5,000 voters, and though optimistic reports were anticipating maybe 12,000, I was kinda shocked when (by my estimates) there were at least 500 at our caucus location alone (okay a few were kids and dogs, but still)! (note: I just found out, over 1000 people voted there!) It was absolutely amazing; hundreds of people coming and going.

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If Clinton Wins…We Get McCain

<yo wil… think this one is even more to-the-point than the “Yes We Can” Obama original …and way mo funny>

The Clinton’s are disliked too much by the Republican’s. And if Hillary winds up as the Democratic nominee, the Republican’s have the weapons, the ammunition, all the Clinton corruption we’re sick of hearing about…to utilize against her. Clinton will inspire a nation of neo-cons to come out in force, to make sure their militarist nationalist Bush-backed Republican McCain will win and maintain the anti-terrorism terrorism, Patriot Act spying on US citizens, war mongering, and keep us in Iraq for years…and years…to come. Despite some of his once-positive attributes, and nevermind that he once stood up for things he believed in, McCain will become another puppet – just like our current president. We have already witnessed this shift since he decided to run for office (though some blame it on senility or an honest admitting to not recalling his own voting history or perspective on core issues). Recently he’s made advances to appeal to the extreme conservatives – who constantly bagger him that he’s not conservative enough. The only thing that’s consistent about his beliefs, is that he’ll flip-flop on them in order to get elected: he now wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade, now wants no campaign finance reform, now is for torturing war criminals (of all things), etc.

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Hawaii Island Caucus Precinct Sites

There have been some discrepancies in caucus locations. I’ve published below what seems like the most accurate Precinct Election & Presidential Preference Poll site directory, found at the Democratic Party of Hawai’i web site. You will need to know your representative district first —use this link if you don’t know it— then enter that info into the Democratic Party’s Prez Preference Poll site directory – or if you’re on the Big Island, just check the list below. Any further questions, or if the sites are still crashing: BIG ISLAND RESIDENTS, THE Hawai’i Democratic Office, 808/596-2980, is forwarding you to this number: 326-9779. You can also call County of Hawai’i Election Division: Hilo 961-8277; Kailua-Kona 327-3633. PLEASE NOTE: Caucus location is likely not the same as your regular polling place. ALSO NOTE: KNOW YOUR PRECINCT NUMBER TOO, THAT’S HOW YOU WILL BE DIVIDED ONCE INSIDE THE CAUCUS!

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If Everybody Voted…

I don’t think I’ve ever registered as a Democrat before (no, never as a Republican either), but I’m going to this time. Sure, I don’t agree with either side’s policies on frequent occasion -less government seems like a better idea- but on the other had, I suppose I’m more “liberal” than not on many issues. And I don’t want to be cliché or corny but local boy Obama represents a mood, a spirit, a shifting of awareness, a higher level of being…(and the candidate who is more likely to play in the surf with me…. j.k.). Watching Hillary back at the Iowa debate reminded me why I don’t like or trust her – as much as I may want to see women take leadership roles and give the world a feminine touch. Her version is the same game-playing old school tactics that keep politics so smarmy – and personally, I don’t quite understand the rhetoric that she has more experience than Barack. I’ve been appreciating Obama’s efforts in Congress for a few years now, and I like how he is creating a more transparent government and through such does make the public feel as if they can be witnesses and participants in the process. I like the way he runs his campaign; he’s inspiring.

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