Electronic Greetings Day Day 334 of 2007 31 days left in this year

HAWAIIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY —
“It is wasted time and effort getting food for the horse.”

November, 1834: The whaling ship Helvetius, named for French philosopher Claude-Adrien Helvetius, encounters terrible seas while attempting to harbor at Lahaina. The ship, carrying an enormous load of more than 1,400 barrels of whale oil, cannot find safe anchor anywhere near Maui, and so turns to Oahu, not the last time someone was dissuaded from Maui for Oahu and met disaster.

More than 170 years ago, no lighthouses guided ships around the islands. Strong Kona winds, powerful waves and driving rain drove the Helvetius onto the reef off Diamond Head. No one was hurt, and the ship was not in immediate danger of sinking. At this point, the cargo was worth more than the ship anyway. Fearing a fight for the salvage, the crew remained on board.

Read the rest…

FROM: Save Kahului Harbor Coalition  (savekahuluiharbor.com)

Sat 12/1:  East Side Hui’s Ku’e ‘O Maui Meet at Ah Fook’s parking lot at 8am
Thur 12/6:  Give Back Our Harbor Rally Meet at Ka’ahumanu & Pu’unene, 9am
Sat 12/8:  Giant Rally for Maui Meet at Ka’ahumanu & Pu’unene, 9am

Their delay was so that the Feds could shut down the entire Kahului Harbor for an hour prior to Superferry arrival to 10 minutes after it leaves.

Lingle, Bush & Cheney ordered us banned from our own harbor even though there was not one hint that anyone was planning to commit civil disobedience.

In fact we were all working with Law Enforcement to be sure that the Rally for Maui was law abiding.

So this is Maui’s reward for following the rules - to be deprived of the use of our harbor. Our fishermen cannot use the small boat ramp, our canoes cannot go outside one small area, our surfers cannot surf a popular winter break.

We are expected to give up our harbor for the arrogant Superferry. And give it up for even longer when the planned second, third, fourth and fifth ferries arrive.

We warned law enforcement that we could not keep a lid on civil disobedience if they closed the harbor to us.

We are reminded of 114 years ago when our Queen, believing in the rule of law, did not resist the illegal takeover of the greedy American businessmen backed by the military. She trusted the U.S. government to right that wrong.

The U.S. Government betrayed her.

And here it is again. We on Maui worked through the system. And then even when the Governor and Legislature passed an illegal law, still we said, “We’ll play be the rules.” We will trust that this wrong will be righted.

And the U.S. Government betrayed us.

Mistaking our law-abiding behavior for lack of resolve, the U.S. government has escalated its unlawful acts against Maui.

The Superferry will try to land on Maui Thursday December 6th. We’ll be there at 9am.

– Ku‘e

Electronic Greetings Day Day 330 of 2007 35 days left in this year

HAWAIIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY — “He is gone on a crazy current

November 29, 1843: Britan and France Declare Hawaiian Independence
In a move never emulated by the government of the United States, both France and Britin make formal declarations accepting the “supreme independence” of the government of Hawaii. It is interesting is that the declarations were made at the prompting of the U.S. Govern-ment. For decades, this date was celebrated as the official “Hawaiian Independence Day.”

Read the rest…

Make Your Own Head Day 332 of 2007 33 days left in this year

November 28, 2004:

The Po’o-uli was a Mauian honeycreeper bird, a rare and fragile species which was not even caught alive until September, 1998. Scientists had little opportunity to study it’s habits. In fact, it was rare enough that it had its own genus.

The bird was not discovered until 1973, and was not properly identified until sometime around 1986. It was known for its bandit’s mask around the eyes, a quiet nature, and its voracious appetite for native tree snails. Overdevelopment - cutting of trees - severely reduced its food source, and numbers dwindled. Finishing the bird off were feral cats, the numbers of which exploded in the 1990s on Maui.

The male was never named, but his cells have been frozen. It is hoped that the bird may one day be cloned. (The longer we live, the more this earth resembles the culture of Blade Runner.)

By the way, Hawaii has more species of animal and plant life than any other state, and has the dubious distinction of killing species off faster - mostly through overdevelopment -  than any other state as well. According to Nature Reserve, Hawaii has seen 434 species fall to extinction since records have been kept. The runner up state is Alabama, with 160 species.

Maui Food Bank - 243-9500
The Thanksgiving feast is just a pleasant memory for most of us, and the busy holiday entertaining season is upon us. For many, munching our way through December and into the new year is a normal state of being. Unfortunately, there are many having a very difficult time just putting the basics on the table–having to depend on the generosity of others to stock free food programs and ease the hunger pangs. Take the time and effort to make your donation now, as it’s the time of year most organizations are able to lay in supplies for several months to come.

Whether it’s the community church, food bank, homeless shelter, facilities for abused women and children, Salvation Army or other charitable organization, your help is welcomed and needed. In fact, it might be a good New Year’s resolution to donate monthly to one or more of these worthwhile groups. A feast is a matter of perspective and may well be a simple supply of staples to a needy person temporarily down in the luck department. Cash and/or non-perishables will always be welcome–think about donating the equivalent of one branded coffee drink a month–not so much and sure to be as big a pick-me-up to some hungry person as the cuppa would ever be.

Step up. Chip in. Show your Maui aloha spirit.

– Haole Anna, Paia

Martyr’s Day (Cuba) Day 331 of 2007 34 days left in this year

November 27, 2005: State Sen. J. Kalani English has paid a $1,000 fine but admitted no wrongdoing as part of a settlement with the Hawaii State Ethics Commission over free flights and other gifts he accepted from a private air ambulance company in 2002. Read more in the Maui News …

November 27, 1973: The U.S. Senate voted 92-3 to confirm Gerald R. Ford as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew, who’d resigned while under a criminal investigation. Ford would become president two years later when Richard Nixon resigned under threat of imepachment.

National Disgrace Day Day 330 of 2007 35 days left in this year

DEMOCRACY DIES IN THE U.S.
November 26, 2000:

U.S. Supreme Court
Proves Itself Supreme Hypocrites
This came after a supposedly impartial U.S. Supreme Court intervened on Bush’s behalf, refusing to allow a statewide recount of votes, even though Al Gore received the majority of votes nationwide.  

Since This Stolen Election,
The Bush-Cheney Cabal Has Made a Killing
Both oilmen, they have declared war on  oil-rich middle east nations, killing thousands of US soliders and tens of thousands of innocent civillians, tripling the price of gasoline, reducing the value of the Dollar against the Euro by a third, and incurring a $10 trillion national debt, all while destroying civil liberties at home, and rewarding cronies with lucrative no-bid contracts abroad.

Exporting U.S. Terrorism Abroad
Our neo-con tyrants have also been attempting to impose similar pseudo democracies in other countries around the world that do not have tyrants or dictators politically aligned with them. They have also promoted and conducted torture of illegally held prisoners, severely damaging the U.S.reputation for integrity and justice around the world.

In seven years, in addition to eviscerating the US Constitution, Bush-Cheney have created many more terrorists than they have destroyed. It’s hard to imagine anyone fucking up this country so badly without actually intending to do so … so who are the real enemies?

National Parfait Day Day 329 of 2007 36 days left in this year

HAWAIIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY — “The life of the land is preserved in righteousness

 November 24, 2005:
Two Honored for Efforts to Preserve Maui’s Native Species
Kula nursery manager, Nancy Snow, and caretaker of the D.T. Fleming Arboretum, Martha Vockrodt-Moran, were presented with awards this month for their contributions in protecting Maui’s environment.

Int’l Drum Month Day 328 of 2007 37 days left in this year

HAWAIIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY — “

YESTERDAY - November 23:
UH Warriors remain undefeated and win the WAC college football championship by defeating Boise State 39-27 in Oahu’s Aloha Stadium.  UH Quarterback Colt Brennan, passing for for 495 yards, sets an all-time college passing record while continuing his quest for the Heisman Trophy. The Warriors hope for a Sugar Bowl bid after the season’s final game against Washington next Friday. Read full story in the Star-Bulletin …

The human being of 2007 seems totally incapable of seizing and using time for the purpose of a more deliberate evolution of its consciousness.

Men and women seem to undergo a kind of psychosis, when they find themselves temporarily free of appointed tasks, or when their minds momentarily cease their meaningless chatter. People lack vision, direction, intellectual curiosity, moral courage, imagination and intuition. They seem to have lost their resourcefulness.

Instead of thinking, they are distracted by coarse spectacles. Often, they sit transfixed before blinking screens, which seem to mock their own flickering consciousnesses. Technology, as well as pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs, darken and enfeeble our consciousness.

Mechanics (technology) and mind-altering concoctions have removed us from our unexplored, but innate spiritual principles. Religions of our fathers, and the distractions created by commercial interests have reinforced the notions that we are passive, dependent, predetermined and thoughtless creatures.

How different we would be, if only we re-allocated wasted phone, screen, gossip and tavern time, to higher purposes. Killing time deadens us. Inviting millions of time-killers to a small island distorts or destroys cultural expressions of life and delight.

Humanity is not a hopeless, irreparably damaged, sadly dependent or an endarkened race. Humankind has simply turned foolish in the face of danger and opportunity

– Raphael O’Suna,  Haiku