alaulapua

Federal Bail Out

2009-01-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

I find it very ironic that taxpayers have bailed out credit card companies, car companies, and banks. The very businesses that are to help jump start the ecomony. Yet, there is very little in the way of help from these companies to the consumer from the news articles that are floating around. I find it sad that someone would contemplate hurting themselves and others because of financial difficulties. Is this the America that we have become? That we are reliant on companies as a moral compass?

I heard that one credit card company is limiting credit cards, but why would that same company send out other credit offers. I hear local car companies ask people to come buy a car but if you get laid off you can just return it without payments. This is junk.

What the F $&%^%

2008-10-08T16:31:00.002-07:00

Is this why other countries think American's are frivolous and shallow?

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- A Connecticut judge has given the brush-off to a blonde woman's lawsuit claiming L'Oreal Inc. ruined her social life when she accidentally dyed her hair brunette with one of its products. Charlotte Feeney of Stratford says she can never return to her natural blonde hue, a shock that left her so traumatized she needed anti-depressants. She says she suffered headaches and anxiety, missed the attention that blondes receive and had to stay home and wear hats most of the time. A Superior Court judge dismissed Feeney's 2005 lawsuit Monday, saying she never proved her allegation that L'Oreal put brown hair dye in a box labeled as blonde. The company also had disputed the claim. Feeney referred questions today to her attorney, David Laudano, who has declined to comment.

401 Keg Plan

2008-10-08T16:31:00.001-07:00

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have received a $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg. A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon! Makes you proud to be an American!

Birk Recovery Plan

2008-09-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

This guys gave a great idea - although his math was off. But i really like the idea. Why not just let the people get instead the 700Billion......

The Birk Economic Recovery Plan applying to AIG

"Hi Pals, I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.. So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend. Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved. Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads Put away money for college - it'll be there Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs. Buy a new car - create jobs Invest in the market - capital drives growth Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( 'vote buy' ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+! As for AIG - liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't. Sure it's a crazy idea that can 'never work.' But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! How do you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC. And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest..

Who is to Blame for the Mess Today

2008-09-30T13:16:00.001-07:00

Are you as mad as i am? well we should be - but it also means we should be mad at ourselves at being complacent. My frient sent me this blurb and while i may not agree with it all it certainly makes for interesting conversation.

The Money Masters: How International Bankers Gained Control of America

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue oftheir currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and thecorporations which grow up around them will deprive the people of all propertyuntil their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathersconquered." Thomas Jefferson.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936&hl=enUP!date

"A great financial economist and historian called Michael Hudson talksabout how the US economy is basically fictitious, based on pretend earnings andpretend values. This will only genuinely become a crisis of capitalism whenpeople generally become aware that much of the growth and prosperity produced bycapitalism is a fiction, and if the consensus about where the real global valuelies shifts radically.

In other words, if people stop believing that apparently wealthy countries actually are producing wealth." Hari Kunzru, NovelistMay I FedEx YOU $50,000?

Whenever a Great Bipartisan Consensus is announced, and a compliant mediaassures everyone that the wondrous actions of our wise leaders are being takenfor our own good, you can know with absolute certainty that disaster is aboutto strike. The events of the past week are no exception. The bailout package that is about to be rammed down Congress throat isnot just economically foolish. It is downright sinister. It makes a mockery of our Constitution, which our leaders should never again bother pretending is still in effect. It promises the American people a never-ending nightmare ofever-greater debt liabilities they will have to shoulder.

Two weeks ago,financial analyst Jim Rogers said the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Macmade America more communist than China! "This is welfare for the rich," he said. "This is socialism for the rich. It's bailing out the financiers, the banks, the Wall Streeters."

That describes the current bailout package to a T. And we're being told it's unavoidable. The claim that the market caused all this is so staggeringly foolish that only politicians and the media could pretend to believe it. But that has become theconventional wisdom, with the desired result that those responsible for the credit bubble and its predictable consequences - predictable, that is, to those who understand sound, Austrian economics - are being let off the hook.

The Federal Reserve System is actually positioning itself as the savior, rather than the culprit, in this mess! * The Treasury Secretary is authorized to purchase up to $700 billion inmortgage-related assets at any one time. That means $700 billion is only the very beginning of what will hit us. * Financial institutions are "designated as financial agents of the Government." This is the New Deal to end all New Deals. *

Then there's this: "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency." Translation: the Secretary can buy up whatever junk debt he wants to, burdenthe American people with it, and be subject to no one in the process. There goes your country. Even some so-called free-market economists are calling all this "sadly necessary." Sad, yes. Necessary? Don't make me laugh. Our one-party system is complicit in yet another crime against the American people.

The two major party candidates for president themselves initiallyindicated their strong support for bailouts of this kind - another example of the big choice we're supposedly presented with this November: yes or yes. Now, with a backlash brewing, they're not quite sure what their views are. A sad display, really. Although the present bailout package is almost certainly not the end of the political atrocities we'll witness in connection with the crisis, time is short. Congress may vote as soon as tomorrow. With a Rasmussen poll findingsupport for the bailout at an anemic seven percent, some members of Congressare afraid to vote for it. Call them! Let them hear from you! Tell them you will never vote for anyone who supports this atrocity.

The issue boils down to this: do we care about freedom? Do we care about responsibility and accountability? Do we care that our government and media have been bought and paid for? Do we care that average Americans are about to be looted in order to subsidize the fattest of cats on Wall Street and in government? Do we care? When the chips are down, will we stand up and fight, even if it means standing up against every stripe of fashionable opinion in politics and the media? Times like these have a way of telling us what kind of a people we are, andwhat kind of country we shall be. In liberty, Ron Paul

2008-09-25T22:55:00.001-07:00

Who is to blame....as written on CNN

2008-09-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

By Nell MinowSpecial to CNN

Editor's Note: Nell Minow is editor and chair of The Corporate Library, an independent research company specializing in corporate governance. Minow was named one of the 20 most influential people in corporate governance by Directorship magazine in 2007 and "the queen of good corporate governance" by BusinessWeek Online in 2003. She has written more than 200 articles and co-written three books. Since 1995, Minow has also written "Movie Mom," an online parents' guide to "media, culture and values."

Nell Minow says it's great when executives make a lot of money but only if they really earn it.

As big Wall Street firms topple like dominoes, there is plenty of blame to go around.
Failure this broad and deep takes a village, and regulators, lawyers, compensation consultants, auditors, executives, shareholders, and the press all played a part. But the people who are most responsible for the massive meltdowns of these institutions are the boards of directors.
Their sole responsibility is to act as fiduciaries for the shareholders in managing risk. They not only failed to perform this task but indeed, in their approval of outrageous pay plans with perverse incentives, they all but guaranteed the current disaster.
I am a capitalist. I love it when executives earn boatloads of money. But it infuriates me when they get it without earning it.
If the executives' compensation is tied to the volume of business rather than the quality of business, we should expect dealmakers to be more attentive to the number of transactions than the value they create. This is the basis for much of the sub-prime mess, whose collateral damage is taking down the biggest firms on Wall Street.
At Merrill Lynch, former CEO Stanley O'Neal received total compensation of more than $91 million for 2006, according to The Corporate Library's calculations. He was given that package based on performance numbers that came out before nearly $23 billion in write-downs by the company.
O'Neal received more than $160 million in stock and retirement benefits while shareholders lost more than 41 percent of their investment value over the year. Three executives brought in to Merrill less than a year ago will share a $200 million payment as they turn over the company to Bank of America in a last-minute deal to help it survive.
American International Group (AIG) replaced CEO Martin Sullivan after the company posted losses for two consecutive quarters totaling $13 billion. Sullivan's contract entitled him to about $68 million. His replacement, a board member who served as CEO for three months before the company was taken over by the government, will get as much as $7 million.
The boards of directors approved pay that was completely disconnected to performance. This, after all, is the world of the ultimate oxymoron: the "guaranteed bonus." So we should not be surprised that executives took the money and ran.
Fewer than 13 percent of public companies have claw-back policies requiring executives to return bonuses based on inflated numbers. All of the incentives are for them to inflate the numbers, take the money, and run.
And that is why companies whose names used to be synonymous with stability and trustworthiness will live on through history and business school case studies as discredited, greedy and corrupt.
The people who insisted that government regulation interfered with the perfect efficiency of the markets are now getting bailed out by taxpayers with some walloping welfare checks.
I just hope that this time the government does a better job of protecting itself than it did with its bail-out of Chrysler almost 30 years ago and this time insists on a piece of the upside rather than a fixed repayment. If the government is going to run a business, it has to act like a business and make sure its interests are aligned with the executives.
Don't Miss
AIG bailout upsets Republican lawmakers
Commentary: How we got into this money mess
Commentary: Don't repeat Fannie, Freddie mistakes
In Depth: Commentaries
Despite the post-Enron adoption of the most extensive protections since the New Deal, a survey released this week by Kroll and the Economist Intelligence Unit found that corporate fraud rose 22 percent since last year.
The option back-dating and sub-prime messes show that even the post-Enron Sarbanes-Oxley reform law and expanded enforcement and oversight cannot eliminate the severest threats to our markets and our economy.
This proves that there are limits to structural solutions. Ultimately, markets are smarter and more efficient than regulation. What the government needs to do now is insist on removing obstacles to the efficient operation of market oversight.
Shareholders must be able to replace directors who make bad decisions and they should have a non-binding "say on pay" vote on executive compensation as they do in the UK and several other countries.
Our current system of executive compensation does not tie pay to performance, it does not provide an effective incentive to create long-term shareholder value, and it does not meet any possible market test.
Executive compensation must be looked at as any other asset allocation. The return on investment for the expenditures on CEO pay is by any measure inadequate.
Some have argued that the amounts at issue are so small in proportion to the assets being managed that they do not have any material impact. On the contrary, the CEO compensation in America's public companies is a leading indicator of serious problems -- and one reason my firm has consistently given most financial services companies "high-risk" ratings.
And it is more than a symptom of the pervasive problem that is toppling our most respected financial services companies. It is a perversion of the market that imposes enormous and growing costs on America's working families -- as shareholders, customers, employees, and members of the community.
These outrageous pay packages juxtaposed with losses in share value and jobs diminishes our credibility and increases our cost of capital. In today's global economy this is an expense we clearly can no longer afford.

The Husband versus The Boyfriend

2008-08-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Installing a Husband
INSTALLING A HUSBAND

Dear Tech Support,
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the
flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend
5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as
Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs
such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these
problems, but to no avail. What can I do?

Signed,

Desperate.

DEAR DESPERATE,
First, keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while
Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears
6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.

If that application works as designed, Husband1.0 should then
automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0
to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1.

Please note that Beer 6. 1 is a very bad program that will download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0
(it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)
In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program.These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck Babe!
Tech Support

Ahhhhh Catnip

2008-08-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

Navatec

2008-08-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

We went on a dinner cruise boat. The price was would have orinally been $100 plus but we ended up with the local discount. We were with other people who weren't from here so i don't think they got the kamaaina rate.

We went through the line and were told to "stand for the pictures." Boarded the boat and sat on the upper deck by the window, which cost $10 more per person. Our first course started out ok and was fast. Inbetween the meal someone came around and gave us the pictures we took, which we thought were for free, but were in reality $20.00 bucks each. We ate the lobster (which was good) and the steak (which was ok) and watched the show. The girls worked hard at entertaining the passengers.

Then our dinnermate was told he was a bad passenger and to go into the back. Apparently 10 minutes later he reappeared wearing a ridiculous outfit. But he was very cool looking as you can see. Then 10 minutes after he sat back down, another person came by and asked him if he wanted to buy a picture for, you guessed it - $20.00.

The funny part was that while I was taking pictures of him in the show, some guy rudely pushed my shoulder to get by me. Wanna guess who it was? The photographer who was taking the professional shots of the guys in the hula show.

So, while I rate the boat cruise as entertaining, there was far too much money being pushed for, and not in a very nice way. It was hustle and bustle all the way. I definetly thnk they should have offered more free drinks.

My Cat

2008-08-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

I love my Pantera. She is getting older now but you wouldn't know. She gets poked with an IV of Lactated Ringers Solution and it seems to be working fine for her. The last year she was looking like she was gonna die standing up.....

Oil

2008-08-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is what my friend has told me about oil, and the dollar. It makes sense.

I've been trying tofigure out what's going on with Oil, whether it's due to supply &demand, speculators, or something else, and I think it's mainly thedepreciation of the dollar. Oil hasn't increased in price when pricedin gold. A small portion of the world's people people own or control a largeportion of the world's wealth, and some of it is liquid (eg, notinvested in businesses, factories, real estate, etc.). In times offinancial instability and change, that wealth is sloshing around theworld trying to find safe havens where it won't depreciate too much.The credit collapse is tanking US and European, and maybe Asian stockmarkets, so stocks are not an option. The bond market is risky too, due to the expectation of inflation anddollar depreciation. The Fed hasn't really started inflating themoney supply yet, but the expectation is that they will.HIstorically, when a nation reaches a certain debt:GDP ratio, thegovernment invetibly choses to reduce the debt burden byhyperinflating the currency instead of cutting spending, raisingtaxes, and paying down the debt honestly. The fear is that the US hashit that point, or is close to it. Our ~$2.4T tax base (in goodtimes) will not be enough to even service our debt interest soon, witha ~$10T deficit, ~$50T+ in unfunded Social Security & Medicarepayments coming due over the next 50yrs, and the balance of paymentson those entitlements going negative in 2011 (more payouts thanSS/Medicare tax revenue). So that leaves commodities, precious metals, energy, and currencies asthe only liquid assets left investing that sloshing wealth in.Anything priced in dollars is vulnerable to dollar depreciation, butsince global demand for commodities and energy won't decrease, theprice can be driven up inversely to the dollar without risk of demandfalloff (which would bring the price back down). Eg, commodities andoil are a reliable hedge against a falling dollar, even when priced indollars, so that sloshing 'smart money' is being channeled intocommodities and oil, creating bubbles in those markets. Not completely sure yet how other currencies and gold fit into thepicture, still working on that. Gold and silver can be consideredboth precious metal and money, which makes them safe havens duringtimes of inflation or deflation (we have both right now,paradoxically), hence the increasing demand for them. The Euro, Iunderstand, is still fundamentally shakey. It's relatively new, hasno real country backing it, and I'm not sure what assets back it (USFederal Reserve notes are backed by the $800B in Treasury bonds theFed owns, though part of the dollar's collapse is that the Fed hasbeen using those bonds to prop up failing investment banks, andthey're down to less than half now). Some expect the Euro toeventually fall against the dollar when the world realizes Europe hasworse long term debt:GDP problems than America. Anyway, that's my best understanding so far, though I suspect I'veonly scratched the surface. I suppose 'speculators' is one word forwhat's happening, but only superficially....

Wedding Invitations

2008-05-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't wedding invitations be more fun if you can put this on them.....

Craigslist

2008-05-21T15:31:00.001-07:00

I have to say that i am really impressed with the way Craigslist works. I can see why guys like it because they can shop for things at home on the internet, and girls like it because they can see the pics on the internet. But there is no accounting for feeling and/or smelling the product is there? But the thing that really trips me out, because we're selling stuff on it, is the crap that people put on it (mine included). But seriously, shouldn't the website be used for some big ticket items? Instead, people are selling crappy vases for 5 bucks! 5 bucks! or a table or dresser for 13 bucks - that anyone can buy at Walmart.....

Brewer Surfboards

2008-04-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

I had bought a used Dick Brewer to learn on the past year. I could tell an immediate differance in the way the board handled waves, turning, and all around performance. So I told my friends one day, I am gonna get another board made by him. They were like - good luck.

I made some phone calls to surf shops in Kauai. I figured there would be more boards for sale there. I ended up at Tomba Surf Shop in Kapaa where I was able to put in an order. I was able to pick up my new board a couple of months later.

I haven't surfed it yet but am waiting for the weekend to try it out. It should be a blast. The specs for this board are the same dimensions but the instructions were to make it go -

see you in da water-

Govermentium

2008-01-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

I wonder if this applies to all governments.....

The recent hurricanes and gasoline issues are proof of the existence of a new chemical element. A major research institution has recently announced the discovery in 2007 of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element has been named Governmentium. Governmentium (Gv) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take over four days to complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 4 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will
cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium -- an element which radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

the Wanted then Unwanted Houseguest

2007-12-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

She who will be unnamed came to visit last week. Have you ever had a houseguest who changed their mind every two seconds, called back REPEATEDLEY and hung up without ever leaving a message, was suppose to stay for a couple of days but didn't, used personal items, and left food out? This blogger is for you.

She came and visited. Original plan was going to stay and work in Hawaii. Wanted a hotel, waitress, nanny position. Scored nanny position. Changed mind about working as Nanny because too much work. Was told could not stay at house past 5 days, after begging to stay 2 more weeks, so instead of staying at a hostel or finding an apartment made made travel plans back to California. I am glad she is gone.

Genvieve

2007-12-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

Scoping out Diamond Head

After 3 weeks of hanging out with Genvieve I spent more time in the water at Kaisers than at Pops. It was good to be with someone who is a good surfer. Now Ge is in Mexico and having more fun. Lucky girl!

Backcountry Road back to Hilo

2007-11-09T15:02:00.001-08:00

Mauna Kea

2007-11-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Mauna Kea's yearly mantle

Sage and Keo Reef

2007-10-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

this is my friends kids who are so cute. need i say more.

Da Beach

2007-10-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

things were slow this weekend so my friend Kari and i went to the beach to hang out and have fun. i am a wimp because i thought the water looked cold and did not go it.

Fountains of Wayne

2007-10-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

Ron and Arlene
Fountains of Wayne

so, it was a little disappointing to see Fountains of Wayne but not see so many people at Pipeline Cafe. Out of the hundreds of tickets, only 200 people were there or so. for this type of venue and with advance notice of the number of tickets sold, it would have been nicer to have tables for people to sit at to make the space more cozy and make the band feel like there were more people there to support them. the funny part was we were upstairs in the VIP section, but after the band stopped playing we were kicked out upstairs....

However, the opening band Lynus had a couple great sets and good friends to support them.

Pics of Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai

2007-10-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Leaving Kapalua, Maui
Sunset facing Lanai

Sunset facing Molokai
Leaving Maui
Overhead Lanai

Waikiki, Oahu
Haunama Bay, Oahu
Fishponds on Molokai
Upcountry Lahaina, Maui
Peace

Danielle and Stevie in Maui

2007-10-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

Danielle

I met Danielle in college about 13 years ago. i not sure how but she was probably sitting the same row as me and i was walking in from a side trip down to Mexico. But, we hit it off and took quite a few classes together. Her funny husband Steve is cool, and son Alex is pretty energetic. But, they like Maui so come every year and i get to crash with them and sometimes her other family.

New York, New York

2007-10-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Frank Morrocco

When i stepped off the plane into the US i needed a place to crash. Thank god Frank let me crash in his Hell's Kitchen pad, which was way cool. Gotta love New York and its rent controlled apartments. If yu gotta be anywhere it shoudl be somewhere where the action was. I met Frank when I was in Mykonos, 2 years ago with Michael, Sumner, and Joseph.

Anyway, here's to the New Yorker with a warm heart. He took me in, cooked, and bought the food. we stayed up most of the night and talked early in the morning. Hope you come visit buddy !

Last Thoughts and Madrid, Spain

2007-10-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

architecture Madrid
old street Siesta time

their version of street signs

church
church
church
looks like Zeus
Queen Isabella 2

north Spain
road trip
sunset

royal palace - looks like ours

i ended up road tripping down to Madrid from the north. the coutry side is beautiful. it went from mountain country, arroyos, rolling plains, etc. i took one of the nicest sunset pictures ever. reaching Madrid was a little tricky with the highways but in the end I reached the airport and dropped off my car. next time i am driving manual. it has been quite exhausting to drive being sick but the countryside was invigorating.

the people have been very warm and kind. the food looks freaking great. the only thing is that whatever i eat comes back out in 5 minutes. so gastronomically it would be a waste of good food and expensive euros. the good news is that i gained weight for the last weeks, because who really excercises on vacation? the great news is that i have lost it all in 2 days. not exactly the ideal diet but i am not complaining.

i am posting some of the shots that i took while walking around the old historic district of Madrid. it is beautiful here and a nice way to wind down before leaving europe. it is depressing to be sick and to not be able to adventure with the food and the culture.

so, after 12 airports, 14 planes i am coming home. i have made a shitload of good friends who are coming to Hawaii and made great friendships.

it has been a good learing experience and a good chance to broaden the mind and soul.

leaving on vacation should be about taking yourself out of your comfort zone and experiencing unique things and trying to find the high road in life. it makes you a better person because you realize how much more there is to life.

one think is that you realize how other cultures perceive you as a person as well as americanos in general. i realize how privaleged we are as a country, society, etc. Consumerism and Capitalism are the key words that people associate with americans. it was nice to see countries that aren´t quite the consumers. the flip side is people work very hard to made a decent living.

In europe people work to live, and in america we live to work. a good friend of mine noted that if you have time you don´t have money, and if you have money you don´t have time. this is apparent when you see tourists on vacation for a week and they complain about the weather, the time, the accomodations, the transportation. we are so used to getting what we want, when we want it that we are unable to see past the immediate problems.

the last thing i want to say is that i am very impressed with the international news regarding current events abroad. it is sad to see we don´get the same news standard in Hawaii or the mainland. i am also very impressed with how people view the environment here.

Mundaka, Basque Country, Northern Spain

2007-10-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

local girls from Mundaka

waiting for the waves
some surfer being interviewed
guys from brazil and friend from Holland

Robson Machado
too much
Mundaka´s
its still early
happy b day

Local style

Local boy M. Prickett

Mundaka Harbor guys from somewhere in Brazil

not sure where but ended up hanging out with them lots

old architecture
angela
angela and Aussie matt
sorry about the room matty

We escaped to Mundaka, located near the Urdabai Forest Reserve. The Billabong contest was being held. we just went. found friends. no surf. no waves. found friends. ended up on the floor. the atmosphere was cool the people awesome. compared to the rest of spain, they were downright friendly. they are all coming to visit Hawaii. ended up hanging out with the photographers from the Billabong Tour. left. too much partying. knew i had to go when i told someone i was hacking up brown crap, and he replied his was green. at least people in greece go to sleep, the Mundaka locals don´t.

the`partying would start at 9 ish and at 5 ish people were walking around....on saturday night the premiere of Mundaka History was held. it was cool to see the love of surfing from everyone. even the Basque revolutionists came and marched down the street.

Santander, Spain

2007-10-03T03:22:00.001-07:00

*******************************************India****************************************

were all here for the conference....

Last Days in Greece

2007-10-03T03:03:00.000-07:00

Popi and me

dive masters from Argentina Rodrigo and Arita

Vladimir and me

Yiannis and me

at da bar

old gang from Castro bar
sex on the beach baby
last hours at Bellvedere

Chris, Erianna, Popi, Kostas, Michalis, and Yianni

Diving Kalafati Greece

2007-09-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

lobster
rock fish

wreck 90 feet down
yes they have eels here too

the water is crystal clear and the visibility is amazing. i refreshed my PADI liscense and went for a dive off the rocks on monday. the dive school Kalafati Dive center is good. Vladimir, Kostas, Rodriqo, etc. are the very best at what they do. attached are some shots of the dive the very next day off the boat 1/2 mile offshore Kalafati. i got into the water and Yiannis took shots. i think one of the divers is me, but i am not sure. but posting shots of the wreck at 9o feet, we only went 60 feet, lobster, rock fish in urn, and etc. enjoy !

its just been waking up early to go diving, partying until late at night, and enjoying the view and the good hospitality. i have met quite few people who are coming to hawaii at some point but it had been extradordinary trip here in greece.

Anne and Huw

2007-09-27T03:15:00.000-07:00

anne and huw
naked bar???

we had the good fortune to meet anne and huw at the bar one night and ended chatting them up. they are from england and were on vacation. apparently they face a very cold winter in england and there is no sun for quite a while and they come to greece for last minute sun. we've been hanging out with them for the last couple of nights and having drinks. the're good eggs.

misty left back to athens and then home to honolulu to be at work at sunday. it is surreal to me that it has almost been a full month of vacation....

Greece

2007-09-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

sunset in Mykonos
diving in mykonos

went swimming with a dive group and ended up having to strip in front of 50 tourists to get off the dive boat because the line broke. it was very cold to swim back. tomorrow going to go and recertify and get back into diving. going around the coast. freaking cold here. the weather has been so bad that the planes and the ferries were not runnning for two days so everyone was stuck here. but its been totally cool.

Castro Bar - greece

2007-09-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

Big pelican's that walk around mykonos for the tourists
Mister Hotness and Hubby John
markus
Australian marcus and Colorado Neal

Jewelry Shopping

2007-09-23T02:53:00.000-07:00

can u say 100,000 us dollars for earrings
220,000 us dollars for necklace
200,000 us dollars ruby necklace

mykonos harbor

at this point the owner closed the door so we could not run out

Kastro Bar

2007-09-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

me and konstantinos
yiannis at NOBU
Michalis, Konstantinos, me and Jeff

awesome bartenders at Kastro Bar
can u say lemondrop

2007-09-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

mysti and yiannis

house in greece
church on landowners land

Waiting for a hotel

2007-09-23T02:28:00.000-07:00

Mysti at 7 am

we were so freaking tired we were up at 3 AM to get to the airport
i found a cat tp take home with me
naked people on the beach called Paradise

Athens, Greece

2007-09-23T02:04:00.000-07:00

wild dogs

so, i landed in athens with about 10 hours to kill so i decieded to go to Athens and meet up with Misty versus waiting in the airport for the night. Caught a cab ride with a guy who builds boat docks named Alberto. The flight was okay, however the airline checked my bag all the way to Mykonos or otherwise it was still in the airport somewhere - so always check where ur bag is going to turn up and don't rely on what the ticket says.

Met up with Misty at Athens Backpackers place which was expensive, i think for a hostel. but ended up meeting two really cool gals who plan to come to Hawaii named Tessa and Dalia, one from Califonria and one from London.

Misty and i woke up at 3 pm to go to the bus station (3 euros or 5 us) which was the only alternative versus the cab (40 euros- 55 us). we were acoompanied by five dogs, who apparently in greece just wander around because no one takes care of them. owners just leave them to the streets because they either get expensive or they don't care. these dogs were protecting us as we walked to the bus station. it was surreal. a guy was walking toward us and they started barking at him, at that time he raised his arm up to ward them off and they started really growling. as we walked by the national park there were several dogs who started barking away at our gang of dogs. as we go to the bus stop there were another gang of dogs who started barking. it was dog wars.... in any case i think our gang of dogs were protecting us and we ended up just fine taking the bus and waiting at some ungodly hour for the plane to take off.

2007-09-18T02:14:00.000-07:00

inside the church

statute under the red marble of a golden skeleton holding an hourglass

inside the main area
typical roma streets
the brown long wall is part of the original wall in ancient Roman times, the old city was constructed and as time went by civilization just built outside the wall - urban sprawl

behind vatican city - private gardens
Vatican guards
PIZZA !!!!!!

one nice of hundreds of statutes in the church
example of wall painting

this door is opened every 25 years, so 2025. it supposedly clears away all sins

hear that you sinners? bettah get ur asses through that door

picture of vatican city where no one goes

angela and I - we were sweating like pigs but they have a dress code here

Late 1600 vatican city - michelangelo created the statutes and the square

2007-09-18T02:05:00.000-07:00

Vatican City and Roma, Italy

2007-09-18T01:29:00.000-07:00

I have to clarify that the pics of Norway and Iceland are my cousin angelas pics.

i remember now, duh, why i can't live in cold weather. it because it is too freaking cold. I start to sleep a lot longer, my blood thins out, and i just can"t function. ï decieded to high tail it out of germany and visit my cousin in Roma. If i went to Norway and Iceland I just would freeze and not come back. at least the weather in Italy is very nice - humid and warm.

Angela works for the United Nations, Food Agricultural Organization, and they are headquartered here in Rome for South Africa. I have to say she has a pretty cool job. kinda like Angelina J with that movie that she made but got blown up in a land mine - but this is real life and she goes to the field but i think it is safe.

I am posting pics of Roma. Yesterday we went to the Vatican City - created late 1600's -and it was pretty cool. There were a shit load of tourists but it was well worth it. The Vatican guards, not the ones pictured in uniform are HOT, real italian men. I couldn't get a shot with them because it would just be so cheezy. The ones pictured in uniform i feel sorry for. Apparently the uniforms are ones that Michelangelo created and they still wear today. They, the men guards, all come from a certain country, can't remember where right now, and work for the Vatican. i posted a postcard from the Vatican City that should be coming to DLNR that says the Vatican, so that should be really cool.

I took some pics inside the church but they are blurry but u can get an idea of the gradeur that Rome was in the 1600's. if i remember correctly with histiry books, it was called the Golden Age/Renaissance years. Art was in full swing and aspiring artists were able to be seen due to the help of the church and kings....

I have not gone into town today, because it is raining and thunderstorming. I am just chilling, doing laundry, posting, and chilling out. It would all be so pleaseant if not for the mosquitoes that seem to be proliferating out of nowhere-MFKssss. shopping in Roma seems dangerous, and there is still a last chance to walk thrugh the duty free shops on the way out of Italy to Athens...

Italian men look at everything here it seems. you just have to be within 50 feet and their heads swivel around to check u out. but everyone is very polite here. the pizza is like nothing u have ever had in the states. It is light but has just the best stuff on it. my cousin says that everything produced here is organic and not processed, or fortified, or whatever, and people really like fresh food. I have to say the tomatoes are fresh, juicy, and light tasting. the Pasta is all good. the pizza, again, i could eat the whole damm thing. Italians for the most part look nicely put together. you see the older women walking around arm in arm, young people fashionably dressed, etc.

Vatican City Roma Italy

2007-09-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

2007-09-17T07:15:00.001-07:00

2007-09-17T07:09:00.001-07:00

Norway

2007-09-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Reindeer
norway

Iceland

2007-09-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

Angelas photos

Iceland Photos

2007-09-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

cousin Angela's trip to Iceland

Efficient Hamburg

2007-09-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

House in Timmelsdorf
view of baltic Sea looking toward Denmark
water fountain for dogs
German sweets
Indoor swimming pool for winter
Beach cabanas
Russian sailing boat
outdoor cafe
Buy me

real fish and shrimp sandwiches

outdoor playground
russian sailors

1930#s house
modern house with grass growing on it
view of common area for 1930 houses
bad color

The town is beautiful. i have so far managed to convince my two cousins to come visit me and my second cousin for a couple of weeks. well see. u know how it is when someone says they come to visit and they don't.

i will be post pictures of houses here in germany - one pre war - 1930's, one constructed around 1955, and more modern houses. the architecture is beautiful of course. not sure because of the german cold winters, the building code is very structured, or because that's what people like to see. what's awesme is people plant crap on their houses, it is soo cool.

one thing is that there is a huge turkish influx here, and that is the only culture has infiltrated here so far.the interesting thing is that they have to speak german, and adapt to german ways. which is really interesting to see because u see white, blond, blue eye people, then brown haired, brown eyes culture and they are so differant. for instance, my aunt who is of the older generation notes that the turkish people like BBQ - doesn't in Hawaii? another thing is homeowners like to paint their houses brighter colours than the normal white...some people painted their house a bright red or yellow. for germans it is very upsetting. i can understand why because their culture is changing and maybe not the way they want it to be.

one thing which is very nice is people like to excercise here. as i said there are a lot of older people who walk, run, jog, or walk with those walking sticks around. the lake. dogs are an accepted member of the family. the nice thing is u can take them to restaurants and no one cares, its awesome. no DOH health laws to worry about.

another thing i noticed, speaking about DOH, is that when they construct buildings or projects they have no BMP's. its weird because they have large projects but the soil is just piled to the side. i took a picture of a sewer line being replaced and it was minimal fuss, no large BMP's or fences, just a backhoe and 2 men. very efficient.

one thing i wish they did something about here is smoking. it has been recently been banned but people light up anyway.

today we went to the Baltic sea. The sand is ugggs. they charge 3 euros or 4.50 US dollars to walk along the beach or sit on it. they have these weird beach cabanas to rent out. the people at both towns we went to in Northern Germany - Timmendorfer - were again, white, blond, blue eyes. i have finally gotten used to being the only asian person anywhere. to be truthful the stared are more puzzled and most people smile after u say hello. they are proposing to do a beach restoration project there which is very interesting but think will fail because it does nöt seem like they have a sand source to replenish one erosion occurs.

one last thing i will write is if anyone ever goes shopping inthe EU make sure u bring ur passport so u can get a refund check for the 19% VAT tax they charge everyone. the tax is suppose to stimulate goods and services from each country, and the economy, but i am not so sure about this. i mostly forget that when u buy something from the euro- 1) the tip is included, 2) the tax is included. Never go to a store called BELLETRIST if u are in Timmendorfer because they rip you off as a tourist. i was trying to get the VAT back but they gave me a hard time and pretended not to understand. bad for tourism.

speaking of shopping, its awesome for some things. Textiles such as steel, featherbeds, pillows, german duvets, candy, cheese, and milk are cheap. so if ur in germany spend money on the pots and pans, and anything else that is good for the kitchen, gaunrantee u won#t regret it.

Can U Say The Police

2007-09-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

30,000 people

the concert was awesome but it was short about 1 hour 45 minutes. the ticket included transportation from the train and the shuttle to the stadium. the whole time took about 34 minutes by train, a 5 minute wait for the shuttle and a 10 minute ride. if Hawaii can get its act together - public transportation would be a great idea, but i think the main reason t works here is because the train, shuttle, buses, and fast trains, all work together timing, routewise, etc.

There were 50 thousand people there who were, well, orderly at the concert. in the begining people were very reserved but during the second half they got more unrestrained. but if u went to the Pearl Jam and U2 you'll know how much energy a concert can generate and this one was a little flat. maybe it was because it was cold, they took out alcohol away, and it was germany where people are polite. but on the train ride home there was a lot of energy. out of the whole concert i think i was also the only asian person there in a stadium of tall white people.

Fabian's German Field trip and Majorca Spain trip

2007-09-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

could be hawaii but no waves
night field trip to look at the stars Taken by aliens and returned

Ocean's 18 - Fabian
to be young again
the new drink
sanria in a bucket
it's a tobacco pipe
the day after

Life in Hamburg - Food, Jägermeister, Family

2007-09-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Jägermeister Family

somehow Fabian, Uncle Rolf, and I finished off a large Jagermeister bottle by ourselves during a dessert break, that turned into a serious drinking session. because of the hearty meal of sausage, heavy bread, and cheese, shown below, i managed not to puke in the woods and embaress myself on the short walk home. today i can drink it so, unlike tequila, so apparently it really must be medicinal like my family tells me.

stadtpark

the park next to the neighborhood is beautiful. it is 3 miles around the lake and you see people 77 years old riding bicycles, walking, etc. everyone looks so healthy. the two pics above are examples of the park. why can't our parks be like this...it is clean, no garbage on the floor, dogs walk without leashes and actually are very well behaved... maybe its because people respect nature here, maybe its a social system and/or maybe the "tragedy of the commons" applies here.

Tante Ingrid (75 years old - and still going strong) and Kiki
Snoop Doggy Dog

hearty german snack - Dinner for me
people like flowers here. that is another nice thing about germany. flowers are cheap and everyone grows them in their yard. my aunts house has 7 flower vases all over. this is a picture of a house of a summer house, about 700 square feet.

german playground

aunt's house in germany

its not cold yet

Mafiosi Herta

i think the cigarettes had alcohol in them, either that, or she snuck in a shot of jager

Uncle Rolf - school's out

common german soup - yes those are sasauges

The Bachelor - Fabian

The Plane Ride from Hell

2007-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

I had the unfortunate experience of sitting next to a girl who thought she was Lola, from the movie "Run, Lola Run!"

Unfortunately she was on the plane in another row. i say unfortunate because the stewardess from hell thought they were being nice and moved her a way from the strict german couple she was sitting next to. in any case she ended up with her freakin laptop on my stuff, her weirdo notes and books on the seat next to me, and both lights shinning to me.....blah blah blah. that wouln't have been so bad because in airlane warfare i should have just taken over the window seat and draped my legs over the seat and just gone to sleep. but i like the aisle and usually it is a choice seat because u dont have to climb over someoneone. well, lola as i call her freakin was on speed or something and climbed over me about 5 times, in her hippy, stinky, weaverville outfit, and worked feaverishly all night. then she put her weirdo camping bag near the safety stuff so the stweardess freaked out and woke me up and asked me if it was mine.el lola freak then wanted tp get out so she could go put the bag away, but at that time, where u going to put it ??? the plane was full andbags have shifted. i had taken two valium because turbulence was BAD and the plane was shaking all over the place. I gave up on sleeping and just dealt with it. When we landed, el freako, decieded she wanted to go out the service way exit and wanted out again. i finally just asked her, can you just wait until the line is going? there's noplace to go anway, but she pointed out the service exit so I just got up again. as we were walking down the gangway, she asked me - is this your first time to germany? i finally had it and said, look, if ur going to travel again don't climb over someone 20 times because its really rude. she was like i had no idea.so i am thinking what freaking planet was I or she on???? i thought she might have come from hawaii specifically from weaverville. werdo.

FYI - and by the way because the keyboard is wirder here than in canada the words are definetly going to come out backwards.

Supermarkets

2007-09-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

It's Sam !!!!!!!!
Beer with history
Dessert
Sushi Taxi - apparently the name is because they deliver sushi

Chat Miso and her teddy dog
Mitch's domicile
produce - boring frommage....
exciting frommage

The price of food here is pretty good. Produce, vegetables, and fruits are a way of life here. Right now the US dollar to the Canadian dollar is 1.00 to .90 cents.We went to the supermarket and the food is basically the same. with the exception of the boring frommage that mitch told me to get away from. Apparently there is boring cheese and good cheese. We saw a bunch of beer that was named after the history of Quebec, which was pretty cool. There was also a beer that Mitch said had Sam's pic on it.

We went shopping in Quebec. There were very nice shops - Tristan and America - all around clothing, Parasuco -famous jeans where the belt buckle rack was apporximately 230 US dollars, Simmons a department store. The winter clothing apparel was really nice of course.

The only thing that really sucked was the tax here. Apparently they have a federal tax and a provincial tax - that at one time you could get back if you were a tourist. But it is something like 14 percent. In the end of the tax year you also have to pay more taxes. So even though health care and schooling is subsidized by the government, you basically get half of what you make. Food in grocery stores is tax free but everything else is not.

Cap-Sante Canada

2007-09-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Trees turning color
river bed of the Saint Laurent River
Mitch's Grandpere
old folks home that was a hotel
Old historic house from 1900's

jolies fleurs

house with erosion issues

Church 1800's

Cap-Sante is a very beautiful old canadian town, approximately 30 minutes outside of Quebec, and is comprised of several old houses dating back to the late 1800's to the early 1900's. Like most towns in this era the church is the focal point of the town, and is very beautiful too. Mitch (Michelles) says that not many people go to church anymore so the chruches have a hard time paying for upkeep. in this case the church door was locked. Micth also said the pews are straight 90 degree angles and were very uncomfortable - I guess thats the throwback to the 1800's when they wanted you to stay awake during sermons....

Like any area that has lots of room, and hasn't been developed there is a quaintness and charming feel to the houses.

Quebecois

2007-09-05T09:58:00.001-07:00

Cat and Mitch Me and Sarah
at Cosmos
Miso Mitch's sweatheart chat
late night activities can you say rumplemints?
Mitch just picked me up at the airport and we went to meet Cat and Sarah. It was a surprise for them because they had no idea I would be there. It was fun and the food at the restaurant was very good, big portions, and the atmosphere lively. So farùwe have had quite a bit of fun!!!!!!

Lake HoptacongYacht Club

2007-09-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Captain Olivia
Captians Charlie and Georgia

Chalie - MostImproved Award
Awards Ceremony Labor Day

"The Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club is a private club located in northwestern New Jersey, on the state's largest lake. The club was founded in 1905, and our current clubhouse dates to 1910. The clubhouse was built in the Adirondack style, using local logs, and was recently placed on the National and New Jersey registers of historic places. "

Who knew that this place had so much history? I spentmost of the day sleeping in and recovering fromyester days activities. I had also swum in the lake and was not sure if I got something from the water. think not clear and sewaweed puling at your leg.....

If things look weird on the site its because i am in Canada and the keyboard is funky.

The cousins are cute so I am going to post more pics here. But all I have to say is Olivia, Georgia, Charlie and Stella are going to be fierce competitors with the yacht club .....

Three More Days

2007-08-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Three more days and i am outta here! Can't wait. It is amazing when vacation time gets nearer how much you realize you need one. Anyway, have lots of things to do, like clean up, laundry, work, get Pantera squared away. Got plane meds so I won't think everytime the plane has turbulence that is gonna crash, and calming stuff for the dreaded visit with my NJ aunt. But my cousins are big partiers in New Jersey so we'll have lots of fun....

Summer was Fun

2007-08-27T15:16:00.001-07:00

Drew and David

Micheal
Mishelley

Pantera

Misty

Sandra
Christian and Connie
Sander, Barbara and AJ
Drucilla

Canada Michelle

Sarah

Summer was fun. Just had weekends for the beach, diving, swimming, and hanging out. Looking forward to going to visit family and friends on this trip. Only have four more days, and it seems like time has fast forwarded. Pantera (un chat) is sweet as ever but I am sure when I return that she is going to be really pissy - literally.