Moving to Hawaii… Are We All Greedy Once We Get Here?

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Damon

Many of us move to Hawaii and don’t feel accepted because we aren’t from here.

Give me crap but we need to start opening up subjects on the real.

If no one wants to discuss this… so be it.  I remember when I first moved to Hawaii and some of the things that were said about “Haoles” in front of me only because I looked local.

Why is it that once we get here… We don’t want others to come here?

Or truth be known… we just want our friends from where we moved from to move here.. but then we tend to shut the door on others that want to move here?

Is the inherent greed of moving to a new place that is relevantly open and ours…. really ours?

Did we move here and then become one with the land and the people… or did we move here because we could?

I’ll give you two funny stories that I can look back at and laugh at now as many people think I’m a local.

When I first moved here and first got off the plane… I saw all these garbage cans that said Mahalo.

For the first few hours upon my arrival in Hawaii… I thought Mahalo meant Garbage!

And I don’t even want to begin with the whole thought about where I was moving to when I first found I was moving to HighLow Hawaii…

I’ve learned a lot since I first moved here… still have much to learn.

Why is it that most of us in general tend to think that we don’t want change in the places we move to?

We want to move to a place that is so peaceful and quiet… and then once we get here… we fight so much to keep it that way?

Second funny story… My wife is a local  wahine that  back in her days growing up… it was common to tease “Haoles”.  Irony…  yeah… now she’s married to a haole.

Filed under: Big Island, Community, Hawaii, State Affairs, Tourism | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Pahoa Library to Close for Two Months

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Damon

Pahoa Public and School Library (Big Island) is scheduled to close beginning Saturday, May 30 for approximately 2 1/2 months for health, safety, and accessibility improvements. The book drop will be closed from Friday, June 5 at 5 p.m. until the library reopens after renovations are completed.  An announcement will be made when the library is scheduled to reopen…

More here

Filed under: Community, Education, Kids, Pahoa, Uncategorized | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono Floor Speech on Energy Self-Sufficiency

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Damon

Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) speaks on the House Floor in support of The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), a comprehensive approach to America’s energy policy that charts a new course towards a clean energy economy.

Filed under: Economy, Environment, Hawaii, National Affairs, State Affairs, Sustainable Living, Technology | Leave a Comment »

Press Conference Thursday: The State of Sustainability in Hawai‘i County

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Damon

Media Release

The County of Hawai‘i is embracing energy sustainability to save money and the environment by adopting numerous initiatives to reduce the County’s environmental impact and build better efficiencies into County programs and activities.

The state of Hawai‘i County’s energy sustainability planning will be the topic of a press conference with Hawai‘i County Mayor Billy Kenoi on Thursday, May 21, 1 p.m., at the county’s Office of Aging training room, 1055 Kino‘ole Street in Hilo.

Mayor Kenoi will outline the County’s efforts to save energy costs and introduce members of the “Green Team,” a group of County employees who have volunteered to find ways to save energy costs, reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels, and protect our environment.

The Mayor, members of his administration and the Green Team will be available for discussion. Please call with any questions.

Filed under: Agriculture, Announcements, Big Island, Community, Environment, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Kenoi, State Affairs, Sustainable Living, Technology | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

My Dream Blog Assignment: Bloggers Embark

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Damon

I just heard through the grapevine and now read on a blog posting entitled “Bloggers Embark” by Dennis Hall, that a group of Bloggers, Podcasters and other members

“…will embark by aircraft and land with the tailhook upon the flight deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier underway in the Pacific Ocean. The following day the aircraft carrier will catapult us off the carrier’s bow to resume flight back to shore.”

This would be an absolute dream for anyone that knows me… so of course those of you know and follow my blog… Know that I have no shame in asking folks further up the line to get involved in something like this.

So I’ve emailed a couple folks and who know’s where my dreams may take me.

Heck… I got to see the NASA Moon Rover in action because of a simple email and my blog.

The lucky group of bloggers that has been selected:

Guy Kawasaki,  Steve Wozniak, Charlene Li, Beth Blecherman, Jennifer Leo, Jenny Lawson, Pamela Slim, Penelope Trunk, Jennifer Van Grove, Jennifer Jones,  Bill Reichert, Jefferson Wagner, Robert Scoble, Andy Sernovitz, Mike Arrington, Carroll LeFon, and Chris Pillo, and  Dennis Hall.

Dennis Hall on a Carrier

Dennis Hall on a Carrier

I wish I could add my name to that select group of bloggers!

Filed under: Military | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

First Hawaiian Bank Credit Line Used in Mainland Fraud Scheme… More Troubles for Chevrolet

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Damon

firsthawaiian

The former co-owner of Tracy Chevrolet pleaded not guilty in federal court on Monday to charges of scamming a bank out of $2.5 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento announced.

Stephen Kraut, 46, of Discovery Bay could spend as many as 30 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release and get fined $1 million if convicted of all 15 charges. Kraut is out of custody until his next court appearance on June 5.

A federal grand jury on April 30 handed down a 15-count indictment charging Kraut with using his position as general manager of Tracy Chevrolet to secure an $11 million line of credit in early 2005 through First Hawaiian Bank to pay for outside business ventures, among other things, when he agreed to use the money to buy and resell cars for the Tracy dealership. Kraut took out a second $12.1 million line of credit in 2006. He used $2.5 million from those accounts for his alleged scheme…

…The indictment says Kraut also gave false financial statements to the bank to make it look like the dealership was making money, when in fact it was operating at a loss.

Kraut “knowingly and with intent to defraud, caused Tracy Chevrolet to become ‘out of trust’ with First Hawaiian Bank,” according to the indictment. Kraut allegedly used some of the defrauded money “to make lulling payments” to the bank “in order to continue the fraud scheme.” He allegedly used the rest to keep the dealership open, pay himself monthly bonuses and as interest-free loans to finance his personal business ventures…

More Here

Filed under: Economy, Idiots | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Friday: Culture Shock Camp

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Damon

culture shock

An introduction to the members of Culture Shock Camp and what they are about:

Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, Community, Entertainment, Hawaii, Hawaiian | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

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