Taco Del Mar

Too tired to really go into it… but Taco Del Mar is opening a store in Kona.

Yes, I’m Jealous, as this was a favorite lunch time grinds spot for me when I was living on Oahu. Now to have this tease just sitting across from the island from me in Kona…. well that and Wendys….. What is a former Oahu resident to do now living in Pahoa and the best fast food available is a friggin 7-Eleven Hot Dog and a McDonalds 15 miles away?

Glad I’m adjusting to eating more fish and veggies. Believe it or not… I thought I would gain weight moving back home from Oahu….. I’ve done a fairly good job of eating healthy and not grinding too much.

Bees on the Big Island… the Varroa Mite Invades

The Tribune Herald has announced that the Varroa Mite has invaded the Big Island.

Aaron Stene makes an astute observation that people might want to blame this on the Superferry.

I always thought a small bee could be caught up in the winds and end up here on the Big Island.

We have a real problem here folks in the fact that the Big Island provides many queen bees to the mainland….

….Hawaii-bred queens are in high demand, not only because they are mite free, but because they can be bred earlier in the year due to Hawaii’s warm climes….

Without Bees, we lose a lot of the agriculture nationwide.

….The average lifespan of a queen bee is two to three years, though she can live up to five or more, and produce 800,000 eggs during her lifetime….

The Varroa Mite

A Darker View

I was wondering where all these new people were coming from on my blog. I noticed that Andrew Cooper over at “A Darker View” has posted my blog on his blogroll.

He has a great blog… although, I have to admit,  I don’t understand a lot of the stuff he talks about. I do learn a lot and envy the great photos that he is able to get.

Surf on over to A Darker View for a view from the top of the world,

And Mahalo for adding my blog to your blogroll.

Gumapac and Joseph Fighting it Out… Kenoi Lurking

Just noticed on the Unofficial Polls that Gumapac and Joseph are tied and Kenoi has begun to pick up a bit of steam although still far behind.

Hot Pockets Being Recalled

Pepperoni Pizza Hot Pockets are being recalled!

I used to love these things, but they started to gross me out.

Now this grosses me out even more:

Nestlé Prepared Foods Company, a Mt. Sterling, Ky., establishment, is recalling approximately 215,660 pounds of frozen stuffed pepperoni pizza sandwich products that may contain foreign materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Friday….

….The products were produced on June 5, and distributed to retail establishments nationwide….

More here.

Todays Knockout

They say it takes two to tango.

Informational Briefing on Medical Marijuana, or Cannabis, Possession and Transportation in Hawaii on Monday

Just noticed from the “Hawaii House Blog” the following notice:

WHAT: The House Health Committee will hold an informational briefing on medical marijuana, or cannabis, possession and transportation in Hawaii.

WHEN: Monday, August 25, 2008
10:00 a.m.

WHERE: State Capitol, Room 309

WHO: The following have been invited to participate:

U.S. Attorney General, District of Hawaii
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, TSA
Hawaii State Department of Health
Hawaii State Department of Public Safety – State Narcotics Division
Hawaii State Attorney General
Honolulu Police Chief
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Richard Miller, Professor Emeritus, UH School of Law
Pamela Lichty and Jeanne Ohta, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii
Legislative Reference Bureau

Junk Closing in on Landfall

Only 180 miles to go and they are right outside of Hilo now!

Candidates Forum Tomorrow in Kalapana

I just noticed on Hunters sidebar that there is going to be a Forum down in Kalapana tomorrow.

Puna Makai Candidates Forum for mayor, council district 5 and state house district 4 races 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, at Kalani Honua Retreat in Kalapana. Call Alita 640-9959.

I wonder which candidates will show up?

Candidate Joseph Response to Highway 130 Question

I’ve been taking my time on the Hwy 130 question because it is really a state issue and the state has already made their intentions known to the community on widening the highway.

I would like to see the state take a look at a variety of ways to help the intersection problems, especially for those who live on the Orchidland side of the road. Making that left hand merge in the morning is especially dangerous and something needs to be done ASAP before we have more serious and possible fatal crashes in that area.

Possible solutions include looking at having “roundabouts.” I know they are not popular with local residents but the research shows that they are safer than traffic lights and will have a continuous flow of traffic at all times. The learning/acceptance curve for these new ideas (roundabouts) is three to four weeks. After that I believe we’d see a lot of people say why didn’t we do this years ago?

Build an overpass or underpass is also an option, but may be too costly. Roundabouts can have nearly all of their cost paid for by the federal government.

At present we should be looking at contra flow options to help with the traffic congestion between the peak hours of 4 to 6 pm.

Building an alternative route for emergency vehicles, bicycles and County buses is something we can push for at the county level and something that is long overdue in the Puna Makai area.

Of course having people carpool, take the bus and/or bike to work each day is something that the county should encourage by making those options more available and safe in our everyday lives.

Anyone View the Vent Recently?

Just checked out the vent… looks like it’s going off!

Hawaii Dog Napper Ordered to Pay $36,600

I wrote about the Hawaii lady that was convicted of dog napping earlier. Previously, it was only going to be $12,000. It’s now up to $24,000.

Here is a follow up:

….Margareta Doughty, 61, of Ocean View, Hawaii, must pay nearly $24,000 in attorneys fees and costs to Tyson and Melanie Doughty of Medway, according to the decision by Judge Maureen Monks….

….Monks also ruled that Doughty must pay her son and daughter-in-law about $12,600 in legal fees and awarded sole ownership of Dux, a golden retriever, to the couple….

…And, we just don’t have time to waste.

Richard Ha wrote about the Thirty Meter Telescope Project in his blog yesterday entitled “Kanaka Council“. He mentions that he has been meeting with the council about the Project and:

….I have to say, I am very comfortable around them. I know that I can come and go as I please. And the feeling is mutual….

I wrote a comment on his blog about how I thought it would be a tough sell to the Hawaiian Community.

His reply:

I know it’s a hard sell. But it’s no longer about us. It’s about future generations. My problem is that since I went to the Peak Oil conference, I am aware that oil will run out sooner than later and we are not prepared now to feed all the people in Hawaii. I think we need time to transition. I think that the TMT gives us more time. And, if we do this right, we can benefit future generations through education. The world has changed. And, we just don’t have time to waste.

I believe in what Richard has done for the Islands and what he continues to do. I haven’t really thought that much about the TMT project.

I do think we need to proceed with caution and take what we do with Mauna Kea seriously.

I’ve always believed the biggest invasive specie Hawaii has always had was “Concrete”.