Pot Calling the Kettle Black?

I hope this fades away soon… but once again I’m facing criticism for the pictures I took at the Post Office (see side).

I recently read this comment on the Big Island Chronicle:

…”Here is what the police chief says about the Christmas Eve incident involving the police officer and the blogger:

The postmaster called police about a “male acting suspiciously” taking pictures. The postmaster told police he had confronted the blogger, and the blogger did not give a reason for taking the pictures, just continued taking pictures after being confronted. When police arrived, the blogger took a “close-up photo” of Officer Jennifer Lee. Officer Lee asked the man why he took her picture and he said he planned to put her picture on the Internet. “She felt uncomfortable and asked for it to be erased.” Officer Lee asked the blogger why he was at the post office taking photographs and “he didn’t inform her initially why he was there.” When the officer asked the blogger for a photo ID, the blogger “gave her a business card.”  “She made contact with the postmaster.  He repeated the guy was acting suspiciously and they had asked him to leave,” the chief said…”

My comment to that:

…For clarification, the police officer asked for my name. I told her my name and gave her my old “old business card” from my old job simply because it had the spelling of my name. You have a copy of my old card and it relates to nothing dealing with my blog.

When the officer asked for Picture ID. I gave my license. No questions asked.

I’ve never reported to be a journalist… or even a citizen journalist. This has been something that has been put upon me by others.

I did tell the officer I was looking into ADA compliance. She asked if I was an investigator… I told her no. She asked if I was a reporter… I told her I report on my own blog…

I then read on about…

“…I strongly believe that if you’re going to walk around with a reporter’s notebook and a camera and engage the community in public dialogue about your findings, you must blog responsibly. This means taking ownership of your mistakes, and asking people’s permission to take and post their photographs...”

The two times she is talking about is the Pohoiki Bypass where members of my own extended Ohana actually gave up land for this bypass and another time when she saw me when I was going to go meet up at the tattoo shop to take pictures of the Pahoa Town getting ripped off… on the way to the tattoo shop,  I learned that Cash and Carry was also ripped off THAT morning.

It’s rather weird that she would make the comment about getting permission to take pictures of people… when before I even arrived at the Post Office that fateful day to drop off a package,  she had already taken pictures INSIDE the post office of unsuspecting people and posted them on her blog here.

Tiff…

Lets move on already… between the two of us… we can really help serve the much needed needs of this community.

You as a “Journalist”… me as a “Punk Blogger”.

I might just take you up on that offer to attend the Press Club thingy… Although I’m certain to walk in there with a “Scarlet Letter” on my forehead.

Hope we can move on so that Puna can get the much needed attention from the County and the State.

Peace Sistah

Sports Illustrated on 13 Year Old UH “Recruit”

Sports Illustrated ran an article today about the 13 year old UH Recruit I blogged about earlier.  I’m pretty sure this is what the NY Times article was based upon.

…Koehler, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound eighth-grader from Kaneohe, Hawaii, was always too heavy to play Pop Warner football. But Koehler, the 13-year-old brother of Arizona freshman offensive lineman Solomon Koehler, impressed Hawaii coach Greg McMackin so much during drills at the school’s camp this past summer that McMackin extended a scholarship offer.

The offer isn’t binding, and Hawaii can’t make a written offer until Koehler is a junior in high school, but for now, Koehler may just be the most sought-after prospect in the class of 2013. He could receive more interest after Sunday, when he plays his first regulation, 11-on-11 game in pads in the Football University Youth All-American Bowl at the Alamo Dome. The game will be streamed live at footballuniversity.org …

More here

24/7 On the Scene of Pohoiki Rd. Accident Today

Hawaii 24/7 has a pictorial on an accident that happened on Pohoiki Rd. today.

The second picture is something else!  I don’t think you would ever catch a picture like that in a regular paper.  Hope the victim is alright.

Nice shot Mr. Sekiya… like trade cameras?

*update* By the way, from the map and the location of the accident, I’m pretty sure I’m familiar with this turn.  It is a dangerous turn and I wonder how many accidents have happened in this area.

The whole way down to Pohoiki can be pretty scary if you ask me.

Today’s KO: Another Mauna Kea KO

UH Cheerleaders Win Paula Abduls “Rah!” Competition

*edit* Now confirmed

Ooooh so mad at this clip!  The author of the clip says UH won… So I’ll just assume they did.

WordPress Comments Cache Problems?

I’ve asked wordpress why my comments don’t show up immediately after I’ve approved them.

I’ve found the easiest way to make them show up in the mean time, is to run a “test” comment from my own blog, and then delete that right away and the “real comment” then appears.

I’m not sure why it does this, but I have asked.  So if on occassion you see a comment from myself that reads “Test”, I’m in the process of trying to get wordpress to update the cache on the real comments.

Any other wordpress users have this problem?

Big Island WeAkly Reader Question… “Can Bloggers Be Sued”

Journalist or a Blogger?  There are big differences that I wish people would understand.

If someone is going to blog and have it  published in a paper as a “NEWS” item, then that person would be considered more of a journalist and the paper could be accountable for the content of what is written.

Big Island Weekly recently posted the following:

…The next question comes to us from a Big Island reader: “I’m confused. Are bloggers reporters too? Do they have a code of ethics or standards or club? Can you sue a blogger for writing something untrue?”

This is a question that has been asked by numerours bloggers and professional journalists alike. The answer is there really isn’t a code of ethics for bloggers. Most blogs are not created by paid professionals and therefore aren’t under the same scrutiny as mass-produced publications such as Big Island Weekly…”

If you anyone would think something is worth suing me for… I sure hope someone would speak up.  I find it funny that my blog is getting as much scrutiny as a major paper.  I’m just a little blogger that has blogged for just a little bit of time in space. It is funny watching people get so worked up over someones PERSONAL blog.

My blog is not the “Big Island Blog, The Puna Blog, The East Hawaii Blog, or the (name community blog),…  It’s the “Damon Tucker’s Weblog”.

Sorry if you people reading my “online journal” that I allow people to comment about get so worked up over things.  If you don’t like the taste of something… do you eat it any ways?

I’ve had some people say my blog is not credible because I won’t write shit about my family members???  Screw those people… Would anyone write shit about their own family members?

Remember folks… This is my blog.  If you want your own, I can help you set one up… you know where to send the “Damon Dollar” ;)

(By the way BIW… you spelled numerous wrong)

13 Year Old Gets Full Ride Scholarship Offer with UH Football Team

I previously blogged about  the 16 year old that got a scholarship

The New York Times is reporting a 13 year old now has one:

At age 13, the 6-foot-3, 280-pound Reeve Koehler is so big that he has never been allowed to play organized football. Despite that, he already has a full scholarship offer from the University of Hawaii…

13 year old Reeve Koehler (left) on Cooke Field at a 2007 summer camp

Lingle Selects 5 New UH Regents

Governor Linda Lingle Saturday announced she has selected five individuals to immediately replace University of Hawai’i regents who have been serving as holdovers. The names will be submitted to the Hawai’i State Senate for its advice and consent when it convenes later this month…

List of names selected here.

Is Big Island Weekly Also Switching to Online Format? Is it the Big Island “WEAKLY”?

I’m checking out the Big Island Weekly online edition and something jumps out at me:

The first two “News” items CAN’T  be found in full in the Print edition as they have online videos attached to them.

The Win Hawaii House article… I even warned Tiffany ahead of time that it’s under investigation!  YET, the BIW ran the article 3 weeks later as if it’s something real.

It’s bogus!

Even Tiffany herself on her blog on DECEMBER 10th wrote:

“I’m leaving it up for now and calling it a “Puna Feature.” I am trying to get a hold of Sherri Smith and John Williams to ask them their response to allegations that this is a possible scam. Once I receive their response, I will post it on my website and include it in another story I am working on for another publication. Thanks for the heads up, Damon.”

Interesting comments have been left below that article explaining how bogus it is and that BIW should be investigated for running something like that.

Then 2 of the next 3 articles that appeared previously on “The Big Island Chronicle”.

There are only 5 “News” items listed.  2 Videos and 2 blogs (one of which needs to be retracted next week due to mis-information)

I wonder how the BIW advertisers that pay good money to have their ads displayed in the paper feel about the paper running videos and incorrect articles?

This is nothing against the writers of the paper at all.  More against the whole thought process that goes on behind the BIW when they are publishing their paper.

My biggest worry… is that they are just stringing  along reporters by reprinting posts, and then when they find another writer… they just cut ties with that writer.  That does seem to be Stephens Media Method of Operation.

My guess is that the Big Island Weekly will be an Online format within the next 2 years.

Why Do We See So Many Motorcycle Riders in Hawaii Without Helmets

I understand that it’s not the law for motorcycle riders in Hawaii to wear a helmet, but I just think riders would due to the safety factors alone.

I was reading the law on them and then realized these laws are more then 25 years old.  Is it time to revisit the helmet law in Hawaii?  Here is the 1970 and 1973 court decisions on the laws:

“Former helmet requirement was proper exercise of police power. — Former subparagraph (1)(A), which required a safety helmet, and the regulations promulgated pursuant to it were within the proper exercise of police power. The accelerating rate of deaths and injuries due to motorcycle accidents, coupled with the increase in motorcycle registrations, had reached such proportions and the class of motorcycle users had become so large and widespread that the continued viability of society required that they protect themselves from physical injury or death.” State v. Lee, 51 Haw. 516, 465 P.2d 573 (1970).

“Former helmet requirement for motorcyclists did not violate equal protection. — In view of the underlying differences between cars and motorcycles with respect to the protection against head injuries afforded their respective users, a legislative distinction between them in terms of the mandatory wearing of helmet was reasonable and did not violate the equal protection rights of motorcyclists.” State v. Cotton, 55 Haw. 138, 516 P.2d 709 (1973).

25,000 Page Views in One Month… Thanks

I just noticed that my blog tipped the 75,000 page view mark.

It was just last month that I reported I had my 50,000 page view!

Thanks all for viewing and I hope I haven’t pissed everyone on the island off yet!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

I got an interesting email from a reader of my blog this morning.

“…Can you shut off the stupid snow already?  It is SO distracting to have that interfering with photos and videos and on the edges of everything (especially with limited vision)…”

I let the reader know that the snow would be ending tomorrow.  It’s not because she requested it, it’s only because it was a special feature that WordPress was allowing bloggers to use during the Winter/Holiday time.

I’m originally from the Pacific Northwest, so having snow on my blog at times was a bit comforting for some reason or another.

I’m sorry if it bothered some of you folks as a reader, but like I’ve always felt about my blog… My blog is more for my pleasure then it is for others pleasure.

No one sticks a gun to your head to read my blog.  Sorry if at times the content of my blog or the “Look” of my blog may bother some people at times.

You pretty much know that when you come to the “Damontucker Weblog” you never know what you are gonna get.  If the content gets to someone so much that they feel the need to email me to tell me to change the content or vision of MY BLOG… I suggest they don’t visit it at all.

And to the people at WordPress that offered us bloggers the opportunity to have snow on our blogs… Mahalo!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!