Hawaii: The Senate Paperless Initiative

Video documents the Senate’s ongoing efforts to reduce paper use and streamline key operations. The Paperless Initiative helped cut the Senate budget by reducing personnel and operating costs.

For more information, contact (808) 586-7142.

Sig Zane 7th Anniversary Sale… 3 Days Only!

Click for more info

The HYPE 5-0 “A Renaissance” February 6th and America’s Best Dance Crew

I blogged about Josh Ulep a couple times here and here.  It looks like he has finally made it to the BIG TIME!

After trying several times to get on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, his dance crew “Hype 5-0” has finally made it on to the show and is in the top 15!

A group of dancers from Hawaii is preparing to take center stage for a chance to win $100,000 and the title of America’s Best Dance Crew.

And they need your help to make it to the top.

Marc, Brittnie, Allen, William, Josh, Casey and John together are…HYPE 5-0….. KHON2 News

On February 6th at McKinley High School, current and former members of Hypersquad will be coming together for one last show called “Renaissance”.

Below you will see  the making of  “Renaissance” under the direction of Josh Ulep and Casey Kalahiki

NFL Players and Cheerleaders Return to the Big Island

From the Mayor’s Office:

NFL Football Players and NFL Cheerleaders will be holding Youth Clinics for Hawai’i Island students on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 as part of the eighth annual NFL Pro Bowl Youth Clinics. Players and cheerleaders will also be visiting local schools for assemblies before the clinics as part of the program focused on motivating our youth to realize their dreams and to maximize their potential.

Players and cheerleaders will be at  at  Kealakehe High School from 3 p.m. to 5:30 pm. on Tuesday, February 9^th. On Wednesday, February 10^th 2010, the Youth Clinic will be held at Keaau High School from 3 p.m. to 5:30 pm.

The two-hour clinic will feature a variety of hands-on skills and techniques for both boys and girls.

In the past years, players and cheerleaders from the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks have come to the Big Island, to present our children with inspirational messages and positive skills training.

“Seeing the smiles, the excitement, and the joy on the faces of the kids – its quite an honor to be part of such a positive and inspirational event”, said Mayor Billy Kenoi, Pro Bowl Ohana Committee Member. “I cannot thank the NFL, Nat Moore, the Pro Bowl Ohana Committee, and our volunteers enough for making this event possible. Each year we involve more students on Hawai’i Island – we now get to involve over 700 of our youth Islandwide – and our kids will remember this for the rest of their lives!”

All youth participants will also receive an NFL Pro Bowl T-shirt that will be autographed by each player and an NFL Pro Bowl sling backpack.

The public and youth not signed up for the program are welcome to attend the event.  Youth participants are selected by their respective schools, but each year there are open slots that need to be filled. Youth who are accompanied by a parent may be able to participate if there are any open slots prior to the beginning of the clinic on a first come, first served basis.

For more information, please contact Rita Miller at 937-3815.

Dear Paul Newman… FAIL!

So we were popping a bag of Newman’s Own Microwave Popcorn and it exploded in our microwave. Luckily, we caught it before all the corn started to pop!

Local Blogs, Politicians, Ads and What’s on MY MIND

I recently got home after a week on Oahu and have had a few days to think about a post that Oahu blogger Ian Lind posted “Responding to thorny questions about blogging and bias”

It seems some folks doubt the sincerity of Ian’s blog and the position he writes about at times.

What the heck people… It’s his damn blog and he should be able to do whatever he wants with it.

Some folks may remember that Hunter Bishop had ads on his website for both Angel Pilago and Billy Kenoi during the election season.  If my memory serves me correct, he charged each of them $30.00 per month for those ads.

How is a measly $30.00 a month from any local politician going to influence any real blogger?

Ian is hearing comments like this:

Honestly, I think that since you work on the inside you shouldn’t blog period. If I were an elected official, I would a) never hire you or your relatives b) Never respond to any question you posed. How do we know if the person who’s signing your checks does something unethical you’re not looking the other way? How do we know your questions aren’t being written by your employer in a biased way?
I say stop working at the leg and blog full time. And then you can advertise all you want…

Geez… I can’t understand some folks venom at time? Ian has been an investigative journalist long before blogging ever came about. If Ian’s blog bothers you so much… don’t read it!

I previously mentioned that I won’t accept any political ads on my blog this year only because I don’t think it’s worth the money and people thinking I endorse one candidate or another simply because I have an ad on my blog.

I was earlier questioned by former councilman Bob Jacobson as to why I had Dr. James Weatherford’s blog posted on my site… but I did clarify that simply wasn’t true.

Why do people get so huffy puffy about things we write on our blogs? It’s just our own personal opinion of things.

Accusing bloggers who work for the government in one capacity or another of having biases because of their jobs is crazy. People in Hawaii need to wake up at times and realize that government workers across America are blogging… sorry it’s taken so long for folks to get a grip here in Hawaii.

Just to remind folks… I was the one that broke the story on the Kenoi smear… not Hunter… Although he compiled the facts… (that should say something as I was a supporter of Pilago)  Why would I as a blogger point out that Kenoi was getting smeared when I supported Pilago?

I try and be as neutral as I can on things at time when I see something bogus.

THE BILLY KENOI SMEAR:

http://damontucker.com/2008/08/07/is-a-billy-kenoi-smear-on/

http://damontucker.com/2008/08/14/kenoi-smear-follow-up/

http://damontucker.com/2008/08/17/kenoi-smear-on-front-page-of-tribune-herald/