Barack Obama: A Mothers Promise

This video was just released a few weeks ago by the National News Agency:

How Obama’s Economic Stimulus Plan Will Help Hawaii’s Construction Industry

I found this interesting site that shows how Obama’s Economic Stimulus plan could help Hawaii’s Construction industry.  (Of course it’s a site run by the construction industry so it might be a bit slanted of a report)

The economic impact of stimulus investment in Hawaii:

• An additional $1 billion in nonresidential construction spending would add about $2 billion to the state’s GDP, about $685 million to personal earnings, and would create or sustain 19,000 jobs.
• 6,500 of these jobs would be on-site construction jobs located within Hawaii.
• 3,000 of these jobs would be direct and indirect jobs associated with construction supply materials and services. The majority of these jobs would be located within the state, but there would be some out-of-state jobs supported.
• 9,500 of these jobs would be created when construction, supplier and service providers spend their incomes. These jobs would be based in Hawaii and throughout the economy.

Construction Employment:

• In 2007, a total of 34,000 jobs were supported by the direct and indirect outlays associated with the state’s nonresidential construction spending.
• The construction industry (residential plus nonresidential) employed 38,000 workers in October 2008.

Nonresidential Construction Spending:

• Nonresidential construction spending in Hawaii totaled an estimated $1.8 billion in 2007.
• This direct construction spending in the state contributed a total of $3.6 billion (5.9 percent) to state GDP of $61.5 billion.
• Direct construction spending in the state added $1.2 billion in additional personal earnings to the benefit of Hawaii residents working in the state.

Construction Industry Pay:

• In 2007 annual pay of all construction workers in Hawaii averaged $59,300, 58.5 percent more than the average for all private sector employees.

Small Business:

• Hawaii had 3,000 construction firms in 2006, of which 86.9 percent were small businesses employing fewer than 20 workers.

Council Lady Naeole Talks About Her Recent Trip to Washington DC… Video

Emily Naeole’s Legislative Aide RJ Hampton Talks About Her Recent Washington DC Trip… Video

John Cruz Singing in Washington DC During the Obama Inauguration… Video

What a beautiful rendition!

Pahoa Inauguration Ball Videos

Here are the videos that I shot at the Inauguration Ball.  I only have a small little camera so the quality is not the greatest.  BIVN will be posting a video of the ball too, I believe, as I saw him there.

I’d also like to apologize to Simon Greywolf who did the sound for the musicians tonight.  My videos do not give justice to the great sound that the groups provided.

Simon Graywolf

I really need to get a better camera!

Well the lighting wasn’t the greatest in there either.

All I can say … “Is only in Pahoa”

*Pictures can be found here

Pahoa Obama Inauguration Ball Pictures

Well tonight was the night that Pahoa town anxiously awaited for.  The first ever presidential inaugural ball to be held in Pahoa took place tonight at the Akebono theater.

Here are a few pictures:

I took so many pictures that I didn’t even bother to attempt to get names of people.  If you would like me to post your name with your picture, please feel free to email me.

There were a few people dressed up in costumes, but the majority of people dressed “Puna Chic” whatever that is.

Of course there were the regulars and then the I don’t know what you call em:

And we even had some significant figures from the past that helped pave the way to where we are now:

Both the young ….

And the not so young came out to party:

Some folks were sitting:

Some folks were standing:

Catherine Moses Edwardsen (Left) "I am from Alaska and was so excited to go to any event in this little village."

Some folks were eating:

Some folks were dancing:

Some folks were smooching:

Some “jogger” and a mother-in-law were babysitting:

Some folks were drinking:

But everyone was having a good time:

I’m uploading some movies to youtube now and will post them later.

Click on the pictures below to enlarge.  Videos can be found here.

Catherine Moses Edwardsen from Alaska

Simon Graywolf of the Lost Chords Trio doing the sound for the musicians

Tonight – Obama Inauguration Ball in Pahoa

Mayors Kenoi, Mufi and Carvalho Sing with John Cruz at Inauguration

*Update* Video is now loaded of Mayors singing at inauguration  (wait for short commercial to play) click here.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been following former Honolulu Advertiser Reporter turned Blogger Kim Fasslers Twitter feed at the Inaugural Ceremonies. She actually lives there now, and has been actively tweeting the countdown to the inauguration.

She’s got some great pictures on her blog here. This is just one of them:

"...I scrambled on top of an electrical box and took this photo through tree branches..."

She recently tweeted:

“I think it was just Cruz; he put on a great show by himself. The mayors — Mufi, Carvalho, Kenoi – sang Island Style w/ him“

*Update* Click here for video.

Obama’s Mother Featured in UH Magazine Malamalama

Paula Bender (aka Lavagal) has written an excellent article on Obama’s mother in this months UH Magazine Malamalama, featuring a pictorial of her and all.

Obama’s mother attended UH in the Sixties and Ms. Bender writes about the “Legacy of the President’s Mother“.

…“She instilled in us a love of books, based on the understanding that we could journey anywhere and that any world could belong to us,” Maya Soetoro-Ng told an overflow audience at a September 2008 UH Mānoa symposium about her mother’s work…

“She had an expansive notion of the world and of our possibilities within it. What a remarkable person she was.” Said Maya Soetoro-Ng

You can check out Benders article here and her blog that she has started here.

Waiakea High School Kids Head to Obama Inauguration

A group of Waiakea High School students are on their way to Washington D.C. for the presidential inauguration. In one week, we will have a new president and a group of Waiakea High School students can hardly contain themselves…

More Here

Wonder if they will be traveling with Naeole :oops:

American Idol Part II: Legislative Aide RJ Hampton Does the Obama Inauguration Rap

Earlier today at the PCMC grand opening, 5th District Councilwoman Emily Naeole’s Legislative aides RJ Hampton and Sativa pulled me aside to let me know that RJ had a little “Gift” if you will. I was a bit hesitant, but with RJ and Sativa you never know what you are going to get. So they pulled me aside and this is what I videotaped:

She’s quite a talented legislative aide I must say. I also joked with them for a moment or two and I had to explain how I found the video with RJ singing to Presidential Candidate Kucinich.

I’m not sure which is better?

First Time I’ve Really Been Excited About A President Leaving

This is the first time I’ve ever really been excited about a president leaving office.

Its not only that I’m against a lot of what the Shrub(s) have done while in office, it’s the fact that I think were getting a great president coming into office.

I’m working on a countdown to “Bush being out of office” statement that I’ll put up on the corner of my blog.  It might not be noticeable at first what is happening… but it will be eventually.

How Hawaii Protected Obama During the Power Outage

Just noticed that Time online ran this interesting article:

How Hawaii Protected Obama During the Power Outage

…Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann ordered the Honolulu police department to beef up patrols in the area around Obama’s beachfront compound while the Hawaiian Electric Company sent a portable generator to the home to ensure that Obama’s family and staff were powered up. “We understand he’s okay in his compound,” said Hannemann, speaking Friday night. “Where he is staying has to be one of the most secure spots on the island.” Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle said an undisclosed branch of the military provided communications equipment to Obama’s security detail while state Civil Defense worked to ensure the generator was operating by 11:30 p.m. Friday night. “We stayed until we were certain that he was all taken care of,” said Lingle…

More Here