We’re back with a brand new edition of BuzzWords!

(Catchy name, right?)

We’ve got some exciting new changes we’re just dying to share with you. Starting with this month’s sizzling summer issue, we’re officially switching over to a brand new quarterly format with longer, more in-depth features and more of the latest news and vital insider info (you know, stuff to do and places to see) you’ve come to expect from your friends at BuzzHawaii.com!

The Buzz is back, baby!

Summertime = Shave Ice Season In Hawaii!

Well, friends, summer is officially here, and you know what that means – it’s time to grab your surfboard, hit the beach, and catch some waves! (Or just lay out on the sand and work on that awesome tan!) Locals know, after a long day spent having fun in the hot Hawaiian sun, there’s no better way to cool off than with a refreshing, ice-cold cone of shave ice!

What is shave ice exactly? For those of you who haven’t had a chance to try it before, shave ice is a popular frozen treat found only in Hawaii that’s similar to a snow cone and consists of a heaping mound of very fine ice shavings doused with a liberal amount of one or more flavors of brightly colored, sweet syrup. Simple yet supremely satisfying, this oh-so-tasty treat is just the thing to beat the summertime heat!

(And, yes, it’s shave ice. No “d.” Not shaved ice!)

There are tons of different flavors available – strawberry, vanilla, pineapple, banana, coconut, root beer, mango, watermelon, and many, many more! There are way too many to list here. Can’t decide which flavor to try? Ask for a “rainbow” shave ice, and sample several different flavors at once!

Shave ice usually comes in either a paper cone cup or a small plastic bowl, and in addition to the huge assortment of flavors for you to choose from, most of the really popular shave ice places offer a number of optional add-ons as well. If you want, for a little bit extra, you can go all out and enjoy your shave ice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream underneath, a drizzle of sweetened, condensed milk up top, with mochi balls (bite-sized morsels of sticky Japanese rice cake) and azuki beans (sweetened Japanese red beans) – the works!

So now that you know what shave ice is all about, you might be wondering where to find some. The good news is shave ice isn’t terribly hard to find. There are quite a few places that serve shave ice; two of the most popular spots are Matsumoto’s on the North Shore of Oahu (established in 1951 and still going strong with as many as 1,000 servings of shave ice sold in a day!), and Waiola’s, also on Oahu, with two locations, both in town – the original store on Waiola St. in the McCully area and a second store on Kapahulu Avenue. Depending on when you go – afternoons are typically the busiest – expect to wait in line for a bit. Don’t worry, it’s well worth the wait!

Golf Courses Galore

Golf enthusiasts take note! We’ve added over 40 of the most popular Hawaii golf courses, both public and private, to our ever-growing selection of top-quality Hawaii activities!

As you probably already know, Hawaii is very much a true golfer’s paradise with absolutely breathtaking mountain and ocean views, gorgeous weather year-round, and tournament-quality layouts designed by the world’s greatest golf course architects. Players from all over the world come to Hawaii, time and time again, to experience some of the finest golfing anywhere in the world!

Home of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, the PGA TOUR’s ultra prestigious opening event featuring a select field of the sport’s top players, and the full-field Sony Open held at Waialae Country Club every January, Hawaii’s golf courses attract the world’s best players – Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, and many more!

So what are you waiting for? Take a look at the golf courses we’ve added so far (more on the way!), and book a tee time online with BuzzHawaii.com!

This Edition’s BuzzWord – Vog!

Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about vog, so here’s a quick primer addressing a few of the most frequently asked questions.

What is vog?

The term itself is a combination of the words “volcanic” and “smog” and describes the uncharacteristically grey, fog-like haze that sometimes settles upon parts of the Hawaiian Islands.

Where does it come from?

A volcano, and not just any volcano. We’re talking Kilauea, on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the most active volcanoes on the planet, goin’ strong since January of 1983!

Kilauea emits on average two thousand tons of volcanic gases every day, and when these gases react with moisture, oxygen, and sunlight the result, my friends, is vog.

Usually, vog only affects the Western coast of the Big Island due to the prevailing tradewinds. Less commonly, south-blowing Kona winds carry vog to other parts of the state.

How does it affect me?

To be honest, a lot of first-time visitors to the islands don’t even notice it. Hawaii’s air is pretty clean after all, and vog isn’t nearly as much of an eyesore as the smog you might encounter in big cities around the world.

Unless you plan on spending a lot of time out on the westside of the Big Island, (or driving around Volcanoes National Park with the windows rolled down) chances are you won’t have to deal with voggy conditions at all.

If you do happen to be in the islands when vog-like conditions persist, for most people, the biggest concern will be the reduced visibility – after all, you are in the islands to sightsee!

On a more serious note, the long-term effects of prolonged vog exposure are still being studied (here we’re talking years and years of exposure). In the short term, folks who are highly susceptible to the stuff may experience skin irritation, watery eyes, runny noses, and other, flu-like symptoms.

If you’re an asthma sufferer or have a history of respiratory and/or circulatory ailments, do your best to stay indoors on days when the vog is at its worst. Luckily for everyone, days like these are fairly uncommon around here. Never fear, once the tradewinds return, vog rarely lasts for very long!

Until next time,

The Friendly Folks At BuzzHawaii.com Wish You Well

Happy Thanksgiving everyone from the fine folks of the atypicalLIVING Creative Partnership.

Hope you spend this day giving thanks to the Lord for everything that you treasure in life.  Appreciate what you have and show love to those that show love back.

Enjoi the day and get ready for the Black Friday madness tomorrow.

Him: What if a real bird builds a nest on it?
Her: Then it’ll be even better.
Him: What if it thinks the other bird is real?
Her: Then eventually it’ll be heartbroken…but maybe it’ll have a great Christmas.

Good luck Birds!

Jello sponge cake from Napolean’s Bakery.

K’s friend Rebecca was in town for a couple of days and she wanted to try Nobu in Waikiki for dinner. There was a special menu as it was Restauarant Week in Hawaii. We decided to go with the four course $40 menu. It was pretty good. Though I was still hungry afterwards. And I drank too much sake… but I got to recline in my car seat and drift off into that great kind of sleep that happens when it’s late, someone else is driving, and you’ve had alot to drink but not enough to make you feel dizzy when you close your eyes.

A few days later I went to Town with Ben and Martha and had their Restaurant Week menu. Three courses for $20–an amazing deal. I had the risotto but I had a taste of Martha’s gnocchi and I’m definitely going to get that next time.

In closing here’s a non-related Restaurant Week picture. Pancake special at Cinnamon’s for the month of November, Pumpkin Crunch:

Here is old Ron Tiki the KonTiki, have fun with this Hawaiian Tiki God. Same rules as always.

Have fun

SB

Soon we will be here!

Source

Delle tre isole che ho fatto è quella che ho apprezzato meno. Non dico che non mi è piaciuta, giammài! Ma dopo la natura di Maui e i paesaggi quasi lunari di Big Island mi sono ritrovata nel mezzo al traffico, seppure sempre ordinato, nel mezzo ai giapponesi, nel mezzo ai negozi di marche italiane…va bene il “made in italy”, ma così è veramente troppo; Waikiki è un centro commerciale a cielo aperto, sviluppata in altezza con molti grattacieli e pochissima spiaggia, tra l’altro pure finta! Perchè per colpa della conformazione che hanno dato alla costa con la costruzione di quegli enormi mostri, le onde piano piano hanno mangiato la spiaggia e se a Waikiki togli la spiaggia, togli la vita! Gli albergatori e i negozianti quindi hanno pensato bene di portarcela la sabbia…togliendola all’isola di Molokai! La trovo una cosa assurda ma il dio dollaro evidentemente è più potente di madre natura…
A parte la mia personalissima parentesi negativa, Honolulu e Waikiki restano sempre un bel posto da vedere, ma per fortuna ho girato quasi tutta l’isola. Ci sono delle spiagge balneabili bellissime come quella di Waimanalo, la famosa spiaggia di Haleiwa nel North Shore (paradiso dei surfisti) e degli scorci di paesaggi veramente impressionanti.

Promemoria per quando ci tornerò:
- escursione al vulcano Diamond Head;
- visitare la parte est dell’isola;
- snorkling a Hanauma Bay;
- surf, windsurf, bodysurf.

Fotine di O’ahu

Se confirmaron los invitados, alternantes e invitados de honor para la edición 25 del Torneo Quiksilver en memoria de Eddie Aikau.

Éste evento de ola grande sancionado por la ASP, que entrega un total de 98 mil dólares en premios, se llevaría a cabo en un sólo día entre el primero de diciembre, 2009 y el 28 de febrero, 2010 cuando las olas en Waimea Bay, Hawai, sean de más de 20 pies (10 metros).

La tradicional ceremonia de inauguración se llevará a cabo el día 3 de diciembre en Waimea Bay.

La historia de Eddie:

Eddie Aikau nació en la isla hawaiana de Maui, pero se trasladó a la de Oahu con su familia en 1959.

Eddie fue el primer salvavidas de Waimea Bay, Hawai. Como surfista destacó por su capacidad para surfear olas grandes. Ganó premios como el Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship en 1977 donde participaban los mejores surfistas del mundo en ese momento como Barry Kanaiaupuni, Terry Fizgerald, Mark Richards y Shaun Tompson (campeones del mundo éstos dos últimos).

Eddie participó en una expedición en 1978 que cubría la travesía entre Hawái y Tahití para rescatar las tradiciones y cultura del pueblo hawaiano y rehacer la ruta hecha por los polinesios, en una tentativa por revalorizar las tradiciones y la propia cultura hawaianas.

La “Polynesian Voyaging Society” organizó la expedición y construyó la Hokulea, canoa-catamarán de 18 metros, réplica de la antigua embarcación utilizada por los polinesios, para partir del puerto de Magic Island con destino al Pacífico Sur.

Ya en alta mar, el capitán David Lyman (integrante de la primera expedición en 1976 con el mismo destino) notó que estaba entrando demasiada agua en la embarcación.

La tripulación se puso a trabajar para deshacerse de la mayor cantidad de agua posible y de cualquier mercancía que no fuese vital, dado que comenzaba a verse en serio peligro de hundimiento. Los vientos y el oleaje eran cada vez más peligrosos, hasta que una de esas grandes olas volcó al Hokulea. Eddie, acostumbrado a cualquier situación en el mar, se ofreció para ir en busca de ayuda ya que pensó haber visto la noche anterior luces que creyó eran de la isla de Molokai.

Eddie partió en busca de ayuda junto con dos aletas, pero rechazó en un momento llevar chaleco salvavidas porque le molestaba para remar, pero al final accedió. Algunas horas después de su partida un navío costero se acercó en dirección del Hokulea. Todos pensaron que Eddie había conseguido ayuda, pero el navío se queda parado y reanuda su marcha sin percatarse de la presencia de los náufragos.

Al día siguiente fueron rescatados por la marina de Estados Unidos. La búsqueda del cuerpo de Eddie Aikau y sus compañeros fue suspendida semanas después. Solo encontraron la tabla flotando en la zona, pero se convirtió en una leyenda.

Este año los Invitados son:

Andy Irons, Hawai
Brian Keaulana, Hawai
Brock Little, Hawai
Bruce Irons, Hawai
Carlos Burle, Brazil
Clyde Aikau, Hawai
Darryl Virostko, California
Greg Long, California
Jamie O’Brien, Hawai
Jamie Sterling, Hawai
Kelly Slater, Florida
Keone Downing, Hawai
Makuakai Rothman, Hawai
Mark Healey, Hawai
Michael Ho, Hawai
Noah Johnson, Hawai
Peter Mel, California
Reef McIntosh, Hawai
Ross Clarke-Jones, Australia
Rusty Keaulana, Hawai
Shane Dorian, Hawai
Sunny Garcia, Hawai
Titus Kinimaka, Hawai
Tom Carroll, Australia
Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Sudáfrica
Ibon Amatriain, Euskadi
Ramon Navarro, Chile
Takayuki Wakita, Japón

Alternantes

Kala Alexander, Hawai, seleccionado por la familia Aikau
Pancho Sullivan, Hawai
Garrett McNamara, Hawai
Kohl Christensen, Hawai
Dave Wassel, Hawai
Keoni Watson, Hawai
Nathan Fletcher, Hawai
Ian Walsh, Hawai
Danny Fuller, Hawai
Kalani Chapman, Hawai
Taylor Knox, California
Chava Greenlee, Hawai
Jamie Mitchell, Australia
Myles Padaca, Hawai
Tony Moniz, Hawai
Darrick Doerner, Hawai
Ken “Skin Dog” Collins, California
Ross Williams, Hawai
Derek Ho, Hawai
Paul Paterson, Australia
Anthony Tashnick, California
Koby Abberton, Australia
Laurent Pujol, Francia
Laurie Towner, Australia

Invitados de Honor

Mark Foo, Hawai
Todd Chesser, Hawai
Tiger Espere, Hawai
Jay Moriarty, California
Peter Davi, California
Lester Falatea, Tahiti

Foto: Big Wave

Kicks/HI never disappoints when it comes to the Black Friday steez. Ever since the madness of the first Black Friday sneaker blowout, to the craziness of a few years ago when they moved everything to an undisclosed location, warehouse style… they’ve always innovated the Black Friday game.

And this year is no different.

The Kicks/HI Black Friday spectacular will be going down at BOTH the Ward and Makaloa locations.  The lowdown:

20% OFF – all regular priced items (shoes, clothing + accessories) on the floor at both shops
15% OFF – all regular priced NIKE SB shoes on the floor at both shops
30% OFF – all regular priced WOMENS shoes + clothing at both shops
50%-80% doorbuster markdown shoes (at both shops) + clothing (at KICKS/HI Ward)

This is ONE DAY ONLY… everything goes back to regular price come Saturday.

Along with the sale stuff, there’s also a five design release coming out on Friday as well.  The shirts make up the second delivery of the Fall 2009 shirt line.  It includes the OG KH Script in Gucci or Jordan Aqua 8 color schemes, a Wu-Tang Yellow and a green Kicks/HI slash tee, the return of the crest tee, and a re-up of the PUMP 20 splatter shirt.  New stuff to match all the new stuff you’re gonna walk out with on Friday.

Again, this all goes down on Friday.  For more, check out www.kickshawaii.com

Along with the Black Friday Specials and the in-store exclusives, Fitted Hawaii is also dropping some special online exclusives as well.  First up is a Cooperstown edition Brooklyn Dodgers New Era in red with white stitching. Along with that is a white pocket tee called “Third Dimension” featuring a black triangle filled with trilocks, On the side of the shirt reside two black thunderbolts with Fitted underneath.

Finally, there’s also an all-black hoodie with a tonal black Hawaiian flag on the back and reflective, tonal A on the front.

These are available starting Friday at midnight at the Fitted Hawaii online shop.

Fitted Hawaii is dropping some exclusives, along with the Black Friday specials.

Releasing tomorrow is an all black Mua New Era, a black hoodie with white trilocks along the sleeves and white Hawaiian weapons printed on the back, and a white Survival of the Fitted shirt.

Also releasing is a limited number of Fitted x Bic pens and lighters. The pens feature the Aloha Served Daily and Fitted inscriptions.  The lighters feature black trilocks on both side. And both the pens and lighters come in traditional Fitted yellow.

These all drop Friday at midnight, so check it out while grabbing your sale stuff.

For more, check out www.FittedHawaii.com

Hier (le 25 novembre), un bon gros swell a réveillé le spot mythique de Waimea. À l’eau, quelques européens dont Alain Riou, tout juste finaliste à Haleiwa, et Aritz Aramburu. Le team manager Quiksilver Thomas Portet se met lui dans un gros barrel du côté d’Haleiwa.

Photos: testemale/quiksilver

Click on the map for a larger version (1280 x 898 pixels).

The Smithsonian Institution/United States Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 18-24 November 2009 is available on the Global Volcanism Program website. The following is a summary and not a substitute for the full report.

• The current report: Weekly Volcanic Activity Report.
• Previous reports: Weekly Reports Archive.
• The SI/USGS map of volcanoes discussed this week.

New activity/unrest: Galeras (Colombia), Sarychev Peak (Russia).

Ongoing activity: Batu Tara (Indonesia), Chaitén (Chile), Karymsky (Russia), Kilauea (Hawaii, USA), Kliuchevskoi (Russia), Pacaya (Guatemala), Popocatépetl (Mexico), Rabaul (Papua New Guinea), Reventador (Ecuador), Sakura-jima (Japan), Santa María (Guatemala), Shiveluch (Russia), Soufrière Hills (Montserrat), Suwanose-jima (Japan).

Note: a.s.l. = ‘above sea level’.

NEW ACTIVITY/UNREST

Galeras (Colombia). An explosive eruption occurred on 20 November. Local inhabitants reported five explosions, sound waves and crater incandescence. The resulting ash plume was reported by Washington VAAC to have possibly risen to 14.3 km a.s.l. The plume drifted N, and ashfall was reported 10 km N, NNW and E. Seismicity increased after the eruption and then gradually decreased, and the alert level was lowered on 21 November from Red to Orange (‘eruption probable within days or weeks’).

Sarychev Peak (Russia). On 21 November a thermal anomaly was detected by satellite.

ONGOING ACTIVITY

Batu Tara (Indonesia). Darwin VAAC reported an ash plume to 2.4 km a.s.l. which drifted 90 km NW on 24 November.

Chaitén (Chile). Buenos Aires VAAC reported a gas plume from the lava-dome complex on 23 November which rose to 2.4 km a.s.l. and drifted SSE.

Karymsky (Russia). Seismic activity was above background levels on 12, 14 and 16 November, with no data available for other days during 13-20 November because of technical reasons. Elevated seismicity possibly indicated ash plumes rising to 3 km a.s.l. Analyses of satellite imagery revealed a daily thermal anomaly and ash plumes that drifted 130 km E during 12-14 and 17 November. Tokyo VAAC reported that on 23 November an eruption produced a plume that rose to 4 km a.s.l. The Level of Concern Color Code remained at Orange.

Kilauea (Hawaii, USA). During 18-24 November lava flowed SE through a lava tube system from beneath the Thanksgiving Eve Breakout (TEB) and rootless shield complex to reach the ocean at multiple locations between Waikupanaha and an area 700 m further W. Thermal anomalies detected by satellite and visual observations revealed active surface lava flows at locations on and at the base of the pali, at the TEB vent, and on the coastal plain. Incandescence was seen on the Pu’u ‘O’o crater floor. The Halema’uma’u crater vent continued to produce a white or off-white plume that drifted mainly SW and dropped small amounts of ash downwind. Incandescence originated from a circulating and spattering lava pond that occasionally rose above and drained back below holes in the vent cavity floor. On 21 November, a sliver of the rim collapsed and was followed by an explosion that produced a dense brown plume that dissipated after a few minutes. The sulphur dioxide emission rate at the summit remained elevated: 700-1,100 tonnes/day was measured during 18-20 and 23 November (2003-2007 average rate = 140 tonnes/day).

Kliuchevskoi (Russia). During 13-20 November seismic activity was above background levels. Strombolian activity ejected tephra 200 m above the crater during 13-15 November. On 14 November, a new lava flow traveled 500 m down the ESE flank. Satellite imagery revealed a large daily thermal anomaly at the volcano. The Level of Concern Color Code remained at Orange.

Pacaya (Guatemala). White and blue plumes from MacKenney cone rose up to 400 m and drifted SSW on 20 and 24 November. Multiple lava flows on the S and SW flanks traveled 100-250 m SE and SW. Incandescence was observed at night.

Popocatépetl (Mexico). During 18-20 November steam-and-gas plumes were emitted that sometimes contained ash. On 21 November a small explosion was detected by the seismic network, accompanied by an ash plume that rose to 8.9 km a.s.l. and drifted E, causing ashfall in Atlixco (23 km SE), Huejotzingo (27 km NE), and areas in the state of Tlaxcala.

Rabaul (Papua New Guinea). Darwin VAAC reported that ash plumes from Tavurvur cone rose to 2.1 km a.s.l. and drifted 35-90 km NW on 19 November.

Reventador (Ecuador). Based on a pilot observation, Washington VAAC reported that on 20 November an ash plume from Reventador rose to 6.1 km a.s.l. A thermal anomaly was detected on satellite imagery.

Sakura-jima (Japan). Tokyo VAAC reported that explosions on 18 and 23 November produced plumes that rose to 2.1-2.7 km a.s.l. and drifted S and E.

Santa María (Guatemala). On 20 November two explosions from the Santiaguito lava dome complex produced an ash plume that drifted SW. Avalanches descended the SW flank of the dome. An explosion on 24 November produced an ash plume the rose to 3.3 km a.s.l. and drifted SE. Ashfall was reported in areas downwind.

Shiveluch (Russia). During 13-20 November seismic activity was above background levels, indicating ash plumes possibly rising to 5.3 km a.s.l. Video cameras observed fumarolic activity and hot avalanches on 14 and 15 November. A large daily thermal anomaly on the lava dome was detected by satellite. Tokyo VAAC reported that on 18 November an eruption produced a plume that rose to 5.5 km a.s.l. The Level of Concern Color Code remained at Orange.

Soufrière Hills (Montserrat). During 13-20 November activity from the lava dome consisted of ash venting along with semi-continuous rockfalls and pyroclastic flows that were concentrated on the W flank. Ashfall occurred across many areas of the island. Views of the lava dome on 16 November showed that the dome height had decreased because of collapses and that a deep channel had developed NE of Chances Peak. Pyroclastic flows in the Gages Valley (W) continued down Spring Ghaut and Aymer’s Ghaut, and spread onto the alluvial fan below St. Georges Hill. On 19 November, heavy ashfall occurred to the NW between Old Towne and Brades. The Hazard Level remained at 3.

Suwanose-jima (Japan). Tokyo VAAC reported an explosion from Suwanose-jima on 18 November. Details of possible resulting emissions were not reported.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DISCLAIMER

The foregoing is a summary of the Smithsonian Institution/United States Geological Survey Weekly Volcanic Activity Report covering 18-24 November 2009. It is provided for information only, and is based on but not a substitute for the full report, which comes with its own criteria and disclaimers. The map base is derived from the Smithsonian Institution/USGS/US Naval Research Laboratory This Dynamic Planet website.

For all our coverage of the SI/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports: Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports « The Volcanism Blog.

Intellectual notes: Of all the Sesame Street characters, Rachel used to resemble sweet, innocent, and imaginative Elmo the most. But now she’s turning into the Count, whose greatest joy in life is to find something to count. She counts steps, parking meters, people on the bus, bites of food, and sips of water. She can now count past 100 without prompting, can count backwards from 10 to 0, and can add and subtract one number at a time so long as she’s dealing with numbers not much over ten. And, finally, she no longer misses 16 on her way to 20.

She is raptly attentive during Sesame Street, and we’ve just started watching the Sunday evening Disney hour with her. She asks a lot of questions. She likes cartoons but has not yet been exposed to Saturday morning TV. So her very active imagination has not turned to violence yet. Instead, she organizes a lot of weddings, birthday parties, travels, picnics, and classroom activities.

Language notes: Rachel is picking up more and more local English at school. One of the most noticeable lately is mines, as in Yours, Mines, and Ours. (That forces an exception to follow the same rule that adds s to the other forms.)

She has finally begun to use Please, Thank you, Excuse me, and Sorry fairly regularly. And she’ll wave good-bye to kids she knows. Her conversational habits are not always polite though. She wants to dominate every conversation around the house, and isn’t happy to yield the floor to either of us. She is very, very verbal, providing a running commentary on everything she does. When she’s tired, the running commentary turns into a babbling stream of consciousness.

UPDATE: This child is now a 24-year-old teacher in Boston’s Chinatown.

Physical development: Rachel’s handwriting is much smoother now. She doesn’t have to have little dots to mark the angle-points in A, M, Y and other letters. She has even got S and C down pretty well. She can also write quite small and has done a few exercises at school writing numbers. She jumps well with two feet and can stand on one foot. She likes to show how fast she can run. She is quite active during exercise at her school. We enrolled her in a “movement” class at the YWCA on Saturday mornings, but so far the only thing she has participated in is a balance-beam exercise that she enjoyed at preschool. She doesn’t like receiving a lot of attention from strangers. We doubt she’ll go into show business.

Intellectual notes: She still loves to count and do very simple addition and subtraction. In fact, she has discovered the Associative Principle: “Look, 2 and 2 and 1 make 5; and 3 and 2 make 5, too!” She was counting with her fingers in the stroller one day and announced “2 and 2 and 2 and 2 and 2 make 10!” She knows that 100 is a lot, and can count that high if you prompt her for the even multiples of ten. She no longer misses fifteen now that she knows fif is a funny way to say five, but she usually skips sixteen for some reason.

She also loves guessing and telling. “You don’t know how old Panda is?” [Just say "No!"] “I’ll tell you. He’s two.” “Do you know what we can use? … Think! Think!” She likes to involve us in long imaginary games in which everyone’s role is subject to redefinition whenever the fancy strikes her. She also does a lot of reasoning. This is the bicentennial of Chinese emigration to Hawaii. When Rachel asked why so many Chinese came here, Mama told her that many Chinese wanted to leave China. She said, “Yeah, they wanted to find a cleaner place, and Honolulu was clean enough.”

Language notes: Rachel returned from her Christmas visit having finally switched from referring to herself as Rachel to using I, me, my appropriately. She has also switched to an overcorrected pronunciation of the so that it always rhymes with thee. One of her teachers must have stigmatized the local pronunciation, da. (She has acquired the local auwe in place of ouch.) Her pronunciation of consonant clusters (st, str, sp, spr, etc.) seems to have slipped a bit while she concentrates on new grammatical constructions, especially comparatives (good, gooder, goodest, bad, badder, baddest), even complicated syntax like: “When I’m 100 years old, I’ll be tall enough that my head will touch the ceiling.” “Look, I can push the stroller as straight as you can.” Around us, she is extremely verbal, providing a running commentary on her every action.

UPDATE: This child is now a 24-year-old teacher in Boston’s Chinatown.

要過節了，特別想念在遠方的朋友。今年沒得狂歡，兩個人安靜的過。
這些天準備作明年的月曆，恰好在整理過去一年的照片，挑了幾張，放上我們在紐約的最後一個月。
不過就上個夏天嘛，離現在好遠，請自行配上Devendra Banhart 的 Foolin’。

**Jeremy took the first photo, rainbow rainbow.

Having a job is great. I am currently full of job however as my schedule had me working Sunday & Monday then Thursday, Friday, Saturday. The new week commenced with my schedule reading Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Yikes. that’s 6 days in a row. I like to stay busy and it’s smart to keep some consecutive days rolling so as not to forget cash register routines and such at a new job, but I am quite enjoying this day off. My next work day is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Gulp.

One of the 1st things I did upon being hired was go shoe shopping-yay! for comfortable business type shoes. For the past 4 years at Po’ohala I was lucky enough to wear running shoes at work but my wardrobe was sorely lacking in closed toe comfort footwear. We in Hawaii wear open toed sandals or slippahs. So off to Nordstrom Rack I go. Lucky me, I was able to find 3 pair that I thought fit the criteria of comfortable, able to pound that red tile floor and not look too dorky. So there goes my first paycheck before I even get my first paycheck. Two shoes are the same style in different subdued colors. Cute with a little heel. The third pair are red ballerina type flats with an athletic look and cool dragons swirling all around. Something else to be thankful for as I wear a sample size and can find shoes in my size every time.

Here’s the update… blisters and hot spots. Lots and lots of walking. Back and forth, up and down, here and there, to and fro, hither and yon. Next week I go back to the frumpy aunty-kine shoe store and get me a pair of REAL comfort cafeteria lady shoes…dorky or not. I plan to run not walk.

Unfortunately, Obama dug the hole himself, and like a hole created when a water main leaks and then bursts, the hole is expanding day by day and as it does, the fallout is increasing.

The President and his legal teams have done everything in their power to prevent anyone from accessing his real birth certificate, if he has one, but there are other lines of investigation they cannot block.

During his campaign for the Senate, he and his team touted his Kenyan birth, possibly because it made him more appealing to the voters they needed. Unfortunately, admitting to his birth in Kenya makes him ineligible for the Presidency.

So the question now is, was he really born in Kenya and he told the truth in the Senate campaign, or was he really born in Hawaii, and the Kenya story was a lie, used to deceive Illinois voters.

Obama can’t have it both ways. The answer to this question will be interesting!

See article at: http://newsblaze.com/story/20091125153031nnnn.nb/topstory.html

Article II, Sec. 1, cl. 5 of the US Constitution
“No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the
United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution,
shall be eligible to the Office of President. . .”

From the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution.
“or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify,
then the Vice President elect shall act as President until
a President shall have qualified;”

According to the US Constitution, the supreme law of the
land, Barack Obama is not President of the United States.
No Chief Justice administering the oath of office,
No  oath sworn by a “president elect” makes one president.
There are 3 mandatory requirements to achieve a legal inauguration.

• A qualified president elect.
• Sufficient votes by the Electoral College.
• Certification and count of Electoral College votes by
  Congress

I am sick and tired of good, hard working Americans being insulted, being ignored, being attacked for questioning the eligibility of Barack Obama. People that are supposed to look after our best interest and the best interest of this country, are taking their cues from political agendas, lazily accepting status quo or being bought. This includes the Mainstream Media, State Election officials, US Congressmen, judges of all ranks and certainly the Obama camp of left wing socialists. Even the best of those in the media, such as Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck have either stayed away from this constitutional crisis issue or joined in belittling “birthers.”

Many of us are guessing why those on Fox are not covering this issue. The consensus, I believe, is that Fox Management has said no to covering this issue. Even if the people doing research for Fox were restrained or bought off, O’Reilly, Hannity and Beck are not stupid enough to not get it.

So, therefore, The Citizen Wells blog is going to do two things.

1. Each day, a fact sheet, truths and facts that are self evident about Obama’s eligibility including interviews with Sarah Obama, Barack’s Kenyan grandmother, facts about Obama’s birth and reports from media in the US and Africa. This will serve as an Internet Billboard and will be posted everyday until either someone in the MSM accurately reports on this or action is taken by a judge or elected official.

2. I am issuing a challange to Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and others in the media to step up and do their jobs. I will answer any questions they may have, debate them and I challenge them to dispute the facts.

To my knowledge, the only person in the MSM who has covered Obama’s eligibilty issue to any extent is Lou Dobbs and he did this on CNN of all places. Mr. Dobbs consistently stated his no brainer question again recently on the O’Reilly show on Fox. Lou Dobbs on CNN earlier referred to the COLB presented by the Obama camp as a piece of paper referring to another piece of paper. He then simply stated why doesn’t Obama present an authentic birth certificate. We applaud you Mr. Dobbs. This is such a common sense basic question to ask yet few in the media have asked it.

The eligibilty issues surrounding Barack Obama have been extensively covered on this blog and many other sites. To not cover this on the mainstream media is certainly unprofessional, un American and I believe criminal.

I am challenging those in the media to do their jobs, to serve their customers, their fellow Americans and cover this crisis. You are being out scooped and many of you are going down the tubes fast. That is no surprise. I am also challenging those on Fox, the only TV network to seriously question Obama and his agenda. O’Reilly, Hannity and Beck, if you do not cover this story, it will eventually rise to the surface and you will be lumped together with the masses of biased, leftist, talking heads that pretend to do journalism and reporting.

I am personally challenging you. Anyone have the guts and integrity to take me and the American people on?

Wells

The in4mants are getting in on the Black Friday act, as well, but they’re gonna be rocking their Black Friday sale the entire weekend.

The gist of the sale:

- 25% off all soft goods

- 25% off sale items

- 25-75% off various shoes

- 30% off skate decks

These sweet offers can be found at in4mation Ward, in4mation Pearlridge, and Aloha Army Waikiki.

For more, check out www.in4mants.com

Advanced Rolfing Technique

If any of you have experienced the pleasures of Rolfing, you might be thinking I’m a bit twisted if my next line is I’m thankful for Rolfing. I am actually. In case you don’t know, Rolfing is the healing modality that seems to take pleasure in peeling you off the ceiling as it breaks through the pesky scar tissue that’s been keeping your muscles from sliding around in their own proper orbit, thank you very much.

Women who have given birth should have a head start participating in a Rolfing session. They know what it’s like to have to breathe through some serious pain, much more severe than what you would run into on a massage table. But I can assure you, us wimpy guys wouldn’t agree with you in certain moments.

Don’t get me wrong, I highly recommend Rolfing. It’s kinda like this: You’re building a house, you’re into the framing part of the project, and you are slightly off on your starting measurement….. Aww, what the hell- it’s only a 1/4 inch, don’t sweat it, get on with it. Sure, it’s all good till you get to the end of the wall where all of a sudden you are out of square by a football field and the obnoxious neighbor with the RV you hate can now park it in the gap that is supposed to be the junction of wall and door.

To continue our analogy- your body is the house, you’ve torqued something somewhere and now some kind-hearted muscle is trying to help out those that got bent out of shape but now THEY are multi tasking when they should be doing something ELSE and so someone ELSE pitches in to pick up THAT slack and so on until you’re walking down the street like a human crab in a bad sci-fi movie. And all you did was trip over your own two feet two weeks ago when you got up to take a leak in the middle of the night. Well what do you do? Call the rolfer. He comes in, has you lay down and relax, puts on this oh so soothing music, then promptly takes a crowbar out of his tool bag and begins to tear down the wall when all you really wanted him to do was to sweet talk the RV out of it’s new parking space, then gently push the gap in your measurement challenged wall back into place. However, putting a little elbow grease into fixing the situation is just the way it’s gotta be, so Happy Thanksgiving, Pilgrim.

Okay, okay- learn to breathe deep real quick and trust the person knows what they are doing and isn’t the biggest fan of every slasher movie ever made.

As the elbow digs in, pushes a bundled knot of tension down the tendon highway, and the sweat breaks out on your forehead, you remember- breathe dammit, breathe. All right, all right….. okay, made it to the end of that movement. That wasn’t too bad, pain is no big deal if you face it head on like a man. Then your rolfer says, ” Since it’s just the first session, we’ll take it a bit easy on you.” Suddenly you question why you just didn’t spend the money on that new flat screen and comfy recliner from Costco. But, after a lot of deep breaths the hour is over and you get up resembling something more human than crab for the first time in months, you can hold your head up high having made the right decision. Well, a few more sessions are needed before you can actually hold your head up high but you’ve got a good start on rebuilding the wall in a straight line.

Thanks for taking some LIP from me,
Bruce

De 24 de novembro a 6 de dezembro rola em Sunset, Hawaii, o O’Neill World Cup 2009, ultima etapa do WQS nesse ano.

Hoje o campeonato não foi para a água por que o mar estava TOO BIG.

A próxima chamada é amanha, 6 feira, as 8 hs da manha no Hawaii, 16 horas no Brasa.

Vamo lá Brazucada, queremos ver vcs no WCT ano que vem.

Boa sorte, galera.

Segue video do teaser oficial do evento.

Para assistir a competição ao vivo, clique no link abaixo:

A LIVE