Activist and single mom living on the island of Kaua'i, political,social,environmental,cultural issues. Heads up on protests, events,and issues. Copyright (c)Anne Punohu,2009,2010 Updated frequently.
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Of course you might guess my take on this issue. It is especially offensive to me that Costco seems to be for some sort of higher end shopper. Becasue that is not how they sold themselves to Kaua'i, No indeed-ee. They said they were here to help Hawaiis large families, and ESPECIALLY Native Hawaiins.
They make items that families cannot really afford enticing, and then refuse to allow food stamps to be used to purchase bulk items, which would of course help larger local cfamilies to stretch their budgets for food, which is exactly what they testified on when they wanted to build here.
Can you say Pinochhio? Or liar, liar pants on fire? How about elitist? Cutting off your nose to spite your face? But now, COstco, far from keeping its "high- makamaka" (yes, I Hawaiianized that. get over it) nose in the air, they are now whistling a different tune now that profits are punching out their teeth in record numbers in the all important bottom line.
Let us really take the Costco mentality to its fullest consclusion. Let us assume that the argument that Costco is private, and should not have to give "charity" to food stamp "people" who "probably can't afford to buy the bulk items anyway", Now let us assume that everybody who sold food in a store had the same idea. Let us assume, that in costcos perfect little world NO ONE accepted food stamps.
Think about that. 38 million Americans who qualify for help, including the sick, elderly, children with disabilities, the disabled and the WORKING poor had no where to go to buy food.
COuld you imagine that? Well, apperently Costcos has changed its mind and is now accepting food stamps at at least half of their stores nationwide. Why, you ask? Becasue they did some sort of a no brainer "test" that showed that poeple with foodstamps came in to buy food. Apparently Costco executives were SHOCKED.
When elitist, conservatgive organizations and corporations try to shut out the poeple of this country from shopping for a bargain, watch out. Eventually you will feel the pinch.
After all, we are the back of the land. The spine. The maka ainana for a reason. WIthout your back, you fall flat on your face.
Ok, comments will be moderated. You know the rules.
We are the world. This year, as we are driven to our knees, and we fight to rise there is only one thing that will unite us in the battle to keep our dignity. That thing is hope. As we express joy, hope is the enevitable aftermath. We all do have hope. But there is one thing that we must do to have it.
Recognize that we are all part of this world, and interdependent on the salvation and survival of one another.
In our home, Christmas is never about trees, lights or presents. We very rarely have those. We celebrate a spirit that comes from the pausing of the world, if only for the briefest moment to acknowledge something greater than themselves. Each other. Aoha to the world.
OK this is PRICELESS. Literally. Costco, a huge place with one very annoying rule, they do NOT ACCEPT FOODSTAMPS, yet they want to sell food, in bulk, to large families, in a ddepressed economy, with a lot of poeple out of work, many of whom are on foodstamps recently took ALL THE TOMATOES OFF THE SHELVES becasue Sarah Palin showed up there, and they wanted to throw them at her.
Now THAT is really big business and Republicans taking care of each other. And they complain about the UNIONS. SHEESH
Her comments on Health Care Reform really got the Canadians red under the collar.
One of her closest neighbors, and international allies, (or so she thought becasue she can see them from her house I guess), Canada, has booted her out of an event over her remarks about health care reform.
Canada, who actually has national health care, and doesnt need to reform anything decioded enough was enough.
We need to do the same thing here.
Join me for a Sarah Palin Bookburning tomorrow, Saturday from 9am -11am. Its potluck so bring something to share.
We will roast hot dogs over the embers of her bookcovers. LOL
Even though my Sarah Palin Bookburning was nmeant to coincide with her trip, and she left early and came back home to Alaska today, I am still going to have the event at Lydgate Park from 9-11 Am bring a downloaded printout of the front cover of her book, and attach it to a book so we can get a pic of you with it. We will then burn it in the lflames, (Not the book, the paper with the bookcover printed on it). Bring something for the potluck, too.
Here is how this breaks down. The Union wanted to increase bus fees. The leg admitted it costs more for gas, employee costs, ect. But lawmakers refused to increase the bus service dues.
This meant the DOE would run out of funds to keep the bus service going. SO the lawmakers said oh well too bad. So now, the bus will not be rinunning past march.
This will force most children to walk to school, if they live a mile and a half from their school. That means on dangerous shoulders on the highways, across places where there are no stoplights, and in the pitch dark at this time of year.
What is the matter with those lazy parents you say? Well, popular to local folklore, Hawaiis parents sometimes work 2 jobs to support their children. They have to get up early for work. Hence the I cant take the kids to school, you will take the school bus.
I was one of those parents. I worked overnight, came home at 6 30 and collapsed. My kids had to learn how to take the school bus.
Not only that, My daughter lives miles from school. We have no Jr High in our area, and next year she starts High School which is even farther away. Encouraging the kids to get off the school bus and onto the county bus service would be disastrous. How are you going to pack 60 kids onto our county buses? You arent.
Do the buses coordinate with the times for school? No. Why? Becasue there are school buses for that. Will the sceduals change? Will the Kauai bus add more buses? HEY TOO BAD THERE ISNT A NICE WALKING BIKE PATH THAT IS SAFE FOR THEM TO GET THE !@ MILES TO SCHOOL< HUH?
Ok to say that I am !*@&#%!&@#% about this is a huge understatement. A phonecall to the governors office from me today got me this response:
"It is the unions fault. We gave them money. They have to figure it out Well, we actually gave them a lot less money so they had to prioritize. Classes, or no classes, school bus or no school bus. It was their choice. We are not going to give them any more money.
Hey Lingle, I hope you enjoy your holiday season WE won't.
I understand that it is way over my head. That's why I'm asking what it means. I don't know what it means and I want to know. So I'm asking. Please tell me without insulting me further.
December 17, 2009 1:07 PM
OK that was a post to me on one of Joans blogs.
SO I have decided, in the generosity of the Christmas Spirit to attempt to educate yet once again.
"Sarcasm is the wine of Irony."
First ya gotta understand what Sarcasm and irony are. Then ya gotta assume you know what wine is. Its something you get drunk in. Or one thing gets soaked with wine. Got it yet?
Irony is full of,soaked up with/drunk with sarcasm. It literally means that sarcasm is the biggest component of irony.
Ok, so what is sarcasm and irony?
IRONY
1.
the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2.
Literature.
a.
a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b.
(esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6.
the incongruity of this.
7.
an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8.
an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.
Origin:
1495–1505; < L īrōnīa < Gk eirōneía dissimulation, sarcasm, understatement, equiv. to eírōn-eia -y3 a dissembler +
Synonyms:
1, 2. Irony, sarcasm, satire indicate mockery of something or someone. The essential feature of irony is the indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs. In the figure of speech, emphasis is placed on the opposition between the literal and intended meaning of a statement; one thing is said and its opposite implied, as in the comment, “Beautiful weather, isn't it?” made when it is raining or nasty. Ironic literature exploits, in addition to the rhetorical figure, such devices as character development, situation, and plot to stress the paradoxical nature of reality or the contrast between an ideal and actual condition, set of circumstances, etc., frequently in such a way as to stress the absurdity present in the contradiction between substance and form. Irony differs from sarcasm in greater subtlety and wit. In sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal inflection, whereas satire and irony, arising originally as literary and rhetorical forms, are exhibited in the organization or structuring of either language or literary material. Satire usually implies the use of irony or sarcasm for censorious or critical purposes and is often directed at public figures or institutions, conventional behavior, political situations, etc. ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously, for destructive purposes. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” The distinctive quality of
SARCASM
Function: noun
Etymology: French or Late Latin; French sarcasme, from Late Latin sarcasmos, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer, from sark-, sarx flesh; probably akin to Avestan thwarəs- to cut
Date: 1550
1: a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain 2 a: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b: the use or language of sarcasm
SO you see, the connection between Sarcasm (The drug, the alchohol, the soaking in of to Sarcasm, is what I am speaking of you cannot have one without the other.
Now in the term of
"The battlefields of idiots are the playgrounds of geniuses", I made this one up sort of thinking of a room full of people at a community meeting. One side is trying to debate the issues intelligently passionantly and with logical thinking. The others are just either not listening, bored, falling asleep, making stupid comments, or using inaccurate data, or status quo or racist assumptions to make their case. These, in my book are the idiots. They vehemently defend their position like it is written in stone, but give no concrete reasoning as to why we must adhere to it, by preponderance of any evidence thereof.
Then you have the geniuses, who are pretty much enjoying just knocking down the arguments with facts, eye witness accounts or logical conclusions. One mans battleground is another mans playground.
What does any of this have to do with Hawaiian philosophy? Plenty. Hawaiians clearly understood Socratic thought and theiry when they used riddles, games, poetry contests and challenges as substitutions for battles. This was mostly done during times of famine, or Makahiki when it was important to either not engage in violence, or lose as few healthy individuals in battle where land claims or disputes arose. This is also where the incredibly intense and genius use of kauna comes into play as well. The incredible verbal discourse and mental capacity of Hawaiians to remember literally hundreds of thousands of words at a time, or to on the spot shoot back with sarcasm and irony at riddles and barbs is sheer genius in my book.
OK, this has just been so much fun. It was great to try to respond to all the crazies on these blogs. It really taught me to refine what I am trying to say, what the opposition might think. (In many ways the opposition wasn't thinking at all, which made it real easy for me to come up with rebuttals), and showed me just how much fun one can really have trying to put idiots in their well deserved places.
If it wasn't for Joan and Andy, I really wouldn't know anything about blogging. Well, ok, I still don't.
Andy Parx was the very first person I ever saw in my life to do the kind of reporting he does. I first saw Andy on the TV many years ago, then read his columns and then drifted into the blog. I always get a laugh out of his insane, off the cuff sarcasm, but what I do like about Andy is that he has no ties that bind. I mean he can say whatever the heck he wants too. It is freedom of speech at its best. But what is so awesome about Andy is he does not hide behind an "anonymous" name to do it. He comes right out with it. Right in your face. Another thing is he deeply investigates each and every story he works on. He does not just make blind assumptions. Sometimes he injects some insanely ironic intelligent humour and observations of human fallacies in his discourses but hey, to be ripped apart by Andy, or praised by Andy are both a coveted medal of honor in the political world, trust me, I know. I'm, glad I'm usually one of the latter. Andy does not suffer idiots, and he does love to instigate stuff. Well, hell so do I.
Now, Joan on the other hand is scholarly, a complete lady...(OK wait, I am not saying Andy isn't scholarly he is of course, but he aint no lady. And I am not sure he exactly wants to be seen as a gentleman either. )
Joan takes a completely different tack but still injects complete confidence to call it like it is. The thing about Joan, like Andy is that they are more than willing to hear opposite points of view. But don't get sassy or cute with them, trust me. They can both rip you a new hole at 40 paces. Joan is a true environmentalist, a gifted and award winning writer, and like Andy she can see human foibles clearly.
So when I entered her blogworld I felt like a kid in a candy store. Here were posters that were exactly the kind of jerks I knew are out there but will never admit it publicly in the community and trying to guess if the people I am talking to were really the pea brained "anonymous" I just shot down in smoke and flames from a particularly deluded and racist comment on Joans blog. I look deep into their eyes and search for answers. If I see the guilty blush, and they drop their eyes when I ask them if they do much blogging lately if I suspect they might be one of the idiot anonymous's then I know. It is truly hilarious to see,
Not that all anonymous's are bad. Some actually make a lot of sense and agree with having a logical discourse. But it is then that the anonymous's turn on each other in a strange ritual of cannibalism and attempt to eat each other alive for daring to defend the "Named Ones".
So, thanks again, Andy and Joan.
And as I say many times before, (Granted these are my very own copyrighted sayings people. Go ahead, make them famous)
"Sarcasm is the wine of Irony".
"The battlefields of Idiots are the playgrounds of geniuses)
I also love another saying which I did not invent:
"To those that know, no explanation is required, to those that don't no explanation is sufficient.*
And on that note, I have a protest/sign waving/community meeting to attend.
Well, I learned something people. BIKE PATHS DON"T HAVE TO BE ON A BEACH!!...WOW amazing. The things you can learn on the internet
Does our planned bikepath actually do the job it was intended to do? Or is it just a tourism orientated resort type path for the wealthy? DO local people really need to have their neighborhood bikepath "interpreted" for them?
DO local people need bikepaths in their ACTUAL COMMUNITIES?
Is the planned bikepath supposed to go to areas where there are no major resorts? WIll it be going more inland to Wailua Houselots, Kalaheo perhaps? Will Westsiders, and Southsiders have this lovely, beautiful landscaped and interpretive signed bikepath as well? Will public housing residents be able to access this marvel of a path? Is this bikepath truly equitable, or was it just designed to serve a very few people, and visitors?
I was all for the path in the beginning. Until I realized I would never be able to get to it. Not unless I had a vehicle or traveled almost 2 hours on a bus to get there.
And what if EVERYONE tries to get on the bus with a bike? Each bus can only handle a maximum of 3 bycicles. So if there are anymore than three poeple actually trying to commute to work, using a combination of the bus, and the bikepath to get to, say Lihu'e from outlying areas such as Wailua Houselots, or Kalaheo guess what? You are out of luck pal. You need to get on the highway shoulder and pedal for your lives! Or else, you must wait another hour for a bus, thus either making you late for work, or requiring you to leave an hour earlier than you usually would.
Further, If you have to be at work by five or six, forget it. If three guys beat you to the bike racks on the bus you are out of luck. Also If you work a night shift, or get off of work a little later, or even earlier than that there is no bus. Also if you work on a Saturday, the bus runs on haldf schedual. It doesnt run on Sundays at all. SO really the idea that people can use a combination of the bus and the path to get to and from jobs is ridiculous.
Yet again, we have put the cart before the horse. We have designed the path, without designing enough supporting transportation to actually help people commute to and from work, school and recreation in a timely and convenient manner, thus lessening the amount of cars on the road.
The fact that the path will not have feeder routes connecting the major bedroom neighborhoods to a central path clearly shows lack of planning.
DO we need feeder bikepaths down to the REAL Bikepath?
Can the kids REALLY get to the bikepath to get on it with our their momm packing them all up, attaching the bikes toi the care somehow, driving them down to it and picking them up again? Kinda defeats the whole purose, huh?
Can poeple REALLY COMMUTE on our bikepath?
I am downloading some bikepaths from other places. They go on roads, inland, all over the place. Even on city highways. I don't see big, colorful ugly inertpretive signs on them, nor do I see face, forced landscaping, nor do they look like the front lobby of a hotel resort. They look like they ACTUALLY FUNCTION.
WOW. What a concept.
SO sit back, watch and EDUCATE YOURSELF.
Aloha.
Now let us discuss these bikepaths a bit. The ONLY bike path was the one from Santa Monica to Torrence. I have actually been on this path when I was a little kid. There are miles and miles of sand. It is far away from the highway. There are no sacred burials off it. The path is not a "boardwalk", screwed into the sand, but a surface one. These sands are extremely different from the shifting sands at Wailua.
After 40 years or so, the path needs to be replaces. It needs constant upkeep. But this path does not have 2 things on it, did you notice? No "landscaping," and No large, brilliant, bright interpretive signs that are like billboards that you can see from a mile away.
It is just simply a bike path. California has a billion or so visitors a year. They actually have more than we do per year.
Now, lets look at some more interesting features of these bikepaths. They are actually bikepaths. Some of them have soft walking trails beside them. Most of them have miles or large parts of them that do not go anywhere near a beach.
Only one of them is literally on top of the sand, and that is only in a place with a half mile or more wide long beach and it is places in such a way that it is not subject to the damages of erosion.
Ok,. I welcome comments, people.
What do you think?
(ps remember my commenting rules, and all will be well.)
KKK I am in there somewhere. But anyways for the last guy that spoke, CAUCASIONS ARE IN THE MAJORITY AND ARE NOT A MINORITY CHECK FACTS BEFORE YOU SPEAK
DO NOT FORGET TO COME OUT TONIGHT> I WILL POST UP THE SECOND MEETING WHEN IT IS ONLINE
SOMEBODY FLUSHED AND THEN THERE WERE NONE
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