Rockets in Hawaii, the battle for Harry, and some Genki Sushi goodness! July 11, 2009

Well today was a nice day out. Selina and I headed over to Genki Sushi for lunch and of course had fun selecting our meals off the Sushi Merry-Go-Round…aka the Sushi conveyor belt. I think every restaurant should do that! Its kinda fun to sit and watch the one item no one wants circle around the restaurant, feeling all rejected…in this case it was the tofu…suchi tofu just doesnt sound appealing to me! And after being stuffed to the brim with sushi, we ventured Ala Moana and I was introduced to the likes of Betsey Johnson, et al…For someone who is as worldly as me, I am apparently a fashion idiot, because 1/2 the stores were new to me! And of course this is probably partly blamed on the fact that I grew up in BFE Ohio…literally its BFE or aka Miseryburg.  The best moment though had to be the Japanese Cowboy Hula dance that I oh so cleverly happened to catch on video…so if you want to see it head on over to my Facebook because for some reason the video doesnt like my blog! And after a nice day of window shopping, and falling in love with a Coach purse that is like $900, we satiated out sadness of not being able to afford anything with a stopover at Liliha Bakery for some Coco Puffs…which are da’bomb brah!  Sadly this is the extent of my social life at the moment. My days are spent reading…and not for fun either…

Hmmm…who said a a girl cant split up two gay guys…well at least two gay penguins that is…at the San Fransisco Zoo, two male penguins,(Harry and Pepper) who have been together since 2003 were home wrecked by a female penguin(Linda)…and now the couple is no more…Apparently the controversy even turned ugly at one point.  My only concern about this news is that of all the zoos in the world, the gay penguins are from San Fran…stereotype much?

Hmm…maybe the Hawaii economy will become even more stable in the future…cause right now the only stable sectors are the DoD contracts! But there are a few out there who envision Hawaii as being the next gen tourist destination, the place where people come high-end getaways, including someday being launched from the sand to the stars, taking island-hopping to new heights. The issues at hand are whether or not the state governor will agree to the funds for a spaceport…but for me the greater concern is that this whole idea was dreamt up by some one in Oklahoma! Has ever been to HI? Infrastrucutre isnt the best here, and Im gonna guess that since they are planning on using existing runwys on Oahu and the Big Island that Infrastructure will be key! Oh well, let the dreamers dream, cause Im definately a dreamer too….

Ahhh…finally a google search that actually hints at me! “naked body art metallic bodypaint”….although Im not sure where or when I blogged about anyof that but somehow I can see myself doing it!

Later!

Golden vending machines, the DUI barstool, and some North Korean charm June 18, 2009

Well the tradewinds have arrived and along with those blessed heat relieving winds came the rain…which I will gladly take right now because it too is giving my sweat glands a break from the 90 degree weather! Its been a relaxing past day or two. Ive been surfing the web…but not only for leisure…ive been pumping away at a paper due Sunday on NGO websites…and ive discovered that its kinda hard to analye websites becuase they always put theire best foot forward and hide their flaws. Oh well…its a good thing that im good at digging through good to find the bad!

In case you missed it, the military out here in HI has been put on alert due to North Korea. With a shipping vessel leaving North Korean ports carrying unknown things and them test firing a missile aiming it at HI…mortality has risen on my radar. At first when I heard the news I thought…ahh just another Kim Jong Il stunt…then I remembered that I live in HI now..not only that but I live on Oahu with all those military bases…somehow I dont think the missile is aimed at all the cows on Molokai! Oh well…Im not really afraid of death…if it happens it happens…and if it happens to be by nuke then so be it! At least its not death by fish!

In more news about crazy people…a man in Delaware decided it was going to be a good idea to set off fireworks in a local Arbys bathroom…and no one knows why because the man evaded the police…but if his goal was to sink a toilet then he succeeded!

A few months back I blogged about the DUI bar stool event in Ohio…well the man was contemplating selling the stool after he got alot of interest in it…until the Licking County Child Support Agency got wind of it and told him that if he sold it the money would have to go to the $37000 back owed child support he owes…so instead he offfered them the barstool and told them to sell it themselves.

Hmmm…it looks like someone forgot that the economy was bad.  Some German company decided to create a vending machine that will despense gold in ornamental boxes for $42. However, the creator argues that he came up with the idea of gold dispensers just before Lehman Brothers collapsed in September and was further convinced by a heightened interest in the precious metal as a hedge against inflation as the financial crisis rippled around the globe.  Yes…let me pump $42 of my hard earned money (ok..well my financial aid money anyways) into a vending machine so I can get a box of gold that cn sit on a shelf. Yes..it may be gold and worth more then the cash in my wallet…but that cash can buy me food..so ill keep my cash…its called survival.

Later!

The Akaka bill, skydiving Bush, and is it really a Pandemic? June 12, 2009

Ahh…another hot day in Hawaii. Living here has only confirmed that I am in fact a cold weather girl! Somehow Ill survive though.

Well for all of you back in Ohio who heard all about the sovereignists here in Hawaii….you will enjoy this. Currently in Congress there is a bill known as the “Akaka bill” which would create a process for Native Hawaiian self-governance. Yes the sovereignists attempts to retake Hawaii by breaking into Iolani Palace’s throne room seems like the idiots guide to overthrowing a government. Wait, it was the idiots…oh well.  This new legislation though is smart, working from within the system. Hmm…wonder if they read my anarchy paper? What this bill intends to do… in addition to the political future of the Native Hawaiian people, is control over some 1.8 million acres of land that many Native Hawaiians believe was taken from them illegally in the United States’ annexation of Hawai’i in 1898. Passing the bill would provide for negotiations on the disposition of Native Hawaiian land, natural resources and other assets. Although some of the sovereignists here would love nothing more than to see the US and its people leave the island alltogether, at least this bill seems to be making an attempt to realign the native rights with modern issues. We’ll see how it all pans out.

In other news, the first President Bush spent his birthday crossing off another item on his bucket list…he went skydiving…at the age of 85.  I so would do this at any age, so good for him!

Hmm…i havent been paying that close of attention to the Swine flu drama..but after WHO upgraded it to a pnademic earlier this week, and now with almost 18,000 confirmed cases in the US, im taking a look again. Ok lets see…with 303,824,640 people in the US and 18,000 people with swine flu, that means that there is a 0.00005 percent chance that you will get swine flu. Now if you live in proximity to someone who has been diagnosed or know someone who was diagnosed, then your chances rise, but Im still wondering why WHO decided to raise it to a pandemic.  I know they argue that its spread to enough countries, but there is probably a greater chance of dying in a car accident then getting swine flu…yet everywhere i go, i see people wearing masks. Oh well, maybe doctors masks will be the next fashion trend and will be seen on the Paris runways.

Well Im off to watch random comedy central tv shows with Josh…

Later!

 

Todays travels, let there be heat, and where is my AC? June 10, 2009

Well I have discovered that blogging while on vacation in Ohio is non existent as is evident by 1 blog post over the past month. Bad me! Oh well. I am back in Hawaii and it is frickin’ hot! No tradewinds! And that is bad especially since there is no AC either! Stupid Hawaii weather….wait…thats kinda wierd, im usually saying that about Ohio…hmmm.

Well the roomies are happy to have me back. They even bought me beer! Ill take it! And our Tv is working again which makes me happy too! I am exhausted though. I have spent the last 20 hours traveling on planes and lounging about airports…and i only had 3 hours of sleep the previous night. Oh well…im use to being sleep deprived! All in all my travels this trip were relatively uneventful…aka no problems! My flight to HI this time was delayed but I didnt care since it was my final destination! And of course I ran into people I know at the airport…this time it was Russ as he was flying in from the mainland too.

All in all its good to be back. Im dreading the walk to the bus stop tomorrow cause its going to be a bitch after not walking miles for a month! Oh well, ill survive, lets just hope theres wind tomorrow though!

Well im off to finish laundry and head to bed…at least thats the plan…

Later!

Sleep deprivation, island fever, and dry heat May 8, 2009

Well, sleep deprivation is something Im use to, but it kinda sucks to begin an insomnia kick right before I begin a flight that will take me 1/2 way around the world! Oh well, I guess Ill get whetever sleep I can, whereever I can.

Well, year one of grad school is done! And in one more month I will begin year 2…at least im getting a break! And a nice visit back to the mainland will hopefully get me away from the insufferable heat on the island right now, because for some reason, the gods are not smiling down on us and blessing us with those infamous tradewinds, so its a very stagnent dry heat…and for all its dryness, the mosquitos seem to still be surviving if not thriving! Hopefully, Ohio will be a little bit better, but Im not holding my breath! I did get to see the ocean for the first time in months…ok yes I live on an island and I may be exagerating (but just a little),  and it was wonderful. But I think the tan I had back in October and December is gone, or at least highly faded, cause my pastiness seems to be coming back. But it is nice to be somewhere the sun doesnt seem to want to immediately burn me! I havent even worn sunscreen once out here, which is just a foreign concept to me! The only other place I was able to pull that off was Togo! Yet Detroit, Florida, Ohio, and many other seem to produce a Kristina that resembles more of a lobster then a human. Oh well, ill thank my luck and take it!

It will be nice to see family and friends, but for the first time in the past 4 months my island fever has been waining…maybe it wasnt so much island fever as it was school fever. My life consists of books, papers, class. I see the inside of the classrooms, library, and my place…all I do is study! So maybe it is a little more cabin fever than island fever, but the sight of Honolulu Harbor today got me thinking twice about my pending flight. Oh well…somehow my 18-20 hours of airplane/airport time may actually be too much for once! Who thought i’d be sick of flying! Hmmm…

Well, Im off to read…but for fun! Im kinda tv/movied out…and for all the reading ive been doing this semester, it actually sounds like fun right now..i know weird!  But since I have no hope of sleep, in part to the insomnia, and in part due to the rooster outside my window who is insisting on making a racket at 6:30am, i might as well do something that will relax me!

Later!

Oh and congrats to my Aunt and Cousin who are graduating tomorrow! I’ll try to watch the grad ceremony online…but it will be 3am out here! But heck, my insomnia may actually be good for something for once!

Dancing under Redoubt, cost of Hawaii, and Colbert to Space! March 23, 2009

 

Well Bobby Jindhal?   How do you feel about your comments on pork barrel spending related to Volcano watching now?  Mt Redoubt has errupted 5 times…Hope you realize that disaster management isnt pork barrel spending.  In a turn of direction, I have decided that I want to witness a volcano erupt. I want to dance in teh falling ash.  Yes I know Im weird, but it would definately be a once in a lifetime event, unless you are one of the people who live by a volcano, then i guess it would be a several times in a lifetime event.

March Madness has been disappointing. Only one Ohio team left and its Xavier. I cant believe Ive been reduced to rooting for Xavier.  UD got creamed yesterday, and it was saddening to watch Cleveland State lose too.  Oh well, Im off to root for the underdogs now.  Go AZ!

I just learned that the minimum salary for a single person to live modestly inHawaii needs to be double that of the mainland.  Wow!  And I can tell you from experience, wages definately arent more that I would earn in Ohio…no wonder im not looking for a job out here!

Haha.  In case you missed it, NASA held a name the new addition to the space station contest and Stephen Colbert rallied his troops to have his name written in.  And he won!  Now we will have to see if NASA will honor the name, or will elect for something lamer.

Wow!  I gotta love the NY district court!  The ruled against the FDA, stating that it let politics cloud its judgment when it denied teenage girls over-the-counter access to the Plan B morning-after pill, and ordered the FDA to let 17-year-olds obtain the medication. Following the popes visit to Africa where he condemned condoms and pledged more abstinence training, this ruling is more inline with modern society today. Abstinence education is fine, but teens need to be introduced to the risks of and safety issues associated with sex.  And that means, not barring access to sex safety options!  Go judiciary system!

Well Im off to read…and relax since its spring break!! yay!

Later!

A bill for common sense, a day of gun fire, and more Hugo February 15, 2009

Well its nice and cool out today…well windy anyways.  The mountains normally keep the wind off of Nuuanu but the breeze has foudn its way in between the mountains and has eben blowing all day.  Its not Ohio’s version of Ohio windstorm ‘09, but its definately cooled down the area. 

Right now I am hearing semi-automatic machine gun firing coming form the living room as Erik and Josh kill things on the X-box, and it is sad to say that sounds of gun fire waking me up is no longer a strange sound.  Now that isnt a problem right now, seeing as I am in Honolulu and not a third world country run by militias, but if I ever venture into a scenario like that then having a built up tolerance of machine gun fire may not be a good thing.

In case you missed it Hugo won the right to abolish term limits to the presidency in Venezuala. Should be an iunteresting next couple of years….

Its always interesting living in Hawaii…take for example the legislative bills that are proposed at all levels of state and county government. Right now there are tow kinda strange bills before the county legislation…one is against moepeds, the other is against leaf blowers.  The moeped one I can understand, no more riding on sidewalks people….but the leaf blower one is kinda weird. Apparently leaf blowers are being banned for use during certain hours due to noise pollution.  What makes the bill stranger is that there is an actual stipulation of time form 8am to 8pm that it is ok to use leaf blowers.  My question..who is using leaf blowers when the sun isnt up?!?!?!  Its kinda sad that people have to be legislated some common sense.

Well im off to watch my roommates try and be assassins or whatnot…im not sure what game they are playing right now, but it should be funny seeing Josh play it, cause he has a problem with guns…

Later!

Aloha Stadium, the leeward coast, and the crazy independence seekers November 29, 2008

Well today started off really early for me…try 2am early…cause thats when I woke up!  So i decided instead of trying to fall back asleep I would get up and go explore Oahu. So at 5am I left my house and headed out to Aloha Stadium(where the NFL Pro Bowl is held) and the Swap Meet that they have there on the weekends.  It was pretty big, with stalls all over the parking lot full of clothes, crafts, artwork, jewelry, etc.  There were some cool finds, but I didnt buy anything.  There were a few things I liked, but Im a broke grad student, so money is at a premium and I didn’t splurge…but I may down the line before I leave Hawaii.

My plan was to leave the stadium and go explore the Dole Plantation, but there was a glitch in the plan.  Mainly that I was an idiot and missed my connecting bus stop and ended up taking a long tour out to Waianae which is on the leeward side of the island.  Its a completely different atmosphere out there than in Honolulu and Waikiki…or even in Keneohe! My favorites from the bus trip were: seeing the Hawaii revolution signs wanting to take back the islands from the US and become its own sovereign country(which were all over Waianae), windsurfers, and the crazy campers/Hawaiian independence seekers making the beach their home.  They are all over the coast out in Waianae! Apparently there was some kind of parade out there today too, and they were closing down all the roads.  I didnt go explore off the bus much since Im a major Haole out there…and its different than dealing with the locals in Honolulu/Waikiki.  They are use to us there, but Waianae..it could have been bad!

So instead of hitting the Dole Plantation (which I will have to do another day), I rode the bus around the island. In the middle of the island heading towards the leeward side, theres a stretch that reminds me alot of Ohio…especially like the Warren and Butler County areas. It warmed the heart, but then random palm trees began to appear and I was back to reality of Hawaii. 

Random google searches that led to my blog “Wierd news about crossdressers” cool pitbull drawings” and “little crossdresssers”.  Hmm…someone really wants to find out about crossdresssing…

Later!