Tag: Hawaii

Stars on the Open Ocean

icaruswithwarmwingsLeave a comment

the men in that big wooden boat heaved against the ocean

that endless blue

through the night they rowed

moving galaxies out of the way with each successive stroke

in the middle of the boat seated parallel to the back of the outrigger

one man focussed on his brown arm and the way it seemed to work by its own volition

his bicep roared in its quiet fight against the mighty open

In the back of the boat one man fell so deep within himself that he lost track of the stars

but the boat knew the way

and right here sat a boy who simply rowed

in time

open like the ocean

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2016/08/26/hawaii-news/two-day-oil-painting-workshop-at-volcano-art-center/

American Airlines Craziness

mushuoo

Two major events have struck American Airlines this week. Lets recap:

Photo Credit: upload.wikimedia.org 

Today, October 5th, at 7:10 am American Airlines flight 550 landed in New York mid-flight for the last reason anyone would expect: the pilot passed away mid-flight, the name of the pilot and cause has not been announced.

During the flight, the pilot became unresponsive, at which point the co-pilot took over and was able to safely land the plane in Syracuse, its original destination was Boston.

This unfortunate event was completely unforeseen, thank goodness the co-pilot was proactive and able to get all 147 passengers to ground safely.

Next event. American Airlines flight 31 departed from Los Angeles with a full house, Hawaii bound.

Little known fact that the Airbus A321s was not certified to fly over the Pacific Ocean. This aircraft was no correctly equipped to fly over the Pacific.

Luckily, the aircraft made it safely to Hawaii. The plane was later flown back to LAX with the minimum amount of crew on board.

Thankfully both of these incidents left no passengers harmed… just a bit shaken.

The little Dolphin that couldn’t

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f4f4f4

The little dolphin that couldn’t. When he was born his mother was ripped apart by a Great White Shark. Mr. Dolphin now had brain damage. Furthermore, his fins where shredded to pieces he could barely swim, he was slow.

While swimming in the seas of Japan Mr.Dolphin encountered some cold hearted fishermen. Mr. Dolphin was not smart so he approached their vessel slowly and foolishly. The fishermen viciously harpooned Mr. Dolphin inflicting life threating wounds to him. Close to death Mr. Dolphin decided to let the currents carry him westward.

Mr. Dolphin found the coast of Hawaii, where he met an average looking dolphiness, looking for a mate. Mr.Dolphin approached her, Mr.dolphin was instantly rejected by the Dolphiness. The dolphiness would have a child with another dolphin. Mr. Dolphin would swim far out to sea where he would die alone and forgotten.

(this was  experiment made with my friend infamousdolphin to test the power of cooperative creativity.)

The little dolphin that could

infamousdolphinLeave a comment

When the little dolphin was born, his mother gently lifted him to the surface to take his first breath.  He had a gifted mind. Furthermore, he was a strong and capable swimmer. He was fast.

While swimming in the seas of Japan, Mr. Dolphin encountered some gracious fishermen. Mr. Dolphin approached them slowly and carefully. The fishermen fed him some of their leftover fish. Having regained all of his strength, Mr. Dolphin decided to swim eastward.

Mr. Dolphin found the coast of Hawaii, where he met a beautiful dolphiness, looking for a mate, Mr. Dolphin approached her. Mr. Dolphin and the dolphiness fell deeply in love and had a child.

Mr. Dolphin carried his newborn gently to the surface, where he would take its first breath.

This was an experiment made with my friend frog3 to test the power of cooperative creativity.

I was Wrong!!!

backinphillyLeave a comment

I am an incredibly superstitious person. I freak out whenever I see a black cat, I refuse to walk under ladders, I don’t break mirrors and I hold salt shakers hostage during dinner so that no one spills it.

Therefore, I also believe in certain “signs” if you will, meaning that since one thing occurred, it must mean that I need to do something.

In this instance, I got sick this morning because I was meant to watch the Pro Bowl, even after swearing I wouldn’t.

So here I am, laying in my bed, meds taken, tissue box in hand, watching the Pro Bowl on NBC.com. I’m probably in for a garbage, throw away game full of blown tackles and crappy effort.

Um, what is this I’m watching? Is this…a good game?!

I have actually enjoyed watching the Pro Bowl this year. Watching some of my favorite players in the league just explode for yardage play after player. Yes, the defense is still a little bit lax but I am enjoying myself right now.

Of course, a game including the best in the business usually has a few highlights.

For starters, Russell Wilson looks like the second coming of Jesus.

For the religious nuts out there, get over it. I’m not insulting religion. I’m a proud Roman Catholic, but I’m not about to get insulted by this nonsense. Jesus was a perfect being, so say the teachings. Today, Wilson was quite perfect indeed.

He threw some great passes, ran a few times, commanded an offense and made me wish he was the QB for the Eagles. I’ve said it countless times. I believe in the mobile quarterback. I don’t mean the running back that can throw like Mike Vick. I mean the quarterback that can run, like RG3 and Wilson.

Another highlight was seeing Jeff Saturday, the center for the NFC, come over to the AFC side and snap the ball to Peyton Manning. For those that live under a rock, Manning and Saturday were teammates in Indianapolis a few years back for a long time. They built a chemistry that was unmatched in the modern day NFL. Jeff has decided to retire following the now concluded Pro Bowl game.

There were a ton of highlights, and I encourage any of you guys to check out some clips. However, my personal favorite highlight from the day was when Ed Hochuli, the referee for the game, dished out the first flag of the day. The game had gone almost a full half before a penalty was called. So, he took that fact and decided to make some comedy out of it. He turned on his mic and said the following to the crowd,

“Yes, there are still penalties in the Pro Bowl.”

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Interracial marriage

thehungryrunnergirlLeave a comment

1 in 12, 8.4% of marriages are interracial in the United States, an all-time high. Compared to 1980, interracial marriage has increased more than 5 %!

Studies show that Hispanics and Asians are the most common to marry different races. Also, interestingly, Asian women have double the rate of Asian men marrying a different race, 36% to 17%. Additionally, black men were nearly three times more likely to marry a different race than black women, which is 24% to 9%.

In the United States, Hawaii was found to have the most interracial marriages for its population. Almost half of the population who married from 2008-2010 was interracial. On the other hand, the state that has the lowest rate of interracial marriage is Vermont, which has only 4%.

Despite of the growth in interracial marriage, the Southern States like Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi still think that interracial marriage should be illegal. I think this is sad, because the people there are still not willing to accept different races and I don’t think it’s right.

However, this article made me happy because the fact suggests that the relationship between different races has greatly improved.

Also, the more races mixed, the healthier and prettier the baby is!

Worst Person #14-The Pro Bowl

backinphillyLeave a comment

As I’m sure everyone saw last weekend, the Conference Championships went exactly as I had planned, but not as I had hoped. I’m still fuming about the Patriots and Giants once again being in the big dance. I don’t wanna watch that crap again. It’s no fun watching the same teams compete every year when they aren’t the team you support. So, I will extend my congratulations to the Giants and Patriots and begin my post without so much as a rant about how poorly the Giants executed this past weekend, or about the 49ers’ horrible punt returner Kyle Williams. Heck, I’ll even overlook the Billy Cundiff botched kick that could have tied the game or the Lee Evans potential game-winning touchdown catch that didn’t happen. Let’s talk about the Pro Bowl.

Probably one of the most pointless contests in all of sports, the Pro Bowl has evolved into a sick joke in recent seasons. Since the game was moved to one week BEFORE the Super Bowl after being the week after for so many years, the teams in the Super Bowl must restrict the players from “competing” in the Pro Bowl. The Patriots had 8 players while the Giants had 2.

Why is this the worst thing/person of the week then?

Because the Pro Bowl shouldn’t exist. It isn’t a competition. It isn’t a serious honor bestowed upon a player by the league. It is simply a popularity contest. The rosters show dozens of players that don’t belong there, but the public and the fans don’t know any better than to elect their team’s players.

What do you think guys? Do you think the league is using the game to squeeze a little bit of extra cash out of the public?

Doesn’t look too competitive, huh?

Sunsets

kirbyfullyloadedLeave a comment

No enhancements were made to these photos.

I love sunsets.  They’re in bad romances and lame, angsty teen novels, unforgettable movies, and great literary master pieces.  Artists and poets have colored miles of canvas and thousands of pages depicting and describing their radiant beauty.  Twilight (ironically the unfortunate name of another angsty teen novel) is an enchanting hour.  It is the time of day when all three of the great celestial entities exist together.  The sun sets, the moon rises and the stars just begin to emerge.

Kona, 2003:

I’m lucky enough to live by the beach.  The bay we live near faces south instead of west, so the sun never sets in front of my house, except for a short time in one season.  All year, I look forward to winter sunsets.  As December rolls around, the sun inches slowly south on the horizon, sinking into the sea right over the Channel Islands.

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Peaberry & Galette

kirbyfullyloadedLeave a comment

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Darn Good Crepes.

I’m going to say it once and only once:  You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten a crepe from Peaberry & Galette.

Located in the Keauhou Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona, Peaberry & Galette is a small “french style crêperie and cafe” that serves savory and dessert crepes, teas, Kona coffee, and a variety of other goodies.

Dessert Crepe Menu

Honestly, these crepes are to die for.  The first time I went there we ordered two crepes, caramelized apple, and chocolate banana.  I started on the caramelized apple and realized I was eating what must equate to God among food.

It is this buttery golden brown confection with a tawny glow and covered in warm autumn tones.  The crepe itself is light and flavorful, the thinnest, sweetest pancake you’ve ever tasted in your life. Folded neatly, it rests beneath a delicious nest of smooth vanilla ice cream and soft, caramelized apples.

The apples are rolled in cinnamon and tucked gently into the vanilla, creating a symphony of sweet and spicy flavors with a fresh juicy kick.  Ribbons of warm caramel and sprinkles of powdered sugar and cinnamon lace the dessert together and it is topped off with a tasteful crown of fluffy whipped cream.

Now tell me that doesn’t sound amazing.  Say it out loud, with a straight face.

I know.  IMPOSSIBLE!

It was so good I even took a picture of it!

Caramelized Apple Crepe from Peaberry & Galette

I have a very close relationship with my food.  I like to describe it the way I would describe a very attractive person.  For you ladies, this is my Robert Downey Jr., my Vouge cover man.  For you gentlemen, this is your Halle Berry, your Victoria’s Secret model.

Clearly:

1 minute 53 seconds later

Believe it or not, I timed it.

The chocolate banana was equally incredible.  Another gorgeous, buttery crepe lay wreathed in freshly sliced bananas.  A beautiful, white scoop of vanilla ice cream rested daintily, yet seductively atop its dusky, golden perfection.  Dark, fragrant chocolate sauce criss-crossed over the masterpiece, creating a labyrinth of alluring, delectable beauty.

I was so taken with this dessert I didn’t even get a picture.  That night was truly a supernova of flavor.

So I suggest that you head on over to Peaberry & Galette on your next stop in Kona.  I promise it is well worth the trip.

Click here to view the menu!

The Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort: Kailua-Kona

kirbyfullyloadedLeave a comment

Some people go to Hawaii to tan, relax, and drink piña coladas on the beach. Not my family.  We probably spend equal amounts of time in and out of the water.  Hawaii itself is very important to us.  My parents lived in Haena on Kauai before they adopted me.  The first vacation I remember in Kauai.  My twins sisters learned to swim in Kona and I got my dive certification there, July 2007.

Front of the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, Kailua-Kona

Years ago my mom found this beautiful little hotel  and she and my dad went snorkeling there.  She remembered it and booked us a room at  Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in Kailua-Kona, October of 2003. It’s this GORGEOUS, amazing hotel right on Keauhou Bay.  There is a small snorkeling beach, as well as a little set of stairs that lead directly into the water.  The hotel includes deluxe ocean-view rooms, excellent free daily breakfast for guests, and an incredible seaside restaurant with the most spectacular view of the sunset in all of Hawaii.