a conservatives take on beck

i think this is pretty interesting! the right is trying to distance itself from beck . . . they think he is losing it.

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pizzas for protestors

i was watching the rachel maddow show tonight and a democratic state senator mentioned that eqyptians are sending protestors in madison, wi pizza. what a great idea!

i think we should stand with those protestors. if you are like me, and can't actually go, then, LETS SEND THEM PIZZA ...

pizza brutta appears to serve a neapolitan pizza . . . will take pizza to them for you. 608.257.2120

ian's on state serves a more american style pizza and also will deliver . . . 608.257.9248

i think we all know they want beer and brauts more, "but don'tcha kneuw, pizza will do us jus' fine."

if you do order a pizza for the protesters, feel free to tell your story in the comments . . .

in case you want to see what prompted this pizza plea:

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obama should go to WISCONSIN

obama needs to go to wisconsin. he needs to stand proud with workers and show that there is a powerful democratic party that cares about america's workers. that there are leaders in the US who are willing to stake a position that big business doesn't run america. that america is by the people and "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

obama, go stand with the workers, and with lincoln. please show the world what matters most in this country!

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rice pudding -- comfort food!

last night after a perfect batch of curry . . . i should probably share that recipe here too . . . the dinner party ended and i was hungry and came up with the recipe for rice pudding:

1 egg
1 cup milk
1t vanilla
2T brown sugar
1/4t salt
handful of raisins (or other dried fruit. i used gogi berries.)
handful of pistachios or cashews
1.5C of cooked rice
(all of these measurements are approximations because i just put stuff in until it seemed right

whip egg, milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt together . . .
put rice in a pot and pour milk/egg mixture over it
throw in the nuts and fruit
cook over medium heat for about 7 mins (just until it turns kinda custardy)


SUPER YUMMY!

i should have taking a photo, but i didn't. still, it is so easy and so good. i had the leftovers for breakfast!

BTW, gogi berries are nightshades . . . WIERD

if anyone out there knows where i could get some cool illustrations like the study of the gogi berry to the right, i would LOVE to know. i love these!

Has the Christian Conservative Right choosen a Mormon as their Spokesman?

please watch this, and let me know if you think. btw, i was taking myself too seriously when i wrote this rant below the video . . . sorry for the break in the no-caps decorum. i like no-caps more, but i guess i wanted to be taken a bit seriously . . .

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It was just a couple of years ago that the Christian Conservative Right threw Mitt Romney under the bus by keeping Mike Huckabee in the primary, and thereby pulling the Christian Right votes away from Romeny. They were terrified of a Mormon being the voice of the party.

But just one year after blocking the one candidate that could have fought a formative fight against Obama, they crowned Glen Beck as the one who could lead them to victory.

I’m shocked that this is happening for three reasons:

1. some of what Glenn Beck is spewing is Mormon Doctrine of how the Second Coming of Christ is going to come, he is just saying as though it is happening, when in fact he is just making stuff up.
2. i was pretty sure that the Christian Conservative Right held some enmity against “the Church”, as we Mormons call ourselves.
3. Glenn Beck is the worst example of a Mormon I’ve ever seen. Mormons are not bombastic, selfish, xenophobic people. (At least we aren't supposed to be according to our theology*.) We are warm and generous. Our goal is to live each day with the love of Jesus in our heart. A common scripture in LDS Sacrament Meetings is “perfect love casteth out all fear”. President Hinckley, the popular Mormon prophet who passed away in 2008, said that “we have every reason to be optimistic in this world. Tragedy is around, yes. Problems everywhere, yes. … You can’t, you don’t, build out of pessimism or cynicism. You look with optimism, work with faith, and things happen." (from Ensign, June 1995) And GB is the opposite of this.

So why aren’t more people shutting this guy up?

It seems like the most "Christian Right" are spooked by Mormons and that they should be making sure that NO ONE is listening to the Mormon theology let alone paving the way for their base to learn to love/trust Mormons. Does the Christian Right not see that they are laying the ground work for their base to trust Mitt or John (should they run)? Is Mormonism now okay’d by the Christian mainstream? This must be news to the Christian mainstream (and probably news to Mitt too.)

Mitt Romney’s faith was used as a divisive tool in the Southern State primaries in 2008. Mormon bashing hit an all time high on the the internet. (both from the far right and even the middle left.) It is obvious that Mitt was strong armed out of the race by the Christian Right, right?

Just after the primary, conservative Mormons were livid (at least the ones I know). It was clear to all of them that iMitt’s Mormon-ness lost him the nomination -- Mitt was actually was speaking the a more conservative, GOP, base-baiting language, yet John (Mr. Middle of the Road) gets the nomination, because Mitt is a "freaky Mormon - non-Christian".

I feel like the Mormon Church is in an abusive relationship with the Christian Coalition: like we are the pet dogs of the Republican Party. They kick us around because of our faith, and we run back to their lap just hoping we can join forces on things like the hate-filled proposition 8, (which kinda supports their non-Christian view of us) and then we are still surprised when even that isn't enough to get the mainstream to love us. How many times does this need to happen?

Why are we always on the wrong side of the civil-rights issues? When we, as a matter of obedience, live in very non-traditional marriage relationships (plural on purpose, polygamy and polyandry were practiced). Anyway, a discussion for another time.

We not only become the pack mules, but we look like we are just the pawns to a much larger, more sophisticated, more powerful political machine. We kinda look like idiots because we don't see how we are being used.

Worse than that: We are also being misrepresented. The most famous and loudest Mormon voice in the world sounds nothing like Jesus Christ’s, or even a member of His church. Where is the outrage of the Mormons decrying Glenn Beck as a phony Mormon? Aren't we a people that preaches “blessed are the peacemakers”. Isn't it Mormons that truly believe that “when you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me” (Matt 25:40) “and ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due. . . for behold, are we not all beggers.” (Mosiah 4:13,19)

This much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. (Moshiah 4:30)

Seems like no matter where you sit on this, if you love or hate the Mormons. Everyone should be hating Glenn Beck and the voice of his “movement” – if that is what you call this shit!

* does anyone remember when ammon teaches king lamoni and they have this dialogue:

L: "Rabbanah, (which is, being interpreted, powerful or great king, considering their kings to be powerful; and thus he said unto him) the king desireth thee to stay."

A: "What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king?

And the king answered him not for the space of an ^ahour, according to their time, for he knew not what he should say unto him.

pyramid scheme

this is brilliant!

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term limits for dc elected officials

i think it is time for some serious change in this city. we have had a city council that looks almost exactly the same for the whole time i have lived in the city. most people are re-elected over and over again. this keeps people like marion barry in office for 30 years.

apparently a referendum was passed in the 90's to limit the terms of elected officials, but the elected officials voted it down (how is that possible?). i think it is time to resurrect this idea.

so how do you get a referendum started? does anyone know?

it should be noted that dc council members make $125,583 per year . . . i have a feeling, that many of them stay as long as they do, because it just might only be the only position they could get that would garner them that type of salary. maybe that is just a reflection of how i feel about the professionalism of my current council member. at anyrate, i think it is worthy of note. maybe if more people knew this, they wouldn't feel so bad about running?

October 1, 2008, 10:22 AM

When a City Council Repealed Term Limits

Anthony A. Williams, mayor of Washington from 1999 to 2006, did not support repealing term limits. (Photo: Haraz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press)

For months, the City Council debated whether to repeal term limits, which voters had approved in a referendum in the 1990s. Critics said some members of the City Council were simply trying to hold onto their jobs. Others said that term limits were poor public policy and restricted voters’ choices.

New York City in 2008? No. Washington, D.C., in 2001.

In 2001, as a reporter for The Washington Post, I covered the debate over term limits in the nation’s capital. In a 1994 referendum, 62 percent of voters in the District of Columbia agreed to impose a limit of two consecutive four-year terms on the mayor and members of the City Council and the Board of Education.

In some ways, the 1994 referendum had been a strange outcome. That same year, the city’s voters gave a fourth term to Marion S. Barry Jr., a former three-term mayor whose political career had seemed to be derailed by his 1990 arrest and subsequent conviction on drug charges.

By 2001, Mr. Barry had retired and been replaced by Anthony A. Williams, a reformist, bow-tie-wearing numbers cruncher who was elected in 1998 after rescuing the city from near-bankruptcy as its chief financial officer.

The term limits law in Washington took effect in 1995 and would have forced five council members from seeking reelection in 2004 and seven in 2006.

Momentum to repeal the term limits gained steam in early 2001. One councilman, Jack Evans, noted that more than 50,000 of the 186,311 voters who cast ballots in the 1994 referendum recorded no opinion on term limits.

But at a public hearing, most people who testified assailed the effort to repeal term limits. “The people have spoken, whether we agree or disagree,” said Wilhelmina J. Rolark, a former councilwoman who argued that term limits gave more residents a chance to fill the city’s relatively few elected positions. (The District of Columbia has no senators and one nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives. Its government was directly under federal control until 1973, when it achieved limited home rule.)

Mayor Williams did not support repealing term limits, and specifically asked that if the Council went ahead and abolished the limits that it exclude the office of the mayor.

The Council disagreed. On June 5, 2001, the Council voted, 9 to 4 — a veto-proof majority — to abolish the term limits for all elected officials. “If citizens don’t want someone, they vote them out,” the Council chairwoman, Linda W. Cropp, said.

The front-page headline in The Washington Post the next day: “District Term Limits Tossed; Council Reverses Voters’ Decision In Referendum.”

Although term limits had been invalidated by several courts, it marked one of the first times an elected body had overturned a term-limits initiative without the consent of voters, Paul Jacob, national director of U.S. Term Limits, said at the time.

Since then, several legislatures have repealed term limits, including Idaho in 2002 and Utah in 2003.

Although term limits were abolished, the City Council has undergone much turnover. Only 5 of the current 13 members were on the Council back in 2001. Ms. Cropp, who was chairwoman of the Council when term limits were ended, ran for mayor in 2006 but lost in the Democratic primary to a councilman,Adrian M. Fenty, who went on to succeed Mr. Williams.

happy makers

today, i learned about these two amazing songs/music videos. i feel like my life is immensely fuller. i also feel like, since it is the year of love and all, the most loving thing i can do, is share this with the world. (i use some hyperbole. it is the most loving thing i can do with this particular information . . . but we don't need to travel down that wormhole now do we)


anyway, without further adieu:

the black keys -- tighten up




tenacious d -- tribute

"Tribute" Music Video from TenaciousD

HOORAY 4 EGYPT!!!! HOORAY 4 DEMOCRACY!!!!

i don't think i'm able to completely comprehend why the story of egypt's revolution and the victory of the people is so captivating. i have been watching this last month as the entire middle east/northern africa region is moved by the voice of the people. from the student who set himself on fire in the beautiful town of sidi bou said (where i spent some really fun times) to the ouster of the tunisian government, which then inspired the young people across the region to rise up.

Bye Bye Mubarak from Ramy Rizkallah on Vimeo.

watching the video above makes me cry, and remember the night president obama was elected . why is it that these big revolutions of the people capture our imaginations and tap into something within each of us that reminds us all that we have so much more in common than we typically remember? the night president obama was elected, friends from around the world sent me notes of congratulations and all echoed a common refrain "we are all americans tonight".

i am proud to feel like we are all egyptians! i congratulate all those who stood in protest and stayed peaceful. what a wonderful example of the teachings of islam and a counter to so many false ideas touted by conspiring xenophobic people. islam is a faith of peace. eqypt and tunisia taught us that explicitly. peaceful revolutions are hard to come by, and with literally 100s of thousands of people (most muslim), egypt did it. tunisia did it. who will do it next?

i have often complained about the amount of military investment in egypt (they are the 2nd largest recipient of US foreign assistance. israel is first.) but now, i'm so happy my country was able to help the eqyptian military become one that protects and serve the people even when their chief commander commands otherwise.

tunisia is still struggling to create peace. i hope that the power vacuum is filled with democracy loving leadership. i'm surprised at how hard it is to get current information on what is happening there, and also that the press (at least in the US) have really dropped that story. they way tunisia turns out might actually have more influence on the rest of the region than egypt. egypt is LARGE with heaps of close ties to the US and other western governments. they have a bit more of a foundation for democracy. for yemen and other oppressed middle eastern countries to really believe they too can make change, i think they need to be able to see the effective change to democracy in tunisia, tunisia just is a bit more like them.

it should also be noted, that while all of the stuff in eqypt took place, the jordanian government also was ousted. which would have been massive headline news if the most populous middle eastern country wasn't about to topple.

it just feels like this is the beginning of a whole new world order. i have been thinking of the similar seismic revolutions that have taken place in my lifetime. thankfully rachel maddow was thinking along my same lines and her show put together this BEAUTIFUL retro/fore-spective. please watch it (though i will admit, they overdue advertising themselves in the piece . . .)

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our country was, arguably, the first to stand up against such powers. we had enough of being taxed without representation and having our work degraded. we (our forefathers/mothers) chucked tea into a harbor and told the silly king george we were no longer willing to play his games, and then shot a "shot heard around the world". it was the first time the common folks stood against a state power and won. it created in all those who have known the story of the american revolution, that matter how nascent the movement or the system, change can come. the voice of the people can be more powerful than the voice of the oppressors. i guess there is just something wonderful about breaking the chains of oppression and the horrible messages those that oppress spread.

i believe it is the voice of the oppressors that try to stimulate all the hate and malice that groups of people can feel towards each other. when we can recognize each other as good and as agents for good, we can find what we have in common, work towards common goals, and improve the lives of those around us. which is why i find the tea party so offensive. they have bastardized one of the single greatest moments in world history and morphed it into a gross justification for spreading fear and hate (which successful revolutionaries for democracy don't do)

it will be interesting and exciting to see how all of this boils down. but at least for now, if feels really good to be inspired by the people. good governance is a SLOW process, but each of these BIG changes leads us closer and closer to a world of peace. thanks eqypt for reminding us what is possible and what it really means to be alive!

(this is an interesting prognostication of which 11 countries are likely to have similar revolutions)





also, if you are craving a moment in crazy, you gotta check this out. i mean, when bill o'reilly is the voice of reason, you know something has gone off the edge somewhere



i checked out onenation.org as glenn suggests, it is a website circa 1997 that seems to have its last posting somewhere around march 2002. its a website dedicated to making sure all american children learn english
"and end bilingual education nationwide." its a stupid outdated site. seriously, who is this guy talking to? who is believing this insane rhetoric? and why is he not being called to the mat more for his misinformation. even this crazy site that is supposed to link you to a conglomeration of unions, communist, and socialist ideals . . . and its actually another crazy right-wing cause . . . i mean, is the guy not required to function in reality?

things i love: feline pine

look, i realize i just posted a whole blog about my kittens. and yes, i fear being a cat lady, but i think we all know i'm too cool for that. so, lets just set that aside.

it turns out that there are literally hundreds (ok, i'm exaggerating) options for kitty litter these days. and in the end, my goal is to nix the litter box and train coco and lola to potty on the potty. but in the meantime, i've developed a strong preference for feline pine kitty litter.

here are some reasons; in no particular order:

#1 there is NO odor. i really can't stand the smell of a little box. it makes me want to heave. this was a big barrier for me in thinking about having kittens in my house. i knew they couldn't live outside (dc is not the same at 1980 gilbert), so that meant there had to be a litter box. UCK! so i asked around and found that not only janna (mom of elizabeth taylor of NYC) but lots of the internets really like feline pine, because it doesn't smell. i add my testimony to janna and others: feline pine eliminates all kitty litter grossness.

#2 it is much friendlier on the environment. did you know that the stuff in "traditional" kitty litter that makes it clump is a clay. that clay is strip mined from the earth. here is some info on the mining and the clay:

The United States Geological Society estimates that 85 percent of the 2.54 million tons of clay used in this country every year is used for absorption of pet waste, with cat litter being the dominant. There are about 20 companies operating such mines in 10 states. (For detailed information on clay mining operations, see “U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Information 1996” and “U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook 2001” both by Robert L. Virta.)

As with all mining operations, there is an environmental impact. Because sodium bentonite mining is only economical when the material is close to the surface, the impact of this mining is similar to other strip-mining operations. In strip mining the top layer of soil (called the overburden) is removed and then the clay is taken out.

Most sodium bentonite clay is mined using only a scraper or bucket loader. The result of this operation is a depression or a pit that must then be reclaimed. While laws mandate the reclamation of land impacted by mining operations, there remain heated disputes over the extent and timing of such reclamation efforts and whether the environmental impacts of strip mining can ever be addressed through reclamation.

After being mined, the clay is then transported to a second facility, where it is dried. Only then is it processed into a powder or flake to be used as cat litter. The environmental impact of clay litter production, in addition to the mining itself, includes the transportation of the clay to the drying facility as well as the use of petroleum products to generate sufficient heat needed to dry the clay.

Of course, after it is used, the litter must be disposed of. Clay cat litter is sent to landfills where its sits for an eternity. Since one assumes all cat clay litter purchased and used eventually gets thrown out, we are talking about a huge amount of cat litter ending up in landfills every year. The net result is that clay-based cat litter has a sizable environmental impact in both its manufacture and disposal.

#3 ok, it goes with the environmental stuff, but i think it is awesome that it is compostable. i can use it to add "browns" to my compost. obviously, some are going to bock at my flagrant use of cat waste in compost and the potential for disease. i'm not worried about that. #1) compost gets wicked hot, so . . . i'm guessing most bad bacteria aren't going to survive. #2) most of my compost goes through the belly of a worm before it enters my garden . . . and we know that process is much purer than any of the chemical treatments we do to our own waste and then toss into the water system.

#4 the clay (and silicon) are bad for you and your pets. the "dust" that is kicked up into the air of your house when you kitty covers her "mess" is a carcinogen. you might not notice that it affects your kittens, but years of breathing that stuff can have a negative impact on your lungs. if you have someone with asthma or other pulmonary issues, you really need to switch to something plant based.

#5 you know that "scent" that is in the litter. that is 100% pure chemicals. none of it is natural. all of it has weird side effects in large dosages. now, obviously you aren't going to eat the litter but your kitty will. she will clean her paws after her potty break and clay (that expands and turns into . . . clay) and chemicals will go into her body.

#6 no kitty litter dust gets tracked through the house. i hate seeing all the muck around, stuck in carpets etc.

if you are interested in trying this stuff out . . . they will give you a free box if you go to this site. you have to buy it and then send in a rebate, which is a big pain in the butt, but free is my all time favorite price so, i say go for it. just remember to send in the rebate!

this is from a funny site called cats against clay

• 
  Founders
• Pretty
• Underground
• Contact
• Manifesto
• Rants
• Answers

Unanimous Declaration Of Tha Five Original Cats Against Clay

When in the course of kitten events it becomes necessary for felines to speak up against gross injustices – that's just how it's going to be. This has been a long time coming, humans. Dig it!

We Believe Clay Litter:

Doesn’t Taste Good * Has Harsh Chemicals * Makes Us Smell Cheep And Trashy * Is Dusty On Our Fur * Gets Stuck Between Our Itty Toes * Is Big Time Yuckey To Breathe * Leaves Ugly Tracks Up In Our Cribs * Is Unnecessary Because Of A Better Alternative.

We Resolve 2:

Raise Our Paws In Objection * Get All Hissy * Perform Various Acts Of Mayhem At Home and Abroad * Recruit New Kittens Who Believe As Us * Generally Make Our Meows Heard By Any Means Necessary * We are Loud * We Are Proud * We These Underpowered ...Are Cats Against Clay

amazon book exchange

i just learned that amazon has a book, dvd, etc exchange. it seems like a really cool and very green idea, so i figured i'd share it here. it might be a nice thing to consider for your spring cleaning. :)

The Amazon Trade-In Program allows you to receive an Amazon.com Gift Card in exchange for your eligible items. Participation is simple. Here's how:

1. Visit the desired trade-in store:
   • Movies & TV Trade-In Store
   • Textbooks Trade-In Store
   • Video Games Trade-In Store
2. Search for items eligible for trade-in.
3. If your item is listed as eligible for trade-in and is in acceptable condition (see Determining Product Eligibility paragraph below), and you wish to sell/exchange your item at the displayed price, then click theTrade In button to add items to your trade-in shipment.
4. Review your trade-in items and quantities.
5. Make sure you read and agree to the Trade-In Program Terms, then click the Submit your trade-inbutton.
6. Select or enter the address from which you ship your items and where items will be returned if they are not accepted.
7. Select a shipping method from the available options: UPS Ground or U.S. Postal Service Media Mail. USPS Media Mail is not available for orders containing video game items.
8. Ship your items as described below under Packing and Shipping Your Trade-in.
9. After your submission is received and verified, you will receive an Amazon.com Gift Card deposited in your account.

You can view your submission history, status, and payment information in Your Account athttp://www.amazon.com/your-account by clicking the "Your Trade-In Account" link.

Trade-In Limits

You can add as many items to your trade-in submission as you want, with the following restrictions:

• The total value of any single trade-in submission is up to $500. If you want to trade in items with a total value greater than $500, you'll need to make multiple trade-in submissions.
• You can trade in up to a quantity of 2 identical items within any 3-month period. For example, if you submitted in one copy of a video game on January 1 and you submitted two more copies of the same video game before March 31, then you can trade-in the fourth copy on April 1.

HAWAII

i went to hawaii kinda out of the blue for work a couple of weeks ago. hawaii is biutiful, but FAR away. it is so rich in culture, it is a bit crazy that its part of the US.

according to the locals, this is how the US got hawaii. a US navy admiral commanded a few battleships into pearl harbor and requested a meeting with the queen. he told her that if she didn't abdicate her throne and power they would use all of their force and essentially commit genocide. she didn't want that, so she abdicated.

when she realized it was a rouse and that she should have called the admiral's bluff, she petitioned the president. who at the time was cleveland. he commissioned a study (classic) and determined that it was indeed an illegal take over of a sovereign nation, but the provisional government refused to leave. (they were, no kidding, rich investors hoping to turn hawaii into a cash-cow) which then meant that congress had to act. i guess congress has always moved slowly because congress did not act fast, and president cleveland died. his death was also the death of any hope that hawaii could be a sovereign kingdom again. apparently the people running the provisional government were making horrible land deals with hawaiians.

essentially, people in hawaii don't believe that land can be owned it is for everyone, but there is a deep connection to the ancestral homes (the fervor with which this was spoken of reminded me of the Hopi and Masi. so they took money from these men and thought they were leasing the land to them, when in fact they had signed over ownership and were leasing the land from them.

then sugar and pineapple plantations sprung up for export and the typical destruction of subsistence farming took place. (old story from every corner of the world). now, C & H pure cane sugar, from hawaii, sweetened by the sun is imported to hawaii from far afield. the land values have increase so much that the plantation owners are selling it off. so, the native hawaiians are both loosing their land and their ability to earn an income.

this has lead to an incredible "ice" or crystal meth problem. and it is this problem that brought me to hawaii. i was there to speak to a group of people who get the "Access to Recovery" (ATR) money and provide "recovery oriented systems of care"

the first day i was there i visited three different treatment providers

here i am with linda (far right), who is the SAMHSA program officer for Hawaii's ATR

and some of the folks

working to help people get off ice and into stable employment and housing

bernie is to my right (left of the photo)

she runs the ATR program for hawaii

and is totally awesome

she taught me how to properly hang-ten

(linda is still working on it)

and was so culturally astute it was astonding

the view from my breakfast in waikiki

the days i was working were incredibly rainy

linda and i had a treacherous trip back from the north shore

everyone talked about how it never rains like that

and they were totally freaked out by the lightening and thunder

all i know, is driving along those steep cliffs in torrential downpour is not easy!

it also meant i didn't take many photos

this is from the day i had some more free time

and it was sunny!

i ended up hanging out with bernie and totally just veggin' out

we did go to roy's and have MIND BLOWING sushi!

this photo is when from when i pulled over and got out to hear a whole bunch of people make that "OOOOOO WOW!" sound

turns out a whale had just done a complete flop out of and back into the water

i missed it by a few seconds

but i didn't miss this little guy . . .

the view from our lunch

bernie took me to the beach here obama had his famous body surfing expedition

apparently the part of the beauty of this photo is not just that the guy can body surf, but that he is kinda hard core and is a local. turns out he was surfing in one of the hardest places to surf. really cool waves, but crazy tides and rocks that need to be avoided. anyway, it was his way of saying to the people of hawaii, i'm local and i'm not a wuss.

we also got to see a seal that was molting, and i took photos, but they got lost somewhere . . . it was cool. it was a seal that is native to hawaii but is protected because there are so few. i'm really bummed about loosing that photo.

one last random hawaiian fact, when the christian missionaries showed up in hawaii they taught the people that surfing was bad. that it was a tool of the devil to get people to be lazy. they were probably fat. also, how cool is it that our president surfs?