Big Waves=Lots of Drowning People

Its that time of the year again, its big wave time!!! Which is completely awesome because that means tons of hot surfers coming to the island from all over the world!!! I love it when that happens. Shirtless guys, surfing 20-30 foot waves, there's nothing better than that. But what some people dont understand is that with the hot surfer guys, comes the big rip tides, and undercurrents that could suck you out to sea.
People need to realize that the waves are pretty, but they are dangerous. Take 12 year old Kylie, she got sucked 200 feet out to sea in Waimea Bay. She had never been in waves more than 3 feet, and all of a sudden she was battling against 6 and 7 foot waves. And that isn't even very big. North Shore is getting waves upwards of 25 feet!
Learning safety in the ocean while waves are this big is going to keep the lifeguards out of the water! Which is what we need! The last thing you want to hear about is someone dying in the waves. So be careful!

James Bond Gadgets

I have always questioned whether the gadgets that I see in movies like James Bond, or the Borne trilogy are actually in the possesion of the United States government. My first thought if they actually are being made and used is WOW THAT IS SO COOL! But the more I think about it the more it kind of worries me. I am all about being able to spy on enemies of this country and stuff, but someday, these technologies might be used against American citizens, like phone tapping and the result of the Patriot Act. It has come to my attention that government agencies actually DO have incredible inventions like little fly sized microphone/video transmitters that can fly. The US has developed "bug-sized spies" and if everything goes well, they plan on using them in combat and secret missions and such. The research that they have done is trying to replace the drone aircrafts that they have been using in Iraq, but wouldn't be ready until 2030. Thats a long time, I know. But if we are coming up with this type of technology it really makes me think about a lot of my personal security. It's one thing to want to be one up on your enemies. It's a totally different thing to use them on American people. I would definitely not be ok with that. And I really hope that it doesn't come down to that.

Hilary for Secretary of State

So Obama is decided who is going to appoint to his cabinet, and there have been tons of reports of people getting selected for certain jobs. But Hilary Clinton for Secretary of State, I never would have thought that would happen. I didn't think that Obama was going to nominate her for anything really. I cannot lie, I thought that Obama would want all of the fame for himself, being the first black president and all. But I am really happy that he is giving Hilary this opportunity, that is if she ends up getting selected for the job. In the New York Times, it said that she would readily accept the position. In accepting this position, she would become the primary foreign policy counselor for Obama. And that would be a very very important position to hold in this upcoming term that Obama is going to serve as president. I am sure there will be tons of foreign policy issues that will need to be addressed. Obviously Iraq, as well as North Korea, Guantanamo Bay and a plethera of other things. Since Hilary is so experienced as a Senator, I am almost certain that she will play a big role in helping Obama make key decisions. I am glad that she is going to be a part of the Obama administration.

We've Got A New President

Let's be real. Who would have ever thought ten years ago that this nation would elect a president that was anything other than a white man? Who would have thought that the nation would set aside the ever so prevelent racism and prejudice that has plagued this country since the start, to not only elect a leader that is black, but to elect a black man as the most powerful man in the world? I wouldn't have, that's for sure.
I am not going to say whether or not I voted for Obama because it really doesnt matter. What is more important to me is the fact that maybe, just maybe after this man gets into office, we might see the decline of racism and other things that society thinks a black man shouldn't be able to do.
January 20, 2009 will mark one of the greatest days in the history of this country, and whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, I think that we should really applaud ourselves as people. Some people may not agree with his experience or his policies, but hopefully, his charisma and his ambition will lead this country to new heights. I can honestly say I didn't care who won either way. I am a moderate, falling completely in the middle of every politcal survey I have ever taken. I just want this country to get out of this depression. I want this country to thrive, and I want people to know that we are a country that is above oppression. We have a black president. Not only that, we have an intelligent, funny, charismatic black president. Do work Obama.

Poor Killer Whale

To go along with my whale theme, I thought it would be relevant if I blogged about the Killer whale that was beached on October 22, 2008 in Poipu, Kauai. The beach was closed by government officials as soon as the whale was discovered. At around 9:30 a.m. offficials decided to get the whale out of the water and euthenize it. I don't know how much of an effort was exerted in trying to save this whale, but I really hope it was a good amount. It is so sad when you have to kill something so beautiful just to get it out of its misery.
A good 500 people watched as the whale was taken out of the water. The poor whale was sick, and they decided that if they put it in the water again, it would just be like throwing a baby in the water and asking it to swim, it would die. The female whale was said to have beached itself so that it could breath better. They ended up euthenizing it, and it made me really really really really really sad. The poor whale had scrapes on its stomach from wwashing up against the coral, and bites out of it from sharks. That was the other reason they needed to get it out of the water as soon as possible, they didn't want any sharks to start eating it.
Although death is a part of life, it is not one that should be premature. I feel like the whale had so much more life in her and it is too bad that she got sicck.

Budget Cuts...AGAIN

You would think that the government has cut enough money from schools already, but apparently they haven't. The state of Hawaii just approved another $50 million from the budget last night. Despite the fact that students and teachers pleaded with the board to not make another budget cut, they ended up doing it anyway and tons of students are going to suffer from it.
I don't really understand how the state thinks that the education system should be any less funded in this state. The public education system here is ridiculous. Back where I am from, our public school system is just a notch below the private school system. Here, there is a huge descrepancy between the private and public schools.
Money for textbooks and learning materials are being denied to teachers seeking help with their students. How is this alright with the government? How are students supposed to learn if they don't have the tools readily available for them to learn with?
We sit here and wonder why there is such a difference in public and private school educations in Hawaii, well I think that the budget cuts have a huge part in that. Students need textbooks, they need teachers that have the capabilities of helping them. Without those things, students cannot succeed.
Maybe we should stop cutting back on public education, and start putting money into the kids that need it the most.

The Whales Are Here!!!

Does that excite anyone else besides me? I think that it should, if it hasn't already. The humpback whales are making their way back to the islands of Hawaii, and they have been spotted off the shores of Maui and the Big Island. The captain of a fishing boat claims that he saw two different groups of whales on his way to and from Maui on a fishing trip.
The beautiful Humpback whales may cause a bit of a stir though. There have been several workshops offered to sailors in Hawaii about how to man a ship when there are whales in the ocean. Not only is the state trying to prevent harm to the whales, but they are trying to prevent the whales from unintentionally harming the boats themselves.
Humpback whales are huge, ranging from thirty to fifty feet in length, sometimes longer. They are not small like Orca's, and therefore they pose a larger threat to boats at sea if they do not know how to sail.
I always get excited when I get the chance to see whales. Not everyone in their lifetime can say that they got to see migrating whales. It is a beautiful thing, but it is also something that people need to approach with care. Knowing how to operate a boat so as to not harm themselves or the whales is very important. So make sure, if you are going to be driving a boat anytime soon, you know what you are doing.