For Beth...and You

Aloha
to
YOU :)

"Breathless, we flung us on a windy hill,
Laughed in the sun,
and kissed the lovely grass."

Rupert Brooke

"One joy scatters a hundred griefs."

Chinese proverb

"A warrior must learn to make every act count,
since he is going to be here in this world for only a short while,
in fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it."

Carlos Castaneda


><>



"Spiritually powerful people
are not necessarily people who
do so much,
as they are people
around whom
things get done.

Gandhi caused the British to leave India,
but he wasn't a man who ran around a lot.

Powerful forces swirled around him."

Marianne Williamson


Aloha, Friend :)

cloudia

Seals on Waikiki Beach

Aloha to

YOU

enlarge pictures by clicking on them :)

Usually Hawaiian Monk Seals keep to pretty remote areas.

But when they do haul onto the beach, they have their own VIP area! No one may approach. You may admire them from a distance - at penalty of law!

So when they showed up in busy Waikiki

it was an event!

Contentment

Seals on Waikiki Beach (VIA Blogger Ian Lind HERE)

Waikiki resident Michael Peters was there early Saturday morning as two Hawaiian Monk Seals rested inside the breakwater on Kuhio Beach in Waikiki. It was between 7 and 7:15 a.m. Michael said one seal had an identifying number, N21. KITV reported the seals are known as Rocky and Buster. Later they moved on towards Ala Moana.

Photographs by Michael Peters

Hawaiian monk seals receive new legal protection from state

By Derrick DePledge

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 09, 2010

Hawaiian monk seals received new legal protection yesterday when Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona signed a bill into law making it a third-degree felony to intentionally harm or kill the endangered species.

The state law was prompted by the deaths of three monk seals last year, including a pregnant monk seal on the north shore of Kauai that was shot by an elderly man who wanted to scare the seal off the beach so he could go fishing.

Monk seals found dead on the west side of Kauai and on Molokai last year may also have been deliberately killed. The deaths are under investigation.

"This is a strong statement in regards to our value and our treasure of the monk seal," Aiona, the acting governor, said at a news conference at the state Capitol.

Under the new law, violators face five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

The 78-year-old man on Kauai who shot the pregnant monk seal pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 days in the federal detention center in Honolulu. He also had to pay a $25 special assessment. The man was prosecuted under the federal Endangered Species Act. The maximum penalty under the federal law is one year in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

There are about 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals. Most of the rare mammals live in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, with only about 100 in the main Hawaiian islands.

"It's an ancient species that has been here before man arrived," said Keiko Bonk, an environmental activist who pushed for the new state law. "And we depend on this species, and the whole ecosystem in Hawaii, to survive."

Laura H. Thielen, the director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said the state is doing outreach with residents, tourists and fishermen about the importance of not disturbing monk seals if encountered on the beach or in the water.

"Native Hawaiian monk seals are our resources," Thielen said. "They are part of Hawaii. And we want them here for ourselves and for our children."

State Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser, (D, Kauai-Niihau), who sponsored the bill, said the environmental community requested the new law after the monk seal deaths.

"Monk seals are part of our community. They are part of our history, part of our culture," Hooser said. "And when somebody hurts somebody in your community, there's got to be a price to pay."

Aiona is acting governor while Gov. Linda Lingle is on a two-week trade and tourism promotion trip to China and Japan.

Odds & Ends

Aloha, You :)

click amongst the clouds (pics)

"The only valuable thing

is intuition."

Einstein

"Things that are a little past their prime

can be fetching in the right light."

Mark Norseth

(In-joke. My birthday is this week :)

"I remember my parents sacrificing for us,

pouring everything they had into us,

being there for us,

encouraging us to reach for a life

they never knew."

Michelle Obama

(Hmmm, how will Fox/Faux News paint this in an ugly light?)

"In Hawaii we greet friends, loved ones,

or strangers

with Aloha,

which means with love...

try meeting or leaving people with

Aloha

and you will be surprised by their reactions.

I believe it,

and it is my creed.

Aloha to You."

Excerpt from the calling card of

Duke Kahanamoku

><>

Thanks and Aloha to

YOU;

Thanks for visiting!

Leave a comment/aloha, won't you?

cloudia

Silly Sunday

ALOHA

Blog Fellow Nerd!

klick on kitty

"A friend is one who dislikes the same people that you dislike."

- Anonymous

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

- Sir Richard Steele

Shower Tree

"Your very bones will lighten as you rest.

Cut loose what isn't yours.

Spread what is from east to west."

Shay

><>

Ah Sunday.

I have a date today with Buffy the Cheeseburger...

Hope she's wearing cheddar!

This Great Day

A Warm Aloha Welcome

to

(the weekend of)

Kamehameha Day,

June 11th

Here in

HAWAII

&

For The First Time

(Courtesy of locally born

President Barak Obama)

Throughout the USA!

Click on the images today!

Today the Royal Societies

(With the help of the Honolulu Fire Dept

that was founded by King Kalakaua)

Drape the "Lonely One's" statue with lei of love

and gratitude.

Last weekend, Hawaii folks did the same to the one at

statuary hall in the US capitol.

"Americans... still believe in an America

where anything's possible -

they just don't think their leaders do.
Barack Obama

Thanks, Barak!

You loved that lei draped statue growing up too,

didn't you?

<:>

No one knows the day of his birth,

or the Big Island (Hawaii) place

where his bones were laid to rest.

Full of MANA, spiritual energy,

they were hidden away in the old way

by an ancestor of the family

that cares for the Royal Mausoleum

here in Honolulu today

(the new way).

He was born, a young Ali`i (chief)

among others,

in a traditional world.

As a boy,

he was present to experience

aliens landing:

Captain Cook.

He saw the need for Hawaii to unify

in order to survive

in a suddenly larger world

or opposing powers.

Using western and traditional weapons

he conquered all of our islands,

except the kingdom of Kauai

which joined through treaty.

200 years ago he established the

Hawaiian Kingdom,

recognized as a sovereign nation

throughout the world.

The USA celebrated Bicentennial

was back in 1976.

Hawaii is a young nation in comparison!

Of course, we are now a US State,

but the Kingdom lives in our hearts

by acclimation & defacto affection.

Yet it is real-

like the Kingdom of Heaven.

June 11th was chosen over 100 years ago

to be his special commemorative day.

It also falls close to my birthday.

Me and Kamehameha:

together in Hawaii-

it was meant to be!

This year, the floral parade

will run" backwards,"

ending at his statue downtown

rather than starting there like usual

and ending here in Waikiki.

It's also different because our locally born President,

Barry,

has proclaimed this King Kamehameha Day

throughout the USA

for the first time ever!

It is a day to celebrate Hawaii's contributions

to the World.

The President mentioned

The Law of the Splintered Paddle

in his proclamation

(you may read it below).

Once, the great warrior was traveling by foot

up the coast of his Big Isle (my first Hawaii isle too).

He and his companions came upon a fisherman

who jumped up (seeing warriors)

and hit the closest one (yep, Kamehameha)

so hard with his paddle that it splintered.

The High One's companions would have killed the man

but their leader stopped them.

Like the blow of a Zen staff,

the shock had transmitted

a great insight to him.

He declared that warriors

would never harm non-combatants

from that day.

He made Hawaii a respected nation,

rather than colony fodder.

And so we celebrate our first king

Kamehameha the Great

on this

his special day.

I'll get you some good parade pictures!

:)

><>

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 10, 2010

Presidential Proclamation-- King Kamehameha Day

Two hundred years ago, King Kamehameha the Great brought the Hawaiian Islands together under a unified government. His courage and leadership earned him a legacy as the "Napoleon of the Pacific," and today his humanity is preserved in Ke Kanawai Mamalahoe, or "the Law of the Splintered Paddle." This law protects civilians in times of war and remains enshrined in Hawaii's constitution as "a unique and living symbol of the State's concern for public safety."

On this bicentennial King Kamehameha Day, we celebrate the history and heritage of the Aloha State, which has immeasurably enriched our national life and culture. The Hawaiian narrative is one of both profound triumph and, sadly, deep injustice. It is the story of Native Hawaiians oppressed by crippling disease, aborted treaties, and the eventual conquest of their sovereign kingdom. These grim milestones remind us of an unjust time in our history, as well as the many pitfalls in our Nation's long and difficult journey to perfect itself. Yet, through the peaks and valleys of our American story, Hawaii's steadfast sense of community and mutual support shows the progress that results when we are united in a spirit of limitless possibility.

In the decades since their persecution, Native Hawaiians have remained resilient. They are part of the diverse people of Hawaii who, as children of pioneers and immigrants from around the world, carry on the unique cultures and traditions of their forebears. As Americans, we can all admire these traits, as well as the raw natural beauty of the islands themselves. Truly, the Aloha Spirit of Hawaii echoes the American Spirit, representing the opportunities we all have to grow and learn from one another as we carry our Nation toward a brighter day.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 11, 2010, as King Kamehameha Day. I call upon all Americans to celebrate the rich heritage of Hawaii with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Shooting Rules

ALOHA, YOU!

Click on the Clouds :)

"The one serious conviction
that a man should have

is that nothing is to be taken too seriously."

Nicholas Butler

(Women already know not to take any man too seriously :)

"Nature gives you the face you have at twenty;

it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty."
Coco Chanel

"Writing stories permits me to talk to anybody.

In multicultural Hawaii, that's marvelously exciting

because each person is unique. It's a constant adventure.

My job puts me right in the middle of the evolving identity

of Honolulu."

Bob Krauss


><>

Shooting Rules

If you stop to look at the pictures you've already taken today,
you'll miss the next great shot!

So here are my rules for photo safari.

Never leave home without a camera.

Look up, look down, look at different angles.

It's digital, not film. Just shoot it!

Shoot a quick "insurance shot"

then take others.

Often the first shot is best!

Notice where the sun is

and have it behind you, unless you are trying to

shoot brightness around flat subjects.

Cloudia's Golden Rule of shooting:
Don't make anyone uncomfortable.

(Be discreet, be nice, don't be paparazzi-rude)

Now, back in the day, people really noticed a camera.
Today, every mobile phone has one.
We shoot and Tweet and post to the web
instantaneously.

Most of us realize that we are in public
and behave accordingly.

And here in Waikiki

EVERYONE is carrying a camera!

I just hide in plain sight :)

We've gotten used to security cameras in many public places too.
So expectations of privacy have definitely evolved.
(Eroded?)

I use misdirection sometimes,
setting the camera for the intended shot
while facing another direction,
then sweeping smoothly in an arc,
capturing my quarry "on the fly."

Or from a distance using zoom.

The interesting subject can then be cropped
into a better composition later.

Photography used to be about creating an image
largely on the camera in the moment.
Now we just capture the data we need,
then crop/Picasa/ Photo Shop it later!

For subjects with tattoos, faces, outfits, activities
that you want to really focus on?

Just ask politely,
then shut up and let them answer,
no cajoling or explaining (I'm a blogger)
or promising (I won't post you to Freaks.com).

If they say "yes" be quick!

(No multiple shots)

If they say "no" stay nice,
and simply walk on (nicely).


It's a good idea to ask before shooting
children or pets.
But, again, within the golden rule,
public is public!

I have lost GREAT shots by asking permission.

The person invariably STOPS doing the interesting thing

and then they pose boringly.

Sometimes art demands innocent subterfuge.

Fortunately, one nice thing about being a
middle aged woman
is that one is largely invisible.
I can wander anywhere in my harmless-ness.

So what are YOUR shooting rules?

Thanks! cloudia