Rob was kind enough to share with us that after 20 years of being the sole moderator for Punaweb, the thrill is gone and he has other interests occupying his time.  Understandable.  It probably would have been easier to just close up shop, so I’m glad he found a way to keep it up and running.    We all know how valuable Punaweb has been over the years, far beyond the entertainment it provides, as a source of information on local events.  The bigger the event, the more valuable the information in this forum.  So I want to thank Rob for all of that and bringing it up to this point, and I want to thank Moderator 2 for helping Rob take a well deserved break.

One thing I’m curious about is how Punaweb operates financially.  There are no ads or membership fees.  I can’t even find a donate link to click on.  I only recall Rob asking for donations once in the 8 years that I have been a member, but that was for another organization unrelated to Punaweb.  Perhaps he gets grants?  Certainly deserving.  The bottom line is that it’s free to all of us.

Until I learn otherwise, I’m going to assume that Moderator 2 is an unpaid position.  Moderator 1 as well, for that matter.  With that in mind, perhaps there are some ways that we can minimize their work load.  Like behaving ourselves, but that one should be obvious. 

I hope we don’t abuse this forum to the point of losing it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/14/scien...0Institute.

[color=var(--color-content-secondary,#363636)]If you hit a paywall here's the gist of it. [/color] Sorry about the font crap. Don't know how to get rid of it.

[color=var(--color-content-secondary,#363636)]"When Adam A. Pack, a marine mammal researcher at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, was photographing whales in Alaska’s Frederick Sound in July, he instantly recognized the flukes of an old friend.[/color]

[color=var(--color-content-secondary,#363636)]Emphasis on old. The tail — mostly black, with a wash of white speckles near the edge — belongs to a whale named Old Timer. First spotted in 1972, Old Timer is now a male of at least 53 years, making him “the oldest known humpback whale in the world,” said Dr. Pack, who is also the co-founder and president of [color=var(--color-signal-editorial,#326891)]The Dolphin Institute[/color].[/color]


Earlier this year, Mr. Cheeseman, Dr. Pack and dozens of other researchers used Happywhale’s image recognition tool to estimate humpback whale abundance in the North Pacific from 2002 through 2021. Initially, the population boomed, climbing to about 33,500 whales in 2012.
But then it dropped sharply. This population decline coincided with the severe marine heat wave, when Dr. Pack last spotted Old Timer. It lasted from 2014 to 2016 and slashed the supply of fish and krill. “There’s a lot more we want to learn about the event, but it is quite clear: warmer waters mean food is less available overall, and what is available is more dispersed and deeper,” Mr. Cheeseman said in an email.

My 3rd encounter actually. I knew the 2. They are my  “neighbors” from different corner and I know their PW names,  but this one is extraordinary.

Sometime in January I met a punawebber by chance. This couple was in line in the counter  at HNL airport. The guy is in his late 50s,  I was behind him and I saw him scrolling punaweb.  Oh! Thanks to my farsighted eyes. Haha!
 
I decided to tap his shoulder and politely ask whats his punaweb name.  He looked at me astonishingly and said… Oh, are you???! Haha
 
Long story short, we ended up having a good conversation while waiting for our respective flights. They were heading to Narita, Japan, I was heading to Incheon, S. Korea.  
 
He shared to me how punaweb was like around 15 yrs ago or so. It was fun, pedagogic, informative, no Kens and Karens back then. Nobody tried to be omniscient, high and mighty.  Until, it was infiltrated by some jellyfish--- end of glory days (verbatim).
 
So there,  I still didnt knew his or their punaweb name but I told them that one day, Il be back here and share this encounter to  everyone. To your pulchritudinous wife, thank you for that wonderful  time. If you guys are here,  know that it was me. That shawty 5' skinny, "red head" bearing XX chromosomes, haha!
 
 Im still in and around SEA countries as of this writing for some external affairs. Life is beautiful away from the keyboard. 

I don't usually read legal essays, since law is a challenging subject shrouded in technical interpretations, money and emotion. This article pulls no punches in the adjudication challenges of payout decisions.
https://www.mwl-law.com/why-molten-lava-...-dont-mix/

Quote:To expect the insurance industry to simply provide a safety net for what might aptly be called a “pre-existing condition” is counterintuitive to the concept of insurance itself. To “insure” means to “arrange for compensation in the event of future damage or loss and secure against a possible contingency in the future.” When the contingency is a certainty, it stops being insurance and veers wildly outside of the economic system we know as “free enterprise.”

I distinctly recall asking you folks to patronize this place so that when Lady Tang goes on strike I have options.  Well you didn't.  Now it's closing.  So thanks a lot.

Sept 22nd is the last day so get in there for the last 1/2 price Margs, drinks, beers, and full appetizers every weekday afternoon from 3-5 PM for happy hour.   

It's also the only place I know with a real lunch for about $10.   

The Hilo store will remain open.

Rumor has it the lease was bought out by SmashBurger!?

Auwe & adios Coco Cantina.  

¡No puede!

If you have an iPhone, you can now add your Hawaii Drivers License to Wallet:

Hawaiʻi residents can now add their REAL ID-compliant cards to an iPhone or Apple Watch for use with certain apps, at select TSA checkpoints, and at participating stores. 

To add your state ID to your iPhone, open the Apple Wallet app and tap the "+" button at the top of the screen. Select "Driver's license or state ID" and verify your identity. Verification can take up to four weeks.

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-...le-devices

I had the HTI Fioptics + TV service installed today. The service is way better than Spectrum and YouTube TV. The fioptics interface is slick with a clean interface. It has a start over and favorite channels features. The set top box is small and unobtrusive.

I was also able to get our living room tv connected using a Fire TV stick and downloading the Fioptics + app. As far as video quality, its far superior to YTTV and I end up getting more channels as a bonus.

The installation was pretty straight forward. It only took about 15-20 minutes since the streaming box only needs to be connected via HDMI and WiFi (it can be connected via Ethernet cable if need be). If you have other tvs in the house, a Fire TV stick cam be used instead of streaming box.

ETA title:  title has evolved with the story.

Green angles Angels to spend visitor impact fees on self insurance instead of as well as climate change

*****************************************************************************************

"Instead of addressing sea-level rise and climate change, Gov. Josh Green now wants income from a proposed visitor impact fee to help the state provide its own insurance to victims of future disasters following the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires...

...As Hawaii tourism numbers continue to climb following the COVID-19 pandemic, state legislators are expected to again consider the possibility of charging tourists a special fee that was originally intended to offset their impacts on the environment and help the state respond to climate change.
The idea remains popular in a state of 1.4 million people who pushed back against the record-setting 10 million tourists who visited just before the pandemic hit in 2020.

Last session, legislators liked the idea of a new tourism fee in concept but could not agree on how much to charge — or how — and pledged to revisit the idea when the next session begins in January.
Now Green wants to use the potential income to help the state borrow money to provide its own disaster insurance for local residents and businesses through a “captive insurance” program he wants to develop on a large scale."



By Dan Nakaso|Aug. 29th, 2024

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2024/08/2...ui-claims/

You wonder just how far past gross incompetence we’ve become. First no buses, and now 377 teachers not paid on payday. While most were made whole by other means, how can the payroll for our teachers be screwed up?

In states like California, you’re “on the clock” for each hour you remain unpaid from the time you’re supposed to be paid. 

Suggestion to DOE: ADP Payroll Services. 

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2024/08/24...utType=amp

After hearing sirens blaring around 7 and E in Hawaiian Acres, various social media sites as well as some neighbors are reporting that there was a police chase from HPP through Ainaloa and into the Acres. 

Only here in Puna!