The Comic Genius of Leslie Nielsen - RIP

Wiliwili comeback and the drought takes a break.

The wiliwili are back.

In 2005, when the gall wasps were first found in Hawaii, it appeared that "saving the wiliwili [was] in doubt." Five years later, all the introduced coral trees, relatives of the wiliwili, are gone, at least from Kona, but the natives in Pu'uwa'awa'a seem to be back.

Heroic Department of Agriculture entomologist Mohsen Ramadan identified a predator wasp in East Africa. Moving with amazing speed, the state Department of Agriculture released the predator wasps on every island in late November 2008. Government working as it should.
Two years later, this little tree just off the Halapepe Trail at Pu'uwa'awa'a looks just fine:

Future generations owe a debt to Ramadan and the other government workers who found a way to save this beautiful native tree.

As usual, I'm way behind the curve. Our Green Maui announced six months ago, with admirable alliteration, that "The Wiliwili War is Won."
The photo above and the one below are of a small stand of wiliwili just mauka of the highway about three miles south of the entrance to Pu'uwa'awa'a Ranch.

On a related note, at least as far as the lands between Kailua and Waimea, the drought seems to be taking a break, at least. Pu'uwa'awa'a Ranch has been bone-dry, but now there's an undertone of green coming through. The countryside just south of Waikoloa is even greener.

Finally, an ohia lehua on a hillside at 5800' and the moon,

and a really big halapepe plant, just off the eponymous trail.

As always, click on a photo for larger images.

The Only Thing More Obnoxious Than All The Negative Campaign Ads

Are the sanctimonious politicians denouncing negative campaign ads.

Certainly they'd appear less disingenuous if they weren't preceded and followed by negative ads on behalf of the supposedly outraged candidate.

Thank God it's almost over.

Sunsets, Stilts, & a Snuff Film

First, a couple sunset pictures from Kaloko-Honokohau. Both have the same cruise ship heading out from Kailua (As always, click for larger):






This is part of the largest gathering of (federally endangered) Hawaiian stilts that I've seen in several years of walking at the park. I counted seventeen in all. I love these birds, with their elegant long legs:



Finally, for anyone who hasn't yet seen this, is a snuff-film fantasy from the hysterical, eliminationist wing of the environmental movement. I suppose lots of people have dark thoughts about just getting rid of those who don't agree with them, but it takes a certain cocooned self-righteous mentality to conclude that such a fantasy would make a great advertising campaign (Disturbing content if you disapprove of exploding schoolchildren):

Greenwell's Effort Falls 335 Votes Short

Kona Councilman Kelly Greenwell's year-long attempt to alienate every single voter in his district fell just 335 votes short of his goal on Saturday. It's unknown at present whether all of the 335 votes he received are attributable to Greenwell's family members or escaped mental patients, but one has to salute a valiant effort by the 69-year-old. Greenwell gave 110%, advocating numerous absurd, unpopular policies, and even managed to get himself arrested on a traffic stop. Good try, Kelly!

Stephens Media is Suing Bloggers. TAKE NOTE.

Most people know that Stephens Media owns West Hawaii Today, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, and Big Island Weekly, basically a monopoly of the Big Island's print media. Stephens also own newspapers nationwide.

What Big Island bloggers need to know is that Stephens Media's Las Vegas Review-Journal has partnered with Righthaven, a legal extortion operation, to file 81 (as of July 20) lawsuits against bloggers or website operators who have reposted part of all of LVRJ articles. No "take-down" or warning letters are sent before the lawsuit is filed. As the attorneys representing one of the people sued by Righthaven put it, "This strongly suggests that these suits were filed, not for the legitimate purpose of enforcing copyrights, but rather, to coerce several settlements as part of a massive cash grab facilitated by judicial process."

The most ominous quote, for Hawaii bloggers, is from the WIRED article (check out the picture of Righthaven's CEO. His picture can also be found in the dictionary, under "smug a$$hole" I'm informed, and believe):

Now he’s talking expansion. The Review-Journal’s publisher, Stephens Media in Las Vegas, runs over 70 other newspapers in nine states, and Gibson says he already has an agreement to expand his practice to cover those properties. (Stephens Media declined comment, and referred inquiries to Gibson.) Hundreds of lawsuits, he says, are already in the works by year’s end. “We perceive there to be millions, if not billions, of infringements out there,” he says.

More information here, here, and here. The "Stop the LVRJ/Righthaven Witch Hunt" Facebook page is here.

So don't re-post articles from WHT or HRH, don't quote from their articles, and (in my opinion) don't even link to them. Isolate the bastards.

Two Legal Hikes

The 1801 lava flow that Kona International Airport is built upon crosses the highway just north of the airport. Walking there yesterday I came upon this sobering sight, in a lava tube. Looks like he just lay down there.

The lava is very easy walking, if you remember the first rule of walking on lava - always watch your footing. But during the day, especially if the sun is out, it's very hot. Some days, like yesterday, I like that. It's great walking, though I understand it's a tough landscape to like for a lot of people. To me it has a rugged beauty. Click this next one for larger:

When I say it's easy walking, I mean that it's fairly level, and the footing is very secure -you're walking on bare rock (though like I said, always look where you are putting your foot). There are no trails, because the pahoehoe lava is walkable in almost any direction. I highly recommend walking this area both mauka and makai of Queen K.

Then, a pleasant Sunday morning walk at the Hao Street DLNR trail. About a mile in is a trail directly uphill - an intense half a mile. Turn left at the top, follow that trail (part of the Mahaki Street trail complex) about .4 mile, turn left into the forest, a winding 3/4 mile downhill through the mostly christmas berry forest, back to the main trail and back to the entrance. 4.2 miles or so. Another nice walk.
Ran into a pit bull alone and seemingly lost on the trail. Hope he gets found.

Here's a kahili ginger from the lower trail. I know it's invasive, but just look at it: