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Monday, March 8, 2010

Japan defends dolphin hunt in Oscar-winning 'Cove'

TAIJI, Japan — The Japanese fishing village featured in "The Cove," which won an Oscar for best documentary, defended its practice of hunting dolphins Monday as a part of a long tradition.

The movie, which mixes stunning underwater shots of gliding dolphins with covertly filmed grisly footage of their slaughter, also claims that dolphin meat is laden with toxic mercury.

Taiji, a quiet fishing village on the rocky coast of southwestern Japan, kills only a small fraction of the dolphins hunted by the country each year. But it has long been a target of environmentalists and animal lovers because it uses a method called "oikomi," in which the dolphins are chased into shore, making the hunt more visible.

Though few residents said they had seen the film, there was universal disgust at its portrayal of the town. Taiji proudly bills itself as "Whale Town" and a main bridge is adorned with dolphin statues, but after years of what locals see as unfair treatment by the foreign press, few are willing to talk on the record. One young dolphin trainer turned and ran away when asked for her opinion.

"This is a close-knit group of fishermen. The more they feel squeezed, the more they will close off to outsiders. They won't stop this hunt because of such pressure," said Hisato Ryono, a local councilman who appears in the film.

The mayor's office handed out a statement that said Taiji's dolphin hunt is lawful and argued that the movie contained statements that were not based on science. Otherwise, most town officials refused to talk.

"There are different food traditions within Japan and around the world," the statement read. "It is important to respect and understand regional food cultures, which are based on traditions with long histories."

Director Louie Psihoyos said "The Cove" isn't meant to bash Japan but that it is "a love letter to the Japanese people."

"Our hope is the Japanese people will see this film and decide themselves whether animals should be used for meat and for entertainment," Psihoyos said backstage after receiving the Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

The town of Taiji kills about 2,000 dolphins every year for their meat. Some are captured and sold to aquariums.

The Japanese government, which allows about 19,000 dolphins to be killed each year, acknowledges that dolphin meat is contaminated with mercury, but denies it's dangerous unless consumed in huge quantities.

In September, amid an international outcry following the screening of the movie abroad, villagers released several dozen dolphins that had been caught. But locals say they will continue with the hunt.

The movie has not yet been released in Japan, but it will start showing here in June at 20 to 30 theaters nationwide. It was shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October, where viewers gave it mixed reviews.

Still, most Japanese don't know about the annual dolphin hunt, and dolphin meat is hardly eaten in Japan.

Takeshi Kato, president of Unplugged in Tokyo, which is distributing the film in Japan, said the faces of dozens of Taiji residents are being blurred out for the Japan version to ward off possible lawsuits under Japanese law that protects privacy.

"Our purpose is not to attack the people of Taiji," he said.

"If this movie can serve as an opportunity for people to find out, it would be great," he told The Associated Press on Monday.

He said he hopes the film will help open the debate in Japan on preserving nature, including dolphins and whales.

"Receiving the top award in the movie industry will work as a big plus for our efforts to show this movie in Japan," he said.

Ryono, the local councilman, and Tetsuya Endo, an associate professor at Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, both appear in the current version of the film and say they were interviewed under false pretenses. Both say they have asked the filmmakers to remove footage, and Endo says he hasn't ruled out legal action.

"I feel that they should have declined the award," Endo said.

Psihoyos was unable to get permission to access the cove where the dolphins are killed. Fishermen blocked it with barbed wire and fences. So he and his film team secretly broke into the restricted area — which is in a national park — at night to set up cameras that capture the slaughter.

Japanese government officials have defended the fishermen's right to hunt dolphins and called the film unbalanced.

"There are some countries that eat cows, and there are other countries that eat whales or dolphins," said Yutaka Aoki, fisheries division director at Foreign Ministry. "A film about slaughtering cows or pigs might also be unwelcome to workers in that industry."

———

Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama and Malcolm Foster contributed to this report from Tokyo.

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Cultural Genocide on Haleakala, Maui by National Science Foundation & UH Institute for Astronomy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_MUDrGQGuA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zriAnwL6NuI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQJQJXwbprI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_-NMhk9jm4

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The Koani Foundation is pleased to announce its award winning television show Voices Of Truth – One-On-One With Hawai`i’s Future is now airing in broadcast markets outside Hawai`i and even the US.

In the last few weeks Voices Of Truth, in its sixth season, has debuted on local access television in Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Wisconsin as well as Tonga and Sweden.


As it continues growing in popularity, Voices Of Truth will expand into cities across the United States and the world throughout 2010. Stay tuned as we keep you informed of plans for growth and expansion of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.


The attempted sale of ceded – read stolen – lands is something the fake state of Hawai`i swore they’d never do. Yet selling stolen property is exactly what they’re now attempting. Learn why and what you can do to help stop it this coming Wednesday on Free Hawai`i TV.


We feature award-winning film director Anne Keala Kelly this week describing the making of her film Noho Hewa.


Want to know what it takes to make a documentary about the US occupation of Hawai`i? Catch her as she explains it all this week
on Hawai`i’s award winning Voices Of Truth – One-On-One With Hawai`i’s Future.

MONDAY, March 8th At 6:30 PM
Maui – Akaku, Channel 53

MONDAY, March 8th At 7:00 PM & FRIDAY, March 12th At 5:30 PM Hawai`i Island – Na Leo, Channel 53
THURSDAY, March 11th At 8:30 PM & FRIDAY, March 12th At 8:30 AM - Kaua`i – Ho`ike, Channel 52
SATURDAY, March 13th At 8:00 PM O`ahu, `Olelo, Channel 53
“The Making Of Noho Hewa – A Visit With Anne Keala Kelly”

Returning home to live in Hawai`i and make films wasn’t what Keala Kelly had in mind. Now an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Keala tells us a fascinating story – what it takes to make films that tell the world about Hawaiian political, cultural and environmental issues. Winner of the Best Documentary Film Award at the Hawai’i International Film Festival in October 2008, you’ll see why Noho Hewa shaped Keala as much as she shaped it - Watch It Here


Voices Of Truth interviews those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants. We hope you'll be inspired to do the same.

If you support our issues on the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network, please email this to a friend to help us continue. A donation today helps further our work. Every single penny counts.

Donating is easy on our Voices Of Truth website via PayPal where you can watch Voices Of Truth anytime.


For news and issues that affect you, watch Free Hawai`i TV, a part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.

Please share our Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network videos with friends and colleagues. That's how we grow. Mahalo.
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Friday, March 5, 2010

Non-Hawaii residents to pay $3 to park at Pali Lookout starting today

The state on Friday will begin charging a $3 parking fee for nonresidents at the Pali Lookout, formally known as Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside.

Hawai'i residents who show a local ID continue to park for free. A parking attendant is on duty at the pay booth to check IDs.

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The new parking fee is part of a new program by state Department of Land and Natural Resources to implement or increase selected fees to help support maintenance and repairs at state parks, small boat harbors and forest trails.

The intent of Division of State Parks is to charge only visitors and commercial vehicles a fee at a limited number of state parks on each island, and to allow resident parking to remain free of charge, the department said in a news release.

"At a time when the budget for Hawaii's state parks has been severely reduced, DLNR has had to find ways to make up for lost funding to keep the parks open," said Dan Quinn, State Parks administrator. "Under the Recreational Renaissance Plan B, we're striving to eventually provide better repair and maintenance to care for these special places. User fees allow park users to help support repairs and maintenance at these important recreational areas."

Nu'uanu Pali is one of the most-visited state parks, with more than 900,000 visitors per year, according to a 2007 Hawai'i Tourism Authority survey.

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Groups Want Akaka To Join Stand In Favor Of A Public Health Option

By Herbert A. Sample / Associated Press

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 06, 2010

(Single Page View) | Return to Paginated View

Three groups have started an online campaign to pressure U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka into joining an effort to revive the public health insurance option in whatever health care reform bill is considered in coming weeks.

The Hawaii Democrat previously has been supportive of a public insurance option, and in a statement Thursday he said he continues to back the idea.

The three groups want Akaka to publicly join 35 other senators, including U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who are pushing for a Senate floor vote to add a public option element to a comprehensive health care reform measure.

"Daniel Akaka unfortunately is saying he will be there when people don't need him but will not be there when people need him most, supporting the public option," said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which claims 400,000 members in the nation and 3,000 in Hawaii.

The other groups are Democracy for America, which was founded by 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, and Credo Action, which is based in California.

Under the public option, the federal government would establish a health insurance plan that would be available to people who could not obtain private insurance.

It was one of several contentious proposals that Senate committees considered last year. The public option was dropped from the measure passed by the Senate in December because a supermajority of 60 votes could not be mustered to back it.

The public option had been largely considered dead since then. President Barack Obama, who supports the concept, did not include it in the health care proposal he outlined recently.

But since mid-February Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has been circulating a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to hold a vote on the public option under budget reconciliation rules, which require only a simply majority of 50 votes for passage. Reid and Inouye are among the senators who have signed it. Akaka has not.

"I have consistently supported the establishment of a public health care insurance option," the senator said in a statement. "However, the prospects for inclusion of a public option in reconciliation do not look favorable at this time. We will have many opportunities in the future to make further improvements to the health care proposal."

Green contended Akaka's signature on Bennet's letter will put the public option one step closer to passage.

"There's a certain timidity that is taking place right now, and unfortunately Daniel Akaka is a part of that," Green said.

The groups also are running ads on news and political Web sites in Hawaii and Washington, D.C., and have sent 12,000 e-mails to Hawaii residents, Green added.

Three groups have started an online campaign to pressure U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka into joining an effort to revive the public health insurance option in whatever health care reform bill is considered in coming weeks.


The Hawaii Democrat previously has been supportive of a public insurance option, and in a statement Thursday he said he continues to back the idea.

The three groups want Akaka to publicly join 35 other senators, including U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who are pushing for a Senate floor vote to add a public option element to a comprehensive health care reform measure.

"Daniel Akaka unfortunately is saying he will be there when people don't need him but will not be there when people need him most, supporting the public option," said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which claims 400,000 members in the nation and 3,000 in Hawaii.

The other groups are Democracy for America, which was founded by 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, and Credo Action, which is based in California.

Under the public option, the federal government would establish a health insurance plan that would be available to people who could not obtain private insurance.

It was one of several contentious proposals that Senate committees considered last year. The public option was dropped from the measure passed by the Senate in December because a supermajority of 60 votes could not be mustered to back it.

The public option had been largely considered dead since then. President Barack Obama, who supports the concept, did not include it in the health care proposal he outlined recently.

But since mid-February Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has been circulating a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to hold a vote on the public option under budget reconciliation rules, which require only a simply majority of 50 votes for passage. Reid and Inouye are among the senators who have signed it. Akaka has not.

"I have consistently supported the establishment of a public health care insurance option," the senator said in a statement. "However, the prospects for inclusion of a public option in reconciliation do not look favorable at this time. We will have many opportunities in the future to make further improvements to the health care proposal."

Green contended Akaka's signature on Bennet's letter will put the public option one step closer to passage.

"There's a certain timidity that is taking place right now, and unfortunately Daniel Akaka is a part of that," Green said.

The groups also are running ads on news and political Web sites in Hawaii and Washington, D.C., and have sent 12,000 e-mails to Hawaii residents, Green added.

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HAS SOMEONE STOLEN YOUR FAMILY'S CAR?

Your family car is like the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Your car would make anyone wealthy who could occupy it.

The theft is clearly unlawful, even against the their own laws and constitution.

So after generations of denying and obfuscating the issue, the thieves finally admit they stole your car.

They concede that it's really not their car (Apology Bill, US law 103-150,) that they really don't have any title to it, but they declare how much they love the car, and how the grandchildren of the victims can't operate the car anymore anyway.

They also say since they have had the stolen car for so long, they now have a claim to it.

They have even repainted the car (Statehood) and done some maintenance.

And now they want to compromise.

They offer the grandchildren (you) the hubcaps, and when the you refuse, they try and offer you the wheels (Hawaiian Homelands.)

Then they offer to let you drive the car on Sundays (Akaka Bill.)

Whoever gets title to the car is vastly wealthy.

That's why they've tried to brainwash you, telling you there is no title to the car anymore.

Yet valid title does still exist and international law as well as Hawai`i and US laws say the car still belongs to you and your family.

What does it take to get it back?

Demand the entire car back. Then jump in the driver's seat and drive away.

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"Hawai'i TV Live in 15 Minutes"

Hawai'i TV Live is looking to network with people that want to come to a table and political platform that is fair, free, and impartial. A table that everyone can voice their beliefs, their concerns and even their fears to. Hawai'i TV Live is really trying our best to locate all of the "Heirs" of Hawai'i that have been assimilated all over the World. We want everybody to participate in this free, fair, and impartial Constituional Convention.

We will be putting every conceivable political option that we have on the table. We will kukakuka about Independence, De-Colonization, the Akaka Bill, the status quo, and if the continuity of the Monarchy still exists until today. We will have a lot of elevated and stimulating discussions about these five options that we have to choose from as a people.

Make sure you join Hawai'i Tv Live everyday from either 7:00am-8:00am or 7:00pm-8:00pm. Just go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hawaii-tv, register, log in, and become involved in this free, fair, and impartial Constitutional Convention. This Independent Constitutional Convention will not be dictated, influenced, coerced, or manipulated by politicians, bankers, and big business corporations. See you on the next Hawai'i TV Live!!!

Aloha,

"Kaleo"
Hawai'i TV Live
Director/Producer/Host
Direct: 808.489. 7065
Fax: 808.454.5221
kaleo@hawaiitvblog.com
https://twitter.com/hawaiitvblog
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hawaii-tv
www.hawaiitvblog.com

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For my family and friends who like KNOW:

I am ecstatic that my cousin retired judge Paul deSilva is against the Akaka Bill. He is my mom's first cousin so I am related to him on my maternal Portuguese Moku o Keawe side through my great grandfather Ernesto deSilva who was a well-known reverend in Hilo years and years ago. Kihei is my mom's first cousin too and he is really really cool. Some people are not so cool to Hawaiians though and when they mean to Hawaiians they are being mean to Hawaiian children. Of course some men do not think about children. They too busy thinking about demselves LOL

Well his comment can be seen here:




By the way I am also related to retired judge Boyd Mossman.

Sometimes I wonder WHY I have to be related to him haha Seriously I am related to him on my paternal MAUI side. He make me SO SHAME. Good thing he no have the family inoa. Yikes. SO SHAME!


Anyway I responded after my cousin Paul did and though he did not mention it I mentioned he is a retired judge... numerous times LOL

Latahs!!!!
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"Hawaii TV Live Evening Update"

Aloha e, Hawaii TV Ohana. Just thought i give you all a quick reminder that Hawaii TV will be Broadcasting Live on http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hawaii-tv, from 7:00am-8:00am, tomorrow morning outside of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. There will be a "Protest" taking place outside of OHA in regards to the Army Desecrating Kupuna Remains. For those of you who can't make it at that time, Hawaii TV will be Broadcasting Live from 7:00pm-8:00pm, tomorrow night as well. Please invite and encourage everyone you know to register, log in, and participate in this free, fair, and impartial forum. Looking forward to see you all on show.

Aloha,

"Kaleo"
Hawaii TV Live
Direct: 808.489.7065
Fax: 808.454.5221
kaleo@hawaiitvblog.com
https://twitter.com/hawaiitvblog
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hawaii-tv
www.hawaiitvblog.com

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