tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2984913564864770182024-02-21T08:09:03.465-08:00Downsize Me-Lessons in DepressionomicsThose that resisted life without Visa and Mastercard will be the revolutionaries and teachers for the emerging economy that lies beyond the bloated corpse of Consumerism.
What is that light shining at the end of the Free Market Tunnel? Is there a life beyond the Cheesecake Factory, Sam's Club, and McMansions? Is it possible there might be an UPSIDE to DOWNSIZING?Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-75116906625281045872010-06-07T01:49:00.000-07:002010-06-07T02:37:40.315-07:00Flea Bag ShakedownThe way I see it, that Deepwater Catastrophe was actually a fatal stab to the jugular of this planet. I can almost hear the frantic screams from the depths of our Mother and imagine SHE is not taking this calmly. The pictures I see look more like hemorraging of blood than oil. I have read way too many references to Revelations and those seven vials. Not that I believe that, but it is lookingVictoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-36932053103297469892009-12-31T00:54:00.000-08:002010-01-01T20:44:57.062-08:00Facebook Me-Lessons on Social Fabric MendingMy good friend Teresa thinks that Facebook has the potential to be a great healing force for the collective consiousness. She says that society is reconnecting the threads to each other which ends up patching up lots of little holes in this giant quilt of humanity. I think it is profound and accurate. It also explains the gargantuan and ever growing popularity of this particular networking Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-50624953027633168512009-09-04T01:41:00.000-07:002009-09-22T02:11:22.826-07:00Starving the Beast Over on Ticker Forum which has been my number one Favorite Internet Addiction for over 2 years now, we talk about "Starving the Beast". The beast, here refers to just about any company found on the S&P 500, DJIA or NYSE. Mostly though, we are referring to the Big Banks, the ones that the Uncle Sam and Turbo Timmy Geithner have deemed "too big to fail". The same ones that send us all Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-23434514857801393552009-08-07T01:32:00.000-07:002009-08-07T19:10:25.637-07:00Planet InfestationThe million Coqui band playing all through the night reminds me daily that this planet is infested with a lot of creatures that maybe trashing the environment past the point of no return. Here on the Big Island, it's the little coqui frog, imported from Puerto Rico in a potted plant journey halfway across the globe via Matson Lines. Then there's the feral pigs from the Polynesian ancestral Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-38397138612229432102009-07-24T00:41:00.000-07:002009-07-24T01:11:58.067-07:00The Backyard Garden Revolution on 60 MinutesI just read this in one of my favorite blogs, Life after the Oil Crash and felt a surge of pride that one of my New Year's predictions had made a major media vehicle, 60 minutes, no less. Yeah, yeah, I know, this is a no brainer. When the economy is this bad folks have got to pull all the panties they got and bunch em together. Besides, Michelle O and her Whitehouse organic garden deserves Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-9187552244391953002009-05-29T18:07:00.000-07:002009-06-07T01:43:32.621-07:00The Idiocy of Coveting thy Neighbors McMansionAloha Readers, It has been awhile since I posted. My muses seem to have gone holo holo these days, or maybe I'm channeling too much creative energy into video editing for N-2 Dance.I was struck pretty hard by this recent letter to Dear Abby in the newspaper last week. The one lazy muse that never leaves my shoulder has been riding my butt to get this response out of my brain and onto the keyboardVictoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-40793577431988294882009-04-05T01:16:00.000-07:002009-04-12T14:21:34.906-07:00Is There a Vaccine for Affluenza?The face of affluenza looks a lot like this woman I met this morning. She could be a poster child for the disease of over-consumption. Employed by the state of Hawaii as a teacher at Hilo Union Elementary, she was securely under the government blanket for most of her adult life. When asked if her colleagues were worried about their jobs with all the budget cuts on the butcher block, my Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-77912592232696660452009-02-23T23:37:00.000-08:002009-02-27T16:24:47.277-08:00"In No One We Trust"
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-familyVictoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-1365894295379794112009-01-25T17:58:00.000-08:002009-01-27T20:18:03.935-08:00Depressionomics' Predictions for 20091. "Economic Depression" will be declared before December 31, 2009. TPTB are always slow to declare this. They just officially declared the "U.S. in Recession" like about a month ago. What a surprise! David Rosenberg Chief Economist at Merrill Lynch, this week, declared we are already in an Economic Depression! Many other Bearish notables have declared it as well, but this Mr. Rosenberg Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-87617170816963867562009-01-09T11:18:00.000-08:002009-01-13T01:06:03.045-08:00Hilo Living BlogReaders-You must check out the "Hilo Living" Blog. It's one my favorite "Internet Addiction" places. This is such a fantastic blog, totally Hilo centric but in the context of the broader Global scenario. The bloggers are recent transplants from Silicon Valley but have a deep love for the aina and the culture. I have a feeling they are making lots of friends around here. I sure want to Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-65125372776460653402009-01-08T02:11:00.000-08:002009-01-08T02:37:39.800-08:00Yet Another DumbAss Law to Spark the Brewing Revolution<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-23311979246897229142008-12-17T23:42:00.000-08:002008-12-18T00:14:50.352-08:00E-Cow-nomicsOur friend Joe, from Volcano, sent this to us the other day. I thought it would be a good primer for all of you econ dummies like myself.SOCIALISMYou have 2 cows. You give one to your neighbour.COMMUNISMYou have 2 cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk. FASCISMYou have 2 cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.NAZISMYou have 2 cows. The State takes both and shoots Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-45264691744763927002008-12-04T18:02:00.000-08:002008-12-04T18:23:50.822-08:00The Iconic Image from GD 1.0Below is a story about one of the children hiding their head in shame while Dorothea Lange took one of the most memorable and iconic photos in history. I have always been very moved by this photo since I first saw it in my days as a young photo journalist in high school. I wondered about this mother and what happened to her. How did she manage to keep her children fed and in one piece Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-62071184113592247812008-11-24T23:29:00.000-08:002008-11-24T23:53:54.654-08:00Hawaii's Banks Stand Up to Financial Poo StormThe November 24th Associated press headline about Hawaii’s banks http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081124/BUSINESS/811240329/1071 should make everyone feel very lucky they live Hawaii. In fact, when I googled this headline it showed it being published in media all over the world. This is a very big feather in our States' papale (hat)! The only other state I have checked out as having a Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-84976896192127022862008-11-06T14:24:00.000-08:002008-11-07T11:29:25.678-08:00Santa Pause and the End of Sport ShoppingCan it really be that we have entered the age of the Shopacolypse? What sport will replace America's favorite past time now? The retail numbers came in today on CNBC and they exceeded everyone's forecasts to the downside. And today, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald blasted us with news that Domino's Pizza, here for twenty years, has done the belly flop. I am sure many more will follow around here, whichVictoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-57443205420740987232008-10-28T17:49:00.000-07:002008-10-31T19:05:40.016-07:00Living in the Land of PlentyWe have been hearing a lot of bad news from the Doom-O-Sphere in the last year. Stories about folks in foreclosure who are losing their McMansions, banks losing their depositors and needing taxpayer bailouts. Then there are there thousands losing their jobs due to banks (losing their capital reserves!) hoarding what little loot they have and not willing to lend. It is easy to get caught up in allVictoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-64948885779993490522008-10-24T15:29:00.000-07:002008-10-24T15:37:35.299-07:00Monkeynomics and the StockMarket This was emailed to me by my good friend Margaret. She's the wahine that rides her bike from mauka Kurtistown to South Hilo. You can check out her story near the bottom of this blog.Once upon a time, in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-26835541722289811232008-10-23T00:12:00.001-07:002008-10-23T11:23:10.853-07:00Survival of the ThriftiestYesterday, I saw a bit of news crawl by on CNBC. It stated that for the Chinese to weather the global slowdown that they would need to become more consumer oriented instead of relying on exports. Meaning, they need to quit hording those yuans and start buying all that Walmart junk or else no more jobby job. "Oh really?!" Does anyone think that 5000 years of ancestral history of constant famines Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-46131461064312842632008-10-14T20:06:00.000-07:002008-10-16T00:32:03.169-07:00How to be a Revolutionary Without Doing JailtimeHow does one fight a revolution without getting killed or going to jail? Read the letter below by a guy by the name of John Dini. Guaranteed you have never heard his name but someday your great, great grandchildren may read about his letter helped fuel the American Peoples' Revolution of 2008. He explains what this Bailout thingy is really all about. This very respectable businessman, John Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-18363155886542558342008-10-07T11:49:00.000-07:002008-10-08T00:38:14.406-07:00"I See Debt People" UncleoxidantI was talking story with my neighbor, Kathy, today, hearing yet again, how worried she is about money. Bill collectors call at all hours, credit card statements pile up beneath the cigarette debris littering the coffee table. Senses dulled with pharmaceuticals, she frantically treads water, barely keeping her nostrils above the waterline. My friend suffers from the debilitating disease of “Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-90383741840466063842008-09-27T02:24:00.000-07:002008-10-08T00:57:38.284-07:00Is That a Revolution I'm Smelling?Aloha readers, all six of you, that is! Its been awhile since I posted anything. Much of my creative energy is getting directed towards events regarding the Epic Financial crisis we are facing. I am no geek about the history of Banking and only have a bare overall view of how we have gotten to this catastrophe. I can tell you that today’s events are the sum of parts that began in 1913 with the Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-65328157783864462262008-08-12T01:18:00.000-07:002009-02-05T00:50:01.509-08:00The Hillbilly Life, Hawaiian KineI found a blog the other night while pondering how my monthly grocery bill stacks up with the average for a family of four in the US. It's called The Hillbilly Housewife. I just love the name of the blog as it so perfectly sums up the classic American symbol of the ultimate simple life. The blog is about living on less, so you might like checking it out.Real hillbillies are some of the heartiest,Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-39842000106564851602008-08-02T01:50:00.000-07:002008-08-02T02:28:28.478-07:00The All-You-Can-Eat Cheap Oil BuffetEver wonder how many million dollar grants are fed to Universities and research facilities to study the Obesity epidemic? I have spent many unpaid hours studying why Americans are the fattest and most unhealthy humans on the planet and will gladly share my conclusion.CHEAP OIL: This is the basis for the fabulous Western lifestyle that calls its inhabitants CONSUMERS. Unfortunately, some of the Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-26406359874476496392008-07-21T23:50:00.000-07:002008-07-22T01:26:56.233-07:00Making Da Changes-Hilo styleFor many the $4 mark was the first sign of an economic tsunami building up speed. Many little changes began to happen. The first big change was a trip to the car dealer to trade in the Hummers, Escalades and Suburbans. But many found out that no one else wanted them, either including the Dealers. So as a result, over 4 billion less miles were driven in the month of April alone which was aboutVictoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298491356486477018.post-85268757562215975142008-07-21T15:40:00.000-07:002008-07-21T15:46:54.593-07:00Is Frugality the Next Consumer Trend?Todays, Hawaii Tribune-Herald had a great article from the Associated Press today about consumers changing their spending habits. I have been waiting for this paradigm shift for a long time. I knew it would come eventually when enough shit hit the fan and forced us into new ways of thinking. Here’s the article if you want to read it. http://www.newstin.com/sim/us/69471888/Victoria Hokulanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359916398548147630noreply@blogger.com0