Hawaii vacation blogging - escaping the snow is Da Kine · Tuesday December 23, 2008 by colin newell
I feel for you folks back home – and initially we felt a lot of guilt abandoning every loved one and friend…
they have all quipped – like the Terminator, “You will be back…”
Hopefully when it is raining again.
Being a radio geek I have packed along quite a few portable radios for taking advantage of the awesome radio reception here – so if you are into picking up AM radio from the Marshall Islands Tahiti and Tonga – and Micronesia… this could be your cup of kava!
The bulk of the coffee tours have yet to begin but we did talk story with Mark Santiago – one of the roasters at Kona Mountain – had a single origin Kona espresso mighty fine – will visit their farm next week… as well as others.
Winter follies countdown to Hawaii boast #6 · Sunday December 14, 2008 by colin newell
In the likely event that you are bored and want something to listen to, check out my Buyers Guide to Coffee Stuff Parts 1, 2, and 3…
Talking coffee culture Buyers Guide Chapter 1
Talking coffee culture Buyers Guide Chapter 2
Talking coffee culture Buyers Guide Chapter 3
It’s all a load of fun and sure beats the tedium of reading my articles!
Currently it is an unusually cool -6 Celcius outside, -16 with the wind-chill. Which is unusual because the average winter temperature in Victoria B.C. Canada is 42 degrees (F). Friends to our immediate south assume that North of the 49th parallel is a frigid wasteland… Well, it sure as heck is today.
That we are headed to Hawaii on Friday is little consolation if the air particles themselves freeze in place.
Winter follies countdown to Hawaii boast #4 · Sunday December 7, 2008 by colin newell
Just discovered a hidden benefit to getting away to Hawaii in a couple of weeks…
Getting away from Stephen Harper. And Stéphane Dion. And Gilles Duceppe. And Jack Layton.
Picture at right: Historic downtown Hilo, Hawaii – we will be staying there during our 12 day visit to the Big Island
We wasted 150 million on a Federal election that was hardly 1 and 1/2 months ago – on a whim direct from Stephen Harper’s starved ego. And the first chance he got to reach out to the opposition, he engaged in partisan politics and pissed everyone off.
In my opinion, Stephen Harper is a neo-con weasel underneath an expensive haircut. He does not appear to be particularly fond of women, or children or the Canadian fabric and infrastructure itself.
Stephen Harper would have made a great Roman leader; he is just nutty enough to squander every ounce of good will that the houses of Parliament have in Ottawa – and is more than ok with fiddling away our tax dollars while the Canadian electorate burns with rage. With indignation. With resolve.
A far cry from how a lot of us felt 60 days ago when this nimrod was trying to appeal to our sensibilities in a plaid sweater – pitching the image of the common man.
Those of us who voted in opposition did not buy it. Because we know that Stephen Harper holds nothing but waddle shaking contempt for women seeking wage parity in the work-place – for underprivileged children living in poverty – for the crumbling infrastructure of the Canadian mosaic.
This just in: Stéphane Dion will probably resign in a day or so. Stephen Harper would be wise to do the same thing. Put aside the bullshit partisan politics and get down to the serious business of saving the Canadian economy.
In the meantime, I am leaving the Country on the 19th of December. I will be taking my shortwave radios (primarily for Canadian news and views…) – but you know… the way I am feeling these days, I may point the antennas in THE OTHER DIRECTION!
Peace and Aloha friends!
Things that make us go Ewwwwww - part 1 · Saturday December 6, 2008 by colin newell
I do not eat out a lot… but when I do… I like to check out the loo.
Because the loo is the window to the food-safe savvy of the place. If the john is filthy, I can only imagine the microbial army that is massing for another attack on the kitchen tiles.
So… when I was at a local Victoria Greek deli (there are a few in town), I was horrified to run to the lav for an pre-victual ablution. Only to find… the dreaded continuous roll recycling cloth towel thing.
And I thought to myself – have I entered a bathroom time tunnel? Do people actually still service and install these germ dispensers? Does this same time paradigm also hold all you can eat buffets without sneeze guards? Or self serve bakeries without tongs? Yeah – I can name a few of those in my Universe.
Folks. I would rather rinse my hair in a public toilet bowl than dry my hands on one of these disease treadmills. And yet here it was… in one of my formerly favorite Greek joints.
It makes me go Ewwwwwwwwww. How about you?
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