Kukaniloko birthing stones

The field trip we took last weekend to the Kukaniloko birthing stones in Wahiwa, was a very enjoyable experience and I gained new perspectives of ancient hawaiian culture and traditions. Kukaniloko, the actual ancient birthing stones were so fascinating, and the specific traditional steps that  the women would follow in order to give birth were unlike any culture that I had ever learned about. The thirty six stones that guarded the entrance of the site, (were actually moved in by the department of natural resources) represented the 36 chiefs that would witness the birth of a new ali'i. The whole site seemed to come together, and I tried to envision what the area would have looked like hundreds of years ago, to when the rocks had a real purpose and when ancient hawaiian cheifs and kapuna that would gather around and witness the birth of a new child. The strict traditions of the way that the baby's were born were very interesting, that the women would never touch the ground and would be supported by her kapuna or family members, and that the birth process was all gravitational and the status of the baby ali'i would be voided if the mother/baby touched the ground at all.  The ancient hawaiians believed this place to be very sacred, and it was like I felt the spiritual significance just being there. I came away from this field trip with new perspectives, the knowledge of ancient hawaiian culture and traditions, and the personal longing to find out where my roots exist and where I stand in this world today. What really got me, was how advanced the culture was as far as cosmology, and astrology and their knowledge of their own existence.  The sun dial stones were really cool! all in all, great field trip and I really hope to continue to participate and go on cultural and historical excursions!! HPU courses need to integrate more field trips/ working in the field that would be really great to incorporate even in the lower level courses.

I wanted to add a note about our last speaker Ramsey Taum who had come in and spoke for our class earlier in the semester came in and spoke about natural healing and the "energies" of water. The water intention experiment was actually very interesting, and although I was familiar with the experiment before, he really opened my mind up and shared his intellect and own knowledge and perspectives to the class. I must say, the speakers we have had throughout the semester have really opened my mind up and filled it with new perspectives, knowledge, and insights to things that I would have  maybe never thought about. I have been inspired to seek out more knowledge, to find the roots of my existence, to experience the fullness of life, and so much more I could go on and on!

Tuna's end-Could it be possible?

After reading through the article A Tuna's End written by Paul Greenberg, I was quite astonished and left with many questions lingering in my head. Reading the statistics,  and the over exploitation of Tuna fish that is occurring in our oceans at an increasing rate each year. One of the most sought after fish, the Atlantic Tuna, is the most valuable seafood in the world. Even though there is no one technically patrolling the seas, there are activists who are trying to slow down and protect the species of fish that are becoming over fished and over exploited, trying to meet the consumers demand for fresh Tuna. The members of  GREENPEACE and their vessels ( Rainbow Warrior and Arctic Sunrise ) filled with protesters who aim to stop big fishing fleets from depleting the natural resources completely. What  really is also pressing issue, is the recent BP oil spill that has pretty much destroyed one of the two spawning ground for the Atlantic Tuna, adding on to the fact that fishing fleets have not slowed down progress of catch and will most likely continue to do so. The reason for the Greenpeace vessels being deployed out in the Malta, was to stop a French fishing fleet from "legally" catching a whole school of bluefins being that they consisted of mostly juveniles. Where do you find morals in all of this? I thought it was interesting that the blue fin tuna is actually a warm blooded fish, and has a pineal gland in the brain that allows the fish to navigate thousands of miles in the ocean. I really had  no idea how unique and elegant these fish are. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization stated that 7 out of the 23 commercially fished tuna's stock is over fished/overexploited, not to mention an additional 9 species are threatened. Another interesting fact that I didn't know, was the real spark of industrial and global tuna fishing began in Japan after World War II, when the Japanese were seeking to boost their economy locally, and used international trade with North America and Europe to earn more money through exporting the fish. There is a definite need for global regulations in the water, at least in regards to limits of vessels fishing, and the number of fish being brought in to minimize over exploiting the species and keeping a stable profit. The thing is, not every country has the same view on this issue- as developed countries try to pull back the reigns, the under developed countries view the ocean as a right to expand their fisheries as a means to compensate for the industrialized countries over exploitation.  The real question is..could this actually work? Doubtful. If things keep downward spiraling like they are now and regulations aren't forcibly being put into place, we will indeed see the negative externalities of over fishing, and will eventually see the end of all Tuna fish- to the last sushi roll.

I really enjoyed reading this article, I feel more informed of the issue and will do all I can to spread the word and hope to educate others about this valuable natural resource that we take for  granted every time we eat sushi, or fish in general. Now, I feel a lot different eating fish by actually thinking about how the fish made it from the ocean to my dinner plate and will reconsider fueling the market for Tuna (as much as I love the stuff) and do my part to not contribute to this cause. Great article!                                                          

Refining the search for what's 'out there'

This article titled Refining the search for what's 'out there' published by the Los Angeles Times, was written as an interview format from two brothers Gregory and James Benford who are both astrophysicists, and their nephew. They decided to collaborate together with their knowledge of economics, astrophysics, space, and decided to take on a different aspect of SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) by posing the question "What would beacon transmitters be like if built by civilizations that cared about cost?" They assumed that if extra terrestial life were to build a beacon transmitter, they would be 'money minded' and rather than just blast transmitter signals openly into space, they would send short narrow pulses that could even  deciphered as pictures, letters, and other information. The only problem with this is the aspect of time in all of the transmitting of signals and what not, is that if we were to receive a signal from another intelligent life it would take thousands of years to send a signal back, and just as long to actually receive it. Scientists say that we have not discovered any intelligent life form in our solar system, and that the chances of there being any is slim. But that doesn't mean that there isn't any life out there, there is just no way. Another problem in the process of developing and creating this "beacon" transmitter on Earth, is that it would take billions to create it, and millions of dollars to run it. This poses a definite problem. I thought it was interesting that they noted the 'motives' for extra terrestrials to send out signals and the reasoning why they might be trying to contact outsiders. The first motive they described as the Funeral Pyre, which meant that the contact was due to a dead civilization and are trying to attract attention. The second motive described as "High Church" meaning that the civilization is wanting to share with others their great culture and the things they have done on their planet. The last motive is the 911 call for help, if the civilization needs help on a struggling problem concerning the planet or the population and is seeking out other sources. Reading what Stephen Hawking said about the extraterrestial life acting as a predator and is only out to seek and colonize is just absurd. I think that if a planet were to be seeking out help from another civilization on a distant planet, I think it would be for the sake of finding out if there is life out there, and possibly their willingness to share what they have on their planet or new technologies, life,sustainable strategies, new resources, ect. It is just so hard to say one thing, without considering other perspectives. Benford states in the end of the article that trying to travel such distances in space is far to expensive, and would most likely not occur. In my opinion, the sheer thought of there being another planet that has life flourishing on it is just astonishing.   I really do believe there is extra terrestrial life out there beyond out solar system.. planets that may be as complex as planet Earth, with an abundance of biodiversity, farming, resources, and people. Who says it's not possible? The creation of the earth and the evolution of humans is mind boggling enough, but when it is broken down it makes sense. The complexity of such a thing as evolution could very well have existed way before man walked on two feet thousands of years ago-happening on other planet. Another world. Another place with history. It is a very exciting and intriguing topic that many of us struggle to comprehend-are we the only ones out there? As we continue to 'refine' our search (SETI) I believe that within the next hundred, maybe thousand years we might make contact with outsiders who may be living the same kind of lives as we are here. Who knows? The technological advancement and development even in the past hundred years is so progressive, it's crazy to think of what things might be like in the next few hundred years. That answer lies in the future, and for now it's just another one of life's greatest mysteries.

Another note, we are going to the Waimanalo organic farm tomorrow for our Anthropology and get to tour the farm, and eat at Sweet Home Waimanalo. I am pretty excited to see what this farm is all about, how it is completely sustainable, and hopefully learn some new techniques and strategies for a sustainable farm. I hope to take in as much as I can, to build my knowledge and experience so that I too one day can start a sustainable farm and be able to eat organic foods without the harsh externals of ingesting herbicides, and other toxic chemicals. I think that Kevin and his organization Ainability is a man with a dream, and an idea that he's pursuing and actually making happen. I hope to get an opportunity to go volunteer and work on the farm when the spring time comes!

Really, How long will it take?

I just read the article How long will it take written by Claire Robinson. It seemed that this issue of genetically modified soy and the toxic glyphosate chemical found being sprayed on the agriculture crops. This chemical, being found in the herbicide and pesticide products that are being used, are seriously affecting the health of the local people who live within the country and by the fields being sprayed.  The were several reports of serious health issues resulting from the areal spraying of the herbicide on the crops that cause drifts of the toxic chemicals downwind.  These chemicals being sprayed on the agriculture are from the kingpin corporation Monsanto, who seem to not really give a nickel for the hazardous (both environmental and human health) chemicals being put on the very plants that we all eat. Apparently the Argentine government was in desperate need to rise up out of an economic recession currently plauging the economy and decided that the marginal cost outweighted the marginal benefit and planted the modified soy plant on 19 million hectares, which is actually over half of their cultivated land and sprayed 200 million liters of the herbicide on those crops. My question is, where is the ethics in all this? The soy is being exported to Europe,  and then consumed by many groups all over the world who probably don't have any clue what chemicals are in their food. The herbicide is said to have many different negative harmful affects such as respiratory problems, birth defects, cancer rates increased, and overall quality of life diminished. Dr Daria Gianfelici, who was the leading medical doctor to speak out and report the health effects of the harsh chemicals being sprayed and how bad the affects of it really are to not only the people, but to the environment as well. I think if this issue was spoken out and spread to the people consuming these products or purchasing the products and the companies who purchase these  products and provide them to consumers things might be a little different and the demand for such treated products would decrease. The filed lawsuit against the companies in Argentina by the families who were affected tremendously following a aerial spraying near their residence was a small revolutionary step towards the banning of the herbicide on the agriculture being farmed,produced, and exported out of Argentina. The levels of glysophate levels found in the soybeans are pretty scary if you consider the fact that this chemical is  highly toxic and definitely not good for our health, nor the health of the chickens and other livestock that feed on products containing this chemical. The even scarier thing is, this chemical is found all around us and we have no idea. Roundup is sprayed over fields, near our schools,  farms, who knows where.  The serious question is, are we trying to poison ourselves? Why do large companies and corporations feel the need to  ignore the everlasting fact that their products are being sprayed on our foods, lawns, fed to our animals and then consumed by us. The fact that i know this, and some may not know, is shocking. Hopefully in the near future the ban for using this chemical on the soy and other agricultural products and crops before the  harmful affects of this toxic chemical become too serious and it's too late to fix anything. This article really made me think about how little i know about the food i consume and how harmful the chemicals being sprayed on them are to our health and well being. I reject agrochemicals, and hope that many agree because its hard to always buy local, organic food and still live a healthy life.


Also to add, I stopped and listened to our former speaker and other activists speak out about discoverers day, and how Christopher Columbus is not a hero hes supposedly made out to be. For the short time I listened,  it was very interesting to hear others speak out and talk about their own lives and histories of their families and how they were affected by Columbus and his followers.

Child rearing practices of distant ancestors foster morality, compassion in kids, research says

Reading the article Child rearing practices of distant ancestors foster morality, compassion in kids sent me back to reflect on my childhood and the parenting strategies my mother and father used to raise me. Being a fraternal twin, I have spent the last 20 years living, breathing, enjoying the things in life with someone just like me. I believe that my parents did quite a good job raising two twin boys ( not to mention that I am one of 5 children in my family including another set of twins!).  I was definitely a "mamas" boy and spent a lot of time being cuddled, held, touched, and was the center of attention as much as I could try. I was never a spoiled baby, but was always nurtured and cared for by my mom who has this incredible sense of motherly instincts that bid me well in my early childhood to growing up to be who I am today. When I was first born, both of my parents were working full time in the cities and did not really plan to have two children at that time, so I spent a lot of my time at a day care center with my brother. The day care provider who basically helped raise me and my brother Matt was one that gave her love and passion to the kids and is still close to my family today. So I grew up being around other children, playing outdoors, and being in a positive environment that laid the foundation of my moral sense and well being. The article focuses on the research of parenting strategies of present day parents, to those of our ancestors and how they 'reared' their children. The studies show that children now spend less time being coddled, nurtured, breast feeding, and warm responsive care giving that helps a child develop a moral and individual sense of who they are and how they interact with others. To me, this was surprising to find I guess I didn't realize that the U.S is on a "downward trajectory" and that more infants are spending less time in the arms of their guardians and more time in car seats, strollers, or buggies. Don't get me wrong, I spent quite a lot of time in the bicycle buggy and baby backpack that my parents provided for me and my brother so I see how parents have other things to occupy their time ( work, stress, other children ) so it makes sense. But I thought family sizes in the U.S were decreasing? The article states that kids who spent more time playing by themselves and not playing with other 'multi age' children they suffer from disorders such as ADD and ADHD because their parents wouldn't allow as much free play. The writer also notes that the well being of children is worse than it was 50 years ago, that there is a higher delinquency rate and aggression in younger kids, and that empathy and moral behavior has decreased among college students. This may be true, but this is just one researcher and one individuals research perception on this subject. I can see both sides of this issue, but I can't really argue against it. I could definitely see this becoming a rising problem. Interesting article, made me reflect on my childhood and how I was raised, as well as the things I would need to do when I become a parent to ensure the moral stability and over all well being of my child when they grow up.



On a second note, I would also like to add something. I just wanted to say how infuential and inspiring our speaker was last night (9/28) about Hawaiian culture, language, land, and spirituality regarding the ancient Hawaiian culture and how they prospered on these islands long before europeans came to invade the island.  I just never knew (realized) how connected the ancient Hawaiian people thrived and created a prosperous, deeply spiritual connection with the people and the land. I was just in awe. After the lecture was over, my friends and I who were in the class were all in agreement and we just talked about what was said, the connections we made with the speaker and his information. I have to say he was the best speaker we have been fortunate enough to listen to, and I hope that we will get another chance to meet with him in the future. I could probably go on  and on about this, but my hunger drives me to end this blog.
I will post another shortly!

TimeTree: Time scale of life, What Castro Really Means

I just read the article Grasping the Tree of Life: There is an app for that, too by Robert Stonjek. This was a brief article about the evolution and spread of information through technology, a recent development of an iphone application called TimeTree. This application was developed by Sudhir Kumar,  who is the director of the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics at Arizona State University and Blair Hedges, professor of biology at Penn State University. This new development of being able to link together the relationships between different species, bacteria, ect. through two "critical" components which are phylogeny and timescale. This application is able to show you ( on ipad, iphone) to be able to search for a species and get a page filled with knowledgeable information of the interrelationships and diversity of many different living things. I find this new app really cool, and super interesting because now you don't need to attend a science seminar or take a college course to learn the origins and relationships between different species that you would not even think were related to each other millions of years ago. It contains the names and phylogenetic lineages160,000 organisms and is continuing to grow. Being able to have this knowledge in the palm of your hands is incredible, to think that less than 20 years ago we had no idea what a cell phone/computer was or how to use one efficiently. If this type of technological advancement is being produced and used for smartphones (ipad, too) I could only assume its going to become more advanced and the power of knowledge will be at the touch of our fingertips any time of the day, anywhere, for anyone.

To add along with this post, I also read the article What Castro Really Means published by Portside Moderator. It basically talked about how the Castro ruling family, one that has been running a socialist regime on the island of Cuba ever since the early sixties and the fall of the soviet union 20 years ago. There is talk of a new economic program, one that differs from capitalist economy and will rejuvenate the economy of Cuba with newly implemented policies that will create a fresh flowing economic market. The Cubans have started this change with the help of Venezuelan president Huge Chavez, who backs the country up with their oil-rich land and economy. With their help, Cuba will start to open the markets of global trade to increase their money/trade flow not only with other Latin American countries but with the U.S, too. Although it may take some time to see this change, it looks as though the wheels have begun to spin. I'm not sure what the future holds for trade with the U.S and how friendly our relationship between us is, but I do know that Cuba has seen that their old economic plan isn't working too well, and is in need of a change. This could be quite beneficial for other countries as well, (U.S too) but we cannot say for sure. I really enjoyed reading this article and thought it was interesting! I look forward to posting another blog later this week.

Cosmic Clowning: Stephen Hawking's "new" theory of everything is the same old CRAP

     When reading the article Cosmic Clowning: Stephen Hawking's "new" theory of everything is the same old CRAP posted by Robert Karl Stonjek, I had to read over the article twice. The concept of a unifying theory of physics that Hawking and fellow colleagues have been trying to unite quantum mechanics and relativity into a combined "package" and would explain to us why the big bang happened, and why our earth is what it is and not something entirely different. I thought it was kind of funny that Hawking "jokes" around with other scientists and colleagues about how computers are becoming so advanced that they are taking over the need and jobs for physicists. His implications he talks of the advancement of physics and to "circle back to its spiritual roots" as an scientific theory/explanation of not just what our universe and earth are, but why they are what they are and why we are stuck here in this cosmic existence. I found this article to be brief, but quite interesting. Some of the material seems to be a bit over my head, (M-theory) just because of how even the most intelligent individuals,scientists, cosmologists still struggle with this idea. The real question is, could there really be a theory for everything? Who knows. At the end of the article the author talks about when he attended a symposium in Sweden called "The Birth and Early Evolution of Our Universe" and how when the cosmologists visited a Lutheran church afterwards and were awarded with a standing ovation type welcoming. I found this very intriguing. The long historical battle that has been continuous throughout human history of science vs. religion seemed to be put aside in this  particular church with individuals who all shared the same common question: Why are we here? Is our existence a mere coincidence or a scientific miracle? The answer is out there somewhere.. 
I will be reading the other articles and posting another blog shortly.