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I hope so?
2008-09-27 21:44:00
During the first Presidential Debate of 2008, John McCain and Barack Obama were asked if they would vote for the $700 billion bailout of the financial industry. Obama said he could not say Yes or No because he had not seen the language of the bill. John McCain answered, "I hope so."I hope so?What does that mean?Here is Sarah Palin answering a similar question:Are you kidding me? These two people want to run the country?
More About: Hope

Most Popular Blog Ever Redux
2008-09-26 13:52:00
One of my regular readers pointed out to me today that I am still the number one result for a Google search of “Most Popular Blog Ever.” I've held that position since August 8, 2007.  Last year I sat atop 90,600,000 other search results.  Today I sit atop 368,000,000.Hell, if I had one dollar for every one of those webpages I could single handedly bail out Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac.I posted this blog back in September 2007.  I like to pretend that I'm somewhat of a blogger guru on Saipan, so I'm posting it again.So anyway, back to being the Most Popular Blog Ever for over a year.  How did this happen? My PageRank is a still a lowly PR4, I get fewer than 500 hits per day, and Technorati says that fewer than 60 other blogs links to me (those numbers are lower than they were a year ago). Those numbers might seem high, but they are peanuts compared to the stats of some of the Internet's most popular blogs. How did I manage to beat out almost 400 million web pages to become t...

More Community Outreach
2008-09-25 23:23:00
I had another round of school presentations yesterday, this time at Marianas High School. I presented to several different classes, a language arts class, a history class, a homeroom, a journalism class, and two classes that I forget.My first presentation was kind of rocky; the kids just didn't seem to care. I thought to myself, "this is going to be a long day," but things got better with each class, especially after I pulled a play right out of the Brad Ruszala School for Charming Filipina Girls Playbook and sang a few lines while prepping my computer.I tried a different presentation style today.  I only used the computer to play a couple of Youtube videos. I played some of the news stories from KSPN and I played this video of Megaladon, telling them that one of our supporters is convinced that he lives in the trench.Then I started off by asking who, with a show of hands, had been to Managaha, Tinian, Rota, Guam, and then the Northern Islands. I'm always amazed that there ar...
More About: Community , Outreach

Help me with my new phone
2008-09-25 11:12:00
I have a new phone. It is a Mogul, and if that means someting, please explain it to me. The number is the same, but I need to input everyone's number.So can you give me a call?(670) 285 6462
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An Open Invitation
2008-09-25 04:27:00
Residents of Saipan are invited to a Presidential Debate watching party at Tribes bar in the Century Hotel in Garapan to begin at 10:30 AM on Saturday, September 27. The debate begins at 11:00 AM. The party is being sponsored by the Democratic Party of Garapan.Please share this invitation with your family and friends.  People of all political parties and ideologies are invited...as long as they support Barack Obama.(If the debate is canceled, we'll just eat breakfast and go home.)
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Presidential Debate Postponed?
2008-09-25 04:23:00
I have reserved Tribes at Century Hotel in Garapan for the debate watching party this Saturday. The party will begin at 10:30 AM and the debate begins at 11 AM.That's if the debate even happens. John McCain has suspended his campaign to "deal" with the financial crisis in the United States. I have my own opinion on that matter, but I'll keep it to myself...So if the debate happens, I'll see you there. If not, stay tuned for an update.
More About: Presidential , Debate

Draw your own conclusion
2008-09-24 23:57:00
Facts:1. Somebody put a "Just say NO to the Monument" sticker on my car last night.2. John Gourley was giving out "Just say NO to the Monument" stickers at the Chamber of Commerce meeting and has one on his truck.3. John Gourley's Navy Hill apartment is right up the street from where my car was parked last night.Draw your own conclusion.

Bota!
2008-09-24 11:48:00
Attorney General Matt Gregory is stepping down, which means we need a new AG! That means it is time for a new Vizu poll.Online Surveys & Market ResearchThis poll will run for 7 days, ending on September 30 at 5:00 PM.Bota!

Ficus religiosa
2008-09-24 06:40:00
For my first birthday (29 years ago!), my father's good friend Herb Soll gave me a ficus tree. My Mom and Dad planted it just north of our house. It stood there until my stepmother cut it down in 2001. I've wanted to replace it ever since.Ficus religiosa is the holiest of ficus trees. In Buddhist circles the tree is a well-known symbol for happiness, prosperity, longevity and good luck. There are many types of ficus tree out there, but I want to plant that one.I've been looking for one on Saipan for months, but I haven't been able to find one.I recently found a huge F. religiosa on Tinian, but haven't taken cuttings of it.  As far as I know it is the only one in the CNMI.  It is so large that I would guess that it has been around since the war.The Chamorro elder who was with me when I discovered it told me that I had better not touch it, never mind take a cutting. The Sacred Fig is not a Taotao Mona tree, but it is of the same genus.So two questions, first, does anyone...

3 Factories Left
2008-09-22 02:32:00
The Saipan Tribune reports that there are only 3 garment factories left on Saipan, down from a high of 34. I wonder when the remaining three will close?
More About: Left

Oreo Kenobi the Obama Dog
2008-09-22 01:28:00
Alright, so I'm just figuring out how to use this Photo Booth thing. I'm not going to start vlogging or anything, just going to have some fun.
More About: Obama , Oreo

Angelo's First Photo Booth Video
2008-09-21 12:51:00
I will be 30 years old in exactly two weeks. The question that keeps popping into my head is, "Why has it taken me this long to discover Photo Booth?" By the way, I'm almost 95% switched over to Mac. I need to check a few more things on my PC and then it is goodbye forever...
More About: Video , Photo Booth

Debate Watching Party
2008-09-21 03:39:00
The first Presidential Debate of 2008 will play next Saturday, September 27 at 11 AM local Chamorro Standard Time.  Who wants to have a debate watching party?Members of all political parties with any ideology are welcome...as long as they support Barack Obama.
More About: Party , Watching

The Crisis with CUC
2008-09-20 02:59:00
Kudos to Governor Fitial for reducing the number of blackouts on the island of Saipan. From the discussions I have heard floating around the community this week, the power is staying on longer and the number of blackouts has dropped, as has the duration of the blackouts.Reliable power has brought great relief to the people of Saipan trying to run a business or trying to get their kids to sleep at night. Day to day life in Saipan has gotten easier now that the power is staying on.Things are not all rainbows and unicorns, however, there is a definite downside.Our electricity bills are going to go up. The leased generators and the reliable power they bring comes at a cost. We have to pay for their lease and we have to pay for the larger amount of fuel it will take to run them. Also, instead of 15 hours of power per day we are going to have to pay for 24 hours of power in our homes and in our businesses.Therein lies the crux of the complaint of the 500 plus people that braved the s...
More About: Crisis

4 More Months
2008-09-19 11:00:00
The first time I heard the "4 more months" chant was at a John Kerry/John Edwards rally in St. Petersburg.  The Kerry/Edwards team had come straight to Florida after the announcement that Edwards would be the Vice Presidential candidate.I remember there were protesting Republicans carrying "Flush the Johns" signs and chanting "Four More Years."  The Democrats, mostly tough looking union guys, chanted "4 More Months " in response and then started throwing things. Biba Democracy!In about 5 hours it will be September 20.  That means we'll have exactly four more months of George W. Bush as our president.  On January 20, 2009, either Barack Obama or John McCain will be sworn in as our new president.We will also either have a new monument or we won't have a new monument.  Either way, I'm taking a vacation.I had a really busy week this past week.  I'm tired.

Friends of the Monument
2008-09-16 00:45:00
The Friends of the Monument have started a blog. They are also going to appear on the John Gonzales Show tomorrow where they will premier their new TV commercial.

Beautifyin' on a Saturday Morning
2008-09-15 02:45:00
We held our monthly cleanup of the Garapan Tourist District on Saturday morning. We've been holding this cleanup every month since October 2006. That's 24 consecutive months.The cleanup is headed by Friends of the Mariana Islands. They are one of the many organizations in the Marianas supporting the proposed Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.Earlier in the week I led a cleanup of the beach fronting Aquarius Hotel. A group of students from Nippon University's school of International Relations helped out and the hotel manager, Will Hunter, donated donuts and some water. Thanks, Will!
More About: Morning

Follow This Blog!
2008-09-15 02:39:00
Blogger has a new feature where you can become a "follower" of a blog. It's a new feature, so I figure I'd put it on my blog to see if it becomes popular. I'm not really sure how it works, but I think it is a kind of RSS feed.So, check it out and let me know what you think. You can put the feature on your blog and I can become a follower of you, too.
More About: Blog

Stop Turtle Poaching in the Marianas
2008-09-12 08:11:00
I received this message from MINA today:NOAA needs your help. NOAA is offering Rewards for Information on Sea Turtle Poaching!!!!NOAA’s Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of persons poaching endangered sea turtles in the Territory of Guam and in the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands.Turtle poaching is an ongoing problem in the Guam area. In recent months, NOAA special agents have investigated cases involving the sale and consumption of meat and eggs of protected sea turtles.Turtle experts believe that turtle poaching is a significant contributing factor to the reduction of indigenous sea turtle populations around the Pacific islands.The Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects all six species of sea turtles in the United States. Endangered species include the indigenous Green Sea Turtle and the Hawksbill Sea Turtle, which are commonly found in and around Guam and the Northern Marianas ...
More About: Stop

Global Ocean Legacy
2008-09-10 03:55:00
There is news in the media of a large marine protected area being proposed in the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia.Proposed Coral Sea Conservation Initiative Would Create World’s Largest No-Take Marine ParkAlliance of Diverse Interests Seeks To Protect At-Risk Ocean Ecosystems, Historical TreasureSeptember 10, 2008Sydney, Australia — An international coalition today presented a proposal to the government of Australia to create the world’s largest no-take marine park in the Coral Sea, an area that is important to the world’s marine environment and significant in its deep historical and cultural ties to the region.“Our oceans are in trouble. What we once thought of as an inexhaustible resource is rapidly deteriorating due to human activities like overfishing, pollution and global warming,” said Joshua Reichert, managing director of the Pew Environment Group, which is helping to lead the coalition’s effort as part of its Global Ocean Legacy project. “It will take bo...

The Answer to Sarah Palin
2008-09-10 02:42:00
Secretary of State Obama Girl!!!Her real name is Amber Lee Ettinger....and like Barack Obama, she loves America and believes in the American flag.
More About: Answer , Sarah

Limited Edition T-shirts
2008-09-09 14:12:00
There's sexy...and then there's double chin sexy. Did I mention I really like these shirts?Ken Kramer wore his shirt to collect petition signatures this afternoon. The color really stands out. You can't miss someone when they are wearing one.I can imagine selling these shirts to tourists...maybe not in bright orange...but they sure are nifty. I dig the back, too.So, any readers want a shirt?
More About: Shirts , T-Shirts , T shirts , Limited , Edition

Basic Chamoru I + II
2008-09-09 00:43:00
Want to learn Chamoru with me? Check out this podcast.This is the first lesson.This podcast is a non-commercial, education experiment in language lesson by distance education. The lessons used are Basic Chamoru by Jacquelyn Millman and Anna Marie Blas Arceo, its authors, and published by Jae Publications of Mangilao, Guam.Chamorro Lesson 1 is the first of weekly language segment to familiarize students with sounds of language being spoken so accent and pronunciation become recognizable. No special equipment is needed to listen to these .mp3 files. A Table of Contents (TOC) may be downloaded with the link below:Cham 101 TOC.pdfThis is lesson 2.Lesson 2 of the Chamorro Language: Dialogue for learning. Have fun.

Incoming Text Message
2008-09-08 23:55:00
CUC Protest.Wednesday, Sep.17, 530pm,Garapan Fishing Base.Contact Ed Propst 483-7361for more details.Please pass it on.Affordable, reliable powernow!!
More About: Message , Text

Turning 30 in 27 Days
2008-09-08 14:11:00
My definition of old changes in less than a month.I wish I could fly off to somewhere exotic, but it looks like work is going to keep me on Saipan. Where should we have the party?
More About: Days

The Whole Kit and Kaboodle
2008-09-08 12:06:00
In an effort to inform the general public about the conversation that has been taking place in our community for over half a year now, I went ahead and put together a list of all the letters to the editor and opinion pieces on the proposed Mariana Trench Marine National Monument (I had a lot of help).I realize that this list is probably missing a few items, and I would be much obliged if you would forward them on to me, but from what I have compiled here, the running total of letters FOR is 75 versus 27 AGAINST.I'd also like to point out that Ken Kramer has written 12 (of 75) support letters, while John Gourley has only written 10 (of 27) non-support letters.That seems pretty amazing to me. Thanks to everyone who has written a letter of support.Happy readings! March 20, 2008. Angelo Villagomez “Practicing My Culture” March 24, 2008. Jacinta M. Kaipat. “Give PEW a chance:” April 3, 2008. Greg Cruz. “Taotao Tano supports idea of National Park....

Congressional Poll Results
2008-09-08 07:58:00
My month long Vizu poll asking "The CNMI will elect its first congressman to the US House of Representatives on November 4, 2008? Who gets your vote?" is over. The results are as follows:47.8%Gregorio C Sablan 25.2%Pete A Tenorio10.0%Juan T Lizama 6.3%John Oliver Gonzales 5.3%John Davis3.4%Chong Won1.3%Luis Crisostimo 0.5%Felipe Atalig0.2%David CingAny commentary?
More About: Results , Poll

School's In, School's Out
2008-09-08 01:12:00
Today was an exciting day for thousands of public school students in the CNMI. They spent weeks getting ready, purchasing school clothes and supplies. School has already been postponed an entire month, so I'm sure they were itching to get back.Well...They canceled school. I don't know if it was all the schools, but the kids at Marianas High School were unceremoniously sent home because the water is contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria. Are there any reports of other schools closing today?Let the graffiti bonanza continue!

McCain Spears 2008
2008-09-07 03:22:00
Breaking News!!!From the people that brought you Obama Girl, breaking news that McCain has dumped Palin and found a new running mate!!!
More About: Spears , 2008

Chamber Meeting on KSPN 2
2008-09-06 04:00:00
KSPN reported on the Chamber of Commerce meeting that Brad recorded.
More About: Meeting