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On March 29, 2010, the first meeting of the Hawai‘i-Okinawa Task Force was held in Honolulu.  Top-level officials from the U.S. Department of Energy, Prefecture of Okinawa, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, New Energy Technology Department, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Hawai‘i State Energy Office, Department of Defense, and national laboratory representatives met to discuss the acceleration of renewable energy technologies and  energy efficiency, and evaluate the achievements of existing clean energy projects to enable the islands to be energy independent.  Initiation of several joint projects resulted from that meeting.

"Through the groundbreaking Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative, our state is leading the way toward an energy-secure and self-sufficient future," said Lt. Governor Aiona, who delivered the keynote address at the Hawai‘i-Okinawa Task Force meeting.

She was joined by Ann Wright, 63, of Honolulu, Hawaii, who wore a BP hard hat, overalls and sunglasses adorned with dollar signs.

"BP doesn't really care about this," she said, pulling out an oil-stained rubber ducky.

In the evening, Governor Lingle was the honored guest of the China Diplomatic Friendship Association and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce banquet held in the Great Hall of the People, China's capitol building.  The special guest at this event was Lu Yong Xiang, vice chairman of the Chinese People’s National Congress and head of the Chinese National Academy of Sciences.  Vice Chairman Lu recently returned from visiting Mauna Kea on the Big Island, the site of the forthcoming Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).  China intends to be a collaborative partner in the TMT project. 

Mr. Lu believes China and Hawai‘i have a great opportunity to work together in scientific explorations.  As he stated, “Hawai‘i can see the cosmos and the vast oceans—so its horizons are unlimited.”  Mr. Lu praised Governor Lingle for her foresight in establishing strong relationships with China, demonstrated by her four trips to the country during her administration.

VIDEO: Republican Congressman Charles Djou, Hawaii, and Jessica Brady, Roll Call reporter, discuss Obama's first Oval Office address regarding the Gulf Oil spill.

“I am disappointed, however, that the President has failed to waive the Jones Act for foreign ships, who want to assist in the clean-up efforts. There is no good reason to turn away international help in responding to this environmental catastrophe.

“Nevertheless, I look forward to working with President Obama to temper the House energy bill and craft a sensible long-term energy strategy for America that makes sense for our economy.”

Hawaii GOP Rep. Charles Djou, who won his seat in a special election last month, says he's "disappointed" that Mr. Obama has failed to waive the Jones Act, an antiquated 1920 law mandating that goods shipped between U.S. ports be handled by U.S.-built and -owned ships manned by U.S. crews. Unions fiercely support the law as a means of preserving U.S. jobs. In this case, though, the law might be hindering the recovery of hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast jobs.

Are President Obama and BP inhibiting efforts to cap the Gulf of Mexico oil rig blowout and mitigate the effects of the spill? 

Maximization of the effects of the crisis could be used in an effort to stampede the public and win Senate passage of the Cap and Trade Carbon Tax--from which BP stands to profit. 

Yesterday in Beijing, the Governor had a private meeting with Ambassador Jon Huntsman at the U.S. Embassy. During this hour and a half discussion, the Ambassador and Governor discussed the importance of establishing a protocol for the processing of visas for Chinese who want to visit Hawai`i on charter flights going directly from cities such as Shanghai and Beijing to Honolulu.

Are same-sex attractions biologically determined?  Most people are under the impression that they are.  Organizations such as the American Psychological Association (APA), have helped propagate the idea. 

"Lerner: Col. Wright I just want to make sure again – so you actually were on a different boat and did not witness the attack firsthand."

Wright: That's correct.

“We must ensure that the connection between the United States and the Philippines remains strong. One of my priorities in Congress is to strengthen our nation’s ties to the Philippines and expand the number of visas that our government issues, particularly to the Philippines,” Djou continued.

The seminar also provided potential investors with detailed information on how Chinese students can enroll in local educational institutions, how to retire in Hawai‘i and buy a place to live, and business opportunities in areas such as medical clinics, golf and tennis facilities, and retailing.

In her remarks, Governor Lingle noted that Hawai‘i can serve as an entry point for the U.S. mainland and is an excellent location for a headquarters operation for Chinese companies because of our language and cultural ties, as well as being a safe place to do business and live.

HONOLULU – Top women leaders from seven nations will gather in Honolulu, Hawai‘i this fall to share their personal and professional stories at the 7^th annual International Women’s Leadership Conference (IWLC).  Hosted by Governor Linda Lingle on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at the Sheraton Waikīkī Hotel and Resort, the conference will build on the success and growth of the past six years.

Online conference registration is now available at www.hawaiiwomensconference.com.

Today the Governor is in Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, where she will address Chinese business executives at the “Experience Hawai‘i – A Place for Vacation, Education and Business” forum sponsored by Bank of Hawai‘i.  Governor Lingle will also participate in an “Invest in Hawai‘i” seminar coordinated by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.  The seminar is designed to provide potential investors with information on Hawai‘i’s economic outlook and investment climate, as well as the “State’s EB-5 Immigrant Investment Program” in which foreign nationals who invest $500,000 or more in Hawai‘i and create 10 or more full-time jobs can obtain permanent residency. 

Rep. Djou: Second series of questions, Dr. Bernanke, and that is I have been frustrated and disappointed that there have been a number of free trade agreements languishing in Congress. Do you believe that were the Congress to pass free trade or expansion of free trade, it would help the economy?

Bernanke: Yes I do. I think we need to be part of the globalized economy, I think trade is an important source of demand for our goods and also a source of materials and imports as well. So I think that generally speaking, you ought to push forward on the DOHA round and on the free trade agreements that we’re looking at.

As typical Islamist-leftist theater to delegitimize Israel, late May's Turkish-sponsored "Free Gaza" flotilla was tediously repetitious. As an illustration that Israelis don't understand the kind of war they now must fight, the outcome was drearily predictable. But as a statement of Turkey's policies and an augur of the Islamist movement's future, it bristled with novelty and significance.

Today (Tuesday in China) is “Hawai‘i Day” at the USA Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.  Governor Linda Lingle, legislative leaders, representatives from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the visitor industry and entertainers will officially kick off “Hawai‘i Week” at the Expo.  The Expo is expected to attract more than 70 million visitors, 86 percent of whom will come from China.

Yesterday (Monday in China), Governor Lingle spoke to over 300 members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AMCHAM) at its Distinguished Speakers Series.  The Governor covered a wide range of topics including Hawai‘i's progress in promoting clean energy, the status of direct flights from China to Honolulu, and the steps her Administration has taken to improve travel visa issuance procedures with the assistance of U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman.

This morning on MSNBC, former Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-FL) pressed prominent Keynesian economist and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University Jeffrey Sachs on whether it was too early to declare President Obama's stimulus a failure. Scarborough had to ask the question twice, but Sachs finally relented: "Obama’s stimulus failed."

VIDEO: On the boat, the “peace activists” chant the popular Islamic battle cry, "khaiber khaiber ya yahood jaish muhammed saya'ud".

Khaibar was the last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army in 628. The battle marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia.

Remember, they’re just piece activists.  Some are two-pieces activists, and others are many-tiny-little-pieces activists.

Early Monday morning in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, helicopters lowered Israeli Commandos onto a Turkish-flagged ferry carrying 600 passengers determined to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Beset by activists armed with poles, knives and guns, the Israelis defended themselves, and the resulting violence left at least nine dead. Hours later, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report claiming that Iran now has enough nuclear fuel, with further enrichment, to make two nuclear weapons. These two stories are not unrelated. And they ought to serve as a signal to the Obama administration that it is time to change its approach to the region.

Was it, as some suggest, the plan of flotilla organizers all along?

It's worth remembering why the aid was being transported by sea in the first place. A convoy led by then-British MP George Galloway (Bought and paid for by Saddam Hussein via oil for food scam--AW) ended in violence at the Egyptian-Gaza border in early January after authorities delayed their entry into Gaza.

An Egyptian police officer was shot and killed by Hamas gunmen. Egypt deported Galloway, made it clear he was unwelcome there again, and told the convoy it could no longer enter through its crossing. Galloway's partner in that convoy was the Turkish-based International Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), which helped lead the flotilla.

A fudgelike goo coating Louisiana's marshes. A thick oil slick stretching across the Gulf of Mexico. A plume of oil miles below the ocean surface. A tragic loss of life. Reverberating economic consequences. Throw in a poll that shows that 53 percent of Americans rate President Barack Obama "poor" or "very poor" in his handling of the Gulf oil spill, and it's no wonder the President yesterday broke his 308-day self-imposed press conference moratorium in hopes of conveying some semblance of leadership amid an environmental, economic and human catastrophe that has spiraled out of his control.

It isn't easy being Arizona these days, especially when President Barack Obama puts politics before Americans' interests, a foreign head of state before the United States, and an agenda of apology before much-needed, sensible reforms.

But that's just what happened this week when Mexican President Felipe Calderon visited Washington, DC. President Obama extended a warm hand to Calderon and demagogued Arizona’s illegal immigration law all in the name of politics.

The final tally will become clearer later this month, when Bank of Scotland, now part of Lloyd's Banking Group PLC, completes an auction for the debt on the property on the west side of Hawai'i, or, as it is known to locals, the Big Island. The price is expected to be in the $50 million-to-$100 million range, according to people involved in the process.

In 2006, at the height of the real-estate boom, a private appraiser valued the property, known as Hokuli'a, at between $600 million and $800 million, according to people familiar with the matter. The owner, Lyle Anderson, a Phoenix-based developer, has sold about one-third of the lots. But in early January, he defaulted on its debt, which was in the form of a $1 billion Bank of Scotland mortgage on Hokuli'a and five other less-valuable properties, according to people involved in the project's sale.

How this happened: Hokuli’a Settlement Exposed

“This trip to China is another important component in our ongoing effort to expand long-term economic development and business opportunities for Hawai‘i in the emerging China market,” said Governor Lingle.  “It is vital that our state continue to build and strengthen relationships in Asia, especially China, that will position Hawai‘i businesses and residents to capitalize on future economic and investment opportunities and strengthen our cultural and educational partnerships.”

On March 26 the White House released a fact sheet on the New START Treaty. It claimed that the agreement signed by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev "does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs."

But the Russians seem to have a different interpretation of the document they signed.

On March 15th, appearing with labor and environmental leaders, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled a new alternative energy plan that he said would ensure the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power would meet his goal of securing 20% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar by December 31st. At the time, he claimed it would create 16,000 jobs and only raise consumer electric bills between 8.8% and 28.4%. But less than two weeks later those energy rate hike estimates had skyrocketed with the DWP saying it needed to raise rates by 37% in order to meet the renewable energy standards. Los Angeles' already shrinking business community revolted and by April Mayor Villaraigosa's plan had been soundly defeated.

For five and a half years, the US has hunted for Ahmed Hashim Abed--code-named "Objective Amber."  Abed is the alleged ring-leader of an Islamist mob which murdered four US military contractors--including Pa`auilo resident Wesley Batalona--in Fallujah, Iraq on March 31, 2004....After being tracked for five and a half years by US personnel, Ahmed Hashim Abed was captured by Navy SEALS at the beginning of September....Then the complaining began. 

A recent study has found that global warming has impacted the nature of symptoms experienced by obsessive compulsive disorder patients. Climate change related obsessions and/or compulsions were identified in 28% of patients presenting with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

 Twenty years ago, the liberal intelligentsia in Europe and the United States rallied around Rushdie and denounced the murder threat. That took real courage. One of Rushdie's translators was murdered and another stabbed. Several Norwegian bookstores were bombed, a British hotel was attacked by a suicide bomber, and more than 50 people were killed in anti-Rushdie rioting around the world.

Despite the danger, Berman writes: "A good many intellectuals reached out to their endangered Arab and Muslim counterparts and colleagues, and celebrated the courage of everyone who refused to be intimidated."

In contrast, today, the intellectuals' reaction often is to target the victim.

Dennis Gonsalves, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii, and professor emeritus of plant pathology at Cornell, detailed to the 63rd annual meeting of the Western Society of Weed Science in Hawaii how Hawaiian agriculture has done what no other ag sector has; win approval to market a genetically modified food crop in the U.S. and Japan.

Whether Saturday's failed attack turns out to be connected to Islamic radicalism or is the work of a lone wolf, there have now been 31 foiled terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11, eleven in New York City alone. Yesterday's plot was foiled by sheer luck and quick-thinking civilians. But luck is not an adequate strategy for protecting a nation.

By targeting the Hawaii assets of foreign citizens as subject to seizure to satisfy the Death Tax, the State’s land grab takes on whole new dimensions.  How many residents of Japan, Canada, or other countries—owning Hawaii property--are aware of the details of American Estate law?  Probably not very many.  But starting this week, if the Governor’s veto is overridden, their assets could be subject to seizure to satisfy a 55% death tax.  Properties or businesses worth more than $3.5 million would be taxed.

"All of modern thought," he adds, "can be reduced to mechanical denunciations of the West, emphasizing the latter's hypocrisy, violence, and abomination."

He exaggerates, but not by much....

Back in the 70s, President Barack Obama's Director for Science and Technology Policy John Holdren even came up with a formula to measure capitalism's evil impact on the environment: I=PAT, which means that environmental impact is equal to population multiplied by affluence multiplied by technology. Thus according to the left, protecting the planet requires fewer people, less wealth and simpler technology. But this is just flat wrong. In fact, studies clearly show that important indicators of environmental quality actually improve as incomes and levels of consumption go up.

At the close of this week's nuclear summit, President Barack Obama told a press conference: "Whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them."

Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) responded to these comments, calling President Obama's remark a "direct contradiction to everything America believes in." McCain went on to tell Fox News:

That's one of the more incredible statements I've ever heard a president of the United States make in modern times. We are the dominant superpower, and we're the greatest force for good in the history of this country, and I thank God every day that we are a dominant superpower.

They waited six years for a chance to hear him in person on American soil. Now that they have, many are walking away frustrated from their encounters with Tariq Ramadan, the grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna.

"For nearly 50 years, Hawai‘i has been at the forefront of pioneering programs in astronomy, planetary geosciences, broadband satellite communications, space-based environmental monitoring, and deep-space surveillance," said Lt. Governor James R. "Duke" Aiona, Jr., who represents Hawai‘i as a vice chairman of the national Aerospace States Association. "This new agreement builds upon a dynamic partnership with NASA that over the next three years will substantially increase Hawai‘i's competitive advantages and help to enhance our long-term economic prosperity."

President Obama's policy goals are just like President Reagan's. So why is anyone criticizing the White House's nuclear strategy? Because how we get to a nuke-free world matters.

Reagan knew that to eliminate the need for large nuclear arsenals, you must first start to eliminate the dependence -- both ours and others' -- on massive nuclear attack as the guarantor of security. That is why Reagan's first priority was to build up U.S. conventional forces and introduce missile defense. That allowed his negotiators to approach arms control agreements from a position of strength.

Just hours before President Barack Obama unveiled his Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow that the Kremlin maintained the right to withdraw from the new START agreement if the United States pursued its missile defense program....

Unfortunately for Americans, President Obama’s new strategy will have the exact opposite result of its intended effect. Instead of incentivizing countries to give up nuclear ambitions, it creates new incentives for them to maintain or develop their own nuclear programs.

The New York Times reports: "Administration officials describing the draft treaty said its preamble recognized the relationship between offensive weapons and missile defense, but that the language was not binding." But the Times goes on to quote retired major general Vladimir Dvorkin who says Moscow will scrap the treaty if the U.S. pursues missile defense: "If, for example, the U.S. unilaterally deploys considerable amounts of missile defense, then Russia has the right to withdraw from the agreement because the spirit of the preamble has been violated."

Federal courts are slowly becoming a new battlefield in the war on terror, with combatants setting aside traditional weapons and arming themselves instead with domestic and international laws. Responding to this phenomenon, the inaugural meeting of The Lawfare Project convened last week in New York to discuss The Use of the Law as a Weapon of War.

Despite as many as 100 explosions which killed at least 38 people in Baghdad, Iraqis defied a desperate insurgency yesterday and turned out in strong numbers to choose a new Parliament. According to The New York Times, "turnout was higher than expected, and certainly higher than in the last parliamentary election in 2005. ... Sunnis who largely boycotted previous elections voted in force, and an intense competition for Shiite votes drove up participation in Baghdad and the south." The NYT went on to describe the election as "arguably the most open, most competitive election in the nation’s long history of colonial rule, dictatorship and war."

CBS News: U.S.-Born al Qaeda Arrest News Incorrect--Confusion Over Militant's Identity Sparked Reports of Gadahn Arrest; Some Media Say It is Another U.S.-Born Terrorist 

The latest attempt to force the U.S. economy to turn away from readily available, affordable fuels and leaving it to the tender mercies of untried, experimental and expensive technologies is a bipartisan effort by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT). A legislative package from them, according to The Washington Post on Saturday, would individually cap how much traditional energy the main pillars of the American economy would be able to use. This would of course cripple our economy....

Big Island elected officials arriving to meet with Army representatives at Pohakuloa Training Area got a eye-opening surprise Wednesday morning  In addition to the usual gaggle of anti-Semites and 9-11 trooothers protesting against the military, they were greeted at the front gate by a dozen Big Island residents rallying to support the troops.

Professor Jones also conceded the possibility that the world was warmer in medieval times than now – suggesting global warming may not be a man-made phenomenon.  And he said that for the past 15 years there has been no ‘statistically significant’ warming.