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In the past semester, the bus installed an automated message system (as well as some hidden cameras, but that's a whole 'nother blog). The first time I encountered the message system came as a bit of a surprise. I had just concluded a short phone call and the bus PA system said to refrain from calls or loud conversations on the bus. I wondered, "Had the bus driver pushed a special button to tell me to shut up?" But a few minutes later I heard another random announcement and felt a bit less targeted. One such announcement goes like, "If you see something, say something. Immediately alert the bus driver or call 911 if you witness any suspicious behavior on buses, bus stops, and transit centers."

I first enjoyed this soup at Tiparo's, a thai restaurant in Pasadena, CA. Since then I've enjoyed this soup at several Thai restaurants, and have been trying to make the soup at home with varied success. I love this soup and am happy to be able to share the recipe.

Ah the bus stop. Bane of my existence. I think hell is just one large bus stop with all the bad people crammed around the last bit of shade. Flies crawl on your leg from the overflowing trashcans. People smoke with reckless abandon next to the "no smoking" signs. The wait for the bus seems to never end. Every possible bus except yours passes by in quick procession. And of course, its the perfect place for people to beg, or in this case, demand money.

I've overheard all manner of conversations on the bus. People talk and talk and talk. You'll hear people going about their daily mundane lives. You'll hear people talking about shoplifting, or admitting to all manner of crimes. For the most part you're better off just staring ahead blankly and pretending you didn't see or hear anything. Such is the case when you hear a mad scientist talking about his old lab being shut down.

I'm used to climbing on crowded buses with tourists laden with heavy luggage. I can cope with buses crowded and packed so tightly that people are standing well beyond the yellow line which "federal law mandates that no one may stand beyond the yellow line while the bus is in motion." And, somehow, I cope with the homeless on the bus. Now I'm a very compassionate person. I empathize with these people who have ended up as society's outcasts, shuffling around vacantly from place to place. But while I'm glad they are able to use public transportation, I'm still not entirely pleased to be in close proximity.

With a casual, "Oh, isn't that the slip with the wires pulled out?" James had informed us that our current slip, which we'd fought hard to keep, didn't have power. For the love of... pasta. When we inquired when they would be fixing that, he told us that it wasn't scheduled till the time that they replaced the docks there. As there had already been 5 years since those docks were condemned, I wasn't going to hold my breath. "What if hypothetically, someone bought the parts and repaired it themselves?" I asked. Giving the expected response, James replied that the state wouldn't look kindly on that.

With all due trepidation, we returned to the harbormaster's office the next day to see about getting a permit for Tempo to stay in her slip. We brought our list of the 63 vacant slips with us as an arguing point. Justifying our dread, we found Meghan Statts, the district manager of DOBOR, behind the counter chatting with Ken Chee. To add to our tummy rumbles, she had been apprised of our unpermitted occupancy of slip #783. "I don't know if you know who I am..." she began her tired refrain of asserting dominance over her audience.

There are teachers for which I have a special place in my heart. Such teachers foster open minds and an eagerness to return to class each day. Of that special set of exemplary teachers, Mrs. Kearney is not among them. If there were a body part reserved for teachers of that caliber, it would not be polite to mention it. But why is the bright-eyed smiling teacher deserving of such a distinction? Three words--Wheel of Fun.

Of course, the parking fiasco isn't the only problem threatening our harbors. The DLNR has recently proposed legislation that would allow for private management of the Ala Wai and Keehi state harbors. Apparently, the DLNR gutted a seemingly innocuous bill HB1766 that had been on the table for some time and replaced the contents at the last minute with something far more odious. Their 'revision' also broke the long-standing rule that prevents commercial boats from mooring in the Ala Wai and Keehi state harbors. The bill passed on the first reading with amendments. The legislation isn't law yet, but it looks like the DLNR will get most, if not all of what they are demanding.

As the tow truck driver flipped me the 'You're #1' middle finger, he drove off along with my guest's truck despite said guest standing next to the truck. The introduction of Diamond Parking for the harbor's parking lot management has brought about a lot of changes. Sure, there's less cars in the lot, but there's more disgruntled car owners. The last free parking in Waikiki had died. Offering free parking is not profitable. No corporation can directly benefit their shareholder's bank account from offering free parking. If you can't afford to pay a premium for parking, then you have no business operating a car. However, the parking fiasco is merely indicative of a greater corruption harming the public's best interest.