PRIDE OF AMERICA: Big Island to Kauai

From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

          DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82

July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30       3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14        4142    15512        1151         189      712

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194

April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37

May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59 

June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July    7         251      8440        1595        817      411

Aug     4         656    10120        1118         532      423 

Sept   22      2228      9326          839       279     124

Oct      6       2102      8255          543       315       59

Nov    3        1436      7830         186        458       23

Dec     1       1633      8475          266        477       28

Jan     7        2025      6729         148         285     140

Feb     2        2990   12012          946        991      175

Mar     2        1778     7756          335         173       28 

Apr     1          439      4056         290          52       12

May    5          225      2404          151            ?       64 

         12          222      1995           136           9       21

         18          273      1734            99          10       55

         19          201      1801           115           20      31

         25          317      1651           157           18       41

  

Summary:

• New deaths remain relatively low.  Compared to February 2 of this year, deaths/day are now:
• World  14%
• U.S.  11%
• New cases yesterday, with new cases/million population in parentheses:
• #1  North Korea  115,980 (4461)
• #2  U.S.  101,221 (302)
• #3  Taiwan  89,373 (3724)
• #4  Australia 45,817 (1761)
• Note that the U.S. has around one-tenth the severity of these other countries.
• Hawaii, though, is getting worse and worse, as we are up to more than a 1000 new cases/day, and on the past seven-day average had 911 new cases/million/day.  Frighteningly enough, there is speculation that the new cases/day will continue to rise and peak at 4000 new cases some time in June.  If this turns out to be true, Hawaii would then be at 3644/million population, right up there with where North Korea and Taiwan are today,
• However, there were only a total of 5 deaths this past week in Hawaii.
• That is 0.5 deaths/day/million population
• The U.S. yesterday had 0.95 deaths/day/million.
• Australia yesterday was at 3.3 deaths/day/million.

Checking gun violence is yet another issue that will insure for Democratic dominance over Congress this coming November.  The New York Times asked all 50 Republican Senators their view.s  Here are a few responses:

Read how the other 46 responded.

The New York Times also provided further graphics,

But:

Most shootings in America never appear in national headlines. The majority of gun deaths in 2021 were suicides. Nearly half were homicides that occurred outside mass shootings; they are more typical acts of violence on streets and in homes (and most involve handguns). Mass shootings were responsible for less than 2 percent of last year’s gun deaths.

So on to my Hawaii inter island cruise.  Wednesdays I usually golf, so went deck walking.

Never did catch this boat to Kona town.  Then we departed.

Went to a comedy show, followed by dinner at Cagney's Steakhouse.

Had a Conundrum with my meal.  Then Port with the dessert.  Notice how much of the Porterhouse we just could not eat because each piece was 20 ounces heavy.  Fabulous taste, and perfectly prepared.

Went to sleep and woke up just in time to view our arrival at Nawiliwili Harbor, Kauai.

I grew up in Honolulu, but my father was born on Kauai.  His father came from Hokkaido, Japan.  He was born in Otaru and the family moved to Utashinai.  That's me at their city museum.  His name was Kenjiro Takahashi, and he was sent to the U.S. for schooling just before 1890.  My middle name is Kenji, I was named after this grandfather.  The jiro means he was the first son, while my ji is because I am the second son.  I made a thorough roots search for Kenjiro, partly summarized in THE SEARCH FOR KENJIRO'S GRANDMOTHERS, and here is the first paragraph:

In 1963, after a short stint in the Army Reserves, while on a trainee assignment to the Kilauea Sugar Company on Kauai, a newsletter noted my arrival. A very old man came up to me one day and said he had known my grandfather. My initial reaction was mild astonishment, as while I knew that my father had been born on Kauai, I don’t recall him talking much about his parents. That individual said my grandfather was involved with the Wainiha Powerhouse and was extraordinary, in that he was very well educated and served as a supervisor. Unfortunately, he died only a few years after arriving and was buried up on the hill above the town. My family knew I was on this island. Why had no one said that I should visit my grandfather’s burial spot, for the culture of even Hawaii Japanese, was to honor the dead. Then again, maybe someone did and I did not pay any attention.

Did you know?

1. Kauai is also known as “The Garden Island”

2. Kauai’s weather ranges from 75-85 with not much change in season or from day to night

3. Ocean temperatures range from 60 to 80 degrees

4. Kauai’s coastline is 111 miles; it has more accessible beaches than any of the other Hawaiian islands.

5. Kauai’s West Side Kekaha beach spans to Polihale and is the longest stretch of beach in the State of Hawaii

6. The islands that you can see from the westside of  Kauai is Niihau, Lehua and Ka’ula

7. Over 90% of the land on Kauai is used for Conservation and Agriculture

8. 70% of the island is inaccessible by foot

9. Kauai is the oldest island in the Hawaiian chain

10. Kauai is the 4th largest island

11. Kauai is the northernmost island in the Hawaiian Island Chain

12. Kauai is 552 square miles; with a diameter of 32 miles and a widepoint of only 25 miles

13. Kauai’s Mt. Waialeale is the Wettest spot on Earth, averaging 450 inches of rain per year

14. Kauai has more rivers than any of the other Hawaiian islands: 

15. Kauai has the only navigable rivers in the state and the longest river is Wailua river at 19.2 miles

16. There are eight major waterfalls on the island

17. The highest waterfall on Kauai is Waipoo in Waimea Canyon falling 800 feet

18. Kauai’s highest mountain is Kawaikini peak at 5,243 feet

19. The Na Pali Cliffs reach heights of 2,500 feet

20. Waimea Canyon is approximately one mile wide, 3,600 feet deep and ten miles in length.

21. There are over 5,000 plants and animals that live on the reefs of Kauai

22. Kauai has the largest protected population of nene goose (Hawaii’s state bird)

23. The two native mammals on Kauai and endemic to the Hawaiian islands is the hawaiian hoary bat and the hawaiian monk seal.

24. Chickens run wild on Kauai after Hurricane Iniki destroyed many of the farmers Chicken coops and got loose.  The chicken is the unofficial bird of Kauai as you see them all over the island.

25. Kauai has no native land reptiles or amphibians and one of the only islands that do not have mongoose.

26. There are more pigs than people

27. Most populated  town on Kauai is Kapaa

28. Kauai has over 1 million visitors a year; ⅓ of the people on Kauai are tourists or visitors

29. Captain James Cook was the first modern visitor that landed on Kauai’s Waimea beach on January 19, 1778

30. Kauai is the home of the legendary Menehune.  Two places to visit on the island to see the menehunes work is the Menehune ditch next to the Waimea Swinging Bridge in Waimea Valley as well as the Menehune Fish Pond located near Nawiliwili.

31. Kauai Coffee is the largest plantation in the United States

32. Kauai grows more taro than any other island

33. Products of Kauai include: Coffee, fruit, vegetables, taro, beef and hawaiian salt

34. There are no buildings higher than a coconut palm tree.  Kauai’s building code has a four story limit on vertical construction.

35. There have been over 60 movies filmed on the island with popular movies: Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, 6 days 7 nights, Fantasy Island and Indiana Jones to name a few.

36. There are nine golf courses at seven locations on Kauai.  Four public courses, four resort courses and one private course.

37. You cannot drive around the island; Na Pali Cliffs and Waimea Canyon make it nearly impossible to build a road to connect West and North shores

38. Polihale is the furthest west that you can drive on the island; the end of Highway 50 is before the sugar cane dirt road to Polihale

39. Maluhia Road Tree Tunnel that goes to Koloa and Poipu has 500 eucalyptus trees that stretch for three miles

40. Most Locals will say Kaumualii Highway instead of Highway 50; Also when getting directions most will use landmarks (i.e To get to baby beach in Kapaa, when you see the Shrimp Station, turn right by the Texaco.  Go straight until you see the one way road).

41. Moku and Ahupuaa signs are placed around Kauai noting cultural land divisions that were used as part of the history and culture of Kauai and Niihau.  Check out the link for more information:  www.kauainuikuapapa.com

42. Kauai’s watershed is an important resource to the daily lives of the people and is the main reason for Kauai’s natural beauty.  http://hawp.org/why-watersheds-matter/

43. The capital city of Kauai is Lihue.  The main airport is Lihue Airport (LIH).

44. The currency used is US dollars, credit cards are widely accepted and travelers checks are also accepted at many businesses.

45. The main language used is English.  A hawaiian creole english  “pidgin english” is used by most locals.  http://e-hawaii.com/?s=pidgin+english

46. The color of Kauai is purple

47. Kauai’s official flower is the Mokihana which is a green berry found in the forests

48. The area code of Kauai and all the Hawaiian islands is (808)

49. There is no daylight savings time in Hawaii

50. Two hurricanes have made landfall on Kauai.  Hurricane Iwa in 1982 (Category 1) and Hurricane Iniki in 1992 (Category 4)

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