Sunday, November 30, 2008 - Scouting Kaipalaoa

Kaipo and I parked at the Hilo Armory and walked down the river toward Hilo Bay. We've visited and explored many beaches and shorelines in Hawaii, but I've never taken him down to this location. Kaipalaoa is the name of this shoreline adjacent to the Wailuku rivermouth, in the Pi'ihonua ahupua'a, and was an area steeped in historical significance. Kaipalaoa was the location where the city of Hilo got its name, was one of King Kamehameha I favorite surf spots, and the site where King Kamehameha declares the Law of the Splintered Paddle. Today, it sits awkwardly aside Highway 19, hidden from view and access by that vehicular artery. Kaipo and I explored the site, taking pictures that I would later stitch into panoramas that can be used as a documented baseline for the Kaipalaoa Landing Park steering committee. The goals of the steering committee are to have a mini park at the Kaipalaoa Landing at Hilo Bayfront, as a component of the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. The third of three public meetings for the planning phase of the Hilo Bayfront Trails project will be held at Auntie Sally's Luau House (old Seven Seas) on Wednesday, December 10 at 4:30 pm. The steering committee members plan on attending the public meeting and voicing their concerns for including the Kaipalaoa Landing Park in the Hilo Bayfront Trails plan. Since the area's development was mentioned in previous public meetings with support from several groups, it won't be a cold sell at the next meeting. Our next move would be to perform a site cleanup over the next weekend, which would consist of trash pickup, weedeating and grass mowing, landscaping and general beautification of the area. With evidence of our commitment to cleaning and maintaining the area, we are hoping that the County will see Kaipalaoa Landing as a valuable resource for visitors and local people to enjoy for years to come.

Friday, November 28, 2008 - Gobble Gobble ... Urp!

After a quick surf session at Honoli'i, we packed the family in the XTerra and headed out to west Hawaii to meet up with some friends for camping at Spencer Beach Park. I was tempted to bring my 8'2" squashtail thruster Kermit along for the ride 'just in case', but a quick check of the Surfline forecast model indicated that the northwest swell generated by storms in the North Pacific would not arrive until the weekend. So off we went over the Saddle Road, through Waikoloa and up toward Kawaihae. The excursion would be a Thanksgiving camping trip for our family and friends. We set up camp on the grounds and got a little water time with my son - mostly splishing and splashing, but also a little swim lessons and practice. Kaipo, at eight years old is getting better at swimming the breast and freestyle strokes, and its great to see his progress as a father. As the day was drawing to a close, we ate our Thanksgiving turkey and waited for the orange sun (thanks to a thick vog) to set below the horizon, revealing planets Jupiter and Venus in the fading light. Later with flashlights in hand, I took Kaipo and his friend on a crab hunting expedition on the sand, where we managed to capture a dozen smaller sand crabs. Sleep was hard to come by, laying supine on an uneven, rocky ground, but I managed a few hours of blissful slumber before the sounds of young boys stirred me. A quick look at my watch indicated 5:30 am ... a good time to reprise our crab hunt on the beach. After stealthily making our way through the camp grounds to the beach, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of large crab holes in the sand. I taught the boys how to tell which holes had occupants and how to dig them out. We succeeded in capturing 4-5 fairly large crustaceans, one of which actually caught Kaipo's friend Kousuke. While attempting to dig out a crab, Kousuke let out a shriek before pulling his hand out of the sand. Attached to the end of his index finger was a crab about the size of his fist, dangling steadfastly as Kousuke tried his best to shake it off. A final shake released the crab, which scurried across the sand to the sea as the two boys scampered to capture it. Before long, it was time to pack up and head back to the east side of the island, of course with a stop off at Tex Drivein for some coffee and malasadas. Although not your traditional Thanksgiving, our families enjoyed giving thanks over a campfire next to the beach in what could be a new tradition.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - Giving Thanks

We trudge through life often without regard or thought for those things we take for granted. It can sometimes be easy to overlook things like good health, loyal friends, a happy family, food on the table, or a steady job. The trials and tribulations of life can sometimes focus our attention on the negative: things that don't work or aren't so good or enjoyable, stuff that we don't have. I know a few people who specialize in this, who are expert in lamenting about their station in life (heck I probably engage in this from time to time, often without even realizing it). Well the time is right for us to start thinking about all we DO have instead of the opposite, and to give appropriate thanks. Incidentally, it is okay to give thanks for that brand new Corvette in your driveway, but don't forget to be thankful for those little things in life that keep us going too (besides the gas for the 'vette).

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - On the Mend

Its been a brutal two weeks since I've dinged up my ankle at the pit at inside Point at Honoli'i. It was a 2-4 foot day, and I was buried on the inside double-up. I survived the impact and being dragged 50 feet over a shallow inside reef, but in my haste to get out toward the channel had dug my feet to push off and acquired a nice one-inch, vee-shaped gash for my troubles. In retrospect, I suppose I should have rushed off to the emergency room to get the wound stitched up, but instead continued surfing for another couple hours (didn't realize how bad it was until I noticed a flapping sensation while paddling back out). I've let the wound heal in a natural way. I wash it out when I bathe each day, give it salt water soakings almost daily (of course while surfing), and keep it open (we don't need no stinking bandages). The first couple of days were a bloody mess - figuratively and literally. Being on the foot, the wound also interfered with locomotion, and I developed a hobble/shuffle that minimized the impact (and therefore pain) of my left heel. In doing so however, I was inducing additional stress and strain on other parts of my foot, leg and body to compensate. So besides my wound hurting, the surrounding muscle and bone have been tender as well. The injury has not kept me from my appointed rounds of being a dedicated dawn patrol surfer. During the first week of my injury, while I was attending the JUSTSAP conference in Waikoloa, Honoli'i Bay was hitting with a solid overhead swell that peaked on the Tuesday with 6 foot plus waves. I had to miss that. Since then, we've been blessed with decent surf, including a couple of sessions in storm conditions with stacking six foot A-frames and the river running brown muck into the ocean. The water looked and smelled bad. Most would say being out in those conditions with an open flesh wound is not the smartest thing to do, but there were waves and the crowds were down (of course, there aren't that many lolo enough to go into the ocean). Well I've survived, and so has the foot. I can enjoy putting some power back into my surfing, which I did this morning in 3-5 foot Mid-Channels. Everything was working today, and Kermit my 8'2" squashtail thruster was magically fulfilling all my wishes in the water. Frontside and backside snaps and roundhouses, floaters and reos (one memorable reo had me high over the lip and got my fins free across a section). I got out of the water today fully stoked and ready for a full day of work - there's no better way to start the day!

Saturday, November 22, 2008 - Surf Contest, Robot Competition

Hilo has really woken up as a small town, with nary a weekend with no activity or special event. This weekend is the Fifth Annual Honoli'i Paka Keiki Surfing Contest put on by Braddah Skibbs. Skibbs is one of the crew who cleaned up Honoli'i by clearing trash and landscaping the grounds, making it a safe, inviting recreational area for everyone. Kaipo and I woke early and decided to take a cruise over to Honli'i to check out the surf and to see the contest. When we arrived at 7:30 there were dozens of people (mostly families with kids who are in the contest), milling about and setting up camp sites around the beach and park grounds. There were tons of groms in the water, getting some practice waves before their first heat. There were a number of people we recognized, like Auntie Cindy in the kitchen making food for all the keiki and their families. Before we knew it, we had to leave to run some errands for mommy, who was resting at home. Off to Walmart and KTA, before heading back home to unload. Then it was off to the Imiloa Astronomy Center to check out the FIRST Lego League Qualifying Tournament, coordinated by E.B. DeSilva teacher Kathy Sewake. There must have been 10-15 teams entered in the tournament, with many familiar faces in the crowd. The venue was essentially standing room only, with team members, parents, teachers, mentors and interested public filled the hallways and the Moanahoku Hall to near capacity. We are pleased that so many teams are participating in the FLL Qualifying Tournament, and want to wish them all the best of luck in the competition. After mingling and talking to a few competitors and grabbing some pictures, we headed back to Honoli'i paka to check out the surf meet. We stayed for lunch while being serenaded by Rupert Tripp, and enjoyed the spirited competition between the grommets. The contest seemed well organized and there were plenty of staff to assist the event. All in all, a great day-long event for the whole family, and a positive message about "Sharing the Aloha" to everyone in attendance.

Friday, November 21, 2008 - Wayne Rosing

I'm very excited about meeting Wayne Rosing today. Wayne is the founder of the Las Cumbres Observatory and Global Telescope (LCOGT) network, comprised of 0.4, 1, and 2 meter telescopes that will provide a totally new global scale resource for learners of all ages to experience how contemporary scientists use resource in a remote but online fashion. One of the telescopes acquired by Wayne is the 2m Faulkes Telescope North on the summit of Haleakala. The IfA has been using the Faulkes Telescope in student-teacher workshops throughout the state of Hawaii. With the change in ownership, Rosing has invested a lot of his time and money to fix and upgrade the telescope and instrumentation to support his ambitious project. The implications for our Hawaii students is tremendous as it provides a science-grade 2 meter remote observatory for them to undertake research for class projects and state science fair competitions. Wayne is in Hawaii as a favor to help fill a roster of compelling "Global" AstroTalk public lectures badged under the University of Hawaii at Hilo Center for Global Education and Exchange's International Education Week. The AstroTalk will be held tonight at 7:00 pm at the University of Hawaii at Hilo UCB114 lecture hall (note that we could NOT reserve our usual venues due to a scheduling conflict). The smaller venue means that you'd better get there early if you want a good seat. Hope to see you there!

Thursday, November 20, 2008 - Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Noticed the past couple of days that we were getting a lot of attention - a lot more than normal. We'll probably fall back to normal levels soon, but my guess is that it could have been attributable to a mention in /. The post had a link to our NASA-PISCES webpage, and at least one reply had another link to a picture. Covering the activities at the NASA-PISCES In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) field test site was exciting, and bringing that information through text, pictures and video helps spread the excitement. We saw some of that excitement at the Imiloa Astronomy Center public day featuring the NASA-PISCES ISRU test platforms in the eyes of the youngsters (and many adults) in attendance. Showing kids the practical applications of robotics gives them a glimpse at what they could be doing for a career - from designing, constructing and programming Lego Mindstorms to the next generation planetary robotic explorer. The possibilities are limited only by their imagination. Speaking of imagination, much will be realized at the Big Island's FIRST Lego League robotic qualifier tournament at the Imiloa Astronomy Center. Last I heard there were 20+ teams registered for the competition using the Lego Mindstorms NXT robotics platform. There are nine qualifier tournaments on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the BIg Island over the next few weeks, the winners of which will move on to the State Championships at the Blaisdell Arena on Sunday January 18, 2009. We would like to wish the best of luck to all of the teams!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 - A Pretty Good Day

By all measure known to me, I would say that I had a pretty good day today. First of all, I woke up. This in and of itself is a celebration of life. That and the love of a family and a good job gives purpose to one's existence. Maybe a few good overhead waves and your favorite stick to enjoy them with. But I digress; even without the surf (which this morning had, at 3-5 feet) I would say this has been a satisfying day. It started day with a dawn patrol session at uncrowded Honoli'i. At three to five feet, the waves were approaching my "fun" size. Larger waves have a way of thinning the herd in the lineup (although it also attracts a different breed of surfer), and I reveled in the opportunity to enjoy them. Back at the office, I was very productive in getting some objectives completed before a Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB) Science & Technology Committee meeting. I have been a member of this committee since 2002, and chaired it the last two years. John Ray has taken over the reins as Chairman, and doing a great job. Although I enjoyed my tenure at the helm, the committee needed an infusion of fresh, new ideas and leadership and I needed to spend less time on work and more time with my family. The focus of the HIEDB Science & Technology Committee meeting was the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) which will take place globally next year. 2009 was chosen as the IYA date in commemoration of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei in 1609. Many members of the Mauna Kea Observatories Outreach Committee (MKOOC) were in attendance to share information on specific IYA activities and events they are responsible for.

Monday, November 17, 2008 - Sky Stories Presentation

With the rush of attending last week's conference, shooting and producing a couple of web pages and video, I was having trouble developing a presentation for a gig during the opening of the UH Hilo International Education Week tonight at Imiloa Astronomy Center. My presentation is based on a project I've been working on for a while (at a very limited rate due to lack of funds and time ;-). Everybody says that. But I did finish the presentation, got a chance to practice it with 'Ahia in the planetarium before delivering it to an intimate crowd. A reception was held prior, and I could see many members of education, astronomy and commerce communities in attendance. I orated a small collection of folktales of celestial objects (sun, moon, stars) from different cultures across the Pacific. It was a sort of Travel Magazine meets Astronomy Outreach, as I wove images and told tales of distant exotic lands. I ended each tale with a tidbit of current science (ie. for a tale about the moon, I screened a video of Earthrise from Japan's Kaguya spacecraft). The whole process of working on and delivering this presentation has re-inspired me to complete the project, but with a caveat that it will require a lot more time, (which is) money. It would be nice if I could find a grant, or a canoe heading south.... Barring those fantastic occurrences, I am planning on more editing, and starting on the artwork. At first I was thinking of pen and ink, or charcoal and pencil, but now I am considering Photoshop. There are enough plugins available to extend the creative horizons of your ability (within common sensibility and restraint [characteristics in short supply during the boom of Desktop Publishing of the '80s]). I kind of see my market for this compilation now, and need to refine what I have into a coherent, cohesive suite of stories and artwork. Now the challenge is to finish this project while I can still read it.

Saturday, November 15, 2008 - NASA Public Event at Imiloa

After a week at the JUSTSAP/PISCES Conference at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort, I discovered that I had put on about ten pounds (from the exquisite cuisine and lack of exercise). Therefore an early morning surf session at Honoli'i was in order, and with Kermit my 8'2" squashtail thruster, I was able to surf a couple of hours in 2-3 foot waves at the Privates and Mid-Channels lineups. The tradewind swell that graced the north east shores of Hawaii Island with 4-6 foot waves during my absence has certainly wound its course and is subsiding quickly in size and power. After pulling myself out of the water at 8:00, I made my way to my office to change and eat breakfast before heading to the Imiloa Astronomy Center with my video camera gear to document the NASA-PISCES public outreach event. As I made my way to the science center, I noticed a throng of visitors in the back parking lot surrounding the rovers Scarab, BucketDrum and Cratos. Although technical issues prevented Cratos from operability, John Caruso, Aerospace Engineer for NASA Glenn had no trouble attracting a crowd, who were regaled with information about Cratos, and its role in NASA's vision to return to the moon.
Inside the Moanahoku Hall at Imiloa Astronomy Center, NASA and its subcontractors set up exhibits, many with demonstrations and mockup models. Engineers and technicians were on-hand to explain their organization's test platforms, with support from the UHH PISCES staff and undergraduate student interns. I was very impressed with the work John Hamilton and Christian Anderson did in preparing and coordinating the activities at the In-Situ Resource Utilization field test site and at the public event. What a great opportunity for these astronomy students to assist the various teams on the mountain and learn about the science and technology behind their test platforms.

Thursday, November 13, 2008 - NASA Rover Video Preview

With the media embargo lifted today, we have published a preview video of the NASA-PISCES In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) field test site. The video was shot by Kenyan and me last week Friday at the Haiwahini Crater near Hale Pohaku on Mauna Kea. While I am attending the JUSTSAP-PISCES conference in Waikoloa, my assistant Kenyan Beals has edited and produced the preview. The preview was created to give the conference attendees who were not able to visit the test site to get a feel for what is happening there. The preview is also being used to encourage students in Hawaii to come out to the Imiloa Astronomy Center this Saturday for a free public event featuring three of the rovers, which will be transported down from the test site to Hilo. The public event will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, with demonstrations of the rovers in the morning from 9:00 to noon. Come to Imiloa and check out BucketDrum, Cratos and Scarab go through their paces in the sandbox!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - More Conference Stuff

The third day of the JUSTSAP/PISCES conference consisted of morning breakout sessions covering three areas: Robotic Precursor Missions, ISS Commercial Utilization, and Space-Based energy systems. As with most conferences, the challenge is picking and choosing the presentations to attend from among many concurrent sessions. As with yesterday, I stuck with the Robotic Precursor Missions, which featured talks from representatives from NASA Johnson Space Center, Canadian Space Agency, German Aerospace Center and Japan's JAXA. Jerry Sanders gave a report on the In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and surface technology. This overview gave a lot of information about the various test platforms currently on Mauna Kea at the PISCES test site. It was very interesting to learn about the H2 reduction systems and the mechanisms to collect, transport and deposit the regolith samples into the hydrogen reduction reactor. Jerry's presentation also gave me a better understanding of the various components, and how they work together. While up on Mauna Kea last week to observe, photo and video-document the activities, I could ascertain some of this information, but even at the 9000 foot elevation field test site, many aspects had escaped me (perhaps due to oxygen deprivation). Having the information at sea level, with supporting graphic slides and photographs helped me comprehend the system, science, and technology that supports them a little better. This conference has been awesome - the fact that the NASA-PISCES ISRU field site testing is taking place before and during the event adds value by showing the direct application of international collaboration in space exploration! I've had a chance to meet some smart people doing research and development in cool areas (literally and figuratively). I've had a chance to meet some Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) people with whom I hope to collaborate in the future. I've also made the best opportunity by obtaining educational material available to schools in Hawaii. This has been a most productive week...and its not pau yet.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - Conference Happenings

On this, the second day of the JUSTSAP/PISCES conference, the agenda consisted of breakout sessions focused on Robotic Precursor Missions, ISS Commercial Utilization, and Space-Based energy systems. I chose the Robotic Precursor Missions session, which featured presentations by Doug Craig (NASA Headquarters) on NASA's Plans for Robotic Precursor Missions, and Dr Takashi Kubota (JAXA JSPEC) who spoke about JAXA's Plans for SELENE-2 Mission. Doug Craig continued in the second breakout session with a presentation on Lunar Science and Surface Exploration Scenarios, while Dr Tatsuaki Okada (JAXA ISAS) informed us on KAGUYA and Follow-On Science Missions. The afternoon plenary session featured a keynote address by Doug Comstock (Director Innovative Partnership Program, NASA Headquarters). Doug Craig presented on NASA's Advanced Technology/Ground Analog Programs, and Bill Larson (Kennedy Space Center) presented on NASA's Ongoing Field Tests at PISCES. One of the coolest presentation was during the luncheon, where Kazuya Suzuki, President of Sanritz Automation Company Ltd gave a demonstration of his company's TelePresence over Internet Protocol (TPIP) system rover. Members of the audience got an opportunity to drive the rover, which was outfitted with a wireless video camera, the output of which (along with the dashboard control system) was projected onto a large screen for everyone to view. My son Kaipo was able to take the rover through its paces on a time trial. I'm glad to say that he did not crash the rover, and probably did better than most of the other scientists and engineers. The rest of the day was rounded out with presentations on NASA's Advanced Technology/Ground Analog Programs and the Ongoing Field Tests at PISCES on Mauna Kea. Kudos to Judith Fox-Goldstein and her staff of the University of Hawaii at Hilo Conference Center for a great job at coordinating this conference. Everything was top notch, and comparable to many of the large conferences that I attend across the country. Every detail was worked out and every need was provided for presenters, attendees and dignitaries.

Monday, November 10, 2008 - JUSTSAP/PISCES Conference

I am attending a joint conference of the Japan-U.S. Science, Technology & Space Applications Program (JUSTSAP) and Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort. This year's theme was "Pioneering Multinational Pathways to Space", with representation from NASA, JPL, Lockheed Martin, MIT, Boeing, Mauna Kea Observatories, JAXA, several universities from Japan and the U/S., private industry and the Hawaii State Legislature. I met some truly interesting people at this conference from many corners of the earth, working on some really cool stuff (some of which I can barely get a grasp of comprehending). The conference was organized into plenary and breakout sessions, the latter of which focused discussions on and information about Robotic Precursor Missions to the Moon and Mars, ISS Commercial Utilization and Space-based energy systems. Of course my favorite subject is the Robotic Precursor Mission, but perhaps the most interesting was the space-energy systems. I managed to meet some people with similar work in outreach and education from NASA and Lego. I can think of a lot of interesting projects between our organizations and hope that some positive outcomes can result.

Friday, November 7, 2008 - Lunar Rover on Mauna Kea

Kenyan and I headed up to Mauna Kea to an area on the slopes (and well below the summit) of the white mountain that is being used by the PISCES project for NASA's Lunar analog field demonstrations of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and human robotics systems. Besides NASA, other partners include the Canadian Space Agency, NORCAT (RESOLVE), Michelin (TWEEL) and Carnegie Mellon University (Scarab). On site will be John Hamilton, University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH) professor of astronomy, and PISCES Research Operations Manager, along with several UHH faculty and student interns. It was a couple of years ago that we had an idea of developing a lunar rover prototype for educational purposes. Ben Karsin, UHH computer science student was working out of our offices to modify a VEX robot for that purpose. Alas, we lost Ben to graduate school and the project floundered into dormancy. Kenyan and I were hoping to make it to the test site in the morning to photo and video document the activities. At the test site, many white tents were set up with tables, supplies and electronic equipment. At various locations were teams testing prototype equipment: a drum bucket excavator that can scoop up, store, transport and deliver lunar regolith to an outpost processing plant; another excavator that utilizes a drawblade scoop; a processing plant that can extract oxygen from lunar regolith and a combined drilling and science rover platform for lunar exploration. There was a lot of really cool, cutting-edge technology everywhere, and something that can interest and be a source of inspiration for our students of Hawaii engaged in activities involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) through robotics. The best part is that some of these test equipment will be transported down to Hilo for a public event at the Imiloa Astronomy Center on Saturday, November 15 from 9 am to 4 pm. Hope to see you all there! If you can't (or even if you can), come back to the Lunar Rover web page for videos of the ISRU test site and all of the equipment, including the rovers after Thursday, November 13.

Thursday, November 6, 2008 - Relaunching Eye-Kea

We are relaunching the Eye-Kea Project - an initiative created in 2006 to promote positive messages based on good values to our young people (Eye-Kea is a local style reference to "I care", as opposed to a popular clothing line whose name is associated with the opposite, or apathy). Central to the project is the (Eye) Kea video segment on the popular Hawaii Island cable program "Living in Paradise" on channel 27, broadcast nightly at 8:00 pm. The messages are delivered from young people to young people, because the message is clear if it comes from a peer! Stories are featured of their interests or hobbies: from farming to surfing, playing music or playing sports. A garment line of tee shirts in a variety of colors will be available for sale soon at a local outlet near you. A substantial portion of the proceeds of all sales will fund educational outreach programs benefitting youngsters on Hawaii Island through the AstroDay Institute. We've produced a lot of programs over the years, but realize there are many, many more stories to be told. So, we have ordered several thousand Eye-Kea stickers and temporary tattoos, and some shirts that we will try to retail at popular spots around Hilo town. In the meantime, if you have a story you think would be ideal for the Eye-Kea video segment on Living in Paradise, contact me at 640-9161. Have video camera will travel.

Monday, November 3, 2008 - Video Conferences and Symposia

I started the work day assisting Hokualaka'i captain Kalepa Baybayan with his video- and web-conference with students from around the country (and the world we would come to find when Kalepa received several questions from students from Taiwan). Our primary connection was via Polycom to NASA Ames in California. From there, Ames broadcasts the signal both live video of Kalepa and his Keynote slideshow over the web. The questions posed by the students were very insightful and clever (as part of their challenge is to navigate their way from Hilo to Rapanui, or Easter Island). After the video conference, I found myself in the IfA auditorium attending a symposium on infrared detector technology by Richard Blank of Teledyne Imaging Sensors. The presentations gave a brief history of the HAWAII series of Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride infrared detectors including the H2RG chips populating the focal planes of several instruments on telescopes atop Mauna Kea. My attendance at this symposium was important to provide me a little background information on the chips with respect to infrared astronomy. Information that may be useful in crafting a template proposal for educational outreach grants that may be available as part of a research grant that one of our esteemed IfA astronomers are awarded. In light of our budget shortfalls this year, it is ever more important for us to actively seek external funding to maintain and expand our office of Science Education and Public Outreach programs and services.

Saturday, November 1, 2008 - Soccer Games and Videos

We've packed up the XTerra and heading over to the west side of Hawaii Island for a "Friendship Games" soccer tournament at the old airport. My eight year old son Kaipo's team, the "Zombies" will be playing in a couple games today and another one on Sunday. Most all of his teammates will be able to make it, so we're hoping for a good weekend. The drive over the Saddle Road was a pleasant one. Much of the Hilo side has been realigned, widened and resurfaced. With a new posted speed limit of 55 mph over this new stretch, our commute time has decreased noticeably. A portion of the roadway made for a a bit of sight seeing (says my wife), as the realigned road between the Mauna Kea access road and the state park cuts through a field of large pu'u (cinder cones). We made it into Kailua-Kona around 10:20, and found the team's soccer field in the old airport shortly thereafter. Both of the teams Kaipo's team drew were good and fairly deep in talent. Kaipo's team has a couple of real good players, but the whole team has improved markedly over the season. Both games ended in a tie. Not a win, but not a loss either. And a pretty good accomplishment considering the caliber of players and teams. Between games, we took Kaipo's teammate Benjamin over for lunch at Taco Bell, Borders Books to look at some, er, books, and to Sports Authority for new shin guards. Back to the old airport for Kaipo's team's second game. I setup my vidcam gear and attempt to get some useable footage for a team highlight video I plan to produce and provide for each player and the coach. I am thinking of making it in a music video genre, with music taking on a "Zombies" (the name of Kaipo's team) theme. Four main segments with four tunes backing them. I disdain copy-protected music that I purchase over the internet - it makes integrating these themed songs into my production much more difficult and time consuming (heck if I "bought" the song I should be able to use it in any fashion I choose). Well, back to the salt mines ...