Ever since I arrived in Hawaii, I’ve noticed something about the way the Navy Exchange (NEX) operates. Normally, a military exchange checks the ID cards of all patrons to ensure that only military members shop there. This is in addition to having to show your ID to actually get on base. The commissary (military grocery store) is supposed to do this also. But guess what? The NEX doesn’t do that in Hawaii, at least not consistently. > more <

After doing a Google search on “Hawaii sucks”, I’ve found that many people have expressed opinions that match my own. I already know that many of the military people currently here and who have lived here in the past also share the exact same feeling about Hawaii. I’m surprised at how many other people resent this place. To that end, I’m going to just post bits and pieces I find in the local media and personal experiences about the lie that is “paradise”. > more <

Hawaii is considering whether to give school principals the power to search student lockers and use drug-sniffing dogs campus wide, regardless of whether there is there is evidence of wrongdoing.

The idea is to give principals the authority to “keep drugs and weapons out of the schools”. > more <

I’ve been avoiding this topic since I started this blog but I’m finally breaking down to gripe. And I’m sure I’ll get a lot of flames in the comments about this or any future posts I may have on the subject.

I hate Hawaii. I’ve lived here for over 2 1/2 years and I can’t wait to leave. Sure, the weather is nice but it really does get old after a while; I really miss having all four seasons. But apart from that, I can’t really find a lot of redeeming qualities about Hawaii. > more <

I’ve said this among my close friends and family for a while: we need to stop sending so much money and aid to Africa. It’s just like giving hand-outs to homeless people. Not only that, but we have kids who are homeless or underfed here in America. Why do we keep sending food and money overseas when we can’t even take care of our own?

Today I found a perfect article that reiterates my argument, only in a better fashion because the interview is with an African who knows what the problems are. Der Speigel Online interviewed James Shikwaki, a Kenyan economics expert. Here are a few choice quotes: > more <