Interesting development out of Hawaii where the shaka has been elected the stateās official hand gesture (I wonder what New Yorkās would beā¦double freedom rockets?)
The shaka sign also known as āhang looseā is accomplished by extending the thumb and little finger, while curling down the three middle fingers and wiggling the hand at the wrist. Itās long been commonplace to see shakaās thrown around Hawaii and the extended surfing world and last week Hawaiian lawmakers made it official by passing a bill deeming it the stateās official gesture. Hereās an excerpt from the bill:
āThe legislature finds that the shaka gesture should be recognized as the official gesture of the State.Ā Ā While multiple origin theories exist, all theories have the shaka developing within the State.Ā Ā More importantly, while multiple Hawaii ethnic cultures and resident groups have contributed varying layers of meaning to the shaka, there is a shared agreement in the shakaās positive sentiments and usage toward sharing aloha, fostering connection, and being pono.āScreenshot
As a proud shaka thrower for many many years, I appreciate theĀ Hawaiian lawmakers recognizing the practice as āa key brand symbol for the State, offering influential power to build the Stateās economy, global brand, and resident pride.ā Hell yeah!
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Hereās a trailer to a movie about the shakaās origin MORE INFO HERE:
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Ā Location: Ā
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“Sharktober” ā the spike in shark bite incidents off the west coast of North America during the fall ā is real, and it seems to happen in Hawaii when tiger sharks give birth in the waters surrounding the islands, new research suggests.
Carl Meyer, a marine biologist at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa’s Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, analyzed 30 years’ worth of Hawaii shark bite data, from1995 to 2024, and found that tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) accounted for 47% of the 165 unprovoked bites recorded in the area during that period. Of the others, 33% were by unidentified species and 16% were attributed to requiem sharks (Carcharhinus spp.)
About 20% of all the bites occurred in October, a frequency two to four times higher than in any other month, despite there being no evidence of more people being in the water for recreational activities at that time of year.
Crucially, tiger sharks accounted for at least 63% of the recorded bites during that month. What’s more, 28% of the October bites involved unidentified species, some of which may have also been tiger sharks, Meyer wrote in the study, which was published Jan. 6 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.”The October spike appears to be driven by tiger shark biology rather than changes in human ocean use,” Meyer told Live Science via email.
Tiger sharks typically reach 10 to 14 feet (3 to 4.3 meters) long and weigh more than 850 pounds (385 kilograms). They are named for the dark vertical stripes that younger ones have, and they are found throughout the world in temperate and tropical waters, especially around central Pacific islands.
Tiger shark numbers are highest in the waters off Hawaii during October according to ecotourism operators. This month is also when large, mature females move from islands in the northwest Pacific to areas close to the shores around the main Hawaiian Islands to give birth. The increased presence of large sharks is one crucial factor that could lead to more bites, Meyer said.
“The most plausible explanation is seasonal reproduction: a partial migration of large adult female tiger sharks associated with pupping season appears to increase their presence in nearshore waters used by humans,” Meyer said.
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The other key factor is that giving birth is draining. Tiger sharks are ovoviviparous, which means their eggs hatch inside the mother’s body, and the embryos receive additional nutrition beyond what was in the egg’s yolk sac.The sharks also give birth to an average of about 30 pups after 15 to 16 months of gestation.
This means females, while pregnant and after they have given birth, are likely to need to actively forage to recover energy reserves, Meyer said. Other ecological factors may also contribute to the spike in bites, though, he added, such as seasonal increases in the availability of preferred prey, such as large reef fish. Attacks won’t be down to the mothers protecting their young, though ā once born, tiger shark pups are independent and often stay in shallow areas to avoid being eaten by bigger sharks, including their mother.
A female tiger shark swims in open water. Researchers linked tiger sharks giving birth to a spike in bites in October. (Image credit: Cory Fults)
The available information suggests an increase in unprovoked shark bites around Hawaii, said Daryl McPhee, an environmental scientist at Bond University in Queensland, Australia, who studies shark attacks but wasn’t involved in this study.
“Any seasonal behavioural change that can increase the potential overlap between large species of sharks such as tiger sharks, has the potential to increase the risk of a bite occurring,” he told Live Science via email, adding that regardless of the circumstances, the risk of a bite remains low.
Meyer also noted the overall risk of shark bites is extremely low. “The key implication is awareness, not alarm,” Meyer said. “Extra caution is advised during this month, particularly for high-risk, solo activities such as surfing or swimming in coastal areas.”
Although the October peak revealed in the study is specific to Hawaii and tiger sharks, there may be similar patterns elsewhere in the world, Meyer said. “When large coastal sharks show strong seasonal shifts in habitat use, bite risk can also become seasonal. Other regions and species may experience similar patterns, but the timing and drivers will vary depending on local ecology.”
Globally, three large coastal shark species account for most recorded unprovoked bites. These are great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger sharks and bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), a type of requiem shark.
Bull sharks are thought to be behind a recent spate of bites near Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, with four events within 48 hours, and this period does roughly align with their southern hemisphere summer breeding period.
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“Bull sharks along parts of the Australian east coast are more seasonally abundant nearshore and in rivers and estuaries during their reproductive period in the austral summer,” McPhee said.
However, other factors may have been more influential to the recent bites in Australia, including a combination of increased summer water use by people, environmental conditions such as storm runoff and reduced water clarity.
“There was a set of environmental conditions that concentrated bull sharks towards the mouth of Sydney Harbour and adjacent beaches,” McPhee said. “There was heavy rain in the catchment that would have flushed prey out and it made the water murky. Thus, prime conditions for bull sharks to feed in.”
Despite substantial variation in the number of bites across time and in different places, there is a general long-term trend of increasing shark bites, particularly on surfers, McPhee added. In New South Wales there were four recorded bites between 1980 and 1999, while 63 bites were recorded between 2000 and 2019.
Globally the picture is similar, according to data from the Florida Museum. In the 1970s, there were a total of 157 attacks, but that hit 500 in the 1990s and totalled 803 between 2010 and 2019.
A 32-year-old Puna man has been arrested and charged following the delivery of a parcel, which Hawaii island authorities said originally contained over 10 pounds of a crystal-like substance that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.
Big Island police vice officers arrested Jas Dewitt McQuade Cox at a Hawaiian Paradise Park residence on Tuesday evening, according to Hawaii County Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen.
Police said officers later obtained subsequent search warrants and recovered, a black Radical Arms model RF-15 multi-caliber rifle with a black cylindrical silencer and two magazines, a black-and-silver 9mm semiautomatic, an unserialized pistol (ghost gun), 9mm and .308 caliber ammunition, a glass smoking pipe and two zip packets and contents that tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, plus an operable digital scale.
Cox is charged with two counts each of attempted first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of prohibited ownership or possession of a firearm, possession of a ghost gun and silencer, and two counts of prohibited possession of ammunition.
The most serious offense, attempted first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, is a Class A felony offense that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
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Cox made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Friday. His request for a bail reduction was denied, and his bail was maintained at $360,000. He was ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. Cox remained in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
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Hawaii could see a new official state holiday marking each Lunar New Year in February and two unofficial days of āobservanceā to celebrate Hawaiiās libraries and honor Joseph Dutton, who followed Hawaiiās first Catholic saint in treating Hansonās disease patients on Molokaiās remote Kalaupapa peninsula.
This yearās efforts to create a new state holiday and new days of observance are meant to again celebrate Hawaii island cultures and practices, along with the selfless sacrifice of Dutton in the 1800s and the ongoing work of Hawaiiās librarians, employees and volunteers.
Separate bills introduced in the state Legislature this session follow last yearās passage of the Laulau Day of observance to celebrate the Hawaiian food staple and 2024ās Kimchi Day of observance honoring Korean immigrants.
State Rep. Linda Ichiyama (D, Fort Shafter Flats-Salt Lake-Pearl Harbor) saw her hope to observe Kimchi Day every Nov. 22 become reality, followed by Rep. Darius Kila (D, Nanakuli-Maili), who successfully turned each May 1 into Laulau Day.
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Kimchi Day celebrates Korean history and culture by honoring the traditional staple. Likewise, Laulau Day honors Hawaiian culture, while also recognizing local farmers, chefs and communities.
Asians ā who comprise 37% of Hawaiiās population ā already mark Lunar New Year as a time for family, reflection and wishes for the year ahead, according to Senate Bill 2220.
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Each Lunar New Year coincides with āthe second new moon after the winter solsticeā and would be enshrined in state law as a day of observance two years after Hawaii marked the 235th anniversary of the first arrival of Asian immigrant workers in the islands.
āThe legislature recognizes that Asians have made significant contributions to the stateās social, civic and economic success,ā according to SB 2220, āas well as its diverse and vibrant culture, which includes the celebration of the Lunar New Year.ā
In 2022, California recognized the Lunar New Year as a state holiday, followed by New York in 2023 designating each Lunar New Year as a public school holiday.
SB 2147, at the same time, would recognize the diverse services offered through Hawaiiās libraries, especially by helping local students.
In a 2023 North Carolina study, according to SB 2147, āstudents with a full-time school librarian scored significantly higher on reading and math than similar students who did not have a full-time librarian.ā
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Beyond loaning books,
in Hawaii āroughly 90% of public libraries help patrons access government services such as voter registration, tax forms and social
assistance programs,ā according to SB 2147.
If SB 2147 passes, the first Friday in February would be designated as āLove My Library Dayā to honor Hawaiiās libraries, their employees and volunteers.
SB 2256 would honor Dutton, who was born Ira Barnes Dutton on April 27, 1843. Dutton later changed his name to Joseph after his favorite saint, Joseph, husband of Mary, mother of Jesus.
Dutton joined Damien in July 1886 after he learned how Father Damien was caring for Hansenās disease patients who had been exiled to Molokaiās remote Kalaupapa Peninsula.
He continued to care
for patients after Father Damienās death at the āBaldwin Home for Boys for leprosy victimsā in Kalaupapa.
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Dutton died at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu on March 26, 1931.
Because of Duttonās work and dedication, SB 2256
intends to dedicate his April 27 birthday each year as a day of observance to be called āBrother Joseph Dutton Day.ā
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