The Saipan Blog

Books Read in 2013

2013-05-17T21:11:00.001-04:00

For the last four years I've kept track of the books I've read (2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012). I don't think any year's list is complete, but it gives a general picture of what I've been reading.

The Lost Hero
by Rick Riordon
I picked this up over Christmas while I was visiting my family. It picks up where the Percy Jackson books leave off, but is much better. The Percy Jackson books were crap. In this series, the Romans and their gods are introduced into the Camp Half Blood universe and they team up to save the world.

The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordon
This is book two of the series. The adventure returns to Percy Jackson who has been missing through all of book one. They set off on an adventure to save the world.

The Mark of Athena
by Rick Riordon
In book three the characters from the first two books join forces to save the world.

The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This book was great.

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
I read this last year. It's good airplane reading, so I took it to Hawaii.

Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins
I was supposed to be just going to Hawaii, so I only brought two books.

A Game of Thrones
by George Martin
Turns out I had to go to Fiji all of a sudden, so I picked up this book in Suva. Getting through the rest of the series and then the dvds will probably take the rest of the year.

A Short History of Nearly Everything
by Bill Bryson
This was everything I was supposed to learn in college, compressed into a single book. If only it had been published in 1996 I could have saved some time and money.

45 Minutes in Kiribati

2013-05-15T05:01:00.001-04:00

That trip to Fiji I was hoping would be later in the month or even better in June got bumped up to today. I had to leave a workshop in Hawaii two days early so I could take the most direct flight to Nadi. That route took me through Christmas Island or Kiritimati in Kiribati.

The sign on the tarmac announced Kiribati as home to Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the world's largest and deepest marine protected area. It is neither, of course. At least not any more.

I never actually stepped foot on Kiritimati because they wouldn't let us off the plane. They let us stand on the steps leading to the plane however, so I was able to snap a few photos.

The flight to Kiribati was mostly empty. A large group of Americans from Washington State were on a retiree excursion to go fishing. They all carried their fly rods on board and talked incessantly about fishing. I handful of wives were along for the adventure.

Here's a closeup of the airport's VIP lounge. I don't know if it is serious or a joke.

And the Welcome to Kiritimati sign proving that I was really there.

I was surprised at how large Kiritimati was. The flight attendant told me it was the largest atoll in the world, but I don't think that's true. I thought New Caledonia had that distinction. Or maybe it was Kwajalein. The atoll was also different from other atolls I've seen. It wasn't emerald ribbons in a turquoise sea; it was sandy flats ringed by matrices of copra plantation.

The most isolated place I've ever visited is Maug, but I think Kiritimati might be a close second. I imagine I'll never visit there again. But then again, I never thought I'd go to Fiji seven times.

Petition to stop closure of CNMI Ombudsman Office

2013-05-12T12:09:00.002-04:00

A message from Wendy Doromal:

Dear Friends:

I am inviting you to please sign the petition to Sally Jewell, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior and other officials, to stop the closing of the Federal Ombudsman Office in Saipan. The closure will be devastating for the alien workers in the CNMI. You can read the petition below. More news is at http://unheardnomore.blogspot.com

The link to the petition is here:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/836/043/730/keep-the-cnmi-federal-ombudsman-office-open/?taf_id=9414091&cid=fb_na#

Thank you for supporting justice and human rights. Please invite your family and friends to sign too.

Best wishes,

Wendy

We, the undersigned petitioners, are protesting the September 2013 closing of the Federal Ombudsman Office in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It is an essential office that contributes to the safety and wellbeing of the alien work population that makes up over 70 percent of the private sector workforce. It provides crucial services that are not available at any other government or social agency in the Commonwealth.

Pursuant to U.S. Public Law 105-227, the U.S. Department of the Interior opened the Federal Labor Ombudsman Office in 1999 in the CNMI. The establishment of the office was a response to the skyrocketing and unacceptable number of labor, human rights, and civil rights abuses, as well as the many criminal acts committed against alien workers in the CNMI. Indeed, for years the horrendous maltreatment of the CNMI’s alien workers was protested by foreign governments, served as the topic of numerous Congressional hearings, and was the subject of television documentaries, books, films and headlining articles in national and international newspapers and magazines. The abuses of the innocent CNMI foreigners on U.S. soil has been and continue to be viewed as a black mark on the reputation of the United States, a country that proclaims to uphold human rights for all. The closure of this office will result in the increase of unresolved labor, human rights and civil rights abuses. The closure will be a setback for human rights and justice.

For fourteen years the Federal Ombudsman Office has served as a safe and impartial office to provide tens of thousands of alien workers with the opportunity to state claims and receive appropriate assistance, including referrals to federal and local agencies, the limited number of the island’s socials service providers, and law enforcement agencies. Aliens are assisted through the process of addressing their grievances from the review and fact finding stages until the final resolution. This vital office has aided aliens that have suffered from wage theft, illegal recruitment, contract violations, and those that were victims of criminal acts including rape, assault and battery, false imprisonment, torture and human trafficking. Without this office the alien worker victims’ needs will no longer be met; justice will not be served for those who came to the United States to experience the American dream, but live an American nightmare.

CNMI human trafficking cases, including sex trafficking cases, have increased considerably over the years, as cited in the U.S. State Department’s 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report. The report recommended that in order to better combat human trafficking, the United States needed to intensify enforcement and workers rights infrastructure, such as ombudsman offices, in insular areas. As a response, in May 2011, the role of the ombudsman was expanded to include providing assistance with human trafficking victims in Guam. This further demonstrates the crucial need for the office to remain open.

Translation and counseling services are essential for the CNMI's large community of alien workers. The four extensively trained federal caseworkers at the Ombudsman Office have provided these services to thousands of aliens since 1999. They also serve as translators and interpreters for local and federal agencies and the courts. Aside from interpretation, the case workers provide counseling, outreach education to alien workers; and assistance in applying for, and obtaining relief with appropriate Federal and CNMI agencies. Without these services the ability of alien worker victims to seek resolutions for their problems will be severely impaired.

The Federal Ombudsman records all cases and is seen as an important source of information on the status and needs of alien workers for Federal and CNMI agencies, a variety of officials, and Congressional Committees. During the transition from the CNMI immigration system to the federalization of immigration, the Federal Ombudsman Office has played a significant and vital role. The Ombudsman conducted a thorough census of all CNMI nonresidents that was required for a mandated report on the status of the CNMI nonresidents.

Closing the Ombudsman Office will reverse all of the gains that have been made in ensuring that alien workers are provided fair and just treatment on U.S. soil, and to ensure that those who are treated unjustly are made whole. To shut the doors on this vital office is to shut the doors on human rights. To close this office is to close opportunities for maltreated workers to obtain justice. We appeal to you to keep the Federal Ombudsman Office open so that the alien workers will continue to have access to the important and much-needed services it provides.

A Growing Family

2013-05-07T07:32:00.000-04:00

Our clan recently grew by one. Can you guess which one of us is the new member of the family? I haven't posted photos of the family in a while. That's my brother Alex in the middle, Catie is showing us the proper use of spirit fingers, and Kevin is lurking in the back. Baby Gabriel wants nothing to do with us and is just enjoying life with mittens.

I Found the Seventy Islands

2013-05-05T21:55:00.001-04:00

I'm always wanted to see Seventy Islands. Now I have. It was rainy, so the photos didn't come out how I wanted. Damn it.

Sunrise in Yap

2013-05-05T18:45:00.000-04:00

I'm in Yap. I spent a whole day yesterday thinking Yap was in the same time zone as Palau. It's not. Oh, the embarrassment of having to find this out on your own the next day.

Travel, Travel, Travel

2013-04-28T22:49:00.002-04:00

My travel schedule so far this year has been pretty light. In January, I spent a week in Suva, Fiji with conservationists from Saipan, Kiribati, Pohnpei, and the United States facilitating a shark conservation workshop I dubbed Pacific Shark School. And yes, that photo is staged.

In February, Edz and I took the train up to New Haven, Connecticut to participate in the Yale School of Forestry's Shark Talks hosted by Shark Stanley and emceed by yours truly. On the way up we stopped in New York City and met with government officials from the Marshall Islands. The next day we helped the Yale kids (and I can call them kids because they are a full 10 years younger than me) with a Shark Stanley outreach event at an aquarium.

I spent the first two weeks of March in Bangkok, Thailand as a delegate at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. I had the privilege of serving as an advisor on a country delegation, a first for me. As for Shark Stanley, the idea and the strategy were mine; the art and the grinding work were someone else's. And the charisma belonged to Leah and Onon. I was just the aggressive husky dude.

I had zero travel planned for April but had to make an emergency trip down to Florida. Surprise! There goes my frequent flier miles. As April showers give way to May flowers I my find travel schedule jumping into overdrive. I've leaving for Palau in about 6 hours and then I'm stopping in Yap on my way back to DC. As soon as I get back, I have to pack up and move to our new apartment, which will herald in a new era of city living that Edz and I are looking forward to, but then I am off to Hawaii for half a week. There's a good chance I'll visit Pohnpei, Saipan, Fiji, hopefully Guam, and definitely Hawaii again before the end of the summer. Bring it on.

The Parable of the Sinking Boat

2013-04-14T11:14:00.001-04:00

I enjoyed Ray Agulto’s parable of the sinking boat (My Mother or My Son, Monday, April 15, 2013). In the story, when Ray's boat sinks, he sacrifices his son so he can save his mother, rationalizing that he only has one mother and he can always make more children. However, Ray forgot to mention several key points from the story. You see, his mother was responsible for maintenance of the boat, but for years used the maintenance money on travel and beach barbeques. Worse, she borrowed against the value of the boat, which was registered to the children, so that she could build several mansions around the island. When the boat sank, not only did the boy drown, but the surviving kids were stuck with the debt, too. When they got back to shore, Ray and his mom continued on doing what they had been doing for decades, having learned nothing from the tragedy.

Eden and Melody's Big Day in the City

2013-04-11T23:03:00.002-04:00

I took Wednesday off to spend the day with Edz and our friends Matt and Melody from Saipan. I first met Matt in Saipan in 2007 and Edz worked with Melody for several years. There are 13 photos posted in this blog. There are 31 more posted on the Saipan Blog Facebook Page.

Our morning started off with a bit of shoe shopping in Vienna. I needed a new pair of flip flops and Edz got some shoes that I don't think she'll ever be able to walk in, but she claims matches one of her dresses. After shopping we took the Metro into the city and got off at McPherson Square to have lunch at the food trucks. Edz was not impressed and said they were just like the turo-turo places in Manila.

For the third time since she moved here we went to the White House. I'm not sure if Barry was home, he may have been busy trying to take away everyone's guns or something. You may notice that I am wearing a most excellent pair of Tevas. I've never owned Tevas before, but now that I do, I feel like a true liberal.

Our next stop was the National Museum of Natural History. You might be surprised to know that this is one of Edz' favorite places in America, in fact we have already visited three times. No, we're not there to see the dinosaurs. She likes looking at the diamonds.

Matt met up with us in the afternoon once his conference ended and we rented Capital Bikeshare bikes and rode them around the Washington Mall. The bikes are quite expensive if you take them for a long ride, but I learned afterwards that you can save money by switching bikes every 30 minutes.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom glory, unlike only five days prior when they were just starting to come out. This is the first time I've seen the blossoms here and it was amazing. And we got to share the experience with half a million of our closest fellow Americans.

Renting bikes is definitely the best way to see the cherry blossoms. Either that, or sitting on a blanket drinking beer. But if you're going to move around, bikes are the way to go. The bikes aren't that expensive and they let you see so much more of the city in a much shorter time.

The Washington Monument is covered with scaffolding while engineers try to fix the crack caused by the earthquake that happened a while back. This is my attempt at hiding the scaffolding behind cherry blossoms. In a way I kind of liked the scaffolding. The thousands of millions of photos taken of it this year will clearly date the photos to 2013.

You see lots of photos out there with cherry blossoms coming into a frame from above with the Jefferson Memorial in the background. This is my attempt. I like it.

The FDR Memorial is my favorite memorial. If I'm ever president or do something important, that's the kind of tribute I want. I like the idea of my life being represented by a park.

I think I read somewhere once that the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was designed with the cherry blossoms in mind.

From the MLK Memorial, we rode our bikes over to the Lincoln Memorial and then along the Reflecting Pool over to the World War II memorial.

The half of the WWII memorial that honors the war in the Pacific has the name of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam inscribed into it. I like taking photos next to it with my friends from Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. I think it's cool that my island is represented on the National Mall. Not every American can say that about their hometown.

We ended the day with some shopping, ice cream, food, and beers in Georgetown. I hope you enjoyed my photos!

A Very Cherry Preview

2013-04-07T20:54:00.001-04:00

Most of the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC have yet to bloom. On Friday afternoon, 95% of the branches looked like this. I think those are extended pentacles, or something.

Many of the trees had a few blossoms, but it was not what we were expecting. Edz and I have been on serious blossom watch for about two weeks now. Originally peak bloom was supposed to be March 31. Then it was pushed back to April 3. Then April 6. Even the latest prediction was much too early.

But there are a few trees that are blooming. One in particular just south of the Martin Luther King Memorial was in full bloom, but there were a few others that were half bloom.

And by zooming in close enough you could create the illusion that it was peak bloom. Not so much.

Edz and I have plans to go back on Wednesday. Hopefully the blooms will be just hitting their peak. Also, we'll have some friends in town. Photos galore to follow on Facebook, I'm sure.

Speaking of friends, fellow Rollins and LCV alum Steve Leopoldo was in town and inspired this very cherry preview. I haven't seen Steve since the summer of 2005 and it was amazing to catch up. So much has happened since then. Both of us are close to hitting the decade mark in our chosen careers, we're both married, and Steve's a daddy.

I Am the Fatty

2013-04-07T18:52:00.002-04:00

I wish I could write more about my running successes. In fact, I wish I could write about my running. I pretty much stopped exercising after winning my age group at last year's Tagaman. You'll notice I haven't written about 2013 in 2013.

Oh well. My waist line has suffered as a result. I'm tipping the scales at close to 230 pounds these days and I had to go out and buy some fat clothes. I can no longer button up my 34 inch waist jeans.

Now that the weather is warm, it's time to start an exercise program again. Today was beautiful, so I went for a three mile jog late this afternoon. It was an uncomfortable slog clocking in at 34:34. I've got a few miles to get under my belt before I'm back at 9 minute miles.

Travel has been the hardest hurdle for my exercise schedule. Last year I logged about 150,000 frequent flier miles, which is half way to moon or six times around the equator. Exercising while on business travel is hard because of unfamiliar jogging routes, making time, and jet lag. Exhaustion, catching up with work and the wife, and jet lag kill me on the way back. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Well, at least I've logged 3 miles this year.

Get Over Yourself Already, John

2013-04-07T11:09:00.002-04:00

The Marianas Variety reported on Monday ('Residents Urged to United Against Militarization of Pagan") that John Gourley continues to make public statements lamenting the lack of a visitors center for the Mariana Trench Monument. Mr. Gourley has conveniently forgotten that for years he has served on the Marine Protected Advisory Committee to the government agency charged with managing the marine portion of the monument. In fact, if I am not mistaken, he was also the chairman for a while. When one points a finger, you'll find there are three fingers pointing back at oneself.

Delegate Gregorio Sablan earmarked $220,000 to design and build a visitors center in 2009. Local politics and the previous governor stonewalled the spending of that money. Perhaps Mr. Gourley could ask the Department Lands of Natural Resources for an update on that project?

The new governor has a full plate cleaning up the mess his predecessor left, but hopefully has room for this item. I just hope the $1/4 million from NOAA Sanctuaries wasn't spent on "education" and "workshops."

David Doubilet on Saipan

2013-03-24T19:24:00.001-04:00

I met David Doubilet in New Haven, CT last month at Yale's Shark Stanley Symposium where he gave a talk on how photography is the language of conservation. When he found out I was from Saipan he said, "Saipan? I've been to Saipan. Eagle Rays."

There's been talk on Saipan lately on the ridiculousness of Saipanda, the half panda, half rhino mascot of DFS, and by extension, Saipan and the Northern Mariana Islands. Most people want an animal that is representative of the local fauna. Eagle rays. When arguably the world's most famous underwater photographer, someone who has crisscrossed the globe photographing the wonders of the ocean, says your island is all about eagle rays, then your island is all about eagle rays.

Every few years there is an effort to rebrand the Northern Mariana Islands. My suggestion: Saipan, Gateway to the Mariana Trench. And it's not just because I'm the Godfather of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.

Photo: David Doubilet

Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands
Eagle rays are the Aston Martins of rays – smooth, powerful and elegantly upholstered, but they are a rare sight. We had heard persistent rumours of squadrons of eagle rays riding the current in a pass just offshore of Saipan in the Northern Marianas Islands, which lie between the Philippine Sea and the North Pacific. I was seduced by the idea of photographing this species in black and white, and the rays of Saipan became an underwater Holy Grail of sorts. We arrived in Saipan to find groups of 30 to 40 rays in 4m of water over brilliant-white sand. They appeared with a change of tide and rode in formation like a flock of exotic birds with white-spotted wings. Large cleaning stations surrounded the narrow pass like a row of beauty salons. We were able to crouch for hours in the shadow of their wings as they hovered gently above us.

Take a Trip to Paradise with Olomwaay

2013-03-23T14:29:00.001-04:00

I posted this to Shark Defenders yesterday. Cinta and Gus have been working 10 years to release this album. It's available on CD or as a digital download for your phone.

Shark Defenders: (from left to right) Filmmaker Rob Stewart, Laurie Peterka, Shawn Heinrichs, Cinta M. Kaipat, Meaghan Hassel-Shearer, and former Northern Mariana Islands governor Benigno R. Fitial.

Remember those great kids in Saipan who helped pass a shark fin trade ban back in 2011? They had a lot of help from some very caring adults including this lady, Cinta M. Kaipat. Need your memory jogged? She appears in our short film Saipan Sharkwater starting at about 2:08.

Cinta has been an environmental advocate for years. She was one of the main proponents for the 2009 creation of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, one of the largest marine protected areas on the planet, and more recently helped us launch the Shark Stanley campaign.

Cinta with a whole gaggle of Shark Stanley supporters.

Cinta's latest challenge may be her most important one as it is literally a matter of life or death. She's dealing with cancer. The medical facilities on Saipan are not adequate for the care she requires, so she has to spend some time in the Philippines. Her family is helping her raise money for the treatment and have released an album of Refaluwasch island music. Cinta's brother Gus is the lead singer on the album, which is titled Trip to Paradise. He is a professional singer and has been performing for twenty years around the island.

The album contains 14 original songs that are available for digital download and on CD. This link has samples of each song if you want to hear them. Information on the album and the songs is available here.

We never ask our supporters for donations to run our campaigns, but we would appreciate it if you would purchase an album and help out our friend, Cinta. All proceeds from the album will go towards her treatment. Thank you for your continued support.

Sharks Are Saved and I'm Going Home

2013-03-15T12:26:00.001-04:00

The last two weeks have been exhausting. We passed all the shark and manta ray proposals at CITES. I'm about to board a plane. See you in about 24 hours, America.

Stand By Your Vote

2013-03-13T08:38:00.002-04:00

Two weeks in Thailand are quickly drawing towards a close. It's been an amazing week talking to delegates from around the world. I should have kept a running tally of the different nationalities I met this week, but I didn't, so oh well. Leah Meth and Onon Bayasgalan and all their campaign supporters have done an amazing job with the Shark Stanley campaign and it was such a privilege to be a part of it.

The shark proposals will be approved or overturned in plenary tomorrow morning. Japan and China will make motions to reopen the vote and if they are successful, we'll revote. The next 12 hours will be tense.

What Ever Happened To...

2013-03-10T06:32:00.002-04:00

...the kid from the Disney-Pixar movie Up? I think he's selling food at a Japanese restaurant in Bangkok.

We had the off today, so I went to visit some of Bangkok's shopping malls. We vote on the CITES shark proposals in the morning. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome.

Bangkok at Night

2013-03-07T02:54:00.002-05:00

Silent Sentries of Wat Pho

2013-03-02T17:29:00.003-05:00

I'm on a boat!

Seven hours after landing and with two solid hours of sleep in my back pocket, I hopped in a cab at 7 AM and asked to be taken to the Grand Palace. The cab driver wanted 500 Baht, so I hopped out and grabbed another one. This guy agreed to use the meter. 45 minutes later the meter read 106 Baht. I handed the cabby 200 Baht and asked for change. He handed back 40 Baht and shrugged as if to say that's all he had. Lesson learned. Don't get in a taxi without change.

The Grand Palace wasn't open at 8 AM, so I went for a stroll towards a market down the street. The merchants were just beginning to put their wares on sale. A few old men slurped the first noodles of the day and talked about the things old Thai men discuss on Saturday mornings.

I was in a boat similar to this. Other tourists took the tour in the opposite direction, apparently.

There was a dock on the other side of the market and they were selling 1 hour boat tours for 1000 Baht. I had to be back at the hotel at noon to go to the convention center and an early morning boat ride seemed like a good idea. Ian and I did this seven years ago with his Mom and David. The boat starts out on the river and then goes down several canals and you get a first hand look at Bangkok life by peering into people's living rooms from the water.

Check out Facebook for more photos.

After the boat right I thought I'd try to fit Wat Pho and the Grand Palace in during the rest of the morning. Yeah, right. After 90 minutes of wandering Wat Pho it was time to head back to the hotel. The taxi driver this time refused to put on the meter and wanted 200 Baht. And that will probably be my last excursion of the week. The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora begins in a few hours. I'll be posting updates to Shark Defenders, so please follow along with that adventure.

Two weeks in Bangkok

2013-03-01T15:10:00.001-05:00

I'm in Bangkok for the next two weeks attending the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES.

Bangkok is a really, really long way from Washington, DC. It took 14 hours to get to Tokyo and an additional 7 to get to here. Thankfully both United Airlines flights had on demand movies. I watched Wreck it Ralph, Silver Linings Playbook, Argo, Looper, Resident Evil (whatever the newest one is), and part of Skyfall. I also managed a few hours of sleep and few hours on my Nintendo 3DS. I picked up a used copy of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks at the mall last weekend.

My hotel room reeks of cigarettes, but I'm too tired to care.

Trip to Paradise on Amazon

2013-02-26T09:34:00.001-05:00

You can order Trip to Paradise on Amazon.com

The album you've been waiting your whole life to hear was just released for digital download and will be available on CD very soon. The album is being released by my very good friends Cinta and Gus Kaipat. They are releasing the album now because they need your help to raise funds to pay for Cinta's cancer treatment. Think of this not as a donation, but as Cinta sharing her gift of music with you in exchange for helping save her life.

Here's a letter from Cinta:

Dear Friends and Family:

I would like to extend my most humble thanks and gratitude to each and every one of you for your flood of prayers, well wishes, and endless encouragement since news of my new battle with cancer was first shared with you on February 22, 2013.

Many of you who know Olomwaay Band know that we have spent over a decade working to release a full-length album. The current situation forced us to “just get on with it.”

All 14 songs on this album are original compositions inspired mostly by true stories shared by friends and loved ones, as well as our own personal observations and life experiences.

The Olomwaay Band is releasing Trip to Paradise to raise funds to help us pay for treatment. There will be three ways to purchase the album: (1) purchase a CD from Amazon.com; (2) download an album for your smartphone or mp3 player; or (3) purchase a CD directly from Gus. We may have a fourth option of offering the album at retail locations, but we have not organized this yet.

We are working as quickly as possible to get options #1 and #2 ready and will forward you the links when they are available. In the meantime, we are taking pre-orders for people living on Saipan. To pre-order your album, please give Gus $20 and we will give you a coupon for an album. We'll let you know when the albums are ready to be picked up. We are only offering pre-orders to people living on Saipan due to the cost of shipping. If you do not live on Saipan, you can have your order delivered by Amazon.com. They have several shipping options, including options that are free.

Again, thank you, Si Yu’us Ma’ase and Olomwaay for the outpouring of support! God Bless You All.

Cinta

The album is already available for download on Amazon.com. Amazon allows you to purchase the full album for $8.99 or single songs for $0.99. You can also preview all of the songs before you purchase them.

Famous on Scott's Podcast

2013-02-25T21:14:00.002-05:00

I was interviewed by Shark Attack Survivors for Shark Conservation's Scott Curatolo-Wagemann on his new podcast. I was interviewed last week and Scott broke the interview up into five podcasts. He'll run one every day this week.

Here they are:

Podcast 1: Shark Sanctuaries and the Godfather of the Mariana Trench Monument
Podcast: 2: Shark Fin Trade Bans, Shark Sanctuaries, and Shark Hope
Podcast: 3: Shark Sanctuaries, The Bahamas, and Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

I'm impressed with these mostly because I managed to talk for 30 minutes without swearing. That's an accomplishment.

Joseph A. Crisostimo finally served for killing Emie Romero

2013-02-21T21:14:00.003-05:00

A photo from a happier time

In a small place like Saipan, it is hard to keep a lid on information. The coconut wireless has a way of spreading across the island faster than the Internet. When Emie was murdered last year, the name Joseph A. Crisostimo was whispered at bars, family gatherings, and over morning coffee. You see, in a small community, there are only so many people who commit the crimes, mostly because the local justice system practices catch and release (2006, 2007, 2008). Criminals commit a crime, get a slap on the wrist, and are released back into society. Shame on the people who didn't put this drug dealer and murderer away sooner. Good on the OAG for revoking his probation. And shame on Judge Joe Camacho for lowering this catch and release criminal's bail after he was picked up the last time. I hope justice will be served. Let's lock this mother fucker up and throw away the key.

Trip to Paradise

2013-02-20T23:22:00.000-05:00

After 11 years, the Olomwaay Band is finally going to release their full album. And the money will go towards a good cause. More details to follow soon...

Fitial Resigns

2013-02-19T19:45:00.001-05:00

I heard the news while listening to Magic 100 FM. Benigno R. Fitial has resigned as governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Lt. Governor Eloy Inos will be sworn in as the new governor today.