From the MLS listing for the home:  “Big bonus…a stones throw to the inside of the world famous Kazumura Lava Tube. Longest lava tube in the world approx. 40 miles long.”

He had a 30 ft ladder setup and you could go right in it! Apparently they are interested in using his entry point to the lava tube for a location. He even had a big informational packet from the studio.

Anyhow, here is an excerpt of the article from BIW:

In an exclusive interview with Big Island Weekly, Ron Schmidt, “Predators’” unit production manager, said he can’t accurately estimate the Hawaii budget because “we’re still trying to figure out which 18 days of the script we’re shooting here. But the spend will be substantial. We’re also shooting in Austin, Texas, but we haven’t narrowed down which scenes and where.”
…

It seems that the Hawaii may not be Hawaii in “Predators,” but another planet. Schmidt declined comment, except to say the story “takes place in a foreign land and a jungle.”

Following the Hawaii shoot the production returns to Austin for another eight weeks of filming. Some jungle scenes will also be shot at the Austin studio where crews are now creating a jungle, Schmidt said.

Glad to see money coming in to the Big Island!

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They are available in 4 stores throughout the Big Island.

The AP is reporting on the new center to go up in Volcanoes National Park using the new Federal Stimulus Money from the Obama Administration:

The new center will replace the current 1,200-square-foot station, where park rangers and eruption crew members are based.

Officials say the $6 million project will more than triple the size of the center, which is the first stop for visitors registering for back country hikes or seeking emergency medical help. The facility also will house the Pacific Area Communications Center, which serves as the communications base for all of Hawaii’s national parks.

Officials say the remaining stimulus money will go toward road and trail improvements.

The new center is slated for opening next fall.

The park is a great resource that Im glad to see getting the money!

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CSM has an interesting article up about the increasing demand for sushi and the fished used in its tasty preparation.  Many of the popular sea life used in sushi is now being over fished.  Sustainable farming of these species could be key to keeping them around:

Even though it was the right thing to do, it wasn’t easy, he says. “The hard one for me was breaking my love affair with hamachi. I’ve gotten over many things, but that was tough.”

In search of a replacement, Moonen flew to Hawaii to inspect the operations of Kona Blue Water Farms. After grilling the owners about the sustainability of their fish, Moonen now offers Kona Kampachi on his menu as a replacement for hamachi.

Sheila Bowman, senior outreach manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, says that what’s different about Bamboo, Tataki, and other restaurants with similar philosophies is that the owners are making strong personal commitments to the ocean.

“They approached it as ‘We are going to do a business that’s sustainable’ versus ‘We want to do sushi, and let’s tweak it so it’s less bad for the environment,’ ” says Ms. Bowman.

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Actual aircraft may vary

The UKs’ Daily Mail has an article outlining the new space tourism program, that could be launched as early as 2012.  After a little space training, you can hop on and take a quick 45 minute space flight from Hawaii to Japan – complete with awesome views!

They would pay $200,000 for the package including spaceflight training, resort accommodations and short test flights to simulate weightlessness.

At the end of the holiday, five pasengers would embark on a horizontal take-off aboard a special rocket plane, climb to 40,000 feet before rockets fire, accelerate to 3,500 miles per hour, coast for a few minutes of weightlessness 62 miles above the Earth, flip over and then return to ground.

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"Hawaii, 2007" - Kevin Van Aelst

Visit Kevins’ site here.

Happy Fourth of July!

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Hawaiian fight fans can now enjoy the same safety-first regulation that Las Vegas fans have known and loved for so long.

An island that’s long had a tradition of prizefighting — with some accompanying crowd melodrama that’s sometimes turned public officials cool to the idea — Hawaii has put up with MMA in the same manner as a neighbor might put up with a nuisance kid.

Effective Wednesday, the sport will be a sanctioned, licensed event with rules and regulations that mirror Nevada’s.

Fighters, judges, referees, and promoters will now undergo a licensing application; blood and drug testing will be instituted; gate and pay-per-view receipts will be taxed.

All good news for the physical well-being of athletes, obviously — and a likely boon for the UFC, which could see a B.J. Penn-headlined show in Hawaii become a tsunami of cash.

HILO >> The varroa mite parasite that’s been killing bees across the country is spreading on the Big Island, threatening local fruit and macadamia nut industries.

The tiny, parasitic bug has escaped a quarantine area around Hilo and spread to Hamakua and Puna.

On the mainland, the varroa mite has destroyed more than half of some beekeepers’ hives and devastated most wild honeybee populations.

Mainland bees have also been hit by another illness called colony collapse disorder, which causes adult bees to abandon their hives.

Hawaii’s first varroa mite was found in 2007 on Oahu, where it is now widely established.

The mites breed in the bees’ hives, living off their blood. The mites weaken the bees, allowing other viruses and diseases to kill them.

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