Bookmarks for January 5th

by Ryan Kawailani Ozawa · January 5, 2011

When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 5th:

AskGaijin launches crowd tool to help Japanese companies avoid embarrassing Engrish: In a nutshell, AskGaijin provides a micro-consulting platform for small and medium businesses in Japan to vet English-language slogans and branding quickly and affordably using qualified native English speakers
Senate Education Chair to Hold a Twitter Town Hall on Appointed Board of Education Legislation: Senate Education Committee Chairperson Jill Tokuda will host a Twitter Town Hall, where she will take questions and comments regarding upcoming legislation for the appointed Board of Education.
East Polynesia colonized faster and more recently than previously thought: New research by an international team of scholars shows early human colonization of Eastern Polynesia took place much faster and more recently than previously established.
HECO request to recoup $1.4M in transition fees rejected: In denying HECO's request, the PUC chastised the utility for not doing a better job of managing the costs associated with the energy efficiency program.
‘Golf ball’ radar rig returns to Pearl: The floating radar, known as the SBX, left Ford Island on Sept. 2 following $7 million in maintenance. The vessel is expected to leave Hawaii again in January.
Hawaii Pursues Renewable Energy: When sugar was king, plantations renewably supplied up to half the electricity on some islands. As plantations vanished, imported oil grew so today oil powers 75 percent of Hawaii's electric generation. This is not a recipe for sustainability.
A Scientist, His Work and a Climate Reckoning: Two gray machines sit inside a pair of utilitarian buildings here, sniffing the fresh breezes that blow across thousands of miles of ocean. Once an hour, they spit out a number, and for decades, it has been rising relentlessly.
Drifting fish larvae allow marine reserves to rebuild fisheries: Marine ecologists have shown for the first time that tiny fish larvae can drift with ocean currents and “re-seed” fish stocks significant distances away — more than 100 miles in a new study from Hawaii.
Ocean acidification changes nitrogen cycling in world seas: Very little is known about how ocean acidification may affect critical microbial groups like the ammonia oxidizers, which are key players in the ocean's nitrogen cycle. Michael Beman of the University of Hawaii is lead author of the paper.
Hawaii Builds Broadband Coverage Maps: Visitors to the site will be able to view broadband coverage throughout the state. The DCCA is continuing to collect and verify data related to availability, speed, and location of broadband services in Hawaii.