HYDROPHOBIC HYSTERIA

HYDROPHOBIC HYSTERIA: We were jolted to consciousness by a rather bizarre news item from the Superferry cheerleaders and advertising beneficiaries at KHNL-TV last evening as they announced that a new pro-Superferry group was being formed on Kaua`i by none other than our very own “nut-case”- crotchety old man Kimo Rosen, who claimed he was pelted with rocks at last week’s Superferry anniversary party.

But it seems those rocks might have come from inside Rosen’s head because he can’t seem to keep his improbable story straight.

Despite his claim that the newspaper “reported it exactly as it happened”, he said something quite different to us in a “hidden” comment the day after we highlighted his un-witnessed charge calling him a “well known nut case”.

In a newspaper article this past Monday reporter Michael Levine wrote of Rosen’s attendance and protest against the partiers who were celebrating and honoring those who turned back the superferry a year before.

Rosen — who said that while event organizers told him he was welcome, others threw rocks at him, cursed him and told him to leave — believes the free market should determine which businesses succeed and which fail.

Well, in criticizing the local paper for their coverage we had this to say about Rosen.

(I)f the poll and editorial wasn’t indicative enough of the unethical behavior at TGI, today’s article on yesterday’s “celebration” in Nawiliwili of the turning back of the HSf one year ago, half the article was taken up with unsubstantiated accusations in an interview with well-known nut-case James “Kimo” Rosen.

Not just was Rosen’s one man counter-demonstration dug up and reported- using half the article to detail his views- his ridiculous, unverified, un-witnessed claim of having had rocks thrown at him was given big play.

Despite the fact that the place was crawling with cops taking pictures according to those who attended and that Rosen was positioned far away from where the party goers were gathered TGI and the Honolulu Advertiser reported the rock throwing statement unchallenged in an unbelievable example of journalistic malfeasance.

The next day two comments appeared not for that day’s post but on an unrelated one from a week before where Rosen apparently told us the newspaper got it wrong

He first wrote:

I am not lying, rocks were thrown at me, not by the organizers but by locals down by the Marriott, don't call me a liar are blame the garden Island for poor journalism when yours sorely below what i would call journalism.

Calling me a nut case is not appreciated since we have never met, I take total offense at your lack of aloha and journaliast talents.

I will be organizing a huge pro ferry demonstration in the near future. The fun has just begun.God bless & A hui Hou, James "kimo" Rosen

He then went on to say:

sorry for the typos in my first comment.

Calling me "a nut case" and "liar" is not appreciated, what kind of journalist are you? We never even met, I have no idea who you are. You are the liar and nut case, since they say "only the guilty speak." Hope to see on the superferry (sic) in the very near future when the voluptuous "Alakai" is sailing the beautiful waters of Hawaii. James "Kimo" Rosen

P.S. it's people like you that ruin it for the masses.

P.S.S. I was the publisher of Alaska People Magazine for many years before moving to Hawaii and if a writer ever submitted the kind of crap you write, they never would had been published in my publication again, I guess you are blogging since it's the only way a journalist of your nature has a rats chance in hell of being poublished (sic).

We responded:

As to the rock incident Mr. Rosen I didn’t see you run to TGI or the advertiser for a correction and for now I’ll take their word that you claimed protesters threw rocks at you over yours that you made it clear that is wasn’t the protesters.

Mike Levine may have unwittingly been a Superferry shill yesterday but from what I’ve read he’s a damn good reporter and his courts and police coverage is among the best and most accurate I’ve read. And I’d remind you, there were two reporters who identically reported what you said.

As to “nut-case” after reading dozens of your letter to the editor I’m only repeating what dozens of other have said about them and you, including some who have met you.

As to you own journalistic efforts I’m pretty sure I’d never write for any publication over which you had editorial control so forgive me if I’m not drinking salt water beer over your views of my reporting and analysis.

We never saw any correction in the paper and here’s what Rosen says in a letter to the editor today:

The organizers welcomed me with aloha, but others by the harbor threw rocks and profanities at me.

The Garden Island paper reported it exactly as it happened

Well we suspect KHNL has discovered that Rosen is indeed a nut case because the article does not appear on their web site. Rosen also claimed he was going to get his own 6000 names petition together to counter the one supporters gathered and named his “group” something which we didn’t quite catch.

Seems Rosen can’t quite tell the same story twice in a row but that’s not surprising for the prolific letter to the editor writer who has spent his years here- apparently since 2004- complaining about his adopted home and haranguing us with every old man’s lament in the book.

But nut case, Parx? Since Rosen complained and now that he’s certainly made himself even more of a public figure, to be fair we’ll let you be the judge

One of his favorites is “these kids today”. Here’s a sample

What’s wrong with the youth today?...

When I was a child we were taught to respect our elders. Older people went first in buffet lines, young people were taught to give up their seat on the bus to someone older. There used to be an unwritten common courtesy in honor of older adults.

Now everything is for the kids, putting adults in a secondary position ...Children cannot be spanked by their parents since everyone is afraid their kids will report them to human services...The world has let children take control....When I was a kid adults had the control, and now that I am an adult children have control.

Then there’s “noise in his neighborhood”

There is a tree trimmer and landscaper who comes into our neighborhood — when they’re not making noise with their high-power chainsaw, weed blowers and oversized sit down mowers — with a need to blast their music. These people come into our neighborhood and play their music at levels that can be heard three houses away. When asking them politely to please turn it down, they get offended. I have even offered to buy Walkmans for these people. These people seem to have a lack of common courtesy. They come into a quiet neighborhood and cannot handle the silence of nature, they blast their music, have oversized power tools and a total lack of respect and common courtesy.

Even clocks

I do not wear a watch and refuse to become part of the cell-phone-digital-time mania that has taken over the world.

My flight was departing at 10:25 a.m. I needed to watch the time and there were no clocks within distance, so I took a stroll, still no clocks. This is an international airport and finding a clock was an act of God. Finally I looked at a flight arrival board and in the smallest numbers was the time.

Try finding a clock at any major shopping center, bar or restaurant anywhere in Hawai`i. It’s no wonder “Hawai`i time” has become synonymous with arriving late. I understand Aloha but still feel the need to look up and see the time.

And seat belts

The national and state campaign of “Click it or Ticket” is strictly implemented for financial reasons. They say they enforce it to help save lives.

Seatbelts have actually taken lives many times, trapping people in their cars and not being able to escape.

Among his other rants are complaints about the word haole,

Referring to somebody as a “haole” (without spirit), is the same as referring to them as a dumb frickin idiot. Any person who uses the word “haole” is a “haole.”

“Haole” is one word that should be deleted from the Hawaiian language.

people who can’t keep secrets

stores that won’t take his deposit bottles back

and the fact that no one is tapping the energy produced by all the treadmill and Stairmaster users in health clubs

Then there’s people worried about invasive species and protecting whales on the superferry saying

For those with the invasive species and whale killing machine theories, I would welcome a debate.

The only invasive species thus far brought on by the Superferry is the leech-sucking attorneys that will do anything for monetary gain and publicity.

...a subject he had written on before saying

The Superferry is a great form of mass transit, so be it if an occasional whale is killed.

There’s people who want to know how long you’ve lived here

people who want to know what you do for a living

people who want you to take your shoes off when you come in

local hotel rates

cafeteria prices at UH

food and restaurant prices

dirty water at beaches

and more complaints about these young whippersnapper and protesting hippies and praises for his supposed silent majority of Superferry supporters than you can wag a finger at.

But lest you think all he does all day is compose letters to complain about whatever self-involved, self-important, selfish little pet peeve he has today- even if he makes them up like the supposed rock throwing incident- he does like one thing.... those dollar and a half Costco hot dogs

All this from a malahini settler who calls himself Kimo.

Oh- and though he reneged, he threatened in one letter to run for public office. With the penchant to exploit public service for personal gain exhibited by most of our local incumbents and challengers we gotta figure he’d fit right in.