I think humans have an innate ability to recognize The Creature because today, when I had to replace my 4.5 year old phone whose battery life was finally shot to shit, it was a slightly annoying process, but it was just a process. Just a device. Old device transferred. New device set up.
But last month when my 5.5 year old bike was stolen and I needed to replace it, it was nowhere near the same, because the bike was a Creature and the Creature was taken from me and it's somewhere out there, alone, maybe chopped for parts. And I have a new bike now and it's a perfectly fine Creature by its own regard, but it is not the same Creature. My old bike was a living thing, and the living thing doesn't stop being the living thing just because it was replaced. Because it was Creature-shaped and Creature-sized and so it was a Creature. Something in my genes knows this.
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Maui Fires & How to Support Relief Efforts
(Posted on 8/10/23)
Hi, I'm Jae and my family is from Lāhainā. I watched my hometown burn down this week.
The fires caused immeasurable loss in my community so I'd like to spread awareness of the situation as well as provide links to support local organizations directly assisting survivors. I'm pretty sure most of my following is Not local so I'm writing with intent to inform people outside the situation, but if you're reading this and happen to have family in the affected area that isn't accounted for, message me and I can send you the links to the missing persons tracking docs + more localized info!! If you'd like to skip down to how to help and follow community organizations, scroll to the bottom of the post after the image.
Earlier this week, Hurricane Dora passed south of the Hawaiian Islands, bringing strong wind gusts that caused property damage across the islands. On Tuesday August 8, high winds caused sparks to fly in the middle of Lāhainā town, knocking out power lines and immediately igniting drought-ridden grasses. The fire spread quickly and destroyed the entire center of town, the harbor, and multiple neighborhoods including Hawaiian Homes (housing specifically for Native Hawaiians), parts of Lahainaluna, basically all of Front Street, and low-income housing units. There is only one public road in and out of town, and after a very hectic evacuation period that road has been mostly closed off except to emergency responders, thus it is extremely difficult for anyone to leave town to get help. The nearest hospital is 20 miles away in Wailuku, and most grocery stores in town have burnt down.
As of Thursday, August 10, over 1,000 acres have been burned and 271 structures (including homes, schools, and other community gathering places) have been destroyed. Cell service is still extremely spotty, many of the surrounding neighborhoods deemed safe for evacuees are still without utilities. There are currently confirmed 53 deaths but that number is expected to increase as search-and-rescue efforts continue. Countless families have been displaced and many have lost the homes they lived in for generations. Places of deep historical significance have been reduced to ash, including the gravesites of Hawaiian royalty, the old Lāhainā courthouse where items of cultural significance were stored, and Na ‘Aikane o Maui Cultural Center.
To add further context: Lāhainā has a population of about 13,000 residents. EVERYONE I know has been impacted in some way--at best forced to evacuate, at worst their house was burnt to the foundation, they cannot find a loved one, etc. I'm still trying to track down family members and it's been over two days. My neighbors down the street had homes last week and now many don't have ANYTHING. The hotels are taking in residents (tourists are also being STRONGLY urged to leave so that locals can recover). Without open access to the rest of the island, Lāhainā residents are now dependent on whatever people had in their homes already as well as disaster relief efforts coming in, but it's been difficult to organize and mobilize due to the location + conditions. People who have made it out are in shelters where no blankets or medicine were provided. Friends and acquaintances from neighbor islands are preparing aid to send over. Community response has been incredible, but the toll on the town has been immeasurable. My parents were desperately walking through town yesterday, my mom sounded absolutely hollow talking about it on the phone with me. It's horrifying. Below is a satellite map with data from the NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System showing the impacted areas from the past week; all of the red blotches were on fire at some point in the last three days.
Here are ways you can help:
If you have the means to donate:
Here are three donation sites verified by Maui Rapid Response, which also lists FAQs for people who are wondering about next steps.
Hawaiʻi Community Foundation - Maui Strong Fund accepts international credit cards.
Maui United Way
Maui Mutual Aid
Non-monetary ways to support:
If you know anyone who is planning to travel to ANY Hawaiian island, not just Maui, tell them to cancel their trip. Resources are extremely limited as is.
Advocate for climate change mitigation efforts locally, wherever that is for you. The fire was exacerbated by drought conditions that have worsened due to climate change.
Lastly, remember that these are people's HOMES that burned, and Native Hawaiian cultural artifacts that have been lost. Stop thinking of Hawaiʻi (or any "tourist destination" location, really) as an "escape" or a "paradise." If that's the only way you recognized my home... I'm glad I got your attention somehow, but I would ask that you challenge that perspective and prioritize local and native voices.
For transparency, I don't currently live in Lāhainā, I've been following efforts from Honolulu. My parents and brother have been updating me and I've been following friends and family who are doing immediate response work. I'm doing my best to find reliable and current sources, but if I need to update something, please let me know. If you're going to try to convince me that tourism is necessary for our recovery, news flash ***IT'S NOT***!
Thanks for reading.
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I was buying a bus ticket for the city in which I need to go to take the plane to get to my home and the dude at the cash register wasn't giving me a student discount and wanted me to pay 50€ instead of 9€ and I started crying.
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Previous // Next
Oscar: I’m all for independence n’ shit, but if you’re pregna-…
[Brynn shushed Oscar, flapping her hands as Darien paced past the window]
Brynn: I go back very soon, when I have enough money.
Oscar: You’re willingly going back to him?
[Brynn’s brow furrowed offendedly, her feelings for Wyatt were genuine then…]
Brynn: My business with him is not your business.
[Oscar shrugged helplessly; she was right, it wasn’t any of his business-.. not really]
Brynn: I know what he did to your Sandy – and to me, in roundabout way – was awful, but we are not black and white. I bet you have also done things you are not proud of; everyone has! Some worse than others maybe, but still…
Brynn: You think by now I not know when a man is being sincere?
Oscar: I’m not questioning you, I’m just tryna look out for you.
Brynn: He must’ve been worried and tried to find me? Unless-.. did he ask you two to find me for him?
Oscar: Bit of both.
Brynn: Aha, I am sure you did not expect that…
[Oscar wasn’t happy about it, but he was starting to believe that Wyatt and Brynn had genuine feelings for one another]
Brynn: I not need saving-.. especially not from him, I am fine.
Oscar: Come n’ have dinner with us at least? Courtney’s been worried about you.
Brynn: I think Sandy suits her better…
…
[Darien loitered outside, uncomfortable around such a tangible reminder of his complicity-.. his involvement, especially with no one around to cajole him into thinking it was somehow justified]
Vivienne: Zach! What’re you doing here? Your mom isn’t gonna like-…
Zach: We both know she doesn’t give a shi-…
Vivienne: Well, I do! Get upstairs.
[Zach gulped; Vivienne meant business with that tone]
Vivienne: How do you know Brynn?
[Darien shrugged with a casual nonchalance, meeting Vivienne’s penetrative gaze steadily]
Darien: She’s my friends’ girlfriend.
Vivienne: I see…
[Vivienne squinted slightly before heading back inside, almost walking into Brynn and Oscar]
Vivienne: You good?
Brynn: Mhm-.. I go to Oscar’s for dinner.
Vivienne: Alright, take care…
Brynn: Oscar is a fluffy marshmallow, don’t worry.
Oscar: You’re not invited.
Darien: I figured.
Brynn: You not say anything yet, I go back soon and it’ll be a surprise-.. he knows I am okay.
[Darien nodded, silently standing in situ as Brynn and Oscar disappeared. He ought to tell Wyatt they’d found her, but he’d probably appreciate it if he did as she’d asked. He decided he’d just have to keep an eye on her instead, remaining quiet for as long as she remained safe…]
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Crazy idea they dress Ozzy and Joan up in crazy costumes for event and holidays. Or when Ozzy goes on tour with Steve and Eddie 😂
Oh man, I love this.
Jonathan is secure in the knowledge that if he woke up one morning to his entire career being over that he’d still have work taking pictures of Steve and Eddie’s pets.
Jonathan doesn’t even live in the same state as them, but Steve pays him to take their holiday pictures every year. For every holiday.
Steve will come up with a concept and then workshop it with Eddie until they find something tastefully unhinged. They will either spend hours looking for where to buy the costume, try to make them themselves, or commission a local seamstress. It is a highlight to Steve’s Facebook friends.
It’s almost something that has never made it off of Steve’s Facebook until very recently. Steve’s page is private and he’s pretty particular about who he’s befriending on Facebook, so up until Jonathan did a reddit AMA, that’s where it remained.
Someone asked him what the most unhinged photoshoot he’s done, and he explained that he had a friend that recently commissioned him to photograph their pets dressed as presidents for Presidents Day. He says, “The real divas are the cats. They don’t listen to anything.”
People beg to see the pictures, so Jonathan posted one.
In the photo, it’s none other than infamous rockstar Eddie Munson, his husband, their dog, and their cat dressed as the presidents on Mount Rushmore. Ozzy is dressed as Teddy Roosevelt with round glasses and a fake mustache. He is taking the photo seriously. Joan is dressed as Abraham Lincoln with a little beard and top hat. She looks like she’s smiling with her fangs sticking out.
It is the only good picture Jonathan got that day.
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