Downtown

I went downtown today on Bus Number 2. I boarded the bus about two blocks from the Wialana, on Kalakaua Avenue. I got off at the State Capitol Building. The State Capitol was busy today. One current activity of note is HB 444, a legislative initiative in support of gay marriage. There were supporters for both sides outside the capitol building. I’ve posted a few photos of the folks gathered on the street. From the Capitol, I then walked a few blocks to the downtown Union Mall area. Once there, I turned toward the ocean and the Aloha Tower Marketplace. At the Aloha Tower I took some photos of the marketplace, tourists, and a cruise ship. After a bit,I walked back downtown. On the way, I was stopped on a street corner by a young lady wearing a Greenpeace t-shirt. She was holding a binder with a photo of a polar bear and the words “Global Warming” printed on the cover. She asked if I had “a few minutes for the environment”. I said, “Yes” and politely listened to her sales pitch for Greenpeace membership and donation, before saying “No Thanks.” She was surprised when I told her I was from Alaska. When I let her know I spent part of each year in the land of the polar bear, she looked a little perplexed,worried, or something. I’m guessing she had a previous“run-in” with one of my more abrasive brothers from the North. I decided to go easy. Although I’m quite sure my views on global warming and the survival of polar bears are somewhat different than this young lady’s, she was pleasant and not overly idealistic, so we had a good conversation, and I listened to her point of view. Global warming is for real, but I'm quite sure that the Bush administration, was not the sole cause of our problems, so let's get on with it, and fix things. I spent the remainder of the day in and around the condo. It's now raining lightly. "Cool and cloudy" continues....lost my signal last night, so this is a late post.