Check out our friends!

We have very interesting business friends I haven't posted links to in a while, so here goes.

In Hawaii, check out this beach front Kauai vacation rental, this upcountry Maui bed and breakfast run by Cherie who also blogs about Maui and runs a volunteer on vacation in Hawaii site, and these big island organic Kona coffee farmers.

In California, our friends include a San Fransisco Bay Housekeeping Agency that also has a blog full of home cleaning and organizing tips, and a Los Angeles catering company that also has an LA caterer blog.

In New York, our friends sell New York grass fed beef from their organic farm and you can buy our grass-fed beef jerky through their site.

As usual, you can find all our friends through our main site, Supak.com, which features free desktop wallpaper, Simpsons sounds and wallpaper pictures, organic gardening, and more.

Blog Round Up

Here's a quick review of the blogs I'm involved in producing...

Organic Gardening Blog. I've been gardening organically for most of my life, and blogging about the experience for many years now. I offer organic gardening advice, products, best practices, and more.

Internet Marketing and Organic SEO. I make web sites get higher search engine rankings, and I blog about how to do it so you can learn for free what to do to your websites to get higher ranks.

Free Desktop Wallpaper and Computer Backgrounds Photography. We've been posting free desktop wallpaper on our sites since we started Supak.com in 1996. We have cityscapes, high resolution nature photos, Hawaii pictures, and more at the Photog Blog.

Hawaii Blog. Hawaii vacations information and all the latest on everything Hawaiian that we post on any of our sites. Occasionally features guest bloggers from Hawaii.

Satan Wrote the Bible. This blog is written by a friend of mine and is full of Bible commentaries that serve as thought exercise for people who are so sure about what one cannot, by definition, be sure about.

Bush Treason Blog. That's right: I believe George Bush and many of his administration committed treason when they ignored warnings of an impending 9-11, pulled out of Tora Bora and let Bin Laden go, and lied us into a war against a country that had nothing to do with 9-11.

Los Angeles Catering Blog. Culinary Delight Catering in Los Angeles provides delicious food for any event at a reasonable price. No matter how fancy or simple the festivities, they can provide exactly the right catered food or craft services, including organic.

Grass-fed Beef Jerky Blog. We've started a small-batch, hand-made, grass-fed beef jerky business, and we now have a blog about grass-fed jerky and why eating grass-fed beef is better for you, the animal, and the planet.

Great Photographs Touched Up to Be Even Greater

About a month ago, my Maui bed and breakfast friend Cherie sent some pictures from a friend of hers, Mike Eilers, so I posted a few of them. Great shots of whales, dolphins, and this sea turtle.

But this isn't the original photo. This picture was retouched by Mike's friend, Carl Bringas, who has a great photography site full of his work--photographs retouched to become very web-ready works of art.

These artistically retouched photographs make great desktop wallpaper, and I've added them to a Carl Bringas Gallery of retouched photographs (both his and Mike Eilers's) over at the computer backgrounds blog.

How Much to Mail a Letter to the States?

I actually heard an overly made-up, clashily-dressed middle-aged woman say that in a post office line in Hawaii once. Nobody laughed because they were sick of that kind of thing. In fact, there were more than a few heel-of-the-palm-to-the-forehead reactions. And yet it goes on.

Contrary to the opinion of 6% of Tea Baggers, Hawaii is a US State (4% are unsure). But enough about them. Really. Way enough. I have something more important to talk about. But then, just about anything is more important than them.

Buy Gourmet Organic American Coffee!

Not only can you buy domestic coffee in the US, but it is, as Mark Twain put it, the best damn coffee in the world. OK, Twain didn't put it that way. Here's what he actually said:

The ride through the district of Kona to Kealakekua Bay took us through the famous coffee and orange section. I think the Kona coffee has a richer flavor than any other, be it grown where it may and call it by what name you please.

Now click yourself over to do your duty as a patriotic citizen of the United States and buy some organic Kona coffee beans. It's a little more expensive than Folgers, but you'll drink less and it's better for you, the people growing the coffee, and the planet.

I'm sure those 10% of teabaggers who doubt Hawaii's statehood don't have a clue, but they might be onto something... Seems that back when the US made Hawaii a territory, there was some doubt as to the legitimacy of the transfer of authority (yes I said that South Parky). The Hawaiian Independence Action Alliance protested the 50th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood last year. According to the Hawaii Kingdom Independence Blog, Hawaii is not a state because the prolonged occupation of Hawaii, going back to before the islands were a territory, was and is illegal.

So, I suppose if the tea baggers wanted to smarten up their argument a little, they could join forces with some of the ardent leftists, who actually have a decent argument, if you ignore Stare decisis, as the current court is apt to do. Good luck with that. Even if you managed to get a court to agree that the occupation was illegal, therefore the becoming of a territory was illegal, therefore the statehood is illegal, therefore Obama was born in the Kingdom of Hawaii not the state, you'd still have a hell of a time getting him out of the White House, what with him being such a fascist and all.

For the rest of us, who enjoy a good lefty argument (like the illegal occupation of Hawaii voiding the US's claims to the islands) for the sake of argument, but with no real expectation that anything will ever come of it, I suggest you check out my big site full of Hawaii Stuff, where you can decide which of the illegally occupied islands to visit. I suggest you start with a few days at this Kauai beach house, followed by at least a week in an organic Maui bed and breakfast, and then finish off with some time in an affordable Kona vacation rental on the Big Island, where the best damn coffee in the world is grown.

And don't forget the Hawaiian post cards!

Solar Powered Maui Hawaii Vacation Rental

An old client is back in the higher search engine ranks program, this time with a state-of-the-art, solar-powered vacation rental house in Hawaii.

A lot of people visit Hawaii and never get out of the touristy resort scenes, or just hit the hot spots, like Haleakala National Park. But Hawaii's a lot bigger than it seems, and even on a relatively little island like Maui, a hurried vacationer might miss some of the best the island has to offer.

Like Hana. Hana, on the east side of Maui, is famous for the road getting there, the red and black sand beaches, Oheo gulch and the seven sacred pools for swimming and great hiking to beautiful waterfalls and more hidden swimming pools.

Hana even has a beach that has been consistently voted one of the best beaches on earth. There are all kinds cool things to do near Hana that this vacation rental house is near.

The house itself boasts incredible views, 3 beds, two baths, 2600 square feet, a warm country feel and decor, the great location (as noted), and a tiny little carbon foot print, thanks to the solar power and other state-of-the-art features.

If you visit Maui, don't miss Hana. And if you're with a group or family, do yourself a favor and check out the Hana Country Cottage.

Discount Everything

My philosophical instincts tell me to take everything I hear with a grain of salt. Everyone steps up the voltage of what they want to communicate, and if you want to get an unbiased view from what you're told, you should always run things through a step-down transformer. Of course, if you ever run across an honest person and do that, you've watered down the truth.

In terms of economics during hard times, though, discount everything is a strategy for survival. Discount as an adjective here plays into the age-old marketer's plan of enticing people into action by promising to take less money out of their pockets for something they value. I've been doing it for people who realize the return on investment they can get by hiring me to get higher search engine rankings for their websites. They've been doing it as a way to get people to see that they can save money and take that Hawaii vacation or get food delivered to their crew in Los Angeles.

We've put an ingenious twist on this idea into Volunteer on Vacation in Hawaii, by offering volunteers a 5% discount on stays at this Maui bed and breakfast, and an additional 5% donation to the organization for which you volunteer. Save money, earn money for a worthy cause, and do something ethical during your Hawaii vacation! Sweet.

How about an ethical honeymoon? While staying at the Hale Hookipa, and volunteering for one of the many organizations that need you, you could take a little time out and get married! Destination weddings have become even more popular as people cut back on the big, expensive ceremonies that were so popular during boom times. One fad I've heard is that people run off and get married, then travel to various cities visiting relatives: this lowers the carbon foot-print of the wedding by not having so many people fly in from all over, and can increase the value of wedding presents, since the people giving the presents didn't have to shell out so much to actually go to the ceremony (Maui wedding packages start at $300 with this Maui weddings planner).

Even caterers have been getting into the discount everything mindset. Our favorite Hudson Valley caterer down in Woodstock has been doing smaller and smaller gigs (weddings included) as the recession has spread like a blight across the land. Culinary Delight Catering in Los Angeles has even created a discount wedding catering package to fill the demand for a less expensive wedding reception.

Providing less for less is the driving force during a recession for any business that wants to stay in business. But how does that affect someone like me, who's job it is to get people to the top of a search for their keywords? It's not like I can just do less. It takes x amount of work to get a site to the top, and any less will get that site something less. Considering the rate at which clicks drop off for sites in the 7th position as opposed to the 1st or 2nd, that's no value for the discount.

I have to find a way to provide the same value in less time: become more productive. I've been doing this for years, and squeezing any more productivity out of what I do is damn near impossible. A lot of it is creative, especially the writing part, and you can't just shave a few minutes off that process to save a dime.

So, in effect, in order to make sure I get the jobs, I've just been bidding lower, which means I'm working for less, which means I can pay less for things, which means the people who provide those things will have to offer discounts which will provide me with less, which means I have to work more, but since I'm doing that for less, well... Vicious circle. Discount everything means less for everyone, and that sharing of less is the real legacy left behind by George W. Bush and all the idiots who voted for him.

Volunteer Vacations in Hawaii: Do the Right Thing

One odd thing that I came to realize after 8 years of a fascist Junta controlling the White House was that the right's criticism of the left as ethical relativists was, like so much else from the right for a long time now, complete bullshit. The ethical relativists now defending torture, illegal spying on Americans, and other unitary executive adventures in totalitarianism have made it quite clear that on issue after issue, it is the left that stands up for some absolutist ethical or moral standard, while the right argues that it's OK, for example, to pollute and degrade the environment in some situations (when jobs might be lost, or when God said it was OK).

You're either doing the right thing or your not. Of course there are shades of gray on some issues (for all you philosophical mucker-uppers). But when it comes to things like torture, the world community long ago decided on a basis for what constitutes that definition, and even the Obama administration, much to my continued disapointment, seems to want to stretch that definition too far.

When it comes to the environment, the choices are just as stark. It's a huge, multi-faceted problem, and the best each of us can do is try to live a lifestyle that reduces our impact on the environment. Every little thing counts.

So it is in that spirit of environmental ethical absolutism that I am happy to announce today that, along with my friend Cherie Attix (owner/operator of the Hale Hookipa Inn Maui Bed and Breakfast, and author of the Maui Hawaii Blog Hookipa Aikane (home sharing friend)), all you Hawaii vacationers who would like to do a little to help the Hawaiian environment, culture, and community can now sort through our list of Hawaii organizations that have ongoing volunteer opportunities at Volunteer on Vacation in Hawaii.

Volunteering is one of the cornerstones of American culture. The recent push for more National Service, which includes many enticements for young people to volunteer (like help with money for education), led Cherie to come up with the idea of making a web site with information about volunteering in her community (Maui). Most of the vacationing volunteer opportunities are environmental in nature, like eradicating invasive plant species, planting native species, clearing trails, and cleaning beaches. As we continue to build the site, we will add other cultural and community volunteer opportunities.

Cherie is offering a 5% discount to any guests of her B&B who volunteer for one of the listed groups. She will also donate 5% to the organization for which you volunteer. Nothing like a little incentive.

The idea of voluntourism is not new to Cherie, who was recently recognized by O Magazine for her efforts to get vacationers to Maui to volunteer while they're there. Her guests have all praised the projects for which they volunteered as fun, educational, and worthwhile. After all, if you really want to get a feel for the place you're vacationing in, what better way than to lace up your boots, pull on some gloves, and get out there and make it a better place?

The Current Best Littlest Known Secret in Hawaii

The secret is that if you really want to get a feeling for Hawaii without actually going there, you should read Cherie's Maui Hawaii blog: Hookipa Aikane (home sharing friend). Longtime Hawaii resident and Innkeeper Cherie (you can also check her out on facebook) runs the historic Hale Hookipa Inn Maui Bed and Breakfast in Makawao, Maui, Hawaii. Makawao is home to the Hawaiian Rodeo, and their Independence Day parade is the subject of Cherie's latest post. Cherie doesn't write her blog so much as talk story. I edit the blog, but the language (and photography) is all hers, and it is distinctly upcountry Maui...

If you like to keep up with all things Hawaiian, and especially Maui, no matter where you are, Cherie's blog is definitely worth subscribing to.

Organic Kona Coffee Is Back, Talking Story on Hawaii

Back in 1998, when we were living on Maui, I was contacted by an organic Kona coffee farmer about helping him sell his gourmet coffee beans. He was one of my best clients until he sold his farm and retired in 2006. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard from Mike Tucker, one of the guys who bought Dr. Faust's farm.

Tucker has been refurbishing the farm, getting organic control of the weeds (cutting them), installing his own processing equipment, starting and planting his own coffee tree seedlings, getting the Hawaiian coffee farm certified organic, and much more. It's an amazing amount of work to farm anything organically, especially coffee.

Great thing about this story is that you can read the entire experience, because Mike kept a journal of the entire organic coffee farm refurbishing story, and it is now his blog. Judging from what is there already, this would be a good blog to subscribe to if you're into organic agriculture at all. All you organic coffee farmers will love it!

Or maybe you just love fresh roasted organic Kona coffee beans showing up ot your front door when there's a foot of snow outside. Like me.

Maybe you're a real coffee nut and you want to home roast your own organic green coffee beans from Hawaii... Mike says you can use an old popcorn air popper!

You don't have to Digg organic Kona coffee in order to Digg the story of organic Kona coffee farming. It's an enticing blog, like the aroma of fresh brewed... Ah, you get the idea! Plus, there are all kinds of great pictures of Hawaii, the big island of the Hawaiian Islands.

The organic Kona coffee from 1500 feet up the side of Mauna Loa near the Hawaiian sanctuary town of Honaunau is back! And it is better than ever!

Maui Hawaii Home Sharing Friend

My friend Cherie is the owner and operator of the Hale Hookipa Inn Maui Bed and Breakfast. She was one of my first internet marketing clients. When she told me she wanted to start a blog, I was happy to hear it. Not only could I use the work right now, but I look forward to reading what she has to say. She has been deeply involved in the Maui community for years. She is a business owner who works hard to keep her head above water. She is an environmentalist. I'm sure she has a lot to say.

Her new blog is Ho'okipa Aikane, or, roughly, home sharing friend. I asked her to explain who she is and why she's doing this. Here's her reply:

I am a long time resident of Hawaii, I moved here as a teenager who loved the ocean and warm weather.

After raising my family, I found myself on my own on the island of Maui. In 1994, I purchased an old run down Portuguese family home in Upcountry Maui. This gem was built in 1924, and I cried when I first saw it. I wondered what happened to the original family....? It was a beautiful craftsman style home in some MAJOR disrepair, but the bones were good. In my usual optimistic approach, I figured, why not? I can do this.

It's been an amazing journey...with a laughable budget, I have managed to restore and give new life to my home. It is now Hale Ho'okipa Inn.

I hope to share stories, and life in upcountry Maui and Hawaii Nei with anyone who wants to peek in.

A hui ho...until later!!

Be sure to subscribe to her feed. It will be worth it.

Updated Dreams of Kauai

This time of year, our friends and relatives in colder environs like to at least dream about a getaway bungalow on a Hawaiian beach. It's a cheap way to warm the mind: download a few pictures of a beach just on the other side of a nice lawn, with plenty of room for a family football game.

Of course, in the case of this particular island getaway, it's not as expensive as you'd think. While there is no shortage of luxury villas for rent in Hawaii, there are precious few Hawaii beach rentals available to the middle class family that saved all their lives for a trip to Hawaii.

Now that the home equity loans aren't there to finance your Hawaii vacation, it's time to look into the affordable side of Hawaii, which could really use some tourists right now. When the recession comes, the first thing people cut back on is travel. But if you do it right, you can still enjoy paradise on a budget. Sometimes, it's the best way to really see a place.

Free Search Engine Marketing for Hawaii web site owner!

I have a Hawaii information and vacations blog which has been neglected for about a year now. I don't live in Hawaii anymore. Haven't visited in years now. I have clients there, mostly people with Maui vacation rentals (see last post). But none of them wants to write a blog.

Four or five paragraphs a week is all I ask. Basic "what's going on in Hawaii this week" stuff. So, now I'm offering free promotion for anyone who owns a Hawaii web site (it can be anything Hawaiian - travel, shopping, whatever), if they'll post 4 or 5 paragraphs per week (minimum) to my Hawaii blog. I'll even throw in some free search engine optimization tips.

Contact me if you're interested.

Maui Vacation Rentals from Olinda Country Cottages, Maui, Hawaii

Olinda Country Cottages recently updated their Maui vacation rentals web site. Included are new pictures of the Maui vacation rental estate in upcountry Olinda Maui. The views are spectacular from up there at 5000 feet, on the slopes of Mount Haleakala. The air is clear. There are no mosquitoes at that elevation. Haleakala National Park is minutes away, as is Hookipa State Beach Park, the windsurfing beach of Maui.

Olinda Maui is up the road from Makawao (home of the famous steak house), a funky art colony meets rodeo town in upcountry. The area features the famous rodeo, great art galleries, restaurants, hiking trails, horseback riding, and many other outdoor activities like golf, hang gliding, surfing, camping, and sight seeing.

Olinda Country's vacation rental cottages, cabins, and rooms are affordable and comfortable. The vacation rental estate is a great place for weddings, corporate retreats, and parties.