Wildfires in Maui, Lahaina in Flames

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Sliver

That said, the guy lamenting how he can't have a shaved ice on the boardwalk was awesome. You have this incredible tragedy unfolding, 36 people dead, and buddy is thinking about how it'll be a few years before he can slurp on a slurpee in comfort. I'm really hoping Maui can rebuild ASAP so we can get him and his son out there; it's definitely the personal side of this nightmare that really brings it home and I'm glad he shared his harrowing tale of great loss with us.

When that man was stabbed in Starbucks in Vancouver a while ago, my first thought was man, that is bad for business. It sucks that I won’t be able to sit on the patio and enjoy a coffee without feeling sad.

[MillerTime GFG]

It's completely fine to reminisce about personal memories from this place and feel sad it won't be the same. I will never forget my time this year in Hawaii (Oahu) for the first time in my life. I'd consider it a core memory.

People in here acting like he said "I'll miss my shaved ice, but don't give a #### about the locals." He specifically said he'll miss doing the thing he remembers, and also feels bad for the locals. It can be both.

Settle down.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by MillerTime GFG

It's completely fine to reminisce about personal memories from this place and feel sad it won't be the same. I will never forget my time this year in Hawaii (Oahu) for the first time in my life. I'd consider it a core memory.

People in here acting like he said "I'll miss my shaved ice, but don't give a #### about the locals." He specifically said he'll miss doing the thing he remembers, and also feels bad for the locals. It can be both.

Settle down.

I don't think anybody is getting too uppity. It has just added a small detour in an otherwise somber thread.

I went to Oahu in March this year and it was pretty sick. I had been there only once before for one night on the way to Maui. So crazy how it's the literal paradise you think of when you think of an island paradise.

Big Island is the only one that sucks major balls. Just so ugly and meh compared to the lushness of the other places.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Nyah

For anyone seeing videos coming up on social media or in come cases even the news: be careful, especially if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff. Some of them are very graphic and show really upsetting images with both people and animals.

I had to turn it all off too.

Even the first video that was posted by the OP -- with the people in the car stuck in traffic while the flames were only a short distance away -- my first thought was hoping they got to safety. The news of 36 fatalities is crushing because it means not everyone did.

Terrible and tragic

[Locke]

It looks like a War Zone...wow.

[MillerTime GFG]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't think anybody is getting too uppity. It has just added a small detour in an otherwise somber thread.

I went to Oahu in March this year and it was pretty sick. I had been there only once before for one night on the way to Maui. So crazy how it's the literal paradise you think of when you think of an island paradise.

Big Island is the only one that sucks major balls. Just so ugly and meh compared to the lushness of the other places.

Like someone else said, there are always people in these threads JUST WAITING to pounce on potentially the smallest misstep. It's so strange.

I too was there in March (9th-16th). I was the guy with my wife in the convertible mustang almost crashing into things cuz I couldn't keep my eyes off of the scenery. It's like nowhere else I've ever seen.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Sliver

You gotta take a step back and just appreciate when there's a little ####-show side quest in a thread, too. I think the "doofus" crew in a thread are usually the real MVPs. You need a common enemy for the best group cohesion. Bring in a guy totally focusing on the wrong thing and you can really liven things up.

That said, the guy lamenting how he can't have a shaved ice on the boardwalk was awesome. You have this incredible tragedy unfolding, 36 people dead, and buddy is thinking about how it'll be a few years before he can slurp on a slurpee in comfort. I'm really hoping Maui can rebuild ASAP so we can get him and his son out there; it's definitely the personal side of this nightmare that really brings it home and I'm glad he shared his harrowing tale of great loss with us.

Exactly. That's the point of message boards. If we all just repeated the same Thoughts and Prayers hollow horsecrap, this place would have fizzled long ago. Shaved ice isn't very good either.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by fotze2

Exactly. That's the point of message boards. If we all just repeated the same Thoughts and Prayers hollow horsecrap, this place would have fizzled long ago.

Fuzzled?

[Engine09]

Originally Posted by Sliver

That said, the guy lamenting how he can't have a shaved ice on the boardwalk was awesome. You have this incredible tragedy unfolding, 36 people dead, and buddy is thinking about how it'll be a few years before he can slurp on a slurpee in comfort. I'm really hoping Maui can rebuild ASAP so we can get him and his son out there; it's definitely the personal side of this nightmare that really brings it home and I'm glad he shared his harrowing tale of great loss with us.

While in Maui it constantly blew my mind how many people would drag along their kids. With how much that island costs to visit, airfare, hotels, food, etc. I would see these bratty kids with no appreciation of where they are basically being annoying.

I get it, they're part of your "family" and you can't just leave them in a kennel but I guess I'm just bitter that was in my 30s before I could afford to go out there and the idea of my parents taking me was about as realistic as going to the moon.

[Matata]

My condolences are more sincere than your condolences, now bestow upon me my cape and sceptre of reverie and gaze upon my glory.

[Bigtime]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...campaign=share

People in the Islands know in their heart of hearts that Hawaii is different from the rest of the United States. You can trick yourself into thinking that this will somehow protect it from the indignities of suffering elsewhere in the country, or the world. (La‘a Maomao, by the way, translates literally to “sacred distance.”) Sometimes this magic actually works. This time, however, it did not.

[Bunk]

Lives lost, people's homes and businesses destroyed, lives ripped apart. And so much of Hawaii's rich history wiped away. This is deeply tragic. My heart just aches - I love Lahaina.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Exactly, you hit a point and it's just tone deaf.

"With the expected impact on insurance rates, what will this mean for the Lambo I'm buying my kid for their 16th birthday?"

Precisely the point.

But mainly it's just pointing out the me-centric lines of thought for some upon hearing such news and seeing the harrowing visuals.

They don't put themselves in the shoes of the local families. Not even the dogs/cats in these homes or yards essentially barbecued where they stood. The first thing they go to is their next vacation and what they will/won't be able to do and the disappointment of that.

Maybe it's not the worst thing because I guess they don't have to run through the same feelings being second hand witnesses as the empaths or empathically-inclined people here do. But it's just fascinating to see how some think versus others.

I don't know if it's necessarily an "agenda" of shame policing as one poster alleged. I just strolled in here and was surprised by some of the initial comments.

Now Silver coming in and high fiving insensitive commenter because he thinks it's cool and spices up a thread about a tragedy is something extra special though.

At least the initial commenters meant no ill will, even if perhaps their priorities here were slightly out of wack.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Precisely the point.

But mainly it's just pointing out the me-centric lines of thought for some upon hearing such news and seeing the harrowing visuals.

They don't put themselves in the shoes of the local families. Not even the dogs/cats in these homes or yards essentially barbecued where they stood. The first thing they go to is their next vacation and what they will/won't be able to do and the disappointment of that.

Maybe it's not the worst thing because I guess they don't have to run through the same feelings being second hand witnesses as the empaths or empathically-inclined people here do. But it's just fascinating to see how some think versus others.

I don't know if it's necessarily an "agenda" of shame policing as one poster alleged. I just strolled in here and was surprised by some of the initial comments.

Now Silver coming in and high fiving insensitive commenter because he thinks it's cool and spices up a thread about a tragedy is something extra special though.

At least the initial commenters meant no ill will, even if perhaps their priorities here were slightly out of wack.

Are you out of your mind? I said he was "focusing on the wrong things" and sarcastically commented "You have this incredible tragedy unfolding, 36 people dead, and buddy is thinking about how it'll be a few years before he can slurp on a slurpee in comfort. I'm really hoping Maui can rebuild ASAP so we can get him and his son out there; it's definitely the personal side of this nightmare that really brings it home and I'm glad he shared his harrowing tale of great loss with us."

I like the drama insensitive comments create, but I certainly did not think his points were anything other than selfish.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't think anybody is getting too uppity. It has just added a small detour in an otherwise somber thread.

I went to Oahu in March this year and it was pretty sick. I had been there only once before for one night on the way to Maui. So crazy how it's the literal paradise you think of when you think of an island paradise.

Big Island is the only one that sucks major balls. Just so ugly and meh compared to the lushness of the other places.

Maybe not the place to debate this but I strongly disagree. Stayed in Kona on the big island in January and it was gorgeous, day tripped to some amazing falls and lush forests in Hilo area as well. Sounds to me like you maybe limited your travels to one area of Big Island?

I have stayed in Maui before as well, really sad to see this happening.

[kipperiggy]

Was it a lightning strike or something that caused the wildfires? Hawaii is the last state I would have thought would suffer from devastating wildfiles.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

Was it a lightning strike or something that caused the wildfires? Hawaii is the last state I would have thought would suffer from devastating wildfiles.

I was in Maui (Kihei) 4 years ago and was evacuated due to a wildfire. They aren't like our forest fires, more like grass fires and they move fast. We had no advance warning - just told everyone on the west side of Kihei had to evacuate to the high school immediately. Fortunately in that case it was controlled before it hit the town but certainly affected a large area close by. But if it was combined with the storm winds they have this time around it might have had a similar outcome.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by greyshep

Maybe not the place to debate this but I strongly disagree. Stayed in Kona on the big island in January and it was gorgeous, day tripped to some amazing falls and lush forests in Hilo area as well. Sounds to me like you maybe limited your travels to one area of Big Island?

I have stayed in Maui before as well, really sad to see this happening.

If you’re into nature, the big island is amazing. So many biomes crammed into one small place.

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

Was it a lightning strike or something that caused the wildfires? Hawaii is the last state I would have thought would suffer from devastating wildfiles.

Due to the interaction of the mountains with wind, some parts of the Islands are pretty dry. Lahaina especially at this time of the year:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahaina,_Hawaii#Climate

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by greyshep

Maybe not the place to debate this but I strongly disagree. Stayed in Kona on the big island in January and it was gorgeous, day tripped to some amazing falls and lush forests in Hilo area as well. Sounds to me like you maybe limited your travels to one area of Big Island?

I have stayed in Maui before as well, really sad to see this happening.

Nah, we cruised around. Did check out that cool falls. I think we walked around some caves that were made by lava. So some stuff. But generally it was just black rocks and meth heads everywhere.

Here's the thing that really got me, but it felt like it was where all the old grizzled service staff went once they were past their best before date in Maui or Hawaii. Like, everyone was a truck stop waitress and all the dudes just seemed angry. I really didn't like it and I strongly advise everyone to stay away from there unless you want to hang out in what can only be described as an off-brand Hawaiian experience.