http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/ List of the latest topics from our public forum. http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/general-13/ambassador-hughes-appointed-diplomat/ AMBASSADOR HUGHES APPOINTED DIPLOMAT-IN-RESIDENCE Former US Ambassador to the FSM, Ambassador Miriam Hughes has been appointed as the new Diplomat-in-... Divisions & Offices
Civic Affairs Division Media Division Youth Services Division Historic Preservation Office
International Education and Development. "Hughes will be recruiting as far as southern Georgia to Orlando." Hughes will be serving a one-year term in the Office of International Education and Development, and can request another year extension to continue her service on FAMU's campus. According to the OIED's Web site, Hughes' duties as Diplomat-in-Residence at FAMU are "to expose students to internships and career opportunities under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. Students interested in pursuing a career in inter-national affairs or interning during the summer with the U.S. Department of State are invited to make an appointment with Ambassador Hughes." FAMU is just one out of 16 colleges who have a Diplomat-in-Residence on campus. Three out of the 16 are historically black colleges, Howard University and Spellman College, according to the U.S Department of States' Web site. "Each year, the U.S. Department of State assigns senior foreign service officers to the position of Diplomat in Residence (DIR) at certain colleges and universities throughout the United States," the OIED Web site said. "The DIR program is central to the effort to recruit the best and brightest to represent America's rich diversity to the world." The U.S. Department of States' diplomat in residences help candidates through the Foreign Service Exam application and examination process to become foreign service officer and then a DIR. They also represent at conferences, career fairs and support programs sponsored by foreign affairs groups. DIRs "engage in outreach to the military, professional organizations and other local groups." "It's really a prestigious honor to be a foreign service officer," said Jones. OEID first applied for a bid from the U.S. State Department to receive a DIR in 2001. FAMU's first Diplomat-in-Residence was Teddy Taylor, a former FAMU School of Business and Industry graduate. FAMU has had six Diplomat-in-Residences since 2001. "These people [Diplomats-in-Residence] have traveled to many countries, have 10 year plus experience in foreign affairs and speak at least four languages," Jones said. Karen Mitchell, coordinator of the study abroad program at FAMU, encourages students to study abroad. Mitchell said, "Studying abroad makes you more marketable." The Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta are co-hosts the International Awareness Week and this reception is just one of the many events on campus.
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"We have a five point thrust, and one of them is international awareness and involvement," said Jasmine Furr, a fourth-year MBA student from St. Louis and member of Delta Sigma Theta. "We hope this educates people and other cultures to be more active." "Due to her father having a heart attack, Hughes will return to FAMU after Thanksgiving's break to assist students and to formally accept her as Diplomat-in-Residence," Jones said.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/general-13/ambassador-hughes-appointed-diplomat/ Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:35:46 +0000 Rayleen Harris http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/general-13/president-mori-to-join-governor-anefal-in-groundbreaking-ceremony-fsm/ BRIEFS February 23, 2010 PRESIDENT MORI TO JOIN GOVERNOR ANEFAL IN GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FSM President Manny Mori will join Governor Sebastian Anefa...
Other dignitaries from the national government particularly from the Project Management Unit and people in key positions at the COM-FSM National Campus in Pohnpei will also be attending the ceremony.

The groundbreaking ceremony is for a new student center and classroom building project which was certified by the PMU branch here in Yap and awarded to WAAB Construction Company in October of 2009.

The building project is fully funded by the FSM National Government with cost estimate of over 1.9 million dollars.

Part of President’s visit aside from Yap Day and the groundbreaking ceremony will be to hold a leadership meeting with the State Government leadership on a number of issues with include Yap infrastructure projects, Museum for Yap, road repair and other issues such as transportation and fisheries. In addition, the State legislature has requested that two other topics be included; communication and social security.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/general-13/president-mori-to-join-governor-anefal-in-groundbreaking-ceremony-fsm/ Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:32:47 +0000 Rayleen Harris http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/information-on-micronesia-15/how-to-get-to-micronesia/ Easy! Going to Micronesia is easy! You can come from different directions through different means. You can either go there by air (the most common), o...
Guam-is the gateway to Micronesia, although you can go straight to Micronesia by way of Hawaii, Marshalls and on. But anyhow, there is one main airline, Continental Micronesia, serving the region. So if you want to go by way of Continental Micronesia, then I suggest you visit their website at http://www.continental.com]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/information-on-micronesia-15/how-to-get-to-micronesia/ Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:44:18 +0000 Yangdidi http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/b-president-mori-calls-for-second-special-session-of-congress-b/ "Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): November 17, 2009 - Based on consultations with Speaker Figir, President Mori has decided to call for a ...]]> "Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): November 17, 2009 - Based on consultations with Speaker Figir, President Mori has decided to call for a special session of the 16th FSM Congress to be held for at least 7 days starting on November 30th, 2009, in Pohnpei. This is the second special session of the 16th Congress since it began in May of 2009.

President Mori decided to call this special session due to impending nominations for Congress to approve, a FY2010 supplementary budget request, and new legislations, grants and treaties that need approval and action by Congress. Another item on the agenda of the special session is the seating of the new at-large member from Pohnpei State, Hon. Peter M. Christian.

In preparation for a productive session, President Mori has informed all department, office and agency heads to be fully responsive to the requests for assistance and information from Congress and he will continue to enforce the long-standing policy that curtails travel for heads of departments, offices and agencies during sessions of Congress."

What's up with all these special sessions? Did the government run out of money and wanted to spend more so they call these special sessions? I really think we the FSMers should stop these special sessions once and for all. These are just a waste of money in any ways you look at them. Traveling expenses, the stipends, etc... Not to mention paying for everything surrounding such a session. This is an outrageous way of spending money.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/b-president-mori-calls-for-second-special-session-of-congress-b/ Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:49:33 +0000 Rayleen Sablan http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/woleai-high-school-or-oihs/ Which one would you pick to send your kids to? Woleai High School or the Outer Islands High School? As a product of both schools, I felt like I gotta ... hahahhaha.... You peeps mahn. Tellya!

And yes, I was at the Outer Islands High School and a member of Rufes Haspalur's Construction class when I was a sophomore and we got our hands dirty helping rebuilded some of those buildings you current students now enjoying life sitting and learning and picking your noses in them. ! See, I have authority to talk, right. I did something. Yeah, I even went to the end of the runway, collecting firewoods, so those Guests can have donuts on my cousins Graduation. Those days were the best of my life. Hahaahhahahahahaha.... So you gotta agree that I must have at least a penny to share since I bore sweat in those days mahn. Give me a huge break so I can dream on.

So let me give you a point of view from a very very old schooled culturally sensitive guy, whom happened to be the authority on such matters, just because he was an almunus and a proud, yeah proud product of both institutions (ooops, heavy wording but it fits the OI's--hahhaha). Give me a pen and I will draw a huge line in the very sand of these two unique but very beautiful islands; the only thing we can dare contrast is that yeah, one of them is a home to Ifaluk Beach. Hahahhaha.

I attended Neighboring Islands Middle School (Now Woleai High School or NICHS) on Falalop Woleai in 1985, and as a freshman, had very little understanding of what it all meant for me personally in terms of getting educated and getting acquainted with the tradition, culture, and social norms of the Woleai Community. For me, it's all the same. Just get finished with the freshman year and move on, leaving the political world to the oldies whom were well versed and educated in such undertakings to worry about the after-affects of the existence of a boarding school.

My time on Woleai was just a blessing I must say. I enjoyed every minute and every second of it. If I have to do it all over again, I would, just not now after so many have gone through the system... Puhlease! The classes of 1986 and on to this very year must have messed everything up so much over there that I heard even bettlenuts were banned. Dammit! Why you new comers have to ruin things? Gosh, don't you have better things to do, like writing on palm trees, or picking your noses? Hahahahahaha... just kidding folks. But yeah, what have you done? Putting your entire group in ropes and put you on hunger voluntariism or hunger punishment? What da heck? Are we going back to the old stone ages? Please tell me I am wrong so that I can rest my uneasiness about these stuff. lolz.

The next thing I know I was off to yet another beautiful Island, landed on the shores of the Ulithi Lagoon. Hehehe. It was 1986 when I stepped on the beaches of Mauwel. O yeah, Mauwel, the Majestic place where students parted, tears streamed and memories faded. It was Mauwel where Hellos and Goodbyes exchanged, and where memories of a life time washes ashore and washes offshore. Where many had come and gone and where the Ulithians still proudly displayed to the weary eyes of every visiting guests to the islands. Mauwel la! Yes--indeed. It's the island's very own majestic beach. It is the smallest beach on the island, smaller than Ifaluk Beach even, but its importance as a landing and departing zone cannot be overstated.

My years on Ulithi was most memorable for so many reasons but one that stood out most was the time Public Works shut off our water. Heck yeah, the Public Works thought we, the boarding students were smelled so good that the only way to turn that around is to shut off the water... Hahahhahahahaha... It was the very first time I was pushed into seeing politics and learnt a few things about how to deal with people of differing opinions, faiths and whatnot. We won over Public works by force! Yeah, by force! We, the United Students, of the only public high school in the Outer Islands, had demanded that you turn on our water so that we can be showered and ready for classes, or risking loosing the public works altogether... Every student signed the petition and public works had to turn on our water immediately and never shut it off again.

Second most memorable thing was a fun night planned for the night before my graduation. The school boards decided that they were too old for a fun night so they basically shut it down. They reasoned that having a fun night is too fun for students and that is against their belief. Hahahaha. Not exactly, but you know what I mean. So we turned to our knowledge in demanding something, just like kids, you know, we cry! We beg! We say we are sorry we wouldn't dare do it again! We did all these things but dammit, the school board was in a very very bad mood that it couldn't function, they decided to go on Vacation, and ignored our pleas. I couldn't belief my eyes.

But you know what, as students, we have so much resources of our own. Of course we have our Vice Principal, and Principal and then the Student Body Association, the OIHS Morning News, the Cooks, the Sponsors, and yay the Community of Ulithi. We must tap into these sources to find our strength to combat these unwavering and vacationing School boards. I remember my best buddy and I telling each other, "WE ARE GOING TO GET THEM MAHN... RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES." O yes... We got to do this. We must have our fun night because we deserved it!

We turn to no one but our favorite teacher, the one and only social science teacher that had helped us before with the Public works yet again, to help us draft a neat petition, and using the resources we had as Newspaper editors, we got this thing off and running in no time at all. To make the story short, we turn the School board back on its head, using their vacation, time, and place against them and yes WE HAD OUR VERY FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN NITE.... YAY... HOOORAY! Later I felt we were too rebelious! And we overheard the School Boards saying we are the TROUBLEMAKERS... Hehehehehe...

But remember the Vice and the Principals? I forgot what part they had in this fiasco. I think to be you know, I mean to give the Educated Guess, they were siding with the School Boards. Dammit, those adults mahn. What were they thinking? We thought hard about our Very Very fun night but they tried all they can to beat us to out and to just send us off like animals.

The sad part is we did everything they asked of us leading up to the Graduation day. We collected firewoods, we cut grasses, repainted the buildings, forgone using the seawall as Port-a Potty, and yes, we tried hard not to chew bettlenut, hahhahaa... nahhh that bettlenut thing is just a decoration. Bettlenut chewing was never banned. But yeah, we did everything including filling the brain cells with OIHS know hows, leaving no other room for FUN.... The FUN NIGHT I think is like Warming down kind of stuff. You know.

So as a weird conclusion, I must say both schools have their places in our hearts, whether you are a member of the public, the staff, school boards, or the student population. There are many many disadvantages and advantages of each school. Each parent and student must think this thoroughly because it can have a huge impact on your learning experience. If you want your student to be fully integrated into the community, then you would choose the Woleai high for the student community is in the community. If you want your student to truly experience a boarding school life, then you would want to sent him or her to Ulithi where students live in dormitories...(if they still are). And here is another observation... If you plan to have your student continue on to a secondary education, then I highly recommend OIHS because boarding student's experience can really prepare you for a college life. I belief having that experience is an advantage but there maybe other factors to look into. If you plan to have your kid stay home after graduation, then I really recommend Woleai High for the community spirit never leaves you as you are integrated into the daily rituals of the community. You have to remember that these are just some simple, outer skin kind of factors. The decision has to be you and your kids alone...

Finally, did I pick a school over the other? Can you figure that out? Maybe not, and there is a reason for doing so. I hope that within all the funny things mentioned, you come away with the important underpinnings that lies within the word "FUNNY." Now, go and prepare your Turkey and say thanks to your parents for bringing you into this wonderful world. Enjoy life to the fullest!]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/woleai-high-school-or-oihs/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:29 +0000 Yangdidi http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/where-is-hapilmogol/ Where in the world is Hapilmogol? How many parts have changed on those engines? How much have our government of Yap State spent on repairing costs and...
I know most of you would accuse me for opening up this discussion without knowing the details for not being back home to know these stuff, but I thought it would be nice to bring it up here so we can all share what we know and then have fun discussing or shall I say debating them. From what I heard from my sources, our state had outspent itself on maintaining YSS Hapilmogol. Yes, it was free but the cost of repairing this ship is on the way up and it keeps going up.

Now, I am not sure what had been boiling on the forefront and on the shores of our islands, but I think it is about time people starting to talk up a new means of transportation to the Outlaying islands. And to do that, you all have to invite our leaders to this forum so they can hear what we are saying. Hehehehe. Yeah right. Whatever. But still, I think we gotta get the Outer Islands a new ship dependable ship.

If and when our state decides to buy a new ship, there must be a lot of factors to look at before a final decision is made. Our government leaders must look a design that can save the state and provide a dependable transportation for the islands. They must look at cost, not only in terms of the physical value of the ship itself but including other factors such as maintenance, fuel, and resale value.

And so we do not contribute to Green house effect, I just have to remind our leaders that we are to this day, use sail on our canoes to travel and I am sure we can integrate Wind Power as part of the package in looking at the design of a ship. I am sure our local sailors won't have no problem learning the techniques of running a Sailing Ship. lolz. This may save our state millions on Fuel charges.

But these are just some thoughts that came to mind as I was relaxing after using all my power rooting for the Ducks to beat Arizona so then We the Beavers can take care of the Ducks... lolz... Go beavs! Read my blog and you shall find out.

Anyways, I recommend that Members of MyCoconut come in the forum and share what's on your minds. I am sure there are some interesting things you can share.

Please do not and I repeat, do not be afraid and think that someone will laugh at your grammars or paragraph usage or something. You have to understand that we come from some tiny islands and here we are reading something off the internet and partake in these social networking sites, which says a lot about how far we have come. And if that is not good enough then I suggest you keep on reading my posts because I will bring you some good evidence that should make you feel a lot better when putting your thoughts into writing. Oh, and by the way, English is not the only language we can speak here. We can speak anything. Let me get us started...

Konbanwa. O kengki desu ka. Ja, ima isogashi desu ga, matta sanjupun ga arimasu kara, koko kara ishoni koen e ikimasen ka. So desu ne. Ja, ashita do desu ka. Sore demo ii desu yo. Ja, matta ashita. O yasumi nasai.

Nepong annim pwipwi. Ennet uwa men busy non ei fansoun, kose mojen kopwe ngenei 30 minutes. Ika pun kose tawe ikenai iwe sipapw pii nesosor ika sipwe fen tawe ngeni. Ina kone no, nepong annim fakkin kinisou japur, omusalo tipis.

See how easy that is. You can speak it in Japanese, Tagalog, Espaniol or Ulithian, and the result would be just the same. Hhahahahaha.

Ok, guys, gotta run now.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/where-is-hapilmogol/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:39:21 +0000 Yangdidi http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/what-would-make-an-educated-chuukese-go-back-home-to-serve/ Perhaps, it maybe the beauty of the island, the urgency of being with loved ones, or it maybe just to be at home. But most have not returned and it is...
I can only think of a few things that would lure our highly educated Chuukese to go back home and serve. One would be for the state to require that all its scholarship recipients come back home to work on a specific project related to whatever field they got their degree in. It doesn't have to be more than five years, 2 years would be good enough.

How can one enforce this kind of policy? Well, the easiest would be to require that all Chuukese scholars have to pay 10% of their salary to the state of Chuuk unless they come back to fulfill their 2 year (assuming this is the minimum requirement)work agreement with the state. I think the US would agree to give the FSM embassy the SS# of all Chuukese scholars so to track their employment.

Second, the state can do a better job of paying a high wage for its scholars to come back and help ensure the state's success. This would require a lot of cash but the payback to the government for using its citizens to do the job would outweigh everything.

Last but not the least, the state have to make sure that jobs are available and benefits are good. What you think?

Chuukese, please share what is on your brain.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/what-would-make-an-educated-chuukese-go-back-home-to-serve/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:35 +0000 Rayleen Harris http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/u-s-military-veterans-honored-in-fsm/ Palikir, Pohnpei – FSM Information Services
November 13, 2009

(U.S. Embassy in Kolonia Media Release 18-2009)

The U.S. Embass...]]> Palikir, Pohnpei – FSM Information Services
November 13, 2009

(U.S. Embassy in Kolonia Media Release 18-2009)

The U.S. Embassy in Kolonia hosted ceremonies honoring all Micronesians and Americans who have served in the U.S. armed forces on Wednesday, November 11, Veterans of Foreign Wars Day.

Attendees at the ceremony included FSM President Emanuel Mori, FSM Vice Speaker Fredrico Primo, Pohnpei State Governor John Ehsa, Pohnpei State Legislature Speaker Nelson Pelep, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and other FSM and State Government Officials, as well as local veterans and their families, including family members of soldiers who perished in combat.

Father Francis Hezel of Our Lady of Mercy Church opened the ceremony with the invocation, followed by the singing of the FSM and U.S. National Anthems by local band Pwihno. After members of the Embassy’s Special Service Guards raised the American flag, U.S. Chargé d’ Affaires William Douglass, FSM Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert, and Sergeant First Class (US Army-retired) Benito Cantero gave brief remarks.

Secretary Robert mentioned the unique relationship that the FSM and the U.S. enjoy under the Compact, including close cooperation for security and defense matters relating to the FSM. SFC Cantero urged veterans to seek all the benefits they are entitled to after their service ends.

Following the remarks, President Mori, Governor Ehsa, Vice Speaker Primo, Chargé Douglass and First Sergeant (US Army-retired) Frank Semens laid wreaths at the Embassy flagpole in remembrance of those veterans who are no longer with us. Master of Ceremonies Jason Wemhoener-Cuite asked for a moment of silence for all veterans and active duty personnel who have died in the past year, including Ron Kersey, Weiner Hadley, Charlie Felton, Waynold Yamanguchi, Cwislyn Walter, and Youvert Loney. Trumpeter Bill Jaynes broke the silence by playing Taps, and Father Hezel closed the ceremony with a benediction.

Going back to Trust Territory times, thousands of Micronesian citizens have served honorably in the U.S. armed forces. The 1986 Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia ensures that Micronesian citizens have the same enlistment rights as American citizens.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/u-s-military-veterans-honored-in-fsm/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:42:43 +0000 Rayleen Harris http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-1-2/how-to-edit-my-profile/ Editing Profile at this moment is very limited to background color of the entire page. The Mycoconut script is currently in the Release Candidate Stat...
Thank you very very much.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-1-2/how-to-edit-my-profile/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:27:03 +0000 LynnTee http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-2-3/why-i-cannot-upload-my-pictures/ Hello MyCoconutese! There are many many factors to look at when finding yourself scratching your head, after an unsuccessful upload. It is frustrating...
First let's take a look at your own computer. Can it handle the load? Now let's look at your router and modem, this maybe in one piece of equipment or separate equipments... Next is your connection speed. Dial up different than cable or Broad band... Just to give you a more hint-Dial up is pretty good for uploading but Cable is really really fast in downloading... But then do not loose sight of the fact that there were really really a lot and I mean a lot of factors involved. So start from the easy ones and work your way to the things you have no control over.

If you are uploading videos or photos, think about how big the file size is. Try lowering the files size or number of files you are uploading and see what happens. So please take your time and make sure you have lots of patience... Try it in different ways...]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-2-3/why-i-cannot-upload-my-pictures/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:24:30 +0000 Yangdidi http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-2-3/the-latest-on-mycoconut/
your MyCoconut is in what we called RC stage, which stands for Release Candidate. This is a time where programs are in testing mod...]]>
your MyCoconut is in what we called RC stage, which stands for Release Candidate. This is a time where programs are in testing mode and is not stable at all. The good news is we are in the final stages of this RC stage. Everything should be in the Stable Version soon. It is hard to say the timeline as we are testing the site and servers out to see where improvements can be made.

The MP3 player you see on here is not the final player. We are using that one just for testing purposes. So do not be alarmed if you see a totally different player the next time you come on the site.

Profile Management is one thing that is being worked on. So please be patience and enjoy the changes as we move along here.

Thank you very much for your membership. Please invite more friends over to join us.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-2-3/the-latest-on-mycoconut/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:20:43 +0000 LynnTee http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/news-from-the-fsm-chuuk-com-campus-got-a-new-generator/ Palikir, Pohnpei (COM-FSM): November 6, 2009 - The College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM) has installed a new generator to provide continuous power at th...
The new generator replaced an older generator which provided only 90 KW of power to supplement the frequent power outages in Chuuk for the Chuuk COM-FSM Campus. The Denyo 300 KW generator is capable of providing power to the entire campus. It produces less noise and is located at the northern end of the campus to prevent disruption to classes. The generator was installed by Chuuk Public Utility Corporation staff and coordinated by COM-FSM's Alfred Olter.

According to Chuuk Campus Director, Joakim Peter, the new generator promoted a feeling of assurance among faculty and students especially when instruction can be carried out without interruption. The new generator alternates power generation with the island power with a downtime of less than three minutes to switch between the two power sources.

A general practice was encouraged at the Chuuk Campus for machines and devices that use electric power to be switched off if not in use.

The Chuuk State leaders are currently trying to secure a legislative mandate to allocate some money to support power generation for the campus.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For further information on this release, please contact:

FSM Office of the President
Public Information: Press, Radio, Video
P.O Box 34
Palikir Station, Pohnpei, FM 96941
Tel.: (691) 320-2548/2092
Fax.: (691) 320-4356
e-mail: fsmpio.fm
http://www.fsmpio.fm/]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-2-1-5/news-from-the-fsm-chuuk-com-campus-got-a-new-generator/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:44:48 +0000 Rayleen Sablan http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/pacific-region-14/president-restores-white-house-initiative-on-asian-americans-and-pacific-is/
CNMI Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan was among the members of CAPAC, the Congressional Asian Pacific Americans Caucus, present for the White House ceremony.

“President Obama made a commitment to restore the AAPI initiative. Today he has kept his promise to Asian American and Pacific Islanders and we are all very grateful,” remarked Sablan.

“Especially, because this is a time of great change — in health care and immigration — change that will impact our communities.

“Now with a voice in the White House, representing our interests, we can be assured that these successful reforms will also fulfill their promise of benefit of all Americans, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”

The Obama Executive Order restores the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders begun by President Bill Clinton in 1999. It aims to increase the participation of the AAPI community in the full range of Federal programs, including health, human services, housing, education, labor, transportation, and economic and community development, areas in which Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans may be underserved.

Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA), chair of CAPAC, speaking on behalf of the Caucus thanked the President for his leadership. “He has restored its broad mission to ensure that all federal agencies are addressing the needs of underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.”

The co-chairs of the Initiative are Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

The first Pacific Islander to be made an Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Interior, Anthony Babauta, was present at the signing. ““I look forward to serving in the Obama administration to help improve the quality of life and create opportunities for all Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans,” Babauta said.]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/pacific-region-14/president-restores-white-house-initiative-on-asian-americans-and-pacific-is/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:36:14 +0000 LynnTee http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/commonwealth-of-the-northern-marianna-islands-7/where-is-the-commonwealth-of-the-northern-marianna-islands/
At the very beg...]]>
At the very beginning I really didn't mind but it has become one of the most annoying questions people have come to ask of me. This is why the very first thing I am going to contribute on this beautiful Mycoconut is a big discussion about Saipan so that people, I mean visitors to this site would know a little about my beautiful world (CNMI).

For starters, I shall stick it to you that CNMI played a major role in ending World War II. How? You might have asked. Well, Enola Gay, the bomber that carried out the atomic bomb in Japan, flew out of the CNMI. So that is a short history of Saipan.

Now, here is a little detail.

"Saipan (pronounced /saɪˈpæn/) is the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10’51”N, 145°45’21”E) with a total area of 44.55 sq mi (115.4 km2). The 2000 census population was 62,392.[1]

Located at latitude of 15.25° north and longitude of 145.75° east, about 120 mi (190 km) north of Guam, Saipan is about 12 mi (19 km) long and 5.6 mi (9.0 km) wide. It is a popular tourist destination in the Pacific.

The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches and an offshore coral reef which creates a large lagoon. The eastern shore is composed primarily of rugged rocky cliffs and a reef. Its highest point is a limestone covered mountain called Mount Tapochau at 1,560 ft (480 m). Many people consider Mount Tapochau to be an extinct volcano, but is in fact a limestone formation.[2] To the north of Mount Tapochau towards Banzai Cliff is a ridge of hills. Mount Achugao, situated about 2 miles north, has been interpreted to be a remnant of a stratified composite volcanic cone whose Eocene center was not far north of the present peak.[3]

Besides English, the indigenous Chamorro language is spoken by approximately 19 percent of the inhabitants.[citation needed] The current governor of the CNMI is Benigno Fitial, who is the successor of Juan Babauta. The island also has many other large, strongly defined lingual and ethnic groups because of the large percentage of contract workers (60% of total population, as of 2001[4]) from China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In addition, a large percentage of the island's population includes first-generation immigrants from Japan, China, and Korea, and immigrants from many of the other Micronesian islands."

The above quote is taken and credited to Wikipedia and can be seen here.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan]]> http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/commonwealth-of-the-northern-marianna-islands-7/where-is-the-commonwealth-of-the-northern-marianna-islands/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:15:45 +0000 Rayleen Sablan http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-1-2/how-to-change-the-profile-picture/ Easy! First, you have to upload a picture that is no more than 500 kilobytes in size. The file size may change soon-just a heads up. To upload or to c... http://www.mycoconut.com/forum/forum-1-1-2/how-to-change-the-profile-picture/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:12:00 +0000 Yangdidi