Recent photos: Vieques (Puerto Rico) 1978 • Malaekahana 1959 •
Historic Kualoa sugar mill • Kaaawa in November •

February 3, 2007 - Saturday [ permalink ]

As I reported earlier in Honolulu Weekly, labor leader and lobbyist John Radcliffe submitted a letter of resignation in December announcing his intent to step down from his position as associate executive director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the UH faculty union.

Now, after an occasionally stormy board meeting in January, UHPA directors have accepted Radcliffe's resignation and, in a confidential executive session, approved a deal to hire him back as a lobbyist and consultant. However, the State Ethics Commission web site does not yet indicate that Radcliffe has been authorized to lobby on behalf of the union, and UHPA is not yet listed among his 10 lobbying clients, which do include Corrections Corporation of America, Hawaii Superferry Inc., and tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds.

This retirement and consultant deal is not mentioned in the union's publicly circulated Board Notes, which containly only this oblique reference:

Directors met in executive session from 8:38 until 9:25 a.m. to consider a settlement proposal by Attorney T. Anthony Gill on a personnel matter.  Directors confirmed the motion to approve the personnel action discussed during executive session.

However, UHPA reports in detail on a motion to censure board member Jerry Comcowich, who was initially elected to the UHPA board as representive of faculty in the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology and now fills a "Manoa at large" seat. The motion, which passed by a 16-3 vote with one abstention, cites "his use of the UHPA name on his listserv" and his refusal to return certain unspecified "confidential documents" distributed at the meeting, which Comcowich said all concerend Radcliffe's retirement and "contained false and misleading statements about me and the issues I have been pursuing on behalf of the membership." Comcowich asserted a right to retain two of the documents "if for no other reason than to address and refute the errors of fact, false allegations, misrepresentations and innuendoes contained therein."

Meanwhile, UHPA is unhappy about the way executive salaries are negotiated in secret without any public disclosure until they have already been approved. According to the report of the UHPA board's January meeting:

Executive Director J. N. Musto gave public testimony at the January Board of Regents’ (BOR) meeting regarding changes to executive/managerial salaries that are considered in executive session.  He informed the Regents that the public needs to know what changes are being proposed so that proper testimony may be made.  He was informed that executive/managerial salary information is not for public disclosure until they have been approved.  Executive Director Musto informed the Directors that UHPA would propose modifications to HRS Chapter 92 that would require prior disclosure before executive and managerial salaries for new hires, or special increases, are approved by the BOR during this legislative session. 

I couldn't find the bill in a quick search this morning, so if anyone has a bill number on this please let me know.

February 2, 2007 - Friday [ permalink ]

I received the purrfect email last night for this Feline Friday morning:

I was going to comment on the sad loss of your Powerbook, and the obviously misguided attempts of people to convert you to a canine houser - despite the clear knowledge that your household has well over 100 lbs of feline defenders - who obviously drove off the desperadoes before they were able to loot your home of more than a Powerbook ...

Now that is clear thinking, is it not?

In a more serious vein, he had another observation:

However, then I read the new Honolulu Weekly, where Fred Hemmings (sorry - SENATOR Fred Hemmings) rebuts your article about Gov. Lingle's tax cuts, with pithy arguments about economics, backed up by the alleged agreement with his 'Henningnomics' of "Nobel Prize-winning economist Arthur Laffer".

The problem with this is that, like his economics, it's a Hemmings fabrication - a fiction ...

Art Laffer (whom I knew in school some years ago) IS NOT a Nobel Prize winner .... maybe Senator (not Economist) Hemmings thinks Art should have, but the committee awarding the Economics Prize has not yet seen fit to follow the Senator's beliefs.

It's no wonder Hawaii Republicans are a disappearing presence in the Legislature, if this is the quality of thought they offer!

Tho it does echo the way the WH runs the country ...'If I believe it, then it must be so.'
Sad ...
Sad for us all ...

Thanks. Now I don't have to respond to the senator, who I've known of forever and personally for twenty years, some of that as an ally on a key set of issues. I appreciate Hemmings and his willingness to hammer on an issue even when out there alone, even if we don't agree on a whole lot of specifics.

And while you can't find my bit from this week's Honolulu Weekly in the online edition (until next Wednesday), you can read Larry Geller's reaction to it over at Disappeared News, although you'll know I'm blushing when you read it.

This in from Washington as reported by TV industry newsletter TV Business Confidential:

INOUYE WILL INTRODUCE BILL TO ELIMINATE ‘SUNSHINE’ RULE. The so-called “Sunshine” rule was designed to prevent back-room deals from being made without public scrutiny and prohibits more than two FCC Commissioners meeting outside of their public meetings. In testimony Thursday before the Senate Commerce Committee, FCC Commissioners made a case for repealing that rule. In his remarks, Commissioner Michael Copps pointed out, “Every other institution encourages discussion among its members -- whether it’s Congress, the courts, or the College of Cardinals. You know, if it’s good enough for Holy Mother Church, of which I am a member, it ought to be good enough for the FCC.” Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) agreed, and said he plans to introduce a bill to eliminate the rule.

Of course, Copps is considered one of the very good guys on the FCC, a friend of those who oppose continued concentration of media power in a few corporate hands.

I had the week's "small world" experience yesterday when I received an email from the mother of a Kaaawa resident asking about a broken link to some photos on this site. I noted her email signature...Assistant Director, Public Relations, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. I immediately grabbed my phone to call and let her know that as we spoke, Meda was there on the Sam Houston campus delivering the Beto Lecture in Criminal Justice, part of an ongoing series of special lectures by prominent academics in the criminal justice field.

Finally, here's Mr. Toby caught in the act once again making his now patented dismount from his spot on top of our neighbors' wall. Somehow he glues himself to the vertical surface and just runs to the bottom while gravity does its thing. All aggree it's fun to watch.

February 1, 2007 - Thursday [ permalink ]

Looking back, perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned that the power was still on yesterday morning. By 7 a.m. it was out and stayed out, except for an occasional flicker, for 12 hours. The first outage coincided with a fire at the corner of our street, where branches blown against the power lines ignited. With such strong winds, those flames could have easily spread.

Luckily, Engine 21 from the Kaaawa station was available to respond. Unfortunately, Hawaiian Electric wasn't able to resond as quickly. Note to file: Move the portable generator up higher on the home purchase priority list.

Is the Star-Bulletin toying with a move to free distribution? I keep running into freebie stacks of the paper around Honolulu. There was a stack in the service department at Ala Moana Volkswagen, and another on the express bus to Waikiki. They appear in some fast food restaurants. I wonder how successful that free channel is in getting S-B's into readers hands?

My tale of laptop theft brought several comments. One reader suggested an anti-theft alternative called LoJack which also traces stolen computers and claims recovery of three out of four computers. LoJack works on either Macs or PCs, and the company features Punahou School in its advertising.

Former Star-Bulletin photographer Dean Sensui suggested a dog.

That's the one advantage of having dogs, I think: if a good-sized dog lives at a house and is behind a fence, it's less likely for that house to get burglarized. It's proven true for us all my life. Back in the 1960's our neighbors were burglarized but our house remained untouched, probably because our 55-pound white mutt "Buffy" looked and sounded mean to any stranger. The bad guys will look for an easier target.

And now, with our 60-pound Molly guarding the yard, the security will be as good (knock wood). Of course the potential burglar won't know that this dog just wants to jump, bark and play but it's the thought that counts.

I suggested a 60 pound cat might also do the trick, although our largest is only 16 pounds and he hides under furniture when strangers appear near the house.

There are disturbing reports from Iraq that the circumstances of the recent battle in which hundreds were killed outside the city of Najaf may have been quite different than the official version. That entry cites the Healing Iraq blog, which is quite interesting on its own. Another site, Iraq Slogger, offers a Media Watch feature that reviews the day's Iraq news reported in US newspapers.

A reader had some sharp comments about the Advertiser's growing list of "breaking news" stories, driven by Gannett's new 24/7 mandate:

In case you missed it, here are a few "Breaking News" items posted by the Gannett Advertiser that appear to nicely illustrate the direction that thing is heading.

Hooters opens in Kona and Korea

Exclusive Hello Kitty goods sold at Ala Moana

The same kitty "story" was actually posted again a few hours later, written differently. This is just silly.

Finally, I do not endorse this video, but another "how to wash your cat" story is making the rounds and apparently getting lots of laughs.

January 31, 2007 - Wednesday [ permalink ]

5 a.m. and we've still got power after a night of occasionally very strong gusts. The wind and the full moon created quite a show of shadows and movement through the night.

Meanwhile, I'm recovering from the loss of my laptop and yesterday turned to the task of replacing it. There's no direct replacement for the 12" Powerbook in Apple's current lineup, and after a lot of hemming and hawing, decided to go for a factory reconditioned version of the current MacBook Pro, which weighs a pound more than the Powerbook but still less than six pounds, and compensates by offering a lot more screen, faster system graphics, etc. Apple's inventory of reconditioned and warrantied computers changes daily, so I was up at 3 a.m. today to check the supply. Bingo! I placed an order for the mid-level 15" model which was $500 off the retail price and $300 under even the discounted education price for exactly the same model.

I can say that the first software I'll be installling on the new laptop is something called Undercover, which goes to work if your computer is stolen. Here's a link to a review of the software. When you alert the company that your computer has been stolen, they activate Undercover which begins tracking the location of the computer by recording IP addresses and router addresses. It also transmits pictures of the screen which may give clues of the thief's identity, as well as photos using the built-in camera in all the current Mac laptops. If that wasn't enough, it then simulates a hardware failure by slowly dimming the screen. The company's web site offers up tales of success in recovering computers. I guess I'm going to get a household license and use it.

Okay, dealt with that, and on with the week.

Here's a link to last week's Honolulu Weekly piece on the Tax Review Commission and the general excise tax. In the issue of the Weekly on the racks today, I expanded my comments on Gov. Lingle's State of the State speech. It won't be online until next Wednesday.

Hey, Governor Lingle! Forget all that b.s. about high tech this and innovate that. The reality is that up at UH, which you talk about as the centerpiece of the economy of the future, chronic budget cuts have librarians asking whether it is even possible to continue a major university research library in Manoa. They cite some of the impacts of chronic budget cuts and the current shortfall:

Suspension of the approval plan means that from January to June of 2007 we will not receive the 6,000+ monographs from major academic publishers that normally would be acquired. The "approval plan" is an arrangement with a vendor who selects material for us based upon a profile provided by the Library, and sends to us at a discounted rate, books in the humanities, social sciences and science fields.

For at least the first half of 2007, our main campus library will receive almost no new major press publications. Furthermore, the cuts in librarians' book funds mean that for many subject areas, few, if any, new books can be ordered.

The Legislature is full of bills pushing new tech initiates, some introduced on behalf of Lingle and others on the initiative of key legislators. But all that is spitting in the wind without making sure the basics are in place and working, and an excellent library--or even a reasonably good library--is about as basic as you get in terms of university resources.

There's more information in an announcement of an open forum on the future of the UH libraries, which continues this afternoon from 1-3 p.m. in the Korean Studies Auditorium on the UH Manoa campus. All concerned about learning are invited to join in.

January 30, 2007 - Tuesday [ permalink ]

It seemed to be good news that we were able to make our daily walk yesterday despite the blustery and wet weather, and even managed to finish without getting drenched. But when we got home everything changed. When Meda unlocked the door and we walked into the house, I immediately noticed that my laptop wasn't on the dining table where I usually work in the early morning. Okay, I probably just forgot taking it around to sit in the living room for awhile. Then I noticed the power supply wasn't plugged into the power strip behind my chair. I rarely remove it. Alarms started going off in my brain. My computer's gone.

A search of the house showed the computer was, indeed, gone. And although the door we go out in the morning had been locked, another door had been left unsecured. A nice looking, shiny Apple Powerbook. I'm guessing that someone saw us leaving (it was still dark), then came up onto our deck, looked inside and saw the computer on the table, and tried doors until they found a way in, grabbed the computer and ran. Luckily, it appears that the computer was all that was taken.

So we called the police and filed a burglary report, then later in the morning learned that our friends' two cars a couple of houses down the street were also broken into sometime in the early morning. It continues the pattern of early morning miscellaneous break-ins, mostly of cars, but an occasional entry into a house.

Our accustomed sense of security has been shattered, again.

Meanwhile, the Star-Bulletin reports this morning that the Laborers' International Union has placed a trustee in charge of it's Local 368 in Honolulu after finding finanicial irregularities. The article is based on the order creating the trusteeship which was posted at the local union's office. Why doesn't the Star-Bulletin make use of its web resources to post the letter for readers who crave detail? Unlike the precious "news hole" which limits what can go into the print edition, space is virtually unlimited online.

Interestingly, a New Jersey laborers local said to be "married to the Mob" has also been placed under a trusteeship by the International Union at the same time.

If you want more details, the U.S. Department of Labor now makes reports filed by private sector unions available online in the Internet Public Disclosure Room. And I've tried to copy the latest Local 368 report, although I'm not sure it will open properly.

January 29, 2007 - Monday [ permalink ]

In yesterday's Advertiser, editor Mark Platte offered up a detailed description of the power failure and resulting mess that shut down the newspaper's high tech printing plant last weekend. It's worth reading.

Over in Seattle, the Committee for a Two Newspaper Town has gone to court seeking disclosure of documents filed in the arbitration proceedings between the Seattle Times and Post-Intelligencer over the future of their joint operating agreement.

Pest Control Today reports on the fumigation of the canoe Hokule'a to eliminate a ground termite infestation.

Noted: Robert Reich comments on the Bush health insurance proposal, and the approach of NYT's columnist Paul Krugman. And for good measure, here's a "Spin and Facts" analysis of the Bush State of the Union.

While searching for blogger mentions of Kaaawa, I ran across this description of a first time visitor's arrival at Honolulu Airport and difficulties getting out to Kaaawa. It's always interesting to see our transportation system from the user's perspective.

We're still waiting to see whether the weather will let us go out on our walk this morning. There have been several very strong gusts in the past few minutes, slamming doors and sending cats flying for cover. Wind is really the worst enemy of our walks, because it eliminates the ability of umbrellas to keep us somewhat dry. And an hour walk in the rain isn't fun. But there's still a bit of time before our normal departure time, so we'll see.

It was a typical Sunday here at home. A bit of free time, a camera, and the cats. And the result is yet another gallery of our Kaaawa cats, featuring Wally, Duke, Leo, Kili, Romeo, and Toby. They ate up another couple of hours of my day, and what a pleasure it was!

Mr. Leo

January 28, 2007 - Sunday [ permalink ]

News of stormy weather heading our way, potentially dangerous winds and surf for our windward side of the island, and the cry of the neighborhood peacock greeted me early this morning. There were also the bunch of hungry cats, of course, but that's an everyday affair.

We had advance warning of the storm from yesterday's sunrise. "Red sky at morning, sailor take warning." We definitely had the red sky. The rest is still a prediction. We'll see.

A reader noticed the headline in an online Advertiser story yesterday morning and emailed a correction.

The headline: "Miss Hawaii fairing well in Miss America Pageant"

Isn't it supposed to be "faring?"

Unchanged as of 10:20 after I sent the correction at 8:40 - so much for the 24/7 newsroom.

(Sorry, maybe I have too much time on my hands. Just a pet peeve . . .)

Recommended web site: Common Errors in English.

The Advertiser yesterday did announce some new titles and responsibilities designed, they say, to aid the "transformation into Hawai'i's Information Center, including 24/7 news, video, community sites and further areas being planned."

Another reader had this observation about the approach to corrections at the Star-Bulletin v. the Advertiser:

The Star-Bulletin does a far superior job than the Advertiser in its corrections.

Take a look at the January 27 papers. On the state Legislature's budget, the Star-Bulletin said it increased 7.9 percent between 2006 and 2007, but the paper had reported incorrectly that the increase was 42 percent, an error that was repeated in an editorial. Note the paper said what was wrong and what was right. In contrast, the Advertiser in "getting it straight," said Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven times, adding that an article "gave an incorrect number," not saying what the incorrect number was. Other stories cited that day "contained incorrect information" or "an incorrect title," without saying what those mistakes  were. When the Star-Bulletin misspells a name, it usually  gives the correct name along with its misspellings.

Papers make mistakes. The New York Times is an example how a responsible newspaper corrects its mistakes. The Star-Bulletin pretty much follows the Times examples. The Advertiser should modify its corrections policy to make clear what the mistake was.

A friend stopped by on Friday to ask if I had seen the latest news..."Cat owners at risk of bird flu." Say it's not so!