|
February 15, 2003 - Saturday
I slept through the cats. I even slept through Kaaawa's early garbage pickup. And I slept through my regular early morning update. Hence this delayed entry for the day.
| I blame it all on yesterday's wedding of Sarah Emerson, who grew up one house over from us in Kaaawa and, with twin sister Amanda, rescued our Mr. Lindsey as a kitten and let us adopt him, among many notable moments.
This wedding was quite a spectacle--Sunset on the beach at Waikiki on Valentines Day--with family and friends from all over.
I suppose it doesn't get much better than this.
And just when you get complacent about the twin thing, it jumps out at you, like in the picture at the top. Just click on either photo for a better view.
So congratulations to Sarah and Julius.
|
 |
 |
Senator Robert Byrd surprised me again with another sharp and insightful set of comments in the U.S. Senate concerning the state of the nation.
This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- hit list.
Byrd's comments go on to highlight the terribly dangerous and immoral path being blazed by the Bush administration. This is must reading.
And there it was in Thursday's Star-Bulletin. Page one, above the fold, right up there under the masthead and above the day's headline story, prime real estate usually reserved for news or news teasers. --a KFC fried chicken ad, pointing to an inside page coupon.
From the university, this bit of news:
KITV will broadcast its morning show live from the Manoa campus on February 19, 20 and 21. The live remote on Wednesday and Thursday (February 19 and 20) will be from the first floor of Bachman Hall in front of the Charlot mural. The broadcast at the Stan Sheriff Center will be from center court on the final day.
The crew will be on campus from 12:30 a.m. each day to set up for the live show from 5 to 7 a.m. There will be minimal disruption to the work day as the crew should be out of both areas by 8:30 a.m.
Last note--my spell checker suggested relacing "Waikiki" with "Wichita". I think it just does this to make sure I'm paying attention.
February 14, 2003 - Friday
The electricity was out in Kaaawa again from just after midnight until around 4 a.m. It's been a night of rain. With no power, and heavy clouds, it was a very dark night. I stumbled around searching for a flashlight, then got all the cats in out of the rain, but had to let a few of the boys back out to reduce the level of anxiety, theirs and mine.
Here's a bit of info from a reader which has been under the media radar until now:
I don't believe any of the local media have picked up that NASA's Chief Administrator, Sean O'Keefe, is a 1973 graduate of Damien Memorial High School. That local connection to NASA's top man would be interesting to many in Hawaii I'd think. After graduating from Damien it appears he went to college on the mainland, earning his B. A. degree from Loyola of New Orleans and his Master of Public Administration degree from The Maxwell School in 1978.
Another reader had this reaction to my Wednesday morning comment about the Advertiser headline on drug testing of students:
What's next . . .
"Governor's Initiative to Permit Warrantless Searches Hits Snag"
I can't believe our legislators are seriously entertaining the idea of random drug testing of our children with only the most superficial consideration of the basic civil rights issues involved. Jeez, we can't even buy enough text books to educate them, but blood testing kits? No problemo.
Gov. Lingle announced her appointment of Honolulu attorney Les Kondo as the new director of the Office of Information Practices.
According to the Star-Bulletin's Pat Omandam:
It was at the end of last month when attorney Leslie H. "Les" Kondo received a call from the Governor's Office asking if he wanted to serve as director of the state Office of Information Practices.
Kondo, 39, a partner with the law firm of Chun & Nagatani, said he first asked some questions about the post, then later expressed interest in heading the state agency that oversees Hawaii's open records laws.
There's really little background information readily available on Kondo. Lingle's announcement only contains a cursory description of his legal interests or accomplishments, or his qualifications for this position. I can't locate any evidence of prior interest in information or public access issues. A quick look at state records doesn't turn up his name as an officer or director of any business, as a holder of a real estate or similar license, or as owner of any real estate beyond a partial interest in a Kaneohe home owned by his father. Since OIP is administered by the Lt. Governor, it's possible that he has personal or professional ties with Duke Aiona. Or, as a UH law school grad, he might have had a reference from Lingle advisor Randy Roth.
An Internet search turned up only a 1978 photo of a young Kondo as a freshman at the American International School of Kabul from the school's yearbook, The Scorpion.
That clue led to Kondo's father, Allan Kondo, who retired in 1996 after 22 years with the United Nations. He was sent to Afghanistan in 1976 as coordinator of UNESCO projects in science education, educational planning, teacher education, educational broadcasting and adult literacy, according to a brief resume published on his retirement. Now the senior Kondo sounds like he's had a most interesting career.
| It's Valentines Day, and these beautiful trees are in bloom, adding an appropriate bit of color to the neighborhood. We walk by this tree every morning except when, like this morning, we're rained out. Yes, it's raining pretty good in Kaaawa this morning. In any case, the tree is in the front yard of gallery owner and art dealer Robyn Buntin, who has rehabbed an older house. |
Click for larger photo |
February 13, 2003 - Thursday
Jim Dooley's story in today's Advertiser on another questionable airport contract, this time in Kona, is enhanced in the online edition with links to several memos quoted in the story. Including those original documents gives the story an additional dimension. Good work by both Jim and the Advertiser's web folks.
Thumbs down to Keoki Kerr's story last night on KITV about "missing" state property. The presentation was dramatic and accusatory, but the specifics--laser printers and computers of 1990 vintage, for example--much overhyped. Although the story reported the apparent original prices paid for such equipment, it didn't include any reference to the fact that it would have been considered obsolete and without any value years ago. There was a valid point to the story, but it was undercut by the exaggerated presentation.
A story in Sunday's Honolulu Advertiser on the newspaper's latest poll of island residents highlighted a willingness of more than 3/4 of respondents to pay more taxes to improve island schools.
But the most politically explosive finding was given only backhanded attention--the general resistance to funding Hawaiian claims.
In addition to the condition of the schools, Hawai'i residents are generally concerned about helping Hawai'i companies stay in business, improving the environment, attracting new businesses to the state, solving traffic problems and providing social services, the poll found. Addressing Native Hawaiian concerns ranked the lowest. (emphasis added)
With politicians actively courting the Native Hawaiian vote, these findings hint that there's some fuel for a potential political backlash.
Yesterday's e-mail brought a greeting from Astrid and Berend de Groot in the Netherlands, and their cats Wobbel,Sylvester,Bobo,Gato and Coco.
It seems Berend, a software engineer, was surfing the 'net and came across our feline fotos. Here's a link to a few of his own.
February 12, 2003 - Wednesday
We tuned to the KGMB-TV news radio simulcast while driving home yesterday, and caught an early report, something like: "KGMB has learned that 40 more Marines headed for the Middle East on Sunday..."
Of course KGMB learned it. They read the Star-Bulletin's guest column, "Gathering Place," in yesterday's newspaper, which described their departure. An excellent essay, "How many will come back in the ugly, old, white bus?"
This morning's Honolulu Advertiser has a good example of what I would call a biased story headline and lead. "Student drug testing hits snag," the headline reads, and the story begins: "A proposal to test high-school students for drug use is running into problems in the Legislature...."
The subtle point of view is that drug testing is an assumed positive, and things that prevent its adoption are "snags" and "problems", although the story then correctly reports most testimony found the proposal "rife with problems."
Noted for the record: Federal Judge David Ezra denied former UPW leader Gary Rodrigues motion for acquittal and a new trial, the S-B reported on Saturday.
A reader offered this alternative explanation for the Verizon rate request that has drawn fire from Life of the Land:
Consider the possibility that Verizon wants Legislature to be on record that directory advertising MUST be included in rate-making.
This is second (or maybe third) year in which Verizon is facing competition from an alternative (and lower-priced) 'Yellow Pages' directory in HNL - started by two former Verizon (well - GTE Directories) employees.
If Verizon is now beginning to feel the impact of 'competition' in this area - resulting in reduced directory advertising income and the legislature 'confirms' that directory advertising MUST be included in rate-making - then the next step could well be to seek a rate increase to make up for diminished directory advertising income.
All conjecture on my part, of course...
PS - If you want to understand why competition exists...
check out pricing for Yellow Pages advertising...
Another reader sent along this theory to account for CNN's "speed of light" graphic error:
... former Hawaii broadcast journalist Karen Waygood -- an editor at Uncle Ted Turner's former news farm -- is vacationing here at home.
She woulda caught it and never let it get on the air.
February 11, 2003 - Tuesday
A couple of items from the Legislature. First, for those interested in the fate of the Office of Information Practices, SB 1499, which would create an independent panel to appoint the OIP director, is scheduled for a public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wed-Feb. 12, 9:00 am, in Capitol room 229.
From Henry Curtis, executive director of Life of the Land, comes this alert about a sneaky move at the Legislature:
Verizon makes some money on its telephone operations and a lot of $$$ on telephone directory advertising. Traditionally, both income streams are used to determine if Verizon has sufficient money to cover its costs. Verizon wants its advertising revenue to be outside of the rate process. Thus it can go to the PUC and say, "poor us, we don't make enough non-advertising $$ to cover our costs". The PUC would then be authorized to grant Verizon a rate hike.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection & Housing will meet on Wednesday to hear Senate Bill 372.
Please phone committee members:
Please hold, defer or kill Senate Bill 372. Mahalo.
Last year Verizon asked for the right to raise rates without public notification. Life of the Land was the only non-govt entity to testify against them.
| In response to yesterday's mention, this graphic was forwarded by Ryan over at hawaiinews.com.
|
 |
February 10, 2003 - Monday
It's delicate, since no one wants to make light of the space shuttle disaster. But Ray in Wisconsin spotted this last weekend:
During a Wolf Blitzer interview on CNN on Sunday, a graphic at the bottom of the screen read:
"Shuttle was traveling at 12 times the speed of light."
Well, that COULD cause damage....
Beloit College compiles an annual perspective bender they call their "mindset list", a way of summarizing the life experiences of incoming freshmen, this year made up of kids born in 1984. An example: For them, the list points out, "Big Brother" is merely a television show. It's worth a read.
Speaking of "Big Brother", thanks to those who sent me this link to Bill Moyers' interview regarding draft legislation being prepared by the Bush administration that would dramatically extend surveillance, government intrusion, and secrecy.
Francis from Honolulu added this comment:
Let's see, FASCISM = " a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Facisti) that exalts national and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forced suppression of opposition." - Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th edition. (The left out the tie in of BIG Business and the government?!?)
Pacific Business News has 4,000 subscribers to its free daily update service, according to an email from president and publisher Larry Fuller, and they're trying to expand that subscription list.
It really is a useful product. If you don't receive it yet, you really should. Just click on this link to sign up.
| My foray into the yard with the cats on Saturday was also an "up close with your insects" experience. Seems there were quite a few of these guys (or gals?) hanging around the house.
Any spiderphiles out there able to identify this beauty and tell me if they're a pest or a guest?
|
 |
February 9, 2003 - Sunday
Credit the Advertiser with another aggressive use of the Freedom of Information Act in support of beat reporting. Mike Leidemann has an excellent follow-up story today on last month's China Airlines low altitude flight across Waikiki.
Rather than accept public statements by the FAA at face value, Leidemann and the Advertiser filed a FOIA request for the FAA investigative report and data on the flight's actual course. It reflects more integration of an aggressive approach to public records into daily reporting. That translates into coverage that leads the pack.
Another interesting read this week was Erika Engle's column in the Star-Bulletin detailing the city's previously undisclosed decision to pay to have the mayor's "state of the city" speech broadcast live.
Speaking of public records, still no official word on who will be stepping in as director of the Office of Information Practices, although the name of a local attorney and UH Law grad who might be in line for the post is making the rumor rounds. It's a critical position as far as access to public information in Hawaii goes, and here's hoping the Lingle administration makes a good choice.
| Late yesterday afternoon I grabbed the camera and followed Duke & Toby down into the back yard. Within a few minutes, we were apparently quite an attraction. Wally, Leo, Ms. Kili and even Ms. Harry gathered round to observe. Finally Leo couldn't stand it, and he lept in for a bit of fighter-biter action with Duke. I caught Duke's expression of surprise. |
click for larger version
|
And isn't that nice. We just heard Ms. Harry out in the dark crying, and so I walked out on our small front deck and called her. Up the stairs trots Harriet, mouse or small rat in mouth, and drops it daintily just in front of the door. She is most pleased with herself.
Previous week • Other
Search this site,
courtesy of the folks at
\*/.
|
Online Store 
More choices
|
