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February 22, 2003 - Saturday
A reader sent in this little note:
On Wednesday's 10:00 pm newscast Joe Moore promoted his upcoming play "Dirty Laundry" and after some video quiped that "change management" was in the air.....
Moore says Dirty Laundry "was inspired by my frustration with what I see as the decline of the TV news profession and the ascent of the lowest-common-denominator style of news now so prevalent on many TV stations. The play is actually my nightmare scenario of what I fear could happen next time KHON-TV is sold."
I noticed the Advertiser's lead to it's story on the peaceful ending to a tense hostage situation in Hilo:
An 18-hour stand-off between Hilo police and an armed fugitive barricaded in a room at the Hawaii Naniloa Resort ended this morning without incident, police said.
It ended without violence, but "without incident?" After an armed fugitive has kept police at bay for 18-hours, doesn't it seem just a bit late to be considered "without incident"?
My friend Merlin in Seattle has a serious question for those who think God is on "our" side as this country prepares for war in the Middle East. Just click here.
February 21, 2003 - Friday
Internet gremlins and my offbeat schedule kept me from getting today's entry up on time. I had to check several times before all systems proved to be back up and running, and run some errands in between. So sorry for the delay. And for the record, I'll have Saturday's entry up by around 9 a.m tomorrow, and Sunday, well, this week it's a day of rest. No new entry planned, so just stop by and check out some of the archived photos. I should be back on the regular schedule beginning Monday.
I did the cover story for the current issue of Honolulu Weekly, which won't be available online until next week. It's not my typical topic, although it originated in the same impulse. I was backtracking through court indexes to check on developments in cases that I'd been interested in at points in the past. One of those cases stems from a 1997 fire in Palolo in which seven people died.
To satisfy my curiosity I started reviewing the court files, which told the story of this fire from a variety of perspectives. The story that comes through is alternately tragic and lyrical. When I realized that the fire could be pegged to an almost minute-by-minute timeline, the structure for telling the story seemed obvious.
It took several tries to convince the Weekly's editor that the story was worth printing, and my first draft was nearly three times the maximum word count. It took me most of a week to slash it to size. The result is a compromise, as such things always are, but it ended up as a good story that we're all happy with.
Editor & Publisher reports several legislatures in the midwest are considering allowing legal notices to appear on only on the Web. It's a move that makes a lot of sense, but would be another blow for struggling newspapers by removing another source of regular revenue.
| I've been taking it easy this week which, as is often the case, translated into another round of cat photos. Just click on this shot of Mr. Duke to see the full update. |
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February 20, 2003 - Thursday
From folks at the Legislature comes this useful list of executive department contacts in the Lingle administration, with e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
And this link came from Sen. Les Ihara on Tuesday:
For your information, today legislators received the DLNR annual report for the years of 1999, 2000, 2001. The report is available online at: http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/FiscalReport.html
Not necessarily a best seller, but I'm sure there are lots of interesting snippets to be found here.
Jonathan Tasini has announced his resignation as president of the National Writers Union. Tasini was the named plaintiff in the precedent setting case, Tasini v. NY Times, which established freelance writers ownership of electronic rights to their works unless specifically sold as part of a publication deal.
I will be resigning as president of the NWU on or about April 1st to start a new organization--the Creators Federation (www.creatorsfederation.org).
It has been clear to me for many years that, as the
media industry consolidated and evolved into an international industry, advocates for creators' rights needed to work more closely together on common strategies. In
1994, I sketched out a proposal to found something called the Cultural Workers Federation. A number of organizations agreed that we needed such an entity.
Two years ago, I decided it was time--actually, long
overdue--to make the concept come alive so I announced
that I would run for only one more term as NWU president.
In the ensuing time, I began a series of conversations
and contacts with creators, their organizational leaders
and foundations. I was heartened at the strong positive
response. I have now received substantial initial funding
for the Creators Federation. So, it's time to launch
what I believe will be an organization that will strengthen
bonds between all creators' organizations and, more
important, expand the rights of creators throughout
the nation.
Though I will have more to say about the future of the NWU closer to the date of my departure, I want to briefly thank all the members for the privilege of serving as president of the NWU for the past 12 years. We've grown from a small, little-noticed organization of 2,500 members to a cutting-edge, dynamic, 6,500-member leader among creators that has defined many of the most important fights facing writers. We've done that thanks to the support of our members, the work of our elected leaders and our relationship with the United Auto Workers. I'm proud of what we've accomplished and certain that the future, though filled with tough challenges, looks bright for the union.
Solidarity,
Jonathan Tasini
My sister, Bonnie, sent along this pet tale from her home in Pine Mountain Lake, a little community that's part of the thriving town of Groveland, California:
Your comment about why not to bring home a puppy prompts we to share our weekend experience. Mr. Purrkins is a bashful boy, although at 10.5 pounds is not a small cat. His safe place is dead center under our bed. His most frequent visitor is Zar, the Scottish Samoyed (that's Samoyed who moved here from Scotland, not a new breed), who stands no chance of getting under that bed. Zar just lies on his tummy and sticks his nose under -- or plops himself on TOP of the bed and naps until Mr. Purrkins decides to eventually emerge. This weekend's house guests brought their 13-year-old Yorkshire Terrier cross, who soaking wet is still outweighed by Mr. Purrkins 2:1. You can imagine the scene. Mr. Purrkins hear a favorite voice and steals downstairs to say hello, only to come face-to-face with (OH! Horrors!!! Dog!!!!!!). He turns tail and runs back upstairs for his sanctuary, with Miss Penny on his heels. Then comes the series of loud THUNKS, hisses and yaps as dog follows cat right under the bed! The thunks are both heads hitting the bottom of the bedframe!! If we could only teach Mr. Purrkins not to run when he sees a dog .....
February 19, 2003 - Wednesday
Patience, I'm told, is a virtue. And a good thing, given the lateness of today's entry.
National Public Radio's All Things Considered did a featured program earlier this month on Girls and Gangs. But Milwaukee gang researcher John Hagedorn, a friend and coauthor (with Meda) of a book on female gangs, says he plans to use the program "as a prime example of yellow journalism in my gangs and the media class."
"That NPR did this caused great harm," Hagedorn says.
He addressed this critical reaction to the program's producer, Davar Ardalan:
One reason why I have shied away from media interviews is that journalists sometimes take words out of context and twist what's said to fit their "story," I didn't expect such treatment from my favorite radio network.
I greatly appreciate your interest in female gangs, and concern for their problems. Terrible things happen to many girls, but the scary stories are only part of the tale. By using only that part of your interview with me where I tell about weapons and initiations, you turned my perspective on its head. The fact that female gang members almost never kill and seldom use guns, you turned into a throw-away line sensationalizing violence.
I didn't hear much about how girls see the gang as a solution to their problems, and "fun," or even "liberation," and not the horror story experienced by some. Female gangs are one way some young girls find "family," "respect," and control in their lives, not just sexist exploitation. I know your story was about Long Island, but you might have talked to David Brotherton or Luis Barrios of John Jay College for a quite different perspective on New York female gangs. Meda Chesney-Lind would concur from a national perspective.
I'm pleased you posted the entire interview with me along with links to gangresearch.net.Your distortion of my analysis in the programs, however, makes my research more difficult by raising questions among listeners, which may include gang members, on the nature of my views, and even my character. Your story makes me leery about doing interviews with npr again.
You can also pay a direct visit to Hagedorn's research on female gangs.
| Although there have been a few more rainy mornings in Kaaawa in the past couple of weeks, there have also been remarkable mornings. The possibility of sighting whales from our vantage point on the beach adds to the energy level during this time of year. |
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February 18, 2003 - Tuesday
George Chaplin, retired editor of the Honolulu Advertiser who was a significant figure in Hawaii for several decades, died yesterday. A long and detailed obituary appears in this morning's Advertiser.
Here's a long but interesting exchange between former UH grad student Steve Philion, now in Minneapolis, and Aaron Brown of CNN over reporting of the current wave of antiwar activity:
From: steve philion
To: Aaron.brown@turner.com
Sent: 2/14/2003 11:18 PM
Subject: Re: Antiwar mv't reports
Mr. Brown,
Your bias against the anti-war movement is too obvious. You state that present anti-war movement is smaller than the one that mobilized against Gulf War 1, which, according to your reporter had 10's of thousands of protestors.
I refer you to the police report from the San Francisco protest in January:
"Police estimates of 55,000 demonstrators came from a counting of people in Civic Center Plaza and did not include marchers who were backed up along Market Street, said Jim Deignan, San Francisco police spokesman. "
"Aerial photographs show a packed plaza and masses stacked back along streets leading in. If Civic Center Plaza were filled and Market Street were lined all the way to Justin Herman Plaza, a 200,000 estimate could
be accurate, said Deignan. "
""I think it was between 50,000 and 100,000," he said, but later said that 150,000 could be a safe estimate. "
Also, from the Washington Post and the NYT, not exactly left wing propaganda sources, we know that in November there were over 100K who showed up according to DC Police Chief Ramsey.
I notice that in tonight's CNN webpage article on the Melbourne protest your headline states that "10's of thousands protest" and according to Melbourne police over 150 K showed up.
Can't you be a little less blatant in your underestmations of the anti-war movement?
Stephen Philion
From: Brown, Aaron (NY-TBS)
To: 'steve philion '
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 11:27 PM
Subject: RE: Antiwar mv't reports
First, thanks for the note. Second and really I mean this respectfully, you are wrong. Let's just take a look, a fair look if you will at the program I put on the air tonight. I can't imagine it could have possibly been a fairer and harder look at the American position on the war than what we presented. While I don't have the scripts in front of me, I'm back at the hotel now, the openning pages clearly noted what a diffcult day it was for the administration. One specific question I recall, one to Ken Polluk went some thing like this; for the administration how do they put lipstick on a pig. We laid out the day, a difficult day for the administration by any objective standard in a way that no viewer could come away with a different impression.
On the specifics of the anti war movement you are also wrong. As the Managing Editor of the program I commissioned not one but two pieces and a guest dealing with just that. And while you may want to quibble about numbers, which in my experience in these things is rarely better than guesses.. each side using numbers that reflect their own bias, we put two long looks at the issue and then booked Ron Kovic. Now it is not my place or my desire to give any guest a free ride and I wish Ron had been a little less polemical and a little more direct, the interview itself gave the a good, clear and thoughtful voice to the anti-war movement. I know Ron agreed. We talked afterwards.
I understand the times we live in. I understand people sit by their computers waiting to "attack" at every moment. But to charge that I or the program showed some bias to the anti war movement today or ever is stunning.
I also understand passion and I respect it. But your note is unfair to me and to the program and to the people who work very hard each day to make it better than anything the odd little world of cable has to offer. I don't expect an apology. That too is a reflection of the times. But I deserve one.
Again thanks for writing. I take notes seriously and answer many. I don't roll over. I hope you appreciate that as well.
Aaron
| And of less moment, perhaps, back in Kaaawa there's another litter of puppies along the route of our morning walk. We haven't been formally introduced, so only know them across the fence. But they're definitely cute, and they are the excuse for another round of Morning Dog photos. Just click on this picture. |
More puppies!
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And a strange schedule may make timing of this week's entries a bit erratic, but hopefully I'll be able to work it all out.
February 17, 2003 - Monday
If it's not one thing, it's another. Now House Republicans have released a committee report on nuclear weapons' policy, calling for renewed nuclear testing, a renewed arsenal of tactical nukes, and a policy for their use with "no obligation to wait to be hit first."
This reply from a reader refers to yesterday's mention of a Washington Post profile of Ryan Phillips:
In the Washington Post story, they say that Ryan and Rupert are reclusives who avoid having their picture taken. The reporter goes on to quote Ryan as ridiculing a local politician about his belly... heh... He oughtta have a look at his own daddy!
The Star-Bulletin's Ken Ige snapped a whole pile of Rupert pix in Sept. 1999. One example is here along with Dean Sensui video clips!
| The rule of thumb is that kittens gain about a pound a month. So a four month old kitten like Toby typically weighs in at four pounds.
But when Mr. Toby reported to the vet yesterday for his final kitten shot, he was just an ounce or two under five pounds. Could it be he's going to be a big cat?
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Mr. Toby at play
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February 16, 2003 - Sunday
I got up early this morning and read Euan Ferguson' extraordinary report in Guardian of the peace march yesterday in London, said to be Britain's largest demonstration in history.
One woman's comment got right to the point that so many American's are also feeling:
'I'm not political, not at all. I don't even watch the news,' said Alvina Desir, queuing on the Embankment for the start of the march at noon. 'I've never been on a march in my life and never had any intention. But something's happened recently, to me and so many friends - we just know there's something going wrong in this country. No one's being consulted, and it's starting to feel worrying - more worrying than the scaremongering we've been getting about the terrorist threat. I simply don't see how war can be the answer and I don't know anyone who does. And, apart from anything else, as a black woman in London, it feels dangerous to spread racial tension after all that's been done.'
And in a separate report, Mary Riddell touches on another profound truth of this moment:
Political leaders hate crowds. Mass meetings have been supplanted by leaks and soundbites. In the fractious build-up to war, lonely societies are encouraged to become more solipsistic. A fearful population, hiding behind its anthrax-proofed windows, is also tractable. There is nothing threatening to government about citizens bickering over the last roll of duct tape in Wal-Mart.
British marchers have spurned isolation for solidarity, and fear for fury.
It's really the political version of "flashover", a firefighter term referring to what happens when accumulating gases and heat from a small fire bring the temperatures of all surrounding materials to the ignition point until everything, a room or a structure, spontaneously explodes into flames at the same time.
In case you missed it the first time around, as I did, the Washington Post did a scathing profile last week of Rupert Phillips' son, Ryan, installed for several years as publisher of the Journal Newspapers.
"There is an air of arrogance that comes from the fact that Ryan Phillips is a spoiled rich boy with no sense of what it means to work for a living." Quote from Susan Gervasi, who was fired from Phillips' Montgomery Journal, along with most of the reporters, in just days before a union election.
Thanks to Burl Burlingame for calling attention to this story.
Lost and found: I ran across the name of former Advertiser Executive Editor John Hollon, now editor-in-chief of San Diego Business Journal. Hollon had been editorial director for Fancy Publications, which puts out favorites like Cat Fancy and Dog Fancy magazines, then moved over to Pets.com before landing back in the news business in San Diego.
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