December 18, 2004 - Saturday

We're finally able to see a bit of light at the end of the construction tunnel. And not a moment too soon.

The painters arrived a week ago, and have spent six days so far spreading their magic. They are literally at work before the sun comes up, now that the sunrise is a few minutes after 7 a.m. It's a bit strange to sit here drinking that first cup of coffee while guys you don't really know are right outside the windows on ladders and scaffolding doing their thing. Overall, though, it's been peaceful coexistence.

I took a few pictures on Thursday to send to our insurance agent, so you can just click on this photo to see the latest.

Right now Ms. Annie has scaled one of the ladders in the dark to play along the painters' scaffolding beside our dining room. You could hear the little rattle of cats paws running by. I'm not sure where's she's gotten herself to now--I think she turned the corner and is off to the next stretch.

Once the painters finish up early next week, we expect a flurry of activity. Wayne the electrician sweeps in to install the lights and switches while Steve installs the new cabinets and drawers and lays down the tile counters, and Donald the plumber to adds the toilet, vanity, and laundry sink plumbing. Oh, and a day to recoat the new calico roof with one uniform color, since we took the rummage approach and accepted the bits and pieces of assorted roof tiles that Chris, our contractor, had on hand. It saved a bit of money, but adds a little time at the end. But that's about it! Then there's general cleanup and celebration before we face the daunting task of replanting the entire lawn, front and back. The house should be done in time to prepare for New Year's Eve. The yard, well, who knows! That's probably going to be another whole saga.

Add one more Star-Bulletin marathoner: Nelson Daranciang finished in 4:34:30, placing #5032 overall.

If you're looking for a seasonal laugh, check out Paul Ogata's "Da Nite Befo' Creesmess 2004". The first verse sets the tone:

Was da night befo’ Creesmess,
And was quiet as hell,
Except a guy counting money,
Fricking Evan Dobelle.

Hey, he's become part of island folklore, I guess.

Happy Saturday.

December 17, 2004 - Friday

At first I thought the advertisement that popped up during the 6 p.m. news last night was a strange flashback to the election. It was in that now familiar attack ad format alleging mismanagement and improprieties in operations of the state airport system, and referred viewers to a web site for further information, AirportScandal.com.

The fine print zipped across the screen too fast for me to get close enough to read it. But AirportScandal.com was registered on October 6, 2004 by Frank Ford, partner in a small Maui airline, Pacific Wings.

The web site identifies its sponsor as The Part 135 Regulated Operator’s Partnership (PROP), described as "a coalition of locally owned and operated Part 135 air carriers. 'Part 135' refers to the body of federal regulations governing scheduled and on-demand air carriers operating aircraft with nine passenger seats or less."

The web site links to recent news stories about the airport system and airport issues, as well as to a series of requests for public records relating to previously undisclosed potential conflicts on the part of State Department of Transportation and Airports Division officials.

There's certainly a bit of smoke raised by this site. Whether there's a fire is something a lot of folks will now be watching as a result of the prime time advertising.

Star-Bulletin business columnist Erika Engle reports today that the newspaper's parent company, Oahu Publications, is planning to launch a second weekly similar to MidWeek but designed for delivering weekend-oriented advertising. Like MidWeek, it will be delivered by mail. The inaugural issue is expected on March 4, 2005.

I've been asking around and turned up a few more media marathoners in somewhat random fashion.

Richard Couch (Advertiser copy desk)
Finish Time: 03:59:09, Place Overall: 2232
Wow, that guy's fast!

Dan Woods, Honolulu Advertiser, Ass't City Editor.
Finish Time: 04:36:02, Place Overall: 5173

Mark Eidson (Advertiser sport's designer)
Finish Time: 04:37:57, Place Overall: 5353

Stephanie Lum (KHNL)
Finish Time: 04:55:56, Place Overall: 7388

Retired Advertiser writer Kay Lynch
Finish Time: 06:10:31, Place Overall: 14440

Ken Kobayashi (Advertiser court reporter)
Finish Time: 06:39:38, Place Overall: 16712

Retired Star-Bulletin writer, Lyle Nelson , age 80,
Finish Time: 06:54:25, Place Overall: 17844 (but #9 in his division).

They've got a enough 80+ runners for a division? Doesn't that make you feel like a slug?

In any case, you can do your own online search through the thousands of runners at the Honolulu Marathon web site.

We're overdue for a bit of animal energy, so I've gathered up another round of the morning dogs. Of course, Axel the retired seeing eye dog and morning regular again assumes a prominent place. As usual, just click on his photo for more.

Click for more morning dogs

December 16, 2004 - Thursday

Here's an interesting piece on the political quagmire facing Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, now facing increasing political opposition.

Pat Bigold sent over this tidbit from Sunday's Honolulu Marathon:

The two top newsroom editors of the Advertiser and Star-Bulletin competed in the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles).

Advertiser managing editor Mark Platte, 44, came out ahead in 4 hours, 11 minutes and 39 seconds. He was 3,036th overall.

Star-Bulletin editor Frank Bridgewater, 54, finished in 4 hours, 21 minutes and 49 seconds. He was 3,860th overall.

Not bad times.

And former Star-Bulletin executive editor John Simonds, 69, finished the race in 5 hours, 51 minutes and 19 seconds.

Former islander Karen Waygood, still enjoying life in Atlanta, is now tending to Monkey Town, her new blog featuring the lives and times of her own menagerie. I'm partial to the Beast, who happens to be of the feline purrsuasion, but he only plays a supporting role to the rest of the monkeys.

She comments: "Monkey Town's had 600+ hits! Maybe it's the romance and addictive story line..."

So check it out.

Kaaawa is protected by a long reef, but large surf like that hitting the islands this week effects us nonetheless. Waves eat away at the shoreline, wash rocks and debris across the roads, and afflict beachfront residents with anxiety attacks. Click on the photo for a few more taken yesterday morning. And more high surf is predicted for tomorrow or Saturday.

December 15, 2004 - Wednesday

The Star-Bulletin's Rick Daysog got a big jump on the competition when he got the story of the federal takeover of Unity House up on Starbulletin.com by mid-day yesterday. The Advertiser never did add news of the takeover to their updated online headlines, but Jim Dooley made up for the delay with a richly detailed story this morning.

A short piece in CJR Daily, a web site of the Columbia Journalism Review, defends the Chattanooga reporter who helped frame the sharp questions that hit Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld last week.

Pitts came up with his ploy once reporters were banned from asking questions at the town hall session that Rumsfeld had with the troops -- and after having spent weeks embedded with the very soldiers concerned about that issue.

But if the rest of the press corp were properly challenging restrictions put on reporting, it might not be necessary to resort to such little tricks of the trade.

Can't help wishing I were in Seattle to take in this Hawaii-related show by Kauai native Sarah Rudinoff. Here's another fine review of the same production. I'm assuming Sarah is the daughter of the Rev. Jan Rudinoff, who retired in February after 30 years at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Lihue. Someone please let me know if I'm wrong on this.

This fine fellow just got dressed in appropriate seasonal garb, which he displays in our living room looking out towards the ocean. Just click for a larger version of the photo.

Ho, ho, ho.

December 14, 2004 - Tuesday

Here's a follow-up to yesterday's photo of my parents. It's a portrait of them back around 1940-42 taken as they walked along Kahala beach with their dog, Kiki. I like this photo, which seems to convey the slower lifestyle of that earlier era. You can click on the photo for a better view.

On to other things...

If you didn't read down into yesterday's Star-Bulletin story on former island woman participating in the television makover show "The Swan", you might have missed the photo with her father, Herman Fergerstrom. Wait. Fergerstrom? As in Blaine Fergerstrom, former Star-Bulletin webmaster now doing his computer magic at Kamehameha Schools?

Blaine confirmed:

Yup. That's my sister, her husband and my dad on page one today!

She now looks like she did shortly after graduating high school! Thing took 15-20 years off her!

She's still the same girl, though. Feisty, take no prisoners. Tim Ryan told me that she reminded him of me.

"If you like words, you'll luvvvv this site," a regular reader said in recommending a site maintained by a high school teacher in Florida. And he's right, there's stuff in "A collection of word oddities and trivia" for both writers and readers.

A Washington Post story today on a Boston libel suit provides a cautionary tale for reporters who rush into public appearances to discuss and elaborate on their big stories. What you say can be held against you and what you've written.

And I was shocked to read of the apparent suicide of Gary Webb, the reporter who pieced together the intricate picture of government backed cocaine trafficking by elements of the secret Reagan-era effort to aid the Nicaraguan contras. Webb was later ganged up on as the journalism establishment caved in to the powers that be.

Another reader sent over this link to a collection of "cat haiku", including this gem:

My brain: walnut-sized.
Yours: largest among primates.
Yet, who leaves for work?

December 13, 2004 - Monday

The thermometer in our living room reads 65 degrees (F). The down comforter on the bed is a hit with the cats as well as the people. The weather service is forecasting huge surf along the North Shore and has a high surf advisory for our coastline and most of the state. It's definitely winter in Kaaawa.

Bev Creamer provides some very grim reading in today's Honolulu Advertiser as she provides an updated assessment of the flood damage the University of Hawaii's Hamilton Library.

Seattle has purchased several hundred of the same hybrid buses recently introduced in Honolulu, and the Seattle Times reports that promised fuel efficiencies haven't materialized, although the city says the buses still have a number of other advantages.

As if U.S. airlines don't have enough problems, the Financial Times reports that international flights are increasingly rerouting through Canada in order to avoid the inconvenience and delays caused by our airport security measures, with Canada a major beneficiary.

Entry briefly interrupted here by Ms. Annie's jealous leap up onto the towel that we put out for Harriet to sleep on overnight. Now that Harry's headed outside, Annie had to check out her spot. Of course, she hit the towel which just slipped off the counter, taking Annie, towel, and bowl of dry cat food down with it. We could probably learn something from the dispersal pattern of Whiskas new more tasty formula, but I don't know if it would be useful knowledge.

Speaking of cats, if you're getting into the Christmas spirit, you might want to check out Iris and Fern's cat-centered tree decorating advice. I don't know how they got these pictures.

My parents came out to Kaaawa yesterday for a slightly belated celebration of my dad's 91st birthday (which was actually back on Tuesday). We had sandwiches and pickies, a glass of wine, birthday cake, and an occasional cat sighting. I'm not sure what the key factors are in such longevity, but I just have to hope that we've unconsciously learned them along the way.

December 12, 2004 - Sunday