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July 19, 2003 - Saturday
Here's an interesting interview with Raymond McGovern, one of those who signed the memo to Bush cited here yesterday. You can choose to read the transcript or listen to the interview.
New York Times technology writer John Markoff provides details of changes made to the White House e-mail system to shield the president from all those negative comments. John is an old friend from the old school, in our case meaning Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.
If you're looking for a way to productively waste a few weekend minutes, browse through the Darwin Awards which, by their own description, "honor those who improve our gene pool... by removing themselves from it."
This note received yesterday from JH in San Diego:
I've been meaning to tell you for some time how much I enjoy the photos (and adventures) of all your cats. I can't imagine having so many. We have only two in our house and that seems to be plenty to handle. They do become a big part of the family however, and that's why I understand completely your concerns when you are away from home for a few days.
Thanks so much for the feedback. Actually, we also have a bit of trouble imagining having so many. There are times that we have to jot down a quick list to be sure that we've accounted for all of them. I don't think that's all due to flagging human memory.
The forecast is for rain today and tomorrow. Let's hope so.
July 18, 2003 - Friday
Here's a link to the memo to President Bush by Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, a group of intelligence analysts who are highly critical of the administration's handling of the Iraq issue. They point the finger at national security advisor Condoleezza Rice and VP Dick Cheney.
Editor & Publisher noted yesterday that the U.S. news media have understated casualties in Iraq by regularly reporting only combat deaths rather than total deaths.
E&P says: "Even if killed in a non-hostile action, these soldiers are no less dead, their families no less aggrieved. And it's safe to say that nearly all of these people would still be alive if they were still back in the States."
I was surprised when I stumbled across a summary of a 1979 lawsuit, catholic Action of Hawai'i/Peace Education Project v. Brown, and saw my name on the list of plaintiffs. I had forgotten this case, an attempt to highlight the local presence of what are now being referred to as "weapons of mass destruction".
I completed the 2000th SETI@home work unit yesterday, which is some sort of milestone. I've remained part of the Star-Bulletin's SETI team, which has so far devoted over a century of computer time to the effort.
How do they get their cats to put up with this??
July 17, 2003 - Thursday
I just stumbled over the Bureau of Conveyances new online index, which provides quick access to document listings along with an opportunity to purchase copies. It's fast and simple to use. What a change from the old days, when you searched through dusty old books, or the microfiche jungle of the not so old days. I wish the copies cost less than $1 per page, but even just used as an index, this system is a pleasure.
Here's another bit of Hawaii history--John F. Kennedy in Hawaii--a souvenir booklet documenting Kennedy's June 1963 visit to Honolulu, published the following year by Mason Altiery. Thanks to the tipster who pointed me in its direction.
"Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." UH President Evan Dobelle might be thinking something like that since his successor at Trinity College abruptly resigned at the end of June after just 15 months.
Jim Dooley and the Advertiser scored again today with a story on misuse of funds from Senator Dan Inouye's campaign account, apparently triggered by a close reading of the campaign's reports to the Federal Election Commission.
| A big dove landed on the deck the other morning, sending Toby and Duke into a bit of co-hunting, even though the bird was safely on the other side of the doors. Notice how dark Duke's getting--those colors just keep deepening in true Siamese fashion. |
Toby & Duke
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July 16, 2003 - Wednesday
What a relief to be home. I was, as usual, worried about the cats and most worried about Ms. Harry. On our last several trips off island, we've left her at our vet because of worries that she might disappear like her sister, Ms. Lizzie. But this time we let her stay at home because she's been acting more appropriately. It was a bit of a risk. Would she come home to greet David, our cat sitter? Or would she just go farther off into the wild?
So we nervously arrived home, and within an hour all nine cats had checked in, including Harry. Whew! Then many of the nine wanted to climb into bed with us. Let's see--the crowded bed included Miki, Kili, Duke, Lindsey, and Toby, all jockeying for position and, at times, attention. What a treat!
Malia Zimmerman, writing in the online Hawaii Reporter, adds more background to the debate over KITV's traveling and reporting at public expense. Jump down a bit in the column to the entry headed, "Hawaii Media Should Not Throw First Stone at KITV." More evidence that the practice of accepting freebies may be more prevalent that otherwise believed.
It would be interesting to go back to the stories that were published following the Army sponsored trip to Louisiana that she refers to. Were the restrictions on reporting disclosed in the published stories?
Jim Albertini has some interesting questions for Army representatives scheduled to provide a press briefing in Hilo this afternoon about Big Island expansion plans [the link, broken earlier, is now fixed]. The briefing is scheduled a few hours before an "invitation only" closed door briefing for selected members of the Big Island community. Albertini raises interesting questions, such as how Senator Inouye can be talking about the placement of a Stryker Brigade in Hawaii when the draft Environmental Impact Statement hasn't even been released? Good question, as are many of the others that Jim raises.
Apparently coming this fall--a documentary on Bruce Yamashita, who challenged discriminatory practices of the U.S. Marine Corps. For a teaser, visit www.unlikelyhero.com.
We've been to the west coast twice in the past six weeks, and found one thing changed: all of our United flights were on time. No delays on any of the flights. The automated check-in system does speed things up. The airline may be smaller and in bankruptcy, but it seems to be working much better.
Other observations: Honolulu was the only airport requiring everyone to take their shoes off. It wasn't necessary to show personal identification when getting on the aircraft in San Francisco, but it was being required elsewhere. Generally, security screening was going quite smoothly without significant delays.
July 15, 2003 - Tuesday
A reader had a comment and question concerning the Advertiser story last Friday by Robbie Dingeman regarding RCUH. The story began:
"Harold Masumoto, the outgoing executive director of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i, has been asked to stay on as a $5,000-a-month consultant to help with the transition to his successor. But earlier this month, Gov. Linda Lingle asked the board that oversees RCUH to hold off on hiring Masumoto's replacement and to postpone "a business transaction with Mr. Harold Masumoto involving a substantial amount of money."
But the reader comments:
It never reveals what the "business transaction" was. Do you or your readers know? Is it just a reference to the consultancy at $5K per month? My antenna always go way up when Masumoto, consummate Waihee insider and master of the political fix and deal, is involved.
If you've got any info to contribute, let me know.
We're on our way back today from a long weekend in Portland, a mid-summer getaway not associated with any work, unlike most of our trips.
We camped out in Powell's, one of the country's great bookstores, rode the light rail train over to Lloyd Center, walked along the Willamette River every morning, wandered around downtown, and squeezed in visits to the Portland Art Museum and a vast collectibles show out at the Expo Center featuring what organizers claimed to be 1,800 booths full of just about everything imaginable. Found a good Thai restaurant and stayed with it. Even watched local network television with vastly fewer ads--and more news--than we get blasted with in Honolulu.
It was hot, nearing 90 degrees daily, but there was a family in the elevator one day carrying their skis. We thought it was a joke, but it turns out that you can ski year round on Mount Hood, just a short drive out of the city.
Temporary (I hope) apologies--I don't know why these photos aren't loading properly. I'm heading back to the drawing boards--hope to get them back up shortly. If not, well, tomorrow.
| Clear Channel doesn't just deliver canned radio to stations across the country--they're also one of the agencies delivering building-size advertisements like this one in Portland. Quite a few of these are spread around downtown Portland. I wonder if this is a corporate vision of urban renewal? |
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| Our find of the trip--an abstract oil painting by the late Hawaii artist John Young purchased for $35. I spotted it on the floor of a large booth and recognized the distinctive signature. It was priced at $45, but he agreed to let it go for $35. What a deal! That's Meda with dealer Hugh Weber on the floor of the Portland Expo Center. |
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July 14, 2003 - Monday
Thanks to everyone who wrote in to let me know about the error in yesterday's link to the DangerousEquations.com site. The best came under the subject header, "Dangerous URLs". Hopefully that link has now been corrected, although a series of software crashes have been causing me big problems this morning. If these problems continue, tomorrow's update could be delayed. We'll see.
When Jim Dooley's story on the infighting within HPD last week put a spotlight on alleged organized crime figure Gabe Aio, it sent me digging into my old notes.
Back in early 1996, I was writing for the Star-Bulletin and working on a story about Aio's friend and co-defendant, Steve Crouch, who was then embroiled in a financial dispute with Honolulu attorney Paul Alston. I met with Crouch and Aio several times while reporting the story. I couldn't help being impressed by Aio and his world view, in which he played a quasi-law enforcement role controlling the more violence-prone within the criminal underworld and trying to provide a semblance of order. To accomplish that, Aio told me, you've got to maintain street networks.
I vividly recall Aio's statement: "You want to be in the drivers seat, not in the back seat. You want to direct where things are going."
I arranged a separate meeting with Aio at the old Kelly's Coffee Shop near the airport at 9:30 on Tuesday morning, March 26, 1996.
Aio didn't show. I waited longer than I should have, then drove back to the newsroom.
He later called, about 11:40. Said he had just gotten off a plane from Maui and was at Kelly's. I left immediately and got there pretty quickly.
He was seated in a booth mid-way along the parking lot side of the room, against the glass exterior wall. A large man, aloha shirt, trimmed goatee, short cropped hair. Wearing a heavy gold chain. Large gold ring on right hand.
Gabe says he met Steve Crouch in about 1971 at the Point After nightclub. Steve worked at the club, and Gabe was driving a group from Saudi Arabia. Gabe asked if they could close off the back section of the club for his group. Steve agreed. They became friends.
Gabe acknowledges that he maintains relations with lots of guys, mentioning several well-known names of reputed crime figures. "Hey, I talk to them. They come to me for advice. I don't try to tell them what to do. I just give advice."
"You've got to have a network. You have to have contacts, to know what is going on out on the street."
"I tell them, you guys have to learn to talk things out, stop fighting each other. You've got to work together. Forget the physical stuff. You've got to learn to talk."
But, he says, they don't always listen and learn.
I pointed out that he was then being accused of threats and extortion in the dispute with Alston.
Aio responded: "Hey, I expect that they will try to use my past against me, paint me as a real bad guy. Well, they don't know me. Its like thinking you know about a book without cracking the cover. I'm not like that."
He mentioned the leader of a local union. "He likes the cock fights, in fact I've been to cock fights with him."
"Hey, I didn't say I was Mr. Clean, I like to gamble, I like local sports. But I left that other stuff behind in 1971. I cleaned up my act."
Aio criticized the police for being too much in the "bust em" mode, ignoring the need for intelligence and information.
Besides, he said: "You bust one and another springs up. Crime is like that. You can do that, but nothing changes. You want to be in the drivers seat, not in the back seat. You want to direct where things are going."
He expressed dismay at problems being caused by drugs. Says he always has to tell these other guys, don't bring any of that with you if you want to talk to me. You do what you want, but don't bring it around me.
Throughout our meeting, Aio chose his words carefully. He ignored questions that he wasn't prepared to answer, but struck me as unusually forthcoming. He would have been an unusually good source in that shady zone between organized crime and law enforcement, and I have to admit wondering whose interests were served by targeting Aio for prosecution in this latest gambling probe. I don't have any inside knowledge, but I'm sure that all is not as simple as we might otherwise be led to believe.
July 13, 2003 - Sunday
State Rep. Mark Takai and coauthors of the recent op-ed critical of UH President Evan Dobelle today announced they have launched a web site, DangerousEquations.com, with footnotes and details supporting the published story."
[Ooopps, the first few readers who stopped by this morning got the equivalent of a photo double exposure--a bit of last week's entries embedded here. Hopefully it's been corrected!]
Attorneys for former Honolulu Advertiser staffer Scott Yoshinaga are seeking a court order preventing pirated software from being removed from the newspaper's computers until his attorneys are able to seek details through the "discovery" process.
They are also asking for a list of any programs or data removed or altered "in any way, manner, or form" from the Advertiser's computers since Yoshinaga sued his former employer alleging he was suspended after complaining about software piracy..
According to an accompanying legal memo, Yoshinaga's attorneys say they have "been informed that Defendant Honolulu Advertiser has been inspecting hard drives of its computers; because of this inspection, there is a concern that the hard drives are being altered."
In a June 4, 2003 declaration, Yoshinaga said he was asked by Roger Forness, the Advertiser's vice-president for technology, to research penalties for software piracy. Two months later he was suspended without prior notice.
Yoshinaga's attorneys were also scheduled to depose Forness and Dexter Suzuki, the Advertiser's director of new media.
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