|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous week • Other date • About iLind.net • Search • Contact us |
|
|
|||
KHON-TV, citing labor union sources and "political associates", reported last night that First Hawaiian Bank chairman Walter Dods is considering a last-minute entry into the governor's race.The scoop was by political reporter Gregg Takayama.
Walter Dods has been an influential power behind Hawaii's Democratic governors but never a candidate himself. But the chairman of First Hawaiian Bank has told political associates and some labor unions that he may join the already crowded field of Democratic candidates. Some have urged US Senator Dan Akaka to run for governor but today he ruled it out.It makes sense. Since Jeremy Harris' departure from the race, I've been saying that it would take someone of Dods stature to make a serious bid at this late date.
Whether key Democrats are pushing Dods based on a belief that Hirono can't win or an anti-Hirono poliltical posture also isn't clear.
This is a most interesting development to watch.
This reminder was sent my way regarding the confidentiality of the state's marketing deal with Disney mentioned here on Thursday:
From the Hawaii Supreme Court in the case of Shopo v. City and County of Honolulu, 83 Haw. 378, 406 (1996)"With respect to public records statutes, the virtually unanimous weight of authority holds that an agreement of confidentiality cannot take precedence over a statute mandating disclosure."
At home, I'm very sorry to say that Lizzie has not returned. One kitten, the female, has been offered a home, although not the one originally planned. She'll move in with her new family in just over a week.
An eagle-eyed reader spotted this headline yesterday on FoxNews.com: "Bush Moot on Palestinian State Plans".Did they mean "mute"? Or both? You decide. Here's the link to the story, although I don't know how long it will remain active.
The Maui News ran a long story in its June 11 edition on newly appointed Circuit Court Judge Joel August. Lots of background and comments on his qualifications, but not a mention of the governor's unusual refusal to make the appointment.
The 31-year old Honolulu Community-Media Council has been unable to muster a full slate of officers for the coming year and is struggling to survive, apparently weighed down by its history, the passing of a generation of once-passionate members, lack of clarity on its basic reasons for existence, and the familiar modern difficulty of finding and motivating members who volunteer their time. The dramatic changes in the business of news have also contributed to the organization's malaise. There's an effort underway to save the venerable group, but the prognosis is unknown at this time.
The Advertiser has been trying to catch up with two Star-Bulletin stories drawn from federal crime reports.The S-B reported on Tuesday on Hawaii's larceny theft rate, which leads the nation. The Advertiser posted a story online yesterday at 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, according to their breaking news section.
Late yesterday afternoon, the 'Tiser posted an AP rewrite of that morning's Star-Bulletin story on crystal meth use by men arrested in the state. By this morning, though, that had been replaced by a far more detailed article by Brandon Masuoka which provided lots of additional information.
The Advertiser wasn't first, but they ran the better stories overall. I guess that's what competition is about.
The flap over the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau's deal with Disney to cross-market the film "Lilo & Stitch" sent me to the film's web page, with its logo, "Presented by Hawaii, The Islands of Aloha." Click on the Hawaii logo, though, and you end up at Ohana Island, another Disney site with Hawaii-themed kids games and the same Hawaii logo. You've got to persist and click that "Islands of Aloha" again to eventually reach an HVCB site featuring Disney characters and pitches for Hawaii travel.
It isn't clear what we're paying for in all this. The Advertiser reports that the contract is covered by a confidentiality agreement between Disney and HCVB. It seems to me that's no problem if it's all private money. But it's a big problem if they're at the public trough to foot the bill.
It was bright and sunny at 6:41 a.m. this week. Too much sun, actually. Unless there are a few clouds to block the rays, it is hot. After walking to the far end of the beach, we'll return many of these mornings via Kaaawa's back roads, where there's more shade.
Kaaawa beach, 6:41 a.m.
You've got to take a minute to read this obituary from Editor & Publisher. It remembers Millie Benson, who wrote the first 23 Nancy Drew mysteries under the name of Carolyn Keene, and then went on to a 58 year career as a reporter. This is a wonderful look at someone who couldn't stop writing and refused to be "old".One day in the spring of 1998, when Millie was 93, she picked up her pencil and notebook and said to me: "Well, I'll see you later. I gotta go interview some old fogey."I love it. And I probably read all those Nancy Drews when I was a kid (I can admit it now).
Different state. Different newspapers. But this account of the Utah newspaper war also makes interesting reading.
Take a peek at this different work by Star-Bulletin staffer Nancy Christenson, completed just a few days ago, or so I'm told.
And there's this tidbit from California:
If Meda ever gets in on benefit negotiations, she might consider a feather included on the Management Employees Association within the City of San Francisco. You have $N to use for medical insurance. Not sure what it's based on. The slick feature is that you can use it any way that you want. If you have lots of people dependents it will be absorbed by Medical and dental coverage. But if you're the only one covered, there's excess money --- which you can put on medical insurance for your pets. Yes, really! My last boss covered her Jack Russell Terriers.No sign of Ms. Lizzie. The vigil continues.
And don't forget--Mr. Kitten needs a good home!
It's Kamehameha Day, one of those holidays that splits the working world into state and federal zones. It will be a regular work day for those on federal schedules, so I can go to the bank and post office. But state and county workers have the day off, so traffic should be light.Spotted at 7-11: Special offer. Buy a 44-oz drink and a Star-Bulletin, and get 50 cents back with a "coupon" available at the counter. Is that different than a free Star-Bulletin? Does it matter, as long as the customer walks away with a copy of the paper? And is the S-B private circulation audit ready yet?
An item in Jim Romenesko's MediaNews notes that Knight Ridder is cutting the price of its Sunday paper, citing a Wall Street Journal report.
"The St. Paul Pioneer Press was the first KR paper to lower its Sunday price -- to $1 from $1.50 -- and its Sunday newsstand sales jumped 12 percent to 14 percent."
At first glance, that dynamic would seem to be good news for the Star-Bulletin, which offers a deep discount on Sunday. But its Sunday edition still lacks those crucial advertising inserts, which probably continues to be the big drag on sales.
We were back at VCA, our vet in Kaneohe, for another visit yesterday. Perhaps they should just reserve a room for us. Or at least offer frequent flier miles or their equivalent.
This notice from the UH public affairs office, now known as External Affairs and University Relations.The debut issue of News@UH, the university system's weekly online employee newsletter, is now available. Go to http://www.hawaii.edu/ur/news@uhNew issues will be posted each Monday, and the staff news (announcements) page will be updated daily. It is at http://www.hawaii.edu/ur/news@uh/staffnews.htm
This should provide a means for tracking events at the Manoa campus, along with Ka Leo, the student newspaper.
I'm trying to avoid complete depression over Ms. Lizzie's disappearance. It's been a week, but giving up hope feels like it would be a betrayal. So all the doubts and fears are forced into the background and held in abeyance as we continue to look for her and, at the same time, look with renewed appreciation at the other cats in the household. And, speaking of the others, click here for the latest kitten update.
Friends keep saying that she'll be back when she's ready, or that she's found another home. Buster, who was the dominant male in our cat household for several years, was a runaway from down the street who just decided he wanted to live here. So it's possible that Lizzie made a similar decision to relocate, I suppose, but not knowing is most painful.
We've been making the rounds several times a day and calling for her in the areas where she had been spending time, up and down the road behind the fire station, which runs past one side of our yard, around the houses across the street, and at the top end of the next street that runs parallel to ours but across on the other side of the stream. No luck so far.
If you've been visiting here for any length of time, you know that the warning signs have been around for the better part of a year. Lizzie's been running off for a while, but the longest previous stretch was about 3 days. She was most likely to walk off and reappear in 12-36 hours. Nothing anywhere near as long as a week. The problem wasn't just the wandering off. It was that, on most days, she wasn't coming home on her own. I've been going across the street and calling until she would emerge from another yard, or from under a neighbor's house, and then carrying her back home. This had gotten to be a routine.
So we could see the problem developing, but I just couldn't find the magic clue to getting her to come home on her own or relax around the house, despite lots of trying.
We've had cats disappear twice before. Both of those were males, strays who wandered in and stayed for years but never really gave up their wandering. Then one day they didn't return. Their disappearances were several years apart, and never explained or resolved.
But Ms. Lizzie really hits home. We found Lizzie and Harry as kittens back in September 2000, and she was my special friend. She spent many nights sleeping at my feet, and often draped herself across my computer to assist with these morning entries. Her absence is apparent. It hurts.
It's not a walk on the beach, but it's close. Now you can have your own mug complete with a Kaaawa sunrise, and support this site in the process. Click on the photo for a closer look,
For now, there are two sunrise choices, but ask nicely and I'll turn just about any photo in the photo gallery into a custom item for you. Shirts and other items will be available when I get the time to submit the photos, or by request.
I wanted to see the first samples and check the quality before offering these items. They arrived yesterday, and I'm impressed. So check it out.
Click here for more info
Search this site,
courtesy of the folks at Atomz.com
\*/.
