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July 5, 2003 - Saturday
I'm sorry for the error that blasted the link to yesterday's "cosmic blast". I corrected it after several readers commented on the problem. Thanks for the feedback.
The Star-Bulletin's Rod Antone continues to follow the story of the unlikely posse that corralled a bank robber in Waikiki the other day. Rod's story yesterday included quotes from both the young woman who assisted as well as her boyfriend, details that made the story and kept Rod way ahead of the Advertiser coverage. And photographer Ken Ige added a great shot of the woman in her SUV with surfboard, just as she had been on the day of the chase. Too bad Ken's photo was presented small and in black & white, at least in the edition we get in Kaaawa. It looked great in color in the online edition.
A reader offered up his opinion on UH Regent Dowling's resignation this week:
Interesting decision...can be spun in may ways...
Present spin...
- believing that the proposed Institute for Astronomy is an important key to UH's long-term success, Regent Dowling sacrificed his personal prestige and community contribution as a UH Regent in order to be assured that this most necessary project will come to fruition.
Alternative...
- given a choice between serving the community, and money, ex-Regent, and most excellent Maui Land Developer, Dowling chose the dollars.
Even worse...
- seeing that, given the new Lingle appointees, no further opportunities for money-making deals with the UH would be possible, Regent Dowling resigned to seek opportunities in other areas.
In retrospect...
Regent Dowling, having done well (or better) in Maui real estate development, missed his opportunity to REALLY be a community benefactor, by overlooking the opportunity to contribute his interest in the property to UH - thereby earning a substantial tax-deduction. Heck, he might even have contributed it to the J. Jones Salary Charitable Trust...
As it is, it now appears that the project will go forward, with Dowling, as in the past, developing the property for UH and profiting thereby from the deal as a developer. So one creates the deal, then steps out of the conflict issue, to reap the benefits.
And, lastly, what happened to the state's power of 'condemnation?'
"Get a cat." That's the professional advice from the lead story in the current issue of Consumer Reports magazine on "Pets & vets", which features a highlighted section at the end of the layout devoted to "20 ways to cut vet costs". Number 13 on the list, and tops in the 'prevention' category, is the following professional advice: "Get a cat. They have fewer serious health problems and genetic diseases than dogs."
Speaking of cats, I did have to begin a search for Ms. Kili yesterday, but she was right in her favorite hunting ground, just down the hill makai of our house. And she came in last night when a few neighborhood fireworks started. So did Mr. Silverman, who rarely graces us with his presence. On the other hand, Harriet stayed out through it all and didn't come in until about 15 minutes ago.
Tomorrow afternoon I make a two-handed trip to the vet with Duke, who just needs a routine shot, and Lindsey, who is still on our watch list due to recent behavior changes. I doubt Consumer Reports would stretch their advice to say, "get nine cats."
July 4, 2003 - Friday
If you're looking for a cosmic blast to jump start the day, click here. [Oops, my earlier effort left out a key letter in the address, but this should have fixed it.]
Here's an interesting little article from The Nation on the president's use of "dominating language techniques". As the friend who pointed me to the article says, "well worth your time."
Both Honolulu papers this morning report on the resignation of Maui developer Everett Dowling from the University of Hawaii's Board of Regents. Both focus on the flap over Dowling's potential conflict of interest in a proposed land deal. But Dowling also been one of President Evan Dobelle's key backers on the board, and his departure could signal rockier relations between the president and the board.
| This is about as close as we're going to get to any 4th of July fireworks. We were shuffling through the Kaneohe Safeway stocking up for the weekend, and when we emerged there was this wonderful cannon in a truck parked next to us. I didn't have a camera, but I did have my Palm Zire 71, hence this slightly fuzzy foto. |
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I'm waiting for Ms. Kili to show up this morning. By the time we finished dinner last night, I couldn't recall having seen her check in, and we always fret if one of our cats doesn't check in on schedule. So if she isn't around by the time we get back from our walk, I'll have to do a search pattern through her current favorite spots.
July 3, 2003 - Thursday
The front page lead story in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle was on Honolulu golfer Michelle Wie. The comment of a reader who called it to my attention: "Finally, some good press about Hawaii!"
The Star-Bulletin's Rod Antone gets my vote for most engaging crime story in a while with his account of the crazy chase after a bank robber along the edge of Waikiki.
"I asked them if they saw the guy with the pink shirt and they said, 'Yeah, he ran down Niu Street,'" said Cravalho. "Then they asked me 'Why, what he did?' and I told them he robbed a bank so they said 'Shoots brah, let's go!'"
That seems to say it all: "Shoots brah, let's go!"
Another reader comment: "So many tyrants and so little time."
Now that Bush is considering sending troops into Libera, I wonder how much thinner he can spread our forces before 2004.
I mean there's still Zimbabwe, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Belarus, Syria, Laos, Sudan......and don't forget North Korea and Cuba.
And The Economist has a useful review of the U.S. stance against the new International Criminal Court.
July 2, 2003 - Wednesday
Monday night's 6 p.m. news on KGMB promised some important medical news, and delivered a rather long report on a "flatulence filter" patented by a Mililani man and marketed on the Internet by an Iowa-based company. The report, complete with interview and associated banter as well as a shameless plug, included reading out the URL for the company's site as well as the telephone number (which was wrong and had to be corrected later in the newscast). Medical news? I don't know...
The company, Flat-d Innovations, features quotes from Dr. Rae Seitz. Is that the Rae Seitz married to Honolulu attorney Eric Seitz? Attorney Seitz has represented former Bishop Estate Trustee Dickie Wong and former UPW director Gary Rodrigues, was involved in the original Felix lawsuit that put the state's education system under court supervision, while standing up over the years in defense of constitutional rights and free speech.
It wasn't a good news day for our Kaaawa morning dogs.
| We got the sad news yesterday that one of our favorite morning dogs, Ms. Shelby, died at the end of last week of an unknown ailment. She hadn't been feeling well, and her condition deteriorated rapidly. Shelby loved to walk on the beach, and used to escape now and then for an unaccompanied romp. She was always excited at the prospect of a doggie treat, and didn't hesitate to show her appreciation. We're going to miss seeing her. |
Ms. Shelby
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| We also heard that another morning favorite, Ms. Hina, was walking with her person when a German Shepherd jumped a fence and viciously attacked her. Unfortunately, I don't know her medical condition yet. Sure hope she's going to recover. |
Ms. Hina |
| I just posted another round of old photos, this time from the May 1968 sit-in at UH's Bachman Hall. I've only got a few pictures, and I wasn't there when the police arrived and arrested those in the building. But it's still an interesting look at a defining moment in local politics. |
 Bachman Hall
May 1968
click on the photo
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July 1, 2003 - Tuesday
The Honolulu Advertiser reports today that UH made a $1 million "loan" to the Athletic Department to cover its budget deficit for the fiscal year that ended yesterday.
Meanwhile, if you work at UH Manoa and mail that needs to go out, you may be temporarily out of luck because the campus mail room is out of money:
Due to the depletion of the Campus Mailroom's postage meter account, there will be a temporary suspension of outgoing mail requiring postage. Campus and outgoing mail (with stamps) service will not be affected. Service for outgoing mail requiring postage is expected to resume by July 2 or 3. Non-priority mail should be delayed until full service is restored. Departments with time-sensitive mail that requires immediate attention should contact the Campus Mailroom at 956-5246 to discuss mailing alternatives.
A teaser from a story in Time Magazine's current issue is getting around the Internet and generating attention:
Meeting last month at a sweltering U.S. base outside Doha, Qatar, with his top Iraq commanders, President Bush skipped quickly past the niceties and went straight to his chief political obsession: Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Turning to his Baghdad proconsul, Paul Bremer, Bush asked, "Are you in charge of finding WMD?" Bremer said no, he was not. Bush then put the same question to his military commander, General Tommy Franks. But Franks said it wasn't his job either. A little exasperated, Bush asked, So who is in charge of finding WMD? After aides conferred for a moment, someone volunteered the name of Stephen Cambone, a little-known deputy to Donald Rumsfeld, back in Washington. Pause. "Who?" Bush asked.
The full story is available online.
And congratulations to Ms. Meda, who has been named one of the winners of the 2003 Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation Award for Faculty Service to the Community.
June 30, 2003 - Monday
Monday's arrival is a relief after an unusual (for us) weekend of socializing every night. Now we can get back to a more normal schedule.
A long SportsIllustrated.com story on coaching salaries makes one thing clear: the salary of UH football coach June Jones is right up there with the top coaches nationally, but in most of those cases the other schools have much larger football programs and bigger overall budgets than UH. We seem to be paying way out of our league, although not really playing that way.
Another thing to note--the incentives received by other coaches seem to be part of the public record, while those offered up to Jones remain unstated. Whether that's the result of light reporting or UH secrecy isn't clear from what I've read. Hopefully someone can enlighten me on that point.
The Center for Public Integrity has just released a study of prosecutorial misconduct which examines cases across the country. They identified 18 cases in Hawaii in which misconduct by prosecutors was found.
In the weekend's "Hawaii's Best" section distributed by the Star-Bulletin, it's asserted that 2/3 of Oahu residents read the S-B or MidWeek. I suppose that's possible, but it reminds me that questions over the Star-Bulletin's circulation have never been resolved. That last word was that the S-B was returning to the Audit Bureau fold, but so far there have been no new circulation data made public. I can't help wondering what's going on.
June 29, 2003 - Sunday
| I just posted another round of current photographs, this one a mixed plate featuring Toby and Duke as well as a bit of Kaaawa a.m. Just click on Mr. Toby's handsome face for more. |
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A recent investigative series by Oregon's Willamette Week proved to be the downfall of the president of Lewis & Clark college. It makes for most interesting reading.
And on a completely different subject, a Hartford Courant column takes on the story of VP Dick Cheney and the CIA.
Here on the home scene, the Star-Bulletin and MidWeek put out a special "Hawaii's Best" section yesterday featuring the results of a readers poll in a wide variety of categories. Some of the results make you wonder about those readers. Best sandwich in Hawaii--Subway? Okay, I eat at Subway. It might make "best fast food", best replacement for McDonalds, or something along those lines. But best sandwich? How sad. But such quibbles aside, it looks like a successful effort, although I missed any indication of how many readers actually participated. And I don't see it online, although maybe I'm just overlooking it.
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