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October 8, 2005 - Saturday

While we were in Chicago last week, a copy of USA Today was dropped outside our hotel room door every morning. It's one of those things you get used to in many hotel chains. It's not a newspaper that we would typically choose to read, but, hey, a free newspaper is better than no newspaper. So it would get read. At some point, I started wondering how this distribution is accounted for in their reported circulation. Is this mass distribution included in "paid circulation"?

I didn't get my answer until we were packing and cleaning up the morning of our return to Honolulu. That was when, for some reason, I looked at the little credit card size envelope that our plastic room "keys" were placed into on our original check-in. Question asked and answered. Down at the bottom of that envelope, shown here in almost full size, were three lines of barely legible type that provided a suprising answer to the USA Today mystery. Just click here for a better look at the fine print.

And while we're talking about ways to take other people's money, how about these mainland speculators seeking to fund their takeover of Aloha Airlines in part by gutting the pensions of local workers? Now we see the national business trend up close and personal. It isn't clear from this mornings Advertiser story just how much they expect to save by the proposed dumping of the pension plan, but obviously this deserves a much closer look.

October 6, 2005 - Thursday

This strange creature was found washed up on the beach in Kaaawa this morning and drew lots of stares. It may be a common beasty, but not in these parts. We've been walking the beach in Kaaawa virtually every morning for nearly ten years and have never seen anything like it. The jellyfish was about 8 inches in diameter. Any information about it would be appreciated. Just click on the photo for a larger version.

Well, I stand partially corrected thanks to Kathleen Pahinui, chair of North Shore Neighborhood Board #27. Although our system of neighborhood boards was created by the city, Kathleen points out that they are charged with advocating the interests of their respecitve communities at all levels of government.

Per your comments regarding the purview of the Neighborhood Boards as only being city oriented (regarding Lynn Matusow’s comments on Bev Harbin), I refer to pages 7 and 8 of the The Revised Neighborhood Plan 1998 edition “Article 7 Powers, Duties, and Functions of a Neighborhood Board”.  No where does it state that we can only comment on City issues nor does it ever only specify “City”.  

In fact under Section 1-7-1 (e) it says “ Monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the government’s delivery of services to citizens, and assist in advocating residents’ interests to all branches of federal, state and local governments”.

Our elected state officials as well as the Governor send representatives to the Board meetings to provide information and follow up on problems.  State agencies contact our Boards regularly regarding issues in the communities and the Boards regularly comment and advise on State projects.  You are correct in that we are only advisory in nature but we are not limited to only City issues.

Thanks to Kathleen for the clarification.

For those who want more information on the disbarment order regarding former judge Richard Lee, here's a link to the text of the Supreme Court order.

And thanks to Jeff Garland for tipping me off to an unusual job posted on Monster.com, which offers the opportunity to play a civilian in military training exercises. Requires living in the Mojave Desert during the training periods, ability to lift 50 pounds, and wear "appropriate personal protective equipment".

" Must be able to perform duties and travel in extreme weather conditions (heat, cold, and wind) and at height (helicopter travel, mountain tops, elevated walk areas and towers)."

I guess I'll keep looking.

A couple of items worth reading today. First, an article from Foreign Policy reporting on the views of Iraq's Sunni hard-liners on what it will take to end the insurgency. And Columbia Journalism Review looks at our own religious insurgency with an analysis of media coverage of the challenge to the science of evolution.

October 5, 2005 - Wednesday

It finally happened. The Hawaii Supreme Court has disbarred attorney and former family court judge Richard Lee. You know, the guy with the "ASK JUDGE LEE" sign in huge red letters that used to leap out at you at the corner of Kalakaua and Kapiolani. Pacific Business News reported the court's action yesterday. The case against Lee has been dragging on through the disciplinary process for years. The only surprising thing is that the decision was not unanimous, with two justices favoring a five year suspension.

A KHON story last night on the continuing controversy included comments from Rep. Brian Schatz, former Gov. Cayetano as well as Gov. Lingle, over the appointment of Bev Harbin to a vacant house seat ended with comments from the downtown neighborhood board chair:

"I'm getting stopped everywhere; I'm getting stopped at the gym, in my building, at the supermarket. People are just really upset over it and they want her out, but the neighborhood board can not do it," says Lynn Matusow, downtown neighborhood board.

She says neighborhood boards are prohibited from taking sides in a political battle.

Well, I actually don't know whether boards are prohibited from taking sides as Matusow says, but the more direct reason they can't act in this case is that neighborhood boards are city agencies and this is a state matter (state legislature, right?). Moreover, neighborhood boards have only advisory powers and no direct powers. And they are advisory to...city officials and agencies. So of course the neighborhood board can't get Harbin out.

It may seem like a small thing, but the public needs to know technical aspects such as the jurisdictions and actual powers of the agencies we hear about in the news.

Here's a calming moment to start the day. Small waves washing over rocks at the far end of the beach in Kaaawa, with the colors of the sun reflecting off the damp sand in the foreground. Nothing in the distance except ocean and clouds, little to interfere with the moment. If you can't walk the beach at dawn, you can at least enjoy the idea and an image.

click for larger photo

October 4, 2005 - Tuesday

October 3, 2005 - Monday

Can it be true? I've heard that former Star-Bulletin webmaster Blaine Fergerstrom is going to be returning to the newsroom after four years at Kamehameha Schools. It sounds like a score for the Bulletin! Fergerstrom's move is reportedly is part of a shuffle in which current webmaster Ken Andrade will move over to become business editor. Good luck to all.

Here's another interesting tidbit. It seems that being Senate president has been good for Bobby Bunda's insurance business.

Bunda's income from his insurance business rose by at least 33% percent, and perhaps much more, between 2001 and 2003, according to financial disclosure statements filed with the State Ethics Commission.

Bunda was first elected Senate President in 2000. In a report covering calendar year 2001 (filed May 3, 2002), Bunda reported annual earnings of between $50,000 and $100,000 from the Atlas Insurance Agency, with no changes the following year.

But in 2003, Bunda incorporated as Robert Bunda, Inc., and affiliated with WCD Inc., dba John H. Connors Insurance. At the same time, his reported income jumped to betweeen $150,000 and $250,000, according to his filing for the period.

Although Bunda first reported the switch to WCD/Connors in his 2003 report, licensing records show it was effective on May 31, 2002. If that has any significance is beyond my brain at 5:45 a.m.

The significant boost in income came during a period in which Bunda presumably was having to devote a larger proportion of his time to legislative duties than prior to assuming leadership of the Senate.

Who says the legislature is anti-business?

October 2, 2005 - Sunday

They're baaaack! We made it almost on time last night, escaped any flooded roads on the way home, and found all the cats (except Silverman) waiting for our arrival.

Sorry to be late, but hopefully I'll be back on schedule by tomorrow morning.

On the flight home, I was looking at more pictures of our cats from this past month and noticed that several featured cats and their tongues. One thing led to another, and the result was this small collection. Just click on Mr. Leo and his tongue.

I have to say that we did enjoy the brief visit to Chicago. Here are two visual aids. First, a few photos from yesterday's early morning walk through Millenium Park, the most incredible public space that we've found ourselves in any time recently.

Click here for Millenium Park

And for those of you with fast internet connections, here are two 60-second segments, one featuring Chicago's skyline seen from the end of Navy Pier, the other a walk around Cloud Gate at Millenium Park. It's packaged in a 4-MB Quicktime file, so be prepared.

Two minutes in Chicago

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