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April 3, 2004 - Saturday
It's a humbling experience. I enjoy photography and have spread various photos throughout this site. But it turns out there are a handful which have apparently struck the appropriate chords and have been linked to by other sites. Not the beautiful sunrises. Not, except in a couple of instances, the exceptional Kaaawa cats and dogs. Nope.
| The most popular: Spam (1,821 hits last month). Either this photo or its partner, the photo of the back of the can(973 hits in March). These are both showing up with much regularity on a number of different web sites. |
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| Then there's this shot of seaweed on the beach in Kaaawa (810 hits). I actually haven't figured out what sites are using this photo, but there's a regular wave of hits on this file. Well, it's a small wave, but noticeable. |
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| And then there are the marbles. If you do a Google Images search for "marbles", this one pops right up to the top and so has been lifted out of it's original context a number of times. |
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I'm trying to decide whether, or when, to declare these third-party uses a problem. At first it was just interesting to see them popping up elsewhere. Then, as it has become more common, it dawned on me that each "hit" on one of these photos consumes the bandwidth of this site that I have to pay for every month. Suddenly there's a decision to make--how much reuse is "enough"?
Perhaps I missed this in the local papers, but several Hawaii residents are featuring in news stories this week about the breakup of a major international drug ring headed by a notorious figure known as Doctor Wu. One of those arrested was just up the coast in Kahuku, and a couple lived in Haleiwa on the North Shore.
April 2, 2004 - Friday
The Independent newspaper is shaking things up today with a story that a former FBI translator told the 9/11 commission that government officials had reports of a pending terrorist attack using aircraft to hit tall buildings months before the actual attacks occurred.
Paul Krugman has another dead-on column in today's New York Times which hits the willingness of the media to spread anonymous smears by Bush's minions.
A federal judge has ordered the Bush administration to release agency records relating to the Cheney energy task force or produce legal justification for further withholding, according to the Washington Post.
And then the good news: Monty Python's "Life of Brian" is heading back to the big screen, and not a moment too soon. With the public primed by Mel Gibson's blood & guts version of Christ, the "no cow remains sacred" version is certain to stir things up. This movie is on our all-time favorites list, and it's somehow reassuring to know that someone else has the good sense to see its contemporary relevance.
After searching repeatedly for months, I finally found the missing negatives from the day of the August 1974 trial of those of us charged with trespassing in a Waimea pasture in support of Sonny Kaniho. The 30th anniversary of that protest is rapidly approaching, and I knew there were other photos which hadn't been located. They finally turned up exactly where they should have been and where I've looked several times before. I actually can't recall whether the trial in the old Waimea District Court ended in acquittal or with the charges being dismissed, but that's what 30 years will do. I spent the day yesterday scanning these gems, and will be adding them to my collection of "Old Kine Pics" over the next few days.
April 1, 2004 - Thursday
There's not much to joke about on this April 1.
Reports have been circulating of steps being taken in preparation for a return of the draft to meet military manpower needs.
A commentary yesterday in the Guardian poses more disturbing questions about the U.S. detentions at Guantanamo. What if they aren't terrorists, just as it has turned out there were no weapons of mass destruction?
This reader's comment about the proposed UH contract is no joke, despite today's date:
I am baffled by the UHPA's behavior and I bet I'm not the only educator who feels that way. I mean, did they or did they not get 33% over 6 years? Do they or do they not realize that many, many professionals in Hawaii earn in the "bottom half" relative to their peers on the mainland? Who do they think they are?
Not to trivialize the issue, but I am a high school teacher with a strong resume. I teach six classes a day before I get down to lesson plans and feedback. I can expect a pay increase over the next 6 years of...10%. And at the end of that period I'll still be making under $35K per year. Public school teachers aren't doing much better.
I think there's been a little bit of a loss of perspective at the University. We're all struggling over here.
With that, I've got to run in order to make an early meeting in town.
March 31, 2004 - Wednesday
Congratulations to the Advertiser's Mike Gordon, who received the Hawaii Psychological Association's media award for the year.
One interesting reply to yesterday's comments on the proposed contract for UH faculty points out that for one group of faculty this is an 8-year contract which they will be locked into. It is, perhaps, an unintended consequence which could have a major impact on the institution.
Speaking of contracts, the American Society of Media Photographers is urging its members not to accept freelance contract terms offered by the New York Times.
In our experience, it is the refusal by a critical mass of valued photographers to sign such contracts that brings publishers to the negotiating table. We hope that photographers will see this contract for what it is and refuse to sign.
ASMP spells out its critique in a written statement available at the organization's web site.
It isn't just the war in Iraq that is putting the U.S. at odds with much of the rest of the world, according to this story from the Christian Science Monitor. It adds to existing evidence that the Bush administration is intent on obliterating the line between church and state.
A David Pogue column in the New York Times last week pointed to some fun and useful things that can be accomplished with Google beyond straight searches.
A knock at my office door at 3:15 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) announced the return of my laptop from the Mac fix-it shop on the mainland. Not a bad turnaround. It was shipped off to them on Friday, received, tested, and repaired on Monday, and back in my hands by mid-afternoon Tuesday.
| Sometime in the last several weeks marked the eighth full year that we've been walking down to the beach at the other end of Kaaawa early each morning. We started back in early 1996 and by mid-March of that year were going out daily. We now have about a 3 mile loop which takes us an hour, give or take several minutes depending on conversations with dogs or people. With a few mornings per year unavoidably missed due to travel, weather, or illness, that adds up to around 8,400 miles to date. |
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March 30, 2004 - Tuesday
The proposed UH contract is generating lots of debate. Most criticism is aimed at the backloading of any significant contract gains until the final two years of the 6-year term. The delay means there is no immediate change in the difficulties the university system faces in recruiting and retaining good faculty because of the less than competitive salaries and benefits.
One email message added this insider tidbit:
It is probably also relevant to know that the UHPA Board of Directors tied on a vote (Saturday) whether to pass the contract on to the faculty with a 'recommendation to approve' or 'no recommendation". Mary Tiles, as president, cast the deciding vote for the former.
Whether the split on the board signals a potentially significant division of opinion among the faculty as a whole remains to be seen.
The Hawaii Tribune Herald reports that a Big Island public access television producer has sued the island's access provider, Na Leo 'O Hawaii, for defamation and allegedly violating his First Amendment rights. If the case avoids being quickly thrown out of court, it will certainly bolster the position of other public access users who say favoritism by the large public access providers has been a continuing problem.
Here's a tech tip from a reader.
I had the same problem with my home theater as you (March 26 entry) ...Too many remotes, no real control. I did find a product I'm quite happy with that works with Mac OS X called the Harmony remote. (www.harmonyremote.com)
Comes with a USB cable, connect it to your Mac, then program your devices into the control via the web. I have successfully eliminated the need for 4 remotes.
Just FYI
I haven't tried this yet, but he seems pretty pleased with the product.
Good news. My little Macintosh laptop was received at the mainland repair facility first thing Monday morning, according to the online status report, and quickly proceeded through testing, repair, and packing for return. It is now winging its way back to Honolulu, and could arrive as early as this afternoon. Pretty quick turnaround on a warranty repair.
March 29, 2004 - Monday
Joe Moore is driving me nuts by constantly referring to Hawaii-based troops being deployed to fight the "war on terrorism" in Iraq. That is a politically loaded description and far from objective reporting. Perhaps Joe hasn't noticed the international debate fueled by repeated charges that Iraq was a diversion that decreased our ability to pursue a war on terrorism. But wait--it is Fox, so it must be fair and balanced. What was I thinking?
This morning the Star-Bulletin announced its lineup of columnists to fill the void left by Dave Donnelly's death. It's an interesting mix.
Very interesting...NASA scientists are in the process of computerizing the background elements of speech that one day will allow us to communicate without actually speaking. That is cool science.
We spent too much time with our vet this week. First there was Mr. Silverman's battle injury, now healing. Then yesterday I took in Ms. Miki, the oldster, who turns out to have a urinary infection. So her recent problems weren't simply old age. Shame on us for not taking her in earlier. Ms. Kili also went along yesterday for an overall checkup and to get her shots current. She checked out just fine, thank you, weighing in at several ounces over 13 pounds, as much as Duke. Mr. Silverman is the big guy at about 14-1/2 pounds. Which I supose is more than most of you ever wanted to know.
March 28, 2004 - Sunday
Honolulu Advertiser Managing Editor Dave Montesino is moving on, reportedly heading for a paper in Columbia, South Carolina, where he will be "page one designer". I think he's the last of the team assembled by former editor Jim Gatti to leave the Advertiser.
Associated Press writer Matt Sedensky's story on the soaring cost of Hawaii real estate was picked up by newspapers across the country and as far away as the U.K. What's the message we're sending? Come to Hawaii and invest in real estate and push another local family out of the housing market? I don't know.
| Bring a strange box into the house and it's an immediate hit. Wally took up residence in this one within minutes and refused to move until the next meal. But after wearing the new off the box it's just abandoned. The cycle takes a day or so. |
Ms. Wally
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There have been a record number of visits to this site in March, with 18,510 so far, according to available site statistics. The prior high was 18,471. And there are still a few days to go before the month is over.
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