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Change hits Kaaawa. We just heard last night that Kaaawa Postmaster Jarrett Pang has retired. How could he do this without fanfare? He's been something like the unofficial center of the community in this one-room 96730 post office, who sees all, knows all, and helps all. Everyone's going to miss Jarrett's presence. Somebody out there in news land should do a profile of him as he goes on to other things.Kauai's Garden Island newspaper, part of the Pulitzer newspaper chain, reports that it has taken over the Kauai Business Report from owners Peter and Jane McClaren, who had been among those who attempted to purchase the Honolulu Star-Bulletin before David Black stepped to the fore.
An email from a reader, formerly of Honolulu, asked for more of an explanation of why I think news reporters and anchors should avoid also appearing as spokespersons for private interests. "And I'm looking not for a textbook response on ethical conduct--'conflict of interest' in lieu of an exegesis is meaningless", he wrote.
Well, as he suggests, there are lots of codes of journalism ethics floating around that include such conflicts of interest in their list of "shalt nots", such as SPJ and APME. The bottom line, I think, is that our primary asset as journalists is our ability to convey the "truth" as we see it, and the confidence of readers and viewers that we will do so. To the extent that we become obligated to special interests, whether those we cover or those who wield power in the situations we cover, we undermine both our actual ability to do the job and the perception of ourselves as other than flacks for those interests. The issue came up with a few friends at lunch yesterday, and all felt there would still be ways for a journalist to assist a personal friend in dealing with media during a crisis--one of the best would be a referral to a qualified specialist who you also know and trust. One could also give advice behind the scenes without also appearing publicly as a spokesperson, which causes the same sort of confusion as the appearance of journalists in so-called "advertorials" which are designed to confuse the boundaries between news and paid advertising.
Perhaps I need to develop a more complete analysis of the issue. Or maybe one of you has already done it and would be willing to share with us. Let me know, please.
Silverman continues to improve, at least based on the simple index, "how much does he fight the twice a day antibiotics?"
Meda told his story to a few folks up at UH, and they immediately offered up a scenario. Boys get pellet gun for Christmas, and immediately have to go out and shoot things. We think he was shot on the Thursday after Christmas, so the scenario makes sense. Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth, BAM. Kind of like our foreign policy. Ooops.
Speaking of Christmas, the nicest card we got was from Ruth, who lives down by Swanzy Beach Park and also walks in the early mornings. She wrote: "Seeing you at dawn each day on the beach helps me to think all's right with the world. Or is that--as an old friend used to say--'an obstacle illusion'? "
They're buzzing about the announcement (in Erika Engle's TheBuzz column yesterday) that former Gannett/Advertiser sales manager Dave Kennedy is joining the staff of Oahu Publications, publisher of the Star-Bulletin and MidWeek, as advertising director. There appear to be pro- and anti-Kennedy factions out there ready to put their spin on the surprise move by the Gannett veteran. I've got to admit the move is making waves so far.The Advertiser announced yesterday that it is taking a stake in Donrey Media's Hawaii.com Internet portal. The two media companies will jointly develop and market the site as a primary entry point for tourist information, according to the Advertiser's version. Donrey Media, of course, which owns the Hawaii Tribune-Herald and West Hawaii Today newspapers, is in turn owned by the Arkansas-based Stephens Group, Inc., which was also a key partner in Liberty Newspapers Inc., former owner of the Star-Bulletin. Donrey, Stephens and Gannett have been dancing together for some time, so this latest move shouldn't come as a total surprise.
I wonder whether employees of this new, enlarged Internet project will be covered by a union contract? Will Guild members here in Honolulu have to contribute to development of the portal? Another interesting set of questions to watch.
When was the last time a University of Hawaii president actually taught a class? UH Pres. Evan Dobelle is scheduled to teach a graduate seminar in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The class, titled "Reading the American City", will focus on discussions of books and articles that Dobelle says have influenced him. It's scheduled for Monday mornings from 9-11:45. Interesting move.
It is cold again in Kaaawa. I had to put on a jacket in order to sit here in front of the computer this morning. I wish we had a functioning thermometer, but the one on our wall has been frozen at 80 degrees for several years. I imagine it's around 65 or so. That's very cold by our standards.
That's Meda in the photo, posing with four cats during an afternoon nap over the weekend. I climbed out to fetch the camera. Cat #5 was actually at the foot of the bed, but this was a better photo, even without the final feline. This is just to give you a little idea of what it's like around here on a five cat night.
one...two...three...four
Rick Daysog reported yesterday that the state has terminated its contract with MidWeek for publication and distribution of official legal notices on Oahu, a $600,000 hit that the struggling Star-Bulletin/MidWeek can ill afford. The move included new specifications that would have left Gannett's Honolulu Advertiser the only qualified bidder, allowing them to name their own price, although Daysog reports that state officials quickly backed off this position and indicated they will consider the Star-Bulletin an eligible bidder. It will certainly be interested to watch as the machinations behind this move are uncovered.Honolulu Magazine's current issue named S-B/MW owner David Black one of its seven Islanders of the Year for his bold move that saved the Star-Bulletin from extinction. The Star-Bulletin now claims 40 percent of daily display ads, according to the story, a figure that is difficult to swallow without some backup data. I suppose it could be true, but I find it surprising.
Starbulletin.com took on a revised look on New Year's Day, with direct links from the main page to individual stories. It looks busier, but allows simpler navigation.
And we're in Day 4 of Silverman's shift to 100% indoor status. He's handling the experience extremely well for a formerly mostly wild outdoor cat who has only gradually allowed himself to be tamed. No clues yet on the identity of the assailant.
I don't know how cold it was overnight, but it created our first five cat night of the season. This meant Wally and Kili sharing the narrow space between Meda and I, Lindsey at her feet, Lizzie at my feet, and Harriet on Meda's pillow.
As we got down to Kamehameha Highway on our way to the beach yesterday morning, a lone figure crossed the road, stooped down, and then turned and walked away into the darkness, leaving a very long string of firecrackers to do their thing. It was quite a shock in what was otherwise a silence punctuated only by the sound of waves washing onto the rocks, but eventually I accepted it as an appropriate start of the day.
click for larger view
Some sharp eyed Star-Bulletin staffer spotted a picture on the news wire that appears to explain what has happened to former webmeister Blaine Fergerstrom. The picture's posted on the newsroom bulletin board, and I've got a reasonable approximation, as appropriated by the meister himself. Just click here to check it out. Of course, I can make no assurances of its accuracy.
Mr. Silverman continues his recovery from the pellet wounds. He's sitting here beside me as I write this morning. He's not real enthusiastic about being kept inside, but he really gets upset being shut in a bedroom, where we've got him during parts of the day. I think it's because he gets lonely, not simply that he doesn't like being locked up.
And I did get around to choosing my favorite photos of the year, and this image of Silverman was among them.
Click for Ian's Favorites of 2001
The new one has arrived. May it be better.It's 5:50 AM and the first two blasts of leftover fireworks just went off somewhere in the neighborhood. I hope it isn't a sign about the direction of the day. I used to enjoy the fireworks, but living with animals has radically changed my views.
We survived New Year's Eve, although despite all the preparations and care, it turned out just a bit different than expected. We had all the cats inside, including Silverman, who returned from the vet mid-afternoon, a bit thin but feeling better enough to be very loud. So now there were eight cats inside. This is above the rated capacity of the house, I'm sure. Anytime you had to approach a door to the outside it was bedlam, with several cats circling, waiting for an opportunity to break for freedom. This meant high drama going down to the garage, or out to tend the fire. And when another neighbor's dog got loose and was frantically trying to get inside with us, it was just the diversion the cats wanted. Ms. Wally was out the door like a low gray streak despite our best efforts. You would never think such a fat...well, "large boned" cat would move so fast. And, of course, just about then it began to sound like someone was doing the Bin Laden cave bombing in the mountains behind the house. Luckily, though, apart from a couple of blasts that rocked the whole neighborhood, overall the firecrackers were down from previous years. Despite our worries, I found Wally on the roof about 3 AM, happy to see me but otherwise no worse for wear.
Thanks to Paula from Honolulu who sent this message yesterday:
"I'd like to take a pellet gun to the brat who shot Silverman! I love this cat! I love his disposition. He is the coolest of cool cats. Healing vibes coming his way. Give Silverman a chuck under the chin for me."And I did. And a reminder--if you've forgotten how cool Silverman really is, notice that he's got his own photo gallery listed up at the top of the page. Check it out.
I did manage to post a few year-end images yesterday, so click on this photo to reach the year's last gallery update.
If I get ambitious today, I'm going to dig through the archive and select my favorite photos of the year. But I might just might be lazy, hunker down with the James Lee Burke novel I just started, and take it easy. At least as easy as you can take it with Silverman whining to get out and putting up a battle each time the antibiotics are due.
And so 2002 begins.
Happy New Year! It's got to be happier than this one, which certainly has not been a banner year globally, locally, or personally. And if the new year ultimately proves to be no better, well, best to get the celebrating in up front while there's still hope.I don't know what it was like on the rest of Oahu, but it feels like we survived another hurricane here in Kaaawa. Extremely strong winds blasted us from around 1 AM to nearly 5 AM, with gusts that felt like they were going to lift the house. I had to repeatedly go through the house and block doors to keep them from blasting shut when the gusts came through, so I've got chairs and other heavy things dragged into all the doorways. I haven't yet been outside to check for yard damage.
Back home, we're still waiting for Silverman, but now we know a bit more than we did yesterday. There's bad news and good news. It appears Silverman is a crime victim. A second exam found a small wound on his side, and another pellet lodged high on his shoulder. The side wound is approximately where he's hurting, and could account for the pain. That's all the bad news. The good news is that there doesn't seem to be an infection, or organ damage. At least the shooting theory suggests an approach to treatment. Previously, it was just considered a mystery ailment that called for more expensive diagnostic tests.
We're hoping to bring Mr. Silverman home today for some TLC.
Shooting victimWe've already started the New Year's cat roundup. We don't want any cats outside when the fireworks start, and there are always folks who jump the gun and start with the big bangs just after noon, if not earlier. We rounded all up last night and locked them in, which contributed to the perception that it was a very long night indeed. So far this morning, I've granted temporary paroles to Lindsey, Leo and Wally. They are all pretty good at staying close by and returning when called. Ms. Harry is here wandering back and forth in the vicinity of the door to the front deck while yowling and crying loudly. She's gotten used to both spending much time outside, and getting her own way. Today she gets neither, and it's proving a rude shock.
Meantime, let's send 2001 out with this long commentary by Star-Bulletin writer Burl Burlingame, whose name came up in another reader comment last week.
I was somewhat puzzled by the reference to me in the note the other day, as I make it a policy to not mention the rank and file at the Advertiser on the Honolulu Newspaper War site unless it's in a positive way. Most of them are fine people and excellent journalists, and more than that, they have no control over who their owners are. Gannett executives like Kelly and Montesino and Fisch are fair game however, because their purpose in life is to deprive the citizens of Honolulu of a choice in reading newspapers. Therefore Gannett's political and economic moves are open season. I don't mention -- or rarely -- their journalism gaffes unless there's heavyhanded Gannett spin control behind them. For example, their excessive, bloated Pearl Harbor history section was dreadful, filled with inaccurate illustrations that looked like they were pulled from a 1940s Popeye cartoon. So what? We laughed about it in our newsroom, but that's the best the 'Tiser could do, and you can't fault 'em for that. At least they made an effort.Montesino and Kelly view themselves as tough guys in a competitive situation, and they're right. As "adversaries," they are worthy. (And they'll get bonusses if the Star-Bulletin disappears, while their own staff will get laid off piecemeal.)
On the other hand, Gannett as a corporate creature is something else entirely. Gannett has absolutely no loyalty toward its own workers, towards the communities it supposedly serves, toward the foundations of journalism and the traditions of a free press in America. It will screw its own employees and the citizen-subscribers of its newspapers in a heartbeat if there's a dollar to be made for the executives. Gannett will lie, cheat and swindle the public to do so, and there's ample evidence of such behavior on the part of executives such as those in charge of the Advertiser. All we are doing in these little web sites isletting people know how unprincipled Gannett is.
We're little yappingdogs. When cool customers like Fisch shriek that we're "despicable" it shows how close we're getting to letting Gannett's cat out of the bag.
The working stiffs at the Advertiser have no choice, and Gannett will eventually screw them badly, and blame us while doing it. Are the Gannett executives "evil"? Of course not. They're just doing their jobs as they see fit. But they need to ask themselves -- am I doing this to serve my community, or am I doing this to screw my community? It should be no surprise to discover that Gannett executives are generally rootless and rove from paper to paper.
Our own executives at the Star-Bulletin are under great pressure and are on a steep learning curve, but at least they've never used their position and their newspaper to lie to the public the way Fisch has.
Lastly, it should be remembered that this situation in Honolulu was Gannett's choice. This is the way Gannett wanted it.They could have gone back to the Joint Operating Agreement right up to the last second, and continued making millions off of Hawaii and shipping the money back to Virginia, but no, in their hubris they chose the path of conflict and division. So when I hear Gannett execs whining about difficult this has been on them, it's hard to be sympathetic.
But after a two hour wait while various tests were completed, the cause of Silverman's ailment was still a mystery. His abdomen hurts, but...no fever. He's not dehydrated. An x-ray shows he didn't swallow any foreign objects, although it also found he was shot in the back leg with a pellet gun at some time in the past. His blood tests were normal, pretty much ruling out poisoning. And a side test for feline leukemia also came up negative. So I left Mr. Silverman there under medical observation, and we'll consult today with Dr. Lee Loy on what to do next.
Yesterday started out gray and threatening, but ended up clear and sunny. I wouldn't have predicted sun based on conditions during our morning walk. As you can see, it looked anything but sunny.
And I'm still waiting for Silverman. We set off to the vet in Kaneohe, a thirteen mile drive, at 9 AM yesterday. He'd been laying in the back of the closet for six hours, and hadn't shown any interest in food, even a bit of fresh fish cooked up the day before.
Silverman's running up a horrendous vet bill, but I'm not arguing. I felt pretty guilty after I failed to close the portals when he first came in on Thursday night exhibiting the same symptoms. When he took off that evening without eating and didn't return, I was afraid we would never see him again. So when he showed up yesterday, a major load of guilt dissipated.
With the new year looming, I just became a member of the United Auto Workers, Local 1981. No, that's not a typo. The National Writers Union operates as UAW Local 1981, accepts freelance and independent writers, and includes an at-large category for writers living in areas without an organized local organization. NWU has also been able to negotiate libel insurance at reasonable rates for several years, and I'm hoping they'll arrange continued coverage for the coming year as well.
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