I wish my father could give it up. He’s in his mid-60s, and has been smoking since his early teens. We’re blessed that he is still with us, and it amazes me that he is in such great shape. He’s got a lot more energy than I do, that’s for sure, something that I’m hoping to rectify with the new workout regimen I started last week. It’s been challenging not to overdo it and get muscle aches. So far, so good.
Wie Finishes Second at LPGA Championships.
I have to admit that I am not a golf fan in any way, shape or form, and have never developed a case of “Wie Mania” like so many others in the state. However, for a 15 year-old who has just finished 10th grade to finish second in a major championship to the woman who is probably going to go down as the greatest female golfer ever, Michelle has earned props.
Gas prices drop? Not in Hilo.
Somewhere in America gas prices are dropping, down about 6 cents a gallon nationwide. Not in Hilo, however. This is fairly standard. Prices go up in Hawai’i when they do elsewhere, but when prices elsewhere go down, ours simply level off, and refineries and retailers give lame excuses why they can’t lower prices. Our gas is still around $2.51 a gallon.
Commercial sequencing?
I don’t know if they are intentional or not, but our family’s noticed some bizarre commercial sequences happening recently. For example, a Wendy’s commercial, featuring their new triple patty (“48 square inches of beef”) cheesburger, was followed by one of those diet pill commercials that claims your eating habits are not to blame if you are overweight – it’s that darn cortisol hormone. Later, a “pick up the phone and talk to us sexy babes” commercial was followed by one for an erectile disfunction aid. I guess if the first commercial didn’t kick your member into action, you do need…
Land rush to the Puna frontier.
We live in Puna, albeit in the ma uka (upland), and in my opinion, much nicer part of Puna. Hawaiian Paradise Park has always had a wild-west feel too it. Buy a lot and build a house in the wrong area and you’re likely to find it burned to the ground some day by your pakalolo (marijuana) growing neighbors. When we are shopping for property around 7 years ago we look at HPP and said “Thanks, but no thank you very much.” Lots could be had in the $5,000-10,000 range even then. Nice for current land and home owners in…
Busy, busy, busy!
Things have been hectic in East Hawai’i for the past few weeks. I spent a few days in Honolulu toward the end of March, setting up an XServer at UH-Manoa. It’ll be the eventual home of Ulukau, our Hawaiian Language Digital Library. Our son returned from Iraq to Honolulu that week as well, so I stayed over and greeted him and the other returning soldiers at Wheeler Airforce Base. I got heavily involved in writing up a big grant proposal for our technology section at Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke’elikolani, and then our son and some of the other Hawai’i…
The Green Berets of South Bronx.
The Associated Press reports that Irish firefighters from New York can no longer parade wearing their customary green berets during tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. An attorney for some of the firefighters plans to file a complaint with the state Division on Human Rights accusing the department of discrimination on the basis of religion and ethnicity. To Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, a St. Paddy’s Day wish – may the curse of Mary Malone and her nine blind illegitimate children chase you so far over the hills of Damnation that the Lord himself can’t find you with a telescope.
March Declared Irish-American Heritage Month in U.S.
GW proclaims March 2005 as Irish-American Heritage Month, and calls upon all Americans to observe this month by celebrating the contributions of Irish Americans to our Nation. Scott will likely protest the exclusion of other Celts, such as his own Cornish ancestors and their contributions, like the Cornish Game Hen I’ll be honoring my ancestors with the ritual dispensing of a glass of stout.
Home Pricing Madness.
Just a few weeks ago I pointed to a story in the Honolulu Advertiser that showed the median home price on O’ahu hit $505,000 in January. Just one month later it hits $525,000, a 4% increase! Great if you’re a realtor or homeowner anxious to sell; bad news for people trying to avoid homelessness or being a contributor of the flow of people out of the state.
Churchill Attacks Essay’s Critics
[From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin ]. I was on the UH-Manoa campus during the time leading up to Ward Churchill’s lecture, but did not attend. The area around the hall where he spoke was a zoo, and all of the local network affiliates had their reporters and vans there three hours before he spoke. I was told that the theater where the event was held could hold about 1/3 of those that showed up, and that there there was about an equal number of Churchill supporters and detractors in the audience. Here is the Honolulu Advertiser’s coverage of the event.