Author: admin

We hear often about our local public education system when there’s drama involved- micromanagement complaints, systemic issues, intransigence, low test scores, high classroom temperatures, personality conflicts, myriad administration changes, et al. So let’s acknowledge some good programs in place right now, especially coming out of this pandemic wilderness. Kudos to those who tolerated teaching/learning from home; the time has hopefully come for in-person reunions, with precautions. 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides undernourished residents here with additional funds to complement their own food purchases. A recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser commentary/editorial noted that SNAP enrollment here is up 30% since the pandemic began, now serving about 200,000 local residents. And depending on the number of qualified SNAP households in a given school district, area schools might be eligible to provide free meals to every student, which is great, since many borderline malnourished kids are part of low-income families that register just above SNAP’s maximum financial earnings threshold; thus these kids also get free school food if their schools qualify.

Hungry, tired, and unmotivated students don’t provide an ideal opportunity for maximizing learning opportunities. As the newspaper commentary stated, we now need more people encouraging neighbors and friends to take advantage of this opportunity to get free food into more schools that warrant it. The SNAP school program must be maximized for those in need.

And clap for The Department of Education, taking advantage of federal pandemic funds earmarked for learning by offering free summer school “learning hubs” at 234 campuses statewide, and offering a three-week transition program for new kindergartners who stayed home due COVID-19. The DOE Board voted to not charge anyone for summer school, which is a good (and timely) decision. 

And finally, if your kid ever asks you “why school?”, tell them that they’ll develop life skills as they learn independence, interdependence, problem-solving, live up to commitments, show up on time, and work with all kinds of students. Tell them that it all inevitably adds up to having more choices. A fulfilling life often includes having myriad choices and options. The more you know, glow, and show, the more options you should have later in life. Educated, interested, querying, attentive, passionate young people may become tomorrow’s leaders, break through where others do not, and have more choices available to them in their post-school, real world. Feed, motivate, and engage kids… and the sky’s the limit.

Think about it…

WalletHub comes out with interesting and occasionally tantalizing polls about all sorts of things. Two weeks ago, it announced its pandemic-related “Best States for Working from Home” list and guess what? Hawai`i ranked #50, just ahead of Alaska. Washington, D.C., was also on the list. Boy, how fun it must have been working in D.C. this past year! 

The criteria included various components labeled under “work environment” and “living environment”. Metrics were weighted, and apparently hallucinogens were also included in the formula, because it’s hard to fathom that a year of quarantining and Zooming here was worse than in 48 other states (and D.C.). Certain WalletHub puzzle pieces make sense- our lack of quality internet access in too many places, high electrical and internet costs, small home square footage- but the metrics also included a category for homes with swimming pools, which must’ve useless during Northern U.S. winters, unless they were indoors. Wait, pools really matter when analyzing suitable work environments?

The number of persons per household metric surely dinged us due to our three or four generation reality, but c’mon… at the end of the day, and I really do mean at the end of the day, would you rather finish your sixth Zoom/zombie call du jour at 5:30pm, look up, and realize you’re still in Arkansas, Mississippi, or Delaware (the three states ranked just above Hawai`i)? Hard to buy these metrics. 

Hawai`i ranked dead last (51^st) in “living environment”, yet we are #1 in longevity (see March 24 “Think About It”). 54% of those currently working from home would like to continue working there after the pandemic ends. Depending on the quality and productivity of their work, some anxious employers may just give certain employees that option, as ex-employees.

The concept of myriad workers frantically piling into their respective vehicles to fight traffic every day is now history. 71% of people who say they could work from home most or all of the time have done so during the pandemic. Does anyone really expect that they’ll all go back to a daily, rote office rat race come 2022?

Yes, we have high costs and crowded quarters here, but Hawai’i– the 2^nd worst state to have quarantined in and worked from home? So people will continue to visit, but surely opt not to live here? Hmmm. Maybe 50^th place isn’t such a bad thing.

Think about it…

This might be the thinking person’s editorial… or not. The CDC, which now stands for COVID: Daily Changes, says it’s safe for students to sit just three feet apart, as long as they wear masks. Thus, the biggest gift for befuddled schoolchildren this year might be a yard stick… for measuring purposes only, kids. When kids choose to socialize, they must now stay only a yard from one another. But if adults are talking to one another- the cone of vigilance remains six feet. And if an adult is chatting with three kids and two adults, it’s… wait, I never was very good at math. Bottom line, COVID-19 variant strains are still creeping into our daily vernacular- so stay apart, wash up, and avoid partying big time for a while longer. Just keep up the vigilance for a few more months. And smile.

I read a story recently where the writer referred to his mom and dad as his “aging parents”. I’ve always sensed that’s this is the only kind of parents one can have- aging. The alternative is obviously not very attractive, and I’ve yet to hear of anyone’s parents getting younger, so perhaps we can stop reminding parents that they are aging with an overused adjective. After all, you rarely read about “aging babies”, but they are all aging, aren’t they? Ageism lives on, right as the cancel culture overstays its welcome, or at least overextends it boundaries.

Here are some avoidable, everyday verbal redundancies (tautologies) we can probably live without (yes, save your words for you might only have so many of them to use during your lifetime): past history, new innovations, two twins, advance warning, ATM machine, ask a question, cameo appearance, close proximity, and completely surrounded. Whew!

And by the way, for the true non-linguists in our midst, the word is “jewelry”, pronounced “jool-ree”, and not “jewl-ery”; and it’s “real-tor”, not “real-ah-ter”. “February” has become accepted verbally as “Feb-YOU-ary” and pronunciation misuse runs rampant. And really, should politicians be allowed to vote on stuff they can’t correctly pronounce, like when pontificating about “noo-cue-lar” weapons? It’s “nuclear”, Einstein.   

Finally, let’s embrace those ever-present oxymorons in our lives, like: act naturally, growing smaller, jumbo shrimp, random order, original copy, and, of course uncontested divorce (really? someone’s upset!). Lose vocabulary vagaries and save words for later in your life… when you’ve become an aging parent.

Think about it…

A few unconnected things to ponder today… A strange phenomenon is unfolding right before our eyes. While parking spaces seem to be ever-shrinking and parking lots seem to be adding “compact car only” signs regularly, the actual car-buying habits of local folks are going in the opposite direction. Yup, wide(r) bodies. According to Hawai`i Automobile Dealers Association 2020 figures, small car market share has fallen by 8% here since 2017. The share of cars purchased in 2020 was just 31%, while light trucks (including pickups, SUVs and vans) is now at 69%. Perhaps spaces should be marked “contact” instead of “compact”, because the wiggle room to get in and out of one’s vehicle (especially after accounting for the average 2020 COVID-19 weight gains mentioned here last week) is becoming non-existent.

Moving on… I was fortunate enough to get my COVID vaccine from HPH recently at Pier 2. The experience was quick, organized, calm, professional, efficient, informative, and angst-free. Volunteer helpers, orange flag wavers, parking lot assistance, pleasant check-in assistants, etc. I’ve heard similar stories about the DOH windward site and  Queen’s Medical vaccination sites. To stem the tide against yet another resurgence, we need to keep the crowds coming. 

And we also need to go deeper into the hinterlands to vaccinate those who can’t or won’t come to designated sites as we work harder to attract the disproportionate, underserved communities and those still skeptical and/or disenfranchised. As of late March, Hawai`i, even with its perceived methodical rollout of vaccines, had vaccinated the 8^th most adults of any state, per capita. We haven’t won yet, not even close (with about 70% of adults still not fully inoculated here), but safeguarding Hawaii’s population efficiently will reap big benefits for businesses, consumers, doubters, our species, and our collective psyche. Kudos to the ‘Vid vanquishing valiant vaccinators!

Finally, as is apparently my annual destiny, I moved quickly into the “L” bracket with my NCAA basketball picks. You know, the “Losers”. I thought Illinois looked great down the stretch, but, unfortunately “Fighting Illini” was an oxymoron, as they put the “ill” in Illinois by bowing out meekly in the 2^nd round. Yet, I have a shot at redemption with my NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey picks- the so-called Frozen Four. My basketball air balls did make various, competitive family members quite happy. Good for them! They’re out of my will, though.

Think about it… 

While it’s been a rough 12-months we are hopefully now leaving behind in the rear view mirror, here’s some minor uplifting news. The newest U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Vital Statistics Report (say that three times fast) indicates that Hawai`i continues to lead the league in life expectancy. Yes, people living in Hawai’i live longer than people living in any other state in the union. And, one could argue, with quantity of life here comes quality of life.

There is an obvious price one pays for paradise, but it’s nice to know that we’re #1. People here have an average life expectancy of 81 years. In comparison, West Virginia ranks at the bottom of the U.S. life expectancy chart at 74 years. 

For the seniors in the audience, the news is also good. Hawai`i ranks #1 for life expectancy if you’re already 65+ years old- with a life expectancy of 86. With the economic, geographic, and social pitfalls that we experience, a lot of items do work in our favor here- and these are generalities- including lifestyle, air quality, sunshine, flora, pristine coastlines, exercise, local diet choices (within reason), quality health care, strong community bonds, empathy, perspective on life, and optimism (according to a Huffington Post report from a few years back).

While you can quibble about the details of any of these pieces of the longevity puzzle, the realities of poor eating habits, redundant stress, harsh winters, pessimism, tribalism, rampant poverty, and any other proverbial ills you care to throw into the social bouillabaisse are simply not as predominant or applicable here as they are in other states.

Like ‘em or not, local government policies make a difference, as does our relative demeanor, attitude, acceptance levels, respect, culture oeuvre, and other intangibles that help to give us this longevity edge. These positive differences do not minimize problem areas that cry for attention nor resolve growing concerns about this state’s future, but we can humbly acknowledge the melting pot of humanity that’s evolved here, along with our differences. It’s what makes Hawai`i unique, and possibly a worthwhile petri dish that other locales might study in a quest to improve the quality (and length) of life in their states. East meets West meets Polynesia has proven to be a successful formula, with flaws, for those who care to make this isolated archipelago their home.

Think about it…   

The recent Oʻahu sightings of a couple of iguanas and a three-foot-long ball python are not reassuring. It could indicate that some people locally are looking at fauna exotica as a new entertainment outlet or esoteric adventure as COVID-19’s impact hits month #12.

While snakes in the grass are not often seen locally, recent sightings are also a reminder and possibly a by-product of the endangered status of a well-known amphibian that has gone unseen throughout the pandemic and with quarantine rules- the lounge lizard, a term originally meant to mean a lothario who would hang around bars and try to get lucky, so to speak..

This scaly, human scavenger has been missing in action over the past year, as it’s been barred from bars, as has everyone. But if we stay cautious via vaccines and remaining COVID-19 protocols, we might see tears of joy from these nighttime cruisers as tiers of joy open up in the weeks ahead.

People may rebuff the sordid efforts of lounge lizards (who often morph into “lunge” lizards after a few pops), but less than a decade ago, before outlandish, online rumors became the established daily norm, a theory evolved that there were “lizard people” in our midst- right here in America. 

Yes, real live, lizard humanoids- intent on world domination. According to Public Policy Polling (in 2013), about 4%, or 12-million Americans, believed lizard people were real. Eight years later, lizard people haven’t completed their assumed takeover plot… yet.

Hopefully, you won’t bump into any reptiles at social gatherings, outdoor sports, restaurants, parks or beaches now that we’re OK to have groups of 10 gathering with safe distancing and masks still the proper protocol. Nothing says “I’m outta here” faster at a beach volleyball get-together than a coiled up ball python, a prying green iguana, or a scaly, lizard person.

Reptiles are cold-blooded characters, and we all know a few earthlings (unfortunately) who fit into that category… so, maybe there is something to that lizard people theory?!

About 20-years ago, non-native, Jackson’s chameleons were a hot pet item here. Thank goodness that one didn’t get out of hand, or out of cages. But I digress… Bottom line- we don’t need any invasive species brought here, bored as you might be, reptile Romeos. Leave the snakes and iguanas to your big-screen, binge-watching party with nine friends (tier 3) on the National Geographic Channel.

Think about it…

As Monty Python’s John Cleese often said- “…and now for something completely different”. Online accommodations booking site, trivago, recently polled 2,000 adults in the U.S. and found that 38% of Americans would give up sex for a year if they could travel right now. I kid you not.

Now that might sound astonishing and prove just how truly awful this pandemic has been in one more way, but what if this 38% group isn’t having sex anyway these days? They really wouldn’t be “suffering” then, would they? And what if these eager-to-travel abstainers would also give up sex for a new Pez dispenser or a nice pair of slippers?

A full 20% of those surveyed said they’d dump their partner for a chance to go road-tripping right now.  Apparently, for some, that’s what quarantine and stasis do to one’s priorities. 80% of all respondents consider travel to be a vital part of a quality life. Of course, after being cooped up for so long, even a trip to get your wisdom teeth pulled might feel like a big day out.

But here’s part two… The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that, even with limited travel, 2020 represented a new high bar for complaints against airlines and travel agencies. 90% of the grievances were about refunds (and lack thereof), as obviously there were multiple pitfalls when traveling last year. 

If you’re willing to forego sex for a year to travel, you better be in a good mood when travel plans get screwed up and you can’t get a refund. And it’s obvious that for some vacationers who just gotta go, a delayed or denied refund is worth the risk when it comes to traveling during a pandemic. How big is travel? Well, a quarter of Americans say they’d give up all of their savings to hit the road right now and 48% would give up their job to travel! But you might not wanna come back- because now you’re broke… Abstinence and sacrifice- it all makes sense after being forced to watch “Bridgerton” and “The Crown” repeatedly (just kidding…).

Plenty of Americans say no sex, no savings, no partner and no job beats yet another month or three of homebound isolation. Travel is part of the good life, they say, but with no sex, job, savings, or partner after the sojourn ends, you’d better have some great memories to live on.

Think about it…

Sometimes, it’s OK to talk to yourself; even healthy. First of all, you’ll hopefully find a receptive audience. Secondly, such a chat can help you figure things out, pulling resources from the vast recesses of your own mind. Paul Simon wrote a landmark song that became a 1966 #1 hit, “The Sound of Silence”. “Hello darkness, my old friend / I’ve come to talk with you again” is how it begins. Simple, powerful, profound. 

As we head (hopefully) around the final turn of this pandemic era over the next six months, perhaps we should all take some time, alone, to quietly assess where we are, what we’re doing, and how we’re feeling. Perhaps then we will better be able to deal with everything else that comes about as hopefully “it’ll be alright, when the morning comes” (written by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates and popularized locally by Kapalana).

Simon sang in “The Sound of Silence” about “People talking without speaking / People hearing without listening”. And boy, does that sound like what we’ve witnessed lately, what we’ve become and where we are in far too many areas. While things seem a bit calmer, more congenial, and more civil locally, one can still feel rumblings about “what’s next” and “where do we go from here”?

The time has come for more thinking before speaking, more empathy, listening, creativity, and intelligence as we plan our collective futures. The time has come for common good to take precedence over any sort of “what’s in it for me” syndrome. We can address a number of issues and perhaps press the “reset” button, but we must not let this opportunity slip by without deep analysis, self-analysis, and productive activity on festering items of concern here- about our futures, what aloha really means, housing realities, and ensuring that our keiki have the means to provide for their keiki without moving away. No hollow pontifications or big body. Silence, listening, action.

It won’t be easy or quick, as we also need to jump start our economy, and there are a laundry list of items that have been talked about for years with minimal, tangible results as  things have been OK here for years… for some people. Through the sound of silence, hopefully quality listening occurs, better ideas emerge, compassion and rational reasoning reverberate, and we come out of this thing wiser and willing.

Think about it…

It’s far too early to celebrate, but the light at the end of the tunnel continues to come into clearer focus. More people are getting vaccinated (if we could just get more doses sent here!) and Pearlridge Center announced that 14 new stores or kiosks are opening there.

One positive touchstone of 2020 will be undoubtedly be the year’s music- perhaps songs like these, whose simple titles might seem to mimic the bizarre year and make for a fun playlist (in 10-years). Songs like:

“Things You Can’t Control” (SOJA + Trevor Young)- the title just about says it all for the frustrations of 2020!

“Circles” (Post Malone)- OK, go out and play. No wait, come back inside. Hang out with family only. Actually… hang out with no one! As Malone said: “…we’re running in circles”, getting exhausted; but basically, many went nowhere in 2020.

“Road Trip” (Sons of Zion)- surely something we couldn’t do in 2020, especially if that road trip included actually getting out of our cars!

“Rumor” (Maoli)- rumors, alternative facts, fake news, social media, dubious posts, paranoia, a huge crevice in our political landscape; it all became the reality (or lack thereof) of 2020.

“Without You” (Rebel Souljahz)- pretty much how we spent most days in 2020, without someone(s). We might’ve spent a lot of time with ourselves; if so, hopefully we learned something of value as the new days dawn.

“Speechless” and “When The Rain Falls” (Kolohe Kai)- you couldn’t make up some of what happened in 2020, when “hard-to-believe” became the norm, often leaving us speechless, and the pandemic rain kept falling. Luckily, real rain washes things away, and we move on.

“10,000 Hours” (Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber)- this is what many weekdays felt like in 2020. Idle time, expanded work days, no work, too little human connection, Zoom after Zoom, raising kids, raising hell, where every long day invariably felt like June 35^th or August 47^th.

“Memories” (Maroon 5)- when all was said and done way back in 2020, that’s (hopefully) all we remember when we glance back- memories, and none too painful. For long haulers, COVID-19 may not end up to be just be a blip on life’s colorful radar screen. But many people’s 2020 memories will include earworms like the songs above, plus the good, helpful, caring, and empathetic humanity they experienced way back in 2020.

Think about it…