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Purple Reign – MidWeek July 15, 2020

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We hear it far too often- the widening rift in this country. Even the seemingly simple concept of wearing a mask to protect the human species from the coronavirus scourge takes on a red vs. blue tone. Ridiculous. We are not a nation of pure red and blue. Yes, some states and people lean right and some lean left. But we’re actually a purple country.

Purple is cool. Prince serenaded us with “Purple Rain”. Lavender, violets, blueberries eggplants, and amethysts are all shades of purple. And thank goodness for Deep Purple, or we wouldn’t have the incredible “Smoke on the Water” (the live version from Japan, of course). The Purple Heart is awarded to soldiers displaying great valor.

For every rural or reddish area of this nation, there’s an offsetting city or college town that leans blue. One purple-impassioned author pegs purple-loving people as those who live in a dream world. Ah, if only… Purple has also been tied to royalty, wisdom, dignity, mystery, power, independence, creativity, and magic. So, purple is all over the place, much like the belief systems of many Americans, even red/blue leaners. 

Purple is not one of the colors on the visible spectrum; you have to search deeper to find it… how poetic. The Purpleologist website (yes, it’s real) suggests that the color purple can calm nerves and the mind, is uplifting, offers creativity, and encourages spirituality. Perhaps we could all use a little more purple in our lives.

We need to stop allowing separatists to exacerbate the very real problems which can drive a deeper wedge into our “united” nation. People disagree all the time, and then things get resolved. Hawai`i, of course, had an esteemed senator at one point named Daniel Inouye. He knew the value of reaching across the aisle; he rationalized that compromise was necessary to move things forward at times. He partnered often with Alaska’s Republican senator, Ted Stevens, to get things done. Yes, a progressive and a conservative actually worked together well in an era of “purple reign” in Washington, D.C. Imagine that.

Alas, those days and those leaders have been replaced by far too many who shirk their appointed duties while simply pandering to keep their jobs. Maybe we’ll see a purple resurgence in 2020. Red and blue together, a refreshing thought for the beleaguered masses. Working together for the common good; it’s not so purple-xing!

Think about it…

Tripping Out – MidWeek July 8, 2020

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With much at stake, some ponder if we should be assessing some of our fraying systems here. Education, tourism, traffic, housing, education, working from home- the list goes on. We should always seek to improve things via great forethought and action (plus accountability, often lacking locally… but that’s another story).

But right now, we need a reality check. People are suffering. We don’t have five years to revamp our major economic engine- tourism. Over 200,000 jobs statewide were supported by tourism last year, according to the annual Hawai`i Visitor Statistics report. By year end, an estimated 60% of Hawai`i households will be a single paycheck away from having trouble paying bills- rent, food, medical, transportation, et al. Over 700,000 residents could be in need of assistance, according to Aloha United Way’s 2020 ALICE Report (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). These are working households, added to those already in poverty and dire straits. And let’s not forget the mental stress this pandemic is causing. The tax on that silent threat is forthcoming.

Suggestions that hotels “simply” raise rates by 20% to help offset a 20% loss in visitors (or two million people annually) to keep our tax base strong through 2021 is naïve, illogical, and simplistic. As Waikiki and the Neighbor Island doors re-open, hotel beds will not be filled at 80% capacity any time soon. Room rates will be lowered as businesses try to entice tourists back. Economics 101. And if rules are followed, illegal B&Bs won’t bounce back. Some economists have projected a five-year path (whatever that path might look like) to get us back to the $17.75 billion that visitors spent here in 2019. 

Yes, we need actionable, forward thinking. Call Elon Musk about a missile site; call the Mayo Clinic about an East/West medical consortium; convince Silicon Valley neophytes to set up an enterprise in paradise. Practical, alternative energy businesses might thrive here. There’s a lot of capital waiting for entrepreneurial opportunities today. Just don’t expect many new concepts to start impacting our economy for years. We need answers for locals in August and also in February of 2021. We need our statewide ‘ohana to ensure that Hawai`i stays vibrant, unique, and livable. Everyone will be tested. Not everything will get done (hello, potholes). Reality insists that we deal with today’s issues today as we search within and without for tomorrow’s opportunities.

Think about it…

Meandering… MidWeek July 1, 2020

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A few unrelated items to ponder this week as we navigate new beginnings…

Kaiser High was acknowledged in April as the #1 public school in Hawaii and was also tied for #1 in the entire United States among public high schools in math and reading proficiency, according to U.S. News and World Report. “It’s Academic Hawai`i”, a weekly, academic game show featuring some of the brightest students from local high schools, ran from 2012-2018 on KFVE. The show had only one three-time champion in seven seasons- Kaiser High School. Kaiser’s principal commented on the local/national math ranking by saying “we challenge ourselves”, according to Pacific Business News. As it should be! Go Cougars! It’s always great to see our public schools earning deserved academic kudos both locally and nationally…

Moving on, comedian Dennis Miller once said that the toughest job in the world was being a bank security guard in Alaska: 20 people walk into a bank… they’re all wearing masks (insert laughter here). Well, reality nowadays is- 20 people walk into a bank, socially distanced of course, and they’re all wearing masks. Suddenly, a guy walks in without a mask. Everyone gets really scared… As Bob Dylan sang 20 years ago: “People are crazy and times are strange / I’m locked in tight, I’m out of range / I used to care, but things have changed.” 

Finally… we simply can’t seem to do it. As a species. We’ve paid the price, darn it, and now we have a right to go out unencumbered as we frolic and play. Without masks, without physical distancing, without practicing safe sanitization. Well… someone forgot to tell Beelzebub, a/k/a/ COVID-19. Because it’s still here and it also wants to play, and (for now) it’s here to stay, thanks to human transmission and letting our guard down. COVID-19 appears to be mutating, morphing- and who knows what that portends. We’ve already seen death and long-term damage via more than eight million (confirmed) cases worldwide in just seven months. We need treatments, we need a vaccine, and yes, we want our freedom. But for today’s purpose, what we really need is to have a clue, sports fans. As stoics love to remind us, freedom is not free; well, neither is winning this biological war. So put on your equipment, give space, and keep fighting the good fight, brothers and sisters. No slackers allowed.

Think about it…

But Not Here… – MidWeek June 24, 2020

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9/11 was stunning in so many awful ways, but one of the biggest takeaways was that things as we knew them and believed them were never going to be the same again. The invincibility we felt as a strong nation, where we seemingly just had to deal with our own internal issues, vanished forever. We are regularly reminded of that dark day whenever we venture through airports and trudge sheep-like, by necessity and for reassurance, through TSA screening lines. Before September, 2001, we occasionally witnessed terroristic attacks on military installations, malls, and innocent civilians around the world. Perhaps we took minor reassurance in believing that such incidents always occurred elsewhere, but not here…

We’ve watched for years as horrible, invisible, biological enemies sadly visited people around the world in microscopic attacks- Ebola, Zika, SARS, dengue, MERS. When polio and measles flare-ups appeared, we viewed them as distant relics of the past in America. Sure, we‘ve dipped our toes into turbulent viral waters in the United States over the past 60 years, but we no longer experienced viral tsunamis; those always festered in other places. We perhaps said to ourselves- yeh, those things happen over there, but not here…

We’ve watched in passive disbelief as countries were ripped apart by warring factions or tribal disputes disrupting lives, splitting families, and splintering nations into the haves and have nots, the elite and the ignored, the winners and the wanna-bes. But the underlying belief in our 245-year old system gave us the faith that we could withstand even disagreements that rose above the normal fray. We felt that compromise, morality, decency, common sense, and empathy would rule the day, so we wouldn’t have to rue the day. Sure, we’ve seen other countries fall apart, statues toppled, and fed-up people take to the streets. But not here… 

Well, it’s 2020. And many believe that we have lost clarity, misplaced that 20/20 vision based on original principles upon which America was founded. And if you feel displeasure at reactions to what’s going on today, ignore it, or feel it’s simply an overreaction, then maybe you’ve never experienced being regularly mistreated as a minority, never been deemed an outcast, never had “the talk” with your innocent kids, never been chastised or bullied for merely existing, never been persecuted for being “different”. Terrorism, COVID-19, deep-seated social problems- American realities in the 21st century.

Think about it… 

Yield of Dreams – MidWeek June 17, 2020

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Why are some people consciously choosing to not wear masks or practice social distancing? Yes, everyone’s been inconvenienced as “the man” made us stay home, but this medical safeguard has nothing to do with the shattering COVID-19 economic toll. If this is a so-called “war” we’re fighting vs. the coronavirus, and if you’re not doing you’re small part for our state and country in that war, does that make you a traitor or a snowflake? The novel coronavirus is not going away soon and is surely not a problem solved, yet. 

Moving on… recent peaceful protests around the country have pointed out just how far we haven’t come as a nation where all people are supposedly created and treated equal. The cry for justice and change is as loud as it’s been in many years, which hopefully will be a cause for immediate action beyond the poignant words.

We’ve been here before, and not just on this one particular issue of racial inequality and mistreatment. Back to 1970, we saw apparent headway being made by Women’s Lib, Black Power, and Gay Liberation movements. Yes, a half century ago, some of the very problems we see today were being addressed. But as Black Lives Matter, Me Too, and LGBTQ movements show us in 2020, we certainly have a long way to go.  

Minneapolis just banned neck restraints and chokeholds as methods of police restraint, but that’s merely a rules change. What needs to change universally is mindsets. As daddy once told me, learn right from wrong when you’re young, because it’s hard(er) to change when you get older. Civics and ethics courses should be mandated in schools, if we truly believe in the words of our nation’s founders (who themselves were quite naïve and hypocritical in some humanitarian areas).

Judge people by their actions and souls, not by their skin color, shape, social proclivities, religious choices, physical challenges, mental conditions, accents, or even where they went to school. Civics should be taught alongside the ABCs, and taught early and often. Alter or adjust evolving mindsets before wayward or antiquated notions seep in and you’ll see change. Sunday schools should also play a big role in this moral mandate. Enough tribalism; enough us and them. While we all may be different, we’re all in this together. It’s 2020, not 1863, not 1607. Time to wake up, everybody.

Think about it…  

Jack of all Tradewinds – MidWeek June 10, 2020

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You know how you come across people in life who always seem upbeat, involved, interested, and are fun to be around? The kind of people who rarely say a disparaging word about anyone? The kind of people who, when you walk away, you say: “we need more people like that!”?

Well, meet Jack Sullivan, an acknowledged godfather of soccer in Hawai`i, long-time friend to boys and girls in Hawaii’s youth correctional facilities, and a huge sports aficionado. Jack, who passed away on May 12, was one of those people who made a difference while on this earth. A Boston transplant, he never lost his accent, zest for life, or sense of humor.

I was fortunate to call Jack my friend for almost 45-years. He loved talking about soccer- my appearance on the Hawai`i All-Stars, playing at Aloha Stadium in 1976 before the Pele-led Cosmos played later that night, my work for Team Hawai`i of the North American Soccer league, my involvement with the short-lived, Hawai`i Semi-Pro Soccer League, AYSO, HYSA, WISA, MISO, high school tournaments, UH Wahine soccer- well, you get the picture. Jack was a walking encyclopedia of all things soccer locally. He also talked volumes about hockey (we shared Boston Bruins’ stories), and football, you name it.

Ferd Lewis’ Star-Advertiser recent article encapsulated Jack’s life here. Jack was a minister and a self-effacing, self-employed accountant. He played Santa Claus at youth homes for decades, sometimes rappelling down from the rooftop with a “ho ho ho” and plenty of padding to cover his rail-like body (I witnessed that feat at the Ko’olau Boys Home in 1977). Once when a youth home inmate scaled a “security” fence and escaped during a soccer game, Jack yelled that at least he could’ve left his soccer shirt behind…

He possessed a gregarious gift of gab, a sense of civility that knew no borders, and a humble, yet fervent, willingness to get involved, deeply if need be, to listen to, help and to heal those in need. He mattered. His 63 years in Hawai`i included Irish yarns and other numerous tales. Everyone smiled when interacting with Uncle Jack. The consummate mensch, he actually never played soccer, but loved watching it from the grass and from the grassroots level on up, and he never let anyone down. He was a beautiful man who loved “the beautiful game” and so much more.

Think about it…

Hawai`i’s Gifts – MidWeek June 3, 2020

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As we rejoin the real world from our surreal isolationism, and as some people tremble at the thought of 10-million visitors returning annually to our shores, I thought a diversionary trip might be appropriate… as in- how did we get here?

Our infectious culture (a good use of “infectious”) brings happiness to people all over the world. The melting pot of humanity and the relative ease with which we usually get along here is an enticing amalgamation of Polynesia meets East meets West. People have found Hawai`i to be enthralling for well over a century now… there’s a reason (beyond climate) that Hawai`i is sometimes referred to as “Paradise”, with a capital “P”.

Here are a couple of lesser known examples of our passive inculcation over time. In 1916, recorded music featuring Hawaii steel guitar (invented by Hawaiian teen, Joseph Kekuku, according to Smithsonian magazine) was the most popular recorded music in America, outselling popular sounds from stars of the day like Al Jolson and Enrico Caruso. If you ever get to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, AZ., you’ll see just how influential Hawai`i’s steel guitar, pedal steel, ukulele, slack key, paniolo music, etc., have been on mainstream music art forms for over a century.

And then there was the widespread appeal of the Aloha shirt throughout the mainland pre-Elvis Presley in the 1920s and 1930s. Visual promotion via Olympic champ, Duke Kahanamoku, and renown crooner, Bing Crosby, showed vibrant patterns and colors that celebrated the islands’ presumed happy-go-lucky, appealing outlook on life.  

Unique items, endemic traits, and memorable people associated with these islands goes way back and has helped to entice visitors. A constant of this lengthy list is that that whichever local item, concept, custom, flower, or person resonates with others, it invariably brings a smile, a joyous release of cranial serotonin and dopamine. 

From 1920s music and shirts to Don Ho to Bruno Mars, plus “Hawaii 5-0”, pineapple, Spam, papaya, mai tais; from local ethos to patois to dance to unique traditions, the lures and legacy of Hawai`i has only grown stronger, deeper, and more vivid over the past 100+ years. It’s understandable and it’s been earned, as is the local angst felt locally now in terms of housing, retail prices, mere sustenance, quality of life, fading traditions, eco-dangers, traffic, economic stasis, and more. OK, we’re now opening back up. To what?

Think about it…

“Think About It: Ideas And Inspiration For Today’s Hawai`i”, my new book, is now available to order online from Watermark Publishing locally (including FREE shipping) at: https://www.bookshawaii.net and is also available at many local bookstores

Willie Style – MidWeek May 27, 2020

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I first heard him at a fundraiser golf tournament in the late 1980s. A couple of hundred people were laughing and buffet-ing at Honolulu Country Club post-tournament when he took the stage. No one even looked up as the prime rib, beer, and golf stories took precedence over an unknown, background musician. 

But something was different. By the third song, I told my gang-ee to zip it and listen, as this guy was captivating, unique, versatile, engaging, even mesmerizing. He was introduced as “uncle” from Maui. Yes, Willie Kahaiali`i won that crowd over, along with every other crowd he entertained over the next 30+ years. He had the greatest vocal dexterity and guitar/ukulele virtuosity of any performer in Hawai`i. Ever. High octane/octave arias, chang-a-lang traditional, Jawaiian, Jewish folk, Mediterranean, flamenco, blues (his first love), country, Latin, jazz, Hawaiian contemporary, hard rock, Christmas classics (“O Holy Night”= chicken skin)… you name it- Willie brought it every night, every performance, every time. Part of the excitement and drama of a Willie K. show was wondering- what’s next?! A simmering smorgasbord of songs; a comprehensive aural compendium; he was a veritable virtuoso of variety.

I worked with Willie K. via KHNL/KFVE local shows- “Hot Hawaiian Nights”, “Na Hoku Hanohano Awards”, and others. He could be engaging, intense, or even stand-offish, but he was always pleasant, present, and fair with me. I emceed as Willie and Amy Hanaiali’i played a dynamic set on the lawn at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s 50th anniversary gala dinner in 2015. Willie exploded into the “Star Spangled Banner”/ “Smoke on the Water” Jimi Hendrix-style as phenomenal fireworks exploded offshore.

I watched Willie perform at Alaska Airlines 10th Anniversary in Hawai`i celebration on the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s back lawn in October, 2017. He told the crowd he was going to play only the blues going forward; he’d leave local music to the “kids” and teach. He suggested to me post-concert that I come to his annual, January “Willie K. BluesFest” at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. That 2018 Maui event featured guest performances by Patrick Simmons, Michael McDonald (both Doobie Bros.) plus legends Alice Cooper and Dave Mason. Willie and I chatted and laughed backstage, yet I sensed that he was exhausted. Soon thereafter, he was diagnosed with what proved to be fatal lung cancer. 

He commanded our attention at the MACC, Chai’s Bistro, Kamehameha Country Club, Blaisdell Arena, Blue Note Hawai`i, and Hapa’s on Maui (check out 2000’s “Live at Hapa’s” CD). Willie K. battled cancer with his kolohe smile- similar to his onstage persona- brash, playful, effervescent, moving, and captivating. There was no quit in Uncle Willie, even in sickness. His legacy endures via his expansive musical palette, family, friends, fans, reverent musicians, students, and his unflinching zest for life- doing it his way, Willie-style. Willie K. passed away on May 18,2020, at 10:40pm… and undoubtedly began jamming immediately on his new, celestial stage.

Think About it…

The New World – MidWeek May 20, 2020

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Some people have made it clear what they don’t want when quarantine ends- a return of seam-busting tourism and stultifying traffic. O`ahu’s major corridors have fewer commuters because schools are closed and people are unemployed or working from home- non-tourism-related issues. We often know what we don’t want, but too little time, effort, and ingenuity has been placed on addressing what we DO want (and need)- a community that respects our heritage and people, cherishes Hawai`i’s uniqueness, and provides ample jobs, wages, and housing to ensure that future generations can hopefully and happily call Hawai`i home. 

Intriguing and higher paying jobs are easy to talk about, but how do we get there- internet technology, aerospace, astronomy, cyber-security, alternative energy, self-sustaining agriculture, aquaculture, an East-West medical consortium, a gerontology center? Diversifying our economy is a now-standard local plea and political rallying cry, much like improving education for our keiki. 

The “what” and “why” are simple; what’s been missing for the past 25+ years is the “how”, “who”, and “when”. Many here were concerned about our lack of an economic bouillabaisse before COVID-19 came to town. Tourism’s growth has allowed us to ignore issues for far too long. An April International Air Transport Association survey said that 40% of travelers plan to wait six months after the virus is contained before possibly flying again. Yes, “business as normal” will be experiencing a facelift here. 

Turning down the tourism spigot is not a simple or necessarily wise solution. We have no economic plan “B”. Ripple coronavirus effects ensure a slow, economic re-build. We need new partnerships, planning, and action to help Hawai`i morph into what we want it to look like and be in 2030 and beyond. 

Bloomberg Businessweek said: “Almost half of U.S. households 55 and older have nothing saved for retirement.” In mid-2019, ABC News said: “Almost 40% of American adults wouldn’t be able to cover a $400 emergency with cash, savings or a credit-card charge that they could quickly pay off.” That represents over 83-million struggling Americans aged 18+, a staggering statistic pre-coronavirus. With layoffs, cutbacks, closures, uncertainty, and bills piling up, well… things are tough. 

The federal government is handing out almost $3-trillion in business loans, taxpayer relief, and other monetary aid to momentarily stem the tidal wave of angst that is a real COVID- 19 by-product. Hawai’i’ leadership needs to provide hope.

Think about it…

“Think About It: Ideas And Inspiration For Today’s Hawai`i”, my new book, is now available to order online from Watermark Publishing locally (including FREE shipping) at: https://www.bookshawaii.net and is also available at many local bookstores

Haiku Snafu – MidWeek, May 13, 2020

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Finally! After three decades, a resolution on the Haiku Stairway to Heaven… actually, what we got was a resolution that will possibly lead to a resolution. Yes, once again, the well-known “kick the can down the road” mentality prevailed, as the City’s Water Department (which never should have held jurisdiction over a scenic landmark on/adjacent to city and state property) turned over its operation (ha!) of the Stairway to Heaven to the City of Honolulu- who has carefully avoided dealing with these steps for 33 years- and who now has 18-months to decide what to do! Because three decades of uncertainty and trespassing is apparently not enough…

Yes, after poring over details, we get a poor non-decision… again. 18-months, enough time for the new mayor and new City Council to issue a call for a referendum, form a subcommittee, hire a research group, coordinate a team of ecological experts, ask for more community testimony… and then we’ll see the inevitable lawsuit(s). After that, we’re off to see the wizard! Or head to an appellate court case. It’ll be 2025… with nighttime ninjas still creeping up there in the wee hours for the cool view. The city was going to buy the stairs in 2002- never happened.

The only thing missing from this latest dereliction of duty was that no one’s (yet) suggested installing a telescope on top of the stairs to explore the universe. You cannot make this stuff up. The Board of Water Supply tosses the Stairway to Heaven over to the City of Honolulu- a 3,922 step hot potato. After decades of negotiations, neighborhood complaints, illegal trespassing by thousands, environmental studies, politician site visits, etc., does the City really need 18-months to decide what to do?!  

Experiential gazers traipse up the pathway in pre-dawn hours to see a glorious sunrise. Got it. Security cops get there too late, or people figure out a way around them, and taxpayers pay $250,000 annually for private security. Would it be different if people were charged for such a spectacular view, as some are proposing? Frustrated neighbors, tired of their lawns and hoses being used, say scofflaws will avoid paying. “Ho-hum” say those enchanted by this surreal stairway to the stars… until someone falls off, or slips off the rope swing, when we’ll have a legal Haiku Stairway to Bedlam. Local decision-making- an oxymoron far too often.

Think About It… 

“Think About It: Ideas And Inspiration For Today’s Hawai`i”, my new book, is now available to order online from Watermark Publishing locally (including FREE shipping) at: https://www.bookshawaii.net and is also available at many local bookstores