Author: admin

Why must it be so terrible?? I mean really. Far too many doctor’s offices, credit card companies, banks, airlines, rental companies, and the like have the most awful music soothing us (ha!) as we waste our lives away when put on hold. The drippy, maudlin, sad, slow, overmodulated, unrecognizable, and ridiculously repetitive music actually makes Muzak sound good! This on-hold stuff might be a rationale for hanging up. Hmmm, maybe that’s what they want!? I’m feeling ornery enough forced to sit for 10-minutes on hold… interrupted only by that pre-recorded “we’re sorry, but all of our operators are currently busy…” reminder.

Redundant, distorted music is not a good sales pitch. Can’t you at least play something more uplifting or catchy? Your music isn’t making me feel happier about this wait. Come on folks! I mean, we are clients, potential clients, or possibly former clients. Find a new music service or get a hip 14-year-old to program something better for us feeble waiters rather than the out-of-tune saccharine you’re playing, especially the local companies. Gimme some slack key virtuoso stuff. You’re killing me, smalls…

Having vented and gotten that out of my system (though the stench remains), let’s all remember that one person’s favorite song is certainly someone else’s musical misery maker. For every critic who reviles “We Built This City”, there are those who believe that “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro is easily the worst dreck ever slapped on vinyl (1968). But we know there’s more unknown flotsam and jetsam out there. Again, one person’s dreck is surely another’s #1 feel-good song of all time. I’ve witnessed first-dance wedding songs that made me regret ever accepting the invitation (unless the food was great).

Go check out any list of “worst songs ever” and you’ll probably find gag-me-with-a-spoon offerings layered with some tunes that you actually enjoy(ed). So how does one pick his/her favorite or least favorite song, movie or (fill-in-the-blank) of all-time? Tough choices, I know, but a fun game. Heck, many of you braved the head-spinning world of dating yet eventually chose “the one”. So, it shouldn’t be too hard to regale or bore your friends with one’s personal favorites- food, movie, song, restaurant, Beatle, TV show, athlete, president, city, color, et al.

And businesses, please try to avoid putting us in Muzak-ish purgatory, and we’ll remember to smile when a human being finally does pick up.

Think about it…

I could spend a whole column on each of these topics, but let’s go with snippets, so then you can philosophize, ponder, and/or pontificate the rest of the week. Please enjoy and run free…

In yet another example of local inaction resulting (apparently) in action, the upcoming federal budget may ultimately decide the fate of Hawai`i Island’s Thirty Meter Telescope, where we’ve seen an impasse for years. The National Science Foundation has indicated it cannot fund multiple billion-dollar telescopes, and has decided that the TMT will be sacrificed as part of the administration’s plans to shave four billion from NSF’s nine billion dollar budget. 

With the on-going stalemate on this mountainous issue, it’s a wonder that financial and scientific partners Japan, India, China, and Canada haven’t pulled out as the tone of U.S. international policies keeps shifting…

The state of Hawai`i has, proportionately, the highest number of people 85+ years old of any state. A new study indicates that our cost of living and lack of healthcare resources (including facilities) make for a problematic future for the aged, resulting in inevitable responsibilities defaulting to upcoming generations having to help care for the elderly. A UH study noted that Hawaii’s 85+ population has doubled in the past 20 years, and the report states that 100% of our nursing facilities have reported deficiencies. 

Local elders will continue to become a larger percentage of our total population as people live longer lives here, and as younger folk opt to move elsewhere (see- economy, housing, jobs, costs). We need more long- and short-term care facilities and healthcare workers, plus increased health service options, including stronger multi-ethnic cultural awareness)…

And then there’s HNL airport. The so-called modernization plan has been going on for so long that it’s now middle-aged. Revitalized Terminal 1 lacks vendors and warmth; a food vendor told me he can’t justify signing long-term agreements without knowing logistical plans, like which airlines are going to be situated where, and when. Airlines are the key, but their plans (understandably) change suddenly due to economic realities. 

Good luck predicting airline pricing, lift and load factors, visitor demand, fuel inconsistencies, et al., as these industry factors change more often than flight schedules. Dirty bathrooms, non-working escalators, long lines, stagnant air, yellow tape, cones, mid-day baggage area overcrowding- these HNL logistical and hygienic concerns drift endlessly… like unclaimed baggage going round and round on a carousel.

Think about it…  

I did something Memorial Day morning that I don’t do often enough… I walked. But rather than just a simple neighborhood walk, my wife and I walked at low tide on Kailua Beach one hour after sunrise. 

And rather than flog myself up metaphorically for not spending more mornings over the last 45-years realizing the splendor that is Kailua Beach, I just enjoyed myself. We chatted, of course, and I also reveled in the sounds of (relative) silence. My amazing wife is in better shape than I, so she walked midway through our stroll on as I sat quietly for 20 minutes- while she continued further up and then back down the glorious beach; we then re-attached and walked back to our point of origin together.

No two snowflakes are exactly alike and no two grains of sand are 100% alike. I can confirm that no two beach walkers are alike. Some smile and say “morning” (not sure when/why we lost the word “good” before “morning”…), some nod, others avoid eye contact. Sunglasses discreetly hide gazes, too.  

Each rippling, morphing wave is also unique- arriving on its own timetables, leaving behind various ocean traces (man o’ war, seaweed, plastic detritus, foam, sand berms) and inevitably receding. The wind creates its own rhythm and sound, making for a beautiful, nature-borne orchestra, repeated ad infinitum, with a hint of bass.

Experiencing these moments of just being present- amid dogs playing, couples holding hands, children laughing, fishermen casting and patiently waiting atop mini-sand dunes- is cathartic. It’s easier walking on level ground rather than on slanty, wave-eroded beaches. Thus, timing matters… it always does. If we’d walked earlier or later, we’d have negotiated greater beach angles; not ideal for aging, creaky joints.

In its phenomenal rock opera, “Quadrophenia”, The Who sang: “A beach is a place where a man can feel / He’s the only soul in the world that’s real”. In another song from that album (my all-time #1 album), singer Roger Daltrey crooned: “Nothing is planned by the sea and the sand.” The sea, sand, sounds, sun, and surroundings- they just simply are. 

On that singular day, while also acknowledging the Memorial Day morning- mourning for those who didn’t come home from battles afar- I felt a sense of gratitude, peace, groundedness, and acceptance, intermingled with a calming sensory engagement. Hmmm, perhaps I should do this more often…

Think about it. 

There’s difficulty these days providing objective perspectives. Science and historically accepted truths are debated and bandied about endlessly, like a social badminton shuttlecock. Invariably, we end up in disagreement about so much with so many.

Facts (or maybe we should say “true facts” to be clear), by definition, should not be debatable.  It’s the interpretation, twisted meanings, subtle nuances, and incessant bludgeoning with misinformation we se far too often via snippets, social media regurgitations, rampant politicizations, and deepfake crap that makes us weary, wary, and worried about information and “facts”. 

Incessant posturing and subsequent pontification nowadays make one long for an era when simple storytelling among friends, co-workers, family and/or acquaintances was accepted with a nod and a smile, even if we knew that the presenter was kinda full of it on aspects of his/her oral saga. Who cared? Harmless non-inflammatory banter.

But nowadays, perhaps heightened by over two years of avoiding humans thanks to COVID, we are often on alert. We wait for someone to slip in a statement or phrase that gets our blood pressure up. One way to repair some of the angst about verbal damage in today’s who-knows-where-society-is-going whirlwind is to lighten up, relax; don’t take everything proffered as being laced with mal-intent and animosity.

Ultimately, one’s perspective can be quite subjective… based on each person’s own life experiences, expectations, where they’ve been, what they’re going through, how they’ve been raised, where their principles lie. While media-savvy wing nuts on either side of the political spectrum blabber, studies show that most people gravitate toward more centrist opinions and deeply held beliefs. Again, perspective is relative… even on manini topics. An amateur golfer shoots an 83 and laments having a “bad day” on the course while talking to a guy who’s never broken 95, who must be thinking “…what a whiner”. It’s all based on personal perspectives and presumptions. Some see a protective tree ahead to park under; others see inevitable bird droppings. Half-empty or half-full? Either way, there’s liquid involved- true fact. We can both drink.

We witness a ubiquitous lack of empathy and tolerance in today’s social landscape. I’m not naïve; It is hard to relax sometimes, especially when true facts are involved. Can we take a deep breath, realizing we’re not in this sitcom alone. “They” are not all evil and hopeless; we must all fit into the same room. What’s our option?

Think about it…

The University of Hawaii at Mānoa just announced a new master’s degree in artificial intelligence (AI), along with graduate certificate programs in AI and data science. Which is great, because advanced AI is not the future; it’s the present.

Computer science aficionados are the most likely candidates for this timely master’s offering, and the timing is propitious. AI, in our midst for decades, is now a huge determinant in many facets of our lives (including workforce “opportunities”), and UH is wise to cater to students (and workers) interested in this burgeoning field.

AI laser-focus and increased funding has allowed for exponential growth (AI keeps getting smarter), yet caution flags remain about what more advanced artificial intelligence will allow for and result in. For every amazing opportunity in medicine or science where AI optimizes solutions and expedites answers to long-term dilemmas, some nefarious individual, consortium, or country seeks to take advantage of AI in ways that we must prepare for… now.

This is not Chicken Little “the-sky-is-falling” worrying; it is the existing morality reality. We’ve already seen manipulation via drones, social media, false narratives, deepfakes, chatbots, phishing, intellectual property theft, scamming of the elderly and other examples of technology running amok. Heck, maybe I didn’t actually write this?! (I did). 

In 2021, American oil company Colonial Pipeline experienced a  major ransomware cyberattack via a compromised password that caused an East Coast  gas shortage and consumer panic. 2021 seems like the Stone Age in AI-speak as upgrades occur geometrically (see Moore’s Law). Bad actors won’t play by whatever international rules might invariably be set up. Social media companies have been accused of betraying initial mission statements and ethics charters. Tristan Harris, a Google design ethicist who left Google in 2013, became a spokesperson for more ethical technology design and speaks eloquently of this reality.

This decade, AI might be performing tasks that heretofore required human intuitive and empathetic thinking, beyond the concept of AGI (artificial general intelligence). Is that good? These “what if” hypotheses might creep you out. What if AI courses are taught by AI-trained machines? Would that benefit humans, or just be more efficient? Noted NYU professor/author, Jonathan Haidt, suggests that already “…the transition from a play-based to a phone-based youth has ‘rewired childhood’” (USA Today). Wow.

Here’s hoping UH’s AI programs can become leaders in transformative and “human” AI training… and perhaps even provide some job development.

Think about it…

Just for fun, have you ever put together a local bucket list of things you’d like to see, do, attend, play, visit, eat, etc.? Certainly the uncertainty of the economy these days is causing some folks to hold back on purchases, which might even include that planned family summer trip. But one should never lose the hope, goal, or passionate zeal to satisfy wants and needs, especially in a place that offers so many options.

Like the Merrie Monarch Festival… I was blessed to return in person last month after a seven-year absence. The splendor, smells, beauty, colors, tradition, storylines, cultural pride- the stunning emotions that this event creates, including the ever-smiling Hawai`i Island folks in Hilo and all over the place, is life-reaffirming. If this one’s not on your bucket list… perhaps reconsider. 

How about a “simple” trip to one of those places you know about anecdotally, but you’ve never been? You know, the one your mom told you about, or your friend’s cousin’s daughter went to visit? Hana? Punalu`u Beach? The Byodo-In Temple? Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden or The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden? A sunset on Kailua Beach, Upcountry Maui or Kauai’s South Shore? The list is endless.

Throw in restaurants or even simple foodstuffs you’ve never tried, and you can combine some interesting culinary bucket list items. Squid luau? ‘Ulu fried rice? A stuffed Zippy’s Mochizada? A sapodilla/zapota (chico) from a Waimanalo nursery or the weekly KCC Farmer’s Market? Now that one changed my life…

We’re lucky. Though we live in the most remote, inhabited place on earth, we have lots of unique, exotic, and/or amazing things to experience locally. If only we would… So a summertime plan for those of you (rightfully) experiencing some angst over financial market conditions, prices, and your own retirement or daily portfolio might include looking at previously ignored, local opportunities. Create a great time, eat/do great things, meet great people.

Decades ago, during an actual recession, local businesses joined forces to promote a “have a kama`aina summer!”  campaign. And it worked- mentally, spiritually, physically, and fiscally. Rather than focus on woe, some people said, “oohhhh” and made the best of tough times in our backyard. 

Just a thought that might allow you to check off some wanna-do boxes or create a mini-bucket list if you cannot make 2025 grand plans. It might even start a wonderful, new family tradition.

Think about it…

So many things to contemplate and explore, and yet so little room to extrapolate here:

Science has done it again… The James Webb Telescope sighted exoplanet K2-18 b and early reports suggest its atmosphere might have atmospheric gases found only via biological processes, and thus “may” be full of microbial life. E.T., call home! K2-18 b is 124 light-years from Earth; a light-year is 5.9 trillion miles, so K2-18 b is a mere 731.6 trillion miles away. Set the phasers on stun, this could be the big one! Or not. But, kinda cool to think just what might be, yeh? And IF there is possibly lifeforms out there, shouldn’t we see a Starbuck’s sign in future telescope probes of K2-18 b?

I don’t know how to say this subtly, so I’ll be forthright. Be quiet. Please. You, sitting in the airport lobby with the Bluetooth earpiece… we can hear your inane phone chat. Not interested. You, in the restaurant with your speakerphone on, we don’t care to hear about your sister’s boyfriend’s cousin’s gout flare up. You, in the movie theater eight seconds before the movie begins- we’re unamused with your Cancy Crush or Call of Duty gamesmanship. Yes, I know it’s your world and we’re all just guests, but how about a bit of public decorum and aloha. Shhh.

It gets confusing about who’s leaving here and who’s moving in, as Census Bureau numbers include nationwide estimates that might not be appropriate or clear for small states like Hawai`i. Recent details provided by UHERO and others now indicate that working age people are coming back home. Certain ethnic groups are now making up larger percentages of Hawai`i in-comers and out-goers than in past analyses. The bottom line is- we need workers who want to and can afford to be here, and can live fulfilling work/home/extracurricular lives… an age-old dilemma being addressed at many levels (again). If you build it, they will come? Well, maybe; if it’s reasonable and I don’t have to eke by paycheck to paycheck for 30-years.

Finally, what’s your financial literacy IQ? With today’s concerns about tariffs, a possible recession, job cuts, et al., it’s not great that far too many American adults don’t know their ABCs (or 1,2,3s) of finance. 87% of American consumers think financial concepts should be taught in high school, and 27 states currently mandate a personal finance course. Hawai`i doesn’t.

Think about it… 

Hmm… where do we start… or finish? A relevant question to ask as we’ve recently been reminded of myriad projects that have, over time, taken on gargantuan costs relative to initial plans/concepts. Suggestions that emerged years or decades ago but simply haven’t come to fruition. You’ve heard of “local time”? Well, meet “linger time”.

It’s not that these issues “simply” haven’t come to pass or even been started. It seems that we have a repetitive protocol to stall, avoid, table, discuss, delay, tweak, question, and committee-ize, invariably resulting in the great lag seen often locally, which invariably costs us beaucoup bucks, IF these projects/reparations ever do see the light of day.

Like the $160 million state hospital building which opened four years ago and now might cost another $35 million to retrofit. Unsafe fixtures, leaks, dubious A/C, etc. Legislators appeared stunned at the mistakes. We waited too long to ensure early or initial corrective action, it appears.

How about the decades of talk about flood control for the Ala Wai Canal and Kaimuki/Waikiki area? Talk about funny money. An original price estimate was $345 million… then $1.1 billion… and now (brace yourself) $11.1 billion. Read it in the 3,741-page Ala Wai Flood Risk Management Draft General Re-evaluation Report and Integrated Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Surely the city and state will revisit options. We waited too long, as we’re still wondering if we’ll get that destructive “100-year storm”.

The Hawai`i Convention Center has been leaking and causing problems for years. Convention Center roof repair costs, now estimated at $64 million, will force a closure, which will obviously affect future bookings there. We waited too long… well, you know.

The State Capitol has been leaking literally under local legislator’s noses and feet for over 25 years, but leaders have apparently never seen the urgency to resolve repetitive problems like mold and the rain/pond water leaking onto vital records and electrical equipment below ground. Repairs might’ve been added to costs during asbestos removal in the 1990s, but funding was an issue. Repairs today are expected to be in the $50-$100 million range. Plus, $63 million is needed to replace the emptied reflecting pool. Water under the bridge, or the lege? Perhaps a lack of reflection over 25+ years. 

There are other lagging projects, but this quartet of items has come up (again) as costs have gone up (again) and demand attention (again).

Think about it…

Life is like a 500-piece cardboard puzzle… or maybe not. If you analyze various aspects of your life, there is sometimes a real sense of order… much like a puzzle. With a puzzle, you can stare at the box cover to see how things will invariably turn out; you can’t do that with life. Like people, puzzles come in diverse shapes, colors, and sizes. Puzzles include all the pieces. Sometimes in life, people don’t accept some pieces.

If only we could know that everything will fit in its right place as we deal with the vagaries of life, which can be messy, befuddling, and inconsistent. Things get out of our control in life, unlike that fixed, exact puzzle with 500 perfectly-fitting pieces. 

But even with a puzzle spread out on a table- like your existence spread out on the unpainted canvas that is your life- the unexpected occurs. A piece falls, unbeknownst to anyone, and gets vacuumed up. Your scavenging dog finds a “treat”. Kids whisk by and a piece falls unseen under adjacent furniture.

Blues and greens in their places, borders created… you feel sure of the outcome. But what if you get to those final few pieces and cannot complete that puzzle, because something’s missing… even one piece. Anger, frustration.

Kinda like how we feel about our lives at times- somethings are missing. Respect, attention, love, connection, sense of purpose, acknowledgment, quality or quiet time, health, happiness, understanding, exploring, improving, tranquility, harmony, self-esteem, growth, joy, adventure, learning, freedom, balance, financial security, personal security, spiritual realization- wow, the wish list seems endless… but as with puzzles, we can put pieces together to create fulfillment for ourselves and others around us. We can even create pieces with effort.

Puzzles bring people together- focusing, working on common goals, knowing there will be a successful resolution (assuming no missing pieces). If only life was so sure, a box filled with all the pieces necessary to fit together. But life’s not like that, and this we must embrace; heck, maybe life’s a 1,000-piece puzzle?!

We see angst and uncertainty among far too many nowadays in far too places. We are redefining “normal” in a post-COVID world. Daily. By working together, staying in touch with people who matter to us- near friends/dear friends, real friends/deal friends (to paraphrase Robert Brooks’ “From Strength to Strength”)- people can piece together a more satisfying life puzzle.

Think about it…