#midweek | Think About It Hawaii

Haiku Snafu – MidWeek, May 13, 2020

admin MidWeek Column May 14, 2020June 1, 2020#midweek, #thinkaboutit, haiku stairs, midweek

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

Pondering In Solitude – MidWeek May 6, 2020

admin MidWeek Column May 7, 2020June 1, 2020#midweek, midweek

On to May, as people now grapple with what month it is, let alone what day of the week. With much time on our hands, this allows for all kinds of pondering about what might be, and when…

As quarantine is lifted here in various increments, what will be the “new” reality? Suggesting things will “return to normal” seems far-fetched, or at least a far-reach. An April USA TODAY-cited Harris Poll showed that only 6% of fans would go to a sporting event as soon as they’re able; 36% said they’d wait at least four months to attend. A Seton Hall poll showed that 72% won’t go to games until a preventive vaccine comes out- maybe late in 2021. Will a quick-acting treatment be found sooner to provide some confidence for people to re-interact, safe in the belief that they can (probably) be saved if infected? Must most restaurants remove some tables in the new world to limit seating capacity, which thus limits revenue potential? Will locals smile, but now hand visitors a plastic bag with a lei inside, foregoing traditional lei-hugs?

As Hawai`i is the world’s most isolated, populated land mass, will freed masses dare sit in flying sardine cans for a minimum of five hours to visit here by autumn or winter? Will we quickly corona-test every person who arrives here? And if infected, will we mandate that they and the other 250 fliers quarantine here? At a hospital? Can people get tested at airport check-ins, so that asymptomatic, yet infected, travelers don’t fly in the first place? How will airlines adapt- people crammed in where the rows in front and behind you aren’t six feet apart? Empty seats equal lost revenue, like with restaurants, ships, buses, and stadiums.

With no guarantees yet that COVID-19 immunity (for those who’ve had the ailment) is long-lasting, will those who are “cured” be given carte blanche to resume normal activities? How will we identify them- with paperwork, ID cards, or rubber bracelets- which would most assuredly open up a black market for sleazy entrepreneurs?

The term “close friend” will take on a whole new meaning, as in “Um… I really don’t need you to get that close, friend.” Many questions and few answers about the “new normal” as we redefine our reality, inch ahead, and ponder uncharted territory in the weeks, months, and perhaps years ahead.

Think about it…

The Governmental “Hokey Pokey” – MidWeek, April 29, 2020

admin MidWeek Column April 30, 2020June 1, 2020#midweek, #thinkaboutit, midweek, think about it

Remember the childhood song and dance, the “Hokey Pokey”? It goes like this:

“You put your right foot in, you take your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.” Etc., etc.

We do our own redundant, profound dance here- kind of a “local government ‘Hokey Pokey’”. Happens all the time. We start, we stop; we’re in, we’re out. Decisions are made, action begins; decisions are rescinded, action stops. The recent one day of work at Waimanalo’s Sherwood Forest (they found bones! who knew? Everyone…) is just the latest confirmation that government here leads the league in start/stop, discuss/revisit, pledge/avoid, empathize/ignore. Is it arrogance or ignorance?

TMT? The “Stairway to Heaven”? The Falls of Clyde ship? The Waikiki Natatorium? An alternate road to leeward O`ahu? Affordable housing? More doctors? More teachers? The list is seemingly endless… items which we’re told have been resolved and are moving forward- only to come to that inevitable moment where leaders “…take your right foot out.” We can’t seem to get planned major projects vetted, cleared by the courts, and then acted upon- or shelved- except for that on-going rail thing. Intransigence by opposition forces is to be expected. Heck, entities question Roe v. Wade (1973) and the 2^nd Amendment (1791) every single year. Our local government just doesn’t finalize many of its big, ongoing issues, or take a permanent stand when apparently justified, if confronted.

Broken promises over time really do set people off. Elected officials failing to act on decisions and edicts should matter to us. When finalizing matters, there is never constituent unanimity or complete happiness at the end… someone’s still upset. If politicos are not prepared for adversarial response, then they shouldn’t promise action or perhaps even be in office.

That stasis leaves us far too often in limbo. And that’s not a quaint town outside of Wahiawa nor a desired destination, but rather a frustrating place to be. Leadership means being accountable and empathetic, but also decisive, explaining rationally when questioned, and ultimately moving forward.

Think about it…

Corona Considerations – MidWeek April 22, 2020

admin MidWeek Column April 23, 2020June 1, 2020#midweek, #thinkaboutit, midweek, think about it

Summertime- with the hopeful minimization of the most drastic COVID-19 safety measures and concerns- brings Hawai`i’s hurricane season (June – November). Remember when that ominous window was our biggest annual life/lifestyle/economic local concern? Near-misses from major Pacific storms have been near-miraculous over the past 20+years, but we must always remain vigilant and prepare well ahead of time (sound familiar?). A few thoughts:

A byproduct of watching daily coronavirus (national) news coverage is witnessing the numbing parade of drugs available for various ailments. And everyone’s smiling! The pharmacological alphabet soup (these names aren’t from the “Alice in Wonderland” poem, “Jabberwocky”) includes Humira, Ibrance, Xeljanz, Eliquis, Truvada, Ozempic, Xarelto, Dupixent, Farxiga, Otezla, Cosentyx, Chantix, and Trulicity. Possible drug side effect listings take up more ad time than the drug’s positive aspects (legal requirements). Big Pharma concoctions with lots of Xs, Zs, and Qs, plus other strangely aligned letters. Maybe these tongue-twisting names evolved from Superman’s home, Krypton, or from a mid-1960s “Star Trek” episode?

And you thought people’s usage of/addiction to digital devices was severe before we all went to our respective rooms? An April Atlantic magazine article by commentator Maya MacGuineas proffers: “The average person taps, types, swipes, and clicks on his smartphone 2,617 times a day. Ninety-three percent of people sleep with their devices within arm’s reach. Seventy-five percent use them in the bathroom”. Smartphone program engineers know- via likes, followers, friends, replies, positive reviews, thumbs up and all- how to tap into our brain’s areas for wanting and desiring, bypassing our judgment and reasoning brain areas. Reassuring, yeah? Let’s all play Parcheesi instead- mo’ bettah! Time to kick the digital dependence…

And finally, when the novel coronavirus’ major threat eases, the last thing we should all do is party. I’m not a killjoy, but physical distancing must remain top-of-mind (and body) even after this isolation mandate dissipates. The last thing we need is a COVID-19 rebound (now playing in Asia). Let’s continue to practice our newly-honed, sanitation habits and norms, as they might even help us stifle the 2020 flu infection rate a bit. Flu season starts in earnest in about six months.

Think about it…

Signs of the Times – MidWeek, April 15, 2020

admin MidWeek Column April 16, 2020June 1, 2020#midweek, midweek

The coronavirus is obviously no laughing matter. But keeping a keen humor sure can take the edge off of these tough times, even if delivered in small doses.

Last week, for some much-needed social connection, I vigorously shook hands with myself (never touching my face), and then I washed my hands… vigorously!

I went for a car ride, pumping up the volume on a great playlist, and went nowhere; just drove around. ‘Twas one of the best (and only) trips I’ve taken of late. Might be a nice idea if you have antsy kids at home. I kept the air-conditioning on “recirculation”, just to be extra safe. COVID-19 paranoia is really not such a bad thing nowadays. Mask up!

A red, rubber ball had blown into our yard as winds topped 35 MPH. I went to return it next door to our two-year old neighbor. Ahhh, but I’ve gotten smarter lately. Instead of picking it up, I used my finely-honed soccer skills to adeptly maneuver the ball with both feet (gotta use both feet to play good soccer). I washed my hands (and feet) anyway.

I then went to the veterinarian to pick up much-needed dog food (yes, for the dog) and the front door sign there directed me to stay by my car. I gave my name to an employee who poked her head out, and a masked man (never thought I’d be happy to see a masked man in a non-hospital setting) came out with my pre-ordered dogfood. I popped the car trunk, he dropped the goods in, and I drove off. Yes, I sani-wiped the trunk and dogfood bag at home.

Recently, the concept of a “pop-up” meant a cool, short-term retail shop, like for the holidays or a foodie event. We now have pop-up screenings- but they’re not food or movies- they’re testing sites for COVID-19. Same world, same words, new rules.

And here’s a novel (coronavirus) thought: what if the first leg of the rail project is really ready to roll in fourth quarter… but the people aren’t?

Think About it…

“Think About It: Ideas And Inspiration For Today’s Hawai`i”, my first book, is available online from Watermark Publishing locally (including FREE shipping) at: https://www.bookshawaii.net, and will also be available at many local bookstores. It covers various highlighted segments of my 19-years of writing/airing “Think About It” on local TV.