midweek

There was a time when Andrews Amphitheatre on the UH-Mānoa campus was a dependable draw for concert buffs, especially in summertime. The ambience and ancient feel of the place made it Hawai`i’s mini-Roman Coliseum or Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii (see: 1972 Pink Floyd’s concert).

The venue holds 3,500 people and has been a magnificent place to enjoy myriad musical acts over many decades. Some stones used to construct the 90-year-old site came from Fort Ruger. UH commencement ceremonies were first held there in 1935. The site name acknowledges Arthur L. Andrews, a UH dean/professor/playwright/

producer/3^rd baseman/campus newspaper head/ forensics and debate guru. A New York transplant/jack-of-all-trades first graced our shores in 1910, Andrews (a non-footballer himself) and allegedly introduced the Statue of Liberty football play locally! The name was changed to Andrews Outdoor Theatre about 70 years ago, but the “Andrews Amphitheatre” moniker has held solid.

A retractable roof was proposed 55 years ago, but the open garden design remains to this day. Andrews seems quite underutilized. Why? Vandalism, safety and accessibility concerns, hard seats, lack of toilets, staff shortages, a focus on other capital needs, minimal on-site electricity, minimal facility upgrades, tighter legal requirements, plus a dearth of local promoters (impresarios Moffatt, Rosene, Mundy, Leonard, Peyton- are sadly gone) relegate Andrews to being empty far too often. Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights speech there enthralled locals in early-1964. Just check out this amazing array of musical performers who’ve played at Andrews since 1970…

Little Feat, The Wailers, Tool, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Green Day, Spin Doctors, Pearl Jam, Robert Palmer, The Animals, The Motels, Boz Scaggs, Buddy Miles, America, Save Ferris, Common Kings, Beck, Blue Öyster Cult, No Doubt, Sunday Mānoa, Seawind, Honk, Keali`i Reichel, The Osorio ‘Ohana, The Tubes, Oingo Boingo, The Greg Kihn Band, Wishbone Ash, Dave Mason, Deodato, Surfaces, etc.

From 1970-1995, Peter Moon’s vaunted Kanikapila concerts took centerstage at Andrews as a vital component of the 1970s Hawaiian music renaissance. Journey played in a UH Rainbow ’74 event that also featured Ox, the Bill Evans Trio, Donny Hathaway, Ethel Azama, Jimmy Borges, and the Crusaders- a veritable bouillabaisse of tuneful talent. Daily ticket cost at that festival? Four bucks!  

Andrews Amphitheatre usage requests must be received three months in advance of a desired event. OK, we’re ready for a resounding revival of this rock (and roll) garden for everyone to enjoy.

Think about it…

We oft get caught in the yin-yang realities that make Honolulu a great place to live and the frustrations that come when too many things fester or simply don’t get done while we incessantly talk, plan, stall and accept apathy. Sometimes, it’s nice to get an outside perspective, like the one recently provided by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, sister company to The Economist newspaper. 

The 2025 edition of the “best cities to live in the world” ranks Honolulu as the 23^rd best city to live in worldwide, which makes us #1 in the U.S.A. Other U.S. cities on the list include Atlanta (29), Pittsburgh (30), Seattle (34), and Washington, D.C. (38). And yes, we can quibble with one another about tastes and preferences, but this list focuses on stability, healthcare, education, culture and environment, and infrastructure.

2025 marks the second consecutive year that Honolulu ranked as the list’s #1 U.S. city, who’s #1 – #10 are: Copenhagen, Vienna, Zurich, Melbourne, Geneva, Sydney, Osaka, Auckland, Adelaide, and Vancouver. A bunch of U.S. cities moved up the list in 2025, but the EIU claims that has as much to do with others falling as any great gains made by U.S. metropolises.

Infrastructure and stability negatively impacted New York (#69) and Los Angeles (#57), while Miami, Portland (OR.), Chicago, Indianapolis and Charlotte round out the top-ranked U.S. cities. Terrorism, crime, and civic unrest scares hurt numerous overseas cities over the past few years; the authors state that American cities’ “…weak gun-control laws… mean that crime undermines social cohesion”, but U.S. cities will probably see greater EIU evaluation with expected cutbacks in education and healthcare availability anticipated in coming years.

In a world of unrest, perhaps Honolulu retains its lofty position as a happy, relatively safe, culturally exciting place to spend some time- either as a resident or as a visitor. Perhaps we too often take for granted just what we do have here in our quest to make many things better for the future (whether next year or next decade).

Every big city’s got issues; some are more confounding and blatant than others (FYI- Damascus, Syria ranked last on the livability list). We should not take for granted what we’ve got, unless you prefer the perpetual grass-is-always-greener syndrome. Alas, many times that “grass” turns out to be artificial turf.

Think about it…

Having been involved with UH-Mānoa for over 50 years in various capacities (student, enthusiastic booster, business partner, guest speaker, emcee, committee member, casual hire) I get a slight adrenaline rush when I see our state university- the mothership- get acknowledged for excellence by outside parties. 

QS says it’s the “#1 global market leader for student insights and guidance”, and it recently recognized UH-Mānoa in the top 2.2% of world universities. QS evaluated over 8,000 institutions worldwide and published rankings for 1,501, including nearly 200 U.S. universities, weighting criteria such as Research and Discovery, Employability and Outcomes, Global Engagement, Academic Reputation, and Learning Experience.

UH has a worldly student body and great educational diversity via 93 bachelor’s degrees, 84 master’s degrees, and 54 doctoral degrees (as of 2024). Top areas of study at UH-Mānoa include oceanography, atmospheric sciences, hospitality and tourism management, earth science, geography, and ecology. UH brings in more than half a billion dollars annually in research funds… we’ll see what the future portends as aspects of institutional academic support are under siege in Washington, D.C. these days and cuts have already occurred.

27 years ago, UH made headlines with its cloned mouse, Cumulina, who now resides taxidermied in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. (Factoid- Cumulina lived for 31 months, the equivalent of 95 human years). 

Athletics often get the headlines, but the academic standing of an institution is what ultimately makes or breaks it. UH continues to be a high achiever in many areas amid acknowledged flaws and deserves kudos for living its academic mission. Beyond the annual local legislative slugfest and funding concerns, UH-Mānoa has proven itself to be well-respected and adept at performing to a high standard- recognized on national and international scales.

Interestingly and sadly, QS notes that while U.S. institutions still hold a large advantage over other country’s colleges, that advantage has been dwindling for several years; many U.S. schools have dipped as international competition gets stronger. You might say, “so what?”, but a brain drain for our country is not a positive sign as the world becomes more complicated and dependent on smart people in generative A.I., astronomy, engineering, robotics, healthcare, finance, education, and communication. Strength in these disciplines will go a long way toward determining which nations gain/retain self-determination, power, and control throughout the 21^st century. So go ‘Bows! Here’s to UH being a leader.

Think about it…  

True multi-tasking is a fallacy. We think we’re more productive when we do multiple things simultaneously, but the brain can focus well on just task at a time. Doing too much at once actually slows you down and leads to more errors. Heck, A.I. confirmed this for me. Anyway, here are a few unrelated topics of possible interest…one at a time…

The local June 13 HI-EMA test alert came and went with little notice. A minor kerfuffle. Perhaps we’re still numb after that January 2018 false missile alert text, but it might have been nice to know a test alert was going to occur before it occurred. It was calming to read that “THIS IS ONLY A TEST”, yet still unnerving. It’s good to know our alert system is working, but a little forewarning could’ve eased frayed nerves on June 13…

28 states now require students to take a course in economics to graduate high school. Hawai`i is still not one of those states. The kinda good news is that Hawai`i does require some economics coursework integration during the high school years, according to the National Council on Economic Education. But no economics/finance courses are required here, there are no standards, and no testing is given on something so essential. Does your 18-year-old understand scarcity, debt, opportunity costs, supply and demand, budgeting, saving, investing, or retirement planning? Shouldn’t he/she?…

For the first time ever, more people in the U.S.A. watched television via streaming in May than watched through traditional cable and broadcast networks. Streaming garnered 45% of total viewership, while cable + broadcast was at 44%. Just four years ago, about 65% of viewing was via broadcast/cable, while just 26% of viewers streamed. The implications of this shift go far beyond the myriad confusing programming choices and bundling services for consumers. The important choices for consumers to find and assess for themselves, including scrutinized, fact-based, down-the-middle news (local and beyond) will dwindle if economic models don’t allow for dependable news sources, such as local TV news. 

Over the past 20 years, over 3,000 newspapers have closed or merged nationwide. Fewer vetted news sources mean less reliability, as more browsers/viewers rely on Jimmy’s Really Cool News Blog to get daily news, leading to further polarization via slanted opinions thinly veiled as fact-based news; many entities simply feed their hungry fans, ensuring that the cash registers ring. Not good for many reasons.

Think about it…

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…