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July 16, 2009 WEDNESDAY, JULY 8
Like most writers, I glean a small (alright, medium-sized) slice of satisfaction from finding misused words and phrases in other publications. Being the editor of a newspaper that, like all newspapers, allows errors to slip through, this opens me up to the very real prospect of tasting my own medicine on a semi-weekly basis. Which brings me to a note from reader Jim Lytle of Lahaina that landed recently in my inbox. Jim had clipped a line from a Coconut Wireless entry, one in which I took a swipe at Maui News publisher Joe Bradley for getting cozy with Gov. Lingle at a meeting of the Maui Chamber of Commerce. Here's what I wrote: "Accompanying the piece was a nice photo of Joe and Linda sharing a hug by the podium. Now isn't that cozy." Can you spot my mistake? Don't feel bad if you can't—according to Jim, and he may be right, it's "the most erroneously used word in todays [sic] TV & print media." The word? "Podium." The actual definition of podium is "a small platform for the conductor of an orchestra, for a public speaker, etc." The stand that might be placed on a podium to hold notes for the conductor, public speaker, etc. is called a "lectern." So Jim: I stand corrected, and hereby join you in your quest to correct this disturbingly entrenched linguistic error.
THURSDAY, JULY 9
Here's one of those weird coincidences that test my usually staunch disbelief in fate: within minutes of landing in Boise, Idaho, where I will attend a wedding in two days, I saw a car with a "Kihei" decal on its back window. I was tempted to flag down the driver, but jet lag-induced laziness and the arrival of an intersection that parted our paths prevented further investigation.
FRIDAY, JULY 10
OK, this is getting weird: today on the street I overheard two guys discussing the Superferry. Guess there's no escaping that issue.
SATURDAY, JULY 11
No odd Hawaii omens today, just a champagne headache and an early plane to catch.
SUNDAY, JULY 12
Read in today's Maui News that former Sen. Henry Takitani died earlier this week at age 85. In the story, Takitani is remembered by family and colleagues as a champion of higher education, who wanted to bolster and expand the state's colleges and universities so young people who wanted to earn advanced degrees didn't have to defect to the Mainland. There's obviously a lot of work left to do on that front, but it's a fine legacy… In other news: According to an AP story, Hawaii's tourist draw of the future may not be luaus, sunsets or snorkeling but, rather, outer space. The idea, which actually sounds like it's getting serious consideration, is to launch wannabe Buzz Aldrins from one island up into the gravity-free zone and bring them down on another island. The service, the piece claims, could be ready to roll "within a decade." The price tag? A mere $200,000. That might seem like an exorbitant sum given current and foreseeable economic realities. But Jim Crisafulli, Hawaii's director of aerospace development, thinks people "wouldn't bat an eye at spending that amount of money." Why is that, Jim? "It would be a soul-energizing experience." Huh.
MONDAY, JULY 13
According to multiple reports, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the residency challenge against Councilman Sol Kaho'ohalahala. It's important to note, and is noted in today's Maui News, that the challenge only calls into question Kaho'ohalahala's right to vote as a resident of Lanai; a challenge to his right to run for (and hold) the Lanai seat would have had to be filed before the election. That means, if the challenge is successful, we could have a public official who's not allowed to vote in the place he serves. In the world of politics, stranger things have happened… In other news: Hey, it looks like there might be more takers for that nine-times-my-annual-salary island-hopping space jaunt than I thought. According to a Pacific Business News report, Hawaii has the highest concentration of millionaires in the country. The figures, which come from New York-based Phoenix Marketing International, show that 6.4 percent of Hawaii households pull down seven figures (or more). Whether that's good news depends, I suppose, on which group you're in: the 6.4 or the 93.6.
TUESDAY, JULY 14
What do Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and NASA climate scientist James Hansen have in common? Both oppose a "cap and trade" system to deal with global climate change. Of course, their reasoning isn't exactly the same. According to a June 29 New Yorker article titled "The Catastrophist" (worth a read if you like getting day-ruiningly depressed), Hansen considers cap and trade (which sets a limit on CO2 emissions but lets big polluters purchase exemptions) "a sham" that doesn't come close to addressing the problem. Aiona, on the other hand, thinks cap and trade would be akin to "a hidden energy tax," according to an AP report. That means he'd really hate Hansen's idea—a full-on, out-in-the-open carbon tax. To be fair, Aiona doesn't deny global climate change is real. (Thankfully, almost nobody is doing that anymore.) But like pretty much every policymaker on both sides of the aisle, he's unwilling to acknowledge the severity of the problem, and thus to embrace the drastic measures necessary to mitigate its effects… In other, far less serious news: Today is the Major League Baseball All-Star game; one of the participants will be Maui's Shane Victorino. Kudos to Shane, who got in at the last minute via an online poll that allowed fans to vote as many times as they wanted for one of five finalists. This is, however, where I must make a confession: I had my heart set on (and cast multiple votes for) Pablo Sandoval, the rotund, slugging third baseman for my beloved San Francisco Giants. Actually, I think both Victorino and Sandoval deserve to be on the team. I'm sure there's some relief pitcher they could have kicked to the curb that no one would have missed. MTW
Jacob Shafer is also available in Twitter form. Visit twitter.com/jacobshafer or text "follow jacobshafer" to 40404.
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