September 2003 Archives

Scofflaws

I was standing at corner in Chinatown last evening waiting for the light to change. There was a big sign that said "no right turn on red", but a couple of cars whizzed right without even stopping.

I wonder what the most commonly ignored laws are in this town? I'm regularly guilty of scoffing at the law against drinking in parks, occasionally at the ones forbidding certain substances.

Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk must be in the top ten.

No need plead the Fifth, what's your most common "crime"?

Hitting this up?

Is anyone going to be taking advantage of the free WiFi day tomorrow? I, myself, am lucky enough to have a day off, so I might check out Ward Borders.

Blending into the Crowd on MTV

I just got back from the gym at Kapiolani 24 Hour Fitness. Inevitably, one of the four televisions there is on MTV, which is a station I like, for the most part. Yet I'm getting a little more than irritated by the way video producers are throwing beautiful women around, mixing them up into a sea of nothingness. The heart of my complaint is not about women being scantily clad or gyrating on-screen. It's about what it means to be an individual.

How Many??

A father and son, ages 61 and 33, have 50 and 80 prior arrests, respectively, police said.

That's from a story about a raid at a Waipahu home the other day which netted a bunch of fighting cocks, drugs, and cash; the nine people arrested were released "pending further investigation."

Granted the prisons are overcrowded and the courts full, but still...

Any prosecutors or public defenders read this blog?

Where to Eat on the Big Island

Some friends and I will be on the Big Island during Thanksgiving weekend, if all goes according to plan. I lived in Hilo for two years and loved it, but I was a poor college student with no wheels, and therefore did not enjoy the many lovely dining opportunities Hilo offered.

Hawaiian Graffiti

I love to read graffiti. Don't you?

Demand a raise? I'd be fired.

Quick poll.

In the private sector--the real world--if I demanded my employer for a raise and they refused and then I walked off the job as a result, I would be fired.

How about everyone else on here?

Unusual conditions on the Big Island

Somewhere in what would be typical Hilo weather there appears to be an unusually high amount of news reporters sighted in the area. Most have been spotted around grocery stores and they seem to be attracted to purchasers of bottled water and batteries, items most everyone in Puna buy on a regular basis being that they are on catchment and live where blackouts frequently occur.

The one thing most common in all the sightings were questions about the current rainy conditions. The reporters seem to attribute this to a weather system to the south of here but fail to realize that the real cause is the annual Labor Day motorcycle run and Weekend Drag Races. A large part of the population relocate themselves to the Kona area, where rainfall is least likely, every year just to enjoy the weekend. Hotel rooms on the other side of the island are sold out as far as a month in advance in anticipation for the Labor Day Weekend. Perhaps the reporters took advantage of the situation and found really low rates on this side, but did not find any other intersting story to cover.