Rest in peace Colt Brennan. Like many others, I am shocked and saddened to hear the news of your passing. You gave us some of the most exciting moments in UH football and Hawaii sports history. We all remember your heroics on the football field and off the field when you played for the University of Hawaii. We remember your love for Hawaii. And later we came to know and understand that you were as flawed an individual, as you were talented as a football player. Today I felt compelled to look through an old book about the “perfect season.” …
Category: News
Roll Out of COVID Vaccines in Hawaii
In January, the State Department of Health issued a press release announcing its plan to roll out the COVID vaccine to the Hawaii public. The plan is to make the vaccine available in two major phases. The first phase has various groups of people deemed as the first priority. This phase includes healthcare workers, frontline workers, adults 75 years or older, or adults 65-74 / 16-64 who are at high risk. Phase two will cover the rest of the population and is projected to begin in early summer. I qualify as an essential worker under phase 1b. So I made …
Love’s Bakery Closing in Hawaii
Many Hawaii businesses have fallen victim to the economic hardship that the pandemic has brought. The news that Love’s Bakery is closing in Hawaii is the most recent. Of all the local brands, this one hurts the most. As kids we grew up on their bread. As adults, we always assumed our own children would enjoy their products too. Looking ahead at the remaining brands that we will have to choose from, none of them are what we’d consider a close second. We will have to open ourselves to tasting some unfamiliar products. It will be an adjustment. However, our …
Democracy Is Fragile
Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Fourteen days prior to Inauguration Day, the U.S. Capitol was attacked by those who oppose the outcome of our election. Our government was founded on the idea of the peaceful transfer of power. This is another reminder to all that democracy is so fragile. The breaking news reports everywhere in the middle of January 6 were surreal to see. I still can’t believe it happened. We are all a witness to these dark times in our country’s history. The dust has settled from that day. Democracy …
The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime
It’s election day and the country sits on pins and needles. 2020 is easily the most important election of our lifetime. The experts are all saying that a winner may or may not be declared tonight if the race is close. So far as I write this, it’s still close. Over the last few weeks, the race for the presidency between Donald Trump and Joe Biden really heated up. Both parties blitzed multiple key battleground states till the very end. To say this election has a lot riding on it is an understatement. Early voting and mail-in ballots, from places …
SpaceX Inspires New Hope for the Future
Its been a year full of tumultuous events so far in 2020, and only six months have passed. Elon Musk, a real-life Tony Stark, offers the world a break from the chaos. SpaceX inspires new hope for the future, with its first successful manned-launch. My family and I, like millions of others, were very excited to witness the dawn of a new era…commercial passenger spaceflight. This event was dubbed “Launch America,” and it was history in the making. As we watched the final preparations leading up to the countdown, I recalled the very first space shuttle launch. I also remembered …
Willie K and Israel Kamakawiwoʻole Remembered
This is a bittersweet time for Hawaii. Today we remember two music legends, Willie K and Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. One just passed away, and the other has been gone for a while. Late last night we were all sad to hear the news about Uncle Willie K’s passing. It goes without saying that his talent and personality will be missed. But his spirit and memory will live on in his music. I recall the first (decent sized) concert that we took our son to was a few years ago at Sea Life Park. Willie K headlined the evening, along with Na …
Pandemic Panic Buying in Hawaii
Last week the World Health Organization has officially declared the coronavirus a pandemic. So pandemic panic buying has begun. The first time I started to pay real attention to the coronavirus was when Washington State reported its first case on January 20. But it wasn’t until three weeks ago that we started to get more concerned. Italy became the first country to implement a nationwide lockdown. Reports showed their rate of infection increasing exponentially. There were long lines at grocery stores where people were desperate to buy food, necessities, and supplies. We started thinking and planning what we might need …