I'm shocked that the giant social networking site Facebook (of which I am a member)–which is, in fact, a private corporation based in Palo Alto, California–changed its terms of use to say that it could do whatever it wanted to member photos, messages, notes, etc. (ie, "content") in perpetuity, even after a member ceased to … Continue reading I’m shocked!
‘What matters’
An astonishing 2,118 civilians died in Afghanistan last year as a result of the war, according to this AP story on a new United Nations report. Thirty-nine percent of those deaths–828 men, women and children–died because of direct American actions. Of those 828 people, 552 were killed by missile and bomb attacks. It's a cliche … Continue reading ‘What matters’
What exactly does DLNR mean by ‘Renaissance’?
This morning I read with great interest the Honolulu Advertiser's big story "'Renaissance' proposed for parks," concerning the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' proposed $240 million renovation plan for parks all over the state (the Honolulu Star-Bulletin ran a shorter story on the same subject back on Jan. 30). Both stories do a great … Continue reading What exactly does DLNR mean by ‘Renaissance’?
Today has not been a good day
First I inexplicably woke up at 3:51 a.m., Hawaii Standard Time. Then the Honolulu Star-Bulletin announced that it's sacking 17 people, closing its neighbor island bureaus, ditching its broadsheet in favor of tabloid size and, in general, just disappearing from the state's media world. That led to increased fears that I'll probably never work for … Continue reading Today has not been a good day
And now for something completely stunning…
And I'm back. Sorry for the absence–friend visiting from out of town, then I caught a cold. Anyway, today's the first day I'm pretty much back to normal (or, at least, back to being healthy). And so this morning, while perusing the day's online papers to find out what I'd missed over the last week, … Continue reading And now for something completely stunning…
Euphemism Exercise
As a writer and editor, I'm probably more sensitive than most people to corporate euphemisms, which serve no other purpose than to put a pretty spin on an ugly action. They dilute meaning and whitewash color. It's no secret that I don't like them. And by "don't like them," I mean "feel like a cheese … Continue reading Euphemism Exercise
John Updike is dead, Part 2
Okay, so I was in error when I wrote this post, concerning the death of celebrated writer John Updike. In the post I wrote that I had never read any of Updike's work. This, I now realize, was an error. See, I'd forgotten that Updike used to write for The New Yorker–especially the Talk of … Continue reading John Updike is dead, Part 2
60 percent?!
Heard something stunning on the radio yesterday (which, in itself, is very unusual indeed). It was one of those mid-day news briefs read by Wendy Osher (click here for my completely unrelated take on what I perceive to be Osher's slippery ethics). And Osher was reading off headlines and news blurbs and then she came … Continue reading 60 percent?!
John Updike is dead
Just read that John Updike, one of the giants among American novelists in the last few decades, has died at the age of 76. This is probably going to surprise some of those who read this blog, but I've never read any of Updike's work. What's more, it was a conscious decision on my part, … Continue reading John Updike is dead
Something stinks at North Beach
And it isn't the big Lahaina Wastewater Treatment Plant. Oh, wait–yes it is. You know, I used to live in Honokowai, which is just north of both the sewage plant and North Beach (all of which are located on Maui's Westside) and watched (again, over the period of years) the construction of the thousands of Honua … Continue reading Something stinks at North Beach
Anthony Pignataro 