Bill's Blog

My Day with Dani and Friends

2012-02-07T22:01:00.001-10:00

Dani and six friends came up to Waimea for the day this past Saturday. We began with a hike to the back of Waipio. The morning was clear and beautiful.

We headed up the hill from home.

The stream and pond on top were nice.

The ladies and Waipio Valley.

I went down to the landing below, but only a couple of ladies dared follow me.

Here's the view back towards home.

After we returned home, we decided to show the ladies Waipio from the other end. Here's the view from the top.

Dani & friend (Kristi, I believe)

Waipio looking south

Waipio looking north

Finally, we ended the day with dinner at Cafe Pesto. All in all, we had a great day -- even if I was a bit stiff Sunday morning.

Late this afternoon, the sky cleared and Mauna Kea was especially beautiful in the setting sun.

Post Piece on Mormons and Rebuttal

2012-02-01T21:07:00.001-10:00

I read this Washington Post article and enjoyed the rebuttal (thanks to Anna's post on Facebook). The Post piece's negativity about the Church probably says as much about the writer as it does about those of whom she complains. I believe in ultimate Truth. But it can be elusive. See my Twain quote in the sidebar. Not infrequently the accepted "truth" of the day turns out to have been wrong after additional scholarship appears. The recent scholarship on the DNA of the native Americans is a case in point: I didn't worry when the original reports came out that there was no link to the Jews; and I won't base my testimony on the new finding of connections among tribes in the New York area. I find it all interesting.

There's much that I can't explain, so I set it aside and figure someday I'll understand -- or not. Worst case, if there is no hereafter, if it was all bologna, I'll be out some tithing, but otherwise will have lived a better, happier and more fulfilling life by having strived to live according to Church teachings and through my Church service and associations. When I was teaching the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Class in college, one lesson in the manual discussed the question of whether the prophet Isaiah wrote all of the Book of Isaiah or whether other writers wrote part of it. Soon after I began the lesson, straight out of the manual, Bishop Pratt raised his hand and asked: "Does it matter?" It messed up my lesson, but I never forgot his lesson. Most of the "mysteries" that I can't explain or the apparent contradictions really are irrelevant to the question of how I should live.

I haven't had a problem with much of the counsel of Church leaders during the last forty years or so since I started paying more attention. It's clear that the Christian (not just Mormon) believer must exercise a "leap of faith" -- it's part of Biblical Christian doctrine. (I liked Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling" when I read it years ago.) I am inspired by C. S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity." I even notice plausible answers to the "mysteries" in Hawking's theories of the universe. But I simply don't worry about the doctrinal (or historical) issues that I can't understand or that don't seem to make sense. Some day I'll understand -- or I won't. Either way, it doesn't concern me now.

Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-25T10:17:00.000-10:00

Christian, Shandra and keiki flew in Tuesday night for the weekend festivities. So nice to have them here. J. Lynn got to play all day with Tristan on Wednesday. Yesterday was the traditional meal, with one variation: we "brined" the turkey for the first time. It won't be the last. So juicy! All we needed was more family to make it perfect.

Dick & I

2011-11-06T17:51:00.000-10:00

As I began reading the Cheney memoir, I became astounded at how much we had in common. For instance:
1. Dick's great-grandparents homesteaded in Nebraska. He was born there then moved to Wyoming in his childhood. My grandparents (Hastings) were born in Nebraska then homesteaded in Wyoming after marrying.
2. Dick's grandparents were named David and Clarice Dickey. I have granddaughter Clara (aka Clarice or some variation thereof), whose other grandfather is named David, aka Dickey.
3. Dick's grandfather went broke during the Depression; so did mine.
4. Dick moved to Casper (sited where the Mormon Trail crossed the Platt River) as a kid; my great-great-great-grandfather crossed through there on his way to the Salt Lake Valley.
5. In high school, Dick was Senior Class Pres. and dated the homecoming queen, Lynne. I was Senior Class Pres. and dated both the homecoming queen and Lyn.
6. Dick went to Yale on a scholarship, got suspended and finished his degree in Political Science at Wyoming (Sep. '63 - May '65). I got a scholarship to Stanford but went to Wyoming (cheaper after scholarship) in '64 and graduated in Political Science in '68.
7. After graduation, Dick went to Wisconsin to work on a Ph.D. in political science, intending to teach. I was accepted at Chicago for a Ph.D. in political science, intending to teach.
8. Dick never finished the Ph.D., as he got sidetracked after an internship in Washington. I never got started -- threatened by the draft, I joined the Navy.
9. Dick counselled with former Wyo. Gov. Stan Hathaway when he was considering running for Congress. Stan was the prosecuting attorney in Goshen County when my grandfather was Justice of the Peace there.
10. When Dick ran for the House the first time, his opponent was Bill Bagley from Star Valley. Bill had worked in my dad's store when I was a kid.
11. While in the House, Dick served on the Joint Intelligence Committee. I spent my Navy time in Naval Intelligence.
12. Dick left Washington at the beginning of Nixon's second term. I was at Nixon's second inaguration.
13. Dick worked closely with Adm. Mike McConnell during the first Bush administration. I served with Lt. Mike McConnell in the Pentagon during the Nixon years.
14. Dick's gone fly fishing in Star Valley with my friend Paul Stauffer.

I could go on, but you can see clearly that we were almost, like, brothers. We probably even passed in the halls on campus.

So then, I think, was Dick's life the road not taken? If I'd gone to Chicago in Political Science after the Navy, instead of going to law school, might I have ended up having an internship in Washington, meeting a Congressman, working on his staff, then in the White House, and eventually become Vice Pres.? Something to think about!

California Trip

2011-10-27T21:47:00.000-10:00

We had a wonderful week in Oceanside/San Diego. Herewith a few photos to supplement Courty's marvelous post on the subject. First, our visit to Sea World. Don't believe I'd ever been before. Shamu was great.

I didn't try to get any pix of the dolphin show -- too far away and obstructed view. Had a better view of the seal show. They were pretty fun, too.

Then the sea lion ...

... and beluga whale.

Finally, the penguins.

A couple of days later, we met Shan and keiki at Irvine Park. Court and Betsy clearly getting along.

Tristan was happy to spend time with Tutu.

T in face paint.

Spent some fun evenings playing cards and ended the week with a couple of days on Coronado for meetings. Sorry I had to come back to work!

Highlights from "Our Sacred Honor"

2011-09-18T20:05:00.000-10:00

I'm halfway through the book and want to share a couple of gems.

From Ben Franklin -- his self-composed epitaph:

The body of
B. Franklin, Printer
(Like the Cover of an Old book
Its Contents torn Out
And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding)
Lies Here, Food for Worms.
But the Work shall not be Lost;
For it will (as he Believ'd) Appear Once More
In a New and More Elegant Edition
Revised and Corrected
By the Author.

I've not had many warm and fuzzies about Jefferson despite our visits to Montcello -- largely because my view of him was shaped by Adams' and Washington's biographers. I pegged him as our first "politician": two-faced, double-crosser, etc. However, there was a sweetness in the letter he wrote back to Adams after Benjamin Rush's efforts had provoked a short letter from Adams. McCullough excerpted snippets in his biography, but I didn't get the full effect. A longer excerpt below:

But whither is senile garrulity leading me? Into politics, of which I have taken final leave. I think little of them, and say less. I have given up newspapers in exchange for Tacitus and Thucydides, for Newton and Euclid; and I find myself much the happier. Sometimes indeed I look back to former occurrences, in remembrance of our old friends and fellow laborers, who have fallen before us. Of the signers of the Declaration of Independance I see now living not more than half a dozen on your side of the Potomak, and, on this side, myself alone. You and I have been wonderfully spared, and myself with remarkable health, and considerable activity of body and mind. I am on horseback 3. or 4. hours of every day; ... I walk little however; a single mile being too much for me; and I live in the midst of my grandchildren, one of whom has lately promoted me to be a great grandfather. I have heard with pleasure that you also retain good health, and a greater power of exercise in walking than I do. But I would rather have heard this from yourself, and that, writing a letter, like mine, full of egotisms, and of details of your health, your habits, occupations and enjoyments, I should have the pleasure of knowing that, in the race of life, you do not keep, in it's physical decline, the same distance ahead of me which you have done in political honors and atchievements. No circumstances have lessened the interest I feel in these particulars respecting yourself; none have suspended for one moment my sincere esteem for you; and I now salute you with unchanged affections and respect.

Perhaps I'll have to give him another chance.

Rush rejoiced in the reunion of the two old friends and wrote to Adams:

I consider you and him as the North and South Poles of the American Revolution. Some talked, some wrote, and some fought to promote and establish it, but you and Mr. Jefferson thought for us all.

Haleakala

2011-08-13T21:01:00.000-10:00

I flew to Maui a couple of weeks ago on business. On the return flight, the pilot gave us a special tour of Haleakala. First, the ridge above Ulupalakua Ranch as we circled around the back side gaining altitude.

The summit from the back side of the mountain.

A better view from above.

The back side of the mountain looking toward Hana.

It was a nice treat on the way home!

Betsy's Blessing

2011-08-13T20:45:00.001-10:00

We spent the weekend of July 4 on Oahu with Christian and Shandra and the Clawsons. Saturday we had a lovely day at Waimanalo Beach.

Here's 'lil Bessie.

Christian gave Betsy a lovely blessing after Sacrament meeting Sunday. Then we took a few pictures.

It was so nice to spend time with the Clawsons again.

Monday morning we took four-wheelers on an excursion from Kualoa Ranch up Kaaawa Valley. It was a beautiful morning. "Lost," "Jurassic Park," and a number of other shows have shot at this location.

J. Lynn claimed to be scared, but she actually had a great time riding her machine.

A Few Pix from Our Trip

2011-07-10T16:34:00.000-10:00

We've been back from the mainland for a couple of weeks now, but it doesn't seem like it's been that long. Here are a few pix from our visits to Great Falls Park, the Air and Space Museum, and Shenandoah National Park. Others (Court, Anna and David) have included more and better pictures, but these are special, as my camera was broken, and I couldn't see what I was getting!

Great Falls is a beautiful spot on the Potomac not far from the Roosevelt Bridge. Hadn't known it was there, so had never been before. Very pleasant spot.

Only took one pic at the museum -- the Blackbird spy plane, successor to the U-2 of Gary Powers fame. Way back when, I was told the plane leaked fuel like a sieve while on the ground but sealed up under the low pressure conditions at high altitude.

Shenandoah Park was another place we'd never been -- at least off the highway. The hike was beautiful, even though I didn't get so hot I wanted to jump in the cold water.

We had a wonderful time. Thanks to the Taylors, Rob & Anna & keiki, Whit & Jim, & Court for making it nigh unto perfect.

Yellow Orchid

2011-06-02T21:18:00.002-10:00

J. Lynn received this orchid as a birthday gift from a friend. Don't think I've ever seen one so bright and huge.

Two Down, One to Go!

2011-06-01T20:51:00.000-10:00

I finished volume two last night. Wish I remembered more of what I read. I did note that TR and other higher ups always bailed out of Washington during the summers because they couldn't take the heat and humidity. TR was probably the first "progressive" president, pushing for more government regulation of business, starting a conservation movement, etc. He was also a strong force internationally, encouraging Panama to break away from Colombia when he failed to get the canal treaty he wanted during his first term, and sending the "Great White Fleet" around the world as a show of force in the Pacific toward the end of his second term. He could probably have been easily reelected a second time -- and served a third term -- but for his decision that it wouldn't be right. Interesting read. After a break, I'll have to finish the trilogy.

One More Time

2011-05-03T21:29:00.000-10:00

We had quite a storm -- lightning and thunder -- Monday afternoon and evening. J. Lynn was stuck at the Honolulu airport for an extra hour due to the storm. This morning we woke up to quite a bit of fresh snow.

Mauna Loa had even more snow.

Ah, April!

2011-04-23T10:32:00.000-10:00

The month began with a last winter storm of the season.

Now we have Jacaranda in full bloom. (View from my office window yesterday.)

Also, clear morning skies (this morning), with midday temperatures in the mid-70s.

Disastrous Budget Cuts

2011-04-10T22:00:00.001-10:00

A recent column by Michael Gerson (“The real world effects of budget cuts”), as well as the frequent predictions of disaster that we’ve seen in the media during the budget debates, reminded me of an experience I had almost forty years ago. I was serving on the USS Enterprise during Vietnam, when word came down of cuts that were expected in the military budget. We had a new photo officer on the ship. Most of his previous assignments had been in joint commands. As we discussed the cuts, he said: “Let me tell you how this works. When the Navy is told its budget will be cut, the response is: ‘Can do. It will be hard, but we will make do.’ When the Air Force is told its budget will be cut, the response is: ‘That’s too bad. We won’t be able to fly bombers and fighters.’ So the Navy budget is cut and the Air Force budget is restored.”

I have thought of that occasion often over the years. Government departments and agencies at all levels seem to have learned from the Air Force. When the National Park Service was told a few years ago that its budget would be cut, it immediately announced that the Washington Monument would be closed. When the state DOE is threatened with a budget cut, we are told that will mean no books for our children’s classes. When the Agriculture Department is threatened with cuts, they announce that will be the end of the school lunch program. So when the administrator of USAID announces that a cut in his budget will mean 70,000 additional deaths as a very successful program is cut, I’m not surprised. Bureaucrats have learned that the way to preserve their budgets is to threaten to cut their most visible, critical and/or popular programs. No one suggests cutting personnel in middle management or eliminating programs or expenditures that would hardly be missed by the public.

Had I been in that House committee hearing, I would have said: “So you are telling me that the malaria control program is the least important program that you have and that there are no other places your agency could make cuts that would have a lesser impact?”

We need leaders in government that have something of the old Navy “Can do” spirit. Government, after all, is not a “jobs program.” Government agencies need to prioritize, focus on their most important functions and be willing to cut and streamline bureaucracies and programs so as to accomplish as much as possible at the least cost to the public. I have no use for administrators who threaten to cut their most important programs as a ploy to avoiding cuts in their budgets.

Arches National Park

2011-03-26T19:16:00.004-10:00

Saturday morning the kiddies and I arose at 5 am, met David Taylor at 6 and headed for Moab. Court and Rob have so enjoyed the parks in southern Utah and wanted to pay a return visit. Arches was a new experience for Whit and me. We missed Anna and family but did the best we could. Our morning's hike took us to Delicate Arch. For more and better pix, see David's blog. (And Court's when she gets it up.) After lunch we stuck out in another area and saw a multitude of arches.

This is Dark Angel.

Kids on a fin.

It was a long but very enjoyable day. At the end, I felt like I'd gotten more exercise in the last ten days than in the previous six months! Good for me, huh?

Utah Skiing

2011-03-26T19:03:00.005-10:00

After Phoenix, I flew to SLC. Had a couple of good days to visit with Mom and Dad. I picked up Court and Rob on Wednesday, and we had a great day of hard skiing on Thursday. Then Whit flew in Thursday night, and we did it again on Friday. So I got to enjoy a couple of days at Snowbird with my kiddies. (I swear they were trying to kill me!) I forgot to bring my camera, so all I got were a few Iphone pix. I do love the snow and the mountains!

Whit & Rob, in case you can't tell.

Arizona

2011-03-26T18:39:00.005-10:00

This year's ACTEC meeting was in Phoenix. I took advantage of the opportunity to get a little exercise and see a bit of the desert. Thursday afternoon, I joined a group for a bike ride out to Camelback then around a loop. The two and a half hour ride about did me in!

That evening, we had a dinner with centerpieces shown below. The card struck me as a whole new level of PC.

For Saturday, I had signed up for a hike in a desert preserve in Scottsdale. Another fun desert experience -- and more needed exercise! The temperature was a bit on the warm side -- mid-80s -- while I was there, so I drank a lot of water.

Good fun, but still prefer green to brown!

Recent Reads

2011-02-24T21:17:00.008-10:00

Herewith a few comments on books I've read recently. You won't find any fiction here (although some may argue differently) -- just history, biography and political commentary. The saddest part is that I forget so much of what I read. I enjoy the books as I'm reading them, but afterwards I can't remember much about them.I just finished this one that friends gave me for Christmas. Figured I'd better read it quickly before it became dated. It's not a rant, as the title might suggest. It might have been better titled "What Makes Obama Tick" or "The Roots of President Obama's Political Philosophy." The book is a thoughtful attempt to analyze and rationalize President Obama's positions on various international and domestic issues into a coherent political philosophy. D'Souza concludes that Obama cannot be understood as a traditional liberal -- too many liberal issues haven't seemed to evoke the support or passion that would have been expected. Rather he believes he is best explained as an "anti-colonialist," having taken on the "dreams of his father." D'Souza quotes extensively from Obama's own writings and makes an interesting case that although he was abandoned first by his father, then by his mother, Obama sought a personal identity in the father he hardly knew, but who was idealized by his mother.

I enjoyed Palin's book -- other than a few slow parts where she enumerates friends and others that mean nothing to me. I wanted to hear her side of the story, as most of what I've read/seen has been the SNL version of her and other such caricatures. I thought she made credible explanations of such events as the Katie Couric interview and her decision to resign from the governorship. Ready to be president? Not my first choice. But she seems to have shown more leadership than, for example, the recent governors of Arkansas (both president and candidate), having taken on corruption in her own party, Big Oil and pork barrel spending in the little over two years she spent in the Governor's office. And she's clearly no fool.

My other thought as I read the account of the VP campaign was how frustrating it must be to be continually subjected to the direction of the President's campaign manager. I had been disappointed in Lieberman during his campaign, feeling he had prostituted himself on many issues. Now I can imagine he was simply doing what many a VP candidate has had to do, namely, do what he is told, not necessarily by the Presidential candidate himself, but by his campaign managers.

I enjoyed this first volume of Morris's Roosevelt biography. A very thorough treatment -- 775 pages gets you though the election of 1901 and Teddy's first 43 years of life. TR was an aristocrat -- not really one of us. Never worked for a salary except while in political office. Otherwise, he wrote biographies or rode the range in South Dakota where he had bought a ranch with a portion of his inheritance. Very driven -- initially to overcome his physical weaknesses, but continuing with every endeavor. He had a strong personality and seemed to dominate those around him. He began his political career in the NY State Legislature at 23 years of age. He was appointed a U.S. civil service commissioner and, later a NY City police commissioner, each time resigning after a couple of years to do something else. He was eager for war with Spain and resigned as Asst. Secretary of the Navy to take a commission in the Army and pursue his dream of fighting for his country. He had no fear in battle. Two more volumes to go, but I needed a break.

So where's the best place to live?

2011-01-29T09:58:00.006-10:00

Looks to me like Idaho is definitely up there. Virginia looks good if you don't ride a motorcycle! Iowa might keep me feeling young, but Maine might help me feel superior. Kansas and Georgia look like the lands of opportunity for Docs. Where to go?

Winter in Waimea

2011-01-10T20:11:00.003-10:00

Snow again Friday night -- light, but down a ways. Looks like more tonight. Hope so. Love winter!

New Year's Day

2011-01-01T18:29:00.002-10:00

This morning Christian and Jim went surfing, so the the girls and I went for a walk on Mana Road.

After lunch, we took a little hike up above Anna Ranch.

It was a beautiful afternoon.

New Year's Eve

2011-01-01T18:16:00.004-10:00

Friday eve the kiddies decided we should hike up to the top of Buster Brown (Hokuula) to watch the sunset. It was beautiful when we took off. Our destination.
The kiddies couldn't keep up with the old man!
On top

Vog blew in as we climbed up, so the wonderful sunset didn't materialize. Still my niece Dani thought it pretty enough for a picture.

After we returned home, we had a wonderful dinner.

Waipio Valley

2011-01-01T17:56:00.006-10:00

Thursday afternoon we drove down to Waipio Valley where Christian and Jim caught a few waves. It was overcast but quiet and pretty.
We had a full load going back up the mountain.

Christmas Eve at Waialea Beach

2010-12-24T20:53:00.003-10:00

'Twas a lovely day for the beach. Water was warm enough for a little swim, and the young ladies enjoyed soaking up a little sun.

Christmas Dinner?

2010-12-23T21:12:00.004-10:00

The neighborhood turkeys just keep coming back. They're looking better and better! Don't think I've ever seen a turkey fan its tail until these came along. Real show-offs!

Le Plus Ca Change ...

2010-12-09T22:18:00.006-10:00

William Sumner, commenting on do-gooders, wrote in 1883: "They see wealth and poverty side by side. They note great inequality of social position and social chances. They eagerly set about the attempt to account for what they see, and to devise schemes for remedying what they do not like. In their eagerness to recommend the less fortunate classes to pity and consideration, they forget all about the rights of other classes, they gloss over the faults of the classes in question, and they exaggerate their misfortunes and their virtues. They invent new theories of property, distorting rights and perpetuating injustice, as anyone is sure to do who sets about the readjustment of social relations with the interests of one group distinctly before his mind, and the interests of all other groups thrown into the background. When I have read certain of these discussions, I have thought that it must be quite disreputable to be respectable, quite dishonest to own property, quite unjust to go one's own way and earn one's own living, and that the only really admirable person was the good-for-nothing."

The reformers, he said, were constantly hatching plans to employ the power of government on behalf of their favored victims. "Their schemes, therefore, may always be reduced to this type -- that A and B decide what C shall do for D." A and B were the reformers; they derived power and self-satisfaction from this arrangement. D, the object of their concern, received material benefits. C, whom Sumner called the "Forgotten Man," unwillingly supported the others. "We should get a new maxim of judicious living," Sumner said sarcastically: "Poverty is the best policy. If you get wealth, you will have to support other people; if you do not get wealth, it will be the duty of other people to support you."

From Brands' "American Colossus"

Thanksgiving at Kalopa

2010-11-25T20:29:00.003-10:00

We were invited to join several families from the ward for Thanksgiving at Kalopa State Park. Here's the group; we were the honorary tutu and papa. We took the loop trail through the woods. Always lovely.
I see ferns and remember how my grandmother struggled to make them grow!

TSA Controversy

2010-11-17T19:39:00.004-10:00

Warning: This collection of news items relating to TSA and airport screening may raise your blood pressure. Of course, if you think it is all necessary and reasonable, I'm happy for you. I still wake in the middle of the night and work on my piece on our Capitol experience with security. If I wait long enough, maybe the public will beat me to it.

Virginia Trip

2010-11-07T10:10:00.006-10:00

Court and Anna both had great posts on our adventures in Virginia and Pennsylvania. I didn't take as many pictures, but here are a few so I don't forget all the fun we had. Loved the evening on the mall. The monuments were beautiful! Can't remember whether we'd seen the WW II memorial before. Very nice.
Dr. Hastings and family
Good ol' Abe

Jefferson
In Philadelphia, we saw the Courthouse ...
and across the hall the Assembly Hall where they signed the Declaration of Independence.
Next door was the Pennsylvania State House.
Then on to Intercourse and Amish country. Enjoyed the farm tour.
Ended the day at Gettysburg. The drive around the battlefield was beautiful with many monuments and stories.

My last day (before going to Baltimore for ACTEC meetings) we spent back in DC. Given my bad mood (see Court's blog), I didn't take a lot of pictures of the capitol. Only the capitol dome and the Apotheosis of Washington. Last stop was Ford's Theater. Booth entered the President's box through the door on the right, then jumped to the stage, tripping on the way over the railing, after shooting Lincoln.

D.C. and Virginia are so beautiful with so much history and so many places to go and things to do. We loved the visit and hope to return before too long.

We've Gone Green!

2010-10-23T09:35:00.006-10:00

P. A. Harris Electric installed our new solar electric system this week. We were generating about 2800 watts at noon yesterday when the system was turned on. The two systems (one facing southeast, the other southwest) should provide about 104% of our electrical needs. With state and federal tax credits picking up 65% of the cost (and the highest-priced electricity in the nation), the system should pay for itself in about five years. So I bit. Al Gore would be proud!

Dinner, anyone?

2010-09-18T14:26:00.004-10:00

The ladies keep coming back. Think they'll be ready for Thanksgiving dinner?

Waipio

2010-09-06T14:17:00.002-10:00

We drove down to Waipio today -- haven't been down for a long time. We took Mud Lane down, but missed a turn somewhere, hit a couple of dead ends, backtracked east, and ended up at the Waipio highway only 4 miles from the junction with Mamalahoa. It was pretty driving through the trees, though. The weather was beautiful, and Christian managed to catch a few waves.

Afternoon at Waialea

2010-09-04T18:08:00.004-10:00

Christian, Shandra & Mr. T came over yesterday for the long weekend. This morning was blustery, but we made it to the beach a little after noon, and it turned out lovely! I even got wet -- it's been a while since I did that. The water was great.

Company

2010-07-26T20:30:00.003-10:00

Couldn't tell for sure whether these were three wise men or three old hens. Somebody has definitely been introducing more alien species. Too bad Thanksgiving isn't sooner!

The Federalist Papers

2010-07-25T20:32:00.005-10:00

I finished the Federalist a few weeks ago -- all 575 pages in my edition. I was struck by the fact that these 85 articles, published in New York newspapers every few days, were written to persuade the people of New York to ratify the Constitution, a document of only 10 pages (before the Bill of Rights). Jay, Madison and Hamilton, writing anonymously as Publius, parsed every sentence, rebutted every opposition argument. Not once did they suggest the people merely trust them. Never did they say the Constitution needed to be enacted so we could see what was in it. What a contrast to recent history!

I also was impressed by their insights into human nature, and why they felt the Constitution would establish a system of government that would build on its strengths and protect against its weaknesses. In No. 51, explaining how it would protect against a concentration of power, Publius wrote: "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. ... It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."

Hamilton wrote this as an aside in No. 70 on the executive: "In the legislature, promptitude of decision is oftener an evil than a benefit. The differences of opinion, and the jarrings of parties in that department of the government, though they may sometimes obstruct salutary plans, yet often promote deliberation and circumspection, and serve to check excesses in the majority." In justifying short terms for representatives: "It is a received and well-founded maxim, that ... the greater the power is, the shorter ought to be its duration..." (No. 52)

They sought balance: "The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust." (No. 57)

Some of the things they sought to protect against, have happened none the less: "It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is to-day, can guess what it will be tomorrow." (No. 62 on why senate terms should be six years.)

In No. 45, Madison wrote: "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs; concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State."

We've come a long way, baby!

The Rational Optimist

2010-07-25T19:48:00.006-10:00

I heard Ridley on Book TV on CSPAN 2 a few weeks ago and was interested enough to buy his latest book, which I've now finished. He had me hooked after I read the following in the first chapter:

"There are people today who think life was better in the past. They argue that there was not only a simplicity, tranquility, sociability and spirituality about life in the distant past that has been lost, but a virtue too. This rose-tinted nostalgia, please note, is generally confined to the wealthy. ... Imagine that it is 1800, somewhere in Western Europe or eastern North America. The family is gathering around the hearth in the simple timber-framed house. Father reads aloud from the Bible while mother prepares to dish out a stew of beef and onions. The baby boy is being comforted by one of his sisters and the eldest lad is pouring water from the pitcher into the earthenware mugs on the table. His elder sister is feeding the horse in the stable. Outside there is no noise of traffic, there are no drug dealers and neither dioxins nor radioactive fall-out have been found in the cow's milk. All is tranquil; a bird sings outside the window.

"Oh please! Though this is one of the better-off families in the village, father's Scripture reading is interrupted by a bronchitic cough that presages the pneumonia that will kill him at 53 -- not helped by the wood smoke of the fire. (He is lucky: life expectancy even in England was less than 40 in 1800.) The baby will die of the smallpox that is now causing him to cry; his sister will soon be the chattel of a drunken husband. The water the son is pouring tastes of the cows that drink from the brook. Toothache tortures the mother. The neighbour's lodger is getting the other girl pregnant in the hayshed even now and her child will be sent to an orphanage. The stew is grey and gristly yet meat is a rare change from gruel; there is no fruit or salad at this season. It is eaten with a wooden spoon from a wooden bowl. Candles cost too much, so firelight is all there is to see by. Nobody in the family has ever seen a play, painted a picture or heard a piano. School is a few years of dull Latin taught by a bigoted martinet at the vicarage. Father visited the city once, but the travel cost him a week's wages and the others have never travelled more than fifteen miles from home. Each daughter owns two wool dresses, two linen shirts and one pair of shoes. Father's jacket cost him a month's wages but is now infested with lice. The children sleep two to a bed on straw mattresses on the floor. As for the bird outside the window, tomorrow it will be trapped and eaten by the boy."

Ridley makes a pretty good case for why life has gotten better and better at an ever-increasing rate, why the crises that have been continually forecast haven't happened, and why there is reason for optimism that life in the future will be even better. I recommend it.

The Place Redux

2010-07-05T13:02:00.004-10:00

Christian and his friend Hyrum and I made it back up to the falls above Anna's again today. A little more water and, of course, beautiful. One of my favorite places.

Waialea Beach

2010-07-04T09:51:00.007-10:00

Christian and family came back this weekend for Ian Lindsey's wedding (this morning). The weather wasn't so great yesterday, so we didn't get any hiking in as I'd hoped. We finally got out of the house yesterday late afternoon and spent a couple of hours at the beach. It was so peaceful down by the water.

Looks like a sand cannon ball someone left behind.

'Twas mostly overcast, but finally the sun came out and it was lovely.

Our Saturday with the Kids

2010-06-19T19:50:00.009-10:00

It's been nice to have Court home for a short visit. Christian, Shandra & Mr. T joined us this weekend. Before putting Court on the plane to go home, we made the trek up above Anna Ranch.

Lots more water in the stream than on our Mayday hike (see last post).

Don't think we've dropped into the pools above the upper falls before.

Christian found a little slide.
'Twas a beautiful day

After the hike, we cleaned up and went to Cafe Pesto for a late lunch. T really enjoyed the raspberry puree!

What big eyes you have!

Our Little May Day Hike

2010-05-01T14:39:00.003-10:00

It's been a coon's age since we've had an outing -- so, what with all the inspiring pix of hikes, we decided to take a little one today. It was hazy, so no pix of town. Recognize this place? Monument's new since I was last up here.

Mom's 90th Birthday Party

2010-04-13T21:56:00.005-10:00

Mom turned 90 on April 12, so Liz suggested we have a celebration last weekend, similar to the one we had for Dad three years ago. The highlight for me was surprising Mom by showing up on her doorstep Friday eve. It was wonderful to spend Friday and Saturday eves with my folks, to see so much family at the party and to spend Sunday with Rob and Anna and family, Court and Todd, and Whit.

Here are Uncle Mayo and Aunt Elsie with Mom and Dad.

Mom cutting her birthday cake

Terry, Liz and I with Mom and Dad

Mine

The folks with progeny present (at least most of them)

Thanks to Liz for getting us organized, Lisa for putting together the family scrapbook, Terry and Angela for the food and decorations, and all for making the party such a special event.

Mom's New Friend

2010-04-03T12:17:00.003-10:00

Mom spotted this little fellow for the first time in the Ohia tree off the porch the other day. He seems to like it here, and I got to meet him this morning during Conference.

Part 3 - Florida

2010-03-16T21:52:00.003-10:00

Tuesday, March 9, I flew to Florida for the ACTEC meeting in Bonita Springs. Thursday eve we had dinner at a private animal park, where we could get up close and personal with a giraffe, alligator (small), and rhinoceros. This guy didn't seem to notice us!Spent most of the days in meetings but did manage to make it out to Lovers' Key State Park Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours. Florida beaches don't look like Hawaii's, but it was nice to get out.
Behind the beach was a trail along the inland waterways. Saw a few birds ...
and an alligator!

Sunday afternoon, I moved to Ft. Myers to be closer to the airport for my Monday morning flight then checked out the beach at Ft. Myers.

Big bird -- eagle?

Monday, I left Ft. Myers at 7:30 EDT, met J. Lynn at LAX, then arrived in Kona at 5 HST -- one long day!

Part 2 - Family

2010-03-16T21:30:00.007-10:00

We got to visit with our wonderful grandkids. Thursday, March 4, Tucker turned 8. On Saturday, he was baptized.
Most of the family was present for the occasion.
Rob, Anna and family

Tucker and Dad

That eve, we had a little family party for the birthday boy.

We spent Sunday afternoon with my folks, then went over to the Taylors' for dinner. The food and company made for a lovely evening.

Grandpa Taylor with his arms full!

Monday eve, Terry & Angela, Liz, Alan & Andrew, and I celebrated Dad's 93rd birthday a day early. We had a great time being together.

Trip report - Part 1

2010-03-16T21:22:00.003-10:00

Flew out on March 2nd to Utah for Tucker's birthday, baptism, skiing and visit with family. Friday, Whit, Jim, Court, Todd, Rob & kids and I all went skiing at Brighton. About 16 inches of new snow fell during the night, so skiing was great! Court & Todd on the lift
Beautiful day!

T's B'day

2010-03-01T21:00:00.004-10:00

Tristan's first birthday was Friday, so we went over for the celebration. Friday night, Christian and Shandra had another couple over, and we ate some great Greek food, then watched T-bone open his presents (with a little help from his mother).
Saturday's party was planned for Kailua Beach Park, but after the beaches were closed by a tsunami warning, C & S decided to move the venue to a park in Manoa valley, not far from their home. Everyone came, we had a great time, and at the end of the party, we weren't even wet or sandy. All in all, we had a wonderful, though short, visit.

Presidents' Day

2010-02-16T07:16:00.003-10:00

Decided to relax a bit yesterday afternoon, so Mom and I went down to look for whales. Friends told us they were "all over," however, we went from Puako to Kawaihae Harbor and couldn't see a one. Apparently, they were further out -- or active earlier in the day. So we settled on the beach for a couple of hours and read and enjoyed the sun and water. I managed to lock my key in the trunk, so ended up staying a bit longer than planned while we waited for a friend to bring our spare key down. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Here's a thought

2010-01-21T21:29:00.006-10:00

"The essence of contemporary liberalism is the illiberal conviction that Americans, in their comprehensive incompetence, need minute supervision by government, which liberals believe exists to spare citizens the torture of thinking and choosing." George Will

As of January 1, we now have a ban on driving while touching a cell phone (or other handheld electronic device) on the Big Island, as well as in Honolulu. (Don't know about the other counties.) You can talk on the phone with bluetooth or ear buds, but don't touch the phone. And if you want to pull over to answer or call, make sure you turn off the engine; otherwise you'll still be in violation and in line for a $97 fine. So tell me which is safer: a) using my Iphone GPS feature to guide me to my location, b) talking to a person at my destination who gives me instructions, or c) trying to navigate with a map I'm holding in front of the steering wheel? If you choose c), you won't be fined.

The End of the Story

2010-01-06T18:31:00.005-10:00

On Wednesday, Christian, Shandra and Tristan came down from Orange County for the day. It was great to see them. Tristan just gets cuter and cuter!

Thursday eve we met my cousin Craig (left far end) and his partner, Larry, and ex-, Iddy, for dinner, before they headed off to Temecula for a late night show. We had a fun visit (and good dinner). It was good to see them again.

That's all my pix. For a more complete account of our adventures, see Court's great post.

Wild Animal Park

2009-12-30T08:18:00.004-10:00

Monday we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The weather was great; there was lots to see. A few samples follow.

More Southern Cal

2009-12-27T15:25:00.002-10:00

Saturday, Whit, Mom and I drove down to San Diego and spent the afternoon at Balboa Park. Must return again this week for more. After Court & Todd arrived, we went to Macaroni Grill for a wonderful dinner.
We ended the evening with the deferred opening.

California Christmas

2009-12-27T15:12:00.002-10:00

Christmas morning we slept in late, then drove down to La Jolla Cove to walk along the beach. The weather was cool but beautiful. Lots of seals and birds
Enjoyed the rock formations
Ended the day with a lovely dinner, followed by Vicious Gin with Whit and Jim's friends, Reed and Dan.

New Happy State Study

2009-12-19T08:10:00.012-10:00

A new study on happy states comes up with distinctly different results than the one I cited previously. Hawaii's still #2, however, right up there with Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama. Turns out this time that happiness is a function of sunshine. Who'd a thunk? Also, factors such as how crowded, air quality, house prices, etc. Top Ten:
1. Louisiana
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Arizona
6. Mississippi
7. Montana
8. South Carolina
9. Alabama
10. Maine
Wyoming comes in at #13, Utah and Virginia are in the middle at #23 and 26, respectively. (Rob and Anna should hardly notice the difference!) The bottom five are:
46. California
47. Indiana
48. Michigan
49. New Jersey
50. Connecticut
51. New York
Sorry, Whit and Jim -- at least you're not in New York! I find the inconsistencies most curious. For example, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska are grouped together -- #31-33; makes sense to me. But why a 19-state difference between Arizona and New Mexico (#24)? You can find all 50 states and D.C. listed here.

Winter Humor

2009-12-16T20:37:00.005-10:00

Now that many of you have snow, I thought you might appreciate this.

Why the Christmas Colors Are Red, Green and White

2009-12-10T22:05:00.003-10:00

It's nice this time of year when the poinsettias and the snowball bushes are in full bloom. Add in nice green grass and shrubs, and you have perfect Chrismas colors.

Happy States

2009-12-05T08:19:00.004-10:00

I stumbled upon an article about the happiest states. With Utah, Hawaii and Wyoming as the top three, I decided it was no wonder that I'm so happy! I've spent more of my life in these three than all others combined. Interestingly, however, with respect to the general reasons given for why peoople in some states are happier -- wealth and tolerance (measured by the number of bohemians), these three are outliers. Note the throwaway line at the end of the caveats acknowledging this fact and suggesting that maybe happiness is a function of strong families, instead. Now there's a thought! Maybe that's why I'm so happy!

Sunday Picnic at Puako

2009-11-29T22:14:00.002-10:00

After Church today, we headed down to Puako for a picnic lunch. It was beautiful, but sadly no turtles or whales. The keikis loved playing in the tide pools, however. This eve we had dinner at Matt and Joanna's -- sorry, I didn't take any pix of her delicious Thai food. The kids barely made their flight back to Honolulu. The weekend went way to fast.

Weekend Adventure

2009-11-28T17:44:00.010-10:00

Tristan and his mommy and daddy came home for the Thanksgiving weekend, along with their friends, the Garners. TK was happy on arrival.

Sorry, no pix of Thanksgiving dinner! Today we went to Akaka Falls. We hadn't been there for some time, and they've cleared much of the growth out, so the views are more wide open. Lots of water!

I don't remember being able to see top to bottom so easily before.

Here's our little family

For the flora lovers, the flowers and colors were great! How 'bout a pink banana?

Here's a pretty banana flower.

Not sure what this is.

Several pretty falls along the trail.

The end of a perfect day!

Teacher Furloughs and Budget Crisis

2009-11-15T17:18:00.003-10:00

It's been so fun to be published in the local paper, I've tried again:

Dear Editor:
Your opinion piece on Teacher Furloughs in Sunday’s paper makes a number of excellent points. As you discussed solutions, however, I became troubled.

The solution to our budget shortfall is not a lottery or new taxes. Your call, and others in recent weeks, for new sources of government revenue to restore cuts in the DOE budget reminds me of a lesson I learned forty years ago when I was on active duty in the Navy. A new officer transferred aboard the ship who had served most of his career in joint commands. When we were informed that budget cuts were in the works, he said: “Let me tell you how this works. When the Navy is told its budget will be cut, its response is: ‘It will be hard, but we will accomplish our mission.’ When the Air Force receives the same notice, its response is: ‘Gee, we won’t be able to fly bombers and fighters.’ Of course, the Air Force budget is restored, while the Navy’s is cut.”

A few years ago, I heard this concept referred to as the “Washington Monument" principle, when, after the National Park Service was threatened with a budget cut, it announced it would be closing the Washington Monument. When the Agriculture Department is threatened with a budget cut, it announces cutbacks in the school lunch program. A headline in the WHT last week reported that county budget cuts may require a cutback in the police force.

There’s a pattern here. Governments and government agencies often cut where the cuts are most noticeable and the services will be most missed, in order to provoke the public to support, or even demand, more taxation to maintain these important functions. The problem in Hawaii is not that we don’t pay enough taxes; by any standard, we do. It is that these tax dollars are not focused on the public’s top priorities.

The solution lies in reviewing government priorities and cutting back on functions that are not critical. When you and I are faced with declining income in our business or at home, we do not cut our expenses “across the board.” We maintain the more important and eliminate or cut back on the less important expenditures. We still pay the rent or mortgage and buy groceries, but we cut back on new clothes, travel or the movies.

To be effective, schools need teachers, books, classrooms, a few good administrators and a small support staff. Yet I suspect less than half of those on the DOE payroll are teachers. A number of years ago, a report compared the New York City public school system with the New York Catholic school system (large by our standards). In the public system, only half of the employees were teachers; in the Catholic system, about three-quarters were. The leadership of the state and the DOE need to be reminded that government and schools are not jobs programs. When cuts need to be made, they need to come from the fat, the luxuries, the bureaucracy, the offices and programs that are not vital. (And I don’t mean eliminating music and art from the curriculum!)

As you stated, education should be one of the top priorities for state funding. Cuts could be made, and would not missed, in many other areas. A review of state regulations could result in eliminating those that are not critical. For example, we would probably be none the worse off if the requirement for manicurists to be licensed were dropped, and business licenses could be good for two or three years instead of one. With a reduction in regulations, regulators’ positions could be eliminated. I am sure many "management" positions could be eliminated or consolidated without an adverse impact on government services. In fact, I would wager that if government had grown only as the population grew over the past ten years, we would not now be in the present crisis.

Let us not be seduced into accepting more taxes or a lottery as a solution to our current fiscal problems.

Scout Hike

2009-11-14T18:36:00.005-10:00

The scoutmaster asked me it I'd take the scouts up to the back of Waipio for a five-mile hike this morning. We met at the Church, and it looked like it was going to be way too wet, so we opted for the hill above Anna Ranch. First stop was the pond, of course.
It was rainy and blustery when we dropped into the pond. By the time we came out, it had cleared and was windy, but beautiful. So onward and upward!
It was very green. The kids had a good time -- the Samoan on the left walked/ran the whole way barefoot!

Here's an ohia flower for you botanists.

We hiked up higher than I've been before -- quite a bit above the top of Anna Ranch. It was beautiful!

Here's a little fall and pond I'd forgotten about.

I came home tired, but it was nice to get out.

Another Hawaiian Wedding

2009-11-08T18:20:00.007-10:00

Kira McManus married Ryan Devitt yesterday afternoon at Wailea Beach. It was a lovely setting, perfect weather, and beautiful bride. It was fun to see all the family again -- it's been a while.

The beach decor was beautiful.

Note that Trenton has lost his hair!

The reception was at the house. Beautiful setting.

Bride and Groom seemed very happy.

Williamsburg & Jamestown

2009-10-29T21:03:00.007-10:00

The "ACTEC curse" was back in full force this year for the fall meeting in Colonial Williamsburg. The temperature dropped 20 degrees two days before we arrived, the clouds rolled in, and we got rain and 45-55 degree temperatures. (Two days after we left, the weather returned to normal.) We loved it anyway! We had Thursday to play; I had meetings Friday and Saturday. My meetings were at the Lodge, so J. Lynn would spend the time enjoying the sights and some special tours.

Here she is on Duke of Gloucester Street

The palace
We enjoyed several of of the old pubs
On Sunday, we went down to the Jamestown Settlement.
Here's an old Indian village recreation

And a recreated settlement.

Then down to the river to see the ships

All in all, a great week -- despite the weather!

More Zion and Cedar Breaks

2009-10-29T20:34:00.009-10:00

On day two, we headed east, through a long tunnel for a view from a different top.

The Keikis on the trail

A chipmunk for J. Lynn
Looking back into Zion from the top

The drop off was spectacular -- and not for the faint of heart!

Of course, it didn't bother Whit!

Or Anna!

From thence we headed a bit further east, as Tucker wanted us to see the checker board mesa.

Then on to Cedar Breaks National Monument. I borrowed a pair of Rob's shorts for the day, as Zion had been warm. Someone forgot to tell me that the summit here is over 10,000 feet!

We had hoped to go to Bryce Canyon, but didn't have time -- this is supposed to be a bit like Bryce.

Whit, Court and Stephanie (Whit's friend)

Another view

From Cedar Breaks we headed west, bid farewell to Whit and Steph, and went into the north end of Zion to Kolob Canyon

We hiked out to a view point

The grand finale was a tarantula that Tucker found on the trail going back; the first I've ever seen in the wild!

Thanks, kids, for a perfect weekend!

My View of Zion

2009-10-29T19:17:00.011-10:00

I complained some time ago that my kids have all the fun -- we never had been to Utah's parks. So, when we were considering going to Virginia for the fall law meeting of ACTEC, Court suggested that we fly into SLC a day earlier than normal, and all spend the weekend in Zion National Park. We took her suggestion, as did Whit. (Sorry, Jim had to work.) We drove south Friday eve and spent Saturday in the park. I forgot my camera, so these were taken with my new toy (see previous post). It worked pretty well!

Here's the view going into the park.

We saw a few deer while waiting for the park bus.

The main event for the day was a hike up to Angel's Landing. Here's our clan getting ready.
The views are spectacular!
Looking back as we hiked up the switchbacks.
Part way up -- you can see where we've been.
Cliffs across the canyon.

The troopers continue ...
Here's the little clan most of the way up.
Here's the view from the main summit area looking out.
And looking down.
Court and Todd
Angel's Landing You have to take this narrow trail to get there -- too many couldn't/wouldn't go, so we stopped short. After we got back down, we went on up to the end of the canyon. Here the canyon narrows to nothing but the stream bed.
Another view on the return
Evening view from our motel

Excellent Piece on the Health Care Problem

2009-10-01T21:56:00.004-10:00

A friend sent me the article "How American Health Care Killed My Father" from the Atlantic. It's a bit long, but it is outstanding -- the best thing I've read on how the current health care problems came into being and, consequently, what must be done to make significant improvements. I highly recommend it. His solutions can be debated, but he has definitely nailed the sources of the problems.

Moving into the 21st Century

2009-09-30T21:18:00.003-10:00

My cell phone has been on the fritz for several months now -- shutting off spontaneously all the time. I hadn't had time to get down to AT&T in Kona until today. So I went in hoping they'd just fix my phone. Instead I came out with the above. Now I feel sooo au courant. I'm told it will change my life. At least, it works!

More Thoughts on Medical Care

2009-09-25T08:03:00.005-10:00

A local doc (surgeon) had a piece in the West Hawaii paper Tuesday advocating for more government healthcare. I couldn't resist submitting a response. Here it is:

Dr. Bairos’ recent Viewpoint repeated several arguments frequently made in favor of the current health care reform proposals. They need further examination.

1. He points out that our emergency rooms are often utilized by patients that would have been more efficiently served if they had seen a doctor earlier -- before there was an emergency. He suggests that the problem is a lack of insurance. Most patients in our emergency rooms on the island have insurance -- often medicaid. Overuse of the emergency room most often occurs either (i) because the patient does not have a primary care physician due to the doctor shortage and the fact that some doctors will not take medicaid patients due to the low reimbursements, or (ii) because the patient failed to use good judgment and attend to his problem in a timely manner. A lack of insurance is not a primary cause of such over use.

2. We are frequently told that U.S. health care is not as good as that of other industrialized countries. The statistics cited are misleading. Higher infant mortality is primarily the result of more low birthweight babies, in turn the result of more teenage pregnancies. Our lower life expectancy is primarily the result of our obesity and other unhealthy lifestyle choices. Neither will be improved by government health insurance (unless diet and exercise are mandated as a condition of obtaining medical care). A better comparison would be the survival rate from breast or prostate cancer or from heart disease. I suspect the U.S. is near the top in these areas.

3. I agree with Dr. Bairos that insurance does not lower the cost of medical care, it increases it – both through the insurance company’s administrative costs and through the costs incurred by the provider. Consequently, it makes no sense for us to be using insurance to pay for routine medical care. It is analogous to buying car insurance to cover oil changes. It would be more cost effective for us to buy high deductible policies (say $5,000 per year) for the unexpected medical crisis and to pay for our routine medical needs ourselves. If that seems unaffordable, consider that the premium for an individual insured by HMSA is currently about $5000 per year. If a high deductible policy cost half that amount, the difference could be set aside, perhaps in a medical savings account, to pay for our routine needs. Moreover, if we were paying for our own care, we would be more cost conscious and concerned about the value received for the payment.

4. The founding fathers never intended that my right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” included a right for me to have my medical care paid for with taxes on my neighbor. Many of our society’s values have been undermined by a greater reliance on the government. Many no longer feel obliged to support charitable efforts because they believe that the government has assumed those responsibilities – and they gave (through taxes) at the office. Beneficiaries of private charity generally feel grateful for the generosity of the donors. Beneficiaries of government programs more often feel “entitled.” An assurance that the government will take care of us has undermined our sense of personal responsibility to provide for our own needs.

Food and shelter are even more basic needs than medical care. As yet, we haven’t had a call for government programs to provide for these.

Extreme Makeover

2009-09-19T11:02:00.004-10:00

J. Lynn's been wanting to replace our 24-year-old carpets for some time. It finally happened! The pix don't really do justice to the change, because you can't feel how soft and nice it is. The pad under the old carpet had pretty much disintegrated.

Here's the before in the living room
And the after
Dining room before
And after
I didn't shoot the stairs before -- maybe you remember them? Here's the new version:
J. Lynn's favorite addition: real carpet in our closet!
Do you remember the pretty pink bedroom? Look at it now!

Our next effort will be to refinish the floor in the kitchen and family room. Hope to get that done while we're away. It almost feels like a new house -- except that we never have the courage to change colors, so I guess it's really the old house renewed.

Thoughts on Health Care Reform and the "Public Option"

2009-09-08T20:47:00.002-10:00

I submitted the following to the local papers. We'll see if I get published.

There has been much written pro and con on the proposal for a “public option” as part of the Obama administration’s health care reform. It will supposedly provide competition to keep the insurance companies honest. Some proponents have suggested it will be the equivalent of letting everyone sign up for Medicare, with Medicare being touted as a wonderful, efficient medical insurance program.
Not enough has been discussed about the economics of this proposal. Two questions must be answered: How high will the premium be? How high will the reimbursements to providers be?
The effective Medicare premium is hard to calculate. Medicare is supported by a payroll tax on everyone of 2.9% of income – half paid by the employer, half by the employee. Those actually on Medicare pay a small monthly premium – under $100/month. We don’t know what the effective premium is per Medicare enrollee. What we do know is that despite the tax on all workers and the additional premium, Medicare is forecast to be bankrupt within a few years without either a substantial increase in the tax and/or premiums or a reduction in benefits, or both.
On the other hand, Medicare reimbursements to providers (doctors and hospitals) are low – only about 80-85% of the provider’s cost of providing care, based upon the government’s own calculations. (Reimbursements from Medicaid are even lower.) This leaves a shortfall that must be made up by a combination of private insurance paying significantly higher reimbursements (about 130% of cost nationally, less in Hawaii, due to HMSA’s near monopsony) and, for the non-profit providers, fundraising. It is also responsible for many hospitals suffering financially. Note, also, that even at the low levels of reimbursement, the cost of Medicare has risen to about ten times what it was projected to cost when passed by Congress.
Moreover, Medicare reimbursements are not uniformly related to the cost of living. Hawaii’s rate of reimbursement is significantly lower that that of other high cost of living areas of the U.S. These low reimbursements account, in large part, for the fact that two Oahu hospitals have filed for bankruptcy in recent years, all three hospitals on the Big Island have reportedly been struggling financially, and a number of physicians have left the island in recent years to practice in areas where they can make more money.
What does this suggest for a new “public option”? It will likely be underpriced and provide low reimbursements. Low premiums will attract participants away from their existing insurance companies. Later, after it is discovered that the premiums are too low to sustain the program, the private options will be gone.
Despite the low level of reimbursements, providers will participate. With the government’s large market share, they won’t have any choice. However, the low reimbursements will exacerbate the existing financial problems of many hospitals – especially those in rural areas – and the departure of physicians from less lucrative areas. If reimbursement patterns hold, Hawaii will get the short end of the reimbursement stick again.
The only possible way a “public option” would be helpful is if it reduced costs through greater operating efficiencies, while paying out reimbursements on par with private insurers. As I know of no existing government enterprise that is more efficient than its private counterparts, I am not optimistic.

My Day Off

2009-09-07T15:24:00.013-10:00

J. Lynn wouldn't let me work today. Looking for something fun to do, she found horseback riding at Kahua Ranch. We haven't been on horses for years, so sounded fun. It was windy, but green and beautiful up on top.

Our guide Maki

Defunct wind farm

Guess who's the cowboy and who's the Indian?

Do we look at home in the saddle, or what?

You can just make out Mauna Loa in the background.

McCall Adventure

2009-08-18T22:02:00.014-10:00

We had a marvelous five days in McCall, Idaho last week with the family. Many thanks to Anna and Court for getting us organized, finding the location and making it happen.

We ate
Played by Payette Lake
Hiked in the park
Celebrated three birthdays

While the others mountain biked or skated Friday, I took a side trip up Lick Creek, past Little Payette Lake

To the summit
Then hiked into Duck Lake

And picked a few huckleberries
Saturday, we golfed (poorly) in the morning and floated down the Salmon in the afternoon. We ended Saturday night with a campfire and s'mores.
It was a wonderful time. For more pix, see Anna's blog.

Whittle Wedding

2009-08-08T10:04:00.005-10:00

Sarah Whittle and Brian Stuhr were married last eve. Lovely wedding, beautiful evening, moonrise, etc. Sarah received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy last week. Brian has one more year of studies in landscape architecture. Our congratuations to them both.
Charley and Sarah (just realized I didn't take a picture of the new groom)

Kalopa Redux

2009-08-02T21:07:00.006-10:00

The day Court dropped her first week's friends at the airport, she picked up Elizabeth for the second week. This afternoon we reprised the visit to Kalopa. Slightly different walk in the woods. Thought this was an interesting tree -- banyon, I think.

A Kalopa Sunday Afternoon

2009-07-26T18:30:00.009-10:00

It's been nice to have Court and her friends Bethany and Shanowa with us the past few days. After church today, we drove through Ahualoa like old times, then had a picnic lunch at Kalopa. I hadn't taken the trail in years. It was a lovely day for a stroll in the woods.

The ladies in a lava tube en route

On the trail

Huge fern nested in a tree

Anuenue

2009-07-13T18:09:00.003-10:00

We've had a little rain lately, so ... It looks like the pot of gold should be at the Macys'.

Hawaiian Wedding

2009-07-11T23:26:00.003-10:00

It was a lovely evening for a wedding at Puako. Mary outdid her self with the food and flowers. Alika's new bride Jordan is a lovely girl and her family is very nice.

Happy 4th

2009-07-04T20:25:00.005-10:00

Beautiful day today -- clear and cool. Stayed home and did yard work.

Mom says this is her favorite tree.

We'll soon have a nice crop of mandarin oranges. Maybe while Court's here.

Toqueville

2009-06-28T21:23:00.003-10:00

I finished "Democracy in America" tonight. I had feared it would be ponderous and boring. Instead I found it quite readable and inciteful. No where did I find his most famous quote: "America is great, because America is good ..." (Turns out he apparently never said that!) He did say a lot of other quotable things, however. A few examples:

"There is, in fact, a manly and lawful passion for equality which excites men to wish all to be powerful and honored. This passion tends to elevate the humble to the rank of the great; but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level, and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom."

"There is no country in the world in which everything can be provided for by the laws, or in which political institutions can prove a substitute for common sense and public morality."

"In the United States the persons who engage in the perplexities of political life are individuals of very moderate pretensions. The pursuit of wealth generally diverts men of great talents and of great passions from the pursuit of power; and it very frequently happens that a man does not undertake to direct the fortune of the State until he has discovered his incompetence to conduct his own affairs."

"The disastrous influence which popular authority may sometimes exercise upon the finances of a State, was very clearly seen in some of the democratic republics of antiquity, in which the public treasures was exhausted in order to relieve indigent citizens, or to supply the games and theatrical amusements of the populace."

"While the law permits the Americans to do what they please, religion prevents them from conceiving, and forbids them to commit what is rash or unjust. ... I do not know whether all the Americans have a sincere faith in their religion; for who can search the human heart? but I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions. This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or to a party, but it belongs to the whole nation, and to every rank of society."

"Despotism may govern without faith, but liberty cannot. ... How is it possible that society should escape destruction if the moral tie be not strengthened in proportion as the political tie is relaxed? and what can be done with a people which is its own master, if it be not submissive to the Divinity?"

"That Providence has given to every human being the degree of reason necessary to direct himself in the affairs which interest him exclusively; such is the grand maxim upon which civil and political society rests in the United States. The father of a family applies it to his children; the master to his servants; the township to its officers; the province to its townships; the State to the provinces; the Union to the States; and when extended to the nation, it becomes the doctrine of the sovereignty of the people."

Finally, I found his closing comments particularly prescient:
"There are, at the present time, two great nations in the world, which seem to tend towards the same end, although they started from different points: I allude to the Russians and the Americans. ...
"The American struggles against the natural obstacles which oppose him; the adversaries of the Russian are men: the former combats the wilderness and savage life; the latter, civilization with all its weapons and its arts: the conquests of the one are therefore gained by the ploughshare; those of the other, by the sword. The Anglo-American relies upon personal interest to accomplish his ends, and gives free scope to the unguided exertions and common sense of the citizens; the Russian centres all the authority of society in a single arm: the principal instrument of the former is freedom; of the latter, servitude. Their starting-point is different, and their courses are not the same; yet each of them seems to be marked out by the will of Heaven to sway the destinies of half the globe."

For You Digital Macro Lovers --

2009-06-19T07:30:00.004-10:00

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

2009-06-19T06:59:00.009-10:00

We came for the weather, climate and beauty -- got all three in spades! But some mornings are especially beautiful -- the air cool and crisp after a rain. So I occasionally run around the block for the exercise and morning air. I hope I never get tired of it.

See -- we get color. The leaves just don't all fall off for a season.

Love the meadows

And the mountain

And the pu'us

Even our little street

And especially the colors

Memorial Day in Hawaii Nei

2009-05-25T14:36:00.004-10:00

Spent the morning at Wailea Beach enjoying the soft ocean breeze and beautiful water; then lunch at Solimene's with Matt and Joanna. All in all, it's been a pleasant, relaxing day.

Kamuela in Kamuela

2009-05-24T12:51:00.003-10:00

Christian, Shandra and Tristan are here for the three-day weekend. First visit since Christmas. Tristan (aka Kamuela and Jr. boy) is changing fast at this age -- he'll be three months old on Tuesday. We're so glad for the visit.

Akiko's Openhouse

2009-05-24T12:47:00.004-10:00

We attended the Marshes' open house for Akiko and Felipe Martin. It was lovely, and it appears Akiko has found a fine young man. Congratulations!

Are we there yet?

2009-05-10T14:10:00.002-10:00

From George Will's column today:

In "Democracy in America," Alexis de Tocqueville anticipated people being governed by "an immense, tutelary power" determined to take "sole charge of assuring their enjoyment and of watching over their fate." It would be a power "absolute, attentive to detail, regular, provident and gentle," aiming for our happiness but wanting "to be the only agent and the sole arbiter of that happiness." It would, Tocqueville said, provide people security, anticipate their needs, direct their industries and divide their inheritances. It would envelop society in "a network of petty regulations -- complicated, minute and uniform." But softly: "It does not break wills; it softens them, bends them, and directs them" until people resemble "a herd of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd."

Mom's in the news!

2009-05-09T13:16:00.003-10:00

Check it out!

Guess where I went today!

2009-05-02T16:24:00.003-10:00

Got talked into taking a little hike -- spent most of the day. Got plenty of sun, but it was lovely. Been a while since I've been up there. Homesick anyone? (The pix look better blown up.)

Tristan's Day

2009-04-22T19:33:00.004-10:00

We joined Christian, Shandra, Tristan and the Clawson family for the weekend. Saturday at Kailua Beach was beautiful! It's been a long time since we'd been there. We enjoyed seeing all the family again -- and meeting some new additions. The Clawsons were wonderful hosts -- good food, good company. Sunday morning at church, Christian gave Tristan his name and blessing. Tristan behaved well, and Christian gave a lovely blessing.

The Clawsons

The Hastings

Happy Saturday before Easter

2009-04-11T08:17:00.004-10:00

I'll apologize in advance to any who don't appreciate my sense of humor. Big storm yesterday, with much new snow on the mountain. This has been the longest, coldest, wettest winter in recent memory. Shouldn't complain after the lengthy drought we've had but still will be glad for a few days of sunshine. There's a glimmer of hope this morning. We've 30+ coming for lunch after church tomorrow, so pray for good weather. We need the kids to be able to go outdoors.

In case you missed it ...

2009-04-01T06:46:00.002-10:00

The First Visit

2009-03-29T18:27:00.005-10:00

We had a wonderful weekend with C & S & t. It has been a while since I've seen a baby that small! Tristan (aka Jr. Boy and TK) celebrated his first birthday on Thursday. Saturday we went down to Ala Moana Beach Park. It was fun to get out, although we got blown out before we could finish our game of dominoes. In all these years, I don't think I'd ever gone into the park!

Little "t" likes to be held -- sleeps pretty well as long as someone's holding him. Otherwise, ...

We'll be going back in three weeks for the blessing. Such fun to have another grandbaby!

Whale watch

2009-03-21T20:39:00.009-10:00

Our friends the Barlockers invited us to join them for a whale watch outing today. Turns out we knew the boat owner, Steve Schleder - Judy's former husband. Chauncy was helping crew -- so 'twas fun to visit with them. The day was beautiful -- just a bit short of whales. Saw several from a distance -- only one came close by. Got a bit of sun on the starboard side of my face! Lots of new snow on the mountains Friday -- unfortunately, couldn't get a good picture today.

Looking north - Maui would be behind the cloud

Mama enjoying the ride
If you look closely, you can see a whale's back.

We motored out then sailed back. Very pleasant!

Geithner Ballad

2009-03-14T19:54:00.009-10:00

An ACTEC fellow sent a message out, then tried to recall it several times. Naturally, I checked it out. He said: "Anne McKinney is a Knoxville, Tennessee attorney who cut her teeth as an IRS Staff Attorney. She composed and sang this for the attending attorneys at a continuing legal education seminar she taught last Thursday. Many there suggested she take it further. She moved quickly to do so." Here's the link. Enjoy!

Trip report

2009-03-12T21:13:00.015-10:00

I returned home Monday afternoon after a busy ten days. Started by meeting Rob, Court & Whit at the Seattle airport for a trip to Yakima to join J. Lynn and pay our final respects to Dad Throssell. The tributes and the graveside service were very nice, Dad looked at peace, and we had an opportunity to visit with family. I was so glad we could be there.

Natalie and family

Clyde, Les and family

Lane's family & our own

The kids and I left Friday eve after the services for Seattle and flew to SLC early Saturday morning. We met Jim, Todd and the kids at Brighton for a lovely day of skiing.

'Twas a beautiful day.

My first time out with the keikis
How could anyone not enjoy this?

Had a lovely Sunday afternoon at Liz's with family, then Monday Court and I made it back up to Brighton for a second fun-filled day. Tuesday I spent with my folks, then Wednesday early it was off to Palm Springs for law meetings. The only activity there (other than my first 5K) was a trip up to the top of Mount San Jacinto above the valley.

The car does two complete rotations on the way up/down.

The views are spectacular!

It was also gorgeous on top

Note the wind farm -- our future with alternate energy

Now, sadly, it's back to the grind -- with my desk still piled high. Help!

Friday the 13th

2009-02-13T20:06:00.008-10:00

We've had some stormy weather -- lightning and thunder three days in a row. Today was clear and beautiful (and cold!). Did get some new snow. My new associate John Roth has had time on his hands, so has been working on a web site for the office (as well as a brochure). Check it out at http://www.hawaiiep.com/home. Suggestions welcome. (Question: Why am I so much balder and fatter in pictures than in real life?)

Blogging

2009-02-01T21:56:00.004-10:00

Stole this from Amy's blog. Priceless!

Lost Generation

2009-01-31T18:25:00.002-10:00

Check out this interesting video. Clever use of language.

Passion and Politics

2009-01-31T12:34:00.002-10:00

I recommend this piece on the need for moderation in political views, for more reason and less emotion.

Why I liked Obama's address

2009-01-22T21:31:00.008-10:00

If you haven't seen this, it's pretty good. And gives me hope! (sorry about the commercial)

Good news! Everybody doesn't hate us!

2009-01-11T19:00:00.005-10:00

Thought I'd share an excerpt from a Christmas letter from some friends from Michigan days. Arland is at the Institute for Social Research. Their daughter Rebecca has finished a post-doc and joined the faculty at the U of M. Shirley wrote:

"Arland, Rebecca and I spent Christmas this year visiting the Shah's Palace in Tehran, Iran. Arland was invited there for a dissertation review. We were in Iran for about a week and were treated royally. We flew down to Yazd where the magi were said to have been from. We also saw Esfahan. Rebecca and I each wore scarves everyday and everywhere. The climate was quite mild so we were quite warm. When people discovered we were from America, it was like we were celebrities. Some wanted their picture taken with us, while others just wanted to talk. We had a wonderful experience there.

"We also spent a week in Nepal. Arland has a project there so we tagged along. Rebecca was my tour guide. This would be her fifth trip, and she knows the language. We loved seeing her communicate with the people. She was like a drop of honey. When we stopped to talk, people would come from down the road to listen or talk to her. It was amazing."

So I guess everyone around the world doesn't hate us after all!

Final goodbye!

2009-01-03T16:59:00.013-10:00

It's been a cold, dreary day today -- not rainy, so I could mow the lawn -- but suitable for the last goodbye of the holidays. Christian and Shandra will be going back to Honolulu this evening. The only bright spot is that my strawberries seem to like this cold, wet weather. A month or so ago, they didn't look like much!

First harvest --
Organic and locally grown.