I’ll be honest: A few months ago, I was worried about the future of Hawaii Business. Our publisher and creative director (that’s the person in charge of the entire look of the magazine, from photos to typography) had left to…
The ancient Greek poet Archilochus left us with this delightful metaphor: “A fox knows many things, but a hedgehog one important thing.” In this month’s column, I’m a fox, maybe because I’m juggling too many balls to be a hedgehog.…
I try hard not to live in a bubble, so I read widely and listen when people express opinions contrary to my own. But I was shocked when I started reading the latest edition of Chapman University’s annual survey of…
There is a clever series of TV commercials from Progressive Insurance with the theme of a man becoming like his mother, and a woman becoming like her father. In the ads, the humor comes from the children adopting the annoying…
If you are a news junkie like me, you probably check multiple websites every day. In fact, I often read stories on 10 sites in one day, sometimes more. But most sane people don’t want to spend their time that…
A major quandary faced by journalists is balancing our opposing responsibilities to expose and to celebrate. Society expects journalists to report on injustice, inefficiency, corruption and other problems, and when we don't, the news media are rightly derided for the…
Decades ago, an acquaintance asked, “What’s your favorite: Sunday mornings or Monday mornings?” I was confused, partly because the answer seemed obvious, so he explained. “Do you prefer your leisure time or your work?” It was clear he preferred the…
If you are a fan of alternate realities and parallel universes, welcome to one of our annual discussions: Who should be CEO of the Year? Each fall, when the editorial team at Hawaii Business considers candidates, we look for outstanding…
"What Do Women Want?” was a condescending question often asked (and answered) by men when I was young. It is also a question Gallup set out to answer in a report called “Women in America: Work and Life Well-Lived,” based…
If you read Hawaii Business regularly, you know Dennis Hollier writes engaging stories about complex subjects, such as energy, construction, leadership and farming. He does the opposite of dumbing down; what should I call it, “understanding up”? In his articles,…
September and October are big months for parents with children in preschool. That’s when many embark on one of Hawaii’s most nerve-racking academic processes: applying to kindergarten. I am a graduate of the public school system in New York and…
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” I love that quote of F. Scott Fitzgerald because I believe a real…
About the time this issue reaches you, I will be emerging from a digital detox center known as Haleakala. My daughter and I will have spent four days hiking in the crater without our phones, laptops or any other devices…
I can be a popular person at parties and it’s not because of my magnetic personality, witty repartee and obvious good looks. When strangers learn I work in the news media, they often get excited and say, “You should do…
The name of our magazine is Hawaii Business, but the reality has often been very different. At times, a more accurate title would have been Honolulu Business or, even, Downtown Honolulu Business. I am not blaming my predecessors; I have…
Power has a bad reputation. Your opponents and the people you disagree with have power — unjustified and unworthy power largely based on money, which buys mindless followers, crass politicians and evil henchmen. On the other hand, you and those…
> Send letters to feedback@hawaiibusiness.com Dress up I enjoyed the article “Island-Style Dress for Success” (July 2009). I thought it gave some good basic tips on how to achieve an effective professional image. Although probably one of the “lighter” articles…
An acquaintance asked me many years ago, “Which do you prefer, Sundays or Mondays?” At the time, the answer was obvious: Sunday’s activities were much better than Monday’s toil. And my interrogator’s preference for the workweek simply confirmed my impression…
> Send letters to feedback@hawaiibusiness.com Great Green Comparisons Thanks for the article “Is It Really Green?” (June 2009). You did some great comparisons and didn’t try to simplify the issues like so many “easy to be green” articles do. FYI,…
I love hiking because of what I feel and see. Hikes challenge my body, but, more important, the scenery revives my spirit and invigorates my mind. The views from high places force my mind out of narrow corridors into grander…
Send letters to feedback@hawaiibusiness.com Flaws in how Top 100 Realtors were picked Let me preface by stating there is probably no perfect system for judging who the Top 100 Realtors (June 2009) are in Hawaii. I do feel, however, that…
My son and his friends are leaving home and I fear they will never truly come back. Nothing is set in stone, but of the thousands who fly off each summer to enroll at colleges on the Mainland, too many…
Here is the talented group of people who produce Hawaii Business each month. We work hard to deliver the best magazine possible for our readers and advertisers by focusing on the big issues facing Hawaii’s businesses and economy, and on…
> Send letters to feedback@hawaiibusiness.com Citizen Economists not paying its writers I’m a freelance writer living in Bellingham, Wash. I recently ran across the December 2008 issue of Hawaii Business at my local library. I took a look at it,…