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Alo-Ha! Friday Charles Memminger |
Improving public schools
is a no-brainerSTATE legislators have been dragged kicking and screaming into even minor public school reform. Gov. Linda Lingle's was pushing for a major overhaul of the system, breaking up the massive bureaucracy into local school boards. She didn't get that, or, sadly, even a public vote on whether people support such a plan. But her prodding, cajoling and public relations offensive finally convinced torpid legislators into some baby-steps reform.
This is all so unnecessary. We can improve our schools overnight. All you do is force all elected officials send their kids to public, not private, schools. Bingo. Now they're paying attention.
Now the news ...
Ban goes up in smoke
OSLO, Norway (AP) » A central Norwegian county has declared smoking to be a basic human right in a dispute over a ban imposed on one town's workers.Levanger, a township of about 18,000 people, banned all smoking by municipal employees during working hours on or off city property. Three politicians, members of the right-wing Party of Progress, challenged the ban. The county found that the ban violated the European Human Rights Convention. The politicians celebrated the ruling on the steps of the Levanger town hall by lighting up the biggest cigars they could find.
(Now, THERE'S progress for you.)
The dog days were better
BANGKOK (Agence France-Presse) » A Thai boy who was partially raised by a dog was found dead at a welfare center where he had been taken for protection. Two-year-old Prateep Chumnoon made headlines last year when he was taken from his impoverished 60-year-old grandmother who regularly left him in the care of her pet dog. Neighbors complained the boy was making dog, rather than human, sounds.Authorities do not know why the boy died while under the care of the welfare center.
(Sounds like the welfare center should go to the dogs.)
Lil' zebra lost its stripes
NAIROBI, Kenya (BBC) » An all-white zebra has been discovered in Kenya and wildlife experts don't know why it has no stripes.The little stripeless zebra seems to be fitting in well with his black-and-white friends.
"We don't have any records of ever having seen one like this before," said Paul Gaithu, of the Nairobi National Park.
(Hello, animal experts -- wake up -- there's a word for a zebra without any stripes: Horse.)
Honolulu Lite on Sunday:
There are many sad tales in the big city and I've been forced to read too many of them. It was my fault. Last week I offered to award (punish?) one lucky reader with an autographed copy one of the few remaining copies of my book "Hey Tourist! Buy This Book!" The book would go to the person who offers the saddest story and explains how "Hey Tourist!" would brighten their life. Stupid idea. I know. Now I'm buried in pathetic stories from across the country. Find out who the winner is in Sunday's Honolulu Lite.Quote Me On This:
"What a blonde -- she was enough to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window." -- Raymond Chandler
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Charles Memminger, winner of National Society
of Newspaper Columnists awards, appears
Tuesdays, Thursdays , Fridays and Sundays.
E-mail cmemminger@starbulletin.com