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Great Debate: Should anonymous comments be banned?

by on March 6, 2013 in Musings, The Daily Dish

angry_computer_guyOn yesterday’s “Today Show” the regular panel of professionals tackled a question that hits home for me.

The question: “Should anonymous comments on websites and blogs be banned?”

This is something we used to debate in the newsroom, when I worked at the now-defunct Honolulu Advertiser. We had just launched the ability for readers to post comments on stories online — and we realized very quickly how bold and brazen people were when they didn’t have to attach their real names to their comments.

In many cases, the comments weren’t fair. They were just mean and malicious and they really had no business being published. And yet there they were, unedited and unfiltered, and attached to real news stories that were held to a higher standard.

Frustrating.

At the same time, isn’t it the allure of the Internet to remain anonymous, to speak your mind without any fear or worry?

Here’s my take on this: If you’re going to say it, own it. Period.

I realize there are privacy issues. Like a woman who wants to share her experience being raped but doesn’t want to reveal her identity. I get that. But that’s an exception.

So I’m tossing it out there: Do you think anonymous comments should be banned?

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Great Debate: Artificial legs unfair advantage?

by on August 7, 2012 in Musings, The Daily Dish

When South African sprint runner Oscar Pistorius qualified for the London 2012 Olympics, this debate had already started.

The 25-year-old double amputee — known around the world as Blade Runner — finished an impressive 8th place in the men’s 400-meter semifinals earlier this week, finishing in a laudable 46.54 seconds. And critics are still wondering if allowing him to participate using Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs is opening the floodgates for technological aids for Olympic athletes.

But are these artificial legs really an unfair advantage?

His inclusion does clear the way for other amputee runners to compete on this world stage. And while it seems obvious to applaud and even champion such accomplishments, encouraging other amputees to chase this abled-body dream, I can understand the debate.

For starters, I think it’s absolutely absurd to think that this guy — whose lower legs were amputated as a baby after he was born without the fibula bones in his shins — has any unfair advantage. I don’t think he’s consider not having legs as an “advantage,” let alone an unfair one. It infuriates me to think that we can even criticize or accuse someone for doing something that’s already difficult for athletes with two good legs.

That said, the argument may not be about whether double amputees — or any disabled person — should be allowed to compete in the Olympics. (Of course they should!) It’s about the diabolical folks who will try to bend the rules to allow able-bodied athletes to use technology to gain an edge.

At least that’s what I think this debate is about.

Otherwise, I can’t say why anyone would ever think someone without two legs would have an unfair advantage. I wouldn’t trade my two working legs for blades, even pricey, Olympic-quality ones.

Maybe we have to stop thinking the worst of people — that Pistorius wants to cheat to win Olympic gold — and give them the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe all he wants is to be a normal athlete. What’s the harm in that?

Comments { 7 }

Great Debate: What makes a great bakery?

by on August 1, 2012 in Food, Musings, The Daily Dish

I’m a big fan of bakeries.

It’s the first place I like to find when I travel to a new city, sinking my teeth into the region’s popular baked product or a slice of freshly baked bread. In fact, I might judge a neighborhood’s culinary landscape by how just good the bakeries are.

Which brings me to this: how do you know how good a bakery is? Is it the quality of their products? The uniqueness? The variety?

In Hawaii, everyone seems to have a favorite. Some love the Cocoa Puffs from Liliha Bakery or the poi glazed donuts from Kamehameha Bakery in Kalihi or the malassadas from Agnes’ Portguese Bake Shop in Kailua. And to them, that constitutes the best bakery.

But some would argue that the depth of the menu matter. Sure, Champions Malasadas on Beretania Street churns out some of the best Portuguese donuts around. But it is really known for anything else? And does that really matter? (At least Leonard’s Bakery has great sweet bread, hot cross buns and mini dobash cakes.)

Still others — and I know a few — judge a bakery by the quality of its bread, period. French, challah, focaccia — these are staples that bakeries need to get right. After all, bakeries, by definition, are places where bread is baked.

So what’s your criteria for a good bakery? And what’s your favorite in Hawaii?

Comments { 8 }

Great Debate: Hawaii vs. Japan

by on May 2, 2012 in Adventures, Musings

It’s easy to come back from a trip and think everything on your vacation was better than what you return to at home.

Like ramen. I don’t think I can eat ramen here for awhile without comparing it to the bowls I’ve had in Fukuoka and Tokyo on my recent trip to Japan.

But sometimes we don’t stay long enough in a place to really get to know it — and some things may seem better on the surface.

Take, for example, traffic.

It’s easy to think that other cities don’t have the kind of gridlock morning traffic we have here on Oahu. But we also don’t travel during peak commuting times when on vacation, so what we experience — the lonely backroads, the unclogged interstates — aren’t really an accurate picture of the city’s traffic woes.

So I’m going to make a list of things that we can compare between Hawaii and Japan, and for those of you who have been to both, I’d love to get your input:

Hawaii vs. Japan: which is better? (My answer is in parentheses.)

• Public transportation (Japan)
• Ramen (Japan)
• Pastries and desserts (Hawaii. I have a sweeter palette. Sorry!)
• Convenience stores (Japan, hands down)
• Fashion (I prefer Hawaii’s laid-back vibe.)
• Beaches (Hawaii)
• Friendliness (Hawaii)
• Crowds (Hawaii)
• Tourist areas (Japan. I think Hawaii is too kitschy.)
• Music (Hawaii)
• Weather (Hawaii)
• Public restrooms (Split. I think Japanese bathrooms are cleaner, but you have to like squatters.)
• Birds (Tough one. I’m not sure if I prefer huge crows or dirty pigeons.)

Hmm. Looks like I’m torn.

What about you?

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Great Debate: Should toddler have been kicked off plane?

by on March 12, 2012 in Musings, The Daily Dish

We’ve all been there.

A fussy toddler, a crying baby, an annoying kid who insists on kicking the back of your seat.

It’s become almost part of the modern-day travel experience.

But when are these everyday — and, for the most part, tolerable — too much for the cramped, claustrophobic space called the cabin?

Well, two weeks ago a toddler who threw a tantrum before takeoff and refused to sit down and put on her seatbelt on a JetBlue flight in the Turks and Caicos was removed — with her family — from the flight.

This is what the airlines had to stay about its decision:

Flight 850 … had customers that did not comply with crewmember instructions for a prolonged time period. The captain elected to remove the customers involved for the safety of all customers and crewmembers on board.

The parents say they had finally, after a few minutes, gotten their 2-year-old daughter, Natalie, safely strapped into her seat. But they were still told to get off the plane. They had to stay an extra night in the Turks and Caicos and had to book a new flight to Boston — all of which cost them an estimated extra $2,000.

So here’s the question: do you think the airlines did the right thing in removing the family?

NBC’s “Today” asked its online users the same question, and 70 percent of respondents agreed with the airlines.

What about you?

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