Capsun's Corner - by Capsun M. Poe

Education is An Investment

Capsun — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:37 +0000

This morning, Catherine Toth blogged about Cost of your college degree on The Daily Dish blog in which she shared:

The other day one of my former students posed a question that’s been on my mind lately: how much is our college education really worth?

I started typing up a response, but as it got longer and longer, I decided I would copy and share it here. Here it is, with emphasis and some additional comments I added after I posted on Cat’s blog.

I think a Master’s degree is now what a Bachelor’s degree used to be 10-15 years ago. Meaning, many positions already expect everyone to have at least a Bachelor’s; possessing a Master’s helps you get promoted or perhaps get better pay. The degree requirement is often used as the “first cut” by interviewers or HR personnel. Why interview 100 people when you can just say “Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred” in a job description and then only have 25 applicants to have to screen?

To students who question the value of an Associate’s degree, I think they should see it not as the end of their higher education career path, but the beginning of a continuum of education. This is one goal of the Hawaii P-20 Initiative. Even the military requires recruits to have a high school diploma. And that same military encourages officers to get advanced degrees. You can only go so high up in the ranks with a Bachelor’s degree. I know a Lieutenant Colonel who must get a Master’s degree to be promoted to a full bird Colonel.

Even those who enter so-called “blue collar” fields require formal education and training. For example, carpenters have to undergo an apprenticeship program. Professional drivers who require a CDL (Commercial Drivers License) also need formal education. So education is needed for so many jobs in our community, not just writers.

However, going back to what “maxcat” said in the comments, good, logical writing is a skill in any profession and any environment. Therefore, those with more education may be better-equipped in such environments to not only succeed, but also to excel. That’s not always true; I’ve worked with people with Master’s and Doctorate’s who were terrible writers. And I’ve also worked with people who only had a high school diploma who were excellent. So as with anything in life, your mileage may vary.

In the end, the point, and the question one should be asking is not “Should I get an education?” but rather “How much education should I get?” And once you get an education and a degree, that shouldn’t be the end of it. Professionals like doctors, lawyers, and accountants are constantly increasing their knowledge and skills by attending seminars and workshops. For a good writer, that can be doing a lot of reading, writing, or even blogging. And anyone that wants to improve their writing, but may not necessarily consider themselves good writers, can improve their skills by doing all of that. Anything that stimulates the mind is good for you!

Finally, going back to the cost factor of education, we always seem to wonder about the cost of educating ourselves. What about the cost of NOT educating ourselves? For anyone working an entry-level job for an entire lifetime, without promotions – not because of a lack of knowledge, commitment, loyalty, or hard work – but simply because of a lack of a degree, that has cost them far more than an education would have.

So make the leap today! Start by clicking here to explore any of the ten campuses of the University of Hawaii System. Remember, education is an investment; and by investing in your education, you are investing in yourself.

Now, if only we could all agree on this, then we could encourage all sides in Hawaii’s embarrassing Furlough Fridays debacle to come together and do what needs to be done to restore education in this state and assure everyone that we truly do value education and our future.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

Please note: The views expressed here are mine and mine alone. While I am employed by and affiliated with organizations and individuals, permission has neither been asked nor granted to write on the topics discussed here.

What the Heck Does “Fecalcephalic” Mean?

Capsun — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:10:47 +0000

You may have heard by now that across Hawaii, visitors and residents alike were awakened to the sound of blaring Civil Defense sirens on an otherwise peaceful Saturday morning. A tsunami was expected to hit after 11 am.

Luckily, it ended up being a non-event. We escaped almost any damage, except for some sewage treatment plant backups on Maui. And some very real losses for businesses that were closed.

So, the most memorable part of this non-event may be “the idiot” – you know, the guy that was seen wading in the water shortly before the tsunami was expected to hit. Some of my friends also called him a babooze. But perhaps the best description for this guy came from Howard Dicus (@AskHoward) on Saturday who wrote “Apotheosis of the dumbass” just for this guy.

In that post, Howard observed, “He might not have been a waterman, and he certainly was fecalcephalic, but he captured the attention of Hawaii.” But I was stumped. What is it to be fecalcephalic? Being a lazy, tech-savvy person who is part of the generation that turned Google from a noun to a verb, I naturally Googled the term. No luck. Even the great Google couldn’t help me. It returned Howard’s post as the top result. But I read the other search results and many others broke the term fecalcephalic into two words (fecal cephalic) or a hyphenated word (fecal-cephalic).

That made things easy. I just looked up definitions and found this:

Main Entry: fe·cal
Function: adjective
: of, relating to, or constituting feces

Main Entry: ce·phal·ic
Function: adjective
1 : of or relating to the head

Mash those two together to get the answer. One could argue that Howard just meant dumbass. But I wonder if he meant something more along the lines of…sh*t head?

By the way, there’s even a Facebook fan page of the fecalcephalic idiot, called “The idiot who was swimming in Waikiki during the tsunami warning” Check it out, join the fun, and read some of the feedback. It’s entertaining.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

10 Years After Rice v. Cayetano

Capsun — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:58:22 +0000

Media credit: supremecourtus.gov

Yesterday at lunch, in referencing some events of 2000, I noted that Rice v. Cayetano was decided about 10 years ago. Being the nerd that I am, I had to look it up. I knew that case was decided 10 years ago, but I didn’t know that yesterday was 10 years to the day that the U.S. Supreme Court decided that case. That’s right, on February 23, 2000, SCOTUS (that’s the acronym many use for the Supreme Court of the United States) issued their opinion in the case.

As a native Hawaiian, I remember following this case as it made its way through the legal system. Many Hawaiians, including one of my grandmothers, who don’t normally follow legal developments, watched this one.

Why? Because this case challenged the constitutionality of elections for OHA (Office of Hawaiian Affairs) trustees. Prior to the Court’s ruling, OHA trustees were elected by Native Hawaiians registered to vote in Hawaii and who additionally registered to vote in OHA elections. When the Court ruled this was unconstitutional, the State then opened OHA elections to all registered voters. Today, OHA trustees, although they work toward the betterment of the conditions of Native Hawaiians, their beneficiaries, they are elected statewide, where any registered voter may vote in their election.

A great resource for anyone who wants to know about cases handled by SCOTUS is oyez.org. There, you can read analysis, listen to oral arguments before the court, read a transcript of such arguments, listen to the opinion given by the Court, and read a transcript of the opinion. It’s a great resource that tries to make it easier for citizens to understand SCOTUS and the cases they hear.

Oyez says they are:

a multimedia archive devoted to the Supreme Court of the United States and its work. It aims to be a complete and authoritative source for all audio recorded in the Court since the installation of a recording system in October 1955. The Project also provides authoritative information on all justices and offers a virtual reality ‘tour’ of portions of the Supreme Court building, including the chambers of some of the justices.

And here’s what they had to say about Rice v. Cayetano:

Facts of the Case:

The Hawaiian Constitution limits the right to vote for the nine trustees of the state agency known as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). The agency administers programs designed for the benefit of two subclasses of Hawaiian citizenry, “Hawaiians,” defined as descendants of not less than one-half part of the races inhabiting the Islands before 1778, and “native Hawaiians,” defined as descendants of the peoples inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. Only “Hawaiians” may vote in the statewide election for the trusties. Harold Rice, born in Hawaii and a Hawaiian citizen, does not have the requisite ancestry to be a “Hawaiian” under state law. However, Rice applied to vote in OHA trustee elections. After Rice’s application was denied, he sued Hawaiian Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano, claiming that the voting exclusion was invalid under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The Federal District Court granted the state summary judgment. The court examined the voting qualifications with the latitude applied to legislation passed pursuant to Congress’ power over Indian affairs, and found that the electoral scheme was rationally related to the state’s responsibility to utilize a part of the proceeds from certain public lands for the native Hawaiians’ benefit. In affirming, the Court of Appeals found that Hawaii “may rationally conclude that Hawaiians, being the group to whom trust obligations run and to whom OHA trustees owe a duty of loyalty, should be the group to decide who the trustees ought to be.”

Question:

Does the Hawaiian Constitutional provision, which limits the right to for the trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to qualified “Hawaiians,” violate the Fifteenth Amendment by creating a race-based voting qualification?

Conclusion:

Yes. In a 7-2 opinion delivered by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the Court held that “Hawaii’s denial of Rice’s right to vote in OHA trustee elections violates the Fifteenth Amendment,” in creating a race-based voting qualification. “A state may not deny or abridge the right to vote on account of race, and this law does so,” Justice Kennedy wrote for the Court. The court rejected the state’s argument that the voting limitation was one based on ancestry, not race. In dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for himself and Ruth Bader Ginsburg that the majority’s decision “rests largely on the repetition of glittering generalities that have little, if any, application to the compelling history of the state of Hawaii.”

One nice feature of Oyez is their use of photos of the justices to denote the votes, so you can visually see how they voted.

One final interesting point. Ten years to the day after Rice v. Cayetano was decided by SCOTUS, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR2314, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act or the Akaka Bill. It’s passage was one of the last tasks Congressman Neil Abercrombie completed before coming home to campaign full-time for governor.

While the Akaka Bill is not quite the same as the issue of Rice, it is a political means to correct some of the wrongs done to Native Hawaiians that OHA was originally created to address.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Capsun — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:52:59 +0000

Yes, it’s my birthday. Again. And I’ve been told that this one is a particularly momentous one. Although I’m getting older, I’m actually starting to feel older! The back aches once in a while. Gray/silver hairs are starting to grow; I guess that’s one reason to keep my hair trimmed on the shorter side – to hide the evidence. I’m winded easily; although that could just be a byproduct of inadequate amounts of exercise.

I always tell people that one of the best parts of having my birthday on February 21 is that it’s exactly 1 week after Valentine’s Day, so that other big day is always on my radar. That cosmic coincidence has served me well for years.

There’s no contest this year, but from last year’s contest, you already know the exact time I was born.

Since I love trivia and history so much, in honor of my birthday, here are 21 other, more famous or accomplished people born on this day:

Non-Entertainers:

Tsar Peter III of Russia (1728), most famous for being Catherine the Great’s husband
King Harald V of Norway (1937)
Senator Olympia Snowe (1947), US Senator from Maine
Mark and Scott Kelly (1964), astronauts and the only twins to travel in space
Kevin Rose (1977), an internet presence most famous for starting Digg.com
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (1980), who is the same age as me and has already reigned as King of Bhutan for over three years

Entertainers:

Rue McClanahan (1934), Blanche Devereaux from The Golden Girls
David Geffen (1943), record executive and producer; also the “G” in DreamWorks SKG
Tyne Daly (1946), from Cagney and Lacey
Alan Rickman (1946), a talented actor mostly known as the villain in Die Hard and more recently as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies
William Petersen (1953), Grissom from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Kelsey Grammer (1955), Dr. Frasier Crane from Cheers and Frasier
Mary Chapin Carpenter (1958), Grammy Award-winning musician
Christopher Atkins (1961), the guy from The Blue Lagoon
Billy Baldwin (1963), part of the Baldwin brothers of actors, most recently on Dirty Sexy Money
Jennifer Love Hewitt (1979), from Ghost Whisperer, Party of Five, and I Know What You Did Last Summer
Charlotte Church (1986), the very talented Welsh singer with a great voice
Ellen Page (1987), of Juno fame
Ashley Greene (1987), Alice Cullen from the Twilight movies
Corbin Bleu (1989), from High School Musical and Flight 29 Down

I want to end by adapting a little jingle from my friend David who blogs at http://theseus51.xanga.com:

Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday dear David Capsun,
Happy birthday to me. Yay Woohoo.

Yeah, it’s neither original nor catchy, but I still like it.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

Colleen Hanabusa Has a New Website

Capsun — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:52:44 +0000

About a month ago, I wrote a post about State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (Colleen Hanabusa and Congressional Residency). In it, I included links to http://hanabusaforhawaii.ning.com/ throughout the article. I have since been informed that the site is her old one.

Sen. Hanabusa’s current website for her Congressional campaign can be found at http://hanabusa2010.com. Honestly, I think the Ning site has better content because it still seems to be updated, but we can all look f

So why am I telling you this? Because I got feedback through several social media outlets from several people about the correct new website. I heard from people on my Twitter, on my Facebook, as a blog comment, and even over email. So, I figured there are at least a couple people who care deeply enough about it. That warrants both my attention and a correction.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

Unconferenz 2010 is Here!

Capsun — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:45:10 +0000

I’m a little late in blogging about this, but better late than never, right? Or perhaps, at least I’m writing a blog post.

One of the most memorable and enjoyable tech events that I attended last year was Unconferenz 2009, which at the time was the second such gathering. Now. local social media and tech guru Burt Lum (@bytemarks) has announced the third gathering:

Unconferenz 2010
Saturday, February 27
Begins at 8 am
Kapiolani Community College (4304 Diamond Head Rd.)
$25 fee that includes t-shirt and lunch

Here are a bunch of us, proudly wearing our Twitter shirts:

Whether you are a geek, a wannabe geek, a tech enthusiast, or even a tech newbie, this is a place for you. The entire spectrum was represented at last year’s event and will likely be again this year. If you know a lot about tech, you can share your knowledge and insights with others. If you don’t know much, you can learn a lot. Whether you know something or want to know something, you can synergize with each other.

Yes, there is a small fee, but it is well worth it. When all the costs are factored in, Burt and the gang don’t do this to make a living. Besides, by charging, I think it makes people show their commitment to attend.

If you are used to highly-structured conference-style events, this will be quite different. If you appreciate structure, like me, it takes a little getting used to, but in the end, you have a much more enjoyable experience. Plus, you’re likely to learn new things and meet new people you otherwise would not have if a structured environment.

I encourage you to attend, or at least consider attending this wonderful event! And if you do go, please have a great time. I regret that I have a scheduling conflict and will not attend this year, at least not physically. Maybe I should ask Burt if I can attend virtually…

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

3 More Weekends to Recycle Phone Books

Capsun — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:45:09 +0000

I know, I know, your blogger (that would be me) has been negligent in blogging. Oh how the mighty have fallen! From posting daily, to posting weekly of late, I haven’t posted in two weeks. I may be too busy to blog, but we can never be too busy to recycle.

I received this in an email from a Hawaiian Telcom PR person and really believe in this program and doing what we can to help the environment:

The neat thing about this project is that Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages has partnered with to make the result a lasting impression on Oahu. All recycled directories will be processed at Island Shell, a local recycling plant, and converted into environmentally safe products including materials for vehicle oil change kits, mulch and wall insulation products which will then be sold and used locally. Think Yellow Go Green will ensure its mission is supported on each island from start to finish.

This program only runs through Feb. 14.

Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages wants to exceed last year’s total of 90 tons to ensure all outdated directories are recycled into usable goods.

Here are the remaining weekends for the program:

Friday, January 29 through Sunday, January 31
Friday, February 5 through Sunday, February 7
Friday, February 12 through Sunday, February 14

You can drop off your telephone directories from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the following locations:

Ward Centers (@Ward_Centers on Twitter)
Windward Mall (@WindwardMall on Twitter)
45-056 Kamehameha Hwy. in Kaneohe
Waikele Premium Outlets
94-790 Lumiaina St. in Waikele
Kahala Mall (@KahalaMallCtr on Twitter)
4211 Waialae Ave. in Kahala

Of course, if you really want to do something good for the environment, try foregoing the printed directories entirely! After all, the Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages are available online, for free. At every job I’ve held since college, I’ve recycled the phone books and not accepted the replacements. Think of all the trees and energy we can save if we all did that.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

Colleen Hanabusa and Congressional Residency

Capsun — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:19:31 +0000

With the 1st Congressional District (urban Honolulu) race heating up to replace Congressman Neil Abercrombie who will step down on February 28, I’ve been having more and more discussions with friends and acquaintances.

Just recently, a friend asked me on Facebook:

How is it that [State Senate President Colleen] Hanabusa can hold a seat in Waianae on the State Senate… but run for a seat in urban Oahu for Congress?

It’s a good question and here was my answer:

The US Constitution only requires that Representatives live in their state, but no particular area therein.

Article I, Section 2 of the U. S. Constitution lists the 3 requirements of members of the U. S. House:

No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.

So let’s look at Sen. Hanabusa:

At least 25 years old – Check!
A U. S. citizen for at least 7 years – Check!
An inhabitant of Hawaii – Check!

It’s not that uncommon. Patsy Mink lived in Kaimuki, which was outside of her district for years. But she was born and raised on Maui, so she had long-standing ties to her district (the 2nd Congressional District encompasses rural Oahu and the neighbor islands).

As the Senate President, Hanabusa has dealings with people throughout our state, including those in urban Honolulu. So really, we should focus on the issues and let the democratic system of government work.

Ultimately, it is the voters of Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District who will decide whether Sen. Hanabusa is their best representative. As an honest, intelligent, effective, and caring leader, I sure think she fits the bill.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

Time For a (go! Away) Party

Capsun — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:45:10 +0000

It’s funny sometimes how fate (or inspiration) just surprises you sometimes. Just this morning, I found myself up way too early. Then I noted that I renewed the registration for capsun.org for another year. I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had time to blog as often as I’d like.

But then my friend Blaine sent me an email saying “Tro pahtay!” He had my attention, but at first I thought he meant TRO party. Instead, it was a link to the Star-Bulletin article, Mesa Air Group files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. I can barely communicate the elation that I felt in reading that article. And it definitely gave me a reason to blog today. Blaine, this is the best news I’ve had all year! I guess I only wish this news included go! Mokulele, but I’ll take what I can get

Just so you know, the “Tro pahtay!” is a reference to my post, “My Benedict Arnold Moment (or, Don’t Fly go!)” which I ended with the statement, “I, for one, will gladly and gleefully celebrate the end of go!. In fact, if go! or Mesa Air go bankrupt, I will throw a party!” Don’t forget that I loathe go! so much that I have an entire page (capsun.org/go) just to collect my anti-go! posts.

: Although go! is here and Aloha is not, the memory of Aloha Airlines will live on

So now, I only have to figure out a way to throw a proper party. If you have any ideas, please share them in the comments, on Twitter, or Facebook, or send me an email. Maybe a mini-Tweetup with former Aloha employees? I know I’ll definitely have to talk to one of my coworkers (a former Aloha employee) about our plans. Maybe something small in stature and price, but grand in our combined disdain for go! and Mesa Air Group.

I end where my adventure into blogging began: And remember folks…as the t-shirt says, “There’s no ALOHA in the HAWAIIAN skies – GO! figure.” Please use Hawaiian or Island Air for your inter-island travel needs.

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

GOOD-bye 2009!

Capsun — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:45:49 +0000

On this the last day of 2009, I find myself reflecting on the year that was, as I’m sure many of you have. Travel, work, and other commitments have really kept me busy, so I haven’t had time to write up end-of-year wrap-up posts like I did in 2008 (like this, or this, and this).

As news of Aunty Margaret Machado’s death was shared with me recently, I remarked, “2009 really needs to come to an end!” 2009 has proven to be a challenging year:

We mourned the deaths of several fixtures of my extended family.
My wife (the teacher) has lost income due to Furlough Friday.
The economic headlines get bleaker and bleaker.
Departures and changes at work have left me and several of my colleagues extremely busy and near the edge of burnout.
Also on the work front, one of my coworkers passed away, which was a shock to many of us.
On Christmas Eve, Santa gave me (Or did I give my dad?) a fender-bender; sorry again about that, Dad.
And the list goes on and on.

With all of these challenges on our minds, my new boss points out that it’s disingenuous to wish someone a Happy New Year because that person may not have much to be happy about. But I don’t want to get everyone too down about 2009; after all there were some good things:

I registered my own domain and welcomed visitors to my new online home. In a way I find it amusing because I blog less now that I have my own domain. I must stress how pleased I am to call capsun.org my eponymous home – and I think it’s neat to have a six-letter domain name.
We inaugurated the first Hawaii-born and first African-American President of the United States.
My wife and I got married. And it was a huge success, thanks to the many hands of our family and friends who came together to make it all happen. We are forever grateful to them.
While thousands of state employees (including UH) find themselves on a furlough schedule or accepting pay cuts, I find myself in the awkward position of being a state employee not subject to furlough. I am grateful, but I also feel your pain.
While uncertainty faces many of my colleagues, I start a new position with my agency on Monday, with some degree of stability. Again I am grateful.

So with all of this in mind and although I am not a very spiritual person, I leave you with the holiday wishes of my new boss and wish you a Blessed New Year.

Hauoli Makahiki Hou to everyone! I hope we can all work together to make 2010 a truly prosperous year for everyone.

And finally, if you’re looking for some calendars for 2010, Burt Lum has shared a nice one-year view calendar for free. If you have a few dollars to spend and want to support an investigative journalist who keeps asking the right questions, I highly recommend Ian Lind’s calendars (he has versions for cat lovers, dog lovers, and one of his beloved Kaaawa).

Mahalo and GOOD-bye 2009!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates. Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?