People either love Bill Maher or they hate him. The comedian/political commentator/actor/author/ provocateur readily admits he brings out the extremes in people, and he’s just fine with that. He’s a political progressive, an atheist and famously outspoken in expressing his views. Recent concerts on Oahu and Maui gave MidWeek an opportunity to talk with him. [...]
My earliest memories of Christmas are strong and sweet, and center around the tree: the sharp scent of pine, needles poking underfoot, colorful twinkling lights, lots and lots of tinsel falling like silvery waterfalls from overloaded branches. And of course, mountains of presents stuffed underneath it and spilling out onto the floor of our tiny [...]
I was having a conversation with a bunch of friends the other day when it struck me this was pretty cool. We were conversing via group text. And how did we all meet? Online. It’s a brave new world, baby, get used to it. More to the point, get wired. Or maybe I should say, [...]
I’d like to start this column with a big shout out to all the teachers of middle schoolers those youngsters hovering between childhood and the big, scary adult years beyond. October is the Month of the Young Adolescent and Gail Vannatta, president of the Hawaii Association of Middle Schools, says it’s time we focus on [...]
When the TV show Dancing With The Stars announced the inclusion of Chaz Bono in its “celebrity” lineup, there was uproar. Not because of Bono’s superstar mother, Cher, but because of what he is: a man. A man who used to be a woman. The Internet went nuts. Twitter, blogs, message boards and comment sections [...]
When did the phrase “at the end of the day” become ubiquitous? I hate it. It’s an idiotic idiom. Everyone, everyone says it. Everyone writes it. I challenge you to get through one 24-hour period without hearing it in an interview or seeing it in an article or a blog. You will fail. It’s like [...]
I love Kaua’i. I love the people and love the island. So I was happy to visit for something else I love: the Hawaii Foodbank. If you read my colleague Bob Jones’ columns, you know there are now two food banks on Kaua’i Kaua’i Independent Food Bank and the new Kaua’i Branch of Hawaii Foodbank. [...]
I was young, away from home for the first time in my life, and I needed a place to go for what was known back then as “female stuff.” You know, female stuff like a gynecological exam, a pap smear, and some sort of reliable birth control. I had no insurance and little money. So [...]
Sue Kam knows what it’s like to have a child who marches to a mental beat not in sync with most others. Her daughter has Asperger syndrome, which is a type of high-functioning autism. Her daughter is smart, musically talented and has a good heart. The other things that set her apart make her different, [...]
There was a flurry of concern when a study by the World Health Organization was released saying that radiation from cell phones could possibly be associated with some risk of brain cancer. I admit I got a little scared until I started reading more. Here’s an excerpt from the PBS NewsHour: “Scientists have debated the [...]
