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 [...]
There we sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the TV screen. My husband, our son and I watched in silence as President Obama calmly and resolutely spoke the words that most of us had given up hoping we’d hear: Osama bin Laden is dead. I still remember, so clearly, what it was [...]
This is an email a friend wrote to her sister. I asked if I could use it, changing the names, because many families are going through similar situations. Kathy, I would like to ask your help. As you know, Bobby has Asperger’s, which is a form of high-functioning autism. What it basically means is that [...]
I wanted to write about passages, and a son facing just one more year of high school before setting off on the road to the rest of his life. I wanted the column to be happy and optimistic and positive and yada yada yada … I really wanted that. But as I started to write, [...]
Warning – it’s rant time! Why was Chris Brown on Dancing With the Stars? Here’s a guy who beat his girlfriend Rihanna to a bloody mess, received a sentence of 180 days of labor service and five years’ probation – no jail time. He dropped out of sight for a while, obviously planning a carefully [...]
It’s getting hotter in Hawaii – and drier. Our storms are getting wilder. And our ocean’s chemical balance is changing. What does it all mean? According to scientists who track such things, it means climate change is real and is already affecting us. And while we may not give it a thought in our everyday [...]
I just signed up for Twitter and I already have 12 followers. 12!!! Never mind that I had to badger a few people into signing up just to follow me, that’s not the point. The point is I am now ready and able to tweet – er, twit? Which means my tiny posse will be [...]
A while back I wrote a column about women and heart disease. My point was that women should see a doctor if they have any symptoms. And since women are prone to having atypical symptoms, this can be tricky. Don Weismann of the Hawaii chapter of the American Heart Association said it’s important for everyone [...]
They were children – two just 13 years old, two 15. One was a young adult in college, a young man who had no idea he was being videotaped during sex. What they had in common was they were taunted, humiliated and bullied for real or perceived “gayness.” And now they are dead. Why does [...]
