The Mapunapuna Trip
I guess the only reason for going out to Mapunapuna for many people without a car to be detailed or repaired, is to do a taping at the Olelo public access television facility -- which is surprisingly good, now that the initial wave of novelty has waned and there aren‘t so many producers over consuming the “free.” I could probably get used to doing more television appearances if all I have to do is show up -- and their staff takes care of everything else.
Initially, public access’s vision was to make everybody a producer of their own television programs -- complete with their own crews, producers, directors, writers, actors, etc. Anybody running a political campaign or any other enterprise knows there’s just not that much available talent around waiting to be mobilized.
So what one has to do is find the synergies -- of people already doing whatever it is they’re best at, just waiting to be discovered. One of the most obvious discoveries, for many people, would be the realization that we already have a mass transit system -- being underutilized -- which brings into question whether we need MORE and BETTER mass transportation -- or merely need to recondition (educate) people to using what we already have.
That’s an education and information problem -- which is more telling of a deficiency than the scores they receive on a purely academic test of understanding and comprehension. The traffic problem is really one of a lack of information and insight than the lack of facilities. No matter how good and how abundant the capacity, there is never enough when everyone decides at the exact same moment that they want it -- as in conditions when there is no choice and everyone wants to exit a burning theater through the same exit at exactly the same moment.
Planning exclusively for that use, would be cost-prohibitive -- just like planning and building for a 100-year flood, while always standing in one-inch of water all the time. It would be a better expenditure of time, energy and intelligence, to deal effectively with the one-inch of water, than to build an Ark for that one time use. Then once they have proven that they can keep the streets and sidewalks in tip-top condition, then I think they have proven that they have the competence to run a system with less tolerance for error.
After visiting the standard-of-the-art facilities at Olelo, if one ventures into the depths of the Ranch 99 shopping mall next door, one discovers two interestingly useful stores. One sells remanufactured/refilled cartridges for printers. The do-it-yourself kits aren’t as good as the new cartridges, but the factory-refilled ones apparently are -- for a 25% discount, on these seldom discounted items that companies give free printers away because it is such a cash cow.
Next to the Post Office is the treasure of the complex -- a store that features L(ight) E(mitting) D(iode) flashlights -- at very inexpensive prices, for what should be a staple in the Islands -- and used for many previously unthought of ways. It produces a powerful, pure light at virtually no consumption of energy -- or production of heat. That would be the ultimate lighting for Hawaii. The other item featured, is the electric scooter-bike, with a range of 20 miles on a single charge, capable of riding with the bikes or on the sidewalks -- because it is still classified as a toy despite its impressive capabilities.
Two months ago when I went in for my Primary taping, it was selling for $298. Now it is priced at $198 -- and if you buy two, you get a third free. That is the vehicle I have chosen to purchase if I’m elected to the legislature to commute to work.
posted by Mike Hu @ 9:43 AM
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Across from these two uniquely valuable stores, one will see the familiar face of long-time political candidate and video producer, Lillian Hong, who operates a successful Oriental goods shop -- and has no plans to return to politics or television in the foreseeable future.
The impressive thing about this electric scooter/bike, is that it doubles all the previous specifications of performance. The load tolerance is 300 lbs. Rather than 150; the range on a single charge, is 20 miles rather than 10. Top speed is double. And everything at less than half the cost.
The three scooters one can get allows to have one at home, one at the office -- and one as backup or for a guest. Perfect for those living in condos; and if people aren’t paying too close attention, one can claim handicap status -- allowing one to ride it indoors also. They are totally silent.
This is the future of transportation -- personalized, like the movement of computers away from centralized mainframes -- which is the model of centralized mass transit systems funneling everyone into hubs. With a centralized transit model, the problem for many is just getting to the station -- requiring buses, taxis, etc. The rail proposal is an add-on system rather than a replacement for anything. So we just add more jobs, more capacity -- with the same results, just like the schools.
Really good solutions replace (supplant) ten bad solutions -- and not just adding an eleventh unsatisfactory solution -- that opens the door for the twelfth. Education is the same way: what does one need to know that supplants the ten things that are less relevant to know. That one thing -- implies all the others. That’s usually the role of “results,” unless they are denied as having any validity, in favor of explanations why what was predicted to happen, didn’t. These explanations are endless -- as well as the further “solutions” they engender.
Eventually, all these “solutions” have no relationship to the problems and become the problem. Tests can produce deficiencies in learning -- of things it is questionable ever need to be learned -- except for school and that class. Newspaper editors will decry a generation of readers who do not know the leader of Herzegovina as proof that are students are failing -- and the only solution and hope for society is more pay for teachers and educational administrators.
Meanwhile, learning to register to vote and filing a tax return is deliberately not taught! If people weren’t ignorant and uninformed, what would become of the need for “teachers?” What would become of educational professionals if the citizens were allowed to determine what THEY wanted to learn -- and if they were effectively being taught what they wanted to learn.
Rather than being increasingly “professionalized,” learning is really the ultimate amateur activity. If one knew, one would have no use for learning. The presumption of the education curriculum is that one knows -- and not that they are learning to find out. That’s the useful education of our times -- and not just learning for learning’s sake, to provide job security for those who could find more useful things to do than pretend that they know something.
Those powerful but compact flashlights ought to be this year's Halloween sensation -- as well as making it a much safer evening for everyone.
It's like everyone can have the light of a Mercury vapor security light in the size of half a pen.
This is the new world our own conditioning teaches us to resist -- to maintain the status quo of our age-old problems.
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