Since today is the last Monday of Women’s History Month 2016, I thought it might be interesting to look at why the majority of technological voices are female. A few weeks ago we looked the popularity of “female” robots. Realistically, most of us are unlikely to ever encounter a life-size robot of any gender, but
Articles Categorized Uncategorized
EGG BUNNIES
Easter bunnies are an American tradition. So are their eggs. Where would we be without Easter Egg Hunts for the children and chocolate bunnies for their parents? Like many customs, the concept of Easter bunnies and their colorful eggs is a distinctly odd mixture of European pagan origins and Christian adaptations. Imagine yourself in a
25 YEARS OF WOMEN’S STUDIES
March is National Women’s History Month – Today it’s a time to celebrate women’s achievements, but in March of 1978 women were virtually invisible. The most public position women held was as wives and mothers. Professionally women were teachers, nurses, and secretaries – at least until marriage took them away from all that drudgery. The
International Women’s Day: We Can Do It
The “We Can Do It” poster was first produced in 1943 by Westinghouse Electric to boost worker morale. It was part of a series of posters displayed by the company. The phrase “we can do it” wasn’t about female war workers in particular. It meant Westinghouse employees could war reach production goals by working
Maria, Ava, and Frieda the Shredder
Meet the antiquated shredding machine my co-shredder and I called “Frieda.” We were doing a community service project. Neither of us was good at construction work, but we were quite the shredding team. And there were boxes and boxes of documents that Frieda wanted to, shall we say, consume. [Sidebar: The name Frieda comes from
PLAN NOW FOR LEAP DAY TRADITIONS
Every four years the calendar has a hic-cup, otherwise known as February 29th, the Leap Day in a Leap Year. It appears that no one knows quite what to do with that extra day. For most of us, it will be a day filled with our usual activities. But for some people, February 29th
Days of Grace
My recent visit to the Honolulu Museum of Art was prompted by two exhibits on women artists in Territorial Hawai`i. One exhibit focused on Women Artists in Hawai`i: 1900-1950, which encompasses most of the Territorial period. Both residents and visitors to the islands, these women had much to contribute to Honolulu’s (to me) surprisingly vibrant
CARNIVAL, MARDI GRAS & FAT TUESDAY
My unpretentious papier mache mask is a little worse for wear, but to me this kitty face represents Carnival in Venice, a season celebrated from the day after Christmas until the day before Lent. Venetian masks are famous, and it’s said that mask shops are more numerous in Venice that greengrocers or butchers. This makes
HARAJUKU: Hello Kitty’s Fashion Successor
The Honolulu Museum of Art is an oasis in busy Honolulu. The institution was founded by Anna Rice Cooke. She and her husband Charles Montegue Cooke collected art. Eventually the collection outgrew their home on Beretania Street and Anna decided to establish an art museum on the site. She wanted it to be multi-cultural
CENTURY OF SERVICE
This is a story about hard work, commitment, and a family owned business marking its 100th anniversary this year. It is a Hawai`i story and an American story. It’s a story worth telling. Koichi Taniguchi left Japan in 1907. He was seventeen years old when he arrived in Honolulu. The young man worked at
For Positive Energy: Get Rid of Clutter!
According to Feng Shui principles, January is “get organized month.” I guess it’s all those pristine new calendars – the ones we still buy even though our entire life is held captive by smart phones. When I think of getting organized, clearing my desk comes to mind. Simply shoving paper into drawers doesn’t count,
No More Sugar From Hawai`i
For generations sugar production dominated the political, economic, and cultural profile of Hawai`i. At the end of this year the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, better known as C & H, will process its last crop and lay off its last worker. Parent company Alexander & Baldwin will divide 36,000 acres on Maui into smaller
JANUS & THE FIRST NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
The image of Father Time handing his hourglass and sickle over to Young New Year is long embedded in western culture. In this postcard from 1910, Father Time looks happy and energetic as he advises his protégé on the year ahead. A fresh new year offers everyone the endless possibilities of positive change and new
FRUITCAKE: Seasonal Delicacy or Worst Dessert Ever?
I suddenly realized that while I’ve been writing about holiday traditions: the cookies, the presents, the magic, the colors, and of course, the stress, I neglected to mention that December is also National Fruitcake Month – with a special commemorative day December 27th. Holiday fruitcake aka Christmas Cake aka the best or the worst
Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
It was 1963 when singer Andy Williams first shared his view that “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Why is that you ask? Andy croons: … With the kids jingle belling And everyone telling you be of good cheer It’s the most wonderful time of the year It’s the hap-happiest season of
HOLIDAY COLORS of RED & GREEN
Red and Green are the colors most often associated with Christmas and the month of December. Freshly cut evergreen trees are green. Santa Claus wears the same red suit every year. I sometimes wonder why he delivers so many items of clothing but never updates his look. For thousands of years people in European