Jak's View From Vancouver

The Coup in Hawai'i

Today is the 115th anniversary of the takeover of the Hawai'i Islands by American trading interests, overthrowing the native kingdom. America already had a long history of violent and genocidal imperialist annexation ("Manifest Destiny") on the mainland.  The coup in Honolulu was a logical, if long, step into the Pacific.

Another Year ....

I remember an incident way back in 1958.  I was at school and had written an essay, subject long forgotten, and dated it accidentally as "1988".  I recall my teacher making a big fuss about us all having to "hang on to our hats" as we zoomed into the future.  It was a class laugh for a few minutes.  Now, 50 years later, and 20 years beyond my futuristic dating, we reach 2008.  I guess, if we wore hats these days, we'd still be hanging on to them as the future seems to move toward us as at an ever-increasing clip.  Here's a toast to the next 50!