Category: Just Asking

Just asking…

Has the pandemic altered the meaning of ‘delta’?

Don’t know about you, but the term “delta” has been redefined to be the demonic variant of the coronavirus pandemic.

Not too long ago, betcha most folks linked Delta solely to the name of the airline. Employees there must now cringe whenever “delta variant” is uttered daily on TV or part the newspaper’s coverage of the health crisis.

Linguists know, thanks to the Greeks, that delta is the fourth letter of the alphabet. Military folks regularly utter the term, defining companies: alpha, beta, charley, delta.

Personally, when I heard the delta term in current times, I linked it to the late Helen Reddy’s monster hit from the past “Delta Dawn.”

I still can envision her voice, delivering the number.

Remember?

“Delta Dawn, what’s that flower you have on?
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?
And did I hear you say he was a-meetin’ you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky.”

This tune was written by Alex Harvey and Larry Collins, not Reddy. Its meaning deals with a complicated memory the writer Harvey had of his mother.

Indeed, delta has dawned with new relevance and power in life, and no one’s singing about it.

Can I ask someone in radioland to periodically play “Delta Dawn,” so we can reflect and remember simpler and safer times devoid of the pandemic?

Just asking…

Are shopping carts still safe during the current surge of the pandemic virus?

A year ago, food markets like Foodland Farms and Safeway used to dutifully sanitize shopping carts and baskets for customer use. Nowaways, Foodland seems to be continuing the safety measure, Safeway not so much.

Since the viral spreads through eyes, noses and mouths, maybe the potential germs on a cart or basket handle no longer is a big deal.

After all, we’ve all been shopping at Costco, CVS Longs, Walgreen’s, Marukai and Don Quiote, and unless I’ve visited during non-spray-and-sanitize hours, I’ve never seen or experienced any sense of cart maintenance at these stores.  Instead, wipes and lotions are commonly available inside these merchants for self-sanitizing.

What’s your take on this cart issue  — do you wipe down your own, wear gloves, wash hands when you’re home … or just aren’t a worry-wart anymore?

Just asking …

Are you old enough to remember Saturday “movie clubs” at your neighbor film theaters?

Back in the day Consolidated Theatres had matinee “clubs” – named for the likes of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Popeye, etc. – where kids signed on and family fare screened for youths.

Admission was, if you can believe it, 10 cents.

So the Palama Theatre, the Kalihi Theatre, the Liliha Theatre, the Kailua Theatre, the Pawaa Theatre, the Kaimuki Theatre, the Kapahulu, the Kapahulu Theatre  and the Liberty Theatre had a retinue of clubsters showing up for morning movies on Saturdays.

Some sites had pre-screening talent shows with island keiki performing for prizes.

All screenings had cartoon reels and “news” recaps – part of the ritual of movie-going then – along with coming attractions.

These elements ended when the community theaters started shutting down, triggered by the redevelopment of larger halls of viewing, like the Hawaii, the Kuhio, the Waikiki #3, the Waikiki #1 and #2, and the Cinerama. And yeah – those stand-alone screening halls eventually were replaced by regional multi-plexes, the smaller ones now shutdown because of the pandemic.

For memory’s sake, were you a Saturday matinee clubber? Where?  Share…