I can’t resist this face.
With fall semester in full swing, students at the University of Wisconsin at Madison spent an awful lot of time at College Library, one dozens of libraries and study areas on the sprawling, 933-acre campus.
While the library features special collections, multimedia resources, more than 200 computer workstations, a coffee shop and cafe, it’s really the view that impressed me.
This is the view from the third floor of the library. That’s Lake Mendota, the northernmost and largest of the four lakes near Madison. (The university of situation along the southern shore of the lake.)
The lake is lined with expensive luxury homes and condos, protected natural areas and parks, university housing and a bunch of hotels and restaurants. During the summer the lake is littered with boaters, water-skiiers, wakeboarders, kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders. During winter — which is fast approaching — the lake freezes over. But that doesn’t stop folks from coming out; it’s a popular spot for ice boating, ice skating, ice fishing, ice hockey and cross-country skiing.
And yes, the library is also home to the popular Open Book Cafe, which serves gourmet coffee, specialty drinks, soups, grab-and-go sandwiches and wraps, salads, snacks and baked goods. This burger and salad only cost $5.80.
I hike fairly often.
But I tend to avoid hikes that cause me physical pain.
Don’t get me wrong: I like a challenge. But I don’t need to hike a trail that requires any more gear than a bottle of water and a few Band-Aids.
So when my friends invited me to hike down to the Waimano pools off the Manana Trail in Aiea, I quickly agreed.
This is a fairly easy 3-mile trail that leads down into the lush Waimano Valley. Your reward: two swimming holes at the end of the descending hike. The payback, though: you have to walk back up the hill. And it’s a bitch.
It’s a beautiful hike through a eucalyptus forest and groves of strawberry guava trees. Just challenging enough to burn calories and rev my appetite.
And I have an appetite!
So the deal was this: we go on this hike, we nearly die on the way back up, and we get shave ice at Ice Garden in Aiea.
I thought that was completely reasonable.
Here’s what our adventure looked like:
It’s been a month since the Honolulu Star-Advertiser starting charging people to view its premium online content.
And I’m curious to know how it’s doing.
Back when I first blogged about it, an overwhelming number of you said you won’t pay for online news, especially if you knew other ways to get it for free.
Now a month into the pay wall, I wonder how many of you caved and signed up for a subscription — and how many of you still don’t feel like you need it.
I thought I would sign up immediately to get access to the site. But it turns out I get the same news from TV stations and other websites. The only reasons I log on the Star-Advertiser’s website are to read breaking news and blogs — and both of those are free.
It’s still upsetting to think that newspapers are dying, as I’m a diehard supporter and believer of the print. (Yes, despite my overwhelming presence online and in social media circles.) I still think the best reporting is done by newspapers — and it’s sad to think those days are nearly over.
Curious: has anyone felt any difference in the way they get news now that the only newspaper in town is charging to view its content?
