Bed time for land lines?

A new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that for the first time for any age group, more than half of Americans age 25-29 no longer have land lines in their homes, and overall, it appears that up to 43 percent of American households are reachable now only by cell phone.

Is it too early to mark the death of land lines?

Probably, because they do still have some advantages over wireless communication, including clear, reliable reception; greater privacy security; no batteries; and greater security in case of emergencies, since it’s easier for authorities to identify your phone’s location when calling 911.

You also are forever in a telephone book, through which people anywhere in the world can call you by calling the local land-line phone company operator.

And perhaps most important, land-line phones tend to be significantly larger than cell phones, making them easier to hold between your cranked head and your shoulder.

Can you hear me now?

A game of dominoes

And so it goes: More elective offices will be filled after the musical chairs of a new administration taking charge.

The Democratic Party will, within the next three weeks, give Gov. Neil Abercrombie three names from which he’ll appoint a successor to state Rep. Maile Shimabukuro, now moving up to the Senate.

A further domino effect may result when the new ag chief, Russell Kokubun, is replaced in the Senate.

That may end the election fallout. Weary voters can only hope.