A Golden aloha from ‘The Descendants’

It took almost the entire night Sunday to pick up steam, but when it did, "The Descendants" came through. Big time.

Nominated for five Golden Globe awards, the Hawaii-based and -filmed movie walked away with two of the biggest: Best Picture in the Drama category, and Best Actor for star George Clooney.

Rushed at the end as these award shows usually are, the filmmakers blitzed through their thanks upon accepting the Best Picture trophy at the very end of the evening. In fact, the all-pau music was already starting when director Alexander Payne had the presence of mind for a hasty shout-out to the 50th State: "And to the people who helped us out in Hawaii: Thanks for making this a great experience. And Kaui Hemmings, who wrote the book and gave us a beautiful gift."

On to the Oscars!

Do monk seals make bad neighbors?

The recent killings of at least three Hawaiian monk seals are a reminder of how difficult it can be for humans to coexist with wild nature. In theory, there should be no problem: The seals are critically endangered, unique to Hawaii and protected by federal law.

But because they’re smart enough to take a subsistence fisherman’s catch, again and again, no doubt there are those who wouldn’t miss the Hawaiian monk seal if it disappeared from the face of the Earth altogether. That’s an understandable view, but a tragic one.