Time is relative, so tonight can be today

It’s a score for Hawaii tourism that NBC’s nationally televised “Today” show will be using Oahu as a scenic backdrop for its program on Monday morning.

On the other hand, 7 a.m. on the East Coast, which is when the three-hour program starts there, is 1 a.m. in Hawaii, so it will be dark here during the broadcast. Talk of Hawaii providing a “scenic backdrop” sounds a bit bogus.

Yes, it will be a live beachfront broadcast at the famed Royal Hawaiian hotel that will include a luau, a fashion show, music and possibly an audience of up to 1,000. But, of course, if it’s dark outside and you can’t see past the artificial lighting, it could be anywhere.

But, hey, we’ll take it. Anything that brings attention to Hawaii is fine by us, and here’s hoping all involved have a wonderful time.

It’s the weather, not the food stamps

While Hawaii’s unemployment rate is at a 5-year low, the homeless population continues to grow. Could it be that the state is paradise for people without ceilings over their heads, beyond the mild all-season camping?

“It was easy to get on food stamps and the weather is great,” a 32-year-old homeless man told the Star-Advertiser. Of course, he’s right about the weather. And a homeless person is eligible for food stamps throughout the country. By federal law, the homeless cannot be denied food stamps because of lacking a permanent address or living in a homeless shelter, even if it serves meals, according to the Food Research and Action Center.