Obama’s numbers decline — on TV

Sixteen television networks broadcast President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, the most ever for the annual presidential address.

But all that coverage didn’t bring a larger audience: A total of 33.3 million viewers watched on TV, the fewest since 2000, according to the Nielsen company, which has tracked the audience for SOTU broadcasts since 1993.

Obama’s first State of the Union address, in 2009, attracted 52.3 million TV viewers. One caveat: The ratings track only TV broadcasts, not digital livestreams.

Who knows how many people were watching on their phones?

Get on that horse and ride into 4712

Gung hee fat choy!

Welcome to the year 4712.

As many of us in diversity-rich Hawaii know, today marks Chinese New Year, the first day of a new year according to the lunar calendar — and it brings a host of festive rituals.

The thorough house-cleaning to sweep away bad fortune.

The bevy of food, including the jai (monks’ food) and nien gao (sticky brown pudding cake).

The respectful pouring of candied tea for elders, and the bestowing of li see (red good-luck money packets) to children.

The boisterous blasts of firecrackers also are big — oh wait, that’s in the old country, not so much on Oahu, which now requires a permit for popping.

Ah well, the many other rich customs are alive and well here, more than enough to keep the mood festive.

Happy Year of the Horse.