Politics, APEC and sewer sludge all blend together as we revisit some favorite "flASHbacks" from 2011:

» Honolulu survived the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the sight of armed troops, Humvees and concrete barriers on the streets. Our dream of becoming the Geneva of the Pacific took a detour through Baghdad.

» Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who while campaigning promised "without equivocation" not to raise the state excise tax, told legislators he was "flexible" on the idea, then pulled it off the table again. He was certainly flexible on the definition of equivocation.

» Abercrombie abandoned his predecessor’s push for random drug testing for public school teachers. The new policy is called, "Don’t Ask, Don’t Bogart That Joint."

» The state Senate stopped inviting clergy to bless its sessions after complaints about the separation of church and state. Senators seldom had a clue; now they don’t have a prayer, either.

» The House voted to study the feasibility of creating a state bank. Lawmakers hope it’ll attract customers who need expert advice on mismanaging their finances.

» Mayor Peter Carlisle was out of state 10 times during his first year in office, including four junkets to Asia. He’s away so often that when he drops in, the tourism authority counts him as a visitor arrival.

» After letting the Sand Island treatment plant reach overload, the city planned to truck raw sewer sludge to facilities in Kailua, Ewa Beach and Waianae. That’s spreading the wealth around like only our local government knows how.

» U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka celebrated their 87th birthdays the same week. The candles on the cake set off fire alarms in the U.S. Capitol that hadn’t sounded since the War of 1812.

» In another notable birthday, local boy President Barack Obama notched his 50th. It seems like only yesterday we were fabricating his birth certificate.

» Former Gov. Linda Lingle hoped to raise $10 million for her U.S. Senate run. That would nearly double the record auction price for a Hawaii politician.

» Hawaii became the latest state to let gay couples enter civil unions. Starting tomorrow, people of all sexual identities will understand why "I do" is the longest sentence in the English language.

» Some 100 wild Waikoloa jackasses were castrated and airlifted to sanctuaries in California. That takes care of Golden State’s next generation of political leadership, but where does it leave us?

» After the Japan tsunami scare, Civil Defense said many Oahu residents who live outside danger zones unnecessarily headed for higher ground. New phone books will include instructions on curing premature evacuation.

» Waipahu High took ninth-graders with failing grades to a homeless encampment to see what could become of them. If they’re still failing in the 10th grade, they’ll be taken to Congress.

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.