ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

Vog smothered the state much of this past week as weather conditions conspired to kill the trade winds and allow the volcanic emissions to irritate our sinuses and burn our lungs.

Whether or not that played a role in current events this week, there were quite a few people who were bothered by something or other.

U.S. Senate candidates Mazie Hirono and Linda Lingle clearly were snippy with each other at their first televised debate since the primary.

Affordable housing advocates were definitely annoyed with the Honolulu City Council’s sale of 12 apartment complexes to a private developer.

The state’s pension chief took exception to mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell’s characterization of rival Ben Cayetano at a debate.

And on the Big Island, where the vog is the thickest, a reporter took her annoyance with the county clerk before the county ethics board.

But in presumably vog-free parts of the planet things were much happier. In New Zealand, the Hikianalia — sister canoe of the Hokulea — left port on a nearly 3,000-mile voyage to Hilo. Oops. That’s definitely ground zero for vog. But if anyone can keep it together it’s the crew of a boat soon to be bound around the world on a mission of aloha.

Or you can always stay indoors and read these Civil Beat stories that you might have missed because your eyes were burning.

• Hokulea’s Sister Canoe Sets Sail for Hawaii

• Dinner And Drinks? It’s On Jim Donovan!

• Should UH Say Aloha To Football?

• Hawaii Pension Chief Says Caldwell Wrong About Cayetano Fund Raid

• Smooth-Talking Lingle Gets Under Hirono’s Skin

• Big Island Reporter Files Ethics Complaint Against Hawaii County Clerk

• Disputed $142M Housing Deal Raises Concerns Over Workforce Housing

• Hawaii Campaigning In The 21st Century

• Tourists: Little Action Taken On High Rate Of Oahu Rental Car Theft

• Will A New Law Mean Federal Funding for Honolulu BRT?