I've accepted an offer to continue my Volcanic Ash and "flASHback" columns in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to what will be Hawai'i's most important forum for community affairs.

On the Volcanic Ash blog, however, I've decided to publish it independently starting today on my own website at blog.volcanicash.net.

I've much enjoyed blogging here and sharing ideas with Advertiser readers for four years, but at this point I'd like more flexibility in terms of content, design, posting schedules and comment management than is possible on a structured media site.

Blogs are a two-way conversation, and I thank you for contributing so much to making this site a stimulating place to hang out. I hope you'll visit me and continue the conversation at blog.volcanicash.net.

I also thank the Advertiser online crew, especially Sandra Oshiro and Scott Morifuji, for getting me started and helping me through the rough spots over the years.

I've turned off the comments on all posts on this blog so it isn't inundated with commercial spam once I stop tending it. Comments are open on the other side.

For political junkies unable to make it to the state Democratic Convention today and tomorrow, Hawaii Reporter is  providing excellent coverage via webcasts. They're streaming live when the convention is in session and providing replays after, including the full Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann speeches today.

You can access the coverage here.

It was "Howdya Djou" in Washington as we "flASHback" on the week's news that amused and confused:

• Charles Djou was sworn in as Hawai'i's new congressman and said he's "eager to start work and do good." Colleagues told him to have fun with that while the rest of them go on Memorial Day recess.

• Djou said his first test will be to learn the responsibilities of the job. If he figures it out, there'll finally be someone to tell Mazie Hirono.

• Seven East Oahuans want to finish Djou's term on the City Council. Colleen Hanabusa and Ed Case were going to apply until they found out you have to actually live in the district for this job.

• Djou's departure leaves openings for Councilman Rod Tam to sit on committees again after being banished for abusing his meal allowance. He's been out to lunch for so many meetings that he thinks you adjourn by yelling, "Check, please."

• Mufi Hannemann made it official that he'll challenge Neil Abercrombie in the Democratic primary for governor. The last time they faced off, drug accusations got so nasty that everyone had to pee into cups. This time we could be talking barf bags.

• Some $37 million in federal stimulus money given to the state economic development agency has created only 12 jobs so far. Sorry folks, that's about as stimulating as the Lingle administration  gets.

• Local banks put up a $10 million loan to end the stalemate over school furloughs. I can't decide what's more alarming — the government bailing out the banks or the banks bailing out the government.

• Ukulele great Eddie Kamae received his diploma from Farrington High at 82. We're lucky "furlough Fridays" are over or it could have become the norm.

• Crime fell nationally in 2009, but O'ahu was up 4.5 percent. The number should drop now that we've stopped stealing our kids' education.

• A few hours after posting bail for drunken driving, a Maui woman was arrested for a second DUI. That's living up to the old W.C. Fields code: "Everyone's got to believe in something; I believe I'll have another drink."

And the quote of the week ...

... from Congressman Djou on his parents' birth in China and Thailand:

"The idea of calling myself the maker of laws in my parents’ home nation would be laughable."

In local legislative circles, he's been laughed at more as the maker of A.

In his latest campaign missive, Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Brian Schatz raises a good issue about how Hawai'i can best take advantage of the APEC conference of world leaders that President Barack Obama is hosting in Honolulu next year.

In Schatz' view, it's an opportunity to "relaunch Hawai'i" as an attractive place to do business. He said:

The opportunity to reposition Hawaii internationally cannot be overestimated. Consider the worldwide audience, the amount of intellectual capital, the political clout and stature that will come with President Obama hosting this conference in Hawaii. It's a great chance to re-tell our story as a business destination - as an attractive place to invest - in hospitality, education, agriculture, technology, and energy. This is our moment to redefine ourselves in the global economy. Use it or lose it.

The foremost question is whether we can honestly say that Hawai'i is really a good place to do business and credibly sell the case.

After a $300 million investment in the Hawaii Superferry was flushed down the toilet, rules on technology tax credits were changed in mid-game, and lawmakers clumsily tried to dictate what rents a Mainland real estate investor could charge, investors are understandably viewing us with suspicion.

These are smart people who aren't going to be taken in by flashy PR when there is no substance to back it up.

We need to have the discussion Schatz suggests, but it's less about massaging the message and more about implementing basic policy changes to create a more welcoming business environment that's free of capricious political interference and offers fair and predictable tax, regulatory and environmental rules.

The resolution of furlough Fridays for the next school year seemed a convoluted exercise in face-saving, but I'm grateful they got it done by whatever means necessary.

The teachers' union and Board of Education got the $67 million they wanted, Gov. Linda Lingle got away with paying only the $57 million she wanted from the hurricane relief fund  by relying on a $10 million bank loan to make up the difference and charter schools got $2.2 million out of the deal.

By settling it the day before classes let out, they could all boast about their responsibility in getting in done before the school year was over.

I don't know about that.  They saved 17 class days for next year, but not until after schoolkids lost 17 class days this year to go to a national low of 163 days.

Denying our keiki such a big chunk of their education while the so-called adults pointed fingers and played political games is nothing to be proud of. That this became more about face-saving than education for our children says it all.

Beyond the damage to the kids, school furloughs gave Hawai'i a serious black eye nationally. There are persistent reports that military families avoid assignments here because of the bad reputation of our public schools. A New York Times editorial over the week expressed disbelief about our lack of urgency in correcting an embarrassing mistake.

"The furloughs were rightly deplored by parents and denounced by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and showed Hawaii’s political and education establishment at its worst," the Times said.

"When the first 'furlough Friday' happened last October, we didn’t imagine that Hawaii — which has one statewide school district with a lackluster record of achievement — would slouch through the rest of the school year without getting its kids back in their seats."

All we can do is be relieved that it's finally over and keep our fingers crossed that lessons learned will prevent it from happening again.

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I've much enjoyed reading your analysis of the congressional election in the comments. I offer my own analysis in my column in the Opinion section of today's Advertiser, "Democrats may find it tough to oust Djou."