At the Pro Bowl: New format, same warm weather

A non-conference all-stars game in any sport really doesn’t make any sense on one level, but if it helps revive interest in the NFL’s Pro Bowl, played annually in Hawaii for most of the past umpteen years, then we’re all for it.

The new format of two past NFL stars (Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice) picking whomever they want from either the NFC or the AFC to be on their teams already has injected personality and curious excitement into the game, set for 2 p.m. Sunday at Aloha Stadium.

How important is the game to Hawaii’s economy?

Well, anyone watching the game on TV from anywhere on the freezing mainland is very likely to wish they were here, and that’s a plus for eventual visitor arrivals.

But which team to root for? We haven’t quite figured out that one yet.

Closing the pay gap for women

The gap in weekly pay between men and women is smaller in Hawaii than in many states, but remains significant. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Hawaii women earned a median $689 a week in 2012, or 82.1 percent of the $839 median weekly earnings of men. Hawaii ranked 17th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The ratio of female-to-male earnings varied across the nation, ranging from 65.5 percent in Wyoming to 86.8 percent in Arizona. Pay depends on the job, of course, but also reflects the educational attainment of the employee.

With more young women going to college, let’s hope this disparity fades quickly.