Mariota charms ’em on Letterman

OK, so he wasn’t as swaggeringly smooth as real comedians are.

But Marcus Mariota charmed with the best of ’em, holding his own on Monday night’s "Late Show with David Letterman," counting down the Top 10 list.

The outstanding quarterback from Hawaii had Letterman and viewers laughing with his deadpan delivery on "Thoughts that went through Marcus Mariota’s mind when he won the Heisman Trophy," including these gems: "Last Heisman winner from Hawaii: Don Ho"; and "I’d like to play in the NFL; does New York have any professional teams?"

Mariota now changes out of his dapper tux and into his University of Oregon uniform: His Ducks battle the Florida State Seminoles in the big Rose Bowl game on Jan. 1.

Climb that wall at your own risk

Rock climbers assume a certain level of risk simply by participating in the activity, and most of them know what they are getting into.

Now, a new formalized process between the state and the Hawaii Climbing Coalition is a welcome effort aimed at reopening a popular rock-climbing site known as the Mokuleia Wall, which was formally shut down after a young climber was injured in 2012.

Soon a revocable permitting system that requires climbers to waive liability will be in place, and the site will reopen to outdoor enthusiasts who either have been missing the experience — or going out on a ledge by climbing illegally.