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Thursday, October 31, 2013

"Channeling Andy Rooney..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'



Channeling Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney the former sixty minutes commentator who always had the last word is my mentor. He is my favorite writer, columnist and satirist of all time. I used to watch the CBS show, Sixty minutes religiously only for the last 3 minutes with Andy Rooney. He was off the wall, always had a point and always made me laugh. I miss Andy Rooney.

 If I could  had spoke with him I might had started my conversation with his famous refrain,"Did you ever wonder." Did you ever wonder why you are actually talking to me? I would answer, because of the Prozac I slipped in your drink?

Andy Rooney was  the reason I watched "60 minutes." Most of the shows anchor's are well advanced senior citizens and without Rooney the show has pretty much sealed it's fate.

Rooney was blogging before blogging was even a word, or people knew what blogging was. I  call Rooney the original blogger, the guy who blogged before  it became a word. Mr. Rooney had the best job in the world.

 If  Mr. Rooney could write an essay from beyond it  might begin;"Did you ever wonder why they say people "pass away?" What have they passed, footballs, baseballs or maybe just a little gas? Rest in Peace Mr. Rooney, and Mahalo Nui Loa for being my mentor...

I am currently  reading a book of essays I  purchased at the Kapa'a library's annual book sale by Andy Rooney.  The book is titled,"Uncommon Sense" and only cost me  fifty cents. With that said,  I    hope to channel Andy Rooney with my own thoughts and words on the usage of the word zero. here goes; 

"Did you ever wonder why" sports commentators always announce the  score as 14-Oh, instead of 14-zero?. I was always taught as a child that  'Oh' is a letter not a number. When talking numbers one should use zero, not Oh.

I had a hard time explaining  this to my students in Japan when I was teaching English as a second language back in the day. The students always wanted to say Oh, in lieu of zero? They watch American movies, sports  and TV and often hear Oh used to represent zero.

It's never the other way around, nobody ever says, zero boy, or Zero man, it's always  Oh boy, or Oh man.

Oh is oh, and zero is zero.  With that said, others insist on saying the score is 35-zip. Zip seems better than Oh, just because Zip begins with a Z, just like zero.

Many will call the score 35- nothing. I still like nothing better than Oh, but not as much as zip when representing zero.

Zero is one of the few words in the English language that begin with Z. The only letter with less words , are words beginning with X. My pocket dictionary show only  six pages for the heading" XYZ." Why are there so few words beginning with X,Y, and Z? Since there are so few words beginning with  these letters it's important to use as many Z words as possible, zero boy, hope this makes sense.

Whether it's nothing, zip,  or oh, zero is what I was taught to use in elementary school. The teachers drilled me that Oh was not a number and when I would accidently say Oh instead of zero I was made to stand in the corner.

Thinking back on that teacher she was a big  zero , a big zip, a big nothing or should I say  a big Oh?

 Did you ever wonder why they say rest in peace?We miss you Andy, RIP. 

Hana Hou, (Encore)  Shared From Facebook...



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

"Lovers..." Bettejo Dux


Bettejo Dux has lived  on the Cosmic island  Garden Island
of Kaua'i over 30 years. She is a weekly columnist in the local
newspaper (The Garden Island News) and is a published author
of the Novella "The Scam." Order your copies below.

www.bettejodux.com


Lovers

I’m stuck on the love boat. The emotion is such a powerful one it can be applied to anything. For an example: I love tomato soup. I mean, I  love it. So does my digestive system. So do my taste buds. With my  lovable Vita-Mix I can build a  tomato soup that never tastes the same way twice.

Those are my taste buds talking, In my new book, Children of  the Extinction, the kids do a lot of eating and, as I sit at my computer, I get a raging case of the munchies. Good thing I enjoy non- fattening snacks.

There are loves that strike my ears, too. I love Gaite Parisienne and Joan Baez . I love  harps and  pipes and the song of the birds.  The screech of the parrot,  the thunder of a peacock’s voice.

Fragrance?  I love Shalimar. My mother always smelled of Shalimar. Her closets. Her dresser drawers. Her bathroom. Your could nose her presence a block away.

For the eyes?  I love green plants, tall trees, red  flowers. I love blue skies, grey skies, gold skies in the morning, red skies at night. I love moon glow, star shine and rainbow glitter. Ever seen a moon rainbow? ‘They’ say you’re not an Hawaiian until you've seen one.

‘They’ say los of things.

I love ink on paper. Words. I love the English  language. I love Vonnegut and Thurber and Sandberg.

What do I love to touch the most? My horse’s thick mane, my dog’s silky ears.   I guess, today, what I love  most  are animals.  All animals. The good, the bad and the ugly. A world without animals? Horrors.

I recall a debate as to whether animals have souls. It’s an interesting idea to a devout non-believer-who does not ‘believe’ in souls, but who does know, if there is such a thing, animals have one, too.

Gary Zukov,of all people, one of the finest interpreters of frontier science, believes animals have collective souls. His Seat of the Soul is a “readable , thought provoking (work) on how our perceptions must change dramatically if we are to survive.” If you have a curious, loving mind I hope you find and read it.

What I do know from years of observation? From an open mind that can look and ask questions and not get totally lost in the god/no god thing?  Loving all animals, that’s us, too, is a good idea.. Our closest living relative  is the chimp. We can exchange blood- providing our type is the same, of course- and that, to me, a devout non believer  is a wonderful thing to think.  I love that we’re related to this incredible creature.

I hope all of you reading this will share with me this love. Will love all animals on this planet. Even us guys.

The essence is all about love. The love of life. Be thankful you’re a living thing on such a beautiful planet. Let’s hope greedy,  lesser minds do not destroy it.

Hana Hou,(Encore) Shared From Facebook...







Saturday, October 26, 2013

"Hospital Visits, Think Again..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)



Judith Whitehead pictured above with her 94 year old father, Bert.
Judith lives in Amherst New York and has worked in the ophthalmology field of
medicine for over 30 years and counting...

Hospital Visits, Think Again

If You think you are safe in the hospital and are 94…think again….

Recently my dad was hospitalized for a serious blood infection and kidney infection; he had sepsis.  Being out of sorts, feverish and out of his element he was not happy. Having difficulty finding collapsed veins and not wanting to eat a hospitalist took a look at him and made a judgement call; he’s 94, has dementia and is combative…let’s call in palliative care and hospice to talk to the family.   By no means is my dad ready to buy the farm yet.  

If he had been younger, this option  would have not even been brought to the table.  Needless to say, after my intervention, he was put on oral antibiotics and responded well to them, started eating like a horse and was released from the hospital 3 days later on my insistence.  

We better keep an eye on our elderly because snap decisions can seal their fate!


Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...



Thursday, October 24, 2013

"The Newspaper..." 'Obama Da Dog'

Obama Da Dog enjoying the newspaper!

The Newspaper

Can you imagine your grandparents having  read the newspaper and seeing comments like,"IMHO , LOL, and WTF?" Let me start by saying that "WTF" does not stand for Wednesday,Thursday and Friday and In my honest opinion (IMHO) I have never told anyone I am Laughing out loud, (LOL)maybe a smiley face or a tehe, but LOL?

A recent survey  stated more people get their news from the Internet than from newspapers — and more ad dollars went to online outlets than to newspapers. This trend is growing  toward electronic journalism and in the near future  we may not have the luxury of choosing to read a real hard copied newspaper which in itself would be a travesty.

I have been reading the Garden Island News online for almost ten years now. I use to comment to the stories I found interesting and after a few years quit commenting because of the venomous hate from other commenters should you disagree with them. These were the commenters that preached Aloha, that's if you agreed with them, if you didn't agree with them, they were out to get you.

Two weeks ago I decided to subscribe to the Garden Island newspaper, the real thing, the hard copy. The way I read the paper as a young man and youth. I forget how wonderful reading the newspaper can be.  I was not tempted to comment to a story with the potential of being verbally abused  by another commenter that may had disagreed with me.  I do not have to worry about spilling my coffee on my computer and having an expensive repair or having a virus stop me from reading a certain article.

Just relaxing with the Garden island News with my morning coffee in my favorite recliner, dog at my side, is a comfort I had forgotten. 

Reading the hard copy, I do not see all the varied opinions expressed through the comments board. It is comforting reading the newspaper without  other readers chiming in.  I just read the paper without talking back. It's relaxing and feels wonderful to just read the paper like our ancestors did many years ago.

For anyone trying to save a few bucks by reading online, there is still nothing like the Sunday paper.  There are many inserts not available online that are only available with a real hard copied  newspaper that  can save you enough money to pay for the subscription because of  all the coupons to  many stores and restaurants. I  found  coupons  for  free taco's  and  two for one dinners that I never would had found reading online. I was also able to read the comic section in color on Sunday, Charlie, Lucy and Snoopy still make me laugh.

With all the political hate, and social media hoopla out there--along  locally on Kauai  with bill 2491 which has torn a community apart. It  finally  feels awesome to read a newspaper uninterrupted again without commenters ruining the  enjoyment of reading the paper.

I had forgotten the beauty and   fun of asking  others in the living room with you ,"could someone please pass me the sports section?

Hana Hou, (Encore)  Shared From Facebook... 



Tuesday, October 22, 2013

"Numerology..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)


Bettejo Dux has lived  on the Cosmic island  Garden Island
of Kaua'i over 30 years. She is a weekly columnist in the local
newspaper (The Garden Island News) and is a published author
of the Novella "The Scam." Order your copies below.

www.bettejodux.com

Numerology

As a devout non-believer, you'd probably be surprised to know how many 'believer friends' I have. Religious? Many and varied. Astrologers. Tarot Card readers. Spiritualists. Love them deeply. Pal with them often. None of them attempts to convert me and all are tolerant of my non belief.

I don't attempt to non convert them, either.

Was an honorary Jewess for a day at a Jewish friends' house last Passover. I love Matzos.

Do you know there are 313 religions and denominations in America? Many quite lovely. A few, certifiably insane. I'm very unfound of the fundamentalists, but that's okay, they are very unfounded of me too.  We have a mutual unfoundness.  I'm reminded time after time  immemorial, that I'm going to that hot spot. A place I don't think exists, but know to spend all eternity in their heaven with them would be he**.

I like the idea there are four Gods. A benevolent God. A distant God. A critical God and an  authoritative God.  I'd prefer a benevolent God, just haven't found one. Actually I think I'd prefer a Goddess.

So what's that to do with numerology?  In my life, for the past few weeks, I'd have managed better had I been quadruplets. Everything seemed to be happening all at the same time.  All of them priority items. Must be done. Now.

Has this ever happened to you?

It took effort, it took stamina, it took several sitting downs with myself to figure how to solve the problems. In what order? What was top priority today would be on the bottom of the list tomorrow. My new book, Children of the Extinction, ended up sadly on the bottom of the list every time. I miss them.  But I get closer every day.

Well, one of my best friends- I adore her-explained that because I was a Leo-a sensitive and Mars was in retrograde whaatever that is- I was in for a roller coaster ride. Big time.

Retrograde turned out to be a  real astronomical observation. Mars appears to be going backward in the sky, if you're a star watcher.  I don't think that made me feel better.

She also believes in numerology. I think they go together. So we sat down and went through all the numbers I have.  SS , two checkings, one saving.  driver's license, debit card, phone, birth date, name, and when we added them all together-since it was a 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9-it complicated things,  She wouldn't let me pick a number, any number, so we added all the numbers together, factored them down, and ended up with a nine.

According to her, nine is the height of vibration frequencies? It represents success, intellectual power, inventiveness, influence over situations and things. I'm supposed to recognize my own internal attributes and extend these abilities out into the world to make a positive influential difference.

I liked that better than the Mars retrograde thing.

Being a creative writer, imaginative, fun-loving,  tolerant, I've decided to try the numerology trip for a week. Wanna join Me?

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...





Monday, October 21, 2013

"Where's your chicken..?" 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

For some reason people always confuse me with this guy,(Forest) although I look
nothing like him. People will always ask me when meeting for the first time, "Where's your chicken?"


This blog also appeared in the Kaua'i Garden Island News in my column called,"Kimo's world."
(10-21-13) Garden Island News, "Where's Your Chicken?" 
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/where-s-your-chicken/article_2c66ab46-39fd-11e3-a790-001a4bcf887a.html
Where's your chicken

The first question people usually ask  upon meeting me for the first time is, "where's your chicken?"   Many people confuse me  with my friend, "The Chicken Whisperer,"  named Forest. Forest is known for pedaling his bicycle around Kapa'a town with his foul  feathered friends hanging out  on his handlebars.  Although I look nothing like Forest, most people still believe I am him. Most everyone believes me to be the chicken man since I also pedal a bicycle around town with my dog. I have decided to go with the flow and channel  some words of wisdom on the beauty of Kauai's infamous foul creatures, the wild chickens of the "Cosmic  Garden island."

Chickens are the one animal that we need more than any other for survival, and Kaua'i has thousands of wild chickens, making it the wild chicken capital of the world.

The alleged reason for so many wild chickens on Kaua'i is during  hurricane Iniki in 1992 many chickens from local farms broke away during the catastrophic damages of the  storm. The wild  chickens breed like rabbits and are therefore everywhere, from personal residences, to every outdoor dining restaurant and points between.

Chicken can be prepared in numerous ways, from deep fried, to barbecued, to a nice saute in wine sauce, to many different Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Mexican dishes. If you include the egg as a chicken, then chicken is also an active ingredient in almost everything we eat, from bread, cakes, protein drinks and thousands of baked goods to the old standby breakfast omelets, scrambled eggs, over easy, poached, boiled and microwaved. There are egg salad sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches. Chicken is the essence of the food chain.

The word "chicken" itself is used to describe someone who is afraid, and there is a good reason -- chickens are usually running from humans. The word is out that we use them as an ingredient in almost everything we eat.

The chicken is also an alarm clock, with the rooster crowing at the crack of dawn and all other regular intervals to manage time without a clock.Many visitors  get a kick out of Kauai’s wild chickens  even if they suffer from a 'Cock A Doodle Doo'-induced insomnia.

The infamous feathered creatures have a huge appetite for bugs, including the mean and nasty Hawaiian centipedes that can give you a paralyzing  painful bite.

We name many things after the chicken, we have the disease of chicken pox. We have expressions like, "your no spring chicken," don't count your chickens before they're hatched,"  to my favorite idiom of, "running around like a chicken with its head cut off."

Chicken soup is a healing serum used for colds, coughs and flu's. My ancestors called chicken soup "Jewish Penicillin."

"The Chicken Whisperer,"  when not pedaling his loyal feathered friends on his bicycle is often seen with crowds of people surrounding him and his wild  chickens as they take photos, tweet, and make Youtube video's right on the spot. 

The chicken also will act as a garbage disposal. When camping out, I see the chickens eating everything imaginable, even the unimaginable.

A rooster and a hen are the one pair of animals you would want if stranded on a deserted island.

Next time you see a wild Kaua'i chicken, stop and say, "Eerrrr eeeer eeeeer eeeeer, just don't ask me "where's your chicken?"


Chickens even hang out at the local library...


Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Youtube, a Youtube I filmed in 2008 of the Chicken man!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9fm8ep8Fck




Saturday, October 19, 2013

"There are still nice people out there.." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead  lives in Amherst, N.Y. and has
worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for
over 30 years. Today she talks about you, the nice people!.
Enjoy!

There are still nice people out there

This morning our waitress shared a heart warming story that needs to be passed along...

  Last week her 3 dogs brought home a dirty and mangy dog to her front porch  The dog had been out in the rain and seemed lost with no tag on her.  Being a dog lover, our friend the waitress took the dog in and called the dog warden to see if a dog had been reported missing.  In fact, he told her this dog had been reported missing a week ago and belonged to a blind little girl, it was a trained dog. 

The parents rushed over with a $500.00 reward and our friend  whole hearted declined the offer.  She felt she was meant to be the one to find the dog and was a dog lover and could not accept any reward.  The little girl was so happy to see the dog; that was reward enough.  The family  ended up giving her a \Petco gift card to use for her dogs.

There are still good people out there; still honest and kind people which renews our faith in human nature.    

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...



Thursday, October 17, 2013

"Where to meet to eat..." 'Marvin Gross' (Source)

Marvin Gross is a Financial consultant currently residing in Western N.Y.
Today Marvin shares a story about  the dilemma of deciding a place to eat...
enjoy!

Where to meet to eat

A group of 15 year old boys discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at the McDonald's next to Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because they only had six dollars among them, they could ride their bikes there and Jennie Webster, that cute girl in Social Studies, lives on the same street and they might see her.

Ten years later, the group of now 25 year old guys discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the beer was cheap, the bar had free snacks, the house band was good, there was no cover charge and there were lot of cute girls.

Ten years later, at 35 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was decided they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the booze was good, it was near their gym and, if they went late enough, there wouldn't be too many whiny little kids.

Ten years later, at 45, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the martinis were big and the waitresses wore tight pants.

Ten years later, now 55, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the prices were reasonable, they have a nice wine list and fish is good for your cholesterol.

Ten years later, at 65 years of age, the once again group discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the lighting was good and they have an early bird special.

Ten years later, at 75 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because the food was not too spicy and the restaurant was handicapped accessible.

Ten years later, at 85 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. It was agreed they would meet at Captain Jack's Seafood Grille because they had never been there before.
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...





Wednesday, October 16, 2013

"Power Outage..." ' Debbie Eayrs' ( Source)




Guest-blogger Debbie Eayrs co-owner of Eayrs plumbing and heating from Homer, Alaska
 is the source of   of this power outage...Enjoy! ;D)


Power Outage

Last week we had a power outage and my PC, TV and games console shut down immediately.

It was raining (pouring, actually). I couldn't go to the gym, play golf, pickleball– nothing – so I sat down and talked to my wife for about an hour and a half.

She seems like a nice person.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...





Tuesday, October 15, 2013

"No 'mo. Ain't Bettejo no mo..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)


Bettejo Dux has lived  on the Cosmic island  Garden Island
of Kaua'i over 30 years. She is a weekly columnist in the local
newspaper (The Garden Island News) and is a published author
of the Novella "The Scam." Order your copies below.

www.bettejodux.com

No 'mo. Ain't Bettejo no mo.

How in the he**

Can the gov'ment tell

I ain't Bettejo no mo'?

I take Mondays off. Don't do Saturday or Sunday go- to- meeting - day- I'm a non believer, as you know-but I do need a day off . Monday's my day.

Rise  with the sun. it seeps through my skylight-I sleep under a romantic canopied mosquito net tent and my jungle house lights up about 6AM. I'm usually up at 4AM. Love to watch my house wake up. It's an indoor/outdoor organic life- filled house. As much outdoor as indoor. Fragrant. Soft to touch.

On Mondays I feed my hungry, noisy zoo. Whinnies. Barks. Parrot screeches.  Meows. Then have a cup of green tea and a box of seaweed which I share with my grown up puppy, Boots, who snuggles in luxury on a faux fur throw on one of two large couches in the doggie room. That room glows Camelot pink even on the grayest day.

Finished with breakfast I soak in a hot bubbly and dress up. I mean really dress up. Clothes, real shoes, Shaiimar.  The works. Tuesday through Sunday I wear sweats and boots and a broom and a rake.

I unveil my Toyota and saunter off. Feed the swans at the Hyatt. Shop in Koloa or roll off to Lihue. This was to be a big city day. I would meet my friend and Editor, Kimo, for lunch, trot down to the Art Gallery and admire 'The Essence of Bettejo' a  portrait  by my friend, the artist, Carol Ann Davis.

I'd also pop into the DMV to renew my driver's license, which was about to expire. I love the guys in the DMV. The light's a little dim, but my eyes adjust.

I stand in a short line, approach the clerk. Find I need a birth certificate, marriage license-two-one from a long ago marriage I prefer to forget. To make a long story short: I then discover I can't get the needed documents because I don't have a driver's license. It expired, remember? That's why I needed to renew it. Passport?  I needed an ID to get one. An identity card? I needed an ID-which I didn't have- to  get an ID.

What?

Visited the Gov's office. Darling secretary. No answer to the quandary. Missed my lunch. Drove home , shaken, with no identity. Well, Costco knew me. Macy's knew me. Even Debbie Orsatelli  at BOH knew me.

Would my chef's hat know me? Or crumple? Would my shillelagh bark me in the shins? Would my Vitamix  bite? How' 'bout my animals?

Had a space alien jumped in my body overnight? Couldn't it have  found a younger, prettier, smarter body to possess? Lots of them.  Lost. Scared. I was driving without a license.

As It turned out everybody knew me. Nobody bit me, hit me, dissolved on my head.

Even Boots knew me. My dogie's smarter than the government.

Uncle Sam? You're a royal pain in the three- letter- word.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...




Sunday, October 13, 2013

"You 'Talkin' To Me..?" 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

People have stopped talking to me, just like family!
You 'Talkin' To Me

The Garden Island news gave me carte blanche to write about the things that interest me and the things we hope people will enjoy reading. You don't  have to agree with me to enjoy my column, and you don't have to dissect every word and take me so serious. I am trying to be witty, satirical and funny and in the end ,make  a point. This is my attempt at trying to be like my mentor satirist columnists Andy Rooney and Art Buchwald.

My first column in the Garden Island news on 09--23-13,  "Breaking bad and writing bad, it's all good," created quite a buzz .
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/breaking-bad-and-writing-bad-it-s-all-good/article_70752efc-2409-11e3-a7a8-001a4bcf887a.html
 All I need to is open my mouth and say Aloha and it will upset some?"I swear it's like people are poised to pounce on me as soon as anything penned with my name is published.. There are also many that actually agree and like what I have to say, however that would be no fun to write about.

There is a classic line form the movie "Taxi driver," with Robert Deniro looking at himself in a mirror, he say's,"You talkin' to me?" "You talkin' to me?" "You talkin' to me?" "Well, who the hell else are you talkin' to..?" I  find myself doing the same since so many people have quit talking to me, that I find myself either talking to myself or my dog, the two souls who always listen to me.

Many  people no longer talk to me  and others have even requested that I do not enter  their place of  business since they may have dis-agreed with an article or letter to the editor I wrote in the past. I see people I don't know glaring at me on regular basis. I find out it's because they may heard I supported a ferry system business on Hawaii, or that I am in support of GMO's. 

Many have either quit talking to me and give me the silent treatment and stink eye or spread vicious rumors that are hard to defend because everyone loves to gossip, just like family.

Living in a sleepy town where most don’t accept phone calls after 9 p.m. and if you dare call someone at 9:05 p.m., they will answer and go off on you on why you called so late, just like family.

The other great thing about an isolated island and small town is people know things about you before you do, just like family.

I use to take offense at the lack of aloha I experienced  until I realized most people were treating me just like family.

People can no longer tolerate others that don't think the same as them,sound familiar?  Religion comes to my mind.

I always  find it ironic  that people "unfriend" others on Facebook because one expresses  opinions that may differ from their's

I have found that the Aloha spirit here, for some, lasts only as long as you agree with them."

Welcome to paradise where everyone is treated just like family, or should I say ‘ohana? You talkin to me?

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...





Saturday, October 12, 2013

"Time to get inspired..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead  lives in Amherst, N.Y. and has
worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for
over 30 years. Today she talks about time to get inspired.
Enjoy!

Time to get inspired

Two or three times a year I try and attend a seminar in my profession; today not only did I attend but also was one of the lecturers.  

It’s always great to get inspired by others, meet with my fellow workers in the field and learn new things.  Seminars are a way to relax, recharge and renew and always enjoy a nice lunch provided, this year at the Marriott Hotel.  

Week after week we go to work sometimes like drones; everyone needs a break in the monotony no matter how much you enjoy your job.  Now I’m ready for Monday with new ideas for work.   

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...


  

Thursday, October 10, 2013

"The Irony of The TV Business..." 'Obama Da Dog'

Obama Da Dog blogs about the irony of the TV Industry...

The Irony of The TV Business

One of the greatest drama series on cable,"Breaking Bad"  recently aired their series grand finale. The TV show had become more and more popular every year for the last five years of  it's reign. The last episode  had over 10 million viewers, for cable those are Superbowl  type ratings.

I find it ironic that many  television shows end at their peek  of popularity. It seems if they're doing so well, employing many people and making money, why end the series?

Imagine in business after reaching your pinnacle of  sales you just decide to go out of business? Imagine Hershey chocolate deciding to quit business when sales are at a record high? Imagine any company that's peaking financially deciding to quit?

Hana Hou,(Encore) Shared From Facebook...



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Ten Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source)

Dakinetalks favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)
 talks  about  many things we now know will soon be no more.
"Unc" is a retired cinematographer currently living 
on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu & giving the politicians a bad time...

Ten Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime

More scary than humorous!

Ten Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime This is USA oriented, but Canada & the rest will not be far behind..
Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come.

1. The Post Office
Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably
no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.

2. The Cheque
Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with cheque by 2018. It costs the financial system billions
of dollars a year to process cheques. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the
cheque. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received
them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.

3. The Newspaper
The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily
delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading
the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has
caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple,
Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.

4. The Book
You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages.
I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD.
But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price
without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books.
You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy.
And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience!
Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story,
can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.

5. The Land Line Telephone
Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore.
Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges
for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using
the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes

6. Music
This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death.
Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance
to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem.
The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing.
Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalogue items," meaning traditional music that
the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit.
To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book,
"Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."

7. Television
Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV
and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take
up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the
lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery.
Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.

8. The "Things" That You Own
Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own
them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you
store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always
re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up
their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be
built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet.
If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the
cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access
your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But,
will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?"
Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and
pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.

9. Joined Handwriting
Already gone in some schools who no longer teach "joined handwriting" because nearly everything is done now on
computers or keyboards of some type (pun not intended)

10. Privacy
If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's
been gone for a long time anyway.. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built
into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are,
right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a
zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
All we will have left that can't be changed are "Memories".

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Youtube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsM8D31Wfg0



Phallic Traffic Barriers Offend Some Scott Township, Penn., Residents But Town Unlikely To Remove The Concrete Posts

article image
Maybe the residents of Scott Township, Penn., should look on the place as a tourist attarction.
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/phallic-traffic-barriers-offend-some-scott-township-penn-residents-town-unlikely-remove?

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

"Late Term Abortion is Awful..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)



Bettejo Dux has lived  on the Cosmic island  Garden Island
of Kaua'i over 30 years. She is a weekly columnist in the local
newspaper (The Garden Island News) and is a published author
of the Novella "The Scam." Order your copies below.

www.bettejodux.com


Late  Term Abortion is Awful

I do agree that late term abortion is awful and would prefer it be performed only to save the mother's life. Nevertheless, I think to have an abortion is a woman's decision. It's her body. It's her future and the future of the child she does not wish to bear and raise. 

If you don't want to have an abortion, or your family or your religious leader forbid it, don't have one. But leave those of us, who feel free to make that choice, alone. It's none of your business. 

If one is married, of course her husband should have a say. Still, if  my life were in jeopardy and  if I carried full term and my husband insisted I sacrifice my life for the unborn, I'd divorce him. Fortunately that was a decision I didn't have to make. My husband agreed 

What offends me most, however, is the continual religious harping. Not all of us are Christians. 

Further, I find it very difficult to understand these same Christians who never complain- or even mention- our country's compliance in the cold blooded murder of innocent children-and men and women, too-in these stupid endless wars for profit. Not to mention the lives of our own sons and daughter's

These wars will end when those of us who love kids stand up and shout, "Not our kids, not their kids, you don't."

Peace and love Bettejo Dux

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...






Saturday, October 5, 2013

"Fond Memories of Halloween..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead  lives in Amherst, N.Y. and has
worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for
over 30 years. Today she talks about her memories 

of  Halloween...Enjoy

Fond Memories of Halloween

Soon it will be an all American, fun holiday to celebrate once again this year, All Hallows night or as we all know it as Halloween.  Every year this holiday brings back many fond memories of celebrating  as ayoung child growing up in Buffalo.  

October can be a chancy season here in Buffalo; I can remember
going trick or treating in rain, snow and very cold weather.  Some years we would have to wear winter coats over our costumes in the cold;  we would not let the rain or wind keep us from going out. 

 My dad would fashion a trick or treat “box” for me to carry some seasons.  He would make a  box with a  string
that would go over my shoulder to carry all my loot home.  It was awkward to  carry but I would never
hurt his feelings and I would always go along with his ideas; he was always the one to take me out every
year.  

My mom would stay home and give out the candy,  that was her job.  We would cover as many homes as we could until I got tired; he carried the flashlight and kept a very close eye on me.  At that
point, it was then his job to carry the heavy box home and  sift through for the safe candy to eat.  

Back in those early days some  people would give out apples; I always knew when I got one placed in my box, it made a clunking  noise and made the box even heavier.  We also carried a box to collect Unicef money, back then for donations, what ever happened to those… 

I went trick or treating for many years until I
was too old to continue the tradition and then transformed into the door guard and babysitter for  otherkids for the holiday.  

All too soon, I  had my own children to carry on the tradition with.  I knew how disappointing it was to have to cover up a costume in bad weather so we would drape clear dry cleaning
bags over our children’s costumes so others could enjoy them as well. It was “dads” job to escort the boys out while I stayed home to give out the candy.  Seeing the other children dressed up was also part of the joy of the holiday. 

Halloween  has become quite a money maker over the years; today the costumes are quite intricate. Nolonger do the plastic molded masks exist that used to suffocate and  poke us in the face.  The costumes are quite lifelike and comfortable and much more imaginative.  I start early in October decorating the porch with
festive decorations, witches and pumpkins with candles and lights. 

 The stores start carrying candy a fewmonths prior to capture the sales; candy is not so  cheap any longer to give out.  We live in a highly populated area of young families with many children and it is not unusual to give out over 100 pieces of candy in a few short hours.  

I still get a charge out of their little faces reaching into my Hallmark  witches book that talks,  to pick out their candy selection.  I start buying candy several weeks in advance to “stock” up  for the crowd.  My children are now grown up and go to their adult parties and still dress up.

I will forever hold on to the memories of celebrating Halloween with my dad; every year they come rushing back to me and still bring a smile to my face when I remember them.  They were innocent and uncomplicated years  to grow up in as compared to today. So let’s hope the weather holds out this year;my camera is ready and so is my decorated  porch and the Hallmark box is ready and full.  

May you all have a Happy   and Safe Halloween this year.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...



Thursday, October 3, 2013

"Just a contract" 'Chester "Unc" Lau'

Dakinetalks favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)
 talks  about  how the government needs to
stay out of our personal business...
"Unc" is a retired cinematographer currently living 
on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu & giving the politicians a bad time...

Just a  contract    

In a democracy, government has no right or business in the personal marriage business. Marriage is personal. All that should be required is a legal written contract.

Government should recognize, concur and help enforce the legal contracts regarding property rights, etc. Lawyers will enforce wills or trusts, so we need only lawyers, not government or any third parties. A legal written contract between lovers would suffice.

If I decided to marry a monkey and leave all my worldly goods to him or her, that’s my business, not a church’s or the government’s.


A new law on same-sex marriage passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor shouldn't be needed. It’s none of their business.

http://www.midweek.com/letter-to-the-editor-10213/

Editors note, the above was published in Oahu Midweek on 10-02-13, the unedited version appears below. Which one do you like better?

Freedom to Love is no business of Government or religious entities

In a Democracy,government have No right or business in the personal Marriage business,marriage is personal between lovers,be it same sex , man & animal or any  entities, a legal written contract by attorneys should suffice between lovers . 

 Government  should  recognize , concur  & help enforce the legal contracts . the  responsibilities are in the contract , mostly for human & property rights before , after death or divorces. 

We don't need government to do anything,the lawyers will enforce the wills or trusts,so we need only lawyers,not any two cents by government or any third parties ,.a legal written contract between lovers would suffice...

If I decided to marry a monkey & leave all  my worldly goods to him or her,that' my business ,not the church or government's .

I am surprise why lawyers have not taken up this subject of  marriage ,they can profit instead of the church or the  state .

No public vote needed on same sex marriage ,it's none of their business. 



Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...