Writing a letter beats being psychoanalyzed...

Writing a letter beats being psychoanalyzed


Why do people write letters to the editor and  blog, exposing their most vulnerable opinions?

When you put your opinion in writing it validates it; it's in print; your opinion now has merit. It is great therapy and settles the matter psychologically by being in print. And it's much cheaper than a visit to the psychiatrist's office.

Being a retired publisher, photographer and writer, I miss seeing my name in print. It's easier writing a letter than committing a crime just to see my name in the paper.

Whenever I need an ego boost, or a little therapy, I write a letter in hopes it is published; it's the best anti-depressant. Seeing your name in print gives one an adrenaline rush.Those who deny this fact would be fooling the mind.

Timothy Leary once said, "If we did not glorify all the criminals with front page coverage, crime would decrease immensely."

When people ask what I do for a living, I tell them I am a writer for the Honolulu paper. It sounds better than saying I am a certified nut looking for my name in print.

"Why not buy a donkey?..."

                                                               

I have been scanning the  Internet classifieds for a used vehicle the last six months. With a limited budget of under $900, there are many vehicles that come up under the term “island beater.”

What is an “island beater?” When a seller says they owned the car seven years and has never had a problem, I think the odds are about prime for a major problem since the car has over 175,000 miles on it, usually the radio and A.C. do not work, a window or two is off track, some of the doors will not open from the outside, a seatbelt or two is missing, and there is a screeching sound, but they say don’t worry.

 There is usually  a lot of rust and usually not very cosmetically maintained. They will say you can see fine through the crack in the windshield. They will say my mechanic will get it through the inspection, don’t worry; that the brakes are pumped full of air and the speedometer and gas gauge are not working along with a “check engine” light that is covered with a bandage.

Does one really want to invest, or should I say gamble, $900 into an island beater? Sure you may find one that runs and gives you little or no problems, but your odds of winning the jackpot in Las Vegas are just as good as finding a decent, reliable island beater.

Besides, gambling is illegal in Hawai‘i anyway, so why not just by a donkey and not be a dumb ass?

blogger's addiction...

Blogger's addiction


Some people are addicted to alcohol, some to drugs, others to caffeine, sugar and junk food.

A person can be addicted to anything from bubble gum to sex and places in between.

There is one addiction I am trying to overcome which is the most addicting of all addictions, blogging  addiction. I am faithfully a member of  blogger's anonymous and am trying to curtail my blogging . Like any addiction,  blogging  need's support of fellow friends and associates.

So please try and help me curtail my addiction, or else you will need to continue reading my most inner thoughts, or is this addiction incurable?

"Spare tire..."

Computers have become a way of life for most people and I am no exception.


My computer hard drive crashed and I was at a loss since every morning it’s a routine along with my cup of Joe to read The Garden Island online and check e-mails.

I took my computer to three people and no one wanted to work on it. One person said they could fix it for $150. I can buy a refurbished like-new computer for $114 online, so I did.

In the meantime I tried working on the computers at the library, but every time I went to work there, I had a mom with a crying baby right next to me or a person who did not bathe on the other side of me.

I decided after 10 years I would pull my old Web TV unit out of storage and connect it to my TV.

Web TV never crashes, it’s just a terminal box with all technical data at the server’s location, so I was able to sign up for free service for 30 days while awaiting my new computer.

Web TV sure makes for a great spare tire.

The Irony...

There are plans in action to close statewide over 50 Department of Human service's and Med-Quest locations and to cut the staff by more than half.


How ironic that many of the workers that work with so many people in need , now will become the people in need themselves. The welfare worker may soon become the recipient.

This is a time that Human services are needed more than ever in our state's history.

People are hungry, food banks are being depleted as quick as food comes in and every week there is a new list of foreclosures that the banks do not want to deal with.

Food stamps and Medicaid are in more demand now than ever, people loosing jobs, means they loose their medical insurance, people being furloughed means they may need 'EBT'(food stamps)

This is all planned to taker place this coming July. During these recessed times we need all 50 department's of Human services to stay open, the department is already on a furloughed scheduled as is.

I feel in lieu of downsizing Human service's at a time when Human services are needed more than ever, that state worker's with six figure or more income's need to take pay cuts.

The first state pay cut should come at the coaching position of University of Hawaii Head Football Coach Greg McMackin since he is the highest paid employee in the state, he makes approximately one million dollars a year, if the state cut his salary in half, he would still be one of the highest paid employee's in the state of Hawaii.

First School furloughs, now 50 Med quest and Human services offices will be shut down.

For the welfare of the Aloha state it's time for those with abundance's of wealth to become hero's and the obvious be done by all of us to contact our elected officials and plead to get priorities straight.

Primer on how to vote on Election Day...

Primer on how to vote on Election Day

Elections are nothing more than egotists running in a popularity contest. The outcome will be determined by who had the better ad agency and largest bank account.

I propose we have some fun with our candidates. Let's play games with them as they continue to play games with us. If you do vote on Election Day, support:

1. Those candidates you've never heard of. Chances are they haven't sold out to any special-interest groups.

2. The candidate who doesn't negatively campaign against an opponent.

3. The underdog.

Hawai‘i should be an example to the rest of the country that elections cannot be bought.

Don't get mad, get even, and re-elect nobody.

Watching cars go by...

For cyclists, congestion is bliss...

When I ride my bicycle in traffic I enter a euphoric state of mind.

On any given day there are thousands of cars on the Kuhio Highway between Safeway and The Coco Palms. Every night between 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., I ride my bike with my dog along galloping along side...

The traffic is bumper-to-bumper, which for a bicyclist makes for safe and comfortable driving on the shoulder.

The experience of passing car after car after car after car is mind stimulating; the cars are at a standstill in their lanes, and I am passing 36 cars every minute. The safest time to ride a bike is during peak traffic.

I am hoping everyone reading this buys another car or two, and I encourage the convention and visitors bureau's to never stop promoting Kauai.

Like a surfer catching a wave, my wave is caught when my own power is more powerful than the giant refineries and petroleum companies.

I beg of everyone to do nothing to stop this wonderful traffic