"Food-stamps now look like a credit card..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Food stamps not only help the hungry but are a stimulus for the economy.
Hawai'i alone spends nearly  36 million each month on the 'SNAP' Program.

Food-stamps are  now called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.) (Food-stamps are issued through an Electronic Bank Transfer) (EBT-card) with a  plastic card that looks like a typical debit or credit card.

There's no more embarrassing moments or stink eye at the checkout stand when using food-stamps  since visually it looks like one is paying with a credit or debit card, whereas in years past  they used paper monopoly looking money.

In Hawai'i  there are  over 150,000  people a month using EBT cards. Your monthly stipend depends on your monthly income. The majority of people on food-stamps work.
An Individual  can work and earn $2,000 a month, a family of 4 can earn more than $4,000 a month and still be eligible for food-stamps.

 Check out the following URL to find out more, 
http://hawaii.gov/dhs/self-sufficiency/benefit/FNS#Income

Food stamps help stimulate the economy, if food-stamps were not part of the system many grocery stores , including  Costco might not be here.Food-stamps not only help the needy but help business. There is approximately  36 Million dollars a month stimulated  on the Hawai'ian Islands through SNAP( Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.)

The beauty of America, nobody needs to starve, there are people who just won't apply out of principle, or people who don't know how to apply, but in America nobody should be hungry. SNAP not only  feeds the hungry but is a huge stimulus for the economy in these trying times.

The only irony of the whole program is one is not allowed to buy prepared hot food, prepared cold food is fine. Ironically EBT does not allow one to buy a cooked hot meal while many elderly who don't cook are primary recipients.

The Food-stamp program is not perfect however the beauty of America is one should never go hungry. If you or someone you love or even some you don't love needs assistance in Hawaii call 808-643-1643 or go to;
http://hawaii.gov/dhs/self-sufficiency/benefit/FNS#Income

If you need assistance and don't live in Hawai'i contact your State's Department of Human resources.

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"Dear Mr. President..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau (Source)

Dakinetalks favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)

is back talking about the debt ceiling and how to solve it.

"Unc" is a retired cinematographer currently living 

on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu.

Dear Mr. President, 

I heard you say you will not guarantee SS checks if the debt ceiling isn't raised. 
Why is it the scare always has to do with SS, Medicare, & our Soldiers pay? 

Why not stop your pay, your staff, or Congress and the Senate to save more money for our country? 
Why use Seniors, Soldiers, & our Needy as examples? 

Take the money from those who take no risks and reap the benefits!! 
Instead of threatening to withhold Social Security, VA and disability payments of people who really need the money.... 

Lets hold the paychecks of all house & senate members, then see how fast they resolve the debt ceiling crisis !!!!! 
  
A Concerned Citizen. 

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"Sign waving Year round..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Why limit political sign waving just during an election cycle?
Why not wave year round!

The elections are finally over. I hate to admit it , I will miss all the candidates sign waving and blocking sidewalks. Why limit political sign waving just during an election cycle? 


Why does sign waving have to end after the elections are over? Sign waiving puts the politicians out there and accessible to the people.  Many times I stop and talk story  during sign waving rallies with many candidates from the  Mayor, Prosecutor and  down to county council  members. 

Politicians need to think outside the box. How about keeping the tradition of sign waving alive  year round, once a month, once a week? Why not keep your name out there year round, cramming during the election is stressful, similar to a student cramming for a final. 

The reality  is to be out there year round not just during an election cycle when you want a vote from the people. Now that you have our vote, I hope our vote has you.

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"Ho'omaikai'ana and Mazol Tov" 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Justin Kollar Kauai's new Prosecutor  will hopefully
bring dignity back to a broken system.

Ho'omaikai'ana and Mazol Tov (Congratulations) to Justin Kollar, Kauai's new Prosecutor who is Just-in-time to rescue our Just-in-sane judicial mess.

"Justin Kollar Da bes kine Prosecutor for your taxpaying $-Dollar."

Ho'omaikai'ana also goes  to  the two new county councilman, Gary Hooser and Ross Kagawa and the five  incumbents retaining their posts.

This was the best election ever for me, everyone from President down to county council choices of mine all became reality.

Until next election I will miss my daily  talk story sessions  and blocking sidewalks with all the candidates. 

From the bottom of my heart, please politicians make a difference, a positive difference by working for the people not your self serving  narcissistic needs.

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"DO YOU LIKE BEING YOU?" 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

Bettejo Dux  one of Kauai's true gems, 
guest-blogs  about the creative mind!

www.bettejodux.com

DO YOU LIKE BEING YOU?

“Do you like being Bettejo,” one of my favorite people on Kauai asked me. A living treasure, a gifted director, he read THE SCAM and praised it highly. You can read his praise on the back cover if you  check it out on Amazon. Go to Kauai humor.

“Yes,” I said and it’s true, I’ve loved being Bettejo. Her rants, her raves, her ups,  her   downs are second nature to my now. Like breathing out and breathing in…

Wonder if GBS would have liked me?

“Is she Karen, the narrator of The Scam?” Our very own KIMO  asked me.

“Well it’s a first novel, so there is a resemblance.”

“Karen is very witty,” the island treasure said and I walked with both feet off the ground for a week.

One of my favorite author friends on Kauai-so gifted, so great-made this profound remark, “Writing  a book is ike playing gawd,” and it’s true. A writer creates some human beings, sets the scene-where, when, what, plots some plot- and puts pen to paper and writes the first sentence.

Pen to paper? What’re you talking about? We don’t write books on paper anymore. We type letters on a key board and watch them pop up on a scree. A chapter can be written in a day. Spell checked in an hour.

Too sad.

Like most writers my age we began with a pencil and scribbled words on long yellow legal. We scratched and swore and wrote some more. Words words words. Over and over. Then punched these words into a clunky typewriter.

I think one of the reasons I fell in love with Bill was: he came with a rickety, stickety old portable he took with him to Cal.

It took me a week to write a chapter and THE SCAM  was written in the zone. It wrote itself, I just sat back and took dictation. I remember the day when a character popped in unannounced-Gypsy Jake, I’d never seen him before- and he turned out to be one of the most important characters in the book. Famous writers often tell the same story. The writer is no longer creating the story, the story is creating her. So much for gawd.

I think there is nothing more fun than owning a creative mind and I thank whatever gawds there be-if there are any-for giving me one’a'dem.

…and here we are: back to a mythical figure aiding a struggling writer in a little piece of a fictitious world she calls her own.

And thus- with gawd firmly established in the picture, somehow I aways manage to squeeze ‘him’ in, I’ll add in response to the first question, “Do you like being Bettejo?”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to be her for all eternity. One lifetime is enough.” Guess that’s what makes me different.

By the way I like to write dialog best. Maybe I should talk this over with gawd. If he’s young and cute, and likes to imbibe, I’ll invite him in for a Chardonnay and some crackers and asks him.

“Do you like being gawd?”

And then, dear reader, I’ll ask you, “Do you like being you?”

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"Adult content..." 'Obama Da Dog'

Obama is back blogging about language and
 how confusing it can be, especially for a dog...

Almost everyone has access to cable TV these days, at the beginning of many programs you see a disclaimer that may say adult language? Adult language is actually an idiom that means swear words, I had a friend visiting from Japan and she thought adult language meant a good understanding of English, as opposed to baby talk.

 The other term I find hard to comprehend is,  so and so was sleeping with so and so. How did sleeping with someone ever take on the meaning of you know what?

It's perfectly acceptable to say you have slept with someone, however on the other hand when you say you have made whoopee it's another story.

You may talk adult language and sleep with  friends, just don't  be a  tramp about it! Remember it's all in the words....

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"The Big Day..!" 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Monday)

"Guest-blogger Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst N.Y. and has worked in the
 ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years...
 Today she talks about  a new chapter in life...  Enjoy...

Today I am going over check lists and taking off work to make sure everything is set for the big day…in just 3 short days my oldest son will be getting married and we will start a new chapter in our life.

 Our lives seem to be defined by the many events that we pass through; marriage, births, deaths  etc. The marriage of a child is one of the biggest life changing occurrences’ in our lives.  Our sons moved out of the house a long time ago and that was an adjustment to live in the empty nest rattling around in  their empty rooms.  Although our children grow up and become independent people, they will always be our children to worry about no matter what the age.  Their sorrows become ours and their happiness only makes us feel happier.  Children are ours  forever no matter what the age and we never stop worrying about them.  

When our boys were born I thought it was our job to help them grow up into contributing adults and then we could sit back and enjoy them.  But the worry never stops because we always want our children to be happy.  

I hope and pray that this new chapter in our sons life brings him more happiness than words can express  because as our family grows we are so  blessed to partake in this special event in all of our lives.

Happy Veterans Day!



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