www.thegardenisland.com

Monk Seal and Me...

Search This Blog

Thursday, February 7, 2013

"When in doubt, don't go out..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Kaua'i is known as paradise. There were 3 drownings this past week on Kaua'i.
Safety cannot be stressed enough,  be careful when going to the ocean.
This may sound cliche, "But when in doubt, don't go out..."

Read about the ocean claiming the life of the 5th  person this year on Kaua'i,
http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/ocean-claims-fifth-victim-in/article_aac073bc-7038-11e2-8a15-001a4bcf887a.html



Aloha, check out my opinion article in today's (02-11-13) Kaua'i Garden island news,"When in doubt, don’t go out."
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-monday-feb/article_cb064a70-741b-11e2-be9b-0019bb2963f4.html



This past  week  Kaua'i has experienced  the tragic drowning of 3 visitors, this is the fifth ocean drowning to occur so far this year and the year has just begun.

Four  years ago I had a near drowning experience myself, and since then I  only swim in the public pool since I have become gun shy of the powers of mother nature along with other health concerns.

I wish to share a few paragraphs from a blog I wrote 4 years ago, 

I saw dolphins and decided to go in the water, I started swimming parallel with the shore but drifted out, I drifted so far out, on a day I should never had gone in the water, rough surf and white caps everywhere. I figured I could body surf in. I was gaining no ground and waves were covering me making it hard to breathe, I swam on my back and tried to relax but kept getting overpowered and drenched with more waves, this went on for over 20 minutes and I was losing strength and could barely breathe, my thought was I was going to die. I was exhausted and could not handle the situation much longer. I prayed the Jewish signature prayer called the "Shema" and thought this is it.

I know they say swim parallel with the shore, I tried doing that and wedged in a little at a time, no gain,  again I tried body surfing in.  I was getting exhausted and with no lifeguard and only one other person within my eyesight, I thought this was it. I was going to die at my favorite beach, Secret beach.

Miraculously, I gained ground and could feel bottom, but then got sucked out again, finally a large wave rode me in, I managed to walk to shore in exhaustion and fell to the ground thanking the Lord for giving  me yet another chance at this thing we call life.

Mother nature is a powerful source, and life is short and precious. I was one of the blessed and lucky ones. I  felt the need to share this in hopes this may  help save a life. This may sound cliche,"but when in doubt, don't go out."



http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-monday-feb/article_cb064a70-741b-11e2-be9b-0019bb2963f4.html

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

" O‘ahu’s farm belt..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

Bettejo Dux  one of Kauai's true gems, Today she 
guest-blogs about a sustainable lifestyle without the burden of politics...



O‘ahu’s farm belt

Maybe it’s time we all stopped fooling around.

Get beyond sustainable Kaua‘i. Forget politics, political debate and quarreling parties.

If Kaua‘i’s land were put to proper use, we could feed the state; and there may come a time — sooner than you think — when one of the outer islands will have to do that. Why not us?

The outer islands are O‘ahu’s farm belt. We are its fresh organic vegetable bin, its fruit bin, its butcher shop and dairy section.

We need not be, we cannot be, we will not be, its suburbs and high-priced bedroom/hotel/vacation/resort spot.

Some people are tourists, some people are rich, but all us guys gotta eat. Money in it, too. Peace and love.

This blog originally appeared in the Kaua'i Garden Island news, editorial section on August 27, 2009;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-thursday-august/article_b113d693-1916-5b34-87c6-356286ded425.html

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

"Hawaii Five-0 offends Hawaii people.... " 'Chester "Unc" Lau'



Dakinetalk's favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)
is back talking about the recent  interview with Scott Caan, Hawai'i Five-0-co-star who slams Hawaii.
Hawaiian people are upset. Featured with Unc's blog are a few letters to the editor from the Honolulu Star-advertiser.
"Unc" is a retired cinematographer currently living on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. "Unc" was actually a cameraman on the original  Hawai'i Five-0 with Jack Lord.



Diss 'em, Danno. In an interview on late night talk show Chelsea Lately, Hawaii Five-0 star Scott Caan bashed the islands where the show is filmed. Click the link below to see what he said.



Full story and video here --> http://bit.ly/UqxKog



The fault with the new Hawaii  5-0 is that  TV lies with the scripts that are so juvenile, the producers who purchased them do so  just to get ratings & TV commercials, even the  story lines are unreal. 

Lady Obama the Dog or  Bettejo can produce better & fun scripts than phony scripts about crimes in Hawaii. Love,kosher fish & poi  are better than bang bang bang your are dead !!!

 What value is there  for the general public?  More guns & violence?  We need to emphasize the year round beauty  and   the Aloha spirit of Hawaii with her international ethnicity.

 Hawai'ia's people  get along better than the UN, life may be slow but can be fun & funny. Life is short,why the rush to your grave ? 


Below is an outcry from Hawai'i People as featured in some recent Letters to the Editor in the  Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The site has a pay-wall so the Letter's are copy and pasted as quotes. Please tell us what you think! I think it so strange everyone getting so  worked up over a factious character.

James "Kimo" Rosen



Caan's apology raises questions

"While it was troubling to hear the remarks made by Scott Caan about his impressions of life in Hawaii, it was equally disappointing to hear his apology. Apparently, his producers must have insisted he make these apologies to quiet the outcry.

We Hawaii taxpayers give the film industry ­ including the production of "Hawaii Five-0" ­ huge tax breaks for work here in the islands. While there are some tax revenues generated by filming here, I would like to know if income received by most of the principals in the show, including the producers, directors and actors, is sent to out-of-state banks? Do the big dollars stay here, or end up elsewhere?

I encourage our lawmakers to revisit the film industry tax credits and get answers to these questions."

Frances Cypher
Kaneohe

‘Five-0' actor bites hand that feeds him

"I was amazed that "Hawaii Five-0" actor Scott Caan has the audacity to bite the hand that feeds him so well ( "Hawaii far from paradise, Caan complains to TV host," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26).

In his interview with Chelsea Handler, host of E!'s "Chelsea Lately," Caan said he didn't like living in the islands, the food sucks, there is too much crystal meth, and everything is in slow motion and too relaxed for him.

He also said his girlfriend deserves a Purple Heart for sticking by him because she doesn't like Hawaii either.

He obviously lacks the sophistication to appreciate this paradise world renowned for its culture, food, lifestyle and aloha spirit ­ all attributes he blatantly disparaged.

The solution is simple. Go home and take your girlfriend with you."

Karla Graham
Hawaii Kai

Time to kill off ‘Danny Williams'?

"Watching "Hawaii Five-0", I thought Scott Caan was just acting as an unhappy transplant from the mainland. Turns out he was not acting, based on a recent television interview. Now he has apologized but, really, apologies have little value.

The producers and writers of "5-0" can easily make Caan happy. In this season's finale, "Danny Williams" can be tragically killed in the line of duty. Problem solved.

And Mr. Caan, don't let the door hit you in the okole on your way out of Hawaii. Aloha."

Anne Sabalaske
Honolulu

Call airline and ‘Book ‘em, Danno'

"Scott Caan should learn to be pleasant and appreciate his good fortune. I can only imagine the torture he is dealing with, missing out on all of his starring roles in major feature film work in California. Oh wait, that was his dad.

He must miss the brown cold mushy shore break of Malibu, where he can proclaim himself as a surfer that he wants to be. Bring on a new character played by someone who enjoys his job.

Also, I realize Hawaii has a crystal methamphetamine problem. None of my friends and associates uses meth. Of course, nobody in California uses it either, being too busy with drive-by shootings and car chases.

It seems Caan has a whine problem. Call the airline. Book ‘em, Danno."

John Waring
Kailua


Replace ‘Danno’ or lose a viewer

"I guess Scott Caan likes the paycheck he gets for shooting “Hawaii Five-0” in Hawaii. However if he dislikes it here so much, maybe he should find himself another gig.
I know that having “Hawaii Five-0” filmed here is great for the economy in multiple ways. However, I can no longer support it. If they replace Danno, then maybe I will come back."

Kathy Bentley
Kaneohe

Caan apologized, so let’s let him be


"What’s with the vitriolic witchhunt against the actor Scott Caan?
He has every right to state his opinion. In this great country, he can say what he wants, and we should all defend his right to say it, even if it sounds offensive.
Lucky we live in a country that lets you speak whatever is on your mind. And, after all, he did apologize. What more does he need to do?
Show some aloha and forgiveness, for heaven’s sake! No one should ever be threatened, or intimidated to pack up and leave (in his Danno character, or for real) just because he, or she, says something off the cuff on a late-night talk show, or wherever.
A poll run in this paper; a ridiculous petition against him? Stop! Get a grip, Hawaii!"

Susie Eubank,
Diamond Head

Monday, February 4, 2013

"leave Politics out of Superbowl Sunday..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'



Politics are Politics and football is football. Please leave
 politics out of football, especially on Superbowl Sunday!



Aloha, check out my opinion article in the (02-08-13) edition of the Kaua'i garden Island news, "Politics don’t belong in Superbowl."
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-friday-feb/article_25116096-71b9-11e2-bdc0-001a4bcf887a.html
Superbowl Sunday is a day to relax,  escape from reality and enjoy an entertaining game of football.

It is one day politics should be left behind. Scott Pelley's interview with the president should had been saved for the TV show 60 minutes, where it belonged.

Politics is one of my favorite subjects, however to run a pre-game Superbowl show with an interview with President Obama  talking about woman in combat, gays in the boy-scouts, and if he had a son would he let him play football along with talk on taxes was just a real downer.

Superbowl Sunday the ultimate Sabbath  and  the  one day we all need off from politics. Maybe next year the president can talk football?

To everything there is a season and politics is not the season for reason on Superbowl Sunday! Please pass  the chicken wings and great game coach Harbaugh.


Aloha, check out my opinion article in the (02-08-13) edition of the Kaua'i garden Island news, "Politics don’t belong in Superbowl."

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-friday-feb/article_25116096-71b9-11e2-bdc0-001a4bcf887a.html

Sunday, February 3, 2013

" Possessions mean nothing in the end..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

"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 what's really important in life.  Enjoy...  ;D)

Possessions mean nothing in the end

My parents grew up in the Great Depression, when every cent saved went to survive another day .Their upbringings were difficult financially , and they both learned early on how to make ends meet. My dad was 10 y ears older than my mom. After World War II ended, he decided to start his own family and asked my mom to marry him after their third date.

Family was important to my father, and he saw it as his responsibility to take care of my mother and their children. He worked long, hard hours on the road as a salesman, and he could turn whisky into wine with just about any thing he sold.

My mother was his queen, and his goal was to make her happy . Since they grew up from humble beginnings, he wanted her to have any thing she needed. But she was also a saver and only would
buy those things she felt she needed.

They spent 50 happy y ears together until her untimely passing, when he was left to go on alone. His beloved queen left him far too soon. All the mementos that they had collected over the years
from their many trips and celebrations meant nothing to him any longer. They were merely possessions, meaningless without her to share them with.

Several y ears later, we sold the house we grew up in, and Dad moved into a senior housing complex. He wanted nothing to take with him. No knickknacks, no accessories. Just the necessities – a few pictures and clothing – because he realized that all that stuff meant nothing without his wife.

Now that he is in his mid-90's, with limited mobility and failing memory , he has downsized to a room with a bed, TV and dresser, with basic meals to sustain his life. It is more than sad to visit
with him every day and to witness what his life has been reduced to.

Seeing my father’s situation has also made me take a huge step back and take note of all the possessions I have accumulated over the y ears. It was fun to collect them and admire them, but I now realize that having them means nothing if there is no one to share them with.

What do we do with all this stuff when we have to move from our houses into an apartment, a smaller home or a nursing home? It all becomes things that we don’t know what to do with. The objects become burdens for our children to dispose of.We sell them, we hand them down, and we donate them.

It is not things that make our lives worth living. Life experiences, sharing ourselves with others and making each day count are the most important things – they make real memories.

My father was and always will be a scraper and a survivor, and he has handed down those traits to his family . He has shown me, without say ing one word, that stuff means nothing without having
memories of family and friends to share your life with.

My dad has little to do now except read a few magazines a day , watch TV and peruse the newspaper, but there is one thing that he still has – his fondest memories of his lovely wife, whom
he lost so long ago. He has a treasure chest full of wonderful stories that he can dream about
every day .

I am grateful that he still has those memories, and I only hope he can hold on to them a little
longer.

The Buffalo News also published this  on January 26,2013
http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130126/LIFE/130129370/1057

Friday, February 1, 2013

"If only they told the truth on Wheel of Fortune..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'


Yes Pat, can I buy a vowel? This blog originally ran as Dakinetalk Blog  #532
on January 4,2012, under the title,"Yea pat, Can I buy a vowel.?" 

The blog has been updated and refined to fit current hot topics in the media.
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/yea-pat-can-i-buy-vowel-obama-da-dog.html





The Wheel of Misfortune...

One of my favorite TV shows is "Wheel of Fortune," I guess every person over 55 including myself loves 'Wheel of Fortune!?'

After the first round puzzle Pat Sajak introduces the players and they all say something about themselves. Usually something like I've been married for 10 years to my beautiful and awesome wife, who is also my best friend.  They always say positive things.  Now imagine if players really told the truth about their families and jobs. The introduction might sound something like this, "Yea Pat, I've been married to that drug addict  wife of mine for 12 years, she has  gained 60 lbs  and looks like hell. She recently caught me cheating with anther woman and that's the reason I am on wheel of fortune. Divorces are expensive and I pray I win some good money and maybe a trip to get away with my new 21 year old girlfriend." "I have 3 teenage children that are in constant trouble with the law and I have not held a job in over 3 years, so to pay the rent I have been dealing ice."

 Personally I think it would make the show more interesting if the players told truthful bio's instead of all this positive malarky that most likely just ain't true. 

In the meantime I would like to solve the prize puzzle, Is it, "The Kaua'i Multi use trail rocks?" "Yes it is" replies host Pat Sajak, and you have just won a trip to Detroit's best drug rehab center where you will travel on a  beautiful  air conditioned Greyhound bus escorted by football star Manti Te'o!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

It's fun being a rock star..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Time sure flies, birthday's come and go and before long your life has passed before your eyes... 
James "Kimo" Rosen above at Rocky River Alaska across the bay from Homer Alaska 1985.
This blog originally ran on February, 10, 2012 (Blog #570) ,"Facebook Birthday greetings."

Birthday's are like any other day of the year, in fact every-day is some-body's birth-day. It's nice to be recognized, usually loved ones and close friends will send greetings, however with the advent of social media with such sources as Facebook, birthday greetings can now make one feel like a rock star.

I have over one  thousand friends on Facebook, most of whom I have no idea who they are. I started befriending everyone who sent me a friend invite and actually starting inviting others to be my friend on the recommendation of Facebook. I did this since I post a daily blog  on Facebook and was hoping for increased readership. The fact of the matter is; I do have an increased readership due to Facebook, in addition to many friends I have never met.

This past January 23rd  I celebrated a  birthday and to my surprise I had over 100 birthday greetings, I think I knew 12 of the people who sent me a birthday greeting, all others I had no idea who they were, none the less it sure felt good thinking I really had that many friends! 
Now I can go back to being the quiet hermit I am until next January when once  again I will hopefully achieve rock-star stature!


Aloha, Check out my opinion article in today's  the 02-05-13 edition of the Kaua'i Garden Island news, 
"Happy Birthday Kimo."
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-tuesday-feb/article_bd9f4f92-6f63-11e2-ad26-001a4bcf887a.html


Editor's note, Dakinetalk guest bloggers do not necessarily represent the opinions of dakinetalk. Guest bloggers are given space to express their beliefs and or opinions. We feel there are many roads and like to give people space to express their thoughts,after-all that's what dakine is...Aloha, James "Kimo" Rosen, Publisher.