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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

"Time to grow up!.."

People seem to be afraid of anything new on Kaua'i. The Super-ferry boats, a new theatre in Kilauea, new roads and new shopping centers and anything from the mainland is bad, especially the people.

If the current attitude existed 50-100 years ago, we would not have cars, telephones, trains , airplanes, cruise ships, Big and small box department and grocery stores.

No place on earth is like it was 100 years ago, People grow, we look different and think different than we did 50-100 years ago. We are no longer babies, our island is no longer a baby, it's time to grow up.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

"You can go back to the mainland...."


For those of you who don't read The Garden Island newspaper online you are missing out on one of the finest features, "The comments section."

Comments can be made on any article, but the best, meanest and fun comments can be viewed on the "Letters" page."

Most commenter's use an alias and screen name protecting themselves from slander, libel and even death threats.

The comments section is somewhat like group therapy, usually one person is really disturbed, another person person takes on a moderator, leadership role and everyone else chips in.

The most common negative remark goes something like this , " go back to the mainland," if you don't like barking dogs, cockfights, and keiki running wild in restaurants, or anything else that is disturbing that could be changed for the better.

I recommend checking out the comments page, in fact you can even start commenting yourself and become a member of a group therapy session, it's cheaper than Prozac.

According to my culture if you disagree with my thoughts you can go back to the mainland or anywhere else you may be from.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

"The weather people in Hawaii..."‏

The easiest job on local Hawaiian news is that of the weather-person. Unlike the east coast with 4 seasons, Hawaii has year round warm weather. Every-night the weather report is either partly cloudy or partly sunny? It's a pretty safe way to predict the weather.

For some reason every local network has decided to use a geeky Japanese American male for the weather, which for me makes the weather unbearable to watch.

There is Guy Hagi on Hawaii News now,(local NBC & CBS) Justin Cruz on KHON(Local FOX) and Justin Fujioka of KITV(Local ABC)

What is it with Geeky Japanese men reporting the weather on every major local news in the state of Hawaii? Maybe it's the stereotype of Japanese being good students, smart and good with numbers, to make weather reports more justified?

I would prefer going back to the weather reports with the stereotypical "Hot chick", at least the weather would be enjoyable to watch.

The Weather-man, weather women is a question of 'whether' you like good looking woman or Geeky looking Japanese men reporting the weather in your lving room.

My vote is for for the good looking women weather, whether you like it or not. What's yours?

Sunday, June 6, 2010

"Everyone looks like a 'Secret Agent'..."

The recent driving and talking on your cell phone ban has created an island of 'secret agents.'

When I look into the drivers side of cars I now see people chatting with their hands free 'Secret Service' looking gizmo that is attached to one's ear.

Now that driver's have use of their hands they can now eat their Whoppers and Big Macs while talking and driving, or the ladies can now put on their makeup since their hands are free. I guess some guys can also put on their makeup.

People that talk while driving are obsessive and leaving their hands free will only induce them to use them for yet something else.

I hate to say this but feel we have created a monster leaving people to add one more thing to their list of obsessive compulsiveness's. At least everyone can look like a 'Secret Agent...'

Saturday, June 5, 2010

"Join the ‘freegan’ movement..."

Join the ‘freegan’ movement

Dumpster diving, something that many look down upon is now becoming mainstream.

NBC nightly news, “60 Minutes” and “Oprah” have recently featured a college professor who not only dumpster dives but has a class on how to do it. You can find everything from televisions, CDs, books, microwave ovens and just about anything you can think of.

The supermarkets and department stores throw out food that may have a blemish or two. Every night I take a walk with my dog to my favorite restaurant right after the dinner hour and find my dog a dinner that is fit for a king and the beauty is that it is free. I only pick entrée-type food items (beef, chicken, pork and fish) for my dog that are still warm and less than one hour old.

It’s a fun hobby and you are helping the environment by recycling. There’s a new word that has transpired in the last decade, it’s called “freegan.” Freegans are people who live off what others throw away and who try to live outside consumer society and search garbage for edible foods and items.

Many of these people are wealthy and do it out of principal and as a fun hobby. Freegans are not just poor people or bums, they think outside the box.

Like with humans there is no set rule on what to feed your pets. I used to house-sit and everyone had their own special things to feed their four-legged companions. I used to mix hulihuli chicken with brown rice for one dog, another dog enjoyed canned cat food and lived to be over 20 years old, and one of the cats ate mahimahi and sweet potato everyday. Remember one man’s (pet’s) meat is another man’s (pet’s) poison.

In these rough economic times dumpster diving and becoming a freegan is an economic-stimulus package available to us all.

Friday, June 4, 2010

"My Story..."

This story was recently submitted to Dog World Magazine  (http://www.dogworld.com/  for a section called "My Story."

Last February I visited the local Kauai Humane society many times in hopes of finding a friend to adopt. Finally on the sixth visit a little black dog with white paws came towards me and wouldn't leave. I made sure she liked the basket that sits on the handlebars of my bicycle, since I wanted to train the dog to ride in the basket, since I bike everywhere.

The staff told me she was half chihuahua and half terrier. They said she would be 6-8 lbs, maximum as an adult dog.

I named her "Obama" since I am a political junkie and enjoy Barack Obama, and she is black with white paws.

After the first month the dog was already over 10 lbs, far exceeding the 8 lb max I was told. Every-time I took a bike ride she would cry in the basket, thinking she had to go potty, I always took her out but no potty.

She was telling me, "Dad I want to run," I started running her along side my bike, she learned to heal off the front tire, when the front tire goes left, she goes left, right she goes right, you get the drift.

Upon some research and veterinarian advise I found out my dog is part miniature greyhound, she loves to run! She runs along side my bike everywhere I go approximately 15 miles a day, and she still can't get enough. When we make pit stops at the grocery store or library she will stay in her basket that has become her space but only when the bike is parked.

I live on an island with 60,000 population and whenever the dog is running with me, strangers yell out of their cars windows Hello Obama. More people know my dog than know me.

I have a few chronic medical conditions that require many medications. Obama is actually a certified PSD (Psychiatric service dog) beside being my constant companion she is trained to remind me when to take my meds, she never lets me forgot with a nudge on my knee from her nose, it's time to be medicated.

My dog hopes to meet the president in person some day, I am looking forward to saying, Obama meet Obama. "Yes we can!"