"Growing old gracefully..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspirational Monday's)

Inspiration Monday's are back with guest blogger Judy Whitehead, this blog is about, growing old gracefully. To a long and healthy life.... Below, author and guest blogger Judith Whitehead poses for the camera  with her 92 year old father, Burt Meyers. Enjoy..

Growing old gracefully, a term we hear more often these days when our families are living to a very ripe older age. Today our parents, through the help of technology and healthy living are quickly approaching the triple digits. It is all of our wishes to grow old gracefully but it doesn't happen all that easily for many.

My own father was and is still for the most part, healthy as a horse, but is growing older in front of my eyes. Living a very active and full life up until a few years ago when health reasons nudged him into a community senior living arrangement, he seemed to enjoy life for the most part. He would go about his day, driving to his favorite coffee spots, visiting friends in the area and playing an occasional golf game. That was when he was
independently living, driving and taking care of all his own needs. All it can take is one event to change a persons’ life forever. Take away a seniors’ driving privileges, and total independence, as they try to adjust to a new way of life, can be the hardest challenge of their lives they will ever have to face. One day just rolls into the next, day and night repeat themselves month after month and pretty soon it’s hard to tell even what day it is.

There is less and less to talk to people about after seeing and eating with the same people every day. The most disturbing part of living with others in the same age group, that would be 80 to 90 year olds, is that one never knows when they will meet their maker.

Friendships are formed only to be broken soon after, when friends and acquaintances pass away. Still, senior community residences play a very important part for many families ; if seniors are unable to live alone and need a safe place to live, others will look out for them. The pressure of keeping up a home with all its necessities is a relief not to worry about any longer.

As my dad approaches 92 years old, I can see even more clearly now, how important it is to do all of those things you want to, and try and accomplish your goals during those years when you are able. I can not believe that I am in “middle age” already although they now say that the 50’s are the new 40’s. These recent years are like a dream so I can only imagine what they have been like for my own father. My dad has been a man of simple needs, valuing self worth that has brought him satisfaction. He and my mothers’ life had been full of wonderful times to remember and cherish; they were able to travel and enjoy their lives to the fullest. Each day I see my dad reminds me of how life moves along year by year at such speed. We spend all week looking forward and focusing on the weekend instead of making the most out of each day.

I am amazed at how old our seniors are becoming these days. The ailing ones tell me not to get old; they are not impressed with the Golden Years. It makes it all the more important to me to set goals and try and live by them; live our lives with meaning each day. Our future generations are going to live a lot longer than we are, with the way we are focusing on health prevention; all the more reason to enjoy our lives to the very fullest so

we can look back as my dad can and say he did it all. As long as we have our health, we have the power inside of each of us to pursue our goals; all we need is determination and focus.

"Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be..." A poem that Judy's parents lived by. Below her mom and dad enjoying each other's  company reading the daily newspaper in their favorite spot.

"Don't worry, be Happy, True Heroes, Woman do it for the right reasons, The Naked Moll...." James "Kimo" Rosen (Serious Sundays)

Welcome to 'Serious Sunday's,' similar to your Sunday newspaper being bigger and fuller than the rest of the week, Serious Sunday's acts in much the same giving you more for your buck with multiple posts every Sunday on dakinetalk! (Blogs #362-#363-#364-#365)

 This blog is about the necessity to support the things you enjoy, if you can afford to.. "Don't worry be happy...".Blog #362

The recent news of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser charging for an online premium version is something we should all heed support of if we are able. If we are not able, I believe there will be a free online version also, just not as much content. http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110724_Star_Advertiser_to_charge_for_premium_online_content.html

I live on Kaua'i and the Kaua'i Garden Island News ( http://www.kauaiworld.com/ ) (an excellent periodical) has a paid 'e' subscription that shows the entire paper. The free online version has headlines and 'Letters to editor.' If you have the money support your local periodicals before they became a thing of the past, in the mean time you will still be getting something for nothing if that's your choice.

Don't worry be happy, at least Honolulu still has a daily newspaper,for those reading this outside of Hawaii the same applies to whatever periodical you read frequently, support them, for soon they will be gone as everything else in these recessed times

Please remember to support your hometown newspapers if you are financially able. Newspaper are becoming fewer and farther removed and before long we may be only getting our news from blogs and bloggers like me, yikes!  :D)

''Obama Da Dog' is back blogging about true heroes..."True Heroes..." Blog #363

My parents pictured above never ran for public office, but the world would had been a better place if they had...
Politicians love to see there names in print, they are narcissists, they think their poop not stink dakine...

Humble, good citizens don't have thick enough skin to run for office, it's a dog eat dog profession.

True heroes will never be elected, since they are a different character, a good character, an honest character, that is hardly never found in career politician.

"Woman do it for the right reason..."‏ Blog #364

They say men who run for public office do it because they want to be somebody and be known. Woman who run for public office want to make change and do something. They say this is the reason why woman politicians don't get involved in sex scandals as do their male counterparts. Woman actually want to accomplish a goal, men just enjoy the high profile and ego. This is from 'Rutgers research.'


Next election, vote for all woman if you want something to actually be accomplished, otherwise we can keep whining about weiners and be bombarded with scandal after scandal...

 Last but not least a Motivational Message Blog from My Brother-in-Law 'Marvin Gross,' the financial planner from Western New York... " The Naked Moll," Blog #365

This little animal is called the Naked Mole Rat and is from North Africa.

So if you are having a bad day and feeling sorry for yourself, remember: It could be worse, you could look like an old penis with buck teeth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX94UtcRu14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_mole_rat
Please share this blog on your favorite social networking sites, forward it to friends and family and talk about at the water cooler!

"Don't base a book by it's cover..." 'Obama Da dog' (Shabbat Saturdays)

'Obama Da Dog' is back with another one of her Internet favorites....

Shabbat Saturday's is about taking the day off and reflecting, enjoy this inspirational blog and enjoy the day of rest...

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold December morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that a thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work..

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.  A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar  a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.  A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tugged him along, but the child stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

 In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

 No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of  the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth over 3.5million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.

 This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

 One of the possible conclusions from this experience could  be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one o the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
Check it out on Wikipedia, it's a true story! All I can say is, "Don't base a book by it's cover..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Bell

If you enjoy this blog please forward it to your friends and post it on your favorite social networking site!

" Doctors and Patients..." 'Michael A. Herr' (Aloha Friday-5)

 Michael Herr is back as our guest blogger for this Aloha Friday. Michael's blogs seem to get better each week even though many sick people don't... If you enjoy reading entertaining and exciting fiction check out Michael's website at: http://www.michaelherr.com/  

ALOHA FRIDAY-5
It's Aloha Friday and I'm back again.

Doctors and patients. Old Joke: Know why they're called patients? Because you need a lot of patience waiting to see your doctor. Other Old Joke: Old doctors never die, they just lose their patients.

How many doctors have you had in your lifetime so far? I've had a bunch. There was my family doctor when I was a kid. That was so long ago that he made housecalls. I vividly remember his nurse. She gave me a shot in the arm once, and bent the needle — didn't break it, just bent it to a right angle.

Once I was an adult there was the doctor that both my father and I saw. He's the doctor that, I believe, misdiagnosed my father. Missed seeing the cancer. I dropped him and was pleased when he retired soon after.

Later on I was assigned to a woman doctor in Martinez, CA. Every time I went to see her she told me I needed to lose weight, which I already knew. Being very polite, I never pointed out to her that she was as wide as she was tall. Or maybe I was afraid to comment, since the first time I saw her I was naked except for one of those marvelous hospital no-close-in-the-back gowns . . . and she told me to lay on my side, back to her, and pull my knees up to my chest. Then . . . well, you know what happens when they pull on those rubber gloves and get out that sticky jelly.

Gave up on that doctor but found another. Pretty good this time. He was somewhat sardonic but quite capable. We discussed stuff. He listened. He advised but didn’t fly off the handle if I didn't follow his advice. He retired and I had to ask Kaiser to give me a new doctor. Haven’t even seen him yet, but he at least  responds to emails.

Then there are the specialists. I've outlasted two dermatologists. That does not include the very special specialist dermatologist who cut out the cancer on my upper lip . . . while sparing my mustache. I really appreciated her.

Ophthalmologists? I've had four. One who did not tell me to "come in right away if your vision changes at all". That lack of advice cost me about 60% of the vision in my left eye. At least she sent me to another ophthalmologist. One who knew how to use a laser to repair my detached retina. Then I've had one ophthalmologist who fixed both my cataracts, and another who fixed my second detached retina. I wonder how come none of them ever mentioned that cataract surgery increases your chances of having a detached retina?

Pharmacists? Well, there was the one who when I told her my wife was having a reaction to two prescribed medications downplayed it as "very rare". I then explained to her that "very rare" was not a synonym for "never". Oh, yes, I immediately stopped having my wife take those two meds, and my wife was fine within a day.

Neurologists? The first one who examined my wife immediately just jumped to Alzheimer's Disease as a diagnosis. She pooh-poohed my suggestions, dismissed it out of hand, that my wife had a special condition called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. Guess what? That doctor no longer works at our hospital, and the hospital won’t make any comment on her. Our new neurologist? Wonderful, if a little young; wears a bow tie. And now on his recommendation we're going to see a neuro-surgeon to put in a shunt and reduce fluid in my wife's brain. You can bet I'm compiling a list of questions for him.

There's doctors, and there's patients. And the best advice I can give those of you who are patients is — don't put your complete trust in your doctors. Patiently explore all your options. Check things out on the Internet. Ask others who have had similar experiences. Second and third opinions are worth every penny. Mahalo

I just finished Michael's first murder mystery, " The Bones of Kuhina Nui," that took place on the Big Island of Hawaii, I could not put the book down once I started reading. Check out Michael's website at; http://www.michaelherr.com/   You can purchase all 6 books for only $18.00 including postage and handling!

 Some added comic relief....

 A doctor gave a man six months to live.
The man couldn't pay his bill, so he gave him another six months.

"A sign in front of a business in Florida..!" 'Marvin Gross' (Facetious Thursday's)

Our guest blogger for this 'Facetious Thursdays' is my brother-in-law 'Marvin Gross,' he is a Financial adviser who lives in the suburbs of Western N.Y.

This sign was prominently displayed in front of a business in Florida and you are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory sign.

However, we are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps one of our greatest liberties.

And after all, it is only a sign, right?

You may ask: “What kind of business would dare post such a sign?”

Answer: A Funeral Home!

You gotta love it!!!

God Bless AMERICA and keep our Troops Safe and brig them home already...

Feel free to post this blog on your favorite social networking site, and if so inclined send us a submission to be a guest blogger at jrsensei@hotmail.com  who knows you may go viral!

" My true condolences..." 'Obama Da Dog' (Not so Harmonic Wednesday)

My best friend is back as guest blogger echoing my true feelings  on war. Please enjoy Obama's blog.

This weeks Harmonic Wednesday is not so Harmonic but needs to be heard and seen! This blog also ran as opinion articles in both the Kaua'i Garden Island news and The Honolulu Star-Advertiser...

Almost every-night on the news there are reports of another Hawai'i based soldier killed in one of the two useless wars the United states is involved in.

My heart goes out to the families of these brave men and woman, my true condolences.

It's time to end these useless wars, it's time the news media photograph our young men and woman coming home in body bags and showing that on the evening news as they did during the Vietnam era.

When people see the visuals of body bags on a daily basis the horror of war will start to penetrate through the hearts and souls of every American, protests and demonstrations against the war will commence only then giving peace a chance.

This same blog ran in the Kaua'i Garden island news editorial section on; 07-23-11
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_fe80cc52-b506-11e0-89e3-001cc4c03286.html 
and in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on 07-24-11
http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorials/letters/20110724_Letters_to_the_Editor.html

Bonus, since many of you read this blog as my opinion article in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, enclosed is something to hopefully make you laugh!  "At Last, a Cell Phone for Seniors!"

I know some of you are not old enough to get this, but you can pass it on to some old person who needs a laugh today!!!

If you enjoy Dakinetalk please forward to friends, post on your favorite social networking site and print it out and give it to people at your local mall!   :D)

"Homosexuality, an abomination‏?" 'Chester Lau' (Cosmic Tuesday)

This blog was sent to us by our good friend, retired cinematographer from Honolulu, 'Chester Lau'   and  felt it was a good subject for  'Cosmic Tuesdays.'

Dakinetalk is an equal opportunity blog site. We like to hear all sides of stories and do not necessarily agree with all our guest bloggers but provide the avenue for alternative thoughts...

In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.;
1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fans.  

Please share this blog with all your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google and talk about it at work, and  if you don't work share it with all your homeless friends!

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." -- Mahatma Gandhi

"Never Too Late,,!" Judith Whitehead (Inspirational Monday's)

Inspiration Monday's are back with guest blogger Judy Whitehead, this blog is about  never giving up on your dreams, this blog inspired me, I hope it does the same for all of you . Enjoy..

It's  Never Too Late To Go Back To School...

Choosing a career is one of the most important life decisions someone can make; it’s up there with choosing a partner and starting a family.  This important decision is forced on our children at a young teen age.  There is hardly a teen that knows what they want to do for the rest of their lives to support themselves when they graduate high school.  It finally clicks in their senior year. They grasp at anything they are remotely interested in and end up changing their minds half way through their college years. When you’re a teenager, you don’t realize what an impact education and training in a career will make on the rest of your life  It’s too hard to see into the future when you’re at a young age.  After several years of putting an  education on hold, regret starts to set in.  This exact thing happened to me as a teen.  I was anxious to marry and settled for a quasi career in the health professions.   In high school I was interested in some aspect of medicine and ended up going for an associate’s degree in Medical assisting. 

I specialized in Ophthalmology and had a wonderful mentor for many years who taught me the basis for what I know today.  It was only after several years of working in the field that I had the confidence and desire to expand my knowledge and return to college for that B.A. degree that I never got early on. In my late 30’s I decided to return to school, using all my credits that I had earned 20 years prior and started picking away at a Gerontology degree at night, one course at a time.  It took me about 6 years to finish, maintaining a family and working full time.  I was determined and ready to learn again.  Going to school as an adult was a wonderful experience; instead of bonding with the students, the teachers were closer to my age. The teachers spoke to me as if I were their friend; I treated them with respect but spoke to them as though they were my equal.  In high school, students usually fear their teachers and speak up only if absolutely necessary.   Many students wanted to befriend me because they knew I would never miss a class and always knew what the topic for the class was. Teachers admired me for tackling school at a “mature” age and wanted to help me all they could. You get good grades because mom and dad aren’t footing the bill this time.

  When you stop to think about it, we spend most of our lives performing our jobs.  It’s so important to choose the right career to become a more fulfilled person.  Your entire life has the potential to fall into place if you are happy at your career on a daily basis.  Your whole being becomes healthier and your relationships and daily lives are in a better place. There needs to be more time spent exposing our children in school to opportunities that may lie ahead of them and not wait until they are going to “Career Day” in high school.  By the time they reach high school, their minds are focused on social skills and making sure they fit in.  They are not interested in what their futures can hold and are too busy planning the weekend’s events with friends.  If we started exposing our children in middle school to what they can achieve in the future, maybe they would be better prepared to pick a more suitable career when the time came. I got married at a young age and became complacent.  If you constantly challenge yourself with learning new things, you become a more fulfilled person.  Going back to school was a big decision. If kept in perspective, picking away at a career, one or two classes at a time, it can be done.  It’s never too late to try. 

I might add that if you wait until your 60 years old, you can go to any university for free.  Knowledge can be learned at any age; it is never too late to make your goals a reality. The knowledge I collected in those classes help me every day in my career.

If you like this blog please forward to your friends, post on Facebook, Twitter, My-space, Google reader or print copies and hand them out at your local mall!  ;D)

"Everyone's a genius,Sticks and stone may break my bones,Hippocratic oath, seems more of a hypocritical oath..." 'Obama the Dog' (Serious sundays) Blog # 353-355

 Welcome to 'Serious Sunday's,' similar to your Sunday newspaper being bigger and fuller than the rest of the week, Serious Sunday's acts in much the same giving you more for your buck with multiple posts every Sunday on dakinetalk! (Blogs #353-#354-#355)

Obama the dog is our guest blogger for the day, her dad James "Kimo" Rosen helped with this guest blog submission. Obama currently resides on the cosmic island of Kaua'i and enjoys following her master along side his bike and chasing chickens. She is also the best friend of the guy who publishes this blog.   Enjoy. Blog #353

The Internet has changed my life and my belief it has changed every-one's life that has Internet access...

We can look up symptoms of any ailment and try to self diagnose, we can find the origins and side effects of any pharmaceutical drug, we can find numerous alternative health care remedies for every disease under the sun.

We can read thousands of newspapers, talk about every TV show and ask our computer questions and actually get answers. Encyclopedia's are no longer needed since any subject can be looked up on Google or many other search engines.

The average person has access to unlimited medical issues, legal, issues, business issues ,and anything the mind can think of.

Teenage boys no longer need to buy magazines with naked pictures of woman and hide them under the bed or in between a Mad magazine or sports illustrated. There is unlimited free porn on the Internet, a teenage boy's dream cum (sic) true.

We can now talk computer to computer via web-cams on skype for free, just like in the old Jetson's cartoons, but a reality. We can witness news while it is happening and watch many meetings political and otherwise in real time via live streaming.

We can participate in weddings, funerals and holidays via live streaming and no need to travel thousands of miles to witness family celebrations and reunions.

Recipe books are no longer needed, we just type meatloaf into a search engine and there are literally ten's thousands of recipes.

Facebook, twitter, My-space, skype and blogging has made the world a different place. There is so much more than what I have mentioned but basically the computer and Internet age has made everyone a potential genius, a potential pervert and a potential loner, even a potential comedian with forwarded jokes from friends.

40 years ago when I was a senior in high school there were no microwave ovens, no VCR's, DVD's, answering machines, voicemail, computers, digital camera's, phones that are capable of everything, HD TV, devices that give directions such as Map-quest and GPS devices. I have only mentioned a few inventions of the top of my head that the world relies on.

What will be in the next 40 yearss...

"Sticks and stone may break my bones, but names will never hurt me, or will they?  Blog #354

Society dictates we can no longer say the "R" word, it is not politically correct. The 'N 'word has been taboo for years unless of course your black and you are given diplomatic immunity and can use the word. Black comedians use the 'N' word all the time, does this mean that people who are mentally challenged can use the 'R' word but the rest of us cannot?

What about the 'H' word that is used as often as kimchi on the Hawaiian islands, should we start to say 'H-word 'when referring to Haole?

Whether it's an 'F-bomb', the 'N' word, the 'R' word, the 'H' word it's all dakine, or should I say it's all 'D-word.'

All I can say is 'WTF,' and what ever happened to the old childhood wisdom of, "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me, or will they?

"Whatever ever happened to the Hippocratic oath, seems more of a hypocritical oath....   Blog #355 

 Dr. Rofgoff accepts, medicaid, medicare and cares for his patients...
Locating a doctor who takes public insurance proves difficult in isles." This was a recent article in the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110718__Locating_a_doctor_who_takes_public_insurance_proves_difficult_in_isles.html
According to this article half the state of Hawai'i is either on medicare or medicaid, "There are 204,491 Medicare beneficiaries in Hawaii and about 267,000 Medicaid recipients." With the state of Hawaii's total population approximately one million, that only leaves the other half to pay the rack rate per each doctor visit. It seems all most doctors care about is all the mighty dollar, whatever ever happened to the Hippocratic oath, seems more of a hypocritical oath.

We need a system of National insurance where every man woman and child is insured, similar to Canada's. It's time for our politicians to come to a decision that benefits all Americans when it regards health. It's ironic when prisoners of war and those incarcerated have better medical care than law abiding citizens.

Please remember to post 'dakinetalk' on your 'Facebook wall, 'Tweet' it, 'Google reader' it or forward to your friends if you enjoy this daily blog of dakine!

"Please be my friend..." James "Kimo" Rosen (Shabbat Saturday's)

Welcome back one of my favorite blogger, me! :D)  Shabbat Shalom, enjoy a day of rest...

They call themselves the Roving Rabbi's and are on Kaua'i for the next two weeks! They say enjoy the day of rest! Shalom or as Jews in Hawai'i say, "Shaloha."

Facebook has become an obsession of mine, I use Facebook primarily to promote my daily blog; http://www.dakinetalk.blogspot.com/  . I used to be cautious and knew all my friends personally on Facebook and could never figure how or why someone could have 600, 800, or even 2,000 or more friends.

In the right hand corner of every Facebook homepage, there is an icon of people you may know, it shows your current friends, friends of friends and their friends that may be friends with others. (Got that?) All you need to do is click on these rotating names and ask them to be your friend. I literally have hundreds of names since everyone one of your friends has friends, so all their friends are potential friends, it's a giant pyramid of potential people to call friends,

I now have 40 new friend in less than twenty four hours and don't know one of them personally, however I am hoping for a few of them to start clicking on http://www.dakinetalk.com/  . Not only may the  blog get more hits, but I now have bragging rights to say I have close to 300 friends, although I don't know most of them. Sometimes your best friends may be people you never met, this way there are no fights, animosities or drama, Facebook really isn't so bad after-all, or is it?  Will you be my friend, please!?

Please share this blog on your favorite social networking site, and don't forget to friend me on your Facebook page, follow me on twitter, or just a friendly tweet to say 'Shaloha....'

"Laughter and Tears..." 'Michael A. Herr' (Aloha Friday-4)

My favorite fiction writer Michael Herr is back as our guest blogger for this Aloha Friday. Michael's blog's seem to get better each week and dis (sic) week is no exception. If you enjoy reading entertaining and exciting fiction check out Michael's website at: http://www.michaelherr.com/    

"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone." An old English proverb, fleshed out more completely by Ella Wheeler Wilcox in her poem "Solitude".

There is so much truth in Wilcox's poem. When we are happy, when times are good, everyone is our friend, and everyone wants to share in our happiness. But when we are sad, when times are bad, friends seem hard to come by.

And yet both emotions are beneficial to us. For example, laughter has healing powers. Some people, and I am one of them, believe that the very act of laughing can help cure disease. Laughter, really hearty laughter, does so much for a person both physically and mentally. It relaxes you, it boosts your immune system, it triggers the release of endorphins (the body's natural feel-good chemicals), and it increases blood flow which helps protect your heart. If you are stressed, a good bout of laughter relieves your tension and your stress leaving you relaxed long after the laughter has subsided.

Besides the physical and mental benefits of laughter there are social benefits. Shared laughter attracts others to us, strengthens our relationships with them and helps us to bond with those others. Laughter defuses tense situations and reduces conflict. I've often thought that perhaps all soldiers should be issued Groucho Marx masks to wear into combat. Fighting might be reduced to the use of pillows and pies.

But what about crying? Are tears so bad? Which is worse, crying because of something terrible that has happened to you, or holding in those tears, smothering the suffering that you feel?

"Big boys don't cry." Many men have heard that so often while growing up that they have completely submerged their emotions. As a result they can no longer cry— nor can they rejoice. Because tears often come along with happiness too. How many people have cried upon the birth of a child? Cried with joy and wonder. At weddings people cry, both from sorrow at losing a child, and from joy at seeing two people joined in marriage.

So many people have cried upon the death of a loved one. And their tears were from sorrow, but sometimes also from relief that their loved one's sufferings were over.

To laugh. To cry. To do both is to be human. To do both is to open yourself to Life. To do neither is to shut yourself away, to reject Life.

So whatever comes your way today, be it laughter or tears, embrace it and embrace Life.
Mahalo.                                               http://www.michaelherr.com/



" A Bit of Political Humor..." 'Chester Lau' (Facetious Thursdays)

Chester Lau, a.k.a (Unc) lives in Honolulu Hawaii. He is a retired cinematographer and is back as our liaison jokester guest blogger for another 'Facetious Thursday'

One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you , I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you , I'm doing community service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop. The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I can not accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The Congressman was very happy and left the shop.

The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of this country and the politicians who run it...

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"True Love..." 'Harmony' "Harmonic Wednesday's"

It's 'Harmonic Wednesdays' once again with guest blogger Harmony from the foothills of Kapolei on the west side of the island of Oahu.

Harmony's crayon art representing, 'Holly the Collie.'

copyright all rights reserved.

This is a story about a dog who taught me the true meaning of love. This happened when I was a little girl, although we didn't have a dog then because both my parents worked and didn't think it was fair to the dog to leave it home alone all day. They didn't want a latch key dog. My parents wanted a dog almost as much as I did, and the good news was that although we couldn't have a dog of our own, we were able to borrow our neighbors’ dog.

They had a dog named Holly. She was called that because she popped up out of a box when they unwrapped her on Christmas morning. She was a collie. So, that made her Holly, the Collie, and she was as big and beautiful as Lassie! So, we became her second family; her hanai family (which in Hawaii means an unofficial adoption). Sometimes she visited us by herself, and other times she dragged her original family along. We had all the fun of having a pet without the responsibility except when they went on vacation, and then we took care of her.

We did things together. One time we took her to visit my dad in the hospital. Of course, Holly had to remain in the parking lot, but my dad waved to her from the window. “Hi, Holly,” he shouted. He could see her, but I don’t think she could see him from the tenth floor!

Another time, Holly was visiting, and I was making cookies. I thought it would be a special treat to let Holly taste the batter. She seemed to like it. Later that evening, Holly’s real owner, a girl about my age named Mindy was over as I was serving the cookies. I said to her, “Guess what, Mindy! When I was making the cookies, I let Holly taste the batter!”

“How did you give it to her?”

“I let her lick the spoon.”

“And what did you do with the spoon after?”

“Uhhh, I stuck it back in the bowl.”

“Ooh, Ooh!!! Dog spit cookies! Oooh!!!”

Needless to say, no one would eat my cookies, but that was OK. More for me and Holly!

It was because of this incident that I learned Holly liked sweets, or certainly, that I enjoyed sharing them with her. There was another occasion when someone in my family had celebrated a birthday, and there was one slice of cake left over. I planned to have this piece for myself. I took it out of the frig, and it looked scrumptious! It was white, vanilla cake with pink, peppermint icing adorned with red roses created out of frosting. It looked too good to eat, but I planned to eat it anyway! I could smell the sweetness, and my mouth was watering. I envisioned myself tasting it and feeling the texture of the cake in my mouth. Then, I imagined it melting and mixing with the creamy icing. I fancied what it would feel like to swirl this sweet substance around with my tongue. I was practically drooling!

But then I saw Holly looking at me with those puppy dog eyes. “Woof, Woof!”, and I knew right then that I was going to give her that last slice of cake! So, I let her have it, and she was in doggie heaven! I had no regret over giving it to her although I had been savoring the idea of tasting it myself. As a matter of fact, I felt nothing but joy as I watched her gobble it up! And that was when I realized the meaning of true love. True love is when somebody else’s pleasure brings you greater happiness than your own, and that is what Holly taught me. That happened many years ago, and Holly, the Collie, is long gone, but her memory lives on as sweet as that last slice of cake!
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"Magic Afoot flies above..." 'Susana Summers' (Cosmic Tuesdays)

You may ask, WHO? Guest blogger Susana Summers is back for another cosmic journey in her life, we are now calling Tuesday's, "Cosmic Tuesday's." Ms. Summers currently lives on the stupendous island of Maui. She resides A 'Shackteau'(sic) within a mango forest, bathes in waterfalls and although no 'Oprah' is constantly entertained by the drama of the forests inhabitant's, seen and unseen..

This is the actual photo of the owl in the blog. Photo by Susana Summers

I went for a walk this evening under the full moon. i do most every evening for you see my cat thinks shes a dog and requests walks morning and evening. especially when the moon is full. the cloud patterns were breathtaking and mesmerizing, a mixture of the stationary ripply kind of clouds that i learned their name as a child yet forget now, and the usual big puffy trade wind clouds, with the full moon in the picture. wow!

The winds were very strong this evening, not appealing for a little cat with past life memories of being Mary Poppins, so looking out for her best interests, i offered a different route through the wind protected mango forest beside. she asked to be carried and together we entered the majestic mango forest. on our way we heard a rustle in the bushes, loud enough to be a large feral cat or even a small dog.

She squirmed to jump out of my arms but i held tight, her protectress (sic) i am. i shone the light of the flashlight toward where the noise came from. i still couldn't make out what it was and it continued its rustling in the bushes, when all of a sudden it spread its wings, and the white owl took flight off through the trees and into the night.

Dakinetalk is  currently looking for guest bloggers. Everyone has a story, we want to hear yours..! Send your guest blog submission of 200-500 words give or take to; jrsensei@hotmail.com 

"Hot Flashes..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspirational Monday's)

Inspiration Mondays are back with guest blogger Judy Whitehead, this blog is about something I will never experience but know that many woman reading this will empathise with Judy.  Enjoy.

The M word… no, not marriage…we have all heard it spoken so loosely but never has it taken on such meaning as it does at this very time in my life. I have looked ahead to this day that someday I would join the ranks of “older women” and their problems, but this term has taken on new meaning since it has landed close to home. Of course 55 is the new 45, and I am trying to convince myself of that these days, when these strange feelings overtake me during the day. I have always been a “warm feeling” person, never over dressing for the winter and waiting until at least February to pull out the winter coat. As it looks now, I will never have to put on a winter coat again in Buffalo. I have enough heat coursing through my body to warm an entire room at times.

Being able to juggle 10 things in my mind at once has been my strong-point through my entire life. I now seem to be able to juggle only 5 things at a time and hope I don’t forget anything along the way. How could a simple word like “hormone” cause such havoc on a persons’ being.

I am convinced that no one can empathize with you unless they too have started this stage in their life. When asking a professional how long these “symptoms” can last…I was given a very vague answer. There seems to be no time frame to this part of a woman’s life. These symptoms can last months to years; not exactly what I wanted to hear.

The 50’s have brought many positive things into my life; among them are wisdom and experience and now “hot flashes” or the “vapors” as referred to in the past, will be added to the list. I suppose I will have to endure as there is no other choice; I hope other family members will “endure” along with me as they don’t have much choice either.

And so, I will start another chapter of my life that I am sure will pass quickly also; one can only hope. I will look forward to the chapters about to start in the future, and save money on winter clothing this coming season as I will certainly not need as many of them.

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"Politicians need to feel the agony..." 'Obama the Dog' (Serious Sunday's)

'Obama' the dog is today's guest blogger. Although she is named after the President, does not support his every move. Obama the dog can be seen every Wednesday at the Kapa'a Farmer's market with her best friend, James "Kimo" Rosen

Welcome to "Serious Sunday's." Sunday's will now be the day for serious matters pertaining to current events, our lives and anything of a serious nature.  Send your Serious guest blog submissions to; jrsensei@hotmail.com   Attention Publisher.

Washington is crying Budgets cuts, the state is crying budget cuts, the county is crying budget cuts.

Politicians from Washington down to the state, to your city and county council's need to feel the pain, need to know what's happening in the 'real world.'

May I propose that every single politician from the President down to local council look in the mirror and realize that one must lead by example and what better example than giving every politician a pay cut! Let them feel the pain, only when they feel the pain of no health insurance,feeling hungry, not being able to go out to dinner or work out in a fancy gym, fly first class or do the things they once took for granted.

Politicians need to feel the agony of budget cuts in their own lives before any real solutions can be tried for the worst recession in U.S. history.

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"Was There a Jesus..?" 'Davis Danizier' (Shabbat Saturday's)

Guest blogger Davis D. “3D” Danizier began life as a political and religious conservative, even entering into formal Seminary studies. Gradually, he became troubled by inconsistencies in factual assertions and values in both political and religious conservatism and, after deeply traumatic soul searching, reversed course in both areas. After retiring from a career in commercial property and casualty insurance, Dave has had the free time and flexibility to share with others some of the thoughts that led to his life-altering epiphanies. His book “Betrayal of Jesus” presents unorthodox (believers might say heretical) perspectives on the Christian mythology. Dave currently resides in Oceanside, California. Welcome "3-D" for our all new "Shabbat Saturday's."

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.

The historical reality of Jesus — if such a person actually existed — is lost to history. There is no definite evidence that any real person such as Jesus of Nazareth ever actually existed. Jesus is reported to have taught much, yet wrote nothing. All we have of his words are the writings of those who put stylus to tablet long after his death, in an age when memories were rarely supported by written documentation, and not aided at all by photographs or videos. The earliest records of Jesus’ teachings were written decades after his death and, except for Matthew, by those who had no personal acquaintance with him, and all originals of such writings are long gone.

For all the mystery, the three great world religions that trace their origins to the invisible Middle-eastern sky god of Abraham — the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims — all have special ties to this figure. The Jews can claim him as their own: Jesus ben Joseph was a nomadic, wandering Jewish rabbi who insisted on absolute fidelity to the Law of Moses (Matt 5:17-19) notwithstanding that his lip service followers today dismiss the Hebraic Law, and Jesus is never reported to have claimed to be anything else. The Christians, of course, claim him as their Founder, though he never claimed to teach anything other than Judaism and, no matter how much the teachings of modern “Christianity” completely oppose Jesus’ actual message, they do give lip service to worshipping him as the son of god. The Muslims ridicule the Christians for having killed their “messiah,” accept Jesus as a “messiah” even though they define the term quite differently, and hold Jesus up, along with Abraham, Ishmael, Moses and Muhammad, as the greatest of the divine messengers, claiming that they reflect Jesus’ message more accurately, though they really do no better than the Christians.

Still, it remains that there is no direct evidence, no original teaching from Jesus himself, nothing to prove definitively the existence of this elusive figure. Yet someone taught something remarkable and, whoever it was, we can call that “Jesus.” And there was a betrayal. But the real betrayal is not by Judas in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. The real betrayal was perpetrated by those who came long after Jesus and, in his name, transformed his simple, loving, joyful message into one of violence, greed, domination and conquest — a caricature of all he stood for that contradicts his message and which he would have found unrecognizable. And the betrayers have taken as their profits far more in wealth, land, kingdoms and power than a mere 30 pieces of silver.

The story of who Jesus was, what he taught and why it is so completely unrecognizable in the teachings of the churches that call themselves “Christian” is the real betrayal of Jesus. I have addressed it in my web page at:

http://danizier.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/betrayal-of-jesus/

But beyond the mystery as to whether or not Jesus could have actually been a real person, and even beyond the doctrines and dogmas of the Abrahamic sky-god religions that have reasons to claim him, the question is not only as to whether this figure was the SON of god, but...

Go to 3-D's last dakinetalk blog to learn more at; http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2011/07/is-there-g-d-or-santa-claus-davis.html

Dakinetalk now features; Inspirational Monday's, Cosmic Tuesday's Harmonic Wednesday's Facetious Thursday's Aloha Friday's Shabbat Saturday's Serious Sunday's... Please tell your friends!