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Thursday, March 30, 2017

"Adam and Eve or Monkeys..? 'Robert Bitos Gandia' (Comedy relief)

Guest-blogger,Robert Bitos Gandia is back!
.Robert is an avid cook (ono gandule rice) and always laughing!!
Robert lives in Kekaha on Kauai's west-side and loves football!!
Bitos is an avid Cheeseburger connoisseur!

Adam and Eve or Monkeys


"A little girl asked her father: “Where did the human race come from?”The father answered, ‘God made Adam and Eve; they had children; and so was all mankind made.’

A couple of days later the little girl asked her mother the same question.

The mother answered, ‘Many years ago there were some monkeys from which the human race evolved.’


The confused girl returned to her father and said, ‘Dad, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Mom said we evolved from monkeys?’

The father answered, ‘Well, Dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family, and your mother told you about hers.’”





Hana Hou, (Encore) 






Tuesday, March 28, 2017

"Modus operandi must be changed..." 'Glenn Mickens' (Kauai county watchdog)

Glenn Mickens has lived on Kauai  with his wife Ruth for the last 26 years. Born July 26, 1930 in Wilmar, California, USA) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in four games (two of which were starts) for the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. He also played for five years in Japan, from 1959 until 1963 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. There, he compiled a record of 45–53 with a 2.54 ERA.  Glenn also  served in the Army for 2 years and coached baseball at UCLA for 25 years. 
Last but not least Glenn would really like to see Kaua'i give the county manager style of Government a chance.
Above photo of Glenn Mickens courtesy of Kauai Garden island news, used with permission...



Modus operandi must be changed

Mr. Mickens is locally known
as one of Kauai county's
political watchdogs
and Nitpickers...
Mahalos Glenn!
                 

Kaua'i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. is proposing a $218 million budget ($204M operating and $14M CIP) next year which, as TGI reported would be the highest in a decade. the lowest budget was recorded on 2010-11 at $147 M so in 7 years we have seen about a $7M a year increase in our taxes. And, what major improvements have the citizens seen for these increases---none, absolutely none.
Kauai Mayor Carvalho
prepares a 218 million
dollar budget


Our roads (300 miles of them) are in horrendous shape. the County is taking in about $17 million a year from gas, vehicle registration, vehicle weight and utility taxes that is supposed to go for our roads repaving and maintenance.

And yet, we are spending about $1.2 M a year of that money for our roads--about 7%. And rather than finding out where the bulk of that $17M is going, the Administration suggests that we have the right to add a 1/2% excise to find more money--MORE TAXES!!

One major road in the homesteads, Olohena Road, about 5 miles long and used by thousands of people daily is in horrendous shape. I believe that it isn't on the list of paving until 2018 but for the shape it is in it will be practically undriveable by then! Parts of it have not been repaved for over 20 years and the tax payers who live on that road certainly deserve better than that. 

And, for political reasons we have repaved roads that do not need it and repave a road (Kealia) costing us $280 thousand for a private development by Spaldiing Monument that never happened. Why are we not using Charter sec 3.17 to find out what is happening?
Mel Rapozo
Kauai County Council Chair


As Chair Rapozo has said, before overburdening our citizens with more and more taxes, let's find the waste in our system and correct it before burying our tax payers more and more.

And, in his budget for 17-18 the Mayor does not even mention the biggest problem on Kauai--TRAFFIC! We spend huge bucks on consultants and planners to tell those in power what they want to hear---add bike lanes, more buses, sidewalks, and shuttles to cure our traffic problems---a solution that is a huge myth. 

One major fact that the above so called traffic cures are a myth is that the mass (not a small minority) of the people including all council members will never abandon their vehicles. For work, for necessity, for shopping or simply for convenience THEY WILL USE THAT VEHICLE.  The pilot program that was done with 1500 county employees getting free bus rides to take vehicles off the roads was a complete failure--only 50 people or 3% used this "gift". Just as the shuttle on the North Shore was a failure---people will not abandon their vehicles. 


And, who is mandating that bike lanes be put along all our roads? When was any pilot project ever done to actually see what usage these bike lanes will have to lessen traffic? Isn't that what pilot projects are for?  One can drive for a month parallel to the bike lanes and never see a biker on them or if one is there it is for recreation and not transportation. Also these bike lanes are counter productive to traffic flow since they narrow our driving lanes--ask Ray McCormick.

A careful look at the bike lanes by the Kukui Grove shopping area will show a disaster waiting to happen. There is a 3' stripped lane next to the curb (have no idea what it is for) and then a stripped off, 6' bike lane with vehicles being able to cross it on off ramps--I have seen vehicles even driving on them.




We must have leadership that stops ready, fire aiming. Leadership that looks into the future growth of Kauai and plans for it. Our General Plan updates have been a joke as problems continue to  worsen by the day. We desperately need alternate routes like Sen Billy Fernandez once suggested 50 years ago but was ignored. We need added lanes to our roads which the contra flow proves will work. And yes that is the state but we seriously need to coordinate all we do with roads and highways and stop pointing the finger at each other. 

And finally, we need a moratorium on any further major projects until the infrastructure is first put in place to handle the added impact. 


P.S.
Check out Glenn's Wikipedia page;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Mickens

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---Blogger-n-chief, dakinetalk blog---



Kapa'a Sunrise from Kimo Rosen's Lanai
i-Phone photo by James "Kimo Rosen

Hana Hou, (Encore) 





Monday, March 27, 2017

"I'm a Costco Junkie..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #177)

James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired professional photographer
 and amongst other things lived in a tent outdoors for 7 years.
Rosen currently resides on the tropical island of Kaua'i
with his best friend and spiritual adviser Ivanka Da Dog!
Check out my new Costco hat!
Editors note;
Many Costco employees ask how I got a Costco hat?
I lucked out. One day I asked a manager
how I could get a hat, he said  see me when you check
out today. The rest is history. Many employees are jealous
because they ran out of hats and they don't even have hats
as of this writing! ;-)



Kimo's world's #177~Blog #1916-

Another editors note, 
I am trying to write about something besides politics, 
like the good ole days of dakinetalk. The problem is, every time I do, I do not get  as many views as when I write about Donald Trump? Let's see what happens?   I only put Trumps name in the sentence so this blog will now show up in a Google search with Trump!   Sneaky me!  ;-)


I'm a Costco Junkie 

Eric Briksa enjoying a hot-dog
and drink back in 2006,
the first year Costco Kaua'i opened.
The price remains the same, $1.50


 Every Monday for the last 10 year since  since Costco has opened on The Garden Isle I have gone to Costco as long as they were open or I wasn't sick.  

 I used to drive it, it  was the only place I drove my car. It's funny-- when I eventually sold my car one of the selling points was this old 61 year old guy only drives it to Costco on Mondays. Like the old used car sales pitch of the old lady only drove it to church on Sunday.
My old car, the only place
I ever drove it to was Costco

Fast forward to the latter days. I now take the Kaua'i Para transit public bus every Monday.
It picks me up at home and drops me off right in front of the front doors of Costco, then picks me up 3 hours later.   I eat lunch, talk story with people and shop. It's my Monday ritual.


I start out at the out door cafe where Ivanka and myself  eat lunch with the traditional and famous $1.50 hot-dog and drink. The price hasn't changed in  over 20 years. Costco sells them at a loss as a customer service to members.  If you price the hot dogs,  buns condiments, paper products, the price of the drink and paper cup, it far exceeds $1.50.

They know me at the outdoor cafe, I always order my bun cold, not steamed and ask them to please shake the hot-dog before placing it in the bun, so no excess water gets in the bun and sogs the bun and dog. Most of the dogs are pre-made and are sitting 5-15 minutes and unless you ask them to make your dog special, your buns will be soggy. Don't know why Costco wastes their money steaming the buns, makes them soggy. 
Serge, Sila, Ivanka
and Kimo enjoy
some fellowship and
 grindz at Costco!

 I work my way to the rear of the store and the  rotisserie chicken station, only $4.99 for chickens the size of small turkeys.  Costco sells these at a loss and always has the chickens at the rear of the store. It's an advertising ploy. Instead of advertising on TV or in Magazines, they absorb the loss on chickens and it gets everyone to walk to the rear of the store while passing tons of merchandise, brilliant marketing.


 The folks handing out samples all know me on a first name basis and do not mind if I take seconds or thirds. Many times I have purchased what they are sampling. Shrimp Tempura, Fish sticks,Prime rib, chili, hummus, Smoked salmon, etc. For some reason the samples always taste better at Costco?  I tease them and ask them if they add some sort of addicting drug or chemical to the store samples since they never taste as good at home? They all give me a courtesy laugh in hopes I buy what they're sampling since they make additional commission on every item they are sampling.

Last week I decided to buy a sound bar after researching the Yamaha 1050 sound-bar I had seen the previous week. The sound on my TV sounded  like it was coming out of 2 tin cans.
The sound-bar was on sale for $119.97.  Great deal!
Best deal I ever purchase at Costco!
Did I mention,
I Love Costco!

I got home checked it on on Amazon and it was selling for $139.00 and those were reconditioned ones!
(link enclosed below) Amazon had great reviews with the clear sound feature, built in woofers, wireless blue tooth, etc. I was just hoping Costco would still have them in stock on my next Monday's sojourn.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GG16DTS/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER Something all my fellow Costco junkies need to know that a manager there once told me;  when something ends with .97, 1.97, 9.97, 21.97, 119.97, it means Costco is discounting it.  Most their prices  end in .99. When something  ends in.97 grab it!


I go to Costco and they still have the sound-bar to my delight. I purchase it. I get home and I wasn't looking forward to connecting it because I am not a techie, however one wire from the TV to the sound bar, a small audio cable , that's it. Then it says it can play music from Pandora on my iPhone to the sound bar!   OK where's the wire for that? No wire? I read the directions. Click on Blue tooth on your smart phone and it wirelessly reads your Blue tooth  model, then you just click blue tooth on the remote, go to Pandora or iTunes and you have the most amazing stereo!  Unreal. Best deal ever.    These sound-bars retail for $260.00-300.00 brand new.

Sorry folks, story not over.   I go back to Costco the following week and as I am walking through the electronic section I see the sound-bar is now selling for $80.00, a manager once told me when merchandise sold at Costco ends in .00, double zero, buy it. It's a bargain-- one time only closeout. However I missed out because I paid a higher discounted price the previous week. I got a great deal the previous week but still wish I had waited one additional week.
My personal pet peeve finally solved!
After eight years of asking for roped
off lines at the food court, Costco
does one better! They paint
yellow lines on the concrete floor
so you no longer have to wait in separate
lines, but proceed to the next available
order taker!  Mahalo to the Costco Gods!

I proceed to the membership and they say If I can produce my receipt  they would refund my balance. I don't have my receipt. They say if they still have the item in stock next week when I return with a receipt on my weekly sojourn  they could refund my balance.  I knew it would be too late.  So, after I finish shopping I flag down one of the managers I know and ask her I can get a cash return balance on the sound-bar without my receipt?  Can't you look it up on the computer by using my Costco card? She grabs my card and proceeds to look things up. She says "Kimo, you sure it's on closeout, my computer still says $119.97," I say  pretty sure? She then gets on the store intercom system and calls to the electronics department for a price check, and sure enough my sound-bar was on closeout for $80.00. She said "Kimo, your right!  I just smirked! She proceeded to give me $41.60 back,  as I continued smirking so more!   ;-)
That's my sound-bar set up
on the left. My recliner is directly
in front, perfect position! My
Roku is on the bottom
left of the TV in case your
interested. This was the TV
that was broke and brought
back from the dead. Now it's got
awesome surround sound
 and the once dead smart TV
is smart again with ROKU!

How many stores would do what Costco did?  If I went to the grocery store and bought a jar of peanut butter for $5.97 and the next week it was on sale for $2.00 would the grocery store give me $3.97 back?   I don't think so. This is one of the many reasons I love Costco and admit to being a Costco junkie.

For those who still drive the savings on the gas alone will pay for your yearly membership before ever stepping foot in the store. 

Costco is like a cult. Wherever I live there must be a Costco!

The beauty of Costco in Hawaii, most prices are the same as mainland prices whereas everywhere else on the islands prices are 50% and sometimes higher than mainland prices. Costco prices are cheap to begin with, living on a rock in the middle of the Pacific makes Costco the ultimate bargain! 

If you are like me and consider yourselves a Costco junkie;
Repeat after me, My name is, _____________ and I'm a Costco junkie! 

Hail to Costco!

Epilogue;


As President Trump might say, (To be said with a NY Trump accent) Costco prices are terrific, merchandise sells for a fraction of the price of anywhere else. There are deals for everybody, everyone with a membership will be winning and I mean winning like you've never seen.There will be so much winning that heads will spin. Heads will spin so far that you wont know how great a deal you really got until you get home. Believe me Costco will give you everything I mean everything.


P.S.
Check further dakinetalk reading on Costco;
1-A letter to the Costco Connection Magazine 
(This was resolved with painted lines, photo above)
2-Murder at Costco- submitted by my dear friend the late Debbie Eayrs
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2013/05/murder-at-costco-debbie-eayrs-source.html
3-Costco farm and Gardens
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2013/02/costco-farm-and-gardens-james-kimo-rosen.html
4-My last trip to Costco..." Obama da Dog (Source)
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-last-trip-to-costco-obama-da-dog.html
5-Gourmet meals for less than $5.00
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2012/06/gourmet-meals-for-less-than-500-obama.html
6-The news not reported in the paper..."Costco Fire..."
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2011/02/news-not-reported-in-papercostco-fire.html
7-At Costco, eat like a king on a budget
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/at-costco-eat-like-king-on-budget.html
8-Happy dumpster diving my friends
 (The one thing I miss about driving is still finding all these treasures, oh well!)
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-dumpster-diving-my-friends-james.html
                                         
Hana Hou, Encore!








Friday, March 24, 2017

"A new TV is a new adventure these days..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Friday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York
( A suburb of Buffalo, N.Y.)
 and has worked in the ophthalmology
 field of medicine for nearly 40 years

A new TV is a new adventure these days

Actually Judith and her husband had a TV
Like this, as many of us did!

A new TV is a new adventure these days
I can remember back when my husband and I were first married; in the 1970's money was tight and we felt lucky to be able to purchase a black and white TV.
 

We enjoyed it for several years until our first son was born in 1981. We decided to splurge and get a color TV for him to watch Sesame Street on.  We had to rise from the couch each time we wanted to change the channel and we kept that TV so long that we wore out the rubber lining on the channel button.  
When I think back on how simple TV watching was then I am amazed.  We had our basic 3 Channels and  PBS with a few others to pick from.  Last week we decided to splurge again and get a "Smart" TV.

No longer did we bring the TV home and just plug it in; we needed an installer to come and explain how the "smart" thing worked.  Guess we weren't smart enough to figure it out.  After a hour of fooling around with it, we were instructed how to use it and how to get the most out of it.  I can now click on my phone to watch movies and etc.


  It is quite amazing I must say.  The picture appears to be part of our room and I can actually see the pours on peoples faces.  Maybe it is too clear at times!  Technology, gotta love it... 



Hana Hou, (Encore)




Wednesday, March 22, 2017

"21 Life Lessons For An Awesome Retirement..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source)

Dakinetalk's favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)
Unc's really passionate about creating
 a National day To Help US Veterans
  and  their families for their risks
 and sacrifices to keep America FREE . 
'Unc' currently resides on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu. 
He is a retired cinematographer,
 and  enjoys giving the politicians a bad time...

 21 Life Lessons For An Awesome Retirement


 To All Uncle C's Mafia :-)
 Awesome retirement Lessons for seniors and will be seniors
Life is fragile and may be terminated any minute for any one!! --
Presidents , Popes ,Rabbis or Mullahs are NOT EXEMPTED !!!
From the Wise Old Owl : 

   Some of us have reached our golden years, and some of us have not. But these suggestions should be read by everyone. They have been collected from many a senior, each with his or her own piece of advice. Some you may know, some may surprise you, and some will remind you of what's important. So read well, share with your loved ones, and have a great day and a great life !


1. It's time to use the money you saved up.
Use it and enjoy it. Don't just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for an investment, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries and this is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.

2. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren. 
Don't feel bad for spending your money on yourself. You've taken care of them for many years and you've taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter, and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.

3. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort.
Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well, and get your sleep. It's easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor and get tested even when you're feeling well. Stay informed.


4. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other.
The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day, one of you will miss the other, when money will not provide any comfort. So, enjoy it together.

5. Don't stress over the little things.
You've already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don't let the past drag you down and don't let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.

6. Regardless of age, always keep love alive.
Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor, and remember: "A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection."

7. Be proud, both inside and out.
Don't stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.

8. Don't lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your sense of style.
There's nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You've developed your own sense of what looks good on you - keep it and be proud of it. It's part of who you are.


9. ALWAYS stay up-to-date.
Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to sign up to a couple of social networks. You'll be surprised which old friends you may meet. Keeping in touch with what is going on and with the people you know, is important at any age.
10. Respect the younger generation and their opinions.

They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them of yesterday's wisdom that still applies today.
                                                                                                11. Never use the phrase: "In my time". Your time is now.
As long as you're alive, you are a part of this time. Have fun and enjoy life. 

12. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly.
Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it'll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around. 

13. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren.
Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you've lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone.


14. Don't abandon your hobbies.
If you don't have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint, volunteer at an NGO or just collect certain items. Find something you like and spend some real time having fun with it.
15. Even if you don't feel like it, try to accept invitations.Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings, conferences. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven't seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). But don't get upset when you're not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and not everyone can be hosted. The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there.
                                                                                                16. Be a conversationalist. Talk less and listen more.
Some people go on and on about the past, not caring if their listeners are really interested. That's a great way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen first and answer questions, but don't go off into long stories unless asked to. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Everyone is going through the same things, and people have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always find some good things to say as well.

17. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older.
Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the cycle of life we're all going through. Try to minimize them in your mind. They are not who you are, they are something that life has added to you. If they become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person you used to be.

18. If you've been offended by someone, forgive them. If you've offended someone, apologize.
Don't drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn't matter who was right. Someone once said: "Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die." Don't take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.

19. If you have a strong belief, savor it.
The key is not to waste your time trying to convince others. They will make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and it will only bring you frustration. Live your faith and set an example. Live true to your beliefs and let that memory sway them.


20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything.
Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You've managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. So what's not to laugh about? Find the humor in your situation.
                                                                                              21. Take no notice of what others say about you and even less notice of what they might be thinking.
They'll do it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and what you've achieved. Let them talk and don't worry. They have no idea about your history, your memories and the life you've lived so far. There's still much to be written, so get busy writing and don't waste time thinking about what others might think. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be !

AND REMEMBER: "Life is too short to drink bad wine."

Newspaper Report : Billionaire developer in China donates all to charity, leaving offspring nothing .....

“If my children are competent, they don’t need my money. If they’re not, leaving them a lot of money is only doing them harm.”
                            
 From :Unc C ==
Remember,
If you haven't got a smile on your face
And laughter in your heart,     
Then you are just an old sour puss
Ha ha ha,
L'oncle Ammusant  AKA~ Chester "Unc" Lau




 Hana Hou, (Encore)