"Why do we need a county council..?"

Banning the thin plastic bags with handles in favor of paper makes no sense. Stores have told me they will be going back to paper. Paper bags are made from trees, so now we are going back to destroying trees? This all commences on January 11Th 2011.

This law was initiated as a green bill, how about walking and riding a bike in lieu of your big SUVs/

Everyone I knows recycles those bags numerous times, for harvesting, they hang well off of handlebars when biking with groceries.

People need to be educated on the many uses of recycling the plastic bags.

There are many more harmful things to the environment than plastic bags, what about all the fast food containers and wrappers.Has anyone ever bought a salad at Costco? Those containers can be re-used hundreds of times and are disposed of after one salad.

If our council wants a greener environment try riding a bike or taking the bus to your next scheduled meeting where they make in access of $1000 for sitting on their behinds & thinking they make a difference.

The only ones benefiting from this ban are the companies that sell the heavier plastic garbage bags that are even more polluting, since we will need to buy them.

Why do we even need a county council?Why can't the people vote on what's needed instead of 7 people who won a popularity contest?

"How to shop in a recessed economy..."

Hawaii has some of the most outrageous grocery prices in the country. One loaf of white bread can run five dollars or more, a half gallon of ice cream can run $9.00 and imagine paying $7.50 for a small package of 8 Oscar Meyer wieners.

Here's what I do, I visit at least one local grocery store everyday and search for red tag items, items that are almost ready to expire.

I have bought, cream cheese for fifty cents, yogurts for fifteen cents, Kosher Hebrew national hot dogs package of 8 for one dollar, pies, breads, Pillsbury biscuits, bricks of cheese, salad dressings, salsa, almost any item you can think of from fresh baked goods to national canned products. I have bought almost everything at one time or another for one dollar or less.

Plan your meals around around red tag prices, freeze foods when you see them on sale and save for a later time. I can walk out of the local grocery with three bags of groceries for under ten dollars, the savings is tenfold if not more. The savings are remarkable and I always feel proud of getting such great deals. It's a game for me, I will by items I have never tasted if they are red tagged and have found many new likes and dislikes. Call it a game, call it a sickness or just call it survival in a recessed economy.

Gasoline, that's another story with gas prices in Hawaii at close to $4.00 a gallon I ride a bike...

"Living in a bubble.."

The thing President Obama dislikes most about being president is the fact he has no personal space or privacy.

Every-time he goes for a walk there are secret service people all around him, if he walks in a residential neighborhood they block off the neighborhood.

Imagine not being able to take  a quiet walk on the beach with your wife, girlfriend or dog without a major entourage and making sure the beach is blocked from the normal activities.

The president when asked what he misses most about civilian life, he answered, "just being able to take a walk in open space."

In contrast a familiarity to many of us living in a small town atmosphere. Every-time we go to the supermarket, post office or take a leisurely stroll we run into people we know and the common courtesy is to make small talk and talk story. Many times we just want to be anonymous but can't. I totally understand the presidents dilemma, however living in a bubble sounds better than running into acquaintances who just don't shut up!

"A pill for everything and for everything there is a pill...."‏

There is a pill for everything and for everything there is a pill. There is now a pill you add to your pill for depression to make less depression. There are type one narcotics for pain management, there are pills to make men aroused,there's pills for restless leg syndrome and so many pills for any ailment the brain can think of.

Every-time i go to my doctor he prescribes another pill. I am currently on twelve different meds and told my doctor I am hoping to reduce my pharmaceutical intake. Without a blink my doctor said I can prescribe a pill for that.

"Hau'oli la hanau- Happy New year..!"

New years day I received an email from Facebook titled 'Birthday calendar.' It tells you all your friends who have birthdays in the coming week. In bold print it says, "Nathan Eagle is 109 years old today!" I know Nathan, he is a young man maybe late twenties early thirties and for those who do not know Nathan he is the editor "n" chief of TGI. (The Garden Island newspaper)

This was obviously a misprint, and should had read The Garden Island Newspaper turned 109 years old January 1,2011!

Happy Birthday Garden island newspaper and Mr Eagle please give us your secret on reaching 109 with such a youthful appearance in such a stressful job. May you keep publishing another 109 years and beyond, Hau'oli la hanau.

"Where news was news and being a professional had it's merits..."‏

Anybody can be a writer or photographer and have their own daily periodically for free. Blogs, where you write whatever is on your mind, somewhat like a personal diary that you share with the world.

Daily newspapers, writers and professional photographers have lost millions in the last 10 years since the digital world has become mainstream.

Twenty years ago rumor had it that someday you would be able to push a button on your computer and send a photo instantaneously anywhere in the world. Digital camera's, even the small amateur type that fit in your shirt pocket are capable of taking photos of such great quality that they can be reproduced in many national publications.

People believe what they read in print, they don't check to see if the person doing the reporting is legitimate, maybe the person just has a jazzy website with a blog, but it's in print and people believe it as newsworthy.

I remember the days when being a professional reporter or professional photographer belonged to an elite class. All you need now is a computer and a cheap digital camera and your in business.

The situation is similar to sports among the youth where everyone gets a trophy, because no one child should feel bad. Many schools play sports games and do not keep score as to not make the loser feel bad, G-d forbid we call a loser a loser.

Technology is great, but sometimes I long for the days where news was news and being a professional had it's merits.

"It's a different world nowadays..."

It's a different world nowadays, most people including myself read their local daily newspaper online and one of the features and advantages is being able to be interactive with any story. Most articles have comment boards where you can write back along with anyone else who read the story and insert your two cents worth.

Since I live in a small town (small island)many times people will attack you with personal here-say that has nothing to do with the article.

I recently wrote an opinion article about the local correctional facility that the local paper ran in the editorial section of the Kaua'i Garden Island news. The gist of the article was two point.

!- Prisons are not Hotels

2- We need to enforce stricter rules to defer crime, such as chain gangs and the death penalty.

Here are some responses to that article, these are actually quoted from the comments page of that article;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_2a251034-10a7-11e0-955c-001cc4c03286.html?mode=comments
"Nobody cares if you dumpster dive for your dog's dinner & nobody really cares if you get hauled off to jail for trespassing. Nobody cares if you have Christmas envy. NOBODY CARES"

"You are obviously unstable based on the fact that you named your dog Obama. That is pretty racist, equating our failed president to a black dog don't you think? The guy already has enough legitimate critics and doesn't’t need people like you comparing him to a mangy flea ridden animal. I know you are upset that he has lied and broken almost all his promises (closing gitmo, the wars, patriot act, extra-ordinary rendition etc etc etc). But it is really not necessary to compare him to a dirty mutt that eats out of dumpsters. Have some respect."

"I am not among your fans;

Perhaps one of your resolutions this year will be to stop posting your observations because for the most part they are basically annoying and you obviously need a lot of attention..."

These comments had nothing to do with the article, just personal para-social attacks from people who feel they know me

It's a different world nowadays for the better or worse we go on...

All I can say is "WTF." ;D)