"A sardonic way of thankfulness..."‏ 'Obama Da dog'



Obama Da Dog  wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

There are many things to be thankful for on Kaua'i  this time of year and I would like to lighten things up in a somewhat sardonic way  and share what I am thankful for on our awesome cosmic island.

(This blog also ran as an opinion article on 11-24-11(Thanksgiving day) in the Kaua'i Garden Island News with the title, "Thankfulness..."
 http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_8b12d75a-166e-11e1-8f80-001cc4c03286.html)

1- We have a Mayor that can sing and dance, which of course  is a priority when deciding who to cast your vote for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfaVmieipV0

 2- We have a bus service that eliminated the most popular bus-stop at Walmart giving us the opportunity to stretch our legs while getting off at Wilcox hospital, the closest  bus stop to Walmart.

3-We have no Ferry  service even though we are an  island community in the middle of the  Pacific. The airlines now  have an monopoly on flying and it feels wonderful spending in excess of  $160.00 on a round-trip to Oahu,(Approximately 60 miles one way) the approximate  same price to fly cross country on the mainland with Southwest airlines special holiday fares.

4-We have time to relax waiting in traffic almost everyday therefore allowing us time to burn excess gas and catch up on texting and phone calls.

5- Last but not least on a serious note, the main thing we have to be thankful for is freedom of speech and locally on Kauai being able to express ourselves in Letters to the editor in The Garden Island News.

I believe everyday is Thanksgiving, but it's still nice to have a holiday to give thanks and give! May G-d, Darwin or whoever and  whatever you believe in bless America and bring our country out of the worst recession in our remarkable nations history! Happy Thanksgiving.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

"To avoid Uncle, Uncle Sam that is..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen

It used to be religion and politics were businesses of tax deductible donations, now everyone seems part of the tax deductible gifting scheme... This blog also appeared as an opinion article in the Kaua'i Garden Island News on 11-21-11,  titled, "Who is left to pay taxes." http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_55e10884-13ff-11e1-867a-001cc4c03286.html  

Everything is geared towards a donation,it used to be religion and politics were the businesses of tax deductible donations, now everyone seems part of the tax deductible gifting scheme. A recent advertised concert was advertised as free with  a $20.00 recommended donation, a local play was advertised the same way  and  suggested a donation  of $28.00.

 I would think most people pay since it's a small town, people talk and you don't want to be gossiped about as the cheapskate, the person who doesn't pay to get in.

With this said, I am sure some go for free, but my guess is most pay the suggested donation. The question remains are these events actually charitable or are they scams to avoid 'Uncle,' (Uncle Sam that is?)

With all these events being offered for suggested donations,  it  becomes apparent  that many avoid paying taxes by calling their cause non-profit and or charitable making it legal to not  pay income tax, sales tax or any tax by those sponsoring the events.

I know hairstylists who operate out of their homes and it's the unwritten law you give them $10-$15 gift for a haircut, they like to call the cash you give them a gift to  get away without paying taxes. Shall our courts also need to define gift?

 The question remains, who is left to pay the taxes as our economy sinks lower and lower..?

 The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

"How to Grow a family" 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspirational Monday)

Judith Whitehead is back guest-blogging on this Inspirational Monday about her new found family member! Mazol Tov, Congratulations Jacob Whitehead and Audrey Irizarry.  Judith lives in Amherst N.Y. has worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for almost 30 years...

How to Grow a family

We have been a family of four for about thirty years ; back in the 80’s we decided to grow our family and add two children to the mix. My husband and I were from a 2 child family, each having a boy and a girl. It just wasn't in the cards for us and we were blessed with two wonderful boys of which we have stayed close with all their years. I always had a little piece of me that, once in a while, would day dream of having a girl in the family; well, my wishes were answered this week. There are many ways to add a girl to a family, adopt, birth and when those don’t work out….daughter-in-law. Our son surprised us this week and decided to ask his girlfriend to marry him. We are filled with a million emotions and can’t wait for all the new adventures that a girl will bring to the family. The first of my sons to get married, Mazel Tov to us!!!\

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

"The Cost of a Miracle..." 'Anonymous' (www.)

Sometimes miracles can actually be bought...

The Cost of a Miracle

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully, three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at the moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages." He said without waiting for her reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man, "one dollar and eleven cents is the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. "

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Tess' mom and dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"

Tess smiled, because she knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents... plus the faith of a little child.

This blog was shared with us through http://www.truthbook.com/

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

"Why Some Men Have Dogs And Not Wives..." 'Obama Da Dog'

Obama Da Dog explains why it's a good idea to adopt a dog!

Why Some Men Have Dogs And Not Wives:

1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.       2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.       3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.       4. A dog's parents never visit.       5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.       6. You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day.       7. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk..       8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.       9. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"         10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.       11. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.       12. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.       13. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.       And last, but not least:       14. If a dog leaves, it won't take half of your stuff. To test this theory: Lock your wife  or significant other and your dog in the trunk of your car  for an hour. Then open it and see who's happy to see you.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

"Bug-out..!" 'Michael Herr' (Aloha Friday)

Renowned author Michael Herr is back guest-blogging on this awesome Aloha Friday about  being prepared for a natural disaster or emergency... Make sure and check out Michael's website at; http://www.michaelherr.com/

ALOHA FRIDAY

November 18

It's Aloha Friday.

"Bug-out !"

Where do you live? Never mind, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that no matter where you live you should have a bug-out bag.

I first heard the term while watching "M.A.S.H." on t.v. Bug-out was when the whole unit had to take everything down, throw it all into some trucks and move really quickly to in order to get set up at a new location.

What's the danger in your area? Tsunami, tornado, hurricane, massive snow storm, flooding, wildfires? Here where I live it's earthquakes or building fires primarily. After a recent fire displaced all twelve residents of one building, I got to thinking about how my wife and I would deal with having to move out of our building quickly. For us it's a problem. My wife is somewhat disabled and uses a wheelchair to get around outside our residence. I wouldn't have time to pack much if a fire forced me to get her outside quickly.

And so I bought a bug-out bag. Just a backpack really. A small one that I can stuff into the seat storage of a hall-tree we have had for years by our front door.

Now that I have the bag I have to decide what to put in it. For that I have to consider that we could be forced out of our unit at any time of day, or night, or any season of the year. Warm weather we can handle, so I need to plan mostly for cold weather. I figure we might be out only for a few hours, just until we can relocate to a hotel somewhere nearby. Then again we might be outside for many hours if the event that forces us out affects a great many people in our area.

So, what to pack? Socks, a light blanket or two, plastic raincoats, flashlight with batteries, sweatshirts, pants, medications list . . . this list goes on and on. So I'll have to do some prioritizing for what goes in the bug-out bag.

Do you have a bug-out bag? Have you even thought about what you'll do if suddenly you have to leave your home? No, you can't plan for all contingencies. But it doesn't hurt to do some pre-planning, make some effort to cover yourself in an emergency.

By the way, please be sure not to confuse bug-out with that wonderful British expression, bugger-off. Should you use the latter expression by mistake, you may indeed need to bug-out.

Much aloha.

There's still time to order a complete set of Michael's Books for the Holiday's. Buy all 6 books for only 18.00 including P&H. The books make great stocking stuffers, you may even want to add one to your Bug-out bag...
http://www.michaelherr.com
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

"A Financial pathetic disaster..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

World leaders from Asian countries last week gathered on Oahu for the APEC convention, what was suppose to be an economic boom for the local economy wound up being a huge tax burden for the people. If all the money used to transport all the world leaders to Hawaii and host them for 4 days would had been used to help save the economy, I would be elated, but no, these self serving narcissistic  politicians again show us their real colors.

check out the story on the local news;  http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/16040320/waikiki-residents-bid-good-riddance-to-apec

Honolulu Hawaii hosted the 2011  'Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference last week and to the dismay of many felt it was a government takeover with road closures and vehicle searches set-up all around the island. Business's lost money, many lost valuable hours of work and all the world leaders got to see empty streets and business with no patrons... All this at Taxpayer expense...

APEC was a financial pathetic disaster watching the state and federal Government spend millions of taxpayers dollars while giving all APEC members tax exemptions on anything they bought while in Hawaii.

First of all these APEC members are mostly wealthy politicians, why do they need tax breaks? By giving them-tax-breaks how are we going to recoup all the money spent on police, security, roadblocks etc?

Second, many business's prepared for record numbers with buying additional inventories and having additional staff on hand only to find out many streets had been blocked to traffic which translated into loss of business.

Third,with so much funding being lost during this current recession, with cuts to programs such as Head-start, medicaid and medicare only to find the government pouring money into APEC, which consisted of glorified luncheons and dinner parties which only proves again that politicians are self serving narcissists into their own agenda's.

Finally,until the recession is over may I recommend skype conference calls for all future meetings of such.
Last but not least, wouldn't it be pono(righteous) with all the political fundraisers upcoming to use that money to help our economy in lieu of using it for self serving needs?

This blog also appeared as an opinion article in the November 26Th, 2011 edition of the Kauai Garden News; http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_4c5a5052-18b6-11e1-9f23-001cc4c002e0.html

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)