Public Servants, Should Be Just That... & Winter..." 2-4-1- 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source)

Dakinetalks favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)

is back talking about overpaid public servants and Winter, the Winter of life itself...
Today we have 2 blogs for the price of one, 2-4-1. Mahalos Unc!

"Unc" is a retired cinematographer currently living 

on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu.& giving the politicians a bad time...

Public servants should be just that

Why do public servants like the mayor of Honolulu who makes $136,428 a year need a 4 percent raise ? 

Public service should be an honor & not to fleece the tax payers...

How many tax payers make over $100,000 a year? Check out the homeless in Hawaii, and if f public servants are  not happy with their salary,they can resign & find a job in the private sector.

What if the taxpayers are broke ?

WINTER, BLOG #2

"I FIRST STARTED READING THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK. READ SLOWLY! "   Chester "Unc" Lau

AND THEN IT IS WINTER 
You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. 

But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. 

But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit! 

And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...its over. A new adventure will begin! 

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime. 

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly ! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not ! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past  !! 

"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.
LIVE IT WELL!
ENJOY TODAY!
DO SOMETHING FUN!
BE HAPPY !
HAVE A GREAT DAY
Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. 

LIVE HAPPY IN 2013  & ON & ON  ! 
LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN,
YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE
SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS. 

~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect  !
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better ! 
~You forget names.... But it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you !!! 
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything.... especially golf. 
~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep".

~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.. 

~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ??? 

~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere. 

~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"    ?!!! 

~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers. 

~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear. 

~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS   !! 
Stay well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them laugh in AGREEMENT  !!! 

It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived. 


Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...

"Bus fares jump in excess of 166%, Just do the math..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Kaua'i County council desperately needs new direction. The recent
vote to increase bus fares over 166% since 2006 while County council
members ride the bus for free along with also receiving $500 a month car allowance
is not only double dipping but ludicrous!

Just Do The Math


Kaua'i bus fares just increased an additional $10.00 per month for a bus pass. The Kaua'i County council  passed this bill unanimously with a 7-0 vote. Monthly passes will now cost $40.00, an increase of nearly 166% since 2006 when bus fares were $15.00 per month. Bus fares have gone up on and beyond the cost of living, just do the math.

The irony of all this is that one of the perks of being a high paid part time County council member is they can ride the bus for free while those struggling working 2-3 jobs, students, retiree's, the disabled and those  on limited incomes will feel the pinch. County council members are  payed by you and me (the taxpayer) $500.00 a month car allowance,this is not only double dipping but ludicrous! Why should they get a car allowance and free bus rides? 

Council needs to start thinking outside the box with some creativity beyond bus fares and county subsidies alone to financially support the bus. How about  selling advertising on the outside and interior walls of the bus, thus allowing the buses to act as  traveling billboards?

This is  buttocks backwards, let the taxpayer ride the bus for free and let County council members pay.  

 In all sincerity something needs to be done.Remember term limits will kick in for the 2014 County council election opening up opportunity for new voices to be heard of which we so desperately need. 

 Re-elect nobody unless there a somebody.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook....

"Mothers Day..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

"Guest-blogger Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst N.Y. and has worked in the

 ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years...

Today she talks about this special day, Mothers day! Happy Mothers day! Enjoy...  ;D)

Mothers Day               
                     
Today I begin by wishing all you mothers, grandmothers, mother like people and mothers to be a wonderful day and year.  Being a mother is a full time job in itself; the caring and love never ends even when our children are grown and move out of the home.  A mother is a mother for life and is not limited to those growing up years; the worry never stops and the concerns and the need to  protect are life long.

I always appreciated my mother but not as much as when I lost her 14 years ago.  We always took our conversations and friendship for granted and we always thought they would go on forever never thinking that she would be plucked from me so soon in her life.  

A mothers’ love is unconditional and will carry on throughout the ages so to all those children out there who are feeling smothered at times by their mothers…just remember it is only their unconditional love and need to protect that keeps them involved in your lives and someday, all too soon they will be gone. 

Enjoy your mothers out there and let your moms know just how much you appreciate her for a mothers bond with her child never stops.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...

"It's impossible to alter destiny..." 'James "kimo" Rosen'

Everyone needs to learn water safety if one is going to play
in the ocean....

It's impossible to alter destiny

There have been 11 drownings on Kaua'i since January 1st of this year.   There is now a video on display at the baggage claim of Lihu'e airport explaining water safety procedures which hopefully gets viewed, however I do not believe people in baggage claim  want to watch a video,  they are  in a rush to get their bags and start their vacation in "Paradise."

 Everyone always has someone to blame for their mishap, people need to take responsibility, it's not the state or county's fault when someone drowns. 

I am guessing almost every accidental death by a tourist results in some sort of lawsuit. Families of the diseased victims will say it's the State or Counties fault for not posting a sign,  or it's the visitor guide for telling people to go to dangerous spots... Who's fault is it when you run into a tree? It ain't the tree's fault. People need to accept responsibility and use common sense.

It's impossible to alter destiny, when it's your time, it's your time.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...

She Loves me, she loves me not..." James"Kimo" Rosen'

The question remains, does my dog love me?
"She loves me, she loves me not..."

She Loves Me, She Loves me Not

I love my dog and sometimes wonder how much she loves me. It's like the game we played when we were kids with plucking flower peddles repeating until all pedals are gone, "She loves me, she loves me not...."

Whenever friends come over and we see people on our walks that we know she gets so excited to see them, tail wagging crying and pure ecstasy.

 We are only separated on Mondays, besides that we go everywhere together, eat together, watch TV together, and just hang out together. She is my constant companion and I consider her my best friend.

I get upset when when I am gone for 4-6 hours and come home and she just looks at me, doesn't cry with excitement or wag her tail? I feed her, groom, her, pick up her poop, bathe her, care for her and I do not get the same recognition as friends?

This really bothered me until I did a little Googling research and found out the following;

"Your dog may see you as "Alfa" meaning the leader of the pack  and as just a pack member (or someone to play with). With wolves, no one messes with the Alfa, its not tolerated.. but the pack members are game. So maybe your pup is showing you that your dominant and she respects you."

"She sees me every day, and sees them rarely. So of course it's a more exciting event. Wanting my dog to respond enthusiastically to me when I enter the room is like asking my 9-year-old to jump up and down and squeal with excitement when I pick her up at school every day. Just doesn't make sense."

OK, at least my dog lights a cigarette after she kisses me and has thoughts of a train going through a tunnel. I guess she loves me after all.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...

"Love On Kauai..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

Bettejo  has lived on Kaua'i over 30 years and is a people lover,
animal lover, lover of life and strikes a dashing yoga pose...
Today she talks  about her love of books! Enjoy...

www.bettejodux.com

Love On Kaua'i

Love at first sight. He fell for me, I backed off.  Enormous and gaudy, he always wanted to reach out and grab me. It got to the stage that, whenever I drove my  Skylark into the parking lot, he preened and flirted.  I had to walk by his house every time I entered Dels which put me off, too. He lived in a vast abode right alongside the front door and his noisy screech stopped traffic.

My quiet “Hi” in response  was more a polite recognition than a “It’s good to see you, too,” sort of thing.  I  didn't want to shake his hand.  As a matter of fact, I didn't even want to get  close to him. It was a relationship I tried to avoid.

Jan, the manager of the store, clued me in. “He’s in love,” she said. I groaned.

I seem to attract guys like that. Not my type, you know. All birds fall in love with me. The swans at the Hyatt, in some circles, are called ‘Bettejo’s birds’. They come when I call. I think they think I’m a funny looking bird who got plucked.

After a bit, however, I succumbed. I mean, who could resist Duke’s-that’s his name-romantic advances? We held hand through the bars and he tried to kiss me. He moved in when Del’s closed and the day he came through the gates-cage and all-he whooped  a “HI” they heard in town. He lived, as Jan said, when she saw his new digs, in bird heaven. No longer confined to his cage, when he wanted company he’d stroll on down. Once I had a Quaker-go-to-meeting meeting here and he joined in silent vigil.

He flew away last Thursday. First glorious flight. His cheerful “Hi” sprang from a tree, not from the wrought iron gate where he lived.  Between then and Tuesday, when we finally caught him, he’d flown in the highest, skimpiest branches of seven tall trees. The first two were in his own territory, the third was in an Avatar banyan across the street and up a steep wet, slippery red mud bank. 

When Kauai got hit with a deluge, thunder and lightning, crashes and bangs, rain like water sloshing from a hydrant overhead, and a flooded road to cross, they  became an obstacle course contributing to the melee. I sat in the rain by the side of the road in stinking sweats and red foul weather gear talking to a tree. I slid down banks. I crawled up slopes. Trespassed. Tried to avoid barbed wire claws. I spotted him but nothing I did could coax him down. Hungry and cold and scared nothing I  did helped. Once below him in the tree, though, he never took his eyes off me. But his voice got weaker.

Every morning I’d wake up thinking this was the day I’d find him dead.

When he flew to a tree by the side of the road I called the fire department. Wonderful guys. They got here pronto, spent the day, and we got lucky. The sun came out and a power line looped and galloped right in front of my gate.

A darling lady at 911 called the power company for me and they showed up with a huge white cherry picker and more wonderful guys who got in the act. Traffic got stopped. Roofs and tall timber got climbed. A great guy from the power company in a high white bucket thing caught him once. He got away. But luck was with us this time, too. He flew down. I  reached him. Fed him. He scarfed  a  bag of peanuts before I got him on a perch. He tried to bite me but I held fast his feet, threw a towel around him, and, with the help of a burly fireman, who kept me on my feet,we raced with him to the barn.

Not an ounce of  love got lost in Kalaheo Tuesday. All because of a bird named Duke. What won’t people do for love?






This blog also appeared in Bettejo's Kauai garden Island news weekly  column on Sunday May 5,2013
http://thegardenisland.com/lifestyles/pets/love-on-kaua-i/article_7bbe467a-b552-11e2-9ac9-0019bb2963f4.html

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook....

"A Republican Lawyer with a Lexus ..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source)

Dakinetalks favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)

is back talking about a another one of his favorite subjects, Lawyers!

"Unc" is a retired cinematographer currently living 

on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu.

A Republican Lawyer with a Lexus


After collecting his share of  war profits from the GW Bush gang,A Washington attorney parked his brand new Lexus in front of his office, ready to show it off to his colleagues. As he was getting out, a truck came along too closely and completely tore off the driver's door.

Fortunately, a cop in a police car was close enough to see the accident and pulled up behind the Lexus with his lights flashing.
Before the cop had a chance to ask any questions, the attorney started screaming hysterically about how his Lexus, which he had just purchased the day before, was completely ruined and would never be the same, no matter how any car body shop tried to make it new again. 

After the lawyer finally wound down from his rant, the cop shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe how materialistic you lawyers are," he said. "You are so focused on your possessions that you neglect the most important things in life."
"How can you say such a thing?" asked the lawyer.
The cop replied, "Don't you even realize that your left arm is missing ? It was severed when the truck hit you!"
"OH, MY GOD !!!" screamed the lawyer.

"My Rolex !!!"

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...