"The Greatest Alternative To Flying..!" 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Shabbat dinner with my sister Linda, Brother-in-law Marvin and Nephew Jason via a Skype video call. I t was 12:15 my time (lunch time, and 6:15 east coast time in Buffalo N.Y. We lit candles said the blessings over wine and bread and just talked story (kibbutzed) while we ate. Much cheaper than the $1200.00 rt. airfare from Kauai to Buffalo N.Y.

My sister Linda and brother-in-law Marvin visiting Kaua'i in 2008
when airfares were still affordable. They found a roundtrip  from Buffalo
including 5 nights hotel in Honolulu for $700.00 each. There have been
no good flying deals since.

This blog also appeared  as my column in
 The Kaua'i Garden Island  News on
12-16-13

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/enjoy-the-holidays-with-the-greatest-alternative-to-flying/article_9dd8cf90-6606-11e3-9f57-001a4bcf887a.html

The Greatest Alternative To Flying

Where I live is one of the most expenses places to live in the United States. A loaf of bread can cost $8.00,  a dozen eggs $7.00 and a simple meal at a food-truck can cost $15.00, more than a sit down restaurant in most cities.

Airfares from Kaua'i, where I live to Honolulu an 80 mile trip can cost upwards of $350.00, a round-trip to go a mere 80 miles. All this because a few years back a select group of who we call "contrarians." (misplaced yuppies and hippies protested a ferry system Hawai'i was about to embark upon)They said it would bring drug dealers and the homeless to our island, like drug dealers do not fly? So now with the airlines having a monopoly they charge what they want and get it from the tourists, while locals on limited budgets can only dream of getting off island.

I have been wanting to visit my sister for quite a while, she lives in Buffalo N.Y, and the cheapest airfares are upward of $1200.00 to get to Buffalo from Kaua'i. The last time I was off island was in 2006 to attend a friends wedding in Honolulu. Back then Go airlines had specials of $25.00 round-trips, no such thing anymore.

How does one compete with expensive airfares? Well here's what  my sister and I did, we got together for a Sabbath dinner via a Skype video call. The best part, Skype is free computer to computer anywhere in the world!

 Last Friday I   had Shabbat dinner with my sister Linda, Brother-in-law Marvin and Nephew Jason via a Skype video call. I t was 12:15 my time (lunch time,) and 6:15 east coast time in Buffalo N.Y. We lit candles, said the blessings over wine and bread and just talked story (kibbutzed) while we ate. Much cheaper than the $1200.00 round-trip  airfare from Kaua'i to Buffalo N.Y. 

What a perfect way to use technology. I did  not have to deal with some bratty kid kicking my seat, did not have to deal with the perverted TSA agents scanning and feeling me up, did not have to deal with some drunk or smelly  person sitting next to me, or some 400 lb person cramping my space.

Skype not only saved me over  $1200.00 in  airfares but saved me a dog sitting fee,  the cost of  medication to  relieve my anxiety of flying  and days of jet lag.

We avoided  all the negativity of flying and travel, and the best part, when dinner was over we could sleep in our own beds.

This blog also appeared  as my column in
 The Kaua'i Garden Island  News on
12-16-13
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/enjoy-the-holidays-with-the-greatest-alternative-to-flying/article_9dd8cf90-6606-11e3-9f57-001a4bcf887a.html

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

"A DAY IN THE CITY AT THE BUFFALO ZOO" '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 one great city named Buffalo, and a day at the zoo !Enjoy! ;D)

A DAY IN THE CITY  AT THE BUFFALO ZOO

Today we decided to enjoy the sunny day and visit the Buffalo Zoo and its new tenants, Luna and Kali.
Getting off to an early start in hopes of beating the crowds, we arrived when the Zoo opened.  Even
though there were events going on today, there were only a handful of people waiting to get in.  Usually
as you enter the Zoo the large bear exhibit lies  ahead; only an empty old rusty hole remained of the
area.  The large bears were no longer at the Zoo and now around the far end of the zoo near the Zebras
were the new baby bears to take their place.  Frolicking in the small water hole the babies seemed
more than happy to perform but as we watched,  a Zoo official informed us that there had to be several
more million dollars raised by the end of the summer to fund a more appropriate spot for these bears or
they were to be shipped out to another Zoo.

 It was more than sad to see several of the areas that once housed animals run down and/ or empty.  The Zoo is in desperate need of renovation and repair and needs Buffalo to pull together and save this great place that we all have gone to for the many years.  We as well as our children have grown up visiting the zoo.  It’s going to take more than a few donations to do the job; they will need some large benefactors to dig deep and help save the Buffalo Zoo.  In our world of ever changing technology that our children are involved in, there is nothing more enjoyable and educational than watching the animals in their habitat interact with each other.  

After the Zoo we decided to stop at some places in north Buffalo including a new cupcake shop near by
and a deli that enticed us to come in.  Buffalo and the surrounding suburbs are still flourishing and new
business has popped up everywhere.  We still have a lot to offer including affordable housing and great
Universities with astounding growth going on.  Our medical campus in the city has grown in leaps and
bounds recently and offer the most talented Doctors and professionals in our United States.  There are
still many sights to visit in the surrounding areas and many places are free or for  a small entrance fee.

What will it take to put Buffalo back on the map and entice people to return to this area that have left so
many years ago.  It is a very slow process that takes a lot of money, time and effort.  We can’t let this
great town continue to drop in population; we need young blood, new blood and people that have a
vision for this area along with the backing it takes  to get something done.

We have hundreds ofprofessionals in this area still making a good living and raising productive families.  I can only hope and pray that some of these individuals will have the foresight to see the value of this area and start to madea difference.  I know of many people that have left the area over the last few years that have returnedfor many reasons.  Yes our weather is very cold in the winter but pales in comparison to the tornadoes,floods, monsoons’  and earthquakes that occur elsewhere in the United states.  It may be harder forsome to seek out a living here but if we continue to build up Buffalo and add opportunities in the
medical field as well as entice business to settle here we can offer our young people a reason to stay and
raise their families here. It’s all up to us to make that happen; pay it forward Buffalo and save your city.

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

Councilman Bynum needs to resign, biting the hand that feeds you..." 'James"Kimo" Rosen"

Kaua'i councilman Tim Bynum on left while Ed Justus co-owner of Talk Story bookstore
looks on during the 2010 county council primary debates at Kapa'a elementary school.
Bynum is currently biting the hand that feeds him.

Councilman Bynum needs to resign

Kaua'i county Councilman Tim Bynum needs to resign or we the people need to impeach him. There is a major conflict of interest going on when an employee is suing his employer and the employee continues to work.There's an old expression and it goes like this, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you.!"  Mr. Bynum is biting hard

 Tim Bynum makes decent money as a Kaua'i county councilman,  $56,781 a year, $500.00 a month car allowance, free bus rides anywhere the bus goes, and  some of the best health insurance available for what is deemed a part time job.

The incident  Bynum is suing over is referred to in the Kaua'i underworld as "Rice-Cooker Gate."  The  lawsuit filed by Bynum states former prosecutor  Iseri-Carvalho and planning inspector Miyake had ulterior motives to go after him. Miyake had no warrant and illegally trespassed onto Bynum’s property, charged him with a zoning violation and then send it to Iseri-Carvalho for criminal prosecution. Allegedly all over a rice-cooker. (hence, Rice-Cooker-Gate)

I am no fan of Iseri Carvalho either with all of her alleged racist remarks and actions, however she lost the last election as prosecutor to a fine man, Justin Kollar. Both Iseri Carvalho and Bynum  are abusing the system and costing taxpayers millions! I am concentrating this blog on Tim because he remains an elected official

So far the county council has approved at least $511,000 in private attorney fees in the case and according to the Garden island's recent article "$511 K  and counting," county attorney Al Castillo said," just to go through the discovery process may cost an additional  $250,000, and going to trial may cost another $500,000."
http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/k-and-counting/article_09be6372-e9e9-11e2-ac9d-0019bb2963f4.html

I do believe Mr. Bynum was prejudiced against, however who on this island hasn't been prejudiced against? I believe this case needs to be settled before millions are dished out and Kauai becomes the laughing stock of the political world.

Mr. Bynum needs a settlement to close this case and not put the tax payers out even more in these days of sequester cuts.  Bynum needs to resign and the county needs to settle. 

Give Bynum a decent  payout  with the terms he resign and have him live happily ever after away from biting the hand that feeds him.

There's an  old joke, "How do you know when a politician is lying?" As soon as they open their mouth." Politician may be substituted with lawyer, so in this case when you have the plaintiff a politician and the defendant a lawyer-prosecutor, sparks will soar, fire will ignite, and  chaos will arise!  

Please, before it's too late and for the benefit of us all,  just settle!

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


I get no respect. The way my luck is running, if I was a politician I would be honest.

..................................... Rodney Dangerfield

The Superferry, Plastic Bags and GMO's..." 'James "kimo" Rosen'

 

One of the many bring back Da Superferry rallies I organized...

Aloha, check out my opinion article in the  (07-15-213)  edition of the Kaua'i Garden Island News,"Pro GMO, plastic bags, Superferry..."

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-monday-july/article_b987e5d6-ed0d-11e2-b3f7-0019bb2963f4.html

The Superferry, Plastic Bags and GMO's

Please consider this blog a public tweet to Kaua'i County Councilman's Bynum and Hooser...

My fantasy and dream  is to ride the Superferry to Oahu and purchase farm fresh GMO select Atlantic salmon and fresh GMO corn on the cob and bring it home to the Cosmic Garden Island of Kaua'i  in plastic bags.

The airlines have locked in a monopoly and charge outrageous prices just to go 80 miles to Oahu, all because we have no other  way to get off island besides high priced airfares. Mr. Hooser was instrumental in the Superferry leaving Hawaii which in turn created un-affordable airfare prices for the average person to get off island.

Paper has replaced plastic, the original bill was to get people to use re-usable cloth bags, now ironically  grocery stores  use paper which in turn destroys our forests buy cutting down tree's. Mr. Bynum co-authored the original bill that outlawed plastic bags which has created a paper bag mess.

To abandon GMO science  is like saying global warming doesn't exist. Both Bynum and Hooser are co-authoring an anti-GMO bill.

I say councilman Bynum and Hooser maybe losers come next election.

Bring back da  Superferry, plastic bags and keep GMO science alive. You bet I'm serious!

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

Aloha, check out my opinion article in  the   (07-15-213) edition  of the Kaua'i Garden Island News,"Pro GMO, plastic bags, Superferry..."

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-monday-july/article_b987e5d6-ed0d-11e2-b3f7-0019bb2963f4.html

"Home..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Source) 'Classic Wednesday'

Bettejo encourages everyone to watch the enclosed documentary,  click
on the enclosed URL below to see  what she's talking about!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=youtube_gdata
Enjoy...

Bettejo Dux has lived on the Cosmic Garden Island
of Kaua'i over 30 years. She is a weekly columnist in the local
newspaper (The Garden Island News) and is a published author
of the Novella "The Scam." Order your copies below.
www.bettejodux.com

Home    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=youtube_gdata

“Internationally renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand makes his feature directorial debut with this environmentally conscious documentary produced by Luc Besson, and narrated by Glenn Close. Shot in 54 countries and 120 locations over 217 days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=youtube_gdata

Home presents the many wonders of planet Earth from an entirely aerial perspective. As such, we are afforded the unique opportunity to witness our changing environment from an entirely new vantage point. In our 200,000 years on Earth, humanity has hopelessly upset Mother Nature’s delicate balance. Some experts claim that we have less than ten years to change our patterns of consumption and reverse the trend before the damage is irreversible. Produced to inspire action and encourage thoughtful debate, Home poses the prospect that unless we act quickly, we risk losing the only home we may ever have.”

Please go to YouTube and watch this Documentary  "HOME" Please pass it on. The URL is enclosed below;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=youtube_gdata

This is my entire column this week. I am seriously considering buying a large outdoor screen and inviting everyone to come and watch this. If it doesn't touch a chord I doubt you’re human..
You have to go to YouTube documentaries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=youtube_gdata

Peace and love Bettejo

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook

"Only in Hawai'i..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Hawai'i employers need to start hiring from within...

Only in Hawai'i

Why is  it that so many jobs in Hawai'i look to hire from outside the state? 

What comes to mind is the University of Hawai'i job of Chancellor,  the job is ever changing and the result is always hire someone from out of state that  eventually winds up departing  in a few years. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same  thing over and over and expecting different result.  Well?

Many professional jobs both private sector and government look outside the state for candidates to fit the criteria when many times hiring and promoting from within would serve much better.

Hawai'i has talented people and most times a reliable and loyal candidate can be found within the confines  of our own state.
Why look elsewhere when chances are we have the talent right here in our own backyard?

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

" The Lord Works In Mysterious ways...' Facebook' (Source)

There is no question,the Lord works in mysterious ways...

A Must Read -The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

Good morning said a woman as she walked up to the man sitting on the ground.
The man slowly looked up.

This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new.. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life.

His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.. "Leave me alone," he growled....

To his amazement, the woman continued standing.

She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.

"What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked..

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"

The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."

"This is a good deal for you, Jack" the officer answered. "Don't blow it.."

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived...

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business.."

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled....... "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

"And do you make a godly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

"What business is that of yours?"

I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

"Oh."

The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice."

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.. "Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."

"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said.. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble... Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card.. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons...He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet... If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. He led me to you."

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways....

"Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And.. And thank you for the coffee."

God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close..

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