"Dog and God..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Column)

James “Kimo” Rosen is a retired professional photographer living in Kapa'a
with his best friend Obama Da Dog, Rosen also blogs as a hobby...

This blog was published in my bi-weekly column in the Kaua'i Garden
Island news on 04-21-14 titled " God and Dog." Please click on
the link below and check recommend...
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/god-and-dog/article_a44eea30-c911-11e3-95b1-0019bb2963f4.html?_dc=976351797347.8883

Dog and God

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet.

Every writer has the same ingredients to write anything from fiction and  non-fiction, to poetry,songs, great recipes and  newspaper columns.

Some writers can write best selling classics, just as some chefs can create 5 star  gourmet dishes.

Just as the constitution states that all men are equal, all writers are also equal, given the 26 letters they have to work with.Once you have use of the ingredients of the 26 letters you need a few other key elements. A vivid imagination, aesthetic enthusiasm and  the desire  to share part of your soul with your readers.  

I hope you enjoy my story created with most of the 26 letters of the alphabet.

Once upon a time lived a grey haired and gotee bearded man with his best friend a dog, on the cosmic Garden island of Kauai.
The man realized his only true friend was his dog, however his dog had many friends. People always said hello to the dog and not to the man. People would buy presents and give treats to the dog and never to the man. The Dog was not only the best friend to the man but made people feel good, even made strangers laugh and smile. Strangers would  always come up to the dog wanting to kiss and pet  the dog, yet nobody wanted to do the same to the man.

This dog was actually a rescue dog that somebody wanted to discard.

This  dog is also very smart, when asked what is on top of the house? She always replies, "roof, roof." When asked the opposite of smooth, she says, "rough, rough."    

This dog just happens to be my dog. She  is so smart I named her  after the 44th president of the United states, 'Obama.'What's so ironic is that I have friends that can't even call my dog by her name, since they dislike President Obama with a passion. Obama therefore  has taken on the moniker of 'Bommers' or 'Boms.'

When I am out in public and call my dog's name or say, "Obama get over here,"  people look at me with strange eyes, like I am crazy.They think I am calling the president, they don't realize my dog's name is Obama.

Upon realizing it, they usually smile and say something to the nature of, "we can tell our friends on the mainland we met 'Obama' on Kauai in person, or should we say, in dog?"

If you are single there is nothing better than a cute dog to attract members of the opposite sex. I cannot even count the number of times someone of the opposite sex has asked the metaphoric question, "can I pet your dog?"  E-harmony and J-date, move over.

To anyone battling depression or just in need of a true friend, may I suggest getting your own 'Obama,' your own rescue dog or even a cat.  I know the fifty dollars I spent to  acquire a best friend is the best $50.00 I ever spent. The dog also came with a bag of dog food, a training video, all shots, a leash, discount coupons and a heart of gold. 

 I would like to quote the chorus of  the song "God and Dog" by Wendy Francisco, it goes like this;
"I look up and I see God, I look down and see my Dog."Simple spelling G O D, same word backwards, D O G." "And in my human frailty...I can't match their love for me."  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY

The expression goes, "Dogs are man's best friend."Please visit your local  ASPCA  or humane society and  adopt a dog today, or better yet have the dog rescue you as was my good fortune.  I like to tell people, Obama rescued me, that is "Obama Da Dog! 

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/god-and-dog/article_a44eea30-c911-11e3-95b1-0019bb2963f4.html?_dc=976351797347.8883

P.S.  Watch this heartfelt YouTube;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syUSmEbGLs4#t=148

This week marks the 69th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, one of the most violent and fatal Nazi camps. Watch the video above in commemoration.


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Great T-shirts!   ;D)

"New beginnings..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York and has worked in

the ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years.

New Beginnings

As we celebrate this week with  the coinciding holidays of Passover/Easter we reflect on how the holidays intertwine; each one observed for different reasons, different causes, they both are based on faith and symbolism;  they are celebrated together with friends and family. Both holidays occur in the Spring of the year and celebrate the common celebration of life.

Happy Passover/Easter to everyone; enjoy the coming of Spring and new beginnings for everyone.

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Watching cars go by..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Best of Dakinetalk) 62-1271

The best of Dakinetalk!
Blog #62---"Watching cars go by..." originally appeared on 03-01-10

Watching cars go by

For cyclists, congestion is bliss...

When I ride my bicycle in traffic I enter a euphoric state of mind.

On any given day there are thousands of cars on the Kuhio Highway between Safeway and The Coco Palms. Every night between 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., I ride my bike with my dog along galloping along side...

The traffic is bumper-to-bumper, which for a bicyclist makes for safe and comfortable driving on the shoulder.

The experience of passing car after car after car after car is mind stimulating; the cars are at a standstill in their lanes, and I am passing 36 cars every minute. The safest time to ride a bike is during peak traffic.

I am hoping everyone reading this buys another car or two, and I encourage the convention and visitors bureau's to never stop promoting Kauai.

Like a surfer catching a wave, my wave is caught when my own power is more powerful than the giant refineries and petroleum companies.

I beg of everyone to do nothing to stop this wonderful traffic.

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"Self CPR..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source)

Dakinetalks favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)

'Unc" talks  about  a way to potentially save your own life!

"Unc" is a retired cinematographer currently living 

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

Self CPR

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed to be in order.

Without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint,

has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.

However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.

A deep breath should be taken before each

cough, and the cough must be deep

and prolonged, as when producing sputum

from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated

about every two seconds without let up

until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and

keep the blood circulating.

The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm.

In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

Tell as many other people as possible about this, it could save their lives!

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"SUNSHINE CITY KAUA'I..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

Bettejo Dux has lived on the cosmic Garden Island of Kaua'i for over 40 years.Bettejo is a regular columnist in the Garden Island news and is the author of the
famed novella, "The Scam."

SUNSHINE CITY KAUA'I

I picked her up at the airport. She wore a backpack. This lady knew how to travel. We circumnavigated the Mall, taking  off for the golf course and a narrow  neck of suburbia. When the road turned, we were  in wilderness Kauai. Jungle growth, tall fields of green  grass. The narrow two lane road wound, dipped, and curved.

At a stop sign, where we turned right, my passenger gasped. It was heaven on earth. On either side of another narrow two lane road acres and acres and acres, on either side of the road, bloomed and blossomed and billowed with life. Natures’ patchwork  quilt of  green and gold sunshine.

“We grow lettuce and carrots and spinach. Maui onions. Tomatoes. We’ve got several citrus groves. Lemons, oranges, limes. Kauai oranges are ugly but  they’re delicious. Papaya and coffee and coconut groves. We’ve an apiary with the sweetest bees in the state. Their honey is sweet, too. They’re happy here.

We’ve  a large wind farm up by the highway under which a herd of  Angus graze in green meadows.”

“Oh, grief. They’re out. Someone left their gate open. They’ll be in the carrots.”

Suddenly  two bovine, contented Belle and Boss, appeared and ambled down the road. Vendors spilled from their road side stands trying  to turn them back.

“The guy who owns them is  eccentric. They’re his expensive hobby. They reside on ten acres.  He milks them himself. Sometimes he sells the milk. Sometimes he gives it away.We can do all this because the guy who owns this land  leases parcels yearly-at a reasonable rate-to those who are serious about growing organic food to feed people.”

When the road disappeared my passenger gasped. “What happened?”

“Underground parking. No automobiles allowed topside.”

I parked the car in the  expanse and we took an elevator up. When we stepped out my passenger gasped again. “Where did this come from?”

I laughed. “It’s huge. It’s high. It’s completely self-sustaining. It also snuggled into the cliffs. Camouflaged to blend. Greens.Purples. But the import thing is everything you need is within walking distance. Shops. Restaurants. Post Office. Banks. This is kind of the mall lobby. Offices are on the second floor. Studios, two and three bedroom apartments above.  The rich guy lives in the penthouse  but he walks around like a mortal. There he is. Looks like Robert Redford, huh? Wave. He loves to see people like you. You come from all over the world to see this.

Rich. Poor.  Young and old.  Black, white, yellow and brown walk around in here. Work. Play. Tennis courts. Pools. Miles of paths. There are quaint cottages, kind of old plantation style, clustered about. Affordable. We’ll visit one after lunch. Wanna buy some Kauai perfume?”

“Ladies,” the Robert look- alike called, “may I join you for lunch?”

When the rooster crowed at the break of dawn-I swear the thing was on the roof-I woke with a start. “I’m gonna grock you to fullness, bird. That was a good dream.”

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"Next year at Taco Bell..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen" Best of Dakinetalk-Happy Passover!

Happy Passover everyone!
 "Obama Da Dog a recent convert to Judaism celebrates Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrating freedom from Egyptian bondage and slavery..." This blog was published as an opinion article on 04-07-12 in the   Kaua'i Garden Island news; "Next year at Taco bell..." http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-saturday-april/article_7269225a-8071-11e1-8efb-0019bb2963f4.html
This blog originally ran on 04-24-11, Dakinetalk Blog #268 & on 04-06-12 Dakinetalk Blog #626
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2011/04/next-year-at-taco-bell.html
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-passover-next-year-at-taco-bell.html

Everyday of the year is someones birthday, and with all the religious and secular holidays, it gets hard  deciding which ones to celebrate.

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday, since it is an American holiday, and not a Christian or Jewish holiday.

The rules of holidays are what I question.  For the  Jewish holiday of passover, Jews (my people) are not suppose to eat leaven (bread or anything with yeast for 8 days.) This tradition started with the Jews escape from Egyptian bondage and slavery. While on the run they had limited time, only time to make a quick flat bread, that didn't have time to rise. therefore we eat Matzo as a remembrance of hard times. (Matzo is  a bland  cracker with very little taste consumed  during the  8 day long holiday of Passover.

We celebrate Passover with humbleness by abstaining from  bread, however we prepare huge holiday meals of a roasted brisket with pan fried potatoes, matzo ball soup with chicken,  elaborate salads and special cookies made from matzo meal instead of flour. I don't believe the Jews had time to make those items either if they didn't even have the time to bake bread?

The other irony is when you mix flour and water in a warm environment it creates sourdough, which is a sour yeast. I therefore believe that the matzo cracker would had risen in many cases.

The Jewish people  eat matzo and have elaborate gourmet meals to remember the days of slavery.

Why not just enjoy a nice spontaneous meal on the move, as most probably did during the exodus?

How about going through the drive through at Taco Bell, after all tortilla's are unleavened. This would sure make one humble and  an appropriate way to remember hard times.

Next year at Taco Bell! 

Happy Passover, Happy Easters and Happy April showers.

(editor's note,  the last words at every passover Seder are next year in Jerusalem, next year at Taco bell is a play on words and my attempt at humor)

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, Publisher.

"We the Sheeple..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen

James “Kimo” Rosen is a retired professional photographer living in
Kapa'a with his best friend Obama Da Dog, Rosen also blogs as a hobby... 

We the Sheeple

They say when you put one hundred grandfather clocks in the same room after time they will all tick in harmony.

People act likewise, people act like sheep when it comes to so many things. We the sheeple should be the  opening line for most doctrines, religions or otherwise.

This same concept applies to most of our lives. religion works that way. People going to church, synagogues, mosques or any place of worship after time will start to think spiritual alike.

Non smokers whom hang with smokers many times will become smokers themselves.

Young people whose parents are alcohol or drug addicts have higher tendencies to become the same.

And those including myself whom live amongst crazy people will eventually become crazy too.

Be careful who you hang with.

To young people reading this, the lesson to be learned is to hang with with smart, healthy and wealthy people. The choice is yours.

The old expression goes, "birds of a feather flock together."

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