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Thursday, April 24, 2014

This blog originally appeared on 3-17-10 Dakinetalk blog #66

Blogger's addiction


Some people are addicted to alcohol, some to drugs, others to caffeine, sugar and junk food.


A person can be addicted to anything from bubble gum to sex and places in between.

There is one addiction I am trying to overcome which is the most addicting of all addictions, blogging  addiction. I am faithfully a member of  blogger's anonymous and am trying to curtail my blogging . Like any addiction,  blogging  need's support of fellow friends and associates.

So please try and help me curtail my addiction, or else you will need to continue reading my most inner thoughts, or is this addiction incurable? 

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

"IN THE FRAY AGAIN..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

Bettejo Dux has lived on the cosmic Garden Island of Kaua'i for over 40 years.
Bettejo is the author of the famed novella, "The Scam."
www.bettejodux.com


IN THE FRAY AGAIN

I had an interlude. Interesting. Fun. Difficult. A new ‘personality’ was born. In May last year I became a ‘columnist’ in the Wednesday Garden Island Wellness section. I had 32 columns published. I loved the wonderful full color  picture Carol Ann Davis took of me.
Photo of Bettejo by Carol Ann Davis.
A black and white copy – a  photographic piece of art- was displayed in a local art gallery at Kukui Grove Mall. I also had the distinction of having the most ‘recommends’-108-of any columnist since ‘recommending’ columnists began in the Garden Island.

My healthy ego was busting out all over. My self-esteem soared to pinnacle heights. To gaze in the mirror was to see stars in my eyes. I walked on air.

But it wasn't me. I am, and always have been, one who loves to rock the boat. Make waves. Stir the pot. Rattle the cage. Shake things up and scrawl a Bettejo.

So many topics on Kauai went unstung. GMOs. Milk factories. Christian mafia types galore. Too many grizzly patriarchs to shake a stick at. Cell towers. Jesus camps. Jesus!!

Greedy landholders.

Greedy? A rogue by any other name should smell so skunk. And that’s insulting skunks.

Why is it so few on Kauai see another vision of Kauai? A different future? All they see is the same old same old. More suburban sprawl. More Malls. More cars. Buy one get one free. They go home and breed. Everybody loves his car. Cars. We need more super highways to accommodate them.  More traffic jams.  Everybody loves the smell of CO2  in the morning.

Metropolitan Kalaheo is going to get an ABC store. Walk to this convenient store and buy cheap junk food and stuff for higher prices. Walk don’t waddle.

Love the sound of traffic rumbling by.  Drones and helicopters spying by.

Love vast fields of Franken corn to feed  Franken cows who produce  Franken milk. Franken ice cream. Franken yogurt. Franken cheese. Even Franken Tee shirts to sell to  tourists. Surfers and swimmers and kids and tourists swim in Franken cow poop, which-like old fashioned humuhumunukunukupua’a-goes swinning by.

Swimming bye bye.

Everybody needs more war games.More profit for pubs and bars and grass shacks of ill repute. More forbidden beaches.

More dead whales and dolphins and seals and other living things.Collateral? They get in the way. Who needs ‘em?

I’m fed up with cutsey wootsy. Think positive thoughts. Be agreeable. Get along. Meditate. Hide under the bed and all the bad sick old stuff  that doesn’t work, never did work, will go away. Maybe if you close our eyes or keep them glued to the boob. Buy ear plugs and strap a fresh air tank to your back. Buy a cheap one at Walmart and breath through a hose in your nose.

Remember to kill all the chickens. Barking dogs, prowling cats, bleating  goats. Let the hills be alive with  the sound of Musac.

Don’t dream of a different future. Don’t express it or write about it. It’s a mess but be happy.


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Monday, April 21, 2014

"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.


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


Great T-shirts!   ;D)



Saturday, April 19, 2014

"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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Thursday, April 17, 2014

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.

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



Wednesday, April 16, 2014

"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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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

"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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