"If all business's priced themselves like the airlines..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #28)

James "Kimo" Rosen on the sidelines  with Buffalo Bills Quarterback
Doug Flutie during the 1998 Pro-Bowl in Honolulu.
James “Kimo” Rosen is a retired professional photographer living in
  Kapa'a Hawai'i with his best friend Obama Da Dog, Rosen also blogs as a hobby

Kimo's world #28)

If all business's priced themselves like the airlines


Imagine if restaurants, supermarkets and all business enterprises  priced themselves like the airlines.

 Why is checking the price of airline flights like playing the stock market, up one day,  down the next.?

Flights from smaller airports can be cheaper. weekend trips are less expensive when you depart on Saturday and return on Monday.Departing on a Friday and returning on a Sunday can wind up costing 2-3 times more than the cheapest time to book.

Airlines release their last-minute weekend deals on Tuesdays, so being flexible can save you money.
Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to fly. The weekends are the most expensive.

On a Hawaiian airlines flight  of 102 miles  flight from Lihue  to  Honolulu fares can  start at  $89.30 one way, however you can wind up paying  fares of $97, $103, $117, $128,162,192, 207etc. for the exact same seat. There are also plus  fee's of $25.00 for the first bag and $35.00 for the second and each additional bag.

Airline fares  from Los Angeles to Chicago have an even greater variance   starting at  low as $109 one way all the way up to  nearly $2,000.

Now imagine if restaurants price themselves like the airlines;
That would mean on  a busy day a hamburger could cost $25.00 or more (similar to food trucks on Kauai) or on a not so busy day a hamburger might cost $2.50. I know the price I would prefer!

If you want a good deal on steak and lobster go out to eat on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Pizzas would be most expensive on the weekends, however Mondays would be a great deal on Pizza.

Going shopping at the supermarket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays  could mean hundreds of dollars in savings or going on the weekends would make one go broke.

The same is true for buying new cars, who ever pays sticker price on anew car? Who ever pays listed price on real estate? I have even found that my neighbors who have the exact same cable packages all pay a different price than me. Of course I have the best deal, because everything is negotiable.

Thrift stores are getting too expensive and trendy too. Ironically I have seen cheaper prices on new clothes than  paying for used clothes that were once worn by dead people.

The key to getting a good deals is never being afraid to ask for it. Maybe it would be good if restaurants, supermarkets and all business's charged like the airlines?

For those upset over merchants charging premium prices for water during the recent hurricane watch and wanting to prosecute for price gouging just take a look at the airlines and every other business being guilty of the same.

It's all about supply and demand, free enterprise and capitalism!

Obama Da Dog with a fake deer and live chickens...

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"Garage Sale Frenzy..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York and has worked in

the ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years.

Garage Sale Frenzy

 Once again it was the week of our neighborhood garage sale; every beginning of August for the last 10 years our neighborhood does a joint effort, advertises and combines all our efforts to have the biggest sale ever.  We even included the neighborhood behind us this year to participate.  Garage sales are a wonderful way to clear out unused clothing, items that have been treasured by our significant other that have outlived their usefulness and children’s  items  that  they have left after leaving the nest; they amount  to   treasures that they could not part with but did not want to bring to their new abode so they ask if they can leave them in the house for future use.  We have a whole lot of those things.

Garage sales can be exhausting to say the least; first comes the dredging   of closets and bringing up from the basement all the old stuff.  Then comes  the organizing and tagging of every item so as to make it clear for any shopper to identify.   Tables all organized and set the night before because anyone who has ever had a sale in their house knows that the times posted mean nothing to the serious shoppers. 

It seems that 8AM -3PM means  “come any time” and our first shopper was at our doorstep early Friday morning at 7:30AM.  Not to worry, I was ready for them; my first priority was to unload anything and everything I had hung out, boxed up or displayed for the public.  Prices seem to mean nothing as well; they translate into a conversation starting with “will you take half the price?”  Sure, why not just give it to you…Then there are those shoppers that want practically a warranty on the item that they are paying a few dollars for…I often got asked, “does it still work?” and “is it the real thing”? 

Towards the end of the first day I did sell my larger items that I was happy about; but was left tired and hot after standing in the sun for 8 hours pitching my best sales talk to so many for so few dollars.

I have made it a rule in our house that nothing comes back into the garage that goes unsold; all left over items get carted away to charities.  During the last few hours of my sale I will put signs on the items that are large that say “take me home - I am free” .  And my last ditch effort to get rid of those items that no one will take is to line up the leftovers on the curb; there is always a junk man who will scour the neighborhood after  dark to get some treasures.  Surprisingly this year I had a knock at my door after dinner time to ask me if he could take the items on the curb which I thought was very considerate.

So, I feel my sale was a success because it met my three criteria; I was able to get rid of a lot of unused items,  got a little chaching for my purse, and got a little tan to boot.  My husband always says “never again” after the sale is over, but we know better.  Come next  Spring we will be sorting again for our annual sale so as to not break tradition; it’s a great way to catch up with the neighbors and have a little friendly competition amongst friends.  We always compare notes at the end about our most  trying customers and biggest sales because garage sales bring out the best and worst in people. Every customer is a potential sale and I enjoy the challenge. 

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"The Magic Bank Account..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source)

Dakinetalks favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)

"Unc"  is really passionate about creating a national Caregivers day.

Any help , support or ideas would be greatly appreciated...

'Unc' currently resides on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu. 
He is a retired cinematographer,
 and  enjoys giving the politicians a bad time...

The Magic Bank Account

Imagine that you had won the following *PRIZE* in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 in your private account for your use. However, this prize has rules:

The set of rules:

1. Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.

2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account. 

3. You may only spend it.
4. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400 for that day.

5. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say,“Game Over!".  It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for. Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right?

You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew it would be replenished in the morning, right?

ACTUALLY, This GAME is REAL ...

Shocked ??? YES!

Each of us is already a winner of this *PRIZE*. We just can't seem to see it.

The PRIZE is *TIME*

1. Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life.

2. And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.

3. What we haven't used up that day is forever lost.

4. Yesterday is forever gone.

5. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time WITHOUT WARNING...


SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?

Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life!

Here's wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. 

 "DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT GROWING OLD…!" 

'FEW PEOPLE GET THE PRIVILEGE!'

P.S. 
Check out this YouTube, Dog on trampoline!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU9RSNXaElw

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"Children of the extinction, press release..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

Bettejo Dux, a resident of Kauai for over forty years, is an
award winning writer, columnist, novelist, peace and environmental
activist who knows, and loves Kauai with a passion that shows up in her work

Above photo of Bettejo a years back playing checkers with her nephew....

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
Children of the Extinction
Bettejo Dux
Amazon Books

CHILDREN OF THE EXTINCTION
-A controversial story about Kauai in the future. A future gone bad-

Kalaheo, Kauai, Hi. August 1, 2014—This is a mind-gripping narrative about-for-courageous, concerned, and independent women in a struggle for human existence. Children are the future. How they are to be raised in the new Dark Age is the force that drives this epic.

Hawaii has been hit by a triple whammy: pandemic, tsunami, hurricane. Oahu is a lost cause. No power, no transportation, no communication, no food or water. People are dying in droves of hunger, disease, violent mob behavior.

The military brass, therefor, decide to move the center of command to Kauai, which, in their estimation, still has a chance of survival. They secretly depart in a troop transport carrying six hundred men-their wives and children-and a brigade of Stryker tanks.

Narrated by Reilley Hawkins-former journalist- wife of the Second in command- has been devastated by the death of her only son. She tells the story of an attempt to save the children of Kauai from the clutches of a small but powerful religious faction in the military. They see the local children- tattered, lost, homeless orphans- as a future menial labor force.

There exists, however, a secret civilian/military element who envision another future for the children. Who will win this struggle? This story is so compelling you won’t be able to put it down. You’ll feel as if you’ve known these people all your lives, and meet a search and rescue dog who will quickly find a special place in your heart.

Bettejo Dux, a resident of Kauai for over forty years, is an award winning writer, columnist, novelist, peace and environmental activist who knows, and lovesKauai with a passion that shows up in her work.

Book Information:
Title: Children of the Extinction
Format: paper back
Publication date: August 2014
Price; 14.95: Amazon, Talk Story Book Store, Hanapepe, Kauai, or Bettejo Dux, POBox 601, Kalaheo, Kauai (808) 332-9626

Book signing Sunday, August 17th at Birdies Café 3-6PM. Everyone invited.

Listen to Bettejo on TV talking story about her latest Novella;
http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T01393&video=205423

 Bettejo is having her 84th birthday party and book signing! Everyone reading this is invited!
 Please come to Bettejo's Birthday Book Signing Bash at Birdies-in Kalaheo- This coming Sunday, August 17, 3-6PM. It'll be fun. Birdies is a great place. CHILDREN OF THE EXTINCTION is a good read. Hope to see you there. Bettejo 

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"The debt ceiling..." Robert Bito's Gandia' (Source)

 Guest-blogger,Robert Bitos Gandia.
Robert is an avid cook (ono gandule rice) and always laughing!!
He works at Syngenta as a Research Associate.
Robert lives in Kekaha on Kauai's west-side and loves football!!

The debt ceiling

I love simple solutions to vexing problems that, seemingly, graduates of Yale, Harvard, and other Ivy League schools cannot comprehend let alone resolve. 

I love it when a complicated situation can be explained in such simple terms!

THE DEBT CEILING

* Democrats don't understand THE DEBT CEILING
* Republicans don't understand THE DEBT CEILING
* Liberals don't understand THE DEBT CEILING
* NO ONE understands THE DEBT CEILING

* SO, allow me to explain.

Let's say you come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood.
Your home has sewage all the way up to your ceiling.

What do you think you should do --

1. raise the ceiling, or
2. pump out the sewage?

Your choice is coming in November.

P.S.
A great song from Big Island musician Chris Kua. He composed "Hurricane Iselle Song" 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTMyM08bKz4#t=44

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"Watching dead people entertain..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #27

---James "Kimo" Rosen with singing legend Jewel Kilcher-1998---
James “Kimo” Rosen is a retired professional photographer living in
  Kapa'a Hawai'i with his best friend Obama Da Dog, Rosen also blogs as a hobby.

Kimo's world #27
Watching dead people entertain

Most of my Favorite movies and television shows  feature actors and actresses that have expired, that are no longer with us.

There's something about watching dead people  entertain. Since they are captured on film and video it's like their lives  have never ended.

Carroll O'connor who played Archie Bunker in the television series, "All in the family still makes me laugh til this day.

Andy Griffin from the Andy Griffin show that took place in Mayberry N. Carolina with  his son Opey played by famed director Ron Howard are like family to me. I grew up watching Andy and Opey.

Even an older Griffin playing Ben Matlock a defense attorney is still another of my favorites.

With so many stations to chose from, I still like watching classic TV from the past. It's like watching from beyond, seeing Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling on TV to this day is like they never died.

Similarly, my blog lives in a infinite universe... That's better than living in infamy, some  may differ?

 With close to 1400 blogs in the last five years, many subjects have been covered. If you Google dakinetalk, or dakinetalk and any subject, many choices will appear... Even on days I do not post blogs, dakinetalk blog  has been getting upwards of 400-500 hits a day on archived blogs.

Just like classic TV is continually viewed. Reruns of "All in the family" and "Seinfeld" now in syndication  are doing just as good or better as when the shows were in their primes.

I guess if you want eternal life,  choose acting as a career and hope you have  an award winning show that lives forever. Blogging  will hopefully live on eternally too, and should it not, we will never know.

And if all else fails there is always religion, not that there's anything wrong with that!

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

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.

"Have a Colonoscopy, it may save your life..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York and has worked in

the ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years.

Have a Colonoscopy, it may save your life

 As I began to enter my fifties my Physician began to urge me to perform the all mighty dreaded colonoscopy.  I dug my heals in and put off, put off, and put off  the test that I had heard so much about. 

I was feeling fine when I started my 50’s and did not want to bother with the inconvenience and invasive testing of my inner cavity.  A combination of fear and procrastination held me off until I reached the late 50’s… It seems that when you approach your 60’s there are a bunch of little things that creep into your life such as aches and pains in the am upon waking, higher cholesterol and triglycerides, and suspicious blood testing results that now prompt you to become to take a more active  participation in your ownquestionable health and  prevention.

So with much prompting I decided to bit the bullet and go for it. With reluctance and fear I bought the magic preparation to mix with my orange Gatorade.  While drinking the colonic all day I must admit “it wasn’t  so bad” , the orange flavor disguised the taste somewhat and I could afford to lose a few pounds anyways.  

As my morning procedure approached, I was relieved that the day was here and was more than ready to proceed.  Surprisingly enough I had the best hour sleep I had had in years;   I never can sleep for more than 4 or 5 hours a night and woke up refreshed and h-u-n-g-r-y.

I don’t know why I put this procedure off for so many years and to my surprise I was able to literally nip off some very suspicious polyps that would have taken a turn for the worse in the coming years.  There are not many tests and procedures that can be done proactively that can literally save your life…this is one of them. 

 Had I not swallowed my fears and done the dreaded colonoscopy, I would have had more than trouble, painless trouble, hovering over me in the near future.  For those out there who do not practice preventive medicine because of fear or lack of finances,   you are shortening your lives.  Simple testing such as routine blood sampling and routine physicals can tell so much into your futures.  I know if
you are feeling well, it is the furthest thing from your mind but it  can insure you are able to live life to the fullest and not have it shortened unnecessarily.

Also, if there are any other tests that can help you take a look into the future, believe it or not, it is a routine eye examination.  The eye is the only part of the body that can give a direct picture into the
body’s health without being invasive.  A dilated exam will tell the Doctor if you have high blood pressure, diabetic disease, high cholesterol and a bevy of other conditions.  Of course I am biased in that specialty since I have spent my last,  over 30 yrs. Preaching to the choir but I am amazed at how many health conditions we catch during the week just through a simple dilated eye evaluation.

  That’s probably one of the reasons I have continued in this field; it’s the amazing discoveries we find constantly.

Taking an active part in your own preventive health will definitely save your life or at least prolong it.

Having that colonoscopy made me a true believer;  You can be sure I will be returning for a repeat performance next year with no arm twisting this time. ..and if you have the time, make the time,  and
get an eye health evaluation by an Eye Doctor.  

Here’s to every ones good health! L'Chayim 

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