"How the US Government works..." 'Robert Bitos Gandia' (Source)

Guest-blogger,Robert Bitos Gandia.

Robert is an avid cook (ono gandule rice) and always laughing!!
Robert lives in Kekaha on Kauai's west-side and loves football!!

How the US Government works

One is from Chicago, another is from Tennessee and the third is from Minnesota.

All 3 go with a White House official to examine the fence.

The Minnesota contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring then works some figures with a pencil.“Well”, he says, “I figure the job will run about $900. $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.”

The Tennessee contractor also does measuring and figuring, then says, “I can do this job for $700. $300 for materials, $300 for my crew,and $100 profit for me.”

The Chicago contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over the White House officials and whispers, “2,700.”

The official, incredulous, say, “You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?”

The Chicago contractor whispers back “$1000 for me, $1000 donation to your party and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence.”

“Done!” replies the government officials…

And that is how government works.

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"Pierre Omidyar, free enterprise and Hawai'i dairy farms..."Kimo's world #62-James"Kimo" Rosen

 Warning to all serious folks reading this,
please beware this blog contains some truths
 and some tongue-n-cheek sarcasm.
James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired Professional photographer 
and publisher.Rosen lives on the  beautiful Garden Island of Kaua'i
 with his best friend Obama Da Dog. 
Rosen also posts the Sunrise daily on his Facebook Timeline.

Pierre Omidyar, free enterprise and Hawai'i dairy farms

For well over a year the Garden island news has published numerous letters and articles on the proposed and highly controversial dairy farm to be erected on Kauai's south shore.

 The breaking news back in November 2014 was Kauai County approved building permits  for a proposed dairy farm in Mahaulepu funded by Pierre Omidyar, eBay founder and Hawaii’s wealthiest resident.

Nobody wants a landfill or prison in their backyard,now on Kauai you can add dairy to that list. Really?
Lets face it, no matter what is  being built on Kauai is met with opposition.

The number 1 and number 2 issues apposing the dairy farm is exactly that, #1 and #2 from the cows.

If you want to preserve Ag  land, you must put it to good use. If the land  is not used for farming or agriculture it faces the certainty of other uses,most likely housing. 

My previous brain child of a dairy on a fairy never took off,therefore my newest idea for those opposed to the dairy is to build next to Kaua'i coffee plantations. Think about it!The coffee people could have all the fertilizer they can use with the cow manure that seems to bother so many.The coffee people would be able to walk next door for fresh milk and cream for themselves and the people who frequent the visitor center and drink coffee.

If this wasn't a dairy but a shopping center,hotel, big box store,affordable housing development  or another form of mass transit to  travel off island it would still be be met by a group of people known as 'anti's' that are opposed to anything and everything. Ironically most anti's representing local politics are transplants. Go figure.

The reason most don't want a dairy is simply an animalistic territorial act of reason.I understand nobody wants their space invaded. it's like a dog not wanting other dogs on the territory where they have just urinated. 

Le'ts say the dairy is built  and it keeps away visitors as some are predicting? This would then lighten the traffic flow island wide. Traffic is the number one problem island wide. So, this is a good thing, right? But, not to worry. I all but  guarantee a dairy would only increase tourism as another site to see on every visitors itinerary.

This meme was used to promote
this blog on social media...

I feel it's a travesty the way most anything and everything on Kauai that tries to make a success is shut down before it starts. 
For Gods sake people, the dairy is not a nuclear power plant. Just imagine the government wanting to erect a nuclear power plant on Kauai?

I stand in support with Pierre Omidyar, Hawaii dairy farms  and free enterprise!  

Last but not least  remember the dairy mans motto,"be kind to udders."

P.S.
Read a similar blog about the dairy farm;
"For Gods sake, the Dairy is not a Nuclear Power Plant..." (Blog #1491)
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2015/03/for-gods-sake-dairy-is-not-nuclear.html

P.SS.
Antis’ shouldn’t block dairy farm
An edited version of this blog appeared in the 03-12-15 edition of the Honolulu Staradvertiser;
The Staradvertiser has a paywall, therefore I copy and pasted below;
http://staradvertiser.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx?noredirect=true
The breaking news in November 2014 was Kauai County approving building permits for a proposed dairy farm in Mahaulepu funded by Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay.
Whatever is built on Kauai is met with opposition.

The No. 1 and No. 2 issues against the dairy farm are exactly that, No. 1 and No. 2 from the cows.
If it wasn’t a dairy, but a shopping center, hotel, big-box store, affordable-housing development or another means of mass transit, it would still be met by a group of people known as “antis.”
It’s a travesty the way most anything and everything on Kauai that could be a success is shut down before it begins.

The dairy is not a nuclear power plant.

I stand in support with Pierre Omidyar, Hawaii dairy farms and free enterprise. 
James “Kimo” Rosen

Kapaa, Kauai
http://staradvertiser.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx?noredirect=true

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"Touring The Los Angeles Zoo..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Condolences to Judith and her family)

We are sorry to hear of the passing Judith's father, 'Bert Meyers.'
Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York( A suburb of Buffalo, N.Y.)

 and has worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years
Looks like the warm weather agrees with Judith!.
All photos taken by Judith!

Joel, Steve & Judy enjoying
the few days left on vacation.

Touring The Los Angeles Zoo

Part of Griffith Park in L.A. is the Los Angeles ZOO.  We had heard that a new baby monkey had been born and since it had been a long time since we had been to a Zoo, we decided to make the trip. 

What a great way to spend the day with 80 degree weather.  Our Buffalo Zoo pales in comparison to the LA Zoo. It is a well thought out and natural Zoo with plenty of park benches every few yards, restrooms in every area of interest and small  food areas with different foods to pick from.  It is a winding trail that you need a map to follow with.  

Every animal area is most natural and roomy with small fences and shrubs with a moat to separate the animals from the humans but it allows you to get very close to the animals. It also provided excellent picture taking opportunities.  The animals actually seem to be happy, centered in the most natural environment surrounding them. 

A real effort is made for the giraffes to reach high to feed themselves with branches  actually placed daily,  hanging for them to eat off of.  It was very clean along the whole pathway  which is not the case in many zoos. 

By the end of the day, “our dogs were barking” and we were glad to sit down. I highly recommend visiting this attraction in LA if you are in the area, both young and old will enjoy the visit. 

We are sorry to hear of the passing Judith's father, 'Bert Meyers.'

"In the early morning hours this past Wednesday, 03-11-15, my dad peacefully joined my mom in heaven; it was the best way to pass away I could have asked for, no suffering, with a peaceful end to 95 years of life" Judith Whitehead
The below link will take you to the Obituary of Wilbert Meyers in the Buffalo news;
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/wilbert-meyers-veteran-retired-ge-salesman-20150311

If you wish to sign the guest book click on the link below for Wilbert "Bert" Meyers;
http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/buffalonews/wilbert-meyers-bert-condolences/174376691?#sthash.kj6qNoji.gbpl

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"Sharing..." 'Robert Bitos Gandia' (Source)

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

Sharing

An old man ordered one hamburger, one order of French fries and one drink. He then unwrapped the burger and carefully cut it in half, placing one half in front of his wife.

He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.
He took a sip of the drink, and then his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them.

As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them kept looking over and whispering. You could tell they were thinking: "That poor old couple -- all they can afford is one meal for the two of them."

As the man began to eat his fries, a young man came to the table. He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said they were just fine -- they were used to sharing everything.

The surrounding people noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.

Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time, the old woman said: "No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything."

As the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady, who had yet to eat a single bite of food, and asked: "What is it you are waiting for?"

She answered:"The teeth."

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"Change..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Vintage Bettejo)

Bettejo Dux has lived on the cosmic Garden Island of Kaua'i for over 40 years.

Bettejo is a regular opinion writer in the Garden Island news and is the author of the

famed novella, "The Scam."  Her latest fiction

 "Children of Extinction" is now  released and available on Amazon!

www.bettejodux.com

www.amazon.com

Change

It seems to be a time when everything changes. Fast. Too fast. Some people like change. Some people don't. Not every change, good or bad, pleases everybody.

I'm recalling a kind of old-time joke-my style-when the crank of the town was asked about change, He replied, "I seen lots and been agin every damn one."

Don't think I'll go that far, I loved movies in living color. I love DVD discs that shoot real movies in Technicolor on a screen. WOW! I can turn my living room- great room a new fangled description-into a theater by pulling down a hidden screen and connecting an EPSON projector. I can watch, with great delight,  thirty hours of Sherlock Homes half hour TV segments in black and white and love every minute. I can remember in the first grade watching Rin Tin Tin on a white sheet in a classroom. It was a treat we got when we were good kids. My father bought me a toy  film projector so I could watch cartoon characters race about on a white wall. No sound and the film had to be rewound on a reel and kept in a safe  place. I could watch the same magic  over and over and over, but I loved Rin Tin Tin  best.

I didn't like it when we had to drive the car  to San Francisco instead of taking the ferry. I loved cold foggy days and smell good  soup inside.. I loved to walk on the deck in the fog, snuggled warm. I loved fog. Weather. Climate changer. Global warming. Don't like that much. I accept the fact we are experiencing this change and hope someone figures out a way to slow it down.  This is a change that bodes no one on the planet good. What did we used to say? "It's an ill wing that bids no one good." This is one.

I don't like over population and huge dirty  cities where people live stacked on each others shoulders. A high-rise, to me, is a monstrosity. I must feel the earth beneath my feet. Climb and sit in a tree. Even at eighty-four. Clean stalls, make compost, groom a mudder-that's a horse who loves to roll in the mud.

That the sound of birds-singing, crowing, tweeting, trilling, raking fallen leaves with clawed feet and munching worms and other creepy crawlies-has been displaced with the sound of motorcycles, revving engines, growling trucks, boom boxes, horns, traffic, drones, helicopters, jets and other annoying what nots, offend my ears.

Ticky tacky dwellings- suburban sprawl-lined hump roof  to  hump roof , eating up space and rich soil saddens  my sense of order. We used to sing, "Don't fence me in." Today we sing of paved paradise.

I hope it will never be I who  decide which changes must be made , and hope they who must make them, think of the common good, of the planet, of the living things who abide here and not of cipher  in banks and paper in wallets and pockets. They who put profit first. Living things nowhere.

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"The trick to great customer service..." 'Kimo's world #61'

James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired Professional photographer 
and publisher.Rosen lives on the  beautiful Garden Island of Kaua'i
 with his best friend Obama Da Dog. 
Rosen also posts the Sunrise daily on his Facebook Timeline.

Kimo's world #61
The trick to great customer service

This meme was used on Facebook
to promote this blog!

I don't know about you but customer service has gotten out of control. Many companies employ people in foreign countries for their customer service. Our local cable company Oceanic Time Warner cable employs agents in India and some Mainland states with cheaper labor laws.

Whenever I call customer service and hear someone with a very defined sharp accent I will usually hang up. I always call back and wait until the person fielding the call has a voice I like, a voice that I feel compatible with. The voice that works best for me is a higher soft pitched female tone. After-all, if your comfortable with the agent your bound to get more accomplished.

I once called the cable and tried to get a reduction on my cable bill since I thought I was being taken advantage. I went on and on about how the cable company is like  buying a used car or real estate in that nobody in their right mind pays rack rate or sticker price. Plus, most people have found a way to get shows for free or next to nothing by back dooring them via the Internet, Netflix  and Hulu. I had this out with a male supervisor, he wouldn't budge. I called back 2 days later and found a female voice that I liked, I plead my case and they accommodated me with a discounted fee.

Don't be afraid to hang up on a voice you don't like, it will reflect in your overall customer satisfaction.

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"Finding ways to enjoy your vacation for Free..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York.

 and has worked in the ophthalmology
 field of medicine for over 30 years
Looks like the warm weather
agrees with Judith!.

Finding ways to enjoy your vacation for Free

We travel to California a few times a year to visit our son and always look for cost effective things to do during the day. A few months prior, I look on line for the free “TV ticket” website to watch our favorite shows being taped at Warner brothers studios.  

Warner Brothers studio where
Mike&Molly is taped.

This year we chose Mike & Molly which I love to watch.  It is a time investment but always great fun.  Even though we had free tickets, we had to show up 3 hours before the show start and line up sitting on a bench; each person had to be identified by drivers license or something that  show’s your picture, get hand stamped and tickets identified and purses searched.  Everyone must pass through a metal detector and pockets emptied.  Almost as secure as flying in an airplane. 

 A comedian keeps the crowd of at least 100+ people entertained in between the set changes in the studio and after about 2 hours we were served pizza etc. The whole taping took 3 hours and afterwards if the actors are friendly, we are allowed to go to “the bar” and meet them, talk with them and get autographs if we are able.  

The stars of Mike and Molly are very friendly as we watched their taping last year and found them to be very humble and thankful for our support. 

 If you have the time to invest a total of 6+ hours…then this is a great way to spend the day.  My next outing  will be to visit the L.A. zoo and watch the new baby monkey born this month…special price for  age 60+ people….

P.S.
Check out the YouTube promo of Mike & Molly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmJdmG8PDC4

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