"Miracles do happen.." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

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

Miracles Do Happen

Miracles can happen! This is
the little girl Judy speaks of!

 A good friend of mine several years ago decided she wanted to give back in a big way.

 She and her husband went for classes so they could become Foster parents to those children in need. My friend, never having had children of her own had an abundance of love to share and wanted to help in some small way those children from broken homes, children taken away from unfit parents and born into dire circumstances. 

Sometimes the parents just needed a break from life and had to be counseled on how to parent. CFS, Child and Family services, brought many children to her doorstep, some for a
short time and others for a prolonged visit. Each child had their own set of circumstances and had lived in several homes before they reached hers. She cared for them as best she could; some came with
severe emotional problems that were difficult to deal with. And then one night... her and her husbands life changed.

In the middle of the night a social worker brought her a premature baby in a carrier with only the clothes on her back. She was 2 months old and was a tiny bundle sunk down in her carrier. Of course my friend took her in and immediately went out to buy all the things she needed to care and nurture a young baby with many needs. At that point she did not know if she would have her for a day, a month or year but she was happy to give her all the love and care she needed. Amazingly she was from the same ethnic background as my friend and looked exactly like her. It was like a gift from the heavens.

Many years ago her sister had passed away and their baby pictures were almost identical.

The months quickly passed and her biological parents were unable to take care of her and the question of adoption came up. The mother did have allowed visits to her child but knew she could not offer her the life she so deserved and gave her up for my friends to adopt.

It became a dream come true as my friend grew to love this little thriving bundle of joy and so desired a child of her own. She and her husband initiated the long arduous process to adopt which has taken many months, and has proven to have many hurdles to jump through, but she can now see the end of the
tunnel.

This month her little angle has become 2 years of age and is the light of their lives. She couldn't imagine life without her and I am so delighted that she will finally become the mother of a child she
wanted for so many years. They all are truly a match sent from heaven.

As she and her husband have seen first hand, there are so many local children in this area that are in need of a loving family to either stay with or join permanently. It is a selfless gesture to provide a safe and nurturing home life for these kids. I had no idea what has to occur during the fostering process. My friend opened my eyes to a side of life most of us never see.

There are wonderful, innocent children out there that by no fault of their own were born into circumstances that are out of their control. 

My friends will still offer their home to children in need
but are now fulfilled in their hearts with the love of their lives, their little bundle of joy.

P.S.
Check out this Youtube video of how a 110 year old tree was carved into a library.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjfSDCPoUYw

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

"Ready, Fire, Aim, not again..." 'Glenn Mickens' (Special feature)

Glenn Mickens has lived on Kauai  with his wife Ruth for the last 26 years. Born July 26, 1930 in Wilmar, California, USA) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in four games (two of which were starts) for the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. He also played for five years in Japan, from 1959 until 1963 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. There, he compiled a record of 45–53 with a 2.54 ERA.  Glenn also  served in the Army for 2 years and coached baseball at UCLA for 25 years. 
Last but not least Glenn would really like to see Kauai give the county manager style of Government a chance.

Ready , Fire, Aim, not again

Mr. Mickens is locally known
as one of Kauai county's
political watchdogs.
Mahalos Glenn!

First of all,there was a  well written article in TGI~11/15/15 "Talking Transportation"  however it does need a lot of comments and examination. 

(For those interested in reading the article click on the URL below;)
http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/talking-transportation/article_be2a616e-7e0d-5e75-93da-310fd57b8283.html

Are we really going to again "ready, fire, aim" with an issue that will waste millions of dollars of tax payers money? Those people who run our government, those who have squandered megabucks and made problems that proper planning would not have allowed, are now proposing to use an island of shuttle systems to alleviate our traffic problems.

Traffic is a huge problem on
 Kauai where the population and
 tourism has greatly increased.
The two lane highway that is really
just a road has not  changed in years.

As with all failed projects, our Kauai County Transportation planner is holding public hearings to get their input on this issue. Having been to many hearings like this over the years, it is obvious that decisions have already been made as to what will or will not be done. The hearings are basically to show that the consultants and people putting them on are earning their salaries and that the monies spent for them are justified no matter what the results.

It appears from the map in the article how much time and money developing a design and plan of where these shuttles will go has already been done. If public input were really an integral part of the planning, wouldn't the meetings be held first to see if a shuttle system is even wanted? Shouldn't a cost/usage study be done BEFORE moving forward with any costly project?

The only example of a shuttle system that was tried on Kauai was the one on the North shore (Hanalei to Ke'e beach) which proved to be a complete failure. So now we are proposing to spend millions of dollars on a mass shuttle system for all of Kauai---insanity at best!

When will those in power simply realize that people, local or tourists will not abandon their vehicles for a bike, bus, walking or a shuttle. People, the mass of them need, want and will keep their vehicles no matter what alternate means of transportation is offered to them. 

We desperately need alternate and wider roads to move around our Island to alleviate traffic problems--not the "dream world" activities mentioned above. 

We have no oversight or a responsible party to be accountable for the gross waste and inefficiency in our system. A County Manager would give us such a person so please, citizens, encourage Councilman Chock and his colleagues to let you vote on this system at next election. Those who say that our present system is not broken only need to look at the above example (AND SO MANY MORE) to know that our present system is not working.

P.S.
Check out Glenn's Wikipedia page;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Mickens


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

"The Greening of Lihu'e, Hawai'i..." '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!
Bettejo has a gift of mingling
 the present, the past, and the future. 

www.bettejodux.com

www.amazon.com

The Greening of Lihu'e, Hawai'i

Don't you sometimes feel sorry for politicians?

I know they're not our favorite servants, public or otherwise. I've known bedmakers who would serve their office better. Certainly we all know they should have a  better grasp managing money. If we managed our budget  as they manage theirs, we'd all be broke. Sadly, many  are, but I don't think they should blame  politicians for that. I know who--or what--they should blame but I don't want to start a fight.

Think about this? No matter what our politicians do, seems like  half the people in the country, in the state, in the county, disapprove. Bad.  Can we assume  fifty percent  approve? Good.

We rarely hear from they who approve, but we hear a constant stream of invective from those who disapprove. Some people like bike paths. Some people don't. Some people want super ferries. Some people don't. Most people don't want higher taxes but everybody wants more, better, and faster public services. Fancy new high-tech garbage trucks? Oh boy! Where to dump the stuff? Not in my backyard? That's  a 100% downer.

Everyone complains about the roads. Repair mine. Don't repair his. Then we complain about the inconvenience we experience when the roads are under repair. Lihue is a maze most of us rats get lost in. Noise. Detours. Traffic jam ups and, quite often, a wrong turn--arrows, flag offs--sends us skittering off a hundred and eighty degrees south of that place we wanted to reach.

A restaurant? The Mall? A public potty?  A parking spot within walking distance of it? (That's any place less than ten steps from  the spot on which we wanted to land.)

Some  answers: bring a book. You can read it in  stopped up traffic jams. A sandwich. Munch. Munch. A bottle of water. Slurp. Slurp. A road map.  Note paper and a pen. Write a letter to TGI about stupid politicians who do  stupid things and inconvenience the hell out of us. Complain. Stomp your feet. Cross your arms. Scowl. Got cell phone? Yell at the innocent in a government office who answers the phone.

Bettejo breaking bread and
 discussing life with her friend
and mentor, Richard Dawkins.

So what's this got to do with greening?

Well, I love  the green roundabouts. I love all the greened up strips beside the road. I love to see work men planting something. Watering something. 'Course all this green stuff costs green stuff. Some guys want to spend it. Some guys don't.

I got a'idea. Plant citrus. Local oranges are delicious--and the scent of orange blossoms!! --everybody loves good smells. Beats carbon dioxide.   Picking them when ripe would create government jobs and income. Buy homegrown food--good food, healthy food--from government road side stands.

Maybe we could plant some long green stuff. Sugar cane. Tall grass. So gorgeous. So generously, sweetly,  cleansing the air we breath. Such a marvelous living historical reminder of the wonderful island we once were. Don't recommend burning.  Machete it--more jobs-- let it grow back all by itself.

Thank you Mayor Carvalho.

Mayor Carvalho and Obama Da Dog!
Yes, Thank you Mayor for being here
for all of us!

Bettejo's new priceless possession is Richard Dawkins' "Brief  Candle in the Dark."

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---Blogger-n-chief, dakinetalk blog---

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

"Welcoming Syrian refugees to Hawaii?" 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

James "Kimo" Rosen was one of the last people
in America without a cell phone.
Rosen currently talks to 'Siri' (not Syria) on a regular basis.
Rosen  lives with his best friend
 and spiritual advisor Obama  Da Dog
on the cosmic Garden Island of Kauai...

Welcoming Syrian refugees to Hawaii

Hawaii Governor Ige during
his inauguration in   December 2014.
Public domain photo from Google

Editors note; This blog also appeared as an opinion article in the 11-18-15 edition of the Kauai garden island news;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-nov/article_a8335aee-8dac-11e5-a326-9b14f50191c0.html

Governor Ige says Hawaii will welcome refugees from Syria with "Aloha." 

We already have an out of control homeless situation in Honolulu. The worst homeless situation in the country. Lawmakers are trying to figure out what to do with our own refugees, yet alone refugees from another country. Send them to a state with a low cost of living and jobs. Hawaii is the most expensive state, very few jobs and has some of the worst traffic congestion in America. 

If we are going to be fighting Syria with boots on the ground, then welcoming them just doesn't sound pono?  This would be like welcoming Germans into our country during World War II.

I don't believe transporting refugees to one of the most remote, small and costly places on the planet is logical.  Our grand-standing governor should realize this. I bet he'd rather find a way to ship Hawaii's homeless to Syria.




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

"Getting leid, ain't like it use to be..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #98)

James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired professional photographer
 and amongst other things lived in a tent outdoors for 7 years.
Rosen currently resides on the tropical island of Kaua'i
with his best friend and spiritual adviser Obama Da Dog!
Rosen's cousin Sue recently visited Kaua'i on the cruise ship
'Pride of America' as seen in the background of the above photo.
Shot by my awesome friend Rick Comstock.(Rikster)

Kimo's world #98

Getting leid, ain't like it use to be

First time getting leid!

A few short years ago one could get leid in Hawai'i for approximately $5.00--for a simple plumeria lei. They sold at many  grocery stores and flower shops.

My cousin Sue was recently visiting  Kaua'i on the 'Pride of America' cruise ship and we were scheduled to spend a day hanging out and talking story.

Cousin Sue really enjoyed the weather
station at the Kauai Marriott

The day before she came I went to Safeway to purchase a nice plumeria lei.  You guessed it, they had no plumeria leis and said they don't handle them anymore since they cannot find a local supplier or person who can make enough leis to supply them.

The least inexpensive Lei was $18.00 and it was wilted. I asked the girl behind the counter,"why is getting leid so expensive?" 

She told me all the leis come form the Big island and the freight alone on Hawai'ian airlines is outrageous. Therefore the majority of the cost is local freight. The cost of freight on these flower leis is just as outrageous as inter-island airfare prices, however that is a topic for another time.

I found it  beyond belief that a dozen red roses could be purchased for $12.00, however a simple Hawai'ian wilted flower lei was minimum $18.00, up to $50.00.

I proceeded to tell  the girl it was highway robbery. I decided on my  way home to pick a bag of yellow wild flowers along a trail I walk everyday.  I proceeded to go home watch TV and string a lei using dental floss and wild flowers. It looked better than the expensive supermarket leis and I had enough flowers left over o make a small lei for my best friend,Obama.

Cousin Sue and Obama Da Dog
with matching hand made leis

 It's the principle of paying $18.00 for a lei that should cost much less, not that our friends and relatives aren't worth it. It's just a matter of principle. Cousin Sue was  more happy with a hand made lei anyway...

Do it yourself and getting leid is not only inexpensive but gives you and the person receiving the lei a sense of accomplishment, artistic license and pride.

This meme was used on Facebook
to promote this blog!

Sue was happy and proceeded on her journey with the 'Pride of America' cruise ship wearing a lei of pride.

You've heard of kissing cousins?
Figure out the joke!  ;-)

This person is wearing
 a plumeria lei

Epilogue;
I  went to  Costco 3 days later and found the best deal for leis on the Island. Two plumeria leis for $9.49.
The moral of this story, always check Costco first--unless you make it yourself!

P.S.
I fact checked this folks, it's true! I am now more  proud than ever to be an American.   My Atheists friends in particular should love this story...  (Oklahoma 'Pastafarian' wears spaghetti strainer on head for driver's license picture...) 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/okla-woman-wears-spaghetti-strainer-driver-license-photo-article-1.1933118
God bless Paris!
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...

"My Name is Asher Lev... 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

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

My Name is Asher Lev

On November 7, 2015 my husband and I along with our friends decided to attend the play “My Name is Asher Lev”, performed at the Jewish Community Center. 

We had read the book many years ago and were anxious to see the performance. The Jewish Repertory Theatre puts on several productions a year in this very intimate room in which every seat offers an excellent view. 

The actors Tom Zindle, Adam Yellen and Josie DiVincenzo did an amazing job portraying many characters in the play and
continued non-stop for an hour and half both entertaining, educating and impressing the audience.

Their performances captivated the audience from start to finish and took us to a time long ago when Jewish people were expected to act a certain way and to comport themselves accordingly, if they
were to be practicing and respectable Orthodox Jews.

They portrayed the inner struggle within their family and themselves that kept you drawn into their lives during the entire performance.
We are so lucky to have such fine actors in our area who make it affordable to enjoy the arts in Buffalo.

P.S.
Check out the review in the Buffalo news on this true to life play;

http://buffalo.com/2015/10/23/featured/in-asher-lev-jrt-presents-a-somber-battle-between-art-and-faith/

Tomorrow on Kimo's world blog;

"Getting leid, ain't like it use to be..."

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

"Order in the Court..." 'Obama Da Dog' (Source)

Obama Da Dog currently resides with her best friend
and mentor James "Kimo" Rosen on the alleged
island called Paradise. (Kauai)

Order in the Court

Get it?
Dogs are color blind!  ;-)

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS:   No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS:   No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS:   No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS:   No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS:   Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS:   Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

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

The lawyer from Breaking Bad,"
Saul Goodman