"Hau'oli la hanau- Happy New year..!"

New years day I received an email from Facebook titled 'Birthday calendar.' It tells you all your friends who have birthdays in the coming week. In bold print it says, "Nathan Eagle is 109 years old today!" I know Nathan, he is a young man maybe late twenties early thirties and for those who do not know Nathan he is the editor "n" chief of TGI. (The Garden Island newspaper)

This was obviously a misprint, and should had read The Garden Island Newspaper turned 109 years old January 1,2011!

Happy Birthday Garden island newspaper and Mr Eagle please give us your secret on reaching 109 with such a youthful appearance in such a stressful job. May you keep publishing another 109 years and beyond, Hau'oli la hanau.

"Where news was news and being a professional had it's merits..."‏

Anybody can be a writer or photographer and have their own daily periodically for free. Blogs, where you write whatever is on your mind, somewhat like a personal diary that you share with the world.

Daily newspapers, writers and professional photographers have lost millions in the last 10 years since the digital world has become mainstream.

Twenty years ago rumor had it that someday you would be able to push a button on your computer and send a photo instantaneously anywhere in the world. Digital camera's, even the small amateur type that fit in your shirt pocket are capable of taking photos of such great quality that they can be reproduced in many national publications.

People believe what they read in print, they don't check to see if the person doing the reporting is legitimate, maybe the person just has a jazzy website with a blog, but it's in print and people believe it as newsworthy.

I remember the days when being a professional reporter or professional photographer belonged to an elite class. All you need now is a computer and a cheap digital camera and your in business.

The situation is similar to sports among the youth where everyone gets a trophy, because no one child should feel bad. Many schools play sports games and do not keep score as to not make the loser feel bad, G-d forbid we call a loser a loser.

Technology is great, but sometimes I long for the days where news was news and being a professional had it's merits.

"It's a different world nowadays..."

It's a different world nowadays, most people including myself read their local daily newspaper online and one of the features and advantages is being able to be interactive with any story. Most articles have comment boards where you can write back along with anyone else who read the story and insert your two cents worth.

Since I live in a small town (small island)many times people will attack you with personal here-say that has nothing to do with the article.

I recently wrote an opinion article about the local correctional facility that the local paper ran in the editorial section of the Kaua'i Garden Island news. The gist of the article was two point.

!- Prisons are not Hotels

2- We need to enforce stricter rules to defer crime, such as chain gangs and the death penalty.

Here are some responses to that article, these are actually quoted from the comments page of that article;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_2a251034-10a7-11e0-955c-001cc4c03286.html?mode=comments
"Nobody cares if you dumpster dive for your dog's dinner & nobody really cares if you get hauled off to jail for trespassing. Nobody cares if you have Christmas envy. NOBODY CARES"

"You are obviously unstable based on the fact that you named your dog Obama. That is pretty racist, equating our failed president to a black dog don't you think? The guy already has enough legitimate critics and doesn't’t need people like you comparing him to a mangy flea ridden animal. I know you are upset that he has lied and broken almost all his promises (closing gitmo, the wars, patriot act, extra-ordinary rendition etc etc etc). But it is really not necessary to compare him to a dirty mutt that eats out of dumpsters. Have some respect."

"I am not among your fans;

Perhaps one of your resolutions this year will be to stop posting your observations because for the most part they are basically annoying and you obviously need a lot of attention..."

These comments had nothing to do with the article, just personal para-social attacks from people who feel they know me

It's a different world nowadays for the better or worse we go on...

All I can say is "WTF." ;D)

"Aloha Mr. President..."

(Editors note, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser is asking for Letters to the President while he vacations here in Hawaii they will run some of the letters. They ask for what you think are the top 5 priorities the president should tackle in the next two years, here's mine.)

Aloha Mr. President,

I live on the "Garden Island" of Kaua'i and one of your biggest advocates, I even named my four legged companion after you. My dream someday is to introduce my dog to you and say, "Obama meet President Obama."

Here are the top 5 priorities you should tackle in the next two years.

1- We need to withdraw from both wars, per your campaign promise. The money saved from war will be better used at home.

2- The U.S. needs to do something similar to Roosevelt's New deal, get American working for real.

3- With the money saved from withdrawing troops, Health care could be part of just being an American.

4- We need to become Independent of the oil rich nations, with alternative energy that we produce solely in the U.S.

5- If there is another bailout, give the money to the American people. Alaska Has the permanent fund dividend program where every year, every man women and child in the state of Alaska receives a four figure bonus check, it wildly stimulates the economy, by stimulating the economy it will have a positive massive economic epidemic trickle down effect.

I am proud to call you "My President!" Mahalo Nui Loa.

"Girls in the Boy Scouts..."

There is a ring at the doorbell, it is a young boy around the age of 10 asking if I would like to buy some boy scout cookies, ten minutes later there is a knock on my door and it's  a 12 year old girl asking for a donation for her football team.

This may sound like fiction, however there are many who believe that little girls should be eligible for the boy scouts. Canada currently allows Girls to become Boy-scouts. I am a liberal for the most part, however give me a break. Where does all this craziness end.

What's next Men in the Miss American Pageant, wait come to think of it, many men would probably enter.

"Don't ask, don't tell..."

I'm overall a pretty liberal guy, I also live by the adage, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Don't ask don't tell worked, nobody said anything about their sexual preference and that's the way it should be.

Men in the army do not want to know if the guy showering next to him is gay, it can only lead to fighting. Having gays showering with the straights is going to cost the military hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is talk of constructing barriers in the showers since it would be like showering with a coed for a gay. Bunks are inches apart, is a straight guy going to want to be bunking next to an openly gay person?

There's the old joke about about the guy who left the marines and wrote the song, "I hate to leave my buddies behind." What used to be somewhat of a racist joke is now a reality.

The big question remains are straight servicemen going to be forced to watch "Dancing with the stars?"

"Bring back chain gangs and the death sentence..! "

The jail on Kauai is not even fenced in, when you drive by the inmates are usually playing volleyball or tending to the jail garden.

I called the correctional facility and spoke with Warden Wagasama concerning escaped convicts, since there is no fence what is stopping an inmate from a pretty easy escape and just walking out? First all, everyone is advised of the consequences on many matters inclusive of escape and signs a disclaimer as such. If convicted first degree escape is an up to an additional 10 years jail time and second degree escape holds up to a 5 year additional sentence, plus the facility would be on lock down, jeopardizing all the other guests, (inmates) freedoms. "Nobody wants to be the one responsible for a shut down," the other guests won't welcome you back, and third, an escapee conviction stays on your record for life, thus any prison you may go to in the future you will be high risk and not have all of the rights as others inmates.

With three square meals a day, free medical and dental, a weight room, volleyball court, television and garden, these guys do not mind being incarcerated.

In these rough economic times many prisoners have it better than most. We need to defer criminal acts, bring back chain gangs and the death sentence!

The recent cold blooded murder in Anahola was between a couple of local career criminals, who most likely had it to easy at the Kauai community correctional facility. What is the detriment for their criminal acts, free health-care, 3 catered meals a day, volleyball and a vegetable garden maintained by inmates, with products used by KCCC's food services unit.

Prisons are not hotels and unless we change the system the lines will continue to grow for a visit to your local correctional facility.