"Free Ride..!" 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

"The County of Kauai is offering free bus rides for the next three 3 weeks in hopes of gaining ridership..." This blog also ran an an opinion article in the Kaua'i Garden island news on Sunday 02-26-12, titled"Free bus rides all year?"

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-sunday-february/article_1e7b1554-6055-11e1-970d-0019bb2963f4.html

Christmas in February and March! The County of Kauai' is giving out free bus service for the next three weeks to everyone who wishes to use the bus! What a fantastic idea, encouraging people to use free bus service in lieu of their gas guzzling vehicles.

Just tell your friends you hired a driver to chauffeur you around in a $500,000 vehicle!
The hopes are high for an increased ridership, which will help curtail traffic and save fellow residents money on out of sight gas prices. You don't have to worry about being pulled over by the police, no insurance worries, no worries about flat tires or vehicle maintenance, in fact you can bring your favorite book and read as your driver takes you to your destination.

County employees can ride the bus for free year round, Lifeguards, Policeman, County council people, the county attorney, the mayor, the guys who place the cones in the road, the guys that repair sidewalks, etc., can all ride the bus for free by simply flashing their county ID card to the bus driver.

I find it ironic that Kaua'i county employees can ride the bus year round for free but most do not take advantage. How ironic that well paid county employee's can ride for free but the taxpayers that pay their salaries must pay.

Free bus rides are great for three weeks, however it is discriminating to give county employee's free bus rides all year, while everyone else pays.

Why not continue with free rides full time? The county could sell advertising on the sides of the bus to make up for lost revenues, in fact the county might even save money by not having to count all the change and single one dollars bills which must be an accountant's nightmare.

The bus can be fun too, "Is everyone in the bus? The driver asked before he closed the door. No, called a lady, wait until I get my clothes on. All the passengers in the bus turned towards the door to look at the woman. She got on with a bag full of laundry.

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-sunday-february/article_1e7b1554-6055-11e1-970d-0019bb2963f4.html

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, Publisher.
Breaking news if you live on Kaua'i!

http://www.kauai.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=VBY0yMzp2I4%3d&tabid=346&mid=1449

"Warren Buffett for President! 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source) -verified true on snopes...-

"Unc" is back talking  Warren Buffet's plan to end the deficit in 5 minutes... Chester Lau, (L'oncle Amusant) is a retired cinematographer enjoying his golden years on the island of Oahu. "Unc"  also served in the Korean war  as a Master Sergeant, and enjoys the naturist lifestyle.

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:

      

       "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC "You just

         pass a  law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more        

         than 3% of  GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible

         for re-election.

         The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds)

         took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified!  Why? Simple!

         The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail,

         cell phones, etc.

        

         Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year

         or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.

          

         Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to

         a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask

         each of those to do likewise.

 

         In three days, most people in The United States of America will

         have the message.  This is one idea that really should be passed

         around.

 

    Congressional Reform Act of 2011       

         1. No Tenure / No Pension.

 

         A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no

         pay when they're out of office.

 

         2.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social

          Security.

 

         All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the

         Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into

         the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the

         American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

 

         3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan,  just as all

        Americans do.

 

        4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

         Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

 

        5. Congress loses their current health care system and

         participates in the same health care system as the American people.

 

         6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the

         American people.

 

        7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void

         effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this

         contract with Congressmen/women.

         Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in

         Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers

         envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their

         term(s), then go home and back to work.

 

         If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will

         only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive

         the message.  Don't you think it's time?

        THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

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, Publisher.

"Books..." 'Bettejo Dux'

Guest-blogger Bettejo Dux is one of Kauai's most colorful characters, she has lived on the cosmic island of Kaua'i for over 40 years... She is an animal lover, people lover and enjoys life to the fullest. She publishes her own blog column too, you can check it out at ;  http://www.bettejo.wordpress.com .   Besides her blog she recently published and authored the humorous fiction book, "The Scam," check it out at(www.bettejodux.com) or  on Amazon.

My father taught me to read the Sunday morning funnies. He taught me to love books. To love animals. A perfect combination for an only child. Out in the woods with my horse and dogs when the weather was good, or curled up with my dog and a book by a warm fire when it wasn't.  I've carted books around the world with me for over sixty years and when I married Bill and his books joined mine we carted a veritable library.

You can't sit down in my jungle house because every flat surface is piled with books. My library needs a library, but I know where every book is. I'm happiest around books. Around people who love and read books. The feeling in any book store is a wonderful feeling of human camaraderie. A sense of belonging. A sense of well-being. A sense of knowing you're exactly where you belong.

Now toss in a writer, a plate of cheese and crackers and a glass of wine and look out, the hours fly by like feathers in a storm.

Early on I fell in love with the New Yorker, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Ross, Thurber. They were my friends. I first read Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea in the edition that  featured nothing but this brilliant piece of work. Writers have heroes and Hemingway is one of mine. His short stories still amaze me. I learned to write dialogue from him. I learned about Spain and the Spanish revolution. I learned about  Guernica and Pablo Picasso. I learned that the Abraham Lincoln Brigade was a communist organization.  I learned about Marx and Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg and John Reed and ten days that shook the world.  That didn't convert me, but it did pique my interest.

With a book on a log you can travel the world. The open curious child mind in a library  can sniff out stuff no teacher would recommend. Combine that with a lust for knowledge and you're a menace to society.

I recommend it.

When you're talking to other writers it's wonderful how minds leap and jump to other books, other authors, other subjects. I read a critique about Carl Jung recently where, it was stated  that he said  "Books jumped off the shelf at me". I'm sure that was a metaphor and, if so, I understand.They sure jump off the shelf at me, and this seems to be true of many writers and readers.

I love Stephen King and his book, The Stand jumped of the shelf at me. So did  The Watchers by Dean Kuntz. Anything Kurt Vonnegut wrote.

I love fantasy. I write fantasy. I cannot be separated from my books. One of the saddest things to happen was the loss of Borders on Kauai, but we do have the delightful Talk Story Book Shop in Hanapepe. Ed Justus and his beautiful wife Cynthia are superb hosts. On Friday nights the world drifts in. To all my readers, if you live on Kauai, please come visit me there. I think you'll love my humorous fiction, The Scam.

If you're off island, look for my website (www.bettejodux.com) and check it out on Amazon.




Bettejo has a blog of her own you can check out at ; http://www.bettejo.wordpress.com  

www.bettejodux.com

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, Publisher.

http://www.bettejodux.com/

"Happy Presidents day, really..?" 'Obama Da Dog'

Obama Da Dogs, thoughts on President's day!

President is defined as the head of an organization in my Oxford Thesaurus, Dictionary.
President's Day is a day we set aside to honor all the people in charge? I thought everyday is a day to honor the presidents of businesses and Republics, Presidents are always getting acknowledged with all sorts of perks.
Here's an ides, how about, "People's day," where we honor the people that aren't in the top 1% but the 99% who need a lift!
Happy Presidents day, really? How about Happy People's day!

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, Publisher.

"Post Valentines Day comments..." (PVD)'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Monday)

Judith Whitehead is back for another Inspirational Monday guest-blogging about PVD. (Post Valentines Day) Judith lives in Amherst N.Y. and has work in the ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years...

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and the way to a woman's heart is through flowers..!"

Post Valentines’ Day Comments…

Well…another Valentines’ Day has come and gone.  This year my husband got the idea that he should send flowers to my office….with only my name on the order…to a 4 story office building.   When I saw what he paid for them, I thought  “ I better receive those flowers” because they could be lined in gold. When you order flowers the day before Valentines’ Day there are consequences to pay!  Thank goodness the maintenance man knows my name because he delivered them to my floor. 

I have to say that they were very beautiful and bright to receive on a not-so-bright-day.  It was snowy and cold this year on Valentines’ Day and I had many admirers come into my office. Next year, I think I will start reminding my husband about February 14th way in advance…they never change…after being married for 38 years…they still do things last minute, even with all my training over the years… and as  for those beautiful flowers…they will  still  be  blooming and vibrant a week later .  Included in the box were many packages of plant food, directions and cuttings from sturdy spring flowers. 

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, Publisher.

"The snow plow..." Debbie Eayrs (Source)

 My Dear friends Steve and Debbie Eayrs live in Homer Alaska and run their own plumbing and heating business... They are the source of many good jokes including this one, enjoy!

It was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost

zero when a young teenage girl got caught in a blizzard.

She made her way to her car and wondered how she was going to make it home. She sat in her car while it warmed up and thought about her situation. She finally remembered her daddy's advice that if she got caught in a blizzard she should wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. That way she would not get stuck in a snow drift.

This made her feel much better and sure enough in a little while a snow plow went by and she started to follow it.

As she followed the snow plow she was feeling very smug as they continued and she was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions.

After an hour had passed, she was somewhat surprised when the snowplow stopped and the driver got out and came back to her car and signaled for her to roll down her window..

The snow plow driver wanted to know if she was all right as she had been following him for a long time.

She said that she was fine and told him of her daddy's advice to follow a snow plow when caught in a blizzard.

The driver replied that it was OK with him and she could continue if she wanted, but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot and was going over to Sears.

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, Publisher.

"The letter..." 'Obama Da dog'

"Try writing a letter to a friend or loved one the good fashioned way with a pen and paper, you may be surprised how good it actually feels..!" 

"My baby, she wrote me a letter," was a Popular song from the 60's that was made famous by many artists including the Box Tops and Joe Cocker.

Letters used to be one of the primary means of communications, couples in love would write letters, waiting 4-7 days to hear from their partner, the anticipation the waiting was all part of being in love. Parents would write letters to their children at summer camp, friends would send letters to friends who lived in other cities, and people would actually send birthday's cards to friends and family and  wrote personal messages with a pen.

The Pen and paper is special, I received a letter from a letter from a friend that was hand written, with beautiful penmanship, it took me back to a time before email, cell phones, texting, skyping, tweeting and facebook. It felt pure, it felt special, it felt like the person really cared.

Modern conveniences such as sending emails anywhere in the world in milli-seconds is wonderful, however receiving a handwritten letter or a birthday message from a friend or loved one that actually took time to write a letter, put  on a stamp and drop it in a mailbox sure felt good, it felt pure, it had meaning.

The post office, an American institution may not be around much longer, with most people paying bills online, sending electronic birthday wishes, and emails about everything and anything. Children even write to Santa by email these days...

 Before the post office leaves us,  try writing a letter, it's the difference between fast food and a nice home made meal. The  next time you want to re-connect with a friend  loved one, or even Santa Claus how about writing them a letter? Maybe, just maybe the Post office might be around for future generations to experience the passion made possible through a pen and paper,  a home cooked  meal  of sorts, so to speak.

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, Publisher.