"The NFL,Non Profit, My Buttocks..." 'Kimo's World #54'

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.
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-jan/article_370cb080-a906-11e4-ab7c-e7f4be71d229.html

Kimo's World #54
The NFL,Non Profit, My Buttocks

Imagine Netflix, Facebook and  Google declaring themselves non profits to  avoid paying taxes. People would be in an uproar. Now imagine the National Football League declaring itself a non profit, well they did, and they are.

Believe it or not the National Football League (NFL)  has avoided paying taxes since 1966 by defining itself as a nonprofit organization

The NFL is not a charity, quite the contrary. How can an organization where it's top executive commissioner Roger Goodell make 44 million a year and with many player contracts in the multi millions be non-profit?
 It was estimated that the NFL in 2013 made almost $9 billion dollars in revenue and didn't pay a cent in taxes. 

The NFL is protected underneath an obscure clause in the Internal Revenue Code that states ‘professional football leagues’ deserve the same tax breaks as soup kitchens, charities and endowments for the arts organizations.

This is ludicrous and needs to stop. The rich keep getting richer, while the poor and middle class absorb most the of the burden of societies taxes.

Bottom line, NFL teams are a bunch of overpaid kids, that win, loose or draw make more than most of us ever will. Minimum pay for players, even third string bench warmers is $420,00 a year. Even guys not on the team but on the practice squads make a minimum of 6,000 per week. So it's really all about money, since next year many of your favorite players will be on totally different teams only because of money and what free agency can bring. Go figure, and I'm getting emotional over these games. 

It is beyond reason that a non profit entity can charge the following prices for  Super bowl  XLIX (49) in Glendale Arizona between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.The highest priced tickets are listing for $17,800 and would put you in the lower center of the stadium. The least expensive seats are listing for $1,857, according to TiqIQ .

If you're thinking $1,800 or $18,000 is a drop in the bucket, then you might consider upping the ante  to a luxury box. Those are going between $726,000 and close to $1 million. When all is said and done the average ticket price is right around $4,000.

Please don't get me wrong. I am an  avid football fan and  respect people's spiritual rights to believe. However my  right to believe is that the NFL and many spiritual non profits are  taking advantage of loopholes that  seem to primarily benefit the ultra-rich. The NFL needs to start paying it's fare share.

For those down on New England for allegedly cheating  with deflated balls (Deflate-gate) remember the league itself cheats every American by not filing taxes with it's non profit status. The pot calling the kettle black is what I see...

The Question still  remains,How can the NFL be a a non profit?Non profit, my buttocks. The jokes on us.

This blog also ran as an opinion article in the 01-31-15 edition of The Garden Island Newspaper, check it out;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-jan/article_370cb080-a906-11e4-ab7c-e7f4be71d229.html

A rebuttal to my article appeared in the 02-03-15 edition of The Garden Island Newspaper;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-feb/article_727eb288-ab65-11e4-a44e-43f49ad72c08.html

 This meme was used on Facebook to promote this blog..

BTW, That's me in 1998 on the sidelines at the the Pro-bowl
 in Honolulu's Aloha stadium with Buffalo Bills Quarterback Doug Flutie.
I used to get press passes for everything
 when I published Alaska People Magazine...

P.S.
Saturday Night Live does satire on Deflate-gate;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGRyTGUbv4#t=304 P.S.S.
A refined version of this appeared in the 01-23-15 edition of the Honolulu Staradvertiser.
 Since the Staradvertiser has a paywall I am copying and pasting the opinion article below;
NFL exploiting federal tax law
Imagine Netflix, Facebook and Google declaring themselves nonprofits to avoid paying taxes.
People would be in an uproar.
Now imagine the National Football League declaring itself a nonprofit. Quite the contrary. How can an organization where its top executive, Commissioner Roger Goodell, makes $44 million a year be a nonprofit?
The NFL is protected under an obscure clause in the Internal Revenue Code that states “professional football leagues’” deserve the same tax breaks as soup kitchens, charities and endowments for the arts.
The NFL is taking advantage of loopholes that seem to primarily benefit the rich.
For those down on the New England Patriots for allegedly cheating with deflated balls (“Deflategate”), remember the league itself cheats every American by not filing taxes with its nonprofit status.
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapaa, Kauai

http://www.staradvertiser.com

Sunrise Therapy

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

Empty nesters in a half-empty house..." '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.

Empty nesters in a half-empty house

My husband and I built our home about 15 years ago; it was our dream house and had every amenity that we could ask for. We have a theme in our home – French country rooster – and I have spent many years collecting items that have charm and appeal to decorate our home right down to the custom tile in the kitchen and artwork and collectibles.

Our children were teens when we moved in and they enjoyed our home as much as we did. I still enjoy looking at all of the personal gifts people have given us to add to our special collection, and I love the street and location just as much as the day we moved in.

But if I fast forward to today, I see the same home filled with “stuff” in every room but a half-empty house because our boys have moved on to start their own lives. They visit often, but their rooms have turned into storage areas. Our basement is also full of possessions they left behind and claim to have no room for.

My partner is a pack rat, and although I prod and plead, he still insists on saving his treasured mementos and piles of records and valuable papers that he is sure he will need to refer to some day.

However, now that we are in our 60s and need to pay for lawn care and snow removal services, we are beginning to ask ourselves: Why do we continue to live in this large home?

My favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon is to watch the shows on HGTV – “Property Brothers,” “Love It or List It,” etc. – dealing with staging your home for a quick sale.

When I think about selling our home and dealing with all of its contents, I become overwhelmed.

My husband and I have begun checking out some of the new developments in our area. They are going up at record speed and are designed with baby boomers in mind. They are fairly pricey and allow for living with the minimum staples of furniture and belongings, but they have no room for storage.

Even with my annual large garage sales, I don’t seem to unload enough stuff to make a difference. At some point, we must reconcile to the fact that we won’t be able to stay in this home forever.

A nice one-story living space would be welcomed; the stairs in our home seem to feel like I am climbing a mountain after a nine-hour workday.

I know I am in good company among friends and family, because we all seem to be asking ourselves the same questions and having the same discussions. We empty nesters find ourselves roaming in a half-empty house.

I have also spoken with people who have taken the plunge and downsized their homes. They do agree it was a monstrous task, but they are glad they did it. I applaud them.

Perhaps it’s time for a reality check. At this point in my life, I need to start making things easier for myself.

One of these days, when the time is right, my husband and I will meet on the same page. Whether it will be this year or next, it will happen. And when it does, I will be the house on the block holding the largest lawn sale ever.

And if that doesn't do the trick, I’ll rent the largest dumpster available.

This blog also appeared in the Buffalo news on 01-14-15;
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/my-view/judith-whitehead-empty-nesters-may-need-to-fly-the-coop-20150114

P.S.
Check out this hilarious YouTube of a woman laughing on her cell phone;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEs8h6ikFpY

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

Giving Money To The Homeless 'Robert Bitos Gandia'

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!!

Giving Money To The Homeless

A woman was walking down the street when she was accosted by a homeless woman who asked her for a couple of dollars for dinner.
The woman took out her wallet, extracted ten dollars and asked, “If I give you this money, will you buy some wine with it instead of dinner?”

“No, I had to stop drinking years ago”, the homeless woman replied.

“Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?” the woman asked.

“No, I don’t waste time shopping,” the homeless woman said. “I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.”

“Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?” the woman asked.

“Are you NUTS!” replied the homeless woman. “I haven’t had my hair done in 20 years!”

“Well,” said the woman, “I’m not going to give you the money. Instead, I’m going to take you out for dinner with my hubby and myself tonight.”

The homeless Woman was astounded. “Won’t your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I’m dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.”

The woman replied, “That’s okay. It’s important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments and wine.”

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

"Weather and climate aren't the same thing..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

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

Weather and climate aren't the same thing

Please don’t confuse climate with weather. Weather is what conditions are in a short period of time. Climate is what the weather does over time and space.
We have today a Northwest Passage for the first time in history. In 1959, my husband’s last skipper, Bill Anderson, took the Nautilus under the poles. CO2 levels then were 315.94 parts per million (ppm).

Today, there are, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s Mauna Loa Observatory, 402 ppm. The highest in recorded history.

You can see for yourself, on a graph, the rapid rise in CO2 levels since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

In 1760, CO2 levels were 280 ppm. This can be measured. My husband taught me: If you can measure it, it’s there.
“Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets have decreased in mass,” according to NASA.

Glacial retreat decreased snow levels. Soon there will be no snow on Kilimanjaro.

According to some, Hawaii, as climate changes, will create heat-related illnesses. Decrease in trade winds. Massive coral die offs. Rise in sea levels.
No cause for fear, but plenty of cause for concern. Can we do anything about it? Probably not. Should we try? I think so.

As a practical American woman, if it’s too hot in the house, I turn off the heat. What do you do?

P.S.
This blog also appeared as an opinion article in 01-10-15 edition of the Kaua'i Garden Island News;
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-jan/article_9ae74536-988d-11e4-89f6-57d7aeae80aa.html

A selfie portrait of James "Kimo" Rosen and Bettejo Dux
discussing their ideas for their next letters to the editor.
Lookout Kaua'i!
This photo was taken on 01-19-15 'Martin Luther King' day
at Kalapi Joe's restaurant at Kukui Grove center in Lihu'e.

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

Power Outage..." '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...

Power Outage

We had an outage at my place this morning and my PC, laptop, TV, DVD, iPad & my new surround sound music system were all shut down. 
  
Then I discovered that my iPhone battery was dead and to top it off it was raining outside, so I couldn't play golf. 
  
I went into the kitchen to make coffee and then I remembered that this also needs power, so I talked with my wife for a few hours.  

She seems like a nice person. :-*

Hana Hou, (Encore) Sunrise Therapy on Kaua'i 
By James "Kimo" Rosen

  

"Fresh Fish Tacos..!" (Kimo's World # 53) (Different than newspaper version)

James “Kimo” Rosen is a retired professional photographer
 living in Kapa'a with his best friend Obama Da Dog,
Rosen  blogs as a hobby and photographs Sunrises
with a point and shoot camera
and refers to it as "Sunrise Therapy."

This blog also appeared as an opinion article in the 01-17-15 edition of 
The Garden Island newspaper;
"What’s the deal with fresh fish tacos?"
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-jan/article_2a5635bc-9e09-11e4-bb3d-27c09e8627a3.html

Kimo Rosen Salmon fishing,
1983-Rocky River Alaska. 
Now that's fresh fish!

Kimo's World #53
Fresh Fish Tacos

Does anybody know the meaning of fresh fish or fresh fish tacos?

I have gone to  3 different establishments  that advertised on banners and their menu's "fresh fish tacos."  I ask them, when was the fish caught? The reply is usually , oh, it's fresh-frozen. 

My reply is, if it's been frozen, it's not fresh. Fresh frozen is somewhat of an oxymoron like Jumbo shrimp or honest politician..

It's like  buying frozen desserts that say, Homemade, fresh from the kitchen...

Simple concept,  food cannot be fresh if it's been in the freezer. 

Next time you see a sign that says fresh fish tacos,  or fresh fish in general, buyer beware.  

 The difference between fresh fish and frozen fish is the same difference between homemade bread and store bought bread, there's no comparison. When I lived in Alaska and we caught our own halibut and salmon and cooked it the same day it was like heaven, that's fresh fish.!

If  by chance you actually find truly fresh fish tacos where the fish was caught that day, you are most likely in store for a treat you can't beat!

BON APPETIT!



http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-jan/article_2a5635bc-9e09-11e4-bb3d-27c09e8627a3.html

This meme was used on Facebook
to promote this blog....

Sunrise  Therapy courtesy of  James "Kimo" Rosen;
The thing I enjoy  most about  shooting  all these  Sunrise and Sunset photos  with a point and shoot digital camera is  that fits in my shirt pocket. It wasn't that along that I was toting a 2 lb camera and multiple lenses and a strobe light in a bulky 10 lb. camera bag to get the same results.

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

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-jan/article_2a5635bc-9e09-11e4-bb3d-27c09e8627a3.html

Letters for Jan. 17, 2015

• Numbers flawed in global warming argument • Bill 2573 goes way too far • What’s the deal with fresh fish tacos?

THEGARDENISLAND.COM

Unlike ·  · Share

• You, Rick Comstock, Chuck Lasker, Yvonne Kealoha and 3 others like this.
• 

  Rick Comstock "FRESH FROZEN FISH TACOS" It's all in the labeling

  23 hrs · Unlike · 2
• 

  James Kimo Rosen it's all a joke...

  23 hrs · Unlike · 2
• 

  Chuck Lasker Now you've got me wondering about restaurants that might do the same thing. I stupidly assumed there was a legal definition of "fresh" that would be applied. But how silly of me to think, even if it exists, that it would be enforced here.

  21 hrs · Unlike · 2
• 

  James Kimo Rosen ...and Chuck the difference between fresh fish and frozen fish is the same difference between homemade bread and store bought bread, there's no comparison. When I lived in Alaska and we caught our own halibut and salmon and cooked it the same day it was like heaven, that's fresh fish.!

  20 hrs · Like · 2
• 

  James Kimo Rosen Imagine Gluten free fresh fish tacos that aren't really fresh!

  19 hrs · Like · 1
• 

  Rick Comstock Jimbo...thats a mouth full... "GLUTEN FREE FRESH FROZEN IMITATION FISH TACOS"

  6 hrs · Unlike · 1
• 

  James Kimo Rosen with no MSG! 

  33 mins · Like
• 

  
  

  Write a comment...

  
  

  • Rick Comstock "GLUTEN AND MSG FREE FRESH FROZEN IMITATION FISH IN ORGANIC TACOS"

    26 mins · Unlike · 1
  • 

    James Kimo Rosen Low sodium, low fat and sugarless... 

    Just now · Like
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    Write a comment...

    
    

    • 20 hrs · Like · 1
    • 

      Harmony Bentosino To play devil's advocate, I've heard that frozen food can be fresher than fresh food if it was frozen at the peak of freshness. Whereas with fresh food, you can't always be sure how long it has been sitting around in the store.

      33 mins · Unlike · 1
    • 

      James Kimo Rosen I've hear that with vegetables, picking them at their peak and flash freezing, but fish is different. Fresh fish just tastes better. I lived in Alaska many years and after we went fishing cooking the days catch while it is still fresh, being alive just just a few hours earlier is remarkable. when it comes to taste.