"DON’T CONFUSE FEAR WITH COMMON SENSE..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Inspiration 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

DON’T CONFUSE FEAR WITH COMMON SENSE

Scared, Seigfried? No. It’s just many of us have good sense. For the county — or GMO farmers — to use a toxic spray that kills the bees is beyond stupid. It’s insane. Imagine, a world without bees to pollinate.

We have egg factories, pig factories, beef factories, milk factories, where the animals never see the sun, live in such a cramped, sick environment only multiple use of drugs keep them alive. The food they produce for human consumption isn't fit to eat.

Thank goodness we do not fluoridate our water supply.

Pill pushers? Come on doctor, every time we take a drug, we weaken our immune system. There are times — but they are few and far between — when a drug can save a life but those of us who have good sense, and have nurtured and tended our own good health, quite often manage to avoid them. You’d be surprised.

And you can’t intimidate me, Seigfried, just because you have a couple letters in front of your name.

Further, if I were you, I’d be careful about bringing up the past. A list a mile long of medical nonsense — historical horrors — and “pseudo” science mistakes, could fill this page. Don’t tempt me.

We need to grow food for health instead of wealth. Produce milk children can drink. We need to restore the health of the soil, diversify and create jobs for people instead of a few mindless puppets, who dance for a dollar when someone with too many of them pulls the strings.

P.S.
A few responses from the Kauai Garden Island News comments page;

Aloha Bettejo, we are going to frame your comment today…it has never been said so concise and thorough.

Congratulations Bettejo Dux! A well written letter on a very serious subject. One question though? Why didn't you support Bush and Romney, instead of the Cretan you've pushed on everyone for the past 6 years, you would have been a lot closer to your stated goals! There would have been a short, instead of long, “depression”, the economy would be strong, deficits and debt would be in good shape, and jobs would be everywhere. Now that’s the environment needed to easily make the changes and fix the things you've made us aware of. Oh well, sure hope you learned something?

`A fine letter Bettejo. The last paragraph says it all. Thank you for your response to this nonsense.

Read more comments;

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-friday-january/article_50c2636a-a2c8-11e4-aecb-43d8af21905d.html

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

"Doctor, Doctor..." '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...

Doctor, Doctor

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call asap, changed his clothes & went directly to the surgery block. He found the boy’s father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor.

On seeing him, the dad yelled:
“Why did you take all this time to come? Don’t you know that my son’s life is in danger? Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?”

The doctor smiled & said:
“I am sorry, I wasn’t in the hospital & I came as fast as I could after receiving the call…… And now, I wish you’d calm down so that I can do my work”

“Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??” said the father angrily

The doctor smiled again & replied: “I will say what Job said in the Holy Book “From dust we came & to dust we return, blessed be the name of God”. Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go & intercede for your son, we will do our best by God’s grace”

“Giving advises when we’re not concerned is so easy” Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy,
“Thank goodness!, your son is saved!” And without waiting for the father’s reply he carried on his way running. “If you have any questions, ask the nurse!!”

“Why is he so arrogant? He couldn’t wait some minutes so that I ask about my son’s state” Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: “His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was at the burial when we called him for your son’s surgery. And now that he saved your son’s life, he left running to finish his son’s burial.”

Moral: Never judge anyone….. because you never know how their life is & what they’re going through”

Sunrise Therapy;
Photo, James "Kimo" Rosen

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"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

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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