"Costco, I love you, but why..?" 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #288)

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 Ivanka-Obama, The Bipartisan Dog!

Above photo;
Costco Lihue takes a 1,000 steps back and brings back individual lines at the fine dining outdoor cafe and lieu of the maze lines similar to roped lines at banks.  Below is how the lines looked before the renovations

Sunrise from Monday, June 10, 2019

(The photo made it to Hawaii News Now)

Photo courtesy,

James "Kimo" Rosen

Publishers note;
Aloha Readers,

   Costco after a month's renovations went 1,000- steps backward at the outdoor cafe, they brought back single lines

in favor of the maze which is similar to roped off lines at banks.
This may not seem like a big deal to you, but everyone including the local managers and fast food junkies are asking why?
           God bless,
James "Kimo" Rosen   
Publisher/Blogger-n-chief~dakinetalk blog

Blog #2041~Kimo's world #288

 

Costco, I love you, but why?

I am one of Costco’s biggest supporters.  I go every week for lunch and a few staple items.

This has been my routine for many years. A city the size of Lihue on an island is blessed to have a Costco.  

With that said, let me say how disappointed I am in my favorite store's recent decision.  

After a month of renovations to

their 'fine dining' outdoor cafe, they moved back 1,000 giant steps and bring back single lines in place of the lane maze similar to roped lines at banks where you go to the next available window.  Now if you pick the wrong line and are stuck behind the guy ordering for the tour bus you are an excretory product out of luck.  

I canvassed by writing letters to corporate, speaking with local supervisors, managers and plugging the suggestion box for three years straight, asking for roped lines similar to banks and other fast food establishments.

Finally, after a long 3 years, they came through with the taped off maze lines on the ground, which satisfied myself and many others, since it was the same concept as ropes. Everything was going great with the maze! "If it ain't broke, don't try and fix it?"

Let me repeat, I love Costco, I just can't understand such a crazy decision. Everyone I have spoken with is scratching their head, even local management

has no explanation on bringing back single lines and is blaming corporate.

I spoke with one manager, not to mention any name and when I did he said as soon as he saw the construction crew drawing the straight lines back, he thought of me.

How would Costco corporate executives or their accountants feel if next time they went to make a bank deposit the roped lines were taken down in favor of single lines and they had to pick a line-- the line they hope moves faster?

Why Costco? Why? Oy vey!

Epilogue;

 I sent this blog as a letter to the editor of The Costco Connection, Costco's monthly magazine. I received an immediate reply from the Editorial director Tim Talevich.

Tim Talevich 

Tue 06/11/19 12:23 PM

You



Hi Kimo,

Thanks for your letter. Sorry to hear that there's been some inconvenience for you. I'm just the magazine guy, but I have to think somebody feels the configuration is more efficient.

I'll send this along to the people who oversee our Food Court operations and see if I can get a response.

BTW, the "new" configuration is how it's done here at my local Costco in Issaquah, WA. But we don't have those fancy lines, so you have to pay attention and defend your turf. We do, however, have a new system where you can order your food at the indoor kiosk while you're shopping, then pick it up as you leave.

Tim T.

Breaking News!

 Thursday-June 20, 2019

Breaking News! Mahalo Costco!  ;-)

My latest blog entitled, " Costco, I love you, but why?" Was trending with over 700 views two days after posting which is extremely rare. 

Today I get a call from Costco management telling me my blog had a profound effect and was read by many and that commencing Friday Costco is reinstalling the maze they refer to 

as "snake lines!" 

Yeah!

Updated photo -(06-24-19) showing snake lines are now up and running!  Yeah! 

Hana Hou,(Encore)

"The Taste of Hawaii is back..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #287)

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 Ivanka-Obama, The Bipartisan Dog!

Above photo;

Former Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr in yellow
and current Kauai Mayor Derek S.K.  Kawakami
in blue Boogying at the 2014 Taste of Hawaii

Sunrise from Tuesday, May 14, 2019

(The photo made it to Hawaii News Now)

Photo courtesy,

James "Kimo" Rosen

Publishers note;
Aloha Readers,

   The Taste of Hawaii ( The ultimate Sunday brunch) is back after taking a years break due to extreme floods and

weather conditions on Kauai and throughout the state. You don't want to miss this one, all proceeds go to charity. There are a limited amount of tickets that can be purchased online, order now before the event sells out!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-of-hawaii-2019-tickets-53649198196
           God bless,
James "Kimo" Rosen   
Publisher/Blogger-n-chief~dakinetalk blog

Blog #2040~Kimo's world #287

 The Taste of Hawaii is back

The Taste of Hawaii is the original food and wine tasting event for the islands and on Kauai.

Produced by the Rotary Club of Kapaa and countless community volunteers, this year marks the 30th Taste but is actually the 31st year, since last year was canceled due to the extreme floods that ravaged Kauai. Many of the Rotarians were busy volunteering helping distressed flood victims and there was not enough manpower to hold the event. The Taste is back!

The most memorable event

I ever witnessed at the Taste of Hawaii, The ultimate Sunday brunch was when  a couple got married with  a small wedding party right in the middle of Smiths Paradise at the 2016, "Taste."

That's how you get married on a budget in class. The best part— all the money goes to charity. "Taste" is not only a taste of food but a taste of community, a taste of charity and a taste of fellowship."Taste"

is a community event sponsored by the  Kapa'a Rotarian's. All profits go towards scholarships for our local youth and fund international projects such as providing safe drinking water and sanitation in schools for people in poverty-stricken areas around the world.

Many visitors plan their vacations to Kauai during the Taste since to them the Taste is

what Kauai is all about. There is not a better event in the state of Hawaii, you will also see many VIP's. Many politicians frequent the Taste along with news personalities, singers, actors, and even yours truly.  ;-)

The  Taste of Hawaii will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2019-from 11:30-3:30 pm at Smith’s Tropical Paradise.

Purchase your tickets online and reserve your spot at this year’s event. Cost of tickets is 100.00 plus $11.20 fee and general excise tax. Tickets at the door are $125.00. Click on the link below to purchase tickets.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-of-hawaii-2019-tickets-53649198196

TASTE OF HAWAII IS A FUNDRAISER EVENT FEATURING:

~25+ chefs from restaurants around Hawaii~

~10+ beverage vendors~

~12+ musical and

entertainment groups~

~Online silent auction – Bid from your computer, smartphone, or tablet~

~Smith’s Tropical Paradise stunning 30-acre private park~~

~FREE Parking and shuttle service from VIDINHA STADIUM to/from Smith’s~

There are a limited number of tickets, this assures the event will not be overcrowded, so hurry act now before the event sells out. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-of-hawaii-2019-tickets-53649198196

P.S.

Check out this Youtube video from the 2014 Taste of Hawaii

with Mayors Carvalho and Kawakami dancing their hearts away!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l0DGUp0nKQ

Hana Hou,(Encore)

"No longer feeling safe in my own house of worship.." (Plus-NY Post-'Why I always bring my Glock to Shabbat') 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #286)

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 Ivanka-Obama, The Bipartisan Dog!

Above photo;
James "Kimo" Rosen with Rabbi Moshe Klein during
a recent visit to Chabad of Kauai

Sunrise from Tuesday, April 30, 2019

(The photo made it to Hawaii News Now)

Photo courtesy,

James "Kimo" Rosen

Publishers note;
Aloha Readers,

   A mass shooting happens almost daily in America. Last year there were 340 of them.
Children are not safe at our schools,

Rabbi Goldstein officiates at 
Lori Kaye's funeral
only 2 days after the
horrific shooting

we are no longer safe in our houses of worship, even shopping is a risk that we could be gunned down by a terrorist or some nut case.
   If you can't find safety in your church, synagogue, or mosque where can you feel safe?
To find out how to remain safe, read the enclosed blog and feel free to express your comments.
           God bless,
James "Kimo" Rosen   
Publisher/Blogger-n-chief~dakinetalk blog

Blog #2039~Kimo's world #286

 No longer feeling safe in  my own house of worship

 Plus NY Post, 'Why I always bring my Glock to Shabbat'

The punishment for mass shooters needs to be extreme and immediate.  They need to die by a firing squad. This will be a way to help curtail the number

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein said Lori Kaye
 threw herself between him and the shooter.

of shootings versus putting the shooter on the front page of  Time, Newsweek and every major news outlet. Without all the infamy, they will cease.

I no longer feel safe in my own house of worship.

The recent synagogue shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue hits close to home.

I am a member of Chabad of Kaua'i. Chabad is small, it's like ohana (family). Any Chabad house as

they are referred to welcome Jews of all denominations for any Sabbath service and a free meal called an Oneg after services to kibbitz (talk story) and to enjoy the Sabbath.  Members become Mishpachah (Ohana). Chabad is also known as a home away from home for any Jew no matter what their affiliation.

Although I do not frequent services as much as I once did. The recent shootings not only

Will religion now live in cyberspace
as does most of our shopping?

at Chabad but the Easter Sunday shootings at the Catholic church in Sri Lanka, and the recent mosque killings in New Zealand are a sign of the times that terrorists and crazies are out for us all.

Shopping malls where children are thrown off balconies, mass shootings of our youth in our schools and running cars into crowds and killing people is now accepted as just another day in America.  According to data from the  Gun Violence Archive, a total of 340 mass shooting incidents occurred in the US in 2018. (That's nearly one mass shooting a day)

https://www.abc15.com/news/data/mass-shootings-in-the-us-when-where-they-have-occurred-in-2018

If the Lord can't protect us in our own houses of worship, I am happy to watch religious services streamed on the internet. The stress and anxiety form sitting through a 2-3 hour service is too much for me.

The punishment for mass shooters needs to be extreme and immediate. 

Without  glorifying the terrorists, shooters and nut cases
and instilling stricter punishments for these heinous crimes,
 they will decrease dramatically...

It's a different world these days and just like Amazon.com has shut down many

department stores, I believe the new church, synagogue, and mosque will live in cyberspace and most people will go to services the same way they shop, via the internet.

Many will say, that by doing this we are raising the white flag and telling the terrorists and nut cases they have won, or is this just part a  New world order and inching closer to the end of times?

This blog also appeared this same day 05-06-19

as a guest column in the Garden Island news!

https://www.thegardenisland.com/2019/05/06/opinion/no-longer-feeling-safe-in-my-house-of-worship/

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 Special from N.Y. Post

Why I always bring my Glock to Shabbat

https://nypost.com/2019/05/04/why-i-always-bring-my-glock-to-shabbat/

Even before the synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh and Poway, Calif., a local Jewish Orthodox man had begun arming himself for Saturday services. The married father of three from Bergen County, NJ, has a concealed-carry permit, and his fellow congregants

Mourners paying tribute to
the victims of the Poway shooting

and rabbi have no idea he brings a handgun to shul. Here, the real-estate developer, who requested anonymity so as not to become a target, tells The Post’s Doree Lewak why Jews need deadly weapons to defend themselves.

As an Orthodox Jew, every Shabbat morning it’s the same routine: wake up at 8 a.m., get dressed in my suit and tie, and head out the door with my wife and three children for our 10-minute walk to synagogue.

But not before I open my safe and strap on my Glock, which I’ve been carrying to shul for the past year.

When I was growing up, synagogue was always a fun, carefree place to go. It was social, it was sacred, but it was never scary.

Now, it’s impossible to ignore the clear and present danger facing Jews. Last week when I heard about the Poway synagogue shooting, my first thought was, “I can’t believe it’s happening again.”

Only I could believe it.

The Jewish people are targets of hate — as individuals walking down the street and as a community in our synagogues.

My grief with the Pittsburgh and Poway shootings deepened because the congregants were unarmed. If there had been armed security in place, it could have saved lives.

I’m one of the lucky few in my community who can legally carry a weapon. And shul is actually the only place where I carry it.

That said, no one but a few close friends even know I’m armed. Even my rabbi doesn’t know.

That’s because, when I broached the general subject of armed congregants with my shul, I was — no pun intended — shot down. People were afraid something could go wrong: There’s the fear of an attack, and then there’s the fear of a gun being present.

I’m leery of someone with no training or experience bringing a gun to shul. But I have plenty of training. And the more trained you are, the more you treat guns with respect. I’m not trying to be a tough guy or a cowboy.

My top priority is protecting my family plus the hundreds of congregants at my synagogue, many of whom are friends.

We’re living in a dangerous world — Jewish people can’t bury our heads in the sand. We need to be prepared, not just reactive.

I don’t want to be a Henny Penny — ‘the sky is falling!’ — and I’m generally an optimist. But my gut tells me things will get worse for the Jews. Every time there’s a terrorist attack, it encourages other nut jobs, like the Poway attacker whose role model is the New Zealand terrorist.

I want to be prepared in case anything does happen. I know every door, angle and route in my synagogue, should we need to escape. I always tell my wife and kids to sit facing the door so they can see everything going on at all times.

I pray there won’t be another Pittsburgh or Poway, but I expect there will be. It gives me comfort knowing that if something happens in my synagogue, I’m doing my part to protect my family and the congregation.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 More sunrise photo's on Hawaii News Now!

Hana Hou,(Encore)

"No Vacancy at our borders and right here at home..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #285)

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 Ivanka-Obama, The Bipartisan Dog!

Easter Sunday sunrise

(The photo made it to Hawaii News Now)

Photo courtesy,

James "Kimo" Rosen

Publishers note;
Aloha Readers,

   Hotels and motels when at capacity and filled will hang a 'no vacancy' sign on their doors. What happens when an Island, city or even a country is full, should they be able to hang a "No Vacancy" sign too?

Nothing is what it was, it's time for a change. Maybe it's time for a timeout, to regroup and take time to make things pono, better...
James "Kimo" Rosen   (Pono is a Hawaiian word meaning righteous)
Publisher/Blogger-n-chief~dakinetalk blog

Ezekiel Rita and Pastor Greg Poole of Ohana Christian fellowship
 during their annual Easter festivities at Kapaa beach park.
 Fun for all, free haircuts, an ono lunch, live music,
food pantry, a thrift store, and an Easter egg hunt.
Life is good on Kauai!

No Vacancy at our borders and right here at home

Blog #2038~Kimo's world #285

It may be time to hang them!

“No vacancy signs” not only at our country’s Mexican border but right here at home in the 50th state. 

Illegal immigration is at an all-time high. U.S. officials expect a million additional illegal immigrants this fiscal year, as the Border Patrol

is currently apprehending up to 4,000 a day. Most will claim asylum, entitling them to government benefits costing the US taxpayer billions.
Most illegal immigrants in US receive government benefits, costing taxpayers billions: 
https://www.foxnews.com/us/the-cost-of-illegal-immigration-migrants-cost-us-taxpayers-billions-a-year

Illegal alien apprehensions are way up from last year.
Mexico is doing very little for us at the Southern Border.
DEMS IN CONGRESS MUST ACT NOW!

 Hawaii homelessness is at an all-time high along with out of control record tourism. 

Many local's can no longer

afford the high cost of living in Hawaii because of the high cost of real estate escalated by tourism and out of state home sales to wealthy people forcing rental prices to all-time highs.

   Landowners no longer rent by the month, when they can rent one night as a vacation rental for what they may bring in for a months rental.

Many states are said to give their homeless and poor one-way tickets to Hawaii to assume liability for their down and out population.  Hawaii already has an out of control house-less and homeless crisis of their own.

Now on top- of everything else, the good and bad news, the double-edged sword--so to speak. Southwest Airlines is finally flying to the Aloha state bringing airfares to their lowest in many years. This has prompted many to finally bring on their bucket list trip to come to Hawaii, an already over-stressed and over-populated tourist destination stressing every infrastructure in the book.

It's time to do what hotels and motels do when they can no longer accommodate any more guests, it's time to display the 'NO Vacancy' sign at our Airport's and on every travel destination website where vacation packages are sold.

Look what happened after the Kaua'i North shore floods and the road to Ke'e beach was shut down for a

year.  The beach returned to its turquoise color, the reefs were restored, turtles returned in vast numbers, along with fish, and the people living on the North shore trusted each other and became neighborly again.

There needs to be a time to hang a 'No Vacancy' sign, time out is needed to regroup and re-organize. Change is needed.

-----------------------------------------------------------

In memory

Her name is Lori Gilbert-Kaye.

She was praying at synagogue today. Then hate entered. Lori was shot and killed. She is the one reported fatality at the tragedy in Poway. In that one moment, a universe was snuffed out.

When Lori turned 60, she posted this photo of herself.

She wrote

"Fearless at 60! As I enter a new decade, I am full of "gratitude" & thankfulness for the many blessings in my life. As I said on my 40th & 50th birthdays:

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but BY the moments that take our breath away."

We mourn.

Lori Gilbert-Kaye. She leaves behind a daughter, a husband, and so many moments that we today cherish, never to come again.

May her memory be a blessing.

"My heartfelt condolences for Lori's friends and family 

and pray to an end to all these hate crimes."

James "Kimo" Rosen

Hana Hou,(Encore)