Whether a newbie or seasoned budgeter, nearly everyone has spending holes -- leaks in your budget that drain money with you hardly noticing.
These small drips can add up to big bucks. Once you find the holes and plug them, you'll keep more money in your pocket. That spare cash could be the ticket to finally being able to save, invest, or break your cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.
Here are 20 common ways people waste money. See if any of these sound familiar, and then look for ways to plug your own leaks.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jerry Coffee on Islam
Now comes HCR100, a resolution declaring Sept. 24 as “Islam Day” introduced by state Rep. Lyla Berg and co-sponsored by Rep. Faye Hanohano. It passed, of course, and was voted for by every woman present that day in both legislative chambers (and all but three of the men). Never mind the obvious: There is no declared “Christian Day,” no “Judaism Day,” no “Buddhism Day,” no other “Day” generically honoring another religion.
But the greater irony is this unanimous female celebration of Islam, a system as much political as religious, which is based upon a Quran embodying several specific and significant rules concerning women that have apparently gone unnoticed.
James Arlandson, Ph.D, college professor of religion and philosophy, author, expert on Christianity vis-àvis Islam, says, “Islam, in its purest form, honors and elevates women, we are told; but does it?” He then goes on to list the top 10 rules of the Quran that “oppress and insult women”:
* * *
In his column “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), Jerry Coffee argues against having a state-sponsored Islam Day based on his (mis)understanding of Islam’s position on women.
To support his argument, Mr. Coffee quotes James Arlandson, whose hatred for Islam is well-documented. His writing, like state Sens. Hemmings and Slom, and others before them, is no more than a string of superficial indictments and factual inaccuracies based on bigotry, intolerance or failure to understand the basic principles of interpretations of the Quran. Relying on such sources for Islamic knowledge is no different than asking the KKK for their opinions of African Americans.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s column condemning “Islam Day” is on thin ice when he quotes passages from the Quran to prove that Islam oppresses and insults women. To be “fair and balanced,” he also should have listed similarly outrageous quotes from the Bible. There are lots of them. One of my personal favorites goes: “You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24) Presumably this includes marital rape, even domestic abuse.
* * *
I’ve noticed Jerry Coffee has been getting big hits (below the belt) in MidWeek letters recently. Well, I want to thank Mr. Coffee for speaking out for us in the silent majority. Why do we need an Islam day except to appease the PC crowd?
Where do Republicans get their “marching orders”? How about the Constitution, that includes a couple things like free speech and warnings against things like treason.
My opinion, Mr. Coffee’s opinion, is not hateful speech. This is America, and not an Islamic-dominated country that prohibits free speech, rigs elections, denies your mother, wife, sister or daughter basic rights, or stones any one of them if they get raped.
My opinion, his opinion, is not hateful rhetoric. People are freely allowed to disagree with you without you labeling them hateful.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s anti-Islam rant, the guest column from a local Muslim leader that followed, and recent letters on the topic remind me that the root of so many of the world’s problems today is religion and the narrow, small-minded world view it inevitably breeds.
* * *
Pretty arrogant, don’t you think, referring to yourself (as John L. Busekrus did in his June 24 letter) as part of a “silent majority.” I have no idea how many people agreed with my earlier letter on Jerry Coffee’s Muslim Day column. Judging from letters to MidWeek, I gather more than just a few. But I won’t be so foolish as to claim majority status.
Mr. Coffee’s column went beyond civil discussion and disagreement. It attempted to paint a large group of people as evil based on quotations from ancient religious text. As I and several other letter-writers have pointed out, the same kinds of outrageous quotations exist in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles.
Our Constitution protects our right to say just about any stupid thing we want. But if we are going to rise above the self-destructive behavior of the last eight years, people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment. They can start with Coffee and move on up to Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Malkin and others who incite hatred for a living. I am not talking censorship here, I am talking vociferous feedback. Maybe an “outspoken majority” can keep these folks from flying too far off the handle.
* * *
after publishing my column, “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), MidWeek invited Mr. Hakim Ouansafi, president of Hawaii Muslim Association, to write a rebuttal. This is great for lively pro-and-con dialogue occurring in professional journals where the other side is presented in the same issue. But with MidWeek‘s weekly format, many readers who may not have read my original column are left only with the impressions of the rebuttal - all negative. For that reason, on this singular occasion, I feel justified in rebutting Mr. Ouansafi’s rebuttal.
* * *
Defying some of his fellow conservative Christian critics, one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country told several thousand American Muslims on Saturday that "the two largest faiths on the planet" must work together to combat stereotypes and solve global problems.
"Some problems are so big you have to team tackle them," evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren addressed the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.
Warren said Muslims and Christians should be partners in working to end what he calls "the five global giants" of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.
A Southern Baptist, Warren has a record of upsetting fellow Christian conservatives by calling old-guard evangelical activists too partisan and narrowly focused. Ahead of his speech Saturday, bloggers who follow Warren had already denounced his appearance at the convention as cozying up to extremists.
* * *
Jerry Coffee states in his rebuttal that the point of his original column “Just What We Need, Islam Day,” was to point out the irony of our female legislators initiating and leading the passage of Islam Day because of his interpretations of Islamic theology.
As expected, his best defense was to take the offense by citing incendiary quotes and questionable conclusions. It’s simply a waste of time to pursue this. But I truly believe that we are not going to make it through the 21st century unless we drop the witch hunt and look at the bigger picture of what unites us as humans, not what divides us. We might begin by looking at ways that we can honor and respect our Muslim brothers and sisters. For example, most Muslims pray five times each day, including before dawn. How many of us can say that prayer is better than sleep?
A fundamental tenet of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and many other religions is to love one another. This is the spirit of aloha and this is why our all our legislators acted as they did. No political correctness is one thing, but how about a little aloha?
* * *
J. B. Young says that “people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment” (It’s Hate Speech). He goes on to name those whose beliefs he deems hateful - all conservatives. Young makes no mention of those on the left who do the same: Randi Rhodes, Bill Maher, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann - as if only conservatives are capable of inciting hate.
Anyone who does not believe as liberals do are instantly branded racist, haters, yokels, boors, oafs, uneducated and not worthy of free speech and the right to assemble.
But the greater irony is this unanimous female celebration of Islam, a system as much political as religious, which is based upon a Quran embodying several specific and significant rules concerning women that have apparently gone unnoticed.
James Arlandson, Ph.D, college professor of religion and philosophy, author, expert on Christianity vis-àvis Islam, says, “Islam, in its purest form, honors and elevates women, we are told; but does it?” He then goes on to list the top 10 rules of the Quran that “oppress and insult women”:
* * *
In his column “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), Jerry Coffee argues against having a state-sponsored Islam Day based on his (mis)understanding of Islam’s position on women.
To support his argument, Mr. Coffee quotes James Arlandson, whose hatred for Islam is well-documented. His writing, like state Sens. Hemmings and Slom, and others before them, is no more than a string of superficial indictments and factual inaccuracies based on bigotry, intolerance or failure to understand the basic principles of interpretations of the Quran. Relying on such sources for Islamic knowledge is no different than asking the KKK for their opinions of African Americans.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s column condemning “Islam Day” is on thin ice when he quotes passages from the Quran to prove that Islam oppresses and insults women. To be “fair and balanced,” he also should have listed similarly outrageous quotes from the Bible. There are lots of them. One of my personal favorites goes: “You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24) Presumably this includes marital rape, even domestic abuse.
* * *
I’ve noticed Jerry Coffee has been getting big hits (below the belt) in MidWeek letters recently. Well, I want to thank Mr. Coffee for speaking out for us in the silent majority. Why do we need an Islam day except to appease the PC crowd?
Where do Republicans get their “marching orders”? How about the Constitution, that includes a couple things like free speech and warnings against things like treason.
My opinion, Mr. Coffee’s opinion, is not hateful speech. This is America, and not an Islamic-dominated country that prohibits free speech, rigs elections, denies your mother, wife, sister or daughter basic rights, or stones any one of them if they get raped.
My opinion, his opinion, is not hateful rhetoric. People are freely allowed to disagree with you without you labeling them hateful.
* * *
Jerry Coffee’s anti-Islam rant, the guest column from a local Muslim leader that followed, and recent letters on the topic remind me that the root of so many of the world’s problems today is religion and the narrow, small-minded world view it inevitably breeds.
* * *
Pretty arrogant, don’t you think, referring to yourself (as John L. Busekrus did in his June 24 letter) as part of a “silent majority.” I have no idea how many people agreed with my earlier letter on Jerry Coffee’s Muslim Day column. Judging from letters to MidWeek, I gather more than just a few. But I won’t be so foolish as to claim majority status.
Mr. Coffee’s column went beyond civil discussion and disagreement. It attempted to paint a large group of people as evil based on quotations from ancient religious text. As I and several other letter-writers have pointed out, the same kinds of outrageous quotations exist in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles.
Our Constitution protects our right to say just about any stupid thing we want. But if we are going to rise above the self-destructive behavior of the last eight years, people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment. They can start with Coffee and move on up to Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Malkin and others who incite hatred for a living. I am not talking censorship here, I am talking vociferous feedback. Maybe an “outspoken majority” can keep these folks from flying too far off the handle.
* * *
after publishing my column, “Just What We Need, Islam Day” (May 20), MidWeek invited Mr. Hakim Ouansafi, president of Hawaii Muslim Association, to write a rebuttal. This is great for lively pro-and-con dialogue occurring in professional journals where the other side is presented in the same issue. But with MidWeek‘s weekly format, many readers who may not have read my original column are left only with the impressions of the rebuttal - all negative. For that reason, on this singular occasion, I feel justified in rebutting Mr. Ouansafi’s rebuttal.
* * *
Defying some of his fellow conservative Christian critics, one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country told several thousand American Muslims on Saturday that "the two largest faiths on the planet" must work together to combat stereotypes and solve global problems.
"Some problems are so big you have to team tackle them," evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren addressed the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.
Warren said Muslims and Christians should be partners in working to end what he calls "the five global giants" of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.
A Southern Baptist, Warren has a record of upsetting fellow Christian conservatives by calling old-guard evangelical activists too partisan and narrowly focused. Ahead of his speech Saturday, bloggers who follow Warren had already denounced his appearance at the convention as cozying up to extremists.
* * *
Jerry Coffee states in his rebuttal that the point of his original column “Just What We Need, Islam Day,” was to point out the irony of our female legislators initiating and leading the passage of Islam Day because of his interpretations of Islamic theology.
As expected, his best defense was to take the offense by citing incendiary quotes and questionable conclusions. It’s simply a waste of time to pursue this. But I truly believe that we are not going to make it through the 21st century unless we drop the witch hunt and look at the bigger picture of what unites us as humans, not what divides us. We might begin by looking at ways that we can honor and respect our Muslim brothers and sisters. For example, most Muslims pray five times each day, including before dawn. How many of us can say that prayer is better than sleep?
A fundamental tenet of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and many other religions is to love one another. This is the spirit of aloha and this is why our all our legislators acted as they did. No political correctness is one thing, but how about a little aloha?
* * *
J. B. Young says that “people of conscience need to speak out against those who abuse that right to society’s detriment” (It’s Hate Speech). He goes on to name those whose beliefs he deems hateful - all conservatives. Young makes no mention of those on the left who do the same: Randi Rhodes, Bill Maher, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann - as if only conservatives are capable of inciting hate.
Anyone who does not believe as liberals do are instantly branded racist, haters, yokels, boors, oafs, uneducated and not worthy of free speech and the right to assemble.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Time 100
While googling Margaret Thatcher (hero of VE), I came across the Time 100.
Time has profiled those individuals who - for better or worse - most influenced the last 100 years. They are considered in five fields of endeavor.
Glancing at the Artists & Entertainers category. I note no Michael Jackson. No Elvis. Who's there? The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra.
Glancing over the list, I'm familiar (or at least recognize) only about half of them. Which might tell you something about me.
Time has profiled those individuals who - for better or worse - most influenced the last 100 years. They are considered in five fields of endeavor.
Glancing at the Artists & Entertainers category. I note no Michael Jackson. No Elvis. Who's there? The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra.
Glancing over the list, I'm familiar (or at least recognize) only about half of them. Which might tell you something about me.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Times to buy Star Markets
Times Super Market, founded 60 years ago by the sons of Okinawan immigrants, is buying 82-year-old Star Markets in a deal that brings together two longtime fixtures in the Hawaii food service industry.
Honolulu-based QSI Inc., the parent of Times, and Star Markets jointly announced yesterday that they have signed a definitive agreement for QSI to buy Star's seven supermarkets, which will be re-branded with the Times name.
Honolulu-based QSI Inc., the parent of Times, and Star Markets jointly announced yesterday that they have signed a definitive agreement for QSI to buy Star's seven supermarkets, which will be re-branded with the Times name.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Carroll Cox
Carroll Cox is a tireless watchdog, putting in countless hours combing through government documents, attending public meetings and following up on tips from whistleblowers to expose wrongdoing.
Last week he was busy in Leeward Oahu, shooting photographs and video of tons of construction concrete dumped in Mailiili Stream, home to the endangered Hawaiian stilt and other rare birds. Cox was alerted to the dumping by city workers who he said were told to dump the debris and keep quiet. His video ended up on the local news, exposure that caused the city to stop the practice and prompted city, state and federal investigations.
The approach is vintage Cox, who through his nonprofit Envirowatch Inc. is plugged into a community network that alerts him to potential misconduct, environmental and otherwise.
Accessibility aids his work — he's reachable through his Web sites www.carrollcox.com and envirowatch.org and a Sunday morning radio show on KWAI — but what really drives him is the personal knowledge that a government without oversight is capable of terrible things.
Q: What strategy works best, in terms of lobbying for change?
A: Going to the legislators has proven fruitless over the 15 years I've been doing this, so I try to take it to the public. There's an informal network of agencies, businesses, people who are willing to talk, willing to blow the whistle, without becoming too involved. They want to solve a problem, but they don't want to be an activist.
Last week he was busy in Leeward Oahu, shooting photographs and video of tons of construction concrete dumped in Mailiili Stream, home to the endangered Hawaiian stilt and other rare birds. Cox was alerted to the dumping by city workers who he said were told to dump the debris and keep quiet. His video ended up on the local news, exposure that caused the city to stop the practice and prompted city, state and federal investigations.
The approach is vintage Cox, who through his nonprofit Envirowatch Inc. is plugged into a community network that alerts him to potential misconduct, environmental and otherwise.
Accessibility aids his work — he's reachable through his Web sites www.carrollcox.com and envirowatch.org and a Sunday morning radio show on KWAI — but what really drives him is the personal knowledge that a government without oversight is capable of terrible things.
Q: What strategy works best, in terms of lobbying for change?
A: Going to the legislators has proven fruitless over the 15 years I've been doing this, so I try to take it to the public. There's an informal network of agencies, businesses, people who are willing to talk, willing to blow the whistle, without becoming too involved. They want to solve a problem, but they don't want to be an activist.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Restaurant Row Theatres shutting down
The lights will go out soon for the dollar movie theater at Waterfront Plaza after more than 15 years in business at the location.
The last discount movie -- which can be seen for $1.25 admission per person during the weekdays -- will be shown on Aug. 9.
Scott Wallace, president of Hollywood Theaters, which operates the nine-screen discount theater, said he agreed to a deal with Pacific Office Properties Trust Inc., run by the Shidler Group, to exit his lease early.
"The landlord made us an offer we couldn't refuse," said Wallace, echoing a line from "The Godfather."
Wallace declined to disclose the amount of the deal, saying only that it was in the multimillion-dollar range. About 40 theater employees, mostly part time, were informed of the shutdown yesterday.
* * *
[8/3/09] Restaurant Row theatres have shown their final shows. Shucks, I thought I had another week.
The last discount movie -- which can be seen for $1.25 admission per person during the weekdays -- will be shown on Aug. 9.
Scott Wallace, president of Hollywood Theaters, which operates the nine-screen discount theater, said he agreed to a deal with Pacific Office Properties Trust Inc., run by the Shidler Group, to exit his lease early.
"The landlord made us an offer we couldn't refuse," said Wallace, echoing a line from "The Godfather."
Wallace declined to disclose the amount of the deal, saying only that it was in the multimillion-dollar range. About 40 theater employees, mostly part time, were informed of the shutdown yesterday.
* * *
[8/3/09] Restaurant Row theatres have shown their final shows. Shucks, I thought I had another week.
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