this is a good opportunity to let readers know how to report a missing, misspelled or mangled sign or other city-related problems:
Go to the department's "Information and Complaints" Web page — www.co.honolulu.hi.us/csd/publiccom — and click on "Report a Problem." Fill out an online form to report problems about traffic signals, street lights, road conditions, street signs, curbs or gutters, sewers or storm drains, sidewalks, refuse/bulky-item pickups, fire hydrants, public restrooms, parks or beaches, playgrounds/equipment or "other."
Or do one of the following:
» E-mail the complaint to complaints@honolulu.gov.
» Fax the complaint to 768-3751.
» Call in the complaint to the department at 768-4381.
» Stop by in person at the Complaints Office at Room 302-B at City Hall.
"Our complaints officer will then direct the problem to the appropriate agency for action," said Gail Haraguchi, acting director of the Customer Services Department.
The procedure outlined can be used for all city-related complaints, said Gail Haraguchi, acting director of the Department of Customer Services.
The exceptions, she said, involve potholes and abandoned vehicles, which have their own hot lines.
Call the pothole hot line directly at 768-7777 or the abandoned-vehicle hot line at 733-2530. Both numbers are also listed on the city Web page.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
longevity diet
So what does the world's oldest man eat? The answer is not much, at least not too much.
Walter Breuning, who turned 113 on Monday, eats just two meals a day and has done so for the past 35 years.
"I think you should push back from the table when you're still hungry," Breuning said.
At 5 foot 8, ("I shrunk a little," he admitted) and 125 pounds, Breuning limits himself to a big breakfast and lunch every day and no supper.
"I have weighed the same for about 35 years," Breuning said. "Well, that's the way it should be."
"You get in the habit of not eating at night, and you realize how good you feel. If you could just tell people not to eat so darn much."
Walter Breuning, who turned 113 on Monday, eats just two meals a day and has done so for the past 35 years.
"I think you should push back from the table when you're still hungry," Breuning said.
At 5 foot 8, ("I shrunk a little," he admitted) and 125 pounds, Breuning limits himself to a big breakfast and lunch every day and no supper.
"I have weighed the same for about 35 years," Breuning said. "Well, that's the way it should be."
"You get in the habit of not eating at night, and you realize how good you feel. If you could just tell people not to eat so darn much."
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Disney unites with Marvel
The Walt Disney Co. is punching its way into the universe of superheroes and their male fans with a deal announced Monday to acquire Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion, bringing characters such as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and "Toy Story."
The surprise cash-and-stock deal sent Spidey senses tingling in the comic book world. It could lead to new rides, movies, action figures and other outlets for Marvel's 5,000 characters, although Marvel already was aggressively licensing its properties for such uses.
Stan Lee, the 86-year-old co-creator of "Spider-Man" and many more of Marvel's most famous characters, said he was thrilled to be informed of the marriage Monday morning.
"I love both companies," he said. "From every point of view, this is a great match."
The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and marks Disney's biggest acquisition since it purchased Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the maker of "Up" and "Cars," for $7.4 billion in stock in 2006.
Marvel would follow another storied comic book publisher into the arms of a media conglomerate. DC Comics, the home of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, was bought by Warner Bros. — now part of Time Warner Inc. — in 1969.
There will be some lag before Marvel's trove of characters are fully developed at Disney, because of licensing deals Marvel has with other studios.
For example, Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures is developing the next three "Spider-Man" sequels, starting with "Spider-Man 4" set for a May 2011 release. News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox has the long-term movie rights to the "X-Men," "Fantastic Four," "Silver Surfer" and "Daredevil" franchises.
Both studios maintain those rights in perpetuity unless they fail to make more movies.
Separately, Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures has a five-picture distribution deal for Marvel-made movies, the first of which will be "Iron Man 2," set for release next May. Paramount said it expects to continue working with Marvel and Disney.
The surprise cash-and-stock deal sent Spidey senses tingling in the comic book world. It could lead to new rides, movies, action figures and other outlets for Marvel's 5,000 characters, although Marvel already was aggressively licensing its properties for such uses.
Stan Lee, the 86-year-old co-creator of "Spider-Man" and many more of Marvel's most famous characters, said he was thrilled to be informed of the marriage Monday morning.
"I love both companies," he said. "From every point of view, this is a great match."
The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and marks Disney's biggest acquisition since it purchased Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the maker of "Up" and "Cars," for $7.4 billion in stock in 2006.
Marvel would follow another storied comic book publisher into the arms of a media conglomerate. DC Comics, the home of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, was bought by Warner Bros. — now part of Time Warner Inc. — in 1969.
There will be some lag before Marvel's trove of characters are fully developed at Disney, because of licensing deals Marvel has with other studios.
For example, Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures is developing the next three "Spider-Man" sequels, starting with "Spider-Man 4" set for a May 2011 release. News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox has the long-term movie rights to the "X-Men," "Fantastic Four," "Silver Surfer" and "Daredevil" franchises.
Both studios maintain those rights in perpetuity unless they fail to make more movies.
Separately, Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures has a five-picture distribution deal for Marvel-made movies, the first of which will be "Iron Man 2," set for release next May. Paramount said it expects to continue working with Marvel and Disney.
Friday, September 11, 2009
heart-healthy foods
What we know for sure about diet and what protects the heart is a relatively short list.
That's the conclusion of new research based on an analysis of nearly 200 studies involving millions of people.
Vegetables, nuts and the Mediterranean diet made the grocery list of "good" heart foods. On the "bad" list: starchy carbs like white bread and the trans fats in many cookies and french fries.
The "question mark" list includes meat, eggs and milk and many other foods where there's not yet strong evidence about whether they're good or bad for the heart.
***
Ten Foods for a Healthy Heart
That's the conclusion of new research based on an analysis of nearly 200 studies involving millions of people.
Vegetables, nuts and the Mediterranean diet made the grocery list of "good" heart foods. On the "bad" list: starchy carbs like white bread and the trans fats in many cookies and french fries.
The "question mark" list includes meat, eggs and milk and many other foods where there's not yet strong evidence about whether they're good or bad for the heart.
***
Ten Foods for a Healthy Heart
protect against identify theft
A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:
1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.
Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the internet in my name.
The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks..
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271
[via raynette 2/12/09]
Scambusters' look at the above advice.
Here's the FTC site on identity theft. And the U.S. Department of Justice site.
1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.
Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the internet in my name.
The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks..
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271
[via raynette 2/12/09]
Scambusters' look at the above advice.
Here's the FTC site on identity theft. And the U.S. Department of Justice site.
Monday, September 07, 2009
HMSA on YouTube
The Hawaii Medical Service Association has branched out from digital cable television to YouTube to reach more people with healthy-living information.
Residents have access to a variety of free videos 24 hours a day on YouTube.com/HMSANow.
The greatest thing about the move is that HMSA Now will be available to an unprecedented number of people because most people prefer going online for health information and videos," Michael Stollar, HMSA vice president of marketing and communications, said in announcing the development. "On YouTube we'll reach hundreds of thousands more people in the community."
Videos are available about healthy lifestyles, disease prevention and health promotion.
Residents have access to a variety of free videos 24 hours a day on YouTube.com/HMSANow.
The greatest thing about the move is that HMSA Now will be available to an unprecedented number of people because most people prefer going online for health information and videos," Michael Stollar, HMSA vice president of marketing and communications, said in announcing the development. "On YouTube we'll reach hundreds of thousands more people in the community."
Videos are available about healthy lifestyles, disease prevention and health promotion.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Successful Don'ts
In my last two columns, I shared 16 time-saving tactics of successful people. In this column, I'd like to share 10 things successful people DON'T do.
Successful people:
1. Don't major on the minors. Don't waste time on those unimportant, unessential things that are not relevant to your life or work.
In "The Purpose-Driven Life," Rick Warren writes, "It's human nature to get distracted by minor issues. We play Trivial Pursuit with our lives." Determine what's important and meaningful to you. Weigh how much time and effort you've put into something and compare it with the result or satisfaction you get from it.
2. Don't procrastinate on things that are important. Accomplishment requires action. There's always a price to pay for procrastination, and that price could be your success. Let your desire for success and progress be greater than the urge to procrastinate.
3. Don't try to be perfect in everything. Although we might like to do all things to perfection, in today's busy world there isn't enough time or energy to do this. Thankfully, not everything we do needs to be a masterpiece.
Be perfect in those areas that demand perfection (i.e. taxes, legal and financial matters). Identify those things for which "good enough is good enough."
4. Don't focus only on themselves. Make it a habit to express appreciation, give credit where credit is due, and do what you can to help others succeed.
5. Don't compare themselves with others. There will always be people who are better than you are, and that can make you bitter. And there will always be those who are worse than you, and that can make you vain. Any way you look at it, being bitter and vain is a bad combination!
6. Don't fill their lives so full that there's no margin for peace or relaxation. Just as it would be difficult to read a book that has no margins or paragraph breaks — one that has text filling the entire page — so is a life that is crammed too full with work and other activities. Be sure to leave margins in your life. For well-being it's a necessity, not a luxury!
7. Don't always stay in their comfort zone. Too often we get too comfortable where we are and don't enlarge our boundaries and abilities. There isn't anyone who isn't capable of doing or being more.
Dare to venture out and be all that you can be. According to Erica Jong, "If you don't risk anything, you risk even more." Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." If we're afraid to do something, sometimes we just have to "do it afraid."
8. Don't give up. There is a saying that "if at first you don't succeed, you're about average." We need to go beyond that first attempt. The more we persevere, the closer we get to our goal. According to famed football coach Vince Lombardi, "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."
9. Don't let one incident ruin the entire day. Don't let something that happened this morning ruin your entire day, and definitely not something that happened yesterday or last week! Let bygones be bygones.
10. Don't always take themselves too seriously. Cultivate the ability to laugh at yourself. Nobody's perfect all the time. Find the humor in what happened. Someone has said, "He who can laugh at himself will never lack for amusement." Perhaps we might be our own best source of amusement!
According to professional golfer Arnold Palmer, "The road to success is always under construction." That being so, the good news is that we are all "works in progress"!
Successful people:
1. Don't major on the minors. Don't waste time on those unimportant, unessential things that are not relevant to your life or work.
In "The Purpose-Driven Life," Rick Warren writes, "It's human nature to get distracted by minor issues. We play Trivial Pursuit with our lives." Determine what's important and meaningful to you. Weigh how much time and effort you've put into something and compare it with the result or satisfaction you get from it.
2. Don't procrastinate on things that are important. Accomplishment requires action. There's always a price to pay for procrastination, and that price could be your success. Let your desire for success and progress be greater than the urge to procrastinate.
3. Don't try to be perfect in everything. Although we might like to do all things to perfection, in today's busy world there isn't enough time or energy to do this. Thankfully, not everything we do needs to be a masterpiece.
Be perfect in those areas that demand perfection (i.e. taxes, legal and financial matters). Identify those things for which "good enough is good enough."
4. Don't focus only on themselves. Make it a habit to express appreciation, give credit where credit is due, and do what you can to help others succeed.
5. Don't compare themselves with others. There will always be people who are better than you are, and that can make you bitter. And there will always be those who are worse than you, and that can make you vain. Any way you look at it, being bitter and vain is a bad combination!
6. Don't fill their lives so full that there's no margin for peace or relaxation. Just as it would be difficult to read a book that has no margins or paragraph breaks — one that has text filling the entire page — so is a life that is crammed too full with work and other activities. Be sure to leave margins in your life. For well-being it's a necessity, not a luxury!
7. Don't always stay in their comfort zone. Too often we get too comfortable where we are and don't enlarge our boundaries and abilities. There isn't anyone who isn't capable of doing or being more.
Dare to venture out and be all that you can be. According to Erica Jong, "If you don't risk anything, you risk even more." Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." If we're afraid to do something, sometimes we just have to "do it afraid."
8. Don't give up. There is a saying that "if at first you don't succeed, you're about average." We need to go beyond that first attempt. The more we persevere, the closer we get to our goal. According to famed football coach Vince Lombardi, "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."
9. Don't let one incident ruin the entire day. Don't let something that happened this morning ruin your entire day, and definitely not something that happened yesterday or last week! Let bygones be bygones.
10. Don't always take themselves too seriously. Cultivate the ability to laugh at yourself. Nobody's perfect all the time. Find the humor in what happened. Someone has said, "He who can laugh at himself will never lack for amusement." Perhaps we might be our own best source of amusement!
According to professional golfer Arnold Palmer, "The road to success is always under construction." That being so, the good news is that we are all "works in progress"!
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