removing skin tags

I have a skin tag on one of my cheeks (yeah that one).  I wonder if any of these home remedies would work?

Letterman to retire in 2015

[5/19/15] A subversive legacy

[via facebook]
[5/20/15] Letterman's 33-year journey from cult hero to late-night institution
[5/20/15] Leno to appear on last show?
[5/20/15] Political guests
[5/19/15] Prickly late-night innovator
[5/19/15] what's next for the staff?
[5/19/15] interview with Paul Shaffer
[5/19/15] The Holden Caulfield of late night TV
[5/19/15] Jimmy Fallon tribute
[5/19/15] the first show
[5/18/15] Entertainment Weekly retrospective

[4/13/14] David Letterman will retire in 2015, the "Late Show" host announced during a taping of his CBS show on Thursday.

According to a statement from his representatives, Letterman said he informed CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves that he would leave the show at the end of his contract in 2015.

Letterman, who enjoys tweaking his network bosses, said that he told Moonves: "Leslie, it's been great, you've been great, and the network has been great, but I'm retiring."

For his part, Moonves said he appreciates the needling, saying in a statement that he appreciates Letterman's ability to keep "executives on their toes - including me."

"When Dave decided on a one-year extension for his most recent contract, we knew this day was getting closer, but that doesn't make the moment any less poignant for us. For 21 years, David Letterman has graced our Network's air in late night with wit, gravitas and brilliance unique in the history of our medium. During that time, Dave has given television audiences thousands of hours of comedic entertainment, the sharpest interviews in late night, and brilliant moments of candor and perspective around national events. He's also managed to keep many celebrities, politicians and executives on their toes - including me. There is only one David Letterman. His greatness will always be remembered here, and he will certainly sit among the pantheon of this business. On a personal note, it's been a privilege to get to know Dave and to enjoy a terrific relationship. It's going to be tough to say goodbye. Fortunately, we won't have to do that for another year or so. Until then, we look forward to celebrating Dave's remarkable show and incredible talents."

Letterman went on in his announcement to thank those that have worked with him on the show.

"What this means now, is that Paul and I can be married," he said, jokingly referring to longtime band leader Paul Shaffer.

Letterman has been host of the show since 1993, when he moved to CBS after his former network, NBC, opted to hire Jay Leno to take over the "Tonight Show" when longtime host Johnny Carson retired.

His announcement comes on the heels of a major late night shuffle. Jimmy Fallon took over the "Tonight Show" from Leno in February after 22 nonconsecutive seasons, and former "Saturday Night Live" head writer Seth Meyers filled Fallon's old spot at "Late Night" on NBC Feb. 24.

*** [4/28/14]

Stephen Colbert says goodbye on The Daily Show

*** [5/19/15] No Leno on Dave's final show

that takes religion

Why is that the most biased prejudiced and intolerant people are often the most religious?  After all, it's only those with religious faith who condemn others to hell.  They hate in the name of love.

This had led some to take the position that religion is a detriment to society.  It harms us, demeans us and is an insult to human dignity.  As Nobel Prize in Physics winner Steven Weinberg said regarding religion, "With or without it, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.  But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

Such views have led an increasing number of people to eschew religion altogether and inspired atheists to decry, "Religion poisons everything."

I disagree.

-- Jay Sakashita, Misfit Spirit, Midweek, May 13, 2015

how to chop an onion

dicing onions does not have to be a tedious task

first cut the tip off
then cut onion in half
peel off the outer skin
slice into three sections
cut right down
slice down (the other way)

here's the video (sponsored on facebook)

a similar video
and another one

***

also how to peel garlic
how to peel tomatoes

parking for jury duty

Had to report in December.  They give you a handout where you can park.  The problem is you have to find parking first before you get the handout.  Anyway, the info is on the web.  The site contains everything in the handout and more.

Does the court provide parking for jurors?

Yes. Secure and lock your car as the Judiciary is not responsible for any damage or theft of your vehicle. If you choose to drive, please allow yourself extra time to find parking.

• First Circuit – O’ahu: Parking is limited. You might find it easier to take the bus or have someone drop you off
• First Circuit Court (777 Punchbowl St.) - You may park in the South Street Garage at the corner of South and Pohukaina Streets, or in the Makai Garage at the corner of Punchbowl and Halekauwila Streets (hours of operation are 7:00 am to 5:00 pm). The court will validate your ticket. Jurors may also park in metered stalls near the courthouse. Do not feed the meters. If you receive a citation for expired metered parking, turn in your citation to the clerk if you are returning the next day or mail it in the envelope your clerk has provided. Check for restrictions such as tow away and no parking zones. The court will not be held responsible for anyone who violates such parking restrictions. More information about parking is provided on the summons and during your orientation.
• District Court (1111 Alakea St.) – Same as First Circuit. Parking is also available in the municipal lots. Get a receipt from the parking lot attendant and submit the receipt to the court for a refund. The average cost of parking in municipal lots is about $20.

(In my case, I walked.)

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Just got this on Facebook.  Apparently DC's answer to The Avengers.  At least the TV answer.  The movie answer will still be the Justice League.

Google for a story.  OK, here's one.

The CW has released the first look at DC's Legends of Tomorrow, the new series spinning out of Arrow and The Flash and starring Brandon Routh (The Atom), Caity Lotz (Canary) and Victor Garber (Firestorm) in roles from those shows.

Maybe things are getting a little too weird, but still kind of cool.  Didn't see Supergirl in there though.

OK, I better catch up on season two of Arrow.  Then hope season three comes out on Netflix before this hits.

***

I'd say DC is far ahead of Marvel on TV.

spend your money on experiences

Most people are in the pursuit of happiness. There are economists who think happiness is the best indicator of the health of a society. We know that money can make you happier, though after your basic needs are met, it doesn't make you that much happier. But one of the biggest questions is how to allocate our money, which is (for most of us) a limited resource.

There's a very logical assumption that most people make when spending their money: that because a physical object will last longer, it will make us happier for a longer time than a one-off experience like a concert or vacation. According to recent research, it turns out that assumption is completely wrong.

"One of the enemies of happiness is adaptation," says Dr. Thomas Gilovich, a psychology professor at Cornell University who has been studying the question of money and happiness for over two decades. "We buy things to make us happy, and we succeed. But only for a while. New things are exciting to us at first, but then we adapt to them."

So rather than buying the latest iPhone or a new BMW, Gilovich suggests you'll get more happiness spending money on experiences like going to art exhibits, doing outdoor activities, learning a new skill, or traveling.

Gilovich's findings are the synthesis of psychological studies conducted by him and others into the Easterlin paradox, which found that money buys happiness, but only up to a point. How adaptation affects happiness, for instance, was measured in a study that asked people to self-report their happiness with major material and experiential purchases. Initially, their happiness with those purchases was ranked about the same. But over time, people's satisfaction with the things they bought went down, whereas their satisfaction with experiences they spent money on went up.

It's counterintuitive that something like a physical object that you can keep for a long time doesn't keep you as happy as long as a once-and-done experience does. Ironically, the fact that a material thing is ever present works against it, making it easier to adapt to. It fades into the background and becomes part of the new normal. But while the happiness from material purchases diminishes over time, experiences become an ingrained part of our identity.

STEM majors

The differences in starting salaries for STEM majors versus those who study the humanities have been widely publicized. Now a new study looks at how those differences add up over a lifetime of earnings – and the results are staggering.

The lowest-paid graduates, early-childhood education majors, earn just $39,000 annually midcareer, while the highest-paid, petroleum engineering majors, make an average of $136,000 per year. Over a career, that difference amounts to more than $3 million, according to the report The Economic Value of College Majorsby economists at Georgetown University.

Among the major fields of study, architecture and engineering students earn highest average salary -- $83,000 per year -- and education majors earn the lowest -- $45,000 per year.

The study finds that generally it’s still worth it to go to college. The average bachelor’s degree holder makes $1 million more over a lifetime than a person with just a high school diploma.

A separate report released last fall by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that the value of a bachelor’s degree has reached an all-time high of around $300,000. Researchers found that it takes about 10 years to recoup the cost of a degree, a historically low level, down from close to 25 years in the late 1970s and 1980s.

what to wear?

The capsule wardrobe movement is far from mainstream. But, elevated in the social consciousness by some high-profile personalities, more and more people are applying minimalist principles to their fashion.

Many people outside the movement remain skeptical. They wonder why anybody would intentionally choose to wear the same outfit every day—especially when financial resources are not in question.


Evaluating my personal experience with a minimal wardrobe and studying recent profiles in various publications, I have created this list of reasons.

[Yeah, I guess so.  But the reason I've worn the same shorts every day for three months is because I'm lazy.  And I like the shorts.  I do change my tee-shirt though.  And my underpants -- most of the time...]

care home bill deferred

Noboru Kawamoto, 94, and his wife of 67 years, Elaine, 88, will continue to live in care homes miles apart in Windward Oahu after the state Legislature was unable to pass legislation to allow them to live in the same home.

Noboru Kawamoto, who must live in a community care foster family home because of his health, pays for his care without using Medicaid. Elaine Kawa­moto also pays for her care without Medicaid. They are called private-pay individuals.

The problem is that state law does not allow two private-pay individuals to live in one community care foster family home.

House Bill 600 would have allowed that to happen for two years until the Health Department came up with rules, but the measure failed to clear conference committee and is dead for this year.

The Kawamotos, who attended Friday's conference committee meeting, were devastated that the bill did not pass.

After lobbying throughout the legislative session, Noboru Kawa­moto thought the measure would pass to help not only them, but other couples in the same situation.

"I thought that was a sure thing," Kawa­moto said in a somber tone shortly after Friday's meeting.

A veteran of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, who served in World War II, Kawa­moto resides in a community care foster family home in Kane- ohe. Elaine Kawa­moto lives in an adult residential care home in Puna­luu.

Last fall, Noboru Kawa­moto was hospitalized after he became ill with a urinary tract infection. He then suffered a stroke, leaving him weak on his right side.

Kawamoto, who has to use a wheelchair, also has polyneuropathy, a degenerative disease that affects the peripheral nerves.

His wife, who also uses a wheelchair, had suffered from congestive heart failure and a series of ailments. Their son, Norman, drives her to Kane­ohe on the weekends so the couple can spend time together.

Norman Kawamoto said he too was shocked by the deferral. "I just couldn't believe it," he said. "My dad, you could just see the hurt in his eyes."

He described how much his parents miss each other.

"Just simply being together and eating together is a joy for them," he said.

The bill is still alive in conference committee, and action possibly could be taken in the next legislative session. Under state law, only one private-pay individual and two Medicaid recipients can reside in the same community foster family home.

Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland (D, Downtown-Nuu­anu-Li­liha) said, "I'm hoping we can work during the interim with the departments of Health and Human Services, see if they can actually draw up rules, because that takes quite a while."

Keith Ridley, chief of the Department of Health's Office of Health Care Assurance, which licenses long-term care facilities, said, "We'll still continue to work with legislators as well as the Department of Human Services on how we can make this work."

Ridley said there were options such as adult residential care homes or expanded adult residential care homes that are available to couples who are private-pay individuals like the Kawa­mo­tos.

But Norman Kawa­moto said his father underwent a medical evaluation in an attempt to live in the same adult residential care home as his wife and was rejected because of the level of care he needed. The care home would have to add more staff to care for Noboru Kawa­moto, said his son.