Leadership Lessons From Steve Jobs

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) may have plenty of lessons for companies to learn, but Steve Jobs has even more for other leaders to take note of.

After all, we're talking about a guy who resurrected a company that was literally a fiscal quarter away from bankruptcy and proceeded to grow it into the largest company in the world by market cap. In the most recent issue of Harvard Business Review, his official biographer, Walter Isaacson, has detailed 14 ways that other leaders can learn from Jobs.

movie and tv databases

As an alternative to imdb are themoviedb.org and thetvdb.com.

These are sort of like wikipedia in which anybody can add/edit information. (Supposedly. I never tried it.) But they both look pretty good.

There's also some front end software for both which downloads the info from these website. They are Free MovieDB and Free TvDB both from myportablesoftware.com.

5 simple rules for happiness

1) Free your heart from hatred.
2) Free your mind from worries
3) Live simply.
4) Give more.
5) Expect less.

-- via roy

the world is getting better

“The world has never been a better place to live in,” says science writer Matt Ridley, “and it will keep on getting better.” Today, in a world gripped by global economic crisis and afflicted with poverty, disease, and war, them’s fightin’ words in some quarters. Ridley’s critics have called him a “denialist” and “shameful” and have accused him of “playing fast and loose with the truth” for his views on climate change and the free market.

Yet Ridley, 54, author most recently of The Rational Optimist, sticks to his guns. “It is not insane to believe in a happy future for people and the planet,” he says. Ridley, who’s been a foreign correspondent, a zoologist, an economist, and a financier, brings a broad perspective to his sunny outlook. “People say I’m bonkers to claim the world will go on getting better, yet I can’t stop myself,” he says.

[Here's some of his 17 reasons..]

Compared with 50 years ago, when I was just four years old, the average human now earns nearly three times as much money (corrected for inflation), eats one third more calories, buries two thirds fewer children, and can expect to live one third longer. In fact, it’s hard to find any region of the world that’s worse off now than it was then, even though the global population has more than doubled over that period.

The rich get richer, but the poor do even better. Between 1980 and 2000, the poor doubled their consumption. The Chinese are ten times richer and live about 25 years longer than they did 50 years ago. Nigerians are twice as rich and live nine more years. The percentage of the world’s people living in absolute poverty has dropped by over half. The United Nations estimates that poverty was reduced more in the past 50 years than in the previous 500.

One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived, and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs—food, clothing, fuel, and shelter—have grown markedly cheaper. Take one example: In 1800, a candle providing one hour’s light cost six hours’ work. In the 1880s, the same light from a kerosene lamp took 15 minutes’ work to pay for. In 1950, it was eight seconds. Today, it’s half a second. In these terms, we are 43,200 times better off than in 1800.

Some people argue that in the past there was a simplicity, tranquillity, sociability, and spirituality that’s now been lost. This rose-tinted nostalgia is generally confined to the wealthy. It’s easier to wax elegiac for the life of a pioneer when you don’t have to use an outhouse. The biggest-ever experiment in back-to-the-land hippie lifestyle is now known as the Dark Ages.

Although the world population is growing, the rate of increase has been falling for 50 years. Across the globe, national birth rates are lower now than in 1960, and in the less developed world, the birth rate has approximately halved. This is happening despite people living longer and infant-mortality rates dropping. According to an estimate from the United Nations, population will start falling once it peaks at 9.2 billion in 2075—so there is every prospect of feeding the world forever. After all, there are already seven billion people on earth, and they are eating better and better every decade.

If you say the world will go on getting better, you are considered mad. If you say catastrophe is imminent, you may expect the Nobel Peace Prize. Bookshops groan with pessimism; airwaves are crammed with doom. I cannot recall a time when I was not being told by somebody that the world could survive only if it abandoned economic growth. But the world will not continue as it is. The human race has become a problem-solving machine: It solves those problems by changing its ways. The real danger comes from slowing change.

For 200 years, pessimists have had all the headlines—even though optimists have far more often been right. There is immense vested interest in pessimism. No charity ever raised money by saying things are getting better. No journalist ever got the front page writing a story about how disaster was now less likely. Pressure groups and their customers in the media search even the most cheerful statistics for glimmers of doom. Don’t be browbeaten—dare to be an optimist!

For more on Ridley, visit rationaloptimist.com.

[via libertarians_2000, see also 20 positive trends]

Bob Campbell

who was my science education teacher at U.H. is featured in Currents #34 2012.

It's not yet available at the website though.

[5/10/12 - OK here it is.  Page 32.]

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

In the book What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School, Mark McCormack tells about a study of Harvard MBA graduates. After tracking the graduates for 10 years, the survey found that 3 percent of the graduates earned more than the 97 percent combined! Was it a particular skill, trait or industry that differentiated the two groups?

Surprisingly, it was much simpler than that. Researchers found that the 3 percent had clear, written goals for their future, while the other 97 percent did not. Simple goal-setting set the two groups apart. Studies show that goal setting is one of the most important keys to success in our personal and business lives. Setting proper goals provides focus, prioritizes your resources and helps you make the most of your life.

The best goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals, a handy acronym for five important components for welldesigned goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals help you get where you want to go in the context of your vision and purpose for your life.

S: Specific (Create goals that are clear and well-defined)

M: Measureable (Create concrete criteria to measure progress and know when it has been achieved)

A: Achievable (Create goals that are realistic, not too difficult, or too easy)

R: Relevant (Create goals that matter and will move you forward)

T: Time Based (Create goals with a time-frame and target date)

Goals with the S.M.A.R.T. components have a much better chance of success than vague and unrealistic goals. As the Harvard MBA graduates proved, proper goal-setting is a potent tool that can turn dreams into reality, boost your self-confidence and channel your energy so you feel a sense of achievement.

Davy Jones

Davy Jones, an actor-turned-singer who helped propel the made-for-TV band The Monkees to the top of the ratings and the pop charts and into rock ‘n’ roll history, died Wednesday in Florida.

Jones, lead singer of the 1960s group that was assembled as an American version of The Beatles, died of a massive heart attack in Indiantown, where he lived, his publicist Helen Kensick said.

Jones was a former jockey and child actor in his native England. He rose to fame in 1965 when he was picked for the rock band The Monkees, which was formed by Hollywood producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider to star in a comedy TV show called “The Monkees” about a band called, naturally, The Monkees. The show would include the band performing a song.

The Monkees quickly stormed radio and TV airwaves with a string of chart-topping songs that went on to sell an estimated 65 million copies worldwide.

how to know if you're incompetent

answer: you can't!

A growing body of psychology research shows that incompetence deprives people of the ability to recognize their own incompetence. To put it bluntly, dumb people are too dumb to know it. Similarly, unfunny people don't have a good enough sense of humor to tell.

This disconnect may be responsible for many of society's problems.

[via pbo]

$3.5 million worth of comic books

DALLAS >> Billy Wright plunked down dime after dime for comic books while growing up in the late 1930s and early 1940s, caring for the collection he started around the age of 9 until his death more than half a century later. On Wednesday, most of that collection sold for a whopping $3.5 million.

Wright's 345 comics, nearly all of which were published from 1936 through 1941, included many of the most prized issues ever, including Detective Comics No. 27, which features the debut of Batman, and Action Comics No. 1, in which Superman's first appears.

Whitney Houston

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Legendary pop singer Whitney Houston was found dead Saturday at a Beverly Hills, California, hotel, officials said. She was 48.

The entertainer, whose incredible talent was discovered at an early age, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. (6:55 p.m. ET) at the Beverly Hilton hotel despite resuscitation efforts, a police spokesman said.

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent" and that the cause of her death is being investigated.

Houston's bodyguard found her body, said Courtney Barnes, publicist for hip-hop artist Ray J, who was dating the pop diva.

According to her official website, Houston sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos. But she also struggled with addiction problems over the years.

Houston, whose hits included "The Greatest Love of All," died on the eve of the 54th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. She had performed as late as Thursday night at a pre-Grammy event in the area. A pre-Grammy party was scheduled Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton.

celebrity appearances on Sesame Street

The documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey" opens this week, about every toddler's favorite red monster and the man who brings him to life, Kevin Clash.

One of the joys of watching Clash in action -- besides marveling at how effortless he makes it all look -- is seeing how seamlessly he relates to both children and adults. And the segments he does with celebrities, as Elmo learns a lesson or explains a new word, are among his best. So here's a look at five of the greatest celebrity appearances over the four-plus decades "Sesame Street" has been on air.

Stevie Wonder - Superstition

Paul Simon - Me & Julio

world more peaceful?

It seems as if violence is everywhere, but it's really on the run.

Yes, thousands of people have died in bloody unrest from Africa to Pakistan, while terrorists plot bombings and kidnappings. Wars remain in Iraq and Afghanistan. In peaceful Norway, a man massacred 69 youths in July. In Mexico, headless bodies are found, victims of drug cartels. This month, eight people died in a shooting in a Southern California hair salon.

Yet, historically, we've never had it this peaceful.

That's the thesis of three new books, including one by prominent Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. Statistics reveal dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, racism, rape, murder and all sorts of mayhem.

In his book, Pinker writes: "The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species."

It runs counter to what the mass media is reporting and essentially what we feel in our guts.

Pinker and other experts say the reality is not painted in bloody anecdotes, but demonstrated in the black and white of spreadsheets and historical documents. They tell a story of a world moving away from violence.

In his new book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined," Pinker makes the case that a smarter, more educated world is becoming more peaceful in several statistically significant ways. His findings are based on peer-reviewed studies published by other academics using examinations of graveyards, surveys and historical records:

-- The number of people killed in battle - calculated per 100,000 population - has dropped by 1,000-fold over the centuries as civilizations evolved.

-- The rate of genocide deaths per world population was 1,400 times higher in 1942 than in 2008.

-- There were fewer than 20 democracies in 1946. Now there are close to 100. Meanwhile, the number of authoritarian countries has dropped from a high of almost 90 in 1976 to about 25 now.

Pinker says one of the main reasons for the drop in violence is that we are smarter. IQ tests show that the average teenager is smarter with each generation. The tests are constantly adjusted to keep average at 100, and a teenager who now would score a 100 would have scored a 118 in 1950 and a 130 in 1910. So this year's average kid would have been a near-genius a century ago. And that increase in intelligence translates into a kinder, gentler world, Pinker says.

-- staradvertiser, 10/23/11, A21

George Yuzawa

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- George Yuzawa's social activism was rooted in a shameful chapter in U.S. history.

Months after Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Mr. Yuzawa and his wife, Kimiko -- both Nisei, or American-born offspring of Japanese immigrants -- were sent to a Colorado internment camp along with their families. They were among the 120,000 West Coast residents of Japanese descent, the majority born in the United States, incarcerated in World War II by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Yuzawas lost their Los Angeles home and the flower business that George, who was named after George Washington, ran with his father.

"I was born in this country, an American citizen, educated here with a thriving business," the longtime Dumont resident told The Record in 1981.

"I never thought about being evacuated ... never. Then, suddenly, we were prisoners.

"We were put in these wooden structures with tar paper on the roof. My wife and I had a space maybe 8 feet wide and 20 feet long, which we curtained off with blankets. ... And the latrines would run over and flood the camp all the time. The stench and the sickness. ..."

Mr. Yuzawa's ticket out of the Amache Japanese Internment Camp came in September 1943 with the promise of a job at a New York flower shop. Once settled, he arranged for his wife and their families to join him. At 29, he volunteered to join the Army -- an act showing he was a "true American," his daughter, Pat Yuzawa-Rubin said. He was with a military intelligence unit stationed in Tokyo.

After his discharge in 1946, Mr. Yuzawa rebuilt his life. He operated an import and export business before resuming his former livelihood as proprietor of a shop his father had started, Park Central Florist on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The Yuzawas started a family and, in the late '50s, settled in suburban Dumont, N.J.

Mr. Yuzawa became involved in causes combating racial discrimination against Asians. He helped lead the successful 1971-72 backlash against Kenzo, a Japanese-born designer of French fashions, who printed the derogatory word "JAP" on clothing labels. Soon after, he targeted the International Ladies Garment Workers Union over a "Buy American" campaign that included subway posters asking, "Has your job been exported to Japan yet?"

Those efforts prompted Mr. Yuzawa and other Nisei to organize Asian Americans for Fair Media, which monitored print and broadcast media for racial slurs and negative Asian stereotypes.

Revisiting the difficult time his family spent in Amache, Mr. Yuzawa helped organize federal hearings that paved the way for the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which granted $20,000 to every living Japanese-American interned during the war. Mr. Yuzawa received his reparations check with a letter of apology signed by President Bill Clinton.

Gary Moriwaki, president of the Japanese American Association of New York, a community service group in which Mr. Yuzawa was long active, said Mr. Yuzawa was a "walking history book."

"His generation went through amazing ups and downs, but George persevered, and I never saw him bitter," Moriwaki said.

"My father was a man of peace," Yuzawa-Rubin said. "You could imagine how angry he could have been, but he wasn't. That wasn't his thing, and that's why people loved him."

Mr. Yuzawa spent a good part of his retirement helping elderly Japanese in New York.

"Here he was, 90 years old, delivering food to the elderly," Moriwaki said. "I'd say, 'George, what are you doing?' And he'd say, 'I'm helping old people!' He inspired others to be like him."

For years, Mr. Yuzawa enjoyed downhill skiing, and he swore by what he called the "three G's" _ gingko, garlic and ginseng supplements. Those habits and his serene nature saw him into his 97th year.

George Yuzawa died Oct. 8.

17 spiritual lessons

while searching for dog whisperer on ebay, I came across somebody selling this for 99 cents. Googling, I see that it is available for free.

17 Spiritual Lessons from The Dog Whisperer and The Tao Te Ching.

Haven't read it yet, but here's the first paragraph.

"A few days ago one of my students from Florida told me about this unusual TV program they are showing on the Discovery Channel called The Dog Whisperer! Do you know what it’s about? If not I’ll tell you about it in just a short while but before that I want to tell you something on a little different tangent."

Well, for one thing, it's not on the Discovery Channel, it's on National Geographic Channel (and now National Geographic Wild)... So it's off to a bad start. But take it for what it's worth..

So the first lesson might be, you get what you pay for.

Then again, the best things in life are free...

Nicolas Cage, vampire

Could Nicolas Cage be a vampire? A Civil War era photo that bears an eerie resemblance to Cage has sparked rumors that the actor is a real-life vampire.

***

Not to be confused with John Travolta, the time traveler.

Peace on Earth?

“Peace on Earth.” It is each year’s Christmas wish and indeed the great wish of the world’s religions across history.

Of course, any realist or cynic can tell you that this wish is an empty hope that will never come true. And oddly, the idealists who march in the streets for peace seem to agree — the world is awash in war, from atrocities in remote provinces of the Congo to drone attacks in Yemen to suicide bombings in Afghanistan. Whether you blame the military-industrial complex, the clash of civilizations, competition for natural resources, or human nature itself, peace on earth seems further away than ever.

Except, actually, it isn’t. While TV images will always show us the most horrible parts of the human experience, the big picture has changed dramatically in our lifetimes. Peace on earth as a complete cessation of violence may never arrive, but the distance between the dream and the reality has been shrinking for decades. Worldwide, wars today are fewer, smaller and more localized than at any time in living memory.

Fox News accuses the Muppets of class warfare

On Fox Business Channel anchor Eric Bolling showed a clip of the new Disney movie and suggested -- well, no, he said outright -- that the story was aimed at planting the seeds of class warfare among our precious children.

That’s because the Muppet–villain is an oil baron called Tex Richman.

“What’s actually going on there? Is liberal Hollywood using class warfare to brainwash our kids?” he asked, quite reasonably.

Well, of course it is.

“They’ve been doing it for decades,” rejoined Fox guest, Dan Gainor. “Hollywood -- they hate the oil industry, they hate corporate America.”

Action Comics $2.16 million

A rare and pristine copy of the first issue of Action Comics, famed for the first appearance of Superman, has set a record Wednesday for the most money paid for a single comic book: $2.16 million.

Maybe I should buy some comic book bags. I think I have to get silver-sized, though I have a lot from the bronze age too. Mylar is the preferred material.

Spotify

Spotify is a polished program similar to iTunes that offers you access to more than 15 million songs with excellent sound quality. With one click, you share your playlists with friends on Twitter or Facebook, or see what they listen to most. The best thing of all, it’s free!

For the first time in Internet history, you can listen to any track, any album, legally, at no charge, with a few restrictions. Once you launch the Spotify software, it automatically recognizes and displays your music collection stored in iTunes library or Windows Media Player. There you can manage your songs and incorporate them into playlists, including songs offered by Spotify.

In Europe, approximately 84 percent of Spotify’s 10 million listeners choose to stick with the free plan, which is what I use. You’ll hear occasional ads and see banner ads in the Spotify software, but it’s bearable. Keep in mind if you stay with the free version, you’ll be limited to 10 hours of free music per month.

Hungry Ear

Music is a universal language, and Hungry Ear Records in Kailua has been a staple for music lovers since its inception in 1980, boasting the largest selection of new vinyl on the island. This week, the beloved music store, owned and operated by Kailua natives Dennie Chong and Ward Yamashita, is taking the opportunity to thank its loyal customers and celebrate 31 years in the business.

“When people come to Hungry Ear they can expect personal, knowledgeable customer service and items that are hard to find anywhere else on the island,” says Yamashita. “You’ll find a large selection of compact discs, vinyl records and vinyl accessories at our store. There are plenty of bargains here on a daily basis, including $1.99 bargain CDs, and most used CDs are around $5 to $8 each,” he adds.

Hungry Ear Records specializes in Hawaiian and local music, reggae and classic rock on compact disc and vinyl, and also buys records and CDs that you may want to get rid of.

Chong and Yamashita are grateful for their many years in business, but admit that Hungry Ear is part of a dying breed of independent record stores that thrive on the rabid music fan rather than the casual mall customer.

Fortunately for independent record stores like Hungry Ear Records, Yamashita says the music industry is seeing a resurgence in vinyl record sales.

“There’s a wide range of customers buying albums now, from high school kids just discovering the beauty of the format to the older crowd who bought records in their youth and are still drawn to the sound, graphics and even smells that only come from a vinyl record album.

“Hungry Ear is probably the only place on the island or in the state where you can still buy needles and cartridges for your turntable,” he adds.

Hungry Ear Records is located at 418 Kuulei Road. Call 262-2175 or visit hungryear.com.

Lex Brodie

One of the original Waikiki Beach Boys, the Kauai-born Brodie opened a Kaneohe service station in 1958 and three years later began selling tires out of a one-bay shop next to Whitney’s in Kaneohe.

“It was a Chevron station and they wanted him to sell their brand of tires,” says Brodie’s son Sandy. “The tires weren’t particularly good and the margins were lousy. He made better money on the retreads than he did on the new tires. He wanted to sell other tires, but Chevron said no because it violated the franchise agreement. So he opened his own store.”

Brodie realized the action was in Honolulu and opened the Queen Street location. It would become headquarters of the company that now has five locations on Oahu with licensees on the Big Island.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Lex became a celebrity and his business a landmark. Jack Lord was a good friend and customer, and the current edition of Hawaii Five-O has found interest in the famous caveman sign and has featured the Queen Street store on the program.

Sandy Brodie says by 1991 his father had gotten tired of the business and was in need of a new challenge. He found it after taking a tour of Farrington High School upon the invitation of Sandy’s wife Lynn, who was a teacher at the school. What he found angered the feisty former salesman.

“He was just appalled at the conditions, and decided he would do something,” says Sandy. “He started by talking to some of the legislators about creating a bill for school safety because they were lacking on their inspections. They found some fire exits that were chained shut to keep kids from skipping class.”

The bill passed, and based on his success he decided to run for the Board of Education in typical Lex Brodie style: simple and direct.

“He called me up one day and said, ‘I just spent $25 registering for the Board of Education election,’” says Sandy. “He said, ‘I’m not going to spend any more money. I’m just going to wave a sign on Punchbowl.’ And that’s what he did.”

Brodie won in a landslide and for eight years toured

schools, fought with board members and pushed for changes in Hawaii’s public schools. It was with this example in mind the company created the Lex Brodie Foundation to celebrate Lex’s 90th birthday and began handing out its “Thank You ... Very Much Award.”

Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney, the "60 Minutes" commentator known to generations for his wry, humorous and contentious television essays - a unique genre he is credited with inventing - died Friday night in a hospital in New York City of complications following minor surgery. He was 92, and had homes in New York City, Rensselaerville, N.Y. and Rowayton, Conn.

"It's a sad day at '60 Minutes' and for everybody here at CBS News," said Jeff Fager, chairman of CBS News and the executive producer of "60 Minutes." "It's hard to imagine not having Andy around. He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms. We will miss him very much."

Rooney had announced on Oct. 2, 2011 in his 1,097th essay for "60 Minutes" that he would no longer appear regularly.

Rooney wrote for television since its birth, spending more than 60 years at CBS, 30 of them behind the camera as a writer and producer, first for entertainment and then news programming, before becoming a television personality - a role he said he was never comfortable in. He preferred to be known as a writer and was the author of best-selling books and a national newspaper column, in addition to his "60 Minutes" essays.

But it is his television role as the inquisitive and cranky commentator on "60 Minutes" that made him a cultural icon. For over 30 years, Rooney had the last word on the most watched television program in history. Ratings for the broadcast rose steadily over its time period, peaking at a few minutes before the end of the hour, precisely when he delivered his essays - which could generate thousands of response letters.

"60 Minutes Overtime": Remembering Andy Rooney
There is no better way to celebrate Andy Rooney's work than to let Andy do the talking.

Each Sunday, Rooney delivered one of his "60 Minutes" essays from behind a desk that he, an expert woodworker, hewed himself. The topics ranged from the contents of that desk's drawer to whether God existed. He often weighed in on major news topics. In an early "60 Minutes" essay that won him the third of his four Emmy Awards, his compromise to the grain embargo against the Soviet Union was to sell them cereal. "Are they going to take us seriously as an enemy if they think we eat Cap'n Crunch for breakfast?" deadpanned Rooney.

Mainly, his essays struck a chord in viewers by pointing out life's unspoken truths or more often complaining about its subtle lies, earning him the "curmudgeon" status he wore like a uniform. "I obviously have a knack for getting on paper what a lot of people have thought and didn't realize they thought," Rooney told the Associated Press in 1998. In typical themes, Rooney questioned labels on packages, products that didn't seem to work and why people didn't talk in elevators.

Rooney asked thousands of questions in his essays over the years, none, however, began with "Did you ever...?" a phrase often associated with him. Comedian Joe Piscopo used it in a 1981 impersonation of him on "Saturday Night Live" and, from then on, it was erroneously linked to Rooney.

so random

I saw Janelle use this on her facebook page.

What does it mean?

For one thing, it's the name of a TV Show on the Disney Channel.

But apparently the common usage of this phrase means "A phrase that is said when someone says something completely stupid and/or random."

Tai Chi for Seniors

Holding the ball, parting wild horse’s mane, single whip, waving hands like clouds, repulse monkey, brush knee, fair lady works at shuttles and grasp the peacock’s tail.

These are the names of eight movements based on the yang style of Tai Chi which can help to improve your balance, explains Jerry Punzal, a certified instructor who will teach these exercises to seniors at the 18th annual National Senior Health & Fitness Day May 25 from 8 to 11 a.m. at YMCA Central Branch (401 Atkinson Drive).

According to Punzal, Tai Chi-Moving for Better Balance is endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control as an intervention for fall prevention and fear of falling.

He says the program he teaches has been implemented in community centers in Oregon with collected data showing a decrease in falls of up to 55 percent with its participants.

“(In Tai Chi) you utilize the basic principles of (this exercise) which would be to relax and let go,” explains Punzal. “You also strive for proper postural alignment, and in doing so the back stays straight throughout movement. Therefore we’re using the joints in the most efficient manner and we’re also striving to utilize abdominal breathing.

“It’s a method of moving in a relaxed, non-stressed manner, and for this specific program we’re looking to have the person feel a centerness, to have an awareness of their center of gravity, so when they move in any direction they are very aware of how to move in a way that keeps them grounded.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among those age 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of injury death. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma. The CDC also reports that in 2007, more than 18,000 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries.

Adjusting Your Age

Here are a few tips to make your Real Age younger.

1. Walk 30 minutes a day. Walking makes your heart and immune system healthier. Bonus: Buy a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day.

2. Floss and brush the teeth you wish to keep. Do it also for the heart you wish to nurture, the wrinkles you wish to prevent and the sexual satisfaction you wish to enjoy. And see a dental professional every six months.

3. Take omega-3 DHA pills (900 mg total) or have non-fried salmon or trout three times a week. Salmon and trout have DHA, the active omega-3 for eyes and brain (it converts to the good heart stuff, too).

4. Meditate for at least five minutes each day. Your brain (and soul) needs moments of silence to recharge, refocus and rejuvenate.

5. Drink three or more cups of coffee a day (if it agrees with you — caffeinated tea works as well) and eat curry dishes or foods with mustard to decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

6. Plan to sleep seven to eight hours. Before you head to bed:

1. Finish any must-do tasks.
   
2. Take care of your nighttime hygiene.
   
3. Perform deep breathing and/or meditation.
   
4. Avoid anything too stimulating, such as watching TV or working
   out. Sex, though stimulatory (we hope), is OK. In fact, it’s
   recommended.

7. Vitamin D3 helps prevent cancer, incorporate calcium into the bones and slow the aging of arteries. Get 1,000 IU a day if you’re younger than 60 or 1,200 IU a day if you’re 60 or older.

8. If you’re over the age of 40 (women) or 35 (men), take two baby aspirin (162 mg total) at breakfast; just make sure to get your doctor’s approval first. It decreases your risk of heart attack, stroke, impotence, wrinkles and some cancers.

9. Know your numbers: blood pressure, low-density and high-density lipoprotein (LDL and HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Do whatever you can to get them to 115/75, less than 100, more than 50, less than 100 and less than 1, respectively.

10. Always get second opinions on any medication that you will take for three days or more.

-- Costco Connection, September 2011

Don't Give Up

Often Life doesn't go in the direction we want it to. Does that mean our lives are doomed and we can't achieve the success we dream of? Let's be realistic: Everybody fails. Consider the following.

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." Disney went bankrupt
several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim, California, on the grounds that it would only attract "riffraff."

Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "nonproductive." As an inventor, Edison made more than 1,000 unsuccessful attempts to invent the light bulb. When a reporter asked him how it felt to fail 1,000 times, Edison said that he didn't fail all those times, but that the light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4 years old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "subnormal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school.

Every cartoon that Charles Schulz, creator of the comic strip Peanuts, submitted to the yearbook staff at his high school was rejected.

After Fred Astaire's first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, read, "Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." Astaire kept that memo over the fireplace in his Beverly Hills home.

Decca Records turned down a recording contract with The Beatles with this fascinating evaluation: "We don't like their sound. Guitar groups are on their way out."

A friend of mine in the music industry personally auditioned a singer by the name of Reg Dwight in the 1960s. He unceremoniously shoved the singer out of his office for wasting his time. That singer is now better known as Elton John.

Imagine if these individuals had given up, believing they were doomed to failure and would never achieve success. Do you think they ever felt down and depressed? Sure. But they didn't allow a gloomy state to overtake them, to overpower their desire to succeed. In every case they did succeed-in a huge way, far greater than their wildest dreams.

Bad experiences can be viewed as positive in hindsight. They can be stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. It's your choice. But be determined to never give up.

-- Andrew Lock, Costco Connection, September 2011

laughter hurts so good

Laughter is regularly promoted as a source of health and well being, but it has been hard to pin down exactly why laughing until it hurts feels so good.

The answer, reports Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at Oxford, is not the intellectual pleasure of cerebral humor, but the physical act of laughing. The simple muscular exertions involved in producing the familiar ha, ha, ha, he said, trigger an increase in endorphins, the brain chemicals known for their feel-good effect.

new approach for treating leukemia

NEW YORK -- Scientists are reporting the first clear success with a new approach for treating leukemia – turning the patients' own blood cells into assassins that hunt and destroy their cancer cells.

They've only done it in three patients so far, but the results were striking: Two appear cancer-free up to a year after treatment, and the third patient is improved but still has some cancer. Scientists are already preparing to try the same gene therapy technique for other kinds of cancer.

"It worked great. We were surprised it worked as well as it did," said Dr. Carl June, a gene therapy expert at the University of Pennsylvania. "We're just a year out now. We need to find out how long these remissions last."

He led the study, published Wednesday by two journals, New England Journal of Medicine and Science Translational Medicine.

It involved three men with very advanced cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL. The only hope for a cure now is bone marrow or stem cell transplants, which don't always work and carry a high risk of death.

Scientists have been working for years to find ways to boost the immune system's ability to fight cancer. Earlier attempts at genetically modifying bloodstream soldiers called T-cells have had limited success; the modified cells didn't reproduce well and quickly disappeared.

June and his colleagues made changes to the technique, using a novel carrier to deliver the new genes into the T-cells and a signaling mechanism telling the cells to kill and multiply.

That resulted in armies of "serial killer" cells that targeted cancer cells, destroyed them, and went on to kill new cancer as it emerged. It was known that T-cells attack viruses that way, but this is the first time it's been done against cancer, June said.

-- Star-Advertiser, 8/11/11

How to prevent falls

Q: Will you write a column on fall prevention tips for elderly seniors? My 81-year-old father, who lives alone, has fallen several times in the past year.

A: Falls are a big concern for millions of elderly Americans and their families. In the United States, roughly one-third of the 65-and-older population will suffer a fall this year, often with dire with consequences. But many falls can be prevented. Here are some steps you can take to help keep your dad on his feet.

• Check his meds: Does your dad take any medicine or combination of medicines that make him dizzy, sleepy or lightheaded? If so, gather up all the drugs he takes — prescriptions and over-the-counter — and take them to his doctor or pharmacist for a drug review.

• Schedule an eye exam: Poor vision can be another contributor to falls. If your dad wears glasses, check to see if he's wearing the correct prescription, and beware of bifocals. Multifocal glasses can impair vision needed for detecting obstacles and judging depth.

• Check his balance: Balance disorders — which can be brought on by a variety of conditions such as inner ear problems, allergies, a head injury or problems with blood circulation — are also a common cause of falls. If you dad is having balance issues, make an appointment with his doctor to get it checked and treated.

• Start exercising: Improving balance through exercise is one of the best ways to prevent falls. Strength training, stretching, yoga and tai chi are great for building better balance. Some simple exercises that he can do anytime are walking heel-to-toe across the room, standing on one foot for 30 seconds or longer, or getting up from a chair and sitting back down 10 to 20 times. For more balance exercise tips, call the National Institute on Aging at (800) 222-2225 and order the free exercise DVD and free exercise book, or you can see it at www.go4life.niapublications.org.

• Modify his home: Simple modifications can go a long way in making your dad's living area safer. Start by picking up items on the floor that could cause him to trip, such as newspapers, books, shoes, cloths, electrical or phone cords. Remove throw rugs or use double-sided tape to secure them. In the bathroom, put a nonslip rubber mat or self-stick strips on the floor of the tub or shower, and have a carpenter install grab bars inside the tub and next to the toilet. Also, make sure the lighting throughout the house is good, purchase some inexpensive plug-in nightlights for the bathrooms and hallways, and, if he has stairs, consider putting rails on both sides. In the kitchen, organize his cabinets so the things he uses most often are within easy reach. For more tips, call the Eldercare Locater at (800) 677-1116 and order a free copy of the "Preventing Falls at Home" brochure.

• Other pitfalls: Believe it or not, the improper use of canes and walkers sends about 47,000 seniors to the emergency room each year. If your dad uses a cane or walker, be sure it's adjusted to his height and that he's using it properly. A physical therapist can help with this, or see the Mayo Clinic slide show on how to choose and use a cane (www.mayoclinic.com/health/canes/HA00064) and a walker (www.mayoclinic.com/health/walker/HA00060).

Another possible hazard is pets. If your dad has a dog or cat, he needs to be aware that — because they can get under foot — pets cause a lot of falls.

Shoes are another issue to be aware of. Rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes are the best slip/trip proof shoes for seniors.

• Savvy tip: Consider getting your dad a home monitoring system, which is a small pendant-style "SOS button" that would allow him to call for help if he fell. Available through companies such as www.lifelinesys.com and www.lifealert.com, these systems cost about $1 a day.

20 Positive Trends

The Holiday 2010 edition of the “Good Neighbor” by State Farm lists 20 “Positive Trends”.

Good news seems hard to find these days.  But if you look around, there's actually plenty of it out there.  Here are 20 reasons to be optimistic in the new year.

1. We are safer. Crime is down.  The number of murders, robberies, rapes and assaults in the United States decreased 3.5 percent in 2008 compared with the previous year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most recent statistics.  Property crime levels have dropped as well -- 25 percent since the early 1990s.  Auto theft volume in 2008 dropped 39 percent from the year before and 42 percent from a high in 1991.  Likewise, burglary rates have declined 43 percent since spiking in 1989.

2. We use less energy. Despite our increasing standard of living and the greater consumption of energy in the U.S., the average per-person consumption of energy has fallen about 9 percent from its peak during the oil and energy crisis of 1978-1979.  Furthermore, the economy as a whole is becoming more energy efficient.  From 1970 to 2008, the amount of energy needed to produce a dollar’s worth of goods and services dropped 53 percent.

3. We give and give.  More than a quarter of U.S. adults volunteered with nonprofit organizations in 2008, contributing more than 8 trillion total hours of service.  Apparently this philanthropic initiative is setting a good example for the country's youth:  441,000 more young adults volunteered in 2008, a 5 percent increase from 2007 numbers.  But it's not just time we're generous with.  Despite last year's economic turmoil, Americans gave $300 billion to charities in 2009.

4. We conserve fuel. While the United States remains a nation of automobiles, the use of public mass transit grew 38 percent from 1995 through 2008, helping to lessen individual fuel consumption.  Mass transit ridership is higher than at any time since 1956.

5. We live longer and feel better. According to a survey of 340,000 American published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, once people reach the 50-milestone, their levels of stress, anxiety and worry all decline.  Feeling of happiness and enjoyment increase -- even factoring in the presence (or absence) of children, job or spouse.  It's a good thing we feel happy in our later years, since we keep getting more of them.  People alive today will live about 10 years longer than their parents did.

6. Young people make smarter decisions about their well-being.  From 1997 to 2007, the percentage of high school students who smoke has fallen steadily, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  At the beginning of the period, about 36.4 percent of students smoked.  Ten years later the number had fallen to 20 percent.  Likewise fewer teenagers are using alcohol and hard drugs, including methamphetamines and cocaine.  Between 2004 and 2009 there were declines in: the use of meth by eighth graders, the use of amphetamines and cocaine among 10th and 12 graders, the use and binge use of alcohol among all three grades.

The percentage of 12th graders using hallucinogens and LSD dropped in 2009.  Greater numbers of students perceived drug use to be harmful, which often foretells of a change in use.

7. We network with wonderful results. Research from University of California reports that within a social network, happiness is, well, contagious: for every happy friend you have on social sites like Facebook, your chances of being happy increase by 9 percent.  And if you're single and searching for Mr. or Ms. Right, you can skip the nightclub scene and just log onto a dating portal: for one out of every six marriages, the newly betrothed parties met via online dating -- more than the one out of 10 who met are bars and other traditional singles hot spots.

8. We can connect easier… even in the air. We're a wired country.  With more than 10.5 billion uses of WiFi in the U.S. each month, in more than 4,100 cities at approximately 76,000 locations, we can connect almost anytime, anywhere.  And now nearly one out of every three domestic flights offers Internet access to passengers.  While much of it is currently fee-based, airline technology experts say we can expect it to become free sometime next year.

9. Our bonds are stronger. The rate at which couples are getting divorced continue to fall, from 4.0 per every 1,000 people in 2000 to 3.5 in 2008.

10. We give away before we throw away.  In 2003, 20 or so people decided to get together and give a few odds and ends away, hoping to keep that stuff they were done using out of a landfill.  Fast-forward seven years, and the online site freecycle.org has mushroomed: 7 million members in 123 countries giving what they don't need or getting what they don't have.  All these free things -- from sand for a landscaping project to a girl's pink snowsuit -- equal 800 tons of stuff each and everyday that isn’t thrown away.

11. Our forests are growing. Despite the perception that suburban sprawl has gobbled up unused land, the total acreage of forested land in the United States has increased during the last 30 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2008 Report on the Environment: Highlights on National Trends.  Forest ecosystems remain intact in parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, West Coast and Southeast.

12. We breathe cleaner air. Since 1990, levels of six common and important air pollutants have fallen: ground-level ozone (down 14 percent), particulates under 2.5 microns (down 19 percent since 2000), particulates 2.5-10 microns (down 31 percent), lead (down 78 percent), nitrogen dioxide (down 35 percent), carbon monoxide (down 68 percent) and sulfur dioxide (down 59 percent).  In most of the country concentrations of carbon monoxide, lead and nitrogen dioxide are below the federal standards to protect human health and the environment.

13. We drive more carefully.  The average driver has less chance of being involved in a fatal traffic accident, and fewer Americans are dying in car crashes overall.  In 2009 an estimated 33,963 people died in auto wrecks --  8.9 percent fewer than died just a year earlier and the lowest number since 1954, when records were first kept.

14. We grow more of our own food and enjoy the benefits. Seed sales are increasing -- an indication of how much gardening we're doing these days.  And all that fresh and healthy home-grown produce is feeding another appealing trend: canning.  The maker of Kerr and Ball-brand mason jars reported canning equipment sales increases of 30 percent in 2009.  Suburban canners number almost as many as those in rural areas.  Half of all people preserving their fruits and veggies are under 40.  Even better: Growing, canning and eating your own food allows you to get good exercise and reduce food bills.

15. Our hearts love anti-smoking laws.  According to a comparison of fee-for-service Medicare patients in 2002 and 2007, the amount of hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped 23 percent during that time period.  One possible reason?  Public smoking bans that are now law in 32 states and many cities.  A 2009 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed cities with "no butts" policies saw a decline in emergency room visits for heart attacks within three months of the ban.  Heart attacks continued to decline in these smoke-free areas, sometimes dropping as much as 25 percent below pre-ban numbers.

16. We buckle up. Every year more drivers and passengers get the message.  Seat belts save lives.  According to the National Highway Administration, from 2007 to 2008 (the latest year available for figures) seat belt use went from 82 percent to 83 percent.  The youngest (16-24) and oldest (70 and older) among us seem to be the smartest: their stats jumped by at least 3 percent for each age category.

17. Bees make a sweet comeback. Bees have been disappearing in the United States, threatening crops, flowers and eventually the health of our food supply.  But more than 100,000 estimated backyard beekeepers are fighting back by helping farmers pollinate their blueberries, cucumbers and corn.  The keepers are also buzzing about honey's health value.  Researchers have found that honey has antibacterial properties and is better for you than other less-complex sugars.

18. Women are healthier. In the U.S., incidences of breast cancer decreased 2 percent per year from 1999 to 2006.  The incidences dropped among white, African American, Hispanic and Native American women.  Likewise, deaths from breast cancer decreased 1.9 percent per year.

19. We move more. Strength training, working out with personal trainers, and fitness programs for older adults were among the top 10 fitness trends for 2010, according to an American College of Sports Medicine survey.  And average marathon times indicated exercise among the general population is on the rise.  According to Runner's World, the median times for U.S. marathoners in 2007 were 4:30 for men and 4:49 for women.  That's up by nearly 50 minutes from 1980, when men clocked in at 3:32 and women at 4:03.  Those slower times mean lots of folks are logging miles for health and enjoyment.  [That's right, the slower the better.]

20. We know the power of positive. An update attitude does more than boost spirits. Research published in 2009 by the American Heart Association showed that women who expected good rather than bad lived longer. They were less likely to develop heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure or diabetes. In 2010 researchers at the University of Kentucky published a study they conducted of law students at five points during the academic year. What they found was that a bright outlook didn't just affect class performance, but the immune system too.

That means that increasing optimism -- and, conversely, decreasing pessimism -- has the potential to affect day-to-day interactions as well as general health and welfare. Those rose-colored glasses don't look so bad anymore, do they?

-- December 28, 2010 / By Staff [started 8/22/11, finished typing in 12/1/15 so only took a little over 4 years to finish]

The Matrix and Buddhism

Free Your Mind!

-- via UrbanZenMaster

food expiration dates

Every house has food in the pantry that has been there for weeks if not months, but according to food experts, you may want to think twice before throwing those items out. Many common food products last far longer than you might think.

"We throw out tons of food each year in this country because people don't understand how long they can keep things," said Jo-Ann Heslin, a certified nutritionist and author of The Complete Food Counter.

As Heslin and other nutritionists explain, consumers generally assume that foods should not be eaten after the use-by date on the package, but in reality, this date simply indicates the period of time when the food tastes best, not the date when it will suddenly make you sick.

The general recipe for longevity, according to these experts, is for the food to be low in liquids, sugar and oil, all of which have the potential to mold and spoil the food, or to have "lots and lots" of preservatives, which keep the food fresh longer.

So if you're looking for groceries to buy in bulk and store in your pantry, these products are your best bet.

Canned food, by definition, lasts longer than most products in the grocery store because it has been specially processed in air-tight cans. In general, canned items can stay good for 12-18 months, according to Gans, but some last even longer. Canned products like beans and vegetables, which are low in acid, can actually last for as long as two to five years. The only exception is if the can is dented or rusty, as that indicates the can has been punctured at some point, which speeds up the spoilage process.

the common house gecko: friend to all

The common house gecko arrived in Hawaii from Asia during World War II, according to Bishop Museum zoologist Allen Allison, and it’s been a friend to all - gobbling up roaches, mosquitoes and other annoying tropical bugs right and left, entertaining nightly with its song and dance on our window screens, selling beer, children’s stories, insurance, whatevahs.

Sherwood Schwartz

LOS ANGELES >> Sherwood Schwartz, writer-creator of two of the best-remembered TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch," has died at age 94.

Sherwood Schwartz and his brother, Al, started as a writing team in TV's famed 1950s "golden age," said Douglas Schwartz, the late Al Schwartz's son.

"They helped shape television in its early days," Douglas Schwartz said. "Sherwood is an American classic, creating 'Brady Bunch' and 'Gilligan's Island,' iconic shows that are still popular today. He continued to produce all the way up into his 90s."

Success was the hallmark of Sherwood Schwartz's own career. Neither "Gilligan" nor "Brady" pleased the critics, but both managed to reverberate in viewers' heads through the years as few such series did, lingering in the language and inspiring parodies, spinoffs and countless standup comedy jokes.

Schwartz had given up a career in medical science to write jokes for Bob Hope's radio show. He went on to write for other radio and TV shows, including "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet."

He dreamed up "Gilligan's Island" in 1964. It was a Robinson Crusoe story about seven disparate travelers who are marooned on a deserted Pacific Island after their small boat wrecks in a storm. The cast: Alan Hale Jr., as Skipper Jonas Grumby; Bob Denver, as his klutzy assistant Gilligan; Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer, the rich snobs Thurston and Lovey Howell; Tina Louise, the bosomy movie star Ginger Grant; Russell Johnson, egghead science professor Roy Hinkley Jr.; and Dawn Wells, sweet-natured farm girl Mary Ann Summers.

TV critics hooted at "Gilligan's Island" as gag-ridden corn. Audiences adored its far-out comedy. Schwartz insisted that the show had social meaning along with the laughs: "I knew that by assembling seven different people and forcing them to live together, the show would have great philosophical implications."

Super Friends meet at Sun Valley

It's that time of the year again.

Titans of the media, tech, and finance world are swarming Sun Valley, Idaho for the annual Allen and Company conference.

This year they'll be treated to Bill Gates interviewing Mark Zuckerberg, a talk with Oprah, panels on doing business in China, and more.

The Sun Valley conference is famous for facilitating big media deals since all the major companies are represented.

We expect Hulu will be sold this week at Sun Valley since all of its owners and any potential buyers will be gathered together. (If not sold, at least big progress on the sale will be made.)

So who made it out to Sun Valley?

Among many:
Bill Gates
Mark Zuckerberg
Oprah
Charlie Rose
Tom Brokaw
Candice Bergen
Michael Eisner
Terry Semel
Barry Diller
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Warren Buffett
Salma Hayek
Diane von Furstenberg
Bob Iger
Rupert Murdoch
Jeff Wilpon

more...
David Stern
Jeff Bezos
Lou Simpson
Michael Bloomberg

The Art of Manliness

Going through my deleted email (before really deleting it!) and came across the website called The Art of Manliness. (It was the site that hosted an article on Resiliency that wreck_of_m_deare shared with chucks_angels on 3/5/10.)

Your Skin is a Wall

Residents of ancient cities built defensive walls to ward off invaders. The city wall acted both as a bulwark to stop the enemy and as a rampart from which defenders could protect the city. Your body is likewise endowed with a protective "wall"—your skin. How does your skin protect you from intruders?

The surface of your skin teems with bacteria and other microorganisms, some of which can cause infection and disease. Your skin apparently does more than act as a passive barrier. It also seems to ward off invaders by producing antimicrobial proteins, or peptides, that act as defenders. Some of these are on duty constantly. Others line up when the skin is damaged.

The first two groups of antimicrobial peptides discovered, called defensins and cathelicidins, proved to be defenders on call. Both groups are secreted by cells in the upper skin in response to injuries or inflammation. They kill invaders by punching holes in their cell membranes.

In 2001 a team of researchers at the University of Tübingen, Germany, found another type of germ-fighting protein, called dermicidin, which is active all the time. Unlike the other two groups, dermicidin is produced by healthy skin, in the sweat glands. How this protein works is yet unknown. But the fact that perspiration helps ward off disease might explain why people who wash excessively are more prone to skin infections and eczema.

-- Awake! January 8, 2004

Nobuo Shioya

Future generations will not be remembering Nobuo Shioya because he was an excellent golf player, but instead because he taught people how to heal themselves, both physically as well as spiritually.

"The power of natural healing, which is instilled in every human being from the time of birth, is much stronger than people realize," said the Japanese physician in his book, Dr. Shioya's Fountain of Youth (available only in the Japanese original and German translation). "It has the power to vanquish any disease that exists. Still, in order to access this natural healing power, and to illicit an adequate result, you have to believe in it deep in your heart of hearts. Through the power of visualization, a person has the power to create a "miracle" from within.

-- via roy

Cool Corona Concerts

After So You Think You Can Dance on KHON, was some nice Hawaiian music (or music played by Hawaii musicians) on a series called Cool Corona Concerts. Evidently it's been on for months, but this is the first I paid attention.

Tonight's artists: John Cruz and Ben and Maila

Hari Kojima

Hari Kojima, the longtime host of "Let's Go Fishing" and "Hari's Kitchen" died today at his Kaneohe home surrounded by family. He had been diagnosed with cancer a month ago.

Kojima was a staple of Hawaii television with a style that was uniquely Hari. He was the local boy generations of Hawaii residents grew up with.

As co-host of "Let's Go Fishing," Hari Kojima found his stride as locally produced television took a foothold in the islands.

"We were the right team at the right place at the right time," said Stan Wright, "Let's Go Fishing" co-host.

Kojima and Stan Wright were the odd couple that clicked.

"There were people who criticized us, they said they couldn't understand my southern accent and said Hari was talking too much pidgin," said Wright. The critical reviews did not stick. Hari became a local legend. "Boy he got in front of that TV camera and it was just magic,"

Kojima was a fish cutter at Tamashiro Market when original host Bruce Carter invited him on "Let's Go Fishing" to showcase his abilities. His skill with a knife and power of gab soon made him a fixture on the Sunday show.

"And he became very popular and being Hari he enjoyed that," said Paul Kojima, Hari Kojima's brother. The laughs and good times would continue for 29 years - along the way Kojima shared thousands of recipes. "It evolved into Bruce Carter asking Hari, 'well what can we do with this fish? How do you prepare it? How do you cook it?'"

"And the best recipes were the ones he got from his mom," said Wright.

All those recipes eventually led to "Hari's Kitchen," another locally produced show with a ten year run.

"Hari's position in the history of TV, local TV are really unique; the things that make singularly Hawaii, recreation, culinary highlights, Hari was there to bring all that to our homes on a Sunday," said Ben Wong, "Let's Go Fishing" host.

A slice of local TV history that will not be forgotten.

Hari Kojima was 65. He leaves behind a wife, four daughters, and seven grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Freakonomics

Finally finished the book Freakonomics (obtained from paperbackswap), largely read in small chunks while I'm waiting for Kimo to finish eating.

Pretty interesting. The main takeaway is that "experts" are not always right.

At the end are a few Freakonomics articles taken from the New York Times. I wonder if these (and others) are accessible over the internet? Sure 'nuff. However the last one appeared in 2008.

They also have a blog, which I guess kind of continues the New York Times columns.

And a movie too, which gets mediocre reviews at amazon.com

Maybe I'll get Super Freakonomics too. But I guess I should finish Malcolm Gladwell's Blink first.

[6/27/14]  And now I saw at Costco, they have a new book out, Think Like A Freak.  But I think I should get Super Freakonomics first.

one more day (until the end of the world)

Inside the sprawling, threadbare Oakland headquarters of Family Radio Worldwide the staff has prepared for the end of the world this weekend — and it appears they mean it.

“There’s so little time left,” a smiling elderly woman said, hugging a colleague.

On Monday, the last day outsiders were welcome inside the gated compound, recording studios sat empty. Current programming for the independent Christian broadcast ministry was produced weeks ago. No more shows are needed.

This Saturday, May 21, is the apocalypse, according to the ministry’s charismatic leader, “brother” Harold Camping.

“I’m so glad that God’s in charge,” Mr. Camping, 89, said, looking gleeful.

***

[5/21/11] News flash: world still here.

***

[10/21/11, posted 12/31/11] If at first you don't succeed...

A California ministry has again predicted the end of the world is at hand.

The Oakland-based Family Radio International that stirred a global frenzy when it predicted the Rapture would take 200 million Christians to heaven on May 21, now says the cataclysmic event will destroy the globe on Friday.

Camping, who suffered a mild stroke three weeks after his prediction failed to materialize in May, still spreads the word through his Family Radio International website. God's judgment and salvation were completed on May 21, Camping says in a message explaining the mix-up in his biblical math.

"Thus we can be sure that the whole world, with the exception of those who are presently saved (the elect), are under the judgment of God, and will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on Oct. 21," he says on the website.

Followers were crestfallen in May when the Rapture did not occur, particularly those who had quit their jobs or donated some of their retirement savings or college funds for the more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.

Camping, a retired civil engineer, also prophesied the Apocalypse would come in 1994, but said later that didn't happen because of a mathematical error.

*** [11/1/11, posted 12/31/11]

Three proposed Rapture dates have come and gone, and the world has not ended.

Controversial Christian broadcaster Harold Camping has acknowledged his faulty projections, and issued an apology to his followers. The Christian Post reports that the longtime radio evangelist has retired.

Your Man

I was wondering what song Scotty McCreery sings that goes "Baby lock the door and turn the lights down low". It was his audition song. Just heard again when Scotty went back to his hometown and the original singer (I assume) showed up.

The song is called Your Man by Josh Turner.

***

Now watching Lauren Alaina's audition when she sang with Steven Tyler the song Sweet Surrender. The song is actually titled I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing and was the theme song for the movie Armageddon (funny I don't remember that because Armageddon is one of my favorite movies).

Mahiku Farmer's Market

That's the one I go to on Sunday morning. It's been at Kapalama Elementary (across Kam Shopping Center), but sometimes (like today) is at Gulick.

They have a website, but it's not very informative. But I see there's a bunch of other open/farmer's markets on the island throughout the week.

Obama strikes back at Trump

WASHINGTON >> President Barack Obama exacted his revenge Saturday after weeks of attacks from his would-be Republican challenger Donald Trump, joking that the billionaire businessman could bring change to the White House, transforming it from a stately mansion into a tacky casino with a whirlpool in the garden.

With Trump in attendance, Obama used the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner to mock the reality TV star's presidential ambitions. The president said Trump has shown the acumen of a future president, from firing Gary Busey on a recent episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" to focusing so much time on conspiracy theories about Obama's birthplace.

After a week when Obama released his long-form Hawaii birth certificate, he said Trump could now focus on the serious issues, from whether the moon landing actually happened to "where are Biggie and Tupac?"

"No one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than 'the Donald,'" Obama said, referring to Trump's claims the same day that he was responsible for solving the issue.

For Trump's decision to fire actor Busey instead of rock singer Meat Loaf from his TV show earlier this month, Obama quipped: "These are the types of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir."

And then, as a coup de grace, Obama showed a screen with his vision of how Trump could bring change to the White House. "Trump" was prominently displayed in glittery letters and girls could be seen with cocktails on a Jacuzzi-augmented front lawn.

Trump chuckled at some of the earlier jokes, but was clearly less amused as comedian Seth Meyers picked up where Obama left off.

"Donald Trump often talks about running as a Republican, which is surprising," said the Saturday Night Live actor, entrusted with providing some of the comedy for the evening. "I just assumed he was running as a joke."

Trump stared icily at Meyers as he continued to criticize the real estate tycoon.

Obama and Trump found themselves in the same room after an intense week of attacks from Trump, who has piggybacked on the birther conspiracies and even Obama's refusal to release his university grades to raise the profile of his possible presidential bid.

And the birth certificate was clearly the key punchline for the evening, which typically offers the president a chance to show off his humorous side and a town consumed by politics and partisanship to enjoy a light-hearted affair.

Obama's presentation started after the wrestler Hulk Hogan's patriotic anthem, "Real American," played. Images of Americana from Mount Rushmore to Uncle Sam were shown on the screen, alongside his birth certificate. And then he offered to show his live birth video, which turned out to be a clip from the Disney film, "The Lion King."

how to overcome evil

Heard these words spoken at the Royal Wedding and they caught my ear. Didn't know where they came from, but looked it up and they came from Romans 12. [Here's the New International version.]

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

[I think that's where the excerpt from the wedding ended, here's some more]

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Trump vs. Obama (cont.)

Trump vs. Obama continued. (Can you say negative campaigning?)

NEW YORK >> Real estate mogul Donald Trump suggested in an interview Monday that President Barack Obama had been a poor student who did not deserve to be admitted to the Ivy League universities he attended. Trump, who is mulling a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, offered no proof for his claim but said he would continue to press the matter as he has the legitimacy of the president's birth certificate.

"I heard he was a terrible student, terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard?" Trump said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records."

Obama graduated from Columbia University in New York in 1983 with a degree in political science after transferring from Occidental College in California. He went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude 1991 and was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.

Obama's 2008 campaign did not release his college transcripts, and in his best-selling memoir, "Dreams From My Father," Obama indicated he hadn't always been an academic star. Trump told the AP that Obama's refusal to release his college grades were part of a pattern of concealing information about himself.

"I have friends who have smart sons with great marks, great boards, great everything and they can't get into Harvard," Trump said. "We don't know a thing about this guy. There are a lot of questions that are unanswered about our president."

Where was Obama born?

Here's the AP story that appeared in today's Star Advertiser.

Lost in the renewed scrutiny into President Barack Obama's birth records is the fact that anyone can walk into a Hawaii vital records office, wait in line behind couples getting marriage licenses and open a baby-blue government binder containing basic information about his birth.

Highlighted in yellow on page 1,218 of the thick binder is the computer-generated listing for a boy named Barack Hussein Obama II born in Hawaii, surrounded by the alphabetized last names of all other children born in-state between 1960 and 1964. This is the only government birth information, called "index data," available to the public.

So far this month, only The Associated Press and one other person had looked at the binder, according to a sign-in sheet viewed Wednesday in the state Department of Health building. The sheet showed about 25 names of people who have seen the document since March 2010, when the sign-in sheet begins.

Those documents complement newspaper birth announcements published soon after Obama's Aug. 4, 1961, birth and a "certification of live birth" released by the Obama campaign three years ago, the only type of birth certificate the state issues.

So-called "birthers" claim there's no proof Obama was born in the United States, and he is therefore ineligible to be president. Many of the skeptics suggest he was actually born in Kenya, his father's home country, or Indonesia, where he spent a few years of his childhood.

What the would-be sleuths won't find is Obama's "long-form birth certificate," a confidential one-page document containing his original birth records kept on file in the first floor of the Department of Health.

Those original birth records typically include additional birth details, such as the hospital and delivering doctor, said Dr. Chiyome Fukino, the state's former health director who twice looked at and publicly confirmed Obama's original long-form birth records.

But those documents are state government property that can't be released to anyone, even the president himself, said Joshua Wisch, special assistant to the state attorney general. Obama would be able to inspect his birth records if he visited the Health Department in person, but original records of live birth are never released, he said.

Fukino, who served as the state's health director until late last year under former Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, said in an interview with The Associated Press she's convinced the long-form document is authentic. She issued public statements in 2008 and 2009 saying she had seen the original records.

"It is absolutely clear to me that he was born here in Hawaii," Fukino told the AP. "It should not be an issue, and I think people need to focus on the other bad things going on in our country and in our state and figure out what we're going to do about those things."

***

Donald Trump vs. Gail Collins

***

Tim Adams

***

A quarter of all Americans incorrectly think President Obama was not born in the United States, according to a new CBS News/ New York Times poll.

Among all Republicans, 45 percent believe he was born in another country, as do 45 percent of Tea Party supporters, the poll shows.

***

Here’s an exchange between Juan Williams and conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly on his program of Feb. 14:

Williams: “Why are there nine congressmen, Republican congressmen I think, who have introduce some kind of legislation to question whether Obama is an American citizen?”

O’Reilly: “You want me to answer that question? Because they are pinheads and they are playing to the crowd. It has nothing to do with the business of the nation.”

***

truthorfiction.com

Snopes

Politifact

Factcheck.org

Wikipedia

Giving memory a boost

MEMORY LOSS IS usually considered a side effect of aging—but it doesn’t have to be.

Keep the following memory boosters in mind, so you won’t forget to remember.

• Be social. Engaging and stimulating interactions with others lowers the risk of dementia, so join a club, schedule a regular get-together with close friends and really talk with your family regularly.

• Improve your diet. People who lack enough vitamin B12 and folate have a greater risk of developing dementia. Fortify your body against this destructive disease by eating spinach, romaine lettuce, lentils, black beans, broccoli and/or beets. Studies show that if you stick to a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and fish, you’ll have the lowest risk of developing Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment. Green tea, too, can protect memory.

• Focus on self-care before you need crisis care. Learn your family history, take care of your body and be proactive with doctor visits in order to detect and treat potential problems early on.

• Don’t retire—yet. Find a job you love, and stick with it. Working exercises your mental capacity more than retired life and thus helps to keep your memory intact. If you’re tired of your same old job, learn something new; this stimulates the brain.

• Hit snooze. From getting eight hours of solid zzzz’s, including quality REM sleep, to taking a six- to 90-minute nap, sleep helps your brain sort, consolidate and store memories.

• Avoid toxins. What you put into your body affects what it is capable of accomplishing, including the brain functions that preserve your memory. Alcohol is especially toxic in terms of memory.

-- Health and wellness expert Eric Plasker, D.C., is the author of The 100 Year Lifestyle (Adams Media, 2007), The Costco Connection, October 2010

***

Similarly, tips from Robin Palama


As we age, we tend to have more “senior moments,” however, we can all help prevent memory loss, or at least slow it down, by incorporating these simple tasks in our everyday lives:

No. 1: Exercise 30 minutes a day, five times a week. Studies have shown brisk walking for 30 minutes a day or taking part in physically active hobbies such as gardening help lower the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

No. 2: Eat healthy. Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

No. 3: Get a good night’s sleep. Aim for six to eight hours of good quality sleep a night.

No. 4: Socialize. Healthy socialization with loved ones helps you ward off depression and stress.

No. 5: Stay mentally active and keep learning – this is what we do with our patients. We have them participate in “thinking” activities and encourage them to continue when they go home.

Remember … use it or lose it!

Natural Health Perspectives

Blog on Natural Health by Lindsey Jesswein and Kekoa Smith (who is my cousin's son).

tax rate already cut

Still scrambling to file your taxes? You'll probably take little consolation in hearing that the super rich pay a lot less taxes than they did a couple of decades ago. And nearly half of U.S. households pay no income taxes at all.

The Internal Revenue Service tracks the tax returns with the 400 highest adjusted gross incomes each year. The average income on those returns in 2007, the latest year for IRS data, was nearly $345 million. Their average federal income tax rate was 17 percent, down from 26 percent in 1992.

Over the same period, the average federal income tax rate for all taxpayers declined to 9.3 percent from 9.9 percent.

The top income tax rate is 35 percent, so how can people who make so much pay so little in taxes? The nation's tax laws are packed with breaks for people at every income level. There are breaks for having children, paying a mortgage, going to college, and even for paying other taxes. Plus, the top rate on capital gains is only 15 percent.

There are so many breaks that 45 percent of U.S. households will pay no federal income tax for 2010, according to estimates by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.

"It's the fact that we are using the tax code both to collect revenue, which is its primary purpose, and to deliver these spending benefits that we run into the situation where so many people are paying no taxes," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the center, which generated the estimate of people who pay no income taxes.

The sheer volume of credits, deductions and exemptions has both Democrats and Republicans calling for tax laws to be overhauled. House Republicans want to eliminate breaks to pay for lower overall rates, reducing the top tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Republicans oppose raising taxes, but they argue that a more efficient tax code would increase economic activity, generating additional tax revenue.

President Barack Obama said last week he wants to do away with tax breaks to lower the rates and to reduce government borrowing. Obama's proposal would result in $1 trillion in tax increases over the next 12 years. Neither proposal included many details, putting off hard choices about which tax breaks to eliminate.

In all, the tax code is filled with a total of $1.1 trillion in credits, deductions and exemptions, an average of about $8,000 per taxpayer, according to an analysis by the National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent watchdog within the IRS.

More than half of the nation's tax revenue came from the top 10 percent of earners in 2007. More than 44 percent came from the top 5 percent. Still, the wealthy have access to much more lucrative tax breaks than people with lower incomes.

Obama wants the wealthy to pay so "the amount of taxes you pay isn't determined by what kind of accountant you can afford."

Eric Schoenberg says to sign him up for paying higher taxes. Schoenberg, who inherited money and has a healthy portfolio from his days as an investment banker, has joined a group of other wealthy Americans called United for a Fair Economy. Their goal: Raise taxes on rich people like themselves.

Schoenberg, who now teaches a business class at Columbia University, said his income is usually "north of half a million a year." But 2009 was a bad year for investments, so his income dropped to a little over $200,000. His federal income tax bill was a little more than $2,000.

"I simply point out to people, 'Do you think this is reasonable, that somebody in my circumstances should only be paying 1 percent of their income in tax?'" Schoenberg said.

Cityville running slow

Cityville runs really slow on my main computer. Mainly because it runs out of memory and goes to the hard drive.

But now I notice it's even running slow or just hangs up on my "good" computer (which has 2GB of memory).

If this is the case with your computer, you can try clearing the cache from both your browser and Adobe Flash. Seemed to help some.

tweet surfing

Saw Norm McDonald tweeting Steve Martin on Letterman last night.

Interesting to see who they are following. Both follow Conan. Neither follow Leno. Dave of course doesn't twitter. And Conan is still following only that one person.

Norm follows 22, among them: David Spade, Sarah Silverman, Howard Stern, Kevin Nealon, Dennis Miller, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan.

Steve Martin follows 36, among them: Kevin Nealon, Tom Hanks, John Cleese, Kevin Pollak, Andrea Martin, Teller, Sarah Silverman, Jim Carrey, Ron Howard, Ben Stiller, Brian Grazer, Gladwell, Goldie Hawn, Howard Stern, Bill Cosby, Michael Caine, Joy Behar, Gayle King, Dennis Miller, Albert Brooks.

Let's see who Leno follows: Howie Mandel is the only comedian.

Looking at Albert Brooks. He mentions Mort Sahl has joined twitter. Others among the 12 he follows: Judd Apatow, Sarah Silverman (again), Conan (again), Kevin Pollak, Howard Stern (again), James L. Brooks (are they related? -- no, but he casted him in Broadcast News), Steve Martin.

Arnold will be back

With his years as governor behind him, Arnold Schwarzenegger will soon return to his acting career with a new animated TV series.

The planned action-comedy cartoon is called "The Governator," according to A Squared Entertainment, a partner in the venture. It will focus on a superhero living a double life as an ordinary family man. Schwarzenegger will provide the voice of the title character.

Comic-book legend Stan Lee is another partner in the project, which will be officially announced Monday at the MIPTV trade show in Cannes, France.

Body of Proof

After the first cut of Dancing with the Stars last night was a show called Body of Proof. I think I left it on because the description said that Jeri Ryan was on it.

Anyway, Jeri Ryan is not the star of the show. It's Dana Delany. And the show turned out to be pretty entertaining. Delany plays a doctor who's sort of a cross between House and Monk. A doctor/detective. So it wouldn't be out of place on the USA network.

I might just tuned in next week too. Actually there's a special showing Sunday.

[4/19/11 - looked at a couple more episodes and they weren't as interesting as the first to me.]

Elizabeth Taylor

LOS ANGELES >> Elizabeth Taylor, the violet-eyed film goddess whose sultry screen persona, stormy personal life and enduring fame and glamour made her one of the last of the old-fashioned movie stars and a template for the modern celebrity, died Wednesday at age 79.

She died of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized for about six weeks, said publicist Sally Morrison.

Taylor was the most blessed and cursed of actresses, the toughest and the most vulnerable. She had extraordinary grace, wealth and voluptuous beauty, and won three Academy Awards, including a special one for her humanitarian work. She was the most loyal of friends and a defender of gays in Hollywood when AIDS was still a stigma in the industry and beyond. But she was afflicted by ill health, failed romances (eight marriages, seven husbands) and personal tragedy.

"I think I'm becoming fatalistic," she said in 1989. "Too much has happened in my life for me not to be fatalistic."

Her more than 50 movies included unforgettable portraits of innocence and of decadence, from the children's classic "National Velvet" and the sentimental family comedy "Father of the Bride" to Oscar-winning transgressions in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Butterfield 8." The historical epic "Cleopatra" is among Hollywood's greatest on-screen fiascos and a landmark of off-screen monkey business, the meeting ground of Taylor and Richard Burton, the "Brangelina" of their day.

She played enough bawdy women on film for critic Pauline Kael to deem her "Chaucerian Beverly Hills."

But her defining role, one that lasted long past her moviemaking days, was "Elizabeth Taylor," ever marrying and divorcing, in and out of hospitals, gaining and losing weight, standing by Michael Jackson, Rock Hudson and other troubled friends, acquiring a jewelry collection that seemed to rival Tiffany's.

She was a child star who grew up and aged before an adoring, appalled and fascinated public. She arrived in Hollywood when the studio system tightly controlled an actor's life and image, had more marriages than any publicist could explain away and lasted long enough to no longer require explanation. She was the industry's great survivor, and among the first to reach that special category of celebrity — famous for being famous, for whom her work was inseparable from the gossip around it.