Aloha Thursday

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”  
-Carl Sagan

SCROLL DOWN - You can also find Catagories and Search Box to your left, under the photos.

It All Starts at the Top

This latest PBN article credits the monthly Chief Executive Magazine with the opinion that CEO confidence in the American economy took a nose dive in June, and quoted its publisher Edward Kopko as saying, “CEOs are clearly negative on the economy and they expect things to get worse before they get better”.

I know more than one CEO with a better outlook than this, and I would like to see PBN search for some optimistic views to publish. The “chicken little the sky is falling” mentality becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. The positive side of that coin is that the opposite is true as well. Decide which side feels better, and give that your thoughts and energy. Thoughts are things!

If there is anyone in the organization that needs to have confidence in the future it’s the boss. When the CEO loses confidence, the company is doomed. Leave that to the naysayers in the media that never ran a business. Someone needs to display a show of strength in tough times and that should be the person at the top. I’m sure you have heard the old saying, “When the going gets tough…” 

It Had To Be
I hate the words, “I told you so”, but… I have been saying for a very long time now, “I could double the sales at Starbucks if they were to let me, but I know they won’t.” If you have ever looked at a line at Starbucks and chose not to wait in it, or even worse waited in it for a while and elected to get out of line and leave due to the wait, you know what I mean.
If you told people 10 years ago that we would wait in line to buy a $3 cup of coffee they would say that you are crazy. I have accepted the $3 part, but will never “do the line”. Starbucks would be better off fixing the sales and service in those stores than closing them up, but apparently they just don’t know how to do that. 

Added Baggage Charge Isn’t Cool
Finally go! Airlines gave Hawaiian the opportunity to fly the “higher route”, but they opted to get into a pennies match instead by charging $17 for the added bag after go! announced that they would be charging $25. Rest assured that go! will now drop it to $15. What will Hawaiian do then? After all, the space where the bags go is there regardless, and blaming the price of fuel for this attempt to grab a few added bucks is a “low shot” for sure. Incidentally, I am a big Hawaiian Air fan. 
All I can say is that I am glad that I fly 1st Class; not because of the “baggage savings”, but because I will get to board early enough to get an overhead space for my carry on bag. I am sure that those carry on bags will be stuffed to da max to save baggage charges, and put in the 1st overhead area they pass on the way back to their seat. It’s bad enough that the flight attendants are keeping the first few overheads to themselves. 1st Class passengers who arrive a little late have to hike half way through the plane to get an overhead, and upon landing have to do the “salmon swimming upstream” number to go find it.

What a Hassle!
I stopped checking bags many years ago due to the delays and incidents of lost luggage, so the added cost is meaningless to me. People traveling to and around Hawaii carry too much luggage anyway. Visitors arrive here and then discover that they don’t need the three piece suit and heels to go to dinner. At that point they stay in the luggage the whole way.

Four Seasons Resort - Hualalai
This magnificent resort on the Big Island of Hawaii framed the perfect setting for this year’s Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Installation Luncheon. Watch for more photos soon on this this Chamber Web Site link.

Ready… Set… Go
The banquet staff at the Hualalai Resort was on their toes ready to provide the sort of first class service deserved by this organization.

Great Attendance
When the doors to the ballroom opened, more than 200 people streamed in to be treated to a fabulous luncheon.

Mayor Harry Kim
I was honored to be seated with Big Island Mayor Harry Kim, and even more honored to be the keynote speaker for this great event. My topic was:
“Negative News - Positive Results
How to Remain Positive and Immune to the Negative Depressing Media.
This has become a favorite topic for me. The sensational headlines designed to sell newspapers do nothing to bolster the confidence necessary to confront the challenges of today. They in fact make things worse, leading to a negative, self fulfilling prophecy of doom and gloom.
I challenged a cheering crowd to look for evidence to the contrary of what they are being told, and then spread that good news.

Life Saver

Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Here are five things you may not know you can do with your cell phone.

FIRST

In an Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND

If you lock your keys in the car

If your car has remote keyless entry, it may come in handy someday. If you lock your keys In the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car or trunk will unlock. Distance is no object.

THIRD

Hidden Battery Power

Should your cell battery become very low, you can activate Hidden Battery Power by pressing the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.

FOURTH

How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone

To check your Mobile phone’s serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone: *#06#. A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.

Should your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so that even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won’t get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can’t use it or sell it.

FIFTH

Free Directory Information for Cell Phones

Cell phone companies are charging $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don’t have to.

You can get free 411 information by simply dialing (800)FREE411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.

New Visitor Center Fund
I have done a lot of work with the USS Arizona Memorial bookstore and head set rental departments. Recently I was asked to help with the fund raising efforts to build a new Visitor Center. I have spent some time observing the process out at the Memorial and this morning had the opportunity to speak to the volunteers as a group.

Pearl Harbor Invasion Survivors
I was honored to have three survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack in my audience, and they were eager to tell me their ages. From left to right 88 years young, (me) then 87 years young, and finally 94 years young. I was born just three months prior to the invasion; making me the baby in this group. Now that’s a rare occurance these days. 

Ultimate Listeners
Dinner with the Sherman’s was a wonderful experience. Eddie is an icon in the Hawaii media scene, and author of “Frank, Sammy, Marlon & Me” which chronicles his early involvement with Jack Lord and the Hawaii 5-0 series.
Eddie’s skills as a newspaper columnist and interviewer were evident during dinner as he and his adoring wife Patty asked Masae and me question after question, choosing to talk about us rather than them. The time flew by and we are looking forward the next opportunity to dine with The Shermans, where I plan to “turn the tables”.

Pathology Report
I am touched by those of you that expressed interest, concern or sympathy for my recent eye sugery. The good news is that the pathology report is in, and the growth on my eyelid WAS NOT cancerouus. It is also good that whatever it was (I cannot remember or pronouce it anyway) is gone. The plastic surgeon said that he approached it as if it were skin cancer so that if it was, I would not need to repeat the procedure. I guess that I am appreciative of that, as it is still sore, and still healing. The injection of a “pain killer” and removal of the stitches were among the most painful experiences of my life. If anyone ever tries to talk you into any sort of cosmetic eye surgery, say, “NO WAY”. It is not an area where you want needles and stitches.

Natural Aging
If some bags and wrinkles are okay with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, they are okay with me.

Temptation
As I woke up this morning, looked out my window, and saw the great surf, my first thoughts were my wonderfull memories of being in Waikiki, surfing the day away.

Blue and Beautifull
It doesn’t get much better than this. The warm sun, clean waves and blue water are inviting to say the least. I wanted to paddle out there and catch a few waves.

#@!~
Then I looked in the mirror to get a close-up of the damage to my eyelid from yesterday’s skin cancer sugery by plastic surgeon “Dr. PenKnife”. I share these less than flattering photos of myself to remind those who might underestimate the effects of the sun on their skin. 20 Years ago we didn’t have the protection available today, and I am paying the price. My dermitologist told me that sun damage is like the odometer on your car; “cummulative and irreversible”. Keep that in mind. He also said, “If you have had so few as two major sunburns in your life, your chances of skin cancer after 50 are doubled”.
Wear sunscreen, rash guards, and a hat. Had I done that I would reaching for my surfboard this morning instead of the Vicodin.