Last night Da Keiki shows me a receipt her teacher sent home with her and me working in Finance I gravitate towards da numbahs and I couldn't help but do a rough calculation: numbah of students times da amount we pay every month = HOLY GUACAMOLE! Cha-ching!

But of course get all da kine logistics of salaries, rent, insurance, blah blah but da net amount, I'm guesstimating, is still high. Then I was tinking about da amount we pay for Da Baby's sitter and WHOA! Das a good "net amount" too!

Sometime I wondah wat kine of businesses make da most money? Besides da kine "professionals" dat have gone to school for uku-million years like lawyers and doctors, who makes a considerable amount of money per hour? In da Pearl City Wal-Mart area near Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union, there are impromptu "vendors" which I'm surah are there illegally but no one has "complained" so they continue to set up shop there tents, chairs, road signs and all.

Anybody who drives da "Wal-Mart" road knows these people all too well. Da two who are there religiously every weekend are da "cold li-hing mango lady" and da "huli-huli chicken guy" (outdoor barbeque pit, cooler and all!). There's a third dat is there frequently as well, "pastele and rice". Once in awhile there would be "challengers" taking up prime City & County space like a "homemade toy guy", "puppy sale" or some kine of fundraising attempt.

No rent, no overhead....... hmmm, sounds pretty lucrative - or at least profitable enough to do it - if you don't mind da time you spend doing it.

Now get these "steam car wash dudes" in Pearl City and Aiea and I can't even imagine 1) having steam to wash da car and 2) dat it would be a money maker considering there are two to three people dat has to split da fee. I would tink you'd have to average three to four vehicles an hour just to pay for da labor and four to five an hour just to buy a plate lunch aftah dat.

I once heard dat those hot dog vendors like Woody's are actually one of THE most lucrative businesses out there making easily into da six-figure mark annually. Da hotdogs aren't cheap but six-figures annually off of a processed meat?

Wassup Wit Dat!

Wat kine of low-key businesses have you seen dat you wondah if it's lucrative or not? Wat street vendors are "regulahs"? Have you evah pulled ovah to buy anything from them?

If you see a vertically challenged, wise-okole, round is a shape, pidgin speaking Korean selling kim chee on da side of da road in Pearl City............. saying "Wassup Wit Dat!" is da secret code for Kama'aina discount.

Words - and definitely not a day - will never be enough for those who have sacrificed their time, ohana, well-being and for many, their lives to help make this country what it is today and for the freedoms we appreciate and take for granted as well.

To those who serve and have served, we are indebted to you forever and as long as this country stands strong and proud, it is our civic duty that we will never forget.

As an ordinary civilian, it is with great, heartfelt appreciation that I say.... Mahalo!




I bring back this post every Veteran's and Memorial Day as it pulls me back to reality about the sacrifice our Armed Services make. Check it out by CLICKING HERE!

Wen it's Da Keiki's turn to watch tv, while she doesn't know it, she's only allowed to watch educational and social learning type of cartoons. She doesn't watch "silly ones" or oddahs dat are above her comprehension level and I can honestly say dat she is influenced - and learns from - these types of cartoons.

Da Wife and I also watch all da cartoons with her to make surah it falls along da same lines we're trying to teach her and definitely don't use it as a "babysitter". We reference them during real life situations so she can correlate and understand the "lesson" - we find each oddah, Da Keiki, Da Wife and I, saying "just like ______".

I really wish some adults would start watching cartoons again.... and not da likes of Sponge Bob Square Pants for learning sake.

Yesterday, I had to take Da Keiki to da doctor and was on H1 from Pearl City to Aiea about 9:15am and while there were still a lot of vehicles on da freeway, it was flowing steadily going about 40mph. During normal morning rush hour, get choke cars dat try to cut across da solid lines to get to da far right shoulder lane but da shoulder lane is "closed" aftah 8am.... so I thought.

I was on da far right lane as I just got on da freeway from da Pearl City on ramp and I couldn't believe how many cars and trucks were jumping onto da shoulder and zooming past everybody as if they just stole spicy ahi poke - not everybody was doing it but you could tell some people were thinking "if they can do it, why can't I" as da lane merges. You could sense da hesitation as da merge ended and they were contemplating which way to go.

As I was merging into da "legal" right lane, I saw a truck jump onto da shoulder and hit da throttle. Before, during and aftah he passed, I blared my truck horn for a good seven seconds and as he jetted passed me, I got thanked with da one fingah salute. Nice.

Then as da merge completed, I noticed anoddah truck - then anoddah - jump into da shoulder but dis time I started to ride da solid line with da right side of my truck. It's pretty tight going across da overpass so they couldn't pass, instead, he rode my bumper so close dat if I brake checked him, guarantee would have fish-tailed.

I knew once we were across da overpass they would continue to pass - cause da shoulder expands aftah dat - and as they accelerate, I get da stink eye and obviously some adjectives lip synced through their tint since my window was down. I shake my head and give da Mutombo finger wag and they were on their way probably still muttering how I was such an a$$.

They stay doing something wrong, inconsiderate, uncool and illegal yet I'm da son of a motherless goat.

Wassup Wit Dat!

Just twenty minutes prior, Da Keiki was watching a cartoon called Special Agent Oso wea their "niche" is taking situations and breaking it down into three steps. It's a catchy tune with da lyrics dat goes like:

Three special steps, that’s all you need. Three special steps, and you’ll succeed. Your special assignment is starting now, and three special steps will show you how. Step 1.. Step 2.. Step 3

Three special steps, so now you know. Three special steps and you’re ready to go! The checklist has all the steps you need. Just follow them all and you will succeed with three special steps!

Dat episode's lesson was about owning up to your mistake and saying sorry - how visionary was dat.

I tink those guys missed dat show.

Have a great Feel Good Friday..... and go watch some "real" cartoons dis weekend.

Nevah ceases to amaze me how you can have a hundred people - ok, da seventeen who read WWD! - view one picture and very well have nearly a hundred different points of view. Well, at least many differing - and agreeing - things to point out.

Da pic I was asking if anybody noticed yesterday.........









And da MANY responses: Yes, sadly, I'm being sarcastic.

1.De:
November 5th, 2013 at 2:05 pm edit
Is it the aarow and circle green light? I neva noticed this before. I guess on da drive home I will pay attention...hope I don't bang a car cause I'm looking at the lights.

2.rayboyjr:
November 5th, 2013 at 2:15 pm edit
Good Afternoon Everyone!!!

... hey Braddah Lance ... i don't think it's the different styles of green light ... is it??? ... because I've seen that all over the place ...

... maybe the old style street lights??? ... I think I remember Mayor Harris (?) or maybe Mufi was trying to give Honolulu that retro feel ...

... or the BEEG street signs for the cross streets??? ... but I think those are everywhere too ...

3.M:
November 5th, 2013 at 2:32 pm edit
Howzit BL!
Da street lights.

4.Lowtone123:
November 5th, 2013 at 4:50 pm edit
I tink I tink I dunno.

5.Uncle Rodney:
November 5th, 2013 at 10:58 pm edit
Usually when there is an arrow green light, that means that you can only go in the direction of the arrow. When the light is a round green, that means you can go straight or turn. In this case, the left side can only go straight (because there is a left turn arrow for the left turn only lane), but the right side can either go straight to turn right - into Ala Moana Park. NOTE* This is NOT always the case - but usually is true.

6.CoHawaiian:
November 6th, 2013 at 7:12 am edit
@Uncle Rodney. Right on da kinipopo as to the law regarding the signal light indication..

7.Glenn D:
November 6th, 2013 at 8:14 am edit
Howzit BL. I agree with Uncle Rodney. Looks weird at first but makes sense. Also, wen (and if) that left lane gets converted to go da addoh way, during rush hour, the light can show red for dat lane only. Combine that with red cones, you get exshtra lane going da way you need relief. I must admit, I hate it wen I no can make left turns on (Ewa bound) Kapiolani during rush hour...

8.rayboyjr:
November 6th, 2013 at 10:11 am edit
@Uncle Rodney: ... you're right about the arrow green light control ... but that's standard traffic signals used everywhere ...

... I think the extra signal light configuration on Nimitz is weird ... used for contra-flow ... but the lights are still on without contra-flow and I notice the lights on the opposite direction lanes ...

Here are a couple more pics to look at and see if you notice anything else?








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Just to give you time to tink about it.

All you buggahs wen notice da green arrow in da first pic...... but I nevah notice dat until aftah it was pointed out by De. Mahalos!

Wat I noticed was dat da traffic light isn't just da light by itself any more but now has a ginormous black border around it. If you're able to, you can see dat da "frame" was added to da light more clearly from behind and I tink it's pretty huge compared to da "normal" frames around da oddah traffic lights. Funny thing is, I've only seen it on Ala Moana Blvd from Punchbowl St. to Atkinson.

Wassup Wit Dat!

I nevah seen it anywea else - although I'm a habitual drivah so I don't drive to different areas much - and it only caught my eye cause it reminded me of mainland traffic lights. It's actually kinda "ugly" but da only thing I can imagine da purpose to be is dat Ala Moana Blvd must be sunnier than any oddah road **yes, Korean sarcasm** cause it does make da traffic lights easier to see.... but then again in dat stretch there must be like two dozen traffic lights so you ain't getting too far before you have to stop anyways.

In any case..... did you notice dat?

Seen this quite some time ago but always thought it was strange although I kinda figgah why but how come only in dis particular area...... I'll post a few more pics latah but if I do, I think you'll notice it right away. Wat you tink it is?