srdon's Comments (77)

“hey, shouldn't they do a mitt romney inspired version where the dog can ride in comfort on the roof???”

“started doing yoga in the 70's when i was a hard core distance runner. kept doing it as a world class age group triathlete. still do it today as a senior citizen with a pacemaker/­defibrilla­tor. it's benefits are numerous. when i was coaching triathletes i got them into it too as a great way to recover from workouts.

great article.”

“i was around when the concept of the race was first posed in public. guys i trained and raced with finished 1, 2 the first year. it's gone from "can someone really do all of this in a day?" to having almost 1200 finishers in the current edition beat the first year winner's time, and the race being one of the premier athletic events in the world.

and lungfish is right: many of the athletes are self-absorbed, rude to drivers, and think the world in kona revolves around them. the good news is they go home after a week or two. but during that week kona needs the economic boost these athletes and their families bring.”

“what a wonderful cast. glad to see winona ryder is getting work again, too. look forward to the movie.”

“i remember having a banking client back in the 70's and 80's. we introduced ATMs to the market; electronic passcards, debit cards, automatic bill payment services, etc. back then, banks gave away these services for free. if you wanted OD protection you signed up for it and they gave you a line of credit.

then the S&L debacle hit and banks had to scramble for new ways to make money with fees for everything. never in my wildest imagination did i ever think the fees and their associated revenues and profits would be so huge or their efforts to generate these fees so predatory. there's no question regulations have to be put in place to protect the consumer from these sharks; especially when the victims are the ones who can least afford it. when you have a $12 an hour job with no benefits, there's no way you can afford to maintain a high balance to avoid these situations.”

“i think they are double agents who are all part of a covert left wing plot to covertly infiltrate and destroy the Republican Party. from the looks of things, they're doing a really good job.”

“from 1968 til 2005, i never owned an American car til i bought a Chevy Tahoe. have owned Lexuses, Infinities, Saabs, and BMWs. i liked all of them. however, the Tahoe was/is a pleasant surprise. it's been trouble-free and is a pleasure to drive on the freeways of Northern California. i think GM has a real shot of making it.”

“have to agree with you. if she wasn't married to the boss, she'd be a weekend weather girl, at best, on some station in the midwest. or an anchor in Honolulu.”

“jingles32 - i had a similar experience with my father back in the late 80's when i was visiting him in Detroit. he was ranking about the Blacks and how they were ruining the city. i just looked at him and said, "listen to yourself---you're sounding like such a racist." again, this was from a man who worked with many Black leaders in the community throughout his career and from i had learned tolerance.

having lived in Hawaii all of my adult life, where everyone is a minority, i really learned what it's like to live in a place where you ultimately look at everyone as individuals. as the demographics in the country change rapidly over the next few decades, i hope that is a lesson more people learn.”

“god, i love this sport! why doesn't ESPN have it in prime time 5 nights a week???”

“when the American Journal of Medicine publishes a report that states 62% of american bankruptcies are linked to medical bills (a number that has increased 50% in the past 6 years) and 78% of these people had health insurance, we have a system that is broken---not to mention the poor outcomes we have even for those with insurance.

we need reform now.

we need a better system now.

nearly every other major country does it better for its citizens. we should swallow our "pride" and follow their lead.”

“if the Dems allow them to be intimidated by the Repubs and pass, at best, a watered-down bill, they will get hurt badly in the next elections. Those are the right will be elated. Many on the left will be disgusted. It's a situation where only the conservatives win and millions of American families will continue to suffer.

so far, those for reform have done a horrible job of presenting the reasons for reform and rebutting the bogus arguments presented by the health care industry.”

“this is, by far, one of the most important articles i've read about Cheney and the damage he has done to the country. what's most amazing are the crazies out there screaming "give back my country." they're right: give back our country---the one before Cheney and Bush dismantled our democracy.”

“you are, obviously, an uninformed idiot. leftist and fascist are on different ends of the political spectrum. your comment is analogous to calling someone a democrat and republican.”

“perfectly stated. now if only this people knew how to read we could share it with them.”

“this is dating myself, but i remember seeing Hawaii 5-0's jack lord at the supermarket with full pancake make up; looked ridiculous. saw jim neighbors and tom selleck many times and they looked natural, normal. there are very few women that look naturally good without make up.”

“a simple example from our small business. we provide 100% coverage for all employees through kaiser. we selected kaiser because it offers the best coverage at the lowest out of pocket expense. however, because of rising premiums we no longer offer family coverage. we can't afford to. unfortunately, our employees can't afford it for their families either. this is another major reason we need a public option that is affordable for all.”

“nicely put. now, if only this type of reasonable response could be heard above the din of the mob that isn't satisfied with any answer other than the one they insist on hearing---­-i.e. we are on the road to a russian gulag hell of health care and worse.”

“hark - you are totally on point.

in my experience as a small business owner and someone who's used their health care insurance to cover a pacemaker (warning to all those out there who think a healthy lifestyle is some kind of guarantee of good health, i am a former triathlon national age group champion, but i still needed a procedure that through most of insurance companies would have cost me thousands of out of pocket) most people have no true idea what their coverage is and are under insured.

providing access to coverage for all widens the risk pool and lowers costs for everyone.

we desperately need health care reform now before it's completely unaffordable for anyone, except the very, very wealthy few.”

“actually, if you ever read his column you would have found it to be pretty good. i'm sorry to see him go.”

“he did what any smart investor does - when there was blood in the streets, he was buying---and getting a preferred position while he was at it. as he's shown for 50 years, no individual has done it better.”

“at the same time, look at the way the first lady carries herself. she's a great role model for women of any (and every) color.”

“here's another small business owner for health care reform. we provide 100% coverage (including dental) for all employees. unfortunately we can't provide coverage for their families, too. they have to cover that out of pocket. however, because of the cost many of them can't.

the coverage we provide is through Kaiser of Northern California. in our experience, their care is superb and the out of pocket expenses are minimal. as far as i'm concerned it's a great model for a national plan. health records are computerized; you can get same day appointments if needed; you can make appointments or fill prescrips with email; you can email your doctor directly if you have questions (i've gotten replies almost as soon as the message was sent). the physicians and staff are super attentive.

everyone in the country needs the safety net of health care. it's sad when even those with coverage are under insured and risk bankruptcy if they have a medical crisis---and it doesn't take much to have a crisis.”

“excuse me - i live in california and just renewed my license. they sent me a letter. i renewed on-line. it took me less time than it did to write this rebuttal. and this is from a state that is virtually bankrupt and ungovernable.”

“excuse me, but the last time i lived there, hawaii was part of the united states---in fact it was when President Obama was born there in 1961.”