srdon's Comments (35)

“i had several affairs and one night stands when i was married in my 20's and early 30's for a couple of simple reasons: i wanted to have sex with as many beautiful women as i could because it was damned exciting and fun and they were available. there was nothing wrong with my wife. i imagine tiger pretty much felt the same way.

fortunately, i eventually snapped out of it. if one's going to be married, you need to be faithful. otherwise, what's the point of being married?”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“"the economy was in great shape the first 5 years. It was the housing bubble and mortgage crisis that brought down our economy." sort of like saying the flight was great til we flew into the mountain. the first five years was a house of cards where even the slightest breeze caused everything to crash.”

“i've always believed the way to a woman's bed is through her head with stimulating conversaton: get into her head and you'll always get into her bed. now once you are there the key is to go slow. a recent lover of mine was giving me feedback on what i did that worked so well for her. just at that moment the old Pointer Sisters' song, "Slow hand" came on the radio. she got all excited and said, "that's it---that's what you do!"

so guys, if you need any help just go to I-tunes, download this song, and listen good.”

“suze's best advice may be difficult to swallow, but it's the best course of action - have a safety net savings plan. at the very least we each need 3-6 months in an emergency account. do whatever you have to to make that happen and you'll sleep better at night. it's going to require sacrifice, but this bail-out is going to require sacrifice on everyone's part that people haven't even begun to think about.”

“anyone who owns or has run a business will tell you there's nothing realistic about a 5-7% margin. margins that thin leave a company with nothing left to invest in new equipment, technology or even the ability to pay increases in salaries.”

“I like Pink's attitude - "Don't buy me a drink, just give me the money." and then get the hell outa my sight.”

“my sense is fred barnes is correct---politics in the US is played between the 40 yd lines and i believe Obama is more of a centerist liberal vs a "true" (whatever that is) liberal. i believe a lot of his support is coming from people who feel as a country we have to pull back from the extreme rights' views that are held by Bush and his cohorts.

i believe Obama's administration is going to face some of the biggest financial decisions this country has ever encountered as he deals with the problems left behind by Bush and too many years of unregulated business. we face serious issues re: paying the bailout debt, funding 2 wars, dealing with health care and social security. his leadership abilities and ability to articulate the hard choices that will be required by all will be severely tested in the years to come.”

“as a long time (former) hawaii resident, i've been tracking obama since he gave the key note address at the 2004 democratic convention. it was beautifully written, delivered and inspiring: a sign that he was someone to watch. i was surprised to see him decide to run in 2008. watching his campaign for the last 18 months has been fascinating. without question, he has the best organization and has run a brilliant campaign---always on-track, best use of the Internet and new technology, record fund-raising as a result of inspiring average citizens vs galvanizing special interest groups, etc.. throughout it's been evident how influential growing up in hawaii as been on his values, his philosophy for leading the country; even his reasons for running now.

let's win in '08 and hana hou in '12.”

“for the US, the War on Terrorism (WART?) is like crossing a trackless swamp in the days before flight and GPS. as you attempt to navigate your way through it, you lose your bearings and start sinking deeper and deeper into the muck. you get worn down just trying to get back to where you entered the damn thing. and with people shooting at you, it gets even more confusing.

hopefully, a new (Obama) administration can brings fresh eyes and a new perspective to WART and with them, new solutions, cause the old ones ain't workin'.”

“suzy5, i imagine there are a number of your neighbors who would love to get some of that "Alaskan socialism" where there is no state income tax and everyone gets a huge $3000+ check this year as part of the tax on major oil companies. that is true spreading the wealth.”

“am currently reading David Halberstam's "The Coldest Winter" about the Korean War and the context of the political time in which it happened. what's interesting is that this was a time when the GOP had been out of office for nearly 20 years. however, their smear tactics, which McCarthyism grew out of, is exactly the same approach they continue to use today: slander whoever doesn't agree with you and question their patriotism. what's really unfortunate are the number of ignorant citizens out there who believe any slander espoused by their pundits/talking heads.

another example of this is Glen Beck saying on his program the other day, "Are Al Franken, Barney Frank, Barack Obama, and Nancy Pelosi really the kind of people we want representing us?" well, Glenn, the answer is "Yes, we do." at least those of us who really put country before party; who really want issues discussed, addressed and resolved through the true democratic process of negotiation and compromise vs intimidation and presidential decree.”

“boz is a timeless an artist that's ever performed. his music is always classic and never out of style. have seen him for the past two years live in california wine country and he sounds as good as ever.”

“as someone who earned $250K + during the clinton years of higher taxes, i still "somehow" managed to live within my means, save for my kids college education, make the maximum contribution to my ira, live in a wonderful house overlooking diamond head in honolulu, take 3-4 week ski vacations every year (including owning condo at jackson hole), save more money for investments, buy my wife some nice gifts at christmas or for her birthday, etc. etc.

so people out there earning $250K: the extra tax you'll be paying is not going to lower your lifestyle unless you're used to living beyond your means. living in the top 5% is always going to be more comfortable than those who aren't. while i am sure you work hard for the money you earn, it doesn't necessarily (as much as you would like to believe) make you a better/more deserving person.”

“one of the reasons i started reading the huffpost was i wanted to see what the conservative media was all exorcised about. instead of finding someone worth demonizing i found someone and a place worth reading: a place where i could actually find a more balanced perspective without the cynicism and blatant lying found elsewhere; a place where other thoughtful readers could express themselves through a community of well-educated and concerned people.

i start and end each day keeping up on the real news with the news i find here.

thanks, ariana!”