ALOHA SPIRIT

'ANGELS' HELP OUT A STRANDED ISLE VISITOR

I met an angel in Hawai'i!

I arrived at 11 p.m. in Honolulu after flying in from Vancouver, Canada. As I got to the Dollar Rent A Car counter, I realized I had left my driver's license at home. A copy on paper was not acceptable.

I was very disappointed, since I always explore new areas in a rented car. My hotel, the Turtle Bay Resort, was a hour's drive away.

Suddenly, a young lady working there announced she would drive me to the hotel. On the way to the hotel, I mentioned how sad I was at not being able to explore the island.

She told me the next day was her day off and would show me the island. I was speechless.

Sure enough, the next day she picked me up at the hotel. Her name is Shena and she brought two friends, Deniese and Tony. They took turns driving and explaining and showing me places I could have never seen on my own.

I think I met a living angel, whom I will never forget.

MILITARY

DUNWOODY NOMINATED TO BE 4-STAR GENERAL

Recently it was announced by the Pentagon that Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody had been nominated to become the United States' first female four-star general.

This is a wonderful accomplishment for women and social progress in America, and we should all be so proud of Ann Dunwoody and her family.

I am greatly excited by this development, and I hope that the U.S. Senate will approve Dunwoody's nomination. It is my earnest hope that women will be able to take more and more positions of respect and authority in our country, perhaps even eventually that of commander in chief.

PLANET

EARTH'S POPULATION AN ISSUE NEEDING STUDY

The number of people on this planet is approaching 7 billion, and until we address this core issue we are only treating symptoms while ignoring the cure.

Humans are undoubtedly the most environmentally unfriendly creatures on Earth, and each of us creates a substantial ecological footprint.

Despite the benefits, all our conservation and recycling efforts cannot keep up with the demands of more and more people. The reality of limited supply versus increasing demand is unavoidable.

Despite being so fundamentally important for mankind's future, the issue of responsible reproduction receives little attention.

I believe an international education effort needs to be initiated now to reduce the exponential global impact of irresponsible reproduction. Abstinence and birth control need to be reinforced with education about how each birth affects the whole of humanity and Earth.

TAXATION

NO LONGER ANY SHAME IN LIVING OFF TAXPAYERS

I have become more and more irritated at the suggestions in the liberal press that Sen. Barack Obama should institute "fair taxation" if he is elected.

The definition of "fair taxation" is clear. Take as much money in taxes from the prosperous and successful and hand it over to the poor and useless. The definition of prosperous includes any working-class couple who makes a decent living.

What incentive is there to strive to succeed?

We continue to worry about these people who live on the beaches and wait for handouts. Some of them are truly needy. We need to support them to every extent possible. The rest of them are moochers.

Why is it that drugs users cannot afford food and lodging, but seem to have no trouble affording drugs?

Most of us have choices. We can be educated or not, work hard or not. If you cannot afford children, don't have children. There is no constitutional right to live in Hawai'i. If you cannot afford to live here, move to Omaha.

There is no longer any shame in living off the taxpayers. There is also no real penalty in not working. I remember reading a phrase from the Depression years that we should bring back. "The threat of starvation is a powerful incentive."

TRAFFIC

SLOWER DRIVERS SHOULD MOVE TO RIGHT LANES

If you are going slower than the driver on your right please, please, please move to the right, where you can go with the flow.

This will free up the left lanes to allow passing and increase the flow of traffic on our highways.

Slow-moving vehicles in the left lanes create a logjam.

On my numerous trips to the East Coast, slow drivers on the left lanes are not tolerated. Drivers honk or flash their high beams until you move to the right, slower lanes.

This is an easy and doable way of getting traffic to move much smoother on our highways and lessen road-rage incidents.

This behavior can be compared to shopping. When people block the whole aisle with their carts, strollers and/or bodies, just moving to one side of the aisle will allow other shoppers to pass through. This is just common sense and courtesy.

OIL

DEMOCRATS' MATH JUST DELAYS FUEL AVAILABILITY

I really like the Democrats' math: If we drill for fuel now, it won't come due for at least 10 years. If we drill in 10 years, it will take 10 years to come due. That's 20 years — right. Just keep on adding 10 — forever.