Boy, when it rains, it pours!  So much news to share, 3 posts in one day!

Just in from my absolute favorite banker, Israel Avilla over at the Kahala Bank of Hawaii:

Home Equity Lines at 1.00% for 12 months or 1.75% for 24 months.  Some of the criteria include that you must have a Bankohana Level II or Level III with us in order to qualify for this promo.  Anything below $250,000 does not require an appraisal and if the individual is not self employed, we do not need to collect financials if the request is under $75,000.

This is a GREAT deal, and it sounds easy – finally!

Prior to, Bank of Hawaii made borrowing very difficult – so many hoops to go through and a long dragged out process that had us wringing our hands and wanting to give up.

If your home has a lot of equity in it, use it, or at least have a Equity Line of Credit set up in advance just in case you do decide to invest or spend wisely on a necessity.  These loans usually have very low (if any) fees, especially with no appraisal!

Also, if your home is totally paid off and unencumbered with a mortgage, you could be a luscious target for lawsuit hungry dirt bags that will sue you if they trip and fall on your property.  Having a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) is reflected on your record of ownership EVEN if you are not drawing on it at all.  It just looks like you have a loan, and thus, less equity for the dirt bags to win.

Anywho, my favorite “nephew” banker’s contact info is:  Israel Avilla at the Waialae Kahala branch of Bank of Hawaii, phone (808) 694-7471, or email Israel.Avilla@boh.com.  Tell him “Aunty” sent you, so Aunty gets brownie points, and lunch!

Aunty’s favorite local banker!

Aunty subscribes to over 30 newsletters – YIKES!  Didn’t realize how many until I counted today, but they takes the place of me watching the news on TV or reading a daily newspaper.  Most of them are opinions, and many of those opinions are based on facts or a series of facts, and some are just guesses based on je ne sais quoi (the dunnos).  The way I figure, these people are very very smart and study financials, wealth strategies, personal development, etc. on a full time basis, so getting their newsletters is like picking their brains, and then make my own decisions.

This morning, a short video was delivered to me about the recent downturn in the stock market, so for any of you who trade stocks or options, here’s a good one to ponder – up or down?:

Update, September 15, 2013:  The stock market in the eyes of the S&P 500 dropped a few days later, and has since recovered to 1687, and seemingly on an uptrend.  Which goes to show – the market is like the roulette wheel – no one really knows and you just place a bet and cross your fingers for the best.  Here is a snapshot of the S&P on September 13 with the green arrow pointing to the corresponding point of 8-28-13:

View from Dr. Chun’s 14th floor root canal chair

Today, Aunty saw the bestest dentist in Honolulu, Dr. Hideki Kurokawa (1060 Young Street, phone (808) 538-0047) because I could barely eat my morning cereal today due to extreme pain from my #19 tooth.

He looked and immediately sent me to Dr. Kimo Chun to get a root canal.  Dr. Chun’s office is in the Ala Moana Building and overlooks the Ala Moana Shopping Center, the Yacht Harbor, and the site of the soon to be completed luxury condo, ONE Ala Moana.

Aunty had a couple of root canals done before by other endodontists, and root canals are really not fun.  However, the view from Dr. Chun’s chair and the modern contraptions made this root canal almost pleasant!  First he stuck a soft rubber like thing into the side of my mouth which kept my mouth open – how easy and no problem with biting doctor’s hand or getting lockjaw!  Then, a little trampoline looking thing that fit over my lower jaw.  Nifty!  No yucky stuff even with all the drilling, vacuuming, rinsing, etc.  It was uncomfortable only when the numbing shots were administered – like a sting, and then blissful numbness.

I don’t know what Dr. Chun was doing, but his hands were busy for the entire hour and when it was over, Aunty realized what a great root canal it was, partly because of the view, and partly because of how he set up his workspace and my mouth!

A few instructions about not chewing on that side, pain control with aspirin or tylenol, and antibiotics just in case, which Aunty has declined.

Aunty does not like antibiotics because they wipe out the good with the bad, i.e. the infection is killed but so is the immune system.  Granted, if Aunty does come down with swollen infection from the root canal, then perhaps she will reconsider, but for now, no thank you.

Unexplainably, with numb mouth and lips that felt like they were huge, Aunty had a hankering for some Crocs and Aunty headed toward the Food Court of the Ala Moana Shopping Center to get some.

Crocs are these rubber shoes that were all the rage a few years ago, supposedly made so your feet don’t smell.  They used to be all the same, just in different colors and sizes.  Kind of like Dutch clogs without the noise.  Now, they have a lot of different styles, heel heights, textures, etc., and Aunty fell in love with some leopard print ones that were kinda on sale.

LONG ago, Pal Cookie told me about getting a 20% discount at Crocs Stores with a AAA card.  I think that was a long time ago, because the nice people working at the Ala Moana Center store didn’t know about that, and instead offered me a coupon deal for 20% off 2 pairs.  So what’s a gal to do?

Aunty now has 2 new pairs of Crocs, one in leopard print because Aunty is a leopard kind of person.  rrrrrRuffff!

Aunty also happens to own Crocs stock and have watched  it rocket, then drop like a rock, and now the stock is just meandering around.  Maybe after today, the price of the stock will go up.  Buy some Crocs shoes so the stock goes up!

Which reminds me, must do a lesson on options trading the right way.  Took me years to finally get it, and it may soon be time to open to sell Crocs call options if it does bump up.

I end this rather rambling post with a picture of Aunty’s newest pair of Crocs slip ons which are almost indestructible.

Sassy, eh?

Before I post the details, Aunty will copy recent comments that readers left after my initial review of Meir Ezra’s workshop.

Suze wrote:  Meir Ezra is a con artist whose agenda is to infiltrate small business and convert them to Scientology. Standard 101 for the Church. It starts off with with good content and get’s weirder and weirder as you go on, all while you are spending all this money to into an endless pit. The church of Scientology will suck your money dry. They make it seem like they care but in the end they all they care is about the money. No one does anything for free just to help people,, everyone has an agenda.

And Dave wrote:  You are promoting Scientology, look it up. This is 110% a scam and Meir Ezra is sucking you in, I know I attended the Wise International which is owed by the Church of Scientology. Sounds like you are all drinking the magic juice!

So, Aunty did what Aunty does best – google search and ask questions.  First person I asked was HIREI President and organizer of the annual Hawaii Wealth Summits, Paul Xavier.  Paul is a straight shooter, sometimes a bit too direct and a bit too sharp, but sharp and direct answers from a straight shooter have value.  Rather bluntly, I asked how Meir Ezra can be a Jew and a Scientologist at the same time.  I forget his exact answer, but it was something about taking what works from Scientology and not compromising one’s own beliefs.

In another google search, Aunty discovered that Meir has been involved in Scientology since 1993.  “I don’t really know if I would describe myself as a ‘Scientologist,'” he says, “but I have been applying the technology of Scientology to my everyday life, so if that makes me a Scientologist, I guess I am.”   A businessman with several companies both here and around the world, Ezra says that he has used Hubbard’s teachings for his business models and claims that this is what has helped him become so successful.  (for the complete text about Scientology in Israel, here is the <link> to the rather fascinating 2006 Jeruselum Post article.)

How dangerous can learning to improve be, how scam-ful can a 110% scam be, and on the other hand, how dangerous is it to not learn, or to believe that everything is a scam?

To go, or not to go

Aunty has heard Meir Ezra speak, twice.  On both occasions, Aunty has been impressed.  Impressed with the knowledge that is shared, impressed with the practicality and simplicity of the lessons, impressed with the person, Meir Ezra.  The man that he is onstage is the same as the man that he is offstage.  Is that important?  To Aunty, it is.

So, even with the dire warnings of Dave and Suze (above), Aunty will be attending, and even recommending this upcoming workshop in Honolulu on August 17 and 18 from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm at the Hyatt Place Waikiki (small hotel at corner of Paokalani and Kuhio Avenues) because Meir is an awesome teacher, and the opportunity costs just $99.

Suze writes that it starts off with good content.  That is what I am there for – the best content that I can use, presented in one of the best ways that I can understand.

Not to be contrary

I do appreciate the concerns of Dave and Suze, and thanked them for it.  I will watch what I drink, and if it gets weird, then I consider myself forewarned, and perhaps start looking at donning an aluminum foil hat to limit mind control.

However, Aunty believes that learning never ends, and sometimes going down paths that are unpopular or out of one’s comfort zone produces unexpected wonderful results, and missing them will keep you on the path and results that you are already on.

With tin foil hat or Saran wrap

One of my favorite transition images is that of Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch enveloped in only Saran wrap to greet her bored husband at the door.  The scene is from the movie, “Fried Green Tomatoes”.   Ninny Threadgoode becomes Evelyn’s mentor and friend through her narration of the life and loves of Idgie Threadgoode.

From that friendship, frustrated and bumbling Evelyn Couch transforms into a confident, joyful woman.

Saran wrap or tin foil hat?  Transformation or limited transmissions?  For now, Aunty’s choice is Saran wrap (as Uncle does the happy dance).  Aluminum foil in the kitchen drawer just in case it is needed.

Hope to see you there.  TAWANDA!!!

The Genius Tour, August 17 & 18, Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach Hotel (Paokalani and Kuhio), 9:00 am – 6:00 pm daily.

Being greeted at LAS

Aunty went to Vegas last week for her very first Road Trip!  260 miles across the Mohaje Desert took us 4 hours on highways to Los Angeles in a U-Haul truck.  It was a blessing to have #2 daughter meet and greet Aunty at the airport, and even better, to DRIVE the 260 miles that had me a bit apprehensive because of the heat (100• in the shade!) and Uncle’s dire warnings of snakes, heat stroke, getting stuck, etc.

Uncle is a very nice man, but he does tend to find the worse case scenario for any new situation – just in case we weren’t worried.

Thankfully, it was an uneventful road trip with light traffic and rather interesting scenery of expanses of land, dry brush, distant mountains and huge trucks that, for the most part, limited themselves to the right lane of Highway I-15.  Aunty would get excited whenever one of those big trucks would try to overtake other big trucks.  They reminded me of some of the scenes in Smokey and the Bandit, and wished I had one of those horn honkers that those drivers would pull as they passed each other, and was a bit disappointed that none of them honked as they passed.  But then, if they had, Aunty might have pee’d in her pants, and there was NO bathroom for miles and miles.

A little past halfway, after going up, over, and down two big mountains followed by flat land with beautiful, hazy, almost ethereal horizons of distant floating horizons, Aunty saw Diamond Head!!  It was on the left – don’t ask me north, south, east or west.  If you ask me for specific directions, I would say that it was in the opposite direction of Ewa, lol.  Aunty got a picture of it through the dirty windshield.  That was pretty cool, don’tcha think?

A look-alike Diamond Head in the Mojave Desert

Aunty will be sitting her booth at the Hawaii All Collectors Show this Friday and Saturday.  Show hours are Friday 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am – 6 pm at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.  This is one of Aunty’s favorite places to attend.  Every booth has treasures or memories from one’s past.  Bargains on treasures that will make your kids’ eyes roll.

If you do attend, please visit Aunty in booth #232 on Kahala Avenue with signage:  Honolulu Aunty.

Hawaii All Collectors Show, Hawaii’s Oldest Antique Show!

Ask for “Aunty’s discount” and whatever is Aunty’s stuff, you get 20% off!  On Saturday after 3:00 pm, you can get 50% off!  You will be helping Aunty to de-access and Uncle will be very happy to have less “treasures” in the house.

[Update after the show:  Aunty had very aggressive pricing on Saturday because it was the last day of the show, and the more that got sold meant less to pack up or see next year.  The best part about giving away great stuff at bargain prices was the bragging rights that could follow at home for the savvy shoppers as they open up their packages and show what they bought for such a deal!

Mahalo to my customers and to ilene and Wayne of ukulele.com for putting on this awesome annual collectors show!!]

Well, yesterday was Friday, and pal Fay texted me, “It’s Friday, Candy Crush day!!!” and indeed it was!  I dropped off Uncle at his secret fishing spot and then started playing Candy Crush Saga with my 5 lives, alternating it with my iPad Candy Crush app that also had 5 lives.  Cleared through 2 levels, which is a very good evening because sometimes one can get stuck for days – and in Aunty’s case because of only playing on Fridays, it will be weeks.  Aunty was very happy, crushing those candies!

Then I get the call from Uncle to pick him up, and he caught 3 oio (3, 4, and 8 pounders!) for fish cake or poke and one toau ~1.5 pounds for steaming.  He was a happy man.

Now the big question, who’s going to clean the fish?  My vote is for the fisherman who caught them.

Aunty has a confession to make.  About a month ago, under a fake name (Honolulu Sally), Aunty began to play a very fun game on Facebook (is also a free app) called Candy Crush Saga.  It is something like Bejeweled Blitz, clearing rows or columns with matching jewels or candies, although Bejeweled Blitz was actually more fun because each week you were privy to a scoreboard against your friends, each game only lasted a minute, and you could play until the rooster crowed or the cows came home (unlimited).

These games are addicting, and Aunty was an easy target.

Aunty is a compulsively addictive challenged individual who thrives and loves competition, so online games and Aunty are a bad combination.

Over 3 years ago, Aunty made a pact with God and totally gave up playing Bejeweled Blitz (it was for a very very important prayer and person), and over the past couple of years, Aunty has made other pacts with God to give up a couple of other online games that consumed Aunty’s time and focus.  Each time a pact was made, Aunty totally abandoned the specific game, because when you make a pact, you must honor it, and a pact with God is one that is of the highest priority and responsibility.

So, when Aunty “discovered” Candy Crush Saga 4 weeks ago, it was on a part time basis, playing it sometimes, and stopping after the 5 lives are used up (it gets fully reloaded after a few hours).  At first it seemed too easy and simple, and then clearing coconuts and cherries with jelly got harder and Aunty went to a support group site to find friends that would give lives and tickets in order to proceed to the next level.

That was when Aunty got hooked, and began playing it, giving lives, receiving lives, night and day.  Paperwork and messes began piling up, laundry wasn’t done, dinner was often forgotten until later in the evening, and bedtime was pushed back past midnight, resulting in a bigger mess and less sleep.

Usually around this point in the game(s), is when a crisis occurs and Aunty makes a pact with God, to give up the game as penance or payment if God would please please please help in a situation.

However, just yesterday, after an especially busy week of friends visiting, an awesome 2 day workshop, company bills, invoices, and payments almost due, preparing a house for tenants and an especially fun evening of trading off extra moves and lives with a complete stranger on Candy Crush Saga, Aunty knew something HAD to give, and a brilliant solution came in.

It was almost as if Aunty could hear the one note chorus of angels and the strum of harp strings.

The solution was to give up Candy Crush Saga on all days and nights, except for Friday!!  Okay, you might think that was nothing to write home about, but for Aunty, it is a beautiful wonderful way to deal with her addiction – by putting a workable control on it and going about doing what needs to be done without total withdrawal.

Aunty is so happy now!  No need to feel guilty or bad about wasting time all week long anymore, or having to make a pact with God.  Uncle usually goes fishing on Friday nights, and Aunty will be crushing candies!  The rest of the week, Aunty will get back in the groove.  More posts and updates – such as a review of last weekend’s Genius Tour workshop by the fantastic Meir Ezra.

If you see Uncle and I together, ask him how fishing is, but please be mum about Candy Crush – since Uncle thinks that I am always hard at work in the office, and it is a good way for him to think.

[Update:  Aunty has changed the day of Candy Crush to Thursdays because of Aunty’s neck.  I go to see Doc Breuwet on Fridays for my upper cervical adjustment, and then go home and play Candy Crush Saga until the stroke of midnight.  My neck and shoulders feel awful with throbbing pain for a couple of days and I know it is because of the poor posture stuck in suspense as I play for hours.  So now, if I play on Thursdays and get adjusted on Fridays, the whole week will be pain free and the adjustment will “take”.  Well, that’s the theory I am sticking with for now….]