Aside from plain water, coffee and tea are the most enjoyed beverages around the world. Both have things in them that may help your health, and they’re an excuse to get together with a friend — that can be good for you, too.
Brigadier General Irwin K. Cockett, Jr., 90, born on August 24, 1930, passed November 5, 2020. Born and raised on the island of Kaua’i. He was an alumnus of Kamehameha Schools, class of 1948.
Preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth L. (Huddy) Cockett, daughter, Yokette (Cockett) Choi, grandson Tyler K. Williams. Survived by daughters, Mylabeth K. (Cockett) Williams (George Williams) and Punahele (Cockett) Pires, companion Ernestine Young, 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Irwin had a full life of challenges, adventures and adversity. He went from “Yoka the Beach Boy to Brigadier General” in the National Guard. Surfing and paddling for Hui Nalu at Kuhio Beach transformed to becoming a soldier in a foxhole during the Korean War. His military career was highlighted when he became the first local boy in the 10th Special Forces (Airborne). Irwin severed 3 combat tours in Vietnam as a helicopter gunship pilot, retiring from the Army and joining the Hawai’i National Guard.
Later he was appointed to the Hawai’i State Veterans Services and served on multiple state, city and private business boards. Irwin successfully completed 22+ marathons, 3 Tinman triathlons and 3 Rough Water swim competitions.
Irwin lived his life with Strength, Courage, Determination and Humility. He will be forever loved and remembered. Warrior, rest in Eternal Peace and Honor.
Services to determined later due to COVID restrictions.
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends.
Webmaster Comment: Please take time to review his official bio. We added the citations to his Distinguished Flying Cross and Silver Star awards.
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From the Honolulu Magazine website
We asked, more than 8,000 votes were cast, and now it’s time to unveil the winners of the 2020 Hale ‘Aina Awards!
Each year, our readers vote for their favorite restaurants in the Islands, as well as naming the Restaurateur of the Year. The top restaurants were announced during a virtual live-reception held September 14, 2020. See our upcoming December 2020 issue for the stories behind the menus, ordering tips from some of our Hale ‘Aina Award honorees.
The Hale ‘Aina Awards are the state’s longest running and most prestigious dining honors, started by HONOLULU Magazine in 1984 to honor the best restaurants in Hawai‘i. Whether you’re looking for weekend brunch spots, your new favorite cocktail or the best places to indulge your sweet tooth, we got you. This list of Hale ‘Aina-winning restaurants is your all-year, can’t-miss dining guide.
Congratulations to this year’s winners for operating at the highest levels of quality, and offering Hawai‘i’s most delicious and innovative dishes.
From the Car and Driver website
All over the U.S., cities are reporting a spike in thefts of catalytic converters, especially from shops and repair facilities.
There isn’t a national effort to track such thefts, since the National Insurance Crime Bureau stopped tracking them in 2015, but police departments say the numbers are up lately.
There’s not a lot you can do other than parking in a secure area and making sure you’re insured.
Start with total boredom and staggering unemployment, mix in tempting metal prices, and top off with slack law enforcement. The resulting cocktail served across the nation’s cities and small towns is the sawed-off catalytic converter. It’s an old favorite among enterprising criminals and dishonest metal scrappers, but the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has brought this strange thievery back into the spotlight.
WebMD provides a 11 question quiz to test your knowledge of your brian.
The year was supposed to be a game changer for the Defense Department’s commissaries, one that extended shopping privileges to all disabled veterans — a pool of four million potential patrons — who could help reverse a steady slide in sales over the past eight years.
But five days after opening the doors to newly eligible shoppers, many U.S. military bases instituted heightened security measures in response to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Iraq in a U.S. drone strike.
Proponents of the merger of the commissary and exchanges systems continue to press their argument. If the commissary system fails to show more revenue in the next few years, the merger option could occur.
This undated photograph shows two Convair F-102 Delta Daggers landing at Honolulu International Airport. Side-by-side landings were part of the training during that period. The photograph was probably taken in the middle 1960s because the tail flash is a round Air National Guard logo.
From the Department of Defense website
If you’re in the military, it’s a pretty safe bet that you know how your service branch is organized. But each service is different, and if you work in a joint-service atmosphere, it might help you to know each branch’s chain of command. So if you’re not sure what the unit organization is for each Department of Defense service, here’s a cheat sheet for you.
This updates an earlier post on this topic. The links to the DOD website no longer work and we deleted that post.
The money in your retirement savings account generally can’t sit there forever. Unless you have a Roth IRA, you’re obligated to remove a portion of your account balance each year once you turn 72. These obligatory withdrawals are known as required minimum distributions, or RMDs, and they’re calculated based on your savings balance and life expectancy.
Failing to take RMDs has serious consequences — namely, a 50% tax penalty on any amount you don’t remove. For example, if you’re liable for a $10,000 RMD and you only withdraw $6,000, you’ll forfeit 50% of the remaining $4,000 to the IRS, resulting in a $2,000 loss.
As always with Motley Fool articles, the last paragraph, “The $17,166 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook” is a lead in advertisement.
From the Medical News Today website
The most common form of neck pain typically stems from poor posture, which puts extra tension on the neck muscles, irritates joints, and causes pain. Exercises can help reduce pain, increase mobility, and strengthen the neck and postural musculature.
Neck pain is a common problem that may occur for many reasons. Typically, it improves within a few weeks and is rarely serious.
People can take steps to relieve neck pain at home by using over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil), and keeping active.
The staff of Retiree News wishes
all retirees, current service members and friends
a Merry Christmas
From the History Daily website
While evergreens have long played a part in pagan solstice celebrations, it seems strange that every year, families go off in search of the perfect tree to chop down and stick in their living rooms. Thanks to a confluence of Germanic history, Charlie Brown, and Prince Albert, however, this arboreal holiday tradition is here to stay.
Since Christmas Eve is not an official federal holiday, most people have to work. However, it is a partial day off or a full day off in some states. Many workplaces hold Christmas parties or celebrations, so there is a celebratory air to the day. People who work in the retail or catering sectors often have to work very hard to meet consumer demands on December 24.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has limited many traditions of Christmas and Christmas Eve this year. The distribution of the new COVID-19 vaccines bring hope for the New Year.
Off the Hawaii Air National Guard Facebook page
The Adjutant General, Maj Gen Kenneth Hara hosted a promotion for Colonel Duke M. Ota, Jr. and Colonel Thomas J. James.
Ota serves as the Assistant Adjutant General, Air at Headquarters, Hawaii Air National Guard. James is the commander of the 201st Air Operations Group at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Watch the promotion video here
Congratulations to the newly promoted officers.
Retiree News 