From The Washington Post website
Consumers are paying more for a growing range of household staples in ways that don’t show up on receipts — thinner rolls, lighter bags, smaller cans — as companies look to offset rising labor and materials costs without scaring off customers.
It’s a form of retail camouflage known as “shrinkflation,” and economists and consumer advocates who track packaging expect it to become more pronounced as inflation ratchets up, taking hold of such everyday items such as paper towels, potato chips and diapers.
From the City and County of Honolulu press release
Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the City and County of Honolulu announces it has received approval of its newly modified framework and move into an expanded Tier 4, effective immediately. The move allows social gatherings of up to 25 people at outdoor venues, including at parks and beaches. The group size for indoor social gatherings remains at 10 people.
However, there are special considerations for weddings and other indoor events. Continue reading to learn more.
Age-related hearing loss is common — in fact, it’s almost certain everyone who lives long enough will experience it — yet it’s not commonly treated. Fewer than 1 in 3 people aged 70 or older who could benefit from hearing aids has used them, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). That’s despite growing evidence of a link between hearing loss and cognitive decline, dementia and depression.
Hearing aids, the main way to treat age-related hearing loss, are expensive. On top of that, people often don’t want to wear them. But that all could change as technology advances and over-the-counter versions made by companies like Apple and Bose soon hit, and shake up, the market.
Some Retiree News readers are pass 80, while many others are approaching it. Neal Milner has an interesting take on birthday 80.
I turned 80 on May 19. That whole day was pretty ordinary. I worked out as usual; ran an errand; read a little; FaceTimed with my family; drove all the way to Kaneohe to renew my driver’s license.
Then an early dinner with two good friends, “Happy Birthday to You” over dessert, and home by 8.
Could have done more but no reason to do it because 80 is a birthday, not a milestone. As soon as folks decide to gin up an 80th birthday into a milestone, bad stuff happens.
Neal Milner is a former political science professor at the University of Hawaii where he taught for 40 years. He is a political analyst for KITV and is a regular contributor to Hawaii Public Radio’s “The Conversation.” His most recent book is The Gift of Underpants. Opinions are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Civil Beat’s views.
Off the Remember Oahu From the Past Facebook page
Commanding Officer of the 442nd Lt. Colonel Farrant L. Turner. (Hilo Native.) In 1924, Turner joined the Hawaiian National Guard, and when the war started he was serving as lieutenant colonel and executive officer of the Guard’s 298th Infantry Regiment. The 298th and 299th Regiments were activated in October 1940 and were integrated into the U.S. Army.
Of the approximately 3,000 men—both draftees and volunteers—who reported for basic training at Schofield Barracks, roughly half were Americans of Japanese Ancestry (AJA).
Writing in the Puka Puka Parade newsletter in 1959, veteran Fundee Shirai recalled, “I first got to know the Old Man in the 298th Infantry at Schofield Barracks just before Pearl Harbor. He had the respect and confidence of the men serving under him because he was frank and fair in his dealings with them, whether they were Orientals or Caucasians.”
On May 28, 1942, some 1,432 men of the 298th and 299th gathered at Schofield Barracks to form the new Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion. Turner requested and was granted command of the unit, and promptly selected Major James Lovell as his executive officer. The battalion was activated on June 5, 1942 and set sail from Honolulu Harbor that same day. The ship docked in San Francisco a week later, on June 12. The unit was then designated the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) and assigned to the Second Army at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.
Throughout this period, Turner risked criticism, and even ridicule, from some who viewed him as a “Jap lover.” Facing an uncertain future, Turner was an unwavering rock of support for his band of young AJA soldiers. He provided the solid, experienced leadership that the soldiers needed to face a world filled with skeptics.
This article was posted on the Remember Oahu From the Past Facebook page by Dwight Shimoda
From the Medical News Today website
Black pepper, and its alkaloid component piperine, have associations with many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects and potential cancer-fighting properties.
People have used pepper in traditional medicine for thousands of years, especially in Ayurveda,Trusted Source the traditional Indian system of medicine. Individuals used it mainly for treating menstrual and ear, nose, and throat disorders.
However, consuming too much black pepper can lead to gastrointestinal side effects, so people need to be careful not to use too much.
Keep reading to learn more about black pepper, including nutritional information, the health benefits, and the potential risks.
Today we celebrate Woman Veterans Day in commemoration of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948. The act permitted women to serve as full members of the United States armed forces.
During World War I many women had enlisted as volunteers in the U.S. military services; they usually served in clerical roles. When the war ended, they were released from their duties. The same was true during World War II, when an even greater number of women volunteers served in the armed forces.
Although the U.S. Congress in 1943 had given the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) full army status during wartime, the WAC law was scheduled to expire on June 30, 1948. In anticipation of this event, the leaders of the U.S. Army in 1946 requested that the WACs be made a permanent part of their personnel.
Following two years of legislative debate, the bill was passed by Congress in the spring of 1948. Signed into law by President Harry S. Truman on June 12, 1948, as the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, it enabled women to serve as permanent, regular members of not only the army but also the navy, marine corps, and the recently formed air force.
The law limited the number of women who could serve in the military to 2 percent of the total forces in each branch.
Read more about the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948
Thank you to all the women who served in the armed forces through the years.
This post first appeared June 17, 2010 issue of the e-newsletter Retiree News
This is a photo of the rock band called the Minutemen. They were from Hilo, Hawai‘i and played in the late 60s. They modeled themselves after Paul Revere and the Raiders, a very popular band of the time. The name Minutemen foretold the future because two of the band members became long time members of the Hawai‘iNational Guard.
Second from the left is Greg Navarro, a chief master sergeant who retired from the 291st Combat Communications Squadron, Hawai‘i Air National Guard, in Hilo. First on the right is Wayne Yoshioka, a lieutenant colonel who retired from the Hawai‘i Army National Guard. Wayne served in several positions including the State Department of Defense’s public affairs officer.
A Navy test drone refueled a crewed fighter jet over Illinois on Friday, a key step in the service’s plans to incorporate unmanned aircraft into carrier air wings.
Two test pilots flying an F/A-18 Super Hornet took on some 325 pounds of fuel from an MQ-25 T1 Stingray unmanned aircraft while evaluating various aspects of flying near the drone.
The bill for long-term care adds up fast. The annual median cost for a private room in a nursing home was $105,850 in 2020, according to Genworth. The government could pick up these costs if you qualify for Medicaid, but that’s easier said than done. “Medicaid is a welfare program,” says Neel Shah, estate-planning attorney and a certified financial planner at Shah & Associates in Monroe Township, N.J. “There are strict income and wealth limits to qualify.”
Medicaid should not be confused with Medicare, the national health insurance program for people age 65 and over that largely doesn’t cover long-term care.
What you eat can help boost your health, no matter how old you are. Here’s what to reach for – from your 20s to your 60s and beyond – to keep your body and mind strong and healthy.
Off the Hawaii Air National Guard Facebook page
Members of the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 298th Support Squadron on Kokee and the 293rd Electronic Control Squadron at the Pacific Missile Range Facility both on Kauai were visited by the Commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard, Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Harris II and his command team during the June 2021 drill weekend.
At the 298th location the unit Airmen provided a brief to the HIANG Staff and toured the facilities and mission equipment. While at the 293rd the command staff introduced themselves to the members of the new unit and toured the site where their operations will be established.
