Transgressions Upon My Family, Why Do We Care About Tiger Woods?

By Zeke Quezada

“So what do you think about Tiger Woods?”

Three different answers from the same guy to different people posing the question.

A woman asks the question:
The answer about Tiger Woods:
I cannot understand how one guy who has everything, a beautiful family, fame, fortune and he goes and blows it all for sex.

A man asks the questions:
The Answer about Tiger Woods:
Really, with all that cash you cannot just find a way to hide all your bad behavior? Damn, if that was me…

The rational answer about Tiger Woods:

We don’t know what goes on in the life of a public figure that is scrutinized at every turn. We have no clue what it feels like to have to be secluded and devoid of personal contact because you play golf better than anyone ever has. Imagine you gain all the notoriety and fame because you played golf with your father when you were a kid. You had some natural talent and you quickly become the best the game has ever known. Couple that with the pressure from society that you be the person they want you to be and the fact that everyone seems to need to know exactly what you do all the time.

Understand something, Tiger Woods is not some actor who decided to put his life on the big screen, on the small screen or on the stage, he plays golf, he keeps to himself and he usually avoids the spotlight when possible. Is he a public figure, yes, does he seek it out? I would venture to say, no.

Can he make a mistake? Of course, anyone can make a mistake. Is it fair that the media hounds him or any celebrity who has decided to act in a way that is not allowed by our culture?

No.

There is no real answer here other than to say that in the age of information where we know where Lance Armstrong is at any given moment and we can watch snow melt on glaciers we need to realize that this is a privilege and not a right.

We don’t have a right to see exactly what everyone else is doing regardless of what they have decided to do with their personal lives. Regardless of their profession we don’t get to automatically become their friend on Facebook and demand they update their Twitter account.

If celebrities so choose to do that, they are embarking on creating a public persona and we can only expect those status updates and not believe that now we are entitled to all information.

Why do we care?

We have no right to care.

So how do you feel about Tiger Woods?

Correct answer about Tiger Woods:

It’s none of my business.

Outside the Hotel Lobby: Going Local in Maui

By Zeke Quezada

Ask any true Hawaiian and they’ll tell you that you need to sample what real Hawaiians love to eat in order to get the feel for the island lifestyle and the culinary treats that await you on the 50th state.

Simply put you need to delve into the world of Hawaiian Poke (pronounced POH-kay). It is a Hawaiian staple and the island version of Japanese sashimi will have you craving the seafood section of Foodland until your next trip.

From any hotel on any island ask the valet or one of the local people working where to find the best poke, the answers will vary but soon you will come to a consensus. You’ll pay around $12 - $15 per pound of this comfort food and you will not be disappointed.

In Maui I sampled the Poke at the Fish Market Maui in Honokowai and was nearly crippled by the fresh tasting fish and the spices that were infused into the Ahi Tuna. Walk next door to Honokowai Okazuka and order the Mahi with Lemon Capers and you are set for a quick, affordable lunch. If you so desire, walk about 100 yards up the street and picnic at a beach side park.

Simple meals in Maui can save you a tremendous amount of money and you will be pleased that you ventured beyond the lobby of your resort.


Fish Market Maui
3600 Lower Honoapiilani Rd #H1
'North of Lahaina in 'Honokowai'
Lahaina, HI 96761
(808) 665-9895
http://www.fishmarketmaui.com/index.html

Honokowai Okazuka and Deli
3600 Lower Honoapiilani Road
'North of Lahaina in 'Honokowai'
Lahaina, HI 96761
808-665-0512
http://www.mauihawaii.org/restaurants/okazuya.htm



Other Resources for Poke in Maui:

Takamiya in Happy Valley
359 N Market St
Wailuku, HI 96793
(808) 244-3404

If you are looking for the highest quality local food in Maui, Takamiya Market is where it is at. The line running out into the street should explain that but once you experience the food you will realize that this is truly a hidden gem. Local food that will change the way you feel about eating in Hawaii.




What is Poke?

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Poke.htm

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/ZekeQuezada

What will you say?

Some of us will say, “Finally”.

Some of us will say, “Now what do we do?”

Some of us will say, “Today, we were supposed to vote today?”

Some of us will say, “They got it, my vote would have been wasted.”

A few will say, “Get on with it, then.”

While others will say, “Finally, a place for me”

Still others will be angry, sad, happy, glad.

Some of us will say, “Change, I will believe it when I see it.”

Some of us will say, “It’s already happening”

Truthfully, only a few handfuls of people will understand what most people failed to realize long ago. In 5^th grade some teacher probably explained the process. In 8^th grade you were too full of angst, hormones or nervous energy to listen. In High school, well, did anyone learn anything in high school?

We learned the simplicity of our country's system was what made it work. Terms like checks and balance, executive, judicial and legislative were tossed around. Bicameral and electoral were used as both nouns and adjectives.

The constitution of this country has survived longer than any other, because it works to keep everyone in check. It keeps everyone from being too honest or too deceitful. Our system works to protect us from ourselves.

So, change is coming but only in the form of a different captain steering the canoe. Oh, he might head in a slightly different direction but the people with the paddles, (i.e. congress, governors, senators, council members, district heads, CEO’s, Cabinet Members, secretaries, plumbers, contractors, school teachers and students) still dictate what direction we really head into.

Think back, has any one President really revolutionized the way we do business? Before you answer with a statement that slices across party lines, consider the objective answer as opposed to the passionate political answer.

We live in a stable nation, with a stable democracy that is predicated on the simple fact that the people rule.

Now go and celebrate or go and ponder the future.

Oh, and make you sure you vote, just in case you need to complain.

Why do we need to have lunch?

By Zeke Quezada

Why do we get so nuts about diets and eating properly. I have been struggling tiwith the simple task of having lunch and the costs associated with the middle meal of the day. So I get hungry and I walk over to the Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood and quickly scan the aisles.

“I better grab some coffee”, I remind myself as I feel the pulse of my blood flow in my right temple. I have an addiction, contrary to popular belief; it’s not alcohol, its coffee. Caffeine is a legal drug that is packaged so well, I find it hard not to overpay for a simple cup of hot water that is run though crushed beans.

It’s free, that’s why in the middle of the day I walk over in the searing heat just to enjoy a small cup in the comforts of the air conditioned produce aisle. I notice that the mid day crowd in this earthy place consists of overly polite but well intentioned stay at home moms. These are a bit different in that it seems as if they all spend the morning at yoga and have been eating healthy for longer than my usual day and a half.

If my wife was to see the mid-day clientele she might make me drive to a bad neighborhood for a snack.

As I top off my cup of black gold I notice a few of the women noticing me. It’s like I’m a zoo animal, sure I failed to properly comb my hair and the requisite wrinkled shirt is looking no better today than it did yesterday, but hygiene habits aside, it’s clear that I am the only male in the place.

Once again, if my wife was to see the mid day clientele she might make me drive to a bad neighborhood for a snack.

I give a polite and unthreatening smile; they both realize they have been staring. It’s comical, not because they were watching me but when left with very little else but the beige world of soccer moms somehow a guy in flip flops, drinking coffee while struggling to define the location of an itch seems worth looking at.

Don’t get me wrong, I clean up well. I just don’t see the need to clean up all that often. Believe me, if you could sit in crusty shorts and a shirt you have worn for two days you would. If corporate America realized the simple formula for productivity resided in the comfort of their employees, they would get rid of ergonomics and take casual Fridays to another level. But that discussion is for another day.

So I walk past the generous selection of wines and I am tempted to peruse the aisle. Imagine, picking out a value bottle of red while drinking coffee. It could only get better if I was being pushed along on a cart while enjoying some type of sordid sex act that is usually reserved for pay per view at a seedy motel. Well, maybe no sex but at least a Pastrami sandwich. Yeah, that would be bliss.

So I opt to bypass the wine and I stumble across the frozen food section to discuss lunch with myself.

“Lets see, calamari rings? Too labor intensive. Fish sticks? Honestly, can you get any fatter? Teriyaki bowl? Possibility” I mumble to myself as I slowly inspect the goods in the aisle reserved for the women who decided that no bra would be a good choice for the grocery store. Frankly, it’s like they are teasing me with their nipples.

I repeat, if my wife was to see the mid day clientele she might make me drive to a bad neighborhood for a snack.

The results of my endeavor? I had coffee, I bought peanuts, sunflower seeds, Taquitos and guacamole. I’m watching movie trailers and my headache is slowly fading.

My conclusions? Morgan Freeman narrating anything, I’ll watch, twice. The grams of fat always seem to be exaggerated; the grams of saturated fat are generously inflated. Six taquitos in a microwave will eventually taste like damp paper and too much guacamole will drive you to the toilet.

One more thing, the itch I was trying to locate, seems to be bothering me more but I think I can make it to the store for some of that cream that helps with rashes.

Perhaps I should try fasting?

Did You Help Heal The Bay?

If you considered how well you lived your life would it be fair to say that you have taken as much as you have given? Have you done your part to deplete as much as necessary to make sure that at some point someone that you know is not going to appreciate one of the things you enjoy?

You know what I’m talking about, fossil fuels, sea bass, swordfish, oil, coal, or even water?

What kind of a question is that? It is almost the militant approach to trying to save the environment. Almost as, if you don’t feel guilty about the way you live your life you might as well write letters of apology to your offspring now.

I watched as a group of volunteers did their part to clean Santa Monica Bay and I wondered to myself why I did not feel the need to join the coastal clean up. Heal the Bay is a great organization and they do their best to make sure the water in Santa Monica bay does not get anymore polluted than it already is. Believe me it can look a bit bad on any given day. No, instead of helping out I was gliding across the water as 12,262 other people helped clean up an ocean that is minutes from my own home and in which I spend an inordinate amount of time both in and on.

The volunteers gathered about 181,000 pounds of debris. My son would call it Marine debris, because he is well versed in the plight of the marine ecosystem and our need to step up and protect it.

Did nothing for me, I was still working on my tan instead of lending some time and energy to fixing the problem.

Can you imagine there have been 99 bacteria limit violations over the past six months? The water is practically glowing and I still listened to Jimmy Buffet from the deck of my sailboat.

Why?

Consider that just a tiny amount under 10 million people live in Los Angels County and the total number of volunteers was 12,262. Seems skewed in the wrong direction but I am sure the numbers were closer to being inflated instead of exaggerated. Do people just not care? Keep in mind that each and everyone of us in Southern California do our very best to influence the biology of the Pacific Ocean that lies so near our communities. We eat, drink and reside in the county and that behavior both directly and indirectly plays a part in what happens in our ocean.

Even though I know that I still did not help. What is wrong with me?

I got me to thinking about simple things that the environmental sect like to talk about like global warming and the decimation of rain forest. I then considered gas prices and food prices. Are there bigger fish to fry in our daily lives and that is precisely why we all seem indifferent to the growing problems that plague our environment?

I hear the celebrities talk about Carbon Footprints and Carbon Credits. Imagine you buy a carbon credit so that you can fly your private jet around the world and have no guilt whatsoever. Meanwhile, the guy who saved for two years to finally get his family to Hawaii is told that he is adding to the problem. But, I guess that is why we usually don’t identify celebrities as national spokespeople for what is right?

These days you can also consider a similar credit that is called avoided deforestation, it works in a similar way and you put down some cash, based on an idea that emissions are some how mitigated because you paid up front to pollute. So does that mean that because my children can possibly appreciate a country with such a diverse number of organisms, such as Madagascar they should start saving so as to help pay some company to protect carbon dioxide emissions if they want to visit it?

Now, I do not profess to understand the entire economics of the situation but why just not pollute? I’m sure that would be a much larger issue so I’ll get back to the real issue.

Heal the Bay. How many members do they have? Considering that we all seemingly pee in the ocean in one way or the another shouldn't we all be proactive and do something about it?

We should. But we don’t and I am not sure why.

Our kids will most likely do it because they will know better but a great deal of us could very well ruin it before they arrive. Organizations like kids for saving the earth, Tree People and The Sierra Club do their part to help the future of this planet but what about those of us that grew up riding in the backseat of station wagons and using aerosol cans?

I glide across the water in my sailboat and I know it should be cleaner. How can one group take on the monumental task of preventing a population from dumping on our environment? Is it a catchy slogan? Is government going to swoop down and save us? Should we encroach upon the freedoms of Angelenos by imposing a “bay credit”. Imagine a small fee to continue using your toilet because it inadvertently makes it way to the bay.

All I know is that whoever is running the ad campaigns for the beer companies and the fast food magnets should offer up a little time to get us to participate in something worthwhile. What I don’t believe we need is a concerted effort at making us feel guilty. I rarely do things out of guilt but I am sure I can be motivated to do plenty when I understand the venture.

Maybe I should install a toll booth in my restroom.

You know, just so that I am ahead of the game.

Understanding Freewill

I want to believe we are better than that. I want to believe that we are really not the talking heads we see on network television. I want to think we are not anywhere as trivial as the people who we listen to on our daily quest to find information. I want to believe it but then I listen to the guys at the train station, the people in the cubicles around us, the idiot in line at the coffee shop and then I fear that we might all be screwed.

That is unless we consider the simple fact that way too many people think that being far too serious about very serious issues works to solve them. If you consider the simplicity of harmony versus the convoluted road to disdain you can imagine that if everyone sat back and considered life as a flip flop wearing, wrinkle t-shirt loving person might, things might be better.

Now consider that everything is not black and white, that you can have a fine red wine with a piece of white fish, that you can be both pro life and pro choice, that seeing things down the middle does not make you afraid of making decisions just more akin to considering your options. Imagine it being okay to change your position on an issue after rethinking it.

What’s wrong with playing Rachmaninoff at a house party? So a guy wears pink? Why should fighting in hockey be banned? Who cares who you voted for just make sure you vote again. There is nothing wrong with some bad language. Foreign films are in fact great, but some do suck.

Can you understand where I am coming from?

It’s not about the left or the right, its about knowing where you come from. It’s understanding who you are and respecting others for what they are. Don’t be an idiot and scream about something you only understand because you heard it on the news. Stand on a soap box because you can argue both positions!

When it all comes down to it, look at your ankles, do you have a sock tan? If you are asking yourself what that has to do with anything you might not enjoy what I am about to say.

Stretch out, feel the wind in your hair, let the sun beat down on your face and live dangerously every now and then. When you wake up in the morning and you have freewill you have already won the battle.

Now take advantage of it and enjoy it.