Congratulations Class of 2012!

Congratulations class of 2012! My heart warms as I read this phrase all across the state as I drive through the cities and pass high schools and colleges.

Family and friends are in haste sending out graduation ceremony and party invites. I’ve got all mines! Just don’t know which ones to go to as many of these lifetime marks are happening at the same time!

I’m so excited for all my HPU journalism peers as they get ready to walk and receive their degrees next week at graduation commencement. I’m tearing as I write.

Although I’m the “super-senior” my time will come this fall. I will miss my friends that are graduating and hope to keep in touch with all of them.

For my family members that are graduating from High School- Congratulations to you!

May God bless each and everyone one of you and your future endeavors!

The World – through my lens. Call of nature.

Photo by Barbara Caballes
All rights reserved. Copyrighted @dogg-legg media

I’ve dedicated this section to seeing the world through my Canon Rebel T3i EFS 18-135mm IS lens. I’ve always loved photography and never got around to “shooting.” I now have a reason to start, per say, because I have to blog for my class (which I’m slowly enjoying) and finally got the beginners camera I’ve always wanted! Now I’m off into the land of photography and hope you all enjoy this journey with me!

May 1, 2012

Well it’s been a while since I have posted anything! We’re in our last weeks of school and everyone is on high-octane mode! I wanted to keep up with my “The World – through my lens” posts but slacked behind majorly. With that being said; I love nature. Anything naturist that I can photograph with my Canon Rebel T3i I’ll snap that shot. I recently purchased a cover for my lens. I was super excited because I’ve seen my peers in class with a “cover” over their lens and was either too embarrassed to ask, or forgot to ask. When I was online surfing www.Canon.com website, I read up on what those covers were. So, I purchased one and just received it in the mail yesterday! So, yes! I’m a dork and I love it!!! Like I said I’m a jack-of-all trade but a master at one! I want to learn to master photography and I’m going to continue down this road until I perfect this talent! Hope you enjoy some of my photographs of “nature.” A Hui Hou! (Until we meet again)

Photo by Barbara Caballes .All Rights Reserved. @dogg-legg media

Above is a photo of an Ilima lei that I received from my underage drinking prevention counterparts, from the beautiful island of Moloka`i. It was given to me as a farewell gift symbolizing hard work and thankfulness. The Ilima lei is made up of thousands of small fragile petals. These particular petals came from the Aoki’s 100-year-old Ilima tree. The rooted tree sits on the Aoki’s family land in Moloka`i and used only for special occasions. They do not sell their petals or the lei they hand sown. So, yes! I feel super special!

The below photos is from a tree bark. For some reason, when I focused my Canon lens on the tree bark I noticed the textures and patterns pop at me through my lens! I loved the way it looked every time I angled the lens a certain way or how the sunlight captured the image. I loved the texture so much I used it in my logo graphics of my business name. It looked awesome! What do you see in these photos?

Photo by Barbara Caballes. All rights reserved @dogg-legg media

I like this photo because I first see an eye. Then I see the black sap seeping out of the right side of the eye. It looks as if the person was in a fight.

Photo by Barbara Caballes. All rights reserved. @dogg-legg media

When I took a glance at this photo I seen a bird leaning looking upwards toward the sky. If you look at the top right corner of the photo you’ll see an eye. Then you can make out the beak and its neck. What do you see?

Photo by Barbara Caballes. All rights reserved. @dogg-legg media

I see another bird! What’s up with all these birds? When I seen this photo the first thing that caught my eye was the black spot on the tree bark. Then I looked at the photo and saw a parakeets head with the eye. Not sure if you’re seeing the same thing. What say you?

Photo by Barbara Caballes. All rights reserved. @dogg-legg media

Okay. More tree. This time with the ocean! It was scorching hot this day. I made refuge under this tree. I got my camera out took a photo of the scenery I was enjoying.

Photo by Barbara Caballes. All rights reserved. @dogg-legg media

Although a brick wall is manmade, I really like this photo. I wish I knew how to use the focus on my camera so that I could make the brick wall dominant in this photo to show the sharp zigzag of the wall in this photo. Any solutions?

Photo by Barbara Caballes. All rights reserved. @dogg-legg media

I’ll leave you with this photo. I Love how people interact with Mother Nature. He was having such a blast playing with the ocean! Oh, the days when I was so pure at heart and enjoying life care-free! Bring back those days! What are your most memorable childhood times that you remember playing with Mother Nature?

Critique of The Star Advertiser’s Online Newspaper

Great read from blogger Amy Smith.  She’s very detailed in her critique of the Star Advertiser and I really liked how she wrote this piece.  Hope you enjoy this read as I did.

Critique of The Star Advertiser’s Online Newspaper.

Habit 5:Seek first to Understand, Then to be Understood

We’re filled with our own righteousness, our own autobiography. We want to be understood. Our conversations become collective monologues, and we never really understand what’s going on inside another human being.- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, page 240.

Thought for today: Is this statement true? What’s your thoughts?

Henry Winkler said, “Assumptions are the termites of relationships.”

Social network mishaps

So, I’ve tried to connect my social networks to each other.  Specifically, WordPress with Facebook.  Any help?

Stepping out of the Victorian era shadows

Tennyson who wrote of women staying by the hearth with their needles whilst men wielded their swords highlighted the attitude of men toward women in the Victorian age.

A lot has changed since the Victorian era.  Or has it? Raised as a woman in the 21st century, I learned that life isn’t going to wait for you or your dreams.  At the age of 22, I entered the United States Air Force looking to do something “excited” in my life.

I took the ASVAB and passed.  Although I didn’t receive the career I wanted – pilot.  I still took the offer that Uncle Sam presented to me and ran with it.  Fifteen years later in the military, I later learned that majority of men in the military still saw a woman’s place indeed is in the home.

In the beginning of my career, I didn’t “struggle” at all in a male chivalry profession.  At least I thought I didn’t.  Not until 2007 I met two male peers who were of African-American.  They were very intelligent men belonging in the military with ease.  They became my very good friends.

These two men opened my little eyes to see what was behind the veil of the altar: women struggling to find their place in the United States military without losing their femininity.

To make a long story short, the hierarchy of women was easily seen in the ranks of the military.  There were far and few female senior leadership.  Although we women progressed in rank due to Uncle Sam’s tight regulations on promotions, “everyone,” male and female is given equal opportunity to excel in their careers.

To be considered for promotion you needed a few things.  Date in rank, training in your career field with passing scores, a passing physical fitness test of 75 percent or higher, and a promotional board interview – panel format.  This is when an airman is reaching for the rank of Staff Sergeant or higher.  The higher in rank you go, the rigorous the academic levels are and meeting certain requirements get a bit tighter.

It wasn’t until my then boss asked me if I wanted to win the Airmen of the Year Award (AOYA).  I humbly answered, “Sir, if I deserve it, I would love to go up against the men and women of my rank who are fighting for this country down range in Afghanistan, Iraq, and so forth.”

His answer back to me, “All you have to do is coordinate the officer’s spouse activities.”

What?  Did my boss just tell me I could win the Airmen of the Year Award if I just do what all women should do and “coordinate” a “society activity” for the officer’s wives?

Remember my two wise friends who opened my eyes to women in the military?  We had lunch that day and I confided in them my talk I had with my boss.  They sat in their chairs eating their meals and shaking their heads.  They both eased their thoughts over lunch and made me realize that I was just another woman trying to fit in this male dominated career.

September came around for the annual awards presentation and the winners and runner-ups were flown in from each Pacific Rim – Guam, Japan, Korea, so forth.

When they presented the AOYA, they called my name.  Shouts filled the auditorium, everyone stood up in ovation to honor the AOY – me.  I stepped up to the stage, received the award from my African-American male friend who then whispered into my ear – congratulations.  With a hug and mere nudge of acknowledgment of our lunch discussion we had months ago, the three of us knew why I was standing on that stage with an award.

It was then I knew I needed to establish myself as a women in this profession.  I made rank, trained harder physically to surpass my male counterparts and took on projects that were out of my trained career field and all the while maintaining my femininity and raising three children (at that time, I became a single parent).

Today, women are still struggling in the military to make their statement and mark without losing their femininity.  It’s no different with women in journalism.

Although women in journalism are much accepted now, in my opinion, the lingering Victorian shadows are still overcasting us as we strive to drive the stakes deeper in the roots of journalism.  Or any career field that’s male dominated.

I don’t shy away from the Victorian era woman.  In fact, I embrace that woman if she has a child.  To be home and raise her child.

I understand in today’s society, economically it’s challenging to live on one income.  I believe it can be done.  With financial discipline and commitment to stick to a budget, women can still raise their children while having a part-time career.

It’s all about priorities and commitment.  For those of us women who don’t have children, more power to you in your career endeavors!

Deposit love today. Withdraw love for eternity.

White Flower (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

As I sat at my desk pondering about all the homework and work I still have to close-out on my task list, I found myself scrolling through Facebook – again.  This time I was scrolling through some picture albums on my friends list.  It was interesting to see how many of them have albums with the word family somewhere on their folder title.  I, too, had a folder titled with the word family somewhere in there.

I came across a photos of family albums with people visiting their loved ones at grave sites.  The one question that immediately ran through my thought was,

“Why do people give flowers to their loved ones that has passed on and no longer is with them physically? Did they give flowers to their loved ones while they were yet alive?”

I do know why.  There are many different scenarios as to why we human beings do what we do… such as give flowers to the dead.  I know that every family has its secrets.  But no matter what, love never dies; it’s a two-edged sword.  Even in the worse of relationships here on earth – love never fails when our maker say’s it’s time to go. For those who loved while still alive, the memories will forever be cherished.  For those who did not love while they were yet alive, the dying emotion of wanting to love and be loved will never fail them; even beyond the grave.

Many of us go to that special place whether it be a marked grave site at cemetery, a secret spot we’ve shared with our loved ones, or that unmarked grave that floats in our mental state-of-mind.  Some of us had beautiful relationships with our parents, spouses, children, family, friends and co-workers.  And some of us did not.

Going back to my earlier statement of how love never dies; it’s a two-edged sword. What I mean by this as I observed my friends’ photos of them at the cemetery and other places of remembrance while paying respect to their loved ones; I feel that we should give flowers to our loved ones who are still alive and well with us today.  And for those who has broken relationships whatever the reason - forgive and move on.

Our loved ones who are living will appreciate the gesture of receiving flowers now, while still alive and well.  Once they are gone physically from this earth – they’re gone.  Memories such as giving our loved ones flowers, hugs, a simple phone call to say, “Hi, how are you doing?” or even the gift to forgive those who has wronged us, will make a greater impression of love, while they are still alive.  Rather than live in regrets with thoughts of would’ve’s.

Don’t get me wrong.  Paying respect to our dead loved ones with  flowers at the grave, in the ocean, or at a make-shift shrine is perfectly fine.  I understand that.  I don’t oppose this, nor do I judge those that do.  What I’ve learned through the love of my Jesus Christ is to do it in the present-time.  That is why it’s called present - it’s a person’s way of presenting a gift in the present gesturing the human emotion of love.  And a way to say, “I love you.” Or, “Thank you.”

Let’s not wait until tomorrow.  For the word of God say’s in James 4:14 (NLT) How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 

Officially a civilian!

So, what does it mean to be an official “civilian?”  In the world of the military, being a “civilian” usually means to have retired from the military.  This time around, I was shy of 5 years to retire!  Everyone looked at me crazy, but I knew it was my time to leave.

Aside from leaving my military career on December 5, 2011, I’m also done with my civilian career for the moment!  Yay!  I spent the week of spring break in beautiful Kailua-Kona, Hawaii coordinating our annual HPPUD Coalition Meeting.  It was all work and no play.  However,  I did enjoy spending my time with my neighbor island friends.  It was an amazing backdrop to end my civilian career for a season.

Now I’m focusing on completing my degree in Journalism and looking forward to closing this 10 plus years in this chapter of college!

Here we go!

The World – through my lens

Photo by Barbara Caballes
All rights reserved. Copyrighted @dogg-legg media

I’ve dedicated this section to seeing the world through my Canon Rebel T3i EFS 18-135mm IS lens.  I’ve always loved photography and never got around to “shooting.”  I now have a reason to start, per say, because I have to blog for my class (which I’m slowly enjoying) and finally got the beginners camera I’ve always wanted!  Now I’m off into the land of photography and hope you all enjoy this journey with me!

Strawberry Surprise

My daughter has a knack for creativity.  Whether it’s with art, words, or food, she knows how to make something out of nothing.  She asked me the other day to taste her strawberry surprise.  I asked what’s in it?  She replied, pineapples and grape.  It was a great visual presentation.  She cut out the top of the strawberry and hallowed out the inside.  Just enough to stuff pieces of pineapples and grapes in the strawberry.  The end product… something visually presentable the eyes and a mixture of tropical island flavors in the mouth! Yum!!!