First, the "hoofing" part as in dancing performers on stage: the new December episode of my Career Changers TV show premieres Sat., Dec. 7 at 8:30 PM on OC16 (channel 12 or high def channel 1012), and features people behind the Legends in Concert Waikiki show. Chief Operating Officer Brian Brigner (far right in above photo) talks about how he got into show biz via Indy Car racing, and the three "tribute artists" above share their stories too. Brian doesn't like to use the term "impersonators" because he says there are negative connotations, especially with the Japanese market, which makes up a big part of their business. I'll be blogging more about Legends and the other Christmas-themed segments next week. For now though, you can check out the opening intro on the CCTV YouTube Channel by clicking here.

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Now the roofing and spoofing alluded to in the headline: on Tuesday, KHON ran an Action Line story that was prompted by an email I sent them over a week ago alerting them to another form of identity theft that has been going on in Kailua the past month or so. It began in early November with calls from a 702 area code, and a guy telling me he was with a roofing company that was working on homes in my neighborhood, and he happened to notice that there might be damage to my roof from the hail storm that happened back in March 2012. He claimed he lived in Kailua, but mispronounced my street name ("Kainui Drive" became "Kaunoi" or something like that) and had a slightly southern accent. That, plus the 702 Las Vegas area code, sent up a red flag. So I called him out and said, "You're not from Kailua. I can see your area code on my Caller ID, and you can't even pronounce 'Kainui' correctly." He shot back, "Well, you should be a Hawaiian language professor," and hung up.

I got some more unidentified calls in the following week that I ignored because nine times out of ten, they are telemarketers who ignore the "Do Not Call" list, poll takers, or are pre-recorded robo-calls from Brian Shatz. Sheesh, Brian, give it a rest!

Anyhow, on Nov. 22 I got a call from an 808 number with a Kailua 261 prefix. I was in the shower, so I let my answering machine record the message... which was garbled, but sounded like there were a bunch of people talking in the background. The Caller ID only showed the first part of the name as "Brian James B" -- which I thought might be Brian Brigner, the Legends COO I had just interviewed. Naturally, I called back to see if it was him. Turned out to be another Brian, who said he did NOT call me, but others had received similar calls that displayed his name and number. The person who, in effect, was impersonating the real Brian's Caller ID, was using the same roofing spiel I got earlier in the month. Apparently, he must have deduced the 702 area code and his lame attempt to claim he live in Kailua wasn't working... which is why he turned to "spoofing."

Brian (not Brigner or Shatz) told me he complained to Hawaiian Tel about the misuse of his personal phone number and Caller ID, but they said there was nothing they could do to prevent or stop it. When I Googled around for more info, I learned that it was NOT illegal and there were plenty of people selling spoofing apps to allow anyone to take YOUR phone number/Caller ID and use it for any purpose as long as it is not deemed fraudulent. In other words, if the telemarketer is working for a legitimate company  -- say, setting up roofing estimates -- it's perfectly legal for them to assume a false identity in order to trick you into picking up the phone. As I told the KHON reporter, it may be legal, but at the very least it seems unethical.

Three days after I got the call from Brian's spoofed number, I got another one from a Kailua 262 prefix that showed an unfamiliar name on the Caller ID. This time I picked up... and it was the same guy who first called me from the 702 number. He must not have been keeping track of who he called or which spoofed number he had tried calling me from before, because he launched into the very same roofing pitch. When I cut him off and asked who he was working for, he paused and didn't answer. I pressed him on it, and he got testy. "Sir, calm down and I'll tell you who I work for, okay?" But he never did tell me if he was working for a telemarketing company that was hired to book appointments on commission, or if he was working directly for the roofer.

So I called the only roofing company I've seen working in my neighborhood the past few months, but the owner didn't return my call. One question I felt KHON could have asked when they followed up on my email is why has there been such an obvious push to book appointments to have roofs inspected for damage? As it turns out, I found the answer by Googling around some more. KGMB had done a story on it back in September because people were wondering if the "free" roof replacement deal they were hearing about was a scam. Well, according to the roofing company they interviewed, there was legit damage done by the Great Hail Storm of 2012... and if they were able to find evidence of such, lucky homeowners could put in insurance claims to cover the cost of having their entire roof replaced. Of course, someone has to pay for it though -- other insured homeowners in the form of higher premiums that reflect the cost of these payouts to roofers.

However, claims must be filed within a two-year window, which means the roofers are trying to make hay while the sun shines (for them) until March 2014. Whether or not the roofing services are legitimate, they should be ashamed of themselves for employing anyone who uses "spoofing" to arrange estimates. It's deceptive and a crappy way of doing business.

BTW, there have been attempts to pass federal laws to stop spoofing, but each time it was shot down. Big corporations contend there are practical reasons they need to be able to show a different name/number on Caller ID so that their telephone systems aren't bogged down with unwanted callbacks. Ironically, I almost ignored the call I got from the KHON reporter because his Caller ID showed "2oTH CENTURY FOX" and not his actual name or KHON. That too, is a form of spoofing.

The Pacific Gateway Center is having their 4oth Birthday Celebration on Sun., Nov. 24 from 5 to 9 PM at Keehi Lagoon Memorial Hall. There will be Asian Pacific cuisine, entertainment and a who's who list of movers and shakers that have helped PGC in their mission to assist thousands of immigrants, refugees and low income residents find work or start new businesses over the years. As part of the 808HALT coalition on human trafficking, I've had the privilege of working closely with the PGC staff and can tell you they truly make Hawaii a better place for all of us.

The cost is $45 per person, but if you can't attend, please visit their website (click here) or call them at 851-7010 to make a donation. In light of recent cutbacks due to sequestration and the government shutdown, like many non-profits, PGC has had to tighten their belts and make changes in their operations. Part of that was moving their offices from the N. King street location to their Kalihi kitchen incubator site. They turned over their Lemongrass Cafe restaurant to Andrew Le, who is transforming the space into his first brick and mortar version of The Pig & The Lady, which has been a hugely popular food stand at the KCC, Blaisdell and Kailua farmer's markets.

Not coincidentally, my new November episode of Career Changers TV features a segment about Andrew and how he went from an interest in art to formal culinary training -- after working for free at restaurants just to get some hands-on experience before he committed to making a career out of his passion for food. For him, it really is art on a plate. You can watch the small screen YouTube version by clicking here.

In the same show, we also have a great piece on maestro Matt Catingub and the Hawaii Pops (here's that link). We included some brief musical interludes from their "Songs of Bond... James Bond" concert, but I wish we had more time to include performances by Cathy Foy-Mahi, Kristina Souza, Nathan Awaeau, and Sheena Easton. They actually had to add extra seats for late-comers who bought tickets at the door. I suggest you check out their site, www.HawaiiPops.com and order tickets for the remaining concerts before those sell out too!

BTW, due to some technical problems, the Career Changers TV site still hasn't been updated for the November show. In the meantime, you can see segments from the current episode on the CCTV YouTube Channel (daily OC16 times listed on the website are still the same).

There were two articles in today's Star-Advertiser (Oct. 21) dealing with unrelated beach and ocean problems that should be connected: regulation of commercial use of  our oceans, and control over what can or cannot be done with our shorelines. But if you read those two stories back-to-back, you'll start to get a headache trying to track all the federal, state and county agencies that have overlapping responsibilities. For instance, who is responsible for addressing beach erosion? Under Hawaii's convoluted system, there is split jurisdiction that is literally based on a shifting high water mark -- and both the State and counties often cite the murky lines of demarcation as excuses to not do anything about the very real threat of rising sea levels and ongoing shoreline management issues.

Ever since I got involved with the public beach access movement a few years ago, I have experienced firsthand the futility of attempting to get State or county action on protecting beach rights of way and doing something about shoreline "creep" by property owners on Oahu, who are rebuilding oceanfront structures closer to the sea (I can't call them "homes" because they look more like mini-hotels). I suggest those"homeowners" (often out-of-state investors) take a good look at what's happening on the North Shore before they decide to spit in Mother Nature's face and erect mansions as close as legally possible to the sea.

Anyhow, in today's beach erosion article about "regulatory woes" the reporter got some good quotes from Dolan Eversole, who works for Sea Grant and has done a lot of studies about erosion and shoreline management options. His suggestion is there should be a single coastal commission. It would have authority over the shoreline and coastal waters, and eliminate split jurisdiction. Makes sense, right? Except the article then goes on to quote various people from the existing agencies/departments that are currently not doing a very good job of addressing longstanding problems, and of course, those people say a coastal commission would be a bad idea because it could add another layer of bureaucracy. Um,  I think they missed the point. THEY are the added layers that need to be streamlined.

Okay, I'm not sure if the reporter phrased the question in the wrong way, or these government employees are simply too dense to understand the concept -- a coastal commission isn't meant to be an "added" layer of anything. It would be done to eliminate or consolidate a myriad of departments, agencies and ad hoc "advisory" groups that have been meeting for years and years, in order to simplify the regulatory process. It would create a single office that looks at the big picture from molasses spills to beach access and whether commercial kayak operations can be allowed on beaches in Hawaii. But if you broach the subject with a government lifer, all they will see is a threat to their individual jobs and benefits. Rarely will you ever hear a government worker admit their job or department does stuff that is redundant or could be eliminated to save taxpayer money, while making things more efficient.

And this is why we wind up with people who distrust government or say they want to dismantle Big Government... until their homes are threatened by beach erosion, commercial development or global climate change, and all of a sudden those same people are squawking that government isn't doing enough. The real problem though, is how government does things. They manage from crisis to crisis, instead of coming up with a long-range plan, then sticking to it.

BTW, in 2009 I asked Rep. Chris Lee to introduce a proposal for a joint State and counties task force to consider creating a Hawaii Coastal Commission. At that time, testifying against the proposal before State representatives was Sam Lemmo (DLNR) and Chip Fletcher, a UH researcher who is quoted as now saying an "overall agency" to take charge of coastal land use should be "studied." Apparently they thought the DLNR was doing just fine on its own. When will all these different factions start connecting the dots, and see that the ocean and beaches need to be treated as Hawaii's most valuable resource -- not as some lines on a map or organizational flow chart to be divvied up among the DLNR, CZM, MACZAC, DPP, EPA, even DOT (yeah, the molasses spill was the Dept. of Transportation's jurisdiction, believe it or not), along with each island's county councils and zoning/planning/parks departments. It's a shame because there are many well-meaning people trying to do their jobs... except they're like a bunch of people on a canoe, each paddling in different directions.

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For lighter fare, check out the Halloween edition of Career Changers TV on Oceanic Cable channel 12/1012 (a.k.a OC16). For daily viewing times, visit www.CareerChangers.TV or you can watch segments from past and current episodes on the CCTV YouTube Channel.

NOTE TO ADVERTISERS: We're looking for two or three local businesses with unique products or services they'd like to promote on our Christmas episode, which will run daily for the entire month of December. Very affordable rates to produce and run your segment!

While I was prepping for my weekend shoots at the Hawaii Youth Symphony fundraiser and Hawaii Pops concert on Sun., Oct. 20, I came across a New York Times article with the headline, "Is Music the Key to Success?" The Facebook page of the Hawaii Youth Symphony posted their own answer: "Absolutely! No matter how you decide to pursue or include music in your lives beyond HYS, you can always be sure that you'll have your musical background as a firm foundation for where life takes you next!"

They may be a tad biased, but you won't get any argument from me. I've seen many examples, ranging from my nieces whose mom plays classical music in the Boulder Symphony, to documentaries about children from low income areas, who made significant improvement in all aspects of their lives after being exposed to music programs. Yet thanks to austerity measures and budget cuts, along with more emphasis on testing instead of actual learning, music is getting the axe in many public schools. If you cannot see the connection between the arts, fostering creativity, and achieving success in later life, I guess stuff like offering music programs in schools seems like a waste of money.

However, as the NYT article notes, there's ample evidence that getting children involved in music is worth the investment. Since you might not be able to view the link because of their paywall, I'm going to copy excerpts at the end of this post.

You can find out more about the Hawaii Youth Symphony benefit concert at the Hilton Hawaiian Village by clicking here. Among the guest performers will be Jimmy Borges and the Waitiki 7, which performs jazzy exotica in the vein of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. Randy Wong, the director of the HYS will be playing some of his own compositions as part of the Waitiki 7 group. He's also the son of Terrina Wong, who I know through the great work she does at Pacific Gateway Center. Here's a piece we did about her ESL classes for the families of farm trafficking victims.

As for the Hawaii Pops concert at the Convention Center, we'll be doing a feature on Matt Catingub in our November episode. Tickets have been going fast, so click here for details. Sheena Easton will be making a special appearance on Sunday as they perform "The Songs of Bond... James Bond." Should be a lot of fun.

Getting back to the NYT article, here's some excerpts if the link to their site doesn't work:

Multiple studies link music study to academic achievement. But what is it about serious music training that seems to correlate with outsize success in other fields?

The phenomenon extends beyond the math-music association. Strikingly, many high achievers told me music opened up the pathways to creative thinking. And their experiences suggest that music training sharpens other qualities: Collaboration. The ability to listen. A way of thinking that weaves together disparate ideas. The power to focus on the present and the future simultaneously...

Look carefully and you’ll find musicians at the top of almost any industry. Woody Allen performs weekly with a jazz band. The television broadcaster Paula Zahn (cello) and the NBC chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd (French horn) attended college on music scholarships; NBC’s Andrea Mitchell trained to become a professional violinist. Both Microsoft’s Mr. Allen and the venture capitalist Roger McNamee have rock bands. Larry Page, a co-founder of Google, played saxophone in high school. Steven Spielberg is a clarinetist and son of a pianist. The former World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn has played cello at Carnegie Hall...

Paul Allen (Microsoft co-founder) offers an answer. He says music “reinforces your confidence in the ability to create.” Mr. Allen began playing the violin at age 7 and switched to the guitar as a teenager. Even in the early days of Microsoft, he would pick up his guitar at the end of marathon days of programming. The music was the emotional analog to his day job, with each channeling a different type of creative impulse. In both, he says, “something is pushing you to look beyond what currently exists and express yourself in a new way.”

Mr. Todd says there is a connection between years of practice and competition and what he calls the “drive for perfection.” The veteran advertising executive Steve Hayden credits his background as a cellist for his most famous work, the Apple “1984” commercial depicting rebellion against a dictator. “I was thinking of Stravinsky when I came up with that idea,” he says. He adds that his cello performance background helps him work collaboratively: “Ensemble playing trains you, quite literally, to play well with others, to know when to solo and when to follow.”

Mr. Todd, now 41, recounted in detail the solo audition at age 17 when he got the second-highest mark rather than the highest mark — though he still was principal horn in Florida’s All-State Orchestra. “I’ve always believed the reason I’ve gotten ahead is by outworking other people,” he says. It’s a skill learned by “playing that solo one more time, working on that one little section one more time,” and it translates into “working on something over and over again, or double-checking or triple-checking.” He adds, “There’s nothing like music to teach you that eventually if you work hard enough, it does get better. You see the results.”

That’s an observation worth remembering at a time when music as a serious pursuit — and music education — is in decline in this country.

Consider the qualities these high achievers say music has sharpened: collaboration, creativity, discipline and the capacity to reconcile conflicting ideas. All are qualities notably absent from public life. Music may not make you a genius, or rich, or even a better person. But it helps train you to think differently, to process different points of view — and most important, to take pleasure in listening.

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If you haven't seen the Halloween episode of this month's Career Changers TV, click here for daily viewing times. BTW, there still seems to be some confusion. Yes, it's on OC16. No, it's not channel 16 anymore, which is now reserved for local sports. OC16 is actually channel 12 or 1012 for high definition. People have told me they tuned to OC16, but all they saw were sports. The programming people at OC16 say they think everyone knows by now that OC16 is actually OC12. I dunno about that.

One of our Career Changers TV show sponsors, Waimea Valley, will be hosting a Makahiki Festival and Games Tournament on Sat., Oct. 12 and Sun., Oct. 13 from 9 AM until 5 PM. Cost for kama'aina and military with ID is just $5 per person, and only $10 for entire families (up to 10 people).  There will be a Hawaiian martial arts demonstration at 10 AM, followed by a variety of native games such as "chest pushing," "dart sliding" and spear throwing. For details on the tournament, click here.

In the spirit of Makahiki, they are requesting that families share their abundance by bringing non-perishable food items that will be donated to the North Shore Food Bank. There will also be local artisans and vendors, plus a holua sledding demo on the upper meadow, as well as talk story sessions by kupuna. If the weather cooperates, it should be a wonderful experience! You can also order tickets for events online at their website.

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Speaking of games, gotta say the UH loss to San Jose State last Saturday was a big disappointment -- especially after the offense got off to a good start by scoring a couple of early TDs. But the defense seemed flat... and then, inexplicably, after doing a good job of mixing up the play calls on offense, Coach Chow seemed intent on proving something by calling four straight run plays up the middle with an undersized running back and an inexperienced offensive line. I was among the fans who were groaning in the stands as the Bows turned over the ball on downs and closed out the first half with a whimper instead of a bang.

It's easy to second-guess coaches and play calling in hindsight. However, I think the biggest gripe average fans have -- regardless of a coach's track record -- is predictability. In the past, even winning coaches have been criticized for sticking to their bread and butter plays when it seemed opposing teams had caught on. This weekend, I saw Peyton Manning (who is basically a player-coach on the field) run a "naked bootleg" that caught everyone by complete surprise. He faked a hand-off and jogged into the endzone untouched. Later, he said it's something he can only do once every few years, and he doesn't even tell his own teammates he's doing it. In other games I saw QBs like Oregon's Marcus Mariota fake hand-offs on short yardage situations, and take the ball outside for big plays. And I could understand Coach Chow calling two or even three hand-offs up the middle in a row if he was setting up a play action pass. But there was no pay-off play. (On the other hand, maybe he figured no one would think he'd call four straight runs in that situation. I certainly didn't.)

What I loved about the Bows' spread offense under coordinator Paul Johnson, and yes, the play-calling of June Jones as head coach was their creativity. Remember that "snake" formation the three UH receivers lined up in against BYU the first time the Bows shellacked them at Aloha Stadium? Johnson shrugged it off as a small wrinkle, yet by showing the Cougars a new look and running a scripted set of plays with no huddle, he immediately got the fans -- and the team -- stoked up from the opening play. June would go for fake punts in situations that made no logical sense -- which actually is the ideal time to pull off a trick play. When they work, the coach looks like a genius. When they don't, well... at least you can say the coach made it interesting.

One of the things I try to do with my OC16 show is to ask my "team" -- the cameramen, our host, subjects we film and interview -- to come up with creative ideas for the segments we do. It might be a small twist, such as adding spiders and cockroaches that crawl across your TV screen on our Halloween episode. I may add a scream or sound effect here and there where you don't expect it. We get people to talk about stuff that they've never discussed publicly before.

Check out the current episode and you'll see how creative people can be in their approach to business: Greg Longnecker tells how he went from parasailing and jet skis to launching the Hawaii Pirate Ship Adventure. Mermaid Kariel recalls how seeing "The Little Mermaid" inspired her to become one herself for Halloween years ago... and now she's branched off into writing a children's book, doing fitness classes, representing a manufacturer of mermaid fins for kids, and selling a line of mermaid-inspired cosmetic products.

True, you still have to do the basics when it comes to business or coaching football. But if you want to win fans over and build your customer base, I think it's important that you show them a willingness to take risks, do something unexpected once in awhile and make people wonder what you will do next. Because if they know you're going to run the same damn play up the middle again and again, there's not much reason to get excited about the future.

Here's hoping you have a fun weekend full of surprises, whether you head to Waimea Valley for the Makahiki or watch the UH-UNLV game at home!

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For daily viewing times, visit www.CareerChangers.TV or watch segments from past and current episodes on the CCTV YouTube Channel.