Obama Democratic Convention speech

Surrounded by an enormous, adoring crowd, Barack Obama promised a clean break from the "broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush" Thursday night as he embarked on the final lap of his audacious bid to become the nation's first black president.

"America, now is not the time for small plans," the 47-year-old Illinois senator told an estimated 84,000 people packed into Invesco Field, a huge football stadium at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

Obama delivered his 44-minute nominating acceptance speech in an unrivaled convention setting, before a crowd of unrivaled size _ the filled stadium, the camera flashes in the night, the made-for-television backdrop that suggested the White House, and the thousands of convention delegates seated around the podium in an enormous semicircle.

* * *

McCain campaign responds.

Ashoka the Great

Who's this Asoka the Great mentioned (in the same breath as Jesus, Buddha, Newton, Gandhi, etc.) by FBG?

Born in 265 B.C, the great king Ashoka was the grandson of the famous ruler Chandragupta Maurya. As a young lad, Ashoka excelled in whatever he was taught. Be it the art of warfare or reading the Holy Scriptures, Asoka excelled in whatever he did. Ashoka had many half brothers and he was loved by one and all. Thus, after his father died, he was crowned as the king of Magadha around 268 B.C. After being crowned as the king, he proved himself by smoothly administrating his territory and performing all his duties as an able and courageous king.

After a period of eight years of being a king, Ashoka planned to seize the territory of Kalinga, the present day Orissa. He led a huge army and fought a gruesome battle with the army of Kalinga. The battle of Kalinga made him pledge to never wage a war again. The battle took place on the Dhauli hills that are located on the banks of River Daya. Though Ashoka emerged victorious at the end, the sight of the battlefield made his heart break with shame, guilt and disgust. It is said that the battle was so furious that the waters of River Daya turned red with the blood of the slain soldiers and civilians.

The sight of numerous corpses lying strewn across the battlefield made his heart wrench. He felt sick inside. The battle ground looked like a graveyard with bodies of not just soldiers but men, women and children. He saw young children crying over the bodies of their dead parents, women crying over the bodies of their dead husbands, mothers crying over the loss of a child. This made him heartbroken and he made a pledge to never ever fight a battle again. To seek solace, he converted to Buddhism. He was so inspired by the teachings of the Buddhist monks and Buddhist philosophies that he used his status to impart this knowledge all over the world. He is credited to be the first Emperor to make a serious attempt at developing Buddhist policies.

Word of Mouth Forums

Online forums are nothing new. Social networking sites are nothing new. And Web sites that combine both purposes are nothing new.

There are locally-focused online gathering places, such as hawaiithreads.com and food and restaurant-focused blogs such as onokinegrindz.com, tastyisland.wordpress.com and the Hawaii Restaurant Association-connected myalohavibe.com.

Many popular Web sites get that way because links get e-mailed around by one person to one or more friends, but very few of those sites -- if any -- get the back up of promotion through a television partnership.

The exception in Hawaii is womf.com, which stands for Word of Mouth Forums, for which KGMB-TV has been running commercials.

WOMF has sites focused on Australia, Namibia, New Zealand and South Africa and now, Hawaii, at hawaii.womf.com.

The balcony is closed

Roger Ebert is gone from "At the Movies," but he's an increasingly influential figure in the new dominant realm of film criticism: the Web.

Ebert last week announced he was leaving the long-televised show he began with Gene Siskel -- by its earliest incarnation -- in 1975. The 66-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning critic hadn't been on the show since 2006, sidelined, if only to a certain extent, by a battle with cancer that has left him unable to speak.

But he's continued to write reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and this year began blogging on the newspaper's Web site: blogs.sun times.com/ebert. His online musings, labeled a "journal," should be bookmarked by all film buffs.

In an entry last week titled "The Balcony Is Closed," Ebert reminisced about "At the Movies." Most remarkable are his heartfelt memories of working with Siskel, who died of a brain tumor in 1999.

Evidenced by YouTube clips, Ebert explains their both contentious and loving relationship: "Did Gene and I hate each other? Yes. Did we love each other? Yes."

-- Jake Coyle, On The 'Net

mice in the house

we had noticed a mouse occasionally in the house, but tonight (8/6) they were especially conspicous.

I set up the wire trap I retrieved from Donna's garage and also the little mouse cube I had bought earlier from WalMart and had never caught a thing before.

I also tried constructing a little home made mouse catcher after I did a google search.

A few hours later, I heard the wire trap trip and saw a mouse inside. He tried to wriggle free through the wire mesh but I didn't think he would be able to get through. But when I looked later he was gone!

Set it again. A couple hours later I heard it trip again. The mouse tried to get out, but got stuck halfway. I put the trap in a bag and took it outside. And decided to put it in the trash bin.

Later I heard some noise by the mouse cube and it had caught the other mouse. I decided to leave it in there. But later brought the kitchen trash container in and put the cube inside.

The next day I saw the mouse inside the trash bin and left it there.

The garbage truck came Friday and took it away. Meanwhile, after two days, it was time to dispose of the other one. I called the Humane Society if there was a recommended way to get rid of it and they said I could bring it down to dispose of it. I asked if they were going to kill it and how. And they said they would use some drug (sodium pentathol? which is also used as truth serum.)

I figured I dump somewhere instead. I took out the cube and took a closer look and saw two mice in there. One looked dead, but then I thought I saw movement. I drove up Pali Highway and turned onto Nuuanu Pali Road. Finally I saw a spot next to the watershed and dumped the cube. Sure enough, one was dead, but the other scurried away into the forest (ostensibly joining the guinea pigs).

Since I was there, I figured I would visit Pali Lookout before going home.

*** [6/23/12] More mice in the house the last couple of months.  Caught a couple in the mouse cube.  But one of them seemed to be avoiding the trap.  So I bought one of those wire cage traps from Longs Kam Shopping Center (that's the only place I've seen it recently).  It caught a mouse, but then I saw it was trying to squeeze through the wire mesh.  It went about halfway through and got stuck.

Took him (her?) up Nuuanu and took out the cage and it was still stuck. After a while, it finally wriggled free.  The next one stuck in the case I guess was a little bigger and didn't get stuck in the mesh.

I saw it still had the piece of salami on the wire and left the cage open downstairs in the garage.  Then I saw a rat in there (about a week ago).  It must have been a couple of days since the rat was dead and I tossed in the trash.

Now I've been seeing some droppings in the DVD drawer under the TV in the patio.  And I saw the mouse a couple of times. I put the mouse cube in there with a piece of salami stuck to the back of the cube.  It's been a few days and so far no mouse.

*** [7/7/12]

Caught a few more mice.  About two more in the mouse cube and two more I think in the wire cage.  Even caught a rat when I left the cage in the garage.  And discovered the cage closed and a dead rat inside.  [see above]

Now I'm working on a particularly stubborn one.  It's not going into the cube.  And when I bait the cage, it's able to take the bait without the door closing.

Then I tried something else.  Putting the bait in the cage with the door closed.   But somehow the bait disappears that way too.  The mouse must be going through the opening in the top.

So I put the bait (I'm currently using Kirkland dog food) toward the end of the cage so the mouse would have to go all the way in the cage before exiting.  Nope that didn't work.

Tonight I tried this to see what was happening.  I pushed a kibble inside the cage and left one on top of the opening blocking the entrance.  If the inside kibble is gone with one on the top still there, then it would be likely that the mouse (or whatever) is getting the inside bait by squeezing through the opening in the cage.

But both were gone, so I think the mouse is going through the top, then inside, then back through the opening.

Try again.  I'll push the prongs closer together to make it hard for the mouse to squeeze through.  If only the top one is gone, then I'll know the mouse wasn't able to squeeze in from the top.  Stay tuned.

... That was fast.  The top kibble is gone, but the inside one is still there.  Maybe try to bait the lever again..

Let me try this first.  Put a kibble under the mouse cube door leaving it ajar.  Hopefully (for me) that will bring the mouse to the kibble and then inside the cube.

... Nope took the kibble by the door but didn't go inside.

Meanwhile, I baited the lever with a piece of sandwich meat and put kibble inside the cage.  Took all the kibble, left the sandwich meat alone.  Smart SOB.

[7/8/12 4:40 PM] OK, lost another piece of kibble (I was going to stay awake and watch the trap, but I fell asleep).  Here's my latest idea.  How about threading the kibble and tying it to the lever?  Step one went well.  The needle went through the kibble without it crumbling.  Then loop the thread around the lever.  That way when the mouse pulls the kibble, it should pull the lever and drop the door.

That is assuming the mouse pulls the lever and not eat it.  And pulls it enough to trip the door...

[7/8/12 6:09 PM] The mouse took the bait.  The kibble is gone.  The thread is gone.  The door still open.  Damn! 8)  I'm losing a battle of wits!

And later, the pastrami on the wire is gone too.  With the door still open.  Wow, this mouse is good.

[7/9/12 early AM] Success!  I took the uneaten bait from the mouse cube (bread with nutella, etc.) and put it in the wire cage with the door closed.  I wasn't expecting it but when I checked, the mouse was in the cage.  Well, actually it was partly out with its head squeezing out through the mesh.  Poor guy.

I tipped the cage on its side so that the mouse would have to go up to go out.  And went off to the Pali.  When I got to my destination, the mouse was back in the cage.  I opened the door and the mouse scampered under a large leaf.  The leaf was right in front of my car, so I lifted up the leave and the mouse scampered across the street to the island between the road and the freeway.  I was hoping it would have gone the other way, but it's a decent sized area and maybe it might scamper back who knows.  The main thing is that it's finally out of the house.

We'll see if there's any more..  This is probably like the sixth or seventh mouse.  Plus the dead rat.  I kind of lost track already.

[7/13/12] One more.  I put the Kirkland kibble in and on the trap.  And this time I shoved a kibble right onto the wire inside the trap.  And it worked without breaking up kibble into pieces.  This afternoon, the trap triggered and I took the mouse to the Pali.

a couple of hours later...  damn, there's another one! :(

[7/15/12 Sunday] Dinner time.  Christie saw the mouse.  It went in the open cage.  I went over to trip the lever to bring the door down just as the mouse was running out.  The door shut right on the mouse.  Ouch.  I raised the door and the mouse was wiggling on the carpet.  [Poor thing.  I wasn't trying to kill it or even injure it.]  When over to get a napkin to put the mouse in the cage.  And went outside to dump the mouse over the fence (by the entrance of the storm drain).  Don't know if the mouse ever recovered, but when I looked the next day (or two), I didn't see the mouse.  This was not only a traumatic experience for the mouse, but also for Christie who couldn't eat the lau lau because it now tasted like mouse.  I'm writing this five days later (Friday a.m.) and no sign of another mouse (yet).

An Ideal Husband

[The Young View by Katie Young, Midweek, 7/30/08]

... My father recently forwarded me a column by Maureen Dowd titled, “An Ideal Husband.” In this column, Dowd sites Father Pat Connor, a 79-year-old Catholic priest, who has been giving a lecture to high school seniors (mostly girls) for 40 years on “Whom Not to Marry.”

Connor says there are several things to look out for:

* Never marry a man who has no friends because this usually means he will be incapable of the intimacy that marriage demands.

* Does this man use money responsibly or is he stingy? Connor says most marriages that founder do so because of money.

* Look for a man with a backbone. Steer clear of someone whose life you can run. Connor says it’s good to have a doormat, but not if it’s your husband.

* Stay away from the mama’s boy. If he consults his mother on the honeymoon destination instead of consulting you, it’s a bad sign.

* Find a man with a funny bone. Connor says a man with a sense of humor covers a multitude of sins.

* Don’t marry someone you need to fix. Connor says don’t marry a problem character thinking you will change him. People are the same after marriage as before, only more so.

* Communication is key. More marriages are killed by silence than by violence, says Connor. The strong, silent type can be charming but ultimately destructive.

* Look at his family. You’ll learn a lot about him and his attitude toward women by doing this. Connor says to think about if there is a history of divorce in the family, an atmosphere of racism, sexism or prejudice in his home? Are his goals and beliefs worthy and similar to yours?

* Are your religious beliefs similar?

* Connor asks, does he possess those character traits that add up to good human being - the willingness to forgive, praise, be courteous? Or is he inclined to be a fibber, to fits of rage, to be a control freak, to be envious of you, to be secretive?

While this might not be the be-all end-all to finding the perfect husband, it’s a good start.

[OK, I'm in trouble..]

Chinese Coca Cola?

BEIJING — Coca-Cola, a company first famous for mixing South American coca leaves with African kola nuts, is trying to repeat history.

For months, the Atlanta-based drinks giant has been working quietly to perfect prototype beverages using Chinese herbal cures. Analysts and executives suggest the project could be as important to the company's future as its original formula was to its past.

The effort involves employees throughout the company of 90,500 but is shrouded in secrecy. Executives have rarely mentioned the collaboration beyond a short press release issued when Coke and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences opened a research center in Beijing last October.

While Coke may be reluctant to talk about potential drinks inspired by Chinese medicine, some analysts speculate that whatever executives are brewing could be a major step for the 122-year-old company.

Access Asia, a Shanghai-based market-research firm, said in a January report that Coke's aim may be nothing less than to create "the new product for the new millennium."

With consumers increasingly concerned about their health and wary of sugar-laden beverages, Coke is "looking for exotic herbal ingredients to make a completely new drink and sort of revolutionize the whole soft-drink industry," said Matthew Crabbe, director of Access Asia.

Just-drinks.com, which monitors the beverage industry, reported in May that Coke was planning to launch a Chinese medicine-based drink this year "to exploit the hype surrounding the Beijing Olympics."

Partly, Coke has been pushed toward developing more healthy alternatives to its traditional line of sodas.

Life is good (the t-shirt)

WHEN the temperature here broke into the 90s at lunchtime on Saturday, it was too hot to smile.

Standing in the green grass of Boston Common, well out of reach of the shade of bordering elms, Travis Piotrowski, the director of information technology for Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, nevertheless wore a big grin, literally painted across his face.

It was not his own smile, mind you, but that of a cartoon stick figure named Jake, the mascot for the contagiously popular line of T-shirts with the motto — somewhat out of step with the times — “Life is good.”

“I think the happiest people alive are the ones who are happy with the simple things,” said Mr. Piotrowski, who, with his wife and their two daughters, were among the thousands in the park for a Life is good festival, one of about 17 such events around the country this summer for the growing legion of Jake fans.

The Piotrowskis discovered the brand while camping in Wisconsin several years ago and have since acquired at least 20 T-shirts, 4 coffee mugs, matching pajamas and a paddleball set that show Jake’s uncynical and ever-smiling face, which never seems to be discomforted by humidity, adversity or even that he looks more like a French mime — with his beret and white face — than a symbol of American optimism.

But Mr. Piotrowski and his family appreciate Jake’s perspective on life. “With this type of economy, people really need to take a step back and look at the big picture,” he said. “Be happy with an ice cream sundae or playing with your kids in the backyard.”

It is hard to say whether Jake is just a fad or, judging by the crowds here, a movement. As many as 30,000 people attended, according to Life is good Inc., which renders its brand name like a complete sentence.

Last year, the company sold 4.2 million of its $25 T-shirts and had sales of roughly $107 million, said Bert Jacobs, who along with his brother, John Jacobs, founded the business in Needham, Mass., in 1994 with only a handful of styles and a van.

They were trying to create “a symbol about what was right in the world,” he said; Jake would be a character “who was happy not because of anything he had or because he was materialistic.” Their most popular style has Jake and his pie-faced grin sitting in an Adirondack chair as if there was nothing more to life than kicking back.

“People relate to the concept because it’s simple,” Mr. Jacobs said, “and because too much of what is happening in the world is complex.”

Like the mass popularization of smiley face buttons in the early 1970s, which coincided with another oil and economic crisis, Life is good T-shirts have caught on among people who feel the products are spreading a positive message in a troubled world.

The Path to Forgiveness

Brenda Adelman teaches that there are three steps on "The Path to Forgiveness."

"First, acknowledge that you feel hurt, betrayed, angry. Even if you were not actually physically hurt, the hurt is real because you felt it.

"The second stage is to give up your need to be right. Realize that the need to be right, to feel righteous, is for you; it is not for the other person.

"Third, send love and light and prayers to those who hurt you. It is not necessary to have contact with the person who hurt you. Don't do that unless you can set healthy boundaries."

"You can't forgive until you love yourself."

Vitamins A-E, K

Vitamin A through K, where to find them and why they're important
Posted by Brie Zeltner July 14, 2008 08:30AM

Vitamin A: Key to good eyesight. Also important for bone growth and a healthy immune system. Two types, depending on the source--animal or plant. Plant sources, such as orange fruits and veggies and dark-green leafy vegetables, contain carotenoids, a precursor to active vitamin A that the body has a harder time using, but is also less toxic. Vitamin A from animal sources such as liver and that found in fortified foods and the majority of supplements is pre-formed -- already in a usable form -- and can build up to toxic levels much more easily than carotenoids. Most labels tell what percentage of the vitamin is made of beta carotene, or plant sources. The rest is preformed. Most experts recommend no more than 2,300 IU a day for women and 3,000 IU for men.

B Vitamins: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid (the synthetic form of folate), biotin, and pantothenic acid are all important in metabolic activity and in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. B vitamins are water-soluble, so whatever the body doesn't use it gets rid of. Found in whole grains, fish and seafood, leafy green vegetables, dairy products and beans and peas. Current recommendations vary, but it's difficult to end up deficient. Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic, cautions that some studies suggest that high dosages of synthetic folic acid can speed up cancer growth for some people. For others, though, it may help prevent cancer at lower doses.

Vitamin C: Water soluble. Helps form muscle, bone, collagen, and helps the body absorb iron. No conclusive evidence that vitamin C helps fight the common cold, despite many studies. Excess vitamin C is eliminated in urine.

Vitamin D: Known as the sunshine vitamin because your skin makes it when the sun's UV rays shine on you. Critical to the growth and maintenance of strong bones. RDA is 400 IU for most adults, but many researchers think that level is way too low. Many now recommend between 800 and 1,000 IU per day.

Vitamin E: A fat-soluble anti-oxidant. Protects cells against the damage of free radicals. Plays a role in immune function and DNA repair. Found in wheat germ oil, almonds and sunflower seeds, as well as other nuts and vegetables. Current recommendation is 22.5 IU for adults.

Vitamin K: Found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and other green leafies. Critical to blood clotting. May help prevent osteoporosis. Deficiency is very rare and is usually caused by an inability to absorb the vitamin. No RDA, but instead an "adequate intake" level because there is no scientific consensus on how much you should get. This level is now set at 90 to 120 micrograms per day. Some multivitamins don't have any vitamin K.

to supplement or not to supplement?

Ever walk into the drugstore (or worse, a specialty supplement store) in search of a multivitamin only to find yourself wandering up and down aisles crammed with towering stacks of pill bottles, wondering what it was you came for?

You see 10 kinds of daily multivitamins: formulations for women, formulations for men and formulations for seniors, kids and teens; "mega" formulas; energy formulas; and formulas with and without iron.

Which one should you take? And what's the difference?

The answer is that you might be better off skipping the trip altogether and avoiding the expense and the bewilderment, some experts say. With a healthy diet, there's no reason most people need to take a daily multivitamin and little evidence that there's any health benefit to them anyway, they say.

One might think it would be smart to take a vitamin supplement, with that national diet heavy on fast food drenched in oil and washed down with pop.

But there's more danger in your expanding waistline than in the possibility of developing a vitamin deficiency from eating this way, says Kathleen Houck, a clinical dietitian at Akron General Hospital.

"Obesity has its whole constellation of health problems," she says. "It's not that you're going to become deficient."

On the other side of the great supplement debate, though, are plenty of doctors and dietitians who recommend you take a multivitamin to ensure against a diet that probably doesn't always measure up.

Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic, suggests half a multivitamin, twice a day as an "insurance policy."

give your brain a break

Every morning before work, Marlena Reed closes her eyes and meditates as wafting lemon grass embraces her.

For 15 to 30 minutes, she blocks out to-do lists and looming deadlines and lets thoughts float in and out.

You may not believe it, but experts say rituals such as this are key to overall health — and just as important as exercising and eating veggies.

"Keeping that balance between work and life is what keeps us sane," said Tevis Gale, a workplace coach who leads workshops across the country. "Yet, we forget to take the time to check our mental status and give it importance."

And with soaring gas prices and shaky economic times, experts say taking care of your mental health is even more important.

"That feeling of emptiness and exhaustion is a sign we need to tend to things," said Emory University sociologist Corey Keyes.

The brain, experts say, needs breaks — whether it's through meditation, yoga, a massage, a pedicure or simply sitting in a park or taking some deep breaths with your morning brew. "People tend to see it as indulgent, and we have to change that," said Keyes. "Taking care of ourselves is fundamental and, without that, there is no physical health."

* * *

Some tips on keeping the pace and the balance:

• Take a moment before you tackle those dishes: Create pauses between activities. Give closure to one, such as playing with the kids, before doing chores. Ever wonder why you forget why you are going into a room? Maybe your mind is racing with too many thoughts.

• Create a salon culture at work: Get together once a month and discuss a neutral topic, such as organic gardening. The session may build community and stimulate creativity.

• Step outside the chatter in your mind: Do yoga or take a walk and train your mind to take a break. Don’t think about your job or the pile of laundry. As you are walking, turn off your cell phone and stop that mental to-do list. Try a focusing game like listening to the sound of your foot hit the pavement or look for the color red in the environment. Give the brain a rest — and a solution you’ve been seeking may pop into your mind afterward.

• No-rules art and dance: Try to be expressive in either discipline. Move any way you want.

• Get up from the computer: Every 45 minutes to an hour, leave your desk, even if it’s for a quick stretch or glass of water.

• Cultivate meaningful relationships: Loving, supportive relationships are key to your overall health. Quality time with your family is quality time for your brain. Smiles and hugs help, too.

— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gregg Gillis

Conflicts over copyrights are commonplace on the Internet. But can the Web also be a sanctuary from the law?

The laptop DJ Gregg Gillis, who performs under the name Girl Talk, hopes so. He recently released his fourth album, "Feed the Animals," online in the pay-what-you-want style that Radiohead popularized.

The album is almost custom-made for lawsuits. It was made entirely with samples, a mishmash of more than 200 artists, from Roy Orbison to Lil' Wayne.

One song, "Still Here," includes Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Radiohead, Ace of Base, Fergie, Kenny Loggins, Cat Stevens, 50 Cent - and that's not even half of the song's samples. Who knew that Blackstreet's "No Diggity" went so well with both Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" and Radiohead's "15 Step"?

Gillis did not invent the mash-up and he's far from the first to profit on the gimmick of combining music that doesn't normally mesh. But he may have taken things as far as they go, jumping from sample to sample nearly every few seconds.

Enterprising fans have listed the samples to all the songs on "Feed the Animals" on the album's Wikipedia page. Some have also made music videos for the tunes, mixing the relevant video for each sample.

Chris Beckman, 20, has done this for four of the Girl Talk songs: www.youtube.com/user/BunnyGreenhouse. It's an even more head-spinning experience than listening to the album.

On his YouTube page, Beckman writes, "Please don't sue me for copyright infringement. I'm just recycling culture." He adds, "Art is too important to be only used once."

More precarious is Gillis' position. He posted the album online just days after finishing it. (To download it, follow the link on his MySpace page: www.myspace.com/girltalk.)

By releasing the album online and making payment unnecessary, Gillis and Illegal Art are hoping to weaken the enticement of copyright infringement lawsuits. If they obviously made a lot of money, the suits would surely follow. Gillis wants success, but not too much.

Free Documentaries

From Fundoo Professor's blog (of all places), I see that there's a website hosting free documentaries, including a couple that I have seen and liked, The Fog of War and Super Size Me. (So me and the Professor have at least two things in common!)

6 ways to save on groceries

With minimal-to-no pre-shopping preparation even sloths like me can save money on groceries.