When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 28th:
NASA’s WISE Eye Spies Near-Earth Asteroid: NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, has spotted its first never-before-seen near-Earth asteroid, the first of hundreds it is expected to find during its mission to map the whole sky in infrared light.
Military in Hawaii has big plans for solar power at base: The military is seeking contractors to install more solar power systems at most of its major installations in the state in what ultimately would be a leap in photovoltaic power generation capability in Hawai’i, officials said.
The Queen’s Medical Center Installs New State-of-the-Art Breast MRI System [PDF]: The Queen’s Medical Center has installed a new, advanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system that provides physicians with higher quality images that allow them to more confidently diagnose and accurately intervene in breast cancer patients.
This morning, Pierre Omidyar’s local news startup Peer News hosted a conference call with journalists to provide an update on their venture, which was first announced in November. Among the key announcements made was that John Temple was coming aboard as editor, and that they were planning to launch by April or May. The company will be posting the audio from the call later today, but as TechCrunch noted, details were scarce as to their business model, with Omidyar and Temple “playing their cards incredibly close to the vest.”
Omidyar and Temple also conducted a Hawaii-only call to answer questions from the local media. “Obviously we’re not talking business model and those type of things,” Pierre warned, but the pair pulled back the curtain a little bit. I sat in on the call, and wrote up a rush transcript. It’s incomplete, and likely contains errors, but will hopefully be of interest to my fellow newsies. [Read more →]
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 19th:
Fast-Food Fries Cooked in Higher-Fat Corn Oil, Study Shows: Fast-food chains are more likely than smaller restaurants to cook their French fries in corn oil, which is higher in cholesterol-raising saturated fats than other vegetable oils, a study from the University of Hawaii found.
Innovation Award Winners Focus on Clean Energy: The winners have developed innovative solutions to challenges, invented and implemented new technologies with worldwide applications, and contributed to Hawai‘i’s long-term economic well-being.
Missing moon rocks turn up: On Friday, Lenny Klompus, senior adviser to the governor, said Hawai’i’s moon rocks were never actually missing, but had merely been moved to a secure location. During an annual gift inventory on Thursday they were discovered in a locked cabinet.
Just in from ABC, a few more details on the advance screening of the “LOST” final season premiere on Waikiki Beach on Jan. 30. As in 2006, they will indeed be showing only the first hour of the two-hour episode, and adding on the pilot of another show. But the time of the event, including the red carpet arrivals that precedes it, are set. No word yet on which cast members will be present.
Here’s the text of the one-page advisory (minus press-specific notes):
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL SCREENING OF “LOST” : THE FINAL SEASON
What:
“SUNSET ON THE BEACH”
Waikiki, Oahu
Thousands of fans will congregate on the sandy beach of Waikiki in Oahu to be the first to see the initial hour of the season premiere episode of “LOST”: The Final Season, before it airs nationally on the ABC Television Network. We will also be screening an episode of the hit comedy, “MODERN FAMILY,” immediately following “LOST.”
There will be red carpet arrivals before the screening, in which you will be able to interview the cast and producers of “LOST.”
“LOST” premieres on Tuesday, February 2 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
“MODERN FAMILY” airs Wednesdays (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET),
on the ABC Television Network.
When:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30
PRESS & CREW SETUP AT 4:00 P.M.
RED CARPET ARRIVALS BEGIN AT 5:00 P.M.
“SUNSET ON THE BEACH” SCREENING AT 6:30 P.M.
Where:
SUNSET ON THE BEACH:
Waikiki Beach on Oahu between Kapahulu and Monsarrat Avenues on Kalakaua across from the Honolulu Zoo.
The archives of three newspapers documenting Hawaii’s 19th century history have been posted online by the Library of Congress, digitized and converted into searchable text via OCR through the participation of the UH Mānoa Library.
The archives are available via the “Chronicling America” website, and come from:
According to UH, The Daily Herald and The Hawaiian Gazette issues uploaded to date represent a conservative, pro-American editorial viewpoint, and The Independent represents a strongly nationalistic Hawaiian viewpoint. The library is continuing to digitize additional publications, and will be adding to the online archive each quarter.
As of December of 2009, “Chronicling America” offers free searchable online access to 1.7 million pages from 212 newspaper titles published between 1880 and 1922.
SPOILER ALERT: While additional shooting takes place this morning at the Ilikai Marina, continuing the big stunt scene from yesterday, local blogger GeeWhy of Pulpconnection broke the news of a concurrent “LOST” location shoot on Twitter and with a blog post. The scene, fortunately, is considerably more low key than yesterday’s. In fact, it’s downright ceremonial. [Read more →]
SPOILER ALERT: It was a big day for the “LOST” crew, setting up at the marina behind the Ilikai Hotel. Early on the agenda was an ambitious stunt, but it took a second try to make a splash. [Read more →]
When I’m not blogging, I’m browsing. Here are sites and pages that I bookmarked on January 11th:
Changing the Future: Kahu Danny Akaka officially opened the Energy Lab at Hawaii Preparatory Academy with a blessing ceremony on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Students, faculty members, administrators, and project team members attended the event.
Astronomers spot ’super-Earth’ 80 light years away: US astronomers have detected the second smallest exoplanet ever discovered with a mass just four times heavier than the Earth, adding to a growing number of low-mass planets dubbed “super-Earths.”
Small scopes reach beyond solar system: Giant land-based telescopes and space missions gobble up most of the money available each year for astronomical exploration. But innovative astronomers are proving that you don’t need a multibillion-dollar orbiting telescope to find planets or even save the world.
Spotting planets for lower prices: Bakos has now found 13 planets — mostly big balls of gas. Some demonstrate novel properties. Bakos’ program, now at sites in Arizona and Hawaii, is called HATnet.
Energy efficiency pays off: Cash for clunkers may be over, but there’s still cash available for purchases of energy-efficient appliances for residents of Oahu. The Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program is still offering anywhere from $40 to $110 in rebates to Oahu residents.
Hawaii High School Seniors to Apply for National Youth Science Camp: Governor Linda Lingle announced today that two students from Hawai‘i will be selected to represent the state in the prestigious National Youth Science Camp in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest this summer.
PISCES to hold moon mission tests on Big Island: PISCES will bring together teams from NASA and the German and Canadian space agencies Jan. 15-Feb. 11 on Hawaii’s volcanic soil to test a variety of new technology that will help astronauts survive on the moon and live off the land.
Hawaii Group Receives Grant to Promote Koa Wood: New strategies are being put into place to broaden the public’s awareness of, desire for and appreciation of koa. More than 20,000 acres of koa trees are now being grown commercially.
Cal Grad Is Changing Hawaii’s History – With Chocolate: On eighteen acres hugging Oahu’s north shore, a region better known for its incomparable surf, a UC Berkeley graduate is doing his part to rescue Hawaiian agriculture.
On The Fringe: A sky survey called Pan-STARRS will feature the world’s largest digital cameras attached to each of four small telescopes on Haleakala. It is poised to do the head count required to gauge Neptune’s migration speed.
Gone: a look at extinction over the past decade: Like the Yangtze river system, the Hawaiian islands—famous for unique birdlife—is an extinction hotspot. In 2002 the ‘Alala, also known as the Hawaiian crow, went extinct in the wild when the last two known individuals vanished.
Britain might withdraw 1 Mauna Kea telescope: The United Kingdom’s Science and Technology Facilities Council has come up with a five-year program that includes a “managed withdrawal” from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope
Hawaii life sciences center may finally break ground: A Kamehameha Schools facility catering to life sciences companies is expected to break ground this year, five years after the Kakaako project was announced.
Bringing orchids down to earth: Growers in Hawaii filed an injunction against allowing a change in the rule that bars the import into the United States of plants in any state but bare root from most countries. But six years ago, the USDA sided with Taiwan.
SPOILER ALERT: “LOST” is filming in downtown Honolulu this morning, taking over the entrance of the State Attorney General building on Queen St. And two characters that fans have been eager to see in Season 6 are featured in the street-front scene. [Read more →]
Lung cancer is the number one killer of adults in Hawaii, and the Aloha State is ranked second in the nation for youth asthma. In all, over 175,000 islanders have lung disease — that’s more than the combined populations of Maui and Kauai. The American Lung Association of Hawaii (ALAH) is leading the charge against these diseases, and championing clean air.
The Breathe Concert is the premiere fundraising event for ALAH, and a fantastic evening of music and entertainment in its own right. Taking place at the Hawaii Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 30, this year’s concert will feature Willie K, Melveen Leed, and the Hotclub of Hulaville. In all, over 100 dancers, singers, actors, and celebrity guests will present a “spectacle of style, flair, comedy, song and dance.” The production will be directed by Marian Jay Morrison, veteran performer and dance teacher who worked with Walt Disney Entertainment for 15 years.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. concert start at $35. But for $135, you’ll get to attend a pre-concert party in the Weyand Room with even more live music, food, drink, surprise gifts, costumed characters, and a promenade led by whimsical sprites and puppets. Get your tickets at the Hawaii Theatre box office (1130 Bethel Street), by phone (808-528-0506), or online.
If you’ll be there, be sure to tell the world by RSVPing on the concert’s Facebook event page. And either way, show your support by becoming a fan on the concert’s Facebook fan page. ALAH can be found on Twitter @AmLungAsnHI.
Unfortunately, the concert is the same night as the advance screening of the final season premiere of “LOST” at Sunset on the Beach. But, if you’re fine with waiting to watch “LOST” with the rest of America the following week, Hawaii Theatre is the place to be on Jan. 30.
Good luck and good show to ALAH, and to its Director of Development Beth-Ann Kozlovich… who is also the executive producer of Bytemarks Cafe!
