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December1,2004

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www.kaleo.orgVOl.XCIXISSue67 TheuNIVerSITyOFhawaI‘IaTMaNOa

Ka Leo O Hawai‘iThe Voice of Hawai‘i Special

Edition

Tis The Season

How will you spend your time and money?

In thisissue:

world AIds daynews | Page 3

decorate CheapFeatures | Page 6

Game shopping onlineFeatures | Page 7

Photo huntFeatures | Page 12

Page 2 | Ka Leo O Hawai‘i | Wednesday, December 1, 2004

NEWSWednesday, December 1, 2004 | Page 3Associate Editor: Julie Grass | (808) 956-3221 | news@kaleo.org

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

UN boosts budget for AIDS epidemicBy Candice NovakKa Leo Staff Writer

Gov. Linda Lingle is followingwidespread concern about the AIDS/HIV epidemic — which the UnitedNationssaysisnowhostto37.2millionadultsaroundtheworld—byrecogniz-ingWorldAIDSDayinHawai‘i. AIDS, or acquired immunodefi-ciency syndrome, is a terminal illness,whichhastreatmentbutnocure.WhenanHIV infectionadvances, it iscalledAIDS. InaproclamationLinglesaidshewants to emphasize “Women, Girls,HIVandAIDS”andspreadawarenessthroughstateprogramsandreiteratehercommitmenttopreventingfurtherinfec-tion. AtaUNbriefinginNewYorkonNov.23,DrDesmondJohns,DirectoroftheUNAIDSNewYorkoffice,launchedthe grave report of the ever-expand-ing reachofAIDSworldwide, leavinglittle tocelebrateonWorldAIDSDay,markedonDec.1since1988. ThemostalarmingfactpresentedwastheriseinAIDSamongwomeninevery region of the world since 2002.In the last AIDS report, among thoseinfected, 43 percent were women and57percentweremen.Thepercentageofwomenhasincreasedatsucharapidratethatnowinfectionpercentagesareequalbetweenthesexes.Thesenumbersmaynotseemdisquieting,buttheyareonlythe sum of all regions, including sub-SaharanAfricawheretheAIDS-positiveratiobetweenmenandwomenissixtoone.Evenmoregrimwerethereasonsforthisinflation. Johns mentioned the well-knowncausesofintravenousdruguseandpros-titution, (which accounted for 25-45percent of infected women in some

areas)alongwithlegalin-marriagerapeamong those infected. There has alsobeen an increase of migrant laborers.Such an influx directly contributes tothemobilityofpeopleinlowsocialandeconomicclasses,whogenerallyknowlittleaboutAIDS,comparedtothemoreeducatedclasses. EastAsiatiedwithEasternEuropefor the fastest growing infection rate.ManyEastAsiancaseswerecausedbythe reverberations of the 2001 “taint-ed blood scandal,” in which hospitalpatients were unknowingly infectedthroughanHIV-positivebloodpool. Chinese health officials estimatedthat 30,000-50,000 people could havebeen infected by transfusions of HIV-positive blood, according to a 2001BBCnews report.Europe andCentralAsiafollowedwith48percentinfected. In the United States, the diseaseseems to disproportionately affectAfrican-AmericanandHispanicwomen,rankingamong the top threecausesofdeathinAfrican-Americanwomenaged35-44,accordingtotheU.S.CenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention. The United Nations funds coun-seling programs for HIV/AIDS-posi-tive women and teenage girls, aidingthem with job placement and helpingthem manage their terminal illnesses.Whilesex iscommodified inAsia, theCaribbeanand sub-SaharanAfrica, theincrease inAIDS in NorthAmerica islinked to “undisclosed behavior,” part-nersnotdiscussingtheirHIV/AIDSsta-tus or cheating on their partners withan infected person. In NorthAmerica,wesee“somecauseforcelebration,notmuch,butsome,”saidJohns,notingthatsome men have reverted to high riskactivities. JonathonBerliner,executivedirec-toroftheMauiAIDSFoundation,told

the Maui News that even those whoknowtheyareinfectedandcanaffordtreatment encounter “many compli-cations from the AIDS medications,which can be debilitating in and ofthemselves.” Two years ago, more than halfof the South African population wasHIV/AIDS-positive. The number hassincerisen,accordingtoantenataltest-ingdonebyAvert,aUnitedKingdom-basedHIV/AIDScharity.Accordingtothisyear’sreport,EastAfricahasseenasustaineddropinthenumberofnewinfections in young people. But it isonly an overall stabilization, meaningthenewly infectedare replacing thosewho have died. The United Nationscalls this “progressing at replacementvalues,”butJohnssaiditis“notaverypleasantsituationtobein.” TheUnitedNationsmust“deduceand use indirect estimates” to createAIDSepidemicreports,likethisyear’s,said Johns. Some countries do notreport the full number ofAIDS casesintheirregions,makingthejobharder.Hislogicisthatsomegovernmentsmaywithhold information from researchorganizations—liketheWorldHealthOrganizationandUNAIDS,thatjointlyputoutthisyear’sreport—becauseofthe tainting effect it may have on thecountry’s reputation and overall char-acter. Johns called for more politicalleadershipandhonesty. The main impediment in col-lecting reports is thecurrentmentalitythatAIDSstatisticsareabarometerofnationalcharacter.Johnsnotedthatfig-uresarebasedonreportedcaseswhilethemajorityofinfectedpeopleremainunaware theyare infected.Manysuchcases are not accounted for becausethepeopleareinprisonorsmallhealthcenters, from which few AIDS tests

Thelasteventofthe“Legislatorin Residence Program” will be onMonday,Dec.6,fromnoonto1p.m.in Saunders Hall 704. A story yes-terdaygave thewrongdate.KaLeoregretstheerror.

Correction

HamiltonLibraryhasextendedthehoursof itspagingservice tostudents,facultyandstaff.Thenewhoursare9a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Fridayand12-5p.m.onSundays.Librarystaffarenotabletoestimateatthistimewhennormaloperatinghourswillresume.

NewsBriefs

are revealed. Countries’ estimates andreports indicatean increaseof infectedpeople. While places like sub-SaharanAfricaandEastAsiaseemonlyabstractpointsonthemaptopeopleinHawai‘i,Berliner expressed the necessity forHawai‘i dwellers to keep the broaderview in mind. Berliner told the MauiNews, “It’s important for the commu-nitytoknowtherearestillmanypeoplestruggling with the disease and dyingfromcomplicationsofHIVandAIDS.” In response to the growing epi-demic, theUNwill increase its spend-ing,andplanto“getresponsetowhereit’s matching the epidemic with theresponse.” This means the worldwideyearlyspendingwillgofromthisyear’s$6.1billionto$10billionby2005and$20 billion by 2007. Under this plan,UNAIDS and its partners should bespendingtentimesin2007whatitdid

in2001.Thetrickisto“workwiththemoneymoreeffectively,”Johnssaid. According to the Kaiser FamilyFoundation state health facts, therewere128newcasesofAIDSreportedin Hawai‘i in 2002, most of whichwere white and Asian/Island Pacific.California reported a dwarfing sum of4,364,andtheUnitedStatescollectivelyreportednearly44,000newcases. ThenumbersofHIV/AIDScasesfor2004havenotbeencompiledstatebystateyet,buttheUnitedNationspre-dictsaspecificriseinAfrican-Americanwomen.AIDS/HIVrateshaverisencon-siderablybecauseof“highrisk”behav-ior,intravenousdruguseandthelegal,social and economic depravity peoplesufferaroundtheworld.Butmoresim-ply,weareallconnectedand,asJohnsputit,“Weliveinaglobalvillage.” TheUniversityofHawaiiatManoaHealthServicesoffersfree,confidential

More paging time

AIDS Day events WorldAIDS Day will be recog-nizedinHawai‘ionDec.1,2004atSt.Andrew’s Cathedral in Queen EmmaSquareat5:30p.m. The event, open to the public,is themed “Women, Girls, HIV andAIDS,” to raise awareness within the

generalpubliconthegrowingnumberof women and girls affected by thedeadlyvirus. MissHawai‘i 2004OlenaRubinwillreadaProclamation,signedbyGov.Linda Lingle, recommiting Hawai‘iin the fight against HIV/AIDS. OtherspeakerswillincludefourwomenfromHawai‘i who worked overseas withAIDS patients in countries such asCambodia,SouthAfrica,TanzaniaandZambia. TheAfricanAmericanEducationalCultural Center Hawai‘i will be con-ducting a commemoration of WorldAIDS Day at the Blaisdell Center at5:30-9pmonDec.1.RSVPat523-7406.

ManoaHealthServicesoffersfree,confidentialHIVtestingeveryotherWednesdayfrom9 to11a.m.Call956-6221 toscheduleanappoint-ment.The Life Foundation offers men’s, women’s and open supportgroupmeetingsforsufferersofthediseaseandthoseconcerned.Call521-2437formoreinformation.

HIV Testing

By Jason OrdensteinKa Leo Staff Columnist

Am I the only one who looksforward to reading the Campus Beatevery Monday? Week after week Ilaugh hysterically at the incrediblybizarre episodes that happen aroundourUHcampus. From reading theCampusBeat,I’veconcludedthattherearetwodif-ferentworldscontainedhere.Thereistheregular,mundanestudentlifethatalotofstudentshavecomfortablyset-tledinto.Thenthereistheextremelysurreal and circus-like environmentthatisonlyalludedtointheCampusBeat. What makes it all even funnieris that only two or three lines areused to offer tantalizing glimpses oflarger, funnier episodes that you canimagine taking place. Take this lineforinstance:“AstudentfromJohnsonHallwasskateboardingnakedonDoleStreet.Securityofficerstriedtocatchhimbuthegotaway.” OK,does thissortof thinghap-penalotoncampus?Icanjustpicturethisrebelskateboarderridingoffintothesunset,pumpinghisfistsdefiantlyattheenragedsecurityguardswhotrytochaseafterhim.Icanimagine thechief security officer hunched overin exhaustion, scowling menacinglyat the naked skateboarder fleeing tosafety.Heyellsoutangrilytotheskieswithalow,boomingvoice,“That’sthefifth time thismonthyou’veescapedme,NakedSkateboardMan!Butoneday you’ll slip up!And I’ll be wait-ing...” Anyway, for your own conve-nience, I have compiled a list of10 lessons that I have learned aboutourManoa campus from reading the

weeklyexploitsoftheCampusBeat.

TEN LESSONS THE CAMPUS BEAT HAS TAUGHT ME

1. On our campus, rogue bands offaceless,wanderingskateboardersareakin to terrorists, and the mere sightof them must be reported at everyopportunity.

2. There is a 95 percent chance thatyourbicyclewillgetstolen.Itisnotaquestionof if,butwhen.What’s thatyou say? You don’t own a bicycle?It doesn’t matter. That only meansthat there is now only an 85 percentchance that a bicycle will get stolenfromyou.

3. One of the most enjoyable thingsthat you can do is set the campusdumpstersonfire.It’sanactivitythatreekswithcontagious“fun-ness.”Youdon’tseetheenjoymentindoingthat?Why,they’redumpsters!Andthey’reonfire!Isn’tthatsocool,Beavis!

4. Every weirdo on the island ofO‘ahu must visit our campus withrecklessimpunityandsignacontractstating that they will come to ourcampustotrytoharassandflashourstudents.

5. Two-thirds of all available secu-rity personnel on campus must bedispatched for the sole purpose ofhanding out parking tickets. In fact,didyouknow that75percentofourschool’snetrevenuecomesfrompark-ing tickets? Don’t believe me? Tryillegally parking on campus. Within40 seconds you’ll get a ticket. It isimpossible to resist the all-encom-passingmight of theUHdepartment

of parking and transportation. Justlook at the motto they live by: “AllunderHeavenandEarth.”

6. Be sure to check out the week-ly fight night at one of our variousdorms. No cover charge. They onlythingyouneedtobringisacoupleoftestosterone-saturatedmales,acoupleofbigegosandbeer.

7. You may think that our campusbuildings are there to hold classes,butyouhavebeenmisinformed.Theyonlyexistso thatstudentsmaydrinkontheirrooftopsatnight.

8.SkinnydippinghoursfortheDukeKahanamoku swimming pool beginat9p.m.,butreallystarttopickupataroundmidnight.Everyoneisinvited.

9. You may not know this, but thetastiestfishontheislandcanbefoundaround the various ponds that sur-round our campus. Just ask some ofthepeople “in theknow”who try tofish there.“Mmmmm.Mutatedcam-pustilapia.Yummy!”

10.There isa99.999percentchancethat ifyouowna laptopandbring ittocampus,itwillgetstolen.It’sgot-tensobadthat therobberswhostealstudents’ laptops probably get theirstolenlaptopsstolenbysomeoneelsebefore they can even leave campuswithit.Then,thoserobbersofrobbersget their stolen stolen laptops stolenby yet other robbers. And thus thecircle of UH stolen laptops renewsitself with the coming of every newmorning. I wouldn’t be surprised ifeveryone is just stealing the samethreelaptopsfromeachother.

I’mafraidit’sthattimeofyearagain where hordes (no, I didn’tsay flocks or groups or masses)shake off the tryptophan they’veaccumulated in their systems overThanksgiving and rush out to buy,buy,buy!Andboy,dotheybuy.Wewere,infact,expectedtobuymuchmore than we did last year. Butrecent figures fromShopperTrak,amarketresearchfirm,indicatedthatbuyingthroughthethreedaysafterThanksgivingonlyrose2.9percent!It’sanationalcrisisofepicpropor-tions! Just 2.9 percent! Shoppersmusthavebeenreallyoverdoingtheturkey during the holiday to onlymake the sales figures rise a mere2.9percent! As for me, I’m not worried. Ihad to do absolutely no shoppingover the holiday weekend becauseI got my holiday shopping out ofthe way early. I also managed toget various things for everyone onmylistwithnotmuchcashbysim-ply playing it smart in the holidayshopping game, and you can too.Justfollowafewsimpleguidelineswhenyoushopforpresents. First of all, be in tune withthepeopleyou’reshoppingfor.Noamountofbargainhuntingcansaveaflawedshoppinglist,somakesurethatyouknowwhatyourrecipientsenjoy before you go out to buythings, or you may be asked forreceipts after they get their gifts.That’sneverfun. Whatworksmostoftenformeisgettingpeoplethingsthattheycanuseand—thisistheimportantpart—wouldalsoliketouse.Sure,youcouldgetyourwifeanewvacuumcleaner, but honestly, what kind ofmessage does that send? “I loveyou so much that I want you toclean more?” You’d have to learnveryquicklyhowtoregurgitatethatOreck or Hoover after you get it

shoveddownyourthroat. Somethingelsetokeepinmindis that theholiday shoppingperiodisnotsetinstone.Thereisnohardand fast rule that says that giftsyoubuybeforeThanksgivingdon’tcount. I admit, by the time you’rereadingthiscolumn,it’llbetoolatefor you to take advantageof shop-ping before the after-Thanksgivingrush this year, but it’s somethingto at least keep in mind for nextyear. Every year, more and moreconsumersaregettingsmarterabouttheirholidayshopping—thesameShopperTrak study I mentionedabove showed that sales the weekbeforeTurkeyDayshotupawhop-ping 11.6 percent from the sametimelastyear. Sohowdoyoutakeadvantageof this? Look at the sales. AfterThanksgiving, you can see someretailersholding“buy two,getonefree”salesonusedvideogames,butbeforeThanksgivingyoucould seeToys R Us holding the same typeof sale on new video games. Thistype of sale happens a lot beforeThanksgiving when retailers try toattract theearlyholiday shopper inhopesofturningoversomeoftheirinventory. This doesn’t mean thatsalessuddenlystopafterTurkeyDay,but often times post-Thanksgivingpromotionsareeither lessofabar-gain than pre-Thanksgiving salesor theyareput forth inaneffort toclearoutthetypesofinventorythatdidn’tselloutearlierduetomassivepopularity. Making your money go fur-ther isn’t just about getting morestuff; it’s about bringing as muchhappiness as you can to those yousurroundyourselfwith thisholidayseason. It’s not a bad thing to bea consumer, but it’s a real tragedyif it’s not done properly.And ulti-mately, in this timeofunrestrainedand celebrated consumerism, thething that makes you an effectiveconsumer is being informed. Notonlydoyouneedtothinkaboutthesourcesofyourgifts,butyouneedto think about your recipients aswell. It is the thought that counts,afterall.

OPINIONSPage 4 | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 Editor: Christopher Mikesell Associate Editor: Leah Ricker | (808) 956-3214 | opinions@kaleo.org

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

Ten things I learned about our UHM campus

Be in tune with the people you shop for

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i is the campus newspaper of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. It is published by the Board of Publications five times a week except on holidays and during exam periods. Circulation is 14,000. Ka Leo is also published once a week during summer sessions with a cir-culation of 6,000. Ka Leo is funded by student fees and advertising. Its editorial content reflects only the views of its editors, writers, columnists and contributors, who are solely responsible for its content. No material that appears in Ka Leo may be reprinted or republished in any medium without permission. The first newsstand copy is free; for additional copies, please come to the Ka Leo Building. Subscription rates are $36 for one semester and $54 for one year.

© 2004 Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

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StoutMinds

Christopher MikesellKa Leo Opinions Editor

OPINIONSWednesday, December 1, 2004 | Page 5Editor: Christopher Mikesell Associate Editor: Leah Ricker | (808) 956-3214 | opinions@kaleo.org

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

Myths lie in flick of the tongueBy Anna Daddario

Ka Leo Staff Columnist

A week after I pierced mytongue,afriend’smotherinformedmethatIwouldnolongerbeableto stick out my tongue. Once Idemonstrated to her that I couldindeed still stick out my tongue,she said, “Well, you had to openyour mouth to do it.” I am stillunsure how a person sticks outtheir unpierced tongue withoutopeningtheirmouth. Although piercing is becom-ingmoremainstream,mypiercingstill elicits responses that rangefrom curiosity to disgust. I’d liketoclearupafewmisconceptions. People are often surprisedto discover that I have a tonguepiercing after they’ve known mefor a while. “But you speak sowell!” they say. Everyone knowsthat one girl who got her tonguepiercedandlispedherwaythroughthe rest of her life. I don’t knowwho this girl is, but I don’t lisp,my piercing doesn’t clack againstmy teeth when I speak (unless Iwant it to) and I have no troublewithtonguetwisters. After the piercing I was toldthat I would no longer be ableto roll my Rs. Since I am a lan-guage major, this was a concern.Nevertheless, once the piercinghealed, I found I could roll myRs just as before and my Spanishteacherneverknewthedifference.Even my Arabic teacher hadn’tnoticed my piercing until a fewweeksintoclass.Hewasimpressedthat Icouldpronounceall thedif-ficult Arabic sounds correctly. IhavebeenabletowrapmypiercedtonguearoundeverylanguageI’vetriedsofar. “But why would you do thatto yourself?” some people insist.“Doesn’t it hurt?” Well, yes, itdoeshurt.Ithurtstogetyourearspierced, too, but society doesn’tregardpeoplewithpiercedearsasmembersofa freakish subculture.Iguesspaininyourearsissociallysanctioned whereas pain in yourtongue is not. It hurts to get yourtonguepierced,butoncethepierc-ingheals,justaswithyourears,itnolongerhurtsandyoucanpullortugonit(ifthat’syourfancy)justas you can with a healed piercedear. And unlike pierced ears, apiercedtonguewillnotget irritat-edwhenyouputinnewjewelry. Some people think it’s ugly.That’sfine.Mytonguepiercingisa form of bodily decoration thatsome people find attractive andsome don’t. “Why would you gothrough pain just for fashion’s

sake?” I am sometimes asked.Whydogirlswearimpossiblyhighheelsandunderwirebras?Becausethey think it’s worth it. They aregoing for a look and are willingtohavesorefeetandirritatedskinattheendofthedaytoachieveit.As opposed to all-day discomfort,however,tonguepiercingisaone-time discomfort. Once that babyheals you never have to worryaboutitagain.

Beyond that, people who getpierced arewilling toundergo thepain as part of a “rite of pas-sage.” We all know that having aneedleshovedthroughabodypartis going to be painful. Having apiercingsays“yeah,itwaspainful,butI’mthetypeofpersonthatcanstand the pain.” The fascinationthat induces people to ask ques-tions about my piercing is thesame sort of fascination thatdrewmetogettingitinthefirstplace.I

wanted to experience it firsthandandhavethebadgetoshowforit. But I’m going to be honest.There are drawbacks to having apiercedtongue. Let’s start with the obvious.The piercing hurts. If you don’tlikepainorneedles,thisisnotforyou.Anditdoestaketimetoheal.Anewly-piercedtongueswellsforabout a week and is vulnerable toinfectionifnotcaredforproperly.

This means that eating becomes atime-consuming and cautious pro-cess. This is also the time whenyou are most likely to have diffi-cultyspeaking. IattendedSpanishclass as usual during this periodandnoonewasthewiser.Butthisisthetimewhenyouaremostlike-lytotemporarilydevelopapiercedtongue-related lisp. But once thepiercinghascompletelyhealed(3-4weeks),everythinggoesback tonormal.

Another drawback is the pos-sibility of chipped teeth. Thisis a real danger since chippedteeth are painful and unsightly.Teeth become chipped when theyaccidentally chomp down on themetal ball of the barbell that isput through the tongue. However,chippingcanbeavoidedbybuyingjewelrythatisacrylicandproperlysized. Iwillalsoaddthatsometimes

society’sperceptionofpeoplewithpiercings can be a drawback. Forinstance, it can prevent you fromgetting a job. If you are tryingto get hired in the conservativesetting of a bank, you may notwant to go to the interview withyourtonguejewelryasitprobablywon’tgetyou the job.However, Iamastudentanditismoresociallyacceptable tohaveapiercingnowthan at any other time in my life.When I’m 40 years old and about

to have my third kid, I mightreconsider. And finally, I am unableto blow bubble gum bubbles. Itrequires a tight suction arounda protruding tongue that I can’tmanagewithapiercing.Also,eat-ing excessively chewy candy likeMilk Duds has become difficult.Any type of candy that you findyourself having to scrape out ofyourteethmanuallywillalsosticktoyourpiercingsoyou’llprobablyhavetotakeitouttocleanit,whichisannoying.Idon’tconsidereitherof these particularly big losses inmylife. But if I ever do decide thatmy life is not complete withoutthe ability to blow bubble gumbubbles, the beauty of a tonguepiercing is that I can always takeitout.Icantakeitouttemporarilyjust to blow a bubble or to eat aMilkDud,ordecideI’mdonewithit and take it out and leave it out.It’snotpermanent.It’scompletelyreversible. I’m not advocating that youget a piece of metal put throughyour tongue. It’s not for every-body.Forthosewhoareinterested,there is more information onlineabout how to get a piercing donesafelyandhowtocareforitprop-erly. And for those who are notinterested, I hope I’ve cleared upat least a few of the urban tonguelegendsgoingaround.

You may not want to got to the interview with your tongue jewelry ... . I am a student and it is more socially acceptable to have a piercing now than at any other time in my life. When I’m 40 years old and about to have my third kid, I might reconsider.

“

”

kaleo.org

FEATURESPage 6 | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 Editor: Marlo Ting Associate Editor: Kimberly Shigeoka | (808) 956-3218 | features@kaleo.org

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

Be creative, decorate cheaply this holidayBy Amanda BuddeKa Leo Staff Writer

So,youareapoorcollegestu-dentwhodoesn’thaveanymoneytoputupholidaydecorations?Doesthatmeanyouaredoomedtoreturnfromexamstoagloomy,darkanddepressingdormroomorapartment,devoidofanyholidayspirit?No! Theholidayspresentanopportu-nityforcheapandcreativedecora-tion.Forunder$10,youcanaddsomefestivetouchestoyourlivingarea.Andwithabudgetof$20,youcancompletelydecorateyourentireplace.Herearesometipsonhowtodecoratecheaplyfortheholidays.

PLACES TO SHOP FOR DECORATIONS

•Tryvisitingthe99-Centstoreandpickupholidayknick-knacks,

ornaments,wrappingpaper,con-structionpaper,candles,stockings,andcandycanes.Asoflastweek-end,theyalsohadstrandsof50smalllightsfor99centsperbox.

•StopbyRossandscantheirholi-daydecoraisle.Therearegooddealsonholiday-scentedcandles.Theyhavecheapnutcrackers,too.

•Wal-Martcurrentlyhasstrandsoflights(100count)forunder$2each.Theyalsofeatureinexpen-siveboxesofroundholidayorna-ments.SimilarbargainscanalsobefoundatLong’s.

•Peruseyourlocalthriftshopsforslightlyusedholidaydecorations.Butshopearly—thethriftstoresareusuallypicked-overbymid-December.

DECORATING IDEAS

•Therearecheapandeasyholidaydecorationsyoucanusetoinstantlytransformyourlivingarea.

•Foraninstantholidaytransforma-tion,wrapyourframedpostersinwrappingpaper,attachaboworribbon,thenhangthepostersbackup.Itwilllooklikeyouhavelargepresentshangingonthewalls.

•Nomoneyfordoorcoveringsorwreaths?Noproblem!Justcoveryourdoorswithinexpensivewrap-pingpaper.Thisworksforallindoordoors,aswellasforoutside-facingdoorsthatarenotexposedtowater.

•Takealloftheholidaygreetingcardsyoureceiveinthemailandtapethemuparoundadoorframeorwindow.

•Cutsnowflakesoutofregularwhitepaperorconstructionpaper.Or,foradifferentvariation,cutthemoutofshinywrappingpaper.Afteryouhaveseveralsnowflakes,tapethemtoclosetdoorsandcabinets,orcoverawallwiththem.

•Withconstructionpaperandtape,youcanmakeholidaygarland.Justcutnarrowstripsofpaper,curloneintoaloopandfastenwithtape,thenthreadanotherstripthroughtheloop,curlthatstripintoaloopandfastenwithtape,andrepeatuntilyouhaveachaingarlandthelengthyoudesire.Hangabovedoors,onthetree,aroundwindows,overmirrors,orwhereveryouwantgarland.

•Insteadofbuyingatree,justdeco-rateahouseplant.

•Stringtogetherpopcorn.

•Get10-12candycanesandarrangetheminavaseforaholidaybouquet.(Long’sandSafewaycurrentlyhaveboxesofcandycanesonsale.)

•Downloadafreeholidayscreensav-erandleaveyourcomputeronwhileyouarehomesothatthescreensaverisdisplayed.

•MakeaholidaycollageoutofDecember-issuemagazinesthatyouoryourfriendshavediscarded.Decembereditionsofmanymaga-zinesfeatureholiday-themedadver-tisementsthatwouldhelpmakeabeautifulcollageforyoutohanguponawalloradoor.

Energy tablet has effervescent Umph

Marlo TingKa Leo Features Editor

Umpheffervescentenergytabletsturnanybeverageintoanenergydrink.Justdroponeinandwaitabouttwominutesforittodissolve. Umpheffervescentenergytabletsdon’tworkonme,butneitherdoespressoshotsorenergydrinkslikeRedBull.ItriedmyUmphwithlem-onadeanddidn’tnoticeanyaddedtasteorboost.Foranyoneaffectedbyenergydrinks,though,I’msureUmphisagreatwaytogetacaf-feine/vitamin,b6/ginsengboostinanyflavoryouwant.

Alexandre Da SilvaKa Leo Assistant Editor

ItendtostayawayfromenergydrinksmainlybecauseIworryaboutjusthowpotentachemicalmixturehastobetocreatesuchphosphore-centliquid.I’vetriedGatoradeaftersoccerandRedBullwithwhiskeybutneverachievedthatdesirableenergyboost. SowhenmyeditorfriendtwodesksdownaskedmetotrytheUmphenergytablet,Ialreadyknewwhattoexpect,orsoIthought.AfterImixeditwithwater,Igulpeddownhalfacupofbad-tasting,partially-bubblyUmph,andaspredicted,Iinitiallyfeltnothing. Buttomysurprise,afterafewminutes,Ididexperienceadelayed,minute-longenergykick.Still,itwasnothingclosetothetimewhenIdrankaBrazilianextracttakenbysleepytruckdrivers.

Travis QuezonKa Leo Editor in Chief

I’vehadmyfairshareofRedBull-typedrinksandamarecoveringcoffeeaddict.GettingarushfromsomethingthatstartedoffasanAlkaSeltzer-liketabletwassomethingthatI’venevertried. IdroppedmyUmphenergytab-letintoamartiniglassfilledwithMountainDew.Afterafewminutesoffizzing,awhitepeanut-sizedblob

See Umph, page 7

Gamer alternative found onlineBy Marlo Ting

Ka Leo Features Editor

Videogamesareexpensive,withnewreleasesusuallycostingbetween$50to$60acopy.Luckily,theInternetprovidesarespitefromthehighpricesofoneofthemostpopularformsofentertainmentintheworld.(Thegameindustryisvaluedataround$30billionayearworldwide,$10billionayearintheUnitedStatesaccordingtomarketresearchfirmNPDGroup.) GoGamer.comoffersdiscountsonfourselectgamesevery60hourswithits(inappropriatelynamed)“48HourMadness”sales.Releasedlastmonth,“Vampire:Bloodlines,”agamethatputsyouintheroleofanewlyturnedvampireinmodern-dayLosAngeles,iscurrentlyavail-ablefor$32.90,27percentoffthesite’sregularpriceof$44.90.Thesuggestedretailvalueofthegameis$49.99.The“Vampire:Bloodlines”48HourMadnesssaleendstoday. TheWebsitealsofeaturesa

modestselectionofolderlow-pricedgameswithoutacountdown,suchas“DeusEx:GameoftheYearEdition”(first-personshooter/role-playing)for$14.90and“WarcraftIII:ReignofChaos”(real-timestrat-egy)for$19.90. Shippingischeap—$5.99foruptothreegames.Andifyoubuythreegameswithacombinedtotalofatleast$19.90,you’llgetafreegameofGoGamer.com’schoice.Oftentimesthegamesareobscuretitlesthatweren’tcriticallyacclaimed,likethecurrentofferof“RobinHood:TheLegendofSherwood.”Onceinawhile,though,they’llofferawell-recievedgameworthpayingfor,like“ThiefII:TheMetalAge.” IfGoGamer.comdoesn’thavewhatyou’relookingfor,oryouwanttocheckforabetterdeal,perhapsthebestplacetolookforitisAmazon.com.NewergamesareusuallyofferedatpricesidenticaltoGoGamer.com’sbuttheWebsitelacksregularsales.Itdoes,how-ever,haveagreaterselectionofold

games;and,throughits“featuredmerchants,”sometimesoffersthematalowerpricethanGoGamer.com. “Planescape:Torment,”aPCgamereleasedinOctober1999,isn’tevenavailableatGoGamer.com.Butit’scurrentlysellingatAmazon.comforaslowas$6.47. Also,whilebothGoGamer.comandAmazon.combothsellconsolegames,onlyAmazon.comsellstheconsoles.TheNintendoGameCubeand“MetroidPrime”bundleisavail-ableforaslowas$94.40usedand$99.88new. Unfortunately,sinceit’spossibletoorderproductsfromanumberofdifferentsources,shippingcostsvarydependingonhowmanydif-ferentpackagesyourorderscanbeshippedinatatime.SoifyouorderfromlargevarietyofAmazon.com’sfeaturedmerchants,youmaygetalowercostonthecombinedtotalofallofyourproducts,butpaymoreinshipping.

FEATURES | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 | Ka Leo O Hawai‘i | Page 7

floatedtothetop.ThedrinkitselftastedlikenormalMountainDew.Afterafewminutes,Icouldfeelasignificanttwo-coffeerush. Icanseethebenefitofhavinganenergyboostintabletformforpeoplewhowouldliketogetakickoutofwhateverdrinktheyprefer.ButIsawnodifferenceincomparisontootherenergydrinksI’vehadinthepast.

Christie ChunKa Leo Desk Clerk

LastnightItriedUmph.Itcameinasmall,purplepacketthatgreatlyresembledthepackagingof

acondom.Itoreopenthepackettofindayellowtablet.Atfirst,Istartedtolickitjusttoseewhatitwouldtastelike.Ittastedlikeasweetandsourtartbutwithmorefizz. Afterlickingthetablet,Iplaceditinaglassofcoldwaterandwaitedforittodissolve.Itookasipandittastedlikeanorangesportsdrink. However,Iputthetabletinabigglassofwater,sothedrinkwastoodiluted.Ididn’tfinishthedrinkbecauseIdidn’tenjoyit.Furthermore,IwouldnotbuyitifIsawitinthestore.IwouldratherbuyRedBulloranotherenergydrink. AfterIdrankUmph,Ididn’tfeelanyeffectsandIwenttosleepeasilythatnight.

Umph: Energy mix offers alternative boost, method

From page 6

citywheremagicandtechnologyexist,“ThiefII:TheMetalAge”isafirst-persongameforthePC.TheHammerites,amachine-obsessedreligousgroupwhoworshipagodcalledTheBuilder,areplanningtotakecontrolofTheCity.MovethoughtheshadowsasathiefnamedGarret.FindoutwhattheHammeritesplantodoandstopthem.“ThiefII”isavailableatGoGamer.comfor$14.90,andatAmazon.comforaslowas$5.26usedand$8.99new.

“Planescape:Torment”isatop-downperspective,2DgamethatputsyouintheroleoftheNamelessOne,anamnesiacthatwon’tstaydead,andatfirsthasasarcasticfloatingskullashisonlycompan-

ion.BetheNamelessOne,withnoideawhereyoucamefromstuckinacityfullofbizarreresidents.Youmustfindoutwhoyouareandwhyyou’reimmortal.

“MetroidPrime”isafirst-per-sonactiongamethatputsplayersincontrolofabountyhunternamedSamusAran.StopagroupofSpacePiratesbentontakingovertheuni-versefromcreatinganarmywithageneticmutagennamedPhazon.ApartfromtheGameCubebundle,“MetroidPrime”isavailableatGoGamer.comfor$19.90,andatAmazon.comforaslowas$16.50usedand$18.95new.Wal-Martisalsosellingitfor$19.74with$.97shipping.

Winnerofmorethan35GameoftheYearawardsin2000,“DeusEx”isafirst-per-sonshootervideogamesetintheyear2052.AplaguecalledtheGrayDeathiskillingpeoplearoundtheworldwhilesecretsocietiesfightforworlddomination.TravelaroundtheworldasJCDenton,anti-terroristspecialagent,andunravelaconspiracyhundredsofyearsold.“DeusEx:GameoftheYearEdition”isavail-ableatAmazon.comforaslowas$6.95usedand$8.41new.

“WarcraftIII:ReignofChaos”issetinthefantasyworldofAzeroth,createdbyBlizzardEntertainment.VictoriousovertheOrcinvad-ersthatcamethroughaportalconnectedtotheirhomeworld,thehumansandelvesoftheallianceofLordaeronfaceanewdeadlycrisis.Aplagueisturningtownsintotheundead,actingasavanguardtoinvadingdemonsknownastheBurningLegion.Builddefenses,raisearmiesandcommandyoursoldiersindefenseofyourpeople’ssur-vival.“WarcraftIII:ReignofChaos”isavailableatAmazon.comforaslowas$29.49usedand$33.98new.

Setinamedieval-style

The Games

Page 8 | Ka Leo O Hawai‘i | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 | SPORTS

Wahine hold on for first win

By Scott AlonsoKa Leo Staff Writer

TheRainbowWahinebasketballteam’sfirstwinoftheseasoncouldnothavecomeatabettertime.AftertwotoughlossestoSantaClaraandUtah,bothbysevenpoints,Hawai‘ifacedthepossibilityofendingtheRainbowWahineClassicwinless. Butseniorco-captainJadeAbelescoredaseason-high21pointsasHawai‘isalvageda70-68victoryovertheCaliforniaGoldenBearsintheseventhplacegameSundaytoimproveto1-2ontheseason. NewHawai‘icoachJimBollasaidthatatournamentlikethisoneis“physically,mentallyhard....Shortpreptimebetweengamesandthreegamesinarowmakesittough.” The‘Bowsstartedstrongearlyinthegame,goingona15-0runcappedbyajumperbysophomorepostAlofaToiaivaotogiveHawai‘iitslargest

See Wahine, page 9

Four Warriors earn spots on all-WAC first, second teams

Ka Leo Staff

FourWarriorfootballplay-erswerenamedtotheall-WesternAthleticConferencefirstandsecondteams,announcedyesterday. QuarterbackTimmyChangalongwithwidereceiverChadOwenswerenamedfirstteamall-WACoffensewhileAbrahamElimimianwasnamedtothedefensivefirstteam.Forthesecondyearinarow,Hawai‘ioffensivelinemanSamsonSatelewasnamedtothesecondteam. Owens,whowasalsonamedthisweek’sWACoffensiveplayeroftheweekforhisfourtouchdownrecep-tionslastweekagainstNorthwestern,wasalsoselectedtothesecondteamforspecialteams.Asapuntreturner,Owensreturnedfourpuntsforatouchdown,breakingtheschoolsingle-seasonrecord. LouisianaTech’sRyanMoatswasnamedtheOffensivePlayer

oftheYearandUTEP’sRobertRodriguezwasnamedDefensivePlayeroftheYear.Co-FreshmenoftheYearincludedFresnoStateoffensivelinemanRyanWendellalongwithUTEPfreesafetyQuintinDemps.CoachoftheYearhonorswenttoBoiseState’sDanHawkins.

2004 All-WAC Football First Team

Offense

Pos. Name Team YearWR T.JAcree BSU Sr.WR ChadOwens UH Sr.WR NichirenFlower UN Jr.TE GarrettMills TU Jr.OL DarynColledge BSU Jr.OL LoganMankins FSU Sr.OL AaronLips LTU Jr.OL DerekWarehime TU Sr.OL HarveyDahl UN Sr.

QB TimmyChang UH Sr.RB RyanMoats LTU Jr.RB HowardJackson UTEP Sr.

Defense

Pos. Name Team YearDL JohnSyptak Rice Jr.DL GarrettMcIntyre FSU Jr.DL TonyFicklin SJSU Jr.DL ChrisBarry UN Sr.DL ChrisMineo UTEP Jr.LB RobertRodriguez UTEP Sr.LB AndyAvalos BSU Sr.LB KoreyHall BSU So.LB ByronSantiago LTU Sr.DB AbrahamElimimianUH Sr.DB GabeFranklin BSU Sr.DB JamesSanders FSU Jr.DB AdrianWard UTEP Sr.

Specialist

Pos. Name Team YearPK TylerJones BSU Sr.

tOny bLazejacK • Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

chad Owens breaks free in the third quarter for a 76-yard punt return in the Warriors’ 49-41 win over the northwestern Wildcats. Owens was named to the all-Wac offensive first team and special teams second team.

P BryceBenekos UTEP Sr.ST AshlanDavis TU Jr.

lead of the morning at 26-11. Toiaivao had a career game, dropping in 17 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and swatting five Golden Bear shots. In the second the Bears went on their own run, scoring 14 points to pull them within two, 45-43. After the ‘Bows pulled away once again, a 3-pointer from Cal’s Kristin Iwanaga and a basket by Renee Wright put the Bears back within one, 60-59, with less than six minutes remaining. Bolla said he wanted his players to “want the ball” in a clutch situa-tion coming down the stretch. Abele did just that, hitting a 3-pointer, and sophomore guard Janevia Taylor sank a jumper with 1:48 left in the game to put the ‘Bows up for good, 67-64. Bolla went on further to describe that he wanted his players’ mentality to be “‘I’m going to get the shot, I’m going to make it,’” and if the shot does not go down that “‘I’m going to get the rebound.’” The Rainbow Wahine next play Southeast Missouri State in the Waikiki Beach Marriot Invitational Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

sports | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 | Ka Leo O Hawai‘i | page 9

jamm aquinO • Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i’s julian Sensley goes up strong against Southern illinois’ Randal Falker in the first half. The Rainbow Warriors won the game, 66-64.

Wahine: Blow 15-point first half lead

From page 9

‘Bows slide by salukis to avenge spring loss By scott Alonso

Ka Leo Staff Writer

It was time for payback. The University of Hawai‘i men’s basket-ball team and Southern Illinois faced off earlier in February of this year in the ESPN Bracket Busters. Vying for a trip to the NCAA tournament, these teams squared off in Carbondale, Ill. The Rainbow Warriors lost that game, and any chance of capturing an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament last season. “The game was stuck in my head as a game we could have won,” Warrior senior Jeff Blackett said about last year’s loss to the Salukis. The story on Monday was quite different — the game was in Honolulu, not Carbondale, the ‘Bows had new home uniforms, and there was the ascen-sion of junior Julian Sensley as UH’s go-to guy. All the factors resulted in a reversal of fortunes as the Rainbow Warriors defeated the Salukis 66-64. Both teams entered the contest without a loss, Southern Illinois com-ing off a Las Vegas Invitational cham-pionship and sitting pretty at 4-0. UH had wins against Mississippi Valley State and Coastal Carolina which had them at 2-0. Behind Sensley’s double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds and Vaidotas Peciukas’s game-clinch-ing layup and free throw in the final minutes of play, the Warriors handed the Salukis their first loss of the year. Matt Gibson finished with 11 points and Blackett had 10 as the Warriors improved to 3-0. Sensley exclaimed that the team “could have lost” without the layup by Peciukas with 43 seconds left in the game. Moments before that basket, Stetson Hairston’s 3-pointer gave Southern Illinois the lead with

a 1:05 left in the game. Peciukas said he “didn’t see anybody open, (the defender was) too close to me, (so I) went down the middle,” and that led to the bucket putting Hawai‘i back on top 65-64 for the win. Southern Illinois showed no signs of relenting against the ‘Bows. In the first half, the Salukis started strong against the Warriors, with the help of four of Darren Brooks’s game-high 23 points. Southern Illinois had a four-minute run, giving them an early 11-2 lead. UH then went on a streak of their own that ended with a Sensley bucket and free throw that tied things up at 11-11 with 12:04 left to play in the first half. A Bobby Nash 3-pointer at 6:04 broke another tie, giving the lead to Hawai‘i 24-21. A dunk from the left lane by Matthew Gipson brought the crowd of 5,539 to its feet and increased UH’s lead to 26-23 with 4:55 left before intermission. As half-time approached, a pair of Gipson free throws with about a minute left would give Hawai‘i its final points of the half and the lead of 34-29. Sensley led UH with 10 at the half while Blackett added six. Although the score gave UH the lead, Sensley commented that the team was not used to the style of play of Southern Illinois. The Salukis forced the ‘Bows to commit 12 turn-overs in the first half, mostly from the pressure of their man-to-man defense. Regardless of the defensive inten-sity displayed by Southern Illinois, UH opened the second half running on all cylinders. Sensley hit a 3-pointer at 15:38 in the second half and increased the Warrior lead to six, 39-33. Baskets by Hairston and Brooks cut down the lead of UH to 43-41 with about 13 minutes left in the con-test.

Moments later the Salukis took the lead by a Jamaal Tatum 3-pointer. They now led 44-43 with 12:48 remaining in the half. With less than five minutes to play, the last bucket Sensley scored set the tone for the end of the game. Off a Jake Sottos misfire, Sensley fought for the offensive rebound and put back the bucket that tallied his total points to 17. This put Hawai‘i ahead 58-52 and set them up down the stretch. The Warriors, for the game, got more offensive rebounds than Southern Illinois, 14-11 and scored 18 second-chance points. Those buckets, including the one by Sensley, allowed Hawai‘i to keep fighting down the stretch against Salukis. Hawai‘i coach Riley Wallace com-mented that his team wanted to “take advantage of our size” and fight for the boards on both ends of the court. Wallace said that if Southern Illinois had won, “they would have been in the top 25.” The ‘Bows go on the road to take on Saint Louis on Saturday. They return to the Stan Sheriff Center on Dec. 11 when they challenge Saint Mary’s (Calif.) at 7:05 p.m.

For more opportunities and UH-related events, visit our Web site at

www.kaleo.org.

COMICS & CROSSWORDPage 10 | Wednesday, December 1, 2004

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

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All caps and/or bold will add 25% to the cost of the ad. Place an ad in four (4) consecutive issues and receive the fourth ad free!Deadline: 3 p.m. the day before publication.Payment: Pre-payment required. Cash, in-state checks, money orders, Visa and MasterCard accepted.

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SOLUTIONS FOR 11/30/04

FEATURES | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 | Ka Leo O Hawai‘i | Page 11

Winter ocean brings festivitiesBy Jessica Yeh

Ka Leo Staff Writer

Whilepeopleonthemainlandarebundledinscarves,skiingandiceskating,hundredsofsurfersareintheirboardshorts,strappingonleashesandjumpingintothewarmPacific.Winternotonlymarkstheovercrowdingofshoppingmalls,butkicksoffthepackedlineupsinthewater. Holidaysareatimeforfamily.Theoceanisoneofthebestplacesforfamiliesandfriendstocometogether.AndthankfullytherearenumerousareasinHawai‘ithatallowyoutosurfwithpeopleofanylevelonanyboard. Asklocalsurferswhat’sontheirmindsduringthemonthsofNovemberandDecemberandthey’llprobablytalkabouttheNorthandWestshoreswells.ThefirstwinterswellshavealreadybeenhittingtheNorthShoreofO‘ahu,justintimeforseveralAssociationofSurfingProfessionalscontests. Everywinter,theNorthShoreiscrowdedwithprospracticingfortheTripleCrownorjustsurf-ingforfun.PhotographerscrowdEhukaiBeachPark.Onanygiven

dayyoucanseeBruceIronsgetbarreledorKellySlatereatingattheTacoBellonKapahuluStreet.Withmanyoftheprosstayingontheisland,thereareusuallyauto-graphsigningsandpartiesfeatur-ingthem. TheO’NeillWorldCupatSunsetBeachissetforthismonth,withcompetitionshelddependingonwaveheightsandconditions.AndtheRipCurlProatBanzaiPipeline,withawaitingperiodofDec.8-21,finishesoffthethree-eventseries,wherethewinneroftheTripleCrownisnamed. WatchingacontestatPipelineorSunsetisanamazingexperi-encebecauseoftheleveloftalentdisplayedinthewater.Formoreinformationonthecontestvisitwww.triplecrownofsurfing.com. Beforepaddlingout,makesuretocheckthewavesizeandcondi-tionsatwww.surfnews.comorcall596-SURFforanaccuratereport. SurfingisadominantpartofcultureinHawai‘i.Andthankfullyitcanbeintegratedintotheholi-dayseason,whetheritbesurfingwithyourfamilyandfriendsorwatchingtheprosdoit.

Hanukkah, Kwanzaa rich in holiday spirit

By Darlene Dela CruzKa Leo Staff Writer

AmidstthehustleandhypeofChristmas,othertraditionscel-ebratedinthemonthofDecemberseemtogetscantmainstreamatten-tion.KwanzaaandHanukkahareamongthesecelebrationsnotoftenmentioned.ButtheseholidaysarejustasrichinspiritandhistoryasChristmas.

Hanukkah

Alsoknownasthe“FestivalofLights,”theeight-dayJewishcele-brationofHanukkahcommemoratesanancientmiracleandthecourageoftheJewishpeopleduringahis-toricalperiodofoppression. AccordingtoChabad.org,aWebsitefoundedbythelateRabbiYosefY.Kazen,akingnamedAntiochruledoverIsraelmorethan2,001yearsago.AntiochimposedharshtreatmentontheJewsinIsrael,forbiddingthemtopracticeJewishcustoms.Unwillingtogiveuptheirreligion,someJewsbandedtogetherandbecameknownastheMaccabees. TheMaccabeesfoughtagainstAntiochandhisforcestoreclaimtheirreligionandtheirtempleinJerusalem,andtheywereeventu-allyvictorious.Uponwinning,theyfoundonlyoneflaskofoiltolightthetemple’scandles.Miraculously,theoneflaskofoil,whichshouldnothavebeenenoughtokeepthecandlesburningformorethanonenight,keptthelightlastingforeightdays.ThatmiracleisthebasisoftheHanukkahcelebration. Hanukkah,whichmeans“rededi-cation”inHebrew,iscelebratedbythelightingofthecandlesonacandleholdercalleda“menorah.”Oneacheveningoftheeight-daycommemoration,acandleislitandtraditionalHebrewblessingsaresaidduringitslighting.Storiesandreflectionsaresharedafterthemenorahislit,andchildrenaregivenHanukkah“gelt”orcoins.Chabad.orgexplainsthatthesecoinsnotonlyserveasgiftsforthekids,buttheyalsoencouragethechildrentogivetocharity. Hanukkah’sdreidelalsoexciteskidsduringtheholiday.Thistop-liketoyiscarvedwithHebrewlettersandhasitsrootsintheHanukkahstory.InancientIsrael,JewsweresubjectedtopersecutionifcaughtlearningtheTorah,thesacredtextofJudaism.ToavoidbeingcaughtbyGreeksoldiers,the

JewsingeniouslydisguisedtheirlearningoftheTorahthroughthedreidelgame.Today,familiescom-memoratethisfactbyplayingthedreidelgame. TraditionalHanukkahfoodincludeslatkes,adishoffriedpotatopancakesservedinapple-sauce;andsufganiyot,afried,donut-likedessert.FriedfoodsarethemainfareduringHanukkah,astheoilusedtofryHanukkahfoodsservestosymbolizethemiracleoftheoilinthetemple. Thisyear,HanukkahbeginsonDec.7andrunstoDec.15.

Kwanzaa

AnAfrican-Americantraditionrichinreflectionandcommemora-tion,Kwanzaa,whichrunsfromDec.26toJan.1,celebratesthecultureandvirtuesoftheAfricanpeople. AlthoughKwanzaaisafairlymodernholiday,establishedin1966bythechairmanofCaliforniaStateUniversity’sDepartmentofBlackStudies,itsrootsextendfarintoAfricanhistory.AccordingtotheOfficialKwanzaaWebsite(officialkwanzaawebsite.org),“Kwanzaa”istakenfrom

theSwahiliphrase“matundayakwanza,”meaning“firstfruits.”KwanzaaderivesitspurposesfromtheEgyptianandNubianfirst-fruitcelebrationsinreaffirmingbondsbetweenpeople,payinghomageandthanksforblessings,andcel-ebratingtheAfricanculture’spastandideals. TheKwanzaacelebrationcen-tersaroundthe“NguzoSaba,”or“SevenPrinciples.”Thoseprin-ciplesareunity,self-determination,cooperativeeconomics,creativity,collectiveworkandresponsibility,purpose,andfaith.Sevencandlesareplacedinacandleholdercalleda“kinara.”AsingleblackcandlerepresentingtheAfricanpeopleisplacedinthecenterofthekinara,flankedbythreeredcandlessymbolizingtheAfricanpeople’sstruggletoitsrightandthreegreencandlessymbolizinghopetoitsleft. Eachnightacandleislitandthecelebratingfamilydiscussesitscorrespondingprinciple.Eachmemberofthefamilythensipsfroma“unitycup,”andsevenchantsof“harmbee,”aSwahiliphrasemeaning“let’sallpulltogether,”roundouttheceremony.

FEATURESPage 12 | Wednesday, December 1, 2004 Editor: Marlo Ting Associate Editor: Kimberly Shigeoka | (808) 956-3218 | features@kaleo.org

Ka Leo O Hawai‘i

CourTeSy PhoTo

Shoot for the right cameraKa Leo Staff Photographers

Withtheholidayseasondrawingnear,manypeoplegivethegiftofcameras. Inrecentyears,theadventofdigitalphotographyhastakenboththeprofessionalandconsumermar-ketbystormastechnologyadvanc-esandcostsinproductiondecrease.Today,therearecamerasavailabletotheconsumerthatweighafewouncesbutrivaltheresolutionoftop-endprofessionaldigitalcamer-astwoyearsago,withnewfeaturessuchasmovie(MPEG)modeanddirectprintcapabilities. KaLeoOHawai‘istaffphotog-raphersTonyBlazejackandJammAquinowenttoKaimukiCameraonWaialaeAvenuetotestafewofthesenewcamerastoseewhichoneprovedtobetheultimatestocking-stufferforthisgift-givingseason.Herearetwoofourfavorites.

Olympus Stylus VerveKeyfeatures:4.0megapixelresolu-tion,TruepicTURBOprocessorforfastdata-writing,1.8”LCDscreen,Quicktimemoviemode,2Xopticalzoomand4Xdigitalzoom,weatherresistantdesign,direct-printcapa-bilities,usesXDcardmedia,rechargeablelithium-ionbattery,weighs3.7oz.Retailprice:$349.99

Jamm:Thisisagreatlittlecamerawithlotsofvibe.Ergonomically,it’sawinnerandfitsinthepalmofyourhandoryourjeanspocket—perfectfortakingtothefamilyfunctionsortheclubs.Itcomesinsixcolors,withmypersonalfavoritebeingcopper.It’sweatherresistantdesignmakesitidealfor

me,sinceItakemycamerasevery-whereIgo.Andatfourmegapixels,itsimagequalitystandswellwhenprinted. Ididn’tliketypeofmemoryittakes,becauseXDcardsaresmallandeasytoloseinone’spocket.Also,theflashexposureontheVerveisn’tthegreatest.Indoors,theimageswetookweren’tbal-anced.Andthesubjectwaswell-lit,butthebackgroundwasjustadark,underexposedroom. TheCCDsensoroftheVerveproducedwell-balancednaturalskintonesoutdoors.But,asmen-tionedbefore,flashexposurewiththiscamerahasitsweakpoints,andourhumansubjectlookedlikehehadbeenflashedwithhi-beamsintheindoorshot.Thereisnoflashcompensationtolowertheoutput,sowhenusingthecameraindoors,itwillprobablybeagoodideatostandafewfeetbackfromthesubject(s)beforesnappingthepho-tograph.

Tony:ThefirstthingInoticedabouttheStylusVerveisthatitfitcomfortablyinmyhandandgreetedmewithalargeLCDscreenforsuchasmalllittlecamera.Therearefewbuttonstobeconfusedwith,anditiseasytouseafterjustafewminutes.TheautofocuswasnoticeablyslowerthantheCanonSD20,andevenmissedfocusonafewimagesIshot.Theproperlyfocusedimagesweresharp,butforouroutdoorcomparisontheOlympusalsoseemedtobeflash-happy. Forindoorshots,subjectslookedblownoutastheflashwastoohotforourliking.Becausethesefea-turescanbeadjustedontheCanon,

thisiswheretheversatilityoftheSD20shines. IagreewithJammthattheselittleXDmemorycardsareveryeasytolose.ButtheCanonusesasimilarcardcalled“SD;”anditappearsasthoughmostcompactdigitalmanufacturersaremovinginthisdirection.Myadviceistobuyonewiththelargestmemoryyoucanfindandkeepitinthecameraasmuchaspossible.Canon Powershot SD20Keyfeatures:5.0megapixelreso-lution,Canon-producedDigicIIimageprocessor,1.5”LCDscreen,moviemode,6.5Xdigitalzoom,direct-printcapabilities,usesSDcardmedia,rechargeablelithium-ionbattery,weighs3.53oz.Retailprice:$349.99

Tony:TheCanonPowershotSD20isagreatlittlecamera.Thehighresolution5megapixelsensorallowsforlargerprints,andthe6.5xzoomsmokestheOlympusVerve’s4xzoom.TheSD20alsoallowsforarangeofsettings,fromshutterspeedstowhitebalancetoflashsettingsthatcanmakeyourphotosalittlemoreinteresting,dependingonyourknowledgeofexposuresettings. EventhoughtheLCDscreenissmallerthantheOlympusVerve’s,IcouldeasilyseetheimagesIshot.Theautofocusisfastforsuchasmallcamera,andtheimagesweretack-sharp.Thecamerapicksmulti-focuspointsthataredisplayedontheLCD,furtherallowingyoutocreativelycomposeyourimages.TheonlybadthingIcouldsayabouttheSD20isbecauseofitssizeandshape,itcanbealittle

awkwardtohold.Andyouhavetobecarefulnottodropit.Otherthanthat,it’safantasticlittlepointandshoot.Justdon’tmistakeitforacellphoneandrubyourearalloverit.

Jamm:Itisquiteremarkableforacameraofthissizetoproduceimagesthatarefivemegapixels.That,combinedwithitsrevolution-aryDigicIIprocessingengine,whichisthesameprocessingengineusedinthecamerasweuseforwork,makestheSD20aheap-ingbundleoffeaturesinatinypackage.LiketheVerve,theSD20alsocomesinanarrayofcolors.AndtheSD20isastinyastheycome,weighinginatamere3.5oz. IactuallyliketheexteriordesignoftheSD20abitmorethantheVervebecauseithasaslim-merprofile,whichmeansthatyoucanprobablymistakeitforacellphoneinyourpocket.It’sgreatindoors,producingwell-balancedflashexposures.Andtheauto-focusbehavesmuchsimilarlytoanSLR(singlelensreflex)camera,likeitscousin,theRebel.Outdoors,theSD20producedimageswithabittoomuchcontrast,butnothingyoucan’tfixinPhotoshop. TheonlythingIdidn’tcareforintheSD20wasitsfragility.Thoughcompact,itdoesn’tseemtohavetheconstructiontowithstandaheftyamountofusage.Thismayposeaproblemforthosewhobuyalittlecameraforitsconvenienceandeaseofcarrying,butbreakitduetomixingitupwithcoinsorotherobjectsinthepocket.

THE VERDICT

Jamm:I’dgowiththeCanonSD20.Its5megapixelresolutioncombinedwithmorebalancedexposureandextensiveexposurecontrolswouldprovidehigherqual-ityprints,bothonthecomputerorprintedatyourlocalphotolab. Thisstellarlittlecamerawoulddefinitelymakecapturingthosetreasuredmomentsthisholidayseasonablast,andwhatbetterbrandtochoosethanacompanythat’sbeenatthetopofthedigitalphotographymarketsinceitsbegin-ning.

Tony:IftheOlympusStylusVervewere$100cheaperitmayhavebeenacompetitor.Butataneven$350apiece,theCanonisclearlythebettercamera. Mostcameramanufacturerswantyoutobelievethatmega-pixelsarewhatmakeorbreakacamera,whichisnotentirelytrue.VersatilityiswhatIlookedforintheselittlepointandshoots,andtheCanoncamethrough.Theextramegapixelissimplyanaddedbonus.Allsaidanddone,theSD20isanamazingcompactdigitalcam-eraandwouldbeaperfectgiftforthatspecialperson.

Foradditionalinformationonthesecamerasandmore,visitNeilandPatatKaimukiCamera,3622WaialaeAvenue,orcallthemat(808)735-5955.Supportyourlocalcamerastore!