All posts by Genevive Bjorn

Politics

Do Hawaii Voters Count in the Presidential Primary?

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[Note added 2/6/2008: Please see an update to this entry at “Hawaii Democratic Primary Caucus February 19”. After Super Tuesday 2008, the political landscape has shifted. ]

Simply put, no. Hawaii’s presidential primary is held on February 19th, well after “Super Tuesday” happens February 5th. To make things even less relevant, Hawaii only holds a primary election for democratic candidates. (For those that are unfamiliar the primary process, there is a great primer blog called “The season is upon us” located at glassbooth.org and a comparison of the leading presidential candidates in both parties on this site at “Super Tuesday: Comparing the Candidates”.)

Republicans are relatively new (and mostly moving over from California) in this perennially blue state. So even if Hawaii’s primary doesn’t count toward choosing the democratic candidate, at least democrats get to pretend their vote counts at the ballot box. Would-be republican primary voters have to sit it out completely until the real deal happens in November.

Even then, all of Hawaii’s electoral votes go to the democratic candidate anyway–not that this is meant to be discouraging. But die-hard republicans, whether in the primary or general presidential election, may want to vote elsewhere if it’s important that a vote count. For die-hard democrats in Hawaii, who want a say in the primary, it’s not too late to register to vote (if you’re eligible) in one of the Super Tuesday states.

Career, News, Science

Interview with Mark Hodosh of the Archon X Prize in Genomics

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Mark Hodosh about the $10 million Archon X Prize in Genomics. The interview is published in the January 2008 issue of Nature Medicine. Ten million bucks is a lot of cash, and I wondered why award so much to speedy gene sequencers.

Apparently, the major technical breakthrough needed to make personalized medicine a reality is what is at stake. Personalized medicine means a fundamental shift in the way people are treated. Instead of reacting to symptoms and diseases with drugs and procedures, doctors will be able prevent disease altogether. Think of it: proscriptive not prescriptive medicine. That’s like knowing your car will break down before it does because a warning light goes off.

Compared to how many billions of dollars prescriptive medicine costs us each year, 10 million to get us a closer to personalized medicine seems like a bargain.

Dining, food, Lifestyle, Travel

Places to Eat in Kihei Maui

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Kihei, Maui is famous for long stretches of sandy beaches, golden sunsets and an abundance of vacation rentals. What are the best places to eat?

I’ll start with the disclaimer: This is a local knowledge list written with a bias for great food, low prices and hole in the wall joints. Mainland chain restaurants aren’t included. So if you’re looking for details about Cheeseburger in Paradise or Starbucks, this isn’t the place to find it. The local yellow pages is your best bet since all of those places pride themselves on being the same.

Where to Eat in Kihei

Let’s start with breakfast and lunch. My personal favorites are Big Wave Cafe and Stella Blues. Both offer generous portions, reasonable prices and tasty food. You can take the kids. They are located in strip malls so don’t expect a fancy ocean view or upscale wine lists. These are just great places to grab a bite.

For dinner, there are a lot of great choices. Sansei, the upscale sushi bar, offers an early bird special of half-price sushi before 6 PM making these otherwise spendy bites downright affordable. But you have to get there early (as the special name implies). People start lining up well before 5 PM.

Roy’s is another great choice. The food is always top quality and the consistently high level of service is a relief after a week of waving your waiter down. Kids are more than welcome, and they bust out a big toy chest to keep them busy while you sip wines made especially for their cuisine and down appetizers that arrive in only minutes after ordering. Don’t forget the chocolate souffle best accompanied by a glass of Banyuls desert wine. They do have locations on the Mainland and are a chain, but since Roy’s first restaurant was on Oahu, it counts as local.

Cafe O’Lei floats like a glittering island of gourmet in a sea of strip mall take-out joints. The raw oyster bar, fresh fish and groovy vibe means that place is packed solid every night. Make reservations and enjoy your stroll to your table past the less-savvy crowds. Prices aren’t cheap, but the quality is deserving.

Longhi’s is always popular because people like Italian. If you’re really into authentic Italian, however, this is not your place. But they do have a good wine list, and the food will satisfy a craving for a decent pasta but not much more.

Shangri-La By the Sea, an Indian restaurant, recently opened in the Menehune Shores Condo complex. Indian has not been reliable or good in Maui until now. For vegetarians, it’s a dream come true. See my blog entry “Kihei, Maui, Hosts new Indian Restaurant” for more details.

Bon appetit!