On Monday, May 12th, the United States Postal Services (USPS) is raising postal rates. The new rate for a first-class letter will increase from 41 cents to 42 cents. Flat-rate Priority Mail envelopes will increase from $4.60 to $4.80. High fuel prices are the likely reason for the rate increase. The rate increases effect all parts of the country equally, including Hawaii and Alaska.

One way you can hedge against the rate increase is to buy a stockpile of “forever” stamps. These are available at most post offices, and basically, don’t have a price printed on them. This means that they will be accepted forever, regardless of future rates.

For more details about the postage rates increase, visit usps.com.

How can someone construct a solar powered oven locally? This really good question came from a reader of this blog in response to the post Solar Powered Cooking Oven. There are several good resources on building your own solar oven, and I’m going to summarize them here.

Start with a Black Box

Any kind of non-toxic, non-shiny waterproof box will work. A box with suitcase-size dimensions will allow you to use a medium-sized baking pan that is about 9 by 12 inches.

Next you will need to paint it black with a food-grade, heat-resistant paint. In a poor country, I’m not sure where you can readily find this kind of paint, but most hardware stores in developed countries sell oven paint. Paint the inside of the box thoroughly, air dry and give it a second coat. Air dry until the pain is cured and all of the gases are clear.

Add a Glass Lid

The glass lid does a few things: keeps the heat in, traps moisture and keeps critters out. Attach the glass to the box with a hinge on one side so that you can easily lift the lid. On the opposite side, attach rubber feet so that the glass will seal when closed. Finally add one or two small screw hinges or clamps that firmly hold the lid closed.

Reflectors

The reflectors gather the sunlight and focus it into your black box. You can use any sturdy outdoor material (i.e., plastic, wood, metal) as long as it’s waterproof. Cut four pieces, one the length of each side of the box and attach them to the top of the box. Cover them with a shiny, reflecting material. Aluminum foil or paint will work. Just make sure than reflecting surface is smooth and shiny.

Accessories

A few optional items will make the oven easier to use: a thermometer inside the oven, carrying handle, a swivel tray inside the box and an adjustable leg to raise and lower the oven to match the angle of the sun. If you can’t find these, the oven will work without them.

However, you need a non-reflective pan for cooking. It can be glass, cast iron or even teflon just as long as it’s not shiny. A shiny pan will reflect the heat away from your food, which defeats the purpose.

Alternatives

Another reader in India mentioned that she uses a parabolic cooking dish like the one shown above to capture sunlight and slow-cook food. You cannot fry or bake on high heat, but the design is much simpler. It is literally a curved dish with the depression in the center. So if you can’t find the materials locally to make your own solar oven, try a parabolic cooking dish.  You might even try recycling an old satellite dish, cover it with reflective material and voila!

Good luck and let me know how yours turns out!

Solar cooking ovens are an inexpensive and easy way to make every day Earth Day. Since I have owned mine, I have experienced lower energy bills, reduced carbon footprint, a cooler kitchen during summer, set and forget cooking and delicious tasting food. They are inexpensive, low-tech and downright amazing.

I live on solar power (”off grid”) and recently asked my in-laws for a new solar cooking oven as my Christmas gift. I initiated my new solar oven with a batch of dark chocolate brownies. The oven works better than I expected.

There are many good brands of solar cookers on the market that range in price from $100 to over $400. My solar oven came from Sun Oven and cost about $300. It was really simple to set up and very easy to use. Like regular ovens, you can use a solar oven for cooking, baking, braising and heating water. It will heat up to 450 degrees.

Set Up

The first step is to unfurl the reflectors and secure them with the built-in pin. Next position the oven so that shadows fall evenly on both sides. Look closely at this picture below. The shadows are not even on both sides. A quick adjustment of the oven to the right would even out the shadows, causing more direct light and a higher oven temperature.

The second step is to adjust the tip-tilt angle of the oven. For this adjustment, you will need to consider the overhead angle of the sun. At higher latitudes, the sun is typically lower in the sky at noon than at lower latitudes. Here in Hawaii during the summer, the sun is almost directly overhead so tipping is not needed. But when tipping is needed, there is a swivel pan inside the oven that conveniently levels itself.

To recap, simply unfurl the reflects, position the oven so that the shadows are even on both sides and tip the oven to match the overhead angle of the sun. The built-in thermometer will gauge the heat as you make adjustments.

Set and Forget

For quick recipes, like brownies that take 30 minutes or less, you can set the oven and forget it. As an devoted foodie, I have been nothing but delighted at how the food tastes - it’s more moist and tender. A solar oven is ideal for braising meats and baking breads. It’s easy enough for children to use, too.

One key accessory is a non-reflective pan, such as one made of glass or cast iron. For baked goods, like brownies, I use a glass pyrex pan as shown below. For meats, soups and stews, I use a cast iron dutch oven.

Plus, the solar oven doesn’t heat up my house. On a hot summer day, it’s possible to use less energy (and save money) by avoiding the conventional oven and extra air conditioning. In Hawaii where our electricity rates only increase, a solar oven will easily pay for itself within a few months.

This big centipede was recently on my deck in Maui. I measured it at five inches long and one inch wide. The tropics support an abundance of life, and Hawaii is no exception.

Unlike other tropical critters, this creepy crawler is not native to Hawaii. Centipedes were introduced by foreigners, along with a myriad other insects including mosquitoes and house flies. And like other alien and introduced species with no natural predators, they thrive and grow big.

Don’t Forget Your Slippahs

Most locals have stories about centipedes. People wince as they recount memories of painful stings, which many liken to injection with a large hypodermic needle. As a result, we always wear shoes outside, shake out bedding and clothing before use — especially if it’s on or near the floor.

My former housemate once threw a pair of jeans on the floor after he changed into his board shorts for surfing. He came back after ripping up some waves and changed back into his jeans. Unfortunately, he put on the jeans without checking for centipedes.

But in his defense, he had just moved to Hawaii from the Mainland and had never seen one firsthand. A big centipede, like this one on my deck, was inside and stung his leg from thigh to ankle as they battled over who would get out of the jeans first. He ended up in the hospital.

Up and Dry

Centipedes are known to nest in warm, dry areas, meaning that they crawl up during rain. Since we tend to have a lot of rain in Hawaii, especially in windward areas, I regularly find centipedes hiding under tarps, in plant pots and even under my car tires. I learned long ago not to leave pants, shoes, towels or anything else that I put on my body anywhere near the floor.

However, there is good news about centipedes:  they eat cockroaches!

A recent study shows something that most parents already know: listening to your child helps them solve problems better.

“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” says Bethany Rittle-Johnson, the study’s lead author. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help [the child] understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations.”

Rittle-Johnson believes the new finding can help parents better assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves. Although the researchers used children and their mothers in the study, they believe the same results will hold true whether the person is the child’s father, grandparent, or other familiar person.

Real Parents Agree

The study has support, at least anectodally, from friends with children. Tiffani and Rand, parents of two toddler girls, say, “We have definitely seen this study prove itself over and over again, with both girls, but especially our oldest. It’s truly amazing to see her work through a thought as she begins explaining to us what is on her mind.”

Another mom, Earlene, agrees and adds that “I already believed this based on myself because I sometimes just need to hear myself speak out loud to truly register things.”

Half Listening Doesn’t Count

Parents often need to multi-task: talk on the phone, cook dinner, tap online, navigate around pets, do laundry, and talk to the kids all at once. Getting more done in a short period of time seems efficient, but at least according to this study, it may not help toddlers learn to problem solve as much as giving them full attention.

So what are harried parents to do? Based on these results, make time to sit down and give younger kids both ears. Delegate some chores to older children, hire help, or schedule differently — perhaps throw in the laundry after bedtime or prepare bulk meals in advance so there is less preparation at the end of a long day. However it works out, this latest research indicates its more important to be attentive during this critical phase of development.

On April 22, the Democratic party in Pennsylvania will hold its much-discussed presidential primary. The media feast so far has focused on polls and standings: whose ahead, Obama or Clinton, and by how much. But what about Hawaiians and people from Hawaii living in Pennsylvania? How might they influence the primary?

Island Style

Obama went to high school in Hawaii, which counts among the core factors of being “from” Hawaii. If you weren’t born in Hawaii, but went to high school here, you can still call yourself local, especially if you love spam musubi. Not surprisingly, Obama garnered a high level of support during the Hawaii Democratic primary caucus on February 19 (see related story) and overwhelmingly won the state. So it’s not off the mark to think that Hawaiians in Pennsylvania would likely vote for him there, too.

Ripple or Tsunami?

Since Hawaiians in Pennsylvania seem likely to vote for Obama, what is the potential magnitude of their impact? According to the most recent US Census data, not very much. Only about 2,000 people from Hawaii moved to Pennsylvania during the years between 1995 and 2000. Most of them went to Philadelphia, where other liberals in the state are concentrated. So if anything, they could help Obama win the primary by increasing the turnout and impact of liberal voters in an already liberal area. Theirs would likely be a ripple effect, not a tsunami.

Figure It Out Soon

Whatever the voters in Pennsylvania decide, including transplants from Hawaii, the sooner the Democrats choose their candidate, the better. If for no other reason than to stop john McCain from trailing around unopposed with nothing to do but look presidential. Only the lamest party in history could lose a presidential election that was in the bag.

The 2007 federal tax filing deadline is April 15, 2008. But residents of Hawaii have until April 20, 2008 to file. If you’re going to miss either deadline, you can file an extension with the feds and the state. Just follow these links:

Federal

• IRS forms and publications, including instructions
• IRS extension forms and instructions

Note that there are separate forms for individuals and corporations.

States

• Select your forms by state at the Federation of Tax Administrators (or FTA)

This site has direct links to all state tax forms and state tax agencies. 42 states provide links to filing via the internet, including Hawaii.

State of Hawaii

• Department of Taxation provides tax forms on both PDF and online versions
• State of Hawaii extension forms
  

Hawaii’s eGov.org website contains all you need to file state taxes online, including business taxes, general excise taxes and personal income taxes.

Hana Hou! published my article about Niihau shell leis and the women who make them entitled “Strands of History” in the April/May 2008 issue. The story was 12 years in the making and traces the last leg of my journey from newcomer in Hawaii, here for the sunshine, to insider with a deep and abiding love for the islands and its people.

First Glimpse

I first came to appreciate the intricate detail and amazing beauty of shell leis from Niihau when I attended graduate school at the University of Hawaii. I took a course about the history of the Pacific Islands. One day a woman from Niihau brought several leis, some that looped down to her waist, and explained that the leis tell the history of her people. I was astonished by the leis’ beauty, the tiny colorful shells and her thick fingers; by how much history I never learned on the Mainland, despite being well-educated.

Niihau is off-limits to visitors. Despite my curiosity inspired by that day in school, I was never able to go, meet the Hawaiians who call it home or see the reefs that produce the shells. Instead, I read a few books and hoped one day to earn enough money after graduating to buy a lei of my own and in a small way integrate their history with mine.

Maui Meeting

Years later I moved to Maui. Engaged and in the thick of wedding planning, my dear friends urged me to attend a Hawaiian arts festival with them for a much-needed break. So my fiance and I ditched our wedding planner for a weekend and joined the fun.

The Hawaiian women from Niihau were the center of the festival, literally with tables covered with shells spreading in every direction in the courtyard. I ponied up $60 to make my own pair of shell earrings, the first Niihau shell jewelry I would ever wear, guided in the making by the experienced hands of tutu Ilei. An hour later after painstaking work, I proudly produced a pair of simple earrings made of white momi shells that I promptly dangled in my ears and wore the rest of the weekend.

During the session, my pent up curiosity about the island and its inhabitants spilled out alongside the shells. Ilei told me a few things, explaining patiently the basics of life there — what they eat, how they live, why they gather shells. The picture she painted was of a simple life deeply connected to the land, the ocean and the ancestors.

Money, canned food and wooden houses are involved, but no cars, utility wires or TV. They use horses for transport, but don’t like beer because it smells like horse urine. They brew an especially strong liquor from taro, evidenced by bloodshot eyes. The children speak Hawaiian first, and only a few learn English later. Many straddle the Kaulakahi channel and have lives on both Niihau and the western side of Kauai.

Watch and Learn

For the rest of the weekend, I hovered around their display tables like a bee at a picnic. All of my senses were engaged by these women: the sound of the Hawaiian language spoken fluently, punctuated with outbursts of belly laughter; the sweet smell of flowers and coconut oil in thick black hair; the smooth feel of tiny shells in my palm; the sight of earthy colored shells arranged in spiral and spotted patterns. I soaked it all in, letting my imagination and curiosity off leash.

While pacing a trail in the grass around their tables, I observed the women carefully. As Hawaiians from other islands came to see them over the course of the weekend, I finally understood the meaning of the term “haole” used to describe white people, often in a derogatory way. When these women greet each other or other Hawaiian people, they press foreheads together and exchange breath. In other words, their spirits meet.

I imagined the first Christian missionaries showing up in Hawaii and wanting to shake hands. No breath, no embrace. How strange that must have been for the native Hawaiians! So they called the missionaries “haole”, which literally means lack of breath. Even now when local people in Hawaii meet, they hug in a friendly manner, but the intimacy of Hawaiian breath exchange is not practiced.

While observing this simple and ancient cultural greeting in action over and over, my hands kept finding their way to one particular lei. It was strikingly modern with a design very unlike all the others. Three thick, rope-like strands — each a different and solid color — formed a cascade of lengths. The shortest was a rich cocoa brown, the next a vibrant coral red, and the longest a softly glowing yellow.

This lei was the masterpiece of tutu Ilei’s daughter, Kahealani. She spent the first 15 years of her life gathering the shells and then 6 months stringing them into her own, unique design. It was a coming of age piece that marked the beginning of another generation of Niihau shell lei makers. About to get married and enter a new phase of my life, I felt a strong emotional connection to the lei.

Lei Fever

I tried on Kahealani’s lei about a dozen times. I showed my friends, my fiance, all the women from Niihau and strangers passing by. I imagined wearing it on my wedding day with my gown of the same color as the longest strand. I saw myself passing it on to a future generation. I checked my bank account balance and ran the numbers to see if there was any way to afford it. My hope of one day having a Niihau shell lei of my own was close to being realized, but still out of reach. The price was too high, unless we didn’t want food at our reception.

As the weekend was winding down and the women were packing up, I sat with Ilei under the shade of a palm tree. We talked more about life on Niihau and the struggles facing this small pocket of Hawaiian people. I came to understand how much she loves what the shells represent: her family, her history, her culture. I felt a deep gratitude for the time she spent with me, a curious but ignorant outsider. It was a rare window into another way of being on this planet.

At the very last minute, Ilei slipped me a note note with a price jotted on it. I was surprised and humbled; a discount on Kalealani’s masterpiece is something I would have never asked for. The lei was far too beautiful and valuable. But it was an amount I could afford, and I think Ilei knew that. She told me that the lei wanted to come with me, and it did.

On my wedding day, I slipped the lei around my neck. The smooth shells felt cool against my flushed skin. Years of Kahealani’s practiced calm and patience washed over me. Walking toward the beach holding my fiance’s hand, I exchanged breath with the sky around Maui, as one Hawaiian woman’s history merged with my own.

Obese people with type 2 diabetes who lost weight through gastric banding surgery, according to a recent study, also experienced a reversal of diabetes. John Dixon, author of the study, found these results and more. Gut hormones may be the future of diabetes treatment. I interview Dr. Dixon and write about this recent development in diabetes treatment in the April 2008 edition of Nature Medicine. Check out the full story at www.nature.com/nm .