Buying the 'right' salsa is always difficult and in a rush you pick whatever is on the shelf...
why not make your own salsa?

Here is an easy to make salsa recipe that always comes out very tasty.
The secret here is to have a sharp knife and the right chiles.

To make salsa for 3 people

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes
1/2 white onion (must be white onion, NOTHING else)
cilantro
salt

*** this ingredient is up to your withstanding of hotness.
chile:
hawaian chili pepper (hot but sweet)
habanero (just plain hot)
jalapeno (sweet at first then spicy)
serrano (just awful, don't even try it)

Directions:

Dice the tomatoes. Cut the tomato in half. Take one of the halves and make small cuts thru the center (about 3). Turn the tomato over on the skin side and cut tru the cuts to make smaller square pieces. If this doesn't make sense... micro dice the tomato getting clean square cuts.
Add into clean bowl.

Dice the white onion the same way you did the tomato. Add to bowl.

Dice the cilantro. Best way is to bunch up the cilantron into a little ball and cut thru. Add to bowl.

Pour tomato juice out from the bowl.
Make sure not to touch the chili with your hands, it will burn for hours.
Dice your chili of choice. Use a small spoon to scoop into bowl.

Mix all ingredients together in bowl and add salt to taste.


*** when choosing the tomatoes pick a red almost ripe tomato. It must have a somewhat hard texture, smell it to make sure it doesn't smell sour. When preparing the tomato, cut the "butt" off and then begin to dice.

Pair your salsa with corn chips and you're good to go.

Happy dipping!!!

Food and drink is the fuel of our mind, brain, and bodies – so it would make good sense to feed the body good food and drink especially during ones college years as it is a time of great potential – for mental, physical, and spiritual growth. Yet, it is clearly evident by simply observing the eating habits of students around college campuses that good nutrition is not always the first priority. On campus at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I find the food options at the food courts very limited in terms of fresh healthful choices. There are many fast food options like Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, as well as Chinese take out, Starbucks, and a handful of other small take out shops. There are some healthful vegetarian stalls located around the campus that offer tasty and healthy fare, though overall the majority of options at UH lean more towards the fast food type fare.

Although I am by no way a nutritionist, I have observed that a large portion of students drink too much soda, energy drinks, and refined carbohydrates such as muffins, chips, and other pastries. It is my belief that if students just take the initiative to change a few habits – big results can happen. If for example, a student stops drinking five or six sodas a week and instead drink more fresh water per week, that student will take in around 1200 less calories and 90 less teaspoons of sugar per week. In addition, that student will stop taking in such acidic drinks which are not good in general for the body, and instead be taking in more alkaline water that has a cleansing and regenerative effect on the human body. Next, if a student skips the 600 calorie muffin full of nothing but sugar, empty carbs, and trans fats and replaces with say a whole wheat muffin with peanut butter, fruit jelly, and a banana, that student should be able to avoid a rapid drop in blood sugar and instead be vitalized with prolonged energy as well as consuming much-need nutrients.

Despite the lack of much healthy eating options on campus, the real problem lies with how students view nutrition and make their food choices. This could be possibly attributed to the fact that many students have hectic schedules with not much time to plan and make healthful dishes or find businesses that serve healthy food that is tasty. With that in mind, I don’t expect that my article will cause a student to greatly overhaul their diet, but I hope that this article will shed some awareness about the issue and perhaps influence a student to make small changes in their diet that can really make a difference in their health and performance at school.

~Jennifer Tsukamoto

Almost every school has their own school newspaper or magazine. At the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Ka Leo is a great way for students to become more involved with the school, know what is going on, and more. The newspaper which is run and made by students themselves is a great way for students to become more knowledgeable about the school in general. Also, it is a useful resource for finding jobs, apartments, and even volunteering. Did I mention that the Ka Leo is one of the most interesting places to work for? Often, as I walk past students or over hear them talking, they complain about how boring and bad the Ka Leo is. I say, if students think that about their own paper, then do something about it! Write for Ka Leo yourself! If you want to read better articles or stories, make a change and do it yourself. When you work with Ka Leo, they pretty much let you write about anything you want, with the exception of having to do some assignments from your editor. But besides, that you’re free to write about whatever you want at your own pace. Only when the article is time sensitive, you have to remember to hand in your work by a certain time to be published. They even pay you for the articles you write. Although the money is not much, it’s enough to cover some expenses such as parking, doing laundry or even buying lunch. In addition, the most important thing someone can gain from having a job at Ka Leo is real hands on experience and your work is being published! You can also work in which ever field you choose to, whether it’s editing, news, sports, or even by having your own column. If you do not want to write, you don’t have to. You can choose to work in photography or even advertising. I use to write for features and really enjoyed it. The work atmosphere is professional but at the same time laid back. The people who work there are all different and unique in their own way, and always willing to help. You have plenty of time to edit your work before it’s published and there’s even advisors you can meet to perfect your article. If you feel that you’re too busy to work consistently throughout the semester you don’t have to. They don’t require you to write every single week, you can write when you want to and send in your work. Ka Leo also provides many connections to internships, scholarships, and even conferences, where you can meet other professional writers. So, if you think you’re a good writer, want to speak your voice, share your ideas on absolutely anything, then, work for Ka Leo! The Ka Leo always advertises about wanting people to write for them, they don’t say it for nothing. Working at Ka Leo is probably one of the most beneficial jobs you will ever have inside school.

-Rainbow Connection Staff Writer

All-Time World Wide Gross

#4 The Dark Knight (2008) $1 billion

All-Time Domestic Gross

#2 The Dark Knight (2008) $533 million #8 Spiderman (2002) $403 million

Recent Surge of Comic-Adaptations

Number of Marvel/DC/Dark Horse comic adaptations 1944-1999=21 films over 25 years Number of Marvel/DC/Dark Horse comic adaptations 2000-2009=29 films over 10 years (From BoxOfficeMojo)

Origin

These figures sure do say a lot, but they are, to be quite honest, quite boring. So if you haven’t noticed the sheer number of comic-to-film adaptations being put out lately, well, now you have. The past 10 years have seen a surge in the number of films based off of comic adaptations. Why? It’s simple, really. Hollywood saw that the comic adaptation could be its next veritable cash cow and it truly has if recent box office numbers mean anything.

It all began with X-Men (2000) and Spiderman (2002). Not the best of the crop but humble beginnings, to be sure. These movies weren’t bad by any means, but they did show that the comic-adaptation could net a considerable profit which was a crucial step forward for the genre. Crucial because this gave Hollywood the incentive it needed to further pursue and produce more comic book movies. After these two movies released studios began buying out movie rights for every comic property they could get their hands on. This is exactly why both X-Men and Spiderman went on to make numerous sequels while opening the door for a whole slew of other comic related adaptations.

Great Power and Responsibility

So with this comic boom, not only were mainstream comics getting the star treatment, but lesser known but equally compelling tales were getting their fifteen minutes of fame as well. The power of the comic-adaptation was growing.

As Hollywood dug deeper into this new found treasure chest of comics they started developing less commonly known stories; two of the more important ones worth mentioning are Sin City (2005) and 300 (2006). Both of these books held within them the most brutally violent and mature story lines ever to be translated to film. And therein lays the first reason why I say that they are worth mentioning; the content of these two books helped to dismiss the stigma that comic books were a children’s hobby, a hobby that some adults just never outgrew. This was a stigma that, no doubt, would have turned away a large demographic of viewers. The second and equally important claim that both these books can make is that they were slavishly faithful to the source material. In both cases Frank Miller, creator of Sin City and 300, played a heavy hand in the production of the films. So, as you can imagine, the films never stray far from the comics.

This new-found fidelity to source material is an integral part of Hollywood’s comic-adaptation behemoth. It was a very responsible choice, both to the writers and the fans. There are hundreds of great stories already out there that are just waiting to make the leap to the silver-screen. Fan-boy ranting aside, the recent crop of comic adaptations has been and probably will continue to be faithful recreations of already beloved comic book arcs.

“It’s not about money… it’s about sending a message.”

Joker, The Dark Knight

Sure, holding box office records does look pretty impressive on paper but even Beverly Hills Chihuahua came out on top its opening weekend. Of course that is not to say that money grossed is not indicative of success. In many cases it is. The point here is that there is an important distinction to be made between commercial and critical success. One does not equate to the other. Furthermore, it is rare to see a film which enjoys both of those successes; most films have one or the other.

Now this is where The Dark Knight (2008) comes in. This is one of those rare films that, as mentioned, have garnered both critical and commercial success. Coming in at the 4^th most money-making movie ever makes this film commercially very successful. But critics, too, found it worthy of their praise. The amount of awards that The Dark Knight has both won and been nominated for is so great that its Wikipedia page suggests a new article be created for it. The tightly woven and highly complex story of Batman’s fall from grace was the first truly brilliant film based off of a comic book. It is easily considered the greatest comic-adaptation ever made and a total testament to the strength of the comic medium as a whole.

The Future

So what does this mean for fans, both old and new? Well, it means a lot if this genre of film keeps up its current pace. The most obvious thing to look forward to is, of course, more movies. On a larger scale, however, fans can look forward to all encompassing “events.” These are story arcs that involve and affect everyone in a given universe, for example, the Civil War event which takes place in Marvel’s canon of superheroes. Now that Hollywood has introduced us to a decent amount of Marvel’s major players they can start to undertake grander story arcs like Civil War. In short, this is the most popularity and mainstream acceptance the comic medium has ever enjoyed and things only look like they are going to get better. It’s only a matter of time before another Dark Knight caliber film touches ground so until then true believers will just have to keep on reading.

Rainbow Connection Staff Writer- Drew Shinjo

Housing is an issue for almost every single college student. Whether you’re just starting as a freshman or a continuing student. Some questions that will most definitely come into mind are, where can I find good housing for a reasonable price? At the University of Hawaii at Manoa, there a number of choices you have to choose from. When it comes to living on campus or off, the school provides “bearable” boarding. When I say bearable, this means barely making it livable conditions for human beings. UH offers quite a few selections for students besides, incoming freshman who are required to live in the freshman towers unless they chose to live off campus. For those who do choose to live on campus, I should warn you to be very wise when choosing where exactly you want to live. Students really need to know the deep dirty secrets of on campus housing, especially because they are paying so much money for it. As an out of state upperclassmen, I have been living on campus for the last three years, but not by choice. The places I have lived so far include, the freshman towers, Johnson Hall, Hale Wainani and Hale Noelani. Students really need to share what they see and what really goes down. The reality of UH living conditions need to be revealed to future students as an eye opener. The experiences I am about to share are all very much true. For the last couple of years there have been some extremely traumatizing moments and events while living on campus. After the second semester of freshman year, I was faced with the fact that I needed to take summer school to raise my GPA. If I had done my work like I planned then I would not have dreaded going to summer school, but as always, things never go as planned. As I signed up for on campus summer housing because my parents refuse to pay for my housing unless it was on campus, fearing my focus of studying would be lost. To my surprise, I got placed into Hale Wainani low rise. As I moved in, got acquainted with my new roommates, and settled down, I thought to myself “This is going to be a great summer.” As the first couple of weeks past, I was just getting use to the heat and dealing with absolutely no cool breeze blowing into my room on the second floor. My roommates and I kept our place very clean. I, myself am a neat freak and need to have everything tidy. We all took turns taking the trash out almost everyday, when ever it got full. But one, day as I came back from class I saw something running around on the ground in our kitchen near our trash bags, I thought “What could it be?” Taking a closer look I soon discovered it was a roach as long as my index finger, and in shock I screamed! You would think that having roaches around the house could be the worst thing that could happen, but guess again. Exactly one week later as I was brushing my teeth, I walked over to our refrigerator to see what I could eat for breakfast. As I was walking, I saw something very tiny and white. It looked like it was some sort of worm, but very short, and it moved kind of at a slow pace. I bent down and looked even closer, soon to find out that it was a maggot! It wasn’t even just one, as I took a look all round the room there were at least one hundred! Everywhere! Especially near the trash can where it was practically empty, it was only one fourth full. It was an infestation of larvae (maggots). I screamed out loud and ran up the stairs, but soon found that the maggots were even climbing up the stairs! It was definitely an emergency situation. So we contacted our RA and the maintenance men, who simply just sprayed some Raid. I mean even I could have done that! But the Raid did not help at all. The maggots were increasing as the hours went by; it was a very frantic situation. Eventually they were all vacuumed up and our apartment air was filled with the fumes of Raid. The smell did not go away for the longest time! People may think this is the worst situation they have ever heard of, but think again. This event only took place during summer session one. I also had the lovely chance of taking summer session two right afterwards. I thought maybe after moving to a new apartment, that event that it could never happen again. Yet, my hopes were just too high. As summer session two started not to far in, the same thing happened again! We once again had another maggot infestation in the new apartment in Hale Wainani low rise. This is probably one of the worst things that could happen to any student. You would think that will all the extra fees we pay for housing and the actual cost itself, UH housing would invest into insect spray or some kind of bug terminators. Where is all our housing money essentially going to? The following year later, I was unfortunately placed into Johnson Hall. Because we had no kitchen in our actual rooms, I thought that nothing worse could happen compared to the events that took place in Hale Wainani. I don’t know what it was, but my fate of ever settling down into decent housing was far away. One morning I woke up to my surprise, my roommate looking at me in serious shock. I asked her what was wrong? She told me to turn around and look at my pillow and the wall. I slowly turned my head to see little black ants or some sort of tiny caterpillars all over my baby pink pillow cover and against the wall. They were everywhere! In disgust I ran to the bathroom and took a shower with steaming hot water washing my hair at least three times. That day my RA had to call Ecolab which deals with pest control, cleaning, and sanitizing. I had to stay in my friend’s room for the next two days, while they were cleaning the room. When I came back I found my blanket was thrown away and the reason for the bugs was the wind had swept them into our room from the trees outside. That same year my neighbor woke up with very bad large bites the swelled all over her body. Ecolab came once again and declared that she had bed bugs in her mattress. She has to leave her room for almost one week. Now that is quite a lot of unexpected things that took place for the worse. After going through a series of unfortunate events, I want to warn students to be very wise when it comes to housing. Although on campus housing may be cheaper than paying off campus rent, it doesn’t mean it is going to be perfect. In fact, the only dormitory that I would actually consider “clean” is the newly built Frear Hall which opened in fall 2008. But the cost of living there is just as much as someone would pay living off campus in their own place with a few roommates. Another negative aspect of on campus housing that it is mandatory for students not living in the apartments to purchase a meal plan. If you like the convienece of having your meals prepared for you, the meal plan is a good idea. But keep in mind that each meal or “block” that you use, even in the cheapest meal plan is worth roughly $8.50. With that much money you spend on one meal, off campus you can find so many great places to eat, where the food actually tastes like real food, not cardboard. If you enjoy cooking, then definitely look into the apartments. But remember no matter where you go there is no guarantee that the place you choose to live is going to be clean or completely, bug free. Overall, on campus housing at UH is not one of the best places to live compared to other universities. But if you have no where else to go, can’t afford anything else, or your parents are forcing you to live on campus, then just remember to be smart about where you want to be staying. If you have the option of living off campus and can handle the responsibilities, then definitely go for it.

In conclusion, I find it so disappointing how over the years, the university has not made that much of an effort to clean up and make renovations to the dormitories, besides the freshman towers which is currently taking place. The student’s needs should be top priority for UH, above all, the living conditions. The money that students pay to live on campus is without doubt worth much more than what the school has to offer.

-Rainbow Connection Staff Writer

Tired of wasting your money on lousy reads? Daunted by the sheer number of comics available? Looking to make the jump into the colorful world of comics but don’t know where to begin? Well, look no further. Ahead you will find reader-friendly books that are worth both your time and your money.

X-Men: Magneto Testament (2008)

What’s it about:

This five-part miniseries is the origin story of Magneto as a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany circa 1944. For those familiar with Magneto this opens up a whole new grey zone for the character as he is infamous for his violence against humans; he survives the Jewish holocaust only to live through a mutant holocaust of sorts. Writer Greg Pak went to great lengths to ensure historical accuracy and it shows. This book reads more like a Holocaust survivor’s tale than a comic book. In fact, save for the title on each of the covers you’d probably never guess that this was even a part of X-Men canon.

Why you should care: This is hot of the press of Marvel’s MK or Marvel Knights line. To be brief, MK is a special division of Marvel’s best tenured writers who are allowed to operate in a zone with absolutely no ties to Marvel continuity. That means two very important things. First, it means these writers have creative reign to do pretty much whatever they want. Second, it means these books require no scribe-like-knowledge of past Marvel events. If you’re new to comics there is no greater place to jump in. And if you aren’t, then I’m preaching to the choir. Oh yea, by the way, IGN gave this the award for best miniseries of 2008 based on the strength of only 3 of the 5 issues (the final two weren’t even released yet!). Yea, it’s that good.

Y: The Last Man (2002-08)

What’s it about: In the year 2002, for reasons completely unknown, every living creature with a Y chromosome drops dead. Every single living male on the planet is wiped out. Well, except for protagonist Yorick, the titular Last Man and his pet monkey Ampersand. Together they travel the globe in search of family and a way to save mankind. No small feat when you consider that every infrastructure known to man has been crippled.

Why you should care: RevolutionSF.com says “This is why God created comic books.” Writer Brian K. Vaughn won the Eisner award (think Oscars of comics sans the fame and fortune) for this in 2008 when the series came to its conclusion. He now writes for JJ Abram’s hit television series Lost. I’ll be the first to admit that yes, sometimes reading about superheroes saving the world can get a bit, well, comical. Capes and spandex aren’t for everyone, not even me, which is why the plausibility of everything contained within these pages is such a breath of fresh air. At 60 issues or 10 trade paper backs this series is quite an investment, both in money and time but I assure you, it is worth every penny and every second. Ever wish you could read a book for the first time again? It’s one of those.

Joker (2008)

What’s it about: For reasons unknown and totally irrelevant, the Joker is released from Arkham Asylum. This appropriately ultra-violent stand-alone graphic novel follows the Joker’s rise back to his rightful throne as Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime. Narrated by one of his low-level thugs, this book is the ultimate case study into the psyche of the twisted mind of the Joker.

Why you should care: Was your mind blown away by Heath Ledger’s performance of the Joker in The Dark Knight? Of course, it was. So this should be a no-brainer. For fans of a disturbing and twisted take on Batman’s archenemy, this one has got your name all over it. Winner of IGN’s best original graphic novel of 2008 this is easily one of the most gut wrenching books you’ll ever lay hands on. More Hannibal Lecter than Saturday morning cartoon special this book is not for children or the faint of heart. It is a brutal look into what makes the Joker tick. And while Batman only makes a brief appearance in this book his stock in comicdom immediately skyrockets as his heroics are only magnified when juxtaposed by this unnerving take on his greatest adversary.

P.S.

A quick bit of advice for those new to the medium: Follow writers, not characters. Good writing can elevate even the flimsiest of characters to greatness; weak writing can can bring great characters to their knees like a kryptonite bat to the teeth. Plus, it’s a great way to explore books you might have otherwise not read. Either way, you win. Enjoy.

Rainbow Connection Staff Writer-Drew Shinjo

Ladies, looking for an exciting way to work out and make friends? Guys, like seeing girls in tiny shorts and skirts bent over and getting physical? Then roller derby is a sport you need to check out.

Roller derby is a contact sport played on roller skates. It is usually played by women, tough, crazy women who don’t mind a few scrapes and bruises. Roller derby has only recently returned to Hawaii. It used to be popular here in the 50s and 60s and current roller girls hope it will be popular again. Pacific Roller Derby (PRD) is the O’ahu based roller derby league. There are only two teams on this island but they also play against Maui Roller Girls (MRG) and national teams.

PRD will be scrimmaging against MRG on May 17 as they begin training for this summer’s RollerCon. RollerCon is a national roller derby event held in Las Vegas. This year’s RollerCon will be held July 29 to August 2. (Check out footage of the last PRD v. MRG scrimmage here).

Roller derby is a great way to make new and diverse friends. My friend is a roller girl and her teammates are a fun and open group of people from all kinds of backgrounds. If you’re thinking about joining a roller derby team, PRG is always recruiting. Check out their site for more information. You must be 18 or older to join and be able to make it to six practices a month. And it’s relatively affordable, $20 monthly. You’ll also need a roller derby name. Anything goes. Be creative. Some of the women of PRD go by Soviette Suzette, Cookie Cut Her, Axle Greaser, Ophelia Coconuts, and Pulp Vixen.

Watching roller derby can be just as fun as actually participating, and safer. If you like to see people pushing each other or falling down, this is definitely your kind of spectator sport. Not that anyone ever cheers for unnecessary roughness or for anyone to get hurt. It just happens. These women are moving on skates, fast and in a group. Points are scored when a team’s “jammer” laps the other team’s blockers. And blockers don’t mess around. Things can get pretty exciting. Check out this video clip from KGMB in 2007 for a better idea of how roller derby works.

If you’re interested in watching roller derby live, keep an eye on the PRD website for upcoming events and practices.

C, Rainbow Connection Staff Writer

Living on the island of Oahu as a college student can prove to offer interesting choices as far as entertainment. On the one hand you have the infamous Waikiki filled with tourist traps and restaurants. On the other, you have Chinatown and the illustrious First Friday. Now while Waikiki doesn’t at first seem to be the best of choices, there are lesser known specials that could offer solid entertainment for the spending conscious college student. Since the bulk of employment options for college students is usually industry or retail, it is nice to know that almost every bar or restaurant in Waikiki has kama’aina rates as well as discount industry nights. Usually the beverages are not only affordable, but are dirt cheap. Example: Broke Ass Mondays at the Red Lion. Drinks are $1-2 and every night of the week offers certain beverages for a similar price. The Shack has $2 drafts on Thursdays. Kelly O’Neill’s offers reasonable prices as well as open doors until 4am. And while First Friday is also an excellent choice for arts and college nights out, you may find yourself a little lonely on any night other than the First Friday. Bars in Chinatown such as 39 Hotel offer reasonable priced drinks and a lively college crowd, but only if you catch it right. First Friday is by far the big event where you can meet people of your age that are most likely living on the island as opposed to tourists, great drink specials, artsy displays and a whole lot of fun. But any other Friday, or any day of the week for that matter, can prove to be a little dead. So in conclusion, both First Friday and Waikiki have something to offer college students if you know when and where to go.

Nestled down in the heart of Waikiki is one of the few “Mexican” restaurants on the island. With a claiming of the most authentic and tastiest of Hispanic cuisine, The Cucaracha falls short of this false and self advertised reputation. If it happens to be the place where you want to “pre-game” with some margaritas, the restaurant may serve your purpose. Their drinks are average to high priced (to me that’s $10-12 a go) but do carry a decent kick in the pants in a sizeable glass. But that may be where your buck stops. I have been to this restaurant on several occasions always in the hopes that the last visit proved to be a fluke, when in reality, it is the food that is the fluke. Every dish is costly with little to no excitement for your taste buds and the only resonating impression it gives you is later in the day when you can’t leave the bathroom. My first attempt was the fajitas. For over $20 you get undercooked or burned veggies and meat with stale tortillas, limp Pico de Gallo, and one hell of a stomach ache. My cousin had the mole which was equally as bad. It seemed more a thick, brown, tasteless paste that reminded me of something that they’d serve in prison camps. The burrito was also pretty horrifying. The meat was charred, the rice had been sitting, and the beans were cold. Not only did we leave with light checkbooks, hungry eyes, and indigestion, but we also left with a rather disappointed regret in choosing a place that doesn’t even uphold to the true Mexican style of chips and salsa. They give you a set amount of chips and salsa, small portions mind you, and any extra was additional cost. If you are looking to save a few bucks when dining out or looking for any decent quality of food, stay away from The Cucaracha. The last thing I’ll add is that the name means cockroach and it fits perfectly since I do believe there were more cockroaches than happy customers in that restaurant.