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Breathless in the Beltway

Washingtonian magazine lifted the eyebrows of those glancing at the cover of its current issue, showing a photo of Barack Obama shirtless and in a swimsuit during his December vacation in his Hawaii hometown. The magazine rated Obama as No. 2 — “;Our new neighbor is hot”; — among the 26 reasons to love living in D.C. Include the coolness of the new POTUS as a reason to love living in his native state.

GO, WARRIORS

Big dreams in NFL draft

Good luck this weekend to the University of Hawaii football players who are getting buzz as possible picks in the NFL Draft.

Among them: Defensive end David Veikune, long snapper Jake Ingram and former cornerback Ryan Mouton, who have shown their stuff in front of Hawaii fans over the past few years. Here's hoping they'll get to join other pro players with Hawaii ties and show their stuff before national audiences.

THINK WARM

A trip not destined for memory lane

In these cut-back economic times, it's time to get creative.

New York Times columnist Michele Slatalla and her family arrived at the clever decision to take a staycation from their San Francisco Bay area home, with a bit of aloha inspiration.

“;It's just like Hawaii,”; she said enthusiastically after unfurling blankets at Stinson Beach in Marin County, Calif. “;If Hawaii were free!”;

“;And if Hawaii were really cold and windy,”; her husband said, huddling beneath a hooded sweatshirt. “;And had threatening seagulls.”;

Worse yet, since she works from home, Slatalla found herself working every day of her staycation, on some days for hours. So much for that idea.