HAWAII BOUND

The weather is warmer for Republicans

Maybe it's a sign of things to come—maybe not—but the Republicans are coming to Hawaii.

It's not a stampede by any means—yet—just some 168 Republican National Committee delegates huddling in Waikiki for their winter meeting starting tomorrow.

Though Gov. Linda Lingle is a Republican, few other non-Democratic politicians have had successful runs in Hawaii. In fact, this week's gathering will be the first for the RNC, which for years declined to bring its meeting here.

But with last week's political shift that started with Massachusetts' Scott Brown, perhaps Republicans will be enjoying a warmer reception. And we're not just talking about Hawaii's climate.

IT ADDS UP

Gender gap in math a cause for anxiety

Little girls may learn “;math anxiety”; from female teachers who lack confidence in their own skills, according to research that sheds light on a persistent gender gap in math achievement. The study of first- and second-grade students, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reinforces the need for elementary school teachers skilled in all subject areas. Young students tend to model themselves after adults of the same sex, and having a female teacher anxious about math reinforces the stereotype that boys are better at math than girls, the researchers concluded.

IT'S DIVINE

Korean comic book star a hero to us

A movie based on a popular Korean comic book hero is about to begin production, and that is great news for Hawaii. The film will feature Korean miniseries star Il-Kook Song as Divine Hero and former K-pop singer Jung Ryu-Won as his girlfriend. The producers expect to spend up to $400,000 here in late February and include lots of Hawaiian scenery in the film, possibly helping boost tourism to Hawaii from Korea, which already sends us 50,000 visitors a year.