WHAT A PUZZLE

Rubik's Cube turns 30, boggling our minds

Hey, remember Rubik's Cube? It was 30 years ago this month that the colorful mind-bending, multi-dimensional puzzle was unleashed in the United States by Ideal Toy Co., quickly gaining legendary status and earning for itself the “;Toy of the Year”; award. It had been available for three years already in Hungary, where it was known as the Magic Cube. But Ideal Toy rebranded it for America and the sales went wild. Its inventor was architect, designer and university professor Erno Rubik, of Budapest, who now is enjoying his retirement but continues to design games and help young designers.

IN MEMORIAM

Get the most out of those leis

High school graduates overflowing with lei can do a good deed by donating their nicest, freshest ones to adorn the graves of veterans this Memorial Day. Officials expect such a shortage of lei for graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery that they are willing to accept gently used leis, as long as the blossoms are still fresh. Lei can be dropped off until noon today at any Oahu fire station.

SIMPLE CONCEPT

Hawaii would be mighty fine, and warm, site for 2014 Pro Bowl

Now that it's decided that the 2014 Super Bowl will be in northern New Jersey, Hawaii is looking mighty super — weatherwise — to host that year's Pro Bowl.

Follow if you will: 40 degrees is the average February high temperature in East Rutherford, N.J., site of the 2014 Super Bowl, shown at left. The low is 24 degrees. Brrrrrr. As one columnist put it, the big game will be “;on the potentially frozen tundra of northern New Jersey.”;

Warm, sunny Hawaii looks awfully inviting. For NFL players just done with the Super Bowl, coming to Hawaii the following week for the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl would be welcome.

After being in Honolulu for 30 consecutive seasons, the Pro Bowl was held in Miami this year. The event is already scheduled to return to Hawaii in 2011 and 2012. After that …