Maui man leery of Florida defense law

The horrifying story of the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin has reverberated in distant towns — even Kihei, home to Jason Rosenbloom, who was interviewed by the Reuters news service in the wake of the tragedy.

Rosenbloom recounted to Reuters his own experience in Clearwater, Fla., of being shot in a 2006 dispute with a neighbor soon after the "Stand Your Ground" law was enacted in that state. Police also were quoted in the article to say that the law, which eased rules for using deadly force in self-defense, was never officially cited in the Rosenbloom case. But the Maui man described himself as one of the first victims of the law in Florida.

"Now I live as far away from Florida in America as you can freaking get," he told Reuters.

Remember when geeks were uncool?

They’ve come a long way since the Brushbot, that humble contraption of toothbrush, wires and single battery.

Indeed, the 1,000-plus teenagers who converged Friday and today at Hawaii’s fifth regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition at the University of Hawaii are at an elite level of robot-building.

Beyond the literal nuts and bolts, these youths are learning much about science, engineering, creativity and problem-solving. Anyone who’s seen the intricate projects they come up with would be assured about the future. This we say with awe for their abilities: Blessed are the geek, for they shall inherit the Earth.