Kids get primer on pumpkins

It’s never too early to start planning for Halloween, and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, in partnership with the Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Garden, is offering a two-part keiki workshop on growing your own pumpkin to harvest and decorate in time for the Oct. 31 holiday.

At the first session at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, kids will learn about the pumpkin’s life cycle and its "unthirsty" or xeriscape characteristics, complete a "funbook" and enjoy a storytelling session before planting pumpkin seeds on the garden’s "Pumpkin Hill" and in a starter pot to take home. A session for harvesting and decorating will be Oct. 29. The cost is $5. Advanced registration is required; call 748-5363 or email tours@hbws.org.

PEOPLE

2 surviving Doors visit Morrison’s grave

PARIS » Former members of the Doors marked the 40th anniversary of the death of Jim Morrison Sunday by lighting candles at his grave in Paris.

Morrison, the rock band’s lead singer, known for his partying lifestyle, died on July 2, 1971, at age 27 of heart failure in Paris, and his grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery remains a pilgrimage site for fans.

On Sunday, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger lit candles at the grave of Morrison, who was known by the nickname "The Lizard King."

Fans also paid homage at his grave by leaving flowers. Some wore black T-shirts containing a white drawing of Morrison’s face and the words "40th anniversary."

Radiohead ‘testing’ Chinese Web presence

HONG KONG » Radiohead has taken a tentative step into Chinese cyberspace, even though the British rock band has been critical of China’s human rights record. Radiohead recently launched a page on the "weibo" site of leading Chinese Internet portal Sina.com. "Weibo," which translates as "microblog," is the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

The band has posted only a single message — "testing the weibo" — but that item already has been reposted nearly 10,000 times.

Radiohead’s testing of the weibo platform highlights the dilemma facing foreign acts eager to tap the massive potential of the Chinese market because they must be willing to subject themselves to some degree of censorship.

The band’s appeal in China is clear from the big following its weibo quickly drew. The website now has nearly 49,000 followers and its terse first message, posted Friday, has drawn 3,800 comments.

Other western celebrities to set up weibo pages include Tom Cruise, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and NBA players Ron Artest and Kevin Garnett.

DeMint pens book on tea party faction

COLUMBIA, S.C. » U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint is releasing a book discussing the roots of the tea party crusade and his hopes for the movement in 2012.

"I believe that the 2012 elections may be our last chance to stop this insanity of spending and borrowing and debt," DeMint said. "I’m trying to recruit more Americans with this book."

In "The Great American Awakening," out today from B&H Publishing Group, DeMint describes the rise of America’s tea party movement — which he helped foster — and the contentious Republican conference meeting that he said made him realize he was ready to battle his own party in the wake of Democratic victories in the 2008 elections.

Writing a book often precedes a run for higher office, but DeMint said "The Great American Awakening" is no portent of future ambition. "I’ve got a pretty unique role here in the Senate," he said. "If we’re not able to elect a large, new group of conservatives, it almost doesn’t matter what kind of president we have."