Pulpconnection - Addicted to Passions and Pulp

It's time. After years of dragging my feet, I'm making a change to Pulpconnection and switching it over from Blogger to WordPress.

Blogger's been good to me for years, and they keep rolling out new features that have delayed my move. But a few things happened that finally caused the change.

First WordPress version 2.7 was released with its new admin dashboard interface. Now I can actually find configuration settings.

Second, a whimsical after-Thanksgiving Black Friday purchase of the WP Thesis theme got me going. Selecting and modifying a WP them has always been a stumbling block for me, but Thesis made it easy. It's very readable and easy to configure.

The move is still underway but things should more or less be the same. I'm trying to keep all the links and other goodies intact but something will inevitably break.

Speaking of breaking, the domain name for Pulpconnection is fluctuating. Eventually pulpconnection.net will be the URL, but again changes are needed. This blog at pulpconnection.blogspot.com will remain. For now, head on over to Pulpconnection.com to experience the new WordPress version.

Here's a family Christmas card to add to your collection this Holiday.

Technorati Tags: Britney Spears

The online video service VUDU has drastically lowered the prices of their set top movie player box. Normally, a VUDU box goes for $299, but as a Holiday special, the price is now $99. You have to read the fine print though since you also have to purchase $50 in movie credit to get the $99 deal. But in order to watch movies on the VUDU box, you'd have to buy credit anyways so no biggie.

For some background info, read my previous posts about VUDU.

Technorati Tags: vudu

What can I say, but Top Chef contestant Gene is lucky. For the past two weeks, the Hawaii-raised chef has been in the bottom three but has managed to fight off elimination.

In Episode 5, Gail's Wedding Shower, Gene took the lead role for his "New-themed" team and went with a surf and turf sushi that bombed. But yet, Danny was sent packing for his undeniable belief that their team produced a dynamite dish. Just a side note, but it looks like the Top Chef judges no longer boot out the losing team's leader. In the past, the leader of the losing team was an automatic out. This year, it looks like the judges are rewarding those that step up into the leadership role, failure or not.

In Episode 6, 12 Days of Christmas, Gene was fuming for being in the bottom three with his underwhelming dish. Fortunately, in the spirit of the Holidays and since all the chefs helped out Hosea and Radhika whose food had spoiled, no one was eliminated this week. Out of the bottom three, Gene was surely the one who would have gone home.

While I'm no food expert, Gene can cook otherwise he wouldn't be on the show. Only thing is his dishes seem influenced too much by Las Vegas where he works. His creations would wow the hotel and casino guests but not the sophisticated palates of the Top Chef judges. This is where his lack of formal culinary training will hurt his chances of going all the way. But then again, Gene does have that drive, going from dish washer to executive chef, so he is a survivor. But how much luck does he have?

Technorati Tags: television, Top Chef

AIG Hawaii wants to make sure your Holiday season is a safe one and encourages everyone to drive safe. Be prepared. Don't drive impaired, and join the DriveSafe Holiday Pledge.

By taking the DriveSafe Holiday Pledge, you make these promises:

1. I will not drink and drive.
2. If I do drink, I will designate a sober driver or use a taxi.
3. If someone I know is about to drive while impaired, I will help them make other arrangements to get home safely.

As a personal benefit for your pledge, AIG Hawaii has some gifts for you. You can win gas for a year, get free soft drinks at participating restaurants, and each day various gift certificates are given out for Burger King, KFC, and Pizza Hut.

Make your DriveSafe Holiday Pledge today!

Technorati Tags: Hawaii

Starbucks finally fixed their problematic lids with the tight orifice. These lids would simply crush the regular straws forcing you to go big, long, and thick.

The new lids have a hexagonal cut instead of being quartered. Now straws have an easier time sliding in and out of this looser lid.

Technorati Tags: coffee, Starbucks

I didn't know Evian had other products other than expensive bottled water. They have expensive canned water that you spray on yourself!

A great gift to keep calm, cool, and refreshed this year is an assortment of Evian mineral water sprays. A few spritzes of this stuff and you won't be feeling like a scrooge anymore!

Also available at Nordstroms Ala Moana. Never mind the fact that Evian spelled backwards is "naive."

Technorati Tags: gift guide

Earlier in the week we went on a trolley ride to look at the various Holiday lights in Waikiki and Downtown. A caravan of trolleys departed from Kakaako and went through Waikiki and stopped off to see the Honolulu City Lights at the Honolulu Hale.


Was a fun ride (though a little long) and for whatever reason, Darth Maul and some Stormtroppers were at Honolulu Hale.


Think I'll tell our workplace we should arrange this trolley ride for employees and their families for next year.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii

MacHeist is back, packaging up several Mac apps into a sweet deal. This year's deal is just starting over at their Giving Tree.

After signing up, you get access to Synergy and Enigmo. Refer friends and get access to additional gifts. On Christmas day, two more presents will be yours. They've also expanded their online presence so you can follow them on Twitter.

Technorati Tags: Macintosh

While rummaging through old pictures, I came across this one that I thought I posted but can't seem to find. So here's a year old picture of a family grocery.

Wow, not one request for free music from Amazon. Not sure what that's saying? Everyone's too busy to find a tune? No one wants freebies? These freebies suck?

Oh well, offer still stands.

There's always that picky person who's impossible to get a gift for. Here's something to consider. Get him a space shuttle this Christmas (okay, okay, Christmas of 2010). NASA is retiring space shuttles and is making them available for "purchase" if you have $42 million lying around (and an indoor, controlled facility to store the shuttle).

Not only is having a space shuttle cool, but NASA will deliver it to you for $6 million (which is included in the overall $42 million price tag).

Now this would be a very special gift.

Technorati Tags: gift guide

Tapping into the mega kicks consciousness that is KICKS HI, I got a lead identifying Roderick Flemings' "Rainbow Warriors Edition" kicks. These WAC Player of the Week sneaks is a special collaboration makeup between Adidas and Undercrwn, designed especially for Chauncey Billups.

Television commentator, Jim Leahey, says these colorful kicks remind him of old man pajamas but whatever the case, Flemings is on a tear rockin' the C-Billups. So if you're looking to average 25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists a game and shoot 65% from the field, get them now!

Technorati Tags: gift guide, Kicks, shoes, sneakers

Time magazine has their Top 10 lists of just about everything. There's a Top 10 list for albums, gadgets, children's books, movies, and so much more.

Interesting stuff!

Dear readers of Pulpconnection, I need some help to help you. I have a bunch of Pepsi Points, and they expire at the end of December. Yes, I've drank my share of Pepsi, received bottle caps from coworkers, and even rummaged through recycling bins to rack up Pepsi Points.

What better way to start the Holidays than to use these points and buy you tunes from Amazon's MP3 store? Ho ho ho! Yes, with these excess points, I'll get you (qualifying) MP3 singles from Amazon. Check out Amazon's MP3 store, find a single, and post a comment with your request. Oh yeah, make sure I can contact you about your song request.

One song per dedicated Pulpconnection reader and unfortunately not all songs are available for purchase using Pepsi Points. Songs need to say "Get for 5pts" in order to purchase via Pepsi Points. Giveaway ends at any time.

The UH game against Eastern Washington University gave some opportunities to see Roderick Flemings multicolored Adidas closeup. In the first half, the cleanup of a spilled drink included Rod's kicks and at the start of the second half, Jim Leahey and Artie Wilson comment about the Rainbow Warriors edition sneakers.

Technorati Tags: Kicks, shoes, sneakers

What else is there to say? The next Twilight chapter of New Moon is set for November 20, 2009.

Technorati Tags: twilight

Here's another look at the rainbow-colored Adidas of UH's Roderick Flemings.


After wearing these self-proclaimed Rainbow Warriors Edition kicks, Flemings has been on fire, going for 22 points and 13 rebounds against Prairie View A&M then lighting up Eastern Washington for 37 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists.

Chicago State comes to play on Monday night.

Technorati Tags: Kicks, shoes, sneakers, UH basketball

Saturday Night Live Digital Shorts are genius, and Andy Samberg is one of my favorite artists. Check out Andy in this "exciting" video.


You can see more Digital Shorts on Hulu.

Never saw the monster hit Twilight at the movie theaters? Didn't want to be surrounded by oooh-ing and aaah-ing teenie boppers? Here's your chance to read Cracked magazine's shortened (and more honest) version of Twilight.


Pretty accurate I say.

Technorati Tags: twilight

Rice cookers make all the difference in perfectly prepared steamed rice. If you want perfect rice during the holidays and throughout the year, Zojirushi makes intelligent rice cookers that'll do the job.

And there's no truth to the rumor that the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy logic that controls the rice cooker leads to SkyNet, the Terminators, and the Rise of the Machines.

Technorati Tags: gift guide

Recently Amazon released its own app for the iPhone. This app is supposed to give you a better experience shopping at Amazon from your mobile iPhone and includes a feature called Amazon Remembers.

You take a picture of an item you're interested in and upload it to Amazon Remembers. Then the magic happens where Amazon matches the item in your picture with items they sell.

I did a simple test, and it worked! I took a picture of this toy (sorry the pic is so small) for Amazon Remembers to figure out.

Then awhile later, I get an email from Amazon telling me Remembers has found a match. I can view the match in the Amazon iPhone app or using a regular web browser, and the item is also added to Your Lists on Amazon.com. Neato.

Technorati Tags: Amazon

I should have known this bad weather and associated hassles was coming. It all started on Wednesday evening when I fumbled my iPod Nano in my car, and it fell into an open cup of water in the drink holder.

That night while doing dishes, I unknowingly got a glass bowl into the garbage disposal and started it up. Glass shards all over the innards of the disposal. Spent quite some time picking out the pieces. But it seems like a disposal can handle some glass.

Then of course, that night started the heavy rains and for us, power outage(s).

Thursday driving to work in the raining torrent was fun only to find that there was no power at work either.

Hope thats the end of it.