Pulpconnection - Addicted to Passions and Pulp

Wired.com has an article about geniuses and the different types of a genius. You're either a conceptual or experimental genius. What are these?

Conceptual innovators, it seems, get their Big Ideas out early, many peaking out before they leave their 30's. They can change an industry (sometimes the world) almost overnight. Experimental innovators are those who quietly crunch along, doing creative trial and error but staying largely under the radar until much later, often having no visibility until their 50's or beyond.

An interesting commentary is available at Creating Passionate Users.

What kind of genius are you? Of course, in order to first qualify as a genius, you need to have a Mac laptop of some sort (see the pic).

Google has improved its own web-based RSS reader, simply called Google Reader.

So if you don't yet use an RSS reader, you may want to check out Google's offering. And don't forget to subscribe to Pulpconnection!

Technorati Tags: Google, RSS

Google recently added the ability to embed Google Videos into blogs (just like YouTube's embedded videos). Here's a test.

Featuring the Best Christmas Gift Ever.

Technorati Tags: Google

Fortune magazine reviewed the latest on-line movie services offered by Amazon and Apple. Amazon's Unbox gets two thumbs down while the iTunes Store (and movies) gets a thumbs up for Mac users.

To me, there's an unequal comparison between Unbox and the iTunes software for music and movie purchasing and playback. But oh well... the Apple service got a better review than Unbox, enough said.

Technorati Tags: Amazon, Apple, iTunes Store, movie

Harry Hamlin, who played the hero Perseus on Clash of the Titans, could not conquer the judges and fans of Dancing with the Stars, eliminated on Week 3. In Clash of the Titans, Hamlin defeated the mighty Kraken by petrifying the powerful beast. On Dancing with the Stars, Hamlin danced as though he was frozen by the glare of Medusa.

On the show, the role of the Kraken was played by Monique Coleman who showed the world some of her own crack-en. During her jive, her heel got caught in her skirt, pulling it down for an instant, exposing some crackage. Nothing the FCC should get bothered over. In fact, ABC itself is poking fun at the incident featuring an on-line video of the crackatoa shown on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Great way to diffuse the incident ABC!

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television

The third set of Eminem's customized kicks for charity are up for bid on eBay. The newest Air Max specials are the Air Max 95 and 97.


Sorry, I ain't feeling these at all. Em, I like your music, but your designs are so so. Too much going on for my taste.

Technorati Tags: eminem, Kicks, Nike, shoes, sneakers

Disclosure: I'm a guy, I didn't get a chance to watch last night's third episode of Season 3, and I'm not a dancer. I only got opinions.

Sadly, I don't think a female celebrity will win this year's Dancing with the Stars. A guy will claim this crown for the third time (okay, two and a half if you count Kelly Monaco). Why a guy? It just seems the guys have an easier path to victory cause of the hotness factor.

The hotness factor? Yep, are you hot or not? The beautiful people versus the ugly ones. Though not a beauty contest, Dancing with the Stars features sensuous dances, skimpy outfits, and sultry interactions between the dance partners. How can hotness NOT be a factor?

The women celebrity dancers have the unfair bias of looking good and not just dancing well. Guy celebrities can get away with looking not so good with fancy footsteps or personality (Jerry Springer comes to mind). The female celebrity dancers first have to become comfortable with the dances then in order to go far in the competition, they need to get comfortable with looking good in the outfits. First season psuedo-winner Kelly Monaco mastered the outfits even with her minor wardrobe malfunction, and Stacy Keibler had the hotness factor in Season 2. This season? I don't know who has "it?" Monique, Sara, Willa, or Vivica?

It's easier for the guys to look cool and dance smoothly and rely on his female partner of bringing the hotness. These professional dancers know the game. They know what looks good, they know how to look good. Have you seen some of the candid footage of the dancers practicing? Some of the female dancers look much better when it's time to perform. Karina (Mario Lopez's partner) looks a little scary during practice sessions but respectable while dancing. And how can the celebrity female dancers compete against that? Yes, yes, an unfair comparison but hard to discount.

With that said, Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke have a good chance of winning this year (I know the pair did poorly this week). Emmitt does have dancing skills, and Cheryl is the partner to have. She's the reigning champ bringing it with the Drew Crew, her choreography is exciting, and she's hot (or so says the survey).

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television

The downfall of the cast of Saved by the Bell continues! Last we heard, Dustin Diamond who played Screech Powers on Saved by the Bell was raising cash to save his home. I guess his tee shirt campaign didn't go too well so he needed another source of revenue.

So now meet Dustin Diamond the porn star. Yes, Screech uses his "powers" in Saved by the Smell. (I'm not making this up!) This 40-minute video has the Screechster doing some three-way kinkiness and the mythical Dirty Sanchez maneuver. Yikes!! Saved by the Smell? Dirty Sanchez? I get it now.

The dark reign of Darth Tater continues...

Technorati Tags: potato head, television

Can't believe the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica is coming up on October 6 already. Seems like just recently I was complaining about the late start of season 3...

To catch you up on all the storylines, the iTunes Store is giving away a free 44-minute video detailing The Story So Far.

Still can't get enough BSG? Go over to Sci-Fi.com for a Q&A session with Grace Park. (You know she uses a Mac PowerBook?)

Technorati Tags: Battlestar Galactica, television

An unconfirmed, unofficial list of the top earners of Google's AdSense service.

8. DigitalPoint.com - $10,000 per month
7. Joal Comm - $24,000 per month (author of the e-book What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense)
6. AskTheBuilder.com - $30,000 per month
5. Freeweblayouts.net - $100,000 per month
4. Weblogs, Inc. - $120,000 per month
3. ShoeMoney - $140,000 per month
2. Digg.com - $250,000 per month
1. PlentyOfFish.com - $300,000 per month

Man, I'm in the wrong line of business! Even $10K a month is good. The #1 guy at $300K a month rakes in $10K per day. Me? I'm up to $9.16 since I started. That's 2 trips to Starbucks (even with their raised prices).

Technorati Tags: Google

The radio airwaves are no longer the only place to find great tunes. More and more new material can now be found on the television. And I'm not just talking about theme songs that start the shows. Watch any decent show, and you'll ALWAYS hear music playing during the highest and lowest points of the show. A perfectly matched tune accentuates the mood that makes a good scene, a great scene.

The USA Weekend, Sept 22-24 edition has an article describing how music critics are tuning to television shows. Many new artists are getting a kick start being featured on a television show and TV soundtracks are now popular buys.

The Best Music Picks are from:

1. The OC
2. Gilmore Girls
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Rescue Me
5. Entourage

The Most Promising New Shows:

1. Shark
2. Six Degrees
3. Heroes
4. Knights of Prosperity
5. (tie) Men in Trees and Ugly Betty

Of notable interest of this tunes on television rise is music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. She's responsible for choosing the music featured on The OC, Grey's Anatomy, and Rescue Me and is now working on Shark. Impressive.

After watching the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, I caved and bought the Volume 2 soundtrack off of iTunes. In less than 5 minutes, I was listening to the finest of Seattle Grace Hospital.

Technorati Tags: music, television

The reign of Darth Tater begins.

Technorati Tags: potato head, toys

Made some behind the scene changes on Pulpconnection over the weekend. I've been reading Blogging for Business: Everything You Need to Know and Why You Should Care that has some good recommendations. Following the book's advice, I went back to using FeedBurner to handle Pulpconnection's RSS feed.

FeedBurner offers an enhanced RSS feed that is more customizable and has additional features. To me, FeedBurner's a little confusing with all the options they have, but I'm slowly starting to understand the services they offer for free.

So if you subscribe to Pulpconnection's RSS feed, please do me a favor and update your feed reader with the new URL of:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/pulpconnection

or you can click on the RSS icon I now have in the sidebar area. Still don't know what RSS is or how it's a game changer? If Oprah had to explain RSS, it might go something like this.


Second, if you're not convinced RSS is for you, I also added the ability to get daily Pulpconnection updates via email. Again, thanks to FeedBurner, you can opt in to a mailing list that will send you a single daily email with all the Pulpy updates of the day.

Technorati Tags: blogging, feedburner, RSS

You know you're powerless and can't fight back. What are you going to do now that Starbucks is raising their coffee prices? Stay away or take your business elsewhere? Make your own Frappuccino? Gimme a break! You're addicted to Starbucks' caffeinated concoctions and just seeing the sight of that familiar green logo comforts you. You know it, and they know it.

Starting in October, all coffee-based drinks will go up a nickel and coffee beans will go up about 50 cents per pound. But this price hike is only for Starbucks locations in North America. Hawaii Starbucks falls under their International market so we won't be affected. But then again we're already paying a higher price for our drinks! A grande caramel macchiato here costs $4.11 and only $3.45 in the Armpit of Cali.

Maybe there should be coffee cap law or something to help stabilize the prices?

Technorati Tags: caffeine, coffee, Starbucks

Here's my real life setup for my Mac (a G5 sitting next to my desk out of sight).


Be sure to click on the picture (hosted by Flickr) to see the attached notes. Yes, those are Zip disks.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Macintosh

Just a few pics taken awhile back at La Palme Dor Patisserie. Been sitting on my memory card 'til now.


Yum!

Technorati Tags: patisserie, la palme dor

A good way to end a week.

And if you need a laugh, don't forget about the best Christmas gift ever (also available on Google Video). I still chuckle when watching this.

Technorati Tags: Kicks, shoes, sneakers, Starbucks

After receiving a comment from the Nancy Glass Productions about my Christmas Prank video, I had to take a look at what Nancy Glass Productions is to see if this is a legit request. Whoa! Looks legit with Nancy hosting an XM radio show and previously (weekend) anchoring Inside Edition.

Then found this link about HGTV's Funniest Holiday Home Videos. Maybe some cruel Christmas humor may be making its way to HGTV??

I have to admit that after waiting for the new season of Nip/Tuck to start, I haven't watched a single episode. I even taped over the first episode figuring I could find it on-line. I'm just not in the mood for depressing, demented stories, and after hearing this, I may never watch the show again.

In a future episode, Rosie O'Donnell will be guest starring as a lottery winner who's getting plastic surgery for her entire family. Good old Dr. Troy works his mojo and Rosie and Christian end up doing some "exploratory surgery." While shooting this scene on the set, Rosie's coverup tube top kept appearing in the shots spoiling the footage. The true professional Rosie is, she took off the top and let the girls out. Julian McMahon, who plays Dr. Troy, looked at Rosie and said, "Nice boobs."

Rosie's episode airs October 3.

Technorati Tags: nip tuck, television

As I thought after Week 1, former beauty queen, Shanna Moakler, didn't stick around too long, eliminated in Week 2 of Dancing with the Stars. She did improve a lot from the first week but not as much as the other competitors. I did like her mambo this week (danced to Kris Kross' Jump no less), but it was a safe dance without any risks or excitement. Being paired with a Dancing with the Stars rookie wasn't an advantage either. And really, who is Shanna Moakler? I don't think she has an audience or demographic that consistently votes for her.

Shanna Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Her Goodbye

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television

I couldn't watch the entire two-hour Dancing with the Stars show last night so instead of doing a recap, here's some things I noticed.

• Lots more skin was shown by the ladies this week. I guess cause they were doing the sensual mambo.
• Willa Ford started the show with an exciting dance and all her shaking. Only problem is that going first limits your high score. I think the highest first score you'd get would be an 8.
• Willa's partner, Maxim, looked less scuzzy with his hair relaxed and some facial hair. Could he be the hottest Dancing Star? Be sure to vote in the sidebar!
• Emmitt Smith continues to have fun while dancing and you can see it.
• Did you catch the music to Shanna's mambo? None other than Jump by Kris Kross! Awesome shout out to the old school.
• Don't get Judge Len Goodman upset. Did you see his displeasure with Mario's illegal quickstep? "Do the proper steps! Do the proper dancing!"

• Lastly, Joey Lawrence with the performance of the night getting two 10's. I loved his reaction when getting the scores. Instant flashback to Blossom (only he had hair then)!

If you do want a review, there are good ones available at Reality TV Online and Reality TV Magazine.

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television

Supposedly, Yahoo will be giving away vouchers for free coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. How do you get in on this special? Set your brower's home page to Yahoo.com this Friday, and you're eligible.

How does this work and how would Yahoo know? I dunno, but seems easy enough to do if you want free coffee. But then, where are the Dunkin' Donuts on Oahu? The ones in Pearl City and Kailua closed down. Are there others?

Technorati Tags: caffeine, coffee, dunkin donuts, Yahoo

The September 15 issue of the Pacific Business News has a neato feature of Hawaii's wealthiest zip codes based on 2006 median household income. So now it's official - Mililani residents are loaded!

Here is the top ten of the list (2006 median household income):

1. 96821 Aina Haina, Niu Valley, Waialae Iki ($103,545)
2. 96825 Hawaii Kai, Portlock ($97,091)
3. 96789 Mililani ($81,340)
4. 96734 Kailua ($81,312)
5. 96744 Kaneohe ($81,103)
6. 96707 Kapolei, Makakilo, Kalaeloa ($77,902)
7. 96706 Ewa Beach ($74,396)
8. 96701 Aiea ($74,182)
9. 96782 Pearl City ($73,697)
10. 96797 Waipahu ($72,053)

The list also includes the average annual amount spent on food, food away from home, alcoholic beverages, entertainment and recreation, housing, and transportation. Even though Mililani is ranked #3 by zip codes, residents spend the least on food out of the top 5 zip codes.

An interesting list if you can get your hands on it.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii

After the first week of selling movies on the iTunes Store, Disney announced they made $1 million (which comes out to selling 125,000 movies). Not bad for one week of sales. Disney predicts $50 in revenue over the course of an entire year.

I did my part last night, pre-ordering Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest for $12.99. Although scheduled for release in December, I got some iTunes credit to spare.

Let's hope other studios see Disney's iTunes success and signs on to sell their movie titles on iTunes.

Technorati Tags: Apple, iTunes

After I just got done poking fun at politicians' commercials ending with the silly phrase, "I approve this message," they go ahead and make it work. I've now seen or heard two commercials that end with the familiar "I approve this message," followed by additional words that place this statement in a better context.

Mazie Hirono's most recent television spot ends with her saying, "I approve this message, and I hope you do too" (or something close to that). A previous commercial has her saying "I'm Mazie Hirono and I'm honored to approve this message."

Driving to work today, I heard a radio commercial for Ed Case that had a modified approval statement as well. Unfortunately, I forgot his exact words, but I did like the variation.

I guess someone out there is listening after all.

Eminem's charity auction for his custom designed Nike Air Max kicks is underway and his second set of designs has been revealed.

Slim Shady's initial Air Max 87 and 90 designs are going for about $1000 a pair on eBay, but I think Slim did a better job with his Air Max 93 and Air 180. The white, black, and orange Air 180s are just in time for Halloween.

Still though, I'd pass on these kicks.

Technorati Tags: eminem, Kicks, Nike, shoes, sneakers

I submitted my iPod for Newbies - Count Your Coins post to digg.com to see what would happen. So far, it's been dugg 6 times.

If it's dugg enough, my post may make it to the Digg front page (yeah right). If you want to contribute a Digg, then digg my post at:

http://digg.com/apple/iPod_for_Newbies_Count_Your_Coins

You need a free Digg account to vote though.

Technorati Tags: digg, iPod

This season of Pimp My Ride was to feature Apple products, and Xzbit has kept his word. Here's the pimped out 1990 Toyota Celica with a 17-in PowerBook and an iPod Nano.

The Tabasco Man should submit his "freaking rear-ended" ride to be pimped. Maybe X2theZ will make a special visit!

Technorati Tags: Apple, Pimp My Ride, television

Kim Coco Iwamoto is an at-large candidate running for a position on Oahu's Board of Education on September 23. Who is she and what does she stand for?

Kim Coco is a Civil Rights activist. Translation: she fights for the little people.

Kim Coco is an advocate. Translation: she wants to maximize the educational opportunities for every student and has many ideas on improving Hawaii's public school system.

Kim Coco went to Saint Louis High School. Translation: as a private school alum, she is cocky.

Kim Coco went to Saint Louis High School? Translation: she is a transgender.

Kim Coco is endorsed by the Honolulu Advertiser. Translation: if you're good and worthy, you're good and worthy. Simple as that.

Make your own decisions and be sure to vote in the upcoming 2006 Primary Election on Saturday, September 23.

I started a series about iPods for Newbies in June but never did post a second article. So here we go. This time my advice is to count your coins using Coinstar. The Tabasco Man talked about Coinstar over on Wayne's World back in November 05, but the Coinstar system has made a few improvements since. The biggest improvement being the ability to turn your coins into iTunes goodies!

By getting a gift card or eCertificate from Coinstar you bypass the processing fee of counting your coins, maximizing your precious coins. Coinstar touts eCertificates for several stores such as Amazon, Starbucks (didn't see Starbucks on the Coinstar machine I used), Eddie Bauer, Borders, Virgin Digital, Linen 'n Things, Pier 1 Imports, and Hollywood Video, but to me, getting stuff from the iTunes Store is the best deal. For one thing, several of these stores aren't in Hawaii. Second, shipping costs for on-line purchases will silently steal away from your coin total. While Amazon has all kinds of stuff, shipping to Hawaii is going to cost $10-$20 on average. Lose money.

Now that the iTunes Store offers music, videos, television shows, games, and movies with no shipping costs, this is a great way to fill up your iPod for what feels like for free. Let me illustrate.

Get your jar of coins that accumulates somewhere in your home.

Drop by a market or store that has Coinstar.

Pour your coins into the machine.

Watch the coins start adding up.

Get your receipt and enter the information into iTunes.

Redeem your iTunes Gift Certificate.

And look at your iTunes credit go up!


Not only did you clean out that pile of coins, but you're set for an iTunes shopping spree.

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPod, iTunes Store

...Or the lost art of telling which way an elevator is going. Had to return some stuff at Ala Moana today and as usual, elevators are now an essential part of our shopping trips. I think we were on three elevators today and at all three times, someone wanted to know which direction the elevator was going.

Understanding which way an elevator is going must be a lost art. Okay, I have to admit that it is a little backwards. You push the elevator call button to go up or down, and the button lights up. When the elevator arrives, the button dims. Usually, things light up to get your attention but not for elevator buttons. What does light up is the up and down arrow usually above the elevator door or somewhere thereabouts. If the up arrow is lit then the elevator is going up. If the down arrow is lit then the elevator is going down. Not too hard to understand, or so I thought.

At an elevator three times today, three times someone asks if the elevator is going up or down.

Who do you think is the hottest dancer on Dancing with the Stars? Male or female, professional dancer or not.

Place your votes in the new poll located in the sidebar!

Rules of the Hottest Dancing Star Poll

• You can vote for more than one choice
• Only one voting session per day

Sorry, but the poll could only fit 20 choices so I removed the eliminated Tucker Carlson and his partner Elena Grinenko. Here are quick links to your possible choices.

• Harry Hamlin
• Joey Lawrence
• Mario Lopez
• Emmitt Smith
• Jerry Springer
• Louis Van Amstel (pro)
• Tony Dovolani (pro)
• Maksim Chmerkovskiy (pro)
• Nick Kosovich (pro)
• Jesse DeSoto (pro)
• Monique Coleman
• Sara Evans
• Willa Ford
• Vivica A. Fox
• Shanna Moakler
• Ashly DelGrosso (pro)
• Edyta Sliwinska (pro)
• Karina Smirnoff (pro)
• Cheryl Burke (pro)
• Kym Johnson (pro)

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television

Robert X. Cringely is at it again. This week's post outlines Apple's long term strategy with its iPods and iTunes Store offerings. While his column is independently generated and I don't think he has any Apple insider information, what he says is very plausible and basically makes good sense.

Can Apple "disintermediate" the cable TV companies? Read the article.

Why aren't the shows and movies available via iTunes in the High Def format? Read the article.

Can Apple really go without Wal-Mart? Read the article.

I love the way Cringely simplifies topics so that I can understand not only the topic in question but the long term aspects of the topic. Good stuff!

For another view, be sure to check out Mark Cuban's Blog Maverick about Apple's recent announcements.

And for some self promotion, don't forget my crazy idea about turning the theaters in Kahala Mall into a gigantic Apple Store/Theater.

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPod, iTunes

Had to call Dell today to place an order (not for me unless Dell starts selling Macs or iPods). After calling their toll free number, I had to enter a 7-digit extension! Seven digits?! That's like a phone number by itself. Wow, I actually had to enter in the numbers slowly since it was so long. I can remember a 3 or 4 digit extension after looking at it but not a 7 digit number.

Maybe Dell could increase their sales or at least boost customer satisfaction by doing small things like making it easy for customers to connect to their sales people. Common sense, no? But then again, I went private school, so I no more common sense.

Technorati Tags: Dell

ABC is giving away 1 million downloads of the season finales of Grey's Anatomy, Lost, and Desperate Housewives on the iTunes Store. These episodes will remain free of charge until they've been downloaded one million times.

You can also download mini guides of each show to catch up with what's going on.

I got Grey's Anatomy and Lost downloading right now. Only 999,998 more downloads available!

Technorati Tags: iTunes Store, television

Engadget has the latest about the launch of Microsoft's Zune player. Check out the Zune's stats and colors of black, white, or brown.

This really can't be their web site can it?

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, zune

As expected the political pundit, Tucker Carlson, was the first Star eliminated from Dancing with the Stars. Sorry, but this guy simply could not dance. At least he tried, but he was the right choice to go.

Some surprises during the show. Although I missed some of the results, it looked like geriatric Jerry Springer was in the top-scoring group. His dancing is terrible, but he goes for it with moxie. He has the support of the fans with their cheers of "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!" before and after his performance, but finishing in the top??? Willa Ford was second to last though her dancing was good. I just don't think Willa has a fan base to give her votes.

Mario Lopez is still a spaz, and Emmitt Smith is the first round fan favorite, reprising his cha cha with Cheryl Burke.

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television

Could this be the rebirth of one-time sensation Whitney Houston? After 14 years of marriage to New Edition member, Bobby Brown, the couple is now legally separated though not divorced.

Married in 1992, Whitney fell off the pop scene as trouble brewed in her personal life. Bobby was arrested several times for drug and alcohol use and had physical altercations with Whitney while the diva herself struggled with substance abuse problems.

Houston has twice been in drug rehab programs recently, but this separation from Bobby may be the intervention she needs to get herself together.

Such a waste of talent. For 14 years, Whitney could have ruled the airwaves with her music. I'm just hoping that natural talent is still with her and she can revive her spirit and career.

Technorati Tags: music

Britney Spears and rapping sensation hubby, Kevin Federline, have their second son. The yet-to-be-named baby arrived just in time to celebrate older brother Sean Preston's first birthday coming up on Thursday.

Technorati Tags: baby, Britney Spears

Whoa! A bald Joey Lawrence. Bruising running back Emmitt Smith gliding on the dance floor. Why is Tucker Carlson on the show? Dancing with the Stars returned with 11 new couples ready to dance their way to a championship (okay, maybe 9 couples were ready). Here are my notes from the two-hour premiere.

Joey Lawrence. "Whoa!" as goes his famous line from his days on Blossom. What happened to his hair? The bald Lawrence had a great entry to his dance and was a solid performer.

Sara Evans. This country crooner needs to shake off the nerves and smile when she dances.

Tucker Carlson. TERRIBLE! This news reporter is the first off the show unless the public wants more cruel humor watching him flop around on the dance floor.

Monique Coleman. From High School Musical, this young'en will be around with her flowing dance style. She's young so she doesn't have that character appeal established yet.

Emmitt Smith. The surprise of the night in my opinion. I thought Jerry Rice from last season would be the better dancer, but light-footed Emmitt grooved with style in his opening act. He was one of the few dancers that smiled and looked like he was enjoying himself. Having reigning champ Cheryl Burke as his partner sure doesn't hurt.

Willa Ford. A solid opening dance routine, but I doubt she has enough to be the dancing champion.

Mario Lopez. First off, this dude has adult ADD, completely spazzing out during the interviews. But on the dance floor, his moves were crisp and his hips were shaking. He still got that muscular bod (that he'll be displaying on Nip/Tuck) and he performed some difficult dance moves. Quote of the night was Judge Bruno asking Mario if there were "extra batteries in your pants?"

Shanna Moakler. Her dance was okay and ended awkwardly. With personal issues distracting her, I don't think this beauty queen will break out from the middle of the pack.

Harry Hamlin. Husband of Lisa Rinna, Harry didn't show the flair his wife did during her run on Dancing with the Stars. Too stiff and mechanical. He was concentrating so hard on remembering his steps, and it showed. Poor Ashly DelGrosso. She was paired with Master P last season and while Harry's better, he ain't gonna go far.

Vivica A. Fox. I missed most of her performance except for a few seconds. I just thought she packed too much power and was not elegant enough for her ballroom dance.

Jerry Springer. Sorry Jerry, but you're too old for this competition. You have the character and show spirit on the floor, but the moves are lacking.

I originally picked Joey Lawrence and Sara Evans to go far into the competition, but after tonight, I don't see it happening. Mario and Emmitt are the ones to beat.

Technorati Tags: Dancing with the Stars, television

The Special Events is on-going and some neato stuff is being released and old stuff is being revamped. The new aluminum Nanos are there. A smaller aluminum Shuffle is out. iTunes version 7 provides a much richer experience. Cover Flow is now part of iTunes.

And the codenamed iTV made its beta appearance. Though not shipping until early 2007, this is the missing link between your computer and television. About half the height of a Mini, this thing has wired and wireless connections to get your shows, music, movies, and videos to your home entertainment system. No more sucky DVD-watching experiences!

Check out Engadget's live coverage of the event (with great pictures!).

Apple is in your den
Apple is in your living room
Apple is in your car
Apple is in your pocket

Technorati Tags: Apple

I don't know why this wasn't done before, and I hope it's a continuing trend with Nike kicks. Let's talk about retro kicks for a moment. You know, these are your favorite blasts from the past. Maybe you slept on them and there were gone just like that. Maybe you were younger and didn't have disposable cash on hand. Maybe you just didn't dig the kicks until now.

In any case, retro kicks are big now, and this trend doesn't look like it's slowing down soon. New variations and colorways keep the retro scene fresh.

But the problem with retro kicks is the cost for what you're getting. Often times, retros cost the same or even more than when they originally were released. So for a $150-pair of retroed Air Max 95, you're still getting 1995 technology at premium costs by today's standards. I don't recall many kicks (if any) costing $150 a decade ago, maybe the Pippens. And to make matters worse, retros usually aren't built with the same quality as the originals. You're getting old shoe technology for a higher price and the quality is sub-par. Good for business for Nike, but bad for the kicks fiends.

Enter these new hybrid models that combine the styling of retro shoes with modern shoe technology. Here are a pair of Air Max 95 and Air Max outfitted with Nike's latest Air Max 360 cushioning system.


You can keep the retro look but still get great performance out of these sneaks. What took so long developing this idea?

I regrettingly passed on the neon yellow AM95 when they were recently retroed, but I can't pass on these hybrids if they're actually made.

Technorati Tags: Kicks, Nike, shoes, sneakers

Okay, okay, I use the term "evidence" loosely, but here's another indicator that a new iPod Nano is possibly in the works. Central Pacific Bank is giving away Nanos when customers sign up for the Exceptional Account. What's an Exceptional Account? Who cares?!

The last time CPB had an iPod promotion, they were offering the 512MB Shuffles to customers. Soon thereafter, I believe Apple announced either the 1MB Shuffle or the first generation Nanos were introduced.

In either case, looks like the 1GB Nano is being cleared out for something else...

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPod

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) has a rumored basic agenda for Apple's Special Event tomorrow. The agenda covers the announcement of iTunes Version 7, the Movie Store, a new iPod Nano, a new widescreen iPod, and the TubePort(!).

Despite the stupid name, the rumored TubePort will be the mystery interface between Macs and televisions to watch downloaded movies. Movies formatted for the small iPod screen will cost $10 while large, stream-only movies will cost $15. Bought together the iPod version and the streamed version will be $20.

The TubePort? The TubePort? Please let this name be a rumor.

Technorati Tags: Apple

Before every Apple endorsed event, there's ALWAYS rumors about possible announcements. It never fails, and it never gets boring.

Rumor mongers have figured out crafty ways of predicting Apple's announcements checking for applied patents, inventory of Apple items at stores, missing advertisements from Sunday ads, partnerships with oversea suppliers, insider information, and lastly sneaking around and taking pictures.

This picture is supposedly from the inside of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, the site of the Apple's September 12 Special Event.


What's that under the stars? THE video iPod?!

Bust out your Timex Social Club/Club Noveau and starting singing along, "How do these rumors get started..."

Technorati Tags: Apple

I still remember the first time I watched a DVD movie on a computer. It sucked.

I had recently gotten a Mac Powerbook G3 (the Blackbird model which was a great machine!) that featured a hardware MPEG2 decoder card to specifically enable smooth DVD playback. This was back in 1998 I think, and I don't recall having a DVD set top box at the time.

So I was pretty interested in checking out this superior DVD technology. I stuck the disc in the Powerbook, and the DVD player app started. Cool! Then I saw the image on the small 13-in screen. Hey, this ain't right! I'm used to watching a movie on a bigger screen. The movie started playing and after like five minutes, I was getting uncomfortable sitting there looking at a 13-in screen AND listening to audio from tiny speakers. This is not how it's supposed to be. Yeah, I could now watch DVDs, but overall, what a sucky experience.

Let's fast forward to today. My sucky DVD-watching experience is pretty much the same today. Laptops have bigger screens and better audio (headphones are a good alternative), and there's video-enabled iPods with even smaller screens, but the watching experience isn't any better. I think Apple and Steve Jobs understand this problem, and I'm hoping the September 12 Special Events will fix this and change the game.

Technorati Tags: Apple

I'm tired. Been a long day at the beach. Pictures are up for viewing if you know where to look.

Amazon released its video download service called Unbox this week. Here is a quick review of this service.

The Amazon Unbox video player is not compatible with Apple/Macintosh operating systems.

What, no Mac support?! End of review.

Amazon is offering $1.99 off of your first Unbox purchase.

What, no iPod support?! Second end of review.

Technorati Tags: Amazon, movie, Unbox

In preparation for the Special Event scheduled for September 12, Apple made some quiet announcements this week. The rumored giant 24-in screen iMac has been released, and the Mac Mini got a CPU boost going from single core to all dual cores. These announcements were expected next week, but instead Apple did a pre-emptive strike.

So what does that imply for next week's event? The new (and updated) iMac and upgraded Mini are the small stuff. There's other insanely great announcements to be made on Tuesday.

I can't wait until it's Showtime!

"I'm Gee Why and I approve this message."

Technorati Tags: Apple, Macintosh

Please don't tell me that you can't print again.

User: How'd you fix that?
Me: I plugged the printer in and turned it on.

What happens when you take pictures of every cup of coffee you drink over a span of one year? You get enough pictures to make a fun video! Here's the remixed version of The Year of Coffee with PG-rated appearances of "The Hedgehog" and Jenna.



From the blog at The Year of Coffee.

Technorati Tags: coffee

As election time rolls around again, more and more television commercials touting the virtues of politicians are being aired. Most, if not all, of these commercials end with the statement, "I'm <insert politician name here> and I approve this message."

I never did understand what that's for and what it means. Didn't this commercial just talk about your hard work, sterling ethics, and what you can offer the political scene? Of course you approve this message since you just said it! Would be outright dumb if you just touted yourself then didn't approve the message. I just don't get it.

"I'm Gee Why and I approve this message."

Wow, what an absolutely astounding success Exercise Urban Unrest was! This no-notice exercise kicked off yesterday afternoon with a traffic incident causing the shutdown of one of Oahu's main traffic corridors. The exercise tested the capabilities and response of Emergency Support Functions 1 (Transportation) and 3 (Public Works and Engineering) simulating major evacuations of island residents during times of natural disasters or potential on-island terrorist incidents.

ESF1 and ESF3 did as superb jobs as possible, rerouting traffic and demolishing the damaged pedestrian walkway overnight. Scott Ishikawa, Department of Transportation spokesman, and Jason Yotsuda of the Honolulu Traffic Management Center should be commended for giving the stranded motorists constant information and updates of the situation.

Businesses and dining facilities in the downtown area also saw a huge economic windfall as many decided to wait for the H1 freeway to reopen before going on the road. This business increase will be noted and captured in after action reports.

Exercise Urban Unrest was initiated by an Army vehicle transporting heavy equipment to Schofield Barracks hitting a pedestrian walkway spanning the H1 Freeway. The damage made the walkway unsafe for crossing pedestrians and freeway drivers as debris continually dropped to the roadways below.

Okay, okay, Exercise Urban Unrest is totally fake cause the Army can't make a mistake like that, can they?

The new season of Nip/Tuck starts tonight on FX. I had to Tivo tape the show to watch it later, but I think the premiere episode has Dr. Troy tricking the caffeine-addicted Dr. McNamara with a fake coupon for free Starbucks. A saddened Dr. McNamara then goes into a deep depression lasting the entire season.

Technorati Tags: niptuck, television

Either Hawaii has very diligent law enforcement or the actors on Lost are just a rowdy bunch. Over the weekend, there was yet another Lost arrest. This time, Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), was arrested in Waikiki for disobeying a police officer and driving without a license.

To keep the arrests culturally diverse, I think Daniel Dae Kim or Yunjin Kim will be next.

Technorati Tags: Lost, television

Apple has finally released an invitation to the press about a Special Event on September 12. The invitation simply states "It's Showtime" and I don't think Apple's referring to the LA Lakers of the 80's with Magic, Kareem, Big Game James, Byron Scott, and Coop.

With the "It's Showtime" theme, I'm guessing the announcement of a download movie service is a lock (like the way Michael Cooper used to lock up opposing players on defense). The revamped iPod Nano, iPod, and iMac could be released with extra AV features to maximize the movie experience. Watch a movie on a Nano? That's an awfully small screen. How about video out to connect to a TV. Maybe. That would be a surprise like Worthy's baseline-spin-for-a-dunk move. The iMac, especially the 23-in version, could be aimed at promoting HD with its wide aspect ratio so you can see the arc on Byron Scott's jumper.

The biggest question mark is the iPod. While the full and touch screen iPod isn't supposedly ready until late this year, maybe it actually is ready for primetime. That'll be a no-look pass from Magic!

Maybe, the iPod isn't an iPod after all, but instead, it's the other rumored mystery product. Rumblings of a wireless streaming, AV-enabled device like the Apple AirPort Express have come up again. After you download your movie from the Net to your Mac, how do you watch it on your home theater system? Connect a Mac or iPod to your TV? You can do that, but why not stream the movie wirelessly from your Mac to a device attached to your TV or home theater? Then use Front Row to navigate and control the playback of your downloaded movies, videos, television shows, and music. Oh so simple, elegant, and effective - just like Kareem's skyhook.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Macintosh

More rumors about what Apple will announce during its September 12 Special Event are circulating the Net. A movie download service is still the front runner, but Think Secret is predicting the announcement of the second-generation iPod Nano, an updated iPod, and an updated iMac.

The next revision of the Nano will supposedly be available in a metal finish with several color options (like the Mini back in its day) and have higher storage capacities. The updated iPod will be just like the existing iPods with a few new features. This won't be THE video iPod (which is hopefully expected at Christmas time this year).

Lastly, the iMac may be updated with the speedy Core 2 Duo processors and offered in a 23-inch model.

I wonder if the current Nanos will be discounted for a quick sale? I'm still interested in the Nike+ and iPod sports gear.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Macintosh

Saw part of this video on TV and it's spreading all over the Net. OK Go's video of Here It Goes Again has it members dancing on a series of treadmills. Watch this awesome video!



You can buy a high res version on iTunes.

Technorati Tags: music

I'm not sure how you get into the bidding action on Eminem's customized designed Nike Air Maxes, but after seeing these pictures of the first released designs, I'll have to pass.

Here are Slim Shady's Air Max 87 and 90.

Technorati Tags: Kicks, Nike, eminem, shoes, sneakers

Sometime in 2007, Nike will release its Fallen Heroes pack that pays tribute to legendary pop icons. Who are the Fallen Heroes? None other than Pee-Wee Herman, MC Hammer, Milli Vanilli, and Vanilla Ice.

The Pee-Wee Herman high Dunks match the color scheme of Pee-Wee's grey suit and red bow-tie. The insole of the Dunks feature Pee-Wee sitting in a movie theater, possibly doing naughty things.


MC Hammer Classics look pretty tame. Doesn't really match Hammer's frenetic dancing style. Come on Nike, turn this mutha out!!

Milli Vanilli had awesome hits in the day, and in my mind, Rob and Fab are still Milli and Vanilli. These red and black Dunk lows are respectable.

Vanilla Ice is represented by red Nike Blazers. I don't know the significance of the stars, but Ice Ice Baby still rocks!

Technorati Tags: Kicks, Nike, shoes, sneakers

While using the fine baby changing facilities at Neiman Marcus, we strolled through their kids section to see what million dollar homeowners buy. Of course, every infant needs one of these Juicy Couture diaper bags!


Only $275. Ah, the price of hipness...

Technorati Tags: baby

Went to check out First Friday in Downtown Honolulu and also to celebrate a birthday. After walking around and seeing the various exhibits, we ended up at the Grand Cafe & Bakery, the same place I ate my Easter boeufs et eoufs.

While we were there we got a little birthday surprise from a No Ka Oi alum also known as The Mayor.


A few more pictures are available.

Ah the speculations of Apple's September 12 Special Event. Could Apple be announcing its own movie download service? BusinessWeek has predicted so and is laying the field for the battle over movies between Apple and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart? Yep, the big box chain is the largest seller of movie DVDs, accounting for about 40% of all DVD sales.

Enter Apple with its downloadable movies ala the iTunes Music/Movie Store. Would consumers rather buy a movie on-line or go to Wal-Mart for a packaged disc? Wal-Mart doesn't want to find out and is using its muscle to dissuade movie studios from distributing their movies on Apple's movie service. Rumors have Apple charging $15 for new movies and $10 for older flicks. Right now, Wal-Mart averages $17 for a new title and is threatening to stop selling DVDs from studios if they don't lower their prices. Also, Wal-Mart is supposedly readying its own download service to have a one-two punch of letting Wal-Mart shoppers buy DVD movies or download them.

To counter Wal-Mart's offensive, Steve Jobs is reported to have called Wal-Mart executives to remind them that iPods and Macs are popular sellers at Wal-Mart stores, and it would be a shame if that channel went dry.

Let the rumble begin!

Technorati Tags: Apple

Mario Lopez, formerly of Saved by the Bell fame and soon to be Dancing with the Stars, will be guest starring in the upcoming season of Nip/Tuck. His role in the show? He'll have a homoerotic encounter with Dr. Christian Troy at a gym. Yikes!


And unless he has a body double, that'll be his backend beefcakes on the show. Don't click here if a man's bare butt offends you!

I always thought Slatter and Jesse Spano were the freaky ones on Saved by the Bell.

Technorati Tags: niptuck, television