Nike Kicks with Khakis?
Hmmm, will Nike tackle the business casual market, making sneakers match the fashion of khaki pants?
Gee Why
About Gee Why
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Emoji War in NBA Free Agency
Personally, I think NBA free agent DeAndre Jordan is committed to joining the Mavs although not yet signed to a contract. In the meantime, NBA players are having an emoji war to sway Jordan, and it’s downright fun.
Although not relevant to DeAndre’s decision, the Jordan Brand got with the emoji motif, reminding everyone that Michael Jordan is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT).
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— Jordan (@Jumpman23) July 8, 2015
Run Run Hoka One One
Took my new, discounted Hoka One One Mafate Speed for a test run where I learned a thing or two about this running shoe. Like I mentioned before, I only recently learned of the Hoka line and its super cushioned ride. I began to see this brand more in the mainstream, even sold at Nordstrom but finding some pairs at Ross was a surprise.
Anyways, while the Hokas are tall, they look much taller than they feel. I’m thinking I’m six feet tall running in the Hokas but truthfully, when you’re running, you don’t really feel the Hoka height. You do feel the rocking motion of curved sole however. This is kinda irritating while standing around, so I guess the point is run, don’t stand while wearing these.
The Mafate Speed looks heavy but is comparable to other running shoes from Asics and Nike. The speed lacing system is cool. It’s so easy to pull the laces then lock them in. The soles of the Mafate Speed are designed for the outdoor terrain so running on sidewalks was noisy as the soles tried to dig in to the surface.
All in all, the ride itself was well cushioned, sacrificing some “street feel,” but for me, reducing the wear and tear on my body is paramount. There was some discomfort to my toes due to the shoe’s slenderness especially in the toebox area. The shoe looks narrow, maybe a little more bulbous in the forefoot – something used for starfish splitting. But then again, I didn’t allow for any break-in time, instead opting for a short run. Well worth a $50 investment.
July 2015 Starbucks Price Increase
Starting on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, Starbucks is raising its prices on select drinks. Not sure which drinks are impacted other than brewed coffee.
There’s no better way of celebrating the American tradition of Independence Day with good old American capitalism.
Fireworks Safety is Serious
Watching a fireworks show is fun and all but you do need to exercise caution while around fireworks. Check out this gruesome safety video showing mannequins getting maimed due to unsafe fireworks practices.
Never look down the launch tube of an aerial device. Better just leave it to the pros if you want to put on a show.
Hoka One One Now at Ross
Is it purely coincidental that Ross now has a limited selection of Hoka One One running shoes in stock? This is right after Apple’s Beats 1 global radio station went live. This is after the one extra second we got, and I found these shoes one day after July one.
There’s too much one-ness to be coincidental right? No matter. Although I had heard of Hokas, I wasn’t about to spend the big bucks on those platform-looking but highly regarded shoes. I easily spied the Hokas towering over the other shoes on the Ross shoe rack, and at fifty bucks (not fifty one) I had to get the size one zero aka 10. The Mafate Speed is an outdoor, trail runner that debuted in 2014…at $170. Even though, I’m not going to run on rough terrain, I figure this price point is one good introduction to the Hoka lineup.
Starbucks Incheon Airport
Being stuck in South Korea in the Incheon area for a day wasn’t such a bad situation afterall. There’s enough to keep you occupied, and the Incheon Airport itself is huge with many shops to pass the time. Of course there has to be a Starbucks at an airport, especially in Korea where Starbucks has flooded the market and infiltrated the Korean culture. But being in an airport, the queues for Starbuck fluctuated wildly. When I passed by, there was a line ten deep. However others in our group reported no lines at all.
Compared to the Summer Frappuccino push in mainland China, the juicy Macau, and the blueberry items in Hong Kong, South Korea Starbucks was promoting the Fizzio lineup. Yup, the carbonated Fizzio drinks were front and center.
Yuzu Iced Shaken Tea, Yogurt Juice with Mango Jelly, Lemongrass Tea Lemonade, Sweet Orange Black Tea Lemonade? Yup, all fizzified by the Fizzio machine. Looking at the dessert case, my guess is that chocolate pairs well with carbonated fruity teas?
As a snack for the plane ride, there’s packaged pear.
Had I more space in our luggage, I would have bought mugs from South Korea – a lot more colorful and decorative than the selection in China.
I think I need to return to South Korea one day and do more Starbucks exploring…
Missed Out on Jipangyi
While stuck in South Korea for a day due to plane problems, I saw this at the Grand Hyatt pool side snack bar and didn’t know what it was. What was this candy cane shaped item?
Turns out, this “candy cane” is actually upside down and is supposed to be oriented like the letter “j.” Called Jipangyi, this is an ice cream cone where the ice cream is injected into the j-shaped cone. With this shape, spilling ice cream is supposed to be reduced at the cost of looking strange, eating this tubular treat.
Play-J ice cream! The new shape of ice cream is now available in NYC! #jscream #???????? pic.twitter.com/dvKR6W0w3J
— playjscream (@PlayJscream) April 17, 2015
This cone isn’t limited to Korea however, as the fad has caught on in New York thanks to the Play-J food truck. I should have YOLO-ed the moment and jammed a Jipangyi in my pie hole because what happens in Korea stays in Korea…
Starbucks Nathan Road, Hong Kong
One block away from BP International in Hong Kong is a seemingly small Starbucks location on Nathan Road. Once you enter however, you’ll see a Starbucks about twice as big as regular shops. There’s the front window section which is typically sized. Then there’s the coffee bar. Then there’s the back seating area that’s almost as big as the front. All in all, a deceptively big store (for a Starbucks).
Blueberry seems to have been the flavor profile for Hong Kong. No blueberry drinks per se, but lots of blueberry pastries and baked goods. I would have gone for a slice of the blueberry cheesecake but just got a Ristretto Bianco instead.
There was a cool, multi-paneled wall art illustrating coffee plants that nearly stretched across the length of the entire store.
Interestingly, ordering at Starbucks is relatively simple. I guess the lexicon of Starbucks and coffee is universal. Of course, all the drink names are known by the baristas. When I asked for non-fat milk, the worker replied, “Oh, you mean a skinny.” One small change I learned was “no whip (cream)” is just “no cream.”
Oh and hey, Starbucks is celebrating 15 years in Hong Kong. There are a several promotional items for this event tagged #HAPi15th (not sure why the capitalization is as such). Here’s a color-changing #HAPi15th mug.
New Balance Needs to Retro the 803AT
Back in the mid-90’s New Balance had a hit shoe with the M803AT. This was an all terrain, outdoor running shoe, but for whatever reason, a lot of people wore it. There were two or three colorways, but I think the one with the yellow highlights was the best.
New Balance has to retro these for nostalgia sakes. Heck, I still have my box for these kicks that I got from JC Penney nonetheless. And at $85, not bad for kicks about two decades removed.
Starbucks Ristretto Bianco
While in China and Hong Kong, I noticed a few different menu items at local Starbucks. One of these items was a Ristretto Bianco drink. Not knowing what it was, I ordered it. After a few sips, I thought to myself, “flat white.” Sure, enough, Ristretto espresso shots and foamy makes for a flat white, but I didn’t look for the decorative artwork.
Anyways while I enjoyed the familiarity of a Starbucks Flat White, drinking a hot drink and walking in the humid Hong Kong climate wasn’t such a great combination. Thankfully the air is cold and crisp at BP International.
Searching Amazon for Samsonite Replacement Luggage Wheels
Our Samsonite luggage took a beating on the many HIChina15 plane rides. So much so that one wheel’s outer covering was lost, and the other is starting to split. I know you can replace the roller wheels so I searched Amazon for “samsonite replacement luggage wheels.”
I don’t understand why, but here is part of my screenshot of the search results.
I’m afraid to look further…