Life – Pulpconnection

Spam x Olukai Slippers Available NOW

Gee Why — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 19:12:59 +0000

The Spam Jam in Waikiki is later today, and Olukai is launching their collaboration slippers with Spam at the event. But, the three color ways are now online only via their mobile app.

The Nori/Dark Coral is men’s and women’s sizing. Ocean blue (dark blue) is men’s only. Bold blue (bright blue) is women’s sizing only. $80 each for the Ohana model.

These collabs are also available in store and assuming any leftovers online at a later time.

As with other collaborations, I’m guessing that once these are sold out, they are gone for good. I need a restock of these Zippys bangers!

Making a Melin Collection

Gee Why — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:00:00 +0000

And… we’re off! A collection of Melin hats is now building, starting with this Odysea Hydro from the Yellow Jacket collection. Since this is a collaboration, the cost of the hat is $10 higher, but Hawaii residents are in luck.

If you shop at a Melin store in Waikiki, Maui, or Kauai, Hawaii residents get a kamaaina discount of 10%. Looks like I’ll be frequenting Waikiki a little more often now…

Melin Supports Hawaii

Gee Why — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Melin definitely has some love for Hawaii. On a bigger scale, they’re supporting relief efforts from recent flooding with direct donations and also proceeds of sales from the Islands Collection.

On a smaller, personal scale, the local Melin stores offer kamaaina discounts of 10%. Since prices online and in-store are the same, this is a solid discount if you can make it to one of the locations in Waikiki, Maui, or Kauai.

HECO Oahu Outage Map

Gee Why — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 22:27:34 +0000

This is the definition of “bruh.”

My Best Recent Investment

Gee Why — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:23:35 +0000

No, it’s not the Enhance Turbo MPP pickleball paddle, but a Tesla PowerWall system that’s been my best recent investment. We’ve been plagued with short-term and medium-term power outages quite frequently over the years, but 2025 and so far, 2026 has been even worse. The power outages typically have been lasting hours.

But all of this anxiety is now alleviated with a PowerWall battery system. Our refrigerator stays cool and the basic electrical necessities are taken care of. And this Storm Watch mode that charges the battery ahead of bad weather is a very smart feature.

Pickleball Vandalism

Gee Why — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Had heard stories about a neighbor complaining about the pickleball noise coming from the Manoa Valley District Park, but this is extreme… and sad.

https://www.kitv.com/news/dead-fish-in-the-park-has-manoa-park-goers-on-high-alert/article_807d1e37-04cb-4f15-8fb1-c1f4f0ff8f98.html

Oahu Power Outage Map

Gee Why — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 23:28:15 +0000

Mainly posting as a reference for the next time (or even later today), but here’s the Hawaiian Electric power outage map for Oahu.

All this wind is causing major disruptions. An outage that was supposed to be two hours long went on for at least five hours.

PowerWall Holding Strong

Gee Why — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:54:28 +0000

Thank goodness for the home battery backup provided by the Tesla PowerWall.

Resurfaced Pickleball Courts in Mililani

Gee Why — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:15:47 +0000

Not exactly sure which Mililani recreation center this is, but it’s been resurfaced to include 8 pickleball courts! The four in the middle are permanent, and it appears that there are lines marked for two PB courts in the nearest tennis court (and guessing two more on the far tennis court).

Mac OS 26.2 Tahoe Update Zonked My Mac

Gee Why — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 04:02:30 +0000

Saw the notification that Mac OS Tahoe 26.2 was available for update. So I did. But the update didn’t fully complete with the startup progress bar stuck at around 33%.

So I powered down and restarted. My MacBook Pro M3 was then looping at startup seeing the Apple logo then a black screen then the Apple logo again and repeat. Holding down the power button, my Mac showed an exclamation point with the URL support.apple.com/mac/restore. This was getting serious.

This is the first time I had to enter DFU mode and couldn’t get the key combo correct. Instead, follow these directions by Mr. Macintosh to enter DFU mode by holding Control, Option, right-sdie shift, and power for 10 seconds then let go of Control, Option, and right-side shift. Keep holding the power key, and this pattern got me to DFU mode.

With a second Mac, I tried reviving my busted Mac and that failed. I changed USB-C cables and ports and still no luck. I think this MBP DFU port is nearest the MagSafe plug on the left side of the keyboard. I deleted big files from my functioning Mac to create space to save the recovery startup files. I also installed the Apple Configurator app from the App Store. This is a more refined interface to restore/recover Apple devices.

Reviving didn’t work so I went for a restore which does a factory reset of the Mac first. My Time Machine backup was about 2 weeks old but better than nothing. After several hours, my MacBook Pro was back (albeit with two weeks old data).

Who knows what caused all of this but before you install the 26.2 update, I would trigger a Time Machine backup and also restart your Mac before updating.

Bought PDF Squeezer

Gee Why — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 18:44:54 +0000

I noticed that I had a PDF file that was about 20 MB in size. It’s a few pages long with mostly text, so the file size seemed overly large. I tried to compress the PDF using the Mac’s Preview app, but the savings was neglible. I then tried Adobe Acrobat/Reader/whatever it’s called now, and the app said I had to pay for a different version to compress PDF.

That led me to PDF Squeezer. I did an online search for PDF compression and after a few articles, I saw someone mention this software. I did a sample test using the trial version and my 20 MB PDF shrank to 2 MB using the strong compression option! The compressed version looked a little too soft so I tried the light compression. The quality of this version looked good at 3.7 MB in size.

To save the compressed PDF however does require a paid for license. Luckily, there’s a 50% off special right now so the normal $20 cost is $10! That’s an easy buy for software that I can continually use.

Go check out PDF Squeezer.

HOKA Anacapa 2 Low GTX

Gee Why — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Along with the Salomon X Ultra 4, the Hoka Anacapa 2 Low GTX received praise online with the biggest complaint being the too big sizing. Zappos had a smaller size 9.5 available in black, and I tried it due to the mis-sizing. I admit that they weren’t a bad fit at half a size smaller. Unfortunately at the time, Zappos did not have a size 10 available for comparision purposes.

The Anacapa 2 Low GTX is one of my finalists of all the waterproof hiking shoes I tried. It fit better than the Transport Chukka and is more streamlined than the Tor Ultra Low. For whatever reason, this model at Zappos was discounted to $118 compared to $180 on Hoka’s web site.

But… that sizing. Yeah, the size 9.5 fits with regular socks on a short try on duration. How would these feel wearing them all day? I would really like to try my true to size 10 for comparison, but there are none at Zappos and none elsewhere at a discounted price. So reluctantly, these were sent back to Zappos although I could have held them longer with Zappos’ unbeatable return policy.

Details

Hoka Anacapa 2 Low GTX
Size 9.5
Black/black
$180 (Hoka)/$118 (Zappos)

Salomon X Ultra 4

Gee Why — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 23:03:47 +0000

I’ve never tried on a pair of Salomon shoes of any type, but these Salomon X Ultra 4 received too many good reviews online to ignore. So I bought a pair from Zappos with its generous return policy, and spoiler alert, yes, I did return them.

The shoes actually fit well right off the start like many reviews mentioned. Although they look narrow compared to other shoes, the fit was just right without any break-in period. But for me, the X Ultra 4 just seemed too technical for my needs. Sure, they would do the job, but it just seemed like these shoes could do more than what I needed. It kinda felt that I was pretending to be a serious hiker or something I’m not.

My only small gripe is the Quicklace system. I’m just not a big fan of these speed lacing setups, especially with the noodle-thin laces. I think it’s having to tuck in/secure the laces after tightening that I don’t like.

Anyways, a solid shoe at a solid price that can seemingly do more than I need.

Details

Salomon X Ultra 4
Size 10 (true to size)
Quiet Shade/Black/Quiet Shade
$140

Hoka Elite Terrain System Tor Ultra Lo

Gee Why — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000

These Hoka Elite Terrain System Tor Ultra Lo didn’t show up in any online search results for waterproof hiking shoes. However, I remembered a craze for this model a few years back and decided to check them out.

The Tor Ultra Lo features a Vibram Megagrip outsole and is actually waterproof. The product description mentions a “GORE-TEX bootie for splash-proof performance” so not sure how waterproof these really are.

But hey, these shoes look different in a cool way, definitely melding urban lifestyle with the outdoor elements. I do like these although I would pick a different color way if available (it looks like this green colorway is no longer available from Hoka’s web site).

The biggest downside to this shoe is its sheer weight. One Tor Ultra Lo weighs 508 grams whereas the New Balance Hierro trail runner weighs 327 grams. Does it matter? I think it would if wearing these all day while walking/hiking around. And if the upper did absorb some water, that extra weight would further deaden the weight. I think these would be fine for casual outings with sendentary moments.

Details

Hoka Elite Terrain System Tor Ultra Lo
Size 10 (true to size)
Green (forgot to write down the actual color)
$225

Hoka Transport Chukka GTX

Gee Why — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 19:40:00 +0000

My online order of the Hoka Transport Chukka GTX arrived quickly but sadly, were also returned quickly. Visually, I don’t mind the style of the chukka – sorta casual, sorta sporty. It’s a good blend.

The nubuck leather upper isn’t bad at all, but i just feel it’s an odd match with the other synthetic sections near the collar. While I understand the benefits of the quick lacing system, I need to figure out a better way of getting a good fit. Of course the top laces cinch easily, but it’s the lower laces that I need to adjust, and the interlocking toggle just seems to get in the way.

Really though, the fast disapproval for me is simply the fit of the shoe. My foot just does not feel centered in the shoe. There’s a sensation that my feet are sitting on the inner medial side of the Transport Chukkas. It’s just weird, and I didn’t like it, doubtful that I would get used to this feeling.

Details

Hoka Transport Chukka GTX
Size 10 (true to size)
Black/black
$200

New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v8 GTX

Gee Why — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Well, well, well, this is a nice surprise. I didn’t think much about trying the 8th (and newest) makeup of the New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro Gore-Tex since I recently tried on the v7 model and the similar mid Hierro. But I was wrong.

I admit that the Hierro v8 wasn’t high on my watch list due to the lack of colorways. While the non-waterproof version has a few colors to pick from, the Gore-Tex model has one color – black. Technically, black with phantom and magnet, the colorway isn’t bad, just very subdued. Beside the monochromaticism of the v8, the shoe is totally different compared to the v7 and mid. Well, maybe not totally different, but there are significant changes to its design.

The overall aesthetic reminds me of the current NB lineup of the 1080 and More. Chunkier midsole with a more curvy and organic inspired upper. It’s actually a nice shoe and does embody the trail runner aspect of this model.

Where do I begin? Let’s start at the bottom – the outsole. It’s still Vibram produced, but the compound is a lot tackier than the v7 with lots of audible squeaks as each step peels off the ground. And the traction pattern doesn’t feature the chevron-y shapes but rather little islands of grip.

The upper of the Hierro v8 looks much more perforated than the v7 with pinholes covering a good portion of the toebox and tongue and even the inner lining. To me, all the holes would made the Hierro 8 less water proof but the shoe weighs more at 340 g versus 328 g so maybe there’s additional unseen layers for that waterproofness.

This is an odd one but the shoelaces of the black 8 feel nice – waxy smooth but supple. The v7 laces have contrasty colors for style but feel more abrassive. Does it matter? Probably not.

The fit is still tight in the toebox, I think due to the rigid Toe Protect overlay. I might have to go wide if I go with these. The arch seems more supportive on the 8 since the midsole appears to extend higher than the 7. I can see my arch falling in the 7 but not so much with the 8. This is usually a good sign for me.

Unfortunately the Gore-Tex model is not yet on sale unlike the regular Hierro 8. Maybe soon, the $169.99 price tag will see some relief. Even with all its pros, this shoe still costs $110 more than the clearance v7. But so far, the New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v8 Gore-Tex is my favorite waterproof hiking shoe (keep in mind that I won’t really bet testing the waterproofness of the shoes since most of them would be returns… though waterproof shoes that are not would be grounds for a return…).

: Gore-Tex and Vibram labels

: Plain tongue tag

: GORE-TEX

: Redone outsole

: Outsole of Hierro v7 (top) and v8 (bottom)

: Less of a weird outsole tag

: Hierro v7 and v8

: Toe Protect on both

: Buttery laces

: Not as elegant laces but still good

: Revel in the magnificent outdoors

: Perforations in the liner too

Here’s a little bonus comparison to the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v14. To me, the Hierro v8 and 1080v14 share similar design elements. The overall appearance of both are on the beefier side with the thick padding of the Fresh Foam X. This has no bearing on the performance of either shoe, just more of an observation.

Finding Waterproof Hokas Are Irritating

Gee Why — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000

I remembered that I had posted this in late December, and it must have been a portent of what’s in store for 2025 .

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Greg Yamane (@geewhy)

New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v7 GTX

Gee Why — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Truthfully, the New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v7 GTX was a late addition to my list of waterproof shoes to test. Why? Because I found pairs available at Marshalls for a discounted price of $59.99!

These are GTX aka Gore-Tex and essentially look very similar to the Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex but in a low top form. The Vibram Megagrip outsole is there along with the odd outsole outcropping in the rear.

The “no can help” factors are the color way and size. Marshalls only had half sizes of this Hierro model, all in the blacktop/neon dragonfly color way. I actually don’t mind the color way, but it does present that hiking shoe vibe.

Since no size 10 was available, I went with a size 10.5, and that may not have been a bad choice. Yes, the shoe feels slightly long with space in the toe box, but I also don’t feel the side-to-side squeeze as with the size 10 Hierro Mid. I still would replace the insole, and if still too long, I think a pair of Merino wool socks might make up any difference.

: New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v7 GTX

: Gore-Tex

: GORE-TEX

: I like the tongue tag

: Same Vibram Megagrip

: Only $59.99

The Hierro v7 GTX has a lot in common with the Hierro Mid.

: Same Vibram Megagrip?

: Same extra outsole

: Low versus mid

The verdict: a very strong contender offering the features and look that I’m going for and at a very affordable price. The fit could be better.

Spectrum Service Update Emails are Funny and Irritating

Gee Why — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 03:16:15 +0000

Okay, I lied. I didn’t stop. Gotta give it to Spectrum to send this Service Update email. Yes, Spectrum, the television, phone, and Internet service provider… not the electricity provider.

The email is funny stating “Your power company is taking longer than expected” and that Spectrum will provide another update in three hours. I mean that’ll be around 8pm at night. I don’t think I’ll need a Spectrum Service Email to tell me my power isn’t back as I sit in total darkness if power isn’t restored by then.

Getting an Email without Attachments Is Irritating

Gee Why — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 03:06:14 +0000

Alright, I got to stop. But when you get an email that has some important stuff to look at in the attachments, but then don’t see anything attached, that is irritating.

And yes, the power is still out.