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Signs of Hawaii: Unattended Children in Vehicles

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Say what? I had to do a double take when I saw this sign at the entrance of Walmart. If there’s a professionally made sign for this, you know there’s got to be precedence. I’ve heard of problems leaving pets in parked cars, but leaving children in parked unattended vehicles?!

unattended-children

And look before you leave? Really? You have to look in the back seat to see if you got your kid back there? This sign is just odd and troubling.

Checking Out the Forecast

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Thanks to Kickstarter fiend, Eri, I have a new weather “app” to check out. It’s called Forecast, but it’s not your traditional mobile app. You won’t find this free version in the Apple App Store, instead you head to forecast.io on your mobile device (or any platform) and follow the instructions. Although not a native app, Forecast feels and operates like an app and is clean, functional, and easy to understand. Here are some screen shots.

Tapping and swiping brings up different views or more details yet navigating the app isn’t overly confusing. Forecast also doesn’t use real images or rendered images to represent the current weather. I always found these visual representations misleading thinking that the images were live shots, not stock images.

weather2x
Weather 2x

I don’t know why I have a thing for weather apps living in temperate Hawaii. The weather just doesn’t vary very much, but still, I have gone through at least 5 different weather apps. So far, the new Yahoo Weather app has been my favorite, but it showcases images on Flickr taken in the area. While the images are gorgeous, they feel somewhat misleading. Solar is interesting and artistic but a little difficult to use. Weather 2x has been a weather mainstay of mine. I like the app’s overall balance of information and ease of use. I stopped using Weathercube. While it was neat, I was so lost when trying to swipe in different directions for additional data. Living Earth was just overkill for my weather needs. Of course, there’s the built-in iOS Weather app that I always fall back to. I like the way the information is presented though the interface does feel dated.

I’ll give Forecast a try but I’ve noticed one shortcoming already. Since it’s not a true app, it doesn’t provide notifications for impending weather alerts. Accessing the app will show you alerts but there are no notifications outside of the app. This might be a deal breaker for me.

Macy’s Athletic Shoes Now by Finish Line

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Just in case you were wondering why the athletic shoe department at Macy’s got a boost of style, know that they are now operated by Finish Line. So instead of the more traditional sneakers you’ve seen at the conservative Macy’s, you’ll see some flash like the Nike Roshe Run (for both men and women).

The downside to this new kicks collection at Macy’s? Exempt from the frequent Macy’s coupons and discounts.

macys-athletic-shoes

Walmart Does Not Online Price Match

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Boo, I learned first hand that Walmart (at least in Hawaii) does not price match their own prices advertised online. I discovered that LEGO had discounted select sets on Amazon and at Target, and I confirmed the lower prices on the respective company sites. I also checked Walmart.com for the reduced prices, and the recent discounts were reflected. I also checked in-store stock, and the sets I was interested in were available (the A-Wing and the AT RT walker) so I figured I’d stop by and pick these up, saving on shipping and time.

When I got to a nearby Walmart location, I didn’t see the price reductions so I asked. Both the cashier and customer service representative confirmed that they do not price match their own online prices. Even though I was in store with the products in hand and money ready to spend, they would not give me the sale price. So I left empty handed.

The Walmart.com shipping is supposedly 97-cents for the items I requested but didn’t verify shipping costs to Hawaii. But still, that’s lame and a waste of time. I was right there ready to give the store money, and they refused.

I recall Target had price matched previous purchases. Unfortunately, the location is out of stock of the A-Wing, so Amazon got my business.

I just came across this useful article talking about companies that price match and those that don’t (and yes, Walmart is in the latter category). I didn’t think of trying the in-store pickup option, but it seems like this isn’t active in Hawaii.

walmart-store-pickup

Considering LEGO Batman the Movie DC Super Heroes Unite

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At Walmart, I happened to see this animated LEGO movie, Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite. Got some good reviews on Amazon, and I don’t have the video game so the scenes and storyline will be new. Might be a good one to have for the in-car DVD player.

Oh and it comes with a LEGO minifigure of Clark Kent. Why Superman’s alter ego while this is a Batman movie baffles me. But maybe LEGO is banking on the Man of Steel hype?

So What Happened to Gregg Hammer?

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Gregg Hammer has been missing from the 98.5 Wake Up Crew for a long, long time. I thought he was on a break, but it’s been way too long so something must have happened. What, I don’t know, but I do know I hardly tune in without Hammer. Slick Vic ain’t bad, but he’s just not Hammer and doesn’t have that chemistry with Rory. While you didn’t want Gregg Hammer as the lead DJ, you needed him for his comedic genius and fast wit mixed with local style.

The morning drive just isn’t the same without Hammer. Two Voice Tuesdays, no more? Good thing I have some memories. Chris Rock and Martin Yan “Can Cook”. Will we hear Tufi Claus any more?

You remember Hammer’s rendition of his Kumu Hula singing I Ride the Dongs.

[audio:https://www.pulpconnection.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/hammer-kumu-singer.mp3|titles=hammer-kumu-singer]

Then there’s former UH football coach Greg McMackin’s apology which Rory and Gregg absolutely ripped into. Admit it. You laughed at this painful intrepretation.

[audio:https://www.pulpconnection.net/audio/coach-mac-apology-wake-up-crew.mp3]

Wow, I’ve been following the Wake Up Crew for a long time. Their move from Hot I-94 to Island 98.5 and the rough times that ensued but got better and better.

Where ever Gregg is, I sincerely hope all is well and more so, hope to hear him on the air waves once again.

Update 4-23-2013: After posting this, I was informed that Mr. Hammer left the radio station on good terms and is now pursuing ministry as his life’s mission.

You can still catch Gregg at Dave & Busters monthly. Now if Gregg reunites with the Wake Up Crew on a gospel music channel, that’ll really test my music preference.

Good luck and Godspeed, Mr. Hammer!

Trying Out NewsBlur RSS Reader

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Since Google announced the sunset of its RSS Reader service, I’m giving NewsBlur a try. Granted RSS has become my distant third option for discovering content and reading news with Facebook and Twitter tied for my online news top spots.

But I do miss the wide capture of my RSS feeds over the year so since RSS is buzzing again, I want to see what I’m missing. NewsBlur adopts the freemium model where you pay annually for advanced features. The free version is good but limited to 64 feeds/sites. I’ve been using the web site so far and it’s very usable. I’m going to test the iOS app next. So far, I’m impressed but I still have a lot to learn. Maybe NewsBlur will be getting another paid customer…

What’s this NewsBlur blog each user gets?

Won a Tote Bag at Kipling Grand Opening

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Trendy bag maker, Kipling, has come to Hawaii with its grand opening at Ala Moana. For a limited time, you can win various prizes by participating in in-store games and giveaways. Guess who won something?

Purely by luck, we beat the odds and won this Kipling tote.

Stop by the new store and test your luck. Thanks Kipling!

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