Could Andrew Wiggins Play for Hawaii?
Can the supposedly best 13-year old basketball player play hoops at UH? At 6-6, Andrew Wiggins will probably (if not already) be recruited by the big name schools, but why not play in the Aloha State?
Passion
Additions and Deletions to Pulpconnection
Had to do some tuning to Pulpconnection after a rash of meltdowns and poor performance. Thanks to the duo of @ryankanno and @mirthlab, I made a few changes hopefully for the better.
Deleted
- Skribit. Good idea to get suggestions but never was used so I removed the service and its Javascript.
- Google FriendConnect. This may make a reappearance in the future, but for now, it didn’t pan out. I really don’t know what benefit it brings. There’s potential, but it just ain’t here yet. Bye, bye more Javascript.
- Amung.us. Pure eye candy that has similar data in Google Analytics so not needed here.
- TweetMeme plugin. You see this plugin quite often but wasn’t catching on here so disabled this WordPress plugin.
Added
- Image caching. Didn’t know you had to enable image caching in Apache. Lots to learn, but I think basic caching of common images is working.
- WP Super Cache. The defacto WP Cache wasn’t working right anyways so why not go with Super Cache?
- WPtouch iPhone Theme. To speed up the pulp experience on a mobile device like an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android phone.
- Twitter2Press. Just experimenting with this in the new Gallery section. My images posted on Twitter are now hosted here (and given a pulp.ly shortened URL). Makes sense.
There were a few other minor changes I made (like bumping up my DreamHost Private Server memory just a tad), and overall, performance has been more stable. But boy, the withdrawal from all the blogging bling (like this one) is hard to deal with. 🙁
What’s the State of the Blogosphere in 2009?
Find out by viewing Technorati’s annual study. For blogging hobbyists, here’s the deal:
- Blog for fun
- Don’t make money blogging – and only half would like to someday
- Blog to express themselves (76%)
Sound familiar?
The Effects of New Moon
Can you feel the effects of New Moon? Twilight’s next movie installment releases on November 20, 2009 and is having all kinds of impact. Look what I found at Costco! To prep for New Moon, fans must own the Twilight Journals, right?
Of course, the early released New Moon soundtrack is already part of your music collection.
Hey wait, these aren’t part of the Twilight series.
And neither is Pride & Prejudice or Wuthering Heights, but that cover artwork is oh so familiar.
And if you’re totally out of it, it’s New Moon, not Blue Moon or Yellow Moon.
Second Chance for the New Moon Soundtrack
Due to popular demand, the release date for the soundtrack from Twilight’s New Moon was moved up from its original October 20 date. If you pre-ordered the soundtrack from iTunes, you’re bummed since the pre-order won’t process until the 20th. If you don’t want to wait until then, you have a second chance at getting the soundtrack. For today only, Amazon’s daily special is the New Moon soundtrack for only $4.99.
There’s no bonus material, but at this point, getting the music now at a good price sure beats waiting until October 20th. Silly iTunes.
New Dancers Struggling on Dancing with the Stars?
Does it seem like the newer dancing professionals on Dancing with the Stars are struggling a bit, especially choreographing the new dances? Already on Season 9 of DWTS, many dancing veterans have been eliminated (Edyta, Cheryl, Maks, Anna, Tony, and Jonathan) and fan favorite Julianne Hough wasn’t in this year’s lineup . Veterans who continue on are Karina, Kym, Derek, Louie, Mark, and Alec along with “newcomers,” Anna Demidova, Chelsie Hightower, Lacey Schwimmer, and Dmitry Chaplin.
Anna Demidova is on the brink of elimination with Michael Irvin, and while Michael’s dancing skills aren’t on par with his receiving skills, Anna hasn’t been able to choreograph for him. Chelsie Hightower, in her second year, had a troublesome Country Two-Step with Louie Vito. She did most of the dancing to compensate. Lacey Schwimmer in her third year is having more success with Mark Dacascos, and while Dmitry and Mya have gotten 10’s in the past two weeks, good old Len Goodman is calling out the pair with his down-to-earth scores of 7 and 8.
It’s these newer pros who can’t seem to bring out the best with their dancers. As a comparison, look at Derek Hough and Joanna Krupa. There’s no question Derek’s choreography was great, even doing a new dance of the week, the Lambada.
Mark Ballas too shone in Week 4 with his Charleston with Melissa Joan Hart. Karina will break Aaron Carter and get him in line. Kym is getting Donny Osmond there. Louie is working on Kelly’s confidence, and Alec is turning a swimmer into a dancer.
As the weeks go by, will the veterans have the edge or will the newbies pull through?
This week three-time DWTS dancer, Anna Trebunskaya, and partner Chuck Liddell was eliminated from the competition.
There’s an App for That: Dancing with the Stars
Continuing the trend of “there’s an app for that,” have you seen the Dancing with the Stars iPhone app?
With the app, you can vote (via text messaging), get DWTS updates, view picture galleries, learn about the dances, and be the “fourth judge”. All for free! Yes, there really is an app for that.
Top iPhone Apps While Visiting Four Seasons Lanai
Staying at the Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay or Koele is a dreamy, getaway vacation. But for the iPhone-toting fanatics, here’s my list of absolute apps you need while visiting the Four Seasons Lanai.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Even before arriving at your vacation getaway, you can take a virtual tour of what you’re about to experience. With this recently released app, you can check out room availability, spa services, and even get a video tour of any Four Seasons.
Pano. Taking mobile pics is conveniently cool, but the very best way to capture the gorgeous scenery of Lanai is to take panoramics. There’s so much visuals to choose from, starting with the beaches and oceanfront of Manele Bay to the gardens and Lodge of Koele.
Tweetie. With superb AT&T coverage in the area, you’re always online. Why not make others jealous as you’re living the life on Lanai by tweeting tidbits here and there? And of course, you need to converse with the excellent tweeters of the resort! Be sure to follow @fslanai, @KatieonLanai, and @tomroelens, and who knows what surprises will come.
Tumblr, PicPosterous, WordPress. If you also happen to be a blogger (and can’t contain your voice), be sure to have the mobile versions of Tumblr, Posterous, or WordPress handy. How else are you going to share your wonderful experiences as they happen? But then again, if you were a blogger, you’d already have these apps. 😉
Postman. With this app, you can make your own virtual postcards using the fantastic pictures you’ve taken. Jot down a short message then share your creation on Facebook, Twitter, or email.
The Weather Channel. Huh? With Hawaii’s typical tropical weather, why would you need an app forecasting the weather? You really don’t. What you do need is the ability to share the sunny conditions of 96763 with the unlucky ones not in 96763.
And there you have it, my list of top iPhone apps you need while visiting Four Seasons Lanai.
Spotted at Ala Moana
What did I spot at Ala Moana this past weekend? How about this $175 Juicy bag for a grandmother?
Not your thing? How about some Nike Lunarglides?
And in case you forget, here’s a shirt to remind you.
Awesome (and expensive) Star Wars Lego.
And Legos are cool! Just ask Naveen Andrews aka Sayid on LOST who picked up some kits. Yes, that is really him. I recognize him from the last time. And no, I didn’t want to bug him for a picture during his family time in a crowded toy store full of people.
And as I was leaving while eating a wicked Haagen-Dazs Dazzler, I saw this tweet.
Next Up for Glee: No Air
The love triangle of Quinn, Finn, and Rachel heats up in the next episode of Glee featuring No Air.
Natalie Coughlin Goes All Out on Dancing with the Stars
For her DWTS rumba, Natalie Coughlin got the go-ahead to go all out with partner Alec Mazo. Who gave this approval of sensuality? None other than Alec’s wife, Edyta who was eliminated in Week 1.
The show’s producers had to find ways of getting Edyta more airtime, and the performance introduction was the perfect venue! Can this swimmer be the next Dancing with the Stars champion with Olympic ties?
New on iTunes
New this week on iTunes:
- Twilight’s New Moon soundtrack. Pre-order and get one single now, but my main reason for ordering is Lupe Fiasco’s Solar Midnite.
- Britney’s 3. It’s Britney, you need to buy!
- Glee’s upcoming mashup of Halo/Walking on Sunshine and It’s My Life/Confessions. Not just great songs, but combos of great songs. OMG! The complete soundtrack is gonna be a keeper.
- Sarah McLachlan’s One Dream. Classic Sarah.