Props to Adidas
Props to Adidas for their crazy wild uniforms for the NCAA Men’s Tournament. The colors and the patterns!
The Cincinnati Bearcats uniforms though black is the primary color really contrasts with the orange.
Passion
Dwellable’s Road to the Final Four
Did you know Dwellable’s new mobile app can help you on your road to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four? No, the Dwellable app can’t divine the winners for your March Madness bracket, but it can help you find lodging at the 13 different sites where games are played.
Simply put, Dwellable is “the world’s foremost online vacation rental search engine” and aims to answer the question, “Where are you going?” Their new app is an awesome extension of their service. So if you’re fortunate enough to attend any of the Big Dance games, use Dwellable to find a place to stay. While I’m not in this lucky bunch, I can still take my fantasy trip to the 2013 Final Four thanks to Dwellable. While on this fantasy tour, let’s ignore costs and availability shall we? It’s more fun that way!
First Four (March 19 and 20)
University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio.
Where does the road begin? In Dayton, Ohio, and what catches my eye on Dwellable is this authentic gem! A barn?! Yes, a barn.
I can see it now – Coach Norman Dale barking out plays, Jimmy Chitwood swishing jumpers, and recovering Scooter stammering, “Run the picket fence!” This is not the Hoosiers of Indiana, but this barn speaks the history of basketball.
Second and Third Rounds
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Michigan is a far ways away from Hawaii and while on this fairy tale tour, I would definitely stay at the Hansel and Gretel cottage. Look at the gorgeous pictures!
Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Defending champions Kentucky Wildcats didn’t receive a bid this year, so the welcoming canine of this Charming Town Home must definitely be a sign. Hope you didn’t pick any cat teams in your bracket.
To help plan your stay, be sure to check out the app’s availability calendar.
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
While March Madness is all about basketball, Utah is known for its skiing. If I were to enjoy the snow, the Canyon Racquet Club would be my home court. I marked the Canyon Racquet Club as a favorite in the app, but unfortunately, these favorites don’t sync with your favorites marked on Dwellable.com. 🙁
HP Pavilion, San Jose, California
San Jose is one of those rental markets that Dwellable doesn’t have many listings (four at this time), but I’d be happy at the Executive Victorian Home in Downtown Willow Glen. While Dwellable’s listings will grow over time, you can accelerate the process by contacting them.
University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio
I’m still at the Barn! 😉
Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
I’ve heard that there’s a certain artistry in Austin and The Zen Den surely portrays that. For the Austin games, I’m hoping the Florida teams emerge victorious.
Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
According to Dwellable’s map of the Missouri area, there are 138 locations, but I like the getaway appeal of the Circle O Lodge and Tree Farm. Besides doesn’t that “O” in Circle O remind you of a basketball hoop?
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I’m thinking there won’t be any major upsets in Philadelphia with the Hoyas and Blue Devils defending their second seedings. Might as well enjoy the view from this Downtown Philly Luxury Penthouse.
Living on an island, geography isn’t my strong suit, but to maximize Dwellable, it helps if you’re familiar with some state geography. Luckily, Pennsylvania only has a few regions to look through.
Regional Sites
East Regional, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Now the road continues on to the regional sites, and I predict the 2013 champion will come from the East bracket. While in DC, I’d have to take in the sights, perfect for the One Block From the Convention Center! Walk to Monuments! apartment.
West Regional, Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
West coast basketball played on the beaches of LA? You know what that means. Yep, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson in White Men Can’t Jump. The Ultra Modern Beach House is the perfect venue!
Midwest Regional, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
The Midwest region games are held in Indiana, and this Log Cabin in Brown County feels the “most Midwest” to this Pacific Islander (what do I know of the Midwest??). Out of the Midwest region, I believe Louisville will show why it’s the tournament’s overall top seed.
South Regional, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
From Austin to Arlington to Granbury, Texas, I’m loving this Lake House in Granbury. In the South Regional, will Shaka Smart and the VCU Rams pull off more upsets?
Final Four, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
And finally, our road ends in Atlanta, Georgia, specifically the Wilderness Lodge in Georgia. Georgia is where the Indiana Hoosiers will be named the 2013 national champs.
Bonus: It’s somewhat of a surprise that the University of Hawaii is hosting a CollegeInsider.com post season game (or two). So if you’re going to be on Oahu, you may as well live like a President. Stay at the “Obama Winter Whitehouse” in Kailua where the First Family usually spends their Holiday vacations.
While I’ve blogged about President Obama’s winter vacations in Hawaii and shared posts with Dwellable, I don’t see shared posts available on the Dwellable app. I’m thinking fans of Dwellable would love this addition. 😉
There it is, my virtual road to the Final Four thanks to Dwellable. Where are you going?
- Like Dwellable on Facebook.
- Follow @dwellable on Twitter.
- Read Pulpconnection posts on Dwellable.
Old School Commercials of Hawaii
Check out this Honolulu Magazine post collecting some of the classic television commercials from back in the day. I remembered all of them but had forgotten the impact of that silent Zippy’s commercial (featuring Jade Moon).
That’s the Under Armour Spine Bionic
In case you missed it, DeAndre Jordan wears the Under Armour Spine Bionic. Sure, it’s a custom colorway, but you know you’ll be able to dunk like this just be wearing these shoes… or not…
Amazon Sells Sports Cards?
I didn’t know Amazon sells sports cards. Is this new or just something I never noticed before? Looking through the cards from the 80’s and 90’s sure brought back memories like this Fleer Jordan rookie card that always eluded me. The best in my collection is Jordan’s second year Fleer card.
New at Footlocker
The past weekend must have been a kicks-buying kind of weekend with the crowds at Footlocker Ala Moana. Sure, sure, this is the only Footlocker House of Hoops in Hawaii, but the crowds were throughout the entire store, not just in the elite hoops area.
Maybe the crowds came for the new Nike Flyknit Lunar 1+. These shoes are woven but feel sturdy yet very light weight.
But what the kicks fiends must have been there for had to be the Martian-like Reebok ATV 19+. I thought pictures of these all terrain shoes looked wack but in real life, they are really, really weird.
LeBron X Decisions
Decisions, decisions. Keep the LeBron X “Home” colorways that’s relatively easy to match.
See if the “Prisms” are still available.
Or wait for the upcoming LeBron X Lows with Air Max?
What to do, what to do?
Help Represent Hawaii in the Startup Movement!
So there’s this contest called The StartupBus where small teams develop and launch their own startup business while on a bus ride to Texas. Hawaii has two representatives in this contest, working on different teams. Cheer on Ryan Kanno and Austen Ito as they build out Readin.gs and Jobber.io.
Of course, marketing and social media plays a sizable part for businesses, and you can help both Ryan and Austen’s teams by leaving a comment here and spreading the word about @readingsFTW and @jobberio.
And if you want, you too can jump for joy helping Hawaii represent our tech talent!
Reading About Readin.gs
As I was trolling the Internet, I started picking up traffic on this #startupbus tag. Then I came across this article explaining the StartupBus. So yeah, there is an actual bus (several actually), and they’re all traveling to Austin, Texas.
During this drive of 72 hours, each team starts a business. Yes, actually start a business… on a bus. I’m still learning about the StartupBus because hey, the idea sounds wacky itself.
The team I’m looking at is Readin.gs, otherwise known as East Coast Team 5. What is Readin.gs?
Readin.gs is a monthly curation service that provides hand-picked books from today’s most influential industry players.
Simple enough to comprehend, no? Now, take a look at their team makeup, you might see a familiar face that hails from Hawaii. Well, aloha there Mr. Kanno. And it seems Mr. Kanno has already penned a few a few posts for the Readin.gs cause.
To make the StartupBus an interactive experience with us Netizens, you can actually contribute to the success of your fave startup on them buses. There’s some secret sauce cooked up that determines your score based on activities and how your score helps support the teams. I don’t understand it all, but hey, it’s a fun and entertaining add-on.
Each day, heck, each hour will surely reveal more and more as all the teams ramp up their businesses… on a bus. Keep watching and follow along.
Follow @readingsFTW on Twitter.
Follow readingsftw on Instagram.
In-N-Out Super Secret Menu
Bacon? Of course. Chili dogs? Reserved for work picnics. Donuts? Yes, but I’ll stick with Krispy Kreme. Animal fries with burgers, bacon, and BBQ sauce? There’s no way you or me are going to taste this.
How Much for the LEGO Ghost Train?
Just how much does the LEGO Ghost Train from the Monster Fighters series cost? Regular price varies from $80 to $90.
At a local Walmart, I see this price tag for about $80. Not bad for Hawaii.
Oh but wait, on another part of this box, there’s another price tag of $64. Even better!
Oh snap! But this set is now on sale. Supposedly starting at $91, the Ghost Train can be had for $54!!
That’s roughly a 40% discount, and if you believe the Brick Show, this set might be a good investment at this price point.
You Got Part 2 of Breaking Dawn?
It’s available now for purchase or rental. This one is all about Alice.