Advertising Fresh Off the Boat
As an Asian, I gotta give props to promoting the new television show, Fresh Off the Boat. Although I don’t think this form of advertising is permitted in Hawaii. Perchance a FOB is unaware and is responsible for this?
Pulp
The $150 Gas Cap
Whenever your car’s check engine light goes on, you never know what to expect. It could be bad, incurring a high repair cost. So when my aging Toyota’s light went on, I braced for the worst.
Diagnostics said there was a leak in the emissions/fuel system. After troubleshooting and testing, the problem ended up being a worn out seal on the gas cap. The cost of a replacement gas cap? $30. Tacking on the diagnostics fee of $120 gives me a brand new gas cap of $150. But hey, I’d rather take this than repairs costing in the thousands.
Alternate Uses of a Fan
Credit drivers of the ultimate driving machine for their smart, alternate use of fans. Sure fans are there to move air past its holder for cooling purposes, or you can also use fans to provide shade from the glaring sun.
Is this any safer than using a mobile phone while driving?
Car Fire on Lehua
Did you hear about the car fire this morning on Lehua in the Pearl City area? Thanks to his dedication to work, @locke02000 was already in the area when the car went up in flames and the fire crew arrives on scene.
As far as I know, there’s no connection with this car fire and the discrepant story of pro golfer, Robert Allenby.
I Bought a Selfie Stick
But it’s okay. I passed the criteria set by The Oatmeal’s “Should you buy a selfie stick?” test. It’s all about the angles and versatility that led me to buy a selfie stick, not vanity (for real). I wanted a stick for my GoPro to get different angles for shots. But then, why buy a monopod made for one device? Why couldn’t I use the same stick for another device like an iPhone? I wouldn’t want two selfie sticks, right? That’s when I found the ThrillPro by The Alaska Life
Essentially the ThrillPro is a selfie stick, capable of extending 36-inches, but it’s sturdier, more versatile, and ultimately more costly than other products. But that’s okay. This single stick comes with different mounts so you can easily use it with a GoPro or any smart phone that fits its clamp (a regular encased iPhone 6 fits). In theory, you could also mount a video camcorder, SLR, or DSLR camera as well. Just don’t go too heavy. The ThrillPro is sturdy but not unbreakable. Once extended, lock rings keep everything in place.
The angle of the head of the ThrillPro can be adjusted to turn your camera on its side or to reverse its orientation. The included strap and clip latch securely fastens the stick to your hand or a bag.
The only negative I have is that the ThrillPro does not include a remote control capability. There’s no Bluetooth remote or other means to remotely snap a picture. You have to rely on the GoPro or iPhone’s self timer. Inconvenient but understandable. Incorporating an universal remote that can work with a GoPro, digital camera, smartphone, and camcorder would be too tall of an order. One option with a GoPro is to use a Pebble watch and GoPro app as a remote shutter, and it does work (albeit with some additional setup needed).
So if you’re looking for a versatile and sturdy selfie stick and don’t mind paying for the quality, check out the ThrillPro.
I’ve Eaten at a Conditional Pass Yellow Food Establishment
And I’m okay. All around Hawaii, the Department of Health placards on are display at restaurants, and I actually found a location with a conditional pass aka “the yellow card.” The areas of improvement dealt with food temperatures and cross contamination of food (not sure what that means).
But I’m here to say that after eating a Thai Chicken Pizza and a BBQ Chicken salad, me and the family are fine. Did you know that even green placards could mean a single infraction whereas two infractions warrant a yellow? Restaurants with a yellow card usually get a followup inspection within two days so hopefully, a green card will be displayed this week.
Signs of Hawaii: @OKAZUYA
Remember back in the day before the Internet proliferated our daily lives that the @ symbol meant a physical “at?” Nowadays, whenever you see the @ followed by a word, you assume it to be an online identity or persona. But in this case, @okazuya really means “at okazuya.”
Do You Raise.com?
Any of you use Raise.com to buy or sell gift cards? Raise offers gift cards from a variety of vendors at a discounted price. How and why are these discounts available I don’t know. Supposedly, these are unwanted gift cards that you or I receive but don’t want. So instead of letting the gift cards sit there, you sell them on Raise. Then people who want the cards buy them, giving you value for your unwanted cards.
This is definitely an intriguing idea but where the discounts come from frighten me a little, especially for companies like Starbucks and Apple that don’t typically offer discounts for their in-demand products. But at 15% off, my frugality overcame my fear and I ordered $100 worth of Starbucks cards for $85. The eGift/vouchers arrived via email right away so that was reassuring. But then I didn’t understand how to redeem them – an account number and PIN? Where does Starbucks use that online?
Instead, I printed the physical vouchers with bar codes and took them to a Starbucks. I had purchased four $25 cards and of these four, two had zero balances. Aw boo. The employee said she couldn’t do anything in the store and that I had to contact Starbucks corporate to work this out. Fortunately, Raise.com has an excellent guarantee program. Getting through on the phone took about 15 minutes, but I was refunded for the full amount for the two invalid cards.
So I have mixed feelings about using Raise. It’s a great idea for sure, but you may have to deal with some extra hassles.
Signs of Hawaii: Temporarily Out of Order
If you shopped Macy’s at Ala Moana during the holidays, you probably ran into this sign located on one of the upper floor exits.
What’s that? You can’t read that sign printed on 8.5×11 paper using a small font? You were one of those who approached the doors, straining to read the sign from afar. Only to see this.
I guess Macy’s has no way of printing something that doesn’t follow the template of their sale signs?
Night Visions at Bellows
What visions can be had while crabbing at night at Bellows? Let’s take a look…
You can find the closest thing to a snowman in Hawaii – a “snowman” made from sand.
And not just one, but here’s another sandman with some accoutrements. He does look happy though.
Personally, I was amazed at this pyramid. Very symmetrical, very smooth, and the detailing!
Speaking of smooth and symmetrical, these sandballs were just sitting there begging to be thrown. But because of their perfection, you just couldn’t bring yourself to launch one of these sandy spheres.
Anyone lost their shades?
Oh, and of course, the reason for being at Bellows at night? Catching crabs for fun. This was a big guy. When we first found him, he didn’t move at all, appearing dead. But then he went into action showing of his claws, snapping them as he tried to make his escape. Yes, he was released at the end of the hunt.
Touring the Great Firewall of China
If you were to visit China, you have to be ready for different rules for the Internet. In this case, “the Internet” is not really the Internet with the Great Firewall of China blocking access to some popular American sites. Sites that are banned fluctuate so just never know. Most recently access to Gmail seemed spotty.
But fans of Pulpconnection don’t have to fret just yet. Pulpconnection.net is allowed passage across the Great Firewall of China.
Signs of Hawaii: Save 10%
I guess I really can’t complain because a ten percent discount is still a ten percent discount. Although I think the tax and bottling fees essentially negates that saved 10% off the $1.95 bottled water.
