Hansgrohe Raindance
When you want it to rain inside your home, the Hansgrohe Raindance Showerpipe is what you need.
Twerking and dancing while in the shower is optional however.
Salted Caramel is Back too
You might have heard that the Pumpkin Spiced Latte (PSL) is already back at Starbucks. Usually reserved for later in the fall, the PSL is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a longer stay on the menu.
The PSL also brought along its friend, salted caramel. You can order both in a latte form (hot or cold) or as Frappuccinos.

Wizard Data Analysis
I am intrigued. Wizard for Mac.
A lot of times I’m fighting with Excel to figure out this kind of stuff. Perhaps…
Starbucks Windward City, Kaneohe Closed?
So I hear that the Starbucks at the Windward City Shopping Center in Kaneohe is closed for renovations. I haven’t yet verified this however.
This is a busy location and so is the other Kaneohe Starbucks across of Windward Mall. The new Starbucks inside the mall needs to open soon to better distribute the coffee load.
I wonder if Starbucks would consider installing a Clover at this renovated location. This would be the first in Hawaii, but I doubt the Windward side would be the beneficiary. Then again, the first drive through SBUX was in the 96744.
Where to Find Cronuts in Hawaii
Officially, you’re not going to find a true cronut in Hawaii but cronut-inspired treats have popped up in Hawaii. Where can you find these cronut derivatives? Here’s a growing list.
Pacific Beach Hotel
Croissada at the Pacific Beach Hotel. Described as “a delicate blend of a croissant and malasada filled with a Polynesian vanilla Bavarian cream.”

Regal Bakery
BUTTerNUT from Regal Bakery, but you can call them BUTTNUTs.

Halekulani Sunday Brunch
Croissada from Halekulani. Available at Sunday brunch in a mini version.

Saint-Germain Bakery
Croissant Donuts or is it Donut Croissants from Saint-Germain’s Bakery. Available with or without cream but only at the Ala Moana Makai location.

CroDough Hawaii
CroDough Hawaii is mobile to satiate your cronut craving in your neighborhood.
Safeway
Yes, donut croissants are available at Safeway locations, going for four for $6 (with Club card membership). They are called Dou’ssants.

Leave a comment if you know of or find any other cronut-like creation.
Clueless About Coffee Cup Couture
Obviously, I am clueless about what’s fashionable for coffee cup designs. This morning, Starbucks announced their limited edition Swarovski mug to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL). My reaction at seeing this bedazzled mug – “meh.” Crystal-studded and holding 12 ounces of coffee doesn’t equate to $150 in my book.
But yet, after a few scant hours, all 600 of these Swarovski keepsakes were purchased. Coincidentally, eBay has them with bids ranging from $300 to $700. Besides resale value, I don’t see the appeal. The crystals are sorta cool, but I can’t imaging holding the cup with the crystals biting into your hand. The ombre hue is nice but alone not worth the $150-price tag.
And that green crystal circle. I’m guessing it’s supposed to represent the Starbucks mermaid logo, but it’s so abstract, I wouldn’t recognize it unless you told me this was a mug from Starbucks. I’d rather order $150 worth of PSL to drink, but that’s my cup couture-less opinion.
Interesting Searches for Hawaiian Slang
A quick review of recent searches here at Pulpconnection reveal some interesting sought for terms. There are searches for howlie, maho, and shoots. I can only guess, but “howlie” has to be haole aka the white person as explained in 21 Slangs Words You Should Know Before Visiting Hawaii (Part 1).
“Maho” I’m assuming is the transvestite mahu. I doubt the search was looking for the Hawaiian garb “malo.”
And then there’s “shoots.” Not chutes but shoots. Coincidentally, I recently used shoots in an informal email to a coworker. It was mot juste so I went with it, but I began thinking about the term and wondered where it came from. Basically, shoots is akin to an affirmative used to acknowledge or agree with something.
Example
“I going stop by your house around 5.”
“Shoots.”
While shoots can stand alone, it’s frequently preceded by “k’den” or followed by “then” or “brah” – “k’den shoots” or “shoots brah.” What’s the etymology of this word, I have no guess. Just go with it okay? (And this is the part you reply back with “shoots!”).
Exploring the Disney Wonder
Here’s a virtual tour of the Disney Wonder via my pictures. While the ship looks empty, it ain’t. The pictures were taken either really early or late in the day.
The oddest part of the staterooms on the Wonder are the “split” bathrooms. Instead of one room, the shower and a sink are together in a room while the toilet and a second sink are in another room. I guess this split arrangement does make it more efficient so one person doesn’t hold up the use of a single bathroom. Just something to get used to.
Pickup Basketbal Stereotypes
First watch this video stereotyping the types of players you’ll meet playing pickup basketball.
Which player were you? At times, I was Mr. Accessory though for the wrong reasons with ankle braces, knee protection, and foot orthotics. I was a few years removed from the shooting sleeve popularized by Allen Iverson, but I would have definitely worn one (and only one) shooting sleeve. I would have said no to the headbands trend when it dominated the NBA. Without a doubt I was the “Shoe Guy” if shoes aren’t considered an accessory. I wore different kicks on court depending on how I felt.
I played against a few of the last stereotype. Did nothing all game then takes and makes a hurried shot for the win. You just gotta shake your head at those moments.
One stereotype missing from the video is the dirty player. Everyone’s played against this stereotype at some point. The hardest part is finding out who that is before you get hurt. Usually, the dirty player plays hard to make up for ability level. To get an advantage, there’s a push here, a hold there, and screens with shots to your knees as you go by. All of this is followed by unfazed looks of innocence, but you know the intent of the dirty player was purposeful.
Oh hey, one more stereotype not in the video is the “Black Hole.” Like the astronomical marvel, black hole pickup players have a gravitational pull that’s impossible to overcome. So when the ball touches the black hole’s hands, teammates will never see the ball again. Double, triple teams won’t trigger a pass out of the black hole since it’s simply impossible. Yes, I have been called a black hole in the past, but you know, wearing Jordan XI shoes gives you the right to keep taking shots. Wearing Jordans on the court is the virtual green light to keep shooting.
Could You Contribute to the Huffington Post Hawaii Edition?
You think you got what it takes to contribute to the Huffington Post or its forthcoming Hawaii edition? Most likely not, but then again, here’s some of what’s in the Most Popular section for August 23, 2013.
Okay, maybe you do have what it takes…
Tweeting HuffPostHawaii
Although the Huffington Post Hawaii doesn’t officially go live until September 4, they’re ramping up their social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. Just for fun, I happened to be the first public @mention of @huffposthawaii.
Fellow Hawaii-focused bloggers, you offering up your services?