You will know that you are on the correct site if you see a black backgroud with blue.

Last week, I was browsing the internet and can across this website called www.placemyproduct.com. PlaceMyProduct.com is a new and innovative website, which allows you to sell your ads, sponsorships, and product placement to the highest bidder. This website is perfect for anyone. However, it is especially helpful for new websites.  Unlike large high traffic websites, where obtaining advertisements are easier to come by, PlaceMyProduct.com allows new websites to obtain advertisers or sponsorships in a new and easy way. 

As a publisher, you can auction off your typical text and graphic banner, sponsored links, blog post sponsorship, podcast sponsorship, banner overlays in video, and print, RSS…etc. I’ve even saw an ad for a web address on someone’s t-shirt, which will be placed on the website.  I’ve noticed that there is  a lot of blog sites using this new auction but in my opinion, this might develop into a way for small businesses or sports teams in obtaining sponsorships/advertisers.All bidding starts at a minimum of $10.00 and the publishers defines, what their advertisers will be getting for their money.  Advertisers will know exactly what and how long their ads will be in effect.  There are also some safeguards to the sales process.  After the auction, payment is put into an escrow account, until the publisher completes their obligation in posting the ad.   Once the advertiser verifies that the publisher is in compliance, the money is then released and paid to the publisher.

The University of Hawaii and Under Armour, Inc. today announced a multi-faceted eight-year partnership that designates Under Armour as the performance apparel and footwearoutfitter for the University of Hawaii Warrior football team. In addition to providing technologically advanced performanceapparel and footwear, the partnership includes Under Armour marketing rights. The partnership, slated to begin in July 2008, deepens Under Armour’s on-field presence in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). In addition to the Warriors, the brand has official outfitter relationships in The Atlantic Coast Conference, The Big 12, and The Southeastern Conference, including agreements with The University of South Carolina and Auburn University. “We’re thrilled to add Hawaii to the very select list off ootball programs we’re outfitting,” said Kevin Plank, Under Armour Chairman and CEO. “We identified UH as a team we wanted to outfit with our state-of-the-art performance apparel, uniforms and footwear, and we look forward to giving their studentathletes an advantage on field while also using the relationship to showcase our latest innovations in footwear, uniform designs, fabrics and textiles.”

Those of you interested, you can find the official NFL combine results at NFL.com.  I made it easy for you, just this link and it will take you to NFL.com’s official NFL results:  Combine Results

I started this challenge on February 15, 2008, weighing in at 269 lbs with my no-so high tech bathroom scale.  During the week, I ate mostly salads or whole wheat sandwiches for one or two meals a day.  But, had two parties this week for friends moving so I just couldn’t pass up or be rude. So, I decided to eat. On Friday’s party, I ate grilled Salmon, teri-beef, and spam with cabbage.  I ate little rice with my 4 pieces of salmon. 

Then on Sunday, I decided to weigh myself since it was a little or one week since I started this. Well this scale of mine was kind of off.  My first weigh in was 259 lbs. I couldn’t believe it so I tried again and again…it went like this:  259, 269, 255, 259.  So, I guess my unofficial weight is 260lbs, the average of the 4 weigh inns….LOL.  It cracks me up but at least, I know I’m losing weight. Since, the scale wouldn’t have ever registered in the 250 lbs before the Shaka Challenge.

After that, my friend was leaving for Texas so we had coffee and some cheese cake.  I couldn’t be rude so I ate my share of two or maybe three pieces.   I guess that’s plus 5 pounds for the cheesecake……so it’s 255 lbs now????

 Until next time…Aloha and a Big SHAKA to you all.

Gamba Osaka defeated the Houston Dynamo, 6-1 to become the first Pan Pacific Soccer Champions in Hawai’i.  The Los Angeles Galaxy beat Sydney FC, 2-1 for third place.   

Hawai’i Brian Ching pictured bellow, did not score a goal in the Championship game.

Photos by Michael Sullivan

  
February 23, 2008, Honolulu - Haleiwa’s Brian Ching, of the MLS’ Houston Dynamo, squares off with Masato Yamazaki of the J-Leagues Gamba Osaka at the Pan Pacific Championship at Aloha Stadium. Photo by Michael Sullivan

February 23, 2008, Honolulu - Haleiwa’s Brian Ching, of the MLS’ Houston Dynamo, battles Satoshi Yamaguchi of the J-Leagues Gamba Osaka at the Pan Pacific Championship at Aloha Stadium. Photo by Michael Sullivan

February 23, 2008, Honolulu - Haleiwa’s Brian Ching, of the MLS’ Houston Dynamo, in the Pan Pacific Championship media room after suffering a 6-1 defeat to Japan’s Gamba Osaka of the J-League. Photo by Michael Sullivan

When I was a small kid growing up in Hawaii, my dad used to take me to Aloha Stadium to watch the University of Hawaii Football Team. Back then, UH was called the Rainbow Warriors but now they are just called the Warriors. I will never forget those days going to games with my dad and two brothers; it was fun. As a kid, I looked up to our Hawaii stars like the Noga brothers, Nuu Faaola, and Jesse Sapolu. After they left UH, I used to read the newspapers and watch the news, wondering which NFL team they ended up on and how they were doing.

Some of you islanders might remember watching the special on KHON-TV called the NFL Hawaiians. I remember that show, which updated all of us on the whereabouts of the ex-Hawaii stars who were current NFL athletes. We looked up to those guys because they were from Hawaii.

Now, there’s a section in one of the Hawaii papers called the NFL Islanders, which updates us weekly on the progress of Hawaii’s athletes. I really wish that section was there for me when I was a kid because it would have saved a lot of nights watching the news or searching the newspapers. But heck, since I didn’t like reading books, this got me to at least read something.

Today in the middle of the UH coach June Jones’ era, we could be here for a long time naming ex-UH players in the NFL.  So for now, I will showcase several former UH stars now with the San Francisco 49ers who recently traveled to Seattle to play the Seattle Seahawks for Monday Night Football. 

First of them is the 49ers wide receiver Ashley Lelie. Ashley is a 1998 graduate of Radford High School in Honolulu, Hawaii and became the first UH player to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Lelie finished his UH playing career as the all time leader in receptions (194), receiving yards (3,341), and touchdown receptions (32).

There is Middle Linbacker Jeff Ulbrich from Morgan Hill, California. Ulbrich was drafted in the 3rd round in 2000 by the San Francisco 49ers. Ulbrich was a two year starter for the University of Hawaii and an All-WAC first team selection as a senior.

Next is defensive tackle, Isaac Sopoaga from Pago Pago, American Samoa. Sopoaga was at UH and a first team All Wac Selection in 2003. Sopoaga was drafted in the 4th round in 2004 by the San Francisco 49ers.

And we cannot forget retired 49er, Jesse Sapolu. Sapolu is a graduate of Farrington High School and the University of Hawaii. Sapolu was an offensive lineman for Hawaii from 1979 to 1982. While playing for Hawaii, he earned several All WAC honors. Sapolu was drafted in the 11 th round of the 1983 draft by the 49ers and is only one of six 49ers to own four Super Bowl Championship rings. Sapolu was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl twice in his career, is now retired and one of the 49ers alumni coordinators.

That’s it for now, but if you ever wondered what team your favorite Hawaii athlete ended up on or if you have any sports ideas, let us know and we will try to feature them.

Some of you might have seen photographers, with this weird looking plastic lunch bowl on their camera’s flash.  Some people might joke that you can eat out of it, but it’s really the Gary Fong’s Lightsphere. Gary Fong, a famous celebrity wedding photographer invented this very strange but useful flash diffuser.  Unlike some other flash diffusers that directs light forward, the Lightshere actually lights up the whole room. The inside surface of the lightsphere is textured so light is dispersed even more for a softer look.   The lightsphere is soft and flexible so it can fit in most camera bags.

I bought the Lightsphere over a year ago, after trying several different brands of flash diffusers.  Once I got the lightsphere, I was very surprise and it’s now a necessity for me on events or receptions.  I have used it in high school gyms to photograph basketball, events, and even portraits.   This product really does light up the room, the light is diffused, which minimizes shadows behind your subjects.  It gives studio lighting effects with portraits. And on some occassions, I have just used the lightsphere instead of studio strobes for headshots.  

For basketball, I really looked funny using the lightsphere but I was the one laughing at the end with nicely lit photos.  The lightsphere amazingly, lit up the gym which allowed me to use a slightly faster shutter speed.

Since, I purchased my Lightsphere, two of my fellow photographers friends at first made fun of me but they later realized that  it was actually effective and useful. They ended up purchasing it too.

If you decide to purchase the Lightsphere, make sure you buy the correct size for you flash.

I highly recommend Gary Fong’s Lightsphere.  

Broad Jump

OL - Wallace, Cody: Texas A&M, 09′05″
TE - Keller, Dustin: Purdue, 10′ 11″

Vertical Jump

OL - Wallace, Cody: Texas A&M, 30.5 inches
TE - Keller, Dustin: Purdue, 38 inches

20 Yard Shuttle

OL - Pollak, Mike: Arizona State, 4.47 seconds
TE - Keller, Dustin: Purdue, 4.14 seconds

60 Yard Shuttle

TE - Barnidge, Gary: Louisville, 11.29 seconds

3-Cone Drill

OL - Gibson, Michael: Cal-Berkeley, 7.21 seconds
TE - Fine, Derek: Kansas, 6.8 seconds

10 Yard Dash

TE - Barnidge, Gary: Louisville, 1.53 seconds
OL - Thomas, Donald: Connecticut, 1.72 seconds

20 Yard Dash

OL - Zuttah, Jeremy: Rutgers, 2.87 seconds
TE - Cottam, Brad: Tennessee, 2.61 seconds

 40 Yard Dash

OL - Zuttah, Jeremy: Rutgers, 4.99 seconds
TE - Keller, Dustin: Purdue, 4.55 seconds

*Statistics provided by the NFL.

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