Information Overload

Thomas Kemper Low Calorie Root Beer

The distinct taste of sucralose (SPLENDA® Brand) is palpable on the tongue in Thomas Kemper Low Calorie Root Beer, which is unfortunate given that it has 140 fewer calories than the standard brew.

President Obama's First 100 Days In Office

President Obama, ever the savvy communicator, has graded himself on his first 100 days in office. His administration is definitely working on a substantial agenda at an urgent pace, which is a refreshing change compared to the last guy who took month long "working" vacations every year.

P.S. Welcome to the Democratic Party Senator Specter!

H1N1 Swine Flu

The San Jose Mercury News reported last night that 10 of 12 samples from people who have flulike illnesses in Santa Clara County came back negative with the remainder of results due this morning... The CDC has setup an H1N1 Swine Flu website, widget, and is even Twittering about the WHO Phase 4 pandemic (which so far isn't so bad here in Northern California or even the U.S. as far as we've been told).

Thomas Kemper Root Beer

The local Costco has switched from selling Henry Weinhard's Root Beer to Thomas Kemper Root Beer. It's a nice improvement given that Thomas Kemper's root beer is made from all natural ingredients such as cane sugar and honey compared to the high fructose corn syrup found in Mr. Weinhard's brand. Wonder how TK's 20 calorie version tastes compared to their standard 160 calorie brew...

San Jose 2009 Nikkei Matsuri

The annual Nikkei Matsuri festival is today in San Jose Japantown. The food is not as tasty as it is during the yearly Obon Festival in July, but it's a nice way to spend some time outdoors on a Sunday with great weather. The San Jose Taiko group plays in the morning at 9:15 AM, and in the afternoon at 3 PM.

Body of Lies

Body of Lies is based on a book by David Ignatius, an op-ed columnist for the Washington Post. It's not Sir Ridley Scott's best film, but it's entertaining nonetheless. Leonardo DiCaprio leads the way as a CIA agent trying to track down a terrorist mastermind behind bombings in Europe. Russell Crowe plays his ornery boss based out of D.C. The trust between the two characters is tenuous at best. Leo puts on a much better performance than Crowe who belabors an American cowboy accent. Perhaps it's just difficult to watch the Gladiator as a fat bureaucrat.

Crank: High Voltage

Crank: High Voltage is crazier than the first flick. Chev Chelios' Chinese rivals were so impressed by his resiliency during their first attempt to kill him that they mistakenly keep him alive with an artificial heart to harvest the rest of his organs. Of course, Chev escapes and kicks off a new rampage in pursuit of his real heart. The trick this time is that he has to keep his ticker charged by any possible means. Fortunately, Amy Smart reprises her role as Chev's girlfriend, Eve. Dwight Yoakam is also back playing the hilarious Doc Miles. Crank 2 short circuits during a couple of lengthy fantasy scenes. Otherwise, it's fun, over-the-top, R-rated entertainment (for people who are not easily offended).

Resident Evil: Degeneration

Resident Evil: Degeneration finds Claire Redfield caught in the midst of another T-Virus outbreak. Fortunately—in an it's good to have help versus sexist way—Leon Kennedy is sent to eradicate the epidemic. Kennedy also teams up with Angela Miller, a Special Response Team agent,  who befalls a stereotypical fate. Otherwise, the all-CG movie plays out like a really good 97-minute video game cut scene. (Looking forward to the iPhone version!) The next day of 24 should jump the shark by having Jack fight zombies who are preceded by the appearance of his daughter, the harbinger of painful plot twists.

Happy Earth Day!

Switching from disposable plastic water bottles to a reusable SIGG bottle has probably been the biggest personal contribution to the environment since last year. Also started using the GDC attendee bag to carry more groceries, and upgraded to a new car that meets the California Air Resources Board's PZEV rating, FWIW. Guess switching to rechargable batteries in the Xbox 360 wireless controller, switching to more compact flourescent lighting around the house, and upgrading to the most environmentally friendly MacBook Pro ever should count for something too. Most of these moves saved money, and weren't inconvienent. The reusable grocery bag is kind of a pain to tote, but it already paid dividends by saving the new car's trunk from an exploding milk carton. It's also way better than the weak handles on paper grocery bags, or ultra thin plastic bags.

Get a Mac Ads Spring 2009

Apple has unleashed four new Get a Mac ads to remind everyone of why they should steer clear of cheap PC's. They should also warm up investors as Cupertino prepares to report their second (fiscal) quarter financial results on Earth Day.