Information Overload

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is filling and inexpensive fast food. Their "mini" plates are often more than enough for a single serving. Some menu items are healthier than others. It'll be interesting to find out how catering from their San Francisco restaurant turns out for today's lunch... (Strangely, they don't have an option to deliver plates or utensils.) It's totally a coincidence that today happens to be December 7!

California Schools & Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012

California's legislature decided that they didn't want to let voters decide whether or not to pay more taxes this year so our governor is predictably putting a proposition on the ballot to let voters make a choice next year. To his credit, Jerry Brown is throwing his full endorsement behind The Schools & Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 (PDF), which The Sacramento Bee summarizes here.

Macworld | iWorld Early Bird Registration Ends Today

Today is the last day to register at "Early Bird" rates for Macworld | iWorld, the latest incarnation of the show formerly known as Macworld Expo. Gone are the days of priority registration codes for free Expo Hall passes. The Black Friday Cyber Monday two-for-one pass offer has been the best general deal seen so far...

Stake Land

Stake Land is a surprise stand-out horror movie about a post-apocalyptic America ravaged by a pandemic that mutated a large portion of the population into ravenous creatures of the night (that apparently hate the cold). The pairing of a hardcore vampire killer mentoring a young apprentice as they search for safer territory is somewhat reminiscent of Zombieland. However, Stake Land is serious about its subject matter. It covers quite a few interesting scenarios as the duo of "Mister" and Martin make their way towards Canada. Kelly McGillis puts in an unexpected performance as a resilient nun who helps the two navigate through the danger zone.

Night of the Comet

Night of the Comet is a classic cult comedy–horror movie. It stars sexy Catherine Mary Stewart with big hair from 1984, and the dude who would eventually play Commander Chakotay nearly a decade later. A comet passes through Earth's atmosphere, and affects most of the human and canine population of the greater Los Angeles area. Exposed survivors are mutated into homicidal zombies leaving the few who were unexposed to Kübler-Ross. Their coping is campy. There's really not much to like except for some cheesy dream sequences, and some confusing continuity issues when a mysterious organization crashes the post-apocalyptic party.

Much Ado About Carrier IQ

Carrier IQ claims that their "Mobile Intelligence" monitoring software is deployed on over 141 million handsets. They also claim (PDF) that they aren't doing anything evil with their diagnostic tools. However, they didn't do themselves any favors when they sent a cease and desist letter (since retracted) to a security researcher who exposed how Carrier IQ is used on some Android devices. TechCrunch covers options for removing Carrier IQ from Android. iOS hacker, chpwn, verified Apple's claim that all is well for iPhone users.

Speech vs. Siri

The Borg's Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Craig Mundie, proclaimed that he isn't impressed by Apple's Siri beta. After all, Windows Phone Speech came before Siri (but after iOS Voice Control). This Microsoft skeptic does agree with Mundie that people are infatuated with Siri, and that Apple is better than Microsoft at marketing. All one needs to do is check out the aforementioned Siri, and Speech product pages for proof of the latter.

Happy Meal Toys To Cost 10¢ Extra In San Francisco

Heh, San Francisco's so-called "Heathy Food Incentives Ordinance" (Section 471.1–471.9) goes into effect tomorrow. The law prohibits restaurants from including free "incentive items" such as toys with meals if they don't meet the city's nutritional guidelines. Thus, McDonald's in San Francisco will begin charging an extra 10¢ for Happy Meal toys. Proceeds will be donated to local Ronald McDonald House Charities.

BK Chef's Choice Burger

Tried a BK Chef's Choice Burger on Black Friday. It tastes slightly better than a WHOPPER, and has 20 fewer calories. The real-life hamburger this infrequent Burger King patron received also looked like its marketing glamor shots, which is somewhat impressive, and disturbing. Excluding the convenience factor, it would have been worth paying a few bucks more for a burger from Super Duper.

Cyber Monday 2011

Many retailers with online presences have extended their Black Friday sales through the end of today, Cyber Monday. (This could be close to the final Cyber Monday when online sellers such as Amazon can avoid collecting sales tax from buyers in California.) With all of the great deals floating around cyberspace, this online shopper is not convinced that offline Black Friday shopping is worth the hassle save for strengthing social bonds by surviving the chaos together.