"American" Food

NutritionData.com is a great site to find nutritional information from carrots to Big Macs to Whale meat. I must admit that I am a fast food enthusiast. Especially after being in Taiwan for a while, I hate to admit that I miss a lot of the greasy, fattening foods found in many of the fast food restaurants in the United States. Not to say that Taiwan cuisine is lacking. In fact, I am kinda of frustrated that I do not know enough Chinese to order some of the more local favorites. Nonetheless, I would not mind a nice thick slice of Chicago style pizza.

Anyways, here are some nutritional facts for three menu items from three popular American restaurant chains.

I have never had the Hardee's Bacon Cheddar 2/3 Pound Thick Burger. However, I hope to eat one before I die. Actually, I imagine that I'll probably die right after eating this bad boy. Layer of saturated fat after saturated fat - two day's worth - toped off with a thick dollop of mayo, all wrapped up in a sesame bun. Unfortunately, there aren't too many Hardees near my hometown. One day, my friend. One day we shall be one!


A few years ago Krispy Kreme hit the nation like bubonic plague. Everyone was raving about how delicious these delicate, light pastries were. My parents would occasionally bring these treats home from the next town over. They were good, but they were not that good. I honestly think Dunkin' Doughnuts makes a comparable doughnut. The nation finally came to its senses and people aren't so rabid about them anymore. Krispy Kremes dot the landscape but it seems like people don't really go there anymore. What was once a great treat to bring for class snacks is now something overrated and overdone. The deceptive nature of these pastries is that they're puffy. So after eating one, you want another. They do not satisfy you, they're like heroin. But you got almost 20% fat in one serving. Quickly pop down 5 and you have enough fat for the day.

Now this is the good stuff. Taco Bell's Grilled Stuffed Burrito. While this may not be as fresh as a Chipotle burrito, Taco Bell's GSB is a lot cheaper and serves as a quick and filling pick-me-up. I'll admit that this thing has a lot of sodium, but when made right, this thing actually fills me up. The GSB had a certain heftiness in the hands and the mix of meat, rice, and grease coupled with about ten packets of fire sauce make for a great quick lunch or late night food run. Unfortunately, Taco Bell's GSB can be a hit or miss depending on the restaurant. Some places know how to place the filling and grill the burrito just right while other places don't put any love into it.

A Bear Attacks Arnold Schwarzenegger

Clip from Hercules in New York. This movie is currently ranked # 73 on IMDB's 100 worst movies of all time. I'll let you guys decide whether the critics have been too harsh. It's amazing how a body builder can become an actor and eventually become governor of California. Arnold's story is a testament to the determination of his character and the opportunities available in the United States. Enjoy the clip.

Coke Zero

可口可樂 = Delicious and Happiness.
[ke kou ke le]

I'm a fan of Coca-Cola. I think it's because I'm a traditional values kinda guy. While Pepsi has the slightly smoother taste and 'hipper' image, I would most likely grab a Coke product based on sheer principles. Coke stands for tradition. A tradition of exploiting workers and hegemonizing the world.

The new Coke Zero recently came out in Taiwan. Coca-Cola's Coke Zero campaign seems to be working here. Zero is always in short supply at the nearby Family Mart. It's dark packaging gives Zero a futuristic spacey feel like something you would drink in the cold, dark regions of outer space. I like the flavor compared to Coke's other diet products. Zero has less of an after taste, but still has a very abrasive flavor especially when it is chilled. It burns the throat. However, there is no other way to drink Zero than chilled and rough like you're swallowing a thousand bubbling stars down your throat. Zero pairs nicely with McDonald's Big Mac meal and works well with hot, salty foods. I would save Zero for the late afternoon after a hard day's work or for those occasional junky, quick dinners of fast food or barbecue. Zero should be throughly chilled and usually complements some sort of salty food. I usually will not drink Zero by itself, to quench thirst, or cool down - there are much better drinks for that such as water. Admittedly, Zero has an artificial taste and no one should claim otherwise.

To sum up the essence of Coke Zero, I would say Zero would be something that Darth Vader would drink. Their shiny black exteriors compliment each other nicely. Both are undoubtedly artificial personas with human undertones. Both are best served chilled. Both remind me of the cruel, harsh reaches of outer space. And both represent large empires trying to establish absolute domination over the universe. Remember: Coke = delicious and happiness.

Ship of Fools

Are we are a ship of fools? We carry on with our merry little lives. We laugh, play, sing, and drink as we gently float down the river of our lives. However, we are so distracted by the business of maintaining our livelihoods on this boat that we fail to question our eventual destination. We are so busy occupying ourselves with the trivialities of our lives that we forget to answer the most important questions. Not to say maintaining status and comfort during our journey is not of utmost importance, however, what would be the point of such things, if the boat were to eventually plummet down a waterfall? The point I'm trying to make is that some times we get distracted by social pressures to "succeed" that we fail to see the bigger picture. There are three questions which I propose to the fellow members of this cruise. They are: Where did this ship set sail from? Where is this ship going? And can we change the itinerary?

Animaniac Fun

Does this video by the Animaniacs have a political slant? You decide. Notice what Yakko says when there's ~37 seconds left in the video. Enjoy.

This is a Wacko classic. I used to watch this as a child.

The Cultural Adjustment Curve

Behold, I present the "Cultural Adjustment Curve"...

The University of Illinois provided this chart to help students gage their emotions while studying abroad. Ironically, the Cultural Adjustment Curve looks very similar to the terrain in Taiwan except for the fact that Mount Olympus is located in Greece. I would say that I'm slowly climbing my way to Robot Utopia.

The Plight of Dry Cleaners

Judge Suing Dry Cleaners $67 millions for pants

This is outrageous. People do not realize how hard and stressful owning a dry cleaner is. They wonder, how can someone loose a simple pair of pants? Well, everyday, hundreds of items of clothing have to be processed, labeled, spot treated, cleaned, pressed, and sorted. These items of clothing look very similar. The turn around is only a few days and people love their clothes a lot (maybe a little too much). I would say that the majority of dry cleaners are hard-working families who have the difficulty of daily balancing the dynamics of earning a living and helping customers out as best as possible. At least that the case with what I've experienced.