you're so i-cessorized

Monster Clarity Bluetooth Speaker:
Got this after reading good reviews on amazon for transmitting music from my desktop, laptop, iPhone and iPad. I must say I am somewhat disappointed at its performance. Bluetooth range is rather limited. It loses its connection between my bedroom and my kitchen, which is probably just about 25 feet away. It works somewhat from bedroom to bathroom (about 10 feet). Sound quality is better than iPhone and iPad speaker but not as significantly different as I had hoped. I haven't really used this to make/receive calls yet. B-

Griffin Survivor iPad 2 Case:
This thing is supposed to survive military combat, and I think it would. For regular home use, it's a bit too much. It's chunky and heavy enough that I had to switch back to my $15 Yoobao folio case. I do like it that the case incorporates a screen shield so you wouldn't have to mess with those bubble-prone protectors, and while the shield does change the feel of the touchscreen, it does not inhibit its function. And the outer rubber layer will surely keep out all elements like spills and dirt and sand. I will put this baby on the next time I take my iPad into the jungle hunting for guerrillas. Until then, I think it will just stay in the box. Griffin B- Yoobao Folio A-

Boxwave Capacitive iPad Stylus:
I got this for $15 and promptly returned it. The tip of the one I got from Boxwave appeared to have been used and worn. Aside from that, it didn't function any differently from a stylus I got for $1 from ebay (a seller named sinedya). So instead I went back to ebay and bought two more. Now I have a stylus for home and work and then a spare, all for under $3.50 (which included shipping!). Boxwave C, ebay non-brand stylus A

Apple Wireless Keyboard:
I finally buckled and bought this so I can type on my iPad better, for that great American novel which by the way remains stuck on page 2 (sad). This works exactly as it should. It connects to the iPad like magic via bluetooth and, though looks small in appearance, types like a real keyboard. Aside from that lame smart cover, Apple does know how to make stuff. A-

Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit:
This is the only way to get photos directly from my iPhone and camera to the iPad, instead of transferring to a computer and then syncing. Again, it works as advertised. However, iCloud is coming, so maybe I shouldn't have bought this at all. B

you're so apes

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes:
I don't like talking animals and babies. They creep me out. Thankfully there is very minimal (oops, spoiler) ape-talking in this. There is however plenty of ace acting by Andy Serkis as Caesar. He is able to make his motion-capture ape character feel flesh and blood, as he did for Gollum. This is again another origin story, in which James Franco is a research scientist who raises Caesar and super-pretty Freida Pinto is a vet and his girlfriend (James Franco's girlfriend, not Caesar's). Caesar ends up being taken away from Franco and locked up in a facility tended by Tom Felton, who unfortunately has not left Draco behind but instead of waving his evil wand at Harry Potter, is now waving his stun baton sadistically at Caesar and his fellow imprisoned apes. This leads to the uprising, and super-intelligent apes running amok all over San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. The motion-capture special effect is rather amazing and seamless. You really don't think for a second that James Franco and others are not really interacting with real, well-trained apes. I however think I like the set-up of the story more than the pay-off. I mean, when it all ends, it's not so much an uprising as it is just an escape. An uprising would be that the apes take over the White House and Congress (or has that happened already?). Well, I guess that's what sequels are for. Regardless, the lesson learned here is that you should always be nice to animals because you never know when they have been injected by some intelligence-enhancing drugs. B

you're so full

I ate at these places all within the last week. Gluttony, my friends:

Bistro 10UN - A restaurant run by the International Culinary School at the Art Institute serving up a three-course meal for $15!!! I had heirloom tomato soup, pan-seared salmon with sauce basquaise, and stone fruit and berry crisp with vanilla ice cream. I also tried my coworker's flat iron steak and chocolat pot de creme (love going out to eat with small eaters!). Everything was delicious, but really my favorite was actually the chocolat pot de creme, which is chocolate mousse that had just the right degree of bittersweet. It was served with the most deliciously buttery shortbread cookie. A-

Costco - I went to Costco to buy a few items including discount movie tickets (to watch Captain America). You absolutely cannot go wrong with a polish dog and soda for under two bucks. Every single trip to Costco, I cannot resist. I wonder how many polish dog I have eaten in my entire life. A

Mandalay Burmese Restaurant - I love Burmese food, and I've been here a few times. This place was featured on Check Please Bay Area recently. This time I had tea leaf salad, Ong No Kaw Soi (coconut chicken noodle soup), Mandalay special noodle, ginger lemonade, and an ice cream dessert. My favorite is the Kaw Soi, which I always get at every Burmese place I go to. The portions could be bigger for me. I ended up paying $32 a person, which I think is a lot for Asian food, cuz I am an Asian cheapskate. B+

Pho Huynh Hiep 3 at Westlake - Back down to my price level. Came here after Captain America and had a nice bowl of combinatin flat rice noodle. Nothing fancy or special but always reliably comforting. B+

Smokin' Warehouse - Ventured out to 3rd Street/Bayview area for BBQ. It's actually an Asian-owned joint operated out of a pick-up window with one solo bench on the sidewalk. I don't remember where I read about this place but it's been on my to-try list. I had the beef brisket platter with corn bread, baked beans and steak chilli. Also ordered an extra mac n' cheese. The beef brisket was about the most tender brisket I've ever had. The sides were okay. I like my cornbread grittier. But it wins for the meat. A-

Outerlands - Only a five minute or so drive from my house, and I've never tried this popular place due to not wanting to deal with the line out the door. So a Wednesday lunch would be just the right opportunity. And man, am I sorry that I haven't been here earlier? I had the grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of shitake mushroom soup. The soup is somehow light and hearty at the same time, with just the slightest kick - it has got to be one of the best soups I've ever had. The bread in the cheese sandwich is spongey and thick and grilled to crunchy, crusty perfection. All this was washed down by a cup of Sight Glass coffee. Our waiter, a hipster dude with Dave Grohl hair, was super nice. And while we were there, some TV crew was filming a feature for some upcoming Food Network show. So I may end up on tv soon! A

Alhamra - I need to venture down to the Mission more, and I would if it weren't for the impossible parking. So yeah here I am on a weekday, enjoying potato naan, chicken boti tikka, lamb korma, and mango lassi, some of the best down-home Indian/Pakistanian food I've had. And that mango lassi - I think they laced it with crack or somethung, cuz I can drink a jug of that stuff. One complaint though is that the service is not too friendly, but whatever. A-

Komi Buffet - At the former Todai location in Daly City. I've long wanted to try this place since there is always a huge crowd waiting outside (so must be good, right?). I have a love-hate thing with all you can eat buffets. I love unlimited sushi and desserts. But I hate the pressure of having to eat til I am sick, cuz otherwise they win. Anyways, back to that big crowd out the door - well what I failed to oberve is that it's a cheap-ass bargain-loving Chinese crowd. They are just there because $12 for all you can eat lunch is an extreme bargain. The food itself is just okay. It's got a good variety of sushi, of fairly decent quality. The hot food is, as is typical of these places, mediocre. The desserts - a variety of small cakes, two mousses which were too sweet for me, two Chinese dessert soups, and some fruits - didn't really hit the spot for me. All in all, for sure it's worth the money, and I'll come back for a weekday lunch when I am craving for sushi without wanting to spend a lot of money. But it's ultimately not satisfying in any way other than getting you stuffed. B-

Tani's Kitchen - A tiny, always-packed Japanese restaurant in Westlake. Tiny means that this place only has three tables and a bar counter. It feels like a greasy diner, except they serve sushi and teriyaki. I had a spicy chicken rice plate, which was basically chicken thigh and leg meat in a spicy teriyaki-ish sauce. It came with green salad and macaroni salad. The chicken was really tender and the sauce has the perfect kick. No frills but plenty of taste. We came here at around 5:30 for dinner so we wouldn't need to wait. By the time we left, which was shortly after six, the crowd had gathered out the door. Those people wouldn't be eating for a while. B+

San Dong Noodle House - Geary near Arguello. This place serves Northern Chinese food. I ordered beef noodle soup with hand-pulled noodles and shrimp & pork dumplings. Beef noodle soup is one of those things I always order at this type of place, and the noodle here was great. I like the thick, chewy consistency. But the soup was on the salty side. Nontheless I would come back to try other items like their dim sum and skewers. Always good to have another Northern Chinese place on the list. B-

you're so pecs

Captain America:
Like Thor from earlier this summer, this is an extremely likable origin story. Steve Rogers, a scrawny Brooklyn kid with oversized heart and guts, gets injected by some stuff concocted by Stanley Tucci and transforms into Chris Evans. The rest of the story follows Captain America, now with pecs to match his patriotism, as he saves America and the world from the evil Nazi (not that there is any other kind) Red Skull/Hugo Weaving/Mr. Smith. Thor is funnier than Captain America, but Captain America's sincerity is winning nonetheless. This bodes well for the Avengers movie (directed by Joss Whedon!!!). Too bad they got Scarlett Johansson (annoying) and Samuel L. Jackson (more annoying) and Robert Downey Jr. (most annoying) in there. Hope they feature Thor and Captain America prominently and not skew towards the more famous Iron Man. But I have faith in Joss to make it all good. B+

you're so magic

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2:
I am not a Potter fan. I think I finished the first book (or maybe not - cannot remember honestly) and never made it to the second and beyond. I found all the movies to be inferior to the LOTR series (duh), and most of the times couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. Deathly Hallows Part 1 was to me the worst of the lot and bored me silly. Yet, somehow I like these kids and I like the success of the books and the movies and JK Rowling. I like to live in a world where a book series about a boy wizard can capture the mass imagination; it's way better than a world where obnoxious robots and an even more obnoxious Shia Labeouf rule. I like the way these kids grew up, and they all seem to be fine young adults who haven't been destroyed by Hollywood. I predict great things for Emma Watson in particularly. So all this brings me to the finale Deathly Hallows Part 2. It is definitely more engaging and satisfying than Part 1, and is probably the best of the whole series. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to find and destroy the Horcruxes and then finally face off with Voldemort himself. Along the way, people die, and people grow up, fall in love, face their fears and their fates. Just like real life. The pacing is perfect, and the special effects are...well, magical. And the actors are all like old friends now; they inhabit their roles so comfortably you don't even question them. When it all ends, you do feel as if you are departing from good friends whom you wish the very best for. B+

you're so sweet

Yes Please from Creme Brulee Cart:
I was initially beyond excited at the food truck craze that is happening in San Francisco. I love eating on the street, better yet if the food is on a stick. But then with the more trucks I sampled, the more disappointed I became. Street food should be as street food is in Asia - cheap, unpretentious, unfussy, but mouth-watering and satisfying. San Francisco food trucks generally offer up small portions at restaurant prices. If I have to spend $10 for half a meal, why not just go to a sit-down place? Especially Asian food trucks - come on! But then every once in a while, something restores my faith. On Friday after lunch I saw via Twitter that the Creme Brulee truck was in front of City Hall, so I walked over, stood in line and ordered myself a Yes Please, which is a creme brulee concoction of nutella and strawberries. I ended up eating it as a mid-afternoon snack. And holy moly - YES PLEASE indeed!!! Nutella and strawberries go together like Fred and Ginger - it was kind of like a little magic under a sugar layer. I honestly was sad when I finished it off. It most definitely left me wanting to hunt down the next appearance of the Creme Brulee truck. No, at $4 a pop - it's not Asia cheap, but it's totally worth it. A

Cha Cha from Eggettes:
Cha Cha is a red bean dessert soup with taro, tapioca and a bunch of other stuff in it. Eggettes' Cha Cha is delicious - loaded with ingredients and just sweet enough. They give you a little container of evaporated milk to mix in. By the way, the eggettes and drinks (I like the fruit freezes and the lychee hot milk tea) are also quite wonderful here. A-

you're so mutant

X-Men First Class:
It's my favorite movie of the summer so far. I liked it even more than Thor (which was super fun) and Super 8 (super nostalgic). It's an origin story, of how the X-Men came to be, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. James McAvoy (as young Professor X) and Michael Fassbender (as young Magneto) are first class actors and have extraordinary charisma and chemistry together. My only complaint is January Jones as Emma Frost - brrr, can her acting be any more...frozen? Too bad this has been the lowest grossing X-Men movie so far. I would love to see more of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender together. Bryan Singer, who produced, had said that Professor X and Magneto are the Martin Luther King and Malcolm X of comic mythology. I think that's a very appropriate and interesting analogy. A-