An Army of Davids

[Amazon Link]
(paid link)

Hey, did you know Glenn Reynolds wrote a book? I had a vague memory of him mentioning it once or twice on his blog, and I saw it at Amazon, so …

But seriously, it's good. Longtime Instapundit readers will recognize most, if not all, of the book's themes. And people worried about whether Glenn could write something coherent beyond the length of a typical blog post can rest assured. (Kidding! This isn't his first book!) Glenn's writing style is chatty and jokey.

The subtitle expresses the theme: "How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths" There are chapters on space exploration, life extension, and nanotechnology. Also one on the "Singularity", the prediction that the exponential increase in computing power will result in superhuman intelligence and unprecendented changes in everyday life.

Maybe we'll finally get those flying cars.

This is very worthwhile reading for people interested in how technological trends mold society, and the arguments are plausible.


Last Modified 2024-02-03 8:19 AM EDT

Pun Salad Review: Coca Cola BlăK

[pictcha]

Your intrepid reporter noticed dinky little (8oz.) bottles of Coca-Cola BlăK in the Waterboro Maine Hannaford. (And I hope you appreciate the extra effort in getting the typography right here.) The cost was $1.49; since I was in the statist hell that is Maine, I also had to kick in five cents bottle deposit and probably about 7 cents sales tax.

The idea is that it's Coca-Cola with some coffee extract thrown in. And, gosh, that's pretty much what it tastes like. You get 45 calories and 46 mg of caffeine, almost enough to keep you awake while driving from Waterboro to Rollinsford, NH.

See, this is why I'd be a lousy reviewer. I didn't like it much, and I think $1.49 for 8 ounces of anything liquid is pretty outrageous. But maybe you'd like it; maybe you'd be wowed its subtle interplay of flavors. Assuming that there is a subtle interplay of flavors, because I am not one of those people who can detect a subtle interplay of flavors.

But if you're looking for my opinion: looking for cold, brown, and fizzy? Go with Diet Dr. Pepper. Looking for hot and coffee-flavored? Go with coffee. You're welcome.

More information at the corporate website here, includes flashy graphics and sultry feminine narrator.

An actual review from Consumer Reports here. They like the French version better, they claim it's heavier on the coffee.

This, for me, raises thorny questions: did Consumer Reports send someone over to Paris to taste-test the French version of BlăK? How does someone get that job? And doesn't that mean that subscription prices for Consumer Reports are probably just way too high?


Last Modified 2012-10-24 4:16 AM EDT