Found this absolutely

Fascinating.

• Caterers can use exotic descriptions to improve the perceived taste of their food. Exotic ingredients like chipotle-mango sauce may not improve the food in a blind taste test, but they can enhance the taste by raising expectations.
• Similarly, buy takeout food and then arrange it artistically on fancy china.  The same holds true for wineglasses–blind taste tests show that wine glass shape has zero impact on taste, but the knowledge can enhance the experiment.
  • This is why Pepsi wins in blind taste tests, but Coke wins when the brands are shown.
    • When a person drinks Coke or Pepsi, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) was stimulated.
    • When a person knew they were about to get a drink of Coke, the dorsolateral aspect of the prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), an area involved in higher-order brain functions was also activated.
    • The Coke brand was able enhance activity in the brain’s pleasure center, actually changing the experience of drinking Coke.

The promotion of brands is like the OS API, and the brand is the program that uses that API! Without promotion, the brand does nothing, but with enough promotion, the brand can hack the brain simply by being shown!

Whooooooo. Brands make a difference, but not in quality – in experience.

Yeah, it’s the new year

So, you know what I’m going to do?

I’m going to walk to the fridge. Pull out a packet of green tea. Puncture the circular silver foil seal with that red straw, leaving a blob of translucent white glue at the left-bottom. There, I’ve done it.

It’s not to celebrate. It’s not even because of the new year.

It’s because I’m only allowed one packet of green tea a day, and the clock just hit twelve, and I have a kind of sore throat.

This one packet rule is outrageous!

Oh, yes – the act on stage sucks.