As someone that has recently gone threw a website makeover, I’m beginning to question Are website makeovers the jump the shark moment?  I think its a valid topic for discussion.  At the point where people start worrying about the layout of their blog, does the content suffer?  Logically, most bloggers have limited amounts of time to work on their product so 1 hour writing or creating content is one hour less of changing font colors and layouts.  The same may be said about the point where websites start hosting advertising.  Will content and themes change in order to spotlight more ads?  I don’t know, currently we have some ads for two products that we reviewed prior to the design revamp.  In a perfect world content will drive ads, not the other way around.  Who can say when the occasional weekend snort because a full blown habit. Time will only tell if this was the jump the shark moment for Japadamus, hopefully not.

As Barack Obama continues his candidacy for president people are beginning to talk about his smoking. But what does it mean? I’ve heard the argument before, I believe in an article somewhere about a company hiring new employees. The owner of the company said he would never hire an employee that smoked, since that person must not be intelligent enough to realize “paying money to kill yourself is a bad proposition.” Could this be really true? Do people out there think that only stupid people smoke?

I’ve wrestled with this idea a long time and I’m not sure I’m any further than when I started. The employers argument is factually correct. I think we’re at the point in our nation that everyone knows that smoking isn’t good for you and the longer you do it you can expect adverse health effects from it. Its hard to say that ignoring the negative effects makes you dumb. You could just not care; right? I’m sure for Obama like most smokers its probibly tough to describe why they smoke. They just do it because they like it.

I’ve also read some discussion about Obama’s smoking being a positive thing for his image. That thought is definitely something to ponder. Smoking cigarettes has long been associated with the a rebelious persona. This could somewhat fit into the image the Barack is trying to portray. People do appreciate the politico that they feel are able to just tell it like it is. From what I can tell of my circle of friends, some find it comforting to see that Obama has a little stink on his hang low. It makes him more human. I think only time will tell if the rest of America is able to embrace the smoking issue.

P.S. One odd thing I noticed was mentions of Obama’s preferred cigarette brand seemed to mysteriously change from Marlboro Reds to Kools (a menthol.) great guys! very subtle…

Kanpai sushi is a small, 40 seat restaurant on Lytton avenue, one block away from Palo Alto’s bustling university avenue. The location of Kanpai is both a blessing and a curse, although lytton lacks the foot traffic of University, it offers less expensive retail locations and a more intimate setting than the crowded main drag.

Opened in late 2006, kanpai is relatively new to the palo alto sushi scene. Within a few hundred yards, it competes with sushi ya, sushi tomo, and miyake. But superficially, kanpai stands out from its neighboring competitors. The restaurant is elegantly decorated with dark wood flooring and matching sushi counter, petite hanging lights, and an impressive sushi bar. Kanpai’s décor gives the restaurant an intimate, calming aura – much different from the hectic, utilitarian design of other university avenue sushi joints.

It always surprises me how much money restaurants spend on interior design and planning, while service is expected to just fall into place. Kanpai is guilty of this trend; the restaurant’s service is inconsistent, inefficient, and ultimately very frustrating.

Although kanpai is small, its servers seem to always be very busy and inattentive. Even getting seated was confusing – one waiter told us to wait for 5 to 10 minutes when there were several open tables that were fully set. After waiting a couple of minutes, a different waiter greeted us again – clearly oblivious to our previous instructions – and sat us at one of the open tables.

After being seated, reading our menus for several minutes, then sitting with our menus closed for another ten minutes, our order was finally taken. Slow, slow, slow. Our waiter was also not very helpful with suggestions, particularly disappointing since kanpai’s chefs have the ability and talent to really shine with daily specials.

Additionally, our tea was watered down and only lukewarm. You could tell that the tea leaves had been left to sit in the teapot for several rounds of refills. This is standard fare at Korean or Chinese owned Japanese restaurants, but kanpai is Japanese owned – they should train their workers to have more respect for tea service.

With that said, the timing of food was actually not bad. Our drinks were refilled in a timely fashion, including new beers, tea and soft drinks. Our appetizers and entrees also appeared on time and in order. Clearly, the servers cared about our well being and our dining experience – they simply lacked the training and organization to be successful.

I have been to kanpai several times, and to be honest, the food never really impresses me. To be clear, the fish Is usually fresh (although my aji had a troubling odor) and the rolls are nicely decorated. But that is the status quo for any sushi restaurant.

Kanpai lacks the exotic fishes, daily specials, and innovative rolls that make places such as zushi puzzle and sushi sams stand out. In fact, kanpai’s sushi selection was quite limited - and the waiter explained that ’specials’ are only available with the omakase.

Kanpai does attempt to offer more of a fusion style menu with items like lamb chops, grilled mushrooms, poke, and other small dishes. But these items are unremarkable, and appear to be nothing more than a half-baked attempt to differentiate the restaurant from pureplay sushi competitors than an actual expression of culinary creativity. I have tried most of these dishes in my various visits to kanpai, and I’ve always been disappointed.

For the best experience, I would sit at the bar during lunch – ideally during a non-Friday lunch when the restaurant is not as busy. In this environment, kanpai’s servers are less likely to be busy, and you will have the opportunity to speak with the chefs. In my first visit, I had a good conversation with the chef (whose name I forgot unfortunately), who also founded Naomi sushi in redwood city. Although the same menu limitations applied at the sushi bar, the chef did go out of his way to make me a seared toro with garlic sauce - a nice touch that underscores the ability of kanpai to be a great restaurant.

However, kanpai stands out as being excruciatingly mediocre. The restaurant ranks high in terms of décor and ambience, but service is below average, and food, at best, is slightly above average. It is a nice environment for dates, or even adult family dinners. But I believe that sushi lovers will leave mostly disappointed. Kanpai is also quite expensive. Pricing for the restaurant is on par with upscale sushi restaurants – if only kanpai’s service and food could live up to those expectations.

Kanpai Sushi

330 Lytton Ave

Palo Alto, CA, 94301

(650) 325-2696

Today, Illinois Senator Barack Obama officially announced his bid for the white house. This move was widely expected following the Senator’s formation of a presidential exploratory committee in mid January.

If elected, Obama would become the first president of African American descent. Clearly this would be a historical event for America and a significant step forward in the ‘color blinding’ of America. Although there have been black presidential candidates in the past, Obama’s popularity gives him more momentum than any other black candidate in recent memory.

But Obama has lots of competition. Most notable is Hilary Clinton, who has used her time in the Senate to build political capital and line up financiers. Additionally, there are many other democratic candidates in the mix, not to mention republican competitors in the general election.

I have watched obama more closely in recent months, and he is a powerful candidate. He speaks well – and I don’t mean this as the dismissive ‘he speaks so well’ complement for blacks. No, obama is categorically a compelling speaker that does a good job of linking political issues with his own experiences. This makes his speeches seem more personal, and makes him seem very sincere.

This is important for obama, since today’s political landscape, controlled to a large extent by the bush white house, is clouded by an aura of suspicion and distrust. Obama’s down to earth, heart-felt speeches are a stark contrast to bush’s often incoherent public appearances that are usually divisive and confrontational.

In my opinion, Obama also stacks up well against Clinton. Although Hilary is clearly very popular in some circles, she is a love or hate type of candidate. As a woman, she does face hurdles as many voters are probably not ready for a female president. Her record as a senator may alienate those who have been anti-iraq invasion from the start. Also, many potential voters seem to dislike her personality, or at least what personality she displays on TV. Perhaps she seems distrustful, or too confident, maybe arrogant? Or maybe this is just a remnant of old sexual stereotypes that is looking for a way to surface in today’s PC environment.

One of clinton’s greatest strengths is her ability to fund raise. She already has planned fund raisers with big time Hollywood players – and she is tapped in to deep democratic coffers that her husband opened in his prime.

This is a problem for obama, who lacks the recognition and reputation of Clinton. Obama will need money to buy national face time – otherwise his greatest strengths, his speaking ability and general likability, will go unseen by most Americans.

Comments already on japadamus noted that there are more than two democratic candidates. But let’s be realistic, with the hype surrounding Clinton and Obama, there is not enough votes , or money, left for others. Media coverage will also focus on the more compelling Clinton/obama competition, rather than focusing on smaller, albeit scrappier, democratic candidates.

Still, the biggest question surrounding obama is what role his race will play. He can clearly expect some boost from black voters – and in fact I expect the black community, which has complained so long of racism in various circles, to mobilize for obama. This is the time for the black community to show that they are more than jessee and Sharpton making speeches after cops shoot black suspects. It is unquestionable that a black president would be a critical step forward for this country – and now is the time for blacks to put up or shut up.

Whites are another question. Although racism has become strictly taboo, will white voters make the trip to the polls for a black candidate? Does the country even look at candidates in terms of color? Here is where media hype will play a key role – from fox’s madrasa BS to the general ‘first black’ stories. Hopefully, these will grow old very soon, and these issues will take a backseat to the candidates themselves.

Personally, I hope so. Obama’s lack of experience, to me at least, is a key strength. I believe that he has not been corrupted or influenced by Washington – and his passionate speeches seem to confirm this. While Clinton would be an effective democratic candidate, I think obama is unique in his idealism – perfect for a country that is polarized by a number of issues like the war in Iraq. Perhaps obama would be for this generation what JFK was for his.