SKATEFALL

You have to love retro-revisionist-videogaming... here's Tony Hawk meets Pitfall.

Too bad you can't actually get it as an Atari 2600 cartridge -- I'd love to play it with the crappy old joysticks.

Things like this are why I love the internets.

PINKBERRY

PINKBERRY
Originally uploaded by davecobb.

aairplane made me do it.

The verdict: the organic-fruit and breakfast-cereal toppings, while tasty, are only a gimmick. The actual yogurt is the reason to go, and it's the real deal -- it's tart and slightly salty and not too sweet. You're definitely eating yogurt, not some prefab soft-serve doppleganger. It's tangy and very refreshing. The toppings only get in the way.

So, reluctantly, I have to say that Pinkberry is actually somewhat worth the long lines and fad-worthy writeups in the LA Times and various hipster lists and blogs for the past year. It's simple and tasty, and I'm actually finding myself craving another one already.

I was curious about the simple, asian-centric design and menu offerings (green tea yogurt, a halo-halo-like shaved-ice confection, etc.), and after some digging on the internet, it seems that the beloved Pinkberry taste and aesthetic is actually copied from a chain of popular yogurt shops in Seoul, Korea called Red Mango, down to not only the style of yogurt but also the breakfast-cereal toppings and low-key contemporary store designs. I'll look forward to visiting one of the originals during one of my upcoming business trips to Seoul.