One of my previously unspoken 2005 New Year's resolutions was to drink no soda. So far, so good: only one glass at a baby shower at work (no alternatives) and a few sips here and there from Shelley's drinks for pretty much the same reason.

Anyway, avoiding soda (for all the nasty sweeteners, chemicals, etc.) does put a damper on caffeine intake because I don't drink coffee, and tea is just not that appetizing in SoCal's warm weather (I don't care for ice tea), which brings me to today's title.

Not too long ago ThinkGeek.com advertised a new kind of chewing gum called Black Black, which they purport to be wildly popular in Japan. It's caffeinated, so I decided to order some. As gum goes, it's on the expensive side, but if you want to compare it to a Starbuck's drink, you get 36 sticks for about the price of one cup o' joe, so it's extremely cheap. And it might be possible to find another source with lower prices.

As it turns out, the stuff tastes good too, which I feared would not be the case. Its flavor also lasts a while, and I honestly believe it carries a good caffeine dosage. Of course it would help to try a placebo as well, but it served well during the gaming con and I recommend it.