I enjoy a good cup of coffee; life is too short for a bad one. I enjoy the morning rituals of making a cappuccino. I've blogged about the coffee shops I like.
A few weekends ago I was in NYC when I was overcome with a wave of nostalgia. I remembered a summer in Spain. I recall spending many afternoons drinking cafe con hielo, laughing with friends and watching the world go by.
Inspired I popped into a coffee shop I frequent and asked for an espresso and a glass of ice. I was shocked by the barista's refusal. The ice she informed me "shocks" the espresso.She was perfectly polite about the whole thing and offered me a number of alternatives. Not being in the mood to argue I ordered without the ice..
Supposedly this type of coffee snobbery is quiet common. The "victims" responce in the linked article was a little more extreme that mine.
Now I appreciate the barista's art. I really do. But at the end of the day it's only coffee and you should be able to drink it as you like especially if the objections are really just based on some bogus assumptions.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Like It: RBC Cafe
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Like it: The Player of Games by Iain Banks.
This was the first of Banks' Culture novels I read and it remains one of my favorites. More focused and intimate than than his other Culture works it acts as good instruction to this intriguing future history. Banks loves dealing in big ideas and bizarre alien settings and this novel allows his to showcase both.
The Culture is a space faring Utopian socialist society. Gurgegh it the titular player of games. He is a master of all the games the played in the Culture..It's his life, but his passion is starting to fade.
Contact is the part of the culture that deals will interacting with newly encountered species and societies. It has been monitoring the Empire of Azad, a totalitarian regime where everyone position in society is based on their success in a game also called Azad..
Gurgegh is recruited by Contact to represent the Culture in the game of Azad. The novel chronicles his interaction with a new and very different society. There are games within games. Both sides are manipulating Gurgegh for their own ends. He must call on all of his skill and stratagems if he is to survive let alone succeed.
The Culture is a space faring Utopian socialist society. Gurgegh it the titular player of games. He is a master of all the games the played in the Culture..It's his life, but his passion is starting to fade.
Contact is the part of the culture that deals will interacting with newly encountered species and societies. It has been monitoring the Empire of Azad, a totalitarian regime where everyone position in society is based on their success in a game also called Azad..
Gurgegh is recruited by Contact to represent the Culture in the game of Azad. The novel chronicles his interaction with a new and very different society. There are games within games. Both sides are manipulating Gurgegh for their own ends. He must call on all of his skill and stratagems if he is to survive let alone succeed.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Like it: Dames Coffee.
I've finally found a good local coffee spot. I no longer need to make the schlep into Manhattan to get my fix of foamy milk and espresso.
Dames is a really nice spot just off the beaten track in Hoboken. Since Hoboken is a only a mile square that isn't very far of said track. The cappuccini are excellent, full bodies, flavoursome with awesome textured milk. The cafe itself is cute but has limited seating but you can usually find a sport. Overall a real gem.
Dames is a really nice spot just off the beaten track in Hoboken. Since Hoboken is a only a mile square that isn't very far of said track. The cappuccini are excellent, full bodies, flavoursome with awesome textured milk. The cafe itself is cute but has limited seating but you can usually find a sport. Overall a real gem.
Dont like it: lala is shutting down.
Apple purchased Lala in December, probably for their streaming audio technology. Then they shut the site down. Another example of big corporate taking the fun out of life and Lala was a fun idea. Listen to any album once, buy it as an mp3 or for a fraction of the price as a streaming web song.
It's probable Apple will launch their own cloud based music offering. Everything seems to be moving towards teh cloud. In the interim my wife is boycotting Apple and I'm listening to Pandora.
It's probable Apple will launch their own cloud based music offering. Everything seems to be moving towards teh cloud. In the interim my wife is boycotting Apple and I'm listening to Pandora.
Like it: Double Edged Safety Razors
A few years ago The Onion published an article about a five blade razor. It was a funny, satirical look at the razor wars. It seems some people took it at face value and we're up to six blades now. As the insanity continues the humble single blade, double edge razor is making a quiet comeback.
The safety razor has existed in one form or another since the late 18th century. They are available today in many shapes and forms from cheap and simple to more exotic, expensive adjustable models. I use a mid range Melkur Progress. It's a nice solid piece of German engineering. The biggest draw; the cost savings. The blades , even good quality ones, are cheap as chips. They are a fraction of the price of multi-blade cartridges.
The other advantage is a better shave. Now it takes a little bit of practice compared to more modern razors. You also need to invest in a shaving brush, badger bristle optional. There are lots of tutorials and videos available online. Once you get the hang of it you'll get a smoother shave with less irritation. This is especially though if you have a thick stubble like mine and often don't shave at the weekend. Multi-blade razors would always clog. Open up the blade on a Progress and it chews though any stubble.
You also get a happy eco buzz as well. Less plastic and less waste all in a cheap and easy retro package.
The safety razor has existed in one form or another since the late 18th century. They are available today in many shapes and forms from cheap and simple to more exotic, expensive adjustable models. I use a mid range Melkur Progress. It's a nice solid piece of German engineering. The biggest draw; the cost savings. The blades , even good quality ones, are cheap as chips. They are a fraction of the price of multi-blade cartridges.
The other advantage is a better shave. Now it takes a little bit of practice compared to more modern razors. You also need to invest in a shaving brush, badger bristle optional. There are lots of tutorials and videos available online. Once you get the hang of it you'll get a smoother shave with less irritation. This is especially though if you have a thick stubble like mine and often don't shave at the weekend. Multi-blade razors would always clog. Open up the blade on a Progress and it chews though any stubble.
You also get a happy eco buzz as well. Less plastic and less waste all in a cheap and easy retro package.
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