Elm City Dad | Elm City Mom



Times Before Bed


Man, Sunday night already and my last post was last Tuesday. That's pretty dang sorry. But I do have reasons for it. Basically Wed -> Thurs was non-stop and Friday was a complete no-go. I'm not even sure I was completely on the planet on Friday I was so deliriously ill. But whatever, everyone gets sick. Up and at-em.

Here are signs the library can post even though they can't really talk specifics. But it's no different than surfing the Internet. In fact the 'net is definitely even less anonymous. Every one of our computers has a number attached to it, just like our library cards. It's just easier to gather the interwebs information.

Got a few quick articles from the Times today and then it's off to bed. Pocket projectors are on the way. This would be great for the presentation I'm giving tomorrow. I'd love to flash some beans on the wall while they're tasting our coffee. This is film I want to see. I like the unique approach of the director, and I'd like to see how well it works in practice. Last up is an article about inventions and how history, fame and timing can distort the facts of the moment.

And this moment calls for sleep!


Passing It On


Gil & Jen have updated their world adventure blog, so go take a peek. They were in Bangkok, Thailand and beyond. So much fun.

Last week I Rickrolled you guys, although you may not have realized it. Here's more info about this little bit of interweb weirdness. I'm fascinated by the idea of the meme. It has been part of human culture for thousands of years, but now they travel through our brains far more quickly. Clearly, that ability has transformed the world. Soon we won't need to speak at all.

But a mixtape always said something, and now there's an online tool to create one and share it with your friends. It' is called Muxtape, and it is alive. The legality and morality of uploading and sharing said songs with this site is yours to consider. Another thing via Josh Spear you should check out is this video by Miracle Fortress. The whole thing is done using 4 magnetic sketch pads. And the tune is pretty good, too.


Good Work!


The Times sucked on Sunday and I was beat from a long weekend of work and fun. So yesterday was roasting beans, then driving home, then napping, then TV, and although I did get to relax with the paper for a few hours, there wasn't a whole lot that stood out.

Working for Bean & Leaf is incredible. My work schedule is completely warped and utterly different than anything I've ever done before. This could be the first time in my life that I worked all 7 days in a week and loved every second of it. Everything from talking to store owners about the coffee to roasting the green beans to tasting different origins has its own unique pleasure.

Another thing that is totally amazing about this business is that it can become anything we make of it. Right now all I am focusing on is getting as many beans as possible to pass through our Diedrich, and to make sure every single one of them is as perfectly roasted as possible.

Recently I have been moving so quickly through the world that sometimes I feel like this. Keep that up long enough, though, and it could make me freak out and retreat, like this amazing sea creature.

There's one more video that I want to share with you, but this is of an utterly serious nature. It is Lu, my wife, on TV talking about her amazing business. On Saturday morning we were in the studio of WTNH here in New Haven, and it was really interesting to see the broadcast in action. I'm so proud of her! She looked and sounded great throughout the interview and it makes me so happy that her incredible work is getting even more exposure. The story is here, and the link to the video is at the top left of the article.


This Post is Brought to You By Espresso


RIP Arthur C. Clarke. I remember when I first saw 2001 I didn't understand it and I didn't like it. Now, the slow unfolding of genius is wonderful to witness. His books blew my mind, over and over again.

It's 2am. I'm still wide awake. My new job is going to end sleep for me. Incessant coffee. Delicious espresso. And there's no x in there, people. Check it out. I suppose that is good with a new kid on the way, though. The more I get used to not sleeping, the better off I'm going to be. An espresso machine will probably help keep me on the level.

Take a flip through mladen penev's images. The photo right is his, and it is from the "Power of Books" series. Amazing stuff.

I was also fascinated to read about a new element. Truly, it is a discovery that reveals much about the world.

For you, Lu, I've found a giant Galapagos tortoise and her tiny baby.

And the last bit is a super crazy video you are just not going to believe!

Alright time to do a few laps around the house then I'm definitely going to bed.


Relfexes


First off I've got 2 quick and easy games for you to mess around with between tasks. Card Toss I found yesterday evening and spent entirely too much time aiming for the hat. Once I got a flow going I couldn't miss. Next is Double Maze and I promise it will drive you insane. In a good way. Until you storm away from the webpage with a disgusted click only to find yourself back there ten minutes later.

Even though I'm in my thirties, a part of me will always see the world out of a skateboarder's eyes. Just today I noticed a curve of asphalt that would have been perfect to skate. Don't get me wrong, though, I was never any good. It was just fun as hell. That's what makes this video that Tony Hawk put together so much fun. It's not even that his tricks are so spectacular in this clip, but more the fact that it is just him on his own, in his back yard with a video camera, some editing tools and an internet connection. He was a god when I was young and that he is still out there falling down and trying again, and still kicking ass, it's just damn impressive.

The robot called Big Dog is impressive, too. Spooky and lifelike in a totally inhuman way, it is hard to believe this machine can balance and move so quickly on its own. From the video the reactions look like reflexes. And reflexes on a machine are sorta terrifying.


SxSW Recap


We spent the night with NPR this evening, checking out their archives of South by Southwest. Some great music in there, and some stuff I haven't heard.

Here's a short show by Vampire Weekend. They are all over the interwebs right now and have been circling under the surface for a long time. Some of my friends hate them. Sudden ubiquity can turn some people off. Other friends really enjoy them. I'm with the latter for now, but we'll see if it lasts.

Yo La Tengo is what we just finished. Not liking them isn't really an option. They are one of those bands that doesn't care what you think. They will twist you up and send you out reeling whether you are ready for them or not. They're not afraid to challenge the audience, and that's fun.

We're checking out Yeasayer now and so far so good. Next up is My Morning Jacket. Friends swear by them. Friends swear at me for not completely getting them. But music deserves multiple chances so I'm looking forward to their show later on this evening.

The rest of NPR's coverage is here.


Dangerous Choices


Sunday again and the Times was there for me. This weekend I had the luxury of getting through both Saturday and Sunday, and surprisingly, I even had time for Friday, too. I mention that because Friday there were three articles that really stood out. This article about Dean Potter was fascinating. Just the photo alone is enough to give me vertigo, and once I read the madness he was up to I nearly swooned off my seat. And I even kinda like heights. A lot of people do. But with the upcoming Olympics, China is concerned about groups attempting the highest point on the planet. While the Olympic Torch is run up Everest, other groups will be barred from the slopes.

tWiR had a lot of Iraq war coverage because we're five years in now. One portion that I found particularly galling was this:
On April 9, the day the Marines entered Baghdad and used one of their tanks to help the crowd haul down Saddam’s statue in Firdos Square, American troops stood by while mobs began looting, ravaging palaces and torture centers, along with ministries, museums and hospitals. Late in the day, at the oil ministry, I discovered it was the only building marines had orders to protect. Turning to Jon Lee Anderson, a correspondent for The New Yorker who had been my companion that day, I saw shock mirrored in his face. “Say it ain’t so,” I said. But it was.
Especially since I had just read this article, about how the Iraq insurgency is deriving most of its profits from stealing oil. Guess we still haven't gotten all that right.


Major Bragging Post


Alright I gotta do it and just get it over with 'cause I'm pretty damn psyched about the developments. I hope all of you are sitting down because this news will blow you out of the water. We're preg... oh wait, did that one already. No but seriously I wrote a post for the CT Green Scene blog, and you can find it here. I will be writing for that blog going forward and it's really exciting because it's the first time I've ever written for a blog that wasn't my own. I guess this is what it feels like to 'make it'. How sweet it is.

Last day of my old work life tomorrow. I hope to never speak of it again. Monday I will officially start the first completely real day of my new job. Everything about the way I think of work has to change as this begins. No longer is work the place I go to and leave. No clock rules my hours. This work has to be a way of thinking that I carry around with me at all times.

It feels fantastic to have it there. Work won't be a weight on my mind. Not a worry. More a way... a path to a better life for my family, my friends and a chance to help people have something they truly love. Yeah it's only coffee, but already in my many miles up and down I95 to every natural food store in sight, at events, at farmer's markets, I have heard the same response over and over again when I tell people what I do.

"I sell coffee," I say to them.

"I love coffee," they reply.

Then I step back and let the beans speak for themselves.

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Sharing. Highs & Lows


Just signed up for DropBox. Beta is coming out soon and if it works as well as the video suggests it could be pretty slick indeed. The ability to share large files instantly among various computers is definitely appealing. Another similar service is Wuala. They'll let us know when they are ready to invite more people.

Local drive vs network storage is a tricky question. It's wonderful to have certain files available no matter what computer you are on. But in certain situations it is definitely safer to keep your files local and protected, especially when it comes to finances or business.

I'll never get tired of seeing the shuttle launch into space. That one is from yesterday morning. This time they are carrying up a robot that is 12 feet tall and can be attached to the arm that extends from the shuttle's payload.

And from nearly as high as man can go, to a man who spends all of his time far closer to the earth than most others, take a look The Rolling Exhibition.


Redirections


Good day out there on the roads, but you can read more about that over at the Bean & Leaf blog Freshly Roasted. I'm going to stay focused on work over there, so I won't be talking about it all that much over here. Easier to keep things organized.

You might think that I would spend my time on thrunk talking about the impending birth of my first child. But that's not gonna happen either. Instead, if you're at all interested, you can follow along at home on Elm City Dad. Again with the ability to organize and write more effectively. I started it the day we found out, so you've got some catching up to do.

Of course, trying to keep up those 2 blogs is going to take a lot of time out of my ability to write on this blog. Specially since far less of my day will be spent behind a computer screen where I can idly research cool links. A windshield, instead, will be the primary piece of glass in front of my face now.

I have definitely not given up on <~thrunk~>. Not by a long shot. But if you find this blog not updated every now and then, chances are one or both of the other two have been. I do hope you stop by. I love that my friends are reading what I write, it really means a lot to me. So thanks for giving me a few minutes of your attention every now and then. I aim to keep you entertained.


Sunday Times Recap


It's sorta hard to believe, but I finally have a job, and it's one that I already love. Starting now, I will be working full-time for Bean & Leaf. I am so excited to have a job selling something I really love and that I get to work for friends. If everything goes as planned we are going to make a lot of money on these delicious beans and have a lot of fun doing it. We did an in-store tasting on Saturday and it went great. People were impressed by the coffee and it was really fun to get to talk to people about Bean & Leaf. As part of my job I will be blogging about coffee, sales, and the shop here.

As for the Times today, there was an interesting article about the price of commodities increasing, and how beneficial that is to farmers. There's a shuttle launch on Tuesday, #123, and we have gotten even better at determining the age of the Universe.

Good stuff in the Biz section as well as the Week In Review. I am definitely looking forward to new innovations in the human/computer interface. And here's the software mentioned in the article. Another article talks about different software, but in a much less flattering light. That the disapproval was generated from the company that created the software is just too funny.

This article raises some interesting questions about the ethics of using chemicals to enhance performance. But the focus is on mental performance and the chemicals are drugs like Adderal and Provigil. Another WIR article I liked was this one, about the prospect of weapons in space, and what dangers that will bring.

Lastly, this sounds like an interesting art installation. Perhaps we'll take trip to NYC to check it out when the show arrives.


Quick Prework Post


Didn't get to thrunk yesterday because I was banging out coffee sales, and then LOST on TV. We finally caught up and it feels good. Last week's episode was one of the best hours of television ever, I think. The book the episode was based on is one of my favorites, and it was amazing to watch them rework it and translate it so that it fit perfectly into this show's story. Here's a wacky theory that seems to have a lot of things right, imo. (thanks Horn!)

Take a look at Freshly Roasted, that's what I was working on last night.

Got some great news last night about work, too. More on that later.


Unlucky Local


There is a flaw in the fabric of my life. There is a bar only 4 doors down the street from me but it is almost impossible for me to go there. You'd think because my wife was hassling me, or because I work so much I don't have time, or because I'd been tossed out so many times for fightin' and cursin' that I couldn't go back. But it's none of those. The reason I can't go there is because in all the little ways that matter to me, this bar sucks.

I have a few criteria for a good bar, and they're not at all difficult to achieve. Good jukebox (or at least good music), a few delicious beers on tap, a nice outdoor patio, a solid discount at happy hour and the space to settle into the bar and read the paper or have a meal. Doesn't have to have all of them, but its gotta represent.

This bar has none of these. No IPA on tap. No patio at all. The music always tuned to some insanely shitty Top 40 cable music channel. Only a mere $1 off at happy hour on already exorbitantly priced beers. And there is simply no way to read the paper there in peace. Grown men were shouting at each other--shouting--instead of having a conversation at normal speaking volume. The music wasn't loud. They weren't arguing with one another. It was just that their default volume for talking was EXTREMELY LOUD. Now I'm a loud guy, I know that, and I've had many a loud night in a bar. But it's always the same in this place. Shitty music, loud fools, and bad beer on tap.

They have amazing wings, I'll give them that. The chowder is delicious, too. It's only 4 doors away so no doubt I'll keep going in there. But it'll never be my local. It'll never be my bar, my place to disengage, kick back, have a pint, read the paper, chat with some new friends and walk out looking forward to going back. My local is clear across the country and in my heart I will always be true to the greatest bar of all time, the bar called Lucky 13.

No other bar compares, not even the one 20 steps away.


Free


Don't worry, our government would never secretly meddle in the affairs of Palestine and Israel. Nope, not'a chance. For some reason, no matter how obviously bad the Administration acts, nothing seems to happen. The always get off scot-free. Curious. Ah well, no matter.

Check out the balloon tank. Or play Rider-On-Line. Or go ahead and download the new NIN album, directly from their site. Just like Radiohead, they are offering it up for free. Which is interesting, because that is exactly what the feature article in the new Wired is all about, too.

Last bit is a throwback with a new twist. I still cannot hear that music without being immediately transported back 20 years, directly to the floor of the living room. But I'm just happy I finally did set that Princess free.


Week In Review


The Week In Review was the only section that had articles that caught my eye this week.

The single most important piece of writing in the NYTimes today is this editorial. This administration uses torture, and it is disgusting.

A far lighter article is this one, about the search for extra-terrestrial life. There are 2 fascinating ideas in this article that I had never considered. One is that intelligent, communicative life is so rare the galaxy only flares with it during brief periods, far apart in time and space. And the other is the fact that as we transition to cable and satellites the Earth is becoming quieter. We're still here, but we're harder to see.

Last offering for today is not from the paper. It's from my brother Mark, created by his friend, also Mark. We watched this several times this weekend and howled with laughter every time. It is called Parking Garage: Beyond the Limit and I think you'll love it.



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