NormBlog

what the crap is this? inclusionism? what!? isn’t the whole concept of the “my kid’s an honor student” bumper sticker exclusionist? am i the only one?

my question, was it a parent that requested the (s) or the school?

:P

Google Groups : 43 Folders has a stoopid coffee thread going on it right now that i can’t help but comment on.

*rant*

i am probably alone here, i know this, but coffee is (and should be) more than just a “drug delivery system” or “morning pick-me-up” or “center of my wake-up ritual.”

coffee is first and foremost a beverage, like water, soda, tea, martinis, or milkshakes. if you do not like coffee — don’t drink it! there is no law that says your body chemistry will find coffee desirable. second, coffee is about hospitality. it wasn’t all that long ago that coffee was a status indicator. if you could offer coffee to your guests, that meant that you had enough disposable income to not only possess an expensive potable, you were willing to share it with others (a big deal). soon after, coffee became a SYMBOL for hospitality. it became part of the greeting ritual.

that’s right, people used to TAKE TIME out of their lives and GREET guests in a ritualized manner. since i am aware that we are all heathens today, i will spell this one out, blow-by-blow styl-ee.

1) greet guest at the door and identify yourself (if necessary)
2) ask guest the purpose for his or her visit
3) invite guest into the house
4) offer to take guest’s coat (if necessary) and HANG UP coat (if necessary)
5) invite guest to sit in the “sitting room” (aka living room/ante-room/greeting room aaka “the room with plastic covers on the furniture that you were NEVER allowed to be in.”)
6) offer guest some coffee, if accepted make new pot of coffee (this could take as much as 15 minutes)
7) make small talk until the coffee was served
8) finally get to point of visit

there is much more to this ritual, but i’m bored rehashing this ritual and i have gotten to the coffee part, so my point is made. if you are still interested, ask anyone who was 30 in the 1950s.

however, there is still more to coffee. it is also a connoisseur’s beverage — meaning that when properly made and served, many complex flavors and textures can be found within a cup of coffee. like many, i enjoy the complexity and layers found within a good cup o joe. i also enjoy the history of coffee and it’s many incarnations (for instance, it is true that a monastery is responsible for cappuccinos. imagine that, a large group of men who figured out that god wanted them to perfect a better cup of coffee, no matter how crazy the contraption needed).

so, yes, i drink coffee every day. no, i am not a shaking wreck if i do not get that cup of coffee.

*/rant*

:P

check out the main page for a new section — the Frank ‘N Aaron “new tunes” section. pretty swank!

:P

Hoopty Rides, which is a GREAT site, mentioned me today!!! I feel so warm inside. I was trying to help him with copying his New Yorker DVDs to his hd for off-line viewing.

:P

so, i went in with high hopes and a steadfast determination to follow through. here i sit, with all these cards that used to be a house. it was sad, it was pathetic.

the problem seems to be that i got attached to the story instead of standing back, aloof. that, and i was busy.

:P

i’ve got to say that the switch away from tables to a css website has gone quite well. it was a little hard to conceptualize css without doing css. but, the move has certainly made me happier with the world. there are still some issues that seem to remain unresolved, namely columned text (for those in the know, that comment will only elicit a groan). please check it out. http://labfreak.com

feel free to send comments or questions. i am not an ogre for some of the evening hours.

:P