Chapter 89: Ok, I'm Not Going Away After All

Stay tuned. I've decided not to let this blog get lost in my back pocket and crinkled up in the wash, after all. Coming soon: my picks for the 2011 baseball season. But first, some reader participation.

In the past couple days, I've added followers, despite my most recent post saying I'm going on hiatus. I can only imagine it's because readers have found The Elephant's Bookshelf interesting and wonder what else I might have to say. Since the previous post, I also took the plunge and bought a Website address, MWSinclair.com, which is still being developed but which will serve as my journalism and fiction-writing home, and I'll link to both blogs there.

For those who are relatively new, the Coffee Cup was designed to be undesigned. Slightly less vaguely, I created it to be a place where I might ruminate over my morning cup of coffee. In fact, check out this interview I did with Victoria Dixon who blogs at Ron Empress, to see what I intended for this blog and the Elephant's Bookshelf.

And feel free to suggest anything you'd like to see here or on the Bookshelf. I'm a full-time writer, after all, which means I have an opinion on things, and sometimes I even share them.

Welcome back!

My Day Starts with Coffee!

There is something magical about that first morning cup of fresh brewed coffee.  In fact, I can't seem to function with any reasonable degree of coordination without gulping down that first 16 oz mug.  Of course, this has everything to do with the caffeine which is the main ingredient to this necessary beverage habit.

Without my first cup of coffee,
I'm a pretty useless creature to behold

Coffee has always had a mixed review when it comes to academic studies about whether or not its good for you.  My own view is that coffee falls under the category: everything in moderation.  My own view is that besides helping to get your day going, there is likely some small benefit that helps to serve as a fat burner since it increases metabolism.  On the downside, coffee raises blood pressure, and can help lead contribute to sleep apnea, and acid reflux.  My own experience tells me this is true! 

Coffee is and agricultural wonder - since it comes from a plant that produces coffee beans which are then ground into fine powder and brewed with hot water.  It is said to have been discovered in the 15th century originating in Ethiopia which is a bit ironic in that one of the poorest countries in the world is the birthplace of a product that results in billions of dollars in trade annually. The three main exporters of coffee are said to be Brazil, Vietnam, and Columbia with several other Asian and African countries just behind them.  Coffee is grown in climates which tend to be consistently warm year round and unfortunately, the United States is not among the production players, but is clearly one of the largest consumers of the product. There are many websites devoted to the economic details of coffee production, trade and controversies; I'm going to keep this light rather than producing a long-winded dissertation on coffee. 

Everyone has their preferred coffee selections and preparation.  For the longest time, I took my coffee with plenty of cream and sugar, but I think my tastes evolved in my late 20s and along with my desire to reduce caloric intake (coffee is low to zero calories) by eliminating the fattening qualities of cream and sugar, and I moved to drinking coffee black.  I occasionally top off my coffee with skim milk to soften the taste.  In the summer, I might opt for an afternoon iced coffee drink, which is something I used to watch my grandmother consume when she would sit and read her afternoon newspaper.  There is also the dreaded Coffee Coolata - but this is probably 20% coffee and 80% sugar, syrup, and -- did I mention sugar?

I'm not necessarily loyal to any specific brand of coffee, but just like anyone else I do have my preferred store bought choices.  I like 8 o'clock coffee, and also Folders, and might even go with some of the lesser brands that rank just above the generic store version.  I have this thing where I think its insanity to spend more that $4-$5 dollars on a single bag of ground bean coffee.  Furthermore, its highway robbery that some high end brands demand as much as $9 and $12 a bag.  But admittedly, when they are on sale, I may occasionally go with Dunkin Donuts or even Starbucks.  The high end brands have there positives, but for the most part they are not so much better as to demand $6 more a bag than say - 8 o'clock coffee, which I fine is relatively close in taste.

When you think about the mark up on coffee, which is near 500% even after you take out distribution and packaging costs, you realize that it really takes gall for coffee companies have to charge you so much by the ounce and by the cup.  But they also know that its a necessary evil that people will not give up any time soon.  Americans consume coffee by the gallon - a breakfast, break, lunch and afternoon.  And many take coffee as an after dinner ritual - sometimes in the form of a latte or expresso. 

Because I drink my fair share of regular black coffee, I do opt for some of the flavored varieties that fall within the same price range as the regular brands.  I'm preferential to hazelnut as an option, but I'd say that 70% of the time I reach for the basic French Roast Whole Bean variety - I guess I like the deep, dark rich taste of my morning coffee unaltered by sugary powders, artificial flavors, or creamers that are good for only about the first cup.  After that, the after-taste leaves your taste buds second guessing your decision.

As a subnote, I strongly believe that instant coffee is a crime against humanity.  I don't know what it is, but the taste of these products is a far cry from even the most generic of regular coffee brands - almost so much so that I can't believe marketing laws permit the use of the word coffee as part of its title.  If you need caffeine that bad, and you can't get to Dunkin Donuts, you are better off reaching for a Coca-Cola.  Instant coffee should be banned, and its consumers scorned. Yuck!

Coffee's chief rival is Tea.  But I'll likely cover my enjoyment of tea in another entry because its worth more consideration and discussion than a few meager paragraphs buried in an article about coffee.  Notwithstanding, my English friends see my preference of coffee over tea as typically American, and very unsophisticated.  However, I remind them that tea was quite popular in the English Colonies until their greedy little empire opted to overtax it (along with many other commodities), thus igniting a little thing called The American Revolution.  The war with the colonies sent Americans seeking alternatives to British imported tea, and coffee started its long journey into the hearts and stomachs of Americans.

It took several decades for trade with England to normalize, but there were other options for Americans to go with - including coffee - as an option which was readily available via seafaring nations like Spain which didn't trade as often with India and other nations tied into the Indian export economy.  Ironically, England weaned itself off coffee moving toward tea which was much cheaper to grow, cultivate and distribute.  By the American Civil War, coffee was a major commodity relied on by soldiers and the general population, although tea did remain popular in households of the privileged, and well to do.

I enjoy both tea and coffee, but couldn't imagine ever replacing my cup of Joe for any other caffeine enriched substitute.  So bottoms up!  Keep the 'Joe coming! 

This original blog entry can be found at http://www.randsel.blogspot.com/

Chapter 88: A Blog on Hold

I've decided that rather than feel guilty about not writing much of anything for this blog, I'll press pause. At some point, I'm sure the little icon/screensaver will start moving around, or something of that nature, but eventually I'll shake things around again and refill my coffee cup.

By no stretch of the imagination, however, am I giving up blogging. I'm not as active as I want to be at The Elephant's Bookshelf, but it's kinda where I live in terms of blogging these days. When I post comments on other blogs, that's the URL I type in. When I tell people about where I blog, that's the site I point them to. You can reach me there at elephantsbookshelf@gmail.com. And if you'd like to continue to read what I have to say about reading, writing, and writers, then I would love to see you there.

Indeed, come. Maybe we can chat over a cup of coffee.

Chapter 83.2: Re-Emerging or Just Shifting?

It has been too long since I posted anything other than a new poll question here. Indeed, it used to be unusual for me to go two weeks between published posts much less the two months it has been.

Those who know me know why that's happened, and while I have shifted the dexterity in my hands to diapering the girls, my fingers and my mind remain quite able to type and think. Ok, the fingers still work, the brain's not always there without enough caffeine to fuel it. This is my coffee cup, after all.

As July ebbs in the rain-drenched streets of New York and New Jersey, I pledge to post more often in August — both here and at The Elephant's Bookshelf, where I've posted a tad more regularly. I know these posts won't come frequently, but they will occur. But I've got a first novel to re-re-revise and a new novel to continue writing. After all, these characters in my soul don't stop bugging me when I'm not writing about them.

Chapter 82.5: Spring Cleaning

It's cold and breezy still, but the sun is shining and my mood isn't as dark as it was last night. Amazing what a couple of sleeping babies and cups of coffee can do to a person.

Anyway, I have had a lot of things on my mind lately, one of the least of which is this blog, which I cherish but have been neglecting lately. So I decided to give it a little bit of a makeover — nothing too earth shattering (there really are not many template choices when one has a free blog) — and mark a milestone.

Recently, I crossed over the 500 post mark. I'm not quite sure which one it was (though I'm thinking it might have to do with dirty diapers). But since I have a few posts in the hopper and others that are actually notes for myself (who knows what evil lurks in the post lists of man...), it's possible that this one is #500.

I've also added a followers list. I don't expect too many, but as that little woman in the Poltergeist movie said: "All are welcome. All are welcome."

In the grand scheme of things, 500 blog posts is not much of an accomplishment. I may, however, try to do something to mark my five-year "blogoversary," which is a few months away.

Anyway, enjoy your weekend. There's a lot of work still to do.

Chapter 80.5: It Has Begun

Ordinarily, this would be something I'd post on the Elephant's Bookshelf, but I think it qualifies as worth noting here at my Coffee Cup, too. Plus, my last post there was about National Novel Writing Month, anyway, so I'm going to share the wealth. (Or should that be "redistribute the wealth"?)

For all those who aren't aware, NaNo WriMo has begun. Throughout this thirty-day month, tens of thousands of masochists all around the world will work on new novels (well, even that isn't an ironclad rule; I've heard of one writer who plans to do fifty 1,000 word short stories. Now that's masochism!) I've already begun and posted about 740 words to my tally, and I'll add more today. The morning is young!

And I even have some energy yet to share this news with all of you. So, if you're a fellow Wrimo, feel free to say hi here or at the Elephant's Bookshelf. I'd love to hear from you (I'm "Elephantguy" in Wrimo land), but I suspect you're dedicating your writing to your actual book. Good luck everyone. It's time for coffee.

Chapter 79.9: Innumeracy, Thy Name is Chucklehead

Thank God I'm not the only person who complains about innumeracy! In a recent column in Forbes, Rich Karlgaard rails against the "American math chuckleheads" who thought that instead of an $85 billion bailout for AIG, each Amerian adult should get their share of that amount. The problem is they don't know how to do math. While they thought the simple division meant the 200 million American adults would receive $425,000 each, it actually breaks down to $425 each.

I mean, come on, wasn't it obvious that $425,000 simply couldn't be right and that they needed to punch the numbers back into the calculator to do things over, only this time with the right number of zeroes?

Unfortunately, using chucklehead math, there's simply not enough money in the world to pay for all the math tutors required to retrain math-challenged Americans. Here's a low-cost alternative: Read John Allen Paulos's book Innumeracy and learn how to think logically. These days, we could all use a little help in the wallet.

Here's a math problem to get you started: If a coffee costs $2 at the corner store and you drink two cups a day each day of the work week, how much do you spend on coffee per month? Per year?

Short answer, too much. Long answer is $20 per week, $80-$100 per month, and $1000 per year (assuming two weeks off for vacation). Wouldn't you like to have another thousand dollars in your pocket? This is why I drink the free stuff at the office.

Thank God I don't smoke!

Chapter 69.6: This is Fun!

Before I go too far, I was looking for an image to depict juvenile aliens, and when I found the one I finally selected I couldn't help but laugh. Every once in a while, the world needs a little PG-13 in an otherwise family site.

Anyway, back to my point: While I'm nowhere near the pace I need to reach my goal of 50,000 words, I'm enjoying the story I've created for my NaNo WriMo entry. It's a quasi-science fiction work. I won't go into too much detail here, but I'm writing about alien abductions (no, I've never experienced one, thank God) and college. And it's chock full of goofy stuff and oddball characters, which is as I like it. I generally write serious stuff in which some characters might have a good sense of humor, but I've been reading a lot of Christopher Moore the past year or so, and I'm really enjoying the funny, irreverent way he can tell a story. This is my homage to Christopher Moore.

Hopefully, some of my fellow writers will visit. Stop for a moment and sip a cupa coffee. Talk some trash, or spin a yarn, or cast aspersions. I won't judge.

Chapter 63.93: But What About My Coffee Cup?

Here's an interesting story. An entrepreneur in Edmonton has decided that he doesn't want to contribute to paper waste caused by so many coffee to-go cups. If you're planning to stop by his shop and get a cuppa joe before work, you better bring your own coffee mug. He won't serve it any other way. While I suspect I'd be a little annoyed if I were asked to plop down $10 for a walk-around mug (though he says it's only 37 cents more than he paid for them), I must say it's an interesting concept that could catch on (though probably not at Starbucks, where the coffee wouldn't taste good regardless of the container).

Chapter 58.75: Wake Up Computer!

I don't expect the world to follow my schedule, but I do expect my accessories in life to do what they're supposed to do. So I was kinda pissed this morning when my laptop decided that it needed to wait until its user had two cups of coffee before it would work at a decent speed. I don't know about these recalcitrant contraptions. I know it needs to do a virus scan every once in a while, but dammit, it's 7:15 a.m. and I need the computer to work with a tired user. Why is it moving so frigging slow?!

An hour and a couple restarts later, the thing is back to its old self. I can't say the same for me.

Chapter 57.5: A Good Weekend

It's not even noon yet, and already I feel like I've had a fantastic weekend. There's much I still need to do. Eat breakfast, go to the supermarket, jog, help my brother move some stuff in his house. But rare weekends like this, where I actually have two days that I can use, become precious.

This morning, before we got out of bed, I read another thirty pages or so of Lisey's Story by Stephen King. This is the book that actually appears to have had an editor touch it, and it's an improvement over many of his recent novels. My wife is struggling through Cell, which she says takes 110 pages to describe what could easily have been accomplished in less than half that amount. I've not read it, but when a devoted reader like my wife starts skimming her favorite author, you can be sure there's problems with the story. As for Lisey, the novel took about seventy pages to get to the real threat, but he took that time to cast out a few other story lines related to the characters. I respect King's love of the craft, even though he irritates me with his that/which problems.

So, dear reader, you see that for me a good weekend needn't be all sun and shine and lunar eclipse. Sometimes it can be simply a warm bed, a cup or two of coffee, and a book to read. At least until the baseball season starts.