The State of the Coffee

New blog?

2012-01-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

Debating if I want to start a new blog. Focus would be--tadah!--cars. As though I don't write enough about them in my regular job as an automotive reporter.

What do you think?

The Eternal Question

2012-01-01T23:13:00.001-08:00

Blog posting again? Or not?

Prepping, So Much Prepping

2011-05-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

It always amuses / exacerbates me how many people think it's easy to write, especially a blog post. Now that may be the case of some personal blogs out there -- it's yours, right? But it's an entirely different matter when blogging is your job.

There's a lot of prep to do, especially if you're expected to generate several posts not only for today, but later in the week as well. But I've developed a nice routine to make it bearable.

Today my boss followed up on some rather large articles he'd queried about a couple of weeks ago. Near panic, I told him I'd them ready for him by the end of the week.

Well, that put me in a dilemma. How do I find the time not only to finish up those articles, but maintain my regular output for my two work blogs? Thankfully, I not only write the posts, but schedule them as well. Instead of prepping posts just to go live the rest of the day and tomorrow, I prepped up enough posts -- called "evergreens" -- to go live the rest of the week. That gives me time to devote my full attention to the articles.

The rest of the involved a long drive and lunch with colleagues and dinner with the spouse on the last day of the "work vacation".

Location Does Matter

2011-05-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

Great weekend, though bright and hot. We spent the two days at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at its new location, the USC campus in Los Angeles, California.

I admit I have been burned out attending the event for some time now. I know a lot of it had to do with our online bookstore which we closed last year. Before then, we attended the fair primarily to improve our stock. That meant trudging with piles of hardcovers in sometimes 90+ Farenheit heat to stand in line as we waited our turn to get the books signed before bolting to the next location. More than once did we only have an hour or two the entire weekend to see the fair for pleasure.

Three factors made this year's fair to be different. One that we closed our book business and thus removing the imputus to, well, get those damned books signed. The second reason is then we had few books to get signed. Lastly, the fair was in a new location.

Never underestimate the difference a new location can change a once familiar venue. Suddently I really had to focus on my surroundings just to make sure we didn't get lost. The land, the paths, the buildings, heck, even the bathrooms, were all different. My enthusiasm was back as I took in the new sights, smells, even tastes. (The food venue on the USC campus is drastically different than the more poor UCLA.) I thoroughly enjoyed myself, a sharp contrast to last year's fair.

I don't expect the euphoria to be the same next year. But I gained a new perspective this weekend and hope to follow through until next year's showing.

A Tale of Two Holidays

2011-04-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Seder and Passover. Two different celebrations of, in my eyes, the same holiday.

I celebrated both this year. Last Monday, I joined the spouse's family to celebrate Seder for the first time. I've been invited many times in the past but have always declined due to my discomfort with religion. This year, I decided to attend. Why? Even I don't know my motivation. I think it involves family.

Anyway, I was the second guest to arrive and had fun whiling away the time with the hosts, their cousin and her new beau. An aunt and her son arrived next. We then proceeded to commence the ceremony and dinner since we really didn't know when the spouse would arrive.

The Seder was interesting. A celebration of the Israelites exodus from Egypt, the holiday involved reading from a book and performing the appropriate acts (e.g., washing the hands, breaking the matzo, etc.) The spouse arrived towards the end of the first half where we reached the part to have dinner. We never did the second half of the Seder.

Easter I celebrated with my sister and her family. There we watched the little ones find their Easter eggs while discussing the latest tidbits of our lives. The spouse, of course, rounded this weekend.

Chaos Is All in Your Mind

2011-04-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

I've allowed too many things to lapse in my life, again, and the consequences are coming back to bite my arse like the World Serpent biting its own tail.

Finances are in disarray. My health is carp. House continues to be a dump and I still need to deal with those pesky nose hairs. I know one's energy slows down as one gets older, but this power drain is negligence, not entropy – I've simply stop caring.

But the world continues to care. Especially for money. Or its own plans. So I can continue to stop caring or lay blame on others. Or grab life by the balls and say, “sit”.

2011

2011-01-01T00:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, y'all!

In Today's News

2010-11-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. Fun, though disjointed at times. (I really didn't get a sense of time was flying in the movie.) Dinner at CPK. Mojito virtually had no alcohol. (Sad Panda).

Today:
Wonderful breakfast this morning. LA Auto Show next with Kent and Leo. W00t!

Happy T-day!

2010-11-25T14:01:00.001-08:00

Turkey's up to all my friends and family! Let us be thankful for all that is good in our lives and wish the best for our fellow humans. (Turkeys -- in both senses of the word -- are optional.)

First Press Day of 2010 LA Auto Show

2010-11-17T23:17:00.001-08:00

Exhausted

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T00:16:00.001-08:00

I salute the men and women willing to give -- and some who did give -- everything in the defense of our great nation.

Like a Worm

2010-11-10T23:52:00.000-08:00

I can feel depression stilling my mood and stirring sad thoughts in my mind. I won't succumb to food, though. Hmmm. What to do, what to do....

Good news? No, they're GREAT

2010-11-09T22:54:00.000-08:00

Things are moving along at work, things that are good! (Details to follow.) More importantly, though, is that my mom's out of the hospital. Yeah! Now we'll see if the operations a success.

Slowly but Surely

2010-11-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Adjusting food intake. I will be the biggest loser by June 2011!

NaNoWriMo

2010-11-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

For all my friends who are participating in this year's National Novel Writing Month: W00t! Keep up the great work. You can do it!

Healing Vibes for my Mom

2010-11-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

My mom went into the hospital on Sunday for back surgery. So far she's recovering but in pain. Please send healing vibes her way for a speedy recovering. Thanks!

Marrying Friends

2010-11-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

Before I forget, I want to post that I married my two friends Ted and Kate on Saturday, October 30th, 2010. W00t! And already booked to marry another couple next May.

How to calculate an (average) American male's ideal weight

2010-11-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

105 pounds for first five feet of height, 6 pounds for every inch after. Then add ten percent for large frame. Finally, add ten pounds for being an American ^_^.

Thus, my "ideal" weight at six feet is 204.7 or 205 pounds.

Two Biggest Losers

2010-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

By sheer coincidence, I got in to a discussion with two different groups -- all guys -- about losin' weight. Now it looks like I'm part of, not one, but two groups aiming to get fit by mid-next year. What am I in for?

Time to put away the Coffee?

2010-11-07T23:51:00.000-08:00

Has it been over six months since I've posted anything on The State of the Coffee? Am I that much of a facebook addict? Seems so.

Should I retire State? I'm only half-jesting when I say I spend a lot on facebook. Heck, I have two accounts! Seems everyone's there.

What do y'all think?

Weekend Words

2010-04-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

The alarm I set woke us up on Saturday, a rarity. We crawled out of bed, the spouse first, then me, then headed out to the local car dealership to pick up the spouse's car. It now has oil-eating issues; the cheerful car tech informed us that's normal for ten-year old engines in five year old cars. Translation: new car early next year.

PJ Abbey had only one table filled when we arrived. We gorged ourselves on our regular fair of two separate omelet plates raspberry and stuffed raspberry and cream french toast slices. Good thing, too, since we spent the rest of the day at Renfaire and didn't have our next meal until thirteen hours later.

On Sunday, we brunched again at the Circle. However, before stepping into the restaurant, we admired the autos of yesteryear parked in every nook and cranny, staged by the local car enthusiasts group. I waxed and waned about taking pics and writing a blog post or even an article for my sites, but ultimately decided it wasn't appropriate, subject-wise. Afterwards, the spouse and I went our separate ways. Day passed quickly with the Internet and the telly. We dined on fish.

Four cups of coffee.

Flavors for the State of the Coffee

2010-04-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm still debating on what to discuss on this blog. Shall I stick to the plan to post my daily activities? Secret (and naughty) thoughts? Reviews? Or biting commentary on the world today.

It's now official

2010-04-10T00:17:00.001-07:00

First day on the job at motortrend.com. Hours are 1000 to 1900. Title: Associate Online Editor. Company: Motor Trend Automotive.com.
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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Good News

2010-04-05T00:29:00.001-07:00

Definitely need to check daily:

http://goodnews.msnbc.msn.com/?section=videos&dataId=2&source=msnbcspotlight#/videos/
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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Grrr

2010-04-03T11:56:00.001-07:00

Wasted too much time trying to delete a couple of dead blogs only to discover "oops! It's a known issue." Argh!

Weekend Words

2010-03-29T00:08:00.001-07:00

Saturday: Baby shower followed by burgers

Sunday: Irvine Renfaire, bookstores (of course), and a wonderful dinner.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Easy Breakfast

2010-03-27T11:17:00.001-07:00

Take out from Johnny Rebs is SOOO easy.

Deactivated

2010-03-27T00:09:00.000-07:00

Took down fb for a while. Ah, breathing better already.

US on Road for Universal Healthcare

2010-03-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well, the U.S. has public education and Social Security. Why not healthcare?

Busy having Fun

2010-03-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

Breakfast with The Spouse at PJ Abbey's followed by a wonderful walkabout Old Towne Orange. Lunch with KKS to display the Ford Fusion Hybrids features. Rushed home for game night. Four cups!

Keeping one's mouth shut

2010-03-19T00:51:00.001-07:00

There is so much going on at work that I want to explode. Must. Keep. Calm...!

On this Special Day

2010-03-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish-bloodied family and friends!

Shaken and all Shook Up

2010-03-16T06:22:00.001-07:00

And where were you when the 4.4 earthquake hit this morning at 4.07?

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

An Only Good Zombie is a Dead Zombie

2010-03-12T01:33:00.000-08:00

Zombie hunting/killing using Savage Worlds. Fun! Trying to role-playing a tough-talking Marine? Ugh.

Movie Night

2010-03-10T23:36:00.001-08:00

Enjoyed Driven to Race by Cargo Productions. Review to follow. Thanks, Mazda!

Word of the Day

2010-03-10T13:06:00.001-08:00

Douchenozzles.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Happy 51st birthday, Barbie!

2010-03-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

Lookin' good, grrrl!

RIP Corey Haim

2010-03-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

38 years old? Damn.

A drinking we will go

2010-03-03T22:38:00.001-08:00

20+ of pure non alcoholic virginity has been popped. By a threeway: I bought port, sherry, and vodka.

Am I a lush?
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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

On the Move

2010-03-02T22:48:00.000-08:00

We moved into our new location yesterday. Joining us were the staff from Anaheim, Cerritos, and Placentia. You could quickly sense the difference between the two groups. While our side buzzed with suppressed excitement and curiosity, the other side, well, was more subdued. As one of my colleagues explained today, many on the other side feel they were forced to move down here. Also, while our department continues to grow, their side suffered badly during the recession.

Linkin

2010-02-28T12:11:00.001-08:00

As the subject says.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Going a LARPIN

2010-02-28T11:42:00.001-08:00

Participated in my second LARP yesterday. Fun, fun.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Drinking

2010-02-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

One of my (numerous) resolutions this year is to drink. Alcohol. Friday night had a fuzzy navel. Tonight: sangria! Wish me luck!
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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

It's my Job

2010-02-16T23:20:00.001-08:00

Down in San Diego to cover the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Woot!

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

One Acura Down

2010-02-15T21:40:00.001-08:00

Returned the MDX today. Next up: TSX. W00t!
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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Would you like a Stick with that?

2010-02-04T06:19:00.001-08:00

Stick practice (as in manual) yesterday with a colleague. I will master the stick before I get the 370Z. I must!

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Keys, keys, and not one to fit the lock

2010-01-26T23:27:00.001-08:00

Broke my housekey trying to get into the house. Thank the gaws for 24-hour service! The Spouse was kind enough to ditch work to get home and get duplicates. I called the locksmith back and he repaired the whole kit and kaboodle. Whew!

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Weekend Poisoned

2010-01-25T21:54:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, after crawling out of bed at a very late hour, we lunched at our favorite Thai restaurant before making an impromptu visit to a couple of used bookstores. Sadly, the industry is dying as more and more folks reach through the Internet to secure their reading material. We then finally watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. No wonder that movie topped at the charts. Dined at a local Italian chain restaurant before a fight with both our laptops. (We won. At 5:30 AM.)

Sunday began with yet another late start. Coffee sustained me as I gamed with my gaming brethren as Dogs in the Vineyard. Very, very different from the usual hack-n-slash. In this rpg, we took on the roles as "paladins" in pre-state Utah out to rid the world of evil under the auspices of the King of Life. Amazing how fast one gets self-righteous.

Things went wrong after dinner. Spouse complained of stomach pains after a hearty meal over at the local Marie Callendars. Exploded into a major worship of the porcelain throne starting at 3:00 AM, finally ending around 6:30 AM or so this morning as the last of the food poisoning finally ran its course. Both of us called in sick; the spouse, for obvious reasons, while I was ready to call 911. Things finally stabilized later this evening with a hearty meal of fish.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

I was a Dog

2010-01-24T22:22:00.001-08:00

Played the indie rpg, Dogs in the Vineyard today. Very...different.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Yes

2010-01-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still alive. Or I'm not dead as per Pink's album. More to come!

Pathfinder RPG and singer Rhianna. Really?

2010-01-08T00:14:00.001-08:00

Fun Pathfinder game last night. SK's comment, though, on Rhianna:

Priceless!

Are you ready to be a father at 13 years old? Really?

2010-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

How the heck did I miss this in the news? And would you look at him?!?

BOY dad Alfie Patten yesterday admitted he does not know how much nappies cost - but said: "I think it's a lot."

Baby-faced Alfie, who is 13 but looks more like eight, became a father four days ago when his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne.

He told how he and Chantelle, 15, decided against an abortion after discovering she was pregnant.

Schwag!

2010-01-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

Did I mention Top Gear contacted me earlier this week and wants me to review some of their soon-to-be released stuff?

Squee!

One Hour at a Time

2010-01-05T22:38:00.001-08:00

One of my resolutions is to get our house in some semblance of order. I originally planned to start yesterday, following the old adage, "slow but steady."

Epic fail on starting yesterday. Tonight, though, I succeeded: I worked the allocated daily hour and tossed several hefty bags. Heck, you can actually see the results of my work.

One trash day of work done. 3.5 cups of bold coffee sans soy. I'll take it black tonight, thank you.

Knee gives up a Leg

2010-01-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

Back in college, I injured my left so badly I had to get surgery. Well, the ramifications are now hitting me: I can no longer work out.

Specifically, I cannot perform aerobics, my favorite form of exercise. Sharp, stabbing pains shoot up as my foot hits the floor. With a sad wave and face, I told my instructor tonight I would no longer be attending her class. We waved, and I bolted home to shower and contemplate my next move.

I still plan to work out. Like 99.9% of Americans, getting into shape is one of my (numerous) new year's resolutions. How I get in shape will have to change, though. Thankfully I have tons of books, magazine, and online articles on fitness.

Still, I will miss those workouts.

A Nice Finish

2010-01-03T21:16:00.001-08:00

Finished off the day with dinner with the Spouse. Said dinner already broke resolution for better health. Ah, well. There's tomorrow.

Gifts from my sibs. Lots of gift certs. And candy. Bad, bad! Squee!

Hot chocolate made by my sweetie. Overall, 4.5 cups of mocha chocolate. Soy, of course.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Done

2010-01-03T16:30:00.001-08:00

Finished the book review. Whew! Link to follow once it's live.

Now to the so-called "easier" work....
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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Resolution: Hard Stuff First

2010-01-03T10:29:00.001-08:00

I remember reading years ago that one technique to organizing one's tasks is to hit the day's hard tasks first, then the easy stuff. Most folks, especially procrastinators, do it in reverse, stressing themselves at the end of the day.

I'm definitely in the "easy stuff first, hard stuff later" category. Thus, first resolution change for the new year is reversing that mantra.

After the first cup of today's coffee, though.

"Carpe Diem"
(Seize the Day),

Family Fun and Gaming

2010-01-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

Celebrated my sister JAF's b-day today. Our other sister JAC hosted the event her residence. As we played with her kids, she and her hubby cooked breakfast. I then spent the rest of the afternoon gaming; played Pirates and the Grand Delmuni (sp?). Overall, a wonderful evening which I give 4.5 cups, extra bold with soy.

Before that First Cup

2010-01-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

I should just go back to sleep. That's how I'm feeling at the moment. We had woken up early (for a weekend) since The Spouse is rounding the hospital this weekend and normally I'd go back to bed after parting.

But not today. One of my goals this year is get our place in shape, and I had planned to do so by some daily spring cleaning. Morning would be the perfect time to do so; I'm up, I get some exercise, and I don't feel guilty throughout the day.

But that's not the only reason I'm still up. I have a birthday breakfast this morning. And there's all-day gaming. And I don't want to be late.

Coffee Cup Rating

2010-01-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

I give 4.5 cups of bold coffee for today. Half caffeinated, half decaf. Oh, and with soy (of course).

Happy New Year, y'all!

Coffee Brands, er, Blogs I follow

2010-01-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

Spent some time adding favorite blogs to follow on The State of the Coffee. I'm now debating about the snippet functionality. I like the ability to discern the subject of a post without opening the entire site. On the other hand, it looks funny on the page (especially if it's a long one).

I'll leave it alone right now. I should log off: I already spend way too much free time on the computer.

Cup Rating

2010-01-01T22:39:00.001-08:00

The Spouse suggested I rate the day by cups of coffee. I like that idea.
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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

Ushering the New Year with a Drive

2010-01-01T22:34:00.001-08:00

While the Spouse was rounding the hospital, I drove down to San Diego to check out Mysterious Galaxy and Game Empire, two of my favorite locals down there. Unfortunately, the former was closed. After a freezing meal at the local Starbucks (due to eating outside), I browsed around GE, finally making selections from the used bins as usual. I just couldn't justify the WhFRP Adventurer's Kit if I hadn't even broke open the main game, could I? An extensive chat with the overly-enthusiastic staff reminded me just how much I am a geek. And that's a good thing.

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Carpe Diem (seize the day)

New Blog, New Year

2010-01-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

After hemming and hawing for several hours, I decided to enter the New Year with a new blog.

So, what's with the name, "State of the Coffee"? A couple of months ago, I was inspired to start video clips on, you guess it, coffee. Specifically, I would record my impression on every cup of coffee I drank per day and post them on videos sites like Youtube. The spouse, hearing my idea, suggested the name.

Fortunately, common sense won out. I don't have the equipment, and I drink too much coffee on a daily basis to make it practical. The name stuck, though.

So what's the purpose of this blog as opposed to the others. Back to basics, baby. I originally started blogging to jot down my thoughts for prosperity's sake. Now I feel it's even more important. Apparently, my memory, reaching 40 years, is doing some spring cleaning. I'm increasingly having difficulty remembering stuff, both trivial and important. Spouse reassured me, though, it's not dementia. Apparently folks who think they may have it paradoxically don't; i.e., folks who do suffer dementia deny the fact. Got it?