The Coffee Chronicles

So, as I've been coding HTML, finely tuning the inner workings of this page you're perusing, there's been a voice prattling on inside my head. Aren't you surprised? Allow me to script it for you:


Okay, so I'm a little haunted these days. And bored. And disillusioned. And distracted. Funny; you'd think that what with all that intellectual angst going on, I'd be less bored. Instead, I'm ripe; I'm about to burst. I am officially Looking For an Outlet. This is nothing new, you understand. I have, over the years, made several attempts at quenching this all-devouring fire, much to the chagrin of friends & loved ones:

1. Moved to California. No comment.
2. Tried to build a superfast computer.
3. Tried to be a rock star.
4. Making plans to build a rally car.
5. And of course, went to grad school once, twice, soon to be three times.

I must be a glutton for punishment. Don't get me wrong - these things have been (and will be) great fun. But I've been thinking, why quench the fire? The creative spark is a torturous gift, but we cannot casually pinch it out of existence...rather, it is a burden that must be carried. I aspire to live in harmony with my spark - hence, this log.

Here's to symbiosis.

I know that it's doesn't really look that way, but it's overcast. Again. These last few mornings have actually been a nice reprieve of sorts; although I live near the beach I work near the dreaded valley - and it gets hot. "Africa hot," as Neil Simon would be wont to write. In terms of real degrees, it gets even hotter than NYC is these days.

But real degrees are not the issue in NYC, as my good friend can readily explain. "It's not the heat," runs a well-known cliche, "it's the sweaty pits."

...which brings me to my specific meteorological tale of woe. I enjoy these cool mornings because of a particular affliction I suffer; that is, of course, that I am a Sweaty Guy(tm). That's right, that's right. And even though the outlook in CA is usually hot and dry, I still encounter the occasional drip or two. Aren't you glad you're still reading?

This affliction affects others around me, as well - I feel for them, close friends as they used to be. It would seem that I have driven all but the most hardy souls away. For those remaining, I say, "thank you," and offer a survival tip, originated by that selfsame NYC friend: she calls it the one-wall, one-button rule, to which I will add one gym towel. Feel free to contact either of us for clarification. Well, on second thought - if you don't already understand, better that you don't risk finding out.

Although, to be honest, I was in Vegas once during a 118-degree day, and didn't sweat a whit. Of course, none of my close acquaintances were in attendance to witness such a rare event; alas, I have no objective proof.

You know, it's kinda the same way with Sasquatch.

Slow day today, inside and out. It's overcast in Southern California, which in case you don't know is a real rarity. "The only problem with CA weather," I heard someone say once, "is that you never have an excuse to feel depressed about it."

Ain't that the truth. I'm a little wistful for the spastic New York City thundershower, after all. Talk about a fish out of water - I am it, down to my very bones. Speaking of water, though, I should relate this strange experience I had this morning. Very Heinlein, if you go in for that sort of thing. I was driving to work, through this slate-grey dawn we were having, when something surprising off to the left caught my eye.

It was the Pacific Ocean. Funny; I had almost forgotten it was there.

It was the damndest thing - less of a strange experience than a shared moment, as a Kevin Smith character would be apt to put it. Shared between myself and, well, the ocean. Really, honestly - what a view.

It doesn't replace a nice view of Cooper Square, or even of Third Avenue, but it helps ease the separation a bit. Just a bit.

I'm inspired to return to the issues at-hand, namely distraction and procrastination. Sorry for the delay, but I was...nevermind; you probably saw this one coming. No need for me to chase away faithful readers (you know who you are - both of you). So then, on to the discussion.

Many, if not most, of my acquaintances live in what I would call an "intellectually rich" environment. And why not? Our education led us to this end. And besides, that's where all the action is, right? If it weren't the truth for most of us, we would never have chosen this route. This fact gets at the root of most of the trouble, I think; it's clear that We're Asking For It.

We are the Dangerously Bored. Forget the trouble one can catch with idle hands; here are loads of people walking around with idle minds. Someone call the Thought Police; someone's leafing through my textbooks...

In all seriousness, though, I think this idle curiosity can be a powerful tool when applied correctly. Nevermind the fact that I still don't know how to harness this power; I'm certain that my useless knowledge will come in handy one day. Until then, though, I'll suffer the punishment if the intellectually idle. That's right, it's off to more higher education for me. I told you; I was Asking For It.

Curiosity and Disillusionment. Beware, faithful readers; it's a hell of a nasty combination.

Back at work now, just having had my morning coffee. I get this coffee, you should know, off a truck. Said truck is affectionately known by my fellow employees as the "Roach Coach," a name which, by all accounts, does not inspire confidence.

Nonetheless, the coffee is fairly good, and consistent. My advice: avoid the spaghetti and meatballs. Then again, one should always avoid an entree called "spaghetti and meatballs;" but then, that's just my opinion.

I'm having some difficulty actually doing work, as it were. It could be that I'm really interested in getting this log to look just right. It could also be that I'm simply unmotivated. Or, it could be something else. It's a well-known anecdote among my college mates that I spent far more time reading through their textbooks than studying from my own, so perhaps that's a sign of the skewed work ethic to which I've always unknowingly ascribed.

In a nutshell, then:

Now that I'm finished, for the moment, fiddling with my HTML, I can get back to my insightful social commentary.

Now, what I mean to say about the above: what is it about these two reviewers' comments that grabbed me? Simple; it's the subtle perceived contradiction between the two. It would seem to be the opinion of some that the cerebral and the spiritual (the "intelligent" part and the "soul" part, for those of you playing at home) are separate elements of our experience. Furthermore, there is some evidence that the two shall not be easily reconciled, if indeed ever at all. In fact, the very juxtaposition of these statements - on a public web page, no less - seems to be tacit acknowledgement of our certain doom as a thinking, feeling species.

Perhaps I'm just reading into this, but it's a subject I've long given too much thought.

What is it about these two slices of the psyche that make them so disparate? Can we not be masters of that which lies inward, as well as outward? Allow a snippet from my sordid academic life, pulled from De Administratione, memoirs of Suger, Abbot of Saint-Denis:


A truism, perhaps; but one that contains all of the necessary ingredients of this debate. Substitute "spiritual" or "soulful" for "eternal," and you've got something there.

It should be noted here that Suger here (ca. 1144) is rhapsodizing on affairs at the court of Louis Capet, who was strongly taken (both literally and figuratively) by Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine. Turns out that both Louis' soul and his flesh were at stake. Such was Medieval Europe. Do find Amy Kelly's Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings if you're interested. It's a thoroughly engaging read.

Anyway, enough of this for now; sorry for the endless prattle.

Sunday Afternoon HiJinks. Just returned from touring the neighborhood, where I sampled the spoils of the semi-urban resident: Krispy Kreme. Their java is, at times, quite good. Not tonight, however - but the free sample helped. And it was Hot Now(tm), no less. Note to the curious: while excusing my blatant corporate plug here, do visit the fine KK Doughnut establishment in Lakewood, CA - they seem to be handing out free samples.

What's next, I wonder: cats and dogs living together?

My lively pastry escapade was a fitting cap to the afternoon of matinee-movie-viewing. Took in the pseudo-academic, maybe schmaltzy-romantic "Possession," which I thought was actually quite good. My attention was grabbed, though, by the pull-quoted reviews posted on moviefone's site. I will reproduce two of them here, without hypertext (aren't we relieved?):


Now, that's interesting. Think about it; I'll be back.