http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2262016/watch_the_clover_coffee_machine_in_action/
Finally went to a Starbucks which had one of these interesting machines. It's basically an inverse French press with more precise temperature control. They offer 5 single country of origin coffees (Kona, Sumatra, Kenya, Ecuador, and another one) spanning the range from medium to extra dark roast.
It is interesting that they don't use any of the 'normal' Starbucks blends in the Clover. I may go during a quiet time of the day and ask to try it to see if the usual acidity found in Starbucks coffee comes from the beans or normal brewing method.
After trying the two lightest roast beans (Kona and Kenya) I have to say it was without qualification a very good cup of coffee. Nice, mellow nutty coffee flavor with no acidity or 'burnt' taste at all. Allison and I agreed that it compared very well with our (and everyone that has tried it) unanimous favorite coffee - Dilettante Cafe Hapsburg (Medium) roast.
The downside- $2 cup of coffee. But if you ever are in the mood for a perfect cup, the Clover can make it.
Yeah, this has been more Starbucks pimping after the Via mini-review, but I get a pretty regular string of Starbucks gift cards as part of a micro-bonus system at work, so they actually compete for my attention with some of the excellent independent cafes in Seattle. Having used many of their locations their problem isn't product or concept, but consistency. If the barista knows what they're doing, you can get excellent coffee/espresso. In the downtown Seattle area locations, good is more common than not. In the suburbs or other states, it's hit or miss at best, and at that point it ends up being not worth the cost. If anything the Clover seems to be a nearly foolproof way to make a consistently perfect cup of coffee, so I applaud the innovation and hope it makes its way across the country. (And thus decreases the cost through economies of scale)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Short notes
Interesting things:
Starbucks Via (their new instant coffee - this was the Extra Bold version, not the lighter Columbian) - got a free sample last week - finally got around to trying it. Surprisingly, it's drinkable decent coffee. The overall impression is of an Americano or Turkish preparation (where there are usually grounds on the bottom of the cup anyway) using day old beans. Less flavor than a good real coffee, but it's definitely not acidic or offensive in any way.
The first thought I had was - this is the perfect camping coffee. Single serving package, decent flavor, mixes easily into hot water.
At nearly $1 per serving though full retail price, it costs nearly as much as real coffee, which is possible to get any number of places in this city.
Overall - decent. If in the middle of nowhere - excellent.
-------------------------------------
At lunch yesterday I walked over to the waterfront sculpture park and sat (with a real cappuccino in hand) and stared across the water at the mountains. It was a brilliant sunny and warm spring day, and I had this odd feeling of contentment - that of all the places in the world to be at that time, I'd choose here over about anywhere else.
--------------------------------------
Tweed jackets. Excellent for the 'it is marginally cool' temperature days at the beginning and end of winter.
---------------------------------------
Headed to Portland this weekend for more urban wandering. Will be good to have a change of scenery from Seattle - it's been a couple months without going anywhere else - that's too long imo.
---------------------------------------
British Airways has some great deals for flights to London around Thanksgiving - sounds like a fine second vacation for the year. And then the Eurostar to Paris for a few days as well. Anyone want to meet us there?
Onward!
Starbucks Via (their new instant coffee - this was the Extra Bold version, not the lighter Columbian) - got a free sample last week - finally got around to trying it. Surprisingly, it's drinkable decent coffee. The overall impression is of an Americano or Turkish preparation (where there are usually grounds on the bottom of the cup anyway) using day old beans. Less flavor than a good real coffee, but it's definitely not acidic or offensive in any way.
The first thought I had was - this is the perfect camping coffee. Single serving package, decent flavor, mixes easily into hot water.
At nearly $1 per serving though full retail price, it costs nearly as much as real coffee, which is possible to get any number of places in this city.
Overall - decent. If in the middle of nowhere - excellent.
-------------------------------------
At lunch yesterday I walked over to the waterfront sculpture park and sat (with a real cappuccino in hand) and stared across the water at the mountains. It was a brilliant sunny and warm spring day, and I had this odd feeling of contentment - that of all the places in the world to be at that time, I'd choose here over about anywhere else.
--------------------------------------
Tweed jackets. Excellent for the 'it is marginally cool' temperature days at the beginning and end of winter.
---------------------------------------
Headed to Portland this weekend for more urban wandering. Will be good to have a change of scenery from Seattle - it's been a couple months without going anywhere else - that's too long imo.
---------------------------------------
British Airways has some great deals for flights to London around Thanksgiving - sounds like a fine second vacation for the year. And then the Eurostar to Paris for a few days as well. Anyone want to meet us there?
Onward!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Disparity
The daily walk down 1st or 2nd Ave and along the waterfront makes clear some of the odd, well, disparities, about living in this city.
Within a half dozen blocks:
There are multiple stores where people can buy organic food and chemical free bedding - for their pets.
vs.
There are also people, either homeless or just hungry, who ask for food, or money for food.
There are multiple million dollar high rise residences which are in some cases second residences based on the lack of lights on at night.
vs.
There are people sleeping on cardboard boxes on the doorsteps of those buildings.
People will put on hundreds of dollars of clothing on a Saturday night to spend a fair fraction of that on drinks and dancing.
vs.
People will beg those same people for change while walking between bars.
---------
These are the two extremes I admit. The majority of life along these streets are normal people working normal jobs living in normal looking apartments.
These disparities will always exist, and will exist everywhere. There are some cities that try mightily to create two different worlds for the two extremes, there are others which are more open about it. Any place I've lived there have been agencies that have worked to try to bridge the gap between the two extremes, and I've worked with a variety of them over the years, but is there a good answer other than to carry on in that manner?
I found it odd that I would get asked for change when in college (loans for tuition and a part time job for spending money), and that was just Raleigh.
I now don't know what to think when I get asked. I presently have some amount of money expressed as electrons in a database somewhere. I don't exactly carry a lot of it around. There are multiple shelters/soup kitchens within a couple miles of where I'd get asked for money which by all public accounts are not overburdened.
No notable conclusion or remark here - just some observations on the day.
----------
That said, it is brilliantly sunny here - so it's time to go for a walk.
Within a half dozen blocks:
There are multiple stores where people can buy organic food and chemical free bedding - for their pets.
vs.
There are also people, either homeless or just hungry, who ask for food, or money for food.
There are multiple million dollar high rise residences which are in some cases second residences based on the lack of lights on at night.
vs.
There are people sleeping on cardboard boxes on the doorsteps of those buildings.
People will put on hundreds of dollars of clothing on a Saturday night to spend a fair fraction of that on drinks and dancing.
vs.
People will beg those same people for change while walking between bars.
---------
These are the two extremes I admit. The majority of life along these streets are normal people working normal jobs living in normal looking apartments.
These disparities will always exist, and will exist everywhere. There are some cities that try mightily to create two different worlds for the two extremes, there are others which are more open about it. Any place I've lived there have been agencies that have worked to try to bridge the gap between the two extremes, and I've worked with a variety of them over the years, but is there a good answer other than to carry on in that manner?
I found it odd that I would get asked for change when in college (loans for tuition and a part time job for spending money), and that was just Raleigh.
I now don't know what to think when I get asked. I presently have some amount of money expressed as electrons in a database somewhere. I don't exactly carry a lot of it around. There are multiple shelters/soup kitchens within a couple miles of where I'd get asked for money which by all public accounts are not overburdened.
No notable conclusion or remark here - just some observations on the day.
----------
That said, it is brilliantly sunny here - so it's time to go for a walk.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A new record
2 months to the day - the time it took to wear through the sole of a pair of shoes (Clarks).
The previous pair (Born) survived 8 months. Time to put a pair of Ecco to the test now.
Having a walking commute yet still wanting to appear somewhat professional takes more of shoe budget than I'd previously considered normal. Still cheaper than gas.
The previous pair (Born) survived 8 months. Time to put a pair of Ecco to the test now.
Having a walking commute yet still wanting to appear somewhat professional takes more of shoe budget than I'd previously considered normal. Still cheaper than gas.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Home Alone
So, Allison went back to NC for the week to visit her family. This leaves me with lots of time to finally catch up on reading and computer games - two things I have less time for when she's around.
We had a good weekend though - went out to dinner on Friday night to what I consider is what American food should be right now: a place like Quinn's up on Capitol Hill. Seasonal local greens salad, wild boar sloppy-joe style sandwich, well made fries made fresh from real potatoes. Basic recipes, executed well using quality local ingredients at a fair price... satisfying.
Our Valentine's day dinner was Mama's Mexican - to continue the trend of not going anywhere remotely fancy or romantic on Valentine's day. The place was surprisingly busy. (well, not really surprising - their shredded beef for the burritos is great - and dinner for two is ~$25 including a beer and margarita)
And then Allison made a marionberry cobbler though, which was tasty.
----
Quick gripe on how the present administration is trying to 'sell' its national bailout plan. From http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123471581432090221.html one of the objectives is:
"raising home values that have been plummeting"
Ok - remind me how we got into this mess in the first place. Oh right - home values which rose faster than wages.
Which goes back to my inflation/deflation thoughts last year. Will wages be inflated to match home prices (trying to keep the average income/average home price ratio to the historical under 4, not over 5 as in recent years)? I'm betting not, by choice. Perhaps by default in 3-30 years or whenever we have to start paying back the mountains t-bills that other countries have been buying from us so that we can pay off bank debts.
What is the solution? I still tend to think bankruptcy is a valid option for any insolvent institution - too big to fail should be too big to exist. Let those companies that didn't over-leverage pick up the pieces and grow based on sound and sober leadership.
We had a good weekend though - went out to dinner on Friday night to what I consider is what American food should be right now: a place like Quinn's up on Capitol Hill. Seasonal local greens salad, wild boar sloppy-joe style sandwich, well made fries made fresh from real potatoes. Basic recipes, executed well using quality local ingredients at a fair price... satisfying.
Our Valentine's day dinner was Mama's Mexican - to continue the trend of not going anywhere remotely fancy or romantic on Valentine's day. The place was surprisingly busy. (well, not really surprising - their shredded beef for the burritos is great - and dinner for two is ~$25 including a beer and margarita)
And then Allison made a marionberry cobbler though, which was tasty.
----
Quick gripe on how the present administration is trying to 'sell' its national bailout plan. From http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123471581432090221.html one of the objectives is:
"raising home values that have been plummeting"
Ok - remind me how we got into this mess in the first place. Oh right - home values which rose faster than wages.
Which goes back to my inflation/deflation thoughts last year. Will wages be inflated to match home prices (trying to keep the average income/average home price ratio to the historical under 4, not over 5 as in recent years)? I'm betting not, by choice. Perhaps by default in 3-30 years or whenever we have to start paying back the mountains t-bills that other countries have been buying from us so that we can pay off bank debts.
What is the solution? I still tend to think bankruptcy is a valid option for any insolvent institution - too big to fail should be too big to exist. Let those companies that didn't over-leverage pick up the pieces and grow based on sound and sober leadership.
Monday, February 9, 2009
More clothing oddities.
Pre-owned but very good shape 100% cotton oxford cloth button shirt at Goodwill: $8
One trip to the dry cleaners to 'start from scratch' with said shirt: $2.50
Brand new 100% cotton oxford cloth button shirt at Martin/Osa: $12.99 (on sale from $60)
Nearly cheaper to buy new than to buy used for clothes these days.
One trip to the dry cleaners to 'start from scratch' with said shirt: $2.50
Brand new 100% cotton oxford cloth button shirt at Martin/Osa: $12.99 (on sale from $60)
Nearly cheaper to buy new than to buy used for clothes these days.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Spring Cleaning
Random Finds and Observations:
Apart from some pre-Euro-denomination money that Allison had, we have a combined foreign currency reserves of:
2 Mexican Pesos
50 Jamaican Cents
1.66 Euros
1.10 Swiss Franc
60 Czech Haleru (Koruna Cents)
1.88 British Pounds
1 Yen
Need to go to these places (again in most cases). And then buy a soda.
Apart from some pre-Euro-denomination money that Allison had, we have a combined foreign currency reserves of:
2 Mexican Pesos
50 Jamaican Cents
1.66 Euros
1.10 Swiss Franc
60 Czech Haleru (Koruna Cents)
1.88 British Pounds
1 Yen
Need to go to these places (again in most cases). And then buy a soda.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Globalized Pants
So I recently replaced two pairs of work pants. The two new additions are both 100 percent cotton flat front 'chino' style pants from two different major retailers. They're finished nicely and are nearly indistinguishable in build quality.
One stated its construction as: fabric made in Italy, assembled in China.
The other stated its provenance as: Made in Bahrain.
Now, neither Bahrain or Italy has a statistically significant cotton industry: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/agr_cot_pro-agriculture-cotton-production
So statistically, the cotton that the pants were made out of probably came from China, the US or India.
In the first case, the cotton was shipped halfway around the globe from any of the top three producing countries to Italy, then back around to the other side of the globe as fabric to be made in to pants in China, then once more around to the US for retail sale.
In the second, assuming the fabric was also woven in Bahrain, the cotton potentially did not even have to make one complete trip around the world, if it was originally grown in India or China. Though it could have circled the globe from US to Bahrain and back to the US as clothes as well.
It would be interesting to know what it cost to make each pair of pants, from the growing of cotton to the fabric to the sewing to the transportation around the world.
The retail price for each was about the same - the first was $98 (Brooks Brothers), the second was $89 (Banana Republic). Given the logistics necessary for the pants to exist, I can believe those numbers.
However, the actual purchase price for each pair was $39.20 and $14.99 respectively.
I'd imagine it is either a marvel of global supply chain management or a money-losing proposition for the company to sell pants at that price.
The final purchase prices along with their manufacturing path also bring up the question of what is a premium brand, but that may be for another time.
One stated its construction as: fabric made in Italy, assembled in China.
The other stated its provenance as: Made in Bahrain.
Now, neither Bahrain or Italy has a statistically significant cotton industry: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/agr_cot_pro-agriculture-cotton-production
So statistically, the cotton that the pants were made out of probably came from China, the US or India.
In the first case, the cotton was shipped halfway around the globe from any of the top three producing countries to Italy, then back around to the other side of the globe as fabric to be made in to pants in China, then once more around to the US for retail sale.
In the second, assuming the fabric was also woven in Bahrain, the cotton potentially did not even have to make one complete trip around the world, if it was originally grown in India or China. Though it could have circled the globe from US to Bahrain and back to the US as clothes as well.
It would be interesting to know what it cost to make each pair of pants, from the growing of cotton to the fabric to the sewing to the transportation around the world.
The retail price for each was about the same - the first was $98 (Brooks Brothers), the second was $89 (Banana Republic). Given the logistics necessary for the pants to exist, I can believe those numbers.
However, the actual purchase price for each pair was $39.20 and $14.99 respectively.
I'd imagine it is either a marvel of global supply chain management or a money-losing proposition for the company to sell pants at that price.
The final purchase prices along with their manufacturing path also bring up the question of what is a premium brand, but that may be for another time.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
hm - imagine that
Apparently I wear pants with a 36" waist now. First time in a decade. This is after Christmas even.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Good choice
Local NPR story on the Israel offensive against Hamas ended with the transition music of (Thievery Corporation) Marching the Hate Machines Into The Sun...
Not sure what percentage of the NPR audience would recognize that track.
Not sure what percentage of the NPR audience would recognize that track.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Holidays/Travels
It was good to see all the friends and family over the holidays, but I'm glad to be back. After a week of driving everywhere and drinking in the humidity, it was refreshing to wake up to a cool cloudy day, throw on a wool coat and hat in case of rain, and walk. The route was typical - market to get fruit and vegetables for the early part of the week, park to gaze at the snowy mountains across the sound, home for lunch... then wander over to the downtown mall area and watch people rush the end of year sales. (That and I'm still on a casual search for a 3 button tweed jacket in a primarily grey hue)
While in NC Allison asked about nostalgia - if there were any places that I missed. This was in Raleigh, so that was pretty simple - no. We went to the usual places - NeoMonde, O'Malleys, so on, but that's because they're good rather than there being any specific memories associated with them. This isn't new, and it is how I've thought since probably grade school, but I perpetually live in the future - nearly everything I do in the present is merely working toward a better life later.
I started to see this trend about my last year in Raleigh... and started getting away from the computers/books weekend mornings to walk. Living on Hillsboro St made this feasible... walked the neighborhood streets to see normal families live normal weekend lives... walked downtown to the small farmers market... walked through parks and past ongoing baseball/soccer games... it seemed a way to get some sense of social normalcy after a decade of living in textbooks and computer based jobs. Looking back... the times spent wandering around on a not-yet-sweltering-hot spring/summer/fall morning were perhaps what I appreciated most during my time there.
This trend continued after the move back Charlotte and was successful for a while, but after the first year or so the free time graph went to zero and stayed there. Moving to the house didn't help matters, since it required its own share of time in addition to work and school... so I left that life.
It may be a side effect of the technology driven life I've chosen, but for an hour a day, and many a weekend morning, it is important to see the world at walking pace.
While in NC Allison asked about nostalgia - if there were any places that I missed. This was in Raleigh, so that was pretty simple - no. We went to the usual places - NeoMonde, O'Malleys, so on, but that's because they're good rather than there being any specific memories associated with them. This isn't new, and it is how I've thought since probably grade school, but I perpetually live in the future - nearly everything I do in the present is merely working toward a better life later.
I started to see this trend about my last year in Raleigh... and started getting away from the computers/books weekend mornings to walk. Living on Hillsboro St made this feasible... walked the neighborhood streets to see normal families live normal weekend lives... walked downtown to the small farmers market... walked through parks and past ongoing baseball/soccer games... it seemed a way to get some sense of social normalcy after a decade of living in textbooks and computer based jobs. Looking back... the times spent wandering around on a not-yet-sweltering-hot spring/summer/fall morning were perhaps what I appreciated most during my time there.
This trend continued after the move back Charlotte and was successful for a while, but after the first year or so the free time graph went to zero and stayed there. Moving to the house didn't help matters, since it required its own share of time in addition to work and school... so I left that life.
It may be a side effect of the technology driven life I've chosen, but for an hour a day, and many a weekend morning, it is important to see the world at walking pace.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Finance Year in Review
Interesting statistic - the average person in the US saved money this year - 2.4 percent of income as of the most recent report. (http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/pinewsrelease.htm) Not much, but it's better than the negative numbers of previous recent years. Interesting when tracked historically that the number has never exceeded 15 percent http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/nipaweb/Nipa-Frb.asp
How do I stack up?
Since I've now been at one address with one job for over a year the finances are stable enough to note (sale of house excluded from the numbers below - only job income counted)
Percent of total pre tax income to:
Income Tax - 21% set aside in deductions - based on previous years this is pretty accurate
Rent and Utilities - 23%
401k - 8%
Money Market Savings - 28%
General spending - food/gas/travel/clothing/stuff - 20%
Other interesting facts - The interest gains in the mm-savings account did not offset the losses due to some optimistic stock bets in my 401k - total investments are down 1.6% on the year.
Rent and utilities are high in an absolute sense - though offset by very small gasoline expenditures - no gas for the commute and errands works out to less than a tank per month.
I had the sense there was going to be a stock market drop and rearranged the 401k, but not enough apparently. I also rearranged a bit post-correction, though still a bit risky. It will probably be a year until things really start to turn around and post small gains there.
General spending also seems high in an absolute sense - but then there's the quality of life quotient... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122955255403315677.html ... I suppose it's a small price to pay.
How do I stack up?
Since I've now been at one address with one job for over a year the finances are stable enough to note (sale of house excluded from the numbers below - only job income counted)
Percent of total pre tax income to:
Income Tax - 21% set aside in deductions - based on previous years this is pretty accurate
Rent and Utilities - 23%
401k - 8%
Money Market Savings - 28%
General spending - food/gas/travel/clothing/stuff - 20%
Other interesting facts - The interest gains in the mm-savings account did not offset the losses due to some optimistic stock bets in my 401k - total investments are down 1.6% on the year.
Rent and utilities are high in an absolute sense - though offset by very small gasoline expenditures - no gas for the commute and errands works out to less than a tank per month.
I had the sense there was going to be a stock market drop and rearranged the 401k, but not enough apparently. I also rearranged a bit post-correction, though still a bit risky. It will probably be a year until things really start to turn around and post small gains there.
General spending also seems high in an absolute sense - but then there's the quality of life quotient... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122955255403315677.html ... I suppose it's a small price to pay.
Happy Winter Solstice!
Sunrise: 7:55AM, planned Sunset 4:20PM... not even 8.5 hours of daylight on the shortest day of the year when you're this far north.
It has been a nice winter week - got a couple inches of snow on Wednesday - cold since then so it hasn't melted. Then a couple more inches last night to cover up the sanded/slushed ice with new white snow. It's apparently pretty rare to have this much snow near the sound.
(The inland suburbs have had about a foot total by now)
Not that I'm complaining - it has limited the consumerist Christmas rush - people walking around downtown are shopping, but the snow is at least as interesting it seems.
Quiet morning - coffee - NPR - headed to the market when the vendors typically set up in an hour or so.
That's the news from Seattle.
It has been a nice winter week - got a couple inches of snow on Wednesday - cold since then so it hasn't melted. Then a couple more inches last night to cover up the sanded/slushed ice with new white snow. It's apparently pretty rare to have this much snow near the sound.
(The inland suburbs have had about a foot total by now)
Not that I'm complaining - it has limited the consumerist Christmas rush - people walking around downtown are shopping, but the snow is at least as interesting it seems.
Quiet morning - coffee - NPR - headed to the market when the vendors typically set up in an hour or so.
That's the news from Seattle.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Too organized?
So last night I ironed all existing clothes in the closet and then organized them.
There are 7 respectable shirts (5 button down linen, 2 polo) with matching pants for the work week - those go in the middle part. I oddly never mix the shirts to different pants b/c then there's a disparity that will result in having an unmatched pair of pants at the end of the cycle. (Won't wear a black shirt with brown pants, so on)
Then there is the suit, two suit shirts: one standard cuff and one french cuff, and two 'nice' shirts for going out to dinner.
Then there is the ratty pair of jeans and two pairs of hiking/camping pants.
Anything that doesn't fit me anymore or doesn't fit the organizational scheme is now either rags or donated.
This is one of those odd moments of equilibrium in the wardrobe. No clothes are to be bought until the number of available outfits drops to 3 (one load of laundry)
It may sound boring, but I don't like to think about what to wear - I just want to wear it and consign thinking to other areas of life. It's not like it's an entire closet full of white shirts and grey pants... I don't work for a bank (presently).
There are 7 respectable shirts (5 button down linen, 2 polo) with matching pants for the work week - those go in the middle part. I oddly never mix the shirts to different pants b/c then there's a disparity that will result in having an unmatched pair of pants at the end of the cycle. (Won't wear a black shirt with brown pants, so on)
Then there is the suit, two suit shirts: one standard cuff and one french cuff, and two 'nice' shirts for going out to dinner.
Then there is the ratty pair of jeans and two pairs of hiking/camping pants.
Anything that doesn't fit me anymore or doesn't fit the organizational scheme is now either rags or donated.
This is one of those odd moments of equilibrium in the wardrobe. No clothes are to be bought until the number of available outfits drops to 3 (one load of laundry)
It may sound boring, but I don't like to think about what to wear - I just want to wear it and consign thinking to other areas of life. It's not like it's an entire closet full of white shirts and grey pants... I don't work for a bank (presently).
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