Mon, 16 Jan 2006
Schwarzenegger Causes Traffic
I got stuck in traffic on Friday because Schwarzenegger was standing on a pile
of rocks next to the 405 in front of a bunch of TV cameras. He was causing
traffic while announcing funding
for a carpool lane.
Thu, 05 Jan 2006
Good Coffee
So, I finally got a proper coffee machine, a DeLonghi espresso maker. I bought some pre-ground espresso from Caffe Latte on Wilshire since I only have a whirling blade grinder, which I've read is not recommended for espresso. I'll try out the grinder later, but I wanted to make sure that my first cup of coffee was delicious, and it was. The machine also came with some Illy pods, but I haven't tried them out yet.
Now that lattes don't cost $3, I want to drink them all day, and I'm worried about excessive caffeine intake. The problems of living in modern society...
Abuse of Popular Credulity
I don't know how courts work in Italy, but in the US, witnesses are asked to
swear on the Bible. Doesn't doing so assume that the text within is factual?
I don't think they let you bring in your own books
Mon, 02 Jan 2006
Losing Money Vicariously Through Slate
I have the fantasy of opening up a little cafe, apparently like many other
people. Michael Idov has already done it and documented the money-losing venture
at Slate.
His cafe, which he opened in Manhattan, was right out of my fantasy, "where coffee was served on silver trays with a glass of water and a little chocolate cookie" — it's actually a little chocolate square in my imagination.
He goes on to describe how he lost money on every croissant sold, and how he and his wife end up working "$8-per-hour jobs slinging coffee" before going bankrupt.
The European cafes that Michael tried to emulate probably don't $4,500/month rents to pay, because I don't think they get the to-go business that makes Starbucks so profitable.
