Coffee

A cup of Joe, java, cappuccino, espresso, draw one, and so forth. It all means the same thing: a cup of coffee, a drink that is consumed worldwide. An acquired taste for most of us, coffee is a pick me up but a lot more.

Think about it for a minute. Coffee serves an important function besides its intrinsic value as a drink. Coffee break is a term dear to the hearts of an entire workforce. What business meeting works well without a cup of java? Espresso stands are busy and lively in Italy though the portions served are minuscule. 

Like an evening martini, coffee is a symbol. It conveys a time to ease up, relax, and be social. How many first dates have taken place over, “coffee”? Starbucks Company makes a fortune each year serving coffee. There are drive-in stands that do well also. You don’t see any places featuring coca-cola or ginger ale. 

Coffee making at home has become an art. Stores like Williams and Sonoma sell many different kinds of coffee makers. You can brew it, press it, or drip it. Many like to grind their own beans and others even roast their own coffee. I am not sure what the world spends a year on coffee and related products, but it must be a lot.

As I am writing this piece, I looked down, and guess what I saw? If you guessed a cup of coffee in my personal cup, you would be spot on

Luciano Pavarotti

I saw Ron Howard’s new documentary, Luciano Pavarotti,this afternoon. I enjoyed the movie from the moment it began to the final credits. 

Pavarotti liked to present himself as a simple man who enjoyed singing, pasta, and people. These characteristics certainly described him, but they don’t go far enough. As a child, he witnessed the atrocities of war in Italy and later suffered a serious illness that left him in a coma for two weeks. 

A hard worker, he struggled to master his craft to become the most famous tenor of his time. One of the few people who could regularly hit a high C, he was the rock star of La Scala, Vienna, and the Met. He was determined to bring opera to the “people” and true to his word, he performed all over the world from Brazil to Beijing.

After joining with Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo to form the highly successful Three Tenors, he began singing with popular artists like Bono and Sting. Towards the end of his career, he raised large sums of money for many charities.

His divorce from his wife and marriage to a younger woman was controversial in Catholic Italy. He was married only a short time when he developed pancreatic cancer. 

The movie captures his music, his charisma, and his path to fame. A man not without flaws, he filled the concert halls with glorious music and goodwill, with laughter and tears, and humbleness which fame never diminished. A man with a good heart, he lived fully.

Power: The Best Opiate of All

Some people stay grounded and handle power well. Obama never let it go to his head. He was an authentic person in an important job who used his power but didn’t think he was “grand” or “special”.  In addition to being a cloaked racial slur, the Republicans didn’t like his tan suit because they thought it didn’t project power.

The deceased Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, apparently cared about his people until he visited the dictator of North Korea. He came home, closed the borders, and built a 1000 room home, called “The Peoples’ Palace” for him and his wife. What happened?

Insecure people are vulnerable to the elixir of power. The first rush is like a heroin jolt, and addiction is just around the corner.  Power, like a drug, needs continual usage and particularly during times of stress. 45 keeps going back to rallies in places that are reassuring and supportive. The adulation he receives from his fans reinforces his delusions of greatness. His rule by executive order reflects not only his inability to work with others but also his love of exercising power. Does he get a power high? Take a guess.

It is not surprising that a number of cabinet positions are open and that many people have left 45’s administration. John Kennedy exercised power by demanding honest feedback from his cabinet, weighing their opinions, and then deciding. He was humble enough to realize that he couldn’t know everything. He was smart, confident, and knowledgeable, but he knew his limits. 45 is threatened by differing opinions. Why? Because differences threaten his weak self-esteem and expose his lack of knowledge. He doesn’t want skilled, articulate people around him. His psychological well-being is more important to him than the fate of the United States.

Entitlements

Mitch:    The free ride is over. The New Deal is dead. No more free lunches under my watch! Goodbye Medicare, Social Security, and welfare!

Mrs.:       My investments earned $270,000 thousand last month. How about a new Mercedes? You would look sharp driving up the Senate in those wheels!   

Mitch:     Thanks Babe, but I was kind of thinking about a Bentley

The danger of Highway 5

After a pleasant lunch at Caesarina in Pt. Loma with two friends, Vicki and I began the journey back to North County. Highway 5 was busy, as I negotiated our Cross Trek through different lanes of traffic. At first, I thought the bumpy feel to the car was due to the highway, but eventually, I realized our tire was going flat. I tried to make the balboa exit but no luck. 

We called triple-A while we stood away from the breakdown lane. It was a little bit like being on the Le Mans track. After 20-30 minutes a policeman showed up. Then triple-A came. The driver didn’t want to change the tire due to the heavy traffic so he loaded our car on a flatbed and drove us to a tire store. 

We bought a new tire and were on our way to meet friends for Happy Hour.