Category: Uncategorized Page 21 of 71

How does a business (or a church, for that matter) generate ‘buzz’, that positive reverberating acknowledgment of its existence in a community? Can’t say that I know. But for the past couple of weeks from sources I cannot now all recall I’ve heard tell of a new coffee shop in town, and I’ve been told that it was top notch.

I was there today. Nearly all day. The advance billing was not out of line.

Over the past five years I’ve watched all but a couple independent coffee shops in Bradenton bow to economic pressure and go out of business. Those who have survived have done so by radically abandoning in some way their commitment to being a coffee shop. I’m not a Starbucks hater. I like Starbucks. But I’m also a huge fan of the distinctive character of independent shops. I’m sad to see them come and go.

A while back I watched as a ‘Barnies’ coffee shop opened, existed for a few months, and then shut down. It never looked appealing, I was never drawn in, and by the time I finally determined to visit, it was out of business.

Out of the ashes, in the same location, has arisen ‘Lov A Da Coffee‘. I don’t know if it will last, but everything about this place indicates the owners have done things with the intention of making it work.

I was at Lov A Da working (I work a lot in coffee shops) between an early morning hospital visit and a noon lunch nearby. In between I needed to take my car to a mechanic which was also in the area. After my lunch appointment, the car was not done, so I moved a 4:00 o’clock appointment to Lov A Da and simply spent the rest of the day there, consuming in the process three cups of coffee, one caramel cappuccino, and one Café Americana (I think that is what it was called). I had plenty of time to evaluate the place.

What can I say? The only fault to me is the odd and difficult-to-say name.

The space is large, divided into two rooms. One room has a traditional coffee shop feel, lots of tables, a service counter, and sounds of grinding beans and steaming milk. The other has the feel of a large family room, carpeted, with a dozen or more stuffed chairs and coffee tables. It has as well a well appointed stage for live music. This room is already filling a niche for a comfortable meeting space. I sat there with my 4:00 o’clock appointment, and with nearly 20 others in small groups doing the same, he and I spoke as comfortably as if we were alone. It was wonderful.

As one who lives on his laptop, the first thing I do when entering a new place is scout out the outlets for my power adaptor. This place is loaded with outlets, most discreetly hidden on the bottom sides of the tables, a clever, handy, and aesthetically pleasing solution. For those without laptops, there are a selection of computers scattered around the space, both PC and Mac. (I’m told that the owner is a Mac guy. Of course he is.)

The background music was alternative rock when I first got there, but it soon changed to real (not ‘smooth’!) jazz. It fit.

Every cup of coffee is freshly ground and brewed to order. My cups were excellent as was the service. After my first cup, I asked the barista, “Are refills free?” Very pleasantly he replied, “This one can be.”

I understand that a coffee shop, where a guy may sit for four hours or more, can’t have a free refill policy. I’m okay with that. So, I insisted on paying for my second cup. Later, he brought me a third cup, free. A cheap way to buy a customer’s favor!

The business here was brisk. Very brisk for a store that has only been open for six weeks and has yet to have a sign installed at the road.

Someone there told me that this coffee shop used to exist as ‘Java Moon’ further down the road. The contrast between what that was and what this is could not be more striking. I tried to visit that shop a couple of times, but felt like a CEO in a tattoo shop. It just wasn’t comfortable. Whatever muse led the owner to relocate and redesign, it was a good one.

This, then, is the secret of ‘buzz’: replant, relocate, rename, remake yourself, and do it with a deep commitment to quality. Of course, what is ‘buzz’ other than friends inviting friends. That drives coffee shops as well as churches.

* * * * *

Sort of.

When I posted this morning about the Rudolph’s pottery sale, I was surprised to find that it had been a week since I had posted anything.

That is the result of several things.

1) I normally write several posts on a Tuesday night trip to Chik-fil-A with my son and grandson. Last week I broke with tradition and took a book. That led to an interesting conversation with another customer, so it was worth it.

2) We were blessed to have the majority of our immediate family gathered for the Thanksgiving holiday. We so enjoyed this that I was loathe to plop the laptop on top of my lap to post anything.

3) For a variety of reasons, my day job has been particularly time consuming recently (and may be for the foreseeable future).

When I emerged from exile a year and a half ago, I aimed at one post per week. I’ve exceeded that and am compulsive enough to continue to do so. I’m grateful for loyal readers and friends who encourage me in this.

If you are in the Bradenton, which means anywhere in Florida, this weekend, and want to buy some gifts for you or others which will really make them happy, take note of the Rudolph Clay Studio Holiday Pottery Sale.

I have before drawn attention to their work. I greatly encourage you to drop by.

(There is a rumor that Friday night might feature, in addition to the normal line up of art-show-type cheese and cracker type snacks some samplings of cinnamon rolls. That rumor is as of yet unconfirmed, but comes from a reliable source.)

UPDATE: If you can’t read the fine print on the postcard, the show is Friday, Dec 4, from 5pm to 9pm, and Saturday, Dec 5, from 10am to 8pm. Even if you don’t buy anything, this is worth attending.

UPDATE #2: Further fine print resolution. They are located here:

Oh, rats. There goes my cholesterol!

Having grown up in Cincinnati, I’m actually a White Castle fan myself. But when in the South, one takes what one can get!

The attached picture is found under the illustration on the outside of a box for a small refrigerator. If you can’t read the print, click on the picture and it will enlarge.

I am not going to say that this is senseless. I’m sure that there was a good reason for putting the warning there. But like this previous post, for the life of me I can’t figure out what ELSE a picture would be used for besides illustration. Anyone got any theories?

In the aftermath of the shootings at Ft. Hood, there is, in this post by James Fallows, resignation. But there is wisdom in his thoughts, too.

Unless our world view recognizes the reality of chaos and evil, we will not ever come to grips with such things. These are awful events, made personally worse for me because I know someone who works at Ft. Hood, and I’ve not been able to get in touch with him.

There is a lot about the presence of chaos and evil in the world that I can ‘explain’ theologically, but which I nevertheless cannot really understand. But I see in the concrete reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ an event and a truth that contains a promise of a world in which chaos and evil will be but a dim memory.

To that end we labor and pray and hope.

The title dangles a preposition, but I hope that does not stop you from marking November 22 on your calendar.

Let me dangle another:

This is an event we want many people to come to.

Pass this on!

In the ‘What does my third grader know that I don’t know department’ is this tidbit of information. Apparently, between when I was in third grade and now, they’ve added an ocean.

I don’t know who the ‘they’ is that has that power, but I am informed by my resident expert in all things oceanic that somewhere around 2000, the perennial lineup of four oceans – the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic – was deemed inadequate for all the duties required of oceans.

This necessitated the addition of the Southern Ocean, a result of the generosity of the three bordering oceans who each agreed to donate all their water south of the 60th parallel (in exchange, it is rumored, for a sea to be named later).

So now the rest of us who went to third grade a long time ago know.

Today’s to-do list for those apprehensive and fearful about their steps in life:

1. Read this post.

2. Watch The Rookie (tag line: “It’s never too late to believe in your dreams.”)

3. Play Aerosmith, Dream On. [Okay, you can pass on this last one if you want to.]

Megan McArdle is a libertarian blogger whose blog has been identified by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top 25 on economic issues.

This recent post is a somewhat late entry in the whole controversy regarding Rush Limbaugh’s rejected attempt to join an NFL franchise ownership team.

I don’t really care about this. I’m libertarian enough to believe that those who rejected his bid had a right to do so. In that regard, Ms. McArdle and I are in complete agreement.

But there are some other points of overlap between her and me.

1. Her disappointment in irresponsible journalism: “Who single-sources a quote of a public figure praising slavery?”

2. Her contention that boycotts don’t work: “Announcing yet another boycott with the expected active lifespan of one of those rainforest butterflies that breaks out of its cocoon and then spends one happy hour mating and laying eggs before expiring on the soft, mossy floor of the primeval forest… well, this does not actually achieve any worthy goals.”

3. Her disdain for radio extremists: “[I am] someone who really doesn’t care for shock jocks of any stripe.”

I especially ‘ditto’ the last.