It Won't Make Your Heart Beat Faster

I use the Keurig most days. Time permitting, I
steep the grounds in the "French press" mug.

Coffee is a miracle substance. Its taste is pleasurable, it has documented health benefits, and its stimulative effects are well known (they were the original reason your humble blogger began drinking coffee in the first place.) However, the caffeine in coffee is also a concern for people who are worried about heart problems.

A recent study may reduce that worry.

Coffee consumption doesn’t increase abnormal heartbeats associated with an increased risk of the most common heart rhythm disturbance [atrial fibrillation], according to a new study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers monitored the hearts, activity and sleep of 100 people without underlying heart conditions over two weeks. They found that the key cardiac risk marker remained about the same for coffee drinkers as it did for non-coffee drinkers.

The coffee drinkers in the study did sleep an average of 35 minutes per night less than non-coffee drinkers, a finding consistent with my own experience. After twelve noon I drink decaf.

Dr. Larry Chinitz, director of the Heart Rhythm Center and co-lead of NYU Langone Heart, said if people are looking to improve their heart health, drinking coffee or staying away from it isn’t likely to be the most critical factor.

He said the kind of lifestyle choices that most people need to make to prevent and control cardiac conditions are much harder than picking up or avoiding that daily cup of coffee.

“People ignore exercise, diet and sleep patterns, and those may be the greatest contributors to cardiovascular disease,” he said.

Café noir

My first cup of coffee was loaded with cream and sugar to make it palatable, but I quickly went minimalist. Coffee, black, got me through dozens of all-nighters in college.

The 2+cup habit persisted throughout my working life, and the only reason I'm not 20 pounds more overweight is because I'm part of a dwindling minority who drink it black.

Starbucks history: no sugar, no milk

In a nation awash in Pistachio Cream Cold Brew and Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso with Chestnut Praline Syrup, black-coffee drinkers like [Alex] Wicker are becoming a rare breed.

What lovers of straight black consider simple, easy-to-pour orders can wind up stuck behind a jam of customized, multipump concoctions, they said. Sometimes their pristine black joe is lightened with sugar or cream anyway. Some baristas seem bewildered by the concept of coffee taken plain.

Mr. Wicker said his purist take on coffee makes him feel like an outcast. “I don’t know a single person within my age range that enjoys drinking black coffee,” he said.

Coffee is loaded with antioxidants. Having a daily cuppa joe is a healthy habit, as long as the drinker foregoes dairy and sweeteners.

And coffee sans accoutrements is a lot cheaper, too.

Black is better.

Carpe Diem is Over-rated

The wind, rain, and sun are intense...at the same time.

With only ¼ mile remaining on the walk home, a flurry of rain hit the Kalakaua Bridge for 30 seconds. Soaking wet without an umbrella or jacket, I decided to forego stopping at the Honolulu Coffee Company.

There was plenty to do on my last day In Hawaii--put the finishing touches on Mom's tax returns, have her sign them, pack for the return trip, tidy up the family home, and refill the tank on the car. I really shouldn't spend an hour in a coffee bar, no matter how pleasant the surroundings.

There will be ample time for relaxation in July, when we will return for family celebrations.

Starbucks May be Slightly Woke, But It Isn't Crazy

Your humble blogger enjoys a peaceful
cuppa joe outside the Foster City Starbucks

Starbucks is closing 16 stores not for revenue or profitability reasons but because of employee endangerment:

Starbucks said it would permanently close six stores each in the Seattle and Los Angeles areas, two in Portland, Ore., and single locations in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. by the end of the month.

The company said it received reports from workers about incidents that they said involved drug use by some customers and in some cases, members of the public, in certain locations. Starbucks said it would transfer employees to other locations when it permanently closes the stores.

Clearly, calling in law enforcement didn't help, and writing off 16 stores for a wealthy corporation like Starbucks shows how dire the safety problems were.

By the way, do these locations have anything in common?

City                              When Last Republican
                                          Mayor Left Office

Los Angeles                             2001
Philadelphia                             1954
Portland                                   1980
Seattle                                     1980
Washington, DC              Zero GOP Mayors

Meanwhile, I continue to enjoy our crime-free suburban Starbucks, where the police officers arrest people for misdemeanors and which is a five-minute walk from the police station.

Back to Bareface

For the caffeine fix this morning I walked to the Honolulu Coffee Co a quarter mile away. Every table was taken, but not every seat; the facility was at about one-third of its 187-person capacity.

No one followed the protocol of raising one's mask "between sips" though the Hawaii indoor mask mandate won't be lifted until March 26th. I have a couple of co-morbidities--late onset asthma and diabetes--plus I'm over 65 (is old age a co-morbidity?), so I complied with the current rules though no one else was doing so.

Lessons we've learned from the past two years: 1) hypochondriacs sometimes have a point; 2) hypochondriacs shouldn't be in charge of anything that lets them tell people what to do.

After consuming a cuppa joe (black), I walked home, feeling the glucose being reduced with every step.

Looks Like Wood

An iron horse that looks like wood

A cool Tuesday morning was an excellent time for a stroll to Starbucks. I had always driven past the new condo developments and had not noticed the sculpture by the side entrance to one of the buildings.

The seahorse had been placed without any attempt to show it off; the brown fence wasn't the optimal background, IMHO, but what does this left-brained numbers guy know about esthetics?

There was no sign, hence no name for the work or clue who the artist was. The seahorse itself was an iron alloy painted brown, which is an inspired choice as the creeping rust blends with the fading color.

Finishing his coffee and rumination about unimportant questions that he will never seek the answers to, the humble blogger rises from the outdoor table at Starbucks to head home.

Thank Goodness I Got Through Friday

Friday started off promisingly.

I dashed off a letter to Mom, then used the Starbucks app to order a blackeye (two shots of espresso added to a regular coffee). I grabbed the car keys, iPhone, wallet, and letter before heading out the door.

The first hitch in the plan for a beautiful Friday was the discovery of a flat tire on the Camry. Changing it would take some time, so as a temporary fix the cigarette-lighter-powered air pump reinflated the tire. The leak could be a one-off occurrence, but 9 times out of 10 the cause is a nail and repair or replacement will be necessary.

Forget esthetics, I want protection

What happened next can only be excused by too many distractions--mailing the letter, picking up the coffee, and worries about the tire--for the aging mind. I had earlier put the iPhone on the car roof and forgot to remove it.

At Starbucks the realization dawned that the phone was missing. Hurrying home, I walked the car's path for the first couple of blocks without success. (Having bought a "military grade drop tested" case, the phone probably survived.)

I returned to the car and drove slowly along the entire route, glancing at the Apple Watch to see if the iPhone was within bluetooth range. Again, no luck, maybe somebody had picked it up.

The "Find My" app on the Mac showed the iPhone to be a half-mile from the house. That was good news, because it meant that the phone was intact.

I'll save you the litany of false steps that were made, dear reader, including getting back in the car for one more search. Suffice it to say that your humble blogger was not aware of all the alert and messaging features of the "Find My" app. The man who found the iPhone showed up at my door. He was tall, ruddy, masked, and middle-aged, with a baseball cap and walking shorts.

How did you know my address?

"It popped up briefly." [After reading the "Find My" instructions, I still don't see how that happened.]

Here, let me give you something.

"Oh, no," he said, waving his hands.

Thank you sir.

And with that, he was gone, and I don't even know his name.

I do have a picture of his shadow (right), which the camera took while he was looking at the display.

Lessons learned:

Kind strangers still exist;

Flat tires are minor compared to other problems;

Never put stuff on the roof of your car.

Spring is Here

The Foster City condos on Hillsdale Ave., from across the San Mateo lagoon

It's cold, 45 degrees in the Bay Area as Easterners scoff, but the sky is blue, and the sun is out.

Spring is here, literally and metaphorically. Traffic is picking up, and the children have started attending classes again.

The older folks will complete the vaccination regimen this month, while the younger members of the family will start theirs.

Fruit and oatmeal this morning, or should I get doughnuts and coffee with extra shots of caffeine like in the old days?

You don't have to ask twice.

All those days in the sun
What I'd give to relive just one
Undo what's done
And bring back the light

Days in the sun will return
We must believe as lovers do
That days in the sun
Will come shining through.

Early on a Sunday Morning

After running an errand, I stopped by Starbucks at 5:30. I was happy that they were open early on a Sunday morning, though with no other customers but me I wondered about their business savvy.

Two baristas were busily wiping the surfaces and tuning up sundry machines.

My order, a "black eye" (large coffee with two shots of espresso), was ready. "Good morning," I said, "Thank you."

The parking lot was deserted except for my 17-year-old Camry. As I departed, another customer arrived. He seemed to be in a hurry. Golfer? Fisherman? Work? The old reasons for rushing about haven't applied for nearly a year.

When it's quiet, dark, and lonely, being with strangers is better than just ourselves.

Edward Hopper, Nighthawks (1942), Art Institute of Chicago

Okay, This is Getting Serious

In the least important story of the weekend, Starbucks gave up on its to-go-only model and closed its two stores in Foster City.

On the Starbucks app nearby stores just vanished from the map, like half the world's population in the last two Avengers movies. Disbelieving, I drove by the closest store to see for myself.

Someone who really wants a cuppa joe can go to the kiosk in Safeway or the outlets in nearby San Mateo.

Okay, this is getting serious...

Coronavirus Cloud Doesn't Have a Green Lining

(BBC image)

Like many Americans, unfortunate circumstances have caused me to become familiar with hospitals, long-term care homes, medical clinics, and other facilities where cleanliness can be the difference between life and death.

When minimizing infection is paramount, no one cares about the rubbish that is generated every day: paper towels, disposable wipes, diapers, bed liners, booties, and plastic bags, straws, cups, utensils, gloves, and medical paraphernalia. And no one sorts that detritus into green, blue, and black bins--which by the way are all dumped into landfill in many jurisdictions.

The use of clean water for a sick individual's laundry, bathing, toilet, and housecleaning dwarfs any savings from using a low-flow shower head.

Now that everyone's worried about the coronavirus these medical protocols have spread to the general population, where, to no one's surprise, green priorities are ignored:

Washing hands frequently with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is recommended by State and Federal authorities, with nary a peep from local water districts, and everyone does this 10 to 20 times a day.

Chemical wipes are used all the time on public surfaces, and no one disapproves. No one frowns at the extra amount of trash.

If driving a car to work or school is at all an option, have you seen anyone choosing to put themselves or their kids on a filthy bus or train? Maybe some of them will notice the nanny state "nudges" to move everyone out of their cars.

For years Starbucks and other coffee shops offered discounts to customers who bring in reusable (hard plastic, ceramic, metal) cups to reduce trash. The coronavirus has caused Starbucks to suspend this policy for sanitary reasons. (Horrors, do you mean it wasn't sanitary in the first place?)

IMHO, we all would be impressed by greens who walk the walk by using eco-friendly organic cleaners to wipe down surfaces and dispose of trash in biodegradable bags. True, they would have to scrub more often than if they used inorganic chemicals, but that's a small price to pay for saving the planet.

When the coronavirus becomes manageable, I wonder if we'll pay as much attention to the greens as we did before.

Cup Half Full

'Left: old machine in white;
Right: new black Keurig K Duo

We first came across Keurig's single-cup brewing system 12 years ago, when its then-owner, Green Mountain, rented Justin Herman Plaza to promote its wares.

At the time we were unimpressed:

The coffee tasted just okay.

It was expensive on a per-cup basis.

There were a lot of plastic pods to dispose of.

Last year we bought a cheap Keurig knock-off. The coffee was good, not great; the garbage problem is manageable at one cup a day; the pods are only 40 cents each. Most importantly, set-up or clean-up takes less than minute.

Addicted to the convenience, we bought a new Keurig Duo (it comes with a carafe if one has to brew for a group) when the old machine broke. Fortuitously, the Duo was on sale at Costco for $170.

Over the years the Keurig has become lighter and cheaper and also has more quality and features. The world is getting worse in some respects, but I prefer to focus on how it's getting better. In other words I'm a cup-half-full kind of guy.

Like Salmon, Except There's No Spawning

The men's room code is 2345. Why bother?

Finishing the morning walk, I stopped by Honolulu Coffee Co. for an hour of caffeinated relaxation in an aesthetically pleasing, air-conditioned room. Uh-oh, I left the wallet back at the house (the loss of memory engrams is becoming really bothersome).

It turned out to be my lucky day; on Thursdays my brother's kid works at that location. He signaled to the barista that everything was copacetic; he would pay for my order. He's a thoughtful nephew and must get that from his mother.

Though I've lived nearly 50 years on the Mainland, I still run into and recognize people I know in Honolulu. It makes little financial sense to move from horrible California to almost-as-horrible Hawaii during my final years, but the call of my birth State is getting stronger.

Not Impartial

The flagship branch of the Honolulu Coffee Company at Kalakaua and Kapiolani is a convenient quarter-mile walk from my parents' house. (Or one can drive...there's ample free parking, a distinguishing feature in congested Honolulu.)

At HCC the walls are plastered with information about coffee--its history, sourcing, roasting, and brewing. The owners' love of the business is shared by the employees, who eagerly explain the workings of the roasting equipment in the center of the room.

Sure, the Honolulu Coffee Company is more expensive than Starbucks, but the paneled room is pleasantly spacious, and the WiFi is clear.

I'm not impartial; my nephew works here and this is one of Dad's favorite places. Perhaps I should have led with that?

Stunt Foods, Stunted Values

At $100/cup, sip Elida Geisha slowly (Chron photo)

I've been cutting back on my Starbucks visits to 1-2 times per week because $5 for a coffee seems uncomfortably sybaritic.

By Bay Area standards, however, there's no reason to feel guilty; the definition of extravagance has long moved past your humble blogger's.

The latest trend is stunt foods:

In recent years, the Bay Area has had a $43 martini made with vodka that comes from San Francisco fog; multiple $50 burgers made with luxury ingredients like Wagyu beef and foie gras; a $100 pizza topped with white truffles; a $150 truffle-filled macaroni and cheese dish; and even $700 shots.

The late Herb Caen referred to his beloved City as Baghdad-by-the-Bay.

With legions of homeless barred from using the restrooms of establishments that serve $100 coffee, San Francisco seems more like Sodom, Gomorrah, or once-beautiful, decadent Rome before it fell to the barbarians.

Just Hanging Out is Costly

Food court coffee: one size, one bean, nearly $10 for 3.

My wife's sister and her husband were on one of their regular visits to San Jose and wanted to hang out at the shopping center, like the kids and other old people do. Off we went to Valley Fair, a large, renovated, upscale (Burberry, Cartier, Prada, etc.) mall in the heart of Silicon Valley.

We passed up the sit-down restaurants, which could easily run over a hundred bucks for four and went to the Food Court.

The ramen cost over $15, more than a restaurant in relatively low-brow San Mateo. The others spent equivalent amounts on salads, teriyaki chicken, and poke bowls.

After a couple of hours, I bought three regular, not fancy coffees for under $10. With apologies to Gershwin, in Silicon Valley it's

Summertime,
Where the livin' is stressful,
The traffic is stopping
And the prices are high...

Fancy Designs

Beans are roasted in the facility and shipped to other locations in Hawaii.

Honolulu Coffee Company is the latest resident of the site formerly occupied by Coco's, the 1960's 24-hour coffee shop at the corner of Kapiolani and Kalakaua.

Their fare is pricier than Starbucks or Peet's, but if you are a 93-year-old customer, why count a few pennies?

Besides, Starbucks or Peet's don't bother sculpting the foam into fancy designs.

...They Just Evaporate Away

Yesterday we noted that an iconic San Francisco beverage company will be bought by a large foreign rival.

A similar event occurred 32 years ago. Headline: Nestle Acquires Hills Brothers Coffee.

Back in the 1970's, before there was a Starbucks on every corner, specialized "coffee shops" didn't exist. Coffee was served as an accompaniment to breakfast at Howard Johnson's and Denny's (there was also a pretty good pancake chain called Sambo's that went out of business for reasons having nothing to do with its food).

Most Americans bought cans of ground coffee and made the brew at home in a percolator. General Foods' Maxwell House ("good to the last drop") was the largest seller, and Hills Brothers was a strong regional brand. As late as the 1980's the smell of roasting coffee filled the air along the Embarcadero.

Its claims to fame are two-fold: in 1900 the company reportedly invented vacuum-packaging, which enabled coffee suppliers to maintain freshness when shipping product long distances; the "taster"--an Arab (some believe he's a Turk) drinking coffee--is one of the most distinctive logos in the food and beverage industry.

32 years later one has to look hard to find any Hills Brothers products. Let's hope that a similar fate does not befall Anchor Steam.

A Happier Guy

Christmas and New Year's resulted in a surfeit of coffee-bean gifts. We're slowly grinding through the packages and enjoying tastes other than French Roast and Italian Roast.

I mix the remainder of one bag with a new one when I'm close to running out. That's not how the connoisseurs do it, but having lower standards in coffee--and across most areas of life--means I'm a happier guy.

Besides, blended or not, the coffee still tastes pretty good.

To Go with the Coffee

The roads have been uncrowded all week, except near the local mall. While family members went about their shopping and returns, I waited for the line at Starbucks to shorten before placing an order. No luck, the line stretched out the door for the entire 2½ hours that I was there.

For the first time I broke the rule against freeloading an establishment's WiFi. Well, next time I'll get a breakfast sandwich to go with the coffee.