LFS: The Storyteller

©2015 by LeeZard What better way to study human nature than wearing the famed Green Apron in one of the cafes that is part the world’s favorite coffee chain? Not only have I learned to take an order in 30-seconds and make – in less than a minute – a grande half-caff soy 130-degree no foam add sugar free caramel and extra caramel drizzle caramel macchiato, I’ve also observed the human condition across every socioeconomic line. It’s been quite a show. I’ve served Super Bowl champions, millionaires, homeless people, TV personalities, doctors, lawyers, nurses, soccer moms, cops, laborers, po’ trash of every stripe, a few certifiable crazies, a wide variety of canines (“A puppaccino, please.”) [1] , the sight and hearing impaired – you name ‘em, I’m their caffeine fix. Most of them are just plain ol’ folks – just as nice as can be. All they want is their cuppa java, tea, frappachino or smoothie. As in the rest of society some of them take themselves way too seriously. M...

©2014 by LeeZard The time has come today….. Chambers Brothers Ti-i-i-ime is on my side, yes it is….. Rolling Stones Time keeps on slippin,’ slippin,’ slippin’ into the future….. Steve Miller Band Who invented “time?” If you enter the question into Google, several sites address the question and all in a similar way; nobody invented time. If you look further  you learn that the concept of time was more the evolution of observation(s), i.e. the changing of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, etc. I’ve looked at several explanations of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and, frankly, my eyeballs start rolling back into my head. Clearly I am not a physicist. The closest thing I found to an understandable (to moi) explanation is at  http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02088/einstein.htm : “In 1915, Albert Einstein first proposed his theory of special relativity.  Essentially, this theory proposes the universe we live in includes four ...

©2013 by LeeZard Sometimes the solution to a problem is right in front of you and you still can’t find it. Thus it was for me. If you followed my recent summer journey across America, you know of my loyalty to Starbucks. Not only does Howard Schultz’s empire serve as my office nationwide – with its free WiFi and stay-as-long-as-you-want policy – I just love the coffee. I’ve been a customer since 1974. That’s B.H., Before Howard. While I was on the road I did a lot of thinking; that’s one of the major bennies of a road trip, enjoying the time with yourself and using it productively. I decided I needed to do something to drag myself out of the dreaded SWS (Starving Writer Syndrome), something not related to either writing or my other career skills. This was cathartic; I realized that I’d let me ego keep me down. Ever since my position at Safeco Insurance disappeared in January 2008 I’d devoted my job search and then my entrepreneurial experiment(s) to the things t...