Jeff Cutler's Bowl of Cheese

2012. It’s here now and we couldn’t do anything to stop it. Maybe the Mayans will exact their revenge later this year and doom us to live in molten lava or crushing earthquakes or the aftermath of a meteor storm.

But for now, we’re sitting in 2012 on a beige couch wondering if we should have woken up earlier so we could attend Boston Media Makers.

To that end – and yes, I’m going to stop using ‘we’ as a royal statement right now to quell any confusion – 2012 might be the year of self-focus. Not inward navel gazing…too much of that happens in social media already. Further, the folks who gaze inwardly too much lose sight of the world around them. Self-focus in 2012 is more a statement of achievement for me. Instead of trying to get people to like me, I’m going to continue to be the charming, sarcastic and caring person I’ve always been and if people don’t feel like talking to me or acknowledging my existence, I’ll just feel sorry for their loss.

Self-focus will also mean setting some goals and pushing them forward. Instead of lamenting the fact that deadlines or opportunities slipped passed, I’ll be grabbing onto more threads this year. I expect my speaking and training schedule to grow, I also expect to grow as a person with the chance to meet a lot of smart folks at events all over the world.

Some of the major items on my to-do list are related to home and private life. We’re renovating our house and that’s going to be a focus. I’m also paying a lot more attention to the long term when it comes to my relationships. That’s a good thing too. But some of these things have an opportunity cost. Not to ramble back to the first paragraph, but if I’ve got stuff to do, I’m going to be quicker to say no.

More time for the people and events that matter to me will help me create a better, more successful and focused Jeff for the whole world to enjoy.

So, 2012, here we go. Let’s have some fun this year, shall we?

What are your veiled or clearly stated resolutions for the coming year?

[edited for accuracy - Oct. 27, 2011]

Skill. That’s what it takes to motivate people with words. Whether they’re written on paper, sent via electrons over the magical Internet, or uttered aloud, these words can be very powerful. I forgot how powerful a few weeks ago when I caused myself to go hungry. Suffice it say that I’m an idiot.

Confused? So was I, during this exchange with my girlfriend and potential wife (this is that conversation to the best of my recollection)…

Gretchen: How do you like it?

Jeff: I’m not sure that I’m a fan.

Gretchen: What do you mean ‘not a fan’?

Jeff: I think you put too much spice or salt or something in it.

Gretchen: When did you become such a critic?

Jeff: Well, I eat about 80% of my meals in restaurants and I’m not sure your cooking measures up…

Enter the storm and fury part of the program. From that point, Gretchen was VERY clear that until I realized the meanness and error of my ways, that she would not cook another morsel of food for me. It’s now been 14 weeks since I’ve had a home-cooked meal and I can’t take it anymore. So, this blog post is my revelation of my error.

It is also my mea culpa (for the world to see). And it’s hopefully my ticket back to home cooking.

Comments welcome. Oh, my name is Jeff and yes, I’m an idiot.

Just a quick note to ask whether we’re discriminating agains foreigners again. I mean, here in America we are all about having a day off whenever that big fat white guy Santa Claus decides it’s time to share gifts and fly reindeer around.

But let us try and honor some Spaniard who sailed a few ships and found the new World and the government and the banks decide it’s a silly practice to close down workplaces.

Seriously, are the #occupywallstreet opponents opposed to letting us enjoy a little more weekend? Why can’t we have Christopher Columbus’ day off too?

And it’s no mere coincidence that both these guys are named Chris…is it? What say you about giving the American people another day off to spend with family?

I don’t invest in stocks anymore – unless you count my SEP and IRA money. And unless you count my pure consumerism…the regular purchases I make at hundreds of publicly traded companies on a regular basis. And I don’t pay attention to precious metals much, unless you’re talking about the coins in my pocket or the silver I bought on a whim about two years ago when a friend of mine was all hot and bothered about buying gold.

The deal there was if you purchased a gold coin, you qualified to buy three silver coins at a ‘special’ price. I bought most of the silver coins while he filled his safe with gold. Right now with the recent stock-market plunges, neither of us is feeling so great. Though I would have had money for an iPad, a nice meal and a scooter tune-up had I sold the silver coins last Wednesday. They were going for $50+ each and I paid about $11 each for them.

Now, I’ll just sit here and lament my lack of an iPad. But that’s all digression. I wanted to chat for a second about currency and how we still use it to pay for stuff. Instead of having a fully open society (would that be socialist or communist), we still trade little pieces of metal and paper for goods and services.

Be they Euros or dollars or Yen – or any number of other currencies, we’re still caught up in putting a value on symbols instead of trading a chicken for a sack of potatoes (or whatever a chicken is worth). My contention, with the stock market and economy mess of the past weekend is that who can really tell what things are worth?

Is my dollar really worth half a Euro? Is my loaf of bread worth a half-cup of sugar? Is my scooter worth a brand new Macbook Air?

For that information we either turn to experts in the field or see what the market will bear. Right now I have a greater need for a Macbook Air than I do for my scooter, but I still see a lot of value in the vehicle. But when I think about the silver sitting in my safe deposit box, that might have bounced up and down in value one too many times and could be cashed in to get me some new tech.

What’s your take on currency and if we should be using it as a vehicle with which to buy and sell goods? And do you have a favorite currency? Is it a British Pound, your knowledge and skill as a writer or the access you have to an audience. If people are willing to pay you for your currency, whether they give you potatoes or time in the Holodeck, isn’t it all somehow equal in the end?

My friend Mike Langford just moved to Austin, TX. While I still can’t fathom why he’d leave the glory and pain of hundreds of inches of snow behind, I have a bigger question. How much coffee did he drink when driving his car to Texas from Boston?

You see, I have a tea problem, not a coffee problem. I also have a sushi, candy and beer problem…but those are topics for another day. What I have ranted about in the past – and will continue to visit in the future – is the reality of coffee as a drug.

But let’s not digress. The people with a coffee problem are enigmas to me. And in that crowd – maybe one of the most coffee-addicted folks on the planet and certainly west of the Mississippi, now, is Mike Langford.

So to him I turn when asking coffee questions. And here’s how a typical conversation might go.*

*I didn’t have this conversation with him because today is the day AFTER his move to Austin with the entire family and I didn’t want to pester him with my need for content when he’s probably dealing with three crying family members who have traveled 1400 miles in a day and are now in strange surroundings.

Here’s the interview…

JC – What is your fascination with coffee and are you a coffee purist or addict?

ML – Coffee has been tested as a substitute for blood in humans. The Trenta project is the result of that test. And I am a purist. If I could, I would grow my own beans and own a mule.

JC – Why do like Dunkin Donuts so much? And what will you do now that you’ve moved out of their primary region?

ML – I have found a way to get my Dunkin fix here in Austin. It’s a complicated process, but simply put it requires me to buy some Starbucks and cut it with water. Essentially, an ounce of Starbucks makes a gallon of Dunkins coffee.

JC – How has your background as a financial investments expert affected your lust for coffee?

ML – Coffee is a commodity. While I’m not a commodities trader, there are specific indicators to watch when making any investment decision. For coffee, I make many of my purchases when I get that little “free drink” card in the mail from Seattle. Then I go for the Trenta Iced Americano, bring it home and sip it while making my two boys wash my car.

JC – You seem like a typical coffee lover. Anything you’d like to add?

ML – Yes. I’m thinking of starting a coffee empire and video show ala Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV. I’m going to call my new show NomXBean. It’s going to be all about the coffee I have after lunch.

Well, there you have it. Mike Langford of Socialware giving his thoughts (not really) on his avocation (really!) coffee in all its forms and manifestations.

What are you drinking?