After traveling around the sun 34 times, I’ve picked up a few inspiring sentences – Some “absolutes” that have shown me ways to save time, enjoy life and get more accomplished. These truths are self-evident: Following them and making decisions based on their principles has never let me down.

As we enter a new year, I invite you to choose one of the following maxims that really piques your interest, and to follow it as something like a “New Year’s Resolution.” – I personally guarantee you will have a better year.

I do not claim ownership of any of the following statements. I will make every attempt to attribute.

1. A pinch saves a pound.
   If you see something coming in 5 minutes – or 5 years – There’s usually something small you can do right now that will go a long way to reduce what you have to do later. Rework always feels like a waste of time. Maybe you can print something and fill it out so when you show up the next day you’re first in line. Maybe you have to spend a Saturday here and there learning a skill so you can eventually work somewhere with paid vacations. Life is full of opportunities to take the easy way out; if you refuse them, you will eventually find that you have created for yourself an existence of effortless economy and scale.
   
2. When it rains, it pours.
   “Why do bad things always happen to me?” You ask yourself. Life has a funny way of rewarding bad behavior and punishing those who do what’s right. Accept this and understand that good and bad things tend to be wrapped up in other seemingly related good and bad things. Steel yourself for the third or fourth or tenth bad thing to happen this week. Find ways to make a positive out of two negatives. Build rapport with people who can help you when you need it.
   
3. 85% of success is just showing up.
   Some people put their opinions, their superior thoughts and ideas ahead of what really matters – showing up. Always strive to be on time, prepared and accountable for expected tasks. Build a reputation for consistency and dependability, not superlative. When the chips are down, you’ll be known as someone to lean on. When someone showboats and blows it, you’ll be there to take their place. When they showboat and don’t blow it – Celebrate their effort and stay tuned.
   
4. You are your own worst critic.
   When you check in with yourself, remember that others don’t spend as much time with you. Make eye contact with yourself in the mirror and be honest. Know that your shortcomings are part of being human and there is nothing wrong with that because life is short. If you think you aren’t “enough” for any reason, it can be easy to focus on that and let other parts of yourself deteriorate. If you focus on acceptance and growth where you find you aren’t “enough,” that effort is what others will notice and you will be surprised at their positive image of you. It will top yours. So, take it easy on yourself.
   
5. It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.
   Teamwork is the backbone of any true success story. Individuals obsessed with being “right,” “best” or “first” who spend their time listening to others only to craft their response are those who find themselves making difficult decisions more often. They gain friends who want to take advantage of them and distance those who actually care. If you look around and find opportunities to help, you’re moving things forward. Let people find out about how you are “right / best / first” from anyone other than yourself.
   
6. The fire you burn twice as bright lasts half as long.
   Sometimes you want to dip into your reserves and make a scene – I’m guilty of peeling out with rear-wheel-drive and a powerful V8 – But think about what that does: It burns more fuel, it wears out tires, it stresses belts and hoses – and it puts other drivers and pedestrians at risk. If I don’t end up spending more money repairing my car, I could end up losing my license or my life. This is a metaphor for how you have so many opportunities to keep things to yourself – to economize your holdings in order to control entropy. Think about anything you find yourself running out of too quickly, whether it’s favors or weekends; razors or batteries; gasoline or empathy. If it feels foolish, it is.
   
7. The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
   This is my favorite maxim because it has helped me align myself with people who enrich my life while neatly maligning myself with those who don’t. Pay attention to the things people say and the actions they take in situations. Listen. Think: “Was that a good thing to say? Was that a good action to take?” This individual has just now shown you that they will approach lots of other situations with a similar mindset. This is a powerful perspective to hold, and it can be self-policing.
   
8. You’re alive for a short time – and dead for a long time.
   My grandfather always used to say this and it blew my mind. Hold a rock in your palm and imagine the eons of time before you were born – You were dead. You did not matter. Imagine after you are gone, how much time will go by before the sun either burns out or swallows the earth – It won’t be any time soon. You have a hundred years (maybe.) Reflect on that and accept the enormity of space and time. Identify what in your life you really want, then do whatever you can to make it happen.
   
9. Everything looks better in the morning.
   The provenance of this quote is General Colin Powell. It’s great, because with it one can make something out of nothing – The issues and problems that develop during the day can leave you at night in bed awake, staring at the ceiling. You must accept that you are used up, and cannot see your problem in another way. Go to sleep, because when you wake up you will have the ability to identify a new perspective and find a new way forward. It might take weeks or even years, but this is a way to achieve real change on your terms.
   
10. Meat is murder.
    I credit Moz with this saying, but I’m certain he didn’t think of it. Do you ever wonder how they come up with the prices of meats? Some animals are harder to feed or raise, some take longer to mature – yet, “mutton” is anything over a year old; for it to be “lamb” it must be less than a year old – In the end, the classic supply/demand curve is what ultimately determines how much you will pay. Whole turkeys can be had for around $17 – unless they’re on sale at $14. Ask: How is this turkey’s life worth $14, or $17? Dare yourself to watch one of the horrible films that show exactly what happens in a slaughterhouse. Ask yourself: Do I have what it takes to kill a lamb? Lamb used to be my favorite, but January ’22 will mark three years I have gone without meat. Like quitting anything, the first few months can be difficult, but if you stick with it you will find that the benefits of a plant-based diet well outweigh the drawbacks.
    
    Happy new year!
    
    Leon
    

In my job, I often meet with IT Security folks that have been working with computers for 25-30 years or more. I always want to say to them something like: “You have probably seen more change in your career than a lot of other people nearing retirement.” I can’t think of how to phrase that sentiment in a flattering way, so I always keep it to myself.

It is remarkable, though: In the majority of industries, the only discernible change to job function have been because of computers. Within the computer industry itself, the years 1991-2021 have brought on change so constant, a phenomenon called Moore’s Law was observed where computing power roughly doubled itself every two years. (This idea has whimpered more recently, as humans have been unable to meaningfully use or appreciate chips more capable than 2018-19’s examples. It’s sort of a reverse ‘Peak Oil’ paradox.) User experience has evolved from pointing applications and processes around like it’s “Weekend at Bernie’s” to, well, the opposite. Apps today cross-reference data continuously to provide the most possible access to users. Remember back in the 20th century – if it was 9 or 10:00 pm and you wanted to accomplish a transaction of any sort, you had to wait until the business opened their doors the following morning. Now, with your mobile phone, you can at the very least do enough to where you are assured your transaction will be completed the following day. Get to sleep, you deserve it!

The issue, then, is security. When a tightly guarded, paper-based filing system is accessible in only one time zone from 8am-5pm, it can’t do business in today’s world – But when things are happening 24 hours a day, when customers are liable to call on you at 10:00 pm or 3:00 am, how can you realize a state of “tightly guarded?” In the ’90s and 2000s, the best the IT industry could come up with was the firewall. It makes enough sense: It’s a perimeter. A line in the sand. “Beyond this line, YOU DO NOT!” – It’s the practice of checking credentials at the door to protect the network and applications inside. This used to work. Now, it doesn’t.

In the last five years, insider attacks, ransomware and data breaches have become commonplace. The reason for this is simply because hackers have focused for 25 years or more on defeating these perimeter-based controls. They aren’t spending all night plotting what they’re going to do tomorrow morning when your doors open; they’re working in shifts, in massive office buildings with bosses and TPS reports to fill out. It’s a bizarro-opposite version of a legitimate office worker just trying to turn a cog in their conglomeration. When they’re past the perimeter, they go wild – They take whatever they can, cover their tracks and keep the fire exit open for someone else. In the Solarwinds matter from January of ’21, that’s what they did – Hacked literally hundreds of household names in ’17 or ’18, then kept sewing shut and reopening a hole for 3+ years.

The answer, then, is to trust – to verify. If you have someone type in a password, then you know it’s them. Right? Well, if after they type in their password, then they receive a text message on their cell with a secret code, then they manually parrot that code – now, you really know it’s them. Right? This is the thought process of businesses, and it’s honestly not altogether bad. But businesses are still getting attacked every day – and it looks like this siege is going to define computing in the 20s.

Behavior is the key to information security.

It’s way too late to keep attackers “out” – Decades late – So, to monitor their actions at all times while they are accessing privileged information is the way to protect against attacks. machine learning can be used over a period of weeks or months to define traffic as “normal,” and immediately alert or block on anything irregular. It allows a security team to paint controls with a fine brush based on expected behaviors. An attacker can get yesterday’s “permission,” successfully enter an environment, and still be stopped in their tracks when they actually put their paw in the honey jar. When the first claw passes the rim, behavioral-based application security controls can slap it away before it touches the nectar. Then, what does the hacker say to their supervisor? It’s not: “I got what I wanted, plus I have this hole half-sewn shut so we can come back for more!” – And, it’s not: “I got what I wanted, but I got caught and booted out, now we have to start over again from square one” – IT’S JUST: “I didn’t get what I wanted.” And that is what the majority of businesses today are unable to do.

The threat landscape is changing to the point where behavior is the only differentiator – and, yes, I work for a behavioral-based application security vendor.

Reach out if you would like to know more: ferri.leon@pm.me

If I could have any car on this list – I mean, BOOM – my car is suddenly gone, and this is parked in its place – I wouldn’t be mad. (Youtube links)

80s Suzuki Samurai
These are cool because they have the Jeep CJ look without the implication that you’re “in the club,” or whatever the bizarre camaraderie is that comes with driving a Jeep. It’s small so you can park it anywhere, has a removable soft top for the summer / beach, and is probably very economical with gas. My main concern with this vehicle is that it has very low horsepower, so despite its light frame being able to conquer off-road feats at < 5 mph, I fear it doesn’t have the juice to merge on the expressway. I bet going 65 mph, the transmission is spinning at 4000 rpm or more. Very loud and uncomfortable. The left lane is off-limits. In a best case scenario, people are honking at you thinking you’re taking your time while you actually have the pedal to the floor. That’s no fun, so I will probably never own this vehicle.

80s Chevy Blazer
This is a short wheelbase, full sized truck with a removable hard top over the second row of seats. I feel like this is the greatest vehicle you can show up to the beach in, because it has great presence, comes in basic, purposeful colors, and again, no top over the rear passengers. Very beachy! The drawback with the Blazer is its short wheel base – it probably rides poorly over bumps – also, it probably does < 10 mpg with its fuel. A true classic and a vehicle I would like to own some day.

90s Toyota Supra
This coupe looks amazing and has a legendary twin turbo V6 engine. It is probably so much fun to put the windows down and the sunroof back, and carve around some back roads at night with the heat on. The reason I will never own this car is because they have gotten too valuable. Growing up (2003-10,) I would see these cars for around $5000 because they were simply “old.” Now, they are “classic,” and as such, have gotten over valued. I would consider driving one of these if I could find one for a fair price.

90s BMW 540i
Of all the BMWs throughout the years, I have always been moved by the strong simplicity of the 5, of the era just before it got fancy. Yes, a new 5 would be nice, but there’s something about this particular period that really shows you are an enthusiast (not just someone with money.) 3s and Zs are too small… Ms and 7s are too showy… SUVs are too mommy. The reason I will never own a 1999 540i is because of their exorbitant maintenance costs.

60s Oldsmobile Cutlass
Of all the cars I have ever owned, my favorite was a 1994 Cutlass convertible – Torch red with black interior and top. I refinished the mag wheels in a gun metal color. It looked awesome, and was fast (3.4L DOHC engine.) It had very nice manners, too – with the top up, you could be riding quiet and smooth, doing about two grand going 65-75 mph. Nice 16″ mags with rather fat 225-sidewall tires. The steering wheel was covered in buttons so you could operate the heat/AC and radio with it. I don’t think I would ever buy a car twice, but the mid-60s Cutlass has a very nice look – I would like one with a small V8 in the same color combo, as an homage to my ’94. Just a simple, plain, true classic car.

50s Chevy Del Ray
Chevy had, like, seventeen types of “full size sedan” back in the day. The two doors, the four door, with post doors, without, the convertible, the wagon. The Biscayne, the Bel Air, the Impala. The Del Ray was the bottom of the heap, the two-door post-door style sedan bereft of any chrome, with crank windows and a delete plate where the AM radio would have been. Can you imagine not springing for the AM radio option? A ’58 or ’59 Del Ray in triple black is, I think, the coolest looking car of the 20th century. So low key, so quietly demanding in appearance. Cadillacs were nicer, but didn’t age as well. I would like a “sleeper” resto-mod example, looking factory but with a radio, moved by a 350 Crate engine, stopped with disc brakes.

90s Nissan Truck
I don’t know if there really was a model name for this “Truck” – It’s called “Hardbody” or “D21” – I think it was a leftover Datsun. A great investment – I could imagine getting one and spending $5000 on it over five years. ($3000 for the truck, $2000 on whatever it needs.) I cannot say that about any other vehicle on this list. They stopped making this truck for the US market in the early 90s, but kept on manufacturing it (unchanged!) through 2015 for Mexico. It must be a headache to import, but I would love to score a well maintained 2012-15 there and drive it home.

90s Chevrolet Impala
These are overvalued. You cannot find one in good shape for under $15,000. I think it’s silly – It’s only a Caprice with a trim package and nicer engine / wheels. You would be hard pressed to find a Caprice of that era in any condition for over $10k. But it has a sort of legendary status for enthusiasts, and so that is what you’re paying for. Me, I’m just a fan of V8 rear wheel drive sedans. This is one of the last of those, so if I could score a black or maroon example I’d enjoy it.

90s Toyota Corolla
Like the Nissan Hardbody, this car’s reputation for longevity and low maintenance cost has captured my interest for years. I really like some of the color combos they came in, like dark teal with tan interior. Just a plain, unassuming car that I would appreciate, that no one else would look twice at. I wish they did a 2-door or hatch like the 70s Corollas. These are only available as sedans.

2022 Truck
Ford, Chevy, Toyota, whatever – What’s the difference? A half-ton, 4WD, 8′ box – I’d prefer a regular cab, just so I could maintain some image of utility over posturing – Trucks are trucks, for better or for worse – It would be nice to have something brand new, but if I could have a 2022 anything, it would probably be a truck.

---

I can’t stand the numb feeling of front wheel drive, the empty promises of “infotainment” and “luxury,” and all these damned computers and sensors stopping me from maintenance and DIY customization. Cars used to be so much fun. What happened?

Leon

When you wake up in the morning and the sun hits your face, does anything else really matter?

We strive for perfection and evergreen appearance as a matter of course, but we know in our hearts and our minds achieving and keeping that will never be truly possible. The struggle between what we want and what we know outlives us, and dilutes our being. Kintsugi is a somewhat recent (15th century) Japanese term describing the ostentatious repair of lacquerware; to use elements like gold and broad staples, drawing attention to a fix rather than attempting to hide it. The celebration of use and brash acceptance of change relates to a broader philosophy of self-assertion that I deeply connect with.

My car is now 13 years old (I have had it for over ten years.) I’m lately very interested in trading up to a new vehicle. The car has been mechanically taken care of and is working well, but on the outside it’s definitely showing its years – paint chips, scratches, a few dents, even some rust – and both bumpers riddled with the scars of parallel parking (only half of which are my fault.)

I have an idea – To scrape down all 20 or 25 scattered imperfections – To score them down with 80 grit, 120 grit, 240 grit – To primer the areas & feather them out an inch farther with 600, 800 grit – To spray a few coats with a vintage 60s/70s can of Krylon Gold Enamel (#1701, if anyone’s asking) – To remove the painter’s tape, compound it in, and consider it repaired. Maybe you wouldn’t immediately notice it parked on the street or driving down a highway – Ideally it would entice you to take a second look, to see beauty in the world’s hits and misses.

My main concern is that this artistic statement would affect the resale value of my car. This concern alone precludes my status as a legitimate follower of K’gi. I am not sure if I will ever have the gall to do it. But what a way to practice admiration; to thank the item for all it has afforded its keeper by celebrating its damages – to wallow in abject, dynamic complicity with an object’s story as it unfolds.

Leon

I joined Twitter (“Twttr”) in April 2008 and loved it. It was like having a silent confidante you could always text hot takes or funny/awkward things to. I left Twitter in 2017, after the presidential election in ’16 permanently changed the platform. I didn’t like that users could type more than 140 characters (and that long-winded users reinvented the IT by turning multiple paragraphs into dozens of Twitter posts in a row.) You can’t spell “Twitter” without “Wit” – That’s why I liked it in the first place.

Recently, great Twttr posts started popping up in my head. I felt a bit of FOMO because I thought I would have gotten dozens of “stars” had I posted these thoughts on my old account. I made up my mind to keep them in a notebook…. Until now.

Presenting: What I Would be Posting Lately Had I Stayed on Twitter.

• Growing up in the 90s means “WWF” will always mean wrestling (sorry wildlife) and “ICP” will always mean juggaleaux (sorry photography)
  
• “Central Jersey” does not exist
  
• Dress socks are so you have to shower
  
• It’s important to remember that money is ephemeral #salespitch
  
• I used to tolerate Stewart’s and wish for 7-11 – Now, I h8 7-11 & wish for Stewart’s
  
• Does the Clapper commercial set ppls Clappers off?
  
• I wish I was with Huey Lewis the first time he heard the Ghostbusters theme
  
• “I Want a New Drug” : “Ghostbusters Theme” :: USSR National Anthem : Russian Federation National Anthem
  
• I have officially owned my car for ten years. I am so over it. I want a big old truck with two gas tanks and no back seat.
  
• Neil’s new autobiography straight up contradicts so many of my previously understood truths about CSNY
  
• Porters: I always like them, but I never want one
  
• NZ flexing so hard over how they avoided a pandemic but it’s like………. How ya’ll gonna hang with us antibody-havin MFs in ’22?
  
• Is Apocalypse Now based on the Wizard of Oz -OR- is the Wizard of Oz based on the Heart of Darkness?
  
• Every time I listen to Decade I forget it doesn’t have “Ordinary World” and wait / look for it
  
• Thruway rest stops: AZ Iced Teas @ HALF the size & TWICE the cost!! For 25 years, I have never seen a sub-22 oz AZ, nor have I paid more than $0.99. (pic)

• My wife just told me she likes “Friends” more than “Seinfeld” #questionstoaskbeforemarriage
  
• Hyundai : Kia :: NSYNC : Backstreet Boys
  
• This summer I wanna swim in the ocean in the rain
  
• My axe handle broke. I could spend $30 on a new axe, but instead I am spending over $100 on a new handle, wood glue, metal punch, wedges, sandpaper, linseed oil, blade sharpener #diy #fortheloveofpigiron
  
• Can’t believe how hard you can push Type IV Metal tape
  
• I believe deepfake audio / video is to the point where Alex could have hosted Jeopardy forever
  
• Bachelor Party in NYC: Karaoke/Roast/Stripper. [CHOOSE TWO]
  
• Instead of going to all that trouble to develop the Challenger, they should have just made the Charger as we know it into a 2-door. #pabstblueribbon
  
• Ebay is for Wants, Amazon is for Needs
  
• “‘CAUSE 7 – 8 – 9!!” Well yanno what…. 68 69’d 70.
  
• Included tonight with my Chinese: an empty, sealed fortune cookie sachet… with crumbs inside? (pic)

• Ducks ≠ Loons
  
• The Suzuki Samurai is a mechanical Gini indicator: At your exit, Is 66 hp enough to merge?
  
• I wonder what they did with the green Apple after they made the 45 label: Eat it? Freeze it?
  
• Kevin Pietersen – Best “Lunch with the FT” of all time; George Soros – Worst
  
• My great-grandmother had this ancient mechanical pencil she kept near her phone (the only one on the street!) and everyone would come over and take call notes with it… I have it now
  
• Can one sabrage with a machete? I don’t want to embarrass myself.
  
• I want to see Roy Ayers play in the sunshine.
  
  Thank you for reading,

L

I have finally purchased the turntable I have wanted for about five years. This acquisition brings my turntable inventory to four, which is in my opinion too many. I used to DJ and so always had a need for two. But since last March, I have not hosted anything, and have since then relocated, married and purchased a home; I don’t see myself vying for a residency any time soon.

So I have a new idea. When I get my new TT in the mail, I’m going to set them all up to my stereo, ready to go for two weeks. I’m going to deoxit, lubricate, and surface clean every one with microfiber cloth. I’m going to work out some more serious problems that have kept them out of use. I’m going to have some A/B/C/D tests with my favorite records. I’m going to host a listening party. Then, I’m going to put them all up for auction on Ebay at the same time, and see what happens.

I’ll shoot for it all to go down during the first half of June!

Special thanks to Deep Groove Mono for the inspiration to make a project out of the stagnation and disillusion felt over the hobby of record collecting to which we have devoted so much consideration over the years. But this, this is about the hardware – I’m not reducing my record collection – in fact, I’ll probably pick up a dozen or so albums to liven the journey up.

Stay tuned…

After a dozen years of regularly drinking coffee I have some tips to share.

• Burr grinder. The biggest game changer for a coffee drinker. All that essence that’s in the coffee bean begins to disappear from the moment it’s harvested – It ages, then it’s roasted, it loses some of its flavor here, but that’s OK, the bean is on its way to your cup, but soon after it’s ground up, its exposure to the air just kills it; it loses its potency. Stop buying ground coffee because the genie’s long since out of the bottle. And blade grinders – they create heat. They unlock the potential of your whole beans while ruining them. Burr grinders have conical ceramic bits that grind coffee uniformly while not heating them up. So, boom – Having a burr grinder and whole bean coffee as your default brew is a place you want to get to.
  
• Thermal carafe. After the hot water hits the ground up coffee beans, now you’ve gone and created a beautiful hot cup of coffee. Starting now, the coffee’s exposure to oxygen makes it bitter. That’s why the first cup is the best and the last one is the worst. Thermal carafes have insulated walls and airtight tops, so the coffee retains heat & whatever oils that tend to dissipate into the air.
  
• Filter. Paper filters are easier to clean up because you just throw them away with the spent grounds. The metal mesh filters save you money in the long term, but they are harder to clean. The coffee tastes different but not better or worse. Try both and settle on your favorite.
  
• French press. This makes a great rich cup of coffee and is perfect with a nice hearty breakfast. You have a burr grinder, right? Set it to a very coarse ground and put in about the amount you would to make half a pot in a drip machine, despite the fact that your press will only make two or three cups. If you use it every day, you’ll quickly notice you are spending too much money on coffee. If you use less coffee to make up for this, the press will laugh at your attempt to introduce economy into this relationship and your coffee will come out too watery. Best to keep one of these on standby for when you make waffles or pancakes, and you just want one big muddy cup to nurse while reading the paper or something.
  
• Appointment. Dock workers & sailors prefer black coffee because it tastes the same when it gets cold or full of rain water. There’s nothing wrong with black coffee, but I’m not about to tell you it’s the only acceptable way to enjoy it. Put whatever you like in your coffee, but keep it to a minimum. I like a splash of half-and-half with a half-cube of sugar. Classic taste, and when I’m away from home and I can’t have one or the other I’m not too disappointed. If you like fancy coffees that “require” sugary syrups, look into raw items like cinnamon sticks, cocoa powders, vanilla extracts – A little bit of effort makes for a much better tasting cuppa whatever. If you have, for the last decade plus, been buying strictly venti carmel macchiatos from Sbux, you have a lot of work to do to get yourself out of that delicious rut. Those things are, like, 500 calories.
  Sbux : coffee :: pornography : sex.
  
• Percolator. The coffee community is pretty consistently against percolators because they essentially recirculate hot coffee over and over again – I don’t care and neither should you. They sound great, look great, and the first couple cups at least are pretty good. The taste for me is purely nostalgic and I keep mine on standby for rainy days and Mondays.
  
• Reheating. The key to reheating coffee is not to do it too much. If you have old coffee from a few hours ago and you want to drink it, microwave it only for, like, 20 or 30 seconds. It will come out warm and still tasting pretty good. Better yet, put half-and-half and sugar in the cup first, and microwave THAT for 30 seconds before introducing the coffee and microwaving for another 20 seconds. If you put it in for a full minute and it comes out bubbling hot, it will burn your tongue and taste terrible besides.
  
• Retail. I must reference the burr grinder once again – When you have one, the quality of retail coffee becomes less important. Even a store brand pound of whole beans for five bucks will be acceptable. So skip whatever else your local grocery store is trying to market to you – The real step up, then, is to go to the source. Find coffee producers from Africa and South America that grow beans at all altitudes and alongside all types of trees. Did you know they grow cherry trees and grapes alongside the coffee, and those flavors are imparted? Amazing. If you vacation in a warm climate, try to negotiate a tour with one of these places. It will be an unforgettable day trip experience and you will bring home one of the best souvenirs of all time. See photos I took at a Costa Rican coffee farm below (I forget the name of it.)
  
• Cold brew. Instead of pouring out the coffee you don’t drink, make ice cubes with it. Put two pots worth of ground coffee in two paper filters and rubber-band them shut. Put them in a big pitcher of water and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, replace those bags with your coffee ice cubes. The ice will not dilute your coffee as it melts. This is an amazing way to have coffee, but like the french press, it is too rich and expensive an experience to do it more than a few times a year.
  
• Experiment. If there is something you are wondering about, just do it. I recently bought unroasted green coffee beans and am going to attempt to roast them in my oven soon. Mix coffee with almond milk, soy milk, oat milk. Try brown sugar, or the icing that comes with cinnamon buns. Have you tried Turkish coffee? It’s an espresso style made in a long-handled cezve you alternate on and off the cooktop burner. It’s fun. Try everything once – You may find something you really like.
  

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your coffee!

Leon