I have come to a conclusion. As conclusions go, it’s not or gasp inspiring or earth shattering, but it is never the less a pretty decent conclusion. So what is it? Rather than let it continue to annoy you like a gnat or itch you cannot scratch I’ll just come out and say it — Alcohol is the Great Communicator.

Huh? Well its simple really. Some people are born communicators, its in their blood and even if you wanted to shut them up, you would fail miserably. Others it can be like pulling teeth. My German side of the family (Father) is notorious for never talking with each other.

I don’t think its a conscious decision on their part, I think it just never crosses their minds, like its something burned into their genetic code. My wife’s side of the family (Mother) are just as bad.

For a long time we have tried to come up with ways to get them talking. Everything from gentle nudging to open confrontation (which often didn’t go as planned). Recently at my wife’s family Christmas, alcohol was applied like never before. And not just any alcohol, but bourbon!

The sweet burn of burbon trickled down our throats and warmed our bellies, and loosened our collective lips. People started talking, really talking, and some interesting things were learned which might not have been said without that key element — Bourbon.

I have my family Christmas coming up in a few weeks, in addition to the presents and food items we will be bringing, something extra will be coming, I’ll let you guess what it will be.

This has been a pretty excited time for Brotherhood of the Bean, my Coffee product & culture blog. For a long time I have worked to develop it into a coffee resource that offers valuable product and culture insights. In truth it has been a lot of fun.

Some time ago I became aware of the 9rules blog network, from what I saw I knew it was the community for me. The problem was that thousands of others had the same idea. So I decided to sit back and enjoy the community while I waited for my application to be reviewed.

Along the way I found some of the most interesting people on the web, and with the newly available notes feature, I could communicate my thoughts with them. I thought it was pretty cool.

You can imagine my pride and excitement when I was invited to become a member. To have Brotherhood of the Bean recognized as being being of a high enough caliber for 9rules means a lot to me.

For those of you wondering what 9rules is all about:
9rules is a place where members and readers can connect, build relationships, gain exposure, learn new things, and have fun. 9rules started in 2003 with a set of 9 rules:

1. Love what you do.
2. Never stop learning.
3. Form works with function.
4. Simple is beautiful.
5. Work hard, play hard.
6. You get what you pay for.
7. When you talk, we listen.
8. Must constantly improve.
9. Respect your inspiration.

The iPhone is without question a sexy status symbol that will sell out in record time and be the “must have” item for the social elite and those wishing to emulate or be elite themselves.

The iPhone is not a radical new device, rather I would say its a conglomeration of existing technologies into a stylish and well polished package that is both appealing and user friendly at the same time — AKA uniquely Apple.

For Example…

• Lack of Buttons / Screen Touchpad - while not seen in phones yet, its something I have had for a long time on my Sony Cybershot digital camera.
• Web - look at any number of handhelds, from the Treo to IPAQ, they have web. The days of WAPI are quickly becoming a thing of the past.
• Music - Plenty of existing MP3 phones out there, some from Motorola are iTunes phones.
• Email - See Blackberry

Where I think the iPhone will flourish eventually is third party development. They are encouraging application development, unlike Sony which moves with every turn to crush home brew development for the PSP (how clueless can Sony be?).

Personally I just don’t find the iPhone to be something I have to have. I am already connected enough at work and home, I cam finding more and more that I cherish the time when I can be disconnected from technology. Yeah, I am getting old.