Digital Classics Association Conference Today in Buffalo

A diverse and interesting crowd of folks is pounding down coffee and putting on blue-collared shirts this morning to prepare to participate in the first conference organized by the Digital Classics Association. It's called "Word, Space, Time: Digital Perscpectives on the Classical World" and runs today and tomorrow (5-6 April 2013) in the Center for the Arts Screening Room at the University of Buffalo. On-site registration is available, so come on out!

Here's the conference program.

There's already broad consensus that we'll use the #dca2013 hashtag for tweets about the event. If you're blogging or otherwise serializing or critiquing the conference online and your platform is feed-equipped, please let me know and I'll make sure it's in the subscription list for the Maia Atlantis feed aggregator so it gets wider exposure.

I've also initiated an IRC channel on the freenode network to support backchannel communications: #dca2013.

Here's hoping for robust wifi at the venue...

See you at the conference or online!

Coffee in Huntsville: Sam and Greg's

I finally made good on my long-standing intention to drop in at Sam and Greg's Pizzeria/Gelateria on the north side of the square in downtown Huntsville today (map). The veggie pizza for lunch was great and so was a properly made cappuccino (using beans locally roasted around the corner at the Kaffeeklatsch, a Huntsville standby since 1977; map).

Both staff and fellow customers at Sam and Greg's were friendly, and the place is very comfortable. I anticipate spending alot more time there.

Stearn's Coffee Defunct

So Stearns Coffee, which I had staked out as a personal replacement for the recently shuttered Aromas but hadn't had a chance to visit prior to the December 1st fire, is now closed for good. The owners just sent the following note to their Facebook followers:

So as many of you have probably guessed or assumed by now, Stearns Coffee will be unable to re-open. After carefully considering all of our options, we’ve found that we just can’t rebound financially from this. With that said, we are truly lucky to have so many customers and friends who have offered their love and support. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve these people; you are what made our shop such a wonderful place to be. We will miss seeing your faces and allowing us to be a part of your lives.

Daniel & Marisa

Relax-o-matic

So, in the monthly email newsletter on healthy living that I receive gratis from my beneficent employer, I read:

Find Yourself in the Stressed Lane?

When you find you need to take a moment to relax and slow down, contact The Relaxation Phone Line at [...]. This line is a recorded relaxation message that provides you with an opportunity to unwind and renew for a few minutes during your day. The Relaxation Phone Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Huh.

Is there also a Relaxation Blog (with a relax-o-feed)? Or maybe an @relaxifier I can follow on Twitter?

Clearly I need more coffee ...

End of an era

After four years of business success, the place I've dubbed my "coffice" is closing, so its owner and founder, Pete Abashian, can pursue other interests.

So the question for other regulars at Aromas is: who all is going to show up on the last day, Saturday, 20 December, to say goodbye and good luck to staff and friends?

And, gentle readers, if you've ever dreamed of owning and running a great coffee shop / cafe, this one is for sale.