On A Starbucks Quest
And I thought I was addicted to coffee! Have you heard of this guy from California who is on a quest to visit every Starbucks store in the world? Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr., who now goes by the name Winter, started his quest way back in 1997. I was actually a bit surprised to hear that because it is only now that I came across his story.
Anyway, to date, Winter has visited around 9,100 Starbucks store in various countries. He is currently in the United Kingdom, where he is hell bent on visiting 400 locations spread all over England, Scotland, and Wales. His activities have even created a new word:
Starbuck – also Starbucking; to purposely visit Starbucks branches.
After his Great Britain “tour,” Winter is set to go Starbucking in other parts of Europe – Spain, Germany, and Portugal. So what does this coffee addict (or maybe Starbucks addict?) do when he visits a Starbucks? He says that in each branch that he visits, he orders a cup of regular brewed coffee, takes a picture, and then of course, documents it. He has a web site, aptly named Starbucks Everywhere, where he posts his pictures and writes about his endeavors.
I paid it a visit and I think that he could use some help in web site design, seriously. You can’t complain about the content, though. I love his entry on the Stone House Square (photo shown above), which, according to Winter, is the prettiest store in all of Maryland.
Anyhow, if you want to follow his adventures, visit his web site and join in the fun!
Coffee Cup For Weightless Environments
Who on earth would need such a cup??? No one! That is why this cup was designed for people who go to space; astronauts, I think that’s what they’re called.
Seriously, though, news has it that astronaut David Pettit got tired of having to sip his coffee from an aluminum bag. Apparently, drinking coffee that way takes away from the whole experience of enjoying a cup of joe. The result of this frustration is a very good thing (at least for those who have plans of going to outer space) – the On-Orbit Coffee Cup. I don’t think I can really explain how it works except that it takes advantage of the principle of surface tension. That is how far I can go without making a fool out of myself by trying to be all scientific and technical. Take a look at the illustration below from Dvice. I think that in this case, pictures are much better than words.
Got that? Even if you didn’t really understand the science behind the cup, it would still be cool to have one of these, don’t you think? I just wonder if it could still be used here on earth, where gravity actually exists?
Coffee Exhibit At The Burke Museum
The best thing to do with coffee is to drink it, right? So what’s the next best thing? I dunno, but going to an exhibit all about coffee sounds pretty good to me and this is what’s in store for coffee lovers at The Burke Museum.
This museum is also known as The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and is found at the University of Washington in Seattle. It has been the Washington State Museum since 1899. This year, they have something new to offer visitors. From the 24th of January to the 7th of June 2009, they will be holding an exhibit all about our favorite bean, or drink, if you wish.
Dubbed Coffee: The World In Your Cup, the exhibit aims to welcome everyone to the wonderful world of coffee – from the beans to the brew. This is what the museum has to say about the exhibit:
Coffee: The World in Your Cup presents the story of one of the world’s most widely traded commodities and how it has affected cultures, economies, and environments across the globe. Coffee explores the environmental and social impacts of the coffee industry and recommends ways for consumers to make socially and environmentally responsible coffee purchases at the grocery store or in a coffee shop. Learn about the impacts of caffeine, the world’s most commonly-used drug, on your body, discover coffee’s early controversial reputation as a “revolutionary drink,” and consider the culture that surrounds coffee in the twenty-first century. Photos, maps, text, selected artifacts, audiovisual presentations, and hands-on demonstrations help visitors explore the fascinating world behind the coffee we drink.
There is plenty of time to go and visit. For further information, visit the museum’s web site or call them at 206- 543-7907.
Pevonia Green Coffee Cellulite Wrap
I’m good with coffee, no matter which way you present it to me. I do really prefer to be drinking coffee or eating something with its flavor, though. In the recent years, however, more and more applications of coffee have been emerging and one of these is the cellulite wrap offered by Pevonia, a spa consultancy and treatment service in the UK.
I actually heard about their coffee cellulite wrap from The Independent:
In theory: The health-conscious know that caffeinated drinks such as coffee are one of the main culprits responsible for the dreaded orange-peel. Applied topically, however, coffee has had the beauty world abuzz with its dimple-destroying ability. The latest salon superfood is green coffee, which skincare company Pevonia has used as the main ingredient in this body wrap that it claims stimulates the breakdown of fat while firming, slimming and smoothing skin tone and texture.
In practice: Therapist Roxanne cheerily buffed Dr F with a gentle exfoliator before applying a cellulite-busting serum and smothering her in green goo. Dr F was then wrapped in clingfilm and foil and given a soothing head massage while she gently marinated for 20 minutes. The cream is cold on application but heats up alarmingly after a few seconds (busting those pesky fat cells?) so prepare to sweat during this treatment.
In my book, anything with heat should be good for fat burning. Then again, I have been wrong about slimming down so many times! 
Seriously, though, I suppose that this treatment can help for short term purposes but I do not know if it will help in the long run. More so, the cost of a treatment would probably inhibit long term reliance on it for getting rid of cellulite. What say you?
Photo courtesy of Pevonia
World’s Largest Irish Coffee
Yesterday, the baristas at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco attempted to make the world’s largest Irish coffee. As can be expected, they want to set a world record. So what went into this gigantic drink?
Let’s see – 10 liters of whiskey (almost 10 liters, that is), 10 gallons of coffee, a gallon of heavy cream, and over 4 pounds of sugar. This concoction was served in a giant glass, which is 3 feet tall. Its capacity is 12 gallons. Naturally, this glass was specially made for the event, with a tap at the bottom to make for easier serving.
The Mercury News has this report:
“We took the same ration that we’d put in a 6-ounce glass and converted it to a 12-gallon glass,” Carden said.
The drink was initially going to be 15 gallons, but the cafe chose a 12-gallon glass to help keep the proportions and shape of the glass in line with the traditional Irish coffee they serve.
“It looks like a giant replica,” said cafe manager Larry Silva.
The unveiling of the Irish coffee happened around 1 p.m. today and it took about 20 minutes for four bartenders to pour the ingredients in the glass.
“Everybody went wild,” Carden said of the crowd when the drink was revealed.
Attendees of the cafe’s 56th Irish coffee anniversary celebration were given drinks from the huge glass, which had a tap at the bottom.
Bartenders added cream to the top of each individual glass served.
Guinness needs time to review the materials supporting the record setting attempt but I sure hope they get it.
You Drink Too Much Coffee If…
We all know about these kinds of lists. You do or have too much of something if… I was looking for jokes about coffee when I ran across a site about coffee humor and I really liked the list presented on the home page. I have picked a few to share with you, courtesy of Robin’s FYI.
• The only kitchen appliances you own are made by Mr. Coffee.
• You get a tax cut for all the coffee you bought.
• You get a speeding ticket even when you’re parked.
• You speed walk in your sleep.
• You have a bumper sticker that says: “Coffee drinkers are good in the sack.”
• You haven’t blinked since the last lunar eclipse.
• You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.
• The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse.
• You sleep with your eyes open.
• When you open your dish cabinet, and there is only mugs.
• You have to watch videos in fast-forward.
• The only time you’re standing still is during an earthquake.
• Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.
• Your coffee cake, must have coffee in it.
• You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.
• You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.
LOL…there are lots more in the site I mentioned above, just click on the link to have more laughs. And here’s my favorite:
You introduce your spouse as your coffeemate.
Free Samples At Apres Tasting Club
A few weeks ago, we received an e-mail from Luke Bunting of the Apres Tasting Club, which is part of the main web site, Apres Café. Apres Café is actually a site that is all about coffee and tea. They offer gifts, coffee, and tea in their online store. More than this, they also provide a host of information about coffee and tea. Enthusiasts will certainly find a lot to read in their “Learn” pages.
What Luke e-mailed us about is the Apres Tasting Club and while going through their site, it really caught my interest. How does the Tasting Club operate? It is quite simple – if you are interested, sign up for the Club. You will then receive free samples of either coffee or tea. Once you have tried the free samples that were sent to you, you can go online and then rate them. If you rate the samples that you receive, you will continue to receive new samples every 3 to 4 weeks. It’s a pretty good setup, isn’t it?
Other benefits of being a member of the Apres Tasting Club:
1. Discounted prices not offered to the general public when purchasing a sampled coffee or tea
2. Advanced notice of special purchases or offers
3. Automatic eligibility each month to win a coffee or tea gift box (valued at $20)
4. The chance to sample some of the finest coffees and teas in the world – for FREE!
5. An opportunity to help us choose only the very best coffee and tea products by offering your comments on each sampled brew
6. Instant access to exclusive email offers through the ApresCafe.com email club. (You may unsubscribe from this email service at any time.)
One drawback – I think they only ship to the United States.
Starbucks And iTunes Show Love
Starbucks and Apple are perhaps the two brands that I like the most – well, perhaps is the operative word here. In any case, these two groups have teamed up to bring more pleasure to their customers. Sometime last week, Starbucks proudly announced its new program – the Pick of the Week.
Yes, it is true that the name for the promotion could have been more creative. (Come on now guys, you make millions! You can surely pay someone to come up with something more than “Pick of the Week!”) However, the idea is quite an interesting one.
Imagine yourself sitting at your favorite spot in your regular Starbucks hang out. You spend a relaxing hour or so sipping your favorite coffee drink, doing whatever you are doing, and listening to your favorite music on your iPod all the while. Perhaps you don’t even need to imagine this – it is reality!
YOU are the target clientele of Starbucks and Apple. With the Pick of the Week, loyal Starbucks and Apple customers can enjoy free downloadable content. How?
I don’t know the exact details (obviously the Starbucks nearest me does not seem to have this promo running yet) but the idea is that people who buy coffee from Starbucks will receive a Pick of the Week download card. This card can then be used to redeem a free song or music video from the iTunes store. Users have up to 60 days to claim the song or video but can also download on the spot with WiFi access.
Coffee-Themed Wedding Favors
You may not be getting married any time soon but you may not someone who is. I just saw this article from Transworld News about a unique idea for wedding favors and I liked it so much that I thought about posting it here as well.
We all know how conventional wedding favors can become boring. Most of the time, people don’t really find any use for wedding favors and they end up as junk or clutter. Think about it – how many wedding favors do you have in your store room? Don’t even get me started on how many I have!
Now, if you love coffee, why not incorporate this passion into your wedding favors? When I saw the list provided in the article, I thought to myself “Now why didn’t I think of this myself?” Here are some of the more interesting items:
- A personalized coffee kit. Each personalized bag includes premium ground coffee and a heart-shaped coffee spoon in shiny chrome.
- An assortment of different coffee scoops in various shapes and sizes. Give your guests a scoop of love with these practical coffee scoops.
- The “Espress Your Love” Coffee glass candle. This rich brown candle comes in a cup and smells like espresso. This candle is elegantly packaged in a clear gift box.
These items are obviously from a site specializing in wedding favors. You can find out about the specific products from Truly Wedding Favors. Alternatively, you can make your own favors by buying the materials and putting them together!
Seriously, why didn’t I think of this?
Coffee Cup Cuff Cum Bracelet
Seriously, sometimes, people think of the darnedest things! Who would have ever though that anyone would want to wear a bracelet that would double as a coffee cup cuff? Well, apparently, the people over at Contexture think that this is a brilliant idea.
They created a coffee cup cuff that would fit most take out cups. The cuff is actually quite stylish and is made from reclaimed veneer – everything is handmade. You can pick from three different wood types – black walnut, bird’s eye maple, or benge. The idea is to satisfy both form and function with the Contexture coffee cuff.
So what about its function as a bracelet? Well, as you can see from the picture, it does have a certain appeal to it. After all, many fashionistas would tell you that accessories can make or break an ensemble. Would the Contexture cuff add to your sense of fashion?
I honestly don’t know. I can only speak for myself. I do not think that I would spend about 68 Canadian dollars on the cuff so that I could use it as a bracelet. I have to say that the cuffs look good, though. So maybe – just maybe – if I had an extra 70 bucks to spare, I would buy one of the cuffs. It just might come in handy if the paper coffee cuff that the coffee shop gives me is not good enough.
