Tell Me How You Like Your Coffee And I’ll Tell You Who You Are
I guess that’s a variation of the old saying “tell me who your friends are…” – you know how that one goes. But is there really any truth to this coffee preference thing?
I don’t really know, but an Australian coffee company claims to know a thing or two about coffee psychology theory. According to John Ronchi, co-founder of Campos Coffee on Wandoo St, Fortitude Valley, he has noticed a connection between coffee preferences and personality traits. His findings?
Mr Ronchi said well-dressed corporate types usually opted for an espresso or black coffee with no sugar, while patrons who liked to laze in the sun outside Campos ordered a latte.
What’s more, ice coffees and frappacinos are popular in the warmer months, but almost always among young women.
If you are scoffing (like I was when I first read the statements), you might want to know that Ronchi’s observations are also backed up by Dr Alan Hirsch, the director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, a US institution. He says that based on research (and personal observation, of course), “those who drink short blacks are often ambitious, goal-driven and no-nonsense, while cappuccino drinkers were probably witty and classy. The humble latte is often drunk by mums or 20-something students, while the heart-starting espresso conveys sophistication.”
I now have a personality-identity crisis. After a huge meal, I like espresso. I guess I am sophisticated then? I normally get a latte at Starbucks, though. Then again, I am neither a mum or a 20-something student. Oooh, I alternate between cappuccinos and lattes, I just remembered. So does that mean I am witty and classy sometimes? I seriously doubt it.
You see what I am getting at here…? So what coffee do you drink again?
Do You Know McDonald’s Is Serving Lattes?
Have you seen the latest McCafe commercials? I honestly think they’re ok. Apparently, though, some people think otherwise. They have taken offense at the commercials – supposedly, the commercials are treating people like “idiots.” I can see where this kind of thinking is coming from but I can also see why the ads were made that way. Take a look at one of them.
Anyway, going back to the rationale behind the ads. We have to admit, some people go to Starbucks and hang out there but they didn’t really like coffee in the first place. They have become victim to the coffee culture and Starbucks is the place to be when it comes to coffee. I can name countless people who claim to be Starbucks fans but never really drank coffee before Starbucks became “in.”
So, are people who go to Starbucks better than others? Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not. I think it is a matter of really liking the coffee. So wherever you get your coffee from, it should not really matter as long as you actually go for the drink and not for anything else. What say you?
I Have To Pee…What About My Laptop?
The coffee culture has spread far and wide – together with the ubiquitous laptop. When was the last time you went to a coffee shop? If you are like me, then you probably went yesterday. If you did, did you notice the number of people fiddling around with their laptops?
I did not really count the exact number of people who had laptops in the local Starbucks I went to but I know that there were at least 4 people who had their gadgets with them. And for a small Starbucks, that can be considered a lot!
It is not even limited to Starbucks! The other night, I was at Krispy Kremes with my husband, brother-in-law, and my dad. We were enjoying doughnuts and coffee and we could not help but notice the number of people with their laptops as well. The funny thing is that we noticed this one guy who was alone. He kept looking around and fidgeting. He did this for a few minutes and then as if he couldn’t help himself, he stood up and went inside – to use the loo – and left his laptop sitting there for all the world to stare at.
I couldn’t help but wonder – what if someone just gets up, grabs it, and walk away? I mean, I wouldn’t do it but what if someone else did? What would that guy do when he came back? What I do know for sure is that I wouldn’t have the courage to leave it sitting there, especially since we were outside.
Oh, the complexities that technology brings…
Tell Me What Your Coffee Is…
…and I’ll tell you who you will vote for President. Amazing how we can use various things to predict future events, isn’t it? BIGresearch conducted a survey recently. The idea was to see if you can tell which presidential candidate a person prefers based on which coffee they like better. And the choices are:
President:
a. Barack Obama
b. John McCain
Coffee:
a. McDonald’s
b. Starbucks
So what were their findings? People who drink Starbucks more prefer Barack Obama while people who drink McDonald’s more prefer John McCain. CNBC reports:
A recent survey found people who get their coffee from Starbucks prefer Barack Obama (44 percent) over JohnMcCain (37.8 percent), while McDonald’s coffee drinkers favor McCain (45.4 percent) over Obama (29.2 percent).
“If I were McCain, I would carry a McDonald’s coffee cup a lot,” says Gary Drenik, president of BIGreserach, which conducted the survey.
McCain made gains with surveyed coffee drinkers in August, as the percentage of people who say they prefer Starbucks slid 14 percent since February. Dunkin’ Donuts, meanwhile, has the highest percentage of customers who remain undecided (22 percent).
Now if you have any sense at all, you would be thinking that this is nothing conclusive. After all, you have demographics and other factors to consider. What are the other factors that lead people to prefer Starbucks over McDonald’s? Could the location (accessibility) have something to do with it? Perhaps the background of the people who prefer Starbucks or McDonald’s? Laura Stoker of UC Berkeley has the same idea:
However, the correlations are not causations, as Laura Stoker, an associate professor at UC Berkeley who specializes in political psychology, is quick to point out. Rather, demographics like age, income, race and location come into play, she says.
“A survey [participant] cannot express a preference for Dunkin’ Donuts if they’re not around where they live,” Stoker says. “It’s not just about whether conservatives are drawn into one place or another; the places where Starbucks are located which are urban tend to have a more Democratic constituency.”
Ahh, there you go. Still, it is amusing to read about such surveys, isn’t it? So which do you prefer, Starbucks or McDonald’s?;)
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.
This Police Officer Loves His Coffee
I didn’t think that this kind of thing still happened in the United States. Apparently, a Daytona Lt. Major Garvin has been loading up on free coffee from a local Starbucks store for the past two years. Now, there is nothing wrong here if the management offered to provide free coffee for the police officer, right?
The thing is, the story is not quite like that. Recently, the store changed management and Lt. Garvin was denied his usual free coffee. You want to know what his reaction was?
“If something happens, either we can respond really fast or we could respond really slow. I’ve been coming here for years and I’ve been getting whatever I want. I’m the difference between you getting a two-minute response time, if you needed a little help, or a 15 minutes response time.”
Oooh…talk about police bullying! Unfortunately for Lt. Garvin, the people at that Starbucks store were not sissies. A complaint was filed, the police officer took a polygraph test (he denied the accusations and agreed to the test and then failed), and was fired.
I was just thinking, this police officer really loves his coffee doesn’t he? I think he loves getting freebies even more, though. Maybe this is why Starbucks is losing money? Lt. Garvin is only one person but what if there is one Lt. Garvin in every other town in the United States? No wonder Starbucks is having to close a lot of its branches.
Seriously, though. This kind of guy makes it look bad for other hardworking honest police officers out there.
Coffee Maker Poses Security Risks
I never even knew that there is a coffee maker that can be connected to the Internet! Apparently, there is such a product and it poses certain security risks. I read this on CNET:
An Australian man has discovered security vulnerabilities in his Internet-connected coffee maker that could allow a remote attacker to not only take over his Windows XP-based PC but also make his coffee too weak.
Craig Wright, a risk advisory services manager at professional services firm BDO, found several security holes, including a buffer overflow in the Internet Connection software that links his Jura F90 coffee maker to his PC.
I don’t know about you but this is just too funny. I mean, I love coffee but why the heck would I get a coffee maker that I can connect to the Internet, especially one that goes for a hefty USD 2,000? For one, my apartment is small enough that I only need to take 5 steps to go from my bedroom to where my coffee maker is at. More so, I don’t think I have that much money lying around just to spend on something that may not be really necessary.
People say that Internet-connected devices seem to be what’s in store for the future. I love toys and gadgets, there is no doubt about that, but at this point, I cannot understand why I would want to get them. Except for the reputation points, I guess.
Rachael Ray, Kaffiyeh, And Coffee
Oh my, just when I thought that people were becoming more open minded and rationale! I have never been a fan of Rachael Ray, let me say that outright. This latest uproar over her makes me kind of feel for her though. For those who may not know, she is a spokeswoman for Dunkin’ Donuts. So there she was, doing her job, being her uber perky self as usual, right? She made this Internet commercial about how good Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is (by the way, I do like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee).
Suddenly, out of the blue, she is being accused of symbolically supporting terrorism! Come on now, this irritatingly cheerful person you see on TV several times a day a supporter of violence? As much as her personality and shows grate on my nerves, I just cannot see her trying to promote terrorism by trying to get away with wearing a kaffiyeh look-a-like in a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial.
Perhaps Michelle Malkin, the blogger who put up these suggestions, is mistaken? Or maybe she has got something personal against Rachael Ray? Seriously, the drama of it all! Why can’t a person wear what she wants to when plugging good coffee without being misunderstood? More than this, who says that the kaffiyeh is only used by terrorists?
Anyhow, Dunkin’ Donuts has pulled the plug on this commercial. In the interests of peace, I suppose it was the right thing to do. Now let me go get some of that iced coffee to cool off.
Of Race and Coffee
Before I even begin, I’d like to send out a warning – this post may be bordering on the politically incorrect. So, if you’re sensibilities are easily offended, I suggest that you skip this one. However, if you love coffee and can take a joke, read on and have a laugh with your nth cup of java. 
Coffee and humor go together. There is no explanation for it, they just do! Take this post that Clander wrote on Stuff White People Like. It just cracked me up:
There is no doubt that white people love coffee. Yes, it’s true that asians like iced coffee and people of all races enjoy it. But I promise you that the first person at your school to drink coffee was a white person. You could kind of tell they didn’t enjoy it, but they did it anyways until they liked it – like cigarettes.
White people all need Starbucks, Second Cup or Coffee Bean. They are also fond of saying “you do NOT want to see me before I get my morning coffee.” White guys will also call it anything but coffee: “rocket fuel,” “java,” “joe,” “black gold,” and so forth. It’s pretty garbage all around.
If you want to go for extra points – white people really love FAIR TRADE coffee, because paying the extra $2 means they are making a difference.
Gotta run – I have to grab my cup of fair trade java! Ha ha. Clander, you rock!
Unusual Coffee
Many coffee lovers love the fact that their coffee is familiar. They get the same brew everyday. They have discovered the one true blend for them and that’s that.
For some people, having so little variety would be boring. It is always a great idea to try some new mixes and recipes. It’s the only way to find out if there is a brew out there that tastes better than the one you already enjoy.
Truth be told it is great to know exactly what you like but it does help you appreciate your favorite cup of joe even more each time if you have something to compare it to that you don’t drink everyday.
Take for example Nogged Coffee. By its very name, a lot of people feel that it is only something to drink in December. Actually this unusual drink can be drunk anytime you feel like it. It is a great beverage for warming the body – and the heart they say.
If you’d like to try it, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup of coffee
- dash of nutmeg
Procedure:
Beat sugar and egg yolk together. Place cream into saucepan, and heat over low setting.Whisk in egg mixture. Heat to 200 F degrees. Pour coffee into to cups, and top with cream mixture, garnish with nutmeg
