Many areas of life are like this — if you spend twice the effort, you might get a 10% improvement. I would challenge you to examine your life — small things you do each day — and look at what is not worth the extra expense of time and money.

Having said that, sometimes it’s worth it to go the “long” way. Last weekend, Heather and I spent a nice evening listening to vinyl records. It took several extra minutes to grab each new song from a different album, but that warm sound of clicks and pops, as well as the fact that I don’t have those songs in digital form, gave us a pleasant change of pace.

ps Millstone Coffee provided a free half-pound of coffee with last Sunday’s paper!

I get their weekly emails, and last week’s featured their new flavored coffees: “Natural Fusions”.

I’m showing my bias here — I don’t like flavored coffees to start with. (Those Frappuccinos and such — well, that’s a different matter. I like those. But they aren’t really coffee.) But my take is that those who like flavored coffee (or flavoured, if you are in the English-speaking part of the world) should add syrup to their freshly-brewed cup. Just like your neighborhood coffee bar would.

Bear with me — I’m not sure if you’ve heard any East Indian female pop stars sing, but they all seem to have a similar high, thin voice.

Someone who does not drink coffee might think that all coffee tastes the same. As a real coffee drinker, I can tell them that they are wrong. And a real Bollywood fan might tell me that I am wrong.

It’s all a matter of perspective, perception and level of experience.

The photo is from Flikr. Thanks tony4carr!

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Our friends at Wikipedia call Jon Swanson’s stimulant of choice “a psychoactive stimulant drug”.

Enjoy some today! (I will.)

If you buy coffee there, you will always pay more for a cup of decaf. Why? The beans actually have to be shipped to Europe for the caffeine to be taken out.

Not so here. Wolfgang’s finest Estate-Grown cup costs the same with or without the buzz.

Starbucks finally launched their Via instant coffee in my neighborhood. It’s the best instant you can buy, by far.

If you can afford the time, brew your own from ground beans. It’s much cheaper, in the price-per-ounce sweepstakes.

My full review is here.

I had to take issue with my friends over at Starbucks.

You see, I have some friends in Africa who don’t have electricity. And the nearest coffee beans are a day away. (Not a good situation in which they should start drinking espresso.)

Yes, I know — there are espresso pots that can be cooked over an open fire. But when was the last time you saw that done?

Here’s a way you can help the environment in a small way... say no to a cup insulator sleeve the next time you get coffee-to-go.

You will:
– save that much addition to the landfill
– save the coffee shop the cost of the insulator
– save the transport costs for that insulator sleeve to the shop and to the landfill
– prevent trees from having to be chopped down

You say, “I don’t want to burn my hands!” Well, take a moment at the shop to let the coffee cool. You can’t drink it that hot, anyhow! Use the extra time to pray, to enjoy looking at the people in the line or to read the newspaper.

If everyone would do this, thing of the cumulative difference it would make!

Ironically, this sleeve says, “Do as little as possible.” I would add, “...to the environment.”

Yes, it’s called “Via”.

Of course I ordered the free sample, and Starbucks will get some free advertising when I blog about what it tastes like.

I think Starbucks is brave for trying such a thing (making an instant). It’s a bit like Ferrari coming out with an economy car.