It’s Monday Again



It’s Monday again. At least it’s a short week for most people! Although this weekend did fly by, I don’t really mind Mondays that much at my new job; it doesn’t hurt I only work 3 days this week since I’m off Christmas and Christmas Eve. For those that strongly dislike Mondays though, just think, at least you didn’t clean off the wrong car like the guy in the video above. Or if you did clean off the wrong car, at least you know you aren’t alone!



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Are You Using Knock-Off K-Cup Technology?


The single-serving coffee maker has to rank fairly high on the list of office engineering marvels. After all, who doesn’t feel better knowing that a cup of Joe is just 30 seconds away when they’re working late on a project? It might be a little watery, but it works in a pinch.


According to lawsuit recently filed at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, however, one particularly well known purveyor of single-serving technology is having trouble getting their innovations recognized by the government. Reading, Mass.-based Keurig, Inc. filed suit on Dec. 11 against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, claiming officials there had wrongly rejected a patent application on the company’s K-Cup coffee filter cartridges.

Read the full article, “A Fight Brews Over Coffee Making Technology “. Posted 12/18/09.



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Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) on the Big Island


When a small group of SCAE members reached the “Big Island” of Hawaii in late October this year, and we were taken to the hotel on the northwest of the island, many of us wondered how coffee could possibly grow on this barren land. All around, as far as the eye could see and right up to the great volcano of Mauna Kea, was a desert of black lava. There was a light mist, formed by fine volcanic dust mixing with the air, which the locals call volcanic fog or “vog.”

Read the full Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) article, Coffee on the Big Island: the SCAE’s Hawaii origin tour. Posted 12/14/09.


Learn a little about Kona coffee and see a photo gallery of SCAE’s trip to the Big Island.



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Drink Coffee to Help Prevent Diabetes


WASHINGTON (Reuters) – People who drink the most coffee and tea, even decaffeinated versions, can dramatically lower their risk of diabetes, researchers reported on Monday.

Read the full Reuters article, Coffee, tea, even decaf lowers diabetes risk: study. Posted 12/14/09.


I really like studies that include decaf drinks along with regular coffee. It’s nice being able to differentiate if some of the effects are from coffee, or just the caffeine in it.



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Tanzania Officials: Drink More Coffee


Tanzanians should double the amount of coffee they drink in the next five years to help domestic growers, a senior official said on Monday.

Read the full TheCitizen article, Drink more coffee: official. Posted 12/16/09.


I sure don’t need anyone to tell me to drink more coffee! I could go have a cup now, but I don’t think it would help Tanzania any. That and the fact that it’s 11:50 PM.



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Walmart Offers Fair Trade Coffee


While Walmart has been criticized in the past for being more concerned with price than environmental or labor issues when sourcing its goods, one area where it’s improving its record is with coffee. This year, the company partnered with TransFair USA, an independent certifying agency, to offer fair trade-certified coffee in its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. The coffee is sustainably grown by farmers who receive a living wage and is thus more expensive than competing coffees – roughly $5.88 for a 10 to 12 ounce bag, compared with less than $5 for supermarket brand Eight O’Clock Coffee. But it tastes better (or at least it should), and by selling fair-trade coffee, Walmart vastly expands the market for such goods.

Read the full CBS News article, “What to Buy at Walmart” (coffee is number 3 on the list).


I’m not suggesting people do or do not shop at Walmart, I just like reading about new places offering fair trade coffee.



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Coffee-Talkies Gift Idea


Coffee-Talkies


Although I have absolutely no use for walkie-talkies, these coffee-talkies really caught my eye. Then I found out it’s just a prank gift box. I think I’d actually be disappointed if someone gave me this, and I opened it up only to find it wasn’t real. The idea is pretty cool though, but I’d like it even more if the coffee-talkies were real, working walkie-talkies. The boxes, available through The Onion Store, cost $6.00. If I had more room to display stuff like this, I would really consider ordering one of these; I’m sure it would be a conversation piece. I’m continually amazed at all the coffee-related products people come up with.



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Sorry, Coffee Won’t Sober You Up


People who drink may want to know that coffee won’t sober them up, according to new laboratory research. Instead, a cup of coffee may make it harder for people to realize they’re drunk.

Read the full Physorg.com article, “Caffeine doesn’t reverse the negative cognitive impact of alcohol, study shows.” Posted 12/7/09.


According to this study, the caffeine in coffee may make you more alert, but it also may give you a false sense of sobriety. When you haven’t had that caffeine, you are more likely to realize how tired or drunk you are. So, don’t count on coffee to negate all those beers you had.



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Drink Coffee and Win a Nobel Prize


Today’s Nobel Prize winners in economics, chemistry, and physics claimed coffee to play a positive role in their successes, along with intellectual freedom and independent research. Drinking coffee stimulates the nervous system and allows for an alert, focused mind, something imaginative thinkers could not do without. Regardless, it was not the caffeine from the coffee that the Nobel Prize winners were praising, despite the extra hours of work a pot of coffee may have facilitated.

Read the full Examiner article, “Coffee credited with assisting Nobel Prize winners“. Posted 12/7/09.


OK, it’s not quite as easy as drinking a cup of joe, but coffee has been mentioned by nobel prize winners as helping out to a certain extent. Even though it may have been through indirect methods, such as during coffee breaks, this led to a conducive environment for unique thinking.



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Coffee Creamer Snowman


It’s getting close to Christmas and I know many people already have their decorations up. If you have kids and you’re still looking for something small to add, try making a coffee creamer snowman; this free Christmas project is shared by AllFreeCrafts.com. The supplies needed are pretty basic (except for the mini-straw broom I doubt many people have laying around), as long as you have a coffee creamer container, salt container or cardboard, and black felt or construction paper. This is a good way to use your coffee creamer container after the creamer is all gone.


View a picture of the snowman.



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