The Perfect Cuppa?
March 20, 2005
Apparently George Orwell set down 11 ironclad rules for making the perfect cup of tea. Unfortunately, the BBC doesn’t much agree with him.
Dr Andrew Stapley, a chemical engineer at Loughborough University, has brought the weight of his scientific knowledge (and shameless personal preferences) to bear on the question of the perfect cuppa, and found that Orwell was wrong on a number of points.
Check the article for their whole point-by-point refutation for how to make a modern British perfect cup of tea…
I actually rather agree with Ol’ George on a number of points. I like my tea strong, and I don’t like sugar in it. They can keep the milk, too.
Irish Coffee — The Backstory…
March 19, 2005
I know I should have posted this in time for St. Pattys, but hey — coffee, irish whiskey and whipped cream are a good topic for any day…
In any event, Coffee and Tea did their homework, and researched the history of Irish Coffee, and provide it (along with a couple of recipes) here.
In honor of the day, or should I say honour, I’ll not only be wearin’ the green, but drinkin’ the Irish as well. Mug in hand, I went in search of the origins of the stuff.
Starbucks to buy more African coffee
March 6, 2005
If you get your caffeine fix from Starbucks, apparently you’re soon to be drinking more African coffee….
Starbucks plans to raise its coffee purchases from Africa, although the bulk of supply will continue to come from Latin America, an executive with the world’s largest coffee retailer said on Sunday.
Starbucks plans to buy more African coffee (MSNBC)
I’ve not had a vast amount of African coffees (other than the occasional bit of Etheopian Harrar), so I’m wondering what all we can expect in the way of new tastes… Or if they’ll even do variatels, or instead just add these into some of their blends in place of similar tasting varieties…
Free Mp3s from Google
March 5, 2005
So how’s your google-foo? This guide is a relatively comprehensive list of how to use some of Google’s more esoteric search operators to sniff out MP3s that people may have put (or left) online for one reason or another.
“This How-To will teach you how to use google to find mp3s. This How-To will be highly pragmatic and will focus on the hows and not the wherefores of the various search strings.”
The Tea FAQ
March 5, 2005
Interested in serious tea, but don’t know your Broken Orange Pekoe from your Pu-Erh, or your Lipton from your Oolong?
Then you need the Tea FAQ, brought to you by the perfectly steeped and brewed folks of rec.food.drink.tea.
Lots of good information that cuts through a lot of the mystique and b.s. you can find in the tea world.
Check it out!
How To Find MP3’s With Google
March 5, 2005
So how’s your google-foo? This guide is a relatively comprehensive list of how to use some of Google’s more esoteric search operators to sniff out MP3s that people may have put (or left) online for one reason or another.
“This How-To will teach you how to use google to find mp3s. This How-To will be highly pragmatic and will focus on the hows and not the wherefores of the various search strings.”
Iced Tea Communists
March 3, 2005
In case you run out of interesting things to actually read, do or brew regarding your tea, you can read this strange debate as to whether iced tea is actually a communist drink.
Personally, I’m inclined to think that ice water with lemon is actually much more communist than iced tea…
Your thoughts?
Starbucks Barista Aroma Quattro Review
March 3, 2005
Lest my Philips Senseo Review give you the wrong impression, not everything is bitter in the world of coffee around here.
Succumbing to my frustration with the Senseo the other day, I was out and decided to stop into Starbucks for a real cup of coffee.. Okay, well, a better cup of coffee than I’ve been brewing lately, anyway.
While I was there, I glanced at their automatic drip coffee makers, thinking evil thoughts about the coffee that lurked at home. Off to one side from the rest of them was a half-pint version of the Barista Aroma — a four cup coffee maker with a stainless steel thermal carafe. Looking at it a little closer, it didn’t have any digital timers, automatic grinders, turn signals or infrared remotes. It had one button — an on switch.
Intrigued, I found out that this was the Barista Aroma Quattro, a coffee maker they are discontinuing and selling out. In fact, it was their last one, and if I wanted it, I could take it home for $25. Twenty five bucks at Starbucks? Geeze, that’s like what — three cups of coffee? How wrong could this be? So I took it home..
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (1937 – 2005)
February 21, 2005
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, dead at 67.
Hunter’s writing has been a constant source of personal inspiration and madness for 30+ years.
WordPress 1.5 – Better for Business Blogs?
February 20, 2005
The 1.5 version of WordPress is here! And, well… …here. I’ve just finished upgrading this site from WordPress 1.22 to 1.5 — and I’m quite impressed.
Read more
you had my hope up 
