Latte, with sticker to cover lid hole, Tokyo

I can’t read what the green sticker says, but perhaps it’s to prevent spillage or being burned by hot steam. Maybe it’s for sanitation, to keep the drink sealed until you are ready to drink it?

One use case for a “to go” cup is to take the drink from the counter and consume it immediately. But if you are shopping for others to drink later, or it’s too hot to drink later, how to manage the drink during that transition where it’s in your possession but not being consumed? The sticker lives in that ill-defined period of time.

I’m headed to Orange County for a few days. I’ve got some time in my schedule on Tuesday for breakfast or morning coffee. If you’re somewhere around Anaheim and want to try and connect, drop me a note.

I was amazed to see the Starbucks logo as this ridiculous afterthought to the Marriott sign. Does the Starbucks brand really endorse any environment that strongly that they need to tag it onto the hotel sign?

Rock is dead they say

If you want rock and roll all night, KISS Coffeehouse will be the place to be. On Tuesday, June 27th, legendary KISS band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons will be on hand at Myrtle Beach South Carolina’s Broadway at the Beach to cut the ribbon on the most outrageous coffee and dessert shop ever constructed.

One of the sublime pleasures in being a longtime fan of the Simpsons is that once in a while things happen that seem as if they are torn from the script pages of a recent episode. I suppose the corpse of rock-n-roll has already been flogged, flayed, broasted, turned into a B-way musical, re-released, remastered, repackaged, revised, endorsed, divorced, sold-out, infotained, bleeped and crammed into its Kiss Koffin where it revolves at a dramatic thirty-three-and-a-third revolutions per minute, but damn, this is sweet and bitter (like the coffee and desserts, no doubt).

Check out their menu:
Rockiato (size: Gold, Platinum)
Rockuccino
Cinnamon Rollover
White Choc. Symphony
British Toffee Invasion
Rocket Ride Espresso (sizes: Single, Deuce, Destroyer)
Firehouse S’Mores
Kiss Kooler
also, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Shortcake, and Assorted Cakes, Pies & Sweets (as priced).

Is this what former Flintstones writers are doing nowadays? Frozen Rockuccino! Yikes.

[And is that even the correct KISS lyric they are referencing in their press release? Didn’t they want to rock and roll all nite?]

via Reuters

Coca-Cola will launch a coffee-infused soft drink called Coca-Cola Blak in various markets around the world in 2006.

The new drink, a combination of Coca-Cola Classic and coffee extracts, will be first launched in France in January before being rolled out in the United States and other markets during 2006.

A Coke spokesperson said Coca-Cola Blak will be a mid-calorie drink, similar to Coca-Cola C2, which was launched in April 2004 and contains half the sugar, calories and carbohydrates of regular colas. The formula for the new beverage is expected to vary based on local tastes.

Analysts have said one of the keys to the company’s future is capturing more consumers who have moved away from sugary soft drinks to diet versions, or to healthier low- or no-calorie beverages.

I’m very cynical. Buy this as soon as you can find it, because it’ll become a collector’s item very quickly. Seems like Coke “innovates” new products a little too quickly, but can’t make them stick. Trying to extend the Coke brand seems like a force play that doesn’t have anything real behind it. It is COKE! You must LOVE it! You must DRINK it! Bleccgh.

This is a hysterically strange spam:

From: [email protected]
To: steve@
Subject: Wanted wholesale purchase of green coffee beans

Hello, I did a search in Google, for “coffee bean distributors”, and your site and e-mail was presented. I am looking to purchase wholesale, green coffee beans. If this e-mail address for you is correct for the search/list and you selll wholesale, green coffee beans, would you please advise me of your wholesale, bulk pricinging? If the Google search and list of your site was incorrect for my request, please disregard this request for information to you. Sincerely, M. Denver