The best part of waking up

[austin_dern]

At the risk of being controversial, I love getting free stuff. The wireless router voucher isn't here, no, but I got some free stuff from university sources. One is tucked inside a box labelled ``Unleashing Minds, Transforming Lives,'' which is a tall order for a box not four inches cube. Inside turns out to be ... a coffee mug. I've never been a believer in the cult of coffee the almighty magical beverage; in fact, I don't understand coffee. It seems to be an unpleasant, coarse form of water, like hot chocolate that's turned its back on society. I grant this is how eight-year-olds think of coffee, but it's how I think too.

With the mug I suppose it's meant to be the school that does the unleashing of minds and the transforming of lives since, really, no coffee of which I'm aware would do much about either problem, however caffeinated (either coffee or life).

The other free thing was a pocket-sized 2005 calendar, in a snug transparent plastic sleeve with its donor's initials embossed. It comes from the Office of Quality Management.

Boy, Lucas really wussied up the music for Jabba the Hutt's lair in Return of the Jedi: The Special Super-Duper Edition, didn't he? Was the big Banana Split/Fraggle guy always in the band around Tentacle Head Woman, or is that a new retcon? The weird thing isn't the subtitles in Chinese -- most English-language movies have them -- but that the subtitles continue for the dialogue Jabba has that isn't subtitled in English. When Jabba's dialogue has English subtitles the Chinese ones are delayed.

Trivia: At most 14 bishops may be placed on a standard chess board simultaneously without any having the ability to capture another. Source: Mathematical Recreations and Essays, W W Rouse Ball and HSM Coxeter.

Currently Reading: Jupiter, Reta Beebe.

Comments

who doesn't?

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

freeeeeeeeeee!
:9

Re: who doesn't?

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Oh, Freebird, huh?

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Coffee.. for me never was enjoyed, until sheer economic value pushed me into it. Namely, unlimited refills of coffee at IHOP- while Hot Cocoa was charged by the glass. At first it required copious cream and sugar to be palatable, now I can drink it with the usual cream and sugar amounts.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

That seems to be how people get into coffee. I don't know of anyone who's liked it on their own. They just acclimate to it because there's the economic benefit of getting free refills at restaurants or from work or whatnot. So somehow it's supposed to make sense that there's this good-sized industry based on giving away enough of a product -- that people actively dislike on their initial exposure -- that people don't find it so bad anymore. I don't understand any of it.

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, I suppose I need to be different at some point.. ^_^ I was just introduced to coffee early on, in a fairly weak, milky form, which I thoroughly enjoyed, as I did tea. My tastes have undergone gyrations since then, but I've always since enjoyed a good brew of either variety. (How did that quote go? Miss Marple found herself at the railway station, and liking tea more, asked for coffee)

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's different all right. I stand by my generalization, though. There's just something very peculiar about coffee as a mass beverage.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Well, some of that effect might be the American sweet-tooth. The more bitter, stronger-flavored Espresso was barely known in the USA until the 50's, and didn't reach mass-market popularity until the mid-90's. But, I'm convinced the US concept of 'coffee' is different than much of the world's.. the fact that a 'regular' 12-ounce coffee at Dunkin's involves roughly 2 ounces of cream and three teaspoons of sugar.

Also, the same can be said about beer.. most people dopn't like beer at first drink. Teenagers and young adults end up drinking in it volume because of cost (and alcohol buzz); but few like the tast at initial drink, instea needing an acclimation phase.

Coupling into all this: There is a notable shift in taste desires beginning at about 18, and usually completeting at 25 or so; the need for sweet and sugary lessens, and sour and bitter flavors become more enjoyable. It's rather universally occurent, involving the end of puberty and the body's shift from growth to maintenance. Couple that with the food freedom people gain in college, and palates push to further flavors. Thus, coffee and beer.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I didn't think of the beer side of things, either, and yeah, that's got a lot of the same effect. Nobody likes that at first taste either. Granted more sour and bitter things become more palatable ... I'm curious now what someone who first has beer only at age 30 would make of it. (I suppose I'm close to that, as I've had only a handful of beers too.)