Buddha - what coffee beans do you recommend in the SF Bay area? I'm down in San Jose.
I'm not a picky coffee drinker, but don't mind trying the best.
There's a "professional" espresso machine at work. It will make espresso, latte, and cappucino. The only difference between its latte and cappucino functions appears to be the order in which the machine brews the espresso and streams the milk. Nevertheless right now the cappucino function is broken, and lattes are served regularly.
Vietnamese iced coffee is tasty and will get you going.
A cup of espresso has less caffeine than a cup of brewed coffee. The hot water (or steam) passes through the beans so fast that a lot of the caffeine is left behind. Hence the name.
I agree that this forum has much less functionality than most other web forums. It would be great to be able to search by user, or be able to get a list of new posts since your last visit.
Adam, this forum is unique and I reckon most members are more than happy with how it runs, but if you would like something a little more powerful that will be able to scale up with time as traffic increases, I can help. For free.
Last Edited by on Jul 17, 2009 5:39 PM
arzajac, I agree. As I see it, it's way overdue...
I would even suggest, Adam, to redesign the whole site. This community is ever growing and it has a lot of potential. A well organised and designed forum and website could channel that energy. What about a new thread where we could chip in some thoughts and ideas...
Whatever substandard functionality this board can boast is the responsibility of my server/creator, www.macwebsitebuilder.com (or www.macwebsitebuilders.com I can't remember.)
Backward as the website as a whole may seem to some, it seems to work. People keep demanding to be made part of the forum community; people keep buying my videos and tabs and then sending me emails expressing major satisfaction at the progress they've made. I don't mind suggestions, but I'm unlikely to follow them. I'm evil that way.
I believe that one of the great strengths of this board is the corner-store, sittin-on-the-bench undifferentiated element: the fact that it's not subdivided into different sub-forums. My favorite other board, at www.letsrun.com works this way. The advantage is that when you punch in to p. 1, you get to see what's current, what's on everybody's mind. It's extremely efficient that way--although admittedly a bit anarchic. The street musician in me likes that.
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/forum.php?board=1
The MBH board is the blues harmonica street.
I have no problem with low-content, off-topic threads, but it's probably a great idea to have one per week, into which people can pour whatever they want. I suggest Monday AM (GMT) through Sunday evening as rough parameters.
Last Edited by on Jul 17, 2009 8:15 PM
A little off topic, but does anyone else but me see the benefit of cigar therapy (with bourbon supplementation when required) for windage improvement?Dunno... Probably practicin' a therapeutic theory as of yet unproven.
I don't mind Starbucks, and I've heard that the independent coffee shops don't mind them either as they got people used to paying high prices for coffee. Nevertheless the following rant is worth a watch:
Starbucks trivia - they actually had a Starbucks inside the forbidden city in Beijing for a while, but since this was so controversial they shut it down in 2007. And believe it or not the price for a coffee in a Chinese Starbucks is the same or maybe higher than in America.
"Whatever substandard functionality this board can boast is the responsibility of my server/creator..."
Adam, I think I can speak for more than just myself in saying: we don't want a thing changed! We all like it here, just as it is, and even BECAUSE of how it is. Thanks!
Keith E> Yeah went to Starbucks inside The Forbidden City in Nov 2007. Was a bitterly cold day and saw all these people walking around with large cups of Starbucks swill mainly keeping their hands warm. The outlet was well concealed and we secured our hand warmers. The coffee was dreadful and gave us the shakes ie a foul tasting but powerful hit!
I think Starbucks have now closed in Australia? We are very well serviced by excellent coffee outlets. It could not be difficult to have predicted the demise of Starbucks as their product simply was not acceptable.
Wish the same would happen to McMuck stores as they are everywhere selling their Burgers & fry's packaged in litter. Before McMucks we could get real Burgers made of real steak with eggs, cheese, onion , bacon, lettuce etc on a real bread roll. Now its a polystyrene product posing as meat on a bun that is more suited to plugging up holes in dunny walls.
However some McMucks have McCafe's & the cappucinos sold are not real bad.
Now, if these outlets were to foster live music of the harp variety then I just might be more favourably inclined to not rubbish them.
Well, I hate Starbucks coffee--but they sort of got this whole cottage industry thing going up here in the NorthWest (USA) and you gotta love that--I mean, you drive up to the window and this young lady with big tits serves you up a 20-ounce Americano with cream for $2.50--you drop a .50 tip in the bucket and she smiles and bends down to give you the best tunnel view--god, I just gotta love America when that happens!!
Lately some of them have taken to wearing nighties and bikinis to increase their tips--but that just gets embarassing--especially if the wife is with you.
For home brew, I go with the French Press and Espresso dark roast beans--and I just look down my wife's blouse to simulate the drive-through. . .
We Aussies are real mean ie we rarely tip. Its not a custom here ie certainly not when buying coffee and paying $4 to $5 a cup.
There are outback pubs in our Western mining towns that have beautiful girls in bikini bottoms - no tops - serving the beers. No tipping necessary and the beer is great.
Next week we are off outback, not to the aforementioned, but to where the beer tastes great and the only harp playing will be around the campfire. Hope the fish are biting!
Last Edited by on Jul 18, 2009 12:47 AM
I believe that in America the restaurant staff work for about a dollar an hour and literally live off the tips.
Whereas in Germany when I was there 25 years ago there was already a move towards paying all restaurant staff a percentage of the takings, but you gave a nominal tip of a DM or two. When I was there 10 years ago, you didn't even give a nominal tip, unless it was to round up to the nearest DM (it was before Euros). I was there for a week, merrily tipping the waitress a few marks each time, then on day 5 I saw her arrive at work in a BMW 750! That was when I stopped tipping her.
You're probably right about bourbon. But, I fear too much for my liver to allow it become a habit. Jack Daniels is far too easy drink lots of, especially with a dash of coke and a couple of ice cubes; that's my drink of choice when I go to heaven and can't die any more. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
Adam, I understand what you are saying about how this forum is streamlined. It works and I wouldn't presume to tell you what your website needs. It's a privilege to be here and I'm very thankful this forum is here.
But if ever you want to move away from macwebsitebuilder, I can help. I'm not saying I'm the only choice (there are plenty of people who can do websites), nor am I saying I'm the best at it. Just saying it's possible and free.
I run a few sites and the ones that do pay me cover the bandwidth for all the others. As a fan, it's my pleasure/hobby to offer this for free.
Those pinche frijoles are in fact "in the mail". I was offshore, and actually didn't get them out until Tuesday of this week. You should be seeing them soon.
Don't hold out your expectations very high. This was my first roasting in that big ole roaster at my bud's roastery. I was in student mode.
All this coffee talk is threading up this threadless thread. I thought this was supposed to be a disjointed walk though our collective psyche?
Buddha: good add with the gas clip. One observation - not a single retaliatory action? No punches, tackles or slaps? No swearing? What kind of sick people are these?
I just watched crossroads and it is an awesome blues movie.
I'd recommend you to read about the plot of 2001 before watching the movie. Only then you'll have the patience to focus on what the movie is really about. It really is some kind of artsy flick but if you're interested in cinematic stuff and science fiction, it really is pretty cool (one of my favorite movies, anyway).
German, I guess my posting would have had more point if I'd made it clear that I am fully aware of the plot (and have been since I first saw the movie in about 1975 and discussed it with school-friends who had read the book. I do confess I've never read the book).
I think maybe the ending of the IMDB synopsis expresses some of the emptiness: -
"This being then orbits Earth, and gazes down at it. As the newly evolved star-child of the human race, he is trying to decide what to do next."
Last Edited by on Jul 19, 2009 7:49 AM
Go ahead, Ryan. If you won't, I will. But maybe with another subject than "nutty coffee". I can't get that Austin Powers scene out of my head... NASTY! lol.
I got a KICK ASS stovetop coffee perculator the other day. Drip coffee is too feminine for my tastes, I like my coffee to be good UNTIL (not till) the last drop;) I've been brewing up some of that sweet German Grandessa Roast.
The perculator was in virtually unused condition. It was made in 1970 or shortly thereafter. It perks well and keeps it hot for quite a while. [img]http://s.ecrater.com/stores/51319/47c4ac8e9b8b1_51319n.jpg[/img]
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2009 5:15 PM
buddha, i make pastries in a roasting house/restaurant up here in the great white north and am surrounded by 125 lbs bags of green coffee beans from all over, the coffee is on me if you drop by.
Those hot air popcorn machines probably do roast coffee beans better than they pop popcorn. When we tried one it mostly spewed hot unpopped kernels all over the kitchen. It's about as safe as sharks with lasers. If you read reviews on Amazon this is a common complaint.
Don't roast, don't grind. Use to grind, but it created so much mess, I gave up. I only like the highest roast, and I think that has to be done in a factory. Even if I could do it, I'd probably get prosecuted on pollution laws.
