Bloggle

• This just in… Canadian coffee company Van Houtte has a buyer — and it’s not Green Mountain. (Nyah!) U.S. venture capital company Littlejohn & Co. will acquire all the outstanding shares of Van Houtte for C$25 apiece, in a deal of about C$600 million. Reports are that shareholders are not happy.
• Green Mountain has a new top dog… Lawrence J. Blanford will assume the helm as President and CEO while Bob Stiller will retain his position as Chairman of the Board. I’m not too familiar with Larry’s background just yet… I know only that he’s the guy who — as CEO of Philips Consumer electronics USA — told Hollywood (and Congress) to stick it in their ear with regard to the awful Broadcast Flag initiative. I find that a good sign, indeed.
• Papua New Guinea coffee farms are facing the threat of the dreaded coffee borer beetle. Known as “la broca” in Central and South America, this tiny beetle can do huge damage to coffee crops… like wiping out 50-80% of a given crop. Ouch.
• And, in Science Daily, still more evidence that coffee is good for you! Studies have shown that moderate consumption can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, kidney stones, gallstones, depression, suicide and Parkinson’s disease. Drink up!

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New Castle lies on the seacoast of New Hampshire, a three hour drive from my home in Vermont. Along the way the road weaves through Vermont’s Green Mountains and New Hampshire’s Boreal forest, and most every turn reveals another postcard-perfect view of New England landscape.

That said, I missed fully half the scenery, on account of the angry gnome sitting on my shoulder, kicking me in the head. The wretched little creature called itself Disremembrance, and — just before the kicking began — it whispered in my ear that I’d left the power adapter for my computer on my desktop at home. Ouch. Ouch! OUCH!

And so began the calculus of memory — or lack thereof. Turn back, or keep going? Would my MacBook make it through a 75 minute multi-media presentation at full power, driving two displays? Could I borrow or buy a replacement? For that matter, could I find a shop that stocked the elusive MagSafe power adapter in New Castle? In Portsmouth? Could I deal with not being able to make any last-minute changes to my presentation ’cause I don’t want to burn through my batteries? Crap, how much sleep would I lose over this?

I kept driving. In the end, the friendly hotel staff helped me find a replacement power supply within a mile or two of the hotel, the presentation was wicked fun and I’ve been invited to do it again… three times now. (I think that’s a good sign!)

And that pissant little gnome? He took a header off a drawbridge on the sea coast. Didn’t even make a splash.

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When I was growing up I mowed lawns and raked leaves for pocket money, as most Midwestern boys do. I often worked for Mrs. Werkley, a dainty sexagenarian who tended toward the eccentric. When confronted with the seemingly ordinary — a big-eyed bug, a volunteer plant, or even a weed she didn’t recognize — she would clap her hands with delight and exclaim that it was, “Most curious and interesting!” Folks considered her a bit of an odd bird. They had no idea.

In her parlor Mrs. Werkley kept a plaster maquette of Australopithecus Africanus (wearing a whimsical yet decorous, embroidered fig-leaf.) On her mantle, between framed photos of the late Mr. Werkley and Dr. Loren Eiseley, was the skull of a sabre-toothed cat… just the thing to capture the imagination of an eleven-year-old. Loren Eiseley, of course, was a respected naturalist, ecologist and author. The eccentric Mrs. Caroline Werkley had been Dr. Eiseley’s research assistant for some 20 years… which might have explained a lot to the folks in that small-town neighborhood. (more…)

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I really want to continue the organic coffee thread (and I will) but I’m putting in altogether too much time on a super-duper-secret, very special, Special Reserve coffee for Green Mountain. Happily I won’t have to keep it secret much longer (I hate keeping secrets!)

Meanwhile… here’s fodder for your Friday the 13th. (more…)

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