Coffee Art: A History

One does not need to be a coffee person to get this. One does not need to possess pronounced artistic tendencies to appreciate it, either.
Some awareness to narrative styles might help, however.

This is one of the most enjoyable commentaries I've read these past few weeks. No exaggeration. And the tip of the hat goes to the artist responsible for this, whose name is Christopher Niemann. His website is here and the Times-featured piece is here.
A bit says:

"In New York, I was always envious of people who could walk into a coffee place and the guy behind the counter would know them so well he would just start fixing their order, without any exchange of words. It took me more than 10 years to get to that stage, but at the very end of my tenure in New York I finally achieved it: I would enter my little spot on Eighth Avenue and, with nothing more than maybe a nod of acknowledgment, my buddy prepared my personal choice: drip coffee with steamed milk."
And those of who 'get' the text behind this kind of familiar anonymity, so 'get' this.

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The Psychology of the Coffeeshop

Click here to listen to the piece.

I and mine regardless of our immediate backgrounds and upbringing understand, in a similar fashion, the concept and function of the coffeeshop.
To us, the coffeeshop is a work space away from the work space.
While to many the coffeeshop might be a place of socialization over a cup of cappu, to me and many like me, the coffeeshop is a place of work, a place of creation.
Most of my work is written in such spaces and while the place is indeed public, the immediate space one's occupies is personal, not to be accessed sans the right passport.
I have often referred to the coffeeshop as a heterotopic space. I do so on purpose. The coffeeshop is a symbol of heterotopia, a place where many choose to pursue the kind of activity they choose not to pursue in every other space.
In this audio piece I do a Theory-informed reading of the concept of the coffeeshop. I single out Starbucks since it seems to be a sign readily recognized by most.
As always, I look forward to your feedback.
Tip of the hat to Liam for the photograph and story. Per Delta.

Coffee Myths

Schultz did more than create the Starbucks notion back in the '80's. He seemed to also know how much the legal stimulant would come to mean to so many people at the same time. The Times posts an interesting article on the topic. And since we tend to be quite partial to the macchiato in this neck of the woods, I'll quote a 'benefit' from the feature:
"Probably the most important effects of caffeine are its ability to enhance mood and mental and physical performance. At consumption levels up to 200 milligrams (the amount in about 16 ounces of ordinary brewed coffee), consumers report an improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability, Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported, although higher amounts sometimes cause anxiety and stomach upset.

Millions of sleep-deprived Americans depend on caffeine to help them make it through their day and drive safely. The drug improves alertness and reaction time. In the sleep-deprived, it improves memory and the ability to perform complex tasks.

For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel instead of its carbohydrates."
Read full text here.
graph per ny times