A cup of coffee to start the day

We’ve been told it’s OK to drink, what, three to four, 8-ounce cups of coffee each day? If I drank that much java, I wouldn’t be able to type. It’d be a string of random letters. Irritable? Who’s irritable? This is good news for us java gals and guys. A cuppa is the way to start the day with a caffeine kick. Francis Bacon, the Irish/English philosopher and statesman, said that a morning cup of coffee is the ideal way to clear the cobwebs of the mind.

In the last year, there appeared to be storm clouds on the coffee horizon. Pundits were warning that coffee was bad for our health. Eventually, it was revealed that the tea drinkers were behind this. I love tea and drink gallons of iced tea during the summer. Excellent Chinese tea in the cooler months. However, I believe it was Capt. Lipton, of Lipton’s Tea fame, who was behind the false coffee scare. He tweeted this.

I know it’s not that bad that people drink tea as their wakeup drink. All of England, and Ireland for that matter, would never awaken if tea didn’t have some startup properties. Though tea may be responsible for their talking the way they do: mispronouncing and harrumphing. Some people, even friends, drink no-cal Coke or Pepsi for breakfast. I’ve tried counseling them. Then, they tell me they also eat unheated, leftover pizza in the morning. I leave them to their own fate after hearing that.

I was just watching a Cal football game, this being the start of college football season. I love it. There flashed on the electronic screen an ad for Peet’s Coffee. Now that’s serious stuff. Berkeley is the home of Peet’s, and I was introduced to take out coffee, a coffee bar and caffeine rushes at Peet’s. The aroma alone is enough to put caffeine in your bloodstream. Some of you may need a note from home before trying a cup. But it’s worth the trouble.

Recently, in this newspaper, we read about “Coffee with a Cop.” The recent article was about Brawley where Officer Nathan Montes shared a cup at Brownie’s Diner, a wonderful local place. Most of the cities have done Coffee with a Cop. I think it’s a great way for the police to become acquainted with locals. Hey. There are no donuts involved, though Starbucks attempts to peddle stale donuts and coffee cake. Most of us ignore that stuff and focus on the lattes. The Brawley event was co-sponsored by my buddies at the Area Agency on Aging, a great group bringing meals and other services to seniors.

So I was thinking about community coffees when I spotted this article about “coffee delivery drones.” Just when you thought it was safe to go out and have a cuppa, or hang around the break room at your office, some techies have made it hazardous. It’s IBM this time. The company has patented drones with cameras and sensors that can read human facial expressions and body language revealing who needs another jolt. Yes. We live in strange times, and now Danny the drone will deliver another double espresso to you without your even asking. The biometric sensors on the drone will determine that you came in late from the party and need a pickup.

That’s what I call service! Not to worry. Each cup will be delivered in a leak-proof bag in case there are midair collisions or if some over-achiever reaches up and grabs the double macchiato with soy destined for your lips. How did the drone know you take soy instead of milk? They learn people’s habits. Oh, that’s good. Or is it? How much smarter than humans do we want the drones to become?

Just watch my pupils, drone. Deliver me that double espresso. I couldn’t sleep last night worrying about when the machines will take over.

Hope you had a relaxing Labor Day. Cheers for the workers.