We're All Neighbours
Everyone is doing it, and even though we at Coffee Club were thinking about passing it over,
we can't let the horror in New York go without comment.
I woke Tuesday morning, to hear gasps of shock from the family room. My eyes popped open and
I listened to something about a plane hitting the World Trade Centre. I switched on the TV as my brother came into my
room and told me what was going on. It took me more then a few minutes to understand.
I watched as they replayed the second plane smashing the other tower. It seemed so unbelievable
and movie like. I don't think I actually believed it at all. I could not comprehend the two airliners vanishing into the
buildings. It looked like a bad fire to me, and for the most part, my brain saw it that way. I kept thinking, how are they
going to put that out? If they don't do something about it soon, the building might fall apart.
We saw the cloud obscure the north tower and the newscasters commenting on part of the building
snapping off. To us, it did not look like there was a building, and just like you've seen countless times in countless
movies, when the smoke cleared, it was gone. At some point we heard about the Pentagon, and saw the other building collapse.
It was unbelievable.
I spent 8 hours watching news coverage. I spent the next 2 days keeping track. On Friday morning
I gave up TV. The tension is still pretty high just about everywhere you go, but it's been a week, and it looks like
things will get back to normal. The most welcome aspect of this tragedy is how it's brought us closer as a country and
as a people. It's made us think a little more about our friends and neighbors. I've seen strangers talking, exchanging
more then just pleasantries and I think its wonderful.
The saddest thing though, is it takes a tragedy like this to bring people together. If we can
learn anything from this, it's that life is to frighteningly fragile to waste on trivial meaningless things. The most
important things in life you can't buy and it's probably a good idea to figure out what those important things are,
before its too late.
Next month, we will most likely be back to our usual acerbic and entertaining selves. Hope
you can join us. In the mean time, try and be good to each other. Have some consideration for your fellow humans,
cause this rock we live on is getting mighty small, and sooner or later, we're gonna have to make friends with everyone.
Nescafe Ice Coffee Syrup
It comes in a fabulous black bottle, with really cool blue and silver labeling. It says
right on the front, Ice Coffee Syrup. That's right, a couple of squirts and you got yourself a cup of frothy
sweety cappuccino or coffee. The ingredient list is pretty simple. You get sugar, water, and coffee extract. Hmm...does
brewing count as extracting, in this case I am thinking coffee concentrate, so all the flavour with no substance.
There are two recipes on the back. The first of for Iced Cappuccino. You need a blender,
cup of ice cubes, 1/4 cup of milk (or creammmmmm), and 2 tablespoons of the magic concentrate. You blend it up until
its all frothy and slushy. We sampled this at Jill's abode, basically cause she had a blender that did ice. It tastes
pretty good, very reminiscent of the favoured Tim Horton's Iced Cap. Best part is, if you want more flavour, its as
easy as another squirt.
The second recipe is for Iced Coffee. You take 1 cup of milk, add 2 tablespoons of magic
concentrate and add a few ice cubes. Hmm. It taste a lot like bitter sweet chocolate milk. This ain't bad at all,
but very unlike coffee. You could possibly do the same with half brewed coffee, half milk and sugar, then toss in
some ice cubes. I also figure using real coffee will make it taste much better.
So, what the hell is this stuff? I think it's an interesting flavouring, that does taste
coffee like in the Iced Cappuccino recipe. It does nothing for me in milk, but it's a cool substitute for chocolate
syrup. It makes a tasty topping for ice cream, could possibly be used to flavour icing and other desserts, might be
good with alcohol. I can see plenty of uses for it, just not sure it's real coffee. Best thing though. It's WAY better
then Krakus Coffee Substitute.
Feel free to try it out. It ain't so bad that you couldn't find some uses for it, and in the
end, even if you just mix it with milk or pour it on your loved one, at least you'll be getting your calcium and some
tasty loving.
Nuff' said.
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Jill Loves You
The terrorist attacks in America left everyone with a sour taste in their mouth, and a
palpable tension in the air. Jill dashed into a local café last Tuesday afternoon after the bombings, and the
atmosphere was one of dread silence. It's a tension that still lingers in the air, and is visible in the sidelong
glances people give their neighbors, in the way they draw their children close to them when a stranger passes by.
Jill was sickened and saddened by the bombings, and more than a little afraid of what the
after math will bring. Will the western world go off all half-cocked and declare war on the rest of the world?
This seems more than likely. Tuesday's tragic events should perhaps lead the G-8 countries to re-examine their
foreign policies, and their roles as global citizens. Now is the time for rational thinking, intelligent planning,
mourning and rebuilding. Jill understands the lust for revenge more than most (she is, after all, a Scorpio), but
she also realizes the futility of vengeance, and realizes that justice can be met without unnecessary violence.
We're not used to being serious here at the Coffee Club, but lately, that's all we've been.
When we've gathered to drink a cup of joe and shoot the breeze, this is all that we, like the rest of the world, can
talk about. One thing that we'd like to remind our esteemed audience of, is that your neighbor is not responsible for
Tuesday's tragedy.
Please don't take your rage out on other Canadians, just because they're new to our country.
Debate intelligently, temper your sadness with logic, and remember my little monkeys, Jill loves you.
For a look at what the alternative press has to say about Tuesday's Tragedy, check out the following:
http://www.michaelmoore.com
http://www.utne.com
http://www.motherjones.com
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