Just Coffee Cooperative

The Honorable Matthew Cameron Earley has been commissioned a Kentucky Colonel!!!

Join Just Coffee in welcoming our own Matt Earley to the distinguished ranks of such pomperosers as Barry Manilow, Ronald Reagan, and Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

This venerable achievement ushers in a new era of prestige to Just Coffee as well as to the entire fairtrade coffee roasting industry, as Matt is, we believe, the first coffee roaster to have been bestowed this estimable title.

When reached for comment, Matt slowly set his mint julep on the railing of the veranda while his misting eyes looked out over his vast estate surveying all that was his. He then thoughtfully straightened his string tie, brushed the dirt of the shoulder of his seersucker suit, and cleared his throat in a classy southern way. What he said next was lost in the loud chirping of a thousand cicadas and the syrupy goodness of his stately Kentucky drawl.

Then he smiled widely, tipped his white hat, and sauntered into the humid evening to find another refreshing bourbon drink.

If you don't like goofy kid videos, please keep browsing.

However, if you do...

Here is a video diary of my recent trip to Venezuela.

The song in the clip is by a fellow named Luis Llaneton Sandoval. It is called "Las Cachos Suben y Bajan".

I'll post more stories and photos about VZ soon.

Despite the full court pressure of negative press and an incredibly lame op-ed in the Washington Post by Donald Rumsfeld, the referendum on changes to VZ's constitution went off without spawning the apocalypse. And surprisingly, the changes were rejected by a narrow margin. So much for the downfall of democracy in Venezuela.

No matter what you thought about the proposed changes to the constitution, you have to admit that the election was impressive. The US press has made constant reference to the "violent" campaign, but in truth it was largely peaceful. And please note that, unlike our current presidential campaign, no one walked into any of the organizing organizations' offices taking hostages with a pipe bomb.

So if you are a Venezuelan, whether a Chavista or a member of the opposition, I send a salute to you today. You all have a functioning democracy and that is something we could use here in the US.