Unnecessary Process - College Perk Coffee House Bathroom

College Perk is a sweet coffee house in College Park, MD. They have live music and also serve actual good beer.

Since I've been so busy with my projects, I've only had time for the large pots of coffee or tea, by the way-no beer. So don't think I'm out enjoying myself or anything! LOL. You can actually study there, they have free wifi.

My apologies to College Perk for exposing their toilet for all to see.

I just love these signs!

Soy Crunch Story

This one's much better than the Caffe Verona.

I found this on the back of the Soy Crunch bag:

"I originally developed soy crunch for my children, who love sweets. as a health conscious parent, I wanted to give them a nutritious snack with out empty calories.
After making Soycrunch I stared sending it to school wit them as a snack. each day they would ask me to pack more because their friends were eating it all! Soon my friends and family were tasking for it too. Everyone fell in love with Soy Crunch!

From that wonderful response, a business was born. Soycrunch has the soy so many modern consumers are looking for , and it tastes great!

I know you'll love it too!"

It is really good by the way:)

Starbucks Caffe Verona Story

Starbucks' Caffe Verona was the best story I found so far. Hopefully there'll be more stories to come!
The caffe verona story:

They met by chance
at a masquerade ball. He was bewitched
by her beauty and grace.
She, entranced by his kindness and demeanor. They fell in love
on that moonlit night. He gave her his vow of undying devotion.
She in return, gave him her heart.
Alas, their love was not meant
to be. They were separated in life by
a feud between their families, but united once more in eternity.

Two Tales of the Lost Generation

This YouTube video portrays two tales of the Lost Generation depending on whether you listen to the forward or backward version. Check out the video for both versions.

Gift Bear to the King

Gift Bear to the King was about a little bear who was asked to give the King a birthday message. When he set off on his journey he was happy and determined. However along the way, he keeps encountering people who need his help. He is hesitant to stop because he knows he needs to make it to the King in time for his birthday.

But he's so nice he can't bear to see someone in need, so each time he stops to helps and then leaves, singing "I'm the Gift Bear to the King and I won't stop for anything!" (That's the part my grandmother used to sing, so it's really stuck in my head!)
Finally he makes it to the castle, but the guard is so angry with him for being late, he throws him in the dungeon. In the dungeon, he sings his song, sad and low. Finally the King hears him singing and pops into the dungeon. He says kindly, "Gift Bear, I've been waiting for you, what are you doing here?" The bear explains his story. So impressed by his kindness, the King declares him free and invites him into the castle for tea.

The Moral of the Story
There could be several morals to this story:
Don't be too nice or you'll get screwed in the end.
Nice people are misunderstood.
Keep your priorities straight, even if you have good intentions.
Put yourself first, not other people, unless you can count on a kindly king to come along and save you. : ) : )

Maybe it doesn't even have a moral. Maybe it just reflects the difficulty in balancing your own goals versus the needs of others. Work vs. Home. When to say no.
I can relate. It's hard when you're a giving person and everyone wants something from you. It's easy to help other people but forget about yourself, and your goals and missions.

Cannonball Simp

My grandmother used to read me alot of stories. The two that stuck out in my head were Cannonball Simp and Gift Bear for the King. They were both first published in 1966, but that is 10 years before I was born so she was probably hanging on to them for a while.

Cannonball Simp is about a dog who was rejected by his owner because he was so ugly. He wanders around, lonely and rejected, until this circus* clown finds him. Simp is a natural at being shot out of a cannon. Suddenly Simp finds his purpose in life and the clown finds the perfect cannonball for his act!

*note that I do not condone the use of animals in circuses but thought it was funny when i was 5.

Elephant Paints Himself?

Story goes, an elephant has learned to paint himself. Is it real or a hoax? I think the elephant was trained, but not necessarily painting himself. They do recognize themselves in the mirror though supposedly.

See the video. Decide for yourself.

The Flying Pickle Says Print is Not Dead

Like design,* print is supposedly dead too, but not according to the Flying Pickle.

*Sean mentioned in class that Philippe Starck has declared that design is dead. Such a shame considering I'm just learning something about it. Ironcially there is a design company named Design is Dead and they are hiring designers.