It's a pause -n- serve model (which I prefer, but don't require), but the little giggamahoogey that needs to be pressed in, for the coffee to exit the filter cup and enter the pot is wearing out, or something. If you don't use surgical precision to ensure the coffee pot is sitting correctly on the burner, the coffee no longer drips into the pot. Instead, it backs up, and then grounds end up spilling into it. And then I cry. No. Really. It's not pretty.

Oh, god, I had a work coffee-maker that did exactly that. It was horrible. Crying while at work because the coffee-maker has overflowed grounds all over the kitchen does not advance one's career. And we didn't replace it, tragedy of the commons style.

Oh, -t. Didn't replace it? That's inhumane. There ought to be OSHA regulations about that.

I mean we are extra careful with this bad boy, because it's happened enough. We both check it obsessively, and yet every once in a while, we'll have a week where it happens for days on end. Last week was such a week--and we didn't have the money to buy a new one, until Thursday. Of course, it's been good as gold since Thursday, because it heard us plotting its demise.

Oh, -t. Didn't replace it? That's inhumane. There ought to be OSHA regulations about that

Small company, under the radar, and one of the managers was overtly anti-coffee. They're out of business, now, in fact.

I don't trust your coffee maker, Cindy, you better keep threatening it. Keep it on its toes.

I learned it in Full Metal Jacket during one of Lee Ermey's legendary rants.

Which were basically improv-ed by Eremy, though he'd probably said them often enough in his drill sergant days to have them comitted to memory. It also led to this memorable on-set exchange:

Kubrick: That's great, Lee! But what's a reacharound?

Eremy: Use your imagination, Stanley.

It took the end of Jon Stewart's piece for me to figure it out. I am unclear, however, is Alan Cummings' product a spoof or actually serious?

An unknown cat stood below my bedroom window and yowled at 5:30 AM, setting up a chain reaction: me grabbing Java to keep him inside, yanking the cat-door-flap out of the window, slamming the window, trying to get back to sleep, leaping out of bed to keep Java from killing the best tabby cat in the world whom he decided to mistake for the strange cat in his adrenaline-enduced rage. SIGH. On the plus side, I got up and went to the gym for the first time in forEVER. And had time for a latte!

Small company, under the radar, and one of the managers was overtly anti-coffee. They're out of business, now, in fact.

Serves them right, -t.

I don't trust your coffee maker, Cindy, you better keep threatening it. Keep it on its toes.

You can't trust it. It is untrustworthy. Most mornings I am up before whatever time we've set it to start brewing. When that's the case, I hover, and swear at it, under my breath. It's bad. Apparently, it's not bad enough to make vw bug or Emily pimp their new coffee maker to me, though. Just because I'm not Lee, and my toes aren't currently stained, doesn't mean I don't need coffee maker pimping.

one of the managers was overtly anti-coffee. They're out of business, now, in fact.

Coincidence?? I think not.

I am unclear, however, is Alan Cummings' product a spoof or actually serious?

Actually serious, JC.

I didn't see TDS, what with no cable, but Alan Cumming has had his scent in the works for a while.

Bra-buying question:

How are the bras at Lane Bryant? I'm looking for something that's a bit less than the $50 and up I usually pay for bras, since I'm in the middle of a diet and expect my boobs to continue to shrink a bit more before they settle on a size (for those of you who haven't been keeping score at home, they were already big pre-baby, and are still Quite Large despite the fact I haven't breastfed in 8 months). So it doesn't have to be the amazing miracle bra that fits perfectly and lasts forever--just decent boobular containment that'll hold up well short-term.

just decent boobular containment that'll hold up well short-term.

Then Lane Bryant should do you. But, even better for short-term would be Wal-Mart or Target. You can get something for $15 whereas LB will run you more like $30.