Oh, You See One!

Arnel Pineda Back in the Philippines

RT Cunningham — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:51:01 +0000

I'm a few days behind. I received the Google Alert for this news item on the 9th. Arnel Pineda arrived at the Manila airport on the evening of October 8th and the video of it was broadcast on the 9th. The webcast is at "Journey frontman Arnel Pineda back in RP, to do local concerts (video)", but you can view it here through the magic of embedding:

According to Arnel, he performed 69 shows as the lead singer of Journey before the tour ended. I have no information on when he'll return to the US, but several sources say he'll be here (in the Philippines) long enough to do several concerts with other bands including his former band, "The Zoo".

My wife, over Skype, asked me (jokingly, I hope) when I was going to Manila to see him. I hate traveling in Manila. If he comes to Olongapo, Subic Bay or even Clark, I'll go see him. Otherwise, it isn't happening.

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Adam and Eve

RT Cunningham — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:33:06 +0000

All About Adam

Wandering dejectedly in The Garden of Eden, Eve told God, "I'm lonely I'm tired of eating apples by myself."

"Okay," God said, "I'll create a man for you."

Eve said, "A man! What's that?"

"He's a creature with aggressive tendencies and an enormous ego. He won't listen very well, he'll get lost easily, but never stop to ask for directions. However, he's big and strong, and he can open jars and hunt animals. He'll be fun in bed."

"Sounds great!" said Eve.

"Oh, and one more thing," God said. "He will want to believe that I made HIM first."

God the Parent

Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to God's kids.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing He said to them was: "Don't."

"Don't what?" Adam asked.

"Don't eat the Forbidden Fruit." God replied.

"Forbidden fruit? We got Forbidden Fruit? Hey, Eve, we got Forbidden Fruit!"

"No way!"

"Where?"

"Don't eat that fruit!" said God.

"Why?"

"Because I am your Creator and I said so!" said God, wondering why he hadn't stopped after making the elephants.

A few minutes later God saw the kids having an apple break and was angry.

"Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" the 'First Parent' asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?"

"I dunno," Eve answered.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did not!"

"DID so!"

"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own… thus the pattern was set, and it has never changed.

Not tonight, Adam

After a few days, the Lord called to Adam and said, "It is time for you and Eve to begin the process of populating the earth, so I want you to kiss her."

Adam answered, "Yes, Lord, but what's a 'kiss'?"

The Lord gave a brief description to Adam, who then took Eve by the hand and led her to a nearby bush.

A few minutes later, Adam emerged and said, "Thank you, Lord. That was enjoyable."

And the Lord replied, "Yes, Adam, I thought you might enjoy that. Now I'd like you to caress Eve."

And Adam said, "What's 'caress'?"

So the Lord again gave Adam a brief description and Adam went behind the bush with Eve.

Quite a few minutes later, Adam returned, smiling, and said, "Lord, that was even better than the kiss!"

And the Lord said, "You've done well, Adam. Now I want you to make love to Eve."

And Adam asked, "What's 'make love' Lord?"

So the Lord again gave Adam directions and Adam went again to Eve behind the bush, but this time he reappeared in two seconds.

And Adam said, "Lord, what's a 'headache'?"

Adam and Eve's Perfect Marriage

Q: Do you know why Adam and Eve had the perfect marriage?

A: He didn't have to listen to her talk about all the other men she COULD have married, and she didn't have to put up with his Mother!

A Plausible Explanation

One day, Adam sat outside the Garden of Eden shortly after eating the apple, and wondered about men and women. So looking up to the heavens he said, "Excuse me God, can I ask you a few questions?"

God replied, "Go on Adam but be quick. I have a world to create."

So Adam says, "When you created Eve, why did you make her body so curved and tender unlike mine?"

"I did that, Adam, so that you could love her."

"Oh, well then, why did you give her long, shiny, beautiful hair, and not me?"

"I did that, Adam, so that you could love her."

"Oh, well then, why did you make her so stupid? Certainly not so that I could love her?"

"Well, Adam, no. I did that so that she could love YOU."

Suspicious Eve

When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset. "You're running around with other women," she told her mate.

"Eve, honey, you're being unreasonable," Adam responded. "You know you're the only woman on earth."

The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, only to be awakened by a strange pain in the chest. It was his darling Eve poking him rather vigorously about the torso.

"What do you think you're doing?" Adam demanded.

"Counting your ribs," said Eve.
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They Didn't Get the Memo About Postum

RT Cunningham — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:40:14 +0000

I have Google Alerts about Postum sent to me whenever someone searches for it (or at least it seems that way). Apparently, some of the bigwigs in the newspaper publishing business didn't get the memo about the discontinuance of Postum.

SunJournal.com

I didn't see an author's name to go with "Looking Back" on August 4, 2008, so the author must not be that big of a wig.

The author mentioned, in the second paragraph:

One of the most delicious, wholesome and of late years, highly popular summer beverages is iced Postum. Boil according to directions on the package. Cool it with cracked ice, add sugar, cream, a "suspicion" of lemon and a "whisper" of nutmeg, perhaps - or simply sugar and lemon juice if you prefer it clear. No prohibition movement against Postum in any state, because it is made from clean, hard wheat skillfully roasted, contains no coffee, alcohol or other injurious substance.

Daily Herald

James Mooney stated that the "United States isn't energy-poor nation". He finished the story with the last paragraph on September 4, 2008:

I guess we will all have to switch to Postum if the South American countries stop selling us their coffee beans. That will really constitute a crisis for our country.

I couldn't help but comment on that one. He obviously didn't get the memo.
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Arnel Pineda Quoted Out of Context

RT Cunningham — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:43:55 +0000

It happens to celebrities all the time.

The Original Story

Rolling Stone magazine published "Sad 'Journey' for New Singer, subtitled Discovered on YouTube, Filipino frontman finds Journey tour "a curse". The interview was taken out of context, painting him as being in a negative kind of mood.

The Rebuttal

In an interview with CBS5 News, Arnel and Neal Schon were asked about the story. The video is currently available at "Journey Singer: Magazine Quotes Out Of Context".

Neal read the full transcript and it wasn't quite like what Rolling Stones made it out to be.

The Philippine Connection

Having been married to a Filipina for more than 23 years (dates go back more than 25 years), I completely understand his moods. Homesickness happens to anyone who spends time away. It seems to be more prevalent, however, with Filipinos because of how close-knit the families are.

The sad part is that the author for Rolling Stones felt the need to generate a negative story out of all of it. It just goes to show how low people will go in order to sell a story.
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Postum News

RT Cunningham — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:58:13 +0000

This is a list of news items which have appeared on the Google search engine, relative to the discontinuance of Postum. As other news items are discovered, they will be added here. Kraft Foods quietly halted the production of Postum and it wasn't until people started looking for it that its presence was missed.

May 15, 2008: According to Cassandra Kyle of The StarPhoenix newspaper, a permanent stop to Postum production is causing panic among the caffeine-free drink's fans, leading to product hoarding and profiteering on EBay. In Canada, life-long consumers of the beverage are scouring store shelves and working off tips to get as many of the blue-labeled jars as possible before they disappear completely. Demand for any remaining product is so high, people from Canada are calling United States-based markets and people from the United States are calling Canada-based markets to try and find it.

March 3, 2008, NPR (National Public Radio): Oregon resident and Postum-lover Ellen Mandel talks to Scott Simon about the drink's 100-year run as coffee's caffeine-free cousin. Before the final goodbye, the two enjoy one last drink. Letters from listeners include reaction to Kraft Foods' announcement that it will stop making the frothy coffee substitute.

December 2007 and January 2008: Popular blogs (jeffunderwood.ca and others) featuring articles about Postum started to receive more traffic to those articles than usual. People were commenting that, after contacting Kraft Foods to find out where they could buy Postum, Kraft Foods had halted production.

November 27, 2007, Reuters: Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. said it would acquire Kraft Foods, Inc.'s Post cereals business. The deal includes about $950 million in debt assumed by Ralcorp. The deal for the maker of Grape Nuts and Fruity Pebbles is worth $2.6 billion, said Ralcorp, which also makes frozen bakery foods. The deal is expected to close in mid-2008, according to Ralcorp. [Note: Halting the production of Postum was probably a measure by Kraft Foods to make the deal more attractive to Ralcorp.]Similar Posts:

Is a Postum Resurrection Possible?

RT Cunningham — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:26:49 +0000

Excerpts from "Can Postum fans revive their beloved beverage?" at The Christian Science Monitor:

Products abandoned by their makers, or "orphan brands," aren't uncommon. Even as companies work hard to establish emotional bonds between consumers and their goods, thousands of items quietly slip away each year if they don't turn a profit. But with the advent of online communication, consumers not quite ready to let go are showing their discontent by writing blogs, selling hoarded supplies at marked-up prices, and sharing recipes and tips. In some cases, if the consumer response is broad enough, a product can earn a second life.

Susan Fournier, a marketing professor at Boston University says a similar uproar happened in the late 1980s when Coca-Cola took the original Coke off the market and replaced it with New Coke. As soon as word hit the street, an organization called the Old Coke Drinkers of America popped up and fought back. Enthusiasts started driving across state lines to find stores still selling the original Coke. Some hoarded cans in their basements, while others turned a profit off their own stockpiles. The Old Coke Drinkers of America logged some 60,000 calls to the company's national headquarters, and eventually New Coke was pulled and the original Coke reinstated.

The Yahoo group aimed at saving Postum that was established early in 2008, as well as The Christian Science Monitor reference above, seems to suggest a miracle may still be possible. The objective is to get a smaller company to acquire the rights to Postum. As the excerpt above reflects, it happened with Coca-Cola. It also happened with the candy called "Good & Plenty". Other orphaned products resurrected or in the process of being resurrected include "Comet" (cleanser), "Ovaltine", "Gold Bond Foot Powder", "Pepsodent" (toothpaste) and "Prell" (shampoo).

A number of small companies are being approached as potential buyers, by consumers seeking to revive Postum.
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Postum and Coffee Alternatives

RT Cunningham — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:59:45 +0000

This is a list of some alternatives to Postum you may want to consider. The list is not all-inclusive.

Caro Instant Beverage, more commonly referred to as simply Caro, is brand of caffeine-free beverages. It is manufactured by Nestlé and is widely available in the United Kingdom. Caro Instant is a powder-based drink available in 50g containers, whereas Caro Extra is granule-based and comes in 200g jars. Caro is made up of soluble solids of roasted barley, malted barley, chicory, and rye. It is most often available in health food shops, but can also be found in most major supermarkets.
Barleycup is another instant cereal drink available in the United Kingdom. It comes in both powder and granule form, and is comprised of soluble solids of roasted barley, rye and chicory. It is commonly found in health food shops.
Pero is a coffee substitute from Switzerland. Pero Instant Natural contains malted barley, barley, chicory and rye. Pero Extra contains all of the same except the rye.
Cafix is another coffee substitute from Switzerland. Cafix Coffee Substitute contains malted barley, chicory, barley, rye and beet roots. Cafix Crystals contains roasted barley, rye, chicory and beet roots.
Teeccino in the United States produces an herbal "coffee" in 10 different flavors. Various ingredients are used, such as chicory and ramon nuts.
Roma, or Kaffree Roma, is available in U.S. health food stores. Ingredients: Roasted barley, roasted malt barley, roasted chicory. Contains gluten from barley.
Wildcrafted Ramon Nut Powder is a product of rawganique.com.
Bamboo is a coffee alternative marketed by Rapunzel in Germany which contain grains and chicory.
Soyfee is a soy "coffee" product of soycoffee.com. The website may contain more information about ingredients that I couldn't find.
Café de Cebada is a product of boliviamall.com. I don't read the language, so I can't tell what ingredients are included.

The people that have tried these products say they taste nothing like coffee and Postum-lovers say they don't match the rich, smooth taste of Postum.Similar Posts:

Another Homemade Postum Recipe

RT Cunningham — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:12:51 +0000

This is another way to make homemade Postum. You should have at least 6 hours to spare. Disclaimer: I do not know where I found this on the net.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
4 cups wheat bran
2 cups cracked wheat
1 cup black strap molasses

The cracked wheat should be ground in a coffee grinder to corn meal consistency. Grind before mixing with molasses so it doesn't gum up the grinder.

Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Make sure the grain and bran are well combined and that the molasses is thoroughly mixed into the grain/bran mix. This will take about 5-10 minutes to make sure there are no pockets of molasses and that it looks like dark, very damp sawdust. Spread this mixture on two baking sheets with rims and put it in the oven. Stir mixture every 20 minutes for about 5 hours, or until the mixture is a very deep dark mahogany. Don't try to toast this in a hotter oven because it will burn. This is a recipe that requires patience in order to caramelize the molasses, and not burn it. When you open the oven to stir it you will notice a very slight smokiness during the last hour and a half. This is normal.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool on wire racks stirring occasionally to release heat faster.

To prepare: This is not instant and needs to be brewed the same as coffee, or steeped as you would tea. The ratio is 2 Tablespoons mix per cup of water.

If you need to make this for the Carob Postum Cooler, you should make a cup of this mix and put it into a sauce pan and reduce it on high to medium high heat until there are about 2 tablespoons left in the pan. Keep a close eye on it and be ready to put in an ice cube if you reduce it too far. It will bring it back to the amount you need and cool the mix at the same time. Swirl the cube around the pan a couple of times until you have the amount you need.
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Postum Recipes

RT Cunningham — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:36:58 +0000

Since the owners of the Postum trademark aren't showing any interest in bringing Postum back, you may be better off making your own. Some imaginative people have done just that. Here is a recipe to make Postum, followed by a recipe that calls for Postum. Disclaimer: I found these elsewhere on the Internet, but I can't tell you where without searching for a day.

Homemade "Postum"

1 quart fine ground wheat
1 pint coarse ground corn meal
1/2 cups molasses or dark syrup

Mix the wheat, corn-meal, and syrup. Rub them in the palms of the hand until it is well mixed. Put it into shallow baking pans and brown in a slow oven until it is a rich dark brown. It must be stirred often for even browning. Don't try to hurry the process or it will burn. When it is done, cool and store in a sealed jar or canister. Use like any cereal coffee. I use 2 tablespoons coffee for each cup and a half of water. It may be boiled or it can be made in an electric coffee-maker.

With hot milk this makes a nice evening drink.

If you can't buy ground wheat, you can sort whole grains of wheat and grind them in your blender. However, take them out before it grinds them into a flour.

Carob Postum Cooler

1 tablespoon carob powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Postum
2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dark molasses
4 ounces cold vanilla soymilk
Ice cubes as needed to fill mug

Put the boiling water in the bottom of a large coffee mug. Stir in the carob powder and the Postum. Add the molasses and stir until dissolved. Add the soymilk and ice cubes to fill the mug. Add water if needed. Makes one serving.

Optional: Throw the ice cubes and soy milk in a blender to crush the ice and then mix it all together in a mug.
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