Coffeehouses

Thanks to mega-chains such as Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, among others, a lot of small town local coffeehouses in North America are going out of business! Granted, I have nothing against chain coffee shops as they are convenient, well-branded, and are thus easily recognizable at 8 AM when one has to go to work, but I would like to extend my support and ask my readers, especially in North America, to make an effort to hunt down your local coffee joints and give them business.

Coffeehouses have a rich history of being centres to exchange news, gossip, opinions and even foment political intrigue where conspirators plotted coup d'etats. In the bygone days of empires, much like the Internet today, coffeehouses were spaces of freedom of expression when criticizing a ruler publicly could well get one killed. My blog is named after these fine establishments for what they represent: freedom of expression, friendship, political awareness, and a cup of good coffee.

Please hunt down and support your local coffee haunts today. They need your business.