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Nauseous Puddle Water

2022-07-12 · announcement · John · 3:29 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Projects · mode: Announcements · tags: self promotion, fundraising ask

Opening with King Charles II's 17th-century campaign against coffee, John announces the full launch of the Awesome Coffee Club, a subscription sourcing beans directly from farmers' collectives in Colombia's Tolima region and donating all profits to fight maternal and child mortality, starting with the Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — King Charles II's campaign against coffee and the anonymous petition; John loves coffee

  • ★★ John says that in 17th-century England King Charles II, concerned about political talk in coffee houses, began a PR campaign against coffee that included an anonymously written petition, which says coffee leads men to waste their time and money on nauseous puddle water. — 00:00:00 · England
  • ★★ John jokes that people were starting to see downsides in a system where the one true ruler is chosen by whether his daddy was the one true ruler. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • ★★ The petition's description is meant to turn readers away from coffee, but John says it only makes him want hot puddle water; he loves coffee for the energy and joy it brings. (playful) — 00:00:00

00:00:48 — The Awesome Coffee Club: John's three problems with coffee, direct sourcing in Tolima, deforestation, farmer pay, roasting, price, no international shipping, all profits to maternal and child health

  • ★★ John has three problems with coffee: too much makes him jittery and talk too fast; without regular delivery he runs out of good beans; and most coffee companies' profits don't go to charity. (playful) — 00:00:48
  • ★★★ John says the Awesome Coffee Club cannot solve his first problem but seeks to solve the other two; a few months ago they semi-secretly launched the coffee company. — 00:00:48 · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★★ The club works directly with small farmers' collectives in Colombia's Tolima region and delivers coffee every month or every two weeks. — 00:01:17 · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★ John says the club knows exactly where and by whom its coffee is farmed, which is surprisingly rare, and sourcing partner Sucafina pays farmers directly so money stays in their communities. — 00:01:17 · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★ The club's beans are grown by communities actively working to eliminate deforestation. — 00:01:17 · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★ John says coffee is a driver of deforestation, and the project encourages farmers to use long-standing coffee groves rather than clear forests for new ones. — 00:01:46
  • ★★ The club pays above market rates for its beans and guarantees a minimum payment if prices drop, raising farmer income and securing the best beans. — 00:01:46 · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★ First Crack roasts the coffee to a rich medium-dark roast, sold whole bean or ground. — 00:01:46 · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★★ The coffee costs $22 per bag including shipping, can be cancelled any time, and households drinking more than 22 cups per two weeks can order multiple bags. — 00:02:15 · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★ The club does not ship internationally, at least not for now; John apologizes and puts the explanation in the description. — 00:02:15 · Awesome Coffee Club, doobly-doo
  • ★★★ John says all of the club's profits, not some or most, are donated to fight maternal and child mortality in impoverished communities. — 00:02:15 · Awesome Coffee Club, maternal death, child mortality
  • ★★★ John says long-term systemic problems need long-term systemic solutions. — 00:02:44
  • ★★ John hopes the club, like the Awesome Socks Club before it, will give ongoing support to charities building stronger health systems, starting with the Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone. (hedged) — 00:02:44 · Awesome Coffee Club, Awesome Socks Club, Maternal Center of Excellence, Sierra Leone
  • ★★ Since the spring soft launch the club has received many pictures, emails and tweets about the coffee; John says it really is the best beans, roasted perfectly. — 00:02:44 · Awesome Coffee Club

00:03:14 — Where to get it; John coins nervcited; sign-off

  • ★★★ John tells viewers they can get the coffee at AwesomeCoffeeClub.com, linked in the description. — 00:03:14 · Awesome Coffee Club, doobly-doo
  • ★ John tells Hank he is nervcited and hopes the club works, a word he just made up for how he feels most of the time. (playful) — 00:03:14 · nervcited

In the description and comments

  • ★★ The description explains the club ships only in the US because freshness and the money raised for charity both decrease the further coffee is shipped; hopefully that will change one day. (hedged) — video description · Awesome Coffee Club
  • ★★ In a comment John wryly calls England impressive for keeping a semblance of hereditary rule, then wonders whether inherited power and property, like nepotism and land inheritance, are also problems. — creator comment · England
  • ★★ In a comment John says they spent a year and a half sourcing the coffee because it is really hard to do well, and certifications only tell you so much. — creator comment · Awesome Coffee Club

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Awesome Coffee Club · coffee

Also: People: Charles II of England

Projects: Awesome Socks Club

Works: The Women's Petition Against Coffee

Organizations: Maternal Center of Excellence

Terms: doobly-doo · nervcited

Concepts: child mortality · deforestation · hereditary monarchy · maternal death

Places: Colombia · England · Sierra Leone · Tolima Department

Only in the description or credits: First Crack · Sucafina

Also centred on coffee: Three Mornings · Sorry, Hank, but Coffee Is Just Better

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