Daily Lift #556

Review Mistakes Constructively

Often, when something does not work out as planned, it is common to keep discussing the matter. Such discussions frequently cause needless anger and irritation.

Ask yourself: "Was I right in going to such and such a place?" "Was I right in doing this or that?"

If what you did was wrong, even if the outcome was successful, it was improper to have done it. Accept responsibility, resolve not to repeat it, and move on. The past is already gone and there is no value in complaining about it.


(Maarchai Laiv, p.171; Rabbi Pliskin's Gateway to Happiness, p.147)
www.aish.com

Supporters rally for Starbucks workers

By Tony Murphy
New York

The coffee giant Starbucks has frequently been a target of protesters, mostly for its anti-environmental, pro-corporate and anti-people practices. On the first day of the anti-RNC-protest kickoff weekend, a mid-Manhattan Starbucks was again the target of a demonstration--this time supporting an effort by its workers to form a union.

Starbucks workers in New York generally start at under $8 an hour. While employees who work 20-plus hours are eligible for medical coverage, 40-hour work weeks are rare. In fact, bosses shuffle schedules to avoid them.

The workers' central demands at this store are increased pay, guaranteed hours with the option of full-time status, and an end to understaffing.

In July, Starbucks appealed a National Labor Relations Board decision in favor of a union certification election. On July 28, the board accepted Starbucks' appeal of the decision.

That effectively blocked the election since a ruling on the appeal could take years.

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Colombia's Juan Valdez coffee shops to go public

BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) — The Colombian Coffee Growers' Federation plans to offer $23.5 million in stock in its Juan Valdez coffee shop chain on the Colombian Stock Exchange, taking the company public, the head of the country's Coffee Federation told Reuters Wednesday.

The share sale, which is subject to regulatory approval, is a step in the company's ambitious long-term plan to compete globally with giant Seattle coffee shop chain Starbucks (SBUX).

The group is tiny compared with Starbucks, which has more than 6,000 outlets.

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Starbucks eyes 'imitator'

By Jackie Lin
STAFF REPORTER
Taipei Times

Pictured on the coffee cups are a Starbucks logo, right, and the offending logo of Penland Star Coffee, yesterday.

An alleged Starbucks copycat has caught the attention of the world's largest coffee retailer and might face a copyright-infringement suit.

The coffee giant's eyebrow has been raised by a local coffee shop's trademark and name -- Penland Star Coffee, or "star peninsula" in Chinese.

Penland Star's logo, composed of a green circle and white English words surrounding a red pattern with Chinese characters in the middle, is similar to the Starbucks logo at first glance.

"Compared with other coffee shops, there is a higher degree of imitation in the trademark [of Penland Star]," said Anita Jo, a public-relations official with President Coffee Corp, the local firm in charge of operations for the Seattle-based Starbucks.

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School goes into coffee business, hopes to lure students to library

Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington high school is opening a coffee shop in an old storage room with the hope of luring more students into the library.

The Bookmark, at Tates Creek High School, opens Tuesday and will sell coffee only before school.

Tates Creek's school library-based coffee shop is the first of its kind in Kentucky, said librarian Amber Tongate. As such, the school has been asked to present its concept at the Kentucky School Media Association conference in two weeks.

"I don't care if we make $5 or $500," Tongate said. "I really just want something different, unique for our students."

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Starbucks to Sell Salvadoran Coffee

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee retailer, has chosen Pacamara, a specialty coffee from El Salvador, to sell in its 8,000 stores worldwide, Salvadoran officials said on Sunday.

The coffee grows in the Montecarlos finca, atop a volcano in the eastern Ahuachapan mountains. Starbucks chose it as part of its new "Black Apron" program promoting smaller batches of beans it claims are the best in the world, according to Ricardo Espitia, director of the Salvadoran Coffee Council.

The distinction will help El Salvador recapture the prestige of its beans, he said.

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Quote

If it ain't caffeinated, it ain't coffee! ~Author Unknown

Food security program targets coffee growers in El Salvador

wvi.org

A nutrition and food security program is targeting families affected by the coffee crisis in El Salvador, providing food, developing food production activities and/or alternative income sources.

The six-month program will benefit around 2,000 families in five municipalities in Ahuachapán and Sonsonate. World Vision is carrying it out in conjunction with the Food Assistance Division of the Family’s National Secretary Office (DAA/SNF in Spanish), the Ministry of Public Health and Social Aid (MSPAS in Spanish), and the World Food Program, (WFP).

The program includes training to develop new income generation activities. It hopes to combat malnutrition among children aged six to ten in the region.

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