Blood, Sweat & Caffeine

Sitting here at my desk, cavorting around the world via the miracle of hypertext, it's hard for me to fathom the human toil and innovation that went into putting this plastic-and-glass-and-little-bits-of-metal box in front of me. A roomful of 1960s computers, on my desk — only slightly larger than the shifting heap of papers and books.

And me, at the keyboard, an unlicensed drunkard on the open road.

But respect for elders is paramount, and therefore I recently mixed a drink in honor of the brilliant and overworked people who brought us computers. I named this drink the BLOOD, SWEAT, and CAFFEINE.

1 oz. grenadine
dash of salt
Columbian coffee

In a mug, I poured an ounce of grenadine, symbolizing the blood of those defenders of capitalism who gave their lives so that I could buy this computer with valuable American dollars from the fat-cat owners of overseas sweatshops.

Next, I added a coupla dashes of salt, to symbolize the sweat and toil that went into creating first the abacus, then the calculator, on up to that pinnacle of human invention--the candy-apple-red Nintendo Gameboy.

Finally, I poured several ounces of coffee into my mug, to symbolize the wiring of the world, the building of the silicon nest, the great achievement which has allowed me to bring this drink to you.

“A toast to the wired world in which we wive.”