Coffee Lore for mountain Bikers

The latest edition of Dirt Rag {Print Rag} (an online mountain biking forum) contains homespun wisdom and down-to-earth tips for the mountain-biking caffeine addict! From making chocolate espresso beans to how to brew a gritty cup of coffee over the camp fire, this edition has all the dirt, including the following:

"The coffee is finished. The voices are distanced again. This time there is no innocent ecstasy, no blissful slumber. But the caffeine high serves as an effective substitute. Previous urges return. Ah yes, today's difference, today's special purpose. A brief conversation with the other voices would surely shed some light on this troublesome conundrum, but I suspect that it will not be required. There is an ancient legend that Mohammed was given coffee by the angel Gabriel. The coffee supposedly gave Mohammed the strength to unseat forty horsemen and make love to forty women".

The above quote reminds me of a segment I heard on NPR this morning about Iraqis being killed by "religious assassins" for things such as failing to diaper their goats so that their genitals are not visible, and for arranging fruit in a sexually suggestive fashion. While it has nothing to do with coffee, the quote above about Mohammed making love to 40 women makes me wonder how it got from celebrating the sexual prosess of Mohammed to religious police and Taliban imposing a version of Sharia law that kills goat farmers and vegetable sellers going about their ordinary business. Listen here to the NPR segment: Iraq Still Manages to Shock - Windows Media Player (Real Player link)