Show your Love to the World!

We have set up our first store! Now you can tell the whole world where you go to get your own hot cup of cool: CafeCaffeined.

BILLY STEVE KORPI FUNDRAISER 7.7.7

CAFE CAFFEINE, 909 W. MARY, AUSTIN 78704

Well, Oprah didn't call to wish me Happy Anniversary to mark the completion of 5 years working towards making iCREATE a reality. But, that's okay. Just today I got a great connection to the Department of Labor's Apprentice programs for iCREATE; Cafe Caffeine was full; the little idea I had for a novelty gift entered the manufacturing process; the children's book I wrote from a dream is illustrated and ready for publication; NadaMoo! is in Central Market; and I've been reminded for the zillionth time that I have found true love with Keith! Those are great gifts...and I'm looking forward to chatting about them with Oprah soon...lol.

Whatta Wednesday!

Just a quick post. Cafe Caffeine has taken a solid lead in the Austin360 poll for the best coffee shop!

Thanks to everyone for helping us get to the top!

The poll is still open and we're still voting...go Team Caffeine!

rg

"I had to have this weird thing about trying to illuminate the collective unconscious and help humanity."

I first met Bill at Nottingham Elementary in Houston Texas. He was far from the average 3rd grader. We shared a few classes and G-H homeroom through high school. I remember seeing him at the Comedy Annex in Houston when we were teenagers, then again when I was in Austin after college on a visit back from my life of waitressing & sailing in St. Thomas. The last time I saw him was at Igby's Comedy Cabaret in West Los Angeles while I was living in Santa Monica. Many people knew him better than me through those years, but I always knew that we had some odd connection. After his death in 1994, I learned alot more about his philosophical take on life and how deeply he connected to the infinite. The quote above is something I've used on my email signature since I've been on this iCREATE journey. It knocks me out with it's depth and simplicity. And every time I ready it, I can hear Bill saying it with a mix of resignation and hope.

Not everyone got to know Bill Hicks before he left the planet, but I recommend immersing yourself in his legacy. It's chilling how current his message is 13 years after his death.

[Just to add to the randomness of it all, our coffee shop, Cafe Caffeine is across the street from Alex Jones of Info Wars fame. Both Bill's & Alex's sites are connected to Sacred Cow Productions, which is the brainchild of Kevin Booth who has kept the Hicks legacy alive.]

rg

We Have Faith!

Well, at least we have one of her handworked metal water features right outside of Cafe Caffeine. When Jeff Lewis founded the cafe in 2005 he wanted a unique element that would epitomize free flowing creative energy of South Austin and Faith Schexnayder did an amazing job. You can see more of her work at Flatfork Studio; if you're in the neighborhood, just look for the giant foam chicken outside her studio...she won't be far behind.

At Cafe Caffeine, we also have faith that we will get the 100 votes we need to make our coffeehouse #1 in the Austin 360 reader's poll for best coffeehouse in Austin. If you get a chance, please stop by the website and cast your vote for the South Austin tradition of good coffee and free flowing creativity!

rg

Shocked Rocked!

Last night we were beyond excited to have Michelle Shocked perform at the ATXtreme festival. She was in great voice and even better humor. She told the audience that she had told her manager to book her anywhere...and so here she was in a parking lot at a coffee shop in South Austin. She then said, "I wouldn't be anywhere else. This is the real Austin, where music really matters!" The crowd loved the show, sang along with the songs and then were treated to a second unexpected set when the next act decided to blow off their set. Michelle showed she was a pro and handled it all with grace as she launched into sweet, strong songs from growing up in East Texas.

If you ever get the chance to see her live, do it! Until then, check out her website, buy her music and keep Michelle's voice out in the world.

rg

What A Week Lies Ahead!

The SXSW Festival kicked off last night and will run through March 18th. Naturally this brings all kinds of interesting people to town and the ecclectic energy of Austin reaches a whole new level.

My friends from Norway will be here with a large contingent to promote the creative economic opportunities in Kristiansand and check out the possibility of developing a Sister City relationship with Austin.

We will be preparing for the ATXtreme at Cafe Caffeine and just to be sure things don't get too mundane, I get to meet Hillary Clinton on Friday!

Now, all I need to do is get a call for the semi-finals of Oprah's Big Give show and this will truly be the best week ever!

rg

Flaunt-a-Friend Friday!

ATXtreme is the heart/brainchild of Jeff Lewis who has put together this 5-day musical event with local, national and international musicians who are all excited to get their rock on in South Austin!

Please join us at Cafe Caffeine, as we host ATXtreme which is an incredible lineup of music March 14th to 18th to benefit ONE, which is an effort by Americans to rally Americans – one by one – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE is students and ministers, punk rockers and NASCAR moms, Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life, united to help make poverty history.

The first chord will ring out at 11am on Wednesday March 14th and bands will play at the top of every hour until 11pm each night. The festival runs from March 14th to March 18th...and all the music is FREE!

Be sure to bring some cash for food, drink and artist merchandise. Some of the acts you've heard of [Tommy Ramone, Michelle Shocked, Pam Tillis], others you'll be happy to discover. Check the ATXtreme website for all the acts and any updates.

Jeff has reserved the entire Old South Austin Post Office parking lot for the event at the corner of S 5th & W Annie Streets. Free parking there . . .probably holds 150 cars . . . maybe more. Visitors must enter off West Annie Street side. Gate will be unlocked at 10:00am each day. The address is 1800 S. Fifth Street, about a block away from Cafe Caffeine.

We'll see you at Cafe Caffeine, 909 W. Mary, 78704...Austin's Original Hip Zip!

Vote for Cafe Caffeine!

Our coffeehouse, Cafe Caffeine is moving up in the Austin 360 reader's poll for best coffeehouse in Austin. Right now we are ranked #3, but we'd love to be #1! If you get a chance, please stop by the website and let us know that you like us continuing the South Austin tradition of good coffee, great music and the daily opportunity to chat with one of our more famous locals, Leslie Cochran. If he doesn't happen to be there in person when you visit, you can always pick up the "Leslie Dress-Up Magnet" that was created in 2006 by Jimmy Haddox, co-owner of Wet Hair Salon, which contains an 8-inch likness of Cochran along with several interchangeable magnetic outfits. Cochran himself receives 15% of the sales. Haddox predicted sales would exceed 10,000 by the end of 2006.

It's so Austin, how could we resist?

rg