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Arnold of Soissons posted:Coffee chat: how much coffee do you drink in a day? My wife and I each split a press in the morning and usually another one around lunch time, which is 450-500mls each, twice a day. When it came up today at school that I drink a liter of coffee everyday I thought people's eyes were going to pop out of their skulls. I make about a 12-16oz every morning, and another when I get home from work. Some days I'll toss down 6-8oz of bad work coffee as well. Late night coffee isn't uncommon either. That's 1-1.5 liters, certainly more sometimes. Caffeine doesn't have the no-sleep effect on me anymore. I have a problem Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 01:50 on Oct 19, 2012 |
# ? Oct 19, 2012 01:46 |
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# ? Jun 1, 2024 06:10 |
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Arnold of Soissons posted:Coffee chat: how much coffee do you drink in a day?
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 02:12 |
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How do you guys store your roasted beans? Is it worth it to invest in one of those vacuum-pump equipped storage boxes, or is it okay to store them in the bags they were shipped in (with the valves) if I'm going to use it in 1-2 weeks?
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 04:20 |
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I was cleaning my Virtuoso this morning when I heard something rolling around inside. I took off the covering and found a screw had come loose. It's one of the three screws that holds down the white covering around the burrs, right above the motor. This screw is from the rear, and it looks like there's a chunk of plastic that's broken off. I can still screw the screw back in, but it's not the most secure. I'll have to be more gentle moving the grinder around, but I think I'll need to get this fixed properly soon.
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 14:17 |
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Archer2338 posted:How do you guys store your roasted beans? Is it worth it to invest in one of those vacuum-pump equipped storage boxes, or is it okay to store them in the bags they were shipped in (with the valves) if I'm going to use it in 1-2 weeks? I bought a canister with a one-way valve from Sweet Maria's for a few bucks. I think anything more than that is probably mostly voodoo, but who knows.
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 14:59 |
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Archer2338 posted:How do you guys store your roasted beans? Is it worth it to invest in one of those vacuum-pump equipped storage boxes, or is it okay to store them in the bags they were shipped in (with the valves) if I'm going to use it in 1-2 weeks? I use lock and lock airtight containers. They've served me well and I have some small ones to minimize the amount of air in them.
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 19:18 |
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Is there a thread for something like "what are the best coffee spots in your neighborhood?" It would be a really interesting thread, I think, for people looking for where to get the best coffee where they live. I know we have Yelp and all that stuff, but it might be a worthwhile venture to give independent spots a little extra promotion. Anybody think it's a good idea?
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 22:04 |
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i am not so sure posted:Is there a thread for something like "what are the best coffee spots in your neighborhood?" It would be a really interesting thread, I think, for people looking for where to get the best coffee where they live. I know we have Yelp and all that stuff, but it might be a worthwhile venture to give independent spots a little extra promotion. Anybody think it's a good idea? Might be worth it to discuss it in here and then add a section to the OP of recommended shops. We did the same thing in the tattoo thread and having the list is a good resource for people.
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 22:25 |
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i am not so sure posted:Is there a thread for something like "what are the best coffee spots in your neighborhood?" It would be a really interesting thread, I think, for people looking for where to get the best coffee where they live. I know we have Yelp and all that stuff, but it might be a worthwhile venture to give independent spots a little extra promotion. Anybody think it's a good idea? I do think this is a good idea! or at least maybe a google spreadsheet of shops by location?
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 22:30 |
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rockcity posted:Might be worth it to discuss it in here and then add a section to the OP of recommended shops. We did the same thing in the tattoo thread and having the list is a good resource for people. It might be a really long list, which is why I'm thinking about making a thread. But yeah, let's see what other people think in here first.
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 22:55 |
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There used to be a link to a list in the op but its dead now. Need to work on that, but having a google docs spreadsheet or something of gws approved shops could be cool
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# ? Oct 19, 2012 23:14 |
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Archer2338 posted:How do you guys store your roasted beans? Is it worth it to invest in one of those vacuum-pump equipped storage boxes, or is it okay to store them in the bags they were shipped in (with the valves) if I'm going to use it in 1-2 weeks? Mason jars. If you're roasting more than a week's (or two) worth of beans at a time you're doing it wrong!
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# ? Oct 20, 2012 01:17 |
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Doh004 posted:Mason jars. If you're roasting more than a week's (or two) worth of beans at a time you're doing it wrong! I don't roast my own, unfortunately I order online from Verve/etc in small shipments.
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# ? Oct 20, 2012 03:23 |
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Archer2338 posted:I don't roast my own, unfortunately I order online from Verve/etc in small shipments. I still think you'd be fine with a Mason jar. You can get em cheap on Amazon.
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# ? Oct 20, 2012 04:00 |
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There was a rock in the last batch of beans I bought from my usual coffee shop and it screwed up my grinder (Wilfa CGR-1, I believe it's sold as Breville BCG450XL in the US). I took the grinder back and they just told me the rocks are a common thing and that they're going to send it back to the importer. They promised to call me back and it's still under warranty, so I should at least a new grinder, but is it really true about the rocks? How do they get mixed with the beans and shouldn't the roaster check for stuff like this?
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# ? Oct 20, 2012 13:54 |
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Metanaut posted:There was a rock in the last batch of beans I bought from my usual coffee shop and it screwed up my grinder (Wilfa CGR-1, I believe it's sold as Breville BCG450XL in the US). I've heard mixed things about this. I read someone else saying that they've come across rocks, shrapnel, bullet casings, whole bullets (!) and other things in their roasted coffee before, but in the 7 or so years I've been buying bags of whole beans I can't say I've ever come across anything of the sort. It seems bizarre to me.
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# ? Oct 20, 2012 16:20 |
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I am currently sipping my first ever home-ground press pot of coffee and feeling pretty happy with my recent investments; I settled on the Capresso Infinity because I am poor and their website made it obvious how to go about getting replacement parts if I need them at some point. There's just one thing bugging me; how do you clean out the grinding chamber in a sane fashion? There was way too much coffee left in there for the little brush that was included to do the job on a daily basis. The obvious approach seems like damp cloth, but I'm a little bit paranoid about that since I know you're not supposed to run water through it and the chamber is kind of small for my hands. Am I missing something really obvious or should I just go with the damp cloth approach and not worry too much about the little bit of detritus that will inevitably remain? Related: Are there any standout features I should be looking for in a kitchen scale or do I just grab whatever's cheapest? I'm happy eyeballing most things but I take my caffeine seriously enough to do this right.
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# ? Oct 20, 2012 23:16 |
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Irony.or.Death posted:I am currently sipping my first ever home-ground press pot of coffee and feeling pretty happy with my recent investments; I settled on the Capresso Infinity because I am poor and their website made it obvious how to go about getting replacement parts if I need them at some point. There's just one thing bugging me; how do you clean out the grinding chamber in a sane fashion? There was way too much coffee left in there for the little brush that was included to do the job on a daily basis. The obvious approach seems like damp cloth, but I'm a little bit paranoid about that since I know you're not supposed to run water through it and the chamber is kind of small for my hands. Am I missing something really obvious or should I just go with the damp cloth approach and not worry too much about the little bit of detritus that will inevitably remain? I've been using this ever since it was posted in the thread a few times, and it's pretty great for the price. Goes to 0.1g accuracy, and it updates relatively quickly, though not instantly. For $20 though, it's a steal. Also, to those with Baratza Encores: any grind settings to recommend?
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# ? Oct 21, 2012 01:58 |
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I just finished roasting my first batch of coffee (Brazil Fazenda do Sertao Catuai from Sweet Maria's) and I'm a bit confused about what signifies the first crack. I used a Poppery II and I came in expecting something like popcorn popping: a humongous avalanche of *CRACK* when everything comes up to temperature simultaneously. What I got instead was a few (10?) isolated pops around the 4-minute mark. I was aiming for a City+, so I pulled the plug when the popping seemed to subside, maybe 5 minutes in. The bean color looks pretty close to a 'light roast' from my local guys. Am I doing this right?
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# ? Oct 21, 2012 19:13 |
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Irony.or.Death posted:There's just one thing bugging me; how do you clean out the grinding chamber in a sane fashion? I'm lazy I guess.
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# ? Oct 21, 2012 20:43 |
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Irony.or.Death posted:There's just one thing bugging me; how do you clean out the grinding chamber in a sane fashion?
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# ? Oct 21, 2012 20:53 |
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Irony.or.Death posted:I am currently sipping my first ever home-ground press pot of coffee and feeling pretty happy with my recent investments; I settled on the Capresso Infinity because I am poor and their website made it obvious how to go about getting replacement parts if I need them at some point. There's just one thing bugging me; how do you clean out the grinding chamber in a sane fashion? There was way too much coffee left in there for the little brush that was included to do the job on a daily basis. The obvious approach seems like damp cloth, but I'm a little bit paranoid about that since I know you're not supposed to run water through it and the chamber is kind of small for my hands. Am I missing something really obvious or should I just go with the damp cloth approach and not worry too much about the little bit of detritus that will inevitably remain? That is weird, on the Meastro Plus, it is easy to clean. Brush. Run the grinder, empty. Brush again. Run grinder. Tap (to dislodge anything in the chute). Clean. You could be crazy and buy this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Grindz-Tablets-Single-Grinder-Cleaner/dp/B0027DVML4
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# ? Oct 21, 2012 21:13 |
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Dache posted:I've heard mixed things about this. I read someone else saying that they've come across rocks, shrapnel, bullet casings, whole bullets (!) and other things in their roasted coffee before, but in the 7 or so years I've been buying bags of whole beans I can't say I've ever come across anything of the sort. It seems bizarre to me. I found a tiny stone in a bag of roasted coffee beans just last month.
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# ? Oct 22, 2012 00:37 |
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nm posted:You could be crazy and buy this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Grindz-Tablets-Single-Grinder-Cleaner/dp/B0027DVML4 AKA: rice. No I don't think that's what it is, but I've used it to good effect, just run 1/3 cup or so of beans through afterwards to discard, and continue. I typically find a brush to be more than enough though.
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# ? Oct 22, 2012 14:25 |
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I must be crazy, cuz I use Grindz about once a month. I don't use as mucha s they tell you to, and I'm still on the big container I bought like 2 years ago. It works really well.
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# ? Oct 22, 2012 21:57 |
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Astronaut Jones posted:I must be crazy, cuz I use Grindz about once a month. I don't use as mucha s they tell you to, and I'm still on the big container I bought like 2 years ago. It works really well.
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# ? Oct 23, 2012 02:09 |
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I love some spicy (as in hot) coffee, any good recipes you guys can recommend?
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# ? Oct 23, 2012 05:09 |
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So I've been reading through the thread, and been wondering, just how much cash do I need to pay to get a decent entry level espresso machine? I'd assume the grinder needs to be a Rocky or a Vario, but I was wondering how much a decent "real" esprsso machine would be. Also, any recommendations for an electric moka pot?
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# ? Oct 25, 2012 09:27 |
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Archer2338 posted:Also, any recommendations for an electric moka pot? I picked up one of these at a thrift store, they seem to go for $50+ new. At the time I bought it there were a grand total of two reviews for it online; one said it was great, the other agreed but said it broke in a week. vv It's gotten a couple positive reviews on Amazon since and personally I haven't had any complaints. No idea how it compares to other electric or standard mokas though. Bialetti's looks to be $100 so there's that.
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# ? Oct 25, 2012 13:47 |
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Archer2338 posted:So I've been reading through the thread, and been wondering, just how much cash do I need to pay to get a decent entry level espresso machine? I'd assume the grinder needs to be a Rocky or a Vario, but I was wondering how much a decent "real" esprsso machine would be. This subject always tend to be a widely contested topic in this thread so you might get a ton of different answers on this. Some people will tell you don't even think about getting into espresso unless you have over a grand to spend on it, others will tell you it can be done for $200. I personally got started about about $400 and I'm happy with my results for what I spent. I'd say at a bare minimum grinder-wise, you need a Capresso Infinity. It's what I use and it's serviceable for espresso, not great, but it will certainly get you decent results. As for espresso machines, there are a boatload more options here with even more disagreement than grinders. I started with a Gaggia that I got for about $300. I like it and it gives me pretty good results, but I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to want something nicer. I'm not sure I'll upgrade anytime soon though, just because I'm still getting pretty good shots, so I'll probably wait until the Gaggia starts having problems.
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# ? Oct 25, 2012 16:58 |
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Archer2338 posted:So I've been reading through the thread, and been wondering, just how much cash do I need to pay to get a decent entry level espresso machine? I'd assume the grinder needs to be a Rocky or a Vario, but I was wondering how much a decent "real" esprsso machine would be. My friend who just opened his new cafe front for his roasting company swears that with some slight modification, and a good grinder, that the best espresso you can make thats sub $600 or whatever is using the Presso. I haven't got a chance to try his claim, but lots of people say that the Presso, and as well, the Mypressi twist are the best sub $500 espresso makers.
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# ? Oct 25, 2012 20:58 |
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psychic onion posted:I just finished roasting my first batch of coffee (Brazil Fazenda do Sertao Catuai from Sweet Maria's) and I'm a bit confused about what signifies the first crack. I finally got around to roasting some of the giant sampler I got from Sweet Maria's almost three months ago. I was using a different kind of coffee, but I got a few sporadic pops, then a cluster of pops within about 30 seconds which I decided to call first crack. I was outside in 8°C because I expected more smoke and didn't hear anything that could really be considered second crack until 6:50, at which point I dumped the beans into a colander to cool. Here is the result: So I guess I don't know if you're doing it right. It's clear that there's a fair amount of variance in color. I did two more batches yesterday, and learned that in my popper it's best to use the recommended 1/2 cup rather than the full 2/3 cup capacity. The beans heat more uniformly and the crack is easier to recognize. 24 hours later I've used all that first attempt in my press pot. It's delicious, so I assume that means success. How did yours taste? While I'm here, does anyone have a better manual grinder to recommend? I like my Hario Skerton, but I wouldn't mind something more substantial with a more consistent grind on the top end. I'm still experimenting, but I need a consistent coarse grind now that I've settled on the press pot as my favorite brewing method.
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# ? Oct 30, 2012 08:57 |
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Loucks posted:I finally got around to roasting some of the giant sampler I got from Sweet Maria's almost three months ago. I was using a different kind of coffee, but I got a few sporadic pops, then a cluster of pops within about 30 seconds which I decided to call first crack. I was outside in 8°C because I expected more smoke and didn't hear anything that could really be considered second crack until 6:50, at which point I dumped the beans into a colander to cool. Here is the result: I always use 1/2 cup at a time in my Poppery. Any more and you get lots of unroasted beans. First crack is usually very faint and not as apparent. Second pop is much much louder. That said, you're not going to hear EVERY single bean popping. In fact, I mostly take my beans out as the second crack is starting to happen. I use this infrared thermometer to bring my beans to 444. I think I may bring it down to 440 or so, but this results in a FC+ roast and it's delicious.
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# ? Oct 30, 2012 15:57 |
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Sometimes I feel like my palette is just strange. I'll admit it's under-developed and needs a lot of refining, but I just brewed a cup of Honduras from Gimme Coffee in Williamsburg. It's delicious, but it comes with a listed flavor profile. It says the aroma is "intense raspberry and blackberry." To me, I get a more subtle raspberry tartness and there is definitely something sweet in the aroma, like coconut or sweet fig. It's definitely there but the flavor profile, from the aroma down to the finish, pretty much just lists tartness. Sometimes I smell things that aren't listed and sometimes it's vice-versa, and sometimes I just have problems and think "I have no idea which flavors these are."
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# ? Oct 30, 2012 17:05 |
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Any recommended places in Raleigh, NC USA while I am stuck here for the day? I would love a place that sells Intelligentsia beans, too, as my place is out due to the storms.
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# ? Nov 1, 2012 17:31 |
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Try Jubala Village Coffee. Great Yelp profile. They roast Counter Culture beans.
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# ? Nov 1, 2012 17:49 |
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Just ordered one of these to control the power to my espresso machine: Belkin WeMo Home Automation Switch for Apple iPhone Hopefully it works well.
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# ? Nov 1, 2012 18:13 |
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Are there any roasts/ varietals of coffee that don't make very good espresso? Or is it just a preference thing? I have had two espresso roasts and while they were really good I'd like to try something a little more FC+, but I know next to nothing about if it will be decent or not. Can I make espresso out of the same types of coffee that I like to make pour-over out of?
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# ? Nov 1, 2012 18:42 |
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Good roasters choose their single origin espresso offerings fairly carefully, because not all "good" coffee also makes good espresso. Espresso extraction amplifies the flavours a lot, so something that is already quite potently bright or acidic may be pretty awful as espresso. Many roasters go a little bit darker with a different profile when roasting the same beans for espresso, but there's no such thing as an "espresso roast". You may find the same thing going the other way; blends intended for espresso can be kind of uninteresting as regular brewed coffee.
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# ? Nov 1, 2012 21:36 |
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# ? Jun 1, 2024 06:10 |
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Thanks, sorry what I meant to say was Espresso Blend, not Espresso Roast.
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# ? Nov 2, 2012 00:45 |