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Expresso Coffee Maker Explodes in Michigan! February 6, 2009

Posted by Ken Newton in : Life in Panama , 2comments

Actually, yesterday’s blog was a good launch for today’s article.  Ties in with coffee

Lynda and I bought a couple of Christmas presents here in Panama before heading to the US and Canada for the holiday season.  One of the items was an expresso coffee maker made by a company called Premier Electric (Japan) Corporation.  It’s not an electric appliance, but when heated on a stove, steam is pushed up through the ground coffee and condenses into rich coffee in an upper canister.  There are many of these expresso makers on the market, and I made the unfortunate mistake of buying one from Premier.

Quick background.  Premier has a significant market presence in Latin America, Chile, and Hong Kong.  They state their vision as being a company that makes quality products that contribute to peoples’ welfare and make life more enjoyable.  First off, that’s about as bad an effort of a corporate mandate as any idiot could generate, but giving the benefit of a reasonable vision statement, the reality is the only thing it does about life is place it in jeopardy.

The unit we bought was a CM-1659S.  Nice stainless steel design.  Nice packaging.  Impressive gift, having weaved its way from Latin America through the maze of homeland security and immigration to a place under a Christmas tree in Michigan.

The gift was put into service at our son’s home.  One morning, with 4 of us (including a 10-month old baby) in the kitchen waiting for the expresso maker to perk, the unit exploded with a force that badly damaged the ceiling, sprayed everyone with scalding hot water, and coated much of the kitchen with coffee stain.  It had literally become a missile, and we were fortunate that no one was hurt other than burn spots.

Here’s the point.  Defects happen.  Things break.  But pressure valves should never fail, and simple appliances turn into weapons. (hey  -  perhaps homeland security should put a watch out for Premier expresso makers as weapons of mass destruction or something….  just a thought…)

I have tried regularly and unsuccessfully to derive any form of a response to my report to Premier.  At first no threats, than gradually moving to where I would contemplate turning their headquarters into a giant Premier expresso maker.  But absolutely no acknowledgment, apology, remedy, commitment to better quality control, ban on the CM-1659S (sounds like a prototype plane, doesn’t it…) or automated response.  Nothing…

My point.  Don’t buy anything from Premier Electric (Japan) Corporation.  Find something destructive and derogatory and defamatory to say about their product and their integrity.  Tell your lawyer friend that he or she should consider getting rich on assembling a class-action suit, because I am sure these things are exploding all over the world.  Tell the story to your children before they go to sleep each night so that they grow up protected from this evil manufacturer.  Coordinate protests that shut down major transportation corridors.  Serve your guests freeze-dried instant coffee and tell them why you care enough to do that.

And, whatever you can do to take this corporation down, do it.  They put my family in serious harm’s way, and they couldn’t care less.

Just had to say something….

Next article, back to all that’s truly good about life….

I Knew Coffee Was Good for You… February 5, 2009

Posted by Ken Newton in : Life in Panama , 2comments

Just finished reading an article in the Noticias Bajareque titled “Is Coffee Good for Me?”. Well, it seems studies favor my not having problems with most diseases for the rest of my life. And even more encouraging is that the reduction in risk bears relationship to the number of cups per day, 6 being a recommended number. The coffee in Panama has to be the best in the world, which makes taking my medicine all that much easier!

I have been off the blog radar for several weeks. When we went to the US and Canada to be with family over Christmas, extending into January, I let the writing slip. Probably not that bad a choice, as I would have tended to the negative. Being with family and friends was great, but coming back into contact with the NA culture didn’t do much for me. But , Lynda and I are back in Potrerillos Abajo, moving to another level of connection and settledness, and, of course, savoring the incredible weather of Panama’s dry season.

Although, we have been without electricity, internet, water, and phone for the past 15 hours or so. It is a strange mix of beautiful blue sky, warm dry air, and what feels like hurricane force winds. Lots of trees down, and, I guess with that, power lines. I am typing this on laptop battery power, and will post it when life’s luxuries return.

This morning Paul and I attended a meeting of Club Rotario de Boquet. Rotary has a very active presence in the area, and we were given the opportunity to present Dead Wheat. Paul’s presentation focused on the difference in the approach to need – dependency v.s. empowerment. Quick fix v.s. sustainable change. It was a stellar presentation, and Paul is one of the most gifted speakers you will find. I am very glad to be part of Dead Wheat, and there is so much to do that will have a lasting influence here in Panama.

If you are interested in reading Paul’s presentation, I am sure I can get him to post it. Let me know.

Hey – check out some of the pictures on the Dead Wheat site – click on ‘Media’ and see how the aquaponic farm is taking shape. And especially check out the injuries – mine in particular! Too bad we don’t have a picture of me falling backwards and upside down off a scaffold. (Steve saved me at the last minute….)

Anyway – not the best written blog to launch a new segment, But it has at least launched the discipline of writing something most days. I will try to keep up. For now, gotta go – Lynda was just moving a flower arrangement in the kitchen and a lizard of some variety lunged at her from out of the leaves. Not that it was any longer than a couple of centimeters, but I guess Lynda still has a way to go in adapting to life’s new experiences.

By the way – next blog is going to be about a product that we bought for Christmas that turned out to be so dangerous that everyone needs to know about it. I want to take this company down!