self-heating coffee?

PR people love to commission studies, and OnTech Operations has come up with one about coffee that reveals that two-thirds of American adults are coffee drinks, half have at least a cup of coffee every day. Most said, that, if they had to choose, they'd give up some aspect of their daily routine to keep their coffee. 42% said they'd give up morning radio, TV or newspaper, 1/5 said they'd give up lunch, and 10 percent they'd give up brushing their teeth if it meant they could still have their coffee.

So we're addicted. I know I am. What's nice about having a socially acceptable addiction is that I don't have to drive to a dark side street and risk a jail sentence to pay for my fix. There must be 40 places I could stop on my way to work to get a cup, and I have effortlessly accumulated a collection of thermal mugs if I want to make it at home and take it with me.

Which is why what OnTech is pushing with their survey--Hillside self-heating Beverages -- seems so unnecessary. www.ontech.com Have you ever seen anything more ludicrously over- packaged? Looks to me like a nightmare for recycling, solid waste, and for giving us the impression that our convenience demands the use of as much resources as we darn well want.

That's when you know you're really addicted.