Never let it be said that Oregonians cannot see a good idea and improve on it.  Such is the case of Sex-presso, which I blogged on in February.

Coffee shop owners fight rules with bikini-clad baristas

Adam Marshall and Steven Rotan knew they would have a challenge when they opened their drive–through Coffee Nation in January.

The state was requiring them to install a median that would block left-turn access to their shop.

But the brothers had a plan. Employees would wear bikinis.

“It’s really worked,” said Marshall, 28. “Our profits are going up every day.”

Ignore the one liners.

“Bikini Days” - which include a man-made beach and lounge chairs out front - is just one of many atttemmpts to lure customers.

“We wanted to do something fun and different,” said Rotan, 33. “It’s creative and something new for people to look at.”

The bikini tops follow a trend that’s become popular at drive-through espresso stands in Seattle.

This has been buzzing around for a few days.  Here is the gist of it, from WND.

Anti-God Starbucks cup has customer steaming

An Ohio woman is steaming after reading an anti-God message published on the side of a Starbucks coffee cup.

The message that got Michelle Incanno’s blood boiling reads:

“Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure.”

Michelle Incanno of Springboro, Ohio, holds a cup part of Starbucks’ ‘The Way I See It’ campaign (Dayton Daily News)

The quote was written by Bill Schell, a Starbucks customer from London, Ontario, Canada, and was included as part of an effort by the Seattle-based coffee giant to collect different viewpoints and spur discussion.

UPDATED, inline below. 

When I first moved here I was amazed at all the coffee stands.  From where I sit there are 5 or 6 Starbucks within just a few miles of my house, some of them literally in the same parking lot.

But whereas Starbucks has the big name recognition and a lot of saturation, there are just as many, if not more, small no-name Espresso stands scattered around the area.  The small stands have many types of draws to help complete with the giants.  Often it is just drink specials, punch cards and catchy names.

My favorite name for a Coffee Stand is "Jitters".

But a few stands have taken the gimic ideas to the next level:  Sex.

The stories broke a few weeks ago locally and on Fox News shortly after that.

Sexpresso? Seattle-Area Coffee ‘Cowgirls’ Show Skin to Get Business

Coffee-stand owner John Cambroto could not compete against the beautiful bikini-clad women selling espresso up the road.

"We had a much better atmosphere, good coffee. Unfortunately, they ran around half-naked and we didn’t," said Cambroto, who finally threw in the towel last spring and sold his business to his rival, the operator of six Cowgirls Espresso stands in the Seattle suburbs.

Ok, I am not about to start making some moralistic point here.  Rest your minds at ease. 

It’s just a TV commercial for coffee.  And that really is one of the lines, "Get up, get out of bed, you can sleep when you are dead…" as only some golden hued sadistic happy happy joy joy morning loving zombies can sing it.

I gotta tell ya, it is one of the creepiest commercials I have ever seen.  This is hell for the night owl/non-morning person.

http://www.boardsmag.com/screeningroom/commercials/2971/

Or go to the Folgers site http://toleratemornings.com/ and have a look around.

And enjoy that morning cup of coffee….

And if tonight my soul may find her peace
in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower
then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.
~D.H. Lawrence

The voodoo priest and all his powders were as nothing compared to espresso, cappuccino, and mocha, which are stronger than all the religions of the world combined, and perhaps stronger than the human soul itself. 
~Mark Helprin, Memoir from Antproof Case, 1995

Seen also at The Daily Brief and The Anchoress