Man's best friend. A beverage which holds within it, amongst various taste-bud tantalizing substances, the psychoactive stimulant caffeine. Coffee, by virtue of caffeine's stimulating qualities, is considered by many a prerequisite to any productive day. As such it is the most widely consumed psychoactive stimulant on the planet.

Aside from its use as a utility for maintaining consciousness, there is a rich and deep cultural history behind coffee that has flourished throughout the ages, continuing to the present day. Coffee has also been an active social facilitator, with cafes and coffeehouses having been gathering places for various creative types regardless of discipline, particularly in the 20th century, and again, to the present day.

Sadly like all good things of this world, many use coffee as an excuse for snobbery and clique-making, considering particular methods of preparation and appreciation as the magic bullet to coffee enjoyment. You will often find such people peddling their egos to the world in the form of baseless criticism against any coffee that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg, along with depreciation of any attempt to convince them otherwise. Like all other forms of bigotry, best dealt with sarcasm and other forms of humor.

You probably hear a lot of talk about coffee either being great or horrible for your health, for a plethora of reasons, but overall the scientific literature on coffee does not conclude if it is ultimately good or bad for the body.

That terrible time of night when you are lying there in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, asking whatever deity to which you subscribe why in the world you are still awake and cannot (pleasedeargod) get to sleep because you have to be up in 2 hours. Not caffeine or stress related. When spoken, heavy tone of desperation on the "why". Often associated with fear of knowing the sun will be up soon and looking like you were hit by a train that day.