Phone Call from Bono

A few days after Tips and I get home from Dubai (I'll admit that dang party was pretty fun), I get a phone call from Bono. He wants me to donate $50,000 to his Africa thing. Here's pretty much how that conversation went:

me: Bono, I just spent so much money on carbon offsets because Tipper and I flew to Dubai. I pretty much pump all of my money into the environment.

Bono: So you're saying that you think trees are more important than people? Think of all the starving children over there!

me: Hey, of course I think of them man. Every time I finish what's on my plate. But you know what, to be totally honest, I'm not sure how eco-friendly the people in Africa are. I mean, they're probably littering, burning their trash, and driving around on scooters with 2-stroke engines.

Bono: I'll have you know that impovrished Africans are very eco-friendly. Most of them don't use any electricity at all, don't drive cars, and the ones who aren't on food aid eat 100% locally-grown food. Do you eat 100% local Al?

me: Well, I shop at my local farmer's market every weekend.

Bono: Do you drink coffee?

me: yes, I love coffee.

Bono: Do you know where that comes from?

me: ummmm.....

Bono: How about this? If you can go for one week without drinking coffee, then I'll make a 50k donation to your eco thing. And if not, you have to make the donation to my Africa thing.

me: Hmmmm. I have to give a talk tomorrow. Not sure how that would work with no coffee..... let me think about it.

So, I don't know. I'm thinking about taking this no-coffee challenge. I haven't been without coffee since my undergrad days at Harvard, but it would be for a good cause.