Vendor Recommendations

"George W. Cherry" wrote in news:R5Xhd.347078$MQ5.138735@attbi_s52:

I'm happy with the tea from this vendor:

Yes, but if you would use a Google newsgroup search on this group, you could have easily gotten lots of vendor recommendations.

Here are the two vendors I use the most:

Upton tea imports

Special Teas

One very nice thing about Upton, besides their huge selection, is that teas are available in sample quantities (makes about 5 or 6 six oz. cups) for $1.00 or $1.50. This allows you to try lots of teas for a reasonable price.

-- Randy (if replying by e-mail, remove SPAMFREE and DeLeTe from my address)

If you know that the vendors recommended here don't show up in your Froogle results, that means you know which vendors get recommended here. So why ask people to recommend them once again?

Hint: I think the word "loose" tends not to get mentioned a lot. It's more or less assumed.

(If I'm being grumpy, please forgive me. I had a bad election last night.)

/Lew

You eem to be in the minneapolis area. try the tea storeon the southwest courner of penn and 50th. their sample of peurh,got me back into tea.

tom

I'm feeling so bad I'm drinking a blend of jasmine and earl grey with a pearl of Kuding and liking it.

Jim

Loose cooked (black) Puerh from a 1-kilo chest. Gives me strength.

/Lew

I'm considering breaking out my box of Heavenly Hemlock.

Don't want to turn this into a political rant, but I really had faith in the good sense of the American people.

--crymad

Space Cowboy wrote:

The urban people were fine. Can we drown the rest of the country?

Hi,

I've had good luck with the following (remember that your mileage may vary - a lot!), in no particular order:

Rishi Tea:

Upton Tea: In Pursuit of Tea: Generation Tea: Gray and Seddon: Shan Shui: Harney and Sons:

I've also gotten (or at least sampled) some good teas from:

Chado:

Imperial Tea Court:

The last, ITC, seems to be as well known for high prices as for high quality teas. Chado has a good selection (except for Puer), but I found other dealers first, so I haven't actually gotten much from them, mostly samples.

I'm not sure if you're only looking for greens, but all of the above have them. Shan Shui specializes primarily in oolongs, but does have a few Puers and high-end greens.

I would consider all of these "dependable" for *my* purposes, but for you - it depends on what you're depending on. Also, my experience is that *no* vendor is sufficient enough to be my only vendor - none is overwhelmingly the best in every category, and no vendor carries everything (whatever that may mean) in every category.

Doug

As a deeply disappointed American, I can tell you that it's hard to underestimate the "good sense" (ha ha) of the American people. My Buddhist practice is of some use here: just drop desire, aversion, fear, anger, and disappointment. I have been steering my thoughts and attention to other issues, like my love of tea. I'm looking for a better way to steep and pour our morning tea. Is anyone here really ecstatic about their tea-making tool?

George

Duly noted. Thanks

Thanks. Upton seems to be the vendor getting the most votes (two) in this thread.

George

Perhaps it's not a matter of good sense, but of ignorance. I've heard one commentator say what the election has shown is that a simple political message is more successful than a complex one. Bush probably oversimplified to gain that advantage, and I'm sure the media helped

-- it's less work for them if the issue is dumbed down. Kerry, on the other hand, was perhaps attempting to convey more of the complex reality.

If the people didn't get the right information, they're going to have trouble no matter how intelligent they are.

Cheers,

- Joel

snipped-for-privacy@xprt.net/3/04 19: snipped-for-privacy@xprt.net

I didn't, and I am not disappointed. I'm still reeling. Heavenly Hemlock sounds like an option. I can almost hear it now.

Michael

George W. Cherrykvgid.362013$D%.320771@attbi_s5111/3/04

21: snipped-for-privacy@alum.mit.edu

George W,

Good thoughts all, and a good reminder. Where do you practice?

Michael

And how was your faith shattered? By the fact that they came out in record numbers to participate in the election process? Or is this simply a partisan lack of faith?

I, for one, have renewed faith in the American people because they got off their couches _stood_in_line_for_hours_ and voted. And I'd have felt the same way, regardless of the outcome... well, maybe not if Nader had won. ;)

(Yes, I realize that Crymad wrote the quoted comment and not Joel. I figure, if we're going to have an OT thread on politics, keep the politics there and not in a thread about vendors.)

Talk all you want about Kerry's complexity and nuances. The fact of the matter is that when it counted, he did not deliver a coherent message that resonated with the voters. Nor did he provide clear examples to us of how he would make things better. It was his election to lose, and lose he did.

(Case in point - rich kid, raised in rich families, married to rich widows with houses around the world. How exactly does he "understand" what it's like to be middle class or poor? He claimed he does, but I don't believe him.)

If we could poll them, how many of the people who voted for Kerry did so simply to get rid of Bush, do you think? That's not a glowing endorsement of a candidate or his positions. That's just a rejection of Bush.

(At the same time, I know a number of people who voted begrudgingly for Bush because they were unconvinced that Kerry was the right man for the job

- even though they were displeased with the current administration.)

After all, I'm in Minnesota. We got a lot of traffic up here by both parties. I listened to President Bush speak on NPR. I heard Senator Kerry speak on NPR. The former delivered an up-beat, positive message about the future and power of the U.S. The latter complained a lot, but offered little in the way of clear explanations of how he would do better. Even then, Kerry carried this state.

So before we criticize the good people of the United States, let's not forget the "complexity" of the whole process. ;)

True. And sometimes, even when you get them the "right information" they ignore it because it doesn't fit with their beliefs - be they Democrat, Republican, Christian, Muslim, Atheist, Chinese, Welsh, German, etc.

The election is over. Let's all have some tea, calm down, and stop disparaging one another. After all - there are bigger issues to fix.

Everywhere. The basic idea is to be mindful. When disturbing thoughts arise, be aware of them, and let them go. I also use some ideas from Positive Psychology: Express gratitude and use your signature strengths everyday. Sometimes I wish I had a Sangha to practice with, but there is none near where I live (at least none I've linked with).There are some E-Sanghas I read or did read--but they tend to bicker a lot.

Georg

At least we weren't plunged into a long season of doubt and lawsuits. Maybe the Repugnants are on to something I don't or can't understand. Tribalism played a large role in this election (as it always does). Let's face it: There are more Repugnants than Demofrats. Maybe the sky won't fall (but the environment will degenerate more, the rich will get richer, the poor will get poorer, and the Muslims and Arabs will have more reasons to hate America).

Yeah, at least let's do the the tea thing right-- something we can control.

Like Bush did for 7 minutes when he first learned about the attack on 9/11?

LOL!

George

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it - even if I have said it - unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." Buddha

Or Heavenly Helium. Get yours before Ashcroft bans it.

Seriously, what's your favorite brand of tea? I asked for vendors, but I should have asked for specific products. I've been buying my loose leaf tea at an Oriental food store. The stuff is okay, but it's really not titillating me.

George