Breaking bread

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Bombardier highlights U.S. footprint in response to Trump; the optimal time for drinking coffee; get ready to be buttered up; and LIV files for bankruptcy protection.

Let’s get into it!

Each person has an optimal time for when they should be firing back a cup of joe, but there is no one-size-fits-all time of day that checks every box.

Caffeine intake generates various effects for everyone, depending on age, sex, metabolism speed, and tolerance, to name a few.

For example, those who are heavy coffee drinkers almost unanimously feel the urge to get some caffeine in them immediately upon waking up in the morning. What they’re feeling is actually more an urge to relieve their caffeine withdrawal, rather than absorb the stimulating effects of caffeine consumption.

Generally speaking, caffeine takes about 30 to 60 minutes for the chemical to bind to the relevant receptors in the brain and create the sensation generally sought after.

That effect isn’t so much the consequence of coffee itself, but the consequence of caffeine replacing a chemical called adenosine, which is known to build up during the day and contribute to a growing feeling of drowsiness.

Adenosine and caffeine bind to the same receptors, so when caffeine gets there first, it naturally suppresses the effects of adenosine.

Overcrowding has been the talk of several major European cities for a few years now, and despite local efforts to tame the seemingly insatiable appetite of international tourists, new annoyances keep finding their way through the cracks, crevices, alleys, and even main streets of Europe’s hottest destinations.

That includes Rome, where golf cart tourism has exploded in popularity. According to TripAdvisor, bookings for trips through the city on a golf cart grew 147% this year.

There are about 500 carts regularly passing through populated and crowded areas, ranging in size from just one bench to four. While that may not seem like many carts, they only travel through the hottest spots in town, and they’re basically always there, either in transit or illegally occupying parking spaces.

Like a great deal of rideshare or rideshare-adjacent technology that’s been developed in recent years, the golf cart craze has moved faster than regulators, exposing inefficiencies or loopholes that allow them to roam free (no pun intended), even when regional authorities disagree. It’s led to frustrated locals, and inconsistent/hefty penalties for operators.

Are golf carts a way of taming the disorganized swell of excess tourism, or just another child of the problem? It depends who you ask…

The French love cheese, and the French love butter. They also love a long list of other things, but for the sake of this story, it’s butter to focus on the stereotypes.

That’s because after thousands of years, Paris finally has its first boutique outlet specifically devoted to the sale of butter.

Le Butter Shop opened in July, and it boasts 30 different varieties of the beloved dairy product, all made in France, and made by producers of all sizes, from mom and pop farms to major conglomerates.

“If you have extraordinary bread and extraordinary butter, it's hard to beat bread and butter,” French chef and author Jacques Pépin once famously said, and his words stood the test of time so well that an entire store devoted to butter arrived before anyone could prove him wrong.

Customers can stop by to try any variety they like, similar to how one could pass through a winery and taste all varieties it has to offer. Shallot, pepper, seaweed, wild garlic and lemon with green pepper are available; so are sweeter options, such as vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, or chocolate.

Store owner Erwan Leo put it as plain as can be: “The Italians choose olive oil; we choose butter. We learn how to master it.”

LIV Golf officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New Jersey court yesterday afternoon, seeking protection while it restructures itself ahead of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) pulling its investment.

PIF revealed its intentions to halt funding by the end of 2026 earlier this year, and launched an investor roadshow to raise $350 million from interested stakeholders to buy and restructure the league.

PIF agreed to provide just under $50 million in bankruptcy financing so that the venture can sustain itself while it restructures. The new entity is expected to be heavily upheld by the players themselves, who will be its majority owners.

“This process gives us the structure and time to pursue a landmark transaction and begin the next chapter of LIV Golf—one built around the fans, an innovative, player-first ownership model, and a part of the global golf ecosystem,” CEO Scott O’Neil said in Tuesday’s release.

“We are excited about what lies ahead and yet, there is still much to accomplish in the months ahead.”

Well, it’s that time of year again. Our beloved explorer, traveller, and all ‘round outdoorsman has completed his end of summer ritual—a week long paddling trip with the boys.

Now that we know how Staker Paul spent his summer…how about you? Send us your pics and stories here and we’ll share them in the newsletter.

Big screen, big chill

From The Big Chill to Amadeus, we’ll be quizzin’ you on some of the biggest September blockbusters of the ’80s with today’s trivia 📽️