In case you missed the advertising blitz, Starbucks is offering half off its new Frappuccinos from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. today through May 16. If you're lucky, maybe a barista will make you an off-the-menu key lime pie version.

Other recent coffee news:

• Coffee from PCC Natural Markets has long been certified organic, Fair Trade and shade grown. Now that Equal Exchange has begun roasting in Oregon, it's all locally roasted as well. Other PCC coffee is roasted by Tony's Coffee in Bellingham, Kalani Organica and Caffe Ladro in Seattle and Fidalgo Bay Coffee in Burlington. (And in other PCC news, the chain has an interesting dilemma with new Seattle laws on recycling and composting.)


• After losing in round one, Carly Simon has filed an amended lawsuit against Starbucks regarding its alleged lack of marketing for her 2008 album, "This Kind of Love."


• A New York City customer is suing Starbucks after allegedly getting second-degree burns from "unreasonably hot" tea. Starbucks said it takes seriously its obligation to provide safe products, brews its drinks to industry standards and is investigating the complaint in New York.


• Former Starbucks executive Timothy Casey became CEO of Mrs. Fields' Original Cookies, which franchises TCBY and Mrs. Fields' Cookies stores. Once a regional vice president at Starbucks, Casey also worked at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Bakers Square Restaurants, QSR Magazine reports.


• Peet's Coffee & Tea posted a first-quarter profit of $3.1 million, even with last year but higher than analysts expected. Caribou Coffee's profit more than doubled to $1 million.


• A couple readers asked why I wrote about a Whidbey Island coffee shop that's for sale. I thought it was rare enough to be news. I was so wrong. Craigslist is crammed with ads for cafes and espresso stands.


• Finally, my former colleague and rapt coffee news reader David Carlos found this video of Kristin Chenoweth singing a little ditty called, "Taylor the Latte Boy." He called it cute; it kind of scares me.