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Due to Starbucks popularity starting to wane with its over-expanding, and venturing into fields not related to coffee, it appears that Starbucks is going to do something about it. Soon, gone will be the days of the sub-par breakfast sandwiches and drinks that are correct only about 80% of the time.

It seems that Starbucks will close its doors for today and begin retraining its staff. This comes as great news to me, because I used to frequent this place quite often. Then the quality of coffee and service took a dive. I noticed that they switched to automatic espresso machines for starters and that combined with the random wares they were trying to peddle, the baristas ceased being baristas and became clerks that occasionally make coffee.

The point that drove this fact home, ironically enough, was when I visited Pike Place in Seattle and visited the original Starbucks. The line was enormous. The wait was long. The place was crowded, but the coffee was amazing. Then I thought to myself, what is it that is so different here? For one thing, it appeared that the Pike Place store still uses manual espresso machines and they have their own roast. Also, the amount of merchandise in this store was much less than its other branches. The baristas here were having fun, even if they were busy, flinging empty cups from counter to counter to make the drinks and they were pulling the shots by hand. Not only were they pretty quick about the orders, especially considering the volume but most importantly, the coffee was good.

After I realized that the quality was declining due to the merchandise and auto-espresso machines I wrote Starbucks and stated my opinions. I got a reply stating that they put the automatic espresso machines in place because they yielded consistent shots (which they do, I got three burnt shots in a row) and for the baristas to avoid repetitive stress disorder. After reading this I thought to myself, so screw the original store employees and let them suffer with their repetitive stress disorder? No, that wasn’t quite right.

A while back Starbucks had the summer of store openings, and this is when I noticed these machine popping up. It wasn’t because they were concerned about repetitive stress disorder, it was about ease of training. So, after this statement I received from Starbucks, I have pretty much just stopped going to Starbucks at all. There are a few Peet’s coffee stores near me that I will go to but when I want good coffee I visit San Francisco, usually at least once a week, and go to Ritual Roasters. So, I have options. It is unfortunate that there are probably alot of people who don’t have the options to pull away from Starbucks. I think a severe drop in business would help them realize that people don’t got to Starbucks for CD’s, games, and lunches. They go for coffee.

I hope that they can turn it around because I would like to get a good cup of espresso for them again.

It seems that in the infinite wisdom of the American government, water boarding is not torture!

This is great news! Not only that but unless that pain is equivalent to organ failure or death, then nothing is torture. The great thing about this measurement is, that the people who experience organ failure usually die and those that die just are not saying if it hurts or not. So barring killing someone your punishments are fair game everyone.

I can’t wait to hear about the first principal of a high school that water boards a student to find out why he cut class. “I wasn’t torturing little Billy. It was tough love. We just needed the information of were he was so we know that he wasn’t in any danger. Any loving parent would use this technique. Our government would not use this technique if it was amoral or wrong in any way,” is what he would say.

Why am I still here writing this when I could be out not-torturing coworkers? So long for now, and I will try to brainstorm on some technique that don’t felt like organ failure or death!

Here is some advice for everyone who plans on flying American Airlines.  Don’t have a heart attack, or anything that requires oxygen or a defib unit.   Apparently, if you are uncomfortable and having trouble breathing, oxygen is too much to ask for on this airline.  Even though, they state that the masks above are attached to oxygen, they strictly refuse to give up any of the precious gas.  Carine Desir, asked for oxygen twice in the midst of struggling for breath and the airline attended, or steward/stewardess if you will, refused the dying woman, not once, but twice.   Then when they finally decided to give her assistance they brought her an empty hand held oxygen tank, seemingly taunting to poor woman.  This also, was something that happened twice.   Then when it appeared that this was not a silly act and she collapsed to the floor, the American Airline agents box out the “box” that resemble a defibulator that also didn’t work.  I think someone really needs to clue the airline in that medical equipment should be functional not just for show.

In parting, if you are flying on American Airlines and you decide that you do wish to have health problems, you should think about you last words that you wish to share with the world, because, “I can’t breathe,” is just not to screen worthy.

First, courses on itunes and now this.

In a move that no one really expected, Stanford University has cuts it’s tuition and is giving financial breaks for those below the $100,000 and $60,000 dollar a year mark.

It is good to see something like this happen at such a prestigious school. Hopefully, the aid will continue on and allow for more people to feasibly got to a good school. Assuming you can get in.

“Federal officials are trying to track down the 143 million pounds of beef recalled Sunday, but they say that most of it has probably been eaten.” –CNN

I don’t know about you but I think that nothing says good news like the above statement. The writers here take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, fear, outrage, fear, outrage, fear, and fear. The piece starts with the statement above and then goes forth to say that the largest meat recall in history is pointless because is was more than likely all eaten. Then they go into practices of slaughterhouses and how they are cruel to downed cattle, meaning cows that will not get up, not cattle with downs syndrome. Examples of how the workers at these slaughtering plants are cruel to the cattle that will not get up to go be killed, go figure. Then they reinforce, why you and your kids have all ready eaten the possibly tainted meat and that there is nothing that you can do now except worry and try to manifest the symptoms that you probably do not have to being with.

I can understand the need to get the information about this out there, but I feel the way this has been done is the way our government has been running the country for the last 8 years. As to the whole point, I think there is a better way than fear.

It is always strange to here about mass casualties at exhibition events and the accident in Maryland is no different. The only question I have in my mind, is what in the hell was the driver thinking? No lights at night, flying down a road in what appeared to be a Crown Victoria. That seems safe. Needless to say the crowd of around fifty, that were gathered in the street to watch a street race, did not fare to well when the Crown Victoria of Doom swathed through this unsuspecting crowd. Oddly enough, I am really hoping that the operator of the car was either crazed out of his mind on drugs or to the point of blacking out with alcohol, because such a grand feat of stupidity surely couldn’t have come from a sober mind.

What is it with people today? Why does it seem the norm now for people whose lives are less than optimal to get a firearm and go on a rampage through a public place?

One could blame the media for sensationalizing these events and making certain that these people get their 15 minutes of infamy. Before the Columbine incident you rarely heard of such events, one of the only other sources I know of such events happening was in the movie, Higher Learning. Since Columbine, the national coverage of these events are enormous and long lasting. Digging in to the lives of everyone involved and displaying the shooters to life to everyone around the world. When looking at it like this, if someone in need of help and in need of recognition sees these events and sees a kindred lost and lonely soul in the paper, on the TV, on the internet, I think it could really speak to them and it can become a solution for them to be recognized. I am not saying that everyone who reads or sees the press will run out and grab an assault rifle and a case of ammo, but what I am saying is that it can seem appealing to those that are in need of acceptance and recognition (and who are slightly to mostly insane).

These events are tragic and definitely uncalled for but ultimately, I feel it is the fault of the in depth, front page coverage that parades the face of the killers across the eyes of world. I personally think that the best way to deal with these events is to; acknowledge it happened, cover the victims, but say next to nothing about the killers who seem to want exactly what our media gives them, recognition and infamy.