CAFFEINE!!!!

This is for all non-EC or peripheral-EC topics. We all know how much we love talking about 'The Man' but sometimes we have other interests.
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

Mmm... iced chai latte with soy milk.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

Weird, he's been to the one that's closest to my house:

http://home.flash.net/~ral1/starbucks/b ... CN5138.htm
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
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Tim(e)
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Post by Tim(e) »

So Starbucks sell coffee? Strange, but the only time I ever went to Starbucks, whatever it was I drunk bore little, if any, relationship to coffee.

Starbucks are to coffee, what MacDonalds are to hamburgers (imho of course).
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

Tim(e) wrote:So Starbucks sell coffee? Strange, but the only time I ever went to Starbucks, whatever it was I drunk bore little, if any, relationship to coffee.

Starbucks are to coffee, what MacDonalds are to hamburgers (imho of course).
You must have pretty damn good coffee in Australia, then!
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
wehitandrun
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Post by wehitandrun »

McDonalds makes some damn good hamburgers.
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Tim(e)
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Post by Tim(e) »

BlueChair wrote:You must have pretty damn good coffee in Australia, then!
We most certainly do ;)
wehitandrun wrote:McDonalds makes some damn good hamburgers.
They most certainly don't.
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noiseradio
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Post by noiseradio »

Starbucks makes great coffee. Unfoortunately, though, they've become a coffee shop that caters to people who don't drink coffee and don't like it much. Regularly, I will be in line to order and someone will get a decaf nonfat light whipped caramel machiato--or as the staff there secretly calls it, a "why bother." All the frapuccino and related drinks are barely coffee at all.

BUT

You can still order a regular coffee there. And their espresso is marvelous. Their Sumatra blend is one of the tastiest things on the planet. I stand by Starbucks for great coffee. But the rest of the menu is meh.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
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Mr. Average
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Post by Mr. Average »

A venti Caramel Macchiatto consist of two shots of expresso, some caramel syrup, some other vanilla syrup (I think) and lots of hot milk, capped by foam. A grande CM is exactly the same, less milk. About 50-75 cents cheaper for less milk. That's special Starbucks milk, I'm pretty sure. Comes from special Starbucks cows that Moo with thier pinky holves sticking out.

So one of the most popular drinks is a little coffee, lots of sweet syrup, and hot milk. "Why bother" is probably about as accurate an assessment of this drink as I have ever heard.

I think it was Jay Leno who just reported that all Starbucks employee's are required to undergo a rigorous (sorry, a 'detailed') 32 hour training session before they are allowed to serve coffee to the general patronage of the shop. That's one hour to learn how to actually make all of the coffee/tea drink combinations, and 31 hours to learn how to keep a straight face while charging someone $5.00 for a cup of coffee.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
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Boy With A Problem
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Post by Boy With A Problem »

I miss Dunkin' Donuts coffee.
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laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

a) it's expensive
b) it's frequented by poseurs
c) there's never anywhere to sit

I like the muffins though, and the free nutmeg. Mmm nutmeg.
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miss buenos aires
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Post by miss buenos aires »

One useful thing about Starbucks is that they always let you use their bathroom. So if you're walking down the street in New York, and your bladder is close to bursting, you know relief is not far away. But I prefer to spend my money at locally-owned cafes. Also: don't ever arrange to meet someone at the Starbucks at Astor Place and Broadway, because there are two, catty-corner to each other!
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Post by wehitandrun »

Well, I for one don't like coffeee. So, I might go to Starbucks. I don't see the problem with this. "Why Bother?"? - I bet it tastes damn good. I don't think we need to talk about any given person's coffee ettiquette.

And, yes, McDonalds does make very tastey hamburgers. I never called them healthy, but then again- we're talking about a slab of meet pressed between bread. :roll:
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wehitandrun
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Post by wehitandrun »

My father's side of my family is a Dunkin Donuts corp. family. They own a chain in Plymouth, Mass.
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wehitandrun
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Post by wehitandrun »

Haha, yes I can. I could also become a baker if I had no future (like, sort of, now).
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

Starbucks is expensive, but they do have the best chai latte around. And I never find Starbucks to be too busy here because there are loads of them. I do generally prefer independently run cafes, though, like Miss BA. The best cappucino in town is not found at Starbucks, it is found at this little gelato place midtown.

The great thing about Starbucks, though. Is that if you're in Buttkiss, Pennsylvania and need a good cup of coffee, you know you'll get it at Starbucks (assuming they have a Buttkiss location).
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
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RedShoes
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Post by RedShoes »

Mmm. A soy Iced Chai Latte. Mmmmmm.

And yeah, I like coffee sometimes too, but tea generally hits the spot.
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Post by Goody2Shoes »

shatterproof wrote:

oooh, do you get free donuts then? you could work that to your advantage. at my old job, if you brought in donuts for the morning meeting, it was like earning a get out of jail free card. you could do no wrong that day.

actually, that probably worked with any type of food. no matter where you are in life, people always like free food and will treat you better (at least temporarily) if you are the purveyor of these goods.

When the man of the house was in graduate school, the lab he worked in assessed its members 'donut penalties'. You incurred penalties if you did something to inconvenience others, like contaminating chemicals or hogging the autoclave. If you showed up to the lab meeting without your donuts, you were immediately sent out to get them, and you were shunned for the rest of the day. Worse than that, you were gossiped about later.

No one demands free food like poor grad students do!

Also, I can confirm the Buttkiss, PA location, as well as the Asswipe, Idaho location.
Last edited by Goody2Shoes on Mon Aug 30, 2004 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DrSpooky
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Post by DrSpooky »

Speaking of food and graduate school. Right after I got my PhD, I taught a graduate class. On the day instructor evaluations were handed out, Spooky made brownies for the class and sent them with me. Needless to say, I got nice evaluations. :D

I can still remember doing just about anything for a free meal as an undergraduate.
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bambooneedle
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Post by bambooneedle »

The best coffee I've had is the type we'd brew constantly when I was working in a hotel - Andronicus. Short black, thank you.
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Mr. Average
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Post by Mr. Average »

So Laughing Crow, you are a an of the herbal infuences of Nutmeg. Interesting.

A "Cliff-Claven Little-known-fact" about Nutmeg. It has opiate like qualities that emulate the action of LSD. There is an 'unexplained' increase in Emergency Room visits around the Christmas Holiday as preparers of eggnog sprinkle liberal doses of Nutmeg onto the finished product and inadvertantly inhale the powder. In sufficient quantities, this passive snorting of Nutmeg can induce dementia, hallucinations, vertigo, etc.

Nutmeg has been smuggled into prisons for centuries as a means to get high. The decoction, as I recall, is about two teaspoons of powdered nutmeg in a few ounces of warm milk. Shooter. Repeat as necessary. While the reaction is subject specific, this usually induces a lsd-like high. In many cases, it will pull the inmate out of their cell into the infirmary (and often, better treatment conditions).

If their are any botanists on board they can verify the opiate derivatives in Nutmeg.

Don't try this at home. I did. Many, many years ago, circa 1981. I was walloped and was sick for about 36 hours. It did strange things to me, but mostly made me feel completely disconnected from the here and now. Not a 'fun' high...the trade off was nausea and dementia that was no fun.

Occasionally, while viewing this forums, I expereince strange flashbacks. Strange Nutmeg flashbacks. Listen!...do you smell that?
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laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

Mmm Nutmeg! :D
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noiseradio
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Post by noiseradio »

I think my post probably came off sounding elitist, for which I apologize. There's nothing wrong with not liking coffe. What I'm saying is that Starbucks continues to excel in making a great cup of regular coffe or a simple espresso. Without all the bells and whistles, the basic product is excellent. Others may like all the bells and whistles, which is fine. But I think Starbucks public image suffers somewhat from the fact that the specialty drinks have overshadowed the beverage they actually got famous for. A lot of those specialty drinks are designed to cover the taste of coffee so much that people who actually don't like it will still drink it. It's brilliant marketing, but I remain confused as to why people will pay $4 for a barely coffee flavored slushie. And I didn't call it a Why Bother?, that's the name the local Starbucks gives it.
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Tim(e)
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Post by Tim(e) »

wehitandrun wrote:...I never called them healthy, but then again- we're talking about a slab of meet pressed between bread. :roll:
Therein lies the problem... are we really talking about a slab of meat? ;)
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Mr. Average
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Post by Mr. Average »

Todays Wall Street Journal (page B3) presents a poll where voters were asked to define Senator Kerry and President Bush as rival brands.

Coffee?
Bush = Dunkin Donuts
Kerry = Starbucks

Technology?
Bush = IBM
Kerry = Apple

Auto?
Bush = Ford
Kerry = BMW

Beer?
Bush = Bud Light
Kerry = Heineken

Lunch?
Bush = McDonald's
Kerry = Subway

Reading Material?
Bush = Business Week
Kerry = People

The poll authors conclude (n = 1300 voters) that "In uncertain times, people go with brands that they are very comfortable with. If anxiety is high going into the general election, this could favor Bush"

Feel Free to add your branding identity to these two great world leaders. I'll jump start this thread hijacking:

Old Novelty Pop Band?
Bush = The Cowsills/The Partridge Family
Kerry = The Archies/Josie and the Pussycats

TV Personality?
Bush = Bennie Hill
Kerry = Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster)
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
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Post by selfmademug »

1. I have given up on hating Starbucks, it's a waste of energy. It's not my coffee place of choice, but their coffee is not bad, and it's consistent (just what you want from a chain). They often play good music. Really there's nothin' wrong with a nice double tall iced skim latte in the morning (that's the order in which one reports that, er, order, I have been listening carefully).

2. McD's Hamburgers are foul, IMO, but now Burger King, *that's* another story. Helloooo, flame broiled. Yeah, it's not a top-of-the-line real burger (=lean, rare, lots of black pepper, bit of salt, maybe some raw onion) but dang they ain't bad. Sometimes ya want a glass of champagne, sometimes you'd rather have Gatorade, ya know?

3. My sister has a theory about why lots of folks like the coffee at DD-- it tastes like donuts!!

Incidently there was a story in the Boston Globe recently that reported that a small coffee at DD costs more than it does at SB's.

As to the Bush-as-blue-collar Kerry-as-silver-spoon ridiculousness, oh it's just so tiresome. Yes, it's true we liberals are all rich elitists, that's why we support social programs and unions. Okay, just pretend I didn't write that, I'm just so sick of it all... here I'll whine about bad beer instead.

Heineken... >gak<. Just as bad as Budweiser. Plechh. Among other reasons, any beer in a green bottle will turn to skunk piss in a few short weeks....
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