Vox’s posts tagged starbucks

Starbucks.

nobody@vox.com(Design Shark) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:06:46 +0000

So. Tonight was knit night on the IL side. Tammy and I drove out and had a super time! I realized that I now have "a drink" there. What I also realized was that EVERY time I order, the poor guy at the counter ruins a cup trying to illustrate my needs based on their little check boxes. And it is for this reason that I have reconciled my feelings for them. I will continue to call their drink sizes by the wrong names purposely because I feel that they should be obvious and clear to all. I also will continue to order strange drinks. I feel that this challenge is a good growth opportunity for their coffee makers, and will now refer to myself in some posts as a trainer for this corporation.*

I also got 3" of the 8.5" knitted of the back of Tammy's CPH. This means I have a mere 5.5" left!!! I should have this done so soon. I am PUMPED. It will be so pretty, Tammy is lucky it is in red, or she may not ever see it finished...

I have just decided that I would like to start perusing pictures of myself with famous people. Wax statues and impersonators do not count.

Know what really hurts? Ripping off your toe nail accidentally. Ouch.

That is all. Good night.

*Please be advised that when this reference is made, I am referring to me, and I have no official affiliation with this corporation.

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coffee shops

nobody@vox.com(Alya Croft) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:04:04 +0000

yeah, yeah, i know.
i've been told this before, but now i'm really realizing it. coffee is expensive! i can't believe that i pay for it (although my coffee splurges are fewer are farther between than they used to be)!
i feel as though i'm paying more for the environment of a soothingly calm atmosphere than anything else. stupid. still, i love coffee, but i feel like it's more of a comfort thing. that's how i feel about baking and sweets, too. eating things which are horribly high in calories and sugar are desired less because of the calories and sugar and more for the social interaction i get from them. when i was little my dad and i bonded over cookie-baking and eating. my sister and i bonded over coffee or hot chocolate. my friends and i bonded over pizza and/or ice cream. weird how our culture revolves around foods like these. and i know it's not limited to american culture. most peoples socialize around food of some kind. america just has foods which are worse for you.
still love it.

Mocha - 290 Calories

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Starbucks: the Evil Coffee Empire

nobody@vox.com(Thyra Cecilia) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:05:49 +0000

Things I hate about Starbucks:

- The God-awful rude customers

- Creepers who sit in the lobby & stare at you all day

- Shady homeless people

- Having to work at 4:15 AM

- People who try convert you into their religion

- Trash runs

- The sleezy old men who stare at you when you're doing said trash run

- Just Say Yes policy

- When you're being polite out of sheer respect & ask people how they are... and they just answer: "___ Frappuccino" or whatever drink they want

- The butt ugly shirts they make us wear (Vivanno & then the bright orange Tangerine one back in '06.. oh and the bright green apron to go with that Vivanno shirt)

- The God-awful drink platforms Starbucks come up with

- The taking away of amazing food/drinks/syrups

Things I love about Starbucks:

- My co-workers, because without them, I would've quit already

- Free Wi-Fi

- Great benefits

- Good pay

- Free coffee/food

- Bean & tea markouts

- Flexible schedules

- The NICE customers [and the ones who tip]

- Yum-o tastic drinks

- Very convenient & I like the cafe environment

- New York Times paper

- Great social networking

- Introduced me to a lot of good music

- Having the power to make or break someone's day

I worked 4:15 am to 9 am today. It wasn't so bad, until I had to do a massive trash run & there was a dumb truck blocking the garbage cans, and then some guy had to conveniently illegally park his car where my pathway to the garbage can was. Then I got attacked by old milk spilling from the garbage bags. Then I had to deal with stupid chatty customers who pay attention to their company or cell phone rather than the person who HAS TEH POWERS OF TEH COFFEES. And then comes the impatient people, the chick who cut this guy in line because she wanted change for a five dollar bill. Oh, and the homeless couple who kept staring at our pastry case, going back to sit down, come back and look at the pastry case again, repeat, repeat, repeat. Not to mention the girl couldn't for the life of her keep her pants on & exposed her bum to everybody in the lobby, including me. They wouldn't even accept a customer's gratuity when they bought them hot chocolates, and refused money from anybody. Beezies, GTFO out of my lobby.

But now I'm home, freshly showered, hair up in a towel and watching the Today Show. Despite this morning, I think it's gonna be a good Friday.

(It's gotta be.)

Wink!

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Starbucks and Water

nobody@vox.com(Ronk) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:24:42 +0000

An investigation by the Sun revealed that over 23.4m litres of water are poured down the drains of 10,000 Starbucks outlets worldwide due to a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop.

It is enough daily water for the entire 2 million population of Namibia in Africa, which has severe droughts, or to fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.

A single Starbucks tap left running for just over three minutes wastes the amount of water one African needs to survive for a day in drought conditions.

Each Starbucks has a cold tap behind the counter that runs into a sink known as a "dipper well" - used to wash utensils.

Under the company's health and safety rules, staff are banned from turning the water off because management claim that a constant flow of water prevents germs breeding in taps.

"Starbucks Wastes Millions of Litres of Water a Day":

Oddly enough, their customers might know about Ethos Water, a bottled water brand sold to Starbucks which promotes itself as a way to get clean water to children in developing areas.

Here's Starbucks’ reaction/rebuttal.

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Coffee Consumption around the World

nobody@vox.com(coffeeforless) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:31:53 +0000

Coffee Consumption around the World

If you greet the morning with the aroma of freshly brewing coffee, you are one of billions of people worldwide who indulge in the daily grind of coffee consumption. According to the latest coffee statistics from the International Coffee Organization (ICO), we pour about 1.4 billion cups of coffee a day worldwide. That’s a lot of coffee, and about 45 percent of it (400 million cups a day!) is drunk in the United States. The United States is the single biggest consumer of coffee in the world – but that does not mean that the typical person in the U.S. drinks more coffee than the typical person in any other country.

In fact, when you look at per capita coffee consumption, the U.S. is #22 on the list with only about 4 kilograms of coffee per person per year. The Scandinavian countries are nearly all at the top of the coffee-drinking cohort. The Finns average an amazing 11 kilograms of coffee per person per year, but the Norwegians and the Swedes are not far behind, with just under 11 and just about 10 kilograms per coffee per year each. The Danes drink their share of coffee as well, with about 10 kilograms of coffee per year.

Coffee is just a morning pick-me-up for those in Finland. The major cities feature dozens of cafes, and many of them are now offering a wide variety of coffee varietals for the drinking pleasure of their patrons. Coffee was server as a social lubricant in the early days when alcohol was forbidden. When alcohol was legalized, it did not replace coffee. According to one Finnish coffee importer, “Coffee and alcohol go well together.”

Despite the amount of coffee that is consumed in Finland, some major importers are concerned. Coffee is so important to Finnish culture that it is the main loss leader in supermarkets and groceries. Also, home coffee consumption is slowing, and as coffee consumption in cafes and restaurants has increased, home coffee consumption has decreased. Many “traditional” coffee drinkers in Finland are the older generation, who grew up in times when coffee was often the only social beverage. Younger folks, more and more, are turning to other beverages and caffeine drinks.

The situation in Finland has been emerging in many other coffee consuming countries worldwide. For more than a decade now, coffee has been visibly rising in popularity, with prices for gourmet coffees subsequently increasing. However, in the late 1990s and early 2000s coffee production worldwide regularly outweighed coffee demand. That fact drove coffee prices down on the international market, to the point where many coffee farmers have been driven out of business completely or are barely staying afloat.

The entry of Vietnam into the world coffee market has also had serious economic implications. Vietnam had been a major contender in the world coffee market before the Vietnam War. The war and its aftermath devastated the Vietnamese economy, along with Vietnamese coffee production. In the late 1990s, however, the Vietnamese aggressively re-entered the coffee market. In the space of just a few years, Vietnamese coffee exports moved the tiny Asian country up to second place among the nations that export coffee. Since the Vietnamese climate is ideal for growing Robusto beans, which are far less costly to grow than the more delicate Arabica beans, Vietnamese coffee farmers could sell their crops for far less. The re-emergence of Vietnam as a major force in the world coffee market drove prices down and nearly collapsed the market.

The world’s coffee industry has responded to the crisis by working tirelessly to increase coffee consumption worldwide. The ongoing effort to increase coffee consumption has included identifying market saturation points, developing quality control mechanisms, encouraging farmers to maintain high standards and rewarding coffee roasters for developing new varieties and blends of coffee.

The efforts of the International Coffee Organization to raise coffee consumption around the world are paying off. Despite the fact that coffee prices have risen, there is more coffee traded, sold and enjoyed each year. Marketing thrusts by the ICO have turned coffee drinking into a fine art and encouraged people to think of coffee as an affordable luxury.

This is especially true in countries like India, Japan and China. Asian countries, traditionally bastions of tea drinkers, have been drinking more and more coffee. In countries that have already reached ‘saturation level’, brand awareness has helped nearly eliminate the bottomless cup of coffee. Instead, we drink gourmet coffees and think nothing of paying $20 a pound for Hawaiian kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and $3 a cup for specialty coffees served up with whipped cream, mocha or flavored coffee syrup.

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Coffee Pods

nobody@vox.com(coffeeforless) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:42:25 +0000

Why coffee pods are the best solution for the office

Besides a raise, many employers often wonder what their employees want. The answer might be surprising to what most companies would think. Numerous Fortune 500 companies discovered that the most treasured perk that their employees want that they provide is coffee. A break room that is well-stocked with a variety of coffees as well as other beverages is high on the list that employees are looking for which can improve production and customer satisfaction. More and more employers are finding that bringing coffee pods into the employee break room will give the employees something they can enjoy.

Coffee pods were first introduced to the market about a decade ago. At the time of their release, they were expensive and very few varieties were available. At that time, critics were not impressed by the coffee either, but that has all changed today. As of today, coffee machines that use coffee pods are amongst the most popular office coffee machines on the market. There is a good reason why coffee pods coffee machines are one of the most popular coffee machines on the market. Take a look at the manufacturers that make the single serve coffee makers and see what the coffee pods offer your office.

Consistently Good Coffee

Many employees of companies previously felt that the office coffee with synonymous with mud. The coffee offered soon turned into oily black sludge no matter how good the coffee was when it was first made. This was partly due to the fact that coffee pot sat on the burner of the coffee maker and scorched the coffee and the fact that the coffee machine didn’t get cleaned often enough. With the use of coffee pods, those cons are a figure of the past. With each coffee pod, they are pre-measured with a precise amount of coffee, tea, or cocoa to make one perfect cup of coffee at a time. With the fact that you are only making one cup at a time, there’s no extra coffee to turn into black oils sludge that is burnt into the bottom of the coffee pot. With the use of a coffee pod coffee maker, the maker does not pick up all of the oils that are from the brewing process which means you get a fresh cup of coffee every time you use the machine.

Easy Cleanup

With the use of coffee pods, it means that there are no more messy drips and grounds on the counter of the break room. The coffee grounds are all pre-measured and packaged into pods eliminating the possibility of spilling coffee grounds on the counter or on the floor. When the coffee is done, all you do is eject the pod from the coffee machine and throw it away. The employee break room will stay cleaner making the break room a more comfortable place for the employees to brainstorm and work together.

Save Money

When the coffee break room is stocked with the best coffee and flavors, your employees are less likely to wander off looking for a coffee shop. When employees spend more time in the office and less time spent standing in a line waiting for a cup of coffee is good news for your business. Your employees will be happier and more productive with access to fresher and better tasting coffee without having to wait in line. While at the same time, you will be saving money on coffee bought over the counter. Even if you choose to establish a coffee fund in the break room, is still means the employees will be paying far less for a cup of coffee at the office then they will for a cup from the local coffee shop.

Everyone gets what they like!

When replacing the office coffee pot with a single cup brewer and a coffee pod system, one of the best things is the selection of beverages and flavors that are available in the coffee pods. With the different selections of coffee available that range from light breakfast blends to full-bodied espressos, every employee in the office can have the style and flavor of coffee that best suits their needs. Individuals who are coffee enthusiast can find flavored coffees such as vanilla, hazelnut, mocha, as well as blueberry. With most single serve coffee makers, you are not limited to just coffee pods. Depending on the supplier you have chosen, you may be able to also receive an assortment of flavored teas and gourmet hot chocolate drinks as well.

The Best Coffees Available

The selection of coffees available in coffee pods has grown enormously as single cup coffee makers have gained acceptance and popularity. The main reason for this expansion is due to the nationally known fine coffee roasters who decided to offer a variety of their own coffee in pod for so individuals can enjoy the same type of coffees that they love at the coffee shop. Among those coffee roasters who now offer their coffee in pods are: Starbucks, Melitta, Seattle’s Best, and Baronet. Java One also offers a wide variety of coffee blends, and Senseo also offers their own product line of coffee pod flavors that range from a light, tart Brazilian that will suit the tastes of most American palates to their latest gourmet offering, a rich, sweet, dark coffee that is appropriately named Café Noir, that has just a hint of chocolate in the finish.

You employee office staff will appreciate and enjoy the investment in a coffee pod brewing system. With the investment of a coffee pod system, it will bring your company happier workers and increased productivity, which thus means increased sales and quality of your products you offer.

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Pennsylvania N'at

nobody@vox.com(Mego) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:24:31 +0000

The other day I called out a drink at Starbucks. "Decaf, Tall, Caramel, Macchiato." A man at the hand-off plane looked at it, then looked at me, then continued to wait for his drink to be called. "Decaf, Tall, Caramel, Macchiato." I thought maybe it was someone else's drink. However, it was in fact the one the man was waiting for. Realizing it was his, he said, "Oh this is mine. I just couldn't tell what you were saying because of your Pennsylvania accent."

I was shocked. Never in all my years of being a Pennsylvanian had I been accused of something like this. I've never said, "gumband" or "red up." I only once said "yinz" in first grade after I heard someone else say it (I caught myself and vowed never to say it again -- even as a six-year-old).

"What did I say that sounded Pennsylvanian?" I asked the man.

He said, "You were just like, 'blah, blah, blah'."

Welcome to the PA, bitch

I restrained myself from throwing a scalding hot Americano on him and went on my merry way of drink-making. But seriously. I questioned what made me sound like I was from Pennsylvania. Was it that I said "Carm-el" instead of "Car-a-mel." Because that's just a life choice everyone makes when they learn grammar. It's somewhere in your first phonics book: "carm-el" or "car-a-mel." Kind of like "pop" or "soda." You make a decision and then you stick with it. There's no going back to "car-a-mel" for me now.

After further research, I discovered that Pennsylvania has its own languages for each section of the state. For example, in Central Pennsylvania, people drop "to be" when talking. They might say, "This needs done" rather than "This needs to be done." In Southeastern Pennsylvania, people interject phrases with "Yo" (ala Rocky Balboa) and say "Yous" when referring to more than one person. You can travel into a different section of the state and face an entirely different way of speaking.

The way people talk in Pennsylvania has a lot to do with its founding and history. The first settlers were the Scots-Irish, followed by the Germans. The German settlers learned to speak English from the Scots-Irish settlers, influencing the way Pennsylvanians say things today with blended accents. However, it's yet to be discovered whether these early settlers ever said, "Yinz better get the harvest ready."

I eventually learned the reason why that man just knew I was from Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanians often ask questions with falling intonation at the last syllable, which implies that the speaker knows the answer to the question. I often announce drinks at Starbucks as if they are questions, even though I know there are people there to answer (i.e. pick up their drink). I probably said, "Decaf, Tall, Caramel, Macchiato" in the form of a question. How could I be so careless. I forgot to bring my "Pennsylvania to English" translator that day. I'm such a jag-off.

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The way I see it #11

nobody@vox.com(Lone Star) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:12:36 +0000

Why are we inspired by another person's courage? Maybe because it gives us the sweet and genuine surprise of discovering trace, at least, of the same courage of ourselves?

- Laurence Shames
(Credit to Starbucks coffee)

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It only takes a second

nobody@vox.com(Staci M.W.) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:58:20 +0000

A few weeks ago I was about to enter into a store with only one door. A woman was ready to exit so I stepped aside and held the door for her. She didn't immediately exit but instead stood in the doorway and waited for the elderly female she was with. They both made their way out without any eye contact in my direction or verbal acknowledgment. Nothing. You know who said thank you? The cashier who saw this whole interaction take place.

Then recently at Starbucks a woman with a Blackberry and big over-the-shoulder-tote was in front of me. As she reached the register she knocked something on the counter onto the floor. She was perfectly aware she did this. I didn't have anything in my hands so I reached down and picked it up. She saw me pick it up. Did this woman even acknowledge my presence or even my action? Not.one.bit. What skin off her back would it have caused to glance in my direction and say 'Thanks'. Um, none. So why did she not do it? She wasn't on the phone, she wasn't with anyone. And ya know, even if she was on the phone she still could have interjected a little appreciation my way.

People, please. What is the deal?

These are only two of a handful of interactions (or lack thereof) I've experienced over the years that have caused me to question basic societal virtues. Now, I am never looking for gratitude or admiration ~~except when I am~~ but what I am looking for is humanity. I do a lot of things in life on a default setting: hold doors, say please and thank you, etc. Because of how I act and others do not I am always curious about that disconnect. Sure personalities differ but shouldn't basic niceities be universal? Of course there are a billion hypothesis I could roll through here but that seems pointless because: old, young, rich, poor, black, white, good upbringing or bad - nice is nice and rude is rude. You know how you want to be treated so why would you be an exception to your own rule?

A line from a movie I can't remember includes the line, "It only takes a second to be polite" This phrase has stuck with me for years and I wish I was ballsy enough to use it in one of these situations.

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Matcha Latte

nobody@vox.com(white.choco.moka) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:22:04 +0000

Matcha Latte

コンビニにあった。

抹茶モノに弱いので購入。まぁまぁおいしい。もっと苦みがあれば良かったなー。

ちなみに背景は私のパソコンじゃあーりません。仕事で使ってるLet's Note.

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We gotta get outta this place...

nobody@vox.com(Alex) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:23:42 +0000

This morning, for one boring reason or another, we had to leave the house earlier than usual to get in. I arrived at Angel station at 7:50am (I officially start work at 9am, but am often there half an hour before) and decided to take advantage of the crisp Autumn air and the time ahead of me to take a stroll along Upper Street to Islington Town Hall and back.

Neverwhere: The Author's Preferred Text

Neil Gaiman

I've always liked the word Islington. But, as in Neverwhere (and if you haven't read it, you really should; you can even read it for free for the next few days), it has a questionable underbelly. It is one of those places in London where the pockets of poverty are thrown into even sharper relief thanks to the gentrified middle class ghettos and oases of pure privilege that surround them. One of its strengths, actually, is the mixture of people and services that make up the whole.

Walking down Upper Street, you're struck immediately by how a village has met the modern world head on. While the walk is punctuated by the ubiqutous host of Starbucks, there is also an overpriced Ottolenghi here, an offbeat Oliver Bonas there, the Worker's Cafe with its cheap all-day breakfast, an expensive boutique full of exclusive (but badly made) tat and a vintage shop heaving with floral tea dresses. All prices, all styles, all shapes and sizes are catered for.

It should be beautiful. But, London, we have a problem.

The problem is that even at 8am, there is no peace. I used to take early walks down Oxford Street sometimes, and at 8am it was quiet enough to be bearable - just. Here, oddly enough in the modern village of Islington, there is no such peace. Enclaves of bohemian hippie shops cling to their cobbled sidestreets and stick their fingers in their ears, chanting "la la la" against the rubbish trucks, taxis, commuter cars, motorbikes and street cleaning vehicles thundering by. No birds can be heard in the splash of green that is provided, helpfully, near the crossroads. No smiles are exchanged between those who walk up and down the street.

In the Starbucks window, the evidence of why the coffee empire has such popularity stares you straight in the face. It's not the quality of the coffee (so-so) or the convenience of the service (have you seen how much it costs?!), it's the fact that there are little islands of chairs where a busy, restless commuter can tuck themselves away from the noise and the chaos for long enough to read a book, scan the paper or do some quiet tap-tap-tapping at their laptop. It's not a coffee shop, it's a quiet pool of peace (at least until the privileged Islington yummy mummies descend on it with their ludicrously-named children, for whom I feel much sympathy. For the children, that is, not the parents. Starbucks is boring for kids - understand this and you will be happier).

My friend David, whom I will catch up with tonight now that he is three weeks into seminary, commented once that people are "just not meant to live this close together". It's true, too.

Take Athens. The suburbs are still clinging onto vestiges of 1950s life (except for the improved technology and equality: that they've grasped) and here, around the neighbourhood kafeneio and the local supermarket, there's a hub of recognition and society. People acknowledge each other with a Hellenic grunt - a smile if you're lucky - and a shared complaint about the world; they gossip and exchange information across the balconies. The further into town you go, the more sardine-like and claustrophobic the atmosphere becomes and the more tempers fray and that blunt Greek honesty, incisive as a chisel in Aristotle's hand, becomes a cudgel in the clammy palms of his contemporary cousin.

London is awake 24 hours a day, seven days a week, virtually 365 days a year. It is bearable for about two of those hours, 4am to 6am, and sadly I am rarely awake to enjoy those. Have you ever seen what a sleep deprived person looks like? Now imagine a sleep deprived city, shuffling endlessly towards its next shot of coffee, making up stronger and deadlier mixes to rouse itself from its sour-stink slumber.

I love this place. It's in my bones and my blood, and I would never deny it. But it's fast becoming time to get out of this place before the fetid fumes of the unwashed and neglected city drown out all that as good and beautiful and wondrous in it for good.

Can I ever be comfortable being a tourist in London? Some day - not too far from now - I'll have to find out.

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Free Starbucks for Teachers (including Homeschool Teachers)

nobody@vox.com(Phisch) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:47:33 +0000

Originally posted on HSDLA’s web site here. The article:

Starbucks Offers Free Coffee for Homeschool Parents

This coming Monday, September 29, homeschool parents will be able to pick up a complimentary tall size (12 fl. oz.) cup of Pike Place Roast from Starbucks.

This promotion is part of Starbucks “Great Start for Great Teachers” promotion, and is now open to all teachers.

HSLDA intervened when we were alerted that homeschool parents were not included in the promotion.

We are pleased that Starbucks is recognizing the contribution of homeschool parents by extending their program to us.

In order to pick up your free cup of Pike Place Roast you will need to present evidence that you are a homeschooler.

Any one item on the following list should be accepted by Starbucks:

Home School Legal Defense Association membership card.
Membership card from a state homeschooling organization.
Notification from a school district or state government recognizing compliance with compulsory attendance.
Paperwork submitted showing intent to establish a homeschool program.
Paperwork showing the establishment of a private school.

If you don’t have one of the items on this list be creative and try to provide other proof of homeschooling.

Please note: the final decision about whether to accept proof of homeschooling resides with Starbucks.

We hope you choose to take advantage of this offer.

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Starbucks in Afghanistan? Well, Thanks to the Patron's of the Starbucks in Southaven, MS

nobody@vox.com(Tankerbabelc) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:26:39 +0000

Several of the Starbucks stores in the Memphis metro area are having drives to collect coffee for the 6/4 CAV currently deployed to northeastern Afghanistan. I received an email today with photos of the first shipment being repacked for delivery out to the remote firebases and outposts. Many thanks to the store manager, Dana, and all of the patrons of the Starbucks in Southaven, MS who donated for this particular shipment

Enjoy!

Starbucks Southhaven 1

Starbucks Southhaven 2

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China trip-Bits and pieces

nobody@vox.com(Deborah) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:34:17 +0000

Everyone knows that after a trip, we all end up with bits and pieces we picked up along the way. A sales receipt, tickets, booklets, wrappers, etc . . .

So, here I scanned all those bits and pieces to put in a blog. Enjoy . . .

Beijing tourist map from hotel

This is from the hotel where I stayed in Beijing. the little booklet has all the places of interest and bus schedule. Came in handy really.

Tickets, pamphlets, temples

Ticket stubs, pamphlets from various temples. Loved that the tickets from historical sights were in color.

booklet from a "Starbucks", hubby's chinese animal, etc

Tickets for the terra-cotta warriors, booklet from Starbucks, info about mooncakes.

tickets, labels, cookie box

Label from a water bottle that shows a "spaceman", forbidden city ticket, Honqiqo market booklet, year of the tiger stamps, acrobats show ticket, receipt from Starbucks. Here you can see how colorful the tickets are. The one at the top is for the Forbidden City.

Great Wall of China Book

I admit, I am a "book whore". I can't help it when it comes to valuable information, well valuable information to me. LOL This book shows mostly in pictures the entire length of the wall. WOW

Terra-Cotta Warriors Book

I got this book when we went to the "Terra-cotta warriors" in Xian, China. I still can't get over the size of the pits. Reminded me of an big airplane hangar. And there are 66 pits???? Damn, this guy "really did take it with him".

Monarchs of Chinese Successive Dynasty

Back cover

This is more of a pull out chart of all the dynasties. Depending on my studies of Asian culture, this will be great for class. I try to have some of my won references on hand for some of my college classes. It does help.

Mask on cover of program

Teahouse beginnings

Tea rooms, costumes, & tea

This was a very wonderful evening. We were blessed to be up front to see the entire show. And while the show is going on, we were treated to small wonderful snacks, including dried cherry tomatoes that were as sweet as dried cherries. The tea we were served was chrysanthemum tea. These little white flower tops provided the most wonderful tea I have ever had. And even tho we only had smaller type tea pots, the waiters and waitresses kept refilling the pots with only hot water.

Show program

Here is how the show went that night. It was wonderful. I did have a great time. And who knows, maybe some day I will go back for longer.

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See KCRW DJs Live This Sunday at Hear Music!

nobody@vox.com(KCRW Music News) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:08:52 +0000

The Hear Music store on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica will be closing its doors and they are going out with a bang – scheduling a full day of free music with various KCRW DJs at the decks from noon to 11pm. Check out the schedule below and drop by:

12-1p Chris Douridas
1-2p Anne Litt
2-3p Jason Bentley
3-4p Jason Eldredge
4-5p Elevaters (Live performance)
5-6p Anthony Valadez
6-7p Mario Cotto
7-8p Aaron Byrd
8-9p Jeremy Sole
9-11p Garth Trinidad

Hear Music/Starbucks
1429 Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
ph: (310) 319-9527

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Starbucks Wisdom

nobody@vox.com(ErinGoBragh) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:43:20 +0000

Encouragement from my Starbucks cup on this overcast Friday morning:

The Way I See It #17

"The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job; ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say 'no'-- they may not be smart enough to say 'yes.'"

--Keith Olbermann

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Addiction...

nobody@vox.com(Cheryl C.) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:48:02 +0000

I don't think I have an addictive nature, but lately... I just can't seem to stop drinking coffee. On my walk to work, I pass at least—AT LEAST—five Starbucks... and then there are about 6 or more other places to get coffee (local coffee shops, breakfast places, etc.)

The past few days, I've found myself stopping by SB on my way to work... spending about $2.20 on my coffee. Then I get my Treat Receipt and spend another $2 in the afternoon! Not good... oh, and THEN! I buy a pumpkin scone. Oh... but they're sooo good!

So I just need to stop... Another thing that's been bugging me about this is that we have FREE Starbucks drip coffee available at work. Why do I feel the need to pick up an Americano?! Drip coffee does just a good a job as the Americano. Ugh.

I wish they had Splenda here instead of Equal and Nutrasweet... those are so old school. =P

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A variety of stuff...

nobody@vox.com(Hadrienne) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:45:42 +0000

According to a variety of celiac sources, as well as my own experiences, Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes are off the menu. Well, shit. I thought the joint pains were just from the weather (because saying that didn't just make me double in age). Alas, I'll just have to make my own Maple Macciatos. Hopefully I can remember to measure everything next time I make one so I can post it.

So, as a resolution to the vents previously - Tuesdays are my new favorite day (no chem). And I am now actively trying to return to the University here (aka - jumping through flaming, oddly formed hoops). I know my primary major will be a BS in Dietetics, but to even out the semester load, it appears I will need a second complimentary major. I've narrowed it down to a BS in either psychology or anthropology. I'm heavily leaning towards Anthropology, specifically medical anthropology and epidemiology.

Which serves as a great segway to what I'm reading currently:

The China Study. It has pictures and graphs, and multi-sourced content...and about 10 pages just of citations. And it's awesome. Very thought provoking too, as it presents and argument that a plant based protein diet results in improved health (and possible aversion of unwanted gene expression), as opposed to animal-based which may accelerate gene expression.

Though I am confused about one part. The book has sold over 100,000 copies. I also appreciate the fact that many of these people are the type to search for the weight-loss panacea (**cough**Atkins**cough**), but with the first 150+ pages are very scientific, in an elevated language. Not to make sweeping judgements, but most of the people looking for the quick fix would see images of cell dissection with captions involving the words "Non-transgenic", "transgenic", and "casein" and call it quits. But, maybe I just possess little hope in humanity and their perserveirance.

Anyway, if you have an open mind about dietary protein sources and its effects on gene expression, you should totally read it.

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The way I see it #26

nobody@vox.com(Lone Star) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:59:42 +0000

Failure's hard, but success is far more dangerous. If you're successful at the wrong thing, the mix of praise and money and opportunity can lock you in forever.

- Po Bronson
(Credit to Starbucks coffee)

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Featured Question: Brand Loyalty

nobody@vox.com(Dale) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:50:27 +0000

Why are you loyal to certain brands/stores? What keeps you coming back?
Sponsored by Microsoft Small Business.

I would say Apple gets more of my money than anyone else. It almost wasn't to be.

I used my first Mac back in 1996 - I think it was a Performa 6300 - for work and wasn't all that impressed. The classic Mac OS (version 7 I think was the latest one) was extremely slow, I think we only used it for Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark Express.

When the iPod got popular, I refused to buy into it. Partially because what is popular in consumer electronics isn't always what is best, and also because at the time I used a PC for which Creative's software integration was second to none. I got their Zen Jukebox Xtra.

It was around the same time that, recording my own songs as a hobby, I started hearing about Mac exclusives Garageband and Logic Express being worth my attention. Not wanting to spend too much on a system I may not use, I went for the low end Mac mini system.

It was this that kick-started my love affair with Apple.

My Zen Jukebox Xtra started to show a few weird behavioural traits as I filled it - it, being hard drive based, skipped and went crazy if I walked too fast. I decided to get a flash memory MP3 player for my daily commute, and now using a Mac, an iPod Nano was the best choice. Plus Jess had one and loved it.

I have bought...

- A 1.42GHz PPC Mac mini
- A 4GB iPod Nano
- A 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro
- An 80GB iPod Classic
- A 16GB iPhone 3G
- A 500GB Time Capsule
- Numerous accessories and programs

... and been extremely happy with all of them. They might cost slightly more than their rivals in some cases, but the build quality of their hardware is superb, and their software is designed for people who don't want to dick around during set up or hunt for options in obscure menus to do simple things.

I do think the "They just work" mantra is a little inaccurate, as I have still had issues, but having used every version of Windows since 3.1, as well as different distributions of Linux, I feel I have a good grounds for comparison when I say Mac OS X is the best consumer OS out there.

Other than Apple, my spending habits are as you'd expect of a 28 year old guy with a decent job and no kids - my clothes all come from GAP, Old Navy and band merchandise stands; I drink Starbucks; I eat a lot of Subway and Chipotle; I get a lot of my entertainment items from Amazon.com. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.

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