When visiting the planet of California, I stopped off at a coffee shop (not Starbucks) and asked for a regular small coffee. I noticed all cups were being served, ala Starbucks, with whipped toppings, sprinkles, and even flavors! By the way, you get punished when you ask for a regular black coffee. Refusing to participate in the game ie toppings and flavors just makes you a no fun poopy pants that no one likes.

The bright eyed gal behind the counter cheerfully asked what I would like. I literally said "I"ll have a regular black coffee for a regular person". She was stumped. Smile gone she cocked her head to one side and said "Sure you won't have some topping or a flavor?". She even looked concerned for me and spoke with a tone of pity.

Now why would I want to flavor my coffee if it's going to taste like anything other than coffee? It's coffee for crying out loud - leave it alone! I drink regular black coffee for the aroma, taste, and jolt of caffeine. I need that stuff to breathe ya know.

As for Starbucks, hats off to them for knowing that some Americans are, for some inexplicable reason, willing to pay four or more dollars for the brew. Then again, we bought the Hoola Hoop, Pet Rock, and even the slinky - a frickin' spring that the nation played with as a toy! So four dollars or more for a cup of their muddy water is easily pulled off. Not sure if you can go anywhere else in the world and get four bucks for a serving. I know a relative of mine, visiting from Mexico City, was very disappointed at the bill on coffee for five. You know they got slammed.

Five coffees and five pastrys....God God pull out the credit card! Even the employees that work there have that look on their face that says "Yeah you really are a sucker ain't ya".

It's not uncommon to find a Starbucks across the street or down the street from yet another Starbucks! What happened there! You can walk out one Starbucks, cross the street, enter another Starbucks, and pick up where you left off. These people are everywhere and I don't like that.

Well they can have it all and leave me out of it. I'll stick to my white styrofoam cup with regular black coffee for a regular person.

Cool coffee beans.
Excuse me while I go get a grande mocha.
:coffee:

One of our major supermarkets, where my wife works part time, used to have their own restraunt serving snacks, sandwiches, meals. The old folks used to come and do their shopping there so they could..get a free bus ride there, do the shopping ..and have a cheap meal.
Then they went a closed it and got in a Starbucks..guess what..the old folks stopped coming..nobody uses the Café...the supermarket loses out and so do Starbucks.
Yes you are right Randy..go into a coffe shop and ask for a coffee and you get Ga..Ga looks.I'll take mine out of a machine thanks..
Howard

Ha! I forgot about those things. We had a bus station by our office that served up those little cups with piping hot coffee. It wasn't the best muddy water but a great backup and lifesaver when we ran out. All of this pre-Starbucks of course.

I'm working at a snack bar in Wal-Mart. Until August when we close it down and make it into a Subway! We also had a "senior's day" where the senior citizens would come in and get free coffee and play bingo. The woman who worked the "senior's" day hated it! They would steal cappichino and take six or more doughnuts (which we got from Dunkin' Donuts and were offering free) which would leave later senior's left out. (Which would make THEM bitch about Wal-Mart not having bought enough doughnuts!)

Thanks to Chrystal, I am now craving an Ice Cap from Tim Horton's

http://www.timhortons.com/en/images/IcedCap.jpg

That's like Dennis Miller ranting at one point that he walked into a bar and couldn't order a Budweiser... turned out he was in a microbrewery where they only serve their own beers!