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Ah, see, I don't go to Starbucks on a frequent basis. When I do, it's just "Hi, can I get a regular hot chocolate, please," dispensing pretty much entirely with any idle chitchat such as "how was your weekend?"

This is what gets me Stepford-wise. You may be in a Starbucks and have barely opened your mouth when the robots start asking you how your weekend was or how your morning is going. Completely inhuman, I think.

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The last time I went to Starbucks was a few months ago, and only because I was in Seattle and thought it would be funny to go to "the local coffee joint".

For a while I completely avoided Starbucks because I had a number of superior local alternatives (small single-instance coffee shops). In my current employ, I don't have anyplace nearly as handy where I can get decent coffee and park for a while in the morning and read. I actually like Starbucks coffee just fine and it is, as others have said, dependable.

Well, I have sworn off Starbucks until 2008 thanks to their premature holiday decor....but I stopped at a smaller local outfit last week (Cafe Ladro) and before I could even make eye contact the baristdroid -- a girl I have never met before and who doesn't know me from Adam -- starts asking me "So how's your morning going?". It was obvious that Starbucks had placed some pods in their shop overnight, so I quickly told her "Shitty! Completely Shitty! It's the worst fucking morning I have had in years!!"

It worked. I could see the slight cast form over her retina, so I made my move. I slammed my $2.00 on the counter, grabbed my grande half-caf drip, and made a run for it.
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Jim


'Tis the exceptional fellow who lies awake at night thinking of his successes.