starbucks chatter

today, i have two comments:

i am loving the new artwork that is on the packaging on Starbucks newest coffee, Ethiopia Sun-Dried Sidamo (right), available for a limited time. I'm thinking the serious brewing coffee fanatics will have to try this out.

I was so intrigued, I googled some background on the Sidamos

The Sidamo are warrior tribe of some 2,000,000 living in southwest Ethiopia. That warrior ethic has continued into modern times. In 1935, when Benito Mussolini's forces invaded Ethiopia, Sidamo warriors were among the 250,000 marshaled by Ethiopian king Haile Sellassie. The Ethiopians fought heroically; but many were armed only with traditional tribal weapons and pointed sticks!

Too bad the country of Ethiopia lost its rights to Trademark the names of famous coffees that Starbucks sells. Alas, the Ethiopian coffee farmers and the Ethiopian government came out losers! Aye! US Capitalist culture and machine 5,678, Poor third world country -6.

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i am so happy that Magic Johnson teamed up with Starbucks back in 1999 to open up a slate of stores in urban areas across the country, because by George multiethnic urban dwellers of moderate income love their overpriced lattes too.

Call me a snob, however, I must say that whenever I go to those particular stores, the baristas almost always add too much syrup and automatically want to dollop the whip cream which adds 100 calories to the drink. These days at least they are now asking, do you want the whip cream with that? At the Starbucks near the local university where all the anorexic coeds frequent, the most popular drink is a skinny Latte with no whip and no pastries please.

but then I fancy myself quasi-healthy and almost always cringe a little to hear people order extra pumps of syrup, extra whip cream and double caramel with their Venti white chocolate caramel whatever. Like they add like 300 calories to an 800 calorie drink! I hope they just don't know.

photocredit Starbucks opening on Crenshaw boulevard in South Central , Los Angeles

aye!