Drink Up Suckers

Recently a friend of mine challenged me on my anti-Starbucks stance. So I decided to do a little research to back my views up, and to stick it to the man. My misinformed friend thought that all of Starbucks coffee is fairly traded. Well, got news for the boy. In fact it appears that only one blend of coffee at Starbucks is fairly traded, according to their own website.

While I'm not a coffee drinker, (Chai tea latte with soy milk for me please) I still enjoy a good coffee shop. That is another one of the reasons I pass the Buck. During my travels in both Europe and America, I've encountered many great quaint coffee shops. Each one of them was unique in it own right. In fact, I rather enjoy venturing into a new cafe. But I have also found many people who want everything the same the world over. They want to know before they enter the shop what the color scheme will be, what the menu is, and even what the bathroom will look like. In some ways I say more power to these people, that will leave the cool cafes free for me and those like me.

But it makes you wonder, why do some many people like the Starbucks coffee? Well, according to a recent report it might have something to do with a chemical problem. The caffeine levels are much higher at Starbucks than any other coffee dealer. Thus once people get used to that fix, that just gotta have it.

In my opinion, in the end the only good thing they've got going for them is their music selections. But then again a coffee shop is not the place I usually go to buy music, listen to it perhaps, but to specifically buy it, no.

Currently listening to: Dashboard Confessional -