MattBob's Killer Webspace... » review

I break the green ring!

mattbob — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:29:28 +0000

Okay Starbucks, you win. Game over. I started with my account back with you guys back in June 2008 and now, 21 months later, I’m throwing in the towel.

I order the exact same drink, every day. To be honest, when I rattle off my favorite beverage, “venti soy chai, no water, no foam, 150 degrees,” I feel a bit silly, but really, it’s not that difficult. Broken down, it’s interpreted as a big boy soy drink at 150 degrees. Each and every store I’ve frequented enough to train the staff on my drink, by being patient, day in, day out, to get my order right, in the end, they revert back to whatever habit that I was trying to change, namely, being lazy. It’s blatantly obvious that my order is going to be wrong when the machine is set at 180 or on the other side, 165, and the steamer runs the full cycle. Or, when I drive away, waiting for my drink to cool and eventually realize I am drinking milk milk! This is one that really baffles me. Starbucks offers three different kinds of cows milk, mine says “S,” for soy, so what milk option can you confuse with that??? By the time I realize this error, I’m too far away from the original store, which then forces me to awkwardly go into another store and explain the incompetence of the Starbucks employee from where I came. Most baristas are happy to help, but I have met some resistance before. And yes, my cup is generally full.

So, this is it. I’m done. Why should have I have to suggest to baristas that they should shake up the box of soy milk, to help even out the settling of particulates? This doesn’t bother me so much when the box is already open, but for crying out loud, when opening new, shake the damn thing! Also, I specifically asked for 150 degrees, at least pretend you care. If I burn my mouth because of laziness, I’m not going to be keen to be super polite, especially if you know I order the same damn drink, every day, at the same store!

Starbucks patrons are a picky lot, and for the price I pay, all I ask is to be presented what I order. Nothing more, nothing less. Starbucks cannot seem to, for me, accomplish this simple objective. This is probably a blessing is disguise anyway. I could use the extra few hundred bucks each year. I love hot tazo chai with my stevia, hard to beat, and for the cost, mere pennies per cup.

For Christmas, I specifically asked for the Starbucks (RED) card so when I drank my venti chai, I could also help the support communities in Africa. Well, now I can donate a lot more than what Starbucks is donating in the new savings of not going there. Btw, it’s 5 cents an order.

To those who know me best, no, this is not a ban on Starbucks. The point is, I will never spend my money there again. You want to go and cover me, I’m not going to turn you down. Cheers! Also, I will pop in Starbucks from time to time, to get on the internet somewhere in the U.S., no problemo, I’ll just carry my teabags and ask them to fill up my stainless steel Starbucks mug (which I love) with hot water so I can steep it at a table and enjoy my chai, free!

There you go, adios Starbucks!

Jarritos (Made in Mexico) crash…

mattbob — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:28:38 +0000

Swinging through the grocery store, in need of some spinach tortillas, I saw some new (to me) beverage on special in the store. Almost every time I go shopping, I try to pick up something new.. and this had all the qualities I look for. First, it’s a beverage. This is perfect because I don’t have to buy anything, or prepare anything.. and if I don’t like it, I pitch it. Second, it’s in a glass bottle. What a great throwback. We,, in America, decided some 15 years ago to go to an all plastic society which has always had me pondering; what do kids nowadays throw at mailboxes in the middle of the night?? Thirdly, it’s sweetened with natural sugar, not some of that overly refined crap (High Fructose Corn Syrup) that so many companies have gone to. Sure their saving money but fattening their wallets and our nations (as well as global) kids in the process. Sad to see 75-100 yr old brands going this route. Fourth, pre-chilled. Need I say more. I may poo-poo Americanisms from time to time, but heyyy, instant gratification is.. well, gratifying.

Got home, went to twist off the top and instead ripped off a bit of skin. Ahh, no sissy ‘fake top’ for the lazy types here. Good thing I didn’t try to enjoy this beverage in my car, would have been annoyed that it wouldn’t have been ‘instantly gratified’. I guess Mexico still carries those old soda machines with the built in bottle opener.

The Jarritos tasted great, glad I chose Lime. I consider lime as a standard when it comes to beverages.. if a company can’t get a simple flavor like lime, I walk away.. no need to test grape, fruit punch, etc. There was just the right amount of carbonation, much less than their American competitors but enough that made it quite tasty. Speaking of which, the taste immediately transported me back to the end of my t-ball games eating those Slushies. Some may disagree, but I thought the sugar content was a bit high but doable (once.)

All was very well.. enjoyed the product, satisified with my purchase, happy not to have thrown my money away. That’s what I thought, until about an hour later. CRASH CITY!

Holy cow, I didn’t really get a ‘sugar high’ but boy oh boy did the crash hit me. I located the bottle and looked at the sugar content (something I normally don’t do) and there was 28 grams of sugar in that bottle. Not too bad, but thankfully companies have found that consumers love reading labels quickly and go, ‘hey that’s not too bad for me’. Oh, crap, there’s two serving in one bottle!!! WTF? That means there is approximately 14 teaspoons or 4.6 tablespoons of sugar crammed into 13 ounces of liquid. And by the way, w-who anywhere opens a bottle (a 13.5oz one at that) and puts it back in fridge to enjoy that ‘second serving’ later??

Audi just gave me a stiffy

mattbob — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:04:39 +0000

‘nuf said

Check out the whole review of the Audi R8 at CNET.com

it’s starts at a measly $118,000, gets a global warming good 15 miles per gallon (thank god it’s not diesel) with it’s all-wheel drive goodness. But at least it beat the pants off a damn Landrover Discovery I know (50% better, to be exact)