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Artificial Intelligence module that detects when the owner/user is being an asshole and destroys the goddamn thing.

I think everyone should have a chip implanted that would blow them up when they became assholes to a certain degree.  For example, if you're standing in front of me at Starbucks, and your order is longer than five words, you're an irredeemable asshole, and you'll be destroyed.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin

by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 02:14:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
hmmmm

Let's see.

"I'd like Calm herbal tea." "No, really, it's called Calm, that's your idea, not mine, it's the one on the top row of the rack at the right hand end."

I think I need more than five words on average.

by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 02:16:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No, "Calm herbal tea" is three words.  You're fine.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 02:18:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Americano, no milk" (yes, I usually do have to state the obvious).

Ad astra per aspera
by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 02:21:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Depending how early it is, all you'll get out of me is 'Latte'.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 02:27:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"No, I drink (x), and that's less than five words.  Phew."

heh

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin

by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:03:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
11

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:05:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Do as I say....

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:06:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yassa!

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:22:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Hm, instead of complaining about attrocities at TGIF and Starbucks, why don't you just avoid these places?  Complaining about assholes at Starbucks and cruel management at TGIF is like going to the Indy 500 and complaining that no one is going the speed limit.  What do you expect?  If you want some dignity with your take-out, start by spending your money somewhere that is not assisting in the systematic destruction of human dignity.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
by poemless on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:15:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's nobody's fault if they fallen into the capitalist consumer trap.

Ad astra per aspera
by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:23:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic.

To be fair, there are places where it is terribly hard to find alternatives, but if you have a Starbucks and a TGIF, you have other options.  No one is forced to patronize these places.  It may be nobody's fault if they fallen into the capitalist consumer trap.  But it is their fault if they don't try to get out of it.  There is one overwhelming reason people don't: convenience.  It's easy.  Hey, I go to Starbucks now and then.  But when I do - I feel like an asshole.  Because I'm buying a $5 cup of coffee while some kids down the street will be lucky of they have $5 worth of food the entire day.  So, I'm not shocked when everyone else at Starbucks is acting like an ass.  And people who eat glorified fast food, mountains of bland processed food for super cheap are shocked when they learn employees are not treated well?  How do you think you are getting a steak for 10 bucks?  How does Walmart offer such low low prices?  Because they are splurging on their employees?   Of course not.  Our actions have consequences.  If you don't like the culture these businesses promote, stop throwing money at them.  


"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:40:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's often hard to tell when you are being sarcastic.

For the record I avoid Starbucks/McDonalds etc etc as far as I possibly can. I also avoid shopping in places that I know have a poor record on treatment of staff/level of unionisation, or who use child labour to produce their goods.

So in short I agree with you but I do think you took Drew's comment a little more seriously than it was intended.

Ad astra per aspera

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:59:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Starbucks? Not even the explosion of coffee al fresco places [looks out of window and says 'uh huh'] in our local small town could attract a Starbucks.

We have a Costa and that's about as exciting as it gets.

One of the good things about the provincial UK is that there are plenty of small non-corporate places where you can get a caffeine fix. Some of them have genuinely friendly people who recognise you and will even talk to you, even when there's a short queue.

The big chains avoid us. We're not big enough, and we're certainly not cool and urban enough.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 04:02:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Our local is the Teboil gas station. Good fresh Finnish coffee, the only options are nothing, cream or milk. Cheap working person's lunch. Open till 10 pm. All village gossip available from taxi drivers. Always a friendly greeting from behind the counter. They'll even rent you a TomTom navigator.

It's called the 'office' because we've had many production meetings there.

Never choose the tea, EVER. Finns do not understand tea. I tell them that Lipton's is the sweepings from the floor of the tea packing factory - to no avail. I have to go to the Indian shops on Hämeentie to get my PG Tips, 300 bags at a time. Thats about 2 month's supply ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 04:59:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
We have a local tea company which sells 'Wiltshire Organic English Breakfast.'

It's really rather good. I refuse to start the day with anything else. ;)

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 05:04:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That sounds excellent. I too always have to start the day with tea, not coffee.

I am not averse to moving away from the workman's cuppa. I've had local tea in at least 20 countries, made by people who love tea - and they've always been a new taste experience. I especially liked chai in Istanbul, served in small glasses and poured on the street by a lad with an urn on his back and a long spout coming over his shoulder - unerring aim.

But put one of those paper sachets with 'Arctic Berry' in front of me and I'll have a fit. Abominations!!

In meetings I have to drink coffee. Ad agencies are now all replete with capsule coffee makers. I am not too offended by that. The capsule means the ground coffee tastes fresh. The fast infusion helps. And the machines stay clean. There's usually a selection of at least 8 blends depending on mood and shakiness of hand.

At home my coffee is celebrated. Made with the Ikea Kaffe 'plongeur', I usually do a Sth American/Arabica mix. Guatemalan and Parisienne is pretty good 50/50. My coffee shopping mecca is Robert Paulig. But you can find good ground coffees right off the supermarket shelf. After dinner though, I think a perfect coffee is worth investing in.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 05:27:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Coffee with a conscience or Robert's coffee

The Paulig family has been in the coffee business for yonks in Finland. Maybe they ARE still the coffee business in Finland. Robert, the black sheep, went off on his own gourmet coffee expedition with upmarket shop cafes. If slim intellectual difficult women are your thing - Robert's is the place to hang out.

<note to self: Robert's tomorrow after TV meeting>

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 05:39:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You take things I say far too seriously at times.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 03:25:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MO

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 05:41:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"MO"?

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 05:54:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
(make the same money for a tenth of the work you usually do)

At least the expresso in Starbucks is consumable, as opposed to "coffee" elsewhere.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Aug 5th, 2008 at 04:32:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
A little too violent.  May be time to stay off campaigns and caffeine....

Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. -Charu Saxena.
by metavision on Wed Aug 6th, 2008 at 04:21:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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