{"id":36157,"date":"2011-12-15T21:49:49","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T21:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augustwritesabook.com\/tumblr-backup\/2011\/12\/15\/thirteen-ways-of-drinking-at-a-starbucks\/"},"modified":"2011-12-15T21:49:49","modified_gmt":"2011-12-15T21:49:49","slug":"thirteen-ways-of-drinking-at-a-starbucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.augustwritesabook.com\/tumblr-backup\/2011\/12\/15\/thirteen-ways-of-drinking-at-a-starbucks\/","title":{"rendered":"Thirteen Ways of Drinking at a Starbucks"},"content":{"rendered":"

artifist<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

(revised 15\/12\/2011<\/a>)<\/p>\n

I.
the journey\u00a0
of coffee\u00a0
is from tap\u00a0
to cup<\/p>\n

II.
on the street
lurid neon plastic bursts
from the buildings<\/p>\n

& i\u2019m surprised by the
Big Issue seller huddling
in the cold,<\/p>\n

like she is invading this
shopping aisle
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0& across
the road the scent of
Starbucks samples entices me<\/p>\n

III.
a cafeteria coffee is worth \u00a31.30
a Gregg\u2019s coffee is worth \u00a31.80
a Costa coffee is worth \u00a32.35
a Starbucks coffee is worth \u00a32.50<\/p>\n

IV.
inside Starbucks
\u00a0 \u00a0the same art nouveau, the
same jazz soundtrack, the same green
cracked sofas, green wallpaper,
green tables and green aprons,
\u00a0 \u00a0the same green logos, the same
original features of the building
(the alcove, the double-level, the door)
lovingly kept, smothered in green<\/p>\n

V.
from<\/em> \u2018Newcomers Alter Northeast Neighbourhood<\/a>,\u2019
The Oregonian<\/em>, December 13th, 1999.<\/p>\n

The Irvington neighborhood,\u00a0
well along the gentrification path,
is just south of the new Starbucks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To the north is Sabin, where houses with stylish
three-tone paint jobs are\u00a0
steadily gaining on houses\u00a0
with security bars\u00a0
across the windows.<\/p>\n

From 1990 to 1996,\u00a0
the latest year census data are available,\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sabin\u2019s housing prices soared 136 percent.\u00a0
Average household income grew about 5 percent after inflation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And the neighborhood lost\u00a0
about 300 African American residents\u00a0
while gaining about 150 whites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

VI.
Bitches Brew <\/em>plays
on the speakers, the\u00a0
noticeboard lists community
events, in that corner a woman writes
her first book of poetry<\/p>\n

we are not the\u00a0
counter-culture, we are\u00a0
over the counter\u00a0
culture<\/p>\n

VII.
FOR THE PRICE OF A CUP OF COFFEE
(from Starbucks passion for coffee: A Starbucks coffee cookbook<\/em>)<\/p>\n

You can chat with friends,
join in heated discussions or
read in solitude. You can
study, sketch or write.
You can listen to music or
hear poetry recited. You can play
cards, checkers,
backgammon, chess.<\/p>\n

VIII.
how did we pretend
to not\u00a0ask for dates
before Starbucks?<\/p>\n

IX.
HOW YOUR COFFEE IS MADE: A DIAROMA<\/p>\n

here in the first tray the beans
are green. as you can see,\u00a0
by the fourth tray\u00a0
they have turned brown. this is\u00a0
how coffee is made.\u00a0<\/p>\n

X.
i spend \u00a32.50, from which<\/p>\n

the cashier earns 20p
the VAT costs 50p<\/p>\n

starbucks spends 83p,
takes \u00a31.17,<\/p>\n

and the farmer makes\u00a0
1 and a quarter pence,<\/p>\n

which is known as
fair trade<\/p>\n

XI.\u00a0
find the taste of coffee lacking? don\u2019t worry!<\/p>\n

cover that nagging sensation
by looking at our yucca plants
our solid, wooden tables
our green seats, walls, and logos
our photographs\u00a0
of ruddy brown & smiling black faces
close your eyes & enjoy that
all-natural taste<\/p>\n

XII.
STATISTICS:
being starbucks ceo is<\/p>\n