Dear Starbucks

Two parts PR grab, one part gimmick and one part genuine interest in their customers ideas? It's anyone's guess, really. Either way, MyStarbucksIdea.com is Starbucks' Web 2.0 way of harnessing the collective intelligence of its clientèle.

Similar to Should Do This - a site I wrote about a few months ago - MyStarbucksIdea.com is a forum for Starbucks regulars to post their ideas on how Starbucks can improve on anything from products to service to the customer experience as a whole. All ideas can be voted and commented on and they are reviewed by a team of Starbucks "partners" (employees).

Currently the most popular ideas include:

• Adopt a frequent customer reward system (punch card, loyalty points, etc.)
• Offer free Wi-Fi internet access in all locations
• Create separate lines for brewed coffee and for special orders

The Ideas in Action section is Starbucks' way of showing us that they're actually paying attention. So, Collective Mind of the Internet, what say you?

The Duck or the Peanut

A little while ago I wrote a post about niche blogs. I wish I knew then what I know now. This Peanut Looks Like A Duck is a blog about things that look like ducks. Inspired, presumably, by this very peanut. Behold:

Sound Bites

Did you know that Franz Ferdinand lead singer and guitarist Alex Kapranos is also an accomplished food critic? Oh, you did, did you?


Well, did you know that he wrote a food column for the Guardian called Soundbites where he reported on his adventures in food while on the road with FF? Yeah, you knew that too. In 2006 he also wrote a book called Sound Bites (get it?) where he...yeah I guess I'm a bit late on this one. Still noteworthy though, right? Ugh.

Mojito Cupcakes

Rum + lime + mint = mojito.


Mojito + cupcake = mojito cupcake! Obviously.



Via Cupcake Takes The Cake.

Waiting For Garfield

Garfield Minus Garfield is a tumble blog made up solely of of Garfield comic strips with the Garfield character removed from every frame. The result is a portrait of a sad, lonely Jon Arbuckle and a "comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life."


OK, maybe reading existential commentary into a modified comic strip is overstating it a bit, but after looking a few of these in a row, it does start to take its toll.


I think it's summed up best by a conversation I had with my friend Muriel:

sharelle says:
http: //garfieldminusgarfield.tumblr.com/
muriel says:
oh sweet
i hate garfield
sharelle says:
yeah me too
muriel says:
this is fun
sharelle says:
yeah
muriel says:
yeah
sweet
sharelle says:
god this is depressing
muriel says:
yeah
it always was
not like garfield makes it better
god that comic sucks

You Had Me At Maple-Bacon Lollipop

So I haven't posted anything for over two months now. That's not to say that I haven't seen anything post-worthy in the last little while, I've just been lazy. So what's the one thing that was interesting enough to rouse me from my blogless slumber? Could it be anything less awesome than Maple-Bacon lollipops? No. It really couldn't.


Lollyphile introduces their miracle of confection with: "Hey guys we made meat candy that's so awesome." That's pretty much exactly something I would say. So basically you're just sitting there sucking on an tasty maple lolly when you happen on a glorious bit of bacon. And not just any bit of bacon either, "sustainable, organic, cured bacon." It's just so...beautiful. Also available in absinthe.

Via NotCot.org