On the subject of Starbuck's, I've noticed of late that the demographic of its baristas has changed dramatically. Used to be they were all attractive, hardbodied young people with lots of energy and exceptional customer service skills. Lately, I'm seeing a significantly more plained-down crowd--older, less attractive, and downright weary-looking. I suspect that it's not a move toward more diversity, but rather just another sign of waning profit margins.

I seriously can't drink their ****.

I mean it.

I've tried.

I ******n near puked - I have to put so much sugar in it that its Cuban Coffee.

always wondered how folks can drink that burnt garbage. Love that scene from best in show where the couple first met at a starbucks. Not the same starbucks... From 2 stores across the street.

I can't tolerate Starbucks. Partial
to Trader Joes Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
and sometimes Tanzanian Peaberry
when it's avail.

I became a coffee drinker in Hamburg. I lived near a coffee shop that roasted beans everyday but Sunday. I would walk by there and get high. Most of the time I was not sure what I was drinking but the coffe was 'BLACK' and cute girl behind the counter made it even better.

After returning home, It took me weeks to get over the coffee addiction.

If I buy coffee out, I get coffee at McDonalds. AS GOOD AS StarSucks, Panera, Boarders, Dunken DOGnuts, Krispy Kreemy or any of the other drive bys.

Educational Ticker... as always.

Dasweise,

McDonalds coffee is good for what you pay, very good in fact.

**** the more Greenspan opens his hole, the more I dislike him. He still thinks he's 'right' about deregulation, just like there are probably some people who think it was 'right' to deregulate the electricity industry when you have players like Enron that game the system. **** that. All complex systems need to function within certain limits, boundaries, controls or rules that prevent excessive POWER IMBALANCES from eventually destabilizing the entire system. In the financial markets, power comes from leverage, so if you are intentionally letting the system power-up, you better damn well do it carefully, and put monitors in place to make sure that the power behind both sides of the trade are kept within a certain range of each other. More importantly, if you purposely allow a system to get to the point where the power becomes unidirectional (positive feedback loop), you are knowingly embedding systemic risk into the system. The more you do that, the higher the chance that the whole ****ing thing crashes down all of a sudden. Greenspan knows all this, so he's at fault. Never trust an ideologue in a position of authority.

Quote:

according to Henry Liu, the central bankers are afraid of deflationary death spiral the most and that's why they would rather hyperinflate.

Of course they are. If there's a deflationary spiral it will be obvious to everyone in the world how many lies have been sucker to.

7-11 baby

Karl,

Thanks for the great ticker. It's good to be reminded of how simple economics is, and how all the "financial engineering" is just distracting trim on a house of cards.

Thanks too for reminding me that it is possible to get good espresso, if one makes the effort. About the only thing Starbucks is good for is the cafeine, and sometimes it is just truly undrinkable - and I mean beyond just bad. I have never had an espresso like you described. It is my Holy Grail. I might try to take you up on your offer if I am ever in the neighborhood!

Keep up your efforts to educate. The last week of Tickers has been great - a "hebdomas mirabilis" (I am expecting you will correct my Latin - I was just guessing on how to say "extrodinary week" a la Einstein's annus mirabilis.)

FYI, you and the Forum contributors got me to call my Senators about the bailout bill. I'd love to march on the Capitol, especially if they voted for it.

By GREG IP
April 9, 2008; Page A3

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve is considering contingency plans for expanding its lending power in the event its recent steps to unfreeze credit markets fail.

Among the options: Having the Treasury borrow more money than it needs to fund the government and leave the proceeds on deposit at the Fed; issuing debt under the Fed's name rather than the Treasury's; and asking Congress for immediate authority for the Fed to pay interest on commercial-bank reserves instead of waiting until a previously enacted law permits it in 2011.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12076889....