Well, it looks like it is a buyer’s market now. Sellers might be catching on that higher prices don’t match lower wages around here, and houses on the market for months are at last lowering. Not to mention that CNN now lists Lakeland as one of the top ten places to buy right now! Check it out. I would have to agree, Lakeland is a gem. IF we had the funds, likely we would be browsing the real estate ads too! (Shameless plug: Vivian Writes -WRITER FOR HIRE!)

Based on some feedback I’ve recieved on the msn article on a Starbucks on every corner, I thought it might be enlightening to share a little more about my thoughts on the coffee giant.

I’m not a complete expert on the subject, but I do like to call myself some what of a coffee shop guru. I have worked at mom and pop shops, as well as large chains, including Starbucks, as a barista (fancy term for the coffee bartender) for about 7 years. Though I believe that the local individually owned shops are charming, unique and personal, I think Starbucks deserves a full profile before we throw it in with MacDonald’s.

Since Starbucks’ humble beginnings on Pike’s Place Market in Seattle in 1971, Starbucks has, according to Fortune magazine, “changed everything … from our tastes to our language to the face of Main Street.” Starbucks has certianly taken its place in corporate America’s “big business”: the store boasts over 8,000 stores world wide, with  an average of 25 new locations every week. Don’t forget that these figures do NOT include locations such as Barnes and Nobles or Target, which proudly SERVE Starbucks coffee. According to Business Week, Starbucks averages 30 million customers a week!

So what do I make of this companies record growth and sustainability? As a patron and past employee, I have a perspective that would argue against all those who view it as the evil empire, trampling all the local shops and displaying its green and white siren logo as the very symbol of big business.

Why is Starbucks in a different league than MacDonalds? They have a practice of legendary service, of going above and beyond the customers basic need for java in order to provide meaningful experiences that enrich their daily lives. Employees are rewarded and encouraged for focusing on the people, not the sales. Cards that read, “Exceed expectations. Look for ways, both big and small, to let customers know they are valued” and “Make a friend. Make a difference. Make someone’s day” are passed around employees pockets and pinned to employee bulletin boards to remind them that thier job goes beyond espresso, milk and syrup. The motto, “develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all the time” resonates in thier minds. They ask for the names of customers when taking drink orders, not just to label the mug, but to label the face. Often repeat customers find that their name and drink are memorized within a few subsequent visits.

When was the last time MacDonald’s new YOUR name and order?

Starbucks as a corporation also stands apart because of the emphasis they put on giving back to the community. Through programs like The Starbucks Foundation, Make Your Mark program, Urban Coffee Opportunities and annual Holiday Angels Joy Drive, Starbucks rigorously seeks to employ a standard of corporate social responsibility. They take part in environmentally sound practices like the eco-friendly coffee growing techniques and “Fairly Traded Coffee”, as well as little things such as recycling all used coffee grounds and bagging them up for free for customers to take and fertilize their garden with. Businessethics.com said this about the company:

The company’s presence in 33 international markets has sometimes made it an easy target for anti-globalization activists. Yet Starbucks is winning kudoes from those in the know for its treatment of coffee farmers, commitment to its nearly 75,000 employees [this number has since been blown away], and the diversity of communities where it conducts business. Starbucks can be looked to as a model of how to institutional social values in a company.

Going one step further, not only would I toot Starbucks’ horn any day of the week, I would also like to point out that with a little research, it is not hard to find studies that reflect the BENEFITS Starbucks has to the local coffee shop market. By educationing customers on their drinks and setting a standard of quality across the board, local communities become increasingly interested in the coffee shop scene, which expands to increased business for mom and pop as well!

And one last thought: If you think there is no difference between Folgers and Starbucks coffee, you are brewing your coffee wrong and wasting precious java moments on less than par counterfeits! Do yourself a favor: on your Christmas list this year, add a coffee grinder and a French Press coffee maker, along with a bag of Starbucks coffee (try Verona, my personal fav). Follow directions and sip down that quality caffiene!

Just a little word from your friendly neighborhood mama.

I am so totally excited, and a bit surprised, when I get feedback in my mailbox from “fans” of my humble mom blog! (And it goes without saying that I might use the e-mails in a post, unless you ask me not to!)

From a LOST fan:

I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your recap of each episode of Lost.  I usually don’t have the memory to write it out like you, so I get a better grasp after reading your post. Like you said, this week’s episode was confusing.  Reminded me of last year when Hurley was in a mental hospital and the show implied all of the “Lost” experience was just a dream in his head. I wonder about 2 islands though…Maybe they are mixing a little “parallel” reality in here. Anyway, just wanted you to know you have another happy reader of your blog.

And local Polk News Reporter for the Tampa Tribune wrote me: 

Hello Vivian: My name is Billy Townsend. I’m the Polk County reporter with the Tampa Tribune. I also, with Jennifer Leigh, write the Polk County News Blog. Check it out. Anyway, found out about your blog from Josh at EP. I like it, particularly the spiritual reflection. I was pleased to see you propping the good things about Lakeland. It’s a nice place to live. Anyway, just dropping a line to say good job.

Also, ReidBlog had some neat observations about last week’s LOST episode, (and mentioned my blog’s recap!) So check hers out here. From her “about” section, what an accomplished woman! How inspiring!

I’ve gotten a lot of work going lately, which couldn’t have come at a better time, being that the holidays are right around the corner and all. Always nice to keep busy! Thanks to all you readers for your support!

Recent MSN article. What do you think? Personally, I LOVE having three Starbucks locations within 3 miles of me! (Is it just me?)

This episode was dark and strange. One thing is for sure, I am more convinced than ever that the Others we have been introduced to are NOT good guys.

I am too confused to make a coherant recap this week, there was just SO much in this episode: pace maker, poor bunny, Desmond sees the future, Saywer has a daughter?!, Sawyer was in prison, Collette dies, Picket wants revenge -and Sawyer is the perfect scape goat, Kate finds a way out of the cage but climbs back in when Sawyer won’t come with her, Sawyer loves Kate but does Kate love Sawyer? She said she did, but later said it was only to stop Pickett from beating him. Ben has a tumor on his spine? Jack was captured for this reason- to perform surgery on Ben? Is this the thing Ben was asking him to be willing to do when the  time comes? Then the island clue- they are on a seperate island from the Losties? How did Desmond, Sayid, and those on the raft never see a huge frickin twin island next to theirs when out in the ocean? Sounds totally crap to me!

The preview says that in the next two episodes everything will change. It looks as though some one might die, but who? It seems Locke and a few others go into the Pearl Station again, but this time they catch something on a monitor that looks pretty scarey. I will have nightmares tonight about that face!

Looking forward to next week! I think tonight was VERY full and revealing, so I don’t know what else to say but “coooool”.

Check out his sweet moves:

Funny dancing man.

You know you want to dance like that!

In contrast, check out this dude!

These guys, however, really take the cake. Seriously, they are actually good. And still funny.

See, I was feelin all anxious until I found all these dancing videos, and now life makes so much more sense.

Check out my recently published content on AC: Best 2006 Holiday Gifts for the Non-Conformist

And the new Polk Voice article about celebrating the holidays in Lakeland: The Holidays are Here and Lakeland is the Place to Be

Stay tuned for tonight’s LOST episode recap!

Check out my mention on Sisterhood Six blog carnival, as well as the other interesting and funny posts on working vs. stay at home moms out there in the MOMOSPHERE!

http://www.sisterhoodsix.com/2006/10/welcome_to_our_latest_carnival_1/

 I have been intrigued by the saga that is Madonna for sometime. When I see her in an interview, I stop and listen. She always has this very strong presence that shows she has been through a lot. Then again, how does she present herself as this classy devoted mother in her photo spread in Vogue and then as a sultry, scandalously clad pop artist in a music videos? I wonder what her shrink knows about her, whether she is bi-polar or something.  Perhaps one of the reasons I watched her from afar growing up was that her voice always reminded me of my (birth) mothers. It was deep and firm, with a surreal mother earthy tone to it. 

 (Picture created in photoshop with very little sleep!)

 As if the name didn’t serve as a prelude to the matriarchal pride that Madonna has built for herself since the birth of her two children, she has recently been all over the press for adopting a boy from an adoption agency in Malawi. At first, I thought this was pretty repulsive. But what do I know? I had my suspicions that this was an attempt at a pr move which has since proved pretty ineffective, possibly even damaging, to her public figure. She plans to go on Opera Wednesday for further discussion.

Watching Nancy Grace (during commercials in The O’Reilly Factor) tonight, I got to see this whole thing hashed out a bit. As it turns out, Madonna has been working with adoption organizations and causes in Malawi for a few years now, before the process of adopting herself. She likley picked this country as it is close to her heart already. She seems to have truly wanted to provide this little boy a good home. Having met with the birth father and gone through the “process”, it seems to me that she adopted with good intentions. The father, who placed his son as a baby in the adoption agency a year ago after the death of the boys sisters and mother, is now claiming that he did not give permission to this adoption, which has the media boistering enthusiastic headlines that victimize him and villianize Madonna. However, let’s be clear that he has gone from saying that he absolutely knows what is going on and wants to give his baby to Madonna, that he does not know who she is but that he knows she will be a good mother, etc, to claiming the exact opposite today. One woman on her program, founder of an organization to adopt African children, has worked with this process from Africa for over 20 years. She urges us to understand the culture of Malawi, in which a father who can not provide for a baby if the mother has died will very very often place that child in care and come back for them when they are about 4 years old. They never gave permission for adoptions and if this happens, they are often illiterate and confused by the process. Once they realize they will never see their child again, they begin to ask more questions. She believes this is what has happened. Others say the father is going to ask for money. I sort of doubt that. I think that is there has been a confusion, the adoption officials are to blame for it. I think both Madonna and the birth father might have had a different version of what was going on, and are know having to deal with what to do now.

Anyway, once we have a few more facts like these, it is much less a matter of evil Madonna doing a few African dances while slithering her way into the Malawi adoption process for a pr move that might pan out similar to the humanitarian efforts of Angelina Jolie.

Why am I even devoting an entire blog to this?

I don’t know. Like I said, I sort of follow some of the major Madonna moves for some reason. It’s a similar reason why White Oleander was such a compelling book for me. These eccentric, powerful matriachal figures are a spectacle to me. Though I wish I didn’t sometimes, like watching the scene of an accident. I can’t help but look on, but really I don’t want to cause it might throw me in a funk for awhile.

 Anyway, adoption is also an interesting process to me, and so is PR and the spin they place on stories to make the nation have one big collective grumble about the otherwise private life of a celebrity.

What’s your thoughts? Does anything I found out from Nancy Grace make you think a little differently about the Madonna adoption fiasco? (If we start up a discussion at the message boards, I can consider this “getting out” for the day! HA!)

Well, I’ll try to catch Opera and see what else comes of all this.

P.S. Made the round trip two hours south today to retrieve my car that I had the accident in. Very tired. Must sleep now.

Life is too full of drama, isn’t it?

For once, I’d like to say with confidence that life has been pretty uneventful, maybe a bit boring.

And I live in Central Florida, United States of America. I can only imagine how much more drama there is in the lives of the rest of the world. Forget car accidents, break ins, or a relatives sudden death. Try bombs going off when you walk into the bank or when you take the subway to work. Try the flipside of the eventful coin; reaching the top of Mt. Everest, standing on top of the Eiffel Tower, seeing old cathedrals, or even older ruins like Macchu Pichu. There are people at this moment giving birth, or losing a child. There are people on church altars that might possibly be meeting their Savior for the first time. Monks having a transcendental or existential experience while in deep prayer in the monastary. I am simply on my laptop listening to smooth jazz while my baby sleeps in the other room and my husband plays Sims on the cell phone.

So do you welcome drama? Can you pick which events are considered a blessing and which are tragedy? Do you lock up in your house, do your chores and make your dinner and hope events don’t come knocking at your door -unless in the form of a carefully planned and structured vacation?

I have a sneaky feeling that living was meant to be eventful. I’m sure God considered it quite an event to create you and me.