At first, second, and third actually.Starbucks scandal strikes Olsen sisters
MSNBC reports on an earth-shattering scandal sure to make heads roll at Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX). Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been ordering Grande nonfat lattes from their favorite New York City West Village Starbucks. However, a barista there has reportedly been serving the lattes with whole milk.
According to a source quoted by MSNBC, "the barista thought the Olsens were too thin, so whenever they ordered their usual drink, he would replace the skim milk with full-fat." The Olsen's representative commented: "This is ridiculous."
But then I thought about this: "the barista thought the Olsens were too thin, so whenever they ordered their usual drink, he would replace the skim milk with full-fat."
So this guy took it upon himself to change their order based on what he thought was right for them?
What if they had high cholesterol, and had to have skim milk so as to avoid saturated fats?
Was he also swapping out regular milk for skim for people he thought were too fat?
How about not giving sugary drinks to overweight people so they don't develop diabetes?
Or switching regular brew for decaf if he thought someone looked like they had hypertension? Since he was clearly a medical expert.
Thanks, barista guy, for knowing better than I do what's best for me. Geez, next some pharmacist will tell me I can't have a birth control prescription... Oh wait.
- Mood:
annoyed
From the article:
Here is the statement from from Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dr. Larry Ronan, primary care physician, Massachusetts General Hospital: "Over the course of the last several days, we've done a series of tests on Senator Kennedy to determine the cause of his seizure. He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital. Some of the tests we had performed were inconclusive, particularly in light of the fact that the senator had severe narrowing of the left carotid artery and underwent surgery just 6 months ago. However, preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe. The usual course of treatment includes combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy. Decisions regarding the best course of treatment for Sen. Kennedy will be determined after further testing and analysis. Sen. Kennedy will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol. He remains in good spirits and full of energy."I wish Senator Kennedy a full and speedy recovery.
- Mood:
optimistic
Philomena Gist understands why it hurts so much to be on food stamps. After all, she's got a master's degree in psychology."There's pride in being able to take care of yourself," says the Columbus, Ohio, resident, laid off last year from a mortgage company and living on workers' compensation benefits while recovering from surgery. "I'm not supposed to be in this condition."
Neither are many of the 27.5 million Americans relying on government aid to keep food on their tables amid unemployment and rising prices. Average enrollment in the food stamps program has surpassed the record set in 1994, though the percentage of Americans on food stamps is still lower than records set in 1993-95. The numbers continue to climb.
Gist, 51, is the new face of hunger in the USA. She says she spent most of her adult life working as a mental health counselor before deciding to try real estate. "I'm a professional person," she says.
As economists nationally debate whether the country is in recession and policymakers discuss ways to drive down gas prices, a new category of Americans combats hunger.
Since 2006, soaring food and fuel prices have combined with lost jobs and stagnant wages to boost the number of Americans needing food aid. More than 41% of those on food stamps came from working families in 2006, up from 30% a decade earlier, according to the latest Agriculture Department data.
They are real estate agents and homebuilders hit by the housing slump, seniors on Social Security, parents of students whose free breakfast and lunch programs don't solve the problem of dinner. Increasingly in recent months, they have signed up for food stamps and shown up at food pantries, trying to make ends meet.
"This last year's been the worst," says Gladys Pearson, 76, a retired corrections officer, as she leaves a Bread for the City food pantry in Washington, D.C., a three-day supply of staples in the basket of her walker. She likens it to the 1950s, when her husband would come home with a small can of milk for their newborn daughter because a big one was too expensive....
- Mood: angry
Comcast expects us to pay $5 each for new On Demand movies.
C'mon. Seriously?
- Mood: amused
- Mood:
sad
The UPS truck appeared in front of our house! The driver took it upon himself to check by just one more time before heading back to the depot. BRILLIANT! FANTASTIC!
So I have it all set up at home. It's very cute! And well-designed: the whole top flips back so you can switch out attachments. There's a plastic guard around the perimeter of the bowl so you won't get splashed when you add stuff, plus a nice spout to pour ingredients in. There's a fold setting, which is supposed to be gentler. It has a countdown timer, so you can set it to mix for 3 minutes, and it will mix while you do other stuff and shut itself off after 3 minutes. Best of all, everything can go right in the dishwasher! (Except the mixer base, obviously, but all the other bits and pieces!) Hubby's angling for cookies now, so I suppose we should go through the baking book and find something nice.
NOM!
- Mood: cheerful
Edwards to endorse Obama
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will endorse Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday at a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, according to Obama's campaign.THANK YOU, JESUS!
Edwards dropped out of the Democratic race on January 30 after poor showings in the early contests.
He told NBC last week that Obama, the Democratic front-runner, is the party's likely nominee. Both Obama and the his rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, had sought Edwards' blessing.
- Mood: excited
- Mood: amused
You Are Quite Worldly |
 You've done a good bit of worldly exploring, and you have an international perspective. And you're definitely looking forward to your future adventures abroad. You've got the passport, the desire to travel, and maybe even the language skills. Now all you need are the means! |
- Location:around the globe
- Mood: LOL
then we eated it!!!
Call me a dummy, but I think that means the worst is over.
There are still small things to fix -- we need filters for the hood over the cooktop, and we're waiting for the other light fixture for over the island to come in -- and icing-on-the-cake stuff like the UV film and the photo mounting. And of course, still need furniture!
But I think the worst is over!
- Mood:
surprised
- Mood: cheerful
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
squishtoy, my gay Philippino 19-year-old adopted son:Conservatives Happier Than Liberals
Jeanna Bryner
Senior Writer
LiveScience.comWed May 7, 8:32 AM ETIndividuals with conservative ideologies are happier than liberal-leaners, and new research pinpoints the reason: Conservatives rationalize social and economic inequalities.
Regardless of marital status, income or church attendance, right-wing individuals reported greater life satisfaction and well-being than left-wingers, the new study found. Conservatives also scored highest on measures of rationalization, which gauge a person's tendency to justify, or explain away, inequalities.
The rationalization measure included statements such as: "It is not really that big a problem if some people have more of a chance in life than others," and "This country would be better off if we worried less about how equal people are."
To justify economic inequalities, a person could support the idea of meritocracy, in which people supposedly move up their economic status in society based on hard work and good performance. In that way, one's social class attainment, whether upper, middle or lower, would be perceived as totally fair and justified.
If your beliefs don't justify gaps in status, you could be left frustrated and disheartened, according to the researchers, Jaime Napier and John Jost of New York University. They conducted a U.S.-centric survey and a more internationally focused one to arrive at the findings.
"Our research suggests that inequality takes a greater psychological toll on liberals than on conservatives," the researchers write in the June issue of the journal Psychological Science, "apparently because liberals lack ideological rationalizations that would help them frame inequality in a positive (or at least neutral) light...."
- Mood: amused at your non-reality-based ass
- Mood: aggravated
At first, I thought having an actual charge for lying about being decorated was a bit much. But when an elected official lies about dangling off a helicopter to grab an American flag? Yeah, charge him with something.SoCal man admits fake Medal of Honor claim
LOS ANGELES, May 6 (UPI) -- A member of a Los Angeles-area water board pleaded guilty Monday to charges he lied about winning the Medal of Honor.
Xavier Alvarez, 50, was the first person in the United States to be charged under the Stolen Valor Act, which made it a crime to falsely claim to have been awarded military decorations.
"We have to guard the honor of our nation's military heroes, and this prosecution was a small attempt to do that," said Assistant U.S. Atty. Craig Missakian.
Alvarez, a Pomona resident, had parlayed tales of his supposed heroism as a U.S. Marine when he ran for his seat on the Three Valleys Municipal Water District. The Los Angeles Times said Alvarez once claimed he had dangled by rope from a helicopter to pluck the American flag from the besieged U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Alvarez made his claim about winning the Medal of Honor after he was elected.
Sentencing was scheduled for July 21. The Times said he would likely get probation.
And PS, Mr. Missakian, if you're worried about "guarding the honor of our nation's military heroes," what are you doing to help the thousands of homeless veterans sleeping on the streets? What did you do about the conditions at Walter Reed, where our injured soldiers were living in squalor?
Just sayin', sir.
- Mood: annoyed
Good news: Because of the cancellation, we can now go right to the mall after work, visit Radio Shack for the two little accessories we need to make our new TV work right, hit Hallmark for Mother's Day cards, then go home and watch TV on the newly-installed 50" plasma tonight!
And also, now we'll be able to show Cindy the pictures we like on the 50" TV! That will look so hawesome!
OH! You know what would be awesome to see/hear in our new fancy setup? The pilot episode of Lost! With the plane noise and the gorgeous island scenery... WHEE! I also can't wait to see something like The Matrix!
What are some other awesome things to watch on a big plasma TV with 5.1 sound? Let me know in the comments!
- Mood:
bouncy
chaosvizier and normalcyispasse!!!- Location:Casa de Froggenhall
- Mood: Bien!
Tomorrow: we look for and wash the plates.
- Mood:
accomplished
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- Lady Charity Froggenhall