$9 Starbucks Coffee

 Somebody this week asked Starbucks CEO about their newest coffee and cost ($9).  What he said....he says a guy needs to just not think about it as a $9 cup of coffee, this is about paying for the “experience” of getting a Starbucks coffee,

I paused over this.

I can remember when coffee (plain/regular) was around 25-cents.   

I can also remember being at some airport in the early 1990s....paying $1.

I can remember around 2013....getting a premium coffee of Starbucks....paying around $4.50 (grande/large cup).

At the point where it was near $5....I sat and thought....two premium beers from the grocery across the street...with sales tax...probably would equal the coffee.

To be honest...at least here in Germany, I could buy a whole bottle of vodka now  for about $7...which would barely get me two medium cups of coffee.

The experience thing he talks about?  Well....if this were a stripper-club...maybe the $9 cost is appropriate.  But if the coffee lady is some dimwitted 18-year-old gal with florescent-orange hair, has seven piercings being obvious, and she talks demonic BS about politics....then NO, the $9 is not a reason to drink the coffee.

To be blunt about this...if I ever did buy and drink the $9 coffee....I'd be fearful that my German wife would find out and spend four hours lecturing me about being frugal, and that I should fill a thermos at home with coffee to lug around. 

Netflix Series: Department Q

 It's not often I recommend a Netflix series....but I've wrapped up 'Department Q', and would strongly recommend it.

Detective series....missing person....'bad-boy' cop given the job.

Somewhere in the beginning....they've given the detective a 'helper'...basically a immigrant guy from the Middle East....named 'Akram'.

I'll just say that every scene that Akram appears in....he's like 'Billy-Jack' character, and dominates the scene.  Akram has no respect for rules or regulations.

Season two?  Approved.  

My View On Seattle

 Since last year....I've followed almost daily....the ramblings and  commentary of Seattle's socialist mayor....Katie Wilson.

I consider her to be rather 'gifted' intellectually....to the point where you would describe her as a idiot-servant.  

How she was elected as mayor?  I have this theory.

I think a majority of voters saw her as useless and lacking....but were drawn to vote her into office because they wanted chaos.   These are voters who knew she'd fail to deliver, and likely open various 'exit-doors' for the well-to-do voters to leave the city and state. 

These are 'agents' who want disorder and daily theatrical shows.

Wilson is set to be mayor (unless she quits or is taken  out by the state mechanism)...until the fall of 2029.   

My humble view is that the tax revenue folks will have a talk with her around the first of 2027, and note they are missing around 5-to-10 percent of normal collection.  Whether she'll connect the dots or not....I think she'll just say 'move-on'...continue operations, and some financial officer will note that somewhere in the budget....at least five-percent has to be cut/gutted.

At that point, Wilson will tell the state to make up the difference...refusing to cut.

This will go back and forth....to the point that the state tells Wilson....that Seattle's damage crosses over into state-damage, and they are missing tax revenue as well.  'Sorry' will be the response....but the state can't cover the losses.

By mid-summer of 2027....Wilson probably will have public appearance issues....not wanting to talk about the mess.