LECHTANSKI.NET

There is a much talked about trait of our culture that we love to see a fall from grace. When something gets too successful, we like to see it brought back to earth. I wrote a little bit about it a couple of years ago.

My case today? Starbucks. I admit it. I have made fun of being able to see three different Starbucks within 20 yards. I have wondered how many stores could possibly be supported. But also, I have gone to Starbucks in England, Frankfurt and virtually every other city I have visited in the last 10 years, if available.

Sure, people complain that it’s too corporate. That local coffee shops are way better, and that Starbucks is to coffee what Disney is to the real world. Whatever. They make good coffee and I like it.

Starbucks is recognized as having ridiculous growth for years. Like, way too much ridiculous growth for too many years. Metro corners, grocery stores, airports, shopping malls, drive thrus… anywhere people moving or sitting may want coffee. More locations than McDonalds?

Speaking of McDonalds (smooth segway…), the home of the Big Mac wants to take on Starbucks by selling “designer” coffee. So, McDonalds sees an opportunity. It has a launched a full radio and billboard campaign going right at Starbucks.

“Four Bucks is Dumb”

“Espresso Served Cold, Not Snobby”

And radio commercials that have some kind of message about coffee and intelligence not going together or something. Not sure.

And earlier this year, when the financial woes, employee training and store closure plans were reported, one would expect that people would be hooting and hollering that it’s about time Starbucks falls.

But, No. People are vying for their Starbucks! The day after I heard about the campaigns to save the neighborhood Starbucks scheduled for closure, my wife casually mentions she is going to avoid McDonald’s coffee because of the bad ad campaign (shouldn’t be too hard, since we don’t hit McDonald’s too much, but she said it none the less).

So I think Starbucks is turning the cultural trait on its head. People like their coffee, and appreciate their Starbucks. And besides: McDonald’s, the epitome of American fast food, thinks the public will rebel against Starbucks, the biggest coffee chain in the world. If anything, Coffee drinkers are rebelling to neighborhood coffee shops. They’re not going to trade one mass-market venue for another.

I fell for John Edwards back in the early aughts, when Esquire featured him as one of America’s Best and Brightest. I followed him. Read his book. Voted for him. He was my first choice in 2004 AND 2008. I still have the 2004 Edwards for President button. But I think I’m done.

I throw out these three things that broke my political heart.

1. The 2004 vice-presidential debate against Dick Cheney. I was mortified that Edwards went to such great trouble to point out that Cheney’s daughter is gay. He succeeded in making the black-hearted Cheney seem compassionate. That is some feat. I looked past it at the time because everybody says stupid things every now and again. But then…
2. Hillary gets a little emotional this last Spring when talking about being on the campaign trail. A reporter asks Edwards about Hillary shedding a tear, and he goes off on some bizarre answer that what this country needs is a strong leader… you have to be strong… show no emotion… or some shit like that. And finally…
3. Two words: Love Child. True or not, the confounding lack of any kind of response to the Enquirer story (it’s mine, it’s not mine, it’s a family matter, leave me alone… something!) tells me I do not want this man representing me to anyone.

For some reason, I have been torn over participating in the Chuckanut Footrace. I want to do it, but I don’t feel like doing it at the same time.

It’s a seven-mile run on Bellingham’s Interurban trail from Fairhaven to Larrabee State Park. Usually, I procrastinate long enough that I miss the registration deadline or they’ve reached capacity. Well, this year, I waited until four hours before the deadline and still successfully registered. I had no excuses and had to do the run.

It was a beautiful morning. There was a 9 am start time, and nearly 1000 people showed up to run or walk the event. There were a bunch of guys from work (Don, John, Bil, Brandon), and I saw a few other people I know (Keefer, Maureen). I did the run in an hour. I’m still not sure why I’ve been reluctant to run this event. I need events to keep up my motivation to keep running, cycling or swimming. I get bored otherwise. This is a great race.

It was put on by Fairhaven Runners and they did a great job. And the Interurban trail is by far the most scenic run in the county. It runs up on the hill alongside Chuckanut Drive. So, if you’ve ever driven Chuckanut and couldn’t look at the incredible waterscapes and scenery for fear of driving off the cliff, the running trail is for you.

We are having a pretty nice summer shaping up, and Saturday was a perfect example. Sunny, clear and by the time I was crossing the finish line, it was getting hot. My only complaint is the clog dancer at the finish party. Clog dancing for some reason makes me angry. So I had to avoid eye contact with the stage, and then hurry to catch the bus back to Fairhaven.