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Starbucks Unveils a New Logo

5 Jan

The new logo is located on the far right. Starbucks unveiled their new logo with a video message from CEO and founder Howard Schultz. The change occurs close to the 40th anniversary of the company. Gone are the words “Starbucks Coffee” and the border around the siren. Her image remains, however, in all green.

I think the new logo makes a lot of sense. Schultz comments on staying true to the company’s heritage with the use of the siren, but all refers to their changing business model. This new logo reflects a broader Starbucks brand, as the company sells products in addition to coffee.

Welcome to the Fattest Place on Earth

5 Jan

It’s not where you think. ABC News’ Nightline traveled to the tiny island nation of Nauru, which was recently named the heaviest population on Earth.  More than 95 percent of the population is overweight and close to half of the citizens have Type 2 diabetes. The World Health Organization report found that the 7 heaviest nations on earth are Pacific Islander.

The reasons for the staggering amount of obesity remain contentious. Nauru’s health chief claims that Pacific Islander people are simply prone to weight gain. International experts, however, fault the shift in diet that occurred in the 1980s when the nation enjoyed a period of brief prosperity, bolstered by rich phosphate mines. After the mining explosion, the nation began to import fatty foods from other nations and shifted away from their traditional diet of fish and root vegetables. The mines dried up but the bad eating habits remained.

For a concrete example, look no further than the “national drink” of Nauru. A mixture of iced coffee with lots of added sugar. Politicians from the island nation quickly point out that they are committed to fighting the epidemic with weekly walks around the island and national weight loss competitions. From the looks of it, they have a long ways to go.

A New Way For Food to Kill You

3 Jan

The Guardian reports that six people in Japan have died this holiday season alone on Mochi— the traditional Japanese rice cakes. An additional 18 people were hospitalized after eating them.

What’s wrong with these particular mochi, you might ask? Nothing. All of the victims were between the ages of 70 and 95. Every year, members of the Japanese government issue warnings to the elderly and small children, urging them to only consume bite-sized pieces of the dish. Tragically, every year, some people don’t heed the warning and choke to death.

Don’t Flush the Fat

28 Dec

So orders the sewer workers of London, asking residents not to flush fat down the drain. It clogs the sewers! This will probably be the last Christmas carol you hear this year.

L.A. Times Food Critic Outed Online

24 Dec

On Tuesday of this week, Los Angeles Times food critic S. Irene Virbila visited a new restaurant in Beverly Hills called Red Medicine. Upon arriving, Virbila and the members of her party waited over 40 minutes to be seated. In spite of this, press reports do not suggest she complained or acted out. Without warning, the owner of the restaurant came over to her, snapped her photograph and posted it to the restaurant’s Flickr pool.

The image quickly passed through various internet websites. Virbila had protected her anonymity for over 16 years at the Times. Now, one angry owner took it away from her.

Owner Noah Ellis cited negative reviews as the reason he outed her and claimed “[her reviews] have caused hard-working people in this industry to lose their jobs.” He later took down his message, which attacked Virbila viciously.

Even if we grant for the moment that Virbila is an unnecessarily critical reviewer (and I’ve never read her reviews), what gives Red Medicine the right to end her anonymity? Given the fact that Ellis recognized her so easily, why would others in the restaurant world not? Virbila did nothing disrespectful to even moderately justify the response. Also, stick by your opinions. Taking down the message indicates some sort of regret.

What seems more likely is that Virbila’s experience is common at Red Medicine. It seems that frequent problems have dogged the restaurant. This was a way to get back at Virbila for the unwritten review of the restaurant or, perhaps, a strategy for some publicity. Shame on you, Red Medicine. You are a bully.

Virbila

 

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