Starbucks

I've been working at Starbucks for the past four months, and shoot me, I kind of like it. I like whipping up drinks for nice customers, making my own (mostly nasty) drink creations, joking around with my awesome coworkers, and learning about coffee. I don't feel that Starbucks is too bad as a multi-national corporation either.

The company is always charged with unfair trade practices, homogenization/unoriginality of their coffee shops, and driving out small businesses. But isn't it the same way for other corporations? I feel like all capitalistic businesses have the same practices - they drive out smaller business, they use overseas child labor, and they have standardized stores. But at least Starbucks treats their employees well, sells some fair trade coffee, and helps out in the communities they're in. I feel that people are more repulsed by the coffee culture Starbucks has created (Iced quad half-calf venti nonfat vanilla latte anyone?), and maybe just the sheer amount of stores they have. But I think it's just easy to criticize Starbucks itself rather than the system of capitalism, in which some people are going to be stepped-on on the way to the top.

I just got a second job on-campus as an office assistant, and it's probably the worst job I've ever had. It's one of the most easy and convenient jobs I've had, but the tasks they assign me is so mind numbingly boring, it's kind of driving me crazy. I basically file the whole time and it's really tedious. (I really hate getting paper cuts too.) I just feel that so many jobs set you to up to be a mindless drone, but I don't feel like Starbucks does. Am I being niave?

(Image source: class v)