Starbucks instant coffee with your Egg McMuffin?

I just had my first (and last) instant Starbucks Coffee. No kidding, hell has actually frozen over and the geniuses at Starbucks have given this atrocity of coffee the name of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew.

What's so bad with Starbucks Instant Coffee you might ask?

1. Horrible taste. Very similar to burnt, gritty, truck driver friendly, 3 day old, convenient-store-quality taste. Imagine 7-11 coffee quality 10+ years ago!
2. Just Add Water. What the %$#@? The instructions on the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee suggests adding boiling water, cold water (for item #1 to be served "iced") or milk for ideal preparation prior to tasting this terrible abomination of coffee given birth by the accountants at Starbucks that have figured out how to save money by removing the actual coffee bean from the Costs of Goods Sold. P.S. - If I had the time and desire to actually wait and boil water myself, wouldn't you think I would actually want to enjoy my Starbucks coffee?
3. What's next? This reminds me of the executives at Coca Cola thinking it was a good idea to replace Classic Coke with "New Coke". Do you remember that Coke/Pepsi challenge? Pepsi tasted pretty damn good next to New Coke. I would not be surprised to see Starbuck's being offered at McDonald's......it would be a lateral move with the taste of coffee served at McDonald's; however, with the Starbuck's name recognition, they might actually add several millions dollars to each others bottomline.....

Without the use of Spell Check, have we become an illiterate society?

Please be forewarned this is a blog about Spelling errors and the observation that we as a society (particularly those born in the 1970's and earlier) have become increasing dependent upon the Spelling check feature or spell check component inside our common software applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, etc.

This is not a blog about Grammar errors. Go somewhere else!

Have you ever noticed or caught a spelling error in a newspaper? How about a magazine? Perhaps an advertisement of some sorts?

What about Jay Leno's, Funny Headlines segment on (formerly) "The Tonight Show" or now known as, "The Jay Leno Show"? Pretty funny stuff....

What do you think? Without the Spell Check feature...wuld mi wordz make cense 2 u?

Open versus Closed Source Content Management Systems (CMS)

In the landscape of website development popular question will often draw a heated debate amongst Internet Architects and web programmers….open or closed source, which is better? Closed source (i.e., either proprietary or custom) aficionados will very heatedly argue, “Nothing in life is truly free!” Their legions are infiltrated by smooth talking account managers of billion dollar software companies earning generous commissions with each release of new versions of software updates and service level agreements further entrenching your dependency on their closed systems as if the contract was written by the devil himself.

On the other side of the battle, is the free loving open source hippies who are idealistic and believe software is a living entity for all to share. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergy Brin have even published their warm and fuzzy “Do No Evil,” rhetoric at Google. At market close today (NASDAQ – “GOOG”), $464.75 per share is enough for the closed source folks to feel unsecure at night and a little intimidated.

If you are a non-techie person and you are asking this question regarding which solution better (open vs. closed source)? First, realize that whatever tech people you know, work in your company or even lie next to you at night…have already made a decision regarding their allegiance. And unfortunately, whether you know it or not, you’re already entrenched with one faction or the other. Secondly, realize that your tech people are biased if you ask their opinion. In fact, if they work with or for you, they might even flat out sabotage a change to prove they are right, thus further securing their job security, stabilizing their comfort zone, reducing their workload, minimizing their aggravation level, etc. the list goes on. If these existing tech people work with or for you…if they did not have the necessary skill set immediately (disregard whether they are capable and willing to learn new technology) are you willing and capable of letting them go? If not, stop reading… Not that it’s necessary to let people go to adopt new or different technology, but doing so is already a challenging task and you’re going to need massive help if a change is right for you.

For the philosophical sake of this article, let’s continue with some real world issues that will become the reality of some technical person whether it’s open or closed source solution. The main points are:

1. Support;


2. Security;


3. Features and


4. Scalability.

Support: Closed solution technical people typically are scarcer than open source people, thus you’ll be paying a premium to find, use and maintain them (even their training is costly). Unfortunately, most technical people are not gurus with either solution; it’s typically either one or the other. If you ask either type of person, can they learn, adopt and become experts with other solution; they will lie, steal and cheat to revert back to their preferred solution. Yes, it’s possible, but if I’m right (or even wrong) with my last statement, would you know the difference before it’s too late? Open source technical people are more abundant, cost less to maintain and replace if necessary. However, the main difference is if your technical people (with either solution) have a question or need help, close source technical people can grab a book, call an 800 support number and/or pay the vendor for help. If it is an open source solution, your technical people will turn to the Internet for forums, blogs; open sourced groups, etc. for solutions to their problems. The search engines are the sum of all human knowledge (if only they can find it!).

Security: This is a hot topic as well. Closed source evangelist will say that open source solutions are more vulnerable to hackers because the code is “open” and they can figure out the exploits. However, just because code is “closed” does not mean there are not any exploits. In fact, Microsoft (which is a “closed” system) is the most hacked software on the planet because they cannot release security patches quick enough. Tech people can tighten down security with either option.

Features: This is easy. If it’s a closed system, then right out of the box, What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG). There are a few exceptions to this rule (for example, how deep your pockets are), but a majority of the time, in a close solution, if it does not do what you want then either it’s too bad or you have to change what you want to conform to the closed system. With an open source system….if you can dream, communicate and/or articulate what you want, then it can be done. Closed system vendors only release software updates of features that a majority of their customers request or complain about (i.e., the squeaky spoke gets the oil) needing.

Scalability: Typically, in a closed system if you stay current with software updates and upgrades then scalability is usually never a problem. However, with an open source solution..even though customization is wide open a system of controls and documentation needs to be required of all open source technical people so that a project can continue to live on even without them. Sorry, even Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead died of old age (or was it too many mushrooms?).

In summary, the determining two questions are...

#1.) are you experiencing a problem that is critical to the growth or well being of your organization

and

#2.) are you on the right side?

Top 5 Fatal Flaws with the new $1.2 billion, Cowboys Stadium

Last night was my first time to visit Jerry Jones' new $1.2 billion, Cowboys Stadium for the U2 concert. I saw the NBC's Today Show with Matt Lauer and aspiring weather funny man, Al Roker; broadcast a live show a few weeks earlier as they joked with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that his new Cowboys Stadium as the new 8th man made wonder of the world!  So....my expectations were pretty high based on this media hype.

Okay, these are all new blog topics, but for now here is probably what brought you to my blog posting:

"Top 5 Flaws with the new $1.2 billion, Cowboys Stadium"

1. Traffic congestion from hell.

This is what a slow, painful death must feel like! The Texas Ranger's Ballpark, the Six Flags amusement park and Cowboys Stadium are all within a mile of each other and at maximum capacity you have a quarter of a million people or so (and their cars, trucks, SUV's, RV's, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, roller blades, scooters, walkers, canes, wheel chairs, etc.) all arriving and leaving at the same time.

The City of Arlington (don't tell me you didn't know the "Dallas" Cowboys are not in Dallas. Thanks former Dallas Mayor, Laura Miller!), Tarrant County, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) apparently did not think to speak to management of these three entertainment venues about how many people these things can hold, when do they have concurrent events and what to do with all these freakin' people that might show up.

In short...expect a long, stressful wait if anything sizable is going on at the Cowboys Stadium.

2. Parking sucks!

The Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex is a half century or more behind the times with the concept of modern mass transit excluding DFW Airport, a few light rail DART stations and the Trinity Railway Express....

"Cheap" parking atleast a mile or more away is $30 (cash only please!). Expect to walk unless you escorted in the back of a police car or on a gurney in back of an ambulance. God forbid if it rains, is cold or is in the middle of a hotter than hell Texas summer from April through October.

Also, there are a few dilapidated apartment complex, duplexes and Section 8 Government housing projects that were not "acquired" for the good of the people using our imminent domain, private real estate acquisition and seizure laws that Mr. Jones did not fully exhaust for the creation of God's stadium. Therefore, expect to see gangbangers watching from their balconies, heckling from their parking lots and basically drinking, smoking, parting all night as all the ladies walk by......

3. Don't go for the Musical Acoustics!

Remember, this stadium was built for football first and for most. Advertisers, TV reporters, sportscasters, the players, fans, coaches, etc. are not singing acapella. In fact, the $36 million high-definition "Jumbo Tron" is not even turned on for concerts!

If you do not already know the words of your favorite band or musician already by heart, do not expect to hear them at the new Cowboys Stadium.

If your favorite musician happens to be Britney Spears, Ashley Simpson, Millie Vanilli, Miley Cyrus, 50 Cent, Lindsey Lohan, Kayne West or any of these singers caught lip syncing then it probably doesn't matter or would even be a good thing if their concert music was pre-recorded in a sound studio!

4. Bring an armored truck because you're going to need a lot of money!

Excluding the $30 parking and $200 per ticket nose bleed section. How much $ do you think you'll need for $8.50 Miller Lite Beers and $4.50 bottled water? In a blind folded taste test, could you tell the difference from a $1 hotdog from a street vendor in NYC versus a $4.75 hotdog from Cowboys Stadium?

The $12 hamburger tasted fine, but I could have done without the hair I found it. Note: if you throw up after eating and drinking at Cowboys Stadium....isn't that equivalent to being robbed?

5. What about the bathrooms?

Matt Lauer.....you seem like a nice guy, but you waaaaaaaay oversold the bathroom experience. Men and ladies..... here is what you can expect with the bathrooms at the new Cowboys Stadium:

a.) Lines to use the bathroom. Yep! That's right, lines and more lines.....Maybe this problem is a paradox and can't ever be solved? Not sure. But certainly bathroom lines at the new Cowboys Stadium has not been solved. Expect to wait in line to use the bathroom at the Cowboys Stadium unless these exclusions apply to you:

Exclusion to long lines at Cowboys Stadium # 1 - No one else is there! This is what I call the Matt Lauer no bathroom line experience.

Exclusion to long lines at Cowboys Stadium # 2 - The Dallas Cowboys are playing at the Cowboys Stadium and they are losing! Everyone begins to leave and the "glass is half empty" effect is in place.

Exclusion to long lines at Cowboys Stadium # 3 - You've died and gone to heaven. Since you are in heaven your nirvana can pretty much be whater you want. If I'm wrong and you are in heaven, then you are welcome to correct me through a burning bush, angel or something not too scary please.

b.) The toliets and urinals are not automatic. What does that mean? That means that everyone who uses the bathroom before (and after) you must physically touch a faux chrome level next to the toliet and/or urinal to flush the toliet. If you or they don't......guess what un-pleasant surprises await you!!! Let's have fun with math and let me show you why Flaw #5 with the new Cowboys Stadium has made the list.

 Let's take, 112,000 people in attendance at Cowboys Stadium

The new Cowboys Stadium has 1,700 toliets and urnials (up from 700 toliets and urinals as reported by the Dallas Morning News)

If 70% of the people that show up on a Cowboys game day or a sell out crowd in attendance at the U2 or recent George Strait concerts, then approximately 78,400 people are going to use one of the 1,700 toliets or urnials (let's assume all toliets/urinals are in service and no one has any "accidents" waiting in the bathroom line).

Continuing with the math.... that means each of the 1,700 toliets and urinals at Cowboys Stadium will be used approximately 46.11 times EACH for that particular game or sell out concert.

Unfortunately, I was the designated driver at the Cowboys Stadium last night because I had the largest vehicle to transport six people (and did not think about a private limo service), nor did I want to be like Cowboys Stadium General Manager, Jack Hill and risk a DUI arrest leaving Cowboys Stadium.

Therefore, I drank two bottles of water and used the urinal at Cowboys Stadium 3 times over the course of 4 hours while at the U2 concert. So my particular urnial was used 46.11 times plus 2 more. The guys in front of us must have benefited from the Obama Administration's various economic stimulus programs because they had atleast 4 or more of the $8.50 Miller Lite's each and went to the bathroom atleast 3 more times than me....If they qualified as first time home buyers they could have applied the remaining stimulus money to a good Dallas DWI attorney. Any recommendations Jack?

The American Society for Microbiology found when it comes to public restrooms, only 77% of people wash their hands after using the restroom. This is a blog topic I'm not goint to elaborate on, but it does lead to an interesting mathematical assumption regarding how many people didn't wash their hands last night at the U2 concert in the new Cowboys Stadium.

The point I am trying to make concerning item #5b of the Top 5 Flaws with the new $1.2 billion, Cowboys Stadium is.... what about the green movement? If Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys, the City of Arlington and everyone else involved with the construction of the new Cowboys Stadium really gave a damn about the environment, conservation and/or saving our freakin' planet, wouldn't they have considered infrared flush systems that dispensed the appropriate amount of water to flush the toliet or urninal?

Wouldn't this also solve the gross problem the percentage of the 46.11 people per toliet or urinal that did not flush while also saving the planet? Washing hands is another matter!

Also, how many trees do you think had to die for those percentage of 46.11 people/toliet that did actually wash their hands and for some crazy reason...might also want to dry them?

How is it the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, Germany can have the cleanest Men's room toliets that auto flush with less water wasted then Cowboys Stadium in  good ole Arlington (not Dallas!), Texas? Let's not forget they use the latest, non-paper public restroom, mechanical hand drying system on the planet!

Alright...that's enough for now, I think you get the point (if you cared) about my first time experience with the new Cowboys Stadium.