May 4, 2021
A Starbucks barista’s photo of a ridiculously complicated drink with 13 different special instructions went viral on Twitter Monday morning. Under the extra caramel drizzle, extra whipped cream, cinnamon dolce topping, and five pumps of banana (
banana? five??), there’s no way you’re actually tasting the coffee. (Which, for Starbucks, isn’t much of a tragedy because the coffee is mediocre anyway).
On todays episode of why i wanna quit my job. pic.twitter.com/vKAtRKNRwe
This customer’s tedious drink order reflects how many Americans approach much more than just coffee. If we just arrange the perfect recipe of good friends, an enjoyable job, a picture-perfect family, paid vacation, and the keys to a two-story suburban home, we think we can construct the magical Frappuccino of a happy life.
He held leadership roles at the Alaska Wilderness League, served as legislative director of the National Wildlife Federation and was instrumental in passage of pro-environment bills.
The 9/11 attacks gave us the heightened security theater now on display in all U.S. airports. Day after day for the last two decades, Transportation Security Administration agents have patted down travelers from teens to the elderly, looking for weapons that nobody expects to find. While airplane cockpit doors are now locked to prevent hijackings, the pat-downs remain.
And now we have pandemic hygiene theater to give uninformed people a false sense of control and sustain their fear of the virus.
Think of the number of hours schools, restaurants and other businesses spend wiping down surfaces to prevent COVID-19 transmission even though we ve known since last July this wiping isn t necessary. Yet Americans continue to spend untold hours and dollars wiping surfaces to provide the appearance of virus protection to their patrons.
Veronique de Rugy
WASHINGTON The 9/11 attacks gave us the heightened security theater now on display in all U.S. airports. Day after day for the last two decades, Transportation Security Administration agents have patted down travelers from teens to the elderly, looking for weapons that nobody expects to find. While airplane cockpit doors are now locked to prevent hijackings, the pat-downs remain.
And now we have pandemic hygiene theater to give uninformed people a false sense of control and sustain their fear of the virus.
Think of the number of hours that schools, restaurants and other businesses spend wiping down surfaces to prevent COVID-19 transmission even though we’ve known since last July that this wiping isn’t necessary. Yet Americans continue to spend untold hours and dollars wiping surfaces to provide the appearance of virus protection to their patrons.