Random things (and GIP)

[sholio]

I have to admit that as someone who lives in a town that's too small to have the kind of artisanally designed coffee drinks that you get in big cities (I mean, we obviously have a billion coffee shops and drive-thrus, but mostly it's just the basic espresso menu) - I really enjoy Starbucks' seasonal Weird Fancy Latte flavors. I just tried the pistachio latte and it's good, not too sweet and very rich. They also accidentally gave me a 16 oz when I ordered (and paid for) a 12. I tip well, so I'm not going to mind a little free coffee.

(I live in hope that the dark chocolate mint slushie will come back one of these summers. That was great.)

A couple of links:

Scientists decode a proto-writing system suggesting an early calendar in Paleolithic cave paintings, showing when different animal species mate and give birth:
https://www.sci.news/archaeology/upper-paleolithic-proto-writing-system-11546.html

An unusual green comet may be visible in the sky from mid-Jan through early February:
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/

New coffee icon from this fresh icon sampling at sallymn!

Comments

[rachelmanija]

Ohh, I'm definitely trying the pistachio latte.

[sholio]

It's good! It's not as overly sweet as I thought it might be (at least mine wasn't), and it's interestingly different-flavored.

[yhlee]

We probably do have some kind of coffee experience in Baton Rouge (at the very least, I know where we can probably get chicory coffee if I wanted it) but mostly, uh, it's Starbucks for me. XD The pistachio latte sounds great!

[sholio]

Yeah, we do honestly have some pretty good independent coffee shops, they're just fairly basic about their coffee offerings - but the Starbucks is right there in the grocery store, and coffee isn't something I'm picky about.

I'd like to try chicory coffee sometime just to see what it's like! I bet I don't like it ... I dislike a lot of herbal teas/rooibos (unless very heavily flavored) and I expect it's kind of similar to that. But you never know until you try!

P.S.

[yhlee]

Sun-cutter fanmail #3 (?) should be going out tomorrow when the snailperson picks up the letter. :3

Re: P.S.

[sholio]

SNAILPERSON.

I actually got at least one of the recent ones (possibly 2?) but haven't opened them yet, as I'm saving it for after I get to my next milestone on the current manuscript. :D

Re: P.S.

[yhlee]

:D :D :D

Strength to your writing arm!!

[alchemise]

Oh cool, I didn't know Starbucks was doing a pistachio latte but it's my regular drink at a local coffee place. I'll have to try it.

[sholio]

If you already have one you like, this might not be nearly as nice! It was a nice change for me, though. :D

[lilacsigil]

I used to get a Starbucks fancy coffee drink when I went to Melbourne, but they mostly closed down, so now I can't anymore. Woe! I used to get one or two a year and it was a nice treat!

[sholio]

Oh nooooo, bummer. :( I do appreciate my coffee treats.

[trobadora]

Scientists decode a proto-writing system suggesting an early calendar in Paleolithic cave paintings, showing when different animal species mate and give birth

That is fascinating, thank you for sharing!

[sholio]

I thought it was so cool! They're finding such interesting things!

Oh - and I keep meaning to say, I got your card! Thank you so much! <333333 It was very delightful to find it in my mailbox.

[trobadora]

Yay, happy to har the card arrived! :D

[leesa_perrie]

Not a coffee drinker, but it's always nice to try a new flavoured-anything and find it to your liking!

The green comet sounds intriguing, I'll have to look that up later when I've more time.

[sholio]

New flavors are always nice. :D

[killabeez]

I hadn't been to a Starbucks since 2019, but somebody gave me a gift card, so I went in on New Year's Day and got a chestnut latte for my drive home. It was super good! (I got half the syrup.) I was sad for a moment they didn't have the gingerbread any more, but chestnut was good, too, and now you're tempting me to try the pistachio.

[sholio]

Oh yeah, I really like the chestnut too! The pistachio is kind of similar to it.

[black_bentley]

I love coffee. A lot. And I live in a town which is sufficiently small it doesn't even have a Starbucks, or a coffee chain of any kind /o\

[sholio]

OH NO, this is tragedy. :(((

(My town is actually not *that* small; it's more on the large town/very small city end of things.)

[black_bentley]

We're very much a village - I think the population is under 5k (and mostly over 70...)

[silverflight8]

I love mint+chocolate. That slushie sounds amazing.

[sholio]

IT WAS SO GOOD. I think they only had it for one or two summers quite a while back. I keep hoping it'll return someday.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

That SciNews link is really cool! Thanks for that!