Starbucks To Finally Get Window Cleaners - Maybe..

So, on a vacation in Miami last year, the wife & I decided to pursue a little shopping in the Dolphin Mall, Lincoln Road - the usual places + a few other spots. We are both caffeine addicted, so although the coffee isn't exactly what we are used to - we still needed our injections. The wife takes her coffee - "cafe solo," which is like a thick oil, but full strength coffee, a little like 10 coffee beans liquefied but hot. I like "cafe con leche," but strong, full flavoured with a good foam. The wife gave up on getting anywhere near what a "cafe solo" was meant to be like, I on the other hand had to swap to "cafe mocha," for the sole reason of them forgetting to put coffee in the cup - every single time!

Forgetting the coffee for a moment, it was slightly disconcerting that I couldn't see through the windows. They were smudged up with fingerprints, handprints, thrown coffee + all manner of marks that you usually see (I refer to each store we visited). The top part of the windows which were out of reach for most, looked like they had been cleaned with a mop. As a seasoned window cleaner, I could tell they hadn't invested in a professional cleaner, probably the cheapest guy in town or maybe even get their own staff to 'have a go.' My point is either get a regular window cleaning program or maybe people will start thinking what else in the cleaning regime they decided to skip. With this in mind, I penned an email to them with the response below a month later - (click to enlarge). When I replied to this email - I never got a reply. You can also add to the Shitbucks environmental cleaning program here. Just taking a look at their "My Starbucks Idea" webpage - it seems that clean windows would be a good idea!

Our windows are covered in shit. A couple of free beverage coupons - no thanks.

Canadian Starbucks gets interactive storefront display: Our friends living in the Great White North catch up with us, as their Starbucks stores in Toronto and Vancouver now offer more than just great coffee (something tells me there will be others who dispute this) and free Wi-Fi connectivity – we’re talking about interactive window displays that is guaranteed to grab the attention of any passers-by. This interactive display comes in the form of a vinyl screen, aided by a projector and gesture controls. This is definitely a whole lot cooler than having your regular poster or flat panel TV advertising the latest promotions – will we soon see augmented reality advertising at stores as well? One thing’s for sure – you can bet that Starbucks inventories in those stores will definitely see an increase in a window cleaner considering the future fingers that will dance all over the window.

Window Cleaner Takes Sh*t from President Obama

Feces splattered on Douglas County Democratic headquarters. Pictured: Erik Haeber of Crystal Clear Professional Window Cleaning cleans off the window in front of a life-size cut-out of President Barack Obama.
A window case displaying a life-size cutout of President Barack Obama was pelted with a bucket-sized load of feces early Tuesday at Douglas County Democratic headquarters in downtown Roseburg. The excrement appeared to have been thrown from some kind of container as it coated the window at 827 S.E. Cass Ave., covered the eaves and was visible on the ground. “I was shocked to see it,” said Jean Patricia, a Democratic Party volunteer who discovered the vandalism when she arrived at 10 a.m. to open the office. “You'd think people would have something better to do.” The incident is the latest and most serious act in a recent string of vandalism on downtown streets, police report. And the Republican Party headquarters has not been immune, according to a party member.
Splashing the feces on the Democrat's window was a cowardly act, said Dean Byers, chairman of the Douglas County Democratic Party. “This is where people choose to take the dialogue,” he said. Byers added that if whoever responsible had the guts, “they'd call me out and ask me to debate them.” Other incidents have been reported on a smaller scale downtown in recent days, according to the Roseburg Police Department. Sgt. Aaron Dunbar said someone smeared feces on the window of the Blend Clothing store at 556 S. E. Jackson St. last week. In a second incident, someone defecated in the doorway of the store. There have also been incidents of vandalism at Republican Party headquarters at 642 S.E. Jackson St. in recent weeks, according to longtime Republican Tom Hatfield, an alternate to the state Republican Central Committee. There has been evidence of public urination and vomiting at the building, Hatfield said, which he prefers to think is tied to the homeless population downtown. But there have also been incidents specifically targeting the building, including matches jammed in the front lock, soaped windows, and even buttock marks left on a window. Two years ago, a window was shot out. “That was disturbing,” he said.



Hatfield denounced the incident that occurred at Democratic headquarters. “I think it's unfortunate people choose to express themselves that way,” Hatfield said. “We do have a First Amendment that allows good and reasonable discourse, and that should be allowed. This is inappropriate. This is out of line.” Linda Hellenthal, chairwoman of the Douglas County Republican Central Committee, also criticized the act. “It's a shame. There are much more civilized ways to express to express unhappiness,” she said. “What a deplorable way to express an opinion, if that's what this was. It doesn't tell us anything about what they might be angry about. All it does is require a lot of cleanup.” Sgt. Dunbar said police are investigating the downtown incidents, but at this point don't have a lot to go on.
The window that was plastered at the Democratic Party headquarters only contained the Obama cutout. The main display window that contains photographs of Gov. Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio and other prominent state Democrats, was not touched. “The fact they chose to focus on the Obama image seems to suggest a racist statement,” Byers said. Last November, Obama received 38 percent of the presidential vote in Douglas County. Republican John McCain carried the county with 58 percent.
The incident took place sometime before 7 a.m. Tim Beaty, the owner of the American Family Insurance agency two doors down from the Democratic headquarters, said there wasn't anything amiss when he came to work at 3:30 a.m. He left later for breakfast and noticed the feces attack when he returned to the office about 7. The vandalism was the third in the past two months targeting the party headquarters. Someone filled the front door keyhole with solder last month, said building owner Byron Frazer, who also owns Garden Valley Realty, located next to the office. Later that same month, someone glued a couple of flyers denouncing both Obama and former President George W. Bush for the war in Iraq. Beaty said he wished people had more respect for differing views. “Whatever your political views are, this isn't something you should be doing,” he said.