Rant #1,887: Rainbow Connection

I am going to start this Rant out right away and tell you that I am not a coffee drinker.

I never liked the stuff, never was tempted by its aroma, by its smell, or the fact that when you are a kid, drinking coffee means that you were growing up.

Me, I went for the milk or the soda depending on the situation, and even at this advanced age, I never, ever go for the coffee.

It is simply not me.

My wife loves coffee, my mother, in particular, enjoys it, and probably billions of people around the world drink coffee each day.

And in recent years, Starbucks has lifted the drinking of coffee to a science, and while doing so, has brought in the big bucks into its coffers.

Yes, it is aptly named as "StarBUCKS," with the emphasis on the "bucks."

Anyway, it was announced the other day that the company has a new beverage that it is offering for a limited time called "Unicorn Frappuccino" that actually changes colors and flavors simply by stirring the mix with your straw.

Evidently, the drink starts out as purple with a sweet and fruity taste. However, once users stir the concoction, the drink becomes pink and tart as the blue drizzle on top is mixed in.

I guess people like novelties, and for the serious coffee drinker, this is just that.

And you better get it right now, because as of Sunday, the drink will be history.

Again, I am not a coffee drinker at all, so I know that I simply do not get the allure of the beverage.

But people swear by it, so I guess the caffeine in the coffee is as addictive as nicotine in a cigarette--another vice I never got--but far less harmful.

Having said that, I don't get why the serious coffee drinker would actually plunk down several dollars for this novelty drink, other than the fact that, yes, this is a novelty drink that won't be available for too long. One can say that they tried it while it was available ... I guess it is like adding another notch to your overall coffee experience.

And its popularity--or its negativity if people don't buy it--gives those at Starbucks the information it needs to explore other concoctions--or not to explore other concoctions--in the future.

I don't know if my wife will try this--she much prefers Dunkin' Donuts coffee anyway, and at one time she could not drink Starbucks coffee because she found it too harsh for her system--but I will bet that millions will give it a gulp.

Me, I will stay with my soda and milk, and look at these people who "must have their coffee to get going in the morning" with a bit of chagrin.

You shouldn't need a heap of caffeine to get you moving in the morning, but to those who are addicted, I guess it is better than smoking a cigarette.

We are all addicted to something, and being addicted to caffeine isn't the worst vice that one can have.

I guess.