Never doubt the power of blogs -- they can make or break reputations, can be an unlimited source of entertainment and are the ultimate passive-aggressive method of confrontation.

Thus I present to you, my 'net loving geeks, two very separate examples:

1.) Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a delicious, fictitious web-film creation from every pop-cultist's favorite writer/director Joss Whedon -- among others, his much-too-short-lived, space-western series Firefly is one of my favorites. Also under his belt: Buffy, Angel and upcoming series Dollhouse.

Anyway, this incredibly popular blog, which stars Neil Patrick Harris (a surprisingly brilliant singer) and Nathan Fillion (mmmm) as warring goofball villains/heroes who occasionally break into song with dialog so funny you don't need to hear it in context to laugh ("It's curtains for you, Dr. Horrible. Lacy, gently wafting curtains..."), was so bombarded with hits in the hours since its official launch that it crashed several times and is currently averaging 1,000 page views a minute.

Word to the wise: If you are interested at all -- and please, I know you are -- you only have until this Saturday (July 19) to watch all three 15-minute installments of this classic web series before it will be available for a fee from iTunes. A DVD of the series chock full of of extras is forthcoming -- but indulge yourself and watch it during your lunch break.

2.) This story comes from the Washington Post and drips with caffeinated goodness: A guy walks into Murky's, a tiny, pretentious espresso bar in D.C., and orders a triple-shot over ice. The barista refuses. The guy modifies the order to a triple shot with a separate glass of ice. The barista begrudgingly complies, then approaches the guy at his table minutes later and reprimands him for ruining the integrity of the drink, all but ordering him to leave the establishment immediately.

So, what's an embarrassed caffeine junkie (because you SO are if you can down three shots of espresso like it is a simple cup of coffee) to do? Why, go home and blog about it! Quicker than a double-click, the situation escalates into a bitter Internet debate over whether coffee bar's owner, who defended his barista and *willingly* posted a list of his shop's absurd coffee policies in response, or the disgruntled customer was in the right.

I'm not sure where I fall in this one. Having happily worked at Starbucks for 3 years, I totally get that there are certain standards when making coffee that need to be met. It's totally a valid claim by the owner that espresso gets bitter when added to water. But -- and I hate cliches -- try a half-and-half instead of shooting red-eyes, Mr.Murky. In other words, calm the f*** down. The afore-mentioned blogger just wanted a drink, and it's not up to you to decide how the customer spends his money in your shop.

SO, anyway... enjoy your net-browsing for the day, and don't forget to hit up Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I guarantee it'll brighten your day :)



UPDATE 7-21: Dr. Horrible was fantastic -- hope you all got a chance to watch for free! It's been taken offline and is now available for download from iTunes. Go find a quiet corner and laugh a little :)

Labels: blogs, coffee, Dr. Horrible, espresso, Firefly, Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris, Starbucks

This entry was posted by Amber, on Thursday, July 17, 2008. You can leave your response .