This has to be one of the best articles I have read in a while. Read the article fully. The article makes you stop and think in a number of places. This is something that would never happen in India but that’s an entirely different ball game altogether.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

http://mfile.akamai.com/12924/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0503/9152183.200k.asx

If you cannot access the video, it’s about how Jiffy Lube cheats people by charging for things they never do. A NBC crew went to a number of Jiffy Lube shops to get their car serviced. In one of the shops, they are charged for a new fuel filter which is never changed. Before they take it to the service center, they mark the fuel filter. In 5 out of 9 centers, they are charged for a T-Tech Transmission service which is never done. When they ask the mechanics about it who initially deny it and after they are shown the video, are directed to the District Manager. The District Manager denies his identity!!!

I have been going to Jiffy Lube to get my oil changed for the past 1 year. I don’t know how much money they cheated out of me. I’m never going there again. How can people be so unscrupulous?

I don’t know if coffee addiction is a good thing or a bad thing. I love the taste of coffee. It’s not just about being able to kickstart your day or staying awake. It’s the sweet smell and exotic taste of coffee that lures me towards it. Knowing perfectly that coffee wakes me up I had a cup of Madras filter coffee at Saravana Bhavan and now I can’t go to sleep. As usual it’s a 6 hour sleep session for me tonight since I wake up at around 6.00 daily.

If you don’t know me, I’m a Software Engineer, Carnatic Enthusiast, Computer Geek/Nerd, Voracious reader living in Indiatown also popularly known as the Silicon Valley.

I have tried giving up coffee but I have failed miserably every time. I was certainly addicted to it when I was in grad school. There was a time when I used to drink around 10-12 cups a day. Well, I was going to Starbucks 2 times a day which was proving to be expensive. I got my own coffee maker from Walmart and the consumption went up gradually. I was taking this course (punishment) called Theory of Computation as a prerequisite to apply for the Ph.D program and I got only around 4 hours of sleep a day. Currently, I limit myself to 2 or 3 cups a day or less.

I try out different flavors of coffee from Starbucks. My current favorite is the Gold Coast blend which has a strong taste. I also tried out Guatamelan Antigua last week but it was not as strong as I like it to be. I have now given up on trying to give up coffee but somehow I have this feeling of guilt that I’m addicted to something. With all the research studies which say that coffee is actually good for every part in your body, I don’t think I have a good reason to be feeling so!!

- Sri