Bandwagoning, in the good way?

My new found friends over at Cafe Luz Houston alerted me on twitter of the "Hipster Barista" meme, and how it all centers around one dude, and this controversy.

My first response: "I've got to blog this. I'M FIRED UP!"

When I read a little deeper, I couldn't find where they out and out call this man a "douche" (perhaps it's been taken down), but I did find a long comment list of the classic flame wars on the internet.



And to be clear, ALL comments/flame wars look like this:

@jokester123: "Lulz i can't believe you guys can't take a joke!"

@veggiemommie: "At least he stands up for what he believes in!"

@averagejoesephus: "he deserves what he got by putting himself out there."

@carnieparade: "THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH. OBAMAMAMAMA!"

And so on.

And that, in the end, is what has me fired up.  The beauty--and beast--of the internet is that you can say whatever you want to whomever you want, anonymously.  It breeds bullies and trolls, a generation of backstabbers.  The fact that there is a meme out there with this guy's face, that's not "great" but it's okay. Posting his twitter and facebook? Making fun of his family or personal life? Not okay.

It's people with nothing better to do then go take out their aggressions on random people on the internet.

But now I'm sounding more like "@veggiemommie," from my example above.  Lest I linger too long on my soapbox, I'll say what came here to say: Turn it off.  The trolls are waiting with baited breath for you to respond back so they have more fodder.  I'm reminded of that quote: "He who cares the least is the person with the most power."

I've said it about Reality TV, Donald Trump, school yard bullies, crappy movies, etc.

Just turn it off. No audience=no followers, no attention, no use.

Off the soapbox. Tomorrow I make...Beef Stew!

**And lest this be a food-blog entry that has no food in it, I'll tell you that the Jerk Chicken was even better the next day, warmed up and put between two pieces of toast.  This is a great recipe if only for the leftovers.

***Also, go see the folks at Cafe Luz (link above).  They have a soda fountain, local desserts, and a great menu--Their spin on the coffee shop is refreshing and earnest. Check them out, I had a dulce de leche iced coffee that was worth it alone.  I hope to post about them soon, but for now, just go!