We're writing this a full three weeks after every Starbucks in the country closed down for "retraining," but before the company's annual shareholders meeting (at McCaw Hall, Wednesday morning) where the brass is going to spin the results of the, ahem, "transformational initiatives." Still, one disturbing preview emerged at an industry conference here in Seattle last week, the annual meeting of the Research Chefs of America called the Culinology Conference. more ›