The only Good thing at Starbucks

I normally can't be bothered to stop at a Starbucks, but halfway between Gainesville and Pensacola with the sun sinking low in the sky, the promise of caffeine was the only thing keeping my eyes open. So I stopped at a Starbucks in Tallahassee because, well, I do kind of like the Doubleshot on Ice. Starbucks has good espresso; everything else there sucks.

While waiting for the barista to dissolve unhealthy amounts of espresso and sugar into far too little milk, I picked up a copy of the Good Sheet, a fold-out newsprint magazine about the size of a CD case. A Starbucks exclusive, I might add. Here it is pictured.

I'd never heard of the Good Sheet before. I'm holding issue No. 11 in my hand. According to a short description on its inside cover, "Good is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward. We make a magazine, produce videos, curate a website, and host events around the country." Good's magazine and website operate under a Radiohead-esque pay-what-you-want subscription policy, 100% of which goes to the non-profit of your choice.

According to the VP of Marketing at Starbucks, the Good Sheet started as a way to get people to talk about election-related topics like health care, education and gas prices. Now that the election is over, this issue attempts to spark discussion about our consumer culture (it's titled "Holiday Economy").

But this trendy, cute magazine got me thinking about something else. It caught my attention because it's small, strange and simple. Its design calls out to the Internet generation--my generation. We like colors and short blurbs and pictures. We don't want to analyze; we want the gist, the meat. And this magazine--littered with ASCII art, diagrams and ten-word captions--tries to satify our information-addicted society's hunger for instant understanding.

Also, I can put the little guy in my back pocket and take it with me. Like an iPod.