Regular readers of this web site know I'm no fan of Starbucks. Anyone who confuses coffee with the acidic swill served by the Seattle-based chain has no taste buds.

So I guess it was bad karma that caused my ticket number to be drawn at a raffle at the end of a motorcycle poker run Sunday. My prize: A bag of Starbucks coffee beans.

As I sit here sipping my fourth cup of coffee of the morning, I'm still considering what to do with the bag of beans. Can't throw it away: The Environmental Protection Agency would consider that disposal of toxic waste. Maybe I should grind it up and scatter on the lawn. The stuff would probably kill weeds and moles.

Floyd, thankfully, is too small and not yuppie enough to host a Starbucks and the company has fallen on well-deserved hard times anyway. Fortunately, for lovers of real coffee, we have many choices for a good cup of joe.

Quick serve markets like West End and X-Press Mart pour a lot of coffee in the morning for commuters headed to jobs inside and outside the county. We also have three -- yes, three -- "coffee shops."  Cafe del Sol in the Winter Sun, Over the Moon on top of the Harvest Moon and Blackwater Loft, which caters to the area's younger set. All three shops have the decency to serve real coffee and not the acidic-based toxin that Starbucks tries to pass off as coffee.