There’s too much Internet—including an ingenious solution to work-life balance—and too little time. That’s why we curate a list of the best of the best (aka “the Greatist”) things we’ve come across on the Web this week. In other words, it’s the stuff we’d email/gchat/tweet/text you immediately if we were besties. While we’ll never stop striving to bring our readers amazing content on a daily basis, we know not all the best stuff comes from us.
1. This Is What You’ll Find in Any Starbucks in the World on Any Given Day [Fast Company]
Starbucks has developed the reputation as the coffee shop du jour for the creative set (and pretty much everyone else), where the easy listening music can barely be heard over the click-clacking of laptop keys. But Starbucks would like to see itself as more than just a place to hop on free Wi-Fi while sipping a cup of joe. It’s also a place where people meet, for everything from scrapbooking to toying around on old computers. At least that’s the sense you get from this mini-documentary that takes a page out of YouTube’s Life in a Day project, filming customers at 40 Starbucks in 28 countries in a single day. It turns out capitalism in 2014 is sappy and sweet. In other words, we can’t believe how much we liked this video.
2. Are You Ordering the Right Coffee? [Refinery29]
Speaking of coffee: Light roast, dark roast, or IV drip? Before Americans hopped on the artisanal coffee bandwagon, a cup of hot liquid with caffeine, cream, and sugar would do. Our friends at Refinery29 chatted with the VP of production at Blue Bottle Coffee Company, and it turns out we should choose a light roast. The other main takeaway: When it comes to our coffee talk, we all need to calm down.
3. The Definitive Guide to How People Around the World Snack [Washington Post]
Your go-to snack may reveal more about you than you think. New research from Nielsen shows that where you live impacts your snack selections. Americans go for salty snacks (Doritos, Fritos, but probably not cappucino-flavored Lay’s), Europeans reach for candy (we would too if we could always buy Aero bars), and Latin Americans opt for cookies and cakes at snack time.
4. Thug Kitchen Cookbook Trailer [YouTube]
To say we’re excited about the release of Thug Kitchen’s cookbook next week is an understatement. But our favorite vulgar chefs have outdone themselves with this trailer, a perfect parody of the drug commercials that litter any evening news broadcast. Per usual, the video is filled with NSFW language, so proceed with caution.
5. The Health Effects of Leaving Religion [The Atlantic]
We talk a lot about the effects that healthy food and exercise (or lack thereof) can have on overall health. But we’re not as quick to draw the connection between so-called external factors and our well being. Our friends over at The Atlantic’s health section looked at how leaving religion—a process called “deconversion”—impacts our health. While research in this field is limited, it’s clear that the process of leaving a religion (especially insular religious communities) can lead to years of depression and feelings of social isolation.
