I believe that Starbucks is evil, with their rep for edging out the indie coffee shops across America. Their other crime is selling such expensively delicious coffee, which at least to my untrained taste buds, tastes much better than what I make at home. There's a false sense of well-being in a Starbucks, urging you to fear not, for soon you'll have your warm cup of caffeinated goodness custom-made to your exact specifications.

This comforting feeling is quadrupled when Starbucks rolls out their holiday seasonal drinks. But (you knew this was coming) now for the dark side of the mocha. The stats below were calculated using the worst- case scenario: a Venti (large) with whole milk and whipped cream.

• Pumpkin Spice Latte: 510 calories, 20 grams of fat. (That's the same fat and more calories than a medium french fries from Burger King.)
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate: 580 calories, 24 grams of fat (That's the same fat as in a Whopper Junior.)
• Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha: 700 calories, 27 grams of fat (Same fat as three pieces of spicy chicken breast at Popeye's.)
  
• Gingersnap Latte: 450 calories and 21 grams of fat (That's just about a hamburger plus french fries from McDonald's.)
  
• Eggnog Latte: 270 calories, 30 grams of fat (Same fat as a Quarter Pounder with cheese.)
  

There's more, but you get the picture. Dieters should at the very least skip the whip and opt for nonfat, lowfat, or soy milk, but should probably just make these drink desserts a once-a-year tradition. (Or once per holiday-- there's like ten in the next two months.)