Great journalism

I spend a lot of time here harping on bad journalism and bad science, but I probably don't spend as much time as I should praising the great journalism that does still exist.

Incidentally, I could probably spend a week perusing and appreciating the contents of this site, which has compiled some of the best pieces of journalism (nearly 100 of them) from the last year, spanning topics from science to crime to media to sports and everything in between. In fact, I just might. But for now I'll just share with you this fascinating piece about Trader Joe's, the fast-growing hippie-tastic grocery store (coming soon to Charlottesville!) that's as famous for its organic, environmentally-friendly products as it is for its Two-Buck Chuck.

The company has a very cool and different business model and incredibly devoted customers, and I'm curious to see just how scalable their model can be before cheapening the original mission (some would argue that's already happened). At any rate, here's an excerpt. Feel free to read the whole thing.

Trader Joe's is no ordinary grocery chain. It's an offbeat, fun discovery zone that elevates food shopping from a chore to a cultural experience. It stocks its shelves with a winning combination of low-cost, yuppie-friendly staples (cage-free eggs and organic blue agave sweetener) and exotic, affordable luxuries -- Belgian butter waffle cookies or Thai lime-and-chili cashews -- that you simply can't find anyplace else.

Employees dress in goofy trademark Hawaiian shirts, hand stickers out to your squirming kids, and cheerfully refund your money if you're unhappy with a purchase -- no questions asked. At the Chelsea store opening, workers greeted customers with high-fives and free cookies. Try getting that kind of love at the Piggly Wiggly.

It's little wonder that Trader Joe's is one of the hottest retailers in the U.S. It now boasts 344 stores in 25 states and Washington, D.C., and strip-mall operators and consumers alike aggressively lobby the chain, based in Monrovia, Calif., to come to their towns. A Trader Joe's brings with it good jobs, and its presence in your community is like an affirmation that you and your neighbors are worldly and smart.

I guess that means that my neighbors and I are about to become worldly and smart. I'll keep an eye out for that...

[CNNMoney]