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Actually the coffee price-point between Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds is very similar. You must be referring to the "specialty" drinks at Starbucks like the caramel macchiottos and the lattes and those funny looking all-swirled up things with the whipped cream on top that the ladies like to buy (if you can say the name of the drink in under three syllables, it's okay for a man to drink it too).

Basically you can get a regular Starbucks coffee for about the same price as a Dunkin Donuts or a McDonalds. But not many people at the Starbucks go in there for just the coffee.

Now Starbucks also has this selection of very rich-looking pastries at their counter but I never see anybody buying them. Can anybody close to the scene confirm whether or not the Starbucks pastries sell well?

At the Dunkin Donuts, those pastries get bought by the dozen and go wicked fast. Forget about getting a Boston Creme donut around here after 9am.

I like the fact that we have all these choices available to us. I like knowing that if the urge ever strikes me to have a slice of carrot cake for $6.50, I will be able to satisfy that urge at a Starbucks near me. More often then not, the urge is for a $9 glass of cask-ale from the yuppie pub down the road from me, you know the one, the one with all the British flags around it. I also get the fish and chips there which is a relative bargain at $7.95.

Also, what charities do you recommend? I find that most of them have 90% of more of their donations go to "operating costs" which translate to perks and benefits for their "volunteers."

If you truly want to be charitable, buy that $4.50 drink and hand it to a homeless bum as a treat.