Starbucks: A habit

worldnetdaily.com ^ | 8-10-05 | Meghan Kleppinger

[Houmatt]

It's been two weeks since my last Starbucks coffee.

Admittedly, I am one of those who don't think twice about dropping $4 for a cup of coffee that costs less than $.50 to make. I am a self-proclaimed coffee house junkie and need that wonderful yuppie, intellectual "atmosphere" and freshly brewed aroma as much as the caffeine.

When I moved to D.C. right out of college, I encountered my first Starbucks drink, or should I say "experience"? Growing up in a military family, I loved chain restaurants because of the sense of familiarity they offered in every new town we moved to. So, to be able to get the same type of specialty coffee – grande, iced, skim, sugar-free vanilla, latte – everywhere, was an addiction waiting to happen.

Fast forward four years, and about 800 lattes later – I'm a Starbucks addict!

When a report came out earlier this year showing that none of Starbucks' charitable contributions went to conservative causes, I didn't blink -- I bought a latte. When I walked by a liquor store in Northeast D.C. with a big advertisement for Starbucks liquor, I kept walking, stopped in at Starbucks and bought a latte! When I was at work a couple weeks ago, reading an e-alert from our California organization (yes, latte in hand), I finally had a wake-up call.

The alert described the annual "gay" pride events which are scheduled in San Diego each year:

San Diego's annual "Pride" events include dangerous "circuit" parties, a parade with sexual content and sponsors along the route, including one advertising anal lubricants, a festival with sexually oriented venues.

OK, yes, that is all pretty disturbing, but daily, I read, write about and edit papers dealing with the homosexual agenda, so I was not at all shocked that this was going on. I was a little upset when I read that Starbucks was a sponsor. I took a sip of my latte as I read on:

In addition, the "festival" includes a "Youth Hangout Space" and a "Children's Garden." Not only is there concern about young people being part of sexually oriented events and venues, but two members of San Diego's Gay Pride organization's volunteer staff have been exposed as registered sex offenders who committed sex crimes against children.

OK – STOP, WAIT A MINUTE AND PUT THAT CUP OF COFFEE DOWN!

Not only is Starbucks sponsoring "Pride" week, but an event that places innocent children in the middle of sexually explicit materials ... and registered child molesters will be there running the show? If Starbucks is doing this knowingly, it is blatant irresponsibility, and if they are doing it unknowingly, it is irresponsible of them not to have done their homework. I started pacing back-and-forth, and all I could think was "Starbucks hates children."

For the first time, I stepped away from my latte, faced my denial about this company and started to do some serious soul searching – I needed to find out what they really supported. Fortunately, I didn't have to search very long because I have the Internet at my fingertips and one of the nation's top experts, Robert Knight, just down the hall from me.

Less than 30 minutes of research revealed the following:

Robert Knight told me that about 10 years ago, Starbucks started sponsoring these types of events, but backed off when conservatives started putting on the pressure. He explained that it is apparent they are slowly working their way back into the "gay" movement.

Starbucks is listed on the Planned Parenthood website under this introduction:

The following companies all generously match employee donations to Planned Parenthood Federation of America. If your employer is on this list, then you can make your gift go as much as twice as far.

Seattle, Wash., held "Gay Pride" events last month where, according to the newspaper, Seattle Post Intelligence Reporter:

About 75 Starbucks employees will march in the parade and will wear T-shirts in rainbow colors with the word "PRIDE" on the front ... A van from the coffee company will follow them. On Capitol Hill tomorrow, Starbucks employees at the company's three stores there will pass out samples of Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino. The marketing director for Starbucks in Washington explained: "We're committed to supporting things that matter to our employees and our customers."

Several conservatives are upset already by Starbucks' fairly new "The way I see it campaign," which prints quotes from actors, artists, etc., on the outside of their paper cups. By visiting their website and reading some of the quotes, it's easy to see why there has been this big brouhaha – nearly all of them are liberal celebrities.

The list does go on, but in a nutshell – Starbucks has a corporate policy of supporting the homosexual agenda by sponsoring "Pride" events all over the country -- events where children will be exposed to sexually explicit materials and pedophiles as well as the extremely liberal and pro-abortion Planned Parenthood. This might be a good time to add that the owner of Starbucks made a large donation to a liberal candidate's campaign.

So what do I do now?

I am not a big fan of boycotts. A friend once told me if we boycotted everything we disagreed with, we would be naked and hungry. I've also heard something like, "It doesn't matter what's on the cup, but what's in it." I love Starbucks coffee and as I worked through this problem, I wasn't about to give up without a fight – and I didn't give up, but rather, I failed miserably.

I overestimated, but discovered that if I drink five grande lattes a week for a year, the total number of lattes would equal 260, coming to a total cost of $1,040. So, in my four post-college years, I could have contributed as much as $4,160 to a company that supports the volunteer work of child abusers, "Pride" events, abortionists, and do I really need to go on? Back to that marketing director's quote: "We're committed to supporting things that matter to our employees and our customers." Um ... HELLO, I am a customer, too!

As I was searching the Internet, I saw a link to a site with words no Christian girl should repeat. I didn't have to enter to read this: "Folks, if Starbucks is 'too liberal' for you then don't buy their @#$# percent*# coffee."

Thanks for the tip! "Folks," what you do is up to you, but as for me and my habit, I will no longer support Starbucks.

Yes, I started as a Starbucks coffee snob, but I am very open-minded now – if you know any good coffee houses, please let me know!

[adgirl]

What's snopes?

[Modernman]

Starbuck was the flim-flam man in a play called the Rainmaker.

IIRC, the company is named after the coffee-addicted first mate in Moby Dick

[TheBigB]

That's an old, and debunked, urban legend.

[Modernman]

if you know any good coffee houses, please let me know!

I would reccomend Caribou Coffee to this guy (and anyone reading this thread)

[AppyPappy]

If you ever get an email you feel like forwarding or posting, go to snopes.com and check it out for truthfulness. No matter who sent it to you.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

How does Starbucks find all those extremely arrogant people ("...I was an Art History major!...") to work at their many locations? They can't be happy with normal titles and insist upon being called "barristas" as they pour overpriced cups of coffee.

Give me coffee from a roadside diner any day of the week.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Modernman]

How does Starbucks find all those extremely arrogant people ("...I was an Art History major!...") to work at their many locations?

Most of the employees at the Starbucks around me are older working-class black people or nondescript young white kids. I don't think I've ever run into the stereotypical over-educated arrogant Starbuck employee.

[Tanniker Smith]

In 1992 or so, a fellow that I worked with (actually, he was in a separate dept, but his cubicle was two away from me, on the other side of the printer) was talking about stocks. He told me that after a trip to Seattle in (IIRC) 1990, he found a place that would be the "McDonalds of coffee". He bought stock, made money and his broker kept saying, "Time to sell and move on."

He refused to sell. Knowing him, he probably bought more and is still holding. Sadly, at the time, I didn't listen, and really didn't have any money to invest.

Yup, could've had Starbucks 12-13 years ago. Granted, it would've only been (tops) $1000 worth, but it would've been nice.

[piperpilot]

I would reccomend Caribou Coffee to this guy (and anyone reading this thread)

I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard that Caribou Coffee is owned by some sort of Palestinian bank that has ties to terrorists.

[adgirl]

Thanks for the heads up! I checked it out. Sure enough it's an urban legend. Starbucks didn't dis the troops (which is a good thing!) But I still don't like the fact that Starbucks is supporting Planned Parenthood. Don't they realize those babies they're killing might grow up to be coffee drinkers?

[adgirl]

Bank of Islam

[krb]

And she's hot as hell in the new series.

[Modernman]

I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard that Caribou Coffee is owned by some sort of Palestinian bank that has ties to terrorists.

It's owned by an investment bank out of Bahrein called First Islamic/Crescent Capital, based in Atlanta in the US. The group is clean- it's not on any Homeland Security or State Department watch list and banks such as Fannie Mae, Citibank and Bank of America have all done business with them based on extensive background checks.

I've been involved in deals with First Islamic on the other side. They're quite clean. They bought Caribou Coffee with the plan to do an IPO. They're going through the IPO process now. A bank with any ties to terrorism is not going to get through the SEC's vetting process.

So, the long and the short of it is, you can buy coffee at Caribou Coffee without fear that your money will end up in the hands of terrorists. Your money might end up in the hands of a Bahreini-born London playboy, but that's a different matter.

[Who dat?]

I like Dairy Queens Moo-Lattes. Stupid name, but they are tasty.

Dairy Queen has always had dopey names. Hungerbuster, beltbuster, dilly bars… at one time if you said “scrumpdillyicious” to the guy taking the order you’d get a peanut buster parfait for 49 cents or something.

Dairy Queen and Sonic – those used to be my definition of fine dining.

[RosieCotton]

I recently got turned onto this Blueberry coffee the other day at my local quick mart. At first I thought, "Blueberry coffee? That sounds N A S T Y!" But the older gentleman who was "workin'" the coffee bar suggested I try a sample. It knocked my socks off. Like drinking coffee and eating a blueberry muffin AT THE SAME TIME!

Ooh, yeah. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters back home makes a blueberry flavor - and though Green Mountain is kind of a froo-froo company, in Vermont they sell it even at the gas stations, so I could get it cheap. ;-) Blueberry coffee sounded weird to me, too, but it smelled so good I had to try it. Surprise!

They also make an eggnog spice flavor around the holidays that is absolutely marvelous.

[piperpilot]

Thanks for clearing that up. I would like to stop patronizing Starbucks and Caribou is a viable option because there is one on my way to work, but I was always hesitant to go there.

[wordsofearnest]

Community coffee dark roast black brewed at home.

[sweet_diane]

Ping. You might want to find another coffee shop on or near campus. That or we'll get you a good coffee maker!

[flitton]

You could try here -

http://cityperks.biz/ghirardelli_white_chocolate_syrup.html

[JRios1968]

And she's hot as hell in the new series.

Unfortunately it was a guy (later known as Face on The A-Team) in the original series.