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oraxx's avatar

The real problem isn't blessing a same sex union versus marriage. The root problem lies with the people who actually care what the Pope and the church think about anything. The world would be a far better place if people just thought for themselves and stopped seeking the approval of religious leaders when it comes to living their lives as they see fit.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

They think that being okay with gay relationships makes them relevant. To them, it's progress. To us, it amounts to little more than pandering to an audience that is so far past them that the distance could well be measured in light-years.

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Holytape's avatar

"And now, Steve and Allen, may you enjoy a long and happy marriage. May your union be truly blessed. Each day, may you wake up and rejoice in each other's love, until that fateful and unfortunate day when one of you shall pass from the mortal realm. Then burn in hell. you god-damn sodomites!!"

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Runfastandwin's avatar

lololololol sadly...

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Once again, the Catholic Church is moving at about 10 miles per hour while the rest of the world blows past it like an F-15 at Mach 2 full afterburner. "Look at us! We're okay with blessing gay relationships!" they congratulate themselves, while a substantial majority of their laity aren't just okay with that but with gay marriage as well and may have been so even before 𝑂𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑣 𝐻𝑜𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑠 was ruled on. And they are held back by the same stupid holy book and the same stupid doctrines they were founded on, because, in the final analysis, they think that holy books and doctrines are more important than PEOPLE.

In too many ways, the RCC remains in the 16th century, while the rest of us live in the 21st, yet they fail even to see that. It's a wonder that they can tolerate the cognitive dissonance.

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Joe King's avatar

They're finally dragging the church into the 16th century. They were stuck in the 12th.

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Maltnothops's avatar

The next pope will take them back to the 14th century.

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oraxx's avatar

From what I read there is a faction within the Catholic clergy that would like to turn the church even further to the right and become more conservative. I'm okay with this, as it will only hasten the demise of that institution.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Of course. The ones who want the Latin mass and fight any liberalization of the Church, tooth and nail. They're all over the States as well. In this I think particularly of Timothy Cardinal Dolan, once known as "America's Pope," who glad-hands his way into high society while being implacably anti-women's-rights, pro-forced-birth and anti-gay-marriage. He pissed me off something fierce in the CBS News 60 Minutes interview he had with Morley Safer, pulling that crap, and I'm not even a lapsed Catholic.

He and his ilk can eat shit and die, for all of me.

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oraxx's avatar

These people only have the power people choose to give them. They can walk away at any time, and millions have. We need to turn it in to a stampede.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

American bishops in particular.

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Maltnothops's avatar

I suspect that is true in most denominations. It certainly was in the Missouri Synod Lutheran church back when my minister father was still active. He was one of the “liberals” who supported stuff like allowing women to vote on church matters and being forgiving instead of being publicly judgmental of people. (I remember one incident in which it became known within the congregation that a teenage girl was pregnant. When it was observed that her pregnancy seemed to have ended and not by giving birth, I overheard a conversation between the elders and my father about kicking her and her family out of the church.) Dad privately referred to right wingers as “blackshirts” because so many of them would show up at clergy meetings in black shirts. Like an unofficial uniform.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

"Dad privately referred to right wingers as “blackshirts” because so many of them would show up at clergy meetings in black shirts."

With white collars?

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Maltnothops's avatar

Yup.

I almost included that detail the first time.

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Joe King's avatar

I see two reasons: 1, good pr to take the focus off the kiddie diddlers they're doing nothing about, and 2, keeping more butts in pews for that collection plate.

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

If the claim of a VIRGIN getting pregnant doesn't "annihilate the concept of nature," then nothing does.

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oraxx's avatar

There is no sexual practice more unnatural than celibacy.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Your body is telling you "We must" and your mind is telling you "we cannot."

It's like driving with the brakes on. Your going to do damage.

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

Well, that's why God invented cold showers. *smiles*

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cdbunch's avatar

I had my hot water turned off for 3 weeks once in my 20s. I still managed to rub one out in the shower nearly every day.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"Where there's a willy..."

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

I believe that was (understandably) discarded ad copy for Free Willy. *smiles*

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Runfastandwin's avatar

To be fair, in your 20s you are basically 50% come...

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cdbunch's avatar

There are a few for who it is natural. The asexuals. I don't really understand them, but I wish them comfort and happiness.

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Die Anyway's avatar

Is that a challenge?

Here, hold my beer.

😉

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oraxx's avatar

What ever floats your boat. Who am I to judge? ;)

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larry parker's avatar

I guess you have never been to Tijuana. ; )

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NOGODZ20's avatar

According to Krusty the Clown, Tijuana is "The Happiest Place on Earth."

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cdbunch's avatar

He's called Krusty for a reason.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

To which Krusty replies

https://youtu.be/hjlTZCeF2EU

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Matt Groening should have named him Creepty.

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XJC's avatar

God inseminated her. How else does Jesus have 46 chromosomes? Ah, don't believe that science nonsense.

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Anri's avatar

I think one of the great comforts a Christian can garner from their faith is the moral rock upon which they can ground their beliefs - an unchanging, essentially correct, immovable set of proper moral values unswayed by earthly concerns.

We have always been tolerant of LGBT folks.

We have always been at war with Eastasia.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Somebody at the Vatican has read their Orwell. Ironic, as the man was an atheist.

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Matri's avatar

"We have always been besties with Russia!"

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cdbunch's avatar

But we still hate commies!.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

They stand against the rights of consenting LGBTQ adults while defending and aiding the child molesters within the ranks of their clergy.

The RCC. Time marches on, yet they pull in the opposite direction.

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Bagen Onuts's avatar

Always have, always will.

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Old Man Shadow's avatar

Look, you've been promoted from “intrinsically disordered" to the same level now as "dog" and "cat" (which can also receive blessings), whaddya complain' about?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"Gay lib's ridiculous

Join their laughter

The buggers are legal now

What more are they after?"

-- Tom Robinson

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cdbunch's avatar

The right not to be denied housing, or a job, or dinner because of our sexual/romantic orientation.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Tom Robinson is a long-time advocate of LGBTQ rights (he realized he was gay at age 13 when he fell in love with another boy).

I bought his LP "Power in the Darkness" when it first came out way back in 1978.

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Bagen Onuts's avatar

Now "morally evil" according to "Silence of Sodom."

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MaryClare StFrancis's avatar

It is big as far as it makes the fundamentalist Catholics angry and they are calling him an anti-Pope now, which is hilarious because they are the ones who claim the Pope is infallible. Until he goes against what they want.

For these people, the steps have to be tiny like this. US society as a whole right now isn’t much better. I have a trans child and live in Mississippi so that’s probably all I need to say about that.

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Kay-El's avatar

I have a trans child too, though he is an adult living in a blue state. I’m glad he does, but it doesn’t always stop the worry that something could happen, when I read stories about attacks on trans people.

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cdbunch's avatar

I have a non-binary cousin who lives in the Ft. Worth area. They are afraid to go out in their front yard dressed in what feels right for them. I'll admit I don't get their style, but I don't have to. I just want them safe and happy.

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MaryClare StFrancis's avatar

OMG I’m so sorry. Your poor cousin. Florida is on a “do not travel” status for LGBTQ people and having to live there must be terrifying.

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cdbunch's avatar

Ft. Worth, TX. Not really any better. They're a huge Disney fan, as is their family, but their mother is trying to figure out how to get to WDW without going through FL. They also have a bisexual sister with a girlfriend. So Mom is really worried about their next trip as a family, if they take one. She was worried enough last Xmas, it's worse now.

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Donrox's avatar

Have they considered Disneyland? Orange County, California has turned blue.

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cdbunch's avatar

I believe they've been once, I don't know if they're considering going back again.

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Kay-El's avatar

And the CA Disney celebrated Pride Day.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Euro Disney too.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

The bay area is pretty gay-friendly, and so is Orlando. St. Pete hosts one of the largest gay pride festivals in the southeast. We have the Dali Museum, Museum Chihuly, and Busch Gardens over in the abortion of a city on the wrong side of the bay. And a lot of other stuff.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport.

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XJC's avatar

I have an 81 year old Good Catholic (TM) who lives in Washington DC who is down in the polls to a malignant narcissist/failed businessman with 91 indictments and 2 impeachments who single handedly nearly undermined the democratic process of the Unites States yet is still walking free and is the clear front runner of the Republican party. You think you got problems?

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beads's avatar

I need to bitch about yesterday's article, the High School Satan club seeking permission to form at a school near Memphis. I'm on the other end of Tennessee, yet one of my local news stations felt they needed to run it as a top article today. The biggest problem though, is this:

Throughout the biased article, multiple people, several of which are from other states, were given fully attributed quotes (i.e. "..."), all of them against the club. Only one statement was attributed to the club, and it was not an attributed or direct quote. The only thing they attributed to the club was that they expected to spark protest, which of course leads the ignorant to believe that they want to form the club with the sole purpose of causing anger and division. I regularly read articles from this news station that are significantly grammatically incorrect and riddled with spelling errors.

I am angry.🤬

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

Let me guess. AM station in the Sinclair network?

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beads's avatar

Good guess, but actually our CBS affiliate television station. And based entirely on the shoddy editorship, CBS should dissolve that partnership.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

So nice to see Pope Fluffy bringing Holy Mother Church up to the public policy status quo of two decades ago, when society at large became willing to tolerate LGBTQ people existing, but still hadn't decided whether we were really 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 yet. Doesn't it just bring a tear to the eye? For once, the RCC is less 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 behind the times on something!

Mind you, it's something which the rest of society was dragging ass on in no small part due to the Vatican's global campaign against any kind of positive action on civil rights (and, let's give credit where it's owed here- every other major world religion helped!). Now they're 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺 less of a sea anchor on human progress, thanks to Frank, and that ain't nothing! It ain't much of something, but it, strictly speaking, by the literal definition, ain't 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.

They're shrugging their shoulders and rolling their eyes at us, instead of coming at us with torches and pitchforks! 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦?

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cdbunch's avatar

No, I still hear Benedict saying, "Good. Let the hate flow through you."

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

And can you feel the hate tonight?

It is who they are

It's not enough for these small braindead wankers

They will go too far

And can you feel the hate tonight

How it's not about to stop ?

It's not enough to make threats and plea deals

Believe in the very worst

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

Nailed it: this is giving starving people a crumb. But only if they are eternally grateful. And, god forbid, don't ask for anything else--like being seen and treated as real people. Frankie, who has a long ignoble history as a political animal, is performatively doing the minimum because it will make him look good by comparison to his even more hatefully bigoted opponents (like most of the US bishops.) I wonder when he will take responsibility for the 30,000 people murdered in Argentina during the Dirty War that he was an enthusiastic supporter of.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

...𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 [𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝐶𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ] 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒... 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑘𝑎𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛'𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑖𝑓 𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠, “𝑜ℎ 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑”? [𝑇𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚] 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟?!

-- Stephen Fry, answering a question during the 2009 Intelligence Squared debate, “Is the Catholic Church a force for good in the world?”

The Church's evolution on the issue slavery is little different from their recent change of heart regarding the LGBTQ+ community: They Are BEHIND The Rest Of Us. They have been behind the rest of us practically from the get-go, and personally, I am not certain I can conceive of a time when they could hope to catch up, never mind get ahead of those of us who have long been thinking in far freer terms than they are capable of. The ONLY reason that they remain an authority figure is because of their incessant indoctrination of their parishioners, and even with that, they lag behind those they would presume to lead.

The hierarchy of the Catholic Church amount to little more than a bunch of social Luddites who can count themselves lucky that they can function at all in a modern society.

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Len Koz's avatar

It took them 350 years to forgive Galileo.

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cdbunch's avatar

Have they forgiven Michelangelo yet?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

POPE (on the Sistine Chapel): "When will you make an end of it?"

MICHELANGELO: "When I am finished."

From "The Agony and the Ecstasy." Wonder if Heston realized Michelangelo was gay?

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cdbunch's avatar

I doubt it, the man proved on Ben Hur that he could be completely oblivious.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Thought of that, too.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

When the kangaroo is finished?

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NOGODZ20's avatar

What about the 28 disciples and 3 Christs?

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

It'll be a LOT longer before I ever forgive THEM.

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XJC's avatar

But...but...the mass has such lovely pageantry, and it gives people comfort. What's wrong with that? (TM)

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cdbunch's avatar

When ritual becomes habit, it becomes meaningless..

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wreck's avatar

Wow! A blessing from a pedo! One of those and $10 bucks will get you a Crappuccino or something at Starbucks.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

I know most folks here don’t like Starbucks, and there’s good reasons for it. First, Starbucks is far and away more moral than the Catholic Church. But almost anything is. Second, the workers at Starbucks are generally pretty awesome. Just today I stopped in to get my morning breakfast, but there were only two workers (a good reason to dislike the company, perpetually short staffing, but this location is less than 6months old and they are having a difficult time hiring for the weekday mornings) so the order ahead and the lobby were closed, drive thru only. Well, I didn’t realize the lobby was closed when I parked and walked past the drive thru. As I got back to my car to pull in the drive thru the girl called my name and said she had my drink ready for me. The two workers were so sweet to bring my drink out to me and they told me they appreciated me being so nice to them. It’s unfortunate that they don’t have more help.

Anyway, I had to tell folks what gems the workers are at my Starbucks. That’s all.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I'm not a huge Starbucks fan, I get things there occasionally, but I I'm not a fan of their waste (which I know happens everywhere). I almost always bring my own cup because any time I see them make an order, they always seem to make <drink size + a couple ounces>, pour most of it into the cup, then dump the rest. My cup is large enough to accompany that extra bit, but sometimes they will dump it out anyway. Multiple times they've made me a hot version rather than iced (or vice-versa) and I tell them no problem, but they will then dump it and remake it as I'm telling them I'll take it.

I'm also upset that they got rid of their Lime Refreshers a couple years ago, which were awesome with a shot of tequila.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

They’ve always given me the hot one and remade my iced. I generally find someone around who will drink the hot for me. I don’t think I’ve seen them dump the drink unless someone refused it outright. But each store has different rules and I might have gone to less restrictive ones.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I've also seen them give mistakes away, so I don't know what the rules are.

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cdbunch's avatar

Probably depends on the barista and whether they are concerned with waste.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I don't go regularly enough to get to know them, but I recognize one or two. Most don't seem concerned at all.

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Kay-El's avatar

The Starbucks baristas in my old neighborhood were gems too, but I got tired of paying megabucks for coffee. Now I frequent a wonderful independent espresso stand on occasion, where a Starbucks happened to have moved in practically next door. I’ll never go to it just on principle.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I worked in an office right next door to a grocery store with a Starbucks inside. We were also right next to a vacant lot which got bought and turned into a Starbucks.

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cdbunch's avatar

Mall on one corner with a Starbucks. Starbucks across the street. Across the cross street Barnes & Nobel with a Starbucks.

20 years ago in Houston.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Got that beat. 3 Starbucks in one building downtown.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I'm waiting for the Starbucks inside a Starbucks.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Being from the place that gave the world Starbucks, I occasionally go there (the baristas are always top-notch and deserve to have a union) but I favor the gazillion microchains and indies.

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Kay-El's avatar

I actually got hired at one near downtown because I needed a p/t job since my “real” job was also p/t. I ended up taking a job at the Pacific Science Center instead.

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

Been out to Seattle twice with the kids, stopped there both times. Awesome place.

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Kay-El's avatar

I loved working there, the pay was shit, but I got to see all the new IMAX movies for free and the people I worked with were cool.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

No Starbucks where I live 😁

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Yeah, but the crappy places where you live are better than most of the best places here. I’d love to sit in a Parisienne cafe with a croissant and hot chocolate any day. ( I know you don’t like sweet, but it’s the best). So much better than Starbucks.

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cdbunch's avatar

After John Oliver's bit on the chocolate industry, I'm trying to give it up.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

There is an excellent bakery about 5 minutes by foot. I never tasted their chocolate but DM validate their coffee.

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beads's avatar

I think my only reason to dislike them is that some of their drinks are so damn good that I become willing to pay stupid amounts of money for them. Grrr...

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cdbunch's avatar

Starbucks failed in 6 months in the town I grew up in. A few years later a local opened a clone shop and did such business they opened a second location in a town that's not 25 sq miles and if IIRC had less than 30k residents in the 2020 Census.

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beads's avatar

I would be more than willing to patronize a small business coffee shop, but, while I don't live in the hood in my city (~200,000 people), the small guys who have been successful are all located in the western (richy-rich) area of town, which ont the best day is twenty minutes from my only average area.

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Mr.E's avatar

here is a fact that everybody should know the next time they go to Target store. They will refill your starbucks coffee for free

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

A coffee drink, or just plain coffee?

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Mr.E's avatar

I think any drink you buy

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

*greedily rubs hands together*

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Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

I was listening to a bit on NPR as I was getting into work. Most of the people they interviewed (LGBTQ catholics) said how excited they were about the situation. All I could think of was to ask myself "they're excited to be reminded they're second class citizens?" a phrase which the host actually used shortly thereafter.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

Never mind why they're excited, why are they still Catholics?

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Find a medium and ask DM's grandmother 😏

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cdbunch's avatar

It's similar to the ones who have an unspoken agreement with their family to never mention their orientation or love life. Ignore their disapproval for the little conditional love they give because it's all you've known and are afraid of losing.

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

What the Catholic Church officially thinks SHOULD matter to the average citizen in the United States, because you can damn well bet that Leonard Leo and his Federalist Society are drumming up all the test cases they can find to run up to the US Supreme Court, whose 6½ Catholics are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to rule on them based on their favorite "C" document. No, not the Constitution (which is what they're SUPPOSED to use) but the Catholic Catechism, which was clearly the only thing they consulted in their atrocious "Dobbs" decision overturning "Roe v. Wade".

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