Soda Kills - Or At Least Increases the Odds

I’m trying to decide if I’d rather die of stroke (quickly so I don’t see it coming), or get laughed at while working my way to heart failure (slow and possibly quite painful). Honestly, neither is looking good and the way things are going the choice of water alone might be the saving grace of the American people.

What am I ranting about today, you wonder? Well, a recent study has found that consumers of diet cola are at a 61% increased risk for stroke, including (whether drinking diet or regular soda), more likely to have metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, elevated blood fats, low levels of good cholesterol, and large waists. Ergo, soda drinkers are more likely to be fat, diabetic, and suffering from cardiovascular disease, regardless of whether they’re drinking diet or regular soda.

What.the.hell?

I know that the Tab generation is almost dead, heck, even my mom has stopped drinking that crap, but it seems like all the fun of just living and enjoying the fruits of our commercialized success are now going by the wayside and we’re either going to have to accept that life alone can kill us or eat like a rabbit and drink filtered water with added electrolytes. Just does not seem like much fun.

Before I go much further, I think it’s important to note that I personally believe that in addition to our health the world is changing in a way that has forever changed our lives and that the days of an increased life-span is gone. Everything that we interact with today – whether it be directly like food and the environment, or indirectly like radiation and environmental hazards – has an impact on us and it’s generally not good. This comes from absolutely no medical knowledge, but from the knowledge that the quality of life that I see from the people around me in this day and age seems far below what it was even ten years ago.

Now, with that said, science is inaccurate and this could all be a fluke. The study was less than 3000 people total, and there could be some sort of accidental correlation, but this really comes down to how you feel about science vs. the science of the Coca Cola Company. Personally, I would think that even though all the chemicals that they put into the diet soda they pedal tastes really good it’s probably not that good for me.

So there you have it – my public health message/rant to share that I’m pissed – no more diet-soda for me, or soda at all for that matter, although I wonder if I get it out of the spigot, is iced-tea any better for me?

ranter

Everyone feels like they deserve something from someone else even when it was their own stupid fault.  Remember many years ago the person that sued McDonalds because her coffee was “Hot?”  They got coffee at the drive through and placed it between their legs (I guess they didn’t have cup holders back in the stone age.)  Short story is, the coffee spilled and they sued.

Yeah.  We all thought it was a joke, and silly, but that person ended up getting a lot of money for it.   And to be fair, the facts of the case showed she received THIRD DEGREE burns from the fucking coffee!

Well case in point.  I go regularly to a neighborhood coffee shop.  It’s a nice little mom and pop store doing pretty well even though there is a Starbucks right across 32nd.  Great atmosphere… Local indie bands on the weekends.  Free WiFi.  Actually, the owners are a couple of 30 somethings just out of college.  Good for them!  Owning their own business.  Anyways, a few months ago, a young up-and -coming professional, you know the type.  Wearing dockers and a short sleeved shirt planning what they will be doing with all the money they make as the next Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Bernie Madoff, while they are probably still living with their parents.

Anyways, this guy comes in chatting away on his Blue-tooth phone (so he looks like the Borg with that ear piece but acts like that crazy guy you see in Times Square talking to “the invisible people”) while pressing like a mad monkey on his iPhone-type device, with his laptop tucked under his arm and a messenger bag across his back.   He walks up to the counter and rudely orders a cup of coffee while not even bothering to stop or pause his conversation on his BT phone.  He takes his cup pays the cashier, and goes to fill it from the coffee jugs.  He doesn’t stop talking, nor does he try to put down his laptop under his arm and has his phone/pda in the same hand as the cup.  You can see whats coming, can’t you?    Well, to make a long story short(er) as he is filling his cup, his phone slips.  He reaches to get it and his laptop slips.  This all starts a comical chain reaction that ends up with him dropping his phone and laptop.  The laptop screen breaks off and slides across the floor.  The coffee ends up all over his pants and in the melee he ends up knocking over the table holding all of the coffee jugs.  He’s screaming at the store staff while they are desperately trying to mitigate the total disaster this guy has brought into their store.    He winds up leaving after hurling several choice words at anyone and everyone.  He even yelled at this customer that tried to help him saying that they “better not have damaged his phone” which she was handing back to him.  What a twat.

Well, what brought this back today?  Why am I ranting about it?

This morning I stop in to get my coffee and bagel and lo and behold I see signs posted in several locations around the store saying ” WARNING.  Our coffee is served HOT. Take appropriate steps to protect yourself.”  and on the table with the coffee jugs was a step by step instruction sheet detailing how to fill your cup and it included “if you are holding something in your hands other than the coffee cup, put it down.  Do not attempt to fill your coffee cup while holding a laptop or similar under your arm.”

So I ask the owner whats the deal with the signs and he tells me that he was served a few days ago with papers from that pin head and he is being sued for “pain and suffering” and “emotional distress.”  Additionally, he wants a new laptop AND phone which he says the coffee shop was negligent in protecting.  WTF!  I mean seriously, WHAT THE FUCK?!?

Well, the owners are not caving and has hired a lawyer and is defending himself.  I have an appointment to talk with the lawyer too as a witness to the “incident.”  That little pants stain isn’t going to get a thing and if the lawyer is correct, will even lose out due to a counter suit for the “damage” and “loss of business” from that jag-off creating a mess by knocking the table over.

PEOPLE!  Wake up!   Grow a pair will you?   Take responsibility for what you do!  Some of you, well, most of you just make me sick. (especially the “jerks” on the subway in the morning that neglect to put on deoderant.)

Mleh.

UPDATE:  This must be a fucking epidemic.   I just saw this on the “internets” this morning.   Come on people! It might help if you actually work and not try to get something for nothing by blaming someone else for you being such a prick/twat.

There are, of course, a few caveats, but only that you donate in the states of Georgia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Puerto Rico, southern Mississippi, or northern Florida between now and March 31.  Not too bad considering, and the reality is, giving blood is good.  Apparently the Red Cross needs approximately 38,000 pints of blood every day just to meet the demand of hospitals and other organizations, and that doesn’t include storage for future requirements.  With the fall-off in the economy people have donated less money and apparently less blood, too.

Lets hope that this incentive helps increase the number of donors – and perhaps you’ll even see me out there giving a pint or two in the months to come.

Ranter