I've been clean for 6 days.

It's true - I have a problem. I love Cola. It's not uncommon for me to drink over 2 liters of it per day. And yes, the rumours are true - sometimes I drink it for breakfast.

It's sick!

As I write this, I'm entering my 7th Cola free day. I haven't touched a drop of Cola since last Friday - not so much on purpose, it just kinda happened that way. It's not been easy, and it is only going to get tougher. I've got to start (and hopefully finish!) a bunch of projects around the house this weekend, and I don't know how well I'll hold up without my usual vice.

Today, I started thinking about how much I haven't been thinking about how badly I think I want cola. (I think) Which got me thinking about something I'd stumbled across on the Coca-Cola website a few years back. Their FAQ used to have a "Myths" section (which used to be located at http://www2.coca-cola.com/contactus/faq/ingredients.html"). It was so good, I saved it, pulling it out every few months for a laugh. It is a fine example of the beauty that can happen when Spin Doctors and Legal Departments collaborate.

Is caffeine addictive?
It has become popular to use the word "addiction" loosely. People will sometimes say they are "addicted" to chocolate, football or watching television. But, according to the World Health Organization, "There is no evidence whatsoever that caffeine use has even remotely comparable physical and social consequences which are associated with serious drugs of abuse." Some people who have consumed large quantities of products with caffeine on a regular basis and then suddenly reduce their intake substantially have reported experiencing temporary symptoms such as headaches or fatigue lasting over a two- or three- day period. Because the caffeine levels used in soft drinks are low, it is unlikely that such side effects would occur from a cessation of soft drink consumption.

This paragraph reads like the quick disclaimers at the end of those drug commercials on television. Next thing you know, they will be telling it's become popular to use the word "hyperactive" loosely. Oh, wait a minute....

Does sugar make children hyperactive?
Definitely not. Sugar does provide energy to the body; however, making energy available by eating something sweet is not the same as causing someone to be active and excited. The concern that eating sugar makes children hyperactive originated in the mid-seventies and was based on anecdotal observations by parents and teachers. A parent would see his child eat cake and drink fruit punch at a party, for example, and then notice an increase in activity. The natural tendency was to link the hyperactive behavior to what the child consumed and to disregard other factors show no association between sugar consumption and hyperactive behavior. In fact, after reviewing research in this area, the FDA, the U.S. Surgeon General, The American Dietetic Association and the National Academy of Sciences have failed to find substantive evidence to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between sugar consumption and hyperactivity.

In other words, Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Yeah. Right. And stranglers don't kill people, their hands do.

There is a message making the rounds of the Internet that says that carbonated soft drinks can be used for a variety of household purposes, such as removing rusty bolts and cleaning greasy cloths. Is this true, and does it mean soft drinks are unhealthy?
The message you cite also mentions that baking a ham basted with Coca-Cola produces a delicious gravy -- and that is definitely true! The other claims in the message may also be true to a lesser extent because there is a small amount of edible acid present in many foods, including fruit juices, buttermilk, and soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola. These foods are not acidic enough to harm your body tissues -- in fact, your own natural stomach acid is stronger. It is possible that the edible acid in any of these products could have the effects described in the E-mail you mention, even though it's still quite safe to drink these products. However, we don't make any claims relating to other uses. Instead, we recommend using products which were designed for cleaning or rust removal.

This one is great. It's what the grizzled old coots (colloquially known as "seniors", or "the elderly") refer to as "The Ol' One-Two". First, they distract you by mentioning a delicious gravy, and then, once they've got you relaxed, they quietly minimize the true dangers of "edible acids". I also love how the legal department made them follow up with a statement encouraging us to not hold them liable for any damages that may be caused by using Cola as a rust removal product.

Well, I'm going to try to not pad their wallets any more. Hopefully I can start cutting this poison out of my life once and for all.

Let Day 7 begin!

Currently playing: Loverboy - Lovin' Every Minute Of It
Now entering my seventh Cola free day!