It is time to tax unhealthy beverages. Should have happened a long time ago.

It isn't consumers that aren't ready for tax on unhealthy foods, no different than alcohol or cigarettes, its the manufacturers that aren't ready. Of course, they never will be.

Fight Childhood Obesity


Coke says consumers not ready for ‘soda tax’ (click title to entry - thank you)
By Jonathan Birchall in New York
Published: July 21 2009 20:55 Last updated: July 21 2009 20:55
Coca-Cola on Tuesday attacked proposals to create a “soda tax” on sugared drinks to help pay for US healthcare reforms, saying “the consumer in this environment is not ready for a tax on a basic staple like non-alcoholic beverages”.
Coke and its bottlers have been part of lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill against the proposed tax, which was included in May in funding options presented by the Senate finance committee....



EAT SMART
Cut out the killer colas (click here)
MEETA LALL
Most of us opt for a soft drink when thirsty. But have you thought of what it does inside the body?
We know that colas are bad for health; yet, most of us drink them all the time. In the 1970s, a soft drink was a treat. Today, a chilled cola is the first thing we reach out for after a hot trip. For the hip youth, they are the ‘right’ ch oice. Buying (and guzzling down!) a 600 ml bottle of cola on the way home from school has become routine for children.
Research has now categorically proved that a glass of fizzy soft drink — or soda as it is called in the U.S. — is nothing less than a killer assault on the body! Consider this: One can of soda (330 ml) contains about 8-10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colours and sulphites. How can a drink that provides a whole lot of calories, sugar and caffeine be good for health?.
What it does
What exactly does soda do inside our body? Within 10 minutes of drinking a cola, a huge dose of sugar hits our system. Within 20 minutes, blood sugar spikes and is promptly converted to fat by the liver. Within 40 minutes, all the caffeine from the soda dilates the pupils, raises blood pressure and the liver dumps more sugar into the blood. The high sugar and caffeine in our blood gives us a ‘Feel Good’ high. However, soon thereafter, blood sugar begins to crash giving way to tiredness, lethargy and fatigue. Drink soda twice or thrice a day and our body keeps roller coasting between sugar highs and lows throughout!
What’s more, drinking a single can a day translates to more than a pound of weight gain every month. And doubles the risk of diabetes! To make matters worse, phosphoric acid — added to colas for their distinct ‘tang’ — pulls calcium out of bones and weakens them for life. It also dissolves tooth enamel causing cavities and promotes formation of kidney stones. The caffeine — the ‘kick’ part of the soda — causes jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat. Lately, doctors are warning that excessive cola consumption can lead to anything from mild weakness to profound muscle paralysis. This is because the drink can cause your blood potassium to drop dangerously low. Sodium benzoate — the preservative in soft drinks — can alter DNA eventually increasing our risk for liver damage and Parkinson’s disease.
Give it up...

Vice President needs to stop 'smoozing' Western Europe. Russia is not going anywhere and he knows it.

Biden said domestic troubles were the most important factor driving Russia's new global outlook.

Russia has been very smart since the Bush invasion into Iraq. They literally turned on a dime and walked away from any relationship with the USA. Putin's Russia has been building a global network of allies. Russia and China are both in the Western hemisphere. There is now direct threats of convention war with near border countries in South America. Who is anyone 'kidding' if they believe Russia is going to implode.

There is no way.

They are very savvy when it comes to managing their natural resources. Russia is stable and so are the people of that country.

Anyone believing Russia is weakening and dissolving is diluting themselves. Russia has never been this supported in a global venue. They have allies on every continent and within striking distance of any American instillation. Get real, okay?

Getting Western Europe to live in the real world is nearly impossible, evidently. Georgian leadership is dangerous. Time to 'get over it.'

The worst aspect of 'the Biden dialogue' is that it doesn't treat Russia as a partner so much as a victim. Russia is not a pathetic country like Georgia is.

There is soemone being ignored. The trouble maker.

What was grossly ignored in the arrest of Professor Gates in charging him with 'Disorderly Conduct" is that he was wrongly charged.

　
What exactly is disorderly conduct? Being 'upset' is disorderly? No. Absolutely not.

　
Professor Gates is not a person that doesn't have rights when it comes to being 'cornered' in his home. An officer's demeanor is ALWAYS to deescalate any emotional response.

　
"Stepping outside" alone as Officer Crowley stated was a benign reques?. It was not benign. Stepping outside was to protect Officer Crowley from being victimized by his own actions. Stepping outside was a continuance of the arrest process. Stepping outside was an assertion of power and authority over an innocent man.

　
What should have occurred was an apology to Professor Gates either in his house (Perferably) or outside. An apology that simply states, "I was responding with my partner to a potential break-in to you're home. It was reasonable to believe that a neighbor would know you and only seek to protect your home with a phone call to dispatch officers to intervene. Again, I apologize for this confusion. It was to protect your home and property. I would anticipate this should not deter anyone from calling if they believe there is a crime being committed."

　
With that it is more than reasonable to visit the neighbor to tell her about the mix up and reassure her that her neighbor and the neighborhood was safe. Imagine having her watch 'the action' from her point of view and feeling as though Professor Gates was actually a criminal. There is a lot that could have occurred differently.

　
I am grateful there was no escalation beyond what occurred. A mistake is a mistake and there is no reason why police officers have to propagate a greater mistake made by a neighbor. When there obviously was a huge mistake the reasonable thing to do is apologize and carry through with the neighbor realizing the Professor had reason to be upset from all angles.

Sensitivity 'R' Us

What has come of the White Woman Caller? Professor Gates specifically stated, "...a white woman caller..." One has to realize there is an instigator that added to Professor Gates state of mind. She doesn't know her neighbors? I see.