Caffeine is evil. Okay, that's a little harsh. Having grown up the son of two people who own a vending company, I can hardly pretend to be not be the child of caffeine peddlers. My shady history having been revealed I must admit I recently was shocked, perhaps more at my lack of awareness than anything else, that caffeine, technically speaking, is a drug. Now, drugs, to me at least, carry with them the association or marijuana, LSD, pills, booze, etc. The hard stuff. Then, when I think of caffeine, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, tea, puppy dogs and babies...it's hardly something to lump in with the hard stuff. I guess that association is part of what worries me the most. I, being a very stereotypical person will reach for the first can of soft drink to tickle my taste buds and wake me up all at the same time. Nonetheless, it became clear, doing this is a socially acceptable form of drug usage. It may be recreational drug usage, solely geared towards a jolt to my brain and lagging consciousness, but, it's drug usage nonetheless.

So, off I went trying to rethink how I live. Coke and drug usage. Okay, the double meaning there doesn't help. Dr. Pepper and drug usage. The two just don't seem to really mix. That reluctance to consider caffeinated soft drinks--and more dangerously, coffee, tea, pills, etc--as a negative worries me. Nothing has ever suggested soft drinks are bad except the sugary side effects. Chronic overstimulation of the CNS has a whole host of problems. I know wikipedia is just bad academic form...which makes me glad to not be an academic. Get past the basic history and pharmacology on the caffeine entry and read near the bottom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine I honestly don't see much redeeming value to the stuff.

And I confess my continued use of it. I guess that points to a larger, scarier issue. People today would rather ingest more of something that has harmful and deleterious effects, rather than live an alternative life style. Think, seriously for a moment. How many people do you know who don't use caffeine in some form or fashion? Think again, if the dangers of caffeine, though largely ignored in today's culture, were made known to someone, would they likely stop? Most people I know would rather keep on doing what they're doing. That's the rub. I, thinking myself, in theory at least, savvy enough to change my life when I come to grips with something harmful, I see the poison of caffeine and still use it. The propaganda of this drug is powerful and it's placement everywhere almost impossible to refuse, even if you try.

Kill you coffee pots people. Break the addiction. (Realize this is a little tongue and cheek if it's lost on you to this point, but, only about 5%.)