What are you thinking? (Part 2)

[Cheer]

Lately in the UK there is a campaign to tax sugary products in order to have a healthier society. This may be partly why some are kicking up a fuss about the truck, because they say it's encouraging children to consume sugar and giving the opposite message. But I think that's entirely ridiculous. It's a Christmas tradition here and it's once a year, plus it's a bit of fun for people at Christmas.

It seems that "Its giving the opposite message" is becoming a recurring M.O

Isn't Coca Cola bad for your health primarily because of sugar?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's silly that people want to ban this truck. Speaking, though, as someone who has worked in politics, I've had a lot of people tell me that they'd like to see restrictions on the sugar industry and there have been hundreds of studies and documentaries released in the past decade or so which highlight how addictive and dangerous sugar is. The problem is that the sugar lobby is so exceptionally powerful... it's a sweetening agent in 99% of the foods on shelves and a lot of companies rely on it. It pays a lot of $$$ to networks to keep damaging documentaries and such off the television and out of the public eye. I would totally support taxing excessively sugary items in order to put subsidies on fruits and vegetables and other products who don't rely on sugar to keep people addicted.

Yeah it is. But banning something won't stop people from obtaining it through other channels because at the end of the day the choice is ours. Instead of trying to ban something why don't we try to find a replacement. I am a heavy coffee drinker (between 10-12 cups a day). in the past i used to put sugar to make it less bitter. until someone told me that coffee will taste better and sweeter with honey than with sugar. and you know i agree with that person.

 

[La Femme Fatale]

To be clear, I never said I want to see it banned. I mean, I'm guilty as charged - I'd shrivel up and die without Cadbury Mini Eggs. I'd only like to see some sort of arrangement where the sugar lobby isn't as catered to as it currently is.

I mean, people complain about the taxes here in Canada all the time - they are as high as they are because we have universal healthcare. You know what puts a lot of people in hospitals? Health concerns that are entirely related to sugar consumption. Lots of our tax $$$ spent on getting people healthy after their body catches up with their sugar addiction.

Actually, I'm going to duck out now. I feel like I'm turning everything into a political discussion and I don't mean to, heh.

 

[Cheer]

To be clear, I never said I want to see it banned. I mean, I'm guilty as charged - I'd shrivel up and die without Cadbury Mini Eggs. I'd only like to see some sort of arrangement where the sugar lobby isn't as catered to as it currently is.

I mean, people complain about the taxes here in Canada all the time - they are as high as they are because we have universal healthcare. You know what puts a lot of people in hospitals? Health concerns that are entirely related to sugar consumption. Lots of our tax $$$ spent on getting people healthy after their body catches up with their sugar addiction.

Actually, I'm going to duck out now. I feel like I'm turning everything into a political discussion and I don't mean to, heh.

the problem is most people look at subjects like this in black and white. And that is the problem. because between the black and white there is a grey area filled with alternatives. The choices are limitless. All what we have to do is to explore them.

I find your political view on things really interesting. because it shed light from a different angle.

 

[Jen]

I mean, people complain about the taxes here in Canada all the time - they are as high as they are because we have universal healthcare. You know what puts a lot of people in hospitals? Health concerns that are entirely related to sugar consumption. Lots of our tax $$$ spent on getting people healthy after their body catches up with their sugar addiction

People are saying that the proceeds of the sugar tax in the UK should be put back into our National Health Service. I think that's a valid idea.

Also, it was me that started talking about the sugar tax campaign and not you, Femme, so you weren't the one who turned it into politics.

 

[La Femme Fatale]

Oh ok. For some reason I thought I started with the tax thing and after seeing my rant on the previous page about benefits I was all like 'maybe I should tone it down, I'm super annoying' haha.

Putting the sugar taxes into healthcare is fair as well. I believe it's the same for tobacco, no?

 

[Springhosen]

Alright so everyone here knows that my brother and I recently lost our mom. Well my favorite childhood stuffed animal has really been helpful to me, along with some of the things my mother took comfort in having with her at the hospital. We went through some financial difficulties as a family some years back and many of our personal items were lost, one of which I assumed to be my brother's favorite childhood stuffed animal.

This in mind, I went on a search to find the 1988 Land Before Time Little Foot toy that my brother used to carry around as a child. I found it, ordered it and paid for it thinking it would be the perfect Christmas gift! I get home and find his original toy in a pile of my stuff. :sad:

#always search your house for "lost" items first #dimwit

 

[Jen]

Alright so everyone here knows that my brother and I recently lost our mom. Well my favorite childhood stuffed animal has really been helpful to me, along with some of the things my mother took comfort in having with her at the hospital. We went through some financial difficulties as a family some years back and many of our personal items were lost, one of which I assumed to be my brother's favorite childhood stuffed animal.

This in mind, I went on a search to find the 1988 Land Before Time Little Foot toy that my brother used to carry around as a child. I found it, ordered it and paid for it thinking it would be the perfect Christmas gift! I get home and find his original toy in a pile of my stuff. :sad:

#always search your house for "lost" items first #dimwit

That was a really great gift idea. I'm sorry it didn't work out.

 

[Springhosen]

That was a really great gift idea. I'm sorry it didn't work out.

Oh no, I'm still giving him Little Foot because I'm sure he's forgotten all about it - we don't live together and it's at my place...I just have to figure out what to do with the replica...I'm trying to get the seller to cancel the order so I don't have to go through the trouble of returning it. I hope he likes it, though and I hope it helps him like Puff - my stuffed caterpillar - has helped me.

 

[wolf trail]

My life changed recently.
I spend more and more time alone in my room...
God, what's wrong with me?
I have been so curious about stuff in this world.
Been reading about religions,spiritual beings...
They call it "awakening" but I don't know...
Changed my diet,eating less and losing weight(which is good) and I recently decided to give meat up.

I'm awake during the night and asleep during most of the day...

Anyone else going through this?

 

[Romero]

Are Coca-Cola trucks a UK thing?

I don't know where it started, but they've been here as long as I can remember. I believe the truck is like Santa, it's one truck that is everywhere. After all, both Santa and the truck comes from the same company. Many people don't know that it was the Coca Cola company that created Santa, but they did.

There's a huge deal made out of the Coca-Cola Christmas TV advert in the UK. Everyone says when you see that, it really is the countdown to Christmas.

They make a huge deal out of it here too, and I think the biggest reason why the truck is so popular is that it looks very exotic. It's American, very different looking from European trucks. Here are some American cars on the roads, but no American trucks except the Coca Cola one.

Lately in the UK there is a campaign to tax sugary products in order to have a healthier society.

We have sugar tax in Norway.

Anyone else going through this?

One or two of the things, yes. Like being awake at unhealthy hours and spending too much time in front of this screen. But the screen is also a means to learn and educate myself, I often read history and science.

 

[wolf trail]

I don't know where it started, but they've been here as long as I can remember. I believe the truck is like Santa, it's one truck that is everywhere. After all, both Santa and the truck comes from the same company. Many people don't know that it was the Coca Cola company that created Santa, but they did.



They make a huge deal out of it here too, and I think the biggest reason why the truck is so popular is that it looks very exotic. It's American, very different looking from European trucks. Here are some American cars on the roads, but no American trucks except the Coca Cola one.




We have sugar tax in Norway.




One or two of the things, yes. Like being awake at unhealthy hours and spending too much time in front of this screen. But the screen is also a means to learn and educate myself, I often read history and science.

Which topics do you read most?
I read about history too, it's suprising how I hated hitory back at school but now I like reading about it...
Learning is cool but not in school

 

[tremor]

Coca Cola originated in my home state, as a matter of fact.

Georgia

Did y'all know that Coca Cola originally had cocaine in it? Well..the company denies it but folks around here swear up and down that it did. I'll have to do some research on it but I believe the original ingredients contained something that is basically cocaine.

 

[Romero]

Which topics do you read most?
I read about history too, it's suprising how I hated hitory back at school but now I like reading about it...
Learning is cool but not in school

I'm an omnivore, I eat almost all topics. Whatever interests me at the time. I've studied and read about a whole lot of topics, ranging from ornithology, naval history to geophysics. I'm often inspired by documentaries (usually TV but also printed media) about a topic, and then start reading about it, for a couple of days or maybe a few months depending on how interesting it is. I don't care about formal education, I only do it as a hobby.

 

[La Femme Fatale]

I don't know where it started, but they've been here as long as I can remember. I believe the truck is like Santa, it's one truck that is everywhere. After all, both Santa and the truck comes from the same company. Many people don't know that it was the Coca Cola company that created Santa, but they did.

Woah - wait a second there bud. That's not true. Coca Cola certainly helped cement and popularize the modern version of Santa Clause, but they were using an image they borrowed, not one they created. Had they created Santa Clause, they could and would have certainly licensed him in the same way that Tony the Tiger is licensed to Kelloggs. Santa Clause has been an evolving image for a few hundred years now.

'Santa Clause' was first mentioned in the American press as early as 1773. The Night Before Christmas poem which mentioned St. Nicholas coming down chimney and giving gifts on Christmas Eve was first published in 1823. Thomas Nast (who also created the modern version of the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey) is widely credited for illustrating modern Santa as the big fat gift-giving jolly dude in 1866. Even Mrs. Clause was mentioned as early as 1889. L. Frank Baum (the Wizard of Oz) also wrote the Life and Adventures of Santa Clause - featuring a very modern image in 1902.

Cola Cola's first advertisement featuring the modern Santa Clause was in 1931. Did they popularize it, yes. Create it? No way.

 

[Romero]

Ok, I stand corrected, thank you for the info. But I believe Coca Cola have had a big influence on how Santa looks. I didn't consider earlier versions of Santa that didn't look like the modern Santa.

 

[La Femme Fatale]

They've only had some influence in how modern Santas look in the sense that they very much popularized the image worldwide. But Coca Cola's Santa looks extraordinarily like Thomas Nast's Santa, so we just gotta give credit where credit is due.

 

[Scrumpeh]

The coca cola Christmas truck has been confirmed to appear in my town this year. Although there's many people trying to ban it saying it's pushing unhealthy drinks upon their kids.

Err... Get over yourselves, if you're against it then don't go to see it.

Its a bit of fun and excitement before the Christmas holidays

You know what they say: "it isn't Christmas 'til you see Santa on the Coca Cola can"

 

[Loki]

I think we need a Coca Cola facts thread

 

[LordGolbez]

Hmmm I lost my train of thought.

Oh yeah, peanut butter how I have missed you.

 

[La Femme Fatale]

Alright so everyone here knows that my brother and I recently lost our mom. Well my favorite childhood stuffed animal has really been helpful to me, along with some of the things my mother took comfort in having with her at the hospital. We went through some financial difficulties as a family some years back and many of our personal items were lost, one of which I assumed to be my brother's favorite childhood stuffed animal.

This in mind, I went on a search to find the 1988 Land Before Time Little Foot toy that my brother used to carry around as a child. I found it, ordered it and paid for it thinking it would be the perfect Christmas gift! I get home and find his original toy in a pile of my stuff. :sad:

#always search your house for "lost" items first #dimwit

I'm glad you found it - hopefully you're able to return the one you purchased, though. What a coincidence, my sister and I were talking about Land Before Time briefly the other day...

Karyn: What else should I play?
Me: I dunno. There's pretty much Dino Crisis or Monopoly.
Karyn: Ugh. I hated Dino Crisis.
Me: That's the stupidest opinion I've ever heard.
Karyn: I don't like that they made Chomper a psychopath who wanted to eat everyone. He was just a cute little dinosaur and they made him into a serial killer.
Me: Sometimes we all just fall off the wagon every now and again.
Karyn: Not a good excuse.
Me: Don't worry, I'm sure he'll find Oprah sooner or later. Then he can ask forgiveness and it'll be like nothing happened.
Karyn: I'll play Monopoly.