I'm sitting here with a 32 oz Monster energy drink and I intend to drink about 3/4ths of it. I used to drink coffee but I never really liked the taste of coffee. I would only take it for the effect. Plus, it seems like energy drinks are a lot more smooth. Coffee makes my heart beat faster than a song on MayDays itunes playlist.

 

What are your thoughts on these energy drinks as an alternative to coffee? Look in any convenient store. They take up nearly half the entire cooler space, next to the beer, so clearly they're becoming popular these days (at a 300% markup).

For the record, I listen to dance music, but I do NOT like the "Hi-NRG" speed techno crap.

 

My beef with energy drinks? The parents who let their children drink them as though they were just any other soft drink. Then they b!tch up a storm about their kids being fidgety.

For the record, I listen to dance music, but I do NOT like the "Hi-NRG" speed techno crap.

 

My beef with energy drinks? The parents who let their children drink them as though they were just any other soft drink. Then they b!tch up a storm about their kids being fidgety.

 

MayDay you know I was just joking!!! You don't like Tiesto though? I love me some Tiesto :)

 

Yeah, I started hanging out with my dad recently (we've had a really rocky relationship over the years but it's all water under the bridge) and I'm at his house helping him move and I said, "Ill be right back, I'm going to go get a Monster - I need some energy for this move" and his stepson (14) wanted one. I asked my dad if it's okay, he said sure. This kid puked it all up on his mattress later that night. The next morning he goes up to my dad and says "Hey DJ, I puked on my mattress, can you clean it up?" My dad said, "hell no!" I interjected and said, "Dude you're 14, clean up your own d@mn mess! Are you serious?!" "If I said that to my parents growing up, I would have gotten beaten with a clothes iron". Plus, this kid didn't even help with the move AT ALL!! I moved HIS stuff! His mom spoils him and lets him do whatever he wants. He was off skateboarding all day. He's going to have it rough when he enters the real world, but anywho, I digress..

I don't even fully understand what energy drinks are (I keep associating them with something like Gatorade, probably because I'm old). They seem to be deceptively masquerading as something healthy while anyone with at least a triple-digit IQ (and yes, hard to believe, mine is!) intuitively knows they're probably not. Aside from caffeine, what exactly is in them? Try going back to coffee (try Starbucks iced coffee. They reformulated it in the last couple of years so it's more palatable than it was, even with sweetener--they use a simple syrup, you might like it), although it may "stunt your growth," as they used to say in the old days when kids would become curious about how it tasted when they saw adults drinking it (hmmm...or was that cigarettes?)--lol.

Energy drinks don't contain a lot of caffeine. Regular sized energy drinks contain roughly 2 (true) cups of coffee. The other ingredients are very mild stimulants for a synergistic effect. It's definitely a different kind of adrenaline rush to me. I also noticed I don't get dehydrated and have to pee every 10 minutes like I do with coffee so personally I'd rather take an energy drink over coffee.

Energy drinks are a very expensive habit.

 

I like them for an occasional splurge. Particularly on road trips.

Energy drinks are a very expensive habit.

 

 

So is Fourbucks coffee. I never understood that place or any of the gourmet coffee places. It is a great atmosphere but I don't understand the markup and I don't like the bitterness of it or the foam. Am I the only one perfectly content with gas station coffee? Especially when you drop a couple of those French Vanilla International Delights in there!

I'll occasionally have one if I have to pull an all nigher, because I drink coffee all day long and am almost numb to the level of caffeine it provides.  Sometimes they give me pretty bad stomach aches, though.

In grad school I would occasionally drink a Red Bull knockoff called "Whoop-@ss!".  But it seemed to stop working, so I quit drinking it.  I just drink coffee now, which sometimes helps, but more often tends to make me nervous more so than alert.  Today I had a 20 oz coffee, then a double shot of espresso.  Did nothing to help. 

 

I do like the taste of coffee, though- gas station or gourmet, I can appreciate it.

I'll drink a Barney (grape NOS and vodka) here and there.

This might sound funny but ten years ago I took a lot of photos of gas stations.  Sure, the prices have gone up, but the other big difference is the proliferation of energy drinks.  At some gas stations it seems like almost half of the space is taken up by dozens of them.  Also, there is now tons of advertising on the outside of gas stations.

 

I don't think they work, at least not in the truly extreme sleep depravation circumstances I've had them in.  Specifically, when I was working two full-time jobs I worked sometimes from 6:30am until 2:30am.  I wouldn't get to sleep until 3am, then have to get up by 5:45.  The scheduling often worked out that I did this three days in a row.  Obviously, by the third day you're falling asleep at stop lights.  But I didn't find that the energy drinks helped for more than a half hour. 

 

Also David it's phenomeNON. 

 

 

 

 

Also David it's phenomeNON. 

 

Not trying to be the douchebag grammar patrol but phenomenon is singular. Phenomena is plural. I consider it plural because there's a plethora of these things and while you do see a lot of the big brands stay, like Red Bull and Monster, a lot of these companies are putting out new energy drink products, giving them a testing period of 4 months to see how well they perform and if they don't perform well, they go off the market, get re-packaged and re-branded with the same formula to a appeal to a different demographic. For example, the "Relax Drank" you see at 'hood gas stations is meant to "slow your roll" (after you pop Ecstacy?) but it was previously marketed to upper-middle class house-wives as a way to reduce cortisol - the stress hormone - which causes fat to be stored in the belly.

As much as I would like to agree, the correct use in your thread title would be phenomenon, since you only specified the singular "drink".

 

You could have called it "The Phenomena of Energy Drinks"

No, it's definitely phenomeNON.   

Now I know how you're able to bike and hike for so long. You must be in incredible shape from carrying that giant chip on your shoulder all the time, Jake!  :-P

let's consult Webster:

 

http://mw1.meriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomena

 

"Usage Discussion of PHENOMENA

 

Phenomena has been in occasional use as a singular for more than 400 years and its plural phenomenas for more than 350. Our evidence shows that it is primarily a speech form used by poets, critics, and professors, among others, but one that sometimes turns up in edited prose <the Borgia were, in modern terms, a media phenomena — Economist>. It is etymologically no more irregular than stamina, agenda, and candelabra, but it has nowhere near the frequency of use that they have, and while they are standard, phenomena is still rather borderline."

 

My take on a lot of these drinks: Mostly crap that just makes more plastic garbage and obese kids. Anytime a marketing label makes great claims...that is a warning sign to me to think they'll do the opposite and I'd better do my own snooping around for the facts. Too many base their decisions when selecting a food/drink product based on the fancy sales claims rather than the facts.

 

Here is a simple tip for energy....Try eating an orange and drinking water after a hard workout and do some deep breathing or stretching exercises... So many of these drinks are mostly sugar water...and not meant as a main source of hydration and probably only have any value at all if you sweat like a pig like the girl on Flash Dance...then drank one. Still I would do what I mentioned above.

 

Additionally, I seriously doubt that most who are drinking these kinds of drinks, such as kids walking around leisurely drinking them like water, (then pitching their empty or half full containers on the ground) are burning off the energy/calories hard and fast enough compared to what these things dump back in. So, their intake is disproportionate to the energy spent by the consumer. Add to this a host of artificial chemicals and colors that contribute to other ills, but that's another story.

 

http://walking.about.com/od/snacks/a/energymyths.htm

 

Heaps of info. about this all over.

I think he is referring to the quick energy drinks, not the rehydration drinks.

let's consult Webster:

 

http://mw1.meriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomena

 

"Usage Discussion of PHENOMENA

 

Phenomena has been in occasional use as a singular for more than 400 years and its plural phenomenas for more than 350. Our evidence shows that it is primarily a speech form used by poets, critics, and professors, among others, but one that sometimes turns up in edited prose <the Borgia were, in modern terms, a media phenomena — Economist>. It is etymologically no more irregular than stamina, agenda, and candelabra, but it has nowhere near the frequency of use that they have, and while they are standard, phenomena is still rather borderline."

 

 

Precisely. You guys are reading too much into this when you should be reading about the word's use throughout history in texts before judging people.

 

DanB, call your Ophthalmologist to schedule your Catarac cataract surgery then maybe you will CLEARLY see by the context of the thread title that it doesn't refer to a single energy drink. We're talking about an industry that has blown up and  seems to do nothing but expand. I read a lot of old books; I've seen phenomena used in both singular and plural forms and in very different but specific contexts. "This phenomena..." "Those Phenomena..." "These two phenomena" - which purposely goes out of it's way to use 'phenomenas'. I've never seen phenomenas. In fact, phenomenas is underlined as a misspelled word on this typing box.

 

Like I always say: If a word is wrongly used by people, in one sense or another, long enough, it is inherently CORRECT due to it's commonality and pattern of use in text and speech. There are no linguistic rules set in stone because it's constantly evolving and often times it evolves for good reason.

 

Let me put it this way: If I said "phenomenon" (especially in this age of brainwashing shock-therapy news) it evokes a diluted connotation not to be taken very seriously. When I think of a phenomenon, I think of Crocs. Crocks are a fashionable trend (surprisingly) but they will go away. They aren't influential. Energy Drinks, however, are probably here to stay. I just keep seeing more and more of them. Now I'm seeing drinks that help you relax, "Relax Drank" and those GABA drinks. They have mood altering or performance-enhancing drinks for everybody and everything now. I didn't really notice this trend until Red Bull hit the American market but maybe I was oblivious.

 

My lord, this thread got ridiculous.

 

I agree that phenomeNON sounds better. Though EVD seems to have proven that the title as it exists is not incorrect.

 

I agree Starbucks, etc., is a waste of money. So is gas station coffee. Make it yourself, and it's reasonable.

 

Regularly, I drink juice (and maybe homemade espresso) in the morning, water throughout the day, and (maybe) beer or cocktail at night. I don't really get the concept of spending $1+ for any sort of beverage on a daily basis. Water's basically free, and it's the healthier option. If I want something flavored instead of water, I brew some tea.

 

Another reason to prefer coffee to energy drinks is that it's healthier. It has antioxidants, and it doesn't come with a default @ssload of sugar.

Those drinks are whack and often cause people to crash shortly after consuming!

 

Man up and drink COFFEE you p*ssy's!!

 

When my nephew was here this summer, he was working on a project and was drinking 5 hour energy, which has his lil skinny ass bouncing off the walls.

Those drinks are whack and often cause people to crash shortly after consuming!

 

Man up and drink COFFEE you p*ssy's!!

 

When my nephew was here this summer, he was working on a project and was drinking 5 hour energy, which has his lil skinny ass bouncing off the walls.

 

I drink coffee too! It tastes bitter to me unless I add french vanilla to it. Energy drinks don't make me crash any harder than coffee.

 

I hope you're watching your intake too!

My lord, this thread got ridiculous.

 

I agree that phenomeNON sounds better. Though EVD seems to have proven that the title as it exists is not incorrect.

 

I agree Starbucks, etc., is a waste of money. So is gas station coffee. Make it yourself, and it's reasonable.

 

Regularly, I drink juice (and maybe homemade espresso) in the morning, water throughout the day, and (maybe) beer or cocktail at night. I don't really get the concept of spending $1+ for any sort of beverage on a daily basis. Water's basically free, and it's the healthier option. If I want something flavored instead of water, I brew some tea.

 

Another reason to prefer coffee to energy drinks is that it's healthier. It has antioxidants, and it doesn't come with a default @ssload of sugar.

 

The chemicals in most energy drinks aren't bad for you unless you were to drink 6-10 cans of them (taking too much coffee isn't good for you at all, either.) Most of the chemicals have a proven positive role in the healthy function of the body which is why it gives you a little more of an energy boost. A few of them are synthesized from other chemicals or are extracts from plants but that absolutely does not mean they are any less safe. That is a huge misconception and a pet peeve of mine. It reminds me of stoners who praise weed as perfectly healthy because it's all-natural. Yeah, well so are the Coca Leaves and Opium! You're much better off taking Ephedrine than Ephedra (the whole plant matter), for example, because the FDA doesn't regulate supplements and taking an isolated or synthesized chemical from an herb can make the dosage more accurate and prevent people from being effected by unknown allergies or overdose from the plethora of thousands of the unknown chemicals which come in varying amounts, in these herbs.

 

I think any "crash" probably comes from the caffeine. From what I've researched, the other chemicals alone won't do much to speed up the CNS. Though, I had an energy drink with "gurana" in it one time and it did make me pretty jittery an hour later. Whenever I try these things, I listen to my body and let it decide if it's for me or not. To me, energy drinks make me clearer headed than coffee, and don't give me the rapid heartbeat. I already have a naturally high pulse rate so that's always my concern. It really sucks that they can be so expensive though. Even the smallest monster will run you like 2.40 around here.

 

My lord, this thread got ridiculous.

 

I agree that phenomeNON sounds better. Though EVD seems to have proven that the title as it exists is not incorrect.

 

 

 

 

You guys need to stop being so prissy  :lol:

 

Does it really bother you all? Ill change it.

 

 

 

Post Script: You wanna trash talk some bullsh!t beverage that came out of nowhere and causes problems? I have two words in two different languages for you. Four LOKO!!!!! My brother drank that stuff and ended up threatening my neighbor-friends and threw their front porch chair at the facade of their house for no friggin reason. I had to take him home after that. This is my crazy brother anyway though but crazy should be not buy crazy-in-a-can. God, I'm sick of babysitting and doing damage control for that clown. He's 5'8'' and jacked up on steroids so needless to say his Nepoleon Complex is in full force on Four Loko. Nothing containing caffeine and alcohol together should be legal imo. I heard that stuff just got pulled off the shelves though. You probably damage both your liver and kidneys from toxicity and diuretic effect and having one foot on the accelerator, one foot on the brake seems to blow out the transmission of his brain.

 

Like I say, I listen to my body closely whenever I ingest something. Gatorade, especially since it contains electrolytes,  is my best friend after taking anything that depletes the water out of my system. I seriously think half the people in the U.S. wouldn't need to be on anti-depressants if they would just feel what everything they take in does to their body. It's not hard. I took too much Tylenol one time and felt my kidneys hurt. I didn't have to go on WebMD to know that excess Tylenol can lead to kidney damage. I won't even go out drinking anymore without drinking a Centrum and large Gatorade afterwards. Your body is resilient and can handle toxicity here and there, it just needs the fuel to recover. Energy drinks or coffee - I drink a lot of water. I'm pretty lean as it is so if I'm dehydrated, it really shows it. Especially my face. If your skin is clammy after you wake up hungover or have been binging on caffeine, don't put lotion on it;  drink Gatorade, take some Omega 3 (fat is the natural lubricant, hormone booster and moisturizer - it's not the enemy) and eat a healthy meal. It's as simple as that.

 

Sorry for the essay, I just can't stand all these health freaks who see an ingredient like "L-Tyrosine" in an energy drink (a naturally occurring amino-acid found in your body to synthesize protein for f*cks sake - it's in meat, almonds and bananas) and think they're going to get cancer by ingesting it.

Those drinks are whack and often cause people to crash shortly after consuming!

 

Man up and drink COFFEE you p*ssy's!!

 

When my nephew was here this summer, he was working on a project and was drinking 5 hour energy, which has his lil skinny ass bouncing off the walls.

 

I drink coffee too! It tastes bitter to me unless I add french vanilla to it. Energy drinks don't make me crash any harder than coffee.

 

I hope you're watching your intake too!

 

Its a daily battle.  during the summer I was OK, cause my nephew was here and the kids always snoop around my house for coffee or coffee related paraphernalia.  So I would only have a cup at work, however, I have to deal with thing 1 & 2 and their "lectures".  Mr. & Mrs. Thing 2 told me I can't be around the baby if I drink coffee. 

 

Honestly, I still want coffee, like A LOT of coffee.  For instance, I'll buy coffee ice cream just to say I didn't drink coffee.  I know it's complete BS.  I have a much better handle on coffee now.  I dont feel like I need to drink it like water.

 

I totally understand the issues other recovering addicts deal with on a daily basis.  If I smell a really good bean being brewed....I'll get the urge to by a large black coffee.

I don't drink coffee.  I've never cared for the taste, though I love the smell.

 

I do drink a bottle of Ensure every few mornings during the week.  AFAIK, it's not supposed to be an energy drink, but a meal substitute.  And, I notice that I don't get as hungry, and don't feel the need to snack before lunch, when I drink one before I leave for work.

 

I do drink a 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew or Pepsi almost everyday for lunch/during the afternoon.  So, even though I don't drink soft drinks for the energy, I am addicted to the caffeine.  If I don't have any soft drinks for a few days, like over a long weekend, I will get a caffeine withdrawal headache.

The only time I drank an energy drink was the first week back after my first kid was born. He had GERD and kept us up all night, every night, so there was one day where I was literally falling asleep at my desk. So I tried a red bull (since the coffee / espresso's I had been drinking weren't helping). Didn't see any benefit from it. I still nodded off at a red light on my way home.

I don't drink coffee.  I've never cared for the taste, though I love the smell.

 

I do drink a bottle of Ensure every few mornings during the week.  AFAIK, it's not supposed to be an energy drink, but a meal substitute.  And, I notice that I don't get as hungry, and don't feel the need to snack before lunch, when I drink one before I leave for work.

 

I do drink a 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew or Pepsi almost everyday for lunch/during the afternoon.  So, even though I don't drink soft drinks for the energy, I am addicted to the caffeine.  If I don't have any soft drinks for a few days, like over a long weekend, I will get a caffeine withdrawal headache.

 

I know those headaches.....When I was going thru withdrawal they made me so miserable I turned into a megabitch.

 

I don't drink coffee. I've never cared for the taste, though I love the smell.

 

I do drink a bottle of Ensure every few mornings during the week. AFAIK, it's not supposed to be an energy drink, but a meal substitute. And, I notice that I don't get as hungry, and don't feel the need to snack before lunch, when I drink one before I leave for work.

 

I do drink a 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew or Pepsi almost everyday for lunch/during the afternoon. So, even though I don't drink soft drinks for the energy, I am addicted to the caffeine. If I don't have any soft drinks for a few days, like over a long weekend, I will get a caffeine withdrawal headache.

 

I know those headaches.....When I was going thru withdrawal they made me so miserable I turned into a megabitch.

 

 

Wow, I honestly didn't know caffeine could do that but everyone reacts differently to stuff. I've gone days without caffeine even though I drink it regularly - well, used to drink it a lot more - but I never had my mood effected much or craved it when not having it. You wanna talk about some hardcore withdrawal (and no smoker or ex-smoker wants to admit it because then they wouldn't look like a bad@ss) but Nicotine withdrawal is the absolute worst thing I've ever experienced. It was so bad, it made me sympathize with friggin Heroin junkies. I'm talkin - not being able to concentrate on ANYTHING, extreme moodiness, chest pains, reclusive in my room for almost 2 weeks... and when I quit, I had only been smoking for a year and a half. The crazy thing is that nicotine is a pretty mild stimulant to begin with so the extreme withdrawal makes no sense to me. I don't know if others went through the same thing, it might just be how my own body reacted.

 

I'm glad you cut down, you're probably a lot healthier. Any chemical can get ahold of you (hell, Nyquil got a hold on me one time) and it takes a strong person to not give into lesser temptations so I give you props. :)

I don't drink coffee.  I've never cared for the taste, though I love the smell.

 

I do drink a bottle of Ensure every few mornings during the week.  AFAIK, it's not supposed to be an energy drink, but a meal substitute.  And, I notice that I don't get as hungry, and don't feel the need to snack before lunch, when I drink one before I leave for work.

 

I do drink a 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew or Pepsi almost everyday for lunch/during the afternoon.  So, even though I don't drink soft drinks for the energy, I am addicted to the caffeine.  If I don't have any soft drinks for a few days, like over a long weekend, I will get a caffeine withdrawal headache.

 

I know those headaches.....When I was going thru withdrawal they made me so miserable I turned into a megabitch.

 

 

Wow, I honestly didn't know caffeine could do that but everyone reacts differently to stuff. I've gone days without caffeine even though I drink it regularly - well, used to drink it a lot more - but I never had my mood effected much or craved it when not having it. You wanna talk about some hardcore withdrawal (and no smoker or ex-smoker wants to admit it because then they wouldn't look like a bad@ss) but Nicotine withdrawal is the absolute worst thing I've ever experienced. It was so bad, it made me sympathize with friggin Heroin junkies. I'm talkin - not being able to concentrate on ANYTHING, extreme moodiness, chest pains, reclusive in my room for almost 2 weeks... and when I quit, I had only been smoking for a year and a half. The crazy thing is that nicotine is a pretty mild stimulant to begin with so the extreme withdrawal makes no sense to me. I don't know if others went through the same thing, it might just be how my own body reacted.

 

I'm glad you cut down, you're probably a lot healthier. Any chemical can get ahold of you (hell, Nyquil got a hold on me one time) and it takes a strong person to not give into lesser temptations so I give you props. :)

 

Well i had no choice.  It was either cut down from those 14 cups a day or die?  I chose the lesser of the two evils.

 

 

Well i had no choice.  It was either cut down from those 14 cups a day or die?  I chose the lesser of the two evils.

 

MTS I hope you had some serious tooth-whitening sessions.

There's nothing worse than meeting a guy and then realizing they have terrible coffee or cola stained teeth.

But I'm sure you did (have the sessions).  :wink:

 

 

 

I don't drink coffee.  I've never cared for the taste, though I love the smell.

 

I do drink a bottle of Ensure every few mornings during the week.  AFAIK, it's not supposed to be an energy drink, but a meal substitute.  And, I notice that I don't get as hungry, and don't feel the need to snack before lunch, when I drink one before I leave for work.

 

I do drink a 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew or Pepsi almost everyday for lunch/during the afternoon.  So, even though I don't drink soft drinks for the energy, I am addicted to the caffeine.  If I don't have any soft drinks for a few days, like over a long weekend, I will get a caffeine withdrawal headache.

 

I know those headaches.....When I was going thru withdrawal they made me so miserable I turned into a megabitch.

 

 

Wow, I honestly didn't know caffeine could do that but everyone reacts differently to stuff. I've gone days without caffeine even though I drink it regularly - well, used to drink it a lot more - but I never had my mood effected much or craved it when not having it. You wanna talk about some hardcore withdrawal (and no smoker or ex-smoker wants to admit it because then they wouldn't look like a bad@ss) but Nicotine withdrawal is the absolute worst thing I've ever experienced. It was so bad, it made me sympathize with friggin Heroin junkies. I'm talkin - not being able to concentrate on ANYTHING, extreme moodiness, chest pains, reclusive in my room for almost 2 weeks... and when I quit, I had only been smoking for a year and a half. The crazy thing is that nicotine is a pretty mild stimulant to begin with so the extreme withdrawal makes no sense to me. I don't know if others went through the same thing, it might just be how my own body reacted.

 

I'm glad you cut down, you're probably a lot healthier. Any chemical can get ahold of you (hell, Nyquil got a hold on me one time) and it takes a strong person to not give into lesser temptations so I give you props. :)

 

Well i had no choice.  It was either cut down from those 14 cups a day or die?  I chose the lesser of the two evils.

 

No you still get props. A lot of people know what stuff does to their body and still won't cut down or stop. Dude my great grandma is 85 and rolls her own cigarettes. Along with all other possessions, I think she lost her MIND in The Great Depression!

I'm wired enough as it is, even after cutting down from ten cups of coffee/day to two, and mixing those 50/50 regular and decaf. Even if I'm up until midnight I can't sleep past 4:30 or 5:00am, and then I wake up feeling like I've been plugged into a wall socket. At 5'10" I usually weigh in around 135, but if I get careless about my calorie intake I can quickly drop 5-7 pounds off that. On top of that, even though glucose tolerance tests show me clinically within normal ranges, sometimes I swing between the maximum and minimum "normal" levels in the space of a few hours and I feel all the symptoms typically associated with hypoglycemia. Except for my first cup of coffee in the morning, sugar is something I've come to fear; I wouldn't touch those energy drinks on a bet. For replenishing fluids and electrolytes without all the sugar, flavorings, and dyes the store-brand equivalent of Pedialyte from the Kroger pharmacy is good. A friend who's a nurse clued me in on that.

 

For coffee I think Starbucks has good stuff, although I rarely buy a cup in the store. I buy their whole-bean decaf Verona. My regular coffee is whole-bean Nicaraguan roasted and sold at a fair-trade shop in my neighborhood for $5/half-pound. I grind them in a Black & Decker buhr mill from Target $24.95 and brew them in a Bodum French Press. Mmmmm!  :-)

 

No you still get props. A lot of people know what stuff does to their body and still won't cut down or stop. Dude my great grandma is 85 and rolls her own cigarettes. Along with all other possessions, I think she lost her MIND in The Great Depression!

Yep. My great-uncle rolled his own cigarettes (with Prince Albert pipe tobacco) from the time he was a teenager. It finally caught up with him, and he got lung cancer when he was 94.  :|

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I hate hearing about family deaths.

 

My great-grandma will never die! She's too evil, she'll live forever. Seriously. She already has great-great grand kids now. She'll always be around to beat me down and criticize everything I do! Yeah, she recently bought this fancy 100 dollar rolling machine and has bags of pipe tobacco to use for it. I went down into her basement where she reads and does crafts and she was cranking them out with the quickness!  To her credit, the pipe tobacco is probably healthier but I'm no expert on that. Just seems like it might be more natural with less preservatives and stuff. She still walks around fine, has a fully functioning, witty and sarcastic brain (I remember reading some article online about a study that showed nicotine helps prevent Alzheimers and Dementia and stuff like that - fascinating). She's a case study from hell in that case. Her only problem is getting me confused with others when she publicly embarrasses me in front of mixed company. I love her to death though; at the end of the day, she's been there for me and I make it a point to be Johnny-on-the-Spot whenever they need help around the yard or packing and moving for Florida in the winter. Surprisingly she hasn't needed much help though, she just ripped up the floor and laid down new tiles in her kitchen! I said, "Grandma you did that by yourself?! She said, "David I've told you this advice before: If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." She's a hoot.

 

Anyway, what were we talking about? Evil energy drink phenomeNON wherein I'm awkwardly the only one who buys into?

The chemicals in most energy drinks aren't bad for you unless you were to drink 6-10 cans of them (taking too much coffee isn't good for you at all, either.)

I was referring more to the sugar than anything else. I don't know enough about the other stuff in energy drinks to comment on their healthiness or effectiveness. My gut feelings are: they aren't unhealthy, nor are they especially effective. I think the drinks are probably like even-higher caffeinated, more expensive versions of Mountain Dew. Lots of caffeine (okay), lots of sugar (not okay), lots of money (okay on occasion).

... Yeah, she recently bought this fancy 100 dollar rolling machine and has bags of pipe tobacco to use for it. I went down into her basement where she reads and does crafts and she was cranking them out with the quickness!  To her credit, the pipe tobacco is probably healthier but I'm no expert on that ...

 

David, it comes to mind that there's an herbal substance (  :wink: ) that might mellow her out if mixed with her pipe tobacco.

sooo enough beating around the bush with wimpy energy drinks....anyone into 'four loko' and the like?  :-o

 

 

caffeinated alcohol drinks under fire:

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/APb15666d77a7348d49bbb72529b33cf57.html

 

 

^ I like an occasional Irish Coffee or Red Bull & Vodka.

 

I think the regulation is not very sensible.

No you still get props. A lot of people know what stuff does to their body and still won't cut down or stop. Dude my great grandma is 85 and rolls her own cigarettes. Along with all other possessions, I think she lost her MIND in The Great Depression!

 

I've cut back seriously.  My doctor said one cup, two max is OK in moderation - not daily.  Like I said, it's a struggle.

 

Your grammy rolls her own blunts?  :D >:D

Wow how appropriately ADHD this thread is for the original topic. I am a coffee guy and I probably drink a pot a day, usually at least 50% decaf during the course of the day. Not big on the energy drinks, and actually the only I one I buy is the Starbucks Double shot when  I am feeling particularly run down. It's coffee and milk(?) and ginseng and all of that other crap. It throttles me up nicely. I also drink redbull and vodka a couple times a month because that's what my neighbor drinks.

 

And yes I think they are generally rip offs.

 

Does anybody remember "Jasta" that Pepsi marketed in the 90s? It had ginseng and that other stuff and a nice medicinal taste to boot. It seems to been the "prototype" for these energy drinks but cost the same as regular soda, but I know that RedBull really is to blame for the craze.

 

I remember Pepsi giving out free samples of this one year at the Rib Fest at Burke Airport - I liked it, but apparently it was a dud when it came to sales.  (along with my favorite mixer - 7UP Gold)

http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/08/the-oral-history-of-four-loko.html#comments

 

The Oral History of Four Loko in New York