Diet Coke –
eight liters a day,
seven days a week,
52 weeks a year…
That was me last year, and for the preceding I-don’t-know-how-many-years.
I like caffeine, but I was starting to worry about the aspartame - I mean do we really know what it is doing to us? – and just the general dependence thing…It all started in graduate school - I worked full-time and was in a full-time Master's program. I couldn’t pass a convenience store or a gas station without pulling in - and then there were vending machines on campus... First it was 12 ounce cans, and then they came out with that 20 ounce plastic bottle. The final nail in the coffin was when I discovered that the 20 oz. bottle was $1.29 and the liter bottle was only $1.59.
60% MORE FOR ONLY 30 CENTS.
Well, that was it…Now I was drinking a liter between convenience stores…I didn’t even have to steer…my car automatically pulled in…diet coke…the first thing I did in the morning and the last one on the nightstand going to bed…
So I quit --- February 2006.
Cold-Turkey.
For three weeks you’d have thought I had sworn off crack.
NO.
Of course not.
I’ve never tried crack; but withdrawal from crack can’t be any worse than what I went through.
So things were going pretty well for a while…months, even.
And then I had a latte. Okay, I used to have an espresso after dinner now and then…
‘Turned out coffee tasted pretty good. Publix had a non-dairy half & half…okay.
…I think you are already seeing where this is going…
There have been so many tradeshows, so much high intensity work - and Starbucks is so ubiquitous now you can’t escape if you wanted to…Starbucks…personally, I think they over roast their beans…but I’ve still visited them in Amsterdam and Vienna, Los Angeles and Tempe, Toronto and Phoenix and San Francisco and Miami…Yes, often.
Einstein Brothers has good coffee…they don’t over roast their beans…over roasting is okay with espresso, you want that taste…
Then I started at home after reading some coffee reviews…it turns out my favorite to make myself is Eight O’Clock, but only the whole bean 100% Columbian.
I recently found it on sale.
Two for one.
Let me tell you about my freezer…
Yep, Eight O’clock Coffee…I wish I was only drinking it from eight to eight…
Now in Panama City I haven’t found a Starbucks, but they do have two Dunkin’ Donuts, and yes, I’ve tried both. But heck, when I am in Panama I get café con leche at Manolo’s anyway…
So now the big decision…
Do I quit cold-turkey before I start having that last coffee of the day on my nightstand?
…and see what happens?
…or should I wean off gradually because I can still feel those headaches from February 2006?
Stay tuned…
Click here to mail me for sensible processing options to boost your bottom line and opportunities for branding and marketing exposure.
Click Here for Additional Help Starting or Improving Your Online Business
Make or Break – 21 Days
Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.
More Articles
WIA Profile: Sandra Bruce
It goes without saying that a retailer who takes a “hands-on” approach to guaranteeing quality and safety is more likely to earn customer trust and loyalty. In the pleasure industry, where shoppers seek products to enhance their intimate lives — and even fulfill their deepest desires — that personal touch is even more impactful.
The Male Rose Co-Founder Heather Gruber Discusses Journey in Building the Brand
Recognizing high demand and interest as profitable pleasure products spread across influencer platforms, in 2021, Jamael Williams and Heather Gruber decided to launch a company with a clear mission: to help men feel more comfortable using pleasure products and talking about them with their partners.
WIA Profile: Katie
Katie is the ultimate girl’s girl. As community manager at Chaturbate, she answers DMs, remembers names, and shows up for creators and fellow businesswomen when it counts. She’s quick to credit the people around her, and careful to make space for others in every room she enters.
How to Stay Legally Protected When Policies Get Outdated
The adult industry has long operated in a complex legal environment subject to rapid change. Now, a confluence of age verification laws, lawsuits, credit card processing and data privacy rules has created an urgent need for all industry participants — from major platforms to independent creators — to review and potentially overhaul their legal and operational policies.
The Basics of Total Cost of Ownership in Retail
Almost every retailer has experienced that “oh no” moment. It’s when support tickets pile up, staff can’t get answers fast enough, store openings get delayed because Wi-Fi isn’t ready, or the POS proves to be outdated. Suddenly you’re too busy fixing problems to focus on driving sales.
How to Market a Product You Can't Name or Show Online
You’re trying to sell legal, helpful products to consenting adults — yet the internet treats those products like a problem. The viral success every brand dreams of can seem maddeningly elusive when search engines block or restrict common keywords, social feeds shadow-ban PG posts, review bots misread images and policies shift overnight with no notice.
From Compliance Chaos to Crypto Clarity: Making the Case for Digital Payments in Adult
These are uncertain times for adult merchants. With compliance tightening and age verification mandates rising, the barrier to entry keeps getting higher.
Real-Time Insights to Streamline E-Payments and Stop Lost Sales
A slow checkout process is more than just annoying — it’s expensive. In a high-risk sector like the adult industry, even small delays or declined transactions can cost businesses thousands in lost revenue every month.
How Managing Inventory With AI Helps Retailers Stock Smarter
If you’ve ever stood in a stockroom looking at a wall of unsold merchandise, then you know this basic truth: Your inventory is an asset — until it starts gathering dust. But how do we predict what customers want? That’s the eternal retail dilemma.
A Retail Guide for Boosting Sales in the Often-Overlooked Nipple Play Category
When it comes to sex toys, one area of the body that often gets overlooked by both consumers and salespeople is the nipples. Even though human nipples are packed with nerve endings and are sensitive and responsive across genders, they frequently get ignored as a focus for pleasure products — usually simply because nipple toys are small and come in tiny packaging.
