In which we have a couple of days to think about it

Let's start with a little anecdote. For many, many years, little Suzy was a dedicated drinker of Coke, the Real Thing. When she'd been out a wee bit too late the night before, nothing made her feel better than a tall glass over ice. Preferably from the fountain. Or also, from McDonald's, because there's something about that Coke. Who knows what it is, but it's crack-a-licious. In any case, one day little Suzy realized that none of her pants fit anymore, and she that she had to make some changes in her diet. With the specter of a life without Coke -- without fizz so to speak -- looming before her her, she caved and reached for a Diet Coke. It was pretty gross at first, but she drank on. And before long, she was fully converted. Today, regular Coke is dead to her. The moral of the story is that if Suzy can make the switch,just about anyone can. Including the impressionable teens for whom it will be the only option in their vending machines in school. Now, I'm all for Clinton's deal with the soda companies. Eliminating high calorie sodas from vending machines at schools could prove to cut back on childhood obesity, and I'd venture a guess that it won't be bad for ADD, either. But high schools will still sell diet sodas. And, as it turns out, Diet Coke-drinkers are far and away Coke's fastest growing market. Food TV's Unwrapped claims that Diet Coke sells are set to outstrip those of regular soda in the next ten years. It's a bit of business genius, really. Coke continues to teach the world to sing, while simultaneously giving their marketing plan an enormous boost. BTW, asparthame rots your bones. Delish! And for a bit of fun, check out what happens when you dump 13 Mentos in a liter bottle of DC.