DailyDirt: Getting A Caffeine Fix Any Way You Can...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Some people are seriously addicted to caffeine. Maybe you get headaches if you skip a morning cup of coffee or experience other symptoms of withdrawal, but if you've built up an extreme tolerance, you might need to start incorporating it into other habits. We've mentioned a few other products that come with a dose of caffeine, but here are a few more to try if you're a real caffeine junky.

• If you can't be bothered to brew your own coffee, maybe you'll find chewable coffee snacks more to your liking. Gummy-bear-like chewables called Go Cubes deliver 50 mg of caffeine per cube, and two cubes apparently will give you a caffeinated kick for 4-6 hrs (presumably depending on your tolerance). The taste isn't described like candy, so it's a bitter coffee treat that kids probably won't like too much. [url]
• If you're planning to kill someone with an overdose of caffeine, you might want to buy some caffeinated peanut butter. STEEM Peanut Butter has 170 mg of caffeine per 2 tablespoons, so be careful how you make your PBJ sandwiches. [url]
• Power Energy Toothpaste will make your mornings brighter after a Daylight Savings Time change -- with 80 mg per ml of toothpaste gel. The Indiegogo campaign for Power Toothpaste has been funded, so if you really need a caffeine fix as soon as possible in the morning, you can try this stuff. But maybe you should make sure you don't brush your teeth with it right before you go to sleep at night. [url]

After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: caffeine, chewables, coffee, food, go cubes, peanut butter, power energy toothpaste, self-medication, toothpaste
Companies: indegogo

Chelsea Manning Threatened With Indefinite Solitary Confinement For Expired Toothpaste & Having A Copy Of Vanity Fair

from the really-now? dept

The way the US treats prisoners is often barbaric. The UN has repeatedly highlighted how solitary confinement is a form of torture that should be stopped, but the US regularly uses it on its massive prison population (largest prison population in the world! Go USA!). And even if you don't think it's torture, you should at least recognize that people are thrown in solitary confinement for ridiculous reasons -- such as looking at Facebook. Or, apparently, having expired toothpaste in your cell.

It appears that Chelsea Manning is now facing indefinite solitary confinment for a short list of "infractions" which include having expired toothpaste ("medicine misuse") and having a copy of the Caitlyn Jenner issue of Vanity Fair, along with some other magazines ("prohibited property"). The other two charges may seem slightly less crazy, but not when you look at the details. They are for "disrespect" and "disorderly conduct," but the "disorderly conduct" was for apparently sweeping some food on the floor during a dinner, and the "disorderly conduct" was for asking for a lawyer when Manning was being yelled at over the food incident. There's a hearing about this on August 18th, and Fight for the Future has set up a petition about this to call more attention to the way Manning has been treated. As the petition says, it's clear that Manning is being "singled out and punished for speaking out." Even if you don't think Manning's actions in leaking State Department cables was just, hopefully you can recognize that indefinite solitary confinement over such minor charges is ridiculous.

Filed Under: chelsea manning, prisons, solitary confinement, toothpaste, torture, vanity fair

DailyDirt: Bacon Tastes Good. Pork Chops Taste Goood.

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Pork is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide. Interestingly, even though it was marketed as the "other white meat" (that slogan was retired in 2011), the USDA always referred to pork as a "red meat" on its website. Here are just a few more fascinating tidbits on pig products.

• A severe nosebleed (caused by a rare blood disorder that prevents normal blood clotting) can be stopped with a rolled up piece of salt cured pork. This salt pork remedy has actually been around for several decades -- but it doesn't work with bacon, so don't grab just any slice of deli meat. [url]
• Bacon-flavored toothpaste is available for folks who like to brush their teeth as an appetizer for breakfast. Don't swallow this stuff or use as a condiment. [url]
• The use of lard isn't too common in cooking anymore -- but who's to blame for that? Pig fat just doesn't sound as appetizing as hydrogenated vegetable oils... does it? hmm. [url]
• To discover more food-related links, check out what's floating around in StumbleUpon. [url]  

By the way, StumbleUpon can also recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

Filed Under: bacon, food, lard, nosebleed, pork, toothpaste
Companies: usda

Colgate Patents Traditional Indian Tooth-cleaning Powder Despite It Being Used For Thousands Of Years

from the locking-up-knowledge dept

Over the years, we've seen a number of stories of big companies going into various countries, finding "traditional" and "herbal" remedies, and then figuring out ways to patent them. The latest such example, sent in by sinsi, involves Colgate "patenting" (in the US) a tooth-cleaning powder based on a recipe that has been used in India for "thousands" of years according to officials there. The patent itself (7,736,629) is for a "red herbal dentrifice" and, if you read the claims, it seems clear that they're just patenting a "recipe" of sorts, which alone seems ridiculous enough. But when you add in the fact that it's been used so widely in traditional Indian society, it gets even sillier. The whole thing appears to be yet another example of companies trying to use patent laws to lock up widely known knowledge... with the Patent Office assisting.

Filed Under: india, patents, toothpaste, traditional remedies
Companies: colgate