The Diet Coke Brigade, and Anton Chekhov

I love hearing the foghorns at night. The sound of them have real meaning for me; that people who know what they’re doing are in charge and that total darkness does not necessarily mean the end.

Chekhov the Russian writer said that if a gun is hanging on a wall in Act One it has to be fired in the final Act. This too is reassuring.

Has anyone noticed how big a role Diet Coke is playing in the January 6th hearings? The President drinks Diet Coke, the Vice-President drank Diet Coke, the President’s Chief of Staff drank Diet Coke. In the candid pictures the January 6th Committee has released of proceedings in The Oval Office during that stressful time of the stolen election, a can of Diet Coke can often be seen on the desks of the President’s inner circle. Some drank Diet Coke straight from the can and some in a glass with ice..

Diet Coke isn’t good for people apparently. It contains artificial sweeteners and chemical preservatives. Three of the ingredients in Diet Coke—Aspartame, Phosphoric Acid, and Potassium Benzoate—are banned at Whole Food Market. The Mayo Clinic warns that these ingredients can create harmful side effects for people who drink Diet Coke, including Diarrhea, Irritated Burning Eyes, Nose and Skin, Stomach Cramps, Nausea, Wheezing and Coughing, Vomiting etc.

If a Diet Coke is drunk in Act One it must, therefore, lead to death of chronic heart disease or life imprisonment in the Final Act.