Archive for November 2013
(CNN) Can You OD on Caffeine?
Can you OD on caffeine?


- 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine a day — about two to four cups of coffee — is safe
- Energy drinks usually contain around 80 milligrams of caffeine in an eight-ounce can
- Caffeine acts as a stimulant in humans and can be found in seeds, leaves and fruit of plants
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(upwave) — The rumor: It’s possible to get caffeine poisoning
As he was driving down an Ohio freeway minutes after swallowing five Magnum 357 caffeine pills, Christian Brenner started to vibrate — and the cars in his rearview mirror did as well. Fortunately, Brenner pulled over and walked around in an effort to try and come down.
Today, he swears off caffeine, even coffee — the mental aftereffect of what he says was straight-up caffeine poisoning.
upwave: Is coffee bad for you?
The verdict: Yes, you can OD on caffeine. The trick is to know your body, pay attention to what else you’ve ingested and do your homework on energy drinks
Caffeine acts as a stimulant in humans. It can be found in the seeds, leaves and fruit of plants like coffee or kola nuts.
“Safe doses of caffeine are usually quoted at around 200 to 300 milligrams, or two to four cups of coffee per day,” says Dr. David Seres, associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University.
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A Grand Experiment
(Specialty Retail Report-New York)
The kiosks at the Graybar Passage in New York’s Grand Central station have one strong advantage: high traffic. These high-end retailers offer a slice of New York to locals and tourists alike.
Jones Lang LaSalle assistant manager Laura Blaustein oversees retail operations at Grand Central Station’s Graybar Passage. She took Specialty Retail Report on a tour of retail kiosks in the busy commuter saturated corridor. Located on the northeastern section of the 100-year-old train station, the path tunnels from the main terminal over to Lexington Ave. Blaustein calls this section of the terminal’s retail stock an incubator for local small, independent businesses. Merchants rotate at the kiosks, usually for three or four-month intervals. Blaustein said the Grand Central retail realtors can use their expertise to help nurture the merchants for the time they are here. “A lot of these merchants would like to stay here for longer periods, but, we like to mix it up for the commuting customers,” she said. The kiosks have been operating in the corridor for seven years now. Each of the merchants offers a sampling of distinctly New York crafts, colors and flavors.
Auto Finance News; CFPB and The Dealers
For the past couple years, dealers have been standing on the sidelines watching lenders and regulators go to head to head on fair lending issues. Since late last year, though, dealers ― who are officially exempt fromConsumer Financial Protection Bureau oversight ― have slowly been drawn into the match, and now they’re now gearing up for the latest bout.
At the recent National Automobile Dealers Association convention in New Orleans, conversations about compliance overheard in elevators, along sidewalks, and even at a French Quarter oyster bar overshadowed stories of vibrant dealer performance, as players in the market discussed how to be best prepared when the CFPB (www.consumerfinance.gov) comes knocking. In a lively speech, NADA’s incoming Chairman Forest McConnell III told members that the Washington, D.C.-based organization is working through the tough regulatory and legislative changes. In an effort to appease government concerns, NADA (www.nada.org) unveiled details of its new Fair Credit Compliance Policy and Program.
The move comes on the heels of a Fitch Ratings (www.fitchratings.com) report last month that says compliance requirements will likely raise regulatory costs for lenders in 2014 and could lead to the elimination of dealer markups altogether. NADA’s new compliance program template seeks to avoid such a move.
“As CFPB has stated, there are many ways to solve this problem, and we’ve found one,” NADA Senior Director of Legislative Affairs Bailey Wood told Auto Finance News.” We have found a way to take care of any disparate impact discrimination by having an explained reason other than race as to why an auto loan was discounted.”
AFN Blog-The Subprime- Seesaw
Increasingly relaxed credit underwriting standards in the subprime auto world are helping lift auto sales across the country, according to a report today from Bloomberg News.
Bloomberg checks in on Houston auto dealer Alan Helfman, who tells the story of a customer who drove away with a new Dodge Dart-despite a credit score south of 500.