I’m not here to preach, but I am convinced one of the best things I ever did for my health was give up soft drinks. Of course, we’re talking a real habit in my case, several cans a day or, worse, endless pours from two-liter bottles. All this was in addition to the drinks that came with all my numerous fast-food meals. I tapered off after a heart attack, and a few years ago I gave up sugary drinks altogether—and their sugar-free substitutes. This was in addition to many other dietary changes I was making, but it all seemed to work for me. On another topic, I grew up in the American south. A “Coke” was any cola-flavored drink: Coca-Cola, Royal Crown, Double Cola and, of course, when you could find one, Pepsi. The first time I traveled outside the south I was amazed at the proliferation of Pepsi machines and the dearth of Coca Cola machines. This may sound like a small thing to you, but it was a cultural ground tremor for me. I suppose it was thoughts such as this that led to the 1995 Sunday Arlo & Janis above.
The Secret Formula
By Jimmy Johnson
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85 responses to “The Secret Formula”
And yet, Pepsi was born in the south – New Bern, NC. We called it soda, my cousins in NW PA called it pop. Notice the past tense as I, too, have given it up.
Then there is that other great Southern drink, sweet tea. You know you’ve crossed into the South when: sweet tea, grits, country ham, red eye gravy, and biscuits are all on the same menu.
I’ll drink a soda if it’s the only thing around, but I generally stick to water or sugar free powered juice mix.
for me, it’s usually just a few sips from the A&W jug throughout the day, – when I do find myself at a fast food get your own soda place I never fill the cup up (or bother with ice) just enough to go with the food. – Negativland has a great CD called Dispepsi, satirical songs with real snippets of ads, interviews, corporate training material about the cola wars
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000038YT/ref=dm_ws_ps_cdp?ie=UTF8&qid=1418232624&s=music&sr=1-9
We Southerners do like us some iced tea in our sugar.
I don’t remember where, other than it was in the South, but several years ago, as I recall, a hospital changed vendor contracts and replaced Coca-Cola with Pepsi Cola, causing such a patient rebellion that physicians actually had to start writing Rx’s for Coke for their patients who demanded it to “settle their stomachs”. (Which is another great bit of Southern folklore.)
When I was a kid in rural Va. some older folks referred to soda as “soda dope” or just dopes–a reference to the days when some brands actually contained coca. I never it called “pop” till I moved to coastal N.C.
Trucker Ron, I’m surprised emb didn’t jump right on your “often vs orphan” reference.
Jerry, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ghost and Charlotte, hugs.
As or me I swear by “Coke” when I do have it, usually with pizza or a movie popcorn. if they say Pepsi I respond tea unsweetened or water.
OF fairly busy, along w/ several geysers N. of OF. They are not connected, I understand.
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
Busy morning; I had to carry my Mom for an appointment with her primary care physician. Never a dull moment. More on her later.
My immediate thought upon reading today’s cartoon was, “Whoa! Where did that come from? I don’t remember ever hearing Arlo call Janis ‘baby’ before.” Apparently, neither had Janis.
Actually, I tend to call all my special ladies “baby”, especially at tender moments. Some cynics might think I do that so as to not use the wrong name at any inopportune moments. Some cynics might be correct. (Just kidding.)
At least I am not as bad as one of student pilots who once told me he only dated women with the same first name as his wife, so as to not say the wrong name at the wrong time. (I swear I didn’t make that up. And I knew it to be true in at least one case.)
“Trucker Ron, I’m surprised emb didn’t jump right on your “often vs. orphan” reference.”
emb does not consider that a high point in “Pirates.” I thought of it as soon as the t in often came up, but didn’t consider posting about it.
GSVLOC is doing ‘The Mikado’, probably G&S’s most popular opera [but not their best], at the Conn Aud. in Mpls. in spring ’15. I hope to go.
Peace, emb.
Anyone who can’t tell the difference – the vast, vast, vast difference – between Coke and Pepsi has dead taste buds.
My unwavering response to the question (after I’ve asked for a Coke) “Is Pepsi OK?” is a heartfelt “Oh, *hell* no!”
Many decades ago my maternal grandfather was offered the opportunity to invest in a Pepsi-Cola bottling plant in Arkansas. He tasted the then-new product, announced it was just a watered-down version of Coke, and turn down the opportunity. It was not until 40 years later, after his death, that I ever saw any Pepsi products in my grandparents home. Turns out my grandma preferred Pepsi!
emb: I agree that “often vs orphan” isn’t a high point in “Pirates.” I’ve wished I could fast-forward through that bit, but my wife likes it… so that’s when I head to the kitchen for snacks.
In the south in NC? That reminds me that a yankee is anyone that lives north of you.
Do you have any Pepsi?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqsMmuQxYOs
Is blogging dead or dying?
As a blogger I follow (Roberta X) puts it, “Blogging is essentially dead, outstripped by platforms that are more succinct (Twitter), more visual (Instagram) or aggressively social (Facebook)…and generally, by 2014 standards, sluggish. Readership has dropped off; I was running a good, steady 500 per day at one point and it has faded and faded; if the trend continues, it’ll be back to me and the ‘bots like it was when I started.”
She is not the first blogger I’ve read bemoaning this. I’d like to think that the blog you are reading right now is still much healthier than that and suffering, at worst, a mild case of sniffles.
Or is this just another InterWebNet hiccough?
Regarding today’s strip in the papers, I turn to “The Producers,” the Mel Brooks film about the making of that amazing musical, “Springtime For Hitler.” Here is the quote from the author of that noted work:
Franz Liebkind: Baby! Baby?!?… Why does he say this “baby”?? The Führer has never said “baby”. I did not write, “baby”. What is it with this, “baby”?!?
…along with Major Props for a Sunday Strip for the Retro Fans out here. *cheering*
Regarding today’s retro strip, here in Texas the dialogue runs something like this:
“Do you want a Coke?”
“Sure!”
“What kind?”
“A Pepsi.”
Everything in Texas is a “Coke,” including Pepsi products. What?
If you look around, EMB, you can find a one hour version of The Mikado from The Bell Telephone Hour, with Groucho Marx as the Lord High Executioner. I don’t remember if he used a cigar as a prop, but he did wear his glasses and aside from that, he played the part surprisingly straight.
In our part of NC, a soft drink was just a “drink.” “Do you want a drink?” Although, I do remember a few calling it “soda.” The next question was, “What kind of drink do you want?” As a child I was partial to Sundrop for a good while. JJ, like you, I stopped drinking soft drinks a couple or more years ago – and I feel much better – and I believe my kidneys appreciate it too!
Debbe 😉 Still, by far, the best selling single in history…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJSUT8Inl14
Debbe, I do remember that early morning drive when I saw the V-formation of geese cross the gap in the pine trees on either side of the Interstate highway, silhouetted against the azure blue of the just-pre-sunrise dawn sky, while S&G sang “Homeward Bound” to me. And I do remember you telling me it was a sign from my sister that, in time, all will be well. I appreciated your words then, and I appreciate them now. And I believe that thought is true, even if not in the way I hoped at the time.
Left for Tulsa at daylight today and back now but enroute to pharmacy for Mike’s morphine patches and they will close soon.
OK has enacted a law that you must have original scripts for most pain meds now, deliver it in person and pick it up in person, with two ID’s both times. You can imagine why we have that law.
At least his blood and electrolytes were normal today and if we are lucky we don’t have to go back for a week. Let us hope and pray for that. Mom is now having angina with almost no exertion at all and scares her to death. She has never been ill nor had pain at age 93, so this is terrifying to her. Cardiologist has her tests from last week but he was in surgery today and tomorrow, so they will call Friday or I can take her in to hospital. They had me give her nitro and I was laughing, she said she thought she had some in her purse and she’d look. She had never so much as seen a doctor for her heart since 1986 or 87 and had no medications even filled! She sees mine now but he says there may be nothing they can do.
I bought a wheel chair and if I need a second I will buy that as well but may have to hire a “pusher” or buy a pony cart?
I am OK as soon as I finish this Diet Coke I am working on. I will tell you my favorite Texas Diet Coke drinker story when I get back.
Love, Jackie
Sand, where I’m from there is “sweetea”. It is the primary beverage of choice in ginteel or Baptist circles. I also grew up with any carbonated beverage being a “coke.” Dr. Pepper is a favorite flavor, but grape flavored NuGrape, and orange Crush or strawberry Crush were also popular.