Coke Kills and Pepsi snags LEED Silver Certification

ReliablePlant.com announced that "PepsiCo's Chicago office announced on December 4 that its downtown corporate plaza has received the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)."

Way to go, Pepsi!
I've been trying to keep track of all the accusations that Coke has had to endure, (maybe you remember the Killer Coke protest? It didn't seem to amount to very much!). And now there is a silver lining as the 'other' Cola giant has been recognized for going green.

And let's keep it the environment. I think if Pepsi decides to go green as in 'a green-colored cola' they will be in for a world of hurt. Bleaughghgh.

That being said, you can read about Sobe's Mr. Green Soda here.

The world is paying more and more attention to preserving the environment.
Thanks for the effort, Pepsi!
Now don't go raising your prices to subsidize the effort!


You can read about the Pepsi's accomplishment here.

You can see MORE differences between Coca Cola and Pepsi here.

New Pepsi logos...a little too late!

Do you like the new Pepsi logos? What about the new Mountain Dew logo?

I've been meaning to write about this, but kept putting it off. So instead of trying to act like I'm here with breaking news, let me instead give props to everyone who ALREADY talked it up.

"Brand New" has GREAT photos here.

"Kottke" got it here.

"Laughing Lion" not only talks about the new design, but shows the HISTORY of Pepsi Logos! VERY COOL! See here.

Chris Brogan talks about new logos 'in general' and likens Pepsi to Jiffi Lube and AT&T here.

All very good stuff!
Sorry I was late getting here!

See the new Pepsi logo also at www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi

Axl Rose uses a Lawyer to attack a Dr. (Pepper)

Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy is in stores. Did you get a free Dr. Pepper?

Despite an earlier post about Dr. Pepper offering a free soda to every American interested if the new GNR album debuted in 2008, front man Axl Rose is complaining that the give away did not go smoothly...and has sent his lawyer after the soda maker to make good.

You can read about the exchange of words here.
In short, the website that was supposed to fill orders for Free Dr. Peppers was 'down' often, due to the incredible response. Axl would have you believe that he is distressed for all of those who did not receive their free soda.

What a humanitarian, right?

Bogus.
Axl has showed up to his concerts HOURS late in the past, and several times has walked off stage before a show was complete. Did he immediately petition that is ticket-buying fans be compensated for their fraction of a show? No. Did he insist on refunds for all unsatisfied guests? No.

Dr. Pepper's inability to fulfill every American's wish for a free soda is inadvertently giving Axl Rose an opportunity to let his Lawyer do what Lawyer do best - seek out and bring in some cash. (in legalese, that's called 'seeking reparations'.)

It will be interesting to see how far Axl goes with the tirade, and how far Dr. Pepper will cave.

Andy Warhol and Coca Cola revisited

You may...or may not...be surprised to know how popular my post on Andy Warhol's Coca Cola art has been. When originally posted back in the Summer, I never expected that it would fast become one of my most popular pages.

Do people still dig Any Warhol?

Do people still DIGG Andy Warhol?

The Andy Warhol museum website hosts a 'store'...but any search for Coke, Coca Cola, Soda or Coke bottles turns up nothing. (Well, that's not completely true. Searching "Coca Cola" turns up a BOOK about his artwork. I guess they mention the Coke Bottles somewhere in there.)

You can buy an Outlet Cover of the '3 Coke Bottles' if you click here. Who'da thought?!

Have you seen the Andy Mouse New Coke Banner? It's designed to be a tribute to Warhol and Coke. You can quickly see the Warholism in it...

And, no thanks to any of you (snicker!) I found that if you go to Google and type "Andy Warhol Coke"...but you omit the quotation marks!...you WILL see the '100 Coke Bottles' print. You'll also see a 6 bottle print. SIX bottles?! That's gotta be a fake...




Don't forget to visit Coke vs. Pepsi: www.squidoo.com/cokevspepsi

Sushi Soda Reunion

Would you like a Coke-with-no-ice or a Sprite?

You might recall that back at the end of April I got together with 2 friends from High school. One of which I hadn't seen in about 20 years. It was a great reunion and a great opportunity to drink so REALLY large Pepsis. Or were they Cokes? Hell, I always order them as a Coke-with-no-ice and I let the waitress (or waiter!) bring whatever they've got.

THAT reunion was held at Bennigan's...but they aren't around anymore.
In fact, I was saddened that they closed down the one we met at only 7 months earlier...

So instead, we met at an AWESOME Sushi buffet.
You read that right...all-you-can-eat fresh Sushi.
(I watched them make it...)

Full of Sushi?
Well, there was a 'hot bar' with all KINDS of cooked food.
All kinds of shrimp...all kinds of chicken...
(and of COURSE, the obligatory bowl of King Crab legs. That stuff is too much work for me to enjoy...)

The conversation was what you'd expect from a group of guys:
Gory Movies
Pro Wrestling
Heavy Metal music (we're almost 40)
the hot girls sitting at table 7...and their dorky girlfriends
Getting Engaged
Getting caught looking at the hot girls at table 7
Buying furniture (or NOT buying furniture, as the case was...)
How good the food was
How uncool it it to put sushi AND dessert on the same plate. (Rudy, please!)
The hot girl at table 9 with the big lips (FAKE!)
Who found the restaurant first, and how, and with who (well, SOMEONE had to find it!)
The really weird hand dyer in the Men's bathroom.

Here's the BEST part: we ate 3 plate fulls of food...1 plate full of dessert...drank as much soda as we could (JC drinks Iced Team. Excuuuuuuuuse me!)...and it costs us less than $40.00 each.

You read that right.

Soda IS good.
Reunions are just as good.
Reunions at inexpensive, high quality Sushi places are best.

Thanks Fellas!!!

Get a Free Dr. Pepper and thank Guns N' Roses!

Get a Free Dr. Pepper?! I have to thank Guns N' Roses for the soda?!
What does all of this have to do with the Government of China?!??!

It appears that Dr. Pepper lost a bet (well...made an offer they cannot refuse) and now have to start offering free sodas to the citizens of the USA. This all has to do with GNR's release of their new album "Chinese Democracy".

You can read an article on the soda slinging here.

You can read about the Dr. Pepper Museum here. I wonder if the museum will now carry the new album...?

You read about MORE Dr. Pepper products here. Not all of them are free.


Don't forget to visit Coke vs. Pepsi!
That soda site rocks!

Obama Cola

I would be remiss, after touting McCain cola and Obama cola for all of these months, to not offer some sort of congradulations to the Obama camp.

I am absolutely not a fan of his party or his politics...but he worked hard and did it with grace and class. It's a helluva lot more than you can say about many other politicians, and I am certain that this election in no way diminishes the great work that John McCain has done for this Nation over the years.

Personally, and contrary to many other's opinions, I think Sarah Palin's stock went up 120% during the last 3 months...and I look forward to seeing how her career evolves. Perhaps she and Elizabeth Hasselbeck can offer a conservative-sided, easy-on-the-ears, easy-on-the-eyes alternative to Barbara Walter's 'The View'.

So, go out and pour yourself a Coke or a Pepsi, a Dr. Pepper or a Mountian Dew...and either drink a toast to your new president or pour some out in the gutter for your fallen party.

Shaolin Pepsi Commercials

Pretty funny...you have to watch it to the very end to 'get it'.
See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcOZAyj4w94&feature=related

And a particularly violent-but-silly one here. Check out the ratehr sexy ending.

Lasltly, the classic Jay Mohr + Jackie Chan Pepsi Commercial here.

All good stuff.
All on You Tube.


Don't forget to see more of these at Coke vs. Pepsi

Superheroes, Story Telling and Soda

The Avengers are getting their own movie. So is the Justice League.
In fact, SupeHero movies are all the rave.
(I saw some cool 'fan made' trailers on You Tube for a Justice League movie...but as cool as they were, they were just speculations...)

I’ve been collecting comics since I was 14 or so. (actually, I got my first subscription to Amazing SpiderMan when I was 9. I remember it because my parents were still married.). I don’t avidly collect any more (Alternate Mutant realities and DC reboots have ruined it for me) but I have friends that do and I keep my eye on what is going on out there.

What does this have to do with Pepsi or Coca Cola? Keep reading…

One of the fun things about loving comics books and super heroes is creating your own teams. Who’s the best guy to have in ‘this’ situation. Or that one? Who’s the smartest? The toughest?

One year…maybe 3 or 4 years ago…I was part of a group that each created a team and then each week wrote an issue of a comic book based on the team. You were allowed to change the cannon fodder any way you wanted. So, to be clever, I created a team that combined DC and Marvel heroes. I based the team in Los Angeles and I chose heroes that were considered either ‘good looking with an ego to match’ or otherwise Hollywood Fabulous material.

The team turned out to be:
Green Arrow
Changeling
WonderMan
She Hulk
Paladin
Northstar and
Human Torch

I even called upon the name of a defunct Marvel team from the late Seventies and called them the Champions of Los Angeles.

What does this have to do with Pepsi or Coca Cola? I’m getting to it! Hang on …

It occurred to me…today…3 years after the fact….that if I wanted to abbreviate the name of the team into letters (the way that Saturday Night Live is referred to as ‘SNL’) then my Champions of Los Angeles would be C.O.L.A.

COLA! What are the odds…?!?!?!?!?

Not only did I intentionally write the stories as a team of clumsy, inner fighting, not-accepted-by-the-public heroes…but in HINDSIGHT, who could take them seriously if they were referred to as COLA?!

Crazy, right?!

Could Pepsi be a team of Super VILLAINS??
“Powerful Enemies Perpetrating Severe Indecencies”

Coca Cola could stand for:
“Concerned Octogenarians Clamoring About the Champions Of Los Angeles”

Dr. Pepper could be a dangerous Mega Villain.
Mountain Dew could be his hidden lair in the mountains (obviously)


Soda and SuperHeroes…the possibilities are endless.

Share your acronyms in the ‘comments’…



Brought to you by Coke vs. Pepsi (the greatest battle of 'em ALL!) and John McCain Campaign Cola...

Obama is running away with election and Soda Sales

Barak Obama is making John McCain look like a doddering old man. Not only are his presentations in the presidential debate more inspiring and motivating, but sales of Obama Campaign Cola are beating down sales of John McCain's cola.

If soda sales were as reliable a poll as Gallup's post debate polls, Obama would be up 2-to-1.

Of course, that's based only on the sales reports that come from this blog.

Historically, the 'soda buying market' is NOT a demographic used to measure political power...and Campaign Cola may be too small a niche' to be a reliable measure. In fact, it may beg the question: are Liberals simply bigger soda drinkers? Perhaps Scotch or Whiskey market speaks to the Conservative crowd?

Which political party sponsors Whoopass?
The Democrats, who support the 'modern-ness' of energy drinks, or the Republicans, who support 'finishing the job' the Iraq?

The election is not until November 4th, but you can tilt the tide in your favor by drinking your vote! Perhaps Gallup Polls will turn their attention to the oft-ignored 'Campaign Cola' movement!

Brought to you by our Friends at Coke vs. Pepsi!

If you've read this far and want to drink your vote for the oft-ignored Ron Paul...click here!

The History of Coca Cola Prices

There really IS a written History of Coca Cola Prices! I thought Grandpa was just bluffing when he said he was able to buy a Hot Dog and a Coke for a Quarter...but he wasn't! (he WAS bluffing about killing a Kodiak Bear with his bear hands, mind you...)

FoodTimeline.org covers the pricing of Coca Cola and Pepsi HERE.
They also give you some other sources for reading up on the 'Cola Wars'.
While they mention many sources that we have quoted here, they do NOT list the very famous Coke vs. Pepsi lens! The nerve!

Based on advertisements in the Daily Record (a Morristown, NJ newspaper) over the years, Pepsi and Coca Cola prices look like this:

[1942] Pepsi .05/bottle
[1944] Coca Cola, .05/bottle
[1945] Pepsi, .23/six 12 ounce bottles
[1972] Pepsi, .69/six-pack 12 oz cans
[1974] Pepsi Cola, .88/6 12oz cans
[1982] Coke, .99/1 litre bottle
[1985] Pepsi, .89/2 litre bottle
[1992] Coke, 6.98/two 12-packs 12 oz cans
[1994] Coca Cola, 3.99/two "12" packs
[1995] Coca Cola, .59-.99/2 litre bottle
[2002] Coca Cola .99/2 litre bottle
[2005] Coca Cola, 1.09/2 litre bottle

Wild stuff, huh?

I'd like all of you Grandma's and Grandpa's to comment this blog with your earliest memory of the cost of a Coca Cola. Or a Pepsi.

Good Drinking!

Obama, McCain, Pocket Knives and Drinking Your Vote

Do Obama and McCain carry pocket knives? A friend sent me a really funny article he had written comparing Obama and McCain to these mini weapons. You can read it here.

It reminded me that you can still combine your love of drinking soda and your love of discussing politics to Drink Your Vote between now and November 4th.

The more cans of Barak Obama Cola and John McCain Cola you discreetly leave lying around, the more you are spreading the word in a unique way. (Try to do it without polluting this blue marble we live on!)

Can't decide? You can read up on the two great tastes of campaign cola here.

Want something that doesn't coincide with the taste of most Americans? How about Hillary Clinton Cola?! Perfect for the Feminists who don't like Sara Palin!

Or the very obscure flavor of Ron Paul Cola! Like the candidate himself, most Americans don't even know that this flavor exists!

Jones Soda and I invite you to drink the Cola that supports the Presidential Candidate that you think will WhoopAss this November.

Show your support! Drink a toast to your Presidential Candidate with Jones Campaign Colas!

(and remember to watch Coke and Pepsi fight it out at www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi!)

And now, a break from Coca Cola and Pepsi

ZizZazz - 4 Great Tasting Flavors! Pomegranate Mango, Tangerine, Cherry Lime and Lemon Raspberry! Get ZizZazz NOW!

Click the above link to learn about Zizzazz!

ZizZazZ claims to be the leader in the "vitamin and energy powder mix sectors of the global stick pack industry"! Sounds exciting, huh?! I bet you can't get Coca Cola in 'stick' form! Ever buy a 'stick' of Dr. Pepper?! Of COURSE you haven't!

ZizZazZ has many new and innovative products to choose from. The flagship product, ZizZazZ Explosive Energy Mix, comes in four great tasting fruit flavors and is a low calorie, vitamin fortified energy powder which can be eaten straight from the stick like candy or mixed with water to make a great tasting energy drink.

As ZizZazZ Explosive Energy Mix has less than one gram of sugar, there is no crash that is associated with typical energy drinks. (Kinda like that little bottle of 5 hour energy. Crazy, eh?)

Other ZizZazZ innovative powder mix products include new the ZizZazZ Workout Mix, (for sports and fitness enthusiasts), a children’s mix called Kidz Zazz (which is a vitamin version that comes in five flavors that children love and contains the daily requirement of vitamins for children), a Weight Loss Mix for weight conscious consumers (drink more, eat less!) and an adult Non-Caffeinated Energy Mix for consumers who are wary or sensitive of caffeine!

All ZizZazZ products include superior ingredients, come in "stick packs". They are great tasting, healthy and above all convenient!

Buy ZizZazz HERE!

So what are you waiting for?!?
Find out what all the hoopla over Zizzazz is about!!!!!!

Cola Please - No More Mello Yello

Pepsi, No Ice, Lemon.
I never wanted one so badly.

I helped a friend and his family move out of state last weekend. We left at eight in the morning and drove 14 hours to the Carolinas.

After traveling almost 10 hours we stopped for gas and sodas. When I saw that the soda machine offered Mello Yello I threw my $1.25 in the machine and ordered one up.

"Mello Yello?!" my friends ask.
"Yes." I told them confidently. "I bought this Mello Yello because I can't get them in New Jersey."

That was the ah-ha moment of the 10 hour ride.
4 hours to go...

2 hours later, the puppy needed an emergency break and we stopped at a gas station.
My pal comes out with an Iced Tea for himself...and a Mello Yello for me.

"Ah...thanks!" I say. After all, it WAS hot outside.

We get to the hotel and crash.
In the morning we get breakfast.
Next to the juice machine is a soda machine.

"Hey!" his wife says. "Mello Yello! Go ahead! Have some!"
"It's ten in the monring!" I reply. "I'll have the Orange Juice."
Bad move. The juice is too thick. So what can I cut it with?

Mello Yello.
Now the heartburn is in kicking in.

We get to the house, start to unload the trucks.
The wife and daughter go out for groceries.
Little Shannon comes home with a bag behind her back and big smile for me.

"We bought you something!" she coos.

Oh God Damn...
It's a warm, 2-liter bottle of Mello Yello.
"Go on! Drink some!" she exclaims.

I'm still trying to be polite.
"Ah no. It's warm. I'll drink this cold Spri - "
"Why don't you just pour it over ice?"
"Ah...because...I don't..."
So I pour out some of my ice cold Sprite and I pour the Mello Yello into it.

I'm r-e-a-l-l-y trying to be polite.

We unload the trucks....shower...and go to dinner.
As we enter the restraunt, my phone rings. It's the wife.
I tell my friends to get us a table and I'll catch up.

As I hang up the phone, the fear over comes me.

I rush to the table, where the waiter is writing something on his pad.

"OH!" my friends's wife exclaims. "I just ordered you a Mello Yello!"

"NO!" I tell the waiter. "NO. I want a Pepsi. No Ice. Lemon. Please."

My friend's wife is quite shocked.
I just can't be polite anymore.
"I'm sorry." I gasp, settling into my chair. "I've been drinking Mello Yello for 3 days now. I need a cola."

Mmmm....Coke No Ice Lemon or Pepsi No Ice Lemon...eiother way, I am done with my infatuation with Mello Yello.

Went to lunch today. Friend ordered a Mountain Dew.
Hell with that. I got a Pepsi...
I'm not over it yet.

See the Dusty Rhodes Mello Yello Commercial on You Tube!

Andy Warhol Coca Cola

3 Coke Bottles or 100 Coke bottles?
I was looking up some information on Andy Warhol, and it turns out that his '3 Coke Bottles' silk screen was rather popular back in the day. You can buy it here at Art.com

But Wikipedia's entry on Warhol talks about a project he did called "100 Coke Bottles." The quote is/was:
Andy Warhol's first New York solo Pop exhibit was hosted at Eleanor Ward's Stable Gallery November 6-24th, 1962. The exhibit included the works "Marilyn Diptych," "100 Soup Cans," "100 Coke Bottles" and "100 Dollar Bills." At the Stable Gallery exhibit the artist met for the first time John Giorno who would star in Warhol's first film, "Sleep," in 1963.

I've tried to dig around the web-o-sphere to find the image, but cannot.
Can YOU?
If you can, please comment the blog with a link to WHERE.

I DID find a quote credited to Warhol that says:
"What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coca Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca Cola, too. A coke is a coke and no amount of money can get you a better coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the cokes are the same and all the cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it."

He makes a good point, even though I am not a fan of his art.

Kiss Pepsi Commercial on You Tube

You've got to click and view the Kiss Pepsi Commercial! It even features that little girl that shows up in the OTHER Pepsi comercials...like that really good Godfather one...but this time she's got the Kiss face paint on.

She kinda' looks like a tiny Ace Frehley.

I intentionally did not say a Midget Ace Frehley. That would show a lack of class.

If you like Jammin' Guitar Heores (not the video game) go to RockGuitars on Squidoo and vote for your favorite! Then be sure to comment this post with your favorite as well!

Rock On and Drink Soda!

Go ahead...make yourself a Soda

Today at lunch I poured myself a Coca Cola...but then threw in a touch of Root Beer.
Ah hell. Why not? Sure, it's no Pepsi...


Strange result, really:
9 parts Coca Cola and 1 part Root Beer...and the drink tasted like Root Beer.

You ever wonder How to make soda?

Burger King has all kinds of stickers on it's Soda Machines, encouraging patrons to mix-and-match flavours. (There is no way I'm mixing Pepsi with Sprite. YOU say it's like putting a lemon in your Coke. I say it's nuts. And it makes the cola look like a Stewart's Cream Soda.)

So as long as you are standing in front of the soda machine, mixing and matching your favorite concoctions...why not do it in the luxury of your own home? Wouldn't it be great to make fresh, great-tasting soda in just seconds, with no clean-up?!No more carrying, storing or recycling bottles and cans!

And I don't mean that you're stuck with some syrupy 'cola'. You can make 8 delicious diet flavors (sweetened with Splenda®) as well as a variety of regular flavors that STILL have two-thirds less sugar than store bought brands! (Sorry, Jolt. Move over, Mountain Dew.)

There are 27 flavours en total.
That's a LOT of soda to choose from!

I used to think you'd need a 50 gallon drum and a giant hose to make your own soda.
(Come on! EVERY kid dreams of making his own soda!)
But I'm wrong. This little machine sits right on your counter top!

In the right hand margin of this blog is a video that demonstrates the Soda Club Soda Maker.
Don't take MY word for it! Click the video and see for yourself.
(Cah MAHN! It's 30 seconds. You don't have 30 more seconds to kill?!)

You've always wondered how to make soda.
Now click the link below and see how EASY and DELICIOUS it would be...

Go ahead. Make yourself a soda!

Love soda? Get a Soda-Club soda maker! About the size of a coffeemaker and even easier to use, you’ll make fresh seltzer and soda at the touch of a button, with no clean-up. No more lugging, storing and recycling. Over 25 great-tasting flavors.

The Color of Money is not Purple

Last month I wrote about a new beverage company called Purple. It features Marketing Executives and other Brain Powers from Coca Cola, Pepsi and Red Bull.

The paperwork I had received on Purple touted it as the next super beverage company, and insisted I buy the stock now while it was still affordable.

At the time of my post, the stock was trading at about $1.25 a share.

Unfortunately, the marketing they did to promote the stock didn't pay off.
As of today, the stock trades at roughly 50 cents a share.
In fact, looking at a historical chart, the stock peaked in April at a little over $3.00 a share...and has been steadily declining ever since.

This is not to say that SALES have been tanking. In fact, last week Try-It distributing took on the Purple beverage as it's latest ware to offer. WHO?! "Try-It", the Coca Cola rival who distributes such lines as AriZona Teas, Jolt Cola, and Jones Soda...as well as others...exclusively in the Buffalo, NY region.

And 1 week prior to THAT, Purple got Mesa Beverage to offer the line in Northern California.
WHO?! "Mesa Beverage", the Northern California distributor for MillerCoors, Corona and Heineken...as well as several other lines that are NOT tasty beers!

According to a recent press release, Purple's revenue this quarter is up 5 fold over last quarter.
However, they are talking about how happy they are that their quarterly losses have DROPPED...not how great their profits have increased.

Sure, all beverage companies need a chance to get National and get loved to death.
Pepsi Cola didn't light the world on fire overnight.
But they also have to be careful how they push their P.R.

When I think about Purple, I don't think about this great beverage that will make you healthier and smarter. I think of a company that said their stock will explode...but so far hasn't.

The lesson here?
Drink soda that you enjoy...don't worry about the stock price.

There are no stock prices at www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi

Roy Rogers: No Free Refills and No Honey Mustard Sauce

I really don’t like to go to Roy Rogers. There is only 1 within a 10 mile radius of me…which tells me something…but my wife likes their Roast Beef. So, once in a while when we don’t’ want a McBurger we go to Roy Rogers.

It annoys me that Roy Rogers does not offer free refills on their Soda. I’ve talked about this before in an earlier blog post, but I just can’t get on board with it. Anyone over the age of 22 knows that fountain soda costs the company about .25 a cup. And since I’ve already PAID for the cup...how much are you losing by taking 5 seconds out of your day to put more soda IN my cup?

And since Roy Rogers has 7 teenagers behind their counter giggling and gossiping amongst each other…ONE of them can take 7 seconds from their busy night to give me a refill. It’s not like I asked them to hand me 2 more chicken breasts!

Ok, speaking of chicken breasts, the wife and I went to Roy Rogers for dinner over the weekend. (The segue here is to Roy Rogers…not to my wife’s breasts. Pay attention.)

We each ordered some kind of Roast Beef value meal (#4 on the menu…her’s with a Baked Potato, mine with Fries…) and a chicken breast that we were going to split. (now you see where the ‘breasts’ come in, right?)

The manager took my order and he’s putting the food on my plate as wife goes and gets napkins and straws and what have you. He says ‘Ok, that’s everything’ and then something occurs to me.
The conversation he and I had is so rediculous that I have to play it out for you so you can see the stupidity of it yourself.

Me: Ah, you know what? Can I trouble you for a Honey Mustard Sauce for the chicken.

He: Sure. Oh, wait. I’m sorry, that’s only for the chicken tenders.

Me: (Sure that he’s kidding): Ha ha. Right.

He: No, I’m serious. The dipping sauce is only for the chicken tenders, not the chicken breasts.

Me: You’re kidding.

He: No.

Me: You’re serious?!

He: Yes. Sorry. I can sell you one. They’re cheap. But I can only ‘give’ them to the customers who buy chicken tenders.

Me: (looking down at the chicken breast): Well…why don’t we ‘pretend’ I ordered chicken FINGERS instead of a chicken BREAST?

He (Smiling): Sorry. (then, very condescendingly) Then I’d have to do that for everyone.

(Editor’s note here - the place was empty. If there were 4 people behind me listening in on the conversation I MIGHT understand his perspective, but…)

Me: You’re serious.

He: Yeah. They’re only 27 cents if you’d like to buy one.

Me: I get FOUR free ones when I go to McDonald’s. I can’t bring myself to pay you .27 cents for one.

At this point, he shrugged and smiled, as if to say “Well, that’s your problem I guess. Sorry.”


Now, let me ask you….which is MORE ridiculous about this story:
a) Roy Rogers won’t give me a Honey Mustard sauce for my chicken or
b) the guy who is supposed to be the MANAGER has risked losing a customer (and by that I mean the whole family, not just me) over a 27 cent Honey Mustard sauce?!

Ludicrous, right?

Here’s the kicker – when I took my napkins from the Fixins Bar, I took MANY more than I needed…and I threw out what I didn’t use. Then I took 3 more ketchups than I needed and guess what? Trash. I also took 3 tomato slices but only used one.

Sure it’s silly…but the bigger picture is this: there is a LOT of money wasted on the Roy Rogers salad bar, which goes ungoverned. The STORE MANAGER potentially lost a customer over one honey mustard sauce. By saving 27 cents he potentially lost a LOT of business.

I’m picturing something like the movie ‘Airplane’. I’m picturing this dim bulb and I having the same conversation, only if you look over my shoulder you see a food fight breaking out with the Free Fixins Bar being used as the weaponry arsenal.

Maybe monkeys having the food fight...really LOUD monkeys that everyone seems to be ignoring.

Silly, right?
The whole thing is silly.
And bad business.

No free refills on soda is a bad policy.
No free honey mustard sauce an embarrassingly AWFUL policy.

I don’t think the Singing Cowboy would have made that decision. Do you…?



enjoy the Cola Wars on Squidoo!

128 cans of Coca Cola and Pepsi and $10 to Charity

What if you loved Pepsi and Coke so much that you went out and bought CASES of the stuff? How would you keep it nice and cold? Fill up the fridge? Where would you keep your eggs and milk then?!

What if you were having a party and you knew all of your friends liked Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew...and you wanted to have the coldest sodas available at a moment's notice?

My friends at www.FundsForUs.com sell the 128 Can Danby Beverage Center.
(Sure, you can keep Jones Soda in it, too. But I don't think anyone buys 128 cans of Jones Soda at once...)

The Danby Beverage Center has 3 'full' shelves and 1 'half' shelf...and it's only 3.3 Cubic Feet in size. You can hold a LOT of soda here, in a small space.

But why buy it at Funds for Us?
Two reasons why:

1) Because they sell the item at $89.00 less than suggested retail, so you get it on sale and save almost $90.00
2) Because every time they sell one, they donate $10.47 to YOUR favorite charity. That's right, not a charity of THEIR choice. A Charity of YOUR choice.

So you throw your party, and you have lots of guests who are all very happy because their Diet Coke and A&W Root Beer is nice and cold. YOU are happy because they all showed up...and because you saved $90.00 on the Danby Beverage Center...and because you donated more than $10.00 to a worthwhile cause...

So now the Pepsi vs. Coke war can be waged at your party, by your favorite friends.

As we always say: Soda is Good...but an ICE COLD soda is REALLY Good!

7 Most Relevant Coke and Pepsi stories of the Last Year?

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of Coke vs. Pepsi: Soda is Good. Thank you for indulging my desire to use Coca Cola and Pepsi as an analogy for stories about Politics, Business, Charity, Home Life and Pro Wrestling!

Using Google Analytics as a measuring tool, I surveyed the most read stories in the past year, and crossed them with the pages that readers spent the most time on. (So that if a page got 400 hits, but readers only spent 1 second on the page, it would not automatically top the charts.) This creates the ‘Coke vs. Pepsi Top 7 Most Relevant’ list for the last 12 months.

Why Top Seven? Because everyone else does a Top 5 or Top 10.
I’m an average guy with an average intelligence. So I chose the Average.

Let’s make something very clear: I have no skills in “making money with blogging” or “doubling readership through SEO techniques”. In other words, maybe G.A. is not the best tool and maybe some of the articles here from the last year should rank higher or lower in readership...but it is what it is. I'm not here to win any SEO awards. I'm just here to drink soda and then write about it.

So, let's look at the list...

The #7 Most Relevant Soda is Good story was Coca Cola to Hydrate the Poor Children. Written at the end of July this year, it talked about the work of Simon Berry, who’s vision is to see Coca Cola using it’s world wide distribution muscle to send more water and medicine to the sick and poor children in Third World Countries.

The #6 Most Relevant story was Killer Coke: A Strike and a Protest. Also written in July, it talked up KillerCoke.org's plan to stage a strike in New York City to protest the unfair and violent working conditions of Coca Cola's bottling plant in Columbia, South America.

I learned about the strike on their website and shared what I could find. Oddly, despite all of the updates and photos on their website's home page ... there is NO discussion about the strike! NONE! I have to guess that only 6 people showed up. This does not, of course, take away from how important KillerCoke's message is...

The #5 most relevant Coke vs. Pepsi story was called Coke or Pepsi...Smart or Silly? dating back to early May of this year, this quick little entry pointed out 2 websites that also discuss the "Pepsi vs. Coke" debate...although from 2 very different perspectives. One reads like a Science Journal, the other like a High School Freshman's attempt at journalism. Much love to High School Freshmen and Journalists alike...

The #4 most relevant Soda Story on this blog was called History of Coke and Pepsi...and Google. This one was written in August of LAST year, so I'm glad to see that not only the entries from the last 2 months are being read! This hard hitting, bone crunching, in depth analysis of which soda (Coca Cola or Pepsi) has more Google listing under the heading 'History of...' almost won me a Pulitzer.

Not!

The #3 most relevant Soda Story on this blog was called RAW: Pepsi versus Pro Wrestling. Next to soda, Pro Wrestling is my true love, and this article talked about how the WWE has a show called 'Raw' and Pepsi has a soda called 'Raw'. Suffice to say that one outsells the other one hundred fold!

The #2 most relevant Soda is Good story for the last 12 months was ALSO a Pro Wrestling story! No, I do not market exclusively to Pro Wrestling Fans, but apparently Pro Wrestling fans like Soda as much as I do! The story is called Pepsi and Pro Wrestling - Perfect for a Punk, and it discusses current WWE Champion C.M. Punk and his love for Pepsi.

This story was written back in March, and Punk was not heavyweight champion yet. I cannot say that Pepsi endorses C.M. Punk or the WWE...but if not then they are getting some free publicity whenever Punk goes shirtless! (Big Pepsi Symbol tatoo on his shoulder!)

The #1 Most Relevant Coke vs. Pepsi: Soda is Good story for the last 12 months...according to the in depth analysis I took about 15 minutes to gather...is called Coca Cola Prices Going Up, Pepsi Prices Going Up Next? No, I was not able to think up a LONGER title so I went with that one. Apparently, this one really IS relevant, since it talks about:
1) Coca Cola
2) Pepsi
3) The Economy
4) Your Wallet.

So suffice to say that even if you are not a Pro Wrestling fan, you still found some relevant and important stories here to indulge yourself in.

You might also see, looking at the Top 7, that neither Coke nor Pepsi are the 'True Victory' in the war of the words, much less the war of the worlds. Both brands have plenty interesting information to offer.

2 quick honorable mentions:

1) obviously, as you add more content to a blog, the most read pages get spread out further. For the longest time, one of the top 5 most read stories was Coke Zero adds Big Boobs to their Latin Advertising. I am going to guess that the majority of the readers were males between the ages of 16 and 36. Ladies, you might be pleased to know that Coke and their Big Boobs fell out of the Top 7 last month.

2) One story that I thought was really clever was not my story at all...but rather some intimation on an essay I read and was really entertained by. The entry was called The Difference Between Pepsi and the Pope, and I want to thank author Denise Duhamel and her book Queen for a Day for the great essay!

There is a lot going on in the world, as far as Coke and Pepsi is concerned. Do feel free to leave your comments and share with me the Soda Stories you'd like to see top the list in the months to come!

Which Soda (entry) is Best?

I wanted to let you know that this Wedensday, August 20th, marks the 1 year anniversary of Coke vs. Pepsi: the Soda is Good blog.

You may recall all the way back at the beginning that the hardest part of getting this blog off the ground was finding an available domain name! LOL!

On Wednesday, I plan to share with you a 'Best of' from the Coke vs. Pepsi archives.

In the meantime...and all Coke and Pepsi aside...let me share with you why some consider Jones Soda the Best Soda Ever.

Coke, Pepsi, Your Teeth and a Dentist

When I was a kid (stop me if you heard this one already...) we poured a cup of soda and dropped a nail into it. We left the cup of soda on top of the friedge where it wouldn't spill.



1 week later, we took the cup down and pulled out the nail. Oh MAN how corroded it looked!

My friend turned to me and said "If soda can do this to a nail...imagine what it does to your stomach lining!"



So of course, it deterred me from drinking soda.

NOT! I was a teenager! I only drank soda when it was made available to me, anyway!



Well, a trip to the dentist and I'm getting a lecture on how bad soda is for your teeth.

(Disclaimer: I have decent teeth. Bad gums, but decent teeth).

Then I got the bill for services rendered (scraping and scaling...told you I had bad gums!) and had to take out a seecond mortage to pay the bill.



A month later, it turns out my 7 year old has a cavity.

(How the hell did he get a cavity?! I got my first cavity when I was 25!!!)

They filled that little bastard and charged me $169.00!



So today, I want to draw the connection between how drinking soda will remind you that you need affordable Dental Care.



You see, I don't have dental insurance. Yes, my wife is constantly after me about how I should hav a job that has dental insurance. But I don't. SO, when someone needs their teeth worked on...we cry.



Today, more and more companies are cutting out Dental and Optical plans and making employees pay into their medical plans. This small piece of information at LEAST allows me the satisfaction of knowing that I am not the ONLY person without dental care.



That's why I need affordable dental care. So do you. If you drink soda, you REALLY do!

If you drink Soda as much as I do...you really, really do!



I have been told by my dentist (who, odly enough, went to college with someone I knew in High School! Small world, huh?!) that not all dental plans are equal, and some are not worth the expense.



Now, I'm a soda guy...not a dental insurance guy....so I can't tell you which firm to go with.

I CAN tell you that I looked at a firm called DentalPlans.com.

Why? Well because they had a website that was easy to remember.

It looked pretyt thorough, too.



So, in recapping, let's agree that:

1) if you like soda you should read this blog becasue it's all I talk about

2) if you like soda you should have a good gastro-internist...given what can happen to your stomach lining.

3) if you like soda you should have a good dentist.

4) if you have a good dentist you should have an affordable Dental Plan.

5) if you like Cherry Coke you'll probably like Dr. Pepper.



Ok, I just winged it on that last one.



See? Who said I couldn't throw together a well thought out post in only 10 minutes? :)

Win a Free XBox 360

I wasn't going to blog today, as I have a lot to get done in a short period of time, but I found a soda-related website that is advertising that through buying their product you can win a free Xbox 360! (and some other stuff, too!)

It's the Mountain Dew Instant Win Game...and you can read all about it here.

(Just last night, after offering a friend a Miller Chill, he told me that his favorite beverage is Mountain Dew. I replied that I was big on the Dew until this past Easter, when I drank so much of it I could taste it in my mouth for days to follow. Need a break. Started shopping at the Jones Soda Store. Then switched to Cherry Pepsi.)


In a non-soda related story, you can also win a free Xbox 360 here.
This site looks AWFULLY simple...I'm too busy (as I said) to check it out, so if YOU check it out please let me know what it entails.

(Actually, if you type "Free XBox 360" in Google you'll get 1,230,000 matches. I don't know what cave I was sleeping in, but I have NO idea what kind of promotion every last person is offering on Xbox's behalf. Of course, I'm still rockin' the GameCube.)

Lastly...look gradually to your right for a second. See that Orange-Blue-and-White banner offering a 30 second video on how to make your own soda? Check it out. It's very cool, and if you drink as much soda as I do it's a great tool to consider owning!

Coke + Pepsi + Red Bull = Purple

Years ago, I used to invest periodically in Mutual Funds and individual stocks. about twice a year the Investor's Daily Business Journal would offer me a free 10-day subscription...which I would always accept and then at the end of the 10 days I'd tell them I had no interest in subscribing.

The down side is that now once a week I get mail from someone's Penny Stock newsletter, alerting me to some new stock that's about to make everyone a Jagillionaire.

Yeah, right.

99% of them I throw into the garbage without even opening it. However, last night I got one and the envelope intrigued me. It said, in so many words, that Coke was a once a Big Money stock, and Pepsi was once a Big Money stock...and now 'Purple' is a Big Money stock.

Yeah, right.

But this was about SODA, and you know I like soda...so I opened it up and read a little.

I don't believe in penny stocks and I'm not going to suggest you buy this stock. I'm not going to give you the stock symbol or tell you why this stock is poised to go thru the roof. In fact, 'Purple' is NOT a soda...it's a beverage, like Grape Juice or Yoo Hoo...so I'm probably not going to think twice about it after I get done typing this.

HOWEVER, there WAS a soda-related fact that makes Purple a little interesting: A good portion of Purple's management comes from Pepsi, Coca Cola and/or Red Bull!

According to the newsletter I received:

Michael Lorelli, who is credited with building PepsiCola East, is Purple's new Strategic Marketing Advisor.

Michael McKee - who played a big part in building Coca Cola's Fuze Beverage brand, has joined Purple.

Dan Morelli, Keith Reilly, Marc de Grandpre and Lou Aceto...all former Red Bull marketing executives...have joined Purple.

You are probably asking 'what IS this Purple??!? Has Prince started a beverage franchise?!'

Purple is a juice that combines the acai berry with 6 other antioxidant-rich juices. You've heard of the acai berry, right? Oprah has singing it's praises a while back and then everyone went out and either bought some or started a beverage line based on it's juice.

Sure, acai and other anti-oxidant berry are the rave now, so Purple has a good-enough chance to survive it's use of first-round funding. Will it's stock make you rich? Time will tell. In fairness, I'll check the ticker price again in 6 months and give you an update.

Obama Cola. Presidential RockStar?

John McCain is positioning Barack Obama as too celebrity to be taken seriously as a Presidential Candidate. Like he's a rock star of some kind.

This makes for great segue, as far as Coke vs. Pepsi is concerned.
Why?

Because:
You can buy the John McCain campaign cola here.

You can buy Barack Obama campaign cola here.

Obama, being regarded to as a Rock Star, is not affiliated with RockStar Energy Drink...which you can buy here.

Obama wants to pull out of Iraq, McCain wants to stay and Whup Ass. You can buy WhoopAss Energy Drink here.

If there is one person who should get their ass whooped, it's Ron Paul. However, you can still buy HIS campaign cola here.

I would have been clever, in hindsight, to tell you that the McCain beverage tastes like it's 70 years old and the Ron Paul beverage comes in a can that's empty...but that would be political humour and this Homey don't Play Dat.

Eat, Drink and Enjoy Politics.
In fact, Eat, Drink and Enjoy this You Tube video called "Soda and Politics"
(this is not my video...this is not me IN the video....I just found it and thought it was relevant.)

Coca Cola to Hydrate the Poor Children

Simon Berry has an interesting idea.

He suggests that Coca Cola use a small portion of their distribution muscle to help deliver medicine and nutrients to the poor children of the world. His epiphany was that you can by a Coca Cola virtually anywhere in the world, yet children are dying of dehydration in these same corners of the world.

Simon Berry is not confrontational and he is not picketing Coca Cola's offices with an angry mob.
(By the way...I still can't find an update on KillerCoke's efforts from earlier in the month!)

His idea has caught fire, as you can easily 'Google' other blogs talking about his efforts.
Here are a few that I caught right away:

On Kate Andrews, here.

On Groves Media, here.

Simon's own Blog, here.

Personally, I've never been one of these people who thinks that Big Business is/should be responsible for healing the ills of the world...yet this does not mean that I don't like his suggestion. In fact, I DO like the suggestion...I'm just not joining any coalitions or the like and I'm not going to protest Coca Cola (neither is Simon).

Just yesterday, over a '2-parts Dr. Pepper and 1-part Coke' I was discussing an interview I read with Jim Skinner, the CEO of McDonald's. His view was 'we provide choices for the world, and they are adult enough to make those choices.' You know...he offers French Fries and he offers Apples. It's up to you which you want to eat.

Obviously, this has nothing to do with Simon Berry and his idea to have Coca Cola help distribute medicine...I was just drawing the parallel that Big Business is often asked by the public to solve social issues, and each company/CEO has their own way(s) of reacting to the request.

(Simon's blog details the replies he has gotten when contacting Coca Cola with his idea. Here is an example.)

If my conversation about Jim Skinner is not a big enough example, how about the fact that a good friend of mine runs a company that works very hard to raise money for the poor children of Uganda? You can read about 1Shop's efforts here. They are not a Big Business...in fact they are a Small Business...but I think Simon would be pleased!

The bottom line is this: whether you think Big Business has a social responsibility or not, it's encouraging to know that we citizens are THINKING about these things. We're SHARING these ideas. We're TALKING about them and PUTTING THEM INTO MOTION. No one likes a whiner or a complainer. But people who can articulate good ideas and try to make hay out of them are local heroes.

Thanks you, Simon Berry, for thinking about helping the sick and the poor.

Coca Cola and some advice on Bouncing Back

I read a lot. I read a lot abot management and leadership. I read self-help stuff. Not the 'talk you down from the ledge' type of stuff...but the stuff that makes you more successful and more productive.

What does this have to do with Soda?

I was reading Steve Farber's Extreme Leadership blog today, and he was reviewing a book called Bounce Back by Karen Salmansohn. Karen allowed Steve to print an excerpt from her book about how to deal with failure and career adversity.

Early in the exceerpt, she quotes Roberto Goizuetta. Who is Roberto Goizuetta? Why, he was Coca Cola's most successful CEO, that's who! (and readers of the blog would know that because I sing his praises any chance I get!)

Anyway, Karen Salmansohn talks about Goizueta stating:
Roberto Goizueta, Coca-Cola's CEO, says the risk-taker mentality is the very reason he hired back the guy who launched New Coke--a huge marketing failure. Goizueta recognized how you can become uncompetitive if you're not tolerant of mistakes. In fact, if you let 'avoiding failure' become your motivator, you¹re going dangerously down the path of inactivity.
"You can stumble only if you're moving," he says. So if you recently stumbled and fell in your career, re-focus on how your risky thinking makes you more knowledgeable. Own the positive lesson learned --as proof you are an outside-the-box valuable thinker. See work failure as 'fullure'--full of many lessons.

SEE?!?!? This is why Goizueta was my hero. (Although smoking 3 packs of day and dying of Cancer before the age of 60 is not exactly what I want my legacy to be....).

You can read the entire article about Karen's book here.

You can read more about Steve Farber here.


And remember...you can find the Coke vs. Pepsi Cola Wars lens here.

Bad Dog! Pepsi Commercial (Video)

My friend Rosella found a cute Pepsi commercial that she wanted to share.

I hadn't seen this one before...it's very clever, and not very long.

Enjoy!

www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi

Killer Coke 0, Killer Pepsi 2

I've checked all over Google and all over the Killer Coke website, and I have yet to find an update on the New York City protest. Maybe 3 people showed up, maybe 30...but I am guessing there were not enough people to garner any kind of reaction from the press.

Speaking of the press, It's my personal opinion that Barach Obama gets MUCH more press coverage than John McCain...but I've always found the press to be incredibly liberal. Both offer a pretty good Soda.

Ok, back to Cola and Killers.
(Great band, by the way, but not relevant to this discussion...)

Despite not being able get much information on the recent endeavor by KillerCoke, I did find two YouTube videos featuring Killer PEPSI!

You can find Killer Pepsi...the revenge story, here.

You can find Killer Pepsi Clown here.
(Damn Clowns. They're scary even when they aren't trying to be scary! In fact, Wikipedia has a listing for 'Evil Clowns'. What does THAT tell you?!)

I'm going to try to reach out to Killer Coke to see what transpired on Tuesday, but if you see a CLown coming after you with a Pepsi bottle...you really oughta run!

Killer Coke - a Strike and a Protest

AURGHGH!
I was supposed to blog about this LAST week but I got caught up!
SORRY!
If you live in New York, you still have an hour to do your part.

What am I talking about?

*Gasp* *Pant* Ok, let me slow down.

There is a website called KillerCoke.
This site is dedicated to stopping the murders and kipnappings...along with other violence, mind you...of Union Leaders involved with the Coca Cola bottling plants in Columbia, South America.

If you check out the website, you'll see there is some serious isht going on there!

Well, at 3:00 today, Teusday July 22nd, the folks at KillerCoke are organizing a protest at at 711 5th Avenue, New York City. The protest begins at Coca-Cola and will later march to Oxy Petroleum, which is located 1230 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 800, New York City (between 48th & 49th Streets).

I couldn't find any information on why they are not down with Oxy...but if you are a large Oil concern in South America you're probably doing something uncool...

In talking about the effort to get the attention of two of Coca-Cola's top policymakers and serve on Coke's board of directors, the website mimsspells the last name of Coke's former Preident and COO . I don't know how badly this will affect their credibility. I mean, if you've got the address right you're off to a good start.

(Of course, if you think you have a clever sign that says "Die Donald Deough!" your clever alliteration will be less than humorous. In fact, the people INSIDE the building will be saying 'Donald WHO?!?!?'. The correct spelling of his last name is here.)

I will certainly monitor the KillerCoke website and report back tomorrow with any results they share...but if you attend the rally (or has a friend that does) please leave comments and let us know what transpires!

This blog is often brought to you by Coke vs. Pepsi....but it seems today Coke has a biger fight on it's hands than Pepsi!

Coca Cola prices going up. Pepsi Prices Going up next?

I was SURE I read yesterday that Coca Cola was raising their prices this Fall.

Maybe it was on Comcast?

I checked into it on Google today, and there are only a handful of articles, and they are all pretty vauge. In a nutshell, HeadQuarters say they are down about 20%, the bottlers claim that they are losing money, and so we are all going to see the prices go up.

The Moms at FrugalVillage.com were talking about it here.

They also discuss some great USES for Coca Cola...other than drinking...here.

(How come there is not a list for 10 great uses for PEPSI? Isn't it still COLA??!?!)

When are Prices going up? - After Labor Day.

How much? - No one is saying yet.

So what does Pepsi do?

They can:

a) keep their prices where they are, and hope to capture market share. OR

b) raisee their prices TOO, much like the way Gas Prices all go up in unison in your town.

But is strategy 'A' a viable one? Would it 'matter'?

In 99% of the restraunts you go in, you don't get a 'choice'. They serve Coke or Pepsi, and you take a tall cold glass of whatever they've got.

In the grocery stores, you DO have a choice...but so much of the public has already made up their mind as to what they prefer. Will people pay a little more for Coca Cola? Sure they will.

Will they pay a LOT more for Coca Cola before switching to Pepsi?

Well, that remains to be seen, right?

What is the 'walk away' price on Coca Cola? Coke fans, especially in the South, have been incredibly loyal. At what point do they say 'AH, hell. It's just a cola!" and switch to Pepsi.

And to the earlier point, if Coke and Pepsi drinkers are both brand Loyal, couldn't the Blue Brand raise THEIR prices too...enough to be less expensive than Coca Cola but enough to squeeze out some more profit points?

Afterall, if Pepsi can win the profit margin war, they can reclaim their greatness in the Coca War, like Roger Enrico did in his book from 1986. Has it really been more than 20 years since the Cola Wars got personal?!

Both teams have been pretty demure as of late as far as the 'war' is concerned...but an opportunity for Pepsi to announce that they've become more profitable could not only reignite the fires, it could reignite the marketing campaigns.

What is YOUR walk-away price on Coca Cola?

Is there a price that would make you loyal COke drinkers switch to Pepsi?

(Coke and Pepsi continue to fight it out at www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi)

Indiana Jones and Dr. Pepper and an Excellent Adventure

A friend sends me an e-mail that touts the Mega Promotion that Dr. Pepper is doing in conjunction with Indiana Jones.

Actually, webmaster@DrPepper.com sent it to me. Rudy was just nice enough to reccomend me.

(I mean, what are friends for, right? I last talked up Dr. Pepper here, and I last saw Rudy here.)

So now, it's not enough that I drink Dr. Pepper when I go to Burger King. (I even follow their advice and add 1 part Coke to 3 parts Dr. Pepper. They call it a Gold Rush or some such). Now I have to buy CANS of the stuff and drink it...copy down the code...head over to the website...

Well, if I win, I'll let you all know.

*sigh* I wish Grandma was here.

Drink a Soda with John McCain!

Last month, here on Soda is Good, I announced that
Jones Soda was offering soda cans adorned with the likenesses of Barach Obama, John McCain, and Hillary Clinton.

I didn't put any real 'push' behind any particular candidate, but it seemed that Mr. Obama led the league in "sodas consumed by supporters".

(The original blog post, which has gotten a lot of traffic at this blog, can he seen here.)

But what does this say about Cola drinkers? Are they particularly supportive of the Democrat Change Agent? Or maybe die hard Republicans are just too busy to order a cola online?

Maybe John McCain supporters perfer Coca Cola? Or Pepsi?

Perhaps McCain supporters just prefer to open up a can of Whupass?!

Perhaps the McCain versus Obama debate is not much different than the age old 'Coke versus Pepsi' battle?

McCain supporters, prove me wrong! Grab yourself a can of McCain Cola from Jones Soda and show your support! Don't be one of a million uncounted votes!

This campaign cola message was brought to you by Coke versus Pepsi, and we approve of this message. By contrast, we do NOT approve of you who purchased Ron Paul campaign cola. Yes, I'm serious. Ron Paul campaign cola...

Socially Responsible China Cola

I've found a new "hobby" of sorts. Ok, maybe it's an 'interest' as opposed to a 'hobby'.

I'm 'interested' in companies that spend a portion of their profits on charities and other socially-responsible issues.

I tried to find a cola that fit this model. I have to admit, it took a little time.
(one book I read just KILLED Coca Cola for being Socially IRRESPONSIBLE...but it gave mid-to-high marks to Pepsi. This isn't gloating. I was actually SURPRISED. I won't publish the name of the book or the author until I get some more information for you.)

So let me tell you about China Cola.
It's put our by a company called Reed's Ginger Brew.

It first glance, it looks like a socially responsible tea company...since they 'brew' their beverages. A particular Socially Responsible Tea company is Honest Tea. We'll cover them another day, since today we're talking about Cola.

Hmmm...maybe it sounds more like a BEER company!


But read closer. Their website says: "Long before modern soft drinks existed, people brewed their own beverages. In the Caribbean, home brewed ginger beverages are a part of life. Reed’s brews six carbonated and four non-carbonated juice and ginger combinations using only the finest ingredients. The six carbonated flavors are: Original Ginger, Extra Ginger, Premium Ginger, Raspberry Ginger, Cherry Ginger and Spiced Apple."

So far, that Ginger sound quite Yummy...!

By the way, you can read about Ginger here, and you can read about Ginger Rogers here.

Ok, but I dug a little deeper and found their China Cola.
(did I mention that I REALLY like Chinese Food? I really do. This is an unrelated point, but I wanted to share it anyway.)
Since it's a Cola and not a Citrus Beverage, it gets it's own page on the Reed's website.

I figured, I'd have to dig REALLY far to FIND China Cola...but if you click on their Store Locator you'll see that it's offered all OVER the place!!!
(Which means I am off to buy some this week and write a review on it!)

But let's get back to being Socially Responsible.

Now, I don't want to lie or even exaggerate.
Reed's does not donate profits to Cancer Research, nor do they nurse homeless people back to health and then employ them.

But, on their site they mention "Reed’s Ginger Brew is dedicated to supporting non-profits and community based organizations that are noted for their contributions to the community and unique events. Below is a partial listing of some of the events that Reed’s Ginger Brew has supported in the past."

You can read that list here.


Socially Responsible Cola!
Just what I was looking for!


So go to your local health food store, grab yourself a pack of China Cola (and maybe some Roast Pork Lo Mein...!) and know that you're drinking something that does something good!


Brought to you by Reed's Ginger Brew, and our friends at Coke vs. Pepsi

Beverages Direct Super List bats .500

I was looking for a list of 'Eneergy Drinks', since they have been the rave as of late. (Do you know I have not tried a single one? It's true. I'm already pretty wound up. I don't think extra caffeine and/or sugar is going to do me any good.)

In my studies, I came across a website called Beverages Direct.

I don't think I've ever seen a longer list of non-major-brand-beverages all on one page!

HOWEVER...I did some spot checking and I found a little less than half of the items on the list are 'Out of Stock' (like Jeff's New York Egg Cream...which sounded especially yummy) or even had a blurb that said 'No Products Available' (Like Jolt Cola. They still make Jolt, right?!)

So it's a pretty impressive list...and will give you a great opportunity to check into some brand names you might not have heard of before. (Did you know there is a Big Red soda?! It tastes like Bubble Gum, not Cinnamon gum...but Beverages Direct has it. I found out there is a '!' soda too, but they don't have any products listed under the heading...)

So think of Beverages Direct as a trip to the arcade. Some games work, some don't. But you'll find some classics and some all-new things you didn't know existed!

Remember to go to Coke vs. Pepsi to read up on the more 'traditional' Colas...

Pepsi Claims the World's Heavyweight Title

Sure, you hate it when I talk Pro Wrestling...but this one was too obvious to pass up.

Last night on WWE's "Monday Night RAW", CM Punk won the Heavyweight Title. Why sis this soda-worthy? Because those who know Punk know he is an avid Pepsi drinker.
(as evidenced in my previous blog post, here.)

Pro Wrestling fans - if you have only learned about CM Punk through watching the WWE, you missed out on his best work to day! Find all the work he did with Ring of Honor and you'll see that he was a SUPER star there.

Soda drinkers - the Pepsi Challenge lives on! Is this a tounge-in-cheek way of saying Pepsi is the king of sodas? Has Pepsi toppled Coca Cola? Is the traditional soda still more lovable than the current rash of energy drinks?

Coke and Pepsi continue to slug it out at www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi

Coke vs. Pepsi will Teach You to be Rich

When I'm not reading about soda...or Pro Wrestling (what did you think about the Draft? Not the NBA draft...the WWE draft.) I'm reading blogs about Leadership and Marketing.

OH! You didn't know I had a Day Job?!

So of course, I took great interest in a blog post that began like this:
"Do you think you could tell the difference between a Coke and Pepsi?

Of course you do.

When I was an RA in college, my residents insisted they could, so I bought Cokes, Diet Cokes, Pepsis, Diet Pepsis, and a generic soda to test them. Of those who tested, every one insisted they could tell the difference.

Only 3 out of 47 could."

The blog is written by Ramit Sethi, and his blog is called I will Teach You to be Rich. You can read the entire post here.

Actually, the post goes on to describe a very interesting book about Psychology and how it relates to Business Decisions.

Did I mention that when I was 15 I took the Pepsi Challenge...and chose Coca Cola?!
I did not go to college with Ramit; this was in front of a Shop Rite in my town.

So, what did we learn today?
1) a college student got the same result at his local college as some Marketing Firms did in their multi-million dollar studies.

2) I was more interested in the WWE 'draft' than I was in the NBA draft

3) Ramit Sethi is an interesting guy...and he can teach you to be Rich!


...and remember - you can read about all things Soda at the Coke vs. Pepsi lens:
www.Squidoo.com/CokeVsPepsi

Energy Drinks...Kicking Soda's Ass

I'm still drinking Soda and loving every moment of it.

Energy drinks are still taking the market by storm...the market is up over 35% based on some reports I've read recently.

However, I'm too cheap and too hyper to begin with to drink Energy drinks. If you've met me, you know i have a bundle of all-natural energy. If they can can me, I'd be the highest caffinated, highest sugar-content product on the market. (I'd probably taste lousy, though). Don't misunderstand me...I don't take in much caffeine and sugar other than my Soda and Chocolate fixes...I'm just naturally wound up.

What really amazed me today is that there are HUNDREDS of energy drinks out there, and more coming out each week! So other than drinking a Red Bull because your co-worker does (or because it tasted good mixed with Vodka at that last Frat Part you went to...!) how do you know which ones to drink?

Today, I'll share with you some websites I've found that rate Energy Drinks.
Take their advice with your own discretion. Remember, I haven't drunk one yet...

Screaming Energy has a VERY cool web page. The number of cans they show is almost scary!

Energy Drinks Rating has been around since April of 2006, and it's also a Blogger.com supported site.

Energy Drinks Review was last updated LAST month, and they seem to be in a state of transition...but they are worth checking out just so you get a well rounded opinion.

Here's another blog called Energy Drink Reviews. You EDR-ers are gonna have to fight it out on your own for ownership of the name. Personally, I'm diggin' the black background on this blog.

OK, if these 4 sites can't help you wade through the ocean of Energy Drinks out there, then you need to go the route I go and suck down a Mountain Dew for sugar (See it glow in the dark HERE), a Pepsi for contemporary taste, or a Coca Cola for a dose of nostalgia.

Also remember to visit www.Squidoo.com/CokevsPepsi for all things soda.

Obama Cola! Drink your Vote of Support!

Jones Soda is AWESOME! Whenever I think they've run out of cool things to promote...they find something ELSE to slap on their label!

Are you pleased that Barack Obama won the Democratic Nomination? Do you think he can win the Presidency? Do you think people would buy a bottle of COla if his name and face was on the label?!

Now you can buy OBAMA COLA from Jones Soda!

OR...and I didn't write this in the headline...maybe you are a McCAIN fan?
How about an Ice Cold Republican Soda with Johnny's face on it??!?!

I kid you not!
Click here and drink your vote!

Your purchase is a vote.
Drink your Vote.

Disclaimer - those of you buying Hilary Colas will not neccesarily get her elected...but it's nice to see that you won't give up...!

Brought to you by Coke vs Pepsi

A Tiny Soda Gallery in Texas

Today I surfed around, looking for something to write about, and I came across a blog called The Soda Gallery - All Things Soda.

Well! THAT took me by suprise!
Did they rip me off my idea?
Did I rip THEM off?!
How did THIS happen?!??!

But then I read a bit and I really liked what I saw. The soda gallery is a store in Texas that sells All Things Soda...and what a colelction of flavors they have! Their blog is a nice way to update everyone about what they are doing that's new each day/week.

Some cool things I saw on thier site, by way of example, include Zen Master Lemon Lime (I'm a big fan of all things Zen and Middle Eastern) and Moxie Cream Soda.

I like this Soda Gallery, and I'm excited about showing some support. They are, as they write in their in blog, "...a tiny company with under 10 employees." so they've got to be a nice bunch. They also happily snub their nose at Proposition 65...a silly little law that I would not have known anything about if I hadn't stubled across their website!

They are also regularly looking for returnable deposit bottles of Dr. Pepper. YOu know how I like Dr. Pepper! (Normally, I'd use this next sentence to plulg my love and admiration for my GrandMa. Not today. That would be self-serving and redundant. Giving props to my GrandMa, that is. Gone 3 years now and not a day passes that i don't miss her. But I'm not going to mention her today. Nor will I mention that I am looking at a picture of her on my desk as I write this. Not today.)

So, if you live in the Dallas area of Texas, please make your way over to the Soda Gallery on North Bishop Ave and buy a case or two of something cool and refreshing.
And tell them that SodaIsGood sent you!

Disclaimer - I have no financial ties to the Soda Gallery. They never heard of me.
I'm just a guy who started out chronicling the Coke vs. Pepsi war, after all!
They probably think I'm not even worthy of acknowledging. Like some centipede. Gosh, that's low. And hurtful. *sob*. I'm gonna drink a soda now and sulk...