-- "Pepsi Cola Sucks" by Dangerous Darrinn


I was guessing Ian MacKaye and Minor Threat. (With a rebuttal from CM Punk.)

A minor threat reference amidst a bunch of other BTF gold. I think these are my favorite kinds of threads--the non-political, non-baseball, pure comedy threads.

For my part, I'm like A.P.--no HFCS, etc.
Mostly, I drink milk, although American milk sucks, 100% fruit juice, herbal tea, water, and about 3 milkshakes a day.

You forgot Diet Caffeine-Free Mountain Dew (although it's disturbingly unavailable in wide swaths of the U.S.).

Any kind of Mountain Dew is just awful.

Coke is leagues better than Pepsi... but man do I miss Vanilla Coke.

Quoted for truth.

Mostly, I drink milk, although American milk sucks, 100% fruit juice, herbal tea, water, and about 3 milkshakes a day.

rain water and grain alcohol for me ...

here in England, they don't know even know what Root Beer is

Well, from time to time people tried to market root beer there. (Try shops in West Indian parts of London.) In the 80s, and again more briefly in the 90s, you could get root beer at I think both Wendy's and McDonald's for a few years. It was also available at my local Sainsbury's and Asda (Clapham area of London) for about three years in the 00s. But every Brit I know whom I've offered some to says it tastes like medicine. They don't go for wint-o-green Life Savers either.

Any Jamba Juice fans here? The Orange Dream Machine is the most brilliant creation of all time.

Interestingly enough... it's Barq's.

I'll be damned but you're right. In my defense, I haven't had a Barq's since I graduated high school. I'm certain we used to call it Bargs, though...

The logo is somewhat ambiguous.

I fondly recall Dad's Root Beer as well. The can looked like WD-40 which is unintentionally dad-like.

Pepsi is better than Coke.
Macs are better than PCs.
Cats are better than dogs.
Legs are better than breasts.

I disagree on all counts.

As for unsung pops, I don't like Jones Soda Cola, but their Blue Lemonade and Strawberry Lime flavours are pretty stinking tasty.

although American milk sucks

This is kind of a ridiculous thing to write, seeing as how there are about a bazillion dairies in America. As an immediate descendant of multiple dairy farmers, I would of course disagree with the overall sentiment.

Let us switch over to store-bought lemonade. Outside of lemonade made by MYSELF, of course, I have to admit I find Snapple lemonade to be better than I ever want to admit.

I stopped drinking soda around the time I graduated high school, but my allegiance was always to Coke products. My dad worked in the bottling plant when I was a kid, and cases arrived at our backdoor every Friday. We also wore free Coca-Cola t-shirts to bed, and, as I remember, got to try Minute Maid Orange before the rest of the world.

There's a restaurant in my hometown called the 50s Grill that makes, among wonderful things like phosphates and myriad 'floats', vanilla Coke and cherry Coke from real vanilla and cherry syrups. Cherry Coke made this way is one of the greatest things in the world, with marachino cherries and ice floating in a massive sweating soda fountain glass.

although American milk sucks

Who's better?

Pepsi stock up $5 yesterday!!

Who's better?

The UK. Pretty much any dairy product there kicks the crap out of the equivalent North American dairy product.

The UK. Pretty much any dairy product there kicks the crap out of the equivalent North American dairy product.

Even Velveeta?

Even Velveeta?

They use dairy in that? I thought it was nothing but petroleum extracts and food coloring.

They use dairy in that? I thought it was nothing but petroleum extracts and food coloring.

Next you're going to disparage Miracle Whip. #### you terrorist!

114. Ryan Jones Posted: April 21, 2009 at 09:44 AM (#3146327)
Who's better?

The UK. Pretty much any dairy product there kicks the crap out of the equivalent North American dairy product.

Not if you manage to get your hands on some American raw milk.

<edit: of course, you're in Canada, no? so you don't get to ever enjoy raw milk>

I forgot milk. Get mine from a local dairy. Still not raw, which according to its proponents will cure all kinds of chronic illnesses.

But it's illegal.

Think I'll move out to the country and set up an outlaw farm.

I drink Tab. Me and anorexic ballet dancers, no resemblance.

edit: of course, you're in Canada, no? so you don't get to ever enjoy raw milk

It can be done, but any farmer providing it risks prosecution.

I'm a bit more interested in WHY American milk would be said to suck. If it's health, drink skim. If it's taste, what about the taste, exactly?

The concept that any type of food or drink from the UK (excepting scant bell-curve items) is better than food or drink from, well, anywhere has always been pushed upon me as an impossibility. All by people FROM the UK.

The concept that any type of food or drink from the UK (excepting scant bell-curve items) is better than food or drink from, well, anywhere has always been pushed upon me as an impossibility. All by people FROM the UK.

Hey Lassus. Speaking of the UK, I'll be headed to Scotland instead of Iceland (just a bit too expensive this year) next month. Anything I absolutely shouldn't miss?

I'm a bit more interested in WHY American milk would be said to suck. If it's health, drink skim. If it's taste, what about the taste, exactly?

I don't know what it is, but the readily available stuff over there seems to be treated differently, such that it has a much richer and creamier flavor. It's possible that they're just skimming off a lot less of the fat during processing.

The concept that any type of food or drink from the UK (excepting scant bell-curve items) is better than food or drink from, well, anywhere has always been pushed upon me as an impossibility. All by people FROM the UK.

Apart from dairy (and certain beers), the only foods which the UK does better than North America are Fish & Chips, and Indian cuisine. Keep in mind that this isn't the opinion of a UK citizen, but merely the opinion of someone who has spent a ridiculous amount of time over there on business.

You forgot Diet Caffeine-Free Mountain Dew (although it's disturbingly unavailable in wide swaths of the U.S.).

Regional (non-)distribution of certain flavors, brands, etc. can be pretty off-putting. While I was going to grad school in Arizona in the early '80s, I found to my astonishment that there was no red cream soda of any kind to be had in the Phoenix area, period. A friend of mine who grew up there couldn't believe it, so we spent an entire day driving to all sorts of hole-in-the-wall groceries throughout the Valley ... nothing.

While living in North Little Rock in the late '80s, I remember coming across a flat of cans of store-brand vanilla cola at the nearest Kroger. I liked 'em a lot -- this was years before Coke started making a vanilla blend, I'm pretty sure (I stopped paying attention to such thing years ago, because as mentioned earlier, I can't drink anything carbonated anymore ... damned Crohn's disease) -- but it must've stemmed from some sort of shipping mistake, because they never showed up again. (Kroger is based in Cincinnati, I believe; maybe the blend was popular up there.)

And at the time, Diet Cherry Coke simply didn't exist in the Little Rock area. I used to buy multiple packs of it in Pine Bluff (40 miles or so down the highway) or Memphis (130-odd miles up the interstate) & bring 'em home. Same, as I recall, with Baton Rouge (which had it) & New Orleans (which didn't).

Go up to the highlands and hit the distilleries!

The Falkirk Wheel is worth a shout & Hadrians wall is nae far away if you're renting a car.

Apart from dairy (and certain beers), the only foods which the UK does better than North America are Fish & Chips, and Indian cuisine. Keep in mind that this isn't the opinion of a UK citizen, but merely the opinion of someone who has spent a ridiculous amount of time over there on business.

Used to be awful. But it's slowly improving, particularly in cities and with the explosion of "gastropubs". It's just hit and miss unless you know where the good local places are - but if you know where they are it's as good as anywhere.

The real difference is that your chain places, the oliver garden and red lobster equivalents, are no where near as good. Actually not as good is charitable. ####### abysmal would be more accurate.

London is fantastic for restaurants. Which is hardly a shocker. If money is burning a hole in your pocket you could go and experience "molecular gastronomy" at the Fat Duck and have some snail porridge.

Personally I'd pass. Though it's apparently not as bad as it sounds.

Hey Lassus. Speaking of the UK, I'll be headed to Scotland instead of Iceland (just a bit too expensive this year) next month. Anything I absolutely shouldn't miss?

I'm not Lassus, but you should really try Haggis at least once when you're over there - just make sure it's made in the traditional manner.

Also, make sure to head to Dufftown and take the tour of the GlenFiddich and Balvenie distilleries. Try to arrange the connoisseur's tour - it's about &25;per person, but you get your own guide, and if (at the end of the tour) you ask about the effect of the aging process on the viscosity of the scotch (with reference to a 30 year old bottle of GlenFiddich), you've got a decent chance of getting to try a 50 year old Balvenie.

And skip Fort George, unless you like torrential downpours.

EDIT: And see if you can grab a bottle of the Athel Brose.

Go up to the highlands and hit the distilleries!

The Falkirk Wheel is worth a shout & Hadrians wall is nae far away if you're renting a car.

We'll definitely hit the Highlands. The plan now is for a week in Glasgow and a week driving around the countryside in the north. That Falkirk Wheel thing is crazy looking. I'd never heard of it until your mention.

edit: Thanks Ryan. I'll be filling myself with scotch and heavy, for sure.

PEPSI MAX is ####### awesome. Much better than Coke Zero, which is to be expected given that Pepsi is better than Coke.

EDIT: And see if you can grab a bottle of the Athel Brose.

Is this not available in the States? I really want to find a couple of bottles I can't get here so I can show off for company.

There's all the usual museums and things in Glasgow. Falkirk is about half way between Edinburg and Glasgow. The former is a day trip as there are regular trains.

Inverness & Aviemore are the places in the Highlands. John O'Groats is nothing special just a few houses and a gift shop. I'd give it a miss unless you want to say you've been there.

119. alex perros gives up the ghost Posted: April 21, 2009 at 10:11 AM (#3146349)]
I forgot milk. Get mine from a local dairy. Still not raw, which according to its proponents will cure all kinds of chronic illnesses.

Who cares about the supposed disease curing? Raw milk, and for the most part any cheese made from raw milk, just tastes so much better.

Inverness & Aviemore are the places in the Highlands. John O'Groats is nothing special just a few houses and a gift shop. I'd give it a miss unless you want to say you've been there.

Even the guide books trash John O'Groats. There's stuff around there we want to see--peat bogs, Duncansby Head, etc. Is a day trip to Orkney worth the time?

Is this not available in the States? I really want to find a couple of bottles I can't get here so I can show off for company.

When I was last in Scotland (about 4 years ago), I was told that it wasn't available outside of Scotland (not even the rest of the UK). It's a really nice scotch liqueur.

If you're looking for traditional scotch which isn't available over here, then you can even just ask at one of the many World of Whiskey stores over there - the clerks are generally quite knowledgeable about what is available in each country (The ones at Heathrow are awesome for this).

Lassus, most people have covered what I was meaning.

In Japan, only minorly commercialized dairy farm milk is readily available in convenience stores and supermarkets.

While I'm sure the argument you make on behalf of dairy farmers is 100% true, most of us simply do not have access to fresh milk in the U.S.--as someone who goes through 3 gallons of milk a week, it's frustrating that American store bought milk tastes like water regardless of the fat content of it.

As an added issue, I like the way in Japan that whole milk is labeled by its actual fat content.

When I was last in Scotland (about 4 years ago), I was told that it wasn't available outside of Scotland (not even the rest of the UK). It's a really nice scotch liqueur.

I'll keep an eye out for it. I am very much looking forward to sampling the scotch.

In the supermarkets around where I live now (UK) half the milk on the shelves is Organic. Semi-Skimmed is what I usually end up getting.

Even the guide books trash John O'Groats. There's stuff around there we want to see--peat bogs, Duncansby Head, etc. Is a day trip to Orkney worth the time?

Sure. The scenery is nice and the boat ride is quite pleasant. The Ring of Brodgar is there as well.

Who cares about the supposed disease curing?

The diseased?

Raw milk cheese is good. Problem in the US is it's pretty much all wrapped in plastic, which deadens the flavor.

I fondly recall Dad's Root Beer as well. The can looked like WD-40 which is unintentionally dad-like.

I found a website a few months ago that had reviews of root beer from a national competition. A local brand (Hosmer Mountain) placed fourth.

Anyway, this is what they had to say about Dad's (ranked 32nd):

Mass-market root beer available nationwide. Originally a Chicago brand, it is now owned by Monarch Beverages of Atlanta, Georgia. Like many other mass-market brands, the dependable, middle-of-the-road taste has its merits: "Tastes great to me. Good root beer. Maybe I'm just real thirsty." "Spicy and bubbly with some bite. The flavor wasn't very strong, but the good fizz made up for it. Refreshing." However, some reviewers found this mainstream taste too boring: "Lackluster, and I had such expectations for this first one." "Tastes like root beer, but like someone added root beer flavoring to carbonated water." - Score: 3.18

FWIW, Barq's was ranked in the 50's. Mug, 29th. A & W, 10th. Hires, 2nd. Jones, 7th. IBC, 21st.

It's much more fun to read the list from the bottom up.

Hey Lassus. Speaking of the UK, I'll be headed to Scotland instead of Iceland (just a bit too expensive this year) next month. Anything I absolutely shouldn't miss?

Yes, Iceland. I've never been to Scotland, so I couldn't say. But if I were you, I wouldn't miss setting your lineups. Your fall has been precipitous.

When you get back, you should tell me what I shouldn't miss. I hear they have good golf courses, if you like that sort of thing. And, of course, even I've heard of the Highlands.


such that it has a much richer and creamier flavor. It's possible that they're just skimming off a lot less of the fat during processing.

Well, I understand this is a regional (American) taste on my part, but that just sounds a bit gross. I haven't had the impression that even the smaller dairies I've known or my aunt's farm gave me a lot of really creamy fat-laden milk.

Ultimately, it's more that the milk you guys favor is different. The fact that you don't like something doesn't make it empirically worse. ;-) AHOY, TEH INTERNETS!

FWIW, Barq's was ranked in the 50's. Mug, 29th. A & W, 10th. Hires, 2nd. Jones, 7th. IBC, 21st.

Shasta! Wow.

When you get back, you should tell me what I shouldn't miss.

Will do.

Liquids I consume the most of ... 1. Water 2. Beer 3. Skim milk 4. Diet Coke 5. Red Wine 6. Diet Barq's

And for those in search of a good caff-free diet drink, give Diet Barq's a shot. For years, the only place I could find it was a Stuckey's in Hattiesburg, MS, but now it seems to be more widely available.

My high-school football team's uniforms were orange, and when I was a freshman they supplied us with bottled Orange Crush on the sidelines. There was no sponsorship or anything. I think they just thought it would fire us up to see more orange or something. Anyhow, while I loved Orange Crush in a bottle, anything carbonated during a football game is--to quote Ron Burgundy--not a good choice. Almost all of us went for the water.

The fact that you don't like something doesn't make it empirically worse.

But sometimes it does. Like soda with sugar is better than soda with corn syrup. Non-homogenized milk tastes better. Cheese made from raw milk and handled properly. Produce straight from the garden over that shipped thousands of miles.

Industrialized food is not as good as non-industrialized food. The problem is how do you know when your entire experience of food runs through a factory?

Have fun in Scotland, Shooty. Hope to get back to the homeland sometime myself.

FWIW, Barq's was ranked in the 50's. Mug, 29th. A & W, 10th. Hires, 2nd. Jones, 7th. IBC, 21st.

I had some Boylan's last night and was thinking I forgot it on my list. It came out first! I am SO COOL.

I also had some of that LEVI's once that's swilling in around the bottom of that list, and it was like carbonated anti-freeze. I had blocked it out.


Industrialized food is not as good as non-industrialized food. The problem is how do you know when your entire experience of food runs through a factory?

I'm probably a bit grumpy this morning, so I'll apologize beforehand. And then:

Really? I mean, really? -stunned- Wow. I, I, I had NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT. My mind, she is blown. Who knew? Look, it's the whole world, in front of me, like I'd never seen it! So... beautiful... -weeps-

The diseased?

Well, much as I love raw milk, most of the disease curing claims are just a little bit exaggerated.

Kind of late to the party here, but the dairy farmer next to my elementary school swore up and down that you could make all kinds of changes in the flavor of milk by changing what the cows were eating.

Sprecher is my favorite Root Beer and along with some of their beer varieties, probably my favorite producer of beverages.

Kind of late to the party here, but the dairy farmer next to my elementary school swore up and down that you could make all kinds of changes in the flavor of milk by changing what the cows were eating.

Now I'm picturing wacky experiments, ranging from feeding cows pork carnitas to Fruity Pebbles.

Ultimately, it's more that the milk you guys favor is different. The fact that you don't like something doesn't make it empirically worse. ;-) AHOY, TEH INTERNETS!

Lassus Posted: April 20, 2009 at 06:14 PM (#3145968)

The best non-sugar, non-caffeine sodas:

Diet Dr. Brown's Diet Cherry and Diet Cream Soda
Diet A & W Root Beer
Sprite Zero
Diet Canada Dry Cherry Ginger Ale
Diet Sierra Mist

Diet 7up kind of sucks.

Snark aside, any beer from Sierra Nevada isn't empirically better than Coors Lite. The Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout isn't emprically better than Miller Lite. Budweiser Budvar isn't empirically better than American Budweiser.

Me personally, I like milk that actually tastes like milk. Just like I like cheese that actually tastes like cheese, instead of tasting like "cheese food". And beer that tastes like beer.

Raw milk = unpasteurized, yes?

That reminds me of when I was at a restaurant some years ago and the waiter asked me if I wanted my pork loin cooked medium rare. I realize that things have changed a lot, but I still would not drink unpasteurized milk.

Beverage quantities:
1. Water
2. Coffee
3. Beer
4. Squirt
5. Dr. Pepper
6. Coke

And beer that tastes like beer.

What does that have to do with Bud, Miller or Coors lite?

[Edit Comment]
146. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: April 21, 2009 at 11:29 AM (#3146470)
Kind of late to the party here, but the dairy farmer next to my elementary school swore up and down that you could make all kinds of changes in the flavor of milk by changing what the cows were eating.

Well, dairy farmers in other countries, and also cheese makers say the same thing: milk from a grass fed cow tastes different from milk from a cow fed soy for example.

1. Water
2. Soda (split like 1. Dr Pepper 2. Pepsi 3. Cherry Coke)
3. Milk
4. Beer
5. Energy Drinks

Yeah, a college student who's not a heavy drinker. Shocking! Also, no coffee for me thanks. Can't stand the taste.

Shasta! Wow.

If memory serves, the most popular root beer locally when I was a kid was Frosty's. Which seems to have placed middle-of-the-pack, at best. *sigh*

I also recall drinking Fanta Root Beer, which was OK.

Now I'm picturing wacky experiments, ranging from feeding cows pork carnitas to Fruity Pebbles.

This reminds me of a passage from Moby Dick describing the making of clam chowder with milk from a cow that feeds on fish remains.

Anyway, my liquids by volume

1. Water
2. Beer
3. Tea
4. Coffee
5. Vitamin Water
6. Diet Coke
7. V-8
8. Scotch
9. The tears of Yankee fans

Kind of late to the party here, but the dairy farmer next to my elementary school swore up and down that you could make all kinds of changes in the flavor of milk by changing what the cows were eating.

Most dairy herds here are grass fed FYI

Liquids by volume?

1 Water
2 Tea (iced, of course)
3 Coffee (cold -- I'd as soon drink antifreeze as hot anything, really)
4 Soymilk (usually in homemade frappucincos with the coffee)

That's pretty much all I can drink, I think, except occasionally fruit juice (but never citrus) or tomato juice. Stupid digestive system.

"That reminds me of when I was at a restaurant some years ago and the waiter asked me if I wanted my pork loin cooked medium rare."

I got a medium rare pork loin once, unrequested. I sent it back after the first bite, but was still sick as a dog for about a week, running out both ends.

Pigs are filthy animals. Too bad they're so tasty.

Mexican Coke (cane sugar and glass bottle) or if I don't want sugar,
Diet Coke w/Splenda (I don't like aspartame at all.)

As someone whose primary account profile mentions his love of diet soda, can't believe I almost missed this thread (I'm drinking a cheapo Diet Pepsi w/ Lime right now)...

* 37/Kosher Coke: Some areas have shortages of it around Passover time, etc... - so I'd avoid it in favor of something like Mexican Coke (probably not too hard to find). Definitely worth the substitution.
* RC's not that great, though better than Pepsi (because of the difference in sweeteners).
* Jarrito's lime is very good. Pineapple is decent too.
* If you're going to drink Dr. Brown's diet sodas, try to the cel-ray. Refreshing!

Cherry Coke is basically the best beverage created by man. Flawed. Phlegm issue.

I have no idea what this means.
* Coke Zero is easily the best diet cola - a quantum jump in quality. Pepsi One is interesting, though not particularly good - better than ole fashioned Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi(or Tab, which now makes me think of the Sarah Silverman Program). Coke0 aside, you're generally better off going with a flavored diet cola - the artificial flavor masks how different the product you're consuming is from the real thing. Though avoid Diet Lemon Pepsi - it's kinda Pledge-y. Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper is worth trying as well.
* Before I made the change to diet sodas some years ago, I drank a *lot* of root beer. I agree with the taste testers above in that Boylan's is (or at least may be) the best I've had, though I also liked a few that didn't fare as well, like Virgil's.
* I agree with Manny that aspartame should be avoided/minimized, but acesulfame potassium isn't as bad.

Well, dairy farmers in other countries, and also cheese makers say the same thing: milk from a grass fed cow tastes different from milk from a cow fed soy for example.

Napoleon Dynamite agrees.

I got a medium rare pork loin once, unrequested. I sent it back after the first bite, but was still sick as a dog for about a week, running out both ends.

Hrm, I've had medium rare pork any number of times. Just have to make sure it's at a well run place that gets quality meats and has a chef with a clue. Of course, my digestive system is best compared to that of a buzzard, so I'm probably not the best data point.

rfloh: Shut up shut up shut up shut up!

That being said, I admit I could have worded 78 less wrongly.

Pigs are filthy animals. Too bad they're so tasty.

My take's always been, 'Pigs are intelligent and sensitive animals. Too bad they're so tasty.'

But just thinking about worms infesting my body is enough to make me consider not eating them.

Pig fast.

This thread has made me decide to rediscover my love of root beer. Thanks, all.

Just like I like cheese that actually tastes like cheese, instead of tasting like "cheese food".

I don't have much cheese, but we've already asked the littleidioms to think about why the store would call one thing "cheese" and another "cheese food". If it were simply cheese, they would call it "cheese", right?

Cheese info:

Pasteurized process cheese: <43% moisture, >47% milkfat.
Pasteurized process cheese food: <44% moisture, >23% milkfat. (Also, >51% cheese.)
Pasteurized process cheese spread: 44-60% moisture, >20% milkfat. Spreadable at 70°F.
Pasteurized process cheese product: None of the above.

EDIT: And now I'm off to lunch.

Processed cheese sounds nasty.

Give me a hunk of mature chedder or stilton, thanks.

* Coke Zero is easily the best diet cola - a quantum jump in quality. Pepsi One is interesting, though not particularly good - better than ole fashioned Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi(or Tab, which now makes me think of the Sarah Silverman Program).

What do you think of Pepsi Max? I generally prefer that to Coke Zero, and for me it is pretty much the only diet cola that I like: I agree with you that the flavoured diet stuff is better.

Also, any recommendations for diet cream sodas?

Vernors uber alles. That is all.

"My take's always been, 'Pigs are intelligent and sensitive animals. Too bad they're so tasty.'"

They're just barely on the wrong* side of my "too smart to eat" line.

*From the perspective of the pig.

Also, any recommendations for diet cream sodas?

Dr. Brown's is really good, very smooth, I recommend it highly. All the other brands I've tried (A&W;, Boylan's, some others) have a particularly saccharin or otherwise over-sweet aftertaste.

I think Pepsi Max is a lot like Pepsi One, but a skotch better.
Diet cream: I'll second Dr. Brown's. I remember liking Faygo's Diet Red Cream as well, but diet sodas have come a long way since I last had it.
As for Vernors, well, I'm not from Michigan/N.Ohio so blech.

the only foods which the UK does better than North America are Fish & Chips, and Indian cuisine

Having spent the last eight months in Ontario and Michigan, I am completely convinced that the fresh fruit and vegetables one finds in a London supermarket have better flavour than their equivalents here. Tomatoes, in particular, are poor here, even if you buy them a week ahead of eating, like I did in London.

I agree UK cheese is better than here, but only if you splash out on the more mature varieties.

Fresh poultry's better there, beef and pork here. Eggs are better here. Bacon there, deli stuff here. There's just no comparison on bread—I'm surprised people here accept the rubbish that offered. Bake your own.

British instant coffee is way better. Surprisingly, I prefer the tea here. Supermarket ground coffee is better in Britain, but even there it's preferable to drink imported Italian brands.

But almost all food is better on the European continent than North America or Britain.

Edit: Here = North America, for now.

coke > RC > pepsi

But then i grew up overseas on the real-sugar kind and live in LA where i can still get the Mexican made stuff when I want cola.

Don't drink a lot of soda these days because of the calories and sugar and just can't stomach any of the sugar-free/diet crap at all.

When I do drink soda, however, I prefer an ice cold Sanpellegrino Aranciata.

Nothing else comes close.

Having spent the last eight months in Ontario and Michigan, I am completely convinced that the fresh fruit and vegetables one finds in a London supermarket have better flavour than their equivalents here. Tomatoes, in particular, are poor here, even if you buy them a week ahead of eating, like I did in London.

If you're looking for good produce in North America, then you should do whatever you can to find a good European supermarket. A couple have opened up in my area recently, and they're far ahead of all the other supermarkets in the area - I'm not sure if it's a matter of them getting better (fresher?) produce, or that they just do a much better job of handling and storing it. Either way, the stuff seems to last longer, and generally be in better condition.

There's just no comparison on bread—I'm surprised people here accept the rubbish that offered.

The same applies for bread - find a good European supermarket, or a local bakery.

after water, i guess i go:

1. gatorade/vitamin water (i run a lot)
2. beer
3. wine
4. coffee (2 cups coffee/chicory every morning)
5. milk
6. iced tea
7. sodas

big dropoff in consumption after 4.

The most disappointing phrase I hear in restaurants is "We serve Pepsi. Is that okay?" when I order a Coke.

That's better than when they don't ask and just bring a Pepsi, which is what usually happens.

The same applies for bread - find a good European supermarket, or a local bakery.

Oh, no question.

In general, I'll tend toward buying quality or buying cheap/quick/lo-cal, as opposed to intermediate approaches. For example, there are two loaves of bread in my house: one from here, a bakery near my work, the other a 40-calorie per slice, pumped full of preservatives, made with soy flour thing.

Of course the real reason that US soft drinks use corn syrup instead of sugar is because of the price. Why is corn syrup cheaper? We can thank the sugar cartel for that, the price of sugar in the US is something like 2-3 times what the world price is. This is done with lots of tariffs on importing sugar. They get away with this because people think to themselves, "How much sugar do i buy, it's no big deal..." We're stuck with corn syrup so that American sugar companies can get rich. Incidentally, this is also why ethanol in this country is a disaster. Anyway... rant off...

Interesting thread I missed.

Cost is one , but not the only big reason, you see HFCS in food and beverages, the other is product consistency, stability and even preservation. Shelf stable products are demanded by the public more than fresh products. You'd be shocked to see how many products have HFCS as an ingredient instead of sugar. I bet you 50-75% of the products in your pantry have it that came in a box or bag or jar. Hell, even my 100% whole grain wheat bread has it.

I see nobody has mentioned Pepsi Natural yet. About a month or so ago, Pepsi rolled out a glass bottled cola Pepsi Natural, featuring real sugar. My Target has it.

The reality is, people get accustomed to familiar tastes and even though sugar is better, people will choose the familiar HFCS versions in this country. Take Diet Coke for example, just about everyone agrees Coke Zero is superior in taste, but Diet Coke remains far more popular, why? People have come to expect the slightly metallic aftertaste you get from aspartame. Sucralose (Splenda) tastes better in general, but when you are talking about a product that has been around for awhile, you are better off not messing with the taste, even if it is better. Diet Mt Dew, a drink many think is the best tasting diet soda uses a sucralose blend.

Is a day trip to Orkney worth the time?

I would say yes. For one thing, the Highland Park distillery is there. Beyond that, there's some really cool neolithic stuff. And the Italian Chapel.

Italian Chapel

I had read about this before we went to Scotland, so I was aware that it was a Quonset hut. But I tell you, when we went inside, I was convinced that I had misunderstood what I had read. Obviously the Italian POWs had put real tiles on the wall, because standing just a few feet from them, I could tell they were real.

And then I looked a bit harder, and realized that it was all paint. Absolutely amazing stuff.