Coca-Cola came to town.

Pepsi-Cola shot him down.

Dr Pepper fixed him up.

Now they all drink 7-Up.

—   I remember this childhood rhyme from standing at the bus stop in the early 1980’s.  (I was pretty amused when Mikey Wagner rattled it off one cold morning.)  There are a number of variations to it, including one that is apparently unique to Britain.

I usually avoid soda entirely — my dentist had a couple of things to say about how bad it is for the teeth.  (It’s not the sugar; it’s the drink’s acidic effects on enamel.)  But tonight I indulged in a Dr Pepper anyway.  Hey, it’s my favorite, and Roanoke is the Dr Pepper Capital of the world.

Oh, by the way, I only learned tonight from the article linked above that the beverage is correctly spelled  “Dr Pepper,” with the period left off of the “Dr” part of the name.  Weird world.