It’s the clear bubbly beverage your mom would give you as a child when you had an upset stomach or fever.  7 Up is part of America, but the classic citrus soft drink which almost disappeared from stores is fighting to make a come back. 7 Up, with its lemon line flavor, was created by Charles Lepier Gregg in St. Louis.  Having great success with his Howdy Orange Drink, Gregg turned his focus to lemons and limes.  After more than 2 years and 11 different formulas, he had his drink: a caramel colored “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda.” Try selling that to a marketing agency, today! It was released two weeks before the stock market crash of 1929, and amazingly, the drink sold well. In 1935, the color was changed to clear, and the brand name to 7 Up..  Early ads promised “Seven natural flavors blended into a savory, flavory with a real whallop.” By the late 1940’s, 7 Up was the third best selling soft drink in the world! The recipe has been reformulated multiple times since the original launch.  It once contained a mood stabilizing drug, but that was removed in the 1950s.  The latest change was in 2006, when it rebranded itself as “all natural”–although after a few law suit threats the tagline was changed. Now it contains “100% natural flavors.” A common myth is that the name 7 Up represents the seven ingredients in the drink while another says that the ph is over 7. Both claims are untrue, and the real reason for the name is a mystery. The 7 Up brand has changed hands several times over the years.  In 1978 it was purchased by Philip Morris (the cigarette people), before being sold to an investment group in 1986. ...

We’ve crossed into February and are about to hit the most brutal month of winter. Fortunately for me, I’ll be toasty warm thanks to my old Starter jacket! Read on as I reveal the secret to its long life! Now to be fair, I don’t have one of those super flashy ones with a thousand different colors that only look good with a pair of Zubaz pants. But, a decade and a half later, mine still looks as pristine the day I got it! Starter jackets were all the rage in the 1980’s & 90’s. Kids in my generation would beg their parents to pony up $150 for one, to show allegiance to a sports team, that in most cases, they aren’t even a fan of. There were several different designs of Starter jackets and all were popular. There are the satin baseball button up style, the heavy winter parka ski jacket style, and the pullover with a large front fanny pocket style. While some were mainly sold in simple team colors, others had neon, or loud patterns, and giant logo designs. Some varieties had one giant team logo covering the whole jacket.  Most also featured a half side zipper that allowed for easy access to your front jeans pocket. Some game officials would also use that opening to clip on a microphone battery pack. They were available for pretty much every team, in every sport, from pro to college. The popularity of the jackets hit their height in the early 90’s, when big time rap stars could be seen sporting them in music videos. It didn’t matter if it was 100° and they were lounging by a pool, it was still cool to be sporting their Starter jacket. At one point during the 90s, the jackets became a major status...