Herring Under a Fur Coat

Today I will be celebrating New Year's Day by gathering with family and friends.  Half of my family comes from strong German roots and in a nod to that every January 1st we partake in eating Pork and Saurkraut which is said to bring good luck for the new year.  I have always taken this tradition for granted accepting that it was what everyone did on January 1st.  It wasn't until recently that I realized that this tradition is common only in a few places around the world, south central Pennsylvania being one of them.  In this blog post I examine ten different traditional and good luck bringing foods from around the world, some of them you have heard of but many will probably seem strange and unfamiliar.


(Note:  Some of the countries below do not celebrate their new year on January 1st as the U.S. and many western nations using the the Julian calendar do.  I understand this but have chosen to include them regardless.)

Germany:  Pork and Saurkraut

I was brought up on this stuff.  As a child I refused to eat Saurkraut but now that I am older I enjoy and look forward to it. The effect that Saurkraut has on you when it first touches your palate is reminiscent of putting your tongue on a 9 volt battery.  It kinda hurts but after a while you get used to it...please be aware I do not advise readers to eat or lick batteries.  There wasn't much to do in rural Pennsylvania as a child...don't judge.

Ireland: Corned Beef Hash and Cabbage

The other half of my lineage is Irish, so I thought it only right to mention Ole Eire in this post.  Despite my Irish roots, the first time I had Corned Beef Hash and Cabbage was New Years Day 2013.  I enjoyed the way the dish tasted but I was nervous about the saltiness of it.  I always tend to steer clear of meats that are salted which pretty much means all the meats ending in -ami are right out.  Although it isn't spelled Corned Beefami my sodium chloride sense was tingling, so New Years Day will almost inevitably be the only day I ever have the dish.

France:  Crepes and Fresh Baked Goods

Leave it to the French to bring in the new year by eating dessert.  I never thought I'd say it but I think that French finally got one right.  Out of all the foods on this list this seems like the runaway for tastiest and most delectable.  Searching for the proper picture had my mouth watering Mmmm Mmmm.  Crepes...Why did it have to be Crepes?

Brazil:  Lentils 

This is the part of the list where the cuisine being discussed will probably become unfamiliar to most American's.  I have encountered lentils before in Indian food but for those who are not accustom to them I have provided a handy explanation.

Definition:  

noun

plural noun: lentils

1. a high-protein pulse that is dried and then soaked and cooked before eating.  There are several varieties of lentils, including green ones and smaller orange ones, which are typically sold split.

2. the plant that yields lentils, native to the Mediterranean and Africa and grown also for fodder.

So as you can see Lentils are a high protein pulse, which I realize is not that good of an explanation.  The closest thing I can liken them to are beans, though I don't know if they are anything like beans on a anatomic level. Brazilians prepare Lentils in many was including: soup, with rice, and with squash.

Macedonia and Eastern Europe:  Pork Cabbage Rolls 

This is the third time in the this post that Cabbage has appeared in one way or another.  Its place in European New Year's celebrations in uncontested.  Cabbage rolls are a food that is enjoyed throughout the year in many Eastern European nations but the addition of pork is considered a staple for New Years Day celebrations.

India:  Puri and Shrikhand 

Indian Puri is a small wheat cake that is shaped into a circular biscuit or roll.  It is often served as a breakfast dish but on New Year's Day it is commonly paired with Shrikhand which is a sweet yogurt flavored with saffron, cardamom, nuts, and fresh fruit.

Japan:  Osechi Ryori

I would recommend taking a break from reading this post now to search for some more images of Osechi Ryori (and to officially subscribe to this blog).  Osechi Ryori is an amazing dish to look at, it is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.  Osechi Royori is traditionally served in a special box called a Jubako and there are numerous variations of food that can be ordered in each box.  Foods that are commonly included are: lobster, black beans, pickled vegetables, sweets, seaweed, sardines, eggs, prawns, bream, and rice.  There are many other foods that can be included in these boxes and as the picture above shows there is no shortage of choices.

Spain, Mexico, and Latin America:  Grapes 

In many countries with Spanish heritage it is tradition to eat 12 grapes on New Years Eve.  This practice dates back to the late 19th century when vineyard owners pushed the ritual in order to sell more grapes.  It is customary to eat one grape on each of the 12 clock strikes on December 31st when welcoming in the new year.  So I guess technically this is a New Years Eve food but ohh well.  

                           

Iran:  Polow

There is not much information available on why this is traditionally thought of as a New Years dish but from what I was able gather Polow usually consists of; Persian rice, vegetables, and a type of meat. Depending on where the dish is being served the meat varies between fish, beef, chicken, and lamb.  

Russia:  Russian Herring Salad  

The final New Year's cuisine is the Russian Herring Salad which also wins the award for most heinous looking food on the list.  In Russia, New Years is the biggest holiday of the year.  Even larger than Christmas or Easter.  This meal is also known as Dressed Herring, Fur Coat, or Herring Under a Fur Coat (that is what I will call it from now on).  Herring Under a Fur Coat consists of herring covered with layers beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, mayonnaise, and apples.  The purple color is the result of beet root mixed with mayonnaise but I personally don't trust it.  Finally, the dish is garnished with egg yoke and chives.  This dish is usually served in the "Zakuski"or appetizer phase of holiday meals, which is probably the best place for it because it makes whatever follows looks all the more eatable.


Alright Bloggers, I Hope you enjoyed the 10 picture world tour, get out there and try some new food in 2014!!! Even if it's Herring Under a Fur Coat and have a Happy New Year!!!






Sources: 

http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/taste/Country_Pork_-n-_Sauerkraut.jpg.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/corned-beef-hash-a.jpg 

http://strawberrysue.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Strawberry-and-Cream-French-Crepe-Recipe.jpg

http://susandayley.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/lentils.jpg

http://www.enjoyyourcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/shuba.jpg

http://amuseinmykitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/bowlofrolls.jpg

http://www.jamvanu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Gujarati-Food-Puri-and-Shrikhand-Dinner-Menu-Lunch-Menu-Home-Cooked.jpg

http://cdn.norecipes.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/01/osechi-2.jpg

http://www.thenumber1.com/Files/af3dd952-5ba2-4c38-9c8f-791d19e63d17.jpg

http://p-ec1.pixstatic.com/523091b9697ab05332006515._w.540_s.fit_.jpg

Keys and Legends #3: Best of 2013

One of my favorite sites to visit when I'm in need of a good mapfix is the Wired.com Map Lab.  Today when I visited their site I was delighted to see that they had a new article about the best maps of 2013.  Included in the article are 15 of best maps that this year has to offer and let me tell you, looking at them made me feel like a duck in water, a pig in mud, a kangaroo in the Outback, a crocodile in the Nile, a capybara in...well, you get the picture. I was pleased. 

 I have included the link to the article below.  Some of the maps featured in the article are just still images but others are interactive maps which I encourage you to click on and play around with, to appreciate their beauty if nothing else.  My favorites are maps 3, 7, and 14.  Map three is a map of hurricane and cyclone paths since 1842.  It is not interactive but in my opinion it doesn't need to be.  The image is simple yet increasingly elegant. The pale blue hue of the ocean and continents contrasted with an iridescent white that represents the storms results in a truly powerful and educational image.  Map seven is again a work of art, it represents wind patterns and velocity, but unlike map 3 it is more complex and is bustling with information.  What is the best part you ask? It is that this entire map is updated every three hours with the newest information available. Please do yourself a favor and explore on this interactive gem.  Map fourteen is the oldest map on the list and may be the one I love the most.  It was created in 1817 and is a detailed side by side comparison of the earth's major rivers.  It is drawn by hand and is the type of aesthetic work you don't see this day and age.  The best part about this map however, is that it is wrong.  When this map was published in 1817 the information it depicted was fact but today with the advent of satellites we are able to better measure and view the paths of rivers which has proven many statements on this map false.  An example is that this map declares that the longest rivers are the Amazon (3375mi), Missouri (3365mi), and Yang'tse Kiang (2990mi).  In reality the longest rivers are the Nile(4132mi), Amazon (3976mi), Yang'tse Kiang (3917mi), and the Missouri (3902mi) .  

 If you enjoy these maps half as much as I did you will feel better than a buffalo in Idaho, a tapir in Myanmar, a cockatooti in Djibouti, a… Sorry, Sorry, I got carried away again…Here is the link: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/maplab/#slideid-472381. Have fun exploring!

  Map of Cyclone and Hurricane Paths...Beautiful  

Map of the Roads Added to Open Street Map in 2013

Meet Your Maker

I want you to imagine that you are at the movie theater and you are watching the newest blockbuster hit.  Now fast-forward to part of the movie where all heck is breaking loose.  The hero is in the midst of a life or death struggle to save his family and the world as we know it.  Tensions are high, and the stakes are higher.  There is no dialog during this scene, but there are two things.  There is action and there is music.

The scene I just described to you could probably be taken from one of a hundred adventure or superhero movies. It seems that there are times in cinema when actions and music speak louder than words.   If you don’t believe me let’s try another example.  Now I want you to picture yourself at a different movie.  The main character has tried their hardest, done everything within their power to succeed, and yet still things don’t go their way.  Perhaps it is the death of a loved one, a breakup, or lost fortune.  These are some of the most emotional heart wrenching moments that you find in movies but now imagine watching that same scene on mute.  Does the emotion of the scene hit you? Are you affected at all?  My guess is that if you watch the scene with volume it will be many times more emotional and real than if you watch it without sound.

When I was in middle school I had a brilliant music teacher who used this very technique to show my peers and me just how important music was when trying to convey emotions.  It doesn’t matter if that emotion is fear, sadness, joy, or epicness, music is able to transcend genres.  From my eighth grade music class I learned to respect music’s place in movies and now when I critique a movie the effectiveness of the music is one of the major areas I observe.  My sister works at a local movie theater so I am able to see a lot of free movies and hear many film scores.  From watching all these movies something troubling is becoming apparent to me.  What is this troubling issue you may ask? It is that many of the big pictures, the most popular films of the last few years seem to have similar sounding scores.  This notion got me to thinking, “who exactly is composing the music that we hear?” Is the music in major films the product of many different composers with maybe a few repeats? Or are there a few dominant players who control the industry?  Below are the results of what I found… 

 (Lists appear with film first followed by composer of film score)

Highest Grossing Films of 2013

1.       Iron Man 3 – Brian Tyler

2.       The Hunger Games: Catching Fire –James Newton Howard

3.       Despicable Me 2 – Pharrell Williams

4.       Man of Steel- Hans Zimmer

5.       Monsters University- Randy Newman

6.       Gravity- Steven Price

7.       Fast & Furious 6- Lucas Vidal

8.       Oz the Great and Powerful –Danny Elfman

9.       Star Trek Into Darkness – Michael Giacchino

10.   Frozen *- Kristen Anderson Lopez/Robert Lopez

*The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is likely to be in the top 10 bumping out Frozen.  This soundtrack was conducted by Howard Shore

Highest Grossing Films of 2012

1.       The Avengers- Alan Silvestri

2.       Dark Knight Rises- Hans Zimmer

3.       Hunger Games- James Newton Howard

4.       Skyfall- Thomas Newman

5.       The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey –Howard Shore

6.       Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2- Carter Burwell

7.       Amazing Spider-Man- James Horner

8.       Brave- Patrick Doyle

9.       Ted- Walter Murphy

10.   Madagascar 3- Hans Zimmer

Highest Grossing Films of 2011

1.       Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – Alexandre Desplat

2.       Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Steve Jablonsky

3.       Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 – Carter Burwell

4.       Hangover Part II – Christophe Beck

5.       Pirates of the Carribbean: On Stranger Tides- Hans Zimmer

6.       Fast Five- Brian Tyler

7.       Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol – Michael Giacchino

8.       Cars 2- Michael Giacchino

9.       Sherlock Holms: Game of Shadows- Hans Zimmer

10.   Thor- Patrick Doyle

Highest Grossing Films 2010

1.       Toy Story 3- Randy Newman

2.       Alice in Wonderland – Danny Elfman

3.       Iron Man 2- John Debney

4.       Twilight Saga Eclipse- Howard Shore

5.       Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1- Alexandre Desplat

6.       Inception – Hans Zimmer

7.       Despicable Me – Pharrell Williams

8.       Shrek Forever After – Harry Gregson-Williams

9.       How to Train Your Dragon – John Powell

10.   Tangled – Alan Menken  

The Breakdown (Number of Movies per Composer)

6  Hans Zimmer (Inception, Man of Steel, Madagascar 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Dark Knight Rises, Sherlock Holms Game of Shadows)

3  Howard Shore (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

3  Michael Giacchino (Cars 2, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness)

2  Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2)

2  Brian Tyler (Fast Five, Iron Man 3)

2  Carter Burwell (Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Part 2)

2  Danny Elfman (Oz the Great and Powerful, Alice in Wonderland)

2  James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire)

2  Patrick Doyle (Thor, Brave)

2  Pharrell Williams (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2)

2  Randy Newman (Monsters University, Toy Story 3)

1  Alan Menken (Tangled)

1  Alan Silvestri (The Avengers)

1  Christophe Beck (Hangover Part 2)

1  Harry Gregson Williams (Shrek Forever After)

1  James Horner (Amazing Spider-Man)

1  John Debney (Iron Man 2)

1  John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon)

1  Kristen Anderson Lopez/Robert Lopez (Frozen)

1  Lucas Vidal (Fast and Furious 6)

1  Steve Jablonsky (Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen)

1  Steven Price (Gravity)

1  Thomas Newman (Skyfall)

1  Walter Murphy (Ted)

Results

Twenty-four different composers have been responsible for creating the scores of the 40 highest grossing films of the 2010’s (Highest 41 if you include The Desolation of Smaug).  That number works out to about 1.7 films conducted per each of the twenty-four composers on the list.  That stat in and of itself is not bad.  There are a few composers like Hans Zimmer that lead the pack and plenty of composers with only a single film to their credit but on a standard distribution curve these numbers would plot quite nicely.  There is however more to this story than meets the eye and that comes in the form of the film score production studio: “Remote Control Productions.”  You see many times composers act as their own bosses making deals to do films with music studios or being selected by directors (ex: John Williams and Steven Spielberg) but sometimes composers work for film score studios of which Remote Control Productions is an example.

What sets Remote Control Studios apart from other production studios is that it is massive and that it is owned by non-other than Hans Zimmer the number one man on our list.  Remote Control Studios employees not 10, 20, or 30, but over 50 composers who are constantly working on movie scores and in addition to that they produce music for films which they are not directly composing.  Many of the composers who are employed at Remote Control Studios have become very successful and are on the list I created above. This includes:  James Newton Howard, John Powell, Steve Jablonsky, Henry Gregson Williams and production for Pharrell Williams.  So let’s see what the results look like when we factor in all music that goes through Hans Zimmer and his studio.

6  Hans Zimmer (Inception, Man of Steel, Madagascar 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Dark Knight Rises, Sherlock Holms Game of Shadows)

2  James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire)

2  Pharrell Williams (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2)

1  Harry Gregson Williams (Shrek Forever After)

1 John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon)

1  Steve Jablonsky (Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen)

- - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

13 Films with Music Scored by Remote Control Studios

These results mean that out of the 41 highest grossing movies of the past four years over 31% of them have been created or produced in some way by Hans Zimmer.  This is an impressive feat but at the same time I feel like it leaves room for concern. I am a big fan of Zimmer’s work especially in the Pirates of the Caribbean series but I feel like since that it has been slipping some.  Could we have a case of quantity over quality?  Moreover, is it possible that because of Zimmer’s great success other composers are borrowing his style to create the popular sound that “everyone” wants to hear?  I don’t know the answer, but what I do know is that when nearly a third of the music in popular movies sounds the same people are going to start to get bored and that will usher in change.  The question really is will Remote Control Studios be part of the change or a casualty of it?

                                    

                                      The Face of Movie Music  (Actually Kinda Unsettling) 

Sources:

http://www.hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=rcprod

http://boxofficemojo.com
http://www.btlnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/LR-Hans-Zimmer.jpg

White Christmas (Keys and Legends #2)

Merry Christmas Bloggers!!!  Odds are that like myself you are experiencing a Christmas that is less frozen and snow covered than you would like.  Here in south central Pennsylvania during the last two weeks we have received a foot of snow only to have it melt during three freakish 60 degree days that were followed by a rain storm.  So despite it being a brisk 26 degrees outside there is not a snowflake to be had.  In the last ten years I can only remember three Christmases in which snow was on the ground and only one in which it was actually snowing.  This got me to thinking...If it is so hard to come by the fabled white Christmas in south central PA where would a person have to be in the U.S. to avoid disappointment?


Below are two maps; one from USA Today with data from the National Climate Data Center and the other from Climate Central made using data acquired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  As one would expect these maps show that areas with higher elevation, higher latitude, and those areas prone to lake effect are the most likely to experience a Christmas that is white.  If you are a resident of the Rocky Mountains / Catskills or Northern Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Washington, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Montana, or Washington you are 90% certain to experience a white Christmas.  Contrastingly, if you are a resident of the deep south or Florida you are more than likely outta luck. (Sorry Key West!).


As a side note you can see that these two maps are displaying more or less the same information. They both show high and low probability of snow in the same areas but the map from USA Today is considerately easier to interpret.  The reason for this is that the USA Today map uses a qualitative color scheme.  This means that the colors for each percentage are very different from their neighbors. (Example: the 26-40% range is a dark blue while the 41-50% range is gray.)  This qualitative approach makes it easier for the eye to pickup on subtle changes especially in congested areas with a lot of change like Colorado or Nevada.  The Climate Central map uses a sequential color scheme which means that you start with one color hue and change its saturation level as the percentages it represents change.  In this case the darkest blue is no snow and the lightest blue - white is a very high percentage of snow.  The sequential color scheme is a perfectly fine scheme in its own right but is not best suited for a map with complex changes such as this one. 

So have a Merry White Christmas to those of you in the north and better luck next year to the rest of you, may the odds be ever in your favor.

Map of Snow Fall Percentages from USA Today (Over the Last 30 Years)

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/climate/whitcmas.htm

Map of Snow Fall Percentages from Climate Central (Averages from 1981-2010)

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/new-map-shows-where-odds-highest-for-white-christmas-16879

PopChartLab

I was recently scouring the web for unique maps when I stumbled upon a website called Pop Chart Lab (popchartlab.com).  Pop Chart Lab is a site whose primary function is to design and sell posters, but these posters are not the kind you would find in a Walmart or Target.  The posters at Pop Chart Lab are what results when graphic designers, mapheads, and nerds decide to hangout and make posters.  Surprisingly, the final products are nothing short of stunning.  Tackling the subjects of pop culture, food, technology, and beer the posters manage to walk a fine line between aesthetically pleasing and tantalizingly informative.  Whether in the form of a map, infograph, or chart there is certain to be a poster of interest for just about everybody:   From the beer connoisseur to fashion guru, the cheese wizz to the techie.  

Below are a few of my favorites: 

(visit the links for a zoomed in image)

Well, Eh, How About a Little Red Leicester...

http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints/products/the-charted-cheese-wheel

I Appear To Have My Work Cutout For Me

http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints-drink/products/breweries-of-the-united-states

In A Playground Is Where He Spent Most Of His Days

http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints-music-and-movies/products/migratory-patterns-of-fresh-princes

A Walk In The Woods

A snow storm came through south central PA recently and I couldn't resist taking my camera for a walk.  All of these pictures were taken using my IPhone 5 and were polished with the help of Instagram. 

Fun Facts: 

-People buy more cakes, cookies and candies than any other food when a blizzard is in the forecast.

-A blizzard occurs when you can’t see for 1/4 mile. The winds are always 35 miles an hour or more. The storm must last at least 3 hours to be classed as a blizzard. If any of these conditions are less, it is only a snowstorm.

-An average snowflake is made up of 180 billion molecules of water.

Tickle Your Innards

It’ll Tickle Your Innards.

As far as company slogans go this has to be my favorite.  To what company does this outrageous line belong you may ask?  A laxative manufacture? Or Perhaps the creators of the next Elmo Doll? Nay, wrong on both accounts.   This gem belonged to the beverage Mountain Dew when it was first released by Pepsi in 1965 (The full slogan was: “Yahoo Mountain Dew…It’ll Tickle Your Innards).

 I was first inspired to write this post when visiting a Taco Bell.  Upon ordering I found myself at the soda dispenser faced with the conundrum of selecting a beverage with which to wash down my delectable Crunch Wrap Supreme.  The selection was not as difficult as one may expect.  I did what any self-respecting Taco Bell connoisseur would.  I went for the Mountain Dew Baja Blast (MDBB).  A soda so sugary and so pure, that some liken it a nectar of life.  MDBB is a style of Mountain Dew only found at Taco Bell establishments its flavor is tropical lime and it has been scientifically proven to accentuate and compliment the Taco Bell flavors. 

As I was savoring this tropical limey cacophony of tastes it occurred to me that there may be other flavors of Mountain Dew that were sold exclusively like Baja Blast or that there could be some flavors that were no longer in circulation.  Upon doing some research I was rewarded with the  list of current and past Mountain Dews….which is simply incredible….Brace yourself…

The List:

·         Mountain Dew

·         Caffeine Free Mountain Dew

·         Diet Mountain Dew

·         Mountain Dew Red

·         Diet Mountain Dew Red

·         Caffeine Free Diet Mountain Dew

·         Mountain Dew Sport

·         Diet Mountain Dew Sport

·         Mountain Dew Code Red

·         Diet Mountain Dew Code Red

·         Mountain Dew Live Wire

·         Mountain Dew Pitch Black

·         Mountain Dew Baja Blast

·         Mountain Dew Pitch Black II

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel

·         Mountain Dew Supernova

·         Mountain Dew Revolution

·         Mountain Dew Voltage

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel: World of Warcraft Horde Red

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel: World of Warcraft Alliance Blue

·         Diet Mountain Dew Ultra Violet

·         Mountain Dew Throwback

·         Mountain Dew Cherry Fusion

·         Mountain Dew Distortion

·         Mountain Dew Typhoon

·         Mountain Dew White Out

·         Mountain Dew Flare

·         Mountain Dew Crave

·         Diet Mountain Dew Supernova

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel: Cherry Citrus

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel: Tropical

·         Mountain Dew Dark Berry

·         Mountain Dew Johnson City Gold

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel: Cherry Citrus Halo 4

·         Mountain Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus

·         Mountain Dew Kickstart Fruit Punch

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel: Cherry-Citrus Dead Rising 3

·         Mountain Dew Game Fuel: Electrifying Berry

·         Mountain Dew Kickstart Black Cherry

·         Mountain Dew Kickstart Limeade

This list is comprised of flavors only available in the United States and does not account for any Slurpee or energy drink flavors.  That makes 40 different varieties of Mountain Dew created to date with 16 currently in production in the United States.  I have only tried five of the various flavors and I tip my hat to anyone who has sampled even half of this carbonated cornucopia.  In closing I would like to thank liquor, because without it there would be no Mountain Dew which was originally developed when two brothers from Tennessee didn’t think that was a good enough mixer on the market and decided to create their own.  Incidentally, Mountain Dew is slang for moonshine.  

                                           

                                              Innard Ticklin Goodness in Every Bottle 

                          Perhaps the Slogan Should Have Been "Taste the Rainbow"