7-up cans

The one on the left is the 7-up can used in the United States. On the right, the Canadian version. (I think the rest of the world uses the design on the right as well.) 

The U.S. design is holding on to the shadows and highlights that are typical of 2000s design while the other can has flattened and simplified the design. I'm particularly fond of the red dot doing double duty.

Update: In the comments, Mark Simonson calls my attention to an article on the new 7-up design and expresses a preference for the 1977 version of the can.

This sent me on a Google search that turned up an even more extensive history of the 7-up cans -- plus histories of Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper and more.

Radio drama lives

I enjoy "old time" radio programs. In the 1990s, a big band music radio station -- KLBB AM1400 -- played an hour of radio drama every weeknight at 9 p.m. "Fibber McGee and Molly," "The Jack Benny Program," "The Shadow," "The Third Man," "Lum and Abner," "Lights Out," "The Black Museum," "The Whistler," "The Lone Ranger," and "The Burns and Allen Show." It was a wonderful way to wind down the day.

And there are many podcasts and downloadables of old radio shows available on the Internet.

But I wanted to pay tribute to modern-day podcasters who manufactured their own hour of original radio drama.

In episode #133, on April Fools Day 2013, of "The Incomperable" podcast, Jason Snell and his merry band of enthusiasts paid loving tribute to radio drama. It's well worth a listen. With sly references to everything from Orson Wells' "War of the Worlds" to "The Shadow" to "Nancy Drew" to "Dr. Who" to embeded show-sponsor advertising to (and this cracked me up to no end) the catch phrase of one of "The Incomparable's" podcast members. (Scott McNulty's "Hello-o-o-o!")

Thank you to "The Incomparable" for bringing back those thrilling days of yesteryear.