Coke, soda, or pop?
In the South it's called Coke, even when it's Pepsi. Many in Boston say tonic. A precious few even order a fizzy drink. But the debate between those soft drink synonyms is a linguistic undercard in the nation's carbonated war of words. The real battle: pop vs. soda. ~ Read the full story ~

Collecting the HARD way 
While the odds of being hit by a meteorite are literally astronomical, a British teenager in North Yorkshire told the BBC that one struck her on the foot. Siobhan Cowton said she saw the stone fall "from above roof height" just before it hit her. "It looked very unusual, with a bubbled surface and tiny indentations like volcanic lava...and it was quite hot," said Cowton. Earth impact specialist Dr. Benny Peiser of Liverpool John Moores University told the Daily Mail that the object could have come from Mars, or could be billions of years old from when the solar system was forming. Cowton say that she plans to have the walnut-sized stone mounted in a presentation case so she can keep it for the rest of her life.
Shared by Cecil Munsey

Our NEW SITE! 
All archived newsletters are now located at the new site: thesodafizz.com. All of the previous Fizz, up to September 2002, will remain at the old site, but can still be accessed from links in the new site, so all the information is still available. Enjoy!

New bottles or cans, or anything soda, in your area ?
Please send the info so all of us can know @ WhatsNew@thesodafizz.com

September 20 - 21 (Friday - Saturday) Jacksonville, Florida
Antique Bottle Collectors of North Florida's 35th Annual Show & Sale
(Sat. 8am-3pm, early admission Fri. 6-9pm & Sat. 7-8am)
at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge
5530 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida
Info: Wayne Harden, 3867 Winter Berry Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32210
Ph: 904-781-2620, E-mail: ABCNF@juno.com
Web-site: http://www.waynesbottleworld.com/show.htm

September 21 - 25 (Saturday - Wednesday) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
All Dairy Antiques & Collectibles Show
(Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. 10am-8pm, Mon. & Tue. 8am-5pm, Wed. 8am-8pm)
at the Farm Show Complex, 2301 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, PA
Info: Darwin Braund, Ph: 814-863-1383
or Claude A. Wambold, Ph: 215-234-8414

September 21 (Saturday) Arcadia, California
Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club's Annual Show & Sale
(Sat. 9am-4pm, early admission 8am) at the Arcadia Masonic Temple
50 W. Duarte Rd., Arcadia, California
Info: John Swearingen, Ph: 805-492-5036
or Don Wippert, Ph: 818-346-9833

September 21 (Saturday) Blue Springs, Missouri
Kansas City Antique Bottle & Breweriana 7th Annual Show & Sale
(Sat. 9am-2pm) at the American Legion Hall
499 SW Highway 7, Blue Springs, Missouri
Info: H. James Maxwell, 1050 W. Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64145
Ph: 816-942-6300 days, 816-942-0291 evenings, E-mail: hjmesq@@kc.rr.com

September 21 (Saturday) Ione, California
The 49er Historical Bottle Association's Annual Show & Sale
at the Evelyn Bishop Hall, Highway 124 (40 miles SE of Sacremento near Sutter's Creek & Jackson), Ione, California
Info: Barbara Moniz, Ph: 916-682-9306
or Mike Henness, Ph: 209-274-4262

September 21 (Saturday) Muskegon, Michigan
West Michigan Antique Bottle Club's 3rd Annual Summer Show & Sale
(Sat. 9am-2pm) at Select Auditorium
1445 E. Laketon (just west of U.S. 31), Muskegon, Michigan
Info: Elmer Ogg, 1591 Hendrick Rd., Muskegon, MI 49441
Ph: 231-798-7335, E-mail: razorbac@attbi.com
or Steve Deboode, 1166 Corvette Dr., Jenison, MI 49428
Ph: 616-667-0214, E-mail: grbottleguy@aol.com

September 22 (Sunday) Lewes, Delaware
Delmarva Antique Bottle Club's 10th Annual Show & Sale
(Sun. 9am-3pm) at Cape Henlopen High School
1520 Kings Hwy. (Route 9), Lewes, Delaware
Info: Fred Meyer, Ph: 302-945-7072, E-mail: jfmeyer4@cs.com
or Alan Wesche, Ph: 410-352-5975, E-mail: wishman@beachin.net

September 22 (Sunday) Brick, New Jersey
Jersey Shore Bottle Club's 30th Annual Show & Sale
(Sun. 9am-3pm) at Brick Township High School
346 Chambers Bridge Rd., Brick, New Jersey
Info: Richard Peal, 720 Eastern Lane, Brick, NJ 08723
Ph: 732-267-2528, E-mail: boxcar1@worldnet.att.net

October 6 (Sunday) Lafayette Indiana
The Hoosier Chapter of the Coca-Cola Collector's Club 7th Annual Swap Meet
at the Tippecanoe County Fairground's Home-Ec Building
1401 Teal Rd (SR 25), Lafayette, Indiana
Info: Brenda Cummins, PO Box 387, Clear Creek, Indiana 47426/
or Ted Oswalt, Ph: 765-538-3593, E-mail: toswalt@tctc.com 

Any new events  in your area? Mail so all of us can know, to: Events@thesodafizz.com

In the early fifties, when I was growing up in Denmark, South Carolina, Dr. Talbert's Drug Store was a big part of our social life. Like all the other small rural towns, the drug store soda fountain was a very popular meeting place. Those of us who hung out there were known as the "drug store cowboys."

Dr. Talbert had a very obvious habit of excessively blinking his eyes. Behind his back, we affectionately called him "Blinky." I remember him as having as much do to with our lives as our teachers at school. A trained pharmacist in those days was often consulted for various medical problems and advice. A small room in the back portion of the drug store served as his office. Many a time, he removed splinters, counseled us, provided iodine, mercurochrome, bandages, cough syrup, aspirin and other various remedies, simply as a free service to people. 

I never quite understood just how the generous old gentleman afforded to stay open. He certainly gave away more Coca-Colas than he ever sold. I delivered the morning paper to his home and occasionally did some sign work for him, so I was one of the privileged ones who was permitted behind the counter to mix our own Cokes at no charge.

We used a bell shaped Coca-Cola glass, and it really did have a syrup line. First, from the ceramic insert, we put in the syrup, and then carbonated water was added from the red and white Coca-Cola dispenser that sat on the marble counter. A scoop of hand chipped ice was mixed and stirred with a long silver spoon. A paper straws topped it off.

We went to the drug store for a Coke, but some of our friends were always there. Comic books filled one whole section of a wall, and we would sit for hours reading them. I never saw anyone buy one, but Dr. Talbert never complained. He patiently straightened up the cluttered books after we left. 

The booth tabletops were of a such a substance that made it just right to carve initials and nicknames. Every boy in town, at one time or another, professed his love for his sweetheart by scratching the message of love, usually within the confines of a crudely drawn heart with an arrow. We totally mutilated the surfaces, but Dr. Talbert never said a word. 

The single, wooden phone booth in the corner was in constant use. Calls were supposed to be limited to three minutes, but no one paid any attention to that rule. The walls of the phone booth were covered with hundreds of initials, phone numbers and who loved whom.

I now have the old soda fountain and several of the chairs in my warehouse. I have thought about setting it up for my gallery, but it just would not be the same as back then. The Coca-Cola trademarks are there, and the marble top and the ceramic inserts would still clean up and shine well. But nothing I can do would ever make it like Dr. "Talbert's Coca-Cola Soda Fountain." Back then, my friends were all there, and so where the hand-mixed Coca-Colas in glasses with crushed ice and paper straws. Back then. Was that really so long ago?

Can you guess who wrote this? No, it wasn't me. E-mail your answer to: Memories@thesodafizz.com

If you have a soda-related subject that you would like to see here as an "FYI" article, or have information you yourself would like to contribute, don't be shy, send it to: FYI@thesodafizz.com

Until next week, Happy Collecting! CokeGirl