That Guy on TV - John Graham's Blog, Resume, and Hootenanny
That Guy on TV - John Graham's Blog, Resume, and Hootenanny

Three Soda Pops in an Afternoon

As a kid, my main soda was Mountain Dew. This was back before it was spelled MTN DEW and you could still find glass bottles with a hillbilly on it. For variety, I might throw in a blue cream soda or the Pepsi version of 7Up, Teem. Now, it’s Coke Zero Sugar and whatever sparking water is on sale.

This week, I hit the local Rocket Fizz, a national franchise (Canada too) that sells retro candy and soft drinks. Some flavors, like sweet corn soda, are weird by design, but others are regional flavors or retro brands that are still hanging on. I bought three.

Moxie

Moxie, Coca Cola, and Pepsi Cola all started as patent medicines – over-the-counter potions sold in the second half of the 1800s that promised all kinds of cures. The sugar and flavoring was there to cover the bitter “medicine.” Moxie is the oldest of the three and still contains gentian root extract, which is why it’s funkier than Coke or Pepsi.

On the pour, Moxie looks a little more red than a cola with a slight medicinal whiff of camphor or menthol. The flavor is like a cola, but with splashes of orange soda and root beer. It’s more herbal than similar soft drinks, maybe some clove, and definitely has a mild bitter finish because of the gentian root. The same extract is used in Angostura bitters, so it’s along those lines. You know how there are foods you like as a grown-up that you didn’t like as a kid? I’d guess it’s like that.

The Coca Cola Company bought the Moxie brand in 2018, but I suspect my bottle was made before the sale. The label in my hand lists “pure cane sugar,” but Coke’s website says “high fructose corn syrup.”

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Food
October 16, 2020 | 12:35 pm

Oh, What You’ll Find at Goodwill

Who doesn’t love a bargain? Since I was a kid, thrift stores have held the promise of trashy treasure. Sure, you’re not going to find “Action Comics #1,” but you could score a melodica or Pocket Trivial Pursuit. (Yep, I own both.)

If you’ve never been to Goodwill, it’s a giant, air-conditioned garage sale where everything is donated, semi-organized, and you don’t need to haggle. Here’s my five favorite finds.

Halloween Costumes

Yes, you can always get a thrift store sportscoat for a kid’s Frankenstein monster costume, but in October, most Goodwill shops open a whole Halloween section. There’s racks of new, bagged masks and hats and accessories. I’m guessing it’s stuff that Spirit Halloween donated last November instead of warehousing it all?

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Uncategorized
October 13, 2020 | 11:51 am

Magician Mac King Takes the Wheel

I got to meet magician Mac King in the late 1990’s when I was the wacky morning reporter at WDRB-TV in Louisville, KY. Most days, I’d broadcast live from somewhere around town, but occasionally, we’d tape something for later. Mac grew up in Louisville and had come back to see family – and pay for the trip with a few shows at The Comedy Caravan. Mac borrowed a blindfold from former WDRB (and Weather Channel) meteorologist Paul Emmick and this happened.

When we got back to the station van, the newsroom radioed about a call from the police. That McDonald’s at the end of the video had been robbed a few weeks earlier and the manager called the cops about Mac and me – and the cops called the station. Of course, McDonald’s knew it was WDRB because we had branding all over the microphone and camera. It all got sorted pretty quickly – and I kept my job.

Mac is a great performer because he’s both genuinely funny and a skilled magician. When the world opens back up again, you should go see his show at Harrah’s Las Vegas. He performs at 1 and 3 pm, which is a great time to see a show in Las Vegas. You’re finally awake, but it’s too hot outside, so go see Mac. Here he is with his masterful take on a classic.

1990s, Magic, TV
October 7, 2020 | 12:14 pm

Sweep the Leg

I haven’t been watching “Cobra Kai.” Is this still canon?

1980s, Makes Me Laugh, Music
October 4, 2020 | 10:28 am

You Mean That Isn’t … ?

You won’t find “The Honeythief” on Duran Duran’s “Greatest” because it’s actually Scottish band Hipsway. Those synth stabs always make me think of The Art of Noise, but I can see how there’s bits of “A View to a Kill” or “Notorious” floating around in there.

1980s, Music, You Mean That Isn't...?
September 29, 2020 | 12:00 pm
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About John

John Graham is That Guy on TV – an Emmy-winning producer/writer/host and owner of Mosquito County Productions, based in Orlando, FL.

Over the years, John has produced YouTube videos with millions of views, worked with Muppets and Princesses, won two regional Emmys for travel reporting, interviewed celebs from Ariana Grande to Hillbilly Jim, and done thousands of live news broadcasts. (You know it’s me writing this, right?)

Get ahold of me at John@thatguyontv.com

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