I bought this new Pepsi flavor because I needed change. I was driving to Domino’s to pick up a large pepperoni and green pepper and I needed a couple dollar bills for the guy who walks the pizza from the oven to the parking lot. (What can I say? I’m a cool dude.) I stopped at a convenience store to break a ten and saw a pallet of Pepsi Zero Sugar Mango before I got to the candy bars.

I’m a Coca-Cola Zero Sugar guy, but I can keep an open mind. After twisting the cap, the smell coming off is almost minty. The label only says “natural flavor” so I’ll assume the “mango” is coming from a mango. I’ve been drinking a lot of flavored soda waters lately, and the essence is that “fresh” smell that also comes off peach and pear.

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I’m excited to see a three-season (so far) TV comedy is finally coming to the US. “Wellington Paranormal” is a spin-off from the 2014 New Zealand mockumentary, “What We Do in the Shadows.” The movie is both subtle and over the top – a  horror/comedy about vampires who rent a house together in the New Zealand capital, Wellington. You’ll probably recognize Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Jojo Rabbit”) and Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords,” “Moana”).

In the original movie, the vampire lads run into all kinds of trouble, including the local cops, Officers Minogue and O’Leary. They’re by-the-book, but a bit dim.

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I’ve noticed that since the clampdown, late night talk shows (Seth, Stephen, and the Jimmies) are more willing to put their writers on the air as performers. As a show producer, you know they’re funny and you don’t need to go through the trouble of auditioning actors during a pandemic.

“Late Night with Seth Meyers” writer and stand-up comedian Jeff Wright has been appearing by Zoom and in-person for months, commenting on politics and culture. This week, the clip getting passed around is Jeff as personification of all the COVID-19 vaccines interviewing for the gig.

I’ve been away from the blog for a bit. The laptop was in the shop for repairs and I didn’t have the courage to post from my phone. Here’s hoping I can get back to daily posts.

The Coca-Cola Company has a new product, which is funny since it killed off a couple hundred brands during the pandemic. (RIP, Tab.) The new juice is Coca-Cola with Coffee. That’s not the same as the new Coca-Cola energy drink, which is confusing because both come in Red Bull-style tall cans.  I got my hands on both of the Coca-Cola with Coffee Zero Sugar varieties – “Dark Blend” and “Vanilla.” If you go full sugar, there’s also a “Caramel.”

I wish I had some big reveal for you, but it tastes like Coke with coffee in it. It’s not sharp or acidic, more like a coffee hard candy. As you go, the coffee flavor will start to fade until it’s mostly just there on the finish. The “Vanilla” version didn’t taste that “vanilla” to me at all – just less coffee. That’s probably because vanilla is already in colas. Brand recipes vary, but they’re all vanilla, cinnamon, and a citrus.

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I’ve been sitting on this one for a while because it’s the perfect example of thinking you know who’s singing that song you’ve heard a million times. “Rock Me Gently” has that flawless Neil Diamond vibe – a voice that both belts and croons, cornball lyrics, a Brill Building level of pop songcraft … but that’s not Neil Diamond. It’s Canadian singer/songwriter Andy Kim.

1974’s “Rock Me Gently” was Kim’s only #1 in the US, but he’s not a one-hit wonder either. Kim had a total of six other songs in the Top 40 between 1968 and 1974. “Baby, I Love You” got to #9 and “Be My Baby” hit #17 – both covers of hits originally by The Ronettes. Kim sings both of those in a higher register than “Rock Me Gently,” although he could have raided Neil Diamond’s closet for this TV appearance.

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