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Just when I'd more or less curbed my serious soda habit, they hit me with this.

Pepsi and Mountain Dew are both out in limited, eight-week editions made with REAL SUGAR.

If, like me, you grew up in the 80s and 90s you may have never actually tasted a major American soda made with real sugar. But the recent demonization of (and, let's not kid ourselves, rise in cost of) high fructose corn syrup has engendered a sort of nostalgia for good old natural sugar in the major manufacturers.

You can't fault them for going with some retro design for the re-releases, either.

It's hard to appreciate just how hideous the modern Mountain Dew design is until you look at it next to the classic one.

Is it better for you? Eh, it's probably six of one, half a dozen of the other. The "Throwback" editions, as they're calling them, are still about 100 calories per 8 ounces. But the taste is not even comparable.

For years I've been a fan of Jones sodas made with real sugar - and glad that in Greensboro's Proximity Hotel you can get nothing but real cane sugar cola at their Print Works Bistro. But unless you can scam some foreign-market Coke or Pepsi (and you can locally, at the Super G Mart), it's usually pretty hard to find major soda brands made with real sugar.

Those looking for something billed as actually better for them might try "Pepsi Natural," a new formula with natural flavoring and real sugar. Then again, maybe not. I recently tried "Red Bull Cola," which also bills itself as "all natural." Not pleasant.

I'm still trying to avoid soda when I can so that I can, you know, fit into my clothing and walk up a flight of stairs without wheezing. But while this Throwback stuff is around I think I'm going to enjoy at least one a week -- in place of dessert.

We've seen the Obama comic book.

The Obama action figure.

And now...the Obama sushi.

The Japanese chef who created this delicious-looking sushi tribute to our 44th president says he used small shrimp for the skin, black sesame for the hair and fish paste for the teeth.

What, no arugula?

(Via Cory at Boing Boing).

Just saw this on Reason.com:

At Baskin Robbins, the results are in, and Whirl of Change ("Peanut-nougat ice cream whirled with chunks of chocolate-covered peanut brittle and a caramel ribbon") beat Straight Talk Crunch ("Caramel ribbon, chocolate pieces, candy red states and crunchy mixed nuts swirled into White Chocolate ice cream") with 51 percent of the vote. Half a million votes were cast.

At 7-11, coffee drinkers can choose between an Obama cup and a McCain cup. Obama is crushing McCain with 60 percent of the popular vote in the great cup buy-up. He is also winning in every state where 7-11 exists, except New Hampshire.

So, decaf or regular? And where's the Obama Lager and McCain Porter?

Having had my pants taken out and my blood pressure continuously monitored since my last Fast Food Friday, I am once again going into the fray. Or at least back to Taco Bell.

After the Big Bell Box Meal I vowed to steer clear of the Bell for a while - but then they introduced this "Volcano Taco."

The commercial suggests that it is both irresistible and extremely unpleasant.

Sadly (and happily?), it was neither...

Wilbur Hardee, founder of the Hardee's chain of burger joints, is dead at 89.

That's a good, long ride for an American male. Which, I presume, means he didn't spend a lot of those 89 years eating at Hardee's.

Herb Peterson, inventor of McDonald's Egg McMuffin, has died at 89.

I know that most good southerners are partial to biscuits as the base of a good breakfast sandwich, but I've always thought the English muffin was brilliant -- maybe even better than the croissant that is the base of Burger King's croissanwich.

Here's to Herb -- I had a McMuffin in his honor today.

Well, I've had my colon scraped and my blood filtered since my last Fast Food Friday -- and it's time to jump back into the frying pan. Or, you know, whatever they're cooking the McRib in.

Ah, the McRib. McDonald's teases us with this curious boneless pork monstrosity, bringing it back for another "Farewell Tour" just when we thought we'd seen the last of it -- like KISS or Fleetwood Mac, but with less indigestion.

Since the sandwich is now on one of its periodic returns, I decided to roll up my sleeves, take off my tie and get my fingers coated in barbecue sauce. Hold the onions, please...

McDonald's McRib promotional shot:

Actual McRib sandwich:

The McRib has its share of acolytes -- and more than its share of enemies.

Having finally completely digested the Baconator which was my inaugural Fast Food Friday adventure, I found myself ready, at the end of a long week, to toss my heart, liver and colon back onto the craps table that is fast food dining and let it ride.

Come on -- baby needs a new pair of kidneys!

Wanna blow on these for luck?

Next up in my gastronomically masochistic fast food Rogues Gallery: the new Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich from Hardees (or Carl's Jr., depending on region).