dr pepper

The Random News Item of the Day title goes to this little tidbit from Billboard:

Many have tried, but so far nobody has been able to pry the decade-in-the-works Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy from the hands of lone remaining original member Axl Rose.

Now, Dr Pepper thinks it's up to the challenge. The soft drink company says it will give a free can of Dr Pepper to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if Chinese Democracy arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008.

You might be wondering, as I was, "Huh? Why Dr. Pepper?" By way of hilarious explanation, Dr Pepper director of marketing Jaxie Alt patiently breaks it down:

It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love. So we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for perfection — for something more than the average album. We know once it's released, people will refer to it as "Dr Pepper for the ears" because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds — an instant classic.

See, Axl? They get you. "Dr Pepper for the ears"! Now give us the dang album.

Source and source

I'm a fan of Dr. Pepper, and I'm a fan of chocolate covered cherries, however, I'd never thought of mashing the two flavors together. Fortunately — or unfortunately depending on how you see it — someone at Dr. Pepper did. This year the latest limited edition flavored soda on the shelves is Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper. It's only available for a limited time, but if history repeats itself, it may hit shelves more permanently. In 2004, Dr. Pepper announced a limited edition Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper that is now available year round; it was followed by Berries & Cream Dr. Pepper. The new Cherry Chocolate flavor is only the third flavor extension in Dr. Pepper's history.

Has anyone out there seen it on their store shelves? If so, have you tried it?