Straight Answers

Why do so many soft drinks have an image of West Virginia on the can? - C.S.

West Virginia charges a special tax on soft drinks, and requires that the drink container indicate that the tax has been paid. In some cases this is done by affixing a tax stamp or tax crown to the drink.

In the case of canned drinks, "West Virginia law requires that an outline of the state be inscribed in a 1/4-inch circle on the can end," says the Can Manufacturers Institute. "The State of West Virginia now allows soft drink distributors who are bonded in the state to ink-jet the tax information on the bottoms of cans. The product is in compliance if 'WV1' is ink-jetted on the bottom regardless of the inscribed outline of the state."

Can you provide information on the "Simon & Simon" TV show? When will more episodes be released on DVD, including the final episodes that never aired? Why weren't they aired? - K.M.

The second season of "Simon & Simon" was released on Feb. 10. The third season set is "currently in production and is slated due out later on this year," said a spokesman for Shout! Factory, the company that released the second season. If sales keep up, you can expect Shout! Factory to continue releasing seasons of the show.

The show ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays for its first seven seasons, but was put on Saturday night in the eighth season. The ratings dropped and the show was canceled before the final two episodes could air.