Ionian Journal

Giant Popsicle Melts in NYC

2005-06-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

I know I need to work, but I can stop laughing about this. A popsicle, produced by Snapple in order to break a world-record, melted faster than anticipating, causing a flood of sticky, strawberry-kiwi flavored fluid in New York's Union Square Park. From Yahoo:

An attempt to erect the world's largest Popsicle in a city square ended with a scene straight out of a disaster film — but much stickier.

The 25-foot-tall, 17 1/2-ton treat of frozen Snapple juice melted faster than expected Tuesday, flooding Union Square in downtown Manhattan with kiwi-strawberry-flavored fluid that sent pedestrians scurrying for higher ground.

Firefighters closed off several streets and used hoses to wash away the sugary goo.

Snapple had been trying to promote a new line of frozen treats by setting a record for the world's largest Popsicle, but called off the stunt before it was pulled fully upright by a construction crane. Authorities said they were worried the thing would collapse in the 80-degree, first-day-of-summer heat.

"What was unsettling was that the fluid just kept coming," Stuart Claxton of the Guinness Book of World Records told the Daily News. "It was quite a lot of fluid. On a hot day like this, you have to move fast."

Snapple official Lauren Radcliffe said the company was unlikely to make a second attempt to break the record, set by a 21-foot pop in Holland in 1997.

The giant pop was supposed to have been able to withstand the heat for some time, and organizers weren't sure why it didn't. It had been made in Edison, N.J., and hauled to New York by freezer truck in the morning.

I can just see the hundreds of people running for their lives from the killer popsicle flood...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

2005-05-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

Sad news to report. After a penalty shootout in the Champions League final, Liverpool beat AC Milan. AC Milan was up 3-0 at half time before Liverpool staged a come back in the second half, evening the game in the 78th minute. The game remained tied at 3-3 after regulation, and two extra time periods. Thanks to three saved shots in the penalty shootout, Liverpool came away with the win :(

School Almost Over With

2005-05-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Only one more final!!! And it's the easy one ;)

This semester has been a bit easier for me. Last semester was really tough for me. Not only was I taking more classes (5 that semester, with three of them with labs), I was also putting in full time working on Titan. The previous semesters were a bit lighter in course work and I admittedly wasn't working as hard at work. This semester, I was working just as hard as last on Titan "stuff" but my course load was a bit lighter (4 courses with no labs). Until the last month when I had several papers due in a very short period of time, this semester was not nearly as stressful. But I am still glad to be putting it behind me. Now I can look forward to hot summer days, working on a new Titan map, and lounging about on the couch. I even plan on picking up a new XBox game this weekend (Jade Empire).

I've added a new link to this blog. This is to my niece's photo blog. She is nearing one year's old and from what I hear, is becoming mobile. I sure hope my brother has all those outlets covered. He may think a cabinet can save him...

Love Child of a zebra and a donkey born

2005-04-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the strange animal news, but this time more perplexing than sick...

Barbados is hailing the arrival of Alex the Zonkey. Alex was born on the Highland Ranch in the Carribean island nation of Barbados. He is the foal of a female zebra named Allison (pictured above with Alex) and a male donkey. The father is still unknown. Maybe he doesn't want to admit to the other donkeys that he mated with that striped freak from across the ranch ;-)

The other zebra on the ranch, George, was out of the picture at the time of conception, due to a long illness. Now that George is better, the love triange between George, Allison, and Allison's mystery donkey lover will heat up. Stay tuned.

Disturbing News of the Day

2005-04-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Okay this is just sick. On the local news here in Tucson this morning, there was a report of a 27-year old man who was arrested on charges of animal cruelty and public indecenecy. He is accused of raping a 6-month old Rottwieller/German Shepard mix, that later died from distemper and pnemonia. If convicted, he could get 3 years in prison.

I know there are some who would think being put in jail for a crime against a dog for three years to be excessive, but as this article points out, what if this guy "graduates" from molesting a puppy to molesting a child? Now, I'm not saying he deserves to go to jail just because he MIGHT hurt a child but if he gets convicted, I hope that he can get what ever help he needs so that the next time, it isn't a child.

Still, a very sick case....

Matt Drudge: Air America Radio and the Bush 'gunshots' skit

2005-04-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Matt Drudge has on his site a report about a skit on Air America Radio's Randi Rhodes Show. Apparently the skit was an a jab at the president's social security plan that included gunshots"

The announcer: "A spoiled child is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore, so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here's your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [audio sound of 4 gunshots being fired.] Just try it, you little bastard. [audio of gun being cocked]."

Air America Radio and Randi Rhodes have apologized, calling it "a lame attempt at humor". I can accept that, but still, have we sunk so low today that we would resort to threats, however it is presented, even in humor, to present our opinions in this manner. Sad. Very sad.

Just one more hour....

2005-04-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased Knights of the Old Republic II for my XBox. This is an RPG that is based in the Star Wars universe several millenia before the events of the movies. I am usually not into games that are based on a movie franchise. I mean, I've watched the movie, why do I need to waste several hours trying to beat a game that is likely 10 times worse than the movie. So I avoided this game, despite the high praise it has received from various game review website. Well, on Saturday, I finally broke down and purchased the game used. Turns out it is a very good game. I am practially spending every waking moment since Saturday, when I am not working, in class, or doing homework that is, playing this game. I know...sad. But, I seem to be nearing the end of the game, so there is hope for me yet this week.

First Light

2005-04-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is the first post of my new blog, Ionian Journal. As opposed to my other blog, Titan Today, which is basically a news and discussion site for outer planetary satellites, this blog is more of a sounding board for my own views, either on the overall news of the day or on events in my own life. So for the most part, this blog will probably not get nearly as many visitors as Titan Today. And I'm okay with that. However, there were times when I wanted to post something off-topic on the other blog but didn't want to for risk of alienating my current readers. So I have created this blog. If you don't want to hear another blogger talking about the latest events, don't come here. If you could care less about my life, don't come here. If you want to just read about Titan or Enceladus, visit my Titan Today site.

If you are still interested, I thank you for sticking around. I want to say this right off the bat. My politics tends to be on the...right side of the spectrum. I'm not very religious, so I don't spout off my religious views, though as readers of my Titan Today blog may remember, I did post one off-topic post on the death of Pope John Paul II so you know my religious affiliations. Regardless, I will most likely not veer to much into religion.

I am a Republican. Not many of us in the planetary science business, but we do exist. I do support President Bush though not blindedly so, as some of his critics would have people believe. I think he is a fairly intelligent man, not a genius, but certainly not the idiot that again, some of his critics would have you believe. Yes, he can be a bit...colloquial at times. I see this as a strength, an ability to speak to the everyday Joe and Jane, though some do see this as a weakness and consider it a sign of his supposed lack of intelligence.

In terms of my life, from my other blog, you know I work for the Cassini ISS team, processing images of Saturn's moon Titan. I am also a college student at the University of Arizona, majoring in Geosciences and minoring in History. I am in my third year, so I guess you could say I am in the home stretch. My life is general quiet, punctuated by periods of high stress centered around Titan flybys and tests/papers.