The new fad of Diet Coke and Mentos homemade rocket fountains has been getting a lot of attention. Besides television and newspaper spots dedicated to this crazy stunt, lots of people are trying out their own versions (many which end up in videos on the web). Although I don't really have any interest in making my own soda mess, I'm amused by the whole idea. It made me laugh one evening to pass a small group of middle-aged people trying their carbonated rocket skills in a quiet parking lot.
One question has puzzled me since I first heard of this phenomenon: if this mixture is so powerful, what happens when a person drinks Diet Coke and eats Mentos at the same time? While I don't really believe that anything truly interesting or dangerous would happen in this scenario, I'm not willing to experiment. Thanks to Dee for providing the answer:
http://www.revver.com/video/31264/
I especially enjoy the woman's dance moves as she shakes up her personal mixture.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Independence Day
I think it's interesting that Americans often refer to today as the 4th of July. Why call it the "4th of" when the month comes first for every other date? You could almost say it is un-American to put the day before the month. Norwegians, for example, refer to their national day as the 17th of May, but they would also write that date as 17-5. Americans would never write 4-7-06 unless they meant April seventh. It seems logical and natural to progress from smaller to larger--day, month, year--but Americans, for whatever reason (something akin to disliking the metric system for making too much sense) have chosen to record the month first. Except for today, the most American of days. Why?
Regardless of the semantics, I am enjoying having most of the day off. I had a pleasant bike ride this morning, watching people set up picnics and walk their dogs in a leisurely fashion. I expect to be suitably appreciative of the downtown firework show tonight. Unless it thunderstorms, in which case I will watch the lightning from my couch.
I've already used the holiday excuse to have some Haagen Dazs chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, and I am feeling pleasantly sated from the delightful experience. Tradition recommends partaking of at least one hot dog, but I think the ice cream was a far superior choice. So many people are barbecuing that the smell of hot dogs has pervaded my bedroom. I do not find the smell appetizing. One cat is sleeping through the holiday smell, resting up to enjoy the pyrotechnics this evening from a special viewpoint under the bed. The other cat, my man (who would probably eat a hot dog if offered one, but does not feel strongly enough about them to have bought some for today), and I have retreated to the living room, where we smell only normal apartment smell (ourselves?). Out here we can also watch some footie. What better way to celebrate U.S. Independence than to watch the Germany-Italy semi-final in Spanish on UniVision?
Happy fourth day of the seventh month.
Regardless of the semantics, I am enjoying having most of the day off. I had a pleasant bike ride this morning, watching people set up picnics and walk their dogs in a leisurely fashion. I expect to be suitably appreciative of the downtown firework show tonight. Unless it thunderstorms, in which case I will watch the lightning from my couch.
I've already used the holiday excuse to have some Haagen Dazs chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, and I am feeling pleasantly sated from the delightful experience. Tradition recommends partaking of at least one hot dog, but I think the ice cream was a far superior choice. So many people are barbecuing that the smell of hot dogs has pervaded my bedroom. I do not find the smell appetizing. One cat is sleeping through the holiday smell, resting up to enjoy the pyrotechnics this evening from a special viewpoint under the bed. The other cat, my man (who would probably eat a hot dog if offered one, but does not feel strongly enough about them to have bought some for today), and I have retreated to the living room, where we smell only normal apartment smell (ourselves?). Out here we can also watch some footie. What better way to celebrate U.S. Independence than to watch the Germany-Italy semi-final in Spanish on UniVision?
Happy fourth day of the seventh month.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
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I admit that I have become something of a beer snob since living on the West Coast. Oregon microbrews have unique flavor and lots of hops that are as far from Bud or Miller as imaginable. I enjoy the red ales and special bitters, with my all-time favorites coming from the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR.
Since relocating to this less cultured part of the country, I have suffered numerous disappointments in beer tastings. None of the local brews I've sampled have any real character, and I won't resort to a boring lager unless I'm trapped in a bowling alley or baseball stadium. If you search high and low (and believe me that the Mega-Beer-Snob that I live with would jump on a sidewalk grate, balance on the edge of a tall building or wrestle a gator for a good ale) you can find some decent microbrews from Colorado or, unexpectedly, Delaware in a progressive liquor store. Bottles can't quite compare with great beer on tap (Best ever: Terminal Gravity nicely chilled at Rennie's).
Surprisingly, I am thrilled to report that I have found a tasty ale on tap at a hip, local bar. "The Independent" sells no mass-market beer, only interesting microbrews, many of which are imported from England and Belgium. Last night I sampled the "Hobgoblin" ale from England and I found it quite delightful. I rag on Florida so often that I thought this positive experience deserved special mention in my blog. Not only was the beer tasty, dinner at a sushi bar afterwards was utterly enjoyable and satisfying. Well done, St. Petersburg, Florida.
**Condolences to England for their World Cup loss. So close!**
Since relocating to this less cultured part of the country, I have suffered numerous disappointments in beer tastings. None of the local brews I've sampled have any real character, and I won't resort to a boring lager unless I'm trapped in a bowling alley or baseball stadium. If you search high and low (and believe me that the Mega-Beer-Snob that I live with would jump on a sidewalk grate, balance on the edge of a tall building or wrestle a gator for a good ale) you can find some decent microbrews from Colorado or, unexpectedly, Delaware in a progressive liquor store. Bottles can't quite compare with great beer on tap (Best ever: Terminal Gravity nicely chilled at Rennie's).
Surprisingly, I am thrilled to report that I have found a tasty ale on tap at a hip, local bar. "The Independent" sells no mass-market beer, only interesting microbrews, many of which are imported from England and Belgium. Last night I sampled the "Hobgoblin" ale from England and I found it quite delightful. I rag on Florida so often that I thought this positive experience deserved special mention in my blog. Not only was the beer tasty, dinner at a sushi bar afterwards was utterly enjoyable and satisfying. Well done, St. Petersburg, Florida.
**Condolences to England for their World Cup loss. So close!**
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