Disaster on a stick

Updated: 5:25 p.m. ET June 22, 2005
NEW YORK - 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, 17½-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 ice pop in Holland in 1997.

The giant ice 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.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Reality Check

A paradox

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones
They're a modern stone-age family
from the town of bedrock
they're a page right out of history
lets ride with the family down the street
through the courtesy of Fred's two feet
When you're with the Flintstones
have a yabba dabba do-time
a dabba do-time
You'll have a gay old time.

So how could they be modern and stone age at the same time?

Home sick

In Mexico, I had a good time.

I wish I could go back.

Maybe one day...

Nothing's changed

So much for never makin' the same mistake.
I can't believe I'm here again.
So much for ever thinkin' that I could change
My good intentions still remain in chains.

She's Gotta Be
by Keith Urban.
Written by Monty Powell and Keith Urban.
© Coburn Music Inc /Guitar Monkey Music
From "Be Here", © 2004, Capitol.

Sometimes I go to the weight room and work out on the treadmill. It's a good workout, but the treadmill tells you a story that isn't true. See for me, after about 33 minutes, if I'm walking 3 mph, the treadmill tells me that I've walked 2 miles when in fact I haven't left the building. Now, truth be told, I have done the work required to walk 2 miles, but I'm still in the same place where I started.

In life, people can be just like that treadmill. They put you through the motions of thinking you're making progress only for you to discover that you're right back where you started. Despite your good intentions you never left the room.

Being Gilmore

ABC Family often runs marathons of their TV shows. Yesterday they showed a Gilmore Girls marathon. I watched, I believe, four hours of the Gilmore Girls yesterday and had a good old time.

So last night, of course, I dreamt of being on the Gilmore Girls. It was very much like a Quantum Leap experience in that I was not myself, I was Alexis Bledel (Rory), but when I looked in the mirror, I saw me. And if that weren't enough, I wasn't in the town of Stars Hollow; I was on a set in Hollywood. I was the actress playing the part of Rory.

So the episode we were doing revolved around Rory and Lorelai move into a new place and them helping one of Rory's friends transition to college. Rory's friend, whose name I don't remember, she was preparing to go to college and she really wanted to move into her own apartment. Lorelai and I (Rory) told her mom about all the great things about living away from home; about how independent and self-reliant a person becomes. So the girl's mom was really resistant, but in the end I think she let her daughter go live in the dorms. Meanwhile, I was really looking forward to going back to school myself and living in an apartment for the first time. Lorelai turns the tables on me and tells me that I have to live at home this semester which really bummed me out because we had just gone through this big ordeal to get my friend into the dorm and now she's saying that I have to live at home.

At this point the director must have yelled cut and ended the scene, although I don't remember that happening. I went into a dressing room to talk to Lauren Graham, who plays Lorelai, to tell her that I would miss her over the summer hiatus and that I really enjoyed playing her daughter. She seemed very confused by my behavior. I think at that point, I knew that I would quantum leap out of Alexis soon and so I wanted to let Lauren know how good a friend she had been.

I said a last goodbye to Scott, one of the crew guys, who is also a tech in my department in real life. Then I woke up. It was late. I like to be at work at 8 am and it was 7:45 am. I would never make it in time. But I didn't really care.

I was a Gilmore Girl :)

Adventures in babysitting

I think at some point, I may have said that I want children. After today, I'm not so sure. I've even entertained the idea of having twins... as if I had a choice. But after babysitting my sister and my neice alone today, I'm not so sure that parenthood is for me...at least not without help.

Today was hard and now I'm really tired.

I don't know how moms do it everyday.

Larry Elder

Now, I know I've said in the past that I don't like the Larry Elder Show. So I'm not sure why the other day, I didn't run to turn the channel when it came on. Here's what the topic was:

WEDNESDAY, June 22nd
“Working Moms vs. Stay-At-Home Moms”

Larry talks to advocates on both sides of the stay-at-home versus working mom debate, including a stay-at-home mom who pinches pennies so she can afford to be home with her kids, a working mom who communicates with her kids via cell phone, and a couple who has chosen to remain childless altogether.

Here's my problem. Larry had, from what I saw, married moms only and these women were so polarized about their opinions. There was absolutely no middle ground for either side, which disturbs me. Stay at home moms said that working moms were selfish and working moms defended their right to work. There was even one stay at home mom who went to college and said that she wants her daughters to go to college and then be stay at home moms and not work outside the home.

To have a balanced conversation, Larry should've included singles moms. Each side said that the other side was doing harm to their child be either staying home or going to work. But in reality, moms do the best they can for their kids. Some moms, like my mom have to work in order to take care of the family. My mom, a single parent has no choice but to work outside of the home. But she has chosen to take lesser paying jobs with more flexibility so that she can be home when my siblings get home from school. Also, she makes sure that she is emotionally available for her children. That's what every mom should do regardless of whether they work outside the home or inside. That's what she did for me when I was little and had to work fulltime.

What kills me is that Larry Elder always shows the most extreme of circumstances on his show. They he turns around and says his old mantra, "It's all about personal responsibility". And in a way he's right. Moms who work outside the home should make sure that they provide not only materially for their kids, but emotionally as well. The same thing goes for moms who stay at home. Sometimes they cannot provide as much materially, but children need that emotional availability from them as well.

From looking at my family who has been in both situations, I think that what my mom hasn't been able to give to us materially is far outweighed by the emotional and spiritual support she's given us. These things will last us far longer than any material thing she can ever give us. She's given us a balanced life and for that I'll be forever grateful.

Essay

Today I discovered that in addition to filling out the UMUC Financial Aid Data Form and the FAFSA, I have to submit a scholarship application in order to be considered for any of UMUC's scholarships. You would think that this application would be attached to the Financial Aid Data Form, that way, they get all your information including the color of your underwear.

I finally find the form and begin reading through the information. It asks the typical questions; name, student ID number, email address, major and you're asked to select all the characteristics that apply to you.

After that, they say:

(Only one essay is required for consideration by all scholarship
programs.) In the box below, briefly explain your reasons for submitting this
application. Be sure to write your name and Social Security number on each page.
Discuss these five topics:

1. Your eligibility for each program selected for consideration
2. Your personal circumstances related to your financial need for a scholarship
3. Your academic and career goals
4. Your current employment and its relationship to your future plans
5. Your leadership roles and community involvement

Please be concise. You may also include any other information that you feel is pertinent to your application. You may attach only one additional page. Finally, the style and content of your personal statement will be considered when the nominating committee reviews your application. For assistance in writing your essay, please refer to UMUC's online Guide to Writing and Research. Good luck!

I read this list of requirements and cringed at the thought of having to write something about myself. You'd think I'd be used to doing that given the fact that I blog on a daily basis. Alas, I immediately started thinking of ways to get out of writing this essay. I even asked a friend to write it for me. She said no, but said that she would proof whatever I write.

The funniest thing about this whole essay thing is that I keep hearing Anthony Michael Hall reciting the following from the Breakfast Club:

The Breakfast Club: Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole saturday in detention for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you're crazy for making us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out, is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basketcase, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.

Adda Girl!

It's so nice to have a helpful advisor for school. My advisor at UMUC has been working overtime for me and I really appreciate it. It's been so long since I had to start the process of going to school that I had forgotten all that is involved.

Kristin, my advisor, has helped me through all the steps and even though I've had tons of problems, she's always done everything with great customer service. I can almost imagine her smiling the whole time.

The funny thing is that I've never met Kristin in person. She's my online advisor at my online school. She does exist, as does my school, but it's truly weird to have an advisor that you never meet. I've experienced great online support in the past and still keep in touch with that person. Could I be so blessed as to have two great online helpers in one lifetime?

Kristin has made sure that I've done everything I have to to get prepared for the Fall. I think I'll be good to go with Kristin as my advisor.


My advisor rocks!

I'm glad today is over

Today was a day that I knew would be filled with problems. I talked to a frantic person last night who said that she couldn't see our website. I wasn't sure what to do, but I told her that we'd look into it. Little did I know in making that promise, I'd be in for a whole day of "why is this broken? Did we try this?"; all questions for which I had no answer.

It's these kind of situations that I don't like. I'm a fixer... I like to fix things, problems. I can't wait until I finish school and have a ton more technical skill.

I'm not fooling myself though, I know I won't ever have all the answers... It would be nice to have some of them though ;)

Getting Ready

My transcript evaluation is complete. They took 68 credits and I have 52 to get my bachelor's degree. I'm still very apprehensive about this decision, mostly because I know me. I can only multi-task to a point.

A friend of mine always says that if a woman tells you that she's doing nothing, she's really doing at least one thing.

That's me, the multi-task queen... unfortunately, something always suffers when I multitask. That's something I'm going to have to get a handle on before September. For me, it's usually my spiritual studies that suffer. I want to make sure that I keep up my personal spiritual studies while I'm in school. I've seen others try to do it and really struggle. I don't want to fall into the trap that will inevitably be placed in front of me.

Ultimately, I want to be a better christian more than a college graduate. I guess that's why I didn't take this step any earlier than now. But I'm going to give this a go and get a concrete routine going so that I can get through the next two to three years of my life relatively unscathed.

I know that it shouldn't sound so daunting... but believe me, it is.

Summertime

I've always loved this song... It has a great vibe... It makes me happy :)


Intro/Chorus: *sung*

summer, summer, summertime
time to sit back and unwind

Verse One: Fresh Prince

Here it is the groove slightly transformed
just a bit of a break from the norm
just a little somethin' to break the monotony
of all that hardcore dance that has gotten to be
a little bit out of control it's cool to dance
but what about the groove that soothes that moves romance
give me a soft subtle mix
and if ain't broke then don't try to fix it
and think of the summers of the past
adjust the base and let the alpine blast
pop in my CD and let me run a rhyme
and put your car on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime

Chorus

Verse Two: Fresh Prince

school is out and it's a sort of a buzz
a back then I didn't really know what it was
but now I see what have of this
the way that people respond to summer madness
the weather is hot and girls are dressing less
and checking out the fellas to tell 'em who's best
riding around in your jeep or your benzos
or in your Nissan stting on lorenzos
back in Philly we be ou in the park
a place called the plateau is where everybody goes
guys out hunting and girls doing likewise
honking at the honey in front of you with the light eyes
she turn around to see what you beeping at
it's like the summers a natural afradesiac
and with a pen and pad I compose this rhyme
to hit you and get you equipped for the summer time

Chorus

Verse Three: Fresh Prince

it's late in the day and I ain't been on the court yet
hustle to the mall to get me a short set
yeah I got on sneaks but I need a new pair
cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there
the temperature's about 88
hop in the water plug just for old times sake
break to ya crib change your clothes once more
cause you're invited to a barbeque that's starting at 4
sitting with your friends cause y'all remincise
about the days growing up and the first person you kiss
and as I think back makes me wonder how
the smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia
all the kids playing out front
little boys messin round with the girls playing double-dutch
while the DJ's spinning a tune as the old folks dance at your family reunion
then six o'clock rolls around
you just finished wiping your car down
it's time to cruise so you head to the summertime hangout
it looks like a car show
everybody come lookin real fine
fresh from the barber shop or fly from the beauty salon
every moment frontin and maxin
chillin in the car they spent all day waxin
leanin to the side but you can't spead through
Two miles an hour so everybody sees you
there's an air of love and of happiness
and this is the Fresh Prince's new defintion of summer madness

Chorus
by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith)

Dells everywhere

We got a ton of computers in today; 136 boxes altogether.

I also went to Aquafit after work.

So needless to say, I'm sore.

Happy Wednesday!

Today was a good day. I exercised after skipping two days, did my laundry, and put together a webpage about my family.

Here lately, I've been feeling more useful at work. I have been doing more and contributing more to the group. It's a good feeling.

There is still one thing left to do... Some loose ends that need to be tied up...

Time to fly on my own

Sometimes, it's good to venture out on your own. Not having a crutch can help you see how capable you are.

I'm going to give it a go. It's time to see what I'm made of.

End of the Fiscal Year

I'm feeling productive here lately. I'm not getting my main project done, but I've been getting lots done. This fiscal year has been hard... well not so much hard, but busy. We were tasked with so much to do this year, it was impossible to get it all done. When your job is dependent on other people getting their information to you, it can really make doing your job hard.

This year seemed like a series of stops and starts. I would start on a project and then stop because the department I worked with got busy with other things. Having said that, I think that I've done my best work this year. It was a bumpy road, filled with speed bumps and the occasional sink hole.

This year, though filled with bumps and bruises, did provide me with a cleared vision of what I want for myself. I am more cautious about the people I have in my life and who's vision of myself I'll accept. Before, I took in everyone's opinion of me and tried to make other people happy. Now, I'm finally in a place where I know what I want and I'm happy with my own goals.

'Stop giving me a hard time about being single'

If you're single, chances are you've been asked the following three questions:

Why aren't you married?
Why aren't you married?
and the very, very popular:
Why aren't you married?
... give or take another 999,999,997 more such questions.

Unfortunately, I can’t fix you up with any cute guys or girls to help you avoid these questions in the future. However, I can fix you up with some good snappy comebacks to fling at anyone who dares to question your single status.

So, next time somebody dares to ask you that “Why aren't you married?” question, pause, smile sagaciously (I love that word; it means “wisely”), and offer up one of the following. Or, just review them for your own personal satisfaction.

1. In the beginning, there were no elliptical trainers or low-fat/high-fiber muffins, and so people lived to only about 40-something. Maximum. Meaning, the pressure was on to get married before age 25. However, today, thanks to medical advances, we can all hope to live to 80. Easy. Meaning? Even if we marry at age 40, that's still 35, 45, even 55 years to be with a mate. Plenty of time to be married. What's the hurry?

2. Married people are not necessarily better catches simply because they were caught. I mean, have you taken a look at some of the married people out there? Seriously. Even Frankenstein got married. Obviously married people are not superior people.

3. Meanwhile, look at some of our cool single role models:
Catwoman: Single.
Buddha: Single.
The Lone Ranger: Single.
Actually, virtually all superhero types are single: Superman, Wonder Woman, Dudley Do-Right. And then there’s The Ultimate Superhero: God—also single.

4. Plus, when you think about it, there’s no such thing as a Stepford Single Woman.

5. Why limit myself to being dissatisfied by one relationship when I can be dissatisfied by an infinite variety?

6. It’s interesting how our culture has the expression “happily married,” but no expression “happily single.” And those words are 100% certified by the US Census Bureau. Statistics show that although married men are reported to be happier than single men (surprise, surprise!)—single women are reported to be happier than married women (also a big surprise, surprise!). Meaning? This only furthers the irony that single women are branded as "unhappy” and “lonely” and “loser-esque"—when single women are just boldly holding out for the right situation, rather than getting married just to get married.

7. It's easy to become married. Millions of people do it every year. If you want to pressure me to become something, hey, why not pick something a little more challenging—like an astrophysicist.

8. True love is rare. That's why it's called "love" and not "really like" or "settling." And why we don't say: "I’m settling for you, honey" over candlelit dinners. True love is worth waiting for…and that’s what I’m doing.

Karen Salmansohn is a life coach and the best-selling author of 27 books. Visit her at www.notsalmon.com. Adapted from Even God Is Single: So Stop Giving Me A Hard Time, copyright 2000 by Karen Salmansohn. Used by permission of Workman Publishing Co., Inc., New York. All rights reserved.

It's hot out

You really need to be careful when it's hot out. I was out running errands today and now I have a headache. I didn't get enough to drink during the day and now I think I'm under-hydrated. I don't feel dehydrated, but my head has been hurting.

So if you have to go out, bring some water and keep hydrated.

Hard Work

Today I did a lot of work.

All week, I've been feeling unproductive. I moved into a new cube this week and even though it's a great new space (more space and more privacy), it has been hard to get used to it.

But today...

Whoa man...

Being the web nazi, I mean, web services assistant, I don't normally do desktop installations. My work pretty much keeps me from traveling the campus. Today, though, I installed about 14 monitors in various offices. It was hard work, but I really felt like I was productive.

I'm going to be so sore tomorrow :(

Tired

I worked out today and now I'm really tired.

I got my transcript evaluation today and it looks like I might be able to finish my bachelor's in about 3 years.

I want to go into in more detail.... but... (yawn)... I'm too tired.

Goodnight Ms. Sullivan

I sure am going to miss Anne Bancroft. She was one of my favorite actresses. Her roles were always so strong and forceful. Her characters never took any stuff off of anyone.

They said that most actors draw on their own experiences. So one has to believe that Anne Bancroft was strong and forceful in her own life.

From Yahoo News
Mike Nichols, who directed "The Graduate," called Bancroft a masterful performer.

"Her combination of brains, humor, frankness and sense were unlike any other artist," Nichols said in a statement. "Her beauty was constantly shifting with her roles, and because she was a consummate actress she changed radically for every part."

By DINO HAZELL, Associated Press Writer

Among the movies I loved of Anne Bancroft's, Keeping the Faith, Deep in My Heart, Homecoming , Home for the Holidays , 84 Charing Cross Road, 'Night, Mother, The Graduate and my all time favorite The Miracle Worker. The Miracle Worker is a movie that I can watch over and over again and never get tired of it. Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke both won Oscars for their performances. Anne Bancroft's Annie Sullivan gave me a whole new respect for teachers. They give and give of themselves every day and receive very little in return.

Anne Bancroft's performance was so powerful. She made many powerful performances throughout her career. We have lost a huge talent. Anne will be sorely missed.

Don't Quit

DON'T QUIT
by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must,
but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst,
you must not quit.

The Tony awards

It's so funny to me that I don't get to see Broadway shows that often, but I'm always excited to see the Tonys.

Here are the winners

I've decided that I want to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee the next time I go to New York.

Caller ID

I finally ordered Caller ID today. I didn't want it originally because I didn't want to spend the extra money. But here lately, I've been getting telemarketing calls. Today I got a call about sending $50 to the American Indian reservations in the Dakotas.

Enough is enough.

Mera-speak

You just have no idea how demoralizing it is to be yelled at by a two year old because you don't understand what her toddler-speak means :(

To me, most of my niece's words sound the same. But today, when I was reading a book to her, she was saying the words in the book, but in her own language. When I didn't repeat them the way she meant them, she yelled at me. There was a little girl in the book who looked like her friend from school. She yelled at me because I didn't know her name. She said it in Mera-speak and I just repeated her. Well obviously the way I said it wasn't right because she yelled at me and started to cry.

I felt just as sad... and little bit stupid at the same time. It was as if I was the one who didn't know how to read!

My Logo

So... what do I do when I'm bored?

Well tonight I decided to make a personal logo.


Don't be jealous!