Coke Sets Record for World's Biggest Ice Cream Float

Guinness World Records has confirmed that the Coca-Cola Co. has recently broken it's own world record for the world's biggest ice cream float set almost a decade ago. The new world record float was 3,000 gallons, 915 gallons more than the older record of 2,0875 gallons. All I have to say is, Damn, that's a lot of coke! Here's the story from Yahoo!News:


Coke sets largest ice cream float record

ATLANTA - The world's largest beverage maker on Friday kicked off the holiday weekend by creating a 10-ton ice cream float to break a world record the company set nearly a decade ago.

An official from Guinness World Records confirmed the 3,000-gallon float, made of Vanilla Coke and ice cream, set the new world record.

The Coca-Cola Co. held the previous world record for largest ice cream float — 2,085 gallons — that was set in 1998 in Atlanta, said Guinness representative Derek Musso. He said he was not aware of any other attempts to break the former record.

A tanker from the Atlanta-based company's syrup plant pumped a non-carbonated mixture into a specially made 15-foot-high glass containing a device that carbonated the beverage. Workers dropped buckets full of ice cream into the top of the glass by hand.

Link to the full story. Picture copyright AP Photo/Gene Blythe.

I Think He's Beyond First Aid, Don't You?

Ok, I hadn't posted any funny pics in a while, but when I saw this, I just had to post it! Reminds me way too much of the guys I'm on the fire department with. Makes you feel really safe, doesn't it?

New Doritos Flavor, X-13D?

Well, I came into work today and there was a strange chip package sitting on my desk. It was all black and said Doritos and X-13D in big letters. I asked a few of the guys here and it turns out they're a new flavor that Doritos are testing, and wanting the public to submit the new name for. Well, recently Doritos has come out with some pretty good new flavors, so there was no way I was going to turn down the chance to try this one. So, being the adventurous spirit I am, I had one. My first impression was "salsa-y" (I know, that's not a word. These are my random thoughts, not yours, so shut up!), there was definitely a tomato taste with something of a sour hint.

Well, I decided my first taste wasn't enough to give an accurate accounting, so I tried some more. Well, it seems my first taste may have been off a little. After trying several more of the chips, I got the distinct taste of, believe it or not, hamburgers! Complete with pickles (the sour taste from earlier) and either tomatoes or ketchup (the tomato taste). As it turns out, this is the same conclusion that most of the other guys here have came up with as well.

I'll admit, the concept of a hamburger flavored chip is a little weird, especially when you consider that many people eat chips with hamburgers. It's kind of odd to think that you could be eating a burger and chips and have the same flavor from each. But overall, they're pretty good. I could see buying a few bags of them if Doritos goes ahead with the production. So keep on the lookout for Doritos X-13D and give them a try. And, if I'm right, it won't surprise me if in the future we don't see a hamburger flavored Doritos.

Hot Cooked Rice, Just Add Cold Water

Yep, you read the title right. A Japanese firm has come up with a non-perishable food pack that will steam rice, and all you have to do is add cold water. While they're saying it's primary use could be in areas hit by natural disasters, this technology could easily lend itself to the outdoorsman or others who do not have access to electricity, but crave a hot meal. Here's the story from Mainichi Daily News:

Japanese developers find way to create hot rice with cold water

TSUKUBA, Ibaraki -- An environmental consulting firm and other developers here have come up with a non-perishable food pack that creates steaming hot rice with the simple addition of cold water.

The group has recently introduced the product, named "Hotto! Raisu," to the market.

By subjecting rice to 4,000 times normal atmospheric pressure, the developers were able to preserve rice for long periods in a soft form that holds moisture. When water is poured over an exothermic agent in the pack, steam warms the rice contained within, and after about 15 minutes, the dish is piping hot.

Link to the full story.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Here's wishing everyone a happy Cinco de Mayo. And for those who are unsure as to what exactly this holiday is, here's a link to the Wikipedia entry for Cinco de Mayo.

Pepsi Summer Mix

OK, after the story of the frog juice, I decided I needed to blog about the other extreme, a drink that tastes great. Pepsi Summer Mix is a a tropical fruit flavored cola released by Pepsi as a limited time summer promotion.

First of all, I want to know why Pepsi isn't hyping this more. This is one of the best sodas that Pepsi has put out in quite a while, much better than the Holiday Spice Christmas cola they released last winter. I wouldn't have even known about this if I hadn't run across one in the soda cooler at the local Sprawl-Mart. A cola this good deserves at least a TV commercial spot, or some kind of promotion.

As you can see, the packaging is very bright and summery, giving it a light fun feeling. The taste is, according to Pepsi, "tropical fruit". Pepsi never really tells what particular fruits it considers tropical in this case, but whatever they are, they pair very well with the taste of the cola. This is definitely a soda I could be happy drinking all day long.

Unfortunately, according to the package, Pepsi Summer Mix is a limited time only promotion. This means that it's probably going to be like so many other things I like (eg., Smoky Cheddar Barbecue Doritos & Mt. Dew Pitch Black), and I'll get hooked on it and they'll discontinue it and I'll never see it again. Personally, I think that's kind of evil; you put a good product out, get people hooked on it, and then take it away from them. Of course I guess it's also smart business, that way you keep them coming back to see what you'll put out next. Well I guess I'll just have to enjoy Pepsi Summer Mix while it lasts.

Interesting Peruvian Drink: Frog Juice

It seems people in Peru drink a particular kind of "smoothie" called frog juice, consisting of, among other things, a skinned frog. The blended concoction is believed to have the power to "cure asthma, bronchitis, sluggishness and a low sex drive." Now I don't know about you, but I'd have to be pretty bad off before I'd drink a pureed frog. Here's the story from Yahoo!News:

Frog juice in high demand in Peru

LIMA, Peru - Carmen Gonzalez plucks one of the 50 frogs from the aquarium at her bus stop restaurant, bangs it against tiles to kill it and then makes two incisions along its belly and peels off the skin as if husking corn.

She's preparing frog juice, a beverage revered by some Andean cultures for having the power to cure asthma, bronchitis, sluggishness and a low sex drive. A drink of so-called "Peruvian Viagra" sells for about 90 cents.

Gonzalez adds three ladles of hot, white bean broth, two generous spoonfuls of honey, raw aloe vera plant and several tablespoons of maca — an Andean root also believed to boost stamina and sex drive — into a household blender.

Then she drops the frog in.

Once strained, the result is a starchy, milkshake-like liquid that stings the throat.

Link to the full story.

Canada Issues World's Highest Denomination Coin

Canada has unveiled what it claims to be the world's highest denomination coin, a huge gold coin worth C$1 million! Now that's a coin collectors dream come true. Here's the story from Yahoo!News:


Spare any change? Canada unveils C$1 million coin

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a welcome addition to any piggy bank on Thursday -- a monster gold coin with a face value of C$1 million (455,000 pounds) that it says is the world's biggest, purest and highest denomination coin.

Weighing in at 100 kilograms (220.5 pounds), the limited edition coin easily dwarfs its closest rival, the 31 kg (68 pound) "Big Phil", which was made to honour the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and has a face value of a mere 100,000 euros (C$150,000).

The Canadian mint introduced the mega-coin, which is the size of an extra-large pizza, alongside the one-ounce gold bullion coins it is mass producing at its Ottawa plant.

Originally designed to promote the new one-ounce coins, the colossal 100 kg coins will be produced in a very limited quantity. A U.S. precious metals distributor has ordered three and there is interest in Asia and Europe, the mint said.

At 53 centimetres (21 inches) in diameter and over 3 cm (1.2 inches) thick, the massive coins need a high level of hand crafting.

While it has a C$1 million face value, the coin is worth more than twice that amount given the current gold price of $683.30 an ounce.

Link to the full story. Photo copyright REUTERS/Handout

Now That's an Expensive Drink

The Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo, Japan has added a splash to it's beverage menu, a 1.8 million yen "diamond-tini". Here's the story from Yahoo!News:

"Diamond-tini" stirs Japan bubble era memories

TOKYO (Reuters) - A new era may be stirring in Japan -- or is that shaking?

Two decades after the "bubble economy", when the ostentatiously wealthy sprinkled gold on food and drank pink Dom Perignon champagne by the magnum, the glass is filling again in Japan with a Martini on rare ice.

The "diamond-tini", a cocktail with a hint of lime and chilled Belvedere vodka over a 1.06-carat stone, is topping the Ritz-Carlton beverage menu at a cool 1.8 million yen (7,520 pounds).

That price includes drink preparations tableside, a serenade of "Diamonds are Forever" as a cut stone slides to the martini glass bottom, and later a ring mounting by a local jeweller.

"It's a timeless drink and diamonds are a girl's best friend, so you combine both this time of year in Japan when proposals are rampant," says hotel manager Bernard Viola.

The Ritz recently opened in the $3.1-billion (1.6 billion pounds) Tokyo Midtown development in the trendy Roppongi district with rooms in the 54-storey tower starting at 70,000 yen ($580) a night.

"There is a market for everything you create. Today it is all about luxury," says Viola, who expects to eventually sell three diamond-tinis a month, though so far there have been no orders.

Link to the full story.