Next on Fox: When Skepticism Goes Bad!

[LostAngeles]

This is intended to be a fun thread of amusing moments where your need for evidence brings horrible things or where your skepticism and knowledge of science just does not help.

We had bought a couple of bottles of Goya soda at the store and I picked myself out "Apple." This prompted me to tell the story of the Italian Soda From Hell.

Some years ago, I had gone to Disney World. At Epcot (it's not EPCOT, I'm trying to deal with that.), there was, "Ice Station Cool." "Ice Station Cool," is basically really cold and Coke! It's really a good place on a hot day and you can easily miss it. If it's still there, check it out on... inner side of the Easter Innovations Pavilion, furthest from Spaceship Earth.

I don't remember what its, "story," is, but you walk through all these cold rooms and get dumped out at the Coke gift shop at the end. Well, the Coke gift shop also has a little fountain where you can sample sodas from around the world. This is really the draw of, "Ice Station Cool," aside from the cold. Free drinkage.

So this lady advises us not to try the one from Italy, it's really bad. Well, now we have to try it and see for ourselves. We need to know. She was right. It was awful. So we tell the next people. And they go on and try it anyway. So now there's the lady, me and my (now)ex, and a family all telling the next group to not drink it.

They drank it and suffered Italian Soda Hell. And so on.

The moral? Don't drink the soda from Italy at Ice Station Cool. It's a sadistic trick by Coke and Disney.


Story II happens every time I get on a plane. On my flight out here when I moved, it happened the whole flight.

Irrational Brain: We're going to die. The plane is going to crash and fall and we're going to die.
Rational Brain: ...What?
IB: I know it. We're going to die. People have these feelings and then they get off the plane and then the plane blows up and they die.
RB: That was Final Destination.
IB: Still! There's always stories about how people had some kind of feeling and they didn't get on the plane and they were saved!
RB: And yet, people still die in plane crashes. If there were premonitions, then nobody would get on the plane. Also, I do this every single flight and I'm still alive.
IB: ...WE'RE DOOMED!
RB: Shut up. Just shut up. You know how these things work.
IB: I know what can go wrong!
RB: And I know that it rarely ever does.
IB: But it does! We're due.
RB: I also know that's a load of bullsh**. There's no such thing as being "due." I'm taking a stat class sometime so I can get this into my head.
IB: We're going to be in a several ton giant metal thing in the air!
RB: And I know that by the "magical" laws of physics, that's possible and is done. A lot. Every day.
IB: WE'RE DOOMED.
RB: Hey, look, we're in the air. Look down and the pretty tiny things and be quiet.
IB: OOH. Shiny.

 

[Francois Tremblay]

Those aren't instances where skepticism brings horrible things. Do you have an actual example ? To be honest, I think you have an ulterior motive here.

 

[prewitt81]

I recently experienced the same thing at the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, GA. My first reaction was "Mmmmmm. . . International Cola." Boy was I wrong. Out of, I'd say, 20 selections, there were only about 3 that I would even consider potable. My students and I then proceeded to try to out-gross each other with some of the more potent ones.

I wish I could remember some of the names. One of them was not unlike Ginger Ale to look at it or smell it, but it tasted like stomach acid. Good times!

 

[LostAngeles]

Those aren't instances where skepticism brings horrible things. Do you have an actual example ? To be honest, I think you have an ulterior motive here.

I didn't mean things like,"OH GOD MY LEG!" I meant, "Hey, I have to try that out and see for myself. I'm not going to take someone's word on it," or where being a skeptic doesn't help. (Me on the plane.)

Ulterior motive? To be amused.

Oh no wait, it's to bring down all you psuedoskeptimaniacsomethingsomethingsomething.

 

[TriangleMan]

I recently experienced the same thing at the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, GA. My first reaction was "Mmmmmm. . . International Cola." Boy was I wrong. Out of, I'd say, 20 selections, there were only about 3 that I would even consider potable. My students and I then proceeded to try to out-gross each other with some of the more potent ones.

Was at the Coca-Cola Museum a few months ago and absolutely agree with your assessment. Most of those international colas were terrible. Pure evil in a glass!

I can't remember any of their names either (wait a minute, I'm seeing trend here . . .)

 

[shemp]

Well of course they taste evil! What do you expect? Do you think Coke wants some other soda to upstage them? Coke is crap, but I bet after tasting those, Coke tastes like ambrosia. How do you know they didn't doctor them? They probably put cleaning fluid or lark's vomit in them.

 

[lumos]

Well of course they taste evil! What do you expect? Do you think Coke wants some other soda to upstage them? Coke is crap, but I bet after tasting those, Coke tastes like ambrosia. How do you know they didn't doctor them? They probably put cleaning fluid or lark's vomit in them.

I have to agree a bit, here. You went to the COKE museum or the COKE sponsored exhibit at Epcot. I seriously doubt they'd have soda's available that would upstage their own.

I've been to foreign lands and imbibed in the colas and many of them were tasty.

Did the international exhibits also included RC and Pepsi?

Coke is brown, like crap, and does nothing beneficial for you other than taste good. You can get a good sugar and caffeine boost or even use it to murder a diabetic.

 

[Hitch]

It was my understanding that all of the "International Sodas" available for sampling at the Coca Cola Museum and Epcot Center are actually made by Coca Cola. The vile, disgusting ones simply reflect the tastes of the local markets where the Coke products are sold. Italians probably swig "stomach acid" by the gallon, while thinking American cola is vomitous.

 

[Jas]

IB: ...WE'RE DOOMED!
RB: Shut up. Just shut up. You know how these things work.
IB: I know what can go wrong!
RB: And I know that it rarely ever does.
IB: But it does! We're due.
RB: I also know that's a load of bullsh**. There's no such thing as being "due." I'm taking a stat class sometime so I can get this into my head.

That is me exactly every single time I get on a plane. Without fail, I'm convinced I'm going to crash and die. Which is odd, I don't feel that way in car (even though I'm more likely to crash and die, especially with some people).

Semi-related interesting tidbit: On my fieldschool this summer, while chatting with my prof, it was observed that the majority of students on the trip were female. Having been a 14 year veteran of the fieldschools, the prof said that prior to Sept 11, the vast majority of participants were male. Immediately after Sept 11, virtually no males were on the fieldschool at first (we're talking maybe 2 guys to 30 girls), and only recently have the numbers of males on the fieldschools begun to increase to the point where females are only somewhat the majority.

 

[Ririon]

It was my understanding that all of the "International Sodas" available for sampling at the Coca Cola Museum and Epcot Center are actually made by Coca Cola. The vile, disgusting ones simply reflect the tastes of the local markets where the Coke products are sold. Italians probably swig "stomach acid" by the gallon, while thinking American cola is vomitous.

Well... I, for one, doubt that.

Aren't there any Italians on this forum?

One thing I know for a fact is that Coca-Cola (or something very much like it) is sold everywhere on this planet with very few exceptions. I have been told (possible urban legend) that you can approximate your altitude in the Himalayas by the Coke price. Anyway, the point is that in every culture, most people find cold sweet refreshing beverages with a little hit of caffeine to be very tasty, so there is no reason to make bitter disgusting sodas.

BUT

There are markets for such liquids after all, as drink mixers. Covering up the taste of some crappy hooch is a job that should not be left to some kiddie soda. Bitter, sour or ridiculously sweet tastes will do that quite nicely. Tonic water or "Bitter Lemon", anyone? If you are served such a product and expect something like Fanta, you are in for a shock. (Even though I would prefer tonic myself, but that's just anecdotal evidence to be disregarded in a forum like this...)

So, these "sodas from around the world", IF they are real, are probably primarily drink mixers and not something the children use to wash down their hamburgers at the local McDonalds in Italy or anywhere else.

Ririon

 

[drkitten]

It was my understanding that all of the "International Sodas" available for sampling at the Coca Cola Museum and Epcot Center are actually made by Coca Cola. The vile, disgusting ones simply reflect the tastes of the local markets where the Coke products are sold. Italians probably swig "stomach acid" by the gallon, while thinking American cola is vomitous.

Need I point out that Coca-Cola, the company, is not the same as Coca-Cola, the drink? (If it were, my Big Mac meal would be much much more expensive.)

Even in the States, the Coca-Cola company puts out hundreds if not thousands of drinks, including Coke, Sprite, A&W Root Beer, Schweppes, Minute Maid juices, and Dasani water. The Italian soda ("Beverly," if I remember correctly) is another Coca-Cola product, mostly marketed in Italy.

It's not really as vile as it's described; it tastes a little bit like tonic water. It would probably be a good mixer for some sweetish drinks like Campari, and I personally rather like it, even straight, after standing in the Florida sun for a while. It's specifically not as sticky-sweet as a more traditional "soft drink."

 

[aggle-rithm]

Irrational Brain: We're going to die. The plane is going to crash and fall and we're going to die.
Rational Brain: ...What?
IB: I know it. We're going to die. People have these feelings and then they get off the plane and then the plane blows up and they die.
RB: That was Final Destination.
IB: Still! There's always stories about how people had some kind of feeling and they didn't get on the plane and they were saved!
RB: And yet, people still die in plane crashes. If there were premonitions, then nobody would get on the plane. Also, I do this every single flight and I'm still alive.
IB: ...WE'RE DOOMED!
RB: Shut up. Just shut up. You know how these things work.

This reminds me of Homer Simpson's brain telling him, "Just keep your mouth shut, and I'll release some endorphines."

 

[prewitt81]

To clarify: Yes all of the drinks at the Museum were made by the Coca-Cola company. As they are an international company, they do try to cater to local tastes.

Sorry about the huge derail, LA.

 

[c4ts]

Funny you should mention Ice Station Cool. I used to hang out there telling everyone how great the Beverly (Italian soda) was. I got a kick out of seeing their reactions.

On the other hand, it seems they were always running out of the Chinese watermelon soda. If they sold that flavor in the U.S., they'd have a hit.

 

[LostAngeles]

To clarify: Yes all of the drinks at the Museum were made by the Coca-Cola company. As they are an international company, they do try to cater to local tastes.

Sorry about the huge derail, LA.

No, it's all right. My "ulterior motive" is still in place.

I think, and I'm not sure, that the Italian Coke was "anice" flavored or something. The other ones were really good! There was a nice apple and a nice beer one from Germany.

 

[Floyt]

There's beer-flavoured soda in Germany? Now how did I miss that for twenty-odd years?
There must be a whole secret underground food market there... just yesterday I read that "hundreds of tons of frog meat are exported to France and Germany? each year" - how come? I never encountered any (in fact I vaguely believe it's prohibited as a foodstuff under food safety regulations...)

Back on topic: electric fences. They DO conduct rather well over an unbroken liquid connection (water from an aluminium bottle, to forestall the obvious image). Of course I wouldn' expect anyone to take my word on it

 

[c4ts]

The German beer flavored soda was called Mezzo Mix or something. I don't remember the details, but maybe the whole Ice Station Cool dispensed flavors they were testing in those countries, sodas that were sold at the time to test markets but never caught on.

 

[Francois Tremblay]

I didn't mean things like,"OH GOD MY LEG!" I meant, "Hey, I have to try that out and see for myself. I'm not going to take someone's word on it," or where being a skeptic doesn't help. (Me on the plane.)

Ulterior motive? To be amused.

Oh no wait, it's to bring down all you psuedoskeptimaniacsomethingsomethingsomething.

Ah, you're a troll. I see. Never mind then.

 

[Zep]

The Italian one wouldn't be called "chinotto" or something similar, would it?

 

[LostAngeles]

Ah, you're a troll. I see. Never mind then.

::eyeroll:: Yes, that's me a troll. Do you even know what the word means? You, I've noticed from looking at your post history, tend to be on the arrogant side. Which I can certainly identify with, but silliness is far more fun.

Zep, I don't remember, sadly.