I watched a guy beat another man on the subway yesterday. After we pulled into the 4th ave and 9th street station on the F train the doors opened and everyone in the car heard a loud smack. A black guy was beating an older businessman with an umbrella. Everyone on the train started making a commotion. "Stop that!" some woman (who had a lot to say even after we left the station) screamed after each hit. Everyone stared at the beating and I think some people tried to push the guy away but it was hardly a wholehearted effort. Some people yelled out to stop the train. Many other people (including my self) yelled to not stop the train. The guy with the umbrella was gone and there was no need to stop everyone because of it. Someone suggested that a complaint should be filed.

How on earth would you lodge a complaint? "Excuse me officer? I'd like to lodge a complaint to that black man who beat me with an umbrella. His name? Sorry... Where did he go? Well it was 10 minutes ago... I donít know but he's not on the F-Train I just got off. Am I hurt? Well my pride is pretty damaged, but it wasn't that bad." The cops would tell you to quit pissing off strangers in the subway.

I really wish something could have been done, but what was I supposed to do chuck dry ice at him? Speaking of dry ice I got to play with a fair amount. Read on for pictures.

Mike showed up at my work with a bag of dry ice. I decided I should leave my camera at home that morning so I don't have pictures but it was fun. I got to walk around with a bottle of Snapple that was bubbling off CO2. A kid watched me walk past him with my steaming bottle of drink. "Its a new kind of Snapple." I told him. :-p

Anyway on to the photos!

This is Mike it was dry ice from his work down at the labs at Poly Tech.

This is Cassie. She's a good friend of mine who's become a coworker down at MS 51. This photo was actually taken a few days previous.

This is Mike with ice. Yes you can touch the ice. Just don't get greedy.

Don't drink and play with ice kids.

When you stomp on dry ice you crush it into sand almost. Since dry ice has a habit of becoming gas the rapidly increased surface area makes it look like a timid dust explosion where you get a lot of steam all at once.

Cassie is holding the garbage bag we stole to hold the stolen ice.

I have to say I had a lot of fun with the stuff. It twas a good day.