P.Z. Myers "Crashes" Beer Billboard in Albuquerque...

As I was driving north into Albuquerque, New Mexico on I-25 on Monday, my jaw dropped when I saw this display on a 3-D Billboard which formerly described the Rolling Rock Extra Pale “Moonvertising” Ad Campaign.

That’s right - somehow, PT’s own P. Z. Myers had managed to “crash” the 3-D billboard’s display, projecting his own image onto the large hemisphere representing the moon for the ad.

I noticed that the ad was owned by ClearChannel Communications, which is also the home of NMSR’s Science Watch Radio. So, I contacted our station liason, Isabel, and she quickly got me in touch with Rolling Rock’s V.P. of Marketing, Ron Stablehorn.

Ron was shocked to hear how Myers had crashed the billboard, and said that Myers had certainly not been invited to put his image on the expensive ad campaign.

Furthermore, Stablehorn expressed concern that Myers might ramp up his misbehavior, and project his image onto the Moon directly.

While there is a website where invited guests can see how their own messages would look when projected onto the Full Moon, Stablehorn told me that this website was only intended for invitees, who must first testify that they are over 21 years of age.

Stablehorn assured me that if Myers did manage to “crash” his own company’s lunar displays with his ominous visage, he would be taking legal action to make Myers “cease and desist” from crashing his “Full Moon” advertisements.

Ron did not know how Myers had managed to take control of the Albuquerque billboard, and said that if Myers could get away with this action, uninvited, then superimposing his own likeness over Rolling Rock’s actual full moon projections would be child’s play.

The next Full Moon is scheduled for April 20th. Is it simply a coincidence that this is the same day slated for Albuquerque’s Cosmic Carnival, the local celebration of National Astronomy Day?

Mark April 20th on your calendar. All eyes on the Moon!