Friday, December 28, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Cracker Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
Here is its Wikipedia page..
And Here is its Google maps location..
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
The World's Craziest Golf Course Ever?
There's a ground-breaking new golf course under construction at Mission Hills in China. It combines elements of miniature golf, great wonders of the world, and a fantasy-world setting only experienced in video games. Several of the holes announced are one with a Great Wall of China theme, a par-3 with the green situated inside a gigantic noodle-bowl, as well as one with a Bird's Nest Stadium theme, in which the green is concave. It looks both difficult and exciting!
Here's the full CNN article from Paul Gittings.. (includes more images)
Via: PGA.com, and PGA's Facebook
Oops! Guess They Miscalculated..
Well we're obviously still here, and everything at least seems normal... Crazy Mayans! By the way, here's a picture of our lovely planet as the new day began. Dec. 22, 2012!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The End of Days
~ these guys are ready!
Source
If you’re seriously concerned about the world ending on Friday, then this could be just the ticket.
Ron Hubbard has built a luxurious underground bomb-proof shelter in Montebello, California, with a leather sofa, plasma TV and wooden flooring - just in case the Mayans’ predictions come true.
The civilisation’s Long Count calendar which began 5,125 years ago in 3113 B.C. ends on December 21, 2012 - sparking fears among a small group of people that a major catastrophe could happen. (Source)
Here is the whole article.. (includes a video)
And here is an awesome set of 79 images, start to finish..
Source / Via
If you’re seriously concerned about the world ending on Friday, then this could be just the ticket.
Ron Hubbard has built a luxurious underground bomb-proof shelter in Montebello, California, with a leather sofa, plasma TV and wooden flooring - just in case the Mayans’ predictions come true.
The civilisation’s Long Count calendar which began 5,125 years ago in 3113 B.C. ends on December 21, 2012 - sparking fears among a small group of people that a major catastrophe could happen. (Source)
Here is the whole article.. (includes a video)
And here is an awesome set of 79 images, start to finish..
Source / Via
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
For Dale Murphy, From Your Son
Artist: Tyson Murphy / Image Source
The image above is a cartoon drawn by one Tyson Murphy for his father Dale Murphy. Dale was one of my all-time favorite players growing up as a baseball-loving kiddo. This is a great story I was turned onto at Deadspin. The article is written by Deadspin's Barry Petchesky:
It's Dale Murphy's 15th and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, and while his chances of getting in are slim, his children are doing their part to honor him the way they remember him. Tyson Murphy isn't a sports fan—he's an artist at Blizzard Entertainment, the video game developer responsible for the World of Warcraft games. But he drew his dad this doodle for Christmas, as a tribute to the man whose non-baseball exploits meant more to him.. (cont'd)
Continue to the rest of the article..
Via
Saturday, December 15, 2012
New Dig Dug High Scores
So yeah that's 1,039,950 - Level 67. I actually went beyond level 100 the other day, and was at a score of about 1.6 M, but I paused the game, and then lost the window. No biggy. I'll get there again many times in the future.. as I have posted before many times in the past..
Play Dig Dug here..
12 Facts About Guns & Mass Shootings in the United States
~ a super Washington Post/Wonkblog article by Ezra Klein
Image Source
When we first collected much of this data, it was after the Aurora, Colo. shootings, and the air was thick with calls to avoid “politicizing” the tragedy. That is code, essentially, for “don’t talk about reforming our gun control laws.”
Let’s be clear: That is a form of politicization. When political actors construct a political argument that threatens political consequences if other political actors pursue a certain political outcome, that is, almost by definition, a politicization of the issue. It’s just a form of politicization favoring those who prefer the status quo to stricter gun control laws.
Since then, there have been more horrible, high-profile shootings. Jovan Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, took his girlfriend’s life and then his own. In Oregon, Jacob Tyler Roberts entered a mall holding a semi-automatic rifle and yelling “I am the shooter.” And, in Connecticut, at least 27 are dead — including 18 children — after a man opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
If roads were collapsing all across the United States, killing dozens of drivers, we would surely see that as a moment to talk about what we could do to keep roads from collapsing. If terrorists were detonating bombs in port after port, you can be sure Congress would be working to upgrade the nation’s security measures. If a plague was ripping through communities, public-health officials would be working feverishly to contain it.
Only with gun violence do we respond to repeated tragedies by saying that mourning is acceptable but discussing how to prevent more tragedies is not. “Too soon,” howl supporters of loose gun laws. But as others have observed, talking about how to stop mass shootings in the aftermath of a string of mass shootings isn’t “too soon.” It’s much too late.
What follows here isn’t a policy agenda. It’s simply a set of facts — many of which complicate a search for easy answers — that should inform the discussion that we desperately need to have.
1. Shooting sprees are not rare in the United States.
Mother Jones has tracked and mapped every shooting spree in the last three decades. “Since 1982, there have been at least 61 mass murders carried out with firearms across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii,” they found. ...Cont'd...
Click here to continue to the rest of the article..
The article linked above ("tracked and mapped") is also very, very good!
When we first collected much of this data, it was after the Aurora, Colo. shootings, and the air was thick with calls to avoid “politicizing” the tragedy. That is code, essentially, for “don’t talk about reforming our gun control laws.”
Let’s be clear: That is a form of politicization. When political actors construct a political argument that threatens political consequences if other political actors pursue a certain political outcome, that is, almost by definition, a politicization of the issue. It’s just a form of politicization favoring those who prefer the status quo to stricter gun control laws.
Since then, there have been more horrible, high-profile shootings. Jovan Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, took his girlfriend’s life and then his own. In Oregon, Jacob Tyler Roberts entered a mall holding a semi-automatic rifle and yelling “I am the shooter.” And, in Connecticut, at least 27 are dead — including 18 children — after a man opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
If roads were collapsing all across the United States, killing dozens of drivers, we would surely see that as a moment to talk about what we could do to keep roads from collapsing. If terrorists were detonating bombs in port after port, you can be sure Congress would be working to upgrade the nation’s security measures. If a plague was ripping through communities, public-health officials would be working feverishly to contain it.
Only with gun violence do we respond to repeated tragedies by saying that mourning is acceptable but discussing how to prevent more tragedies is not. “Too soon,” howl supporters of loose gun laws. But as others have observed, talking about how to stop mass shootings in the aftermath of a string of mass shootings isn’t “too soon.” It’s much too late.
What follows here isn’t a policy agenda. It’s simply a set of facts — many of which complicate a search for easy answers — that should inform the discussion that we desperately need to have.
1. Shooting sprees are not rare in the United States.
Mother Jones has tracked and mapped every shooting spree in the last three decades. “Since 1982, there have been at least 61 mass murders carried out with firearms across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii,” they found. ...Cont'd...
Click here to continue to the rest of the article..
The article linked above ("tracked and mapped") is also very, very good!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Spurs Update
Spurs drop two straight for the first time in a long time...
Source
No worries, though. We've played a TON of road games (and have gone 11-4 so far, with a 7-2 home record).. this is like our third road trip of 7 days or longer, and it's only December. And the annual "rodeo road trip" is still coming in Feb. Now that we're getting all these road games done-with, we'll be winning a crap-load of home games, while other teams are going out and losing on the road. We just looked tired tonight (19 turnovers, 7 missed FTs, and the Blazers were sharp). Also Damian Lillard. That guy is the rookie of the year for sure.
No worries, though. We've played a TON of road games (and have gone 11-4 so far, with a 7-2 home record).. this is like our third road trip of 7 days or longer, and it's only December. And the annual "rodeo road trip" is still coming in Feb. Now that we're getting all these road games done-with, we'll be winning a crap-load of home games, while other teams are going out and losing on the road. We just looked tired tonight (19 turnovers, 7 missed FTs, and the Blazers were sharp). Also Damian Lillard. That guy is the rookie of the year for sure.
Spurs Update
So Wednesday night, this happened:
Source
Nothing wrong with that defense, really, just can't let teams hang around to get the opportunity to take the game winning shot.
Source
Nothing wrong with that defense, really, just can't let teams hang around to get the opportunity to take the game winning shot.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Spurs Update
Through 21 games..
Source
Tied for 1st in the West, and tied for 1st in the league.
Here are the current NBA standings.. (courtesy ESPN.com)
Source
Tied for 1st in the West, and tied for 1st in the league.
Here are the current NBA standings.. (courtesy ESPN.com)
Impractical Jokers - Dentist
This had me in tears.. Impractical Jokers is an incredibly hilarious series on TruTV. Please watch it sometime! You won't regret it!
Video Source / TruTV
More to come!
Video Source / TruTV
More to come!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Pantera - I'm Broken
~in memory of Dimebag Darrell.. 8 years ago today, one of the greatest guitarists of our time was taken from us. This is for you, and all fans!
Source
Source
How About Some Metallica Monopoly!
"The fast-dealing property trading game" just got faster! MONOPOLY METALLICA Collectors Edition takes the popular board game to a whole new level. Every aspect of the game designed for the true Metallica fan in mind. You'll "pass go" through historic Metallica events and locations around the board such as club shows, festivals, studios, childhood homes and other metal landmarks! (Source)
You can purchase it or get more information on it HERE..
Friday, December 7, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Franchise Relocations
Image Source
Now all we need is the Arizona Cardinals to create a new name, so St. Louis can have the Cardinals back. Then this will allow the new team in Los Angeles to be the Rams, like they used to be. By the way, those Rams also used to be in Cleveland, and the Cardinals used to be in Chicago.. Thank goodness St. Louis still has its baseball Cardinals!
As far as the Colts go, they moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, keeping their name. Then the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. Then when the new team was created in Cleveland, they jumped at the chance be the Browns again! That Cleveland team is the only one in all of this who had any sense! And remember the Houston Texans had every opportunity to become the Oilers, since that team changed its name to the Titans when they moved to Tennessee. It's also important to note that probably 99% of all Houston Texans fans don't even know the Kansas City Chiefs used to be the Dallas Texans.
Speaking of Kansas City, the origin of the Royals has some crazy history too, but it's actually an original franchise. However, there was once a team in Philadelphia called the Athletics, who moved to KC and were the Kansas City Athletics for 13 seasons. But that team is now in Oakland.
No wonder the Athletics decided to move in the first place. Philly also had the Phillies. What on earth could be the significance of baseball's Philadelphia Phillies? They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. (Source)
But what sucks about the New Orleans Hornets is that they were forced to play a season in Oklahoma City before the Seattle Supersonics came to town. So lots of OKC basketball fans, who became attached to the Hornets, suddenly had no team again. Very soon, however, they would be rewarded, to the chagrin of everyone in the city of Seattle, with the Supersonics - and called themselves the Oklahoma City Thunder. Had the Hornets simply decided to just stay in OKC, the Supersonics could've gone to New Orleans, and then we'd have the New Orleans __?___ Thunder? But then, the Charlotte Hornets (being in OKC instead of New Orleans) may have not wanted to change their name to the Pelicans, and I wouldn't have written this blog post in the first place.
But wait.. We all know that Salt Lake City is not known for its jazz music. But are there any Grizzlies in Memphis? I presume there must be at least one.. at their zoo. Same with the lakes of Minnesota. Once upon a time, Minneapolis had a basketball team called the Lakers, formerly the Detroit Gems, who are now in Los Angeles, and the rest is history.
Now that the New Jersey (formerly New York) Nets are in Brooklyn, I assume New Jersey is just flat-out screwed.
But at least you're not a D.C. baseball fan. The original Washington Senators decided to move to Minnesota, and became the Twins. Then after being granted a new franchise (also called the Senators), 11 years after the original Senators moved to Minnesota, the second Senators moved to Arlington, TX, and became the Texas Rangers.
Image Source
(What! Why?? Two St. Louis organizations obviously didn't have a problem both being the Cardinals in both baseball and football!)
Anyway, thirteen years later they moved to California, and became the Sacramento Kings. Now this Sacramento Kings team is seriously considering moving to Norfolk, VA to become either the Virginia Kings or the NorfolkKings. I seriously hope they choose the former rather than the latter. Yeah I intentionally left no space. That pronunciation is just not nice at all.
I won't even get into hockey or soccer. Nor will I mention any of these:
∙ Buffalo Braves - San Diego Clippers - L.A. Clippers
∙ Baltimore Orioles - New York Highlanders - New York Yankees
∙ Milwaukee Brewers - St. Louis Brewers - St. Louis Browns - Baltimore Orioles
∙ Boston Braves - Milwaukee Braves - Atlanta Braves
∙ Seattle Pilots - Milwaukee Brewers ..(Seattle Mariners)
∙ [Brooklyn Dodgers --> L.A. Dodgers ~&~New York Giants --> San Francisco Giants]
∙ The Redskins used to be in Boston. Hmm...
I know one thing. If Tottenham ever decides to move its soccer team to San Antonio, we might be in trouble!
Sources: Wikipedia's "Relocation of Professional Sports Teams", and Philly's, and Cincy's
Monday, December 3, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Wonder If He Realizes This?
Yeah, that's a pretty big difference! Wake up, Mr. Stern. You approved the schedule, now fine yourself and the schedule-makers.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Surviving 2012 and Planet X
Source
That's part 1, and here are the rest.
There's a lot of truth and wonder in this short series. I became a little less supportive during videos 3 & 4, but the fact remains that there is a large mass approaching our solar system. The ramifications would be huge.
Then I see that this series was published in 2007. Hmmm... well, you can say it's old news, but in the complete scope of things space-related, 5 years is actually tiny.
The Nibiru Cataclysm, from Wikipedia.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Spurs Update
Source
So the buzz all night as the San Antonio Spurs visited the Miami Heat earlier Thursday night was the fact that Gregg Popovich chose not to play Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green for their 4th game in 5 days.
Spurs had won 5 straight road games, and 29 out of their last 33 (an all-time NBA record). Now for the final game of this long road-trip, and their second long road-trip of the season already, the best coach in the league decides to rest some key players. What better experience could the guys on your already strong bench get?
The issue that shouldn't have been continued to be an issue because, of course, the TNT announcing crew of Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, and Kevin Harlan wouldn't leave it alone. Most had positive words to say, and I applaud them for that. But the media also wouldn't leave it alone. But what's new with the media? They take stupid stories involving the big-market teams (in any sport), and blow them way out of proportion. And the Spurs never get any media bias, but we, as Spurs fans, are OK with this. We don't need it, nor want it.
Not long after the starting lineups were announced, NBA commissioner David Stern came out with a statement:
"I apologize to all NBA fans. This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming." (Source)
Not only is this BS, but after the fact, it's going to be very interesting to see how Stern reacts after the outcome of the game. The game was a good one! Spurs had the chance to win down the stretch, and even led for a lot of this game. David Stern needs to step aside already, and apologize for his remarks. In a statement that his successor, Adam Silver, made in response to a very similar situation last season regarding the Spurs, Silver said:
"The strategic resting of particular players on particular nights is within the discretion of the teams." (Source)
Be sure to take a look at the box score for this game of "no-names" against the current NBA champions.
By the way, here's how ESPN's Sportsnation views the (non)-issue:
Source
Click here to go vote on this..
Spurs are 13-4, and doing very well, stupid issues aside. They host the hot Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, Dec. 1 in only their 4th home game since Nov. 7th. Memphis currently holds the best record in the NBA at 11-2. I would think I'd want my players fresh for that game, especially since the Grizzlies are not only a conference opponent, but a division foe as well.
UPDATE: David Stern has fined the organization $250,000.
Crock. Of. Horse$%&@.
And here's an awesome Reddit thread about this..
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Fast Asleep (OC)
So my wife snapped a quick picture of me sleeping the other night. Yeah that's me & my dirty foot. What's more important is the position I'm in. I hate not being covered-up, and I rarely fall asleep on my back. I was probably snoring too.. Blah blah blah... LOL
Liquid Tension Experiment - Acid Rain (LIVE)
in LA, 2008
Via
This is just another example that proves my feeling that John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy were BORN to play together. So tight. I love it. And you know what? Replace Tony Levin with John Myung, and you have Dream Theater without their singer. Not that you didn't know this. How beautiful is this?
Via
This is just another example that proves my feeling that John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy were BORN to play together. So tight. I love it. And you know what? Replace Tony Levin with John Myung, and you have Dream Theater without their singer. Not that you didn't know this. How beautiful is this?
Greand Theft Auto V To Be Released - Spring 2013!
Wheeeee! Incredible news. I'll have a new XBox360, and will finally get to play GTA IV, but the reviews of this game have been super so far. I can't wait.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Takabisha - The World's Steepest Roller Coaster
-with a drop angle of 121ยบ mid-way through
Here is a POV video from the front row:
Source / Via - (NSFW)
Takabisha's Wikipedia page..
Image Source
Here is a POV video from the front row:
Source / Via - (NSFW)
Takabisha's Wikipedia page..
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Spicy Wontons
There's this appetizer my wife and I love to get at a local Chinese Restaurant. It's called Spicy Wontons. We've tried our best to figure out how to make the delicious sauce, to no avail. When I saw this picture, I had to save it and post it. That looks almost exactly like the sauce in question - the only difference is they serve the sauce over the pork-filled wontons. And they're not fried, but probably boiled.. like meat-filled noodles.. with yummy, extra spicy goodness on top.
