The Snuggie

Sweatshirts and blankets are for suckers! That’s right, I said it. Every item you can think of; sweaters, wool socks, blankets, fireplaces. They all fail in comparison to the greatest invention ever. I’m sure most of you know, and don’t need to be told. But bear with me. Someone out there on the internet right now is cold, and deep down they know that no matter of clothes will fix their dilemma. Well here is the solution: the Snuggie!

I strongly recommend going to their website and watching the video. The product is explained in such better detail there. There really is nothing quite like taking something as simple as being warm and comfortable, and turning it into a freak show like this.

So I ask you, why would you wear a sweatshirt when you can have fun alienating your friends by wearing a snuggie in your choice of three fantastic colors?

Heroes

This person is my hero...

Have a Safe Drive Home

Last weekend I took a trip up to Lutsen, MN for three days of snowboarding with some friends. Every time I go boarding I have a new story to tell, and this time is no different. There are actually a few stories to share, but I figure I’ll first post about the story relating to my Multiple Choice question.


On the third day of our trip, my friends Mike, Joe, Jamie, and I decided to forgo boarding and drive home early on the already-plowed roads. It was a sunny day out, but frigid (single digit temps with an estimated -30 degree wind chill). We left our hotel and began our ill-fated journey towards Minneapolis. About 30 minutes into our trip, the Mike pulled over to the side of the road to clear some ice from his windshield. Our car pulled up behind the first. Both cars put hazard lights on and were well off the side of the road, to avoid traffic. The cold temperature was causing steam to rise off Lake Superior, creating water spouts. We decided to take the opportunity and snap some pictures. Mike, Joe, and I walked down the road maybe 100 yards to get a better view while Jamie stayed in the second car. We finished taking pictures just as a plow rounded the corner.


As the plow passed us, I watched as the driver lowered the plow and started drifting towards the shoulder and our cars. I remember saying aloud “I hope the plow doesn’t hit our cars.” Just as I finished my sentence we heard the sickening crunch as the plow collided with the cars. At first the three of us stood in disbelief at what had just happened. Joe pretty much summed up our thoughts as he outstretched his arms and uttered “What the F***”. As it began to sink in all at once we realized that Jamie had been in the second car (the now wrecked car) and we began sprinting over to the accident. Luckily she was not seriously injured. She emerged scared, but OK.

The next few hours involved dealing with the plow driver/police/etc. Mike's car wasn't too damaged and we were able to fit our gear and ourselves into his car and drive home. Looking back, I’m not sure why this accident happened. I don’t know if the plow driver was tired, not paying attention, whatever. I do know that we are extremely lucky. If the plow had been further over, Jamie may have been severely injured, and both cars would have most definitely been totaled. But in the same respect, how hard is it to miss two cars with flashing lights on an open, straight, snow-free road in broad daylight?

Multiple Choice

If you were driving a snowplow weighing 50,000lbs (22.32 Tons) and saw two vehicles on the shoulder of the road with hazard lights on, would you:

A) Lower the plow
B) Aim for the vehicles
C) Hit the vehicles
D) All of the above

If you answered “D” then chances are you are a plow operator for Lake County, MN.

Halo

Considering I am waiting in a pre-game lobby for BLaZE so we can play some Halo, I figured now would be a good time to post about what has been something of an obsession for me since the good ‘ol days of college. I was first introduced to Halo way back in freshman year by BLaZE. I started out as one may expect; a complete nub with no concept of the game mechanics. I was the bottom of the totem pole. However, I quickly found myself rising up the ranks. I passed a lot of good men on the way, Blue, Gecko, Trent Lott, and even Ball Cancer. Soon I was in the upper echelon with my creator: BLaZE. Since we were both so good at the game, we were generally on opposing teams. With our competitive nature, this lead to a lot of animosity, but I don’t want to get into that now. What I will get into is how much I miss the original Halo: Combat Evolved.

In college, we would stay up for hours playing Halo. After every game we’d all rush out to the hallway (pretty much everyone on our wing in the dorm played) for a post-game discussion. Life was good. I can remember all it would take was one person to start up their Xbox and play the Halo theme song. Soon 10 or so friends would be crowded around the door… or loading their Xboxes to join the game.

It just hasn’t been the same since the days of Halo: Combat Evolved. I think some of it is that my friends aren’t across the hall anymore and we can’t LAN. But there is also the evolution the game has taken. When Halo 2 came out, a lot of the game dynamics changed, and Halo 3 just solidified it. Granted I still enjoy the games, but it doesn’t compare. I think that Bungie has taken the skill out of the game. In Halo, if you were surrounded by 3 or 4 guys and were by yourself, you could easily emerge victorious if you had a steady aim. The game took skill. Since, it has been a downward spiral of suck. Bungie calls it “Equalization,” I call it pandering to the n00bs. They have adopted a ‘spray and pray’ tactic that has worked so well in the past. Hell, the US used that tactic in the Vietnam War, and look how that turned out. Now if you have a head to head battle, and you come out on top, your shields are most certainly gone and anyone that can send a few bullets your way will get a free kill.

I have a solution: Bungie, develop multiplayer over Xbox Live for Halo: Combat Evolved. I will never need another multiplayer Xbox game again. I'll be in the green pastures of Blood Gulch.

Dilbert

Probably my favorite Dilbert Comic. I imagine this happens to everyone at some point in their career. View the full-sized version.

2008 Season

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted. To tell you the truth, I’m not surprised I’ve begun to falter. I’ll try to not let my follower(s?) down and post on a more regular basis. The good news is that now I have saved up and have a lot to talk about. Let’s get started.

With the beginning of December marks the end of the 2008 Deer hunting season for me. As I said in my previous post, I always get new stories whenever I go hunting. This year is no different. Opening morning I was walking down a trail and came to a crossing. Down the other trail I saw two fawns walking towards me. I’m not going to shoot a fawn so I just decided to watch. They came closer and closer. At about 50 yards I grew anxious and decided to take action. I waved at the deer in an effort to shoo them away. To my surprise, one of the deer saw me and began running towards me, as if I was his long lost pal. Finally, the other deer saw me and was not so overjoyed. He darted into the woods and the other followed.

The next weekend I had a shot at a doe from ~250-300 yards. I could clearly see the head, but everything else was hidden in brush. I picked a spot where the vitals should be and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately I missed. At that distance, being off by even a cm means that you’ll be off by a foot or two. Disappointing, but I’ll blame it on the tree swaying in the wind.
The next day I was walking around when I heard a noise. I drew my gun and waited. Out walks another fawn maybe 20 yards away. It turns and looks at me, but it must not have been able to wind me because it wasn’t sure what I was. So it walked closer and closer, trying to figure out what I was. Finally, it got to be about two arm lengths away and stopped. I was almost in disbelief at how close the deer was. I thought about pulling out my knife, but it was just a step out of reach. After maybe 10 minutes of the deer curiously looking at me it grew tired and walked away.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a deer this year. But it’s ok since my brother went Rambo and killed everything in sight. So when you think about it, I have stories and venison. Can I really ask for much more?