New Way To Cook Turkey

Sure, deep frying a turkey is kinda dangerous and makes it taste delicious, but after seeing this video, there's no going back to a "traditional" method.

Ringo Junior

Have you seen the kid play 71 different Beatles songs in five minutes...on the drums?!?!



Insane talent and concentration.

Alligator Slacklining

I'm not sure I'd go slacklining in sneakers. I would die immediately. I have the worst balance in the world.

Sizzl

Does your dating life need some...sizzle? Well, there's app for that.

Oscar Mayer‘s latest gimmick is a dating app to help bacon lovers meat one another. The puns are endless, as one of tag lines for this program, aptly dubbed Sizzl, is “giving new meaning to the term ‘bacon-wrapped dates.'”

That's not me. But check out more here: http://time.com/4035044/oscar-mayer-bacon-dating-app-sizzl/

Beer Mile World Classic

If I had any ambition, this would be the event I competed in.

It's the Beer Mile: you basically have to chug four beers while running a mile. Four laps around the track, one beer during each. The winner clocked in at 5:09 - pretty damn impressive.

From  SF Gate:
The inaugural Beer Mile World Classic had about 300 willing participants, including plenty of serious running ringers. The goal? To beat competitors in running a mile, while stopping every lap to chug a beer.

“Making sure just to burp and not to puke is very difficult,” warned Alex Carney, 25-year-old graduate student who did plenty of his own puking at the event. The Berkeley resident clocked in at 11 minutes — way slower than the Beer Mile world record of 4:55.

There were plenty of amateur racers who lamented that downing the beer was the hardest part. The beer had to have an alcohol content of 5 percent or higher and if runners puked during the race, they’d have to run a penalty lap.

Here's a taste:

Chris Farley

I sat down and watched two hours of TV last night without changing the channel once, which says something about the caliber of the programming that was on the air. It was the "I Am Chris Farley" documentary on Spike TV, which I thought was incredibly well done.
Here's a description of the documentary from Deadspin:

The result is worthy of the big screen even if it’s getting its network-TV debut almost simultaneously: short and bittersweet, not unlike the life of the comedian in question. There’s a late cut to a Weekend Update clip where Chris plays correspondent Bennett Brauer, who talks about his own inadequacies using air quotes and flattens the distinction between the actor and the real person, the joker and the joke. You’re led to believe that maybe Farley himself didn’t know the difference.

It's good TV. Find it if you can.

Cecil the Lion

If you haven't seen this yet, you've gotta watch.

Secret Burrito Compartment

There's a lot of reasons why it would be cool to be a MLB player. Having the means (aka $$$) to do something like this is near the top of the list.

Sean Doolittle is on (the DL of) my fantasy team, and is nursing an arm injury, which might explain why his main focus is that delicious looking burrito.

https://twitter.com/whatwouldDOOdo/status/625852668850761728

Sharknado 3

As much as I've been a part of Sharknado-related conversations over the past few years, I've admittedly never seen the movies. Is that bad? I kind of feel like a hypocrite. Oh well. The idea of the movies is cool, but not enough for me to actually sit down and spend two hours watching each one.

It premieres tonight on something called SyFy, if you're interested.

Quad Flip

I tried pulling a backflip on a bike once. I made it halfway and then my mom sold my precious BMX roadster at a garage sale for $7.

AC/DC still bringing it

I'm typically not a fan of people taking video at concerts, but this pretty cool.

Check out this link for more from AC/DC's concert over the weekend in Barcelona.

Ginja Ninja

I like Jon Ryan because he used to be on the Packers, but I hate Jon Ryan because he's currently on the Seahawks.

Therefore, I'm happy with his outcome on "American Ninja Warrior"

NFL Draft: Bill Burr

This is fantastic. A little NSFWish, but spot on.

Jockey Crack

"Finishing at the rear of the field"

You clever British announcers.

Amy Schumer

Have you ever watched something, and cringed because of how well it's executed? Satire at it's finest.

Star Wars Trailer

New Star Wars trailer? Eh.



Disney stock going up on the day of the release? Not a coincidence.

Rice Krispie

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and chocolate isn't really my thing. But this, I'm a fan of.




Via NBC News: 

A group of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said Sunday that they cooked up a Rice Krispies treat that shatters the Guinness World Record for the largest cereal treat by half a ton.

The group, called Project Freshman 15,000 — a reference to the notorious "freshman 15" — set out on a goal to construct a 7½-ton version of the classic gooey cereal treat while raising money for charity along the way, according to a statement from the school.

The student volunteers, led by the visionary of the project, Joe Tarnowski, started melting the butter and marshmallows Thursday morning and finished up Sunday with a Rice Krispies treat that was 11,327 pounds. While the finished product was a tad short of their goal, the group is still confident they beat the world record, which was set in 2010 with a brick of Rice Krispies weighing 10,314 pounds, according to Guinness World Records.

Boston Bombings

The verdict in the Boston Marathon bombing case came down today, and it surprised no one: Dzokhar Tsarnaev was convicted on all 30 counts that he was up against. The only question now is whether or not he will die via capital punishment or if he'll rot away in prison.

Of course there are some people rejoicing that justice was served, but for some, those wounds are not healed. I follow a few members of the Boston media on twitter, and one said "As a Bostonian, runner & someone at the marathon on 4/15/13, today strangely brings no feelings of satisfaction. Just a terrible tragedy."



From well over 1,000 miles away, it's hard to truly empathize with what went on within that community, so I can only speak to what my experiences were here in La Crosse today. I remember it vividly because I was still a relative newbie to radio (even moreso than I am now), and I remember selfishly thinking "how am I going to handle this on the air?"

I also remember how unique the event was in that it played out in real time both on television and social media as well. Watching a literal manhunt develop on the internet was fascinating, although I hope we never have to do something again.

Special thoughts and prayers go out today to the families off all affected by the bombings almost two years ago.

Just Another Monday

Posted earlier this morning at lacrosseradiogroup.net/sports

Today should be fun, right?

I mean, I’d love to be in either Milwaukee or Indianapolis right now, but them’s the breaks, right? My Facebook feed is rapidly filling up with posts by my friends getting ready to tailgate at Miller Park, or ones that were able to score tickets to the NCAA championship game tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium. I have obligations here in La Crosse (which I am excited about, trust me), but really, I’m just jealous. Plain and simple.

First things first: How about the Badgers? I’m not totally sure how to properly characterize the upset. In Vegas terms, it wasn’t that big. Wisconsin was a five-point underdog, against a team that they lost to by one the year before in this exact same game. Badgers haters were quick to point that out over the weekend. But in other, unquantifiable terms, it was huge. Kentucky was THE team in college basketball this season, and THE favorite heading into the tournament. They showed all year that they were beatable, but for 38 times in a row, they hadn’t been.

What was encouraging as a Badgers fan was that they won without playing perfect. They played well, don’t get me wrong, but Kentucky shot better from the field, from three and from the FT line. Granted, Wisconsin made more threes and more free throws, but the point stands. The Badgers also had 10 turnovers, which is a lot for Wisconsin. What was most impressive was they way that they controlled the boards. So much was made of Kentucky’s length and athleticism, but it was the Badgers that had a 34-22 advantage on the glass, led by 11 from Frank Kaminsky. Kaminsky and Sam Dekker combined for 14 rebounds, as did Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns, but the rest of the Wisconsin starting lineup (Nigel Hayes, Josh Gasser and Bronson Koenig) out-rebounded the rest of the Wildcats’ starting line-up.

So what’s going to be the secret tonight? Limiting Duke’s trips to the FT line (they shot 27 of 37 against Michigan State!!), exploiting mismatches (we’ll get to that in a second), and continuing to control the glass (duh).

I think that Kaminsky, Dekker and Koenig match up extremely well with Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones. Call them a wash, just for argument’s sake. That leaves my X-factors as Nigel Hayes and Josh Gasser. Both will need to knock down at least a couple of 3-pointers, and basically win the battle vs. their Duke counterparts. I’d be ok if Duje Dukan stepped up and hit a 3-pointer or two, as well.

Is this a team of destiny? It sure feels like it.

Now, BASEBALL.

I know it’s a loooooong season, but 1-0 would certainly feel great, because, you know, hope springs eternal. Let’s go Brew Crew.

Citizen's Police Academy

Last night, I had the unique opportunity to get drunk on the taxpayer's dime. One of the things that the Onalaska Police Department does is offer a Citizens Police Academy for anyone that lives or works in the city, and they get to learn some of the ins and outs of the business. It's pretty neat. But this week in the academy, they were learning about drunk driving, OWI, DUI and the things that police officers look for when it comes to enforcing those laws. Of course, to be able to best teach this topic, they needed test subjects.

That's where I come into play.

I got connected with the Onalaska PD to come in and basically, get drunk. I told them I like a good 7&7, so when I showed up, I was seated with the other "participants", I poured myself a mixer and starting to drink.

It was kind of odd, drinking with cops and strangers in the room, but I quickly made friends, we watched some Wheel of Fortune, and kept drinking. Of course, alcohol is a great social lubricant, so that certainly helped.

They would periodically check our BAC along the way (basically after every mixed drink), and I saw my number gradually climb. .04 after two drinks, up to .074 after three drinks and I hit the magical .08 mark after four (relatively strong) mixed drinks.

My initial reaction? Holy crap, I'm hammered. I'd never ever think about getting behind the wheel of a car at that level of intoxication, but to learn that I was only a .08 was astonishing. After two drinks, I was already thinking to myself "whoa, driving might be tricky now" but to drive home after four drinks would be stupid.


We went through field sobriety tests, which I did not pass, surprisingly. They did the finger test where you follow it with your eyes, the walk-in-a-straight-line trick, plus the ol' stand-on-one-foot game. I failed all three. I asked the officer overseeing this part of the night at which point he would have failed me and he said "As soon as I put up my finger." So yeah, pretty drunk.

I got a ride home and almost immediately went to bed. Pounded some Powerade this morning, finally ate some lunch early this afternoon, and starting to finally feel a bit better later on this afternoon. It was for a good cause, but I kept telling my coworkers this morning that it was an "excused hangover."

Anyways, it was a cool experience. I feel like I learned a great deal of my tolerance levels and what a .08 actually feels like, and I think the more people that want to spend time actually learning our laws and get a better appreciation of what our police departments do is a huge plus as well. Kudos to the Onalaska PD on a great program (and thank you taxpayers for the drinks!)

April Fools Day

Some companies doing April Fools Day are clever. Most are just dumb.

Take a look here.



A wing chain advertising a 100-lb chicken wing. Topical, relevant to their business, harmless. That should be about what you're shooting for.

Get Hard

For some reason, I decided to go see Get Hard at Marcus Cinemas last night and it was...ok. In saying that, I mean that it's terrible, but it's funny, if that makes sense. Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart are some of the funniest people in the world, and they are professional actors, so by that logic, comedy ensues.

As far as bad plots and offensiveness to blacks and gays and really almost anyone else, to go with just a general awfulness...well, this movie ain't winning any Academy Awards.



But...so what? It had it's laughs, and it made for an entertaining two hours. Not every movie that comes out has to be the crowning jewel of society. Sure this may have played to the least common denominator, so to speak, but so what?

Here's a great take from the Los Angeles Times:

The movie has taken a fair share of heat for some of its jokes. In a widely quoted Coming Soon.net review, one critic wrote that with this movie we “finally get a comedy that homophobes, racists and generally stupid people can all enjoy together!” There's an argument to be made that a smarter class commentary lurks within, perhaps beaten down by the relentless process of studio testing and editing.

For all the genre's breadth, though, none of these movies are  trying to take on social topics. How members of different races see each other is something only a select few R-rated comedies have really attempted (e.g. the “Harold and Kumar” series). And the idea of examining class and wealth distribution in an R-rated comedy -- what with all the bathroom and bedroom humor to be mined -- is even rarer.  R-rated comedies, God bless 'em, aren't here to make you think about the real world. They're here to make you forget about it.

Split Allegiances

Last night was thrilling, as a basketball fan. I was emotionally invested in three of the four games airing last night, as I am a joint Wisconsin Badgers/Notre Dame Fighting Irish fan, and I may or may not have had something riding on the Arizona-Xavier game. (Legally speaking, of course.)

It made for an interesting evening. I love this Wisconsin Badgers team, and have watched probably 99%  of their action this season. I’m all in. It’s easy to be a fan of this team, and given the fact that so many people from around the state and around the community are Badgers fans as well, it’s fun to root for them.

I’m also a Notre Dame fan, stemming from my childhood. My dad is a Domer, so I was raised cheering for ol’ Notre Dame. I think they are extremely well coached and likable as well, and the fact that they took down the likes of Duke and UNC in the ACC Tournament doesn’t hurt. I’ve never really seen a direct conflict of interest in my household, because the two teams rarely if ever play each other. They’re one game away now, but with Arizona and Kentucky in the way, I’m not sure they are destined to meet-up, and cause an rift in the Callaway household.

Inside the Park Nachos

As if my arteries weren't clogged enough as it is, the Brewers have to go and do something like this. Let's be fair: I'd eat just about anything crusted in Doritos.

Yahoo! describes it like this:

Nachos are great, but they are a difficult item to eat on the go. And, if you're anything like me, you need to consume your ballpark food the instant it's placed in your hand. With nachos on a stick, that's no longer a problem!

The 'Inside the Park Nachos' are packed with taco meat and crusted with Doritos. That will be topped with cheese sauce and sour cream, and will be served with salsa. 

They're also debuting a brat that apparently "has everything":

This brat has everything: fries, gravy, cheese curds and sauerkraut are placed on the dog. That gets covered with cheese sauce, fried jalapenos, sour cream and chives.

Catfish Catasrophe

Over the past few years, we've all learned the digital term for catfished and how it basically means being deceived and led on by a person over the internet.

This...is much more literal. And appropriate, I suppose, given that it is a Lenten Friday.

Somehow, someway, all of the fish survived. I don't like fish. I would have noped out of there pretty quick.

Fireworks Display

Ever wonder what the police do with all those fireworks they confiscate? No? Well you're about to find out anyways.



20,000 pounds is 10 tons, in case you were wondering. Three and a half days to explode them all seems like a great use of taxpayer money, although you can't really keep explosives sitting in a warehouse, I suppose.

Cheese

Apparently there is a company out of North Carolina whose sole job is asking people stupid questions. It's called Public Policy Polling, and they asked 1,071 Wisconsin voters to answer various questions about sports, food and pop culture in this glorious state. The answers were...boring.

From the PPP report:

-There actually is one thing in Wisconsin (narrowly) more popular than Aaron Rodgers: cheese. 80% of voters in the state have a favorable opinion of cheese to only 5% with a negative one. Beer is popular too, with a 65/24 favorability rating. But it can't match up to cheese- when asked which of the two they like better 66% of voters pick cheese to only 23% for beer.

WHO DOESN'T LIKE CHEESE? Unless you're lactose intolerant or something like that, YOU BETTER BE EATING CHEESE EVERY DAMN DAY.

All this proves is that I think we found the 5% of people that should find a new state to live in.

Cost Map

Someone had way too much time on their hands compiling this, but the results are fantastic.

This dude presented the question "How much does _______ cost in" and then added every state, and shared his results here. 



Wisconsin's and Minnesota's answers are kind of boring. Connecticut, on the other hand, wants to research exactly how much that hooker is going to cost them.

Secret Service

This story is something else. Mostly funny, if you ask me.

Per the Washington Post:

Two Secret Service agents suspected of driving under the influence and striking a White House security barricade disrupted an active bomb investigation and may have driven over the suspicious package itself, according to current and former government officials familiar with the incident.

Secret Service officers on duty considered the agents’ behavior to be erratic and suspected they were drunk, according to current and former officials familiar with the incident.

An agency official said the two employees had been moved to “non-supervisory, non-operational assignments.” They were not put on administrative leave, which has been a typical procedure when agents are under investigation for alleged misconduct.

Fishermen

I saw plenty of brave souls enjoying the 55 degree weather out on the ice of Lake Onalaska today, but science will always win. Trust me.

From the Pioneer Press:

An angler was rescued from atop his partially submerged vehicle Tuesday after it broke through the ice on a reservoir north of Duluth as officials are urging residents in northern Minnesota to stay off the ice.

"It's damn embarrassing," Bill Weckman, 60, of Duluth Township said after rescue crews extended a ladder to reach his Kia Sorento about 100 feet from shore near the Rice Lake Dam at about 1 p.m.

"I wanted to get off early before it got warmer," he said, as temperatures climbed to record highs in the region. "It's a two-wheel-drive (vehicle) and I wanted to get off before it got slushy."

Weckman said he went out on the lake to fish at about 9:30 a.m. As he headed back to the boat landing, he was driving about 30 mph when the vehicle broke through the ice without warning and started to sink in shallow water. Weckman climbed out through an open window and waited on the vehicle's roof until rescuers arrived.


The temperature at the Duluth airport reached 57 degrees at 1 p.m., a record for the date.]

That's right. Ice melts when it gets warm. I know you want to catch that last lunker, but use your freaking head.

Early NFL Free Agency

Through the first few days of the Free Agent Frenzy, as it applies to the NFC North, a few things are clear: The Packers haven't gotten worse, while their stiffest competition, the Lions and Bears, certainly have. (Sorry Vikings. I like some things you guys are doing, but you're not there yet.)

Case in point: Green Bay was able to (agree to) re-sign Randall Cobb to a 4-year, $40 million dollar deal. That's pretty damn close to the 4-year, $39 million dollar deal that Jordy Nelson signed last summer. That makes them the 10th and 11th highest paid wideouts in the league, according to OverTheCap.com (http://overthecap.com/position/wide-receiver/). They're both locked up through 2019, at a good price. That's a win for the Packers.

And now Bryan Bulaga too! The off-season for the Packers is already a win. Cobb and Bulaga were their two biggest priorities, and they're bringing both back on deals that work within the salary cap. Huge.

Via ESPN.com (http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2015/0224/nfl_g_packts_576x324.jpg)

Ndamukong Suh is set to sign a $114 million contract with the Miami Dolphins. That's a heck of a lot of money. He's a heck of a player, and is now gonna stomp on Tom Brady instead of Aaron Rodgers, but it unquestionably makes the Detroit Lions worse (well, certainly not better). Say what you will about his shenanigans on the field, but Suh is an All Pro defensive tackle.

The Chicago Bears have also agreed to trade wide receiver Brandon Marshall in exchange for a freaking fifth-round pick. The one thing that worried me as a Packers fan about playing the Bears was the duo of Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey. Now, that duo is no more. The Bears certainly aren't better, in my opinion, after the trade.

The Vikings got put in a tough spot after the whole Adrian Peterson situation, but they showed promise without him, led by Teddy Bridgewater. I think they'll be good enough soon, but just not yet.

Acoustic Thunderstruck

"Thunderstuck" is not only a great song, but one of my favorite drinking songs either.

But this has nothing to do with chugging tequila. This is just damn impressive.

Japan Cat Island

This sounds like literal hell on earth.



An army of feral cats rules a remote island in southern Japan, curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in a fishing village that is overrun with felines outnumbering humans six to one.
Originally introduced to the mile-long island of Aoshima to deal with mice that plagued fishermen’s boats, the cats stayed on – and multiplied.
More than 120 cats swarm the island with only a handful of humans for company, mostly pensioners who didn’t join the waves of migrants seeking work in the cities after World War Two.
Aoshima, a 30-minute ferry ride off the coast of Ehime prefecture, had been home to 900 people in 1945. The only sign of human activity now is the boatload of day-trippers from the mainland, visiting what is locally known as Cat Island.
With no restaurants, cars, shops or kiosks selling snacks, Aoshima is no tourist haven. But cat lovers are not complaining.


Read more about this place that I'd never like to go anywhere near: http://www.therakyatpost.com/world/2015/03/03/its-raining-cats-and-tourists-on-aoshima/#ixzz3TQKuyr5a

George Harrison

I never know how to properly use the term "irony" but I'm pretty sure this fits.

It was (what would have been) George Harrison's 72nd birthday on Wednesday, and Los Angeles wanted to do something to replace the George Harrison Tree that had been infested with bugs.

What kind of bugs you might ask?

Beetles.

From the LA Times:

But a Los Angeles City Council member, a longtime fan and other Harrison admirers are doing their part Wednesday, on what would have been the former Beatle’s 72nd birthday, to right a wrong committed last year when an insect infestation — yes, they were beetles — killed what was known as the George Harrison Tree.
When word went out last year that the original tree had been felled by tree beetles, news quickly shot around the world and the story made international headlines.
Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose Fourth District includes Griffith Park, helped plant the original tree in 2002, not long after Harrison died Nov. 29, 2001, in Los Angeles, from cancer at age 58.
“We had a tribute on the steps of the observatory,” recalled LaBonge, now in his final term of office, “and several hundred people wrote notes, which we’ve collected in a book ‘We Remember George.’ ”

ShipSnowYo.com

I can't tell if this guy is an idiot or a genius. Probably both.

Via CNN/News8000: 

For $89, self-styled entrepreneur Kyle Waring will ship you 6 pounds of Boston-area snow in an insulated Styrofoam box -- enough for 10 to 15 snowballs, he says.

But not if you live in New England or surrounding states.

Via ShipSnowYo.com

"We will not ship snow to any states in the northeast!" says Waring's website, ShipSnowYo.com. "We're in the business of expunging snow!"

His website and social media accounts claim to have filled more than 133 orders for snow -- more than 30 on Tuesday alone, his busiest day yet.

Jeeze. 133 times 89 is $11,837. The things some people spend their money on.

PnR

So many things end poorly, or get drawn out, or leave you wanting more.

The finale of "Parks and Recreation" was none of those things.

Sure, showrunner Michael Schur was able to wrap things nicely in a bow for each of the characters, but after seven years of one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, isn't that what they deserved?

Parks and Rec was good TV, and it made me happy. When all is said and done, you can't ask for much more.

Storming the Court

I'm in this crowd somewhere.



It was 2010, after the Badgers football team upset top-ranked Ohio State. Was it fun? You bet. Was it safe? Absolutely not.

When Kansas State's men's basketball team upset Kansas last night, they stormed the court. Jayhawks coach Bill Self gets it, but he wasn't thrilled.

Here are his comments, via WaPo:

“I wasn’t nervous for me,” Self said afterward. “There were several students that hit our players — not saying like with fists, but when you storm the court, you run in, you bump everybody, stuff like that. This has got to stop.

“Court storming is fine, but surely, you can get security to the point where player safety is not involved like it is over here. The last several times they’ve won, they’ve stormed the court on us. That’s disappointing that that happened again, but we also allowed it to happen again by not playing well. 

I agree with everything he said here. Especially with the bigger point about player safety. It's not a problem until it's a problem.

Oscars speeches

The Oscars telecast as a whole was pretty ho-hum, but there were a few acceptance speeches that really hit home for some people.

The sincerity of Best Actor winner Eddie Redmayne

The social statement on women's rights by Patricia Arquette

And my favorite, the weird, different speech by Graham Moore.

The acceptance speeches, for the most part, were spectacular. Often, they're the best part of the show. So why are we trying to play these people off? I understand the dangers of live TV, and working within time constraints and all that, but for many people, like Graham Moore, that was probably the best 5 minutes of his life. Why cut it short? Certainly there has got to be a better way than awkwardly playing orchestra music over the top of these speeches.

OSCARS

I don't really like awards ceremonies, but I like awards, if that makes sense.

I've seen Birdman and it's...interesting, but it wouldn't surprise me if it won best picture. It's apparently going to be a very close race.



What that all means is that this is historically close.

Read more here: http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-race-for-best-picture-is-among-the-closest-in-oscar-history/

Piggly Wiggly Bumper Cars

I know, we shouldn't be making fun of this poor old man but...come on.

The good news is that no one got hurt, right?

BRING IT ON: MINNESOTA

I'm disappointed I missed this yesterday, because this is the real highlight of the weekend.

There was apparently some controversy at the MSHSL state dance championships. HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS. DANCING. DRAMA.

No, it wasn't the Rancho County Toros. (PS - There must be some clovers in the atmosphere)

IT WAS RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD.

Per Deadspin (and yes, DEADSPIN IS REPORTING ON HIGH SCHOOL DANCE)

Officials disqualified five Minnesota high school dance teams after their symbolic protest at the state finals over a rival team's alleged plagiarized championship routine in what was basically the exact plot from the classic and very great high school cheerleading movie, Bring It On.

The allegation is that the drill team from Utah's Copper Hills High performed an incredible routine last year which Faribault then plagiarized and performed this year. One theory is that Faribault ripped it directly from Copper Hills after seeing it on YouTube; another is that Austin High School, another Minnesota squad, saw Copper Hills's routine on YouTube, stole bits of it, and then performed a new routine in a competition earlier this season. In that very competition, Faribault performed after Austin, and were so taken with it that they jacked Austin's routine—which, of course, wasn't completely theirs to begin with.

The MSHSL investigated. And they found that no tomfoolery or shenanigans had occurred. 

After a review of the report from the school and a review of video and other information, there was complete consensus on the part of League staff and the Dance Team Rule Coordinators that a violation had not occurred.

Their outfits and makeup is terrifying. I hope this isn't the last we've heard of this story.

Wayne's World

I got sucked into the SNL 40th anniversary special last night, and I'm glad I did because it was spectacular.

You forget how good some of the sketches are, especially iconic stuff like Wayne's World.

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey have still got it.

Kanye is the worst.

Friday the 13th

I don't buy much into supersitions and Friday the 13th and bad luck, so I'm glad there's research to back me up.

Per Vox:

A more plausible hypothesis might be that Friday the 13th itself doesn't cause bad luck, but it does lead people to behave differently out of fear or anxiety, thereby causing things like accidents.

Subsequent studies, though, don't support this idea idea either.

While a Finnish study found that female drivers were more likely to get in accidents on the Friday the 13th, a subsequent follow-up found the correlation disappeared with better data and more controls. A German study similarly found that the number of accidents and errors that occur during hospital operations is pretty much the same on Friday the 13th as on other day

Suh to the Packers?

Sure, Packers fans aren't soon to forget this image.



But with Ndamukong Suh becoming a free agent, would you want him wearing green and gold?

It makes sense from a football standpoint, according to former NFL linebacker and current NFL Network analyst LaVar Arrington.

"A lot of times, players that leave their team feel disrespected and that they weren't treated correctly, and they tend to stay in the division. I'm looking at Green Bay," Arrington said. "I think that would be a great fit.

"They're going to get B.J. Raji back, so now you're looking at B.J. Raji and Ndamukong Suh, and then you got those guys on the outside -- more specifically, you have Julius Peppers, you got Clay Matthews 

"You shore up the center of that defensive front, and that might have been one of the pieces that they were truly missing on that team this past season."

Sure, that part is easy to get on board with, but could Packers fans, some of the most fiercely loyal in all of sports, get on board with the idea?

I think at some level, talent wins out. And Suh is one of the most talented in the game.

I'd welcome him to Lambeau with open arms.

Powerball

I get guilt tripped into playing the lottery every so often. People at work chip in to buy tickets, and we then celebrate our $4 winnings with great vigor. I have no idea if this is illegal or not.

Either way, there's apparently a mathematical way to guarantee that you'll win the Powerball jackpot tonight, as it's valued at over $500 million.

It'll take a little bit (ok, A TON) of work, as well as a pretty hefty investment.



Per Cleveland dot com:

There are 175.2 million combinations so, at $2 a play, you'll need to get to an ATM or your mattress and withdraw a little over $350 million to cover all possible draws.

There's not enough time for you to place all the bets yourself. This is true even if you prepared all 35.04 million betting slips (five bets per slip) ahead of time in anticipation of such a big jackpot. In Ohio, bets are cut off at 10 p.m. That leaves just 71 hours between the 10:59 p.m. Wednesday drawing and the deadline for buying tickets for the Saturday drawing.

So you need $350 million and 2,000 of your closest friends. Easy!

$0.58

Macklemore would be proud.

And every Packers fan is at least a little jealous.




That's Vince Lombardi wearing a West Point sweater. A North Carolina couple stumbled upon the garment at a thrift store, and purchased it for $0.58.

Fifty eight cents.

According to CBS sports, the couple could fetch quite the return on their investment

Heritage Auctions in Dallas confirmed the sweater was in fact owned by Lombardi and put a hefty price tag on it.

"They examined the types of fabric that are used on the sweater the different types of stitching," Heritage consignment director Chris Nerat said. "I think that it could easily hit the $20,000 range."

RED VELVET

I had been on the search for Red Velvet Oreos all week, and finally today, success.

THAT'S RIGHT. A HOMEMADE PHOTO TO PROVE THAT I ACTUALLY BOUGHT THEM.

Two packages, to be exact. And I'm glad I did. Because they're delicious. I was informed yesterday that "red velvet" is just chocolate with red food coloring, BUT WHO ARE YOU TO RAIN ON MY PARADE? The real kicker here? The cream cheese frosting.



Pick some up today at your local retailer...if you can find them.

Plane Pics

Asia is crazy. Let's just start there.

But if you saw this in real time, what would you do?



The details of the crash are both crazy and sad. Via BBC News:

A plane carrying mostly Chinese tourists has crashed into a river in Taiwan, killing at least 31 people.

Dramatic video footage emerged showing the TransAsia Airways plane clipping a bridge as it came down shortly after take-off from a Taipei airport.

The plane, carrying 58 people, broke up as it plunged into Taipei's Keelung River. The fuselage was later salvaged by crane.

There were 15 survivors pulled from the wreckage but 12 people remain missing.

John Sudworth reports: "This is no longer a rescue mission, but a recovery operation"

GRONKY PUNCH

Gronk is the best. He's refreshingly honest. His take on the brawl toward the end of the game is the fantastic.

"Roger...that wasn't me."

"Screw it. Last game of the year, I'm throwing some haymakers."

SB Commercials

This was my favorite commercial of the Super Bowl, only because of the polar bear in the sombrero.

Boob Bets

Even if you don't care about the football on Sunday, you probably care about boobs, right?

According to TMZ Sports, you can wager on whether or not halftime act Katy Perry will be letting the girls come out to play.

The cyber-gambling site BetOnline.ag is offering up a bet -- where you can place money on whether you think Katy will show cleavage or no cleavage during her Super Bowl halftime show. 

Right now ... the odds are STRONGLY for boobage: 

"Yes" is -500
"No" is +350

Translation -- if you bet "no," $100 gets you $350. If you bet "yes," you need to wager $500 to earn a measly $100. 

So, Vegas thinks there's a pretty good chance that Katy Perry will be showing off the goods to the hundreds of millions people watching worldwide.

Zombie Cat

I got a text from my girlfriend telling me that I had to talk about this story, but I don't really know what to say about it. Cats are strange. Most don't like me. And I'm fairly certain all cats are servants sent from the underworld.

This may prove it.

From Yahoo/GMA:

A cat in Florida that was hit by a car and then buried is apparently back from the dead. "Bart" has been treated for a broken jaw, open facial wounds and a ruined eye. The Humane Society veterinarians expect him to recover and be able to return home after recovering a couple days.



If you're feeling particularly generous, you can donate to support this guy's medical bills here. They're looking for $1,500, but over $5,000 has already been donated.

Snow Snuggle

I'm happy we don't have a blizzard here. Not that I'm completely anti-snow, but I don't trust 99% of the drivers on the road. I'm not totally opposed to the idea of having a few days off work, however.

Some New Yorkers are taking this weather opportunity to get to know a few of their snowed-in neighbors a bit better...via Craigslist.

Via Syracuse.com:

Taking to the "personals" section of the classifieds website, NYC natives are desperately seeking companions for the forthcoming snow storm, Business Insider reports. Users are looking for snuggle buddies or just "someone to chill with."

CNN cites one of the less sexually explicit ads posted by a 26-year-old male in Ridgewood, New Jersey:

"Seeking snuggle buddy for upcoming blizzard. Will make u pancakes and coffee and hot chocolate all day. You'll also get my Netflix password. I have lots of thick blankets and interesting books to read if we get snowed in."

I don't see this working as well as many people envisioned. Especially, since people's intentions may not be...pure.

Awkward.

I had to attend a funeral on Saturday, and it was quite pleasant. The deceased was 97, so there wasn't an overwhelming "sadness" but rather just a celebration of life.

All was fine and dandy until the toast at the post-funeral luncheon.

The deceased's youngest son was addressing those that had gathered with a sincere thank you, but his speech was interrupted by an elderly gentleman choking on his food. Luckily, there were doctors and nurses in attendance who rushed to his aide. The Heimlich was unsuccessful, and CPR didn't work, so the paramedics were called in.

The guy is ok (Thank heavens. One dead guy is enough.) but it made for one of the more awkward situations I'd ever encountered. What do you do while this is going on in one corner of the room? Can you continue your conversations you were having? Can you eat the hot food on your plate? Can you walk past the whole scene to get a drink from the bar?

I opted to put my head down and whisper quietly to my parents. I literally had no idea what to do. The food was good though.

Miss Wisconsin

I love Olivia Munn because she's smart and beautiful, but also because she makes Aaron Rodgers happy. And she's becoming a true Wisconsinite.

Green Bay Gut Punch

I had a 3.5 hour drive home last night in which I was able to ponder many different aspects of the Packers gut-punch of a loss to the Seahawks yesterday. But three things stand out more than the rest, at least to me.

1) It felt like, early on, the Packers were playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. Mike McCarthy could have went for it on 4th-and-short on a number of occasions, and decided to play it safe and hope it wouldn't bite you in the ass. Too bad it did. If you kick five field goals, you don't deserve to win. Step on someone's throats, damnit.

2) Sure, you can point to Brandon Bostick and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix not making plays, but they were just two of many different things that went wrong for Green Bay. Bostick went up and tried to make the play, and didn't execute. Clinton-Dix found himself on an island on a crazy two-point conversion play. I can forgive heat-of-the-moment execution errors. But the ones that get isolated, I think, are unfairly done so.

3) Momentum is a real thing. Once the Seahawks recovered the onside kick, Seattle was destined to win. I know that can't be proved, but what Packers fan had any confidence at that point? Sure, it was nice to see the Packers drive down the game and tie the game on a field goal, but at that point, I think they were spent. There was no doubt in my mind that Seattle was going to score to start overtime, but I was just hoping that somehow, some way, Green Bay could hold them to a field goal. Nope. Sad day.

Rodgers to Rodgers

I could watch this all afternoon. And honestly, I have been for most of the morning.

The throw is ridiculous. Rolling to his left, planting, and threading the needle. I don't know how the Dallas cornerback (#26) didn't at least tip the ball, much less pick it, but I'll take that result.



Wow. Just wow. That's how you complete the process.

Big Game Burger

I'm about 87% sure I could take this whole damn thing down by myself. Get a few beers in me and that percentage raises to an even 90.



Via CBSSports

The people of Wisconsin don't mess around when it comes to food and football. And neither do the food providers. The Packers food provider Delaware North and the chefs at Lambeau are offering a 3.5-pound "Big Game Burger" to fans for the Cowboys-Packers playoff game this weekend.

This mammoth monster of a meal includes 1/2 pound of ground venison, 1/2 pound of ground bacon, 1/2 pound of certified angus beef ... and that's just the patty.

It's served on a "Big Mother" pretzel bun and topped with crispy fried onions, jalapeño smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato (6 slices!), pickles, secret sauce and a heaping helping of housemade jalapeño cheese (jalapeños, multiple cheddars and BBQ sauce).

Sledding Ban

Really, America? We're going to start banning sledding because it's too "dangerous" all of a sudden? Give me a break. Take away bikes and skateboards then, and plop kids down in front of a freaking iPad all day.

Via NPR:

In its take, Newsweek starts its piece by saying: Sledding is dangerous. It points to a recent study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital that found that more than 20,000 children a year end up at the hospital because of sledding accidents.

But, NBC News reminds us, other childhood activities are a lot more dangerous by that measure: "About 275,000 kids suffer non-fatal bicycle injuries each year, according to the National Safe Kids USA campaign. About 82,000 kids are treated for trampoline injuries, and about 61,000 kids are hurt skateboarding."

Please. I get preventing lawsuits, but put a sign up and call it a day.

Plane Crash

Most plane crashes are simply tragic. This one has at least a bit of a silver lining.

Via Yahoo/AP:

Sailor Gutzler, the 7-year-old girl who survived a plane crash, walked a mile through the cold, dark woods to safety and then helped authorities locate the wreckage and remains of her family, may not be done helping investigators.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Heidi Moats said Sunday that Sailor is "one remarkable young lady," and she might be able to assist them in determining what brought the plane down. It is rare for someone to survive a small plane crash and Moats said they want to talk to Sailor about it.

"Having someone that is a witness (is) always helpful in the investigation, it gives us kind of a story line," Moats said.

It's not clear when investigators might talk to Sailor, who despite being bloodied and suffering a broken wrist, pulled herself from the wreckage and walked to the nearest home.

She was dressed for Florida, where her family had been visiting, and was wearing shorts, a short-sleeve shirt and only one sock when she found a home about a mile from the crash site. Authorities said she walked through thick woods and briar patches in near-freezing temperatures.

Seven. Years. Old. Crazy. Staying that calm? Just remarkable.