Tuesday, March 31, 2015

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.

Friday, March 27, 2015

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.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

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.

Friday, March 20, 2015

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.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

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.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

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.

Friday, March 13, 2015

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. 

full-map

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.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

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.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

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.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

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.

Friday, March 6, 2015

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.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

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