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.