The power in this throw, and its resulting distance are pretty amazing:
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Exorcism Video
It has become quite a story, featured the last two nights on Bill O'Reilly, but I was actually made aware of it via this article and accompanying video a couple of days ago.
What is so striking to me is the number of independent witnesses - each of them extremely credible - that came forward and reported what they saw.
All of which leads to the following conclusion: either this is an incredibly elaborate hoax - one in which multiple people are putting their professional lives on the line - or the physical manifestation of evil in this world is all too real.
You decide:
What is so striking to me is the number of independent witnesses - each of them extremely credible - that came forward and reported what they saw.
All of which leads to the following conclusion: either this is an incredibly elaborate hoax - one in which multiple people are putting their professional lives on the line - or the physical manifestation of evil in this world is all too real.
You decide:
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Pet Poison Control Number 888-299-2973
Recently I was sitting downstairs with the Yellow Dog, enjoying a fine Wisconsin IPA and watching Pulp Fiction. The dog was at my feet, working on a bone. All was good with the world.
The dog got up and headed off to an unfinished area of the basement where I keep her water dish. That area also serves as storage for my wife and me as well.
The dog came on back and sat at my feet again and started to work on the bone. Again, all was good with the world. Until 5 minutes later when a commercial came on, and I looked down at the dog to see that she was not working on a bone. When she had gone into the other room, she picked up a small canister of spackle, forced off the top, and had been licking at the contents inside.
I screamed at her, picked up the spackle, and immediately read the big red WARNING on the front. "Oh no, " I thought immediately, "What have I done?"
I turned the jar around to get details on the warning. For ingestion, the warning stated to not induce vomiting, but get the victim to emergency medical treatment right away.
Immediately I screamed for my wife and had the dog in the crate in the back of the truck, driving like a madman to the pet emergency hospital for our third visit there in three years. They took all my information, and then handed me a sheet which had a number for pet poison control. The nurse explained that they could call for me, but they'd charge me for it.
It wasn't free - there's a standard $65 fee per call - but I got through right away. Their database must be extremely robust, as when I was reading the title of the spackle off the label the person on the other line actually finished my sentence. Armed with the information at his end on what was in the spackle and how much the Yellow Dog had ingested, he put me on quick hold to perform some calculations. He came back on, and stated that the dog would be fine - maybe a little sick, but certainly she was not in a life threatening state.
Considering the dire warning label, I was thrilled with the prognosis, and indeed the dog is just fine. I was also thrilled with the service. So much so, I have added it to my contacts on my phone. I hope I'll never need to use it again, but in the event I do, I'll have it with me.
The number is 888-299-2973. Again, there is a $65 fee for the call, regardless of what transpires. But in an emergency like we had, it was money well spent.
The dog got up and headed off to an unfinished area of the basement where I keep her water dish. That area also serves as storage for my wife and me as well.
The dog came on back and sat at my feet again and started to work on the bone. Again, all was good with the world. Until 5 minutes later when a commercial came on, and I looked down at the dog to see that she was not working on a bone. When she had gone into the other room, she picked up a small canister of spackle, forced off the top, and had been licking at the contents inside.
I screamed at her, picked up the spackle, and immediately read the big red WARNING on the front. "Oh no, " I thought immediately, "What have I done?"
I turned the jar around to get details on the warning. For ingestion, the warning stated to not induce vomiting, but get the victim to emergency medical treatment right away.
Immediately I screamed for my wife and had the dog in the crate in the back of the truck, driving like a madman to the pet emergency hospital for our third visit there in three years. They took all my information, and then handed me a sheet which had a number for pet poison control. The nurse explained that they could call for me, but they'd charge me for it.
It wasn't free - there's a standard $65 fee per call - but I got through right away. Their database must be extremely robust, as when I was reading the title of the spackle off the label the person on the other line actually finished my sentence. Armed with the information at his end on what was in the spackle and how much the Yellow Dog had ingested, he put me on quick hold to perform some calculations. He came back on, and stated that the dog would be fine - maybe a little sick, but certainly she was not in a life threatening state.
Considering the dire warning label, I was thrilled with the prognosis, and indeed the dog is just fine. I was also thrilled with the service. So much so, I have added it to my contacts on my phone. I hope I'll never need to use it again, but in the event I do, I'll have it with me.
The number is 888-299-2973. Again, there is a $65 fee for the call, regardless of what transpires. But in an emergency like we had, it was money well spent.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Hunting with Kin, Louisiana Edition
I just returned from our annual excursion down to visit my cousin, his family, and assorted others down in Louisiana. It was our 10th trip down south together - incredible how much time has gone past, but also incredible to think of all of the fun we've had. I'll have a lot more on that later.
In the meantime, here's the trip captured in pictures:
Our esteemed hosts for the weekend
A heaping plate of fried duck, red beans and rice, cole slaw, and bread. Despite eating like an absolute glutton, the scale was good to me upon my return. Thank goodness the metabolism is cranked up.
Hauling the boat out at the end of the season. This was also going to serve as our "before" picture in the event we had an insurable incident
While duck hunting wasn't good on the last day, our host clipped this deer with his truck. Not one to leave good meat behind (especially with great venison tamales available) we loaded up the unfortunate doe.
Deer hair in the bumper. The tell-tale sign that somebody had a bad morning.
The crew for this year's trip
By the time our weekend was over, everyone was tired. And I do mean everyone.
While we've had better shoots, I'm not sure we've had a better time. It was sad to see the long weekend come to an end, but it has me already looking forward to our next get-together.
In the meantime, here's the trip captured in pictures:
The trip wouldn't be the trip without some incredible southern cooking, and here's Fuzzy enjoying a fantastic Snickerdoodle
We finally got a chance to meet the newest member of our crew. Now we just need to track down a camo onesie for her
Taking a break from being dad
Our dedicated photographer getting ready for the requisite group shot
While we've had better shoots, I'm not sure we've had a better time. It was sad to see the long weekend come to an end, but it has me already looking forward to our next get-together.
Monday, January 27, 2014
How One Reacts in an Emergency
I was a freshman in college, just coming back from a hockey game where my beloved North Stars lost a heartbreaker to the hated Chicago Blackhawks. Riding with me was my buddy from college, and since he was an avowed 'Hawks fan, the conversation on the ride home was fairly one-sided.
We were sitting at the left turn lane of an intersection, waiting on the green arrow. Eventually the arrow came, and the car in front of us began their turn into the intersection. At that same time, a car in the opposite lane crested the hill on the opposite side, and was moving at substantial rate of speed. It was going way too fast, and things went into slow motion as the inevitable looked to unfold before our eyes.
Indeed, the inbound car could not stop (it could barely slow down) and it rammed into the car making the left turn at about 35 mph. The crash, noise, physical force exerted, and resulting wreckage was shocking.
And then, as soon as it all started, both cars came to rest, and things were eerily quiet. I sat there, completely dumbfounded. I literally had no thought in my head other than disbelief. I was snapped to my senses by my buddy yelling "YOU TAKE THE CAR ON THE RIGHT, I GOT THE LEFT!" as he flew out of the passenger side.
I remember distinctly thinking, "Of course - help! What the hell was I thinking?"
We got to both cars where the driver that ran the red light appeared to be fine, and the passenger in the car he hit needing medical attention, albeit nothing life threatening.
And for years after that event, I was embarrassed by my inaction. It is said that one never knows how they'll react in an emergency until faced with one, and as far as I was concerned, my sitting there unable to process the situation as an abject failure.
I vowed that it would never happen again. And ever since I told myself, repeatedly, that if I was ever faced with an emergency situation, my first and only conscious thought would be to MOVE.
And that's exactly what kicked in at the health club this morning. I was on a treadmill, just completing my morning run when there was a horrific scream from behind me that I was able to hear over the Metallica in my headphones. I turned toward the noise to see an woman on the ground, and another crouched over her seven rows to my left and a row behind me. Their body language and the screams instantly reflected a situation that was not right, and immediately a voice in my head said "MOVE!"
I rushed to them where a woman was trying to sit up, and her daughter was hovering over her. The woman had fallen on her treadmill, landing on her head, and while the treadmill pushed her off the back, her head and neck fell again onto the accelerating treadmill, and her skin was stripped off her face like someone had taken a huge sander to her head.
Immediately after I got there the person working at the health club arrived. She added exactly zero value. I was trying to access if the woman fell due to passing out, heart attack, or some other serious reason as that would require immediate action, or if she just fell in which case her massive facial and neck wounds would be the extent of her injuries. I got the woman to sit down from her crouching position as I was worried she'd pass out, and I yelled to the woman that worked at the club to get towels and ice.
The victim was embarrassed, and was also not making the most sense. She obviously took a significant blow to the head, and at that point I wasn't messing around anymore. I grabbed the iPhone out of my pocket and called 911.
While on the phone with dispatch, the daughter suggested that an ambulance was not needed - she felt that she'd be able to drive her mother to the hospital on her own. I conveyed that to dispatch, and the pair gathered their things up for the drive to the hospital. I helped the wobbly woman up and out of the building. Then I got back to my work out.
I was aghast at the lack of quick response by the worker at the health club. There should be a standard protocol for when a member hits the ground, and the actions need to be swift. Likewise, there should be some kind of panic button where help can be called in to respond at a moment's notice. Had our situation been more life-threatening, precious minutes would have been lost.
But more than that, I was surprised by the lack of any kind of action by anyone else. There were approximately 50 people in the health club at the time, and a couple of them were far more close in proximity to the emergency than I was. And yet it was only me and one other guy that rendered aid. Everybody just kept working out, looking at this poor woman with half of her face tore off.
I was disgusted by their lack of action. But then I thought back to that car accident I witnessed during my freshman year, and I backed off. Maybe, upon reflection, some of those people that did nothing can use the event to be more active the next time. Like I did.
In the meantime, I acted appropriately exactly once. I hope I'm never put in a similar situation. But in the event I am, I hope I'm able to move like I did today.
We were sitting at the left turn lane of an intersection, waiting on the green arrow. Eventually the arrow came, and the car in front of us began their turn into the intersection. At that same time, a car in the opposite lane crested the hill on the opposite side, and was moving at substantial rate of speed. It was going way too fast, and things went into slow motion as the inevitable looked to unfold before our eyes.
Indeed, the inbound car could not stop (it could barely slow down) and it rammed into the car making the left turn at about 35 mph. The crash, noise, physical force exerted, and resulting wreckage was shocking.
And then, as soon as it all started, both cars came to rest, and things were eerily quiet. I sat there, completely dumbfounded. I literally had no thought in my head other than disbelief. I was snapped to my senses by my buddy yelling "YOU TAKE THE CAR ON THE RIGHT, I GOT THE LEFT!" as he flew out of the passenger side.
I remember distinctly thinking, "Of course - help! What the hell was I thinking?"
We got to both cars where the driver that ran the red light appeared to be fine, and the passenger in the car he hit needing medical attention, albeit nothing life threatening.
And for years after that event, I was embarrassed by my inaction. It is said that one never knows how they'll react in an emergency until faced with one, and as far as I was concerned, my sitting there unable to process the situation as an abject failure.
I vowed that it would never happen again. And ever since I told myself, repeatedly, that if I was ever faced with an emergency situation, my first and only conscious thought would be to MOVE.
And that's exactly what kicked in at the health club this morning. I was on a treadmill, just completing my morning run when there was a horrific scream from behind me that I was able to hear over the Metallica in my headphones. I turned toward the noise to see an woman on the ground, and another crouched over her seven rows to my left and a row behind me. Their body language and the screams instantly reflected a situation that was not right, and immediately a voice in my head said "MOVE!"
I rushed to them where a woman was trying to sit up, and her daughter was hovering over her. The woman had fallen on her treadmill, landing on her head, and while the treadmill pushed her off the back, her head and neck fell again onto the accelerating treadmill, and her skin was stripped off her face like someone had taken a huge sander to her head.
Immediately after I got there the person working at the health club arrived. She added exactly zero value. I was trying to access if the woman fell due to passing out, heart attack, or some other serious reason as that would require immediate action, or if she just fell in which case her massive facial and neck wounds would be the extent of her injuries. I got the woman to sit down from her crouching position as I was worried she'd pass out, and I yelled to the woman that worked at the club to get towels and ice.
The victim was embarrassed, and was also not making the most sense. She obviously took a significant blow to the head, and at that point I wasn't messing around anymore. I grabbed the iPhone out of my pocket and called 911.
While on the phone with dispatch, the daughter suggested that an ambulance was not needed - she felt that she'd be able to drive her mother to the hospital on her own. I conveyed that to dispatch, and the pair gathered their things up for the drive to the hospital. I helped the wobbly woman up and out of the building. Then I got back to my work out.
I was aghast at the lack of quick response by the worker at the health club. There should be a standard protocol for when a member hits the ground, and the actions need to be swift. Likewise, there should be some kind of panic button where help can be called in to respond at a moment's notice. Had our situation been more life-threatening, precious minutes would have been lost.
But more than that, I was surprised by the lack of any kind of action by anyone else. There were approximately 50 people in the health club at the time, and a couple of them were far more close in proximity to the emergency than I was. And yet it was only me and one other guy that rendered aid. Everybody just kept working out, looking at this poor woman with half of her face tore off.
I was disgusted by their lack of action. But then I thought back to that car accident I witnessed during my freshman year, and I backed off. Maybe, upon reflection, some of those people that did nothing can use the event to be more active the next time. Like I did.
In the meantime, I acted appropriately exactly once. I hope I'm never put in a similar situation. But in the event I am, I hope I'm able to move like I did today.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Small Drone Demonstration Video
Is it just me, or is this whole drone thing moving incredibly rapidly? Ugh, makes me uneasy...
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Dog Talks Back
I've had my dog "give me the look" when she didn't want to do something, but I've never had her tell me "no..."
Friday, January 24, 2014
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