You can't make this stuff up

Man shot twice as he tries to shoot caged raccoon

Associated Press - February 27, 2012

A rural Redfield man is being treated for two gunshot wounds after an attempt to shoot a raccoon caught in a live trap backfired.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 68-year-old Larry Godwin was using a 22-caliber handgun to shoot the caged raccoon at around 11 a.m. Saturday when the bullet ricocheted off the cage and struck him in the lower abdomen on the right side. He dropped the gun and it fired again, shooting him again in about the same spot.

He was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines by private vehicle.

The DNR says the injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

World's tiniest dude

A 72 year old guy from Katmandu is hoping to claim the Guinness record for being the world's shortest man. Chandra Bahadur Dangi is 22 inches tall (about the height of an infant)! Until recently he had never left his village and did not know that he was the smallest man on earth.

Foodie rant

It drives me crazy when people refer to themselves as "foodies." I get it, you really like food. Do you know who else likes food? Everyone on the freaking planet (with the exception of the idiot that I posted about yesterday). Again people, and I really can't stress this enough, you need food to live!

What an idiot

Check out this bumper sticker I saw yesterday.



What an idiot, right? I mean, last time I checked, if we don't have food then we all die. That's basic science, dude. Also, what the hell do you got against farms?! I mean, I'm no hippie, but I'm pretty sure we need farms to grow food. The same food which we need in order to live. You better check yourself before you wreck yourself, bro.

Gmail/Apple rant

Gmail is constantly "updating" their interface and it's driving me crazy. When I signed up for the service I was excited about the simple, clean look and functionality. Since then Gmail has changed its format about a billion times. It seems like every time I log in the buttons are in a different place, and a bunch of new superfluous features have been added.

In my opinion, Gmail is suffering from the same problem that Apple has been experiencing over the last decade. Originally Apple created basic software like iMovie, which made movie editing much easier for the average computer user. Since then they have been gradually complicating the program by adding advanced features. While there is still a vast difference between iMovie and professional video editing programs like Final Cut Pro, Apple is moving away from what made it successful in the first place.

Apple and Gmail, stop while you still can! Keep your software user friendly and clutter free!

iMovie 1

iMovie 11

Itsy bitsy Uniform Resource Locator

I just found a cool web service called Tiny URL. It shortens long website addresses, making them easier to read and send via email. The service is free and the links are permanent. Here's an example.

Let's say you want to recommend a book to a friend. You could cut and paste the web page address into your email like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Boosting-Self-Esteem-Dummies-Rhena-Branch/dp/0470741937/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328398655&sr=8-1

But then you run the risk of the link breaking due to formatting problems (and, let's face it, the link looks like crap). If you go to Tiny URL and enter the address, it will convert it to a nice small link like this:

http://tinyurl.com/7mdlbdl

You can even customize the address like this:

http://tinyurl.com/confidentdummy

Mad props, yo!

Super Bowl XLVI is rapidly approaching and even if you don't like football, there's plenty to be excited about. In addition to the big game, I'm looking forward to the million-dollar commercials, ice-cold beer, 7-layer dip, and Puppy Bowl VIII (check it out on Animal Planet - it's freaking adorable).

In addition to these exciting distractions, I like to follow the game's "prop bets" to see how they play out. I've listed my 10 favorites below. These are actual bets currently being offered by the Las Vegas sportsbook, Bovada.

I've color coded the bets for those of you who aren't familiar with gambling odds. Green bets are expected to win and red bets are not (although if you bet on them and won, you'd get lots of money).  Orange bets are 50/50.

How long will it take Kelly Clarkson to sing the National Anthem?

Over 1 minute 34 seconds (-120)

Under 1 minute 34 seconds (-120)

Will Kelly Clarkson's bare belly be showing when she sings the National Anthem?

No

Yes (+300)

Will Kelly Clarkson forget or omit at least 1 word of the official US National Anthem?

No

Yes (+250)

How many times will Peyton Manning (brother of Giant's quarterback Eli Manning) be shown on TV during the game?

4 or more times (-130)

0 to 3 times (-110)

How many times will Giselle Bundchen (wife of Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady) be shown on TV during the game?

1 or more times (-150)

0 times (-110)

If Tom Brady's son is shown on TV during the game will he be wearing a Tom Brady jersey?

Yes (-200)

No (+150)

What color will Madonna's hair be when she begins the Super Bowl halftime show?

Blonde (-400)

Any other color (+250)

Will Madonna be wearing fishnet stockings at any point during the Super Bowl halftime show?

Yes (-120)

No (-120)

Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the game thank first?

Teammates (8/5)

Does not thank anyone (11/4)

God (4/1)

Owner (9/2)

Family (7/1)

Coach (12/1)

What color will the Gatorade (or liquid) be that is dumped on the head coach of the winning Super Bowl team?

Clear/water (2/1)

Yellow (2/1)

Orange (9/4)

Red (11/2)

Green (6/1)

Blue (10/1)