Friday, February 25, 2011

Friday's Hot Links - 2/25/11

The last weekend in February is upon us, and is it me, or does this year seem to be flying by.  At least, we'll be leaving the winter months and heading into the spring months soon.

Sara and I will be participating in the Mona Lisa Moon Pie Parade tonight.  We walked in the parade last year and had a great time, and I'm expecting the same results this year.  We are stocked up on Moon Pies and are ready to throw to the crowds.  Some bar hopping will be in order  after the official festivities are over with.


Here are today's hot links:
  • I've always thought that gold teeth were a waste of money, until I read this article.  I'll have my gold choppers in by next week! [NOLA]
  • With baseball spring training starting, I decided to find the top 10 worst baseball cards of all time.  Mickey Mantle, these guys aren't. [PopHangover]
  • Louisiana, in my opinion, has always gotten a bad name with being a bunch of backwoods drunks.  Well, this collection of photos from a parade in West Monroe isn't doing us any favors. [The News Star]
  • Quite possibly the worst dive in the history of soccer. [Big Lead Sports]

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Disc Golf - Buccaneer State Park (Waveland, MS)

About a month ago, I wrote a review about the disc golf course at City Park in New Orleans.  Well, a few weeks back my brother and I decided to venture into Mississippi to play at the course at Buccaneer State Park. I was thinking about trying to compare the two parks, but it is difficult because they both are unique in their own way.



With the course at Buccaneer, the first 5 holes are on the shorter end, but you must navigate a multitude of trees en route to the basket.  After you weave your way through beginning holes, the course opens up with wide open space, but the distances to the basket become more extreme.  In addition to the increased length, the wind is a major factor as the course lies close to the Gulf of Mexico (check out a map).  The holes stay long all the way until hole 18 (which is an afterthought in my opinion).

The only drawback to the course is that it is in the middle of nowhere.  Unlike City Park, there isn't a plethora of local eateries to go to after finishing a round.  Every time that I've been, I just drive back to Slidell and grab a bite to eat there.

Making a trip to Waveland will definitely be a good experience for disc golfers of any expertise that are looking to improve on their long game, just make sure to pack a lunch or eat before you go.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Friday Hot Links 2/18/11

Happy Friday everyone!!  The first hint of spring is in the air, as we had temperatures in the 60's all this week.  The change was much needed, although, I'm sure we'll be getting some cooler weather before the season officially changes.

What does everyone have on tap for this weekend?  I'll be dusting off the old golf bag and hitting the links.  Lately, I've been playing alot of disc golf, so going out to play some ball golf will be a nice change of pace.

Have a fun and safe weekend!!

Here are today's Hot Links:

  • A crazy dance-off between two kids.  If I could learn half of these moves, I'd be lights out on the dance floor. [Youtube]
  • If you do a really good job at Wal-Mart, they will fire you for it. [AOL News]
  • If you are in the mood to blow your mind,  here is a site that shows he fabric of space and time, all the way to the estimated size of the universe itself. [Primax Studio]

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

New Year's Resolutions

Congratulations, we've made it through the first month of the new year.  How has everyone been keeping up with their New Year's Resolutions (NYR)?  I only made one NYR, and that was to show up to work on time every morning.  I'm happy to report that my record in 2011 is unblemished.  While I'm still in the infancy of my NYR, I must admit, my goal has been easier than I would have imagined.  I pictured an epic struggle between my warm, cozy bed and my determination to make good on my resolution.  The battle has been somewhat of a let down.  I've merely just set my alarm clock to go off a half hour earlier, and now I have plenty of time in the mornings.  The resolution has been a blessing in disguise. 

Typically, my mornings in 2010 started with hitting the snooze button about 3 times, then a mad dash through the house, a quick shower, throw on some clothes, and then fly out of the house.  The whole process was rushed, and starting the day off stressing over getting ready was not ideal.  Fast forward to now, and my mornings start off with getting up with out hitting the snooze, a nice long shower, getting ready at leisure, and then I'm usually left with 15 minutes to grab some breakfast or read through my emails.

I know that I have a long way to go before I start patting myself on the back, but maybe a toot of my horn is in order for now.  What were your New Year's Resolution, and have you been able to not break them?

Friday, February 11, 2011

Friday Hot Links 2/11/11

Alright, made it through another work week.  Hopefully, February will pass by quick so we can start heading into some warmer weather.  I know that we don't have it that bad down here in LA, but the weather is still a little chilly for my taste.

Everyone have a safe and fun weekend, and Happy Valentine's Day!!




Here are today's hot links:

  • There are literally thousands of game shows that have come and gone throughout the years.  This show, Total Blackout, seems to have some staying power. [Youtube]
  • Are you smarter than a U.S. diplomat? [CSMonitor]
  • Imagine a place where toting a purse around distinguishes your social class.  That place is China. [LA Times]
  • If you are in the market for business cards, and want to stand out from the crowd, look no further. [TechCrunch]

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Worst National Anthems

Raise your hand if you were in front of a TV set watching the Super Bowl last night?  Okay, put your hand down.  Well if you were like most Americans on Sunday night, then you got to witness Christina Aguilera butchering the National Anthem.  But would you say that was the worst National Anthem performance ever?  Hardly.  While, she did forget a line in the song, she still does have vocal talent, and was able to bring it home in the end.  Let's take a look at the top 5 Worst National Anthems in sports history.

Honorable Mention:

This guy gets an Honorable Mention nod for two reasons.  First, this is not a sporting event.  Second, he is not a singer, but c'mon man, you still need to know the words!

No. 5:

To Michael Bolton's credit, he did sing all the words in the anthem correctly, his only snafu was that he needed a cheat sheet to get through it.  Get back to covering "When a Man loves a Woman", for the 1 millionth time.

No. 4

Christina manages to find her way on the list, even though she has sung the National Anthem beautifully several times before.  In a world of "what have you done for me lately", her recent rendition wasn't quite up to par.


No. 3

Carl Lewis the athlete is who we will always remember, not Carl Lewis the singer.  The sad part is that he probably really thinks that he sings well.  Go back to the long jump Carl, and leave the singing to the pros.

No. 2

This was a tough one.  This video had all the symptoms of a No.1 spot, messing up the anthem twice, not finishing the song, then slipping on your butt, but there are a couple factors working in her favor.  First, she is at a hockey game, which nobody cares about but Canadians.  Secondly, there is a 50% chance that she is Canadian, which gives her a pass for not knowing the words.

No. 1

Roseanne takes the crown in this contest.  I will admit, she got all the words right, but her shrieking voice sounds worse than nails on a chalk board.  The person that decided that she would be a good fit to sing the National Anthem is hopefully still not employed.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Friday Hot Links 2/4/11

Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching, and I've decided to have a Super Bowl party at the house.  I'm expecting between 10-15 people so seating could present a problem as we only have a couch and a love seat.  Stadium seating has crossed my mind, and that might be the best and most enjoyable (from an engineering/building perspective) way to go about accommodating for the extra people that will be sitting in front of my TV screen.  I'll attempt to build a platform that we can place the couch on in order increase the viewing height of the sofa.  I don't have any measurements or required heights, all I have is an idea.  That should be good enough right?

Here are today's hot links:

  • Ever wonder what type of TV shows are on during the day while you are at work?  Here a several screenshots of what you are missing out on. *Side note:  Darren is my favorite. [You might like this]
  •  There have been many claims that pro wrestling is fake.  After watching this clip, no one can say that wrestling is fake. It's still real to me damnit![Youtube]
  • The Bellagio Bandit was finally caught, and it turns out he is a judge's son.  The house always wins! [Las Vegas Review Journal]

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Working out - Steam Room

Sara and I have been hitting the gym up lately, and I must admit, I constantly find myself in the steam room after working out.  I don't know if there are any added health benefits to spending 10 minutes in the steam room, but I always feel so relaxed upon leaving. 


Due to Sara not getting home until after 6:00pm on some days, we often go to the gym later than most, so leaving the gym relaxed definitely aids me in getting to sleep quicker at night.  Also, I have noticed that my sinuses become less severe after I get into a habit of frequenting the steam room.  My face seems to stay cleaner and doesn't dry out as much during winter.  My theory is that the steam opens up the pores on the face and gets rid of the dirt and grime that is tough to expel from simple washing.  Could be hocus pocus for all I know, but I guess if it isn't broke don't fix it.  Can anybody out there back up my claims, or am I just gorging on sugar pills?

My only complaint about the steam room at our gym is that it never seems to be hot enough, or steamy enough for that matter.  Imagine how much more relaxed and less congested I could be if the steam room was working at full capacity.