Lightning strike during baseball game sends players scattering; fearless grounds crew apparently immune to electricity

About the only sparks during last night's game between the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers occurred in the fourth inning when a bright flash of lightning and a deafening clap of thunder sent players scattering to their dugouts. The ensuing delay lasted for about 45 minutes.


Don't you just love the dedication to safety? "Oh, no! Lightning! Quick! Send out the grounds crew to cover the field!"

Man stranded in the desert converts his car into a motorcycle and drives to safety

Before Tony Stark built his prototype Iron Man suit in an Afghan terrorist camp, Emile Leray had his own MacGyver moment in the desert.

The French electrician was driving through the Moroccan desert in 1993 when his Citreon broke down 20 miles from the nearest village. He didn't think he could make it on foot, so he did what any enterprising 43-year-old man would do: he decided to build a crude motorcycle out of parts from his car.

Using a hacksaw and a small assortment of other tools, Leray went to work. He shortened the car's chassis, reattached the axles and two of the tires, placed the engine and gearbox in the middle, and fashioned part of the rear bumper into a seat. 12 days later, he drove himself to civilization.

Read the full story here.

San Diego's 30-second fireworks show

San Diego boasts one of the nation's largest 4th of July fireworks shows. Yesterday, however, the Big Bay Boom was a Big Bay Bust. Due to an electrical glitch, all of the fireworks were ignited at once, and onlookers were treated to a show that lasted only 30 seconds.


Better luck next year, San Diego.

Rebuilding Detroit...with zombies?

Detroit is a dying city. People are leaving in droves. Entire neighborhoods have been completely abandoned, evoking images of Chernobyl or scenes from some post-apocalyptic film. Government officials have pretty much run out of ideas about how to revitalize the city and have asked the public for help.

One group has come up with a rather unique proposal. The project is entitled Z World Detroit, a "zombie themed experience park":

Imagine that you're living through the zombie apocalypse. You and your group are looking for sanctuary in an abandoned urban landscape. You are out of ammo so you are relying on your smarts to survive. As you start to adjust to your new surroundings, your relative calm is broken by a pack of zombies.

People panic and start to run. Some in your group aren't fast enough and fall to the zombies. Soon they will also be zombies. Where do you go? The odds say make a run for it and you listen. Your group runs down the street and hides in an old warehouse. Is it safe in here? Will the growing zombie horde pass without noticing you? What about your supplies? What about the friend that was lost in the chaos? How long will you survive? Will you make it through the night?

This sounds like an interesting video game, but where is the real thrill in a video game? Suppose this was real. Suppose you were in this with your friends. Suppose you were really running and hiding. Now that would be interesting.

As far as urban renewal plans go, this really isn't that bad. It's certainly better than anything some city planning commission would come up with.

Town cancels fireworks to spare sea birds

Officials in Depoe Bay, Oregon, canceled the town's annual July 3 fireworks show, a tradition since 1993. The reason? They were pressured by federal wildlife managers who said the noise would disrupt sea birds roosting nearby.

Yep. It doesn't really get more American than that.

God Bless the TSA

Since we'll all be reminded of that insipid song today, I thought it would be appropriate to dust off this post from 2010...

GOD BLESS THE TSA
(To the tune of "God Bless the USA," by Lee Greenwood)

If tomorrow all my rights were gone,
I've had for all my life,
And I had to fly again
with my children and my wife.

I'd thank my lucky stars
to be in the USA,
'Cause the flag that stood for freedom
stands for something else today.

And I'm proud to be an American,
where I'm safe instead of free.
And I know the government has lied,
but they know what's best for me.

And I'd gladly strip down in front of you,
'cause there is no better way
To assure us all it's safe to fly,
God bless the TSA!

Taking off in Minnesota,
touching down in Tennessee,
It's only possible because of
heightened security.

Being patted down in Houston,
groped and scanned in L.A.
Well there's fear in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say...

That I'm proud to be an American,
where I'm safe instead of free.
And I know the government has lied,
but they know what's best for me.

And I'd gladly strip down in front of you,
'cause there is no better way
To assure us all it's safe to fly,
God bless the TSA!

And I'm proud to be an American,
where I'm safe instead of free.
And I know the government has lied,
but they know what's best for me.

And I'd gladly strip down in front of you,
'cause there is no better way
To assure us all it's safe to fly,
God bless the TSA!

Copyright © 2010 by Lee R. Shelton IV

Amazing, jaw-dropping surfing video

This day at Teahupoo- Aug 27th 2011 during the Billabong Pro waiting period is what many are calling the biggest and gnarliest Teahupoo ever ridden. Chris Bryan was fortunate enough to be there working for Billabong on a day that will go down in the history of big wave surfing. The French Navy labeled this day a double code red prohibiting and threatening to arrest anyone that entered the water.

(via Kottke)

Sheriff Andy Taylor vs. the Patriot Act

One of my favorite law enforcement officers was, is, and always will be, Sheriff Andy Taylor, played to perfection by Andy Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012).


You gotta admire a cop with principles.

(via The Reformed Citizen)

Infographic: 15 grammar goofs that make you look silly

(from CopyBlogger)

Hot Wheels Double Loop Dare in real life

Drivers Tanner Foust and Greg Tracy accomplished something every little boy dreams of doing after picking up his first Hot Wheels car. They set a Guinness World Record at the 2012 X Games in Los Angeles by racing their cars through a six-story double vertical loop.