WAKE UP THE MASSES!!! This is Something Clever.
It Was 5 o'clock in at Least 3 Different Somewheres
How far would YOU go for a cold one?
Brian Cochran would go to at least 2 time zones. Cochran is from New Mexico, and apparently, he's a fan of beer. So, when he heard that Troeg's Brewing Company was planning a limited release brew called Splinter Blue, he jumped at the chance to get one of the 400 bottles. By the way, Troeg's Brewing Company is in Harrisburg, PA. This fact, however, did nothing to stop him. He hopped on a plane from Albuquerque to Pittsburgh, then rented a car to drive from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg. I LOVE the dedication.
Cochran got in line around 9am and waited for hours as bottle after bottle was sold. When Cochran finally got his turn he found that he was the 401st person in line.
Remember when I said they made 400 bottles? Yeah...sucks to be him.
Now, when I first read this story, the thought of a man traveling across the country for disappointment, coupled with the fact that alcohol was involved, had me thinking the next line I would read would say "...and then they threw a trash can through the storefront window...". Thankfully and surprisingly, this is not the case. There was a 401st bottle reserved for one of the Sales Reps. When he heard about Cochran's situation, he decided to give up his bottle to him. A happy ending for all. How about that? A story about alcohol that DOESN'T end with self-loathing and me crying in a corner...that may have been too much...
Labor of Love
And now here's the bad. Not bad as in horrible, bad as in sad. I've actually known about this story for a week or two, but I didn't want to do it. It really is a tear-jerker. But the more I find out about it, there's just no way I can ignore it.
Brian Wood was driving to his home in Washington State a few weeks ago with his pregnant wife in the passenger seat. During the drive, a Chevy Blazer driven by an (allegedly) drunk 21 year old swerved into oncoming traffic and headed straight for Wood's car. Realizing there was no way to avoid a crash, Wood did the only thing he could think to do:
He slammed on the brakes and swerved his car sideways to the right. The Blazer, instead of hitting them head-on, slammed into the driver side. Brian Wood was killed, but his wife and unborn child were unharmed.
Police say had they taken the hit head-on, they all would have died. I won't lie, this type of thing chokes me up. A fatal, yet completely selfless decision. Believe it or not, there are still good people out there, folks. But the big reason why I decided to ultimately talk about this is because Brian Wood was a lead designer for Relic Entertainment, a child company of THQ. They designed Warhammer, Homeworld and Company of Heroes (Wood was working on Company of Heroes Online at the time of his death). The gaming community has really rallyed around Brian's wife Erin, starting a trust fund that is being supported by game developers, journalists and fans alike. Being a member of the gaming community, I commend them for banding together like that.
It's a terrible tragedy, but this once again proves that selfish acts tear people apart while selfless acts can unite people that don't even know each other. I've never met Brian and Erin Wood, and probably never would have. Still, I feel terrible for this widow. In any case, there's no doubt that Brian Wood is a hero. Because of this, I am instituting a new award on Something Clever: The Brian Wood "Atta Boy" award.
Before you panic, this one isn't as juvenile as some of my other awards. The "Atta Boy" award goes to someone who does something extremely good for someone else. Courage. Selflessness. Caring. These are the acts that get the award. And Brian Wood is the first recipient.
'Atta Boy, Brian. Gone, but not forgotten, my friend.
Here's the link for donations to the trust fund for his unborn child: http://www.brianwoodmemorialtrust.com/
Your Job Doesn't Suck THAT Much
The Sears Tower is the tallest building in the US. It's called the Willis Tower now, but I don't give a crap. Anyway, it's 1451 feet high. To put some perspective on that, think about 12 football fields in a row. Got it? OK, now picture those same fields, STRAIGHT UP INTO THE AIR. Yeah...crazy, right? Imagine if you worked there. Better yet, imagine if you worked ON TOP of there. Yeah. The video below shows what happens when something is wrong with the antennas on top of the tower. Somebody has to climb up there and fix it. I'm dizzy LOOKING at it, and someone has to climb that thing. No question, this video is intense. Check it out.
Pic Of The Week!!!!
In an effort to not end the week on such a somber note, here is our Pic Of The Week - same premise as always. Let's see how many funny comments we can make on this photo:
WOW. OK then, here we go:
"I'm trying to earn money so I can pimp out my Bird of Prey!"
The "Comic-Con or Bust" sign wasn't doing well for him either.
Good luck, Rocky Dennis. (Only grown folks will get that)
After the cancellaton of Star Trek: The Next Generaton, Warf fell on hard times...
He blew all his money on pleasures in the holodeck and Romulan Ale.
I guess there's a cloaking device on his mom's station wagon parked behind him.
Transportation issues were the main reason that there were no Klingons in the Star Trek reboot.
For the last time, sir, there is no warp drive on an '83 Datsun.
Screw Sunoco or Texaco, how's this guy supposed to find a Dilithium Station around there?!
OK, we've nerded out enough. Thank you all for your participation and continued support. Hit me up to talk, I'm always available. Have a good weekend, take care of yourselves, and for all the young people reading, my message to you is: aim LOW. For Christ's sake, this is AMERICA.
How I love my land of lowered expectations!
Watts
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