Phantasmic Links 12.22.08

Be careful what you wish for? For years I've wished my parents would just stay in the house and let me shovel the snow. My dad's been walking around with a heart condition for the past 15 years and my mom has had asthma nearly her whole life. Much to my surprise, I finally got my wish when a snowstorm dumped a good six inches on our area on Friday. I got home from work early due to the inclement weather, and found that both parents had stayed inside.

I awoke on Saturday morning expecting to find my dad out there, but with his healing shoulder still hooked up to a Wound Vac, he was just sitting by the window of our living room with the device plugged in to an electrical outlet. He told me to just clear a path for the mail carrier and open up our driveway, since another storm was on its way. I cleared a path from our side door around to the mail box at the front of the house, then our front sidewalk as well as both sets of steps leading to the mailbox. A plow came by as I was opening the driveway and blocked me in. However, the next time he came around the block, he actually slowed down, adjusted his settings, and pushed all the chunks of snow aside to clear the opening of the driveway. I waved back in thanks as he rolled on, and I was able to get my car over the snow that remained in our driveway and get to the bank and post office before they closed. When I got home, I had no traction to get up the driveway, and had to get out and shovel the side of the driveway I park on. I left the other half alone since my parents didn't need their cars yet, and later I drove us all to mass.

On Sunday, I awoke to freezing rain, and I finished the driveway before it all froze solid. The sections packed down from driving over them were the most solid and heaviest to lift. Somehow, I got the whole thing done, a first on my own. I relaxed with a movie and some hot cocoa, and when I went to sit up I felt how stiff my back was. I'm still glad my parents finally let me take care of it, and I can't complain too much since my cousin has his own house as well as my uncle's to shovel, but I'm still a little sore. In appreciation, my mom made cheese omelets on Saturday and pancakes on Sunday, which made my efforts twice as worthwhile. I may have even made up for missing gym two days this week. Nevertheless, though it has only just begun, I'll be glad when Winter is over. Let's all find somewhere warm and check out this week's PHANTASMIC LINKS:

(1) Sonny 2 is my latest RPG obsession, and when I wasn't hauling snow I was inside making my way through the first 3 levels of this awesome sequel.

(2) If pictures are more to your liking, you can peruse National Geographic's top ten most viewed galleries of 2008.
Hat Tip: Darrell.

(3) There is at least one way to make Batman more awesome...

(4) I can't believe this guy named his kid “Adolf Hitler”. When asked to comment, he said it was his wife's idea and that he was “just following orders”. I kid, but seriously, what is wrong with people?
H.T.: J-No.

(5) I could scale a cliff this fast but I don't wanna.
H.T.: Darrell, who bet me 10 bucks I couldn't climb a cliff in under 5 minutes and will probably learn my secret identity if I actually mail it to him...

(6) I don't see what the big deal was with this SNL sketch. They've definitely done worse(and better).
H.T.: B13.

(7) The inventor of a “water powered car” is convicted of swindling.

(8) Nostalgia Critic reviews the things you thought you had forgotten. I'm particularly impressed by his ability to channel Michael Bay...

(9) Use your old Netflix paper flaps for origami. I actually have folded mine into planes and other shapes on occasion, but nothing as intricate as this brilliant site.

(10) You Suck at Photoshop.

(11) Hey look, it's a squid with elbows! Wait....what?!

(12) I've been elfed by Loudermilks.
H.T.: Darrell, who blamed Wendy...

(13) At the risk of spoilers if you haven't seen some of these, click at your own peril the top 10 most gruesome movie death scenes.

(14) Cute things fall asleep....cutely...

(15) Achievement Unlocked asks you to forget the game, and focus on the achievements. I love it.

Have a link to a game, movie, article, or anything else you think might be “phantasmic”? E-mail me and it just might appear in an upcoming PHANTASMIC LINKS!