Moving Beyond 10,000 Losses: An occasional look at why it’s so difficult to be a Phillies – hell for that matter a Philadelphia – sports fan.
Forget the boxscore. Yes, the Phils lost 12-0. But psychologically this game was lost in the first inning. Try this on for size. You start the game by retiring the opposition with a bizarre triple-play, then come right back in the bottom of the frame and load the bases with nobody out. And you lose, 12-0. No, you didn’t score in that first frame. Only the Phillies. Incredibly, they’re still not dead. They remain only two and a half games back in the Wild-Card race. Anybody think the Phils will win it? Didn’t think so.

The Daily Numbers: 2 million dollars the city of Chester is kicking in to build a new rec center at Seventh and Madison streets.

3 Delaware County fire companies that are merging their services. Those would be in Morton, Rutledge and Swarthmore. Get used to it. This is something that a lot of towns likely will be looking at in the future.

82, age of Brookhaven man who will now face trial on charges he fatally beat his 80-year-old wife, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.

5 local officials, Republicans and Democrats, who have now united to fight the airport redesign plan being pushed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

3 teens killed in a car crash in Jackson Township, N.J. One girl was a high school student, the other two were recent graduates. The car went out of control on a curve.

20, age of Marine from Atco, N.J., killed in fighting in Iraq. We salute Infantryman Jon T. Hicks.

16, age of teen police say brutally beat a homeless man in Hamilton Township, N.J. They say 6 local teens were harassing the man, before one attacked him with a stick.

20 gunshots fired in a wild incident overnight in Olney involving a SEPTA bus. The driver was injured. The shooting was going on outside the bus. The wounded driver drove five blocks to get his passengers to safety.

19 million dollars, what the state student loan agency PHEAA is looking to save. That includes freezing controversial bonuses for execs.

2 contractors in Bucks County being charged with cheating customers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Joseph and John Salvatico are believed to have taken money for jobs and never doing the work.

200,000 dollar winning Powerball ticket in Wednesday night’s drawing that was sold in Pennsylvania. Better start checking those numbers.

36 million jackpot up for grabs in the next Mega Millions Jackpot. Next drawing is Friday. You can buy tickets – and a dream – in Jersey.

5 hours in Philadelphia yesterday and here’s the carnage: 4 shootings and 6 people injured. It’s the Wild, Wild West.

350 pilots being hired by US Airways, most of which will be located in their hub in Philadelphia.

80 mph winds of Hurricane Humberto that are raking the Texas coast.

2 innings, what the Rockies got from their starter last night. And they still shut the Phils out.

3 innings for Phils starter Kyle Kendrick, before he took a rocket off his knee and exited the game. Can this team’s luck get any worse?

Don’t Get It (with apologies to Jack McCaffery): The naysayers continue to snicker when the city of Chester comes up, simply choosing to ignore the incredible recovery taking place in the city. Open your eyes, people.

Today’s Upper: Don’t look now but we’ve got ourselves a certified, real race for three seats on County Council. The Republicans and Dems are actually engaging on the issues just about every day. That’s good news for the county, and for voters.

Quote Box: "If he was truly sorry he would have gotten out of his car and stayed there after my baby was hit."
-- Tanisha Palmer, mother of hit-run victim, yesterday after the man who struck and killed her son pleaded guilty.