Open Mike

Imagine hitting this on the road

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000

In southeastern Pennsylvania, we always worry about deer crossing our path while we are driving.

Well, an Oklahoma couple driving home from church hit something a little larger while on the road: an elephant!!!

Here are the details, according to the Associated Press:

An elephant that escaped from a nearby circus collided with the couple's SUV Wednesday night when it ran across a rural highway in Enid, about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City.

Police say the 29-year-old elephant had escaped earlier that night from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds. The couple weren't injured in the crash, but police say the elephant had a broken tusk and an injured leg.

Authorities say the elephant's tusk tore a hole in the SUV's sheet metal.
After the crash, the elephant was taken to a veterinary school for an exam. Dr. Dwight Olson says the elephant doesn't appear to have serious injuries.

The dreaded pick

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Well, here goes. I've spent the last few days wondering about my pick to win the World Series, with the hometown Phillies battling the Evil Empire, otherwise known as the New York Yankees.

To be honest, I've been surprised by the Phillies so far this postseason. Yes, I picked them to beat the Colorado Rockies in 4 games in the National League Division Series, but the series didn't play out the way I had in mind, with the Phils winning two games in Colorado in the 9th inning.

Against the Dodgers, I had the Phillies winning the NL Championship Series in 6 games, and they did it in 5. They had few problems with the Dodgers vaunted bullpen, while the Phils' pen shut the door.

So, what about the Series? One minute I think the Yankees are going to win it, the next I lean toward the Phillies.

The Phillies are underdogs in this series. Few so-called "experts" expect them to win. Heck, the defending World Champions were the third choice by bookmakers in Las Vegas to win the NL crown.

This team continues to amaze me. They don't feel the pressure. And it's not like they haven't been here before. After all, they won the thing last year.

So with a split in New York and 2 of 3 wins at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies will repeat with a Game 6 victory at the new Yankee Stadium.

GO PHILLIES!!!!

Attack on Christmas has begun already

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:23:00 +0000

It's not Halloween yet, but the attack on Christmas has already begun.

In Kentucky, the tree that will sit on the Capitol lawn will not be called a Christmas tree. Instead, the giant evergreen will be known as a "holiday tree."

A giant evergreen that will brighten the Capitol lawn this winter won't be called a Christmas tree. Instead, Gov. Steve Beshear's administration has dubbed it a "holiday tree." Beshear is a DEMOCRAT.

In an Associated Press story, the Rev. Jeff Fugate of Lexington says the change is offensive to Christians.

Beshear administration spokeswoman Cindy Lanham says the holiday tree reference is meant to be inclusive of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's. People found out about it Tuesday when the state sent a letter looking for someone to donate a tree.

Republican Senate President David Williams of Burkesville says Beshear is putting political correctness ahead of Kentucky values.

The pick

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:42:00 +0000

I waited long enough, almost 2 hours before first pitch, to make my pick on the NLCS.

The key to this series is simple. The defending World Champion Phillies need to score early and often against the L.A. Dodgers -- something they did not do against Colorado in the division series, and really something they didn't do a lot of in the regular season. It seems the Phillies score most of their runs after the fifth inning.

But the Phillies can't afford to do that in this series. The Dodgers have the best bullpen in the National League, if not all of baseball. So if the Phillies don't have a lead in the sixth inning, that game's outcome isn't going to look too good.

I think the Phils' pitching will be pretty good throughout the series, so it's the bats that will need to come through.

I was right with my pick of the Phillies winning its NL Division Series over Colorado in 4 games. It didn't happen exactly how I had pictured it, but winning is the only thing.

Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but here it is: Phillies in 6.

Go Phillies!

Sad day for 1980s wrestling fans

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:41:00 +0000

I'll admit it. In high school and college I followed pro wrestling. And one of the great characters of that time frame was Captain Lou Albano.

So it's sad to hear that Albano, at right, has died at the age of 76.

Albano was with World Wresting Entertainment from 1983 to 1996, when he was inducted into its hall of fame.

Albano also played Cyndi Lauper's father in her video for "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" in 1983. According to WWE, Albano took credit for her success.

Playboy must be running out of models

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Playboy magazine must be having a hard time getting models.

For its November issue, the magazine will feature the never-aging matriarch of the Simpson clan, Marge Simpson.

Yep, Homer Simpson's better half, at right, will not only grace the cover, but will "pose" in a three-page pictorial. The magazine will hit newstands Oct. 16.

It's a first for the magazine, which has had everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Cindy Crawford to the Girls of Hooters and even the likes of Jerry Seinfeld on the cover. But it's never had a cartoon character before.

Marge isn't going to bare all, though, as the magazine says there will only be "implied nudity" in the 3-page pictorial.

New CEO Scott Flanders says the idea is to attract readers in their 20s to a magazine where the average reader's age is 35.

Another sign I'm getting older

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:30:00 +0000

I was walking the dogs shortly after 7:30 this morning. The air was crisp, temperature in the low to mid-40s, so I was dressed in sweatpants, sweatshirt and windbreaker. And I felt comfortable.

During the walk, I came across another man who was out with his two dogs. He was probably 12-15 years younger than me and it showed in his choice of clothes for the morning walk: T-shirt, gym shorts and flip flops!!!!

Just one more sign I'm getting older.

Talk about a great pumpkin

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:48:00 +0000

You'd be able to make a lot of pumpkin pies, bread, etc. from a pumpkin grown in Ohio.

Christy Harp of Jackson Township near Canton, grew a 1,725-pound pumpkin, shown above, that took first place at the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers contest last weekend. Harp won $2,500 and could claim lay claim to the world's biggest pumpkin.

Contest organizers say Harp's entry topped the 1,689-pound record-holder grown in 2007 by Joe Jutras of North Scituate, R.I.

The dreaded pick

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

I have mixed feelings about how the Phillies will fare in their NL Division Series against the Colorado Rockies.

On the one hand, the defending World Champions struggled down the stretch, winning just 5 of their final 13 games. The starting pitching was mediocre at best, the hitting was practically non-existent, and the bullpen at times was in shambles.

The only regular player who had good numbers in the season's final month was Ryan Howard. Chase Utley saw his batting average fall 20 points from Sept. 1, and Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino had trouble getting on base.

But on the other hand, the team did what it needed to get into the post-season. And their 11-3 record in the playoffs last year shows they know how to play when the pressure's on.

Plus, the Phils owe the Rockies from 2007, when in a similar situation, the Rockies one the first two games at Citizens Bank Park en route to a three-game sweep of the NL East champs.

So here goes: I like the Phillies to win the series in 4 games. I expect Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels to pitch well the first 2 games in Philly and give the team a 2-0 edge.

But if that doesn't happen, it could be a short visit to the playoffs for the defending champions.

Wow, I got it right!

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:21:00 +0000

As the Phillies prepare to open the National League playoffs Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park against the Colorado Rockies, I went back in the blog archives to see what I predicted for the season. Boy was I surprised.

Not so much that I correctly prognosticated that the Phillies would win the NL Eastern Division (though I thought it would be in a dogfight with the Mets), but that my analysis of a 93-win season was correct as the defending World Champions finished with a 93-69 record, 6 games ahead of the second-place Marlins and 23 games against the hated, injury-plauged Mets.

I'll have my playoff outlook before Wednesday's first pitch at 2:37 p.m.

History in the making?

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:28:00 +0000

I haven't blogged much about the Phillies this year. Perhaps its because as the World Series Champions, I was cutting them some slack.

But through an up-and-down season, I'm finally fed up. Sure they're in first place, 4 games ahead with 6 games to play, but I feel incredibly uncomfortable over their prospects.

Just last week, the Phils were ahead by 8 1/2 games with just 13 to play, and 7 up with 10 to play. Do you see a pattern? They should be wrapping up the division and preparing for the playoffs; instead, the lead keeps dwindling.

There have been few positives for this team down the stretch. Brad Lidge's struggles have been season long. The rest of the bullpen, save for Ryan Madson, has been overcome with injuries. The offense has turned mediocre veterans and rookie starters into Cy Young winners.

The Phils only need to win 3 of the 6 games to clinch the division title. But since they are 0-5 this season against the awful Houston Astros, who the Phils host the next 3 nights, and then a visit from the always tough Florida Marlins ends the season, winning those 3 games will be tough.

The Atlanta Braves, who trail the Phillies by 4 games, have 2 more at home with the Marlins, then host the NL-worst Washington Nationals for 4 games to end the season. So it's unlikely the Braves will lose 3 times.

So if the Phillies end up losing the division title, they will make history by blowing the largest lead (7 games) in the shortest amount of time (10 games). Until now, that mark has been held by the infamous 1964 Phillies, who had a 6 1/2-game lead with 12 games to play, but lost 10 games and lost the National League pennant to the St. Louis Cardinals.

I think the baseball Gods are getting back at Phillies fans for last year. We had the ecstasy of a World Series title; now, will we get the agony of a blown division title?

Two holes in one -- in one round.

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:07:00 +0000

The sport isn't this easy.

Twice within the past week, two people have hit two holes-in-one in one round on the golf course. And no, they didn't have to knock the yellow ball through the windmill.

The first was done by former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass, who carded two holes-in-one in a span of 11 holes during the team's annual alumni golf outing.

The other was accomplished by 64-year-old Ruth Day of northern England, who shot two holes-in-one in the same round at Whitley Bay Golf Club, where she is a member.

"A hole in one in itself is usually pretty amazing," Day said in Friday's edition of The Journal, a newspaper in northeast England. "But I couldn't believe it when I did the same thing 10 holes further on."

Day, a retiree, said she has been playing golf for about 10 years.

"Some people go through their whole life and never get a hole-in-one," Day said. "I think there's only a very small number of people around the world who have done it twice in one round."

The feat is rare. Golf Digest estimates the odds against a golfer having two holes-in-one in the same round at 67 million to 1.

Bye bye Baskett -- and Kendra

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:03:00 +0000

The Eagles added suspended quarterback Michael Vick to the 53-man roster on Tuesday so he will be able to practice with the team prior to being allowed to play in the season's third game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

To make room for Vick, the Birds released wide receiver Hank Baskett. Baskett was an average receiver, but his biggest claim to fame is that he married "Girl Next Door" and former Playboy Playmate Kendra Wilkinson, shown at right, this summer.

Baskett got a lot of air time this year in Wilkinson's reality show "Kendra" on the E! network.

Numbers align for Wisconsin baby

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:42:00 +0000

I find this hard to believe: A baby born in Wisconsin on Wednesday 9/09/09, at 9:09 a.m. weighed, get this, 9 pounds, 9 ounces.

To read more, click here.

Missouri nursing homes hold beauty pageant

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:09:00 +0000

The crowning of a new beauty queen will take place tonight in Kansas City, Mo. It's not Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss World, Miss Universe, or Miss Informed.

No, this pageant is the 29th annual Ms. Missouri Nursing Home Pageant, a three-tiered, statewide competition.

The pageant's c0-chairwoman Carla Lungren, who works with the Missouri Health Care Association, is proud of the pageant.

"That's totally why we do what we do everyday in long-term care," said Lungren. "To touch people's lives and make them meaningful until the very end."

According to an Associated Press story, there ares no extravagant prizes or evening gown competitions, though some women prefer to wear a fancy dress or adorn their wheelchairs with flowers as they tell stories of growing up during the Great Depression and World War II. Some reminisce about vacation mishaps or decades-long marriages — and of their children, grandchildren, even great-great grandchildren.

Georgia, Alabama and California also have long-running pageants, and West Virginia held its event for many years before the death of its organizer.

To read more, click here.

Now this is a cupcake!!

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:54:00 +0000

My stepdaughters love to bake, but I hope they never try to bake a cupcake this size.

The world's largest cupcake -- a 1,224-pound triple vanilla cupcake with pink frosting -- was unveiled Aug. 15 at the Woodward Dream Cruise classic cars event in Royal Oak, Mich.

A Guinness World Records representative was on hand to certify the cupcake's girth. The cupcake weighed more than 8 times the size of the previous record holder.

Some of the other insane numbers: the cupcake took 12 hours to bake, and included 800 eggs and 200 pounds each of sugar and flour. The cupcake was made by New Hampshire-based Gourmetgiftbaskets.com. Owner Ryan Abood told a newspaper the cupcake had an estimated 2 million calories.

Slices of the cupcake were served in exchange for donations to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer organization.

Pa. man guilty of groping Minnie Mouse

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:40:00 +0000

A 60-year-old Schuylkill County man was found guilty Tuesday of groping a woman in a Minnie Mouse costume at Walt Disney World.

According to the Associated Press, John William Moyer of Cressona told the judge he is innocent. His son said before sentencing that his father would never inappropriately touch a woman, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Moyer was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to write the victim an apology, serve 180 days probation and complete 50 hours of community service. Moyer must also pay $1,000 in court costs and possibly undergo a mental evaluation.

The victim says she had to do everything possible to keep Moyer's hands off her breasts.

Rough start for Eagles at training camp

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:27:00 +0000

The Eagles are considered among the favorites to contend for the Super Bowl this season, but the first 10 days of training camp have been difficult for Andy Reid's squad.

First, the team received the devastating news that longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson and succumbed to cancer. Since being hired by Reid in 1999, the Eagles defense has been among the best units in the league.

First-round draft pick Jeremy Maclin did not sign until late Monday night and missed 9 days of camp.

Starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley is out for the season after tearing an ACL in a knee during a practice Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

Then early this morning, defensive end Juqua Parker was arrested on a marijuana possession charge near the team's training facility at Lehigh University.

According to the Associated Press, Lower Saucon Township police said Parker was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation at 12:33 a.m. near Lehigh University, where the Eagles train.

Parker was carrying "a small amount of marijuana" and was taken to Northampton County Prison, police said. Parker was released after posting $1,000 bail later Wednesday morning, a prison official said.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said he was aware of the incident.

"It's in the law's hands right now. As time goes on, I'll know more," Reid said. Reid said the team curfew was 1 a.m.

So most of the news coming out of Eagles camp has been bad. As a fan, I hope that isn't a pretense to the regular season.

"Mary Ann" to hold auction on Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Mary Ann is holding an auction.

Dawn Wells, at right, who played Mary Ann Summers on 1960s classic television show "Gilligan's Island," will be selling off the contents of her home in eastern Idaho on Saturday.

Wells, a native Idahoan who will turn 71 in October, said she will sign autographs for anyone who makes a purchase.

Among the items to be auctioned off are a Kenmore double-door refrigerator, antique Chinese rug, a picture frame cutter made in Denmark and memorabilia from the annual Spud Fest Family Film and Television Festival.

Phillies reach deal for hurler

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:14:00 +0000

The Phillies reportedly picked up a Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday, but not the one most fans were hoping for.

Both Foxsports.com and Mlb.com were reporting that the Phillies had reached a deal with the Cleveland Indians for 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee, above. The Phillies will also get right-hand hitting outfielder Ben Francisco.

The Phillies will give up three of their top Class AAA prospects -- pitcher Carlos Carrasco, infielder Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson -- and Class A pitcher Jason Knapp.

The deal means the Phillies will have 4 left-handed hurlers -- Lee, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and J.A. Happ -- in their starting rotation.

The deal means the Phillies did not have to give up either their top minor-league pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, currently pitching for the Reading Phillies, or their top minor-league player Dominic Brown, who is an outfielder with Class A Clearwater.

I was hoping the Phillies would acquire Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, who would have balanced out the rotation. But Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. did not want to part with Happ, Drabek and Brown.

To read more, click here.

Dog takes newborn from crib

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:32:00 +0000

A scary incident happened in Kentucky this week when a dog took a newborn baby from its crib and carried it outside of the home.

The baby was listed in critical condition with multiple punctures and brusies

The dog is a 4-year-old mixed breed called a Native American Indian dog.

Click here to read more.

Couple with same name to get married

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Couples meet through the Internet and get married all the time, but here's a new twist: this Florida couple has the same name.

Kelly Hildebrandt will marry Kelly Hildebrandt in October.

According to the Associated Press, it all started when 20-year-old Kelly Hildebrandt decided to search Facebook for other people with her name. Up popped Kelly Hildebrandt of Lubbock, Tex. For the next three months the two exchanged e-mails and then started calling each other.

He then decided to visit, and the couple, above, soon began dating. Eight months after Kelly Hildebrandt sent her first e-mail, he proposed. The couple plans to marry in October.

It hasn't been all smooth sailing. A trip on a cruise ship almost got canceled when the travel agent deleted one ticket from the system, thinking someone had plugged in the same information twice.

Mets falling apart all over

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:54:00 +0000

As the red-hot Phillies continue their hold on the National League East, the hated New York Mets are falling apart at all levels of their organization.

On the same day the injury-riddled Mets, who know trail the Phils by 10 games, were shut out, 4-0, by the lowly Washington Nationals, it was reported that one of their officials went ballistic on a minor-league team.

According to the New York Daily News, Tony Bernazard, the Mets vice president for player development, pulled off his shirt and challenged the Double-A Binghamton Mets to a fight. The Binghamton team plays in the Eastern League, along with the Reading Phillies.

To read more, click here.

"The Dude" goes bankrupt

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Former Phillies outfielder Lenny Dysktra, who led the team to the National League pennant in 1993 when he finished second in the MVP voting, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Wednesday.

According to reports, Dysktra had between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities and only $50,000 in assets.

To read more, click here.

Why you should never keep reptiles in the house

noreply@blogger.com (Open Mike) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:09:00 +0000

Police say a 2-year-old Florida girl was strangled by a 12-foot pet python on Wednesday. The python escaped from its aquarium and strangled the girl while she was sleeping in her crib.

The snake was the pet of the girl's mother's live-in boyfriend.

To read more, click here.