By chance...

she needed notes?

2010-02-09T09:05:00.001-05:00

Um, if you have to write the very basics on your hand, are you really prepared to be the president?
Scary....

super bowl ads? ho-hum...

2010-02-08T09:19:00.002-05:00

Not being a football fan, I generally "watch" the Super Bowl for the ads.
I wasn't too impressed this year, although these two weren't bad...
Did get a chuckle from Emerald Nuts again... and Doritos had some winners.
Anyone have a favorite?

it's an event!

2010-02-05T15:34:00.003-05:00

No, these people aren't prepping for a party... they're scrambling to stock up before the blizzard of the millennium hits the area today.
Well, maybe not a blizzard, but definitely a "snow event."
What I want to know is, when did everything become an "event"?
We don't have snowstorms or rain storms or hail storms.
We have snow events, rain events and hail events.
Ever wonder why? It's not like we get an invitation, after all.

SIX MORE WEEKS!!!

2010-02-02T07:49:00.004-05:00

In case you missed it, Punsxutawney Phil proclaimed the bad news this morning: SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!!
Yes, just when you may have been hoping that the worst was past us, Phil dispelled all doubts.
Hey, did you really think we were getting off that easy?
But really, Groundhog Day is great. And watching this spectacle on PCN is a must see.
I've never been to the town on Groundhog Day, but I have been there to see Phil in his "spring digs" -- a portion of the town library complete with glass walls so you can see him.
The park boasts a huge wooden groundhog statute...
really, you must go. The town bears no resemblance to the famous movie, but it's a great trip nonetheless.
Now, back to the grand weather prediction.... Phil told us what we all expected anyway... so bundle up!

Pit bull horrors

2010-01-28T15:55:00.001-05:00

Just when you think humans can't get any worse, consider this story by the Associated Press.
I guess this person didn't know how to "dispose" of dogs the way one "celebrity" did...
=====

State police are looking for the owner of a mixed breed pit bull that was left for dead with dog fighting wounds along a southwestern Pennsylvania highway.

State police near Uniontown say the animal also had its throat slit by a human who apparently wanted to kill the animal before it was found about 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Police say the dog was found along Route 201 in Dunbar Township, about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital, but died Thursday morning.

Police said the dog's throat and trachea had been crushed and bruised, apparently by another dog. It also had scars from previous bites, perhaps from past dog fights.

The Fayette County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering a reward for information.

say it ain't so!

2010-01-27T09:26:00.003-05:00

OK, please people.... you've got to be kidding!
According to a report from the Associated Press, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.

The animal rights group say it's unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

But William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is "treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania."

The groundhog is kept in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture.

Deeley says PETA is looking out for publicity, not Phil's well-being.

I have to agree on this one.
I love all critters and don't want to see them mistreated.
But I really don't think Phil is in any danger!

into the sunset

2010-01-26T08:03:00.002-05:00

Adam is gone.
Yes, the last of the main cast of "Bonanza" has ridden off into the sunset.
I have to admit, even though I loved his all-black outfits, Pernell Roberts was not my favorite on the show. That choice belonged, of course, to Little Joe, played by Michael Landon.
But how I loved "Bonanza." Before we had a color TV -- yes, shockingly, those days existed -- a neighbor would sometimes invite us to watch the show at their place. What a treat!

Roberts always seemd like a bit of a snob to me, and it wasn't a surprise when he left the show at a point when it was enjoying huge popularity.
I guess, in essence, he rode off into the sunset then.

But it was reported that Roberts, 81 -- it's hard to believe that age! -- died of cancer on Sunday. It also was noted that he had not liked the restrictions of the popular TV show.

"They told me the four characters (Greene, himself and Dan Blocker and Michael Landon as his brothers) would be carefully defined and the scripts carefully prepared," he complained to The Associated Press in 1964. "None of it ever happened."

It particularly distressed him that his character, a man in his 30s, had to continually defer to the wishes of his widowed father.

"Doesn't it seem a bit silly for three adult males to get Father's permission for everything they do?" he once asked a reporter.

"Bonanza," with its three remaining stars, continued until 1973, making it second to "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running Western on TV. Blocker died in 1972, Greene in 1987, and Landon in 1991.

he finally fesses up

2010-01-21T08:25:00.003-05:00

We all knew it, but now it's official.
According to the AP, two-time presidential candidate John Edwards has released this statement about the child he fathered with his former mistress:

"I am Quinn's father. I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. I have been able to spend time with her during the past year and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately and in peace.

"It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me. I have been providing financial support for Quinn and have reached an agreement with her mother to continue providing support in the future.

"To all those I have disappointed and hurt, these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry."

We're sorry, too... sorry we ever thought you were a "good guy"; extremely sorry for your wife and other children.
Sorry you're just another egocentric politician who couldn't keep his pants closed.

want to help haiti?

2010-01-19T13:53:00.001-05:00

We have been running lists in The Reporter on various places where you can donate money, needed goods and the like.
Here is another opportunity to help -- and enjoy yourself, as well.

The Lansdale Center for the Performing Arts is holding a benefit event for Haiti with music, theater arts and martial arts demonstrations. Admission is free to the concert, which will start at 7 p.m. Saturday. Donations will be accepted by check and credit card for Doctors Without Borders, the American Red Cross and the Clinton Foundation. Concert-goers can come and go as they please throughout the evening. Check www.lansdalecpa.org.

It's one more option to consider.

Can't complain

2010-01-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

We’ve all heard that stock reply when we ask people how they are.
“Oh, I can’t complain. And no one would listen if I did.”
Then you both chuckle and move on to other small talk or, if you’re simply passing each other in the hall, that’s the extent of the “conversation.”
But as I was watching and reading about the horrific destruction in Haiti this week, I realized that, truly, I can’t complain.
At least I shouldn’t.
It’s almost impossible to process in our minds the amount of death and devastation that this earthquake has wrought.
You hear the numbers being tossed around, you see the wreckage, the bodies, the coffins, the people crying and wandering around in a daze.
But can any of us actually picture ourselves there, in these people’s shoes?
How would we react if suddenly we had nothing, if loved ones were missing or dead, if all of the basics of life were destroyed?
You have to wonder how the human spirit can survive.
Many of us feel helpless at this point, not knowing how we best can help during this catastrophe.
Many churches, no doubt, will set up their own funding channels and, later, when it’s possible, relief crews will be sent, just as they were after Hurricane Katrina.
And the Red Cross offers several venues for donations, including calling (800) REDCROSS or (800) 257-7575 (Spanish); or sending donations to American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.
It’s one small way we can immediately reach out to help an effort that so badly needs every bit of aid it can get.
So the next time I catch myself complaining about having to get up early in the morning, or having to clean the house, do the laundry or shop for groceries, I hope I can stop myself.
And I don’t want to hear my self-pitying moans about this ache or that pain, or how old I am or that it’s too cold outside or that there’s cat hair everywhere in our house (hey, it’s my fault that we have a feline “zoo”).
Instead, I hope I realize how lucky I am to have a job and a home, a family — a life itself.
Because truly, when I consider the tragedy that has befallen Haiti, my complaints are far too trivial to be uttered.

another great reason

2010-01-14T15:13:00.002-05:00

TO GO TO THE PA. FARM SHOW!!!

If you were among the lucky 10,000 people to get a free pig hat at the Farm Show in Harrisburg this week, you may have looked like this... The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) provided the free hats as part of its "Be a Pig Professor" challenge. Here, Carly and Renee Sollenberger (right) of Franklin County show off the pig hats. Children and adults were asked questions about pork products as part of the "Be a Pig Professor" challenge.

wow! a bobcat!

2010-01-12T16:31:00.002-05:00

If you've always wanted to see a bobcat up close and personal, here's your chance.
The newest addition at the Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown, is a bobcat named Moose.
According to zoo officials, Moose was rescued by wildlife rehabilitators after he fell from a section of metal pipeline being transported by truck.
Now he's making his home at the zoo. So if you want to visit, the zoo hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $11.50 ($5.75 weekdays in January and February), $8.50 for seniors and children 2-12 ($4.25 weekdays in January and February).
In you need information, call (610) 277-3825.
I doubt Moose will answer, but who knows?

FARM SHOW WEEK!!

2010-01-08T09:44:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's that time again ... time to head to Harrisburg and the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
These photos from the Farm Show media service show this year's great butter sculpture... but there's much more to the show than that (although these sculptures ARE amazing!)
If you've never been there, you must go. And be sure to check out the food court!
From cows to cooking demos, sheep shearing and mushroom munching -- the 2010 Pennsylvania Farm Show offers all this and more.
The 94th annual Farm Show is set for 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Jan. 16 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, North Cameron and Maclay streets, Harrisburg.
By the numbers, visitors can see up to 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 270 commercial exhibitors. With a theme this year of “Keeping Pennsylvania Growing,” Farm Show highlights include cooking demonstrations by the Pennsylvania Iron Chef Team, Eli Kirshtein from Bravo, Top Chef Las Vegas competition and the “World’s Fastest Omelet Maker” Howard Helmer.
Young visitors can investigate Pennsylvania agriculture by visiting 21 learning stations around the complex. There will also be a renewable energy exhibit, a puppet show and a Broadway musical series, and favorites like the annual butter sculpture, Sheep-to-Shawl contest, high school rodeo, and baking contests.
Admission is free and parking is $10. For the complete schedule, visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us.

it could be worse...

2010-01-08T09:17:00.004-05:00

A lot of us probably were none too pleased to be cleaning off our cars this morning and cautiously making our way to work.
But we have NOTHING to complain about.
Just consider these Associated Press photos.

One shows buses encrusted in ice and snow at the back lot of a bowling alley in the Omaha, Neb., suburb of Elkhorn, where a fire was being put out Thursday. A winter storm with bitter cold temperatures and blowing winds was traveling through the region.
In the other photo, a farm is shrouded in morning fog near Boulder, Colo., where overnight temperatures dipped to 16 degrees below zero.

Now, feel better?

feeling a bit 'swine-ish'?

2010-01-06T12:32:00.003-05:00

If you've been wanting to get a swine flu shot -- or H1N1, as it's now called -- you can get one on Friday in Lansdale.
The Montgomery County Health Department will hold an H1N1 flu clinic from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Main St., Lansdale, for any resident who would like to decrease their risk of contracting the H1N1 virus.
There is no charge for the immunization.
Contact the Health Department at (610) 278-5117. A screening form can be found at www.health.montcopa.org. Residents can download, print, fill out the form and bring it to the H1N1 flu clinic. Residents must bring their driver’s license.
Hope this helps!

Condolences

2010-01-05T14:37:00.003-05:00

Fortunately no one was hurt in the fire that swept through and destroyed the home of state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf. But that can't make the early morning fire on Sunday any easier to swallow for Greenleaf and his family.
Authorities don't believe it was arson; it was not deliberately set. As the investigation proceeds, it is being considered an accident.
But our condolences go out to Greenleaf and his family. Greenleaf, by all accounts, is one of the "good guys" in government, and it's sad to see this tragedy hit him.
We hope that Greenleaf and his family recover from this tragedy quickly.
Our thoughts are with them.

He's on his way!

2009-12-24T07:52:00.002-05:00

It's Christmas Eve... so turn on WXPN for the 24-hour extravaganza, or WMGK for nonstop Beatles music today.
Watch the old "Bell Puppets" DVD -- you know the one from the phone company that features those great marionettes.
Wrap those gifts, bake some cookies -- and be sure to leave some for Santa.
Take time to remember what Christmas really means.
Hang those stockings and share the love and joy of the holiday.
SANTA'S ON HIS WAY!

need a kitten?

2009-12-17T07:32:00.002-05:00

It's hard to imagine that people just drop off animals at a veterinarian's parking lot, figuring that the good doctors will care for them and find them homes.
Apparently that was the case this week at the North Penn Animal Hospital, when someone decided that someone else should take care of handling the needed adoptions.
So there are several little kittens hoping for a Christmas miracle.
Add these to all of the critters at the SPCA, area rescue groups and other vet hospitals, and it's enough to make you weep.
If you have a warm spot in your heart for the kittens at the North Penn Animal Hospital in Lansdale, call (215) 855-5853 for more information.
And if you can adopt or donate to a rescue group or SPCA, please do so -- all year 'round.

are you ready?

2009-12-01T14:33:00.002-05:00

Ah, December has just started and already AccuWeather is warning us that we MIGHT get snow this weekend. If the storm tracks just the right way, then the flakes might fall fast and furious.
Of course, it will do just this.
The last time we got one of these warnings was in October, on the day I was headed for vacation.
It proved true.
Now, this weekend, I also have plans that involve a bit of travel.
What are the odds?

not the beatles, but...

2009-11-21T07:36:00.001-05:00

This is as close as it gets -- well, this and the great RINGO!
Enjoy!

well, surely vick deserves this...

2009-11-10T12:49:00.002-05:00

If you're already feeling a bit ill, you may want to bypass this story from the Associated Press.
Talk about no justice!
I sure hope Vick can sleep a bit better now, knowing that he won't be out in the street. Of course, since he's not happy with the Eagles, maybe it also will entice everyone involved to send him packing.
One can only hope

======

A federal appeals court is backing the judge who ruled against the NFL and let quarterback Michael Vick keep more than $16 million in roster bonuses from the Atlanta Falcons.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday affirmed Judge David Doty's order saying Vick had already earned the bonuses before his dogfighting conviction, so the money wasn't subject to forfeiture.

Vick served 18 months in prison and is now with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Doty has long handled matters arising from the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. After Doty ruled in the Vick bonus case, the NFL accused him of bias and sought to end his oversight of its contract with the players union.

The appeals court says the contract should remain under Doty's oversight

goodbye to Prue

2009-11-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

Returning from vacation is always bittersweet. You’ve been away from both the stress and tedium of “everyday” life.
Schedules have been tossed aside, pleasant surprises encountered, memories revived.
It’s a time to relax and recharge; a chance to dream and stretch your mind.
But there always seems to be that pull toward home; the point when you actually are longing for a return to the familiar.
And even as you yearn for some of the pleasantries of home, you’re already wishing that your vacation was just beginning.
My daughter and I recently returned from a week in Vermont, and our time there was truly savored.
But we knew before we even left for our trek north that when we came home we’d have some not so pleasant business to address.
This summer, as I’ve mentioned before, two cats (male and female, of course) decided to take up residence in our yard. When Gary and Wotsit, as they were dubbed, arrived, the female already was “great with child”; well, make that plural.
She actually had three “children” and two survived. One found a new home with nearby friends; the other, of course, now lives with us.
We wanted to trap the mom and have her spayed before anymore kittens appeared, but we weren’t quick enough. And somewhere along the way, Gary suddenly disappeared, despite having been a loyal husband and dad.
But Wotsit was even larger as the second birthing loomed. This time, she presented us with five kittens. Thank goodness for Stray Cat Blues, who offered to help us trap Wotsit and have her spayed, and take the kittens into its system for adoption. She would then be returned to her “feral” home.
All this was to happen the Sunday after we returned from vacation. We had become fond of the kittens, feeding them, picking them up and petting them. But we could not absorb five more kitties.
So Linda from Stray Cat arrived, we picked up the kittens and quickly snared Wotsit ... and off she went for her operation. All went successfully, and she’s now back at our house; woefully alone, but not willing to become a house cat, apparently.
And bless Linda, for putting up with Wotsit’s yowling for a few days before she could be returned after her surgery.
But all of this was even more difficult because, the day we returned from vacation, we also dealt with a much more wrenching crisis.
Prue, my daughter’s 15-year-old black cat, had been boarded at the vet while we were gone because of his medical needs.
Ever since she was given the cat when he was a kitten, he had a heart murmur. But that was never a problem. However, in recent years he was diagnosed with diabetes and an overactive thyroid.
Our lives were scheduled around his need for insulin and thyroid pills twice a day, never more than 12 hours apart. And he also had to eat a certain amount of food when receiving his insulin.
But Prue was such a sweet boy that you could never begrudge this regimen. It did, however, mean he needed to be boarded when we traveled. And he obviously had turned on his charm at the vet hospital, earning pretty much free roam and the attention of all involved.
The day we returned home, my daughter picked him up at the vet. He immediately appeared to suffer diabetic shock, but the usual treatment had no effect. Rushed back to the vet, tests revealed grave concerns.
He was kept overnight again, and the next day brought harrowing news. His chest had to be tapped; his lungs were in bad shape; his lymph system appeared to have shut down. Cancer had struck.
We were overwhelmed by the sudden onset of symptoms; it was as if he had waited for his beloved mom to return.
There was no choice but the final goodbye. It was devastating. How do you bid farewell to such a gentle soul?
It was hard to believe that in the span of just a few days, we had lost our dear Prue and had to bid adieu to our kitten family.
Vacation was most definitely over. Bittersweet can barely describe it.
Autumn, our beloved season, had brought to a close the summer of the kittens. And the life of our sweet and gentle Prue.

here comes santa claus...

2009-11-04T12:18:00.002-05:00

Hear those bells? Yes, Santa is on his way. Really.
Never mind that we just went trick-or-treating. Santa shows up at the Montgomery Mall this Friday night, with a parade that starts at 6 p.m.
Then he'll be holding forth, waiting for all the kiddies and their wish lists.
In this economy, you'd think his time at the mall would be shorter, not longer.
Hope the kids have been told to keep their lists realistic.
If only the people who decide when Santa shows up could do the same.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-10-31T19:19:00.001-04:00

LOVE this holiday -- eat too much candy, watch Sleepy Hallow and remember all the fun you had as a kid!!
Nothing evil... just simply enjoy!
It's a great holiday...

vermont was great

2009-10-28T19:50:00.002-04:00

A week's vacation in Vermont truly is heaven... and it was great to see some snow on the the top of Mount Mansfield. For a few days, the road over Smuggler's Notch even was closed... it then reopened, but will close for the winter, as it does every year. If you've never been over the notch, you MUST go... and you'll see why it can't stay open once the snow flies.
Trekking around cemeteries, visiting the Bread and Puppet Museum, strolling through Burlington, sipping the wine, relaxing at Pie in the Sky and being served a drink at the local movie theater -- yes, that's true -- is all part of the fun of Vermont.
The peace and beauty are the real reasons to go, however.
But, now it's back to work. Memories and dreams sustain, however.