Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

Plenty of troubles due to the weather Saturday night into Sunday.

As I got home from the football games on Saturday night, the rain started. The freezing rain awakened me about 3 or 4 times before 5AM. I had already postponed my bowling tournament in Mifflinburg for that day. It was no surprise to see all the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton TV stations had been off the air.

If you drive north on I-81, you can see all the TV and a few radio towers. Once you pass the Nuangola exit (exit 159), you'll see the towers on a ridgetop. The scary thing is that all of those towers are so close to each other. There's a possibility (if the conditions are right) that if one falls, they all fall. Well, WNEP's fell and the top half of WVIA's fell. In the process, the power line to WYOU's was cut. Because of power outages, we had nothing from WBRE, Fox56, CW38, or the others for the better part of Sunday.

A good heads up move by Comcast in Pottsville to pick up KYW in Philly in time for the second half of the Steelers game on Sunday. A bad move to switch from KYW to WTAJ in Altoona this morning... not sure why, perhaps it's because WYOU and WTAJ are owned by the same company. I e-mailed Comcast (again) asking to because a second CBS station part of the basic package, for instances like this when we lose our only CBS station.

Then again, this is Comcast we're talking about here. I got an automated response stating they'll get back to me today, since my issue isn't time sensitive.

Buckle up,
TS

High School Football

Predictions for Friday...

Fri 1PM Class A: Steelton-Highspire 47, Serra Catholic 36. This will be a scorefest, and a ground-gainer's delight. Steel-High's #5 Jeremiah Young could easily hit 200 yards on the ground. #6 Jordan Smith will also have a few more surprises up his sleeve.

Fri 7PM Class AAA: Thomas Jefferson 28, Garnet Valley 6. All TJ, all the time. I love TJ's #21's name... Trevor Wildman. Also watch #52 Lucas Nix. GV's got a good QB, #8 Eric Van Wyk.

Sat 12noon Class AA: Jeannette 44, Dunmore 22. Jeannette should have won this game last year, but lost late to Wilson. Jeannette's #11 Terrelle Pryor is the most sought-after athlete in PA. #6 Jordan Hall will be a huge help on offense. Dunmore's #10 Miller Holmes is a good QB, but Dunmore is overmatched here.

Sat 5PM Class AAAA: Parkland 38, Pittsburgh Central Catholic 35, overtime. The 4A game is traditionally run-oriented. Parkland's #7 John Laub passes more, probably because #14 Jaleel Clark is such a great athlete.

Buckle up,
TS

Traffic cameras...

Here's the link to the PennDOT traffic cameras along 78 & 81...

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/districts/district5.nsf/District%205%20Traffic%20Cams?OpenPage

Christmas Shopping

...I've gotten some of it done. No idea what to get my folks.

I did run across something that would be a neat gift for the shorelover you know... beach tags. I knew that would warm you up on a day like today. Ocean City NJ is selling discounted 2008 beach tags on its website www.ocnj.us. Cape May also has '08 beach tags on sale, but didn't see anywhere you could get them online.

Buckle up,
TS

Bad luck...

What a string of bad luck some of my co-workers have experienced...

First, I credit Les Blankenhorn and John Powers for getting on the air at all last night. They were broadcasting the Pottsville/North Schuylkill basketball game. The one main mixer that we plugged into would not cooperate with the phone line we plugged into. Luckily, we had a backup system that we could plug a cellphone into. Unluckily, that unit overheated. Using two separate phones, we conferenced Les and John together, and the broadcast went on.

Second, one of my co-worker's significant other decided to do some redecorating around the house... and broke a window. Unfortunately, they're having a hard time replacing the window... and may be shelling out a few sheckles to get it/them fixed.

Third, both Al Kovy and D-Mike were out sick today, and it's snowing this morning in Pottsville. Hopefully, Dave Fleming won't have trouble getting up here... I'm guessing he's the reason why there was a KYW-TV newstruck up here in Pottsville this morning.

Travel safely wherever you are today. Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up,
TS

correction...

Correction!

I read the article incorrectly... State Police at Schuylkill Haven will be handling Norwegian Township calls, starting January 1st... not Frackville. Apologies for my goof.

Buckle Up,
TS

Norwegian Township

I gladly call Norwegian Township home. I've lived there since moving here in 1999. I understand why my fellow Township residents are angry at the loss of our one police officer. Yes, we'll have to rely on State Police in Frackville if we have any problems. I haven't heard all sides of the story, so I won't totally comment on it. Wouldn't it have been more efficient to have troopers down at Reedsville/Schuylkill Haven help out... I only ask because of how different weather can get between Frackville and Norwegian Township in the winter.

---

While we're talking Norwegian Township... any chance we can get a new cable TV provider? I envy those of who have Service Electric. I'm sick of Comcast.

---

So when does the housecleaning begin in Baltimore Ravens offices? I like Brian Billick, but it's time for him to go. His quarterbacks have never been consistently close to the top of the QB class. Yes, their defense is exceptional, but have just as many uncontrollable egos. I have a feeling that by 2010, we won't recognize many of the Ravens.

---

Be careful at your Christmas parties this year. I've seen firsthand what a little extra libation can create. Designate a driver.

Buckle up,
TS

Bring home the bacon...

I've heard that aspirin is good for people with heart conditions, and good if you sense you're experiencing heart problems... in fact, it may have saved the life of my friend, Dr. Mussari.

Then I find in the watercooler section of wusa9.com a story on bacon. The nitrates in bacon can help re-open blocked arteries. Interesting... especially since I just had tuna fish with bacon for lunch. My favorite way to prepare bacon is to cook it on the George Foreman grill, and let it bake til it's crunchy. then squeeze the grease out of whatever's left. Turkey bacon tastes good, too.

---

I may just change my name to Lofa Tatupu. My Seahawks beat the Eagles yesterday, and Tatupu has 3 of the 4 interceptions.

---

I'm heartsick for Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs. After the roughest week he's ever been through due to Sean Taylor's murder, Gibbs got bit by an obscure rule. Buffalo was down by two, when they were getting ready to kick a 51-yard field goal. He took a time out to ice the kicker. He then took a second time out... which is against the rules. The Redskins were given a 15-yard penalty. The kick was now 36 yards, which Buffalo converted. The 17-16 loss had to be the worst of his illustrious career. He immediately took the blame for the loss... then had to pack up and head to Florida for Taylor's funeral today.

I hope this doesn't cost Gibbs his job. His critics say the game has passed him by, and his offense is too conservative. However, his players love playing for him. I've been a Redskins fan longer than I've been a Seahawks fan... and one big reason was Joe Gibbs. I hope Redskins owner Dan Snyder doesn't do anything too drastic too soon.

Thank you...

...for donating to Toys For Tots last night. A number of you generously donated... THANK YOU!

Today's musings...

1. The common cold... I'm guessing my allergy shots are working in more ways then one. I haven't had a really bad cold since January. I feel a slight one coming on now... so I rushed down to the store to get Zicam. It's worked well before. I got the mist that you spray every three hours. We'll see how well it works, and if I'm better for the weekend.

2. Christmas Music... I don't mind it. In fact, we have it playing in the back office. The only part I don't like is hearing the same songs by the same artists on this all-Christmas station. I understand that Bing Crosby's White Christmas etc. are standards that shouldn't be ignored. But give me something different every day... I don't wanna hear Auld Lang Syne every day... save that for December 31st.

3. There is no #3.

4. Happy Birthday, Courtney. She's 27 again.

Buckle up,
TS

Toys For Tots

Tonight, I'll be at the Schuylkill Mall from 5:00-7:30 for our first Toys For Tots stop.

I'll have a chance for you to win some goodies if you drop off a new unwrapped toy to Centre Court at Schuylkill Mall while I'm there.

Dave Smith will be on longer today, until 8:00. Then I'll be on after 8:00.

Stop by the mall if you get a chance on your way home from work and donate a toy to those less fortunate.

Buckle up,
TS

A full plate of catching up...

1. Health Update: The pipida scan came back normal. I ended up lying flat on my back for about 90 minutes with limited movement. The nurse first injected me with saline solution, then watched as everything functioned the way it is supposed to. Next was the CCK enzyme, which naturally makes the gall bladder contract. I didn't feel anything abnormal, and the results proved that. Next step comes in January with a visit to the gastroenterologist.

2. Thanksgiving: It's one of my two favorite holidays because it combines four of my five most favorite things... family, football, food, and napping. Ha! I saved the bowling for the weekend. I highly recommend getting Wegman's to handle all the fixins, because everything was sooooo good. My uncle stopped a Cracker Barrel to get an Apple Pecan Streusel pie. I think I ate half of it. I fell asleep during the second half of the Cowboys game. It just felt good to eat meal at a table. I'm looking forward to doing the same at Christmas.

3. High School Football: Hats off to Hazleton Area... hell of an effort against Parkland... too bad someone had to go home afterwards. Salute to Marian, who played the best game of keepaway I've seen in a long time. They'll have to duplicate that effort against a strong Bloomsburg team.

4. Horse Racing/Gambling: The next state to get slot machines could be Maryland. The state legislature voted to let residents vote on whether or not to install slots... that vote will be in November 2008, the same as the Presidential election. Chances are that if the referrendum fails, horse racing in Maryland could be in serious trouble. Some are even wondering if Pimlico could still host the Preakness with slots. There just isn't enough money to fund a full schedule of racing in Maryland at all levels. If it hadn't been for slots, PA would have the same problems that Maryland and Ohio are having.

I could go on and on about the problems with racing in New York, the OTB's and their 20-cents-per-winning-ticket takeout, synthetic surfaces, the V75, owners retiring horses too early, and the high prices at tracks... but I'll save that for later.

Looks like February will be when Hollywood Casino at Penn National will open. There will be racing through December 21st, then a few weeks off until everything is readied at the new facility... should be an exciting winter in Grantville.

I'm heading to Charles Town this Saturday night... it's the one year anniversary of my big superfecta ticket. Maybe I'll get lucky again.

Buckle up,
TS

School Newspapers

20 years ago, I made my first foray into journalism. My father was the advisor of GAR High School's newspaper, the Blue & Gray. I did just about everything with the paper over the next six years... editing, pasting, gluing, taking pictures, folding, and distributing. I had a lot of fun, especially working with Dad every month in copying it and putting it together. In all three of my senior high years, we were a small operation... 5 or 6 writers helped me out when I was editor. Desktop publishing was in its infancy in those days... daisy wheel printers, Radio Shack/Tandy computers, and Deskmate (Tandy's version of Microsoft Works in the late 80s)... couldn't live without it back then.

I thought about all that as I'm browsing the internet and looking at all the high school newspapers online... Pottsville's Tidelines (http://www.pottsville.k12.pa.us/tidelines) always has very good content.

I haven't seen any other local school papers online yet... including on www.myschooljournalism.com. Let me know if your high school's paper is online, and I'll post the address.

The more kids who know how to effectively write, the better! As Charlie Brown said, "I before e, except after c." Wait, wasn't it Linus?

Buckle up,
TS

Nockamixon Township

Yes, there's a place in Bucks County called Nockamixon Township. It's somewhere on Route 412 between Bethlehem and Ottsville... not Pottsville, Ottsville.

It's where Palisades High School is, the only high school in District 11 in Bucks County. I have to give them two thumbs up on being very good hosts for the Wilson/Palisades playoff game on Saturday night.

It was an interesting experience to say the least. Parking wasn't a big problem if you get there early. The barbeque stand in front of the school was excellent. The field (frozen turf) was across the street from the school. In the north end zone stood a nice big pirate ship. These are the Palisades Pirates... and an Ottsville Fire Truck stood guard next to it.

The school declared a "blackout." All the Palisades fans wore black and waved white towels. The uniforms were black jerseys with yellow and purple numbers and black pants. Neat combination, but hard as heck to see from the press box.

Palisades ended up winning a wild game, 46-28. Both teams combined for about 800 yards in offense.

Buckle up,
TS

Health Update

Well, the ultrasound was "unremarkable"... so the source of my abdominal pain is still unknown. The next step is a pipida scan. Doing online research, I see they inject a radioisotope into me and follow it around for at least an hour. If I feel acute pain anywhere, that's where the problem is. That's next Friday afternoon.

Gas is over $3 a gallon here in PA. In NJ, it's $2.79 a gallon. If you know how sneak out of NJ back into PA without paying tolls, it may be worth it... but only if you're in the Lehigh Valley this weekend. The free bridge on Northampton Street in Easton is one of your best bets. If you try to get back into PA on 22, or I-78, you'll pay at least 75 cents. I'm not gonna uproot and move to NJ anytime soon. What you save in gas, you spend in car insurance.

I just finished producing the T-102/WPPA desktop calendars. I'm awaiting the proofs from the printers. More details to come and how to reserve yours.

Buckle Up,
TS

A warmer gelatin...

The next round of "Where's the source of my discomfort?" started last night. I had an ultrasound of my abdomen. I guess the biggest difference this time around was that the gelatinous substance used to glide the "camera" was warmer. I think it ended up being about 11 "deep breath and hold" statements from the nurse ( a very nice lady) at Good Sam. I won't have results until later in the week.

Until then, I have eaten my last pizza until I'm all better. This is a huge statement coming from me. I'm a pizza addict. Hard to believe, but I didn't start to enjoy pizza until I was 10. After that, nothing could stop me... until now. As long as I'm still allowed to eat (or don't feel pain from eating) spaghetti and/or chicken, I'm fine.

I've successfully given up chocolate and most soda... the caffeine just messes with me too much. Thank goodness for A-Treat Cream Soda, Crystal Club Red Cream, and Stewart's Orange Creme.

It's just a matter of time before the list of stuff I can't eat is longer than the list of stuff I can eat. Oh well... maybe it's for the better.

No Halloween candy for me tonight, thank you. I'll take a nice hot cup of decaf peppermint tea with honey.

"You are what you eat." Whoever said that must have been a tree.

Buckle up,
TS

Me and my body...

I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that physical therapy is going well. My back is better, and my hip doesn't mind long drives as much as it used to.

The bad news is that I'm having abdominal pains now. Dr. Kish wants me to get an ultrasound. I've had one on my liver before, and I don't mind it. Kudos to Good Sam for having flexible radiology hours.

I haven't been blogging lately because all of the political candidates have kept me busy with commercial sessions and orders.

If you're a high school football fan, tune into WPPA Sports Saturday on Saturday at 9AM. We'll have playoff matchups for you right off the bat at 9AM.

We've also had some calls concering our annual desktop calendars. Keep listening after Thanksgiving for more details. I'm in charge of putting them together this year, and I'm almost done with the first part.

I leave you with a funny quote. "Never trust a thin chef."

Buckle up,
TS

Busy as a... (insert line here)

Yes, it's that busy around here. Political candidates are getting their radio campaigns ready. Every car dealer around wants to advertise with us, and are getting their commercials ready. Football on Friday night could be rained out. Calendar production is in full swing. Just a normal day around here...

I have my second round of blood work tomorrow. Fasting begins at 7:00pm. Ugh. On top of that, I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning, then I'll probably get my allergy shots if time allows.

Physical therapy is going well. My hip feels great, and my back is getting better again.

...then it's usually little things that throw everything for a loop. A headlight burned out on my car. I got that fixed, which reminds me I need an oil change... actually, my car does, but I could use one, too. ;)

The Pepsi machine is being taken away from our garage... the Pepsi folks say we don't drink enough of it to merit keeping a machine here. This news has hit Dave Smith hard, considering he downs a Dew a day... see his blog to see what I mean.

I see the cable rates are going up for us Comcast subscribers... still no KYW, WFMZ, TVG or HRTV. I'll stick with my $50/month package.

Don't forget to sign the Maroons petition. Go to espn.com, click Page 2, go to David Fleming's section. I was #1045, it's up to 3300 as of 4pm today. Let's bring our title back here to Pottsville... then maybe the football Cardinals will start winning again. Quick message to Bill Bidwill... the title is not yours, and you have nothing to gain by keeping it. Besides, I don't hear the folks Chicago defending themselves in any effort to turn us away.

Ah, two more political candidates just came to record... gotta run. Buckle up.
TS

Back up to upstate NY... ta da!

Apologies for not blogging lately... kinda busy here at stress central.

I did manage to sneak away this weekend up to Rochester NY. These days, no road trip that I take is without a hitch. It's either weather (rain at the Shore), forgetfulness (I forgot my toothbrush again), or road problems.

Heading west on Route 17, the highway was closed because of a crash. Instead of staying there, potentially hitting traffic, and making my friends wait even more (and getting bombarded with text messages), I got off at the next exit and headed north. Normally, I have a map with me. This time, I trusted my cell phone and the maps I could get off of that. Problem is that it only works when there's reception. There is no cell reception of highway 21 in Steuben County or highway 16 in Yates County. Using my semi-keen sense of direction, I knew that as long as I was going north (away from the sun), I'd hit the NY State Thruway. Then the road curved east. No problem, as long as I head east, I'll run into route 14 somewhere around Watkins Glen. I was proven correct after passing Gate 2 at the Watkins Glen Speedway, where they run the NASCAR race every year.

I get into Watkins Glen, and nothing but motorcycles. Of course, it was 85 degrees and sunny, so everyone got out and rode. On the way up to Geneva, the heavens opened up, rain poured, and all the motorcyclists scurried for cover.

A word of caution, route 14 in downtown Geneva is under construction... mud, dirt, and rocks. But it's worth those bumps to see breathtaking views of Lake Seneca. I eventually got up to Rochester. It was homecoming weekend at RIT and all the hotels were booked in the immediate area. Luckily, I found one a week ago for $56!

I met up with my friends at the sublet apartments and took a quick tour... haha, more rain, and me without an umbrella or pancho.

We headed over to the field house for the concert that night... previous night was Rihanna. My friends said it was excellent. Tonight, Howie Mandel! The neat part about the show was that they had a sign-language interpreter and closed captioning on the big screen behind the performers.

The first 10 minutes of the show was a video of some old guy singing a song on (I think) the Lawrence Welk Show. The darn thing was looped over and over again. It was fun watching the audience reaction to all of it... lit up cell phones waving in the air, applause, and general laughter in watching the sign language interpreter get exhausted.

Opening act was John Mendoza, who has been on the Tonight Show and Comedy Central.... excellent 30-minute set. Then came Howie... His entire 65-minute set was quite unpredictable, and very funny!

My friends told me to expect that Howie would have fun with the interpreters and closed captioning. Boy, did he ever! From the way certain words were signed to spellings... he did it all. He has one of the quickest wits and minds of anyone, which is why he's been so successful all these years. Nothing was off limits, his wife and her shopping habits, his fondness for practical jokes, his claustrophobia and germophobia, a married couple in the front row, the psychiatrist in the front row, and the best one... a guy in the 2nd row talking to his daughter on a cell phone, getting caught by Howie, then Howie telling the daughter that the show was over and Dad was backstage looking for his pants.

He also showed some of the hidden camera stunts he's done for the Tonight Show, like the Supercuts bits and the loud cell phone talker. I had such a good time at the show, it was worth it. There were other memorable moments, but considering the show was for adults, I can't repeat everything. He did mention that Bobby's World is making a comeback.

I was supposed to have gone and seen the Seahawks/Steelers game yesterday... I'm glad I didn't. If anyone sees a missing defense in any airport between Seattle and Pittsburgh, it's probably my Seahawks' defense.

Physical therapy is going well... I was worried that my hip would bother me all weekend, and it didn't. Perhaps two more weeks, and I'll be good to go for the time being... of course, this happens as my back starts to bother me again.

Thank you to the fine folks at Pine Grove Homecoming for a great breakfast on Saturday morning. Also thanks to the Liberty Fire Company in Schuylkill Haven for hosting us on WPPA Sports Saturday on the previous Saturday.

Buckle up,
TS

"Let's Get Physical"

Happy Birthday, Olivia Newton-John... but that's not why her #1 song is my blog's heading today. Physical therapy has restarted.

After the usual paperwork and Q&A, Matt got to work on me... stretch here, stretch there... trying to figure out when/where my hip starts to bother me.

Then came the ultrasound... when I heard that, I thought I'd have to go over to the hospital. Then they wheel a little contraption in with all the gels, and there it was, a mini-ultrasounder (if there is such a phrase). It felt like getting a heat massage wth clear gelatin.

Finally, my exercise regiment. I think it's six different exercises three times per day.

I go again for more stretching tomorrow, then three times next week. So far, so good.

= = = = =

There's one word that's always tied to radio... immediacy. Any time there's a traffic tie-up or water boil advisory, we can usually get it on the air in a short amount of time.

Same thing with commercials... if someone wants to advertise now, odds are that we can get it on as soon as the spot (commercial) is approved. In most cases, we'll bill the client at the end of the month. As I type this, I'm awaiting approval of a spot that was just ordered an hour ago to go on air later today.

Being the Production Director, it's my responsibility to get everything up and running as quickly as possible. If I have any advice for potential and current advertisers, it's this... we can record a good commercial right away, but it takes a few days to create a great commercial. This is true if it requires more than one voice and sound effects.

(20 minutes later) The spot has been approved. Another miracle in a minute completed.

Remember, friends, miracles don't happen in a minute. Remind me I said this next time I'm stuck in traffic.

Buckle up,
TS

tee vee

I've always been somewhat of a local TV news junkie. Growing up in Wilkes-Barre, we had three choices... 16, 22, and 28. When we got cable in 1980, we also picked up 3 & 10 from Philly, and 5, 9, and 11 from NYC. At age 5, my folks let me have a little black and white TV in my room. I think that same TV is in Dad's bathroom. I would watch Keith Martin on channel 28 at 11, then Johnny Carson's monologue.

It's easy to remember people who you watch every night deliver you the news. Drop a name, and I can probably tell you which station they reported for. I grew up in the era of Nolan Johannes and Karen Harch on 16, Debbie Dunleavy and Derry Bird on 22, and Keith Martin, Dean Phillips, and Vic Vetters on 28. At the same time in Philly, you had Larry Kane on 10, Jim Gardner on 6, and Jerry Penacoli and Steve Bell (among others) on 3.

How about some TV did you know's...

Remember when Karen Harch married Alby Oxenreiter? They're working together in Pittsburgh at WPXI-TV.

WNEP's Scott Schaffer once anchored Super 2 News for Service Electric in Allentown.

If it seems like Tom Clark has been at WNEP forever, well, you're almost right. Remember who Tom replaced? If you guessed Paul Douglas, you got it. Paul is now at WCCO Minneapolis, and still looks younger than I do.

You're either old, have a good memory, or related to him if you remember that Sam Lesante co-hosted WNEP's local breaks of the MDA telethon.

Remember Barry Finn's rooftop weather? And the 4-degree guarantee?

The snowbird report.

"Vince said it would be like this."

Two words... Joe Zone. He's now in Hartford.

Last but not least... did you know where WBRE's Phil Schoener got his start? He started out right here at WPPA and T-102.

Finally, a good luck wish to longtime buddy Scott Stuccio. He's leaving WYOU to become play-by-play voice of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Good luck, Scott!

If you want some good local TV history, visit WNEP Interim News Director Carl Abraham's website... www.carlabraham.com. He's good a lot of old photos of WNEP & WYOU/WDAU.

Buckle up,
TS

"Hi, I'm here to see the vampire."

6:30 wake up call for blood work this morning... 12 hours without food or beverage, and holding up rather well.

I got to the place, same place where I had my MRI. When I sat in the waiting room, 30 seconds later I was up again. Wow, quick call in again.

A needle and two tubes later, I was done. I walked back to my car and thought, "What just happened?" lol. I was also lucky that I was a picture perfect day, with no clouds in the sky. Beautiful.

After Mom toasted two bagles and sent me onward, I headed back towards the same neighborhood. Got in and out of the allergist's office in record time. It's been a good morning.

Later, the test results come back.

My MRI shows that I have a 6 millimeter bone cyst on my right hip... and a degenerative condition in my pelvis. My blood work came back pretty well... my cholesterol is 160. My good cholesterol is a little low, and my SGPT is high. Time to give up red meat and excess soda for a while. Not giving up pizza or pasta for a while... yet.

I'm in decent health, but I have my aches and pains. Doctor calls me back Friday.

Buckle up,
TS

MRI, stands for Movement Really Inhibited

Part two of my hip pain diagnosis came today... an MRI. If you have never had an MRI, it's painless. The only catch is you can't move for about 40 minutes. Of course, this is when everything that can itch will, and any body part that can fall asleep will.

Where I went, they played relaxing music, plus the sounds of a waterfall and a frog ribbitting. The waterfall did not aid in my urge to use the rest room.

The x-rays didn't show anything abnormal... I'm starting to think tendonitis, because my right hip only bothers me when I sit and drive... the two things I do most.

If the MRI doesn't show anything, then I'll get physical therapy. I last got physical therapy for the osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease in my back. We'll see how this goes.


Plug time... don't miss the fantasytailgate.com radio show on WPPA Saturday mornings at 10:00. Good stuff! Listen live at wpparadio.com or on AM 1360.

Oh, and Kim Martucci asked me to give NEPA a big KISS. Well, my lips don't stretch 22 counties... but our tall weather friend from Washington DC sends her best.

Buckle up,
TS

It happened so fast...

I've been having a problem with my right hip recently... it only hurts when I sit and when I drive... the two things I do the most!

I make the one-hour trek up to Wilkes-Barre to see the doctor. The whole appointment took about 15 minutes. Weight's okay... I guessed 254 with clothes on. It was 253. Heart rate and blood pressure are good.

Next stop was the x-ray place. After I register, I sit and get my computer out. 10 seconds later, "Travis?" Wow, I got called in quickly. The nurse says I only have to take my trousers off and put the gown on.

Ha ha ha. Try putting a quarter into a dime slot. The gown was two sizes too small. I leave the changing room thinking I'll be with the three other guys in gowns waiting my turn. The nurse rejoins me and takes me right to the x-ray room. Another nurse smiles and says, "Hop on up, and lay down on the pillow." This is faster service than the McDonald's drive thru I got stuck at on Saturday (more on that at another time).

Three pictures later, and I'm back to the changing room. Not bad... I'm in and out in 10 minutes. Results come on Thursday. I have to go back next week for blood work. It's not the needles that bother me... it's the 12 hour fasting. Good thing that the place opens at 7AM.

Buckle Up,
TS

A Day at the Races...

No, not the Queen album, the actual experience.

I went to Philadelphia Park last Monday for the Pennsylvania Derby. It's amazing how much luck you can have in this sport, no matter if you've studied the past performances for the horses for a day, or just walk up to the betting line and make your wager without seeing much.

I looked at the odds board for the first race, and saw that the 5 & 12 were the two favorites. I bet the exacta 5-12 and 12-5. Wouldn't ya know it, they finished 5-12. I'm up $30 already...

Philadelphia Park opened their casino last year, with two floors of about 2000 slots. Plans are to build a separate casino and hotel a few years down the road. I was at Philly Park before the casino two years ago, and it was quite spacious... very good, considering Pennsylvania Derby Day is their biggest day of the year. This year, there's only room for race betting on the 5th floor and outside... the casino takes up the two floors that used to have race betting and simulcasting.

I spent $24 on a $1 trifecta in the 4th race, boxing four horses... meaning if any of those four horses came in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, I'd win. I won $39.

By the time the 10th race, the Pennsylvania Derby rolled around, I lost all of it. Oh well, it was still fun.

I got Calvin Borel's autograph, he's the jockey of Street Sense, the Kentucky Derby winner... he's the real deal. Neither of his horses won that day, but he pleased everyone by signing autographs and posing for pictures.

The winner was Timber Reserve, a horse that was injured earlier this year and didn't run any of the Triple Crown races.

Some critics were quick to point out that there were no really big name 3-year-olds in the race running for a million dollar purse. That'll change soon. With how well slots are doing statewide, it's only a matter of time before the PA Derby raises the purse to $2 million... with a whopping 60% going to the winning connections.

This day was a personal thrill for me... armed with my press pass, I was able to walk into the winners circle afterwards. Here I am next to Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News, Bruce Casella of Comcast Sportsnet, and Craig Donnelly of the Philadelphia Inquirer... all respected journalists and horse racing media. I've watched and read their work for the longest time... I just shut up and let them ask the questions. I knew I couldn't ask anything different. Track Announcer & PR Director Keith Jones also conducted an interview afterwards... it was nice to meet Keith after having him on my Triple Crown preview in May and listening to his race calls for 20+ years.

I know you're tempted to say I want to work at a racetrack someday... you're right. I wouldn't mind dabbling in TV coverage someday. I may not have the handicapping skills of a Jerardi or Hank Goldberg. Heck, I totally overlooked Timber Reserve in the PA Derby... and paid for it. If the opportunity presents itself, I'll look into it. In the meantime, I'll keep hanging out with the railbirds and cigar smokers near the walking rings looking for how good a horse looks in the paddock.

My Seahawks won. I'm happy.

I'll be filling in for Dave Smith 2-6 this week... please join me in the afternoon. Buckle up.

10 years...

Hard to believe it's been exactly 10 years since I was hired here at T-102.

I remember walking in here for the first time, semi-nervous. I had been on an interview the day before, too, so I knew a bit of what to expect.

Tony Tophoney was still here in 1997, and he ultimately hired me. One mistake I made was answering the question, "How long do you see yourself here?" I said at least a year, then perhaps move on to a larger area. Shoulda answered that one different, considering I moved to State College a little over a year later.

My first night on air was September 15th, and the first song I played was the Proclaimers' "500 Miles." My first night on my own was October 3rd.

I filled in for sports twice during the Breakfast Crew (Tony & RC), and based on those two times on sports duties, they moved me to sports in the morning and middays around Thanksgiving '97. Waking up at 4AM to do sports was super-tough. I did strictly middays that spring, then went back to nights in June.

You may not remember this, but I was in State College from Thanksgiving 1998 to July 1999... I did work a few Saturday shifts on T102 during that time.

I returned to T-102 on August 16, 1999, and have been here since. I've done a little bit of everything here on T-102 and WPPA... news, sportscasting, middays, afternoons, nights, weekends, fill-in on mornings, sports play by play, Touchdown Tips, Sports Saturday, and a few other things I can't recall right away.

My thanks to everyone along the way who has listened... to all the incarnations of Sparks After Dark, sports, news, commercials, whatever. I don't stay here as long as I have unless you listen and you support our stations. Thank you.

I remember my first fan... Kristin Parulis... and everyone who called in religiously to vote on the Top 9 at 9 during the NSYNC/Backstreet Boys years... especially the biggest BSB fan during those times, Allison Stock. She went as far as getting people from around the world to vote on our little countdown. Those were fun times. To tell you how long ago that was, Kristin graduated college two years ago and Allison graduates next year and is getting married. Good luck to both of you... I miss talking with everyone from those days every night.

I enjoy spending evenings with you now and however long I will be here. You kids, enjoy your young years, because you can't get them back once they're gone.

Buckle up, and thank you for listening to me for 10 years.
TS

Buckle Up,
TS

Back To School...

I used to hate the Back To School time of year. Summer was over, no more swimming, no more homework-less nights, no more waking up after 8AM.

I remember my first day of school... Thursday, September 4th, 1980... afternoon kindergarten at Dodson Elementary in Wilkes-Barre. I was lucky that my next-door neighbor, Matthew, would be in my class, too. Our moms made us big badges to wear with our names and addresses on them. I think I had a Sesame Street lunchbox.

We first had to go into Miss Thomas's huge room... just kids and teachers. Then we moved into Mrs. Price's room. Matthew got to sit across from me, so I was slightly comforted. I can't remember who sat with me and Matthew at my first table... I ended up switching seats with someone halfway through the year.

I remember crying the next couple days because I didn't want to go, but I had to. My favorite year of elementary school was 5th grade. I had Mrs. Bartlett, who graduated high school with my Dad. She was my "homeroom", math and science teacher. I had Mrs. Kane (now on Wilkes-Barre City Council) for reading and English, and Mrs. Reed for social studies. Matthew and I sat together in Mrs. Bartlett's that year, and I sat next to Megan Dougherty in Mrs. Kane's. Megan was cute... haven't seen her since '89 or so. Megan, where are you? ;)

Things got better as time went on. I enjoyed GAR. I really liked King's College... but I was happy when it was all done. I almost blacked out on stage when I got my diploma.

Here's hoping your school year goes well, especially for you teachers and administrators.

Buckle Up,
TS

TV people's blogs... and early wake-ups

I always enjoy reading the blogs of people who anchor the local newscasts... Andy Palumbo's at WNEP is insightful. I miss KYW's Larry Mendte blogging everyday, before CBS3 re-did their website.

I found a blog of a former WBRE meteorologist, Kim Martucci. She's now at WUSA9 in Washington DC. http://www.wusa9.com/news/columnist/blogs/kimmartucci.aspx
My co-workers will say, "Yeah, you mentioned it 'cuz she's cute..." That's true. I find it funny that she had to come all the way back up here to Dallas (my Mom's hometown) to get her hair done... and it's always interesting to hear the perils of someone who has to be 100% up before sunrise.

I could complain about the weather, and how it was rainy when I went to the Jersey Shore. But, I won't. I'll just call Scott Stuccio at WYOU and do that ;)... Scott's leaving WYOU to join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey broadcast team. Good luck, Scottso.

I can empathize with Kim, because I had to pull early wake-ups often. I used to do sports in the morning in late '97 and early '98. I was still living in Wilkes-Barre, and commuting 55 minutes to Pottsville. I had to get up at 4:00, be out the door by 4:30, sometimes get gas, and get to the station at 5:30. A few years later, when I was temporary news director, I got up at 4:50, to be in by 5:30. Pain in the dupa.

I've never been a morning glory. I admire those in our industry who get up before the birds and the sunrise. Once those bright TV lights shine at 4:57AM, they have to be ready to roll. I can assure you this. You never get used to it. I'm sure if given the opportunity, those folks sleep in a little bit on the weekends.

Talk with you tonight at 6:00 on T102 and t102radio.com. Dan, our web statman, tells me this blog gets the most amount of hits on our sites. Thank you all!

Buckle Up,
TS

Back from the Shore...

Here's the skinny on my trip down the Shoooooorrrrrrrrre.

My three friends and I left Sunday night, and made it through the rain... the view of Atlantic City during a shower is pretty neat, especially with everything lit up at night.

We stayed in Pleasantville, the other side of the bay from AC. The Quality Inn had rooms for 62.90 (72.36 counting tax) and enough room for 4... on 40/322 across from McD's, Pistol Pete's Steakhouse, Kmart, and Sam's Club.

Monday, we started in Ocean City. The Route 52 causeway will be replaced within the next few years. How that bridge is a 4-lane highway is beyond me. First stop was Uncle Bill's Pancake House (21st & Asbury). They served some of the best pancakes I've ever had. Get the #24, it's great!

The Ocean City Boardwalk is awesome... especially for someone like me who doesn't like the in-person marketers you find on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and the carnival barkers on the Wildwood Boardwalk. It may only have about 8 blocks worth of shops and games, but it's fantastic. The minigolf courses are really cool... anywhere from $3 to $6. Two or three candy shops, pizza, and some neat rides.

Dinner was at the Rusty Rudder Buffet on Atlantic Avenue in Wildwood. For $15.95, it was worth it. Next, we headed down to Cape May, as the rain fell harder. We climbed the light house at Cape May Point. Special thanks to the Lighthouse keeper, who let us up for half-price, considering the rain was getting worse. I stopped once or twice up the 199 steps, but the view from the top was worth it.

Despite dodging drips from the steel casings around the observations desk, the view was nice. As a reminder of home, I could see the lights in the distance of Lower Cape May Regional High School, where kids were practicing for football season. Then I look down, and wonder aloud which house I'd like to live in when I retire.

Next, we headed to Sunset Beach. We walked out toward the shoreline, and it poured! There I was without a slicker or an umbrella. After grabbing a handful of rocks, we headed back to the gift shop. We ended up with about 40 little Cape May Diamonds.

We passed the time the rest of the night with Scattergories and 20 Questions. I'm hooked on those games now.

Tuesday started at Uncle Bill's in Cape May... this one was busier than the one in OC. After a round of minigolf on Beach Avenue, we headed up to Wildwood. We parked up at the beginning on the shops in North Wildwood at 18th Street. A story in today's Press of Atlantic City says that a two-block area between 21st and 23rd will be redeveloped over the next few years.

We found an arcade near 25th Street with Fascination... 20 cents a game! At Knoebel's, it's 50 cents a game. Playing Fascination while using 5 different balls is a headache, especially if you've tried it. I won a few regular games, and a two-ball game... I think about 50 people played at once. We were there once when we got there, then went back for their specials. We roamed the upper end, and walked down the lower end later on. We got there about 2:00 and stayed til 10:00. The rebuilt Sam's Pizza at 26th Street was excellent. Curley's fries were great, too. The Polish Water Ice was good, but I've had better Italian ice. Our last minigolf game was the ship at Mariner's Landing... my all-time favorite course.

Overall, this was a great trip. There's a checklist of things I have to go back and do, but I'll have time to do it in the years to come. Would I go back in a heartbeat? You betcha. Best trip I've been on in a long time.

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up,
TS

The Bronx Is Burning...

Rarely, do I find myself intrigued at a TV series as much as I have to ESPN's The Bronx Is Burning. Yea, my one buddy got me slightly hooked on CSI and ER. But, "Burning" evokes some long-lost and sorely-missed memories.

My first memories are of watching the 1977 Yankees on TV, while vacationing with my parents and grandparents in Wildwood Crest... when I was 2 1/2.

I grew up more of a Mets and Yankees fan than a Phillies fan. I loved watching the Yankees on Channel 11 WPIX. By far, my favorite baseball broadcast team in the 80s was Bill White and Phil Rizzuto. Everytime I would stop by my grandparents' house in Wilkes-Barre, my grandfather would have baseball or the news on. He was hard of hearing, and had the front room TV cranked all the time. I've always wondered if Pop436, as I called him because he lived at 436 South Hancock Street, and my great grandmother, his mother-in-law, ever got into arguments about baseball. He loved the Yankees, she was a big Mets fan. They probably watch every game up in the great TV room in the sky... with the volume all the way up.

With Phil Rizzuto passing, it's the end of an era. I think Scooter retired after the Yankees' World Series winning season in 1996. I listened to some old clips of him on mlb.com. I felt like Iwas 10 years old again, watching the '85 Yankees... they finished one game behind Toronto for the division title that year.

I listened to those calls, and his storytelling reminded me a lot of one of my co-workers here... Herb Tamburelli... both very nice, vertically-efficient Italian boys. ;) Both good storytellers, too. Herbie's retiring from our stations next week. Good Luck, Herb.

...and thank you, Scooter. They have a canoli waiting for you up there.

Talk with you tonight at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

Coming At You... I Mean... Atchhhoooo!

I can't remember suffering through a worse allergy season. The last three days have been torture... yeah, I'm taking Zyrtec, Benadryl, and trying Astelin (if you can get past the bad taste it leaves on your tongue... even though it's a nasal spray!), but it's been rough.

For once, I can't wait to get my allergy shots tomorrow. The only other time I'm this eager to take up early is while I'm on vacation... which starts Monday! :)

Yeah, I'm taking a few days off to go to the Jersey Shore... I don't get there enough, cuz it costs too darn much to stay there a night! Luckily, I found a hotel offshore for half the price of the stuff on the shore... hopefully, it'll be a decent experience. I'd rather pay $60 less for the room, then pay $10 a day to park than pay $130 for a room on the beach, at least during the summer.

Once September is over, everything will close up on the Boardwalks and the cheap rates will be back in til the middle of May.

If I could afford it, I wouldn't mind living in some of the sleepy little burgs and towns in Cape May County... Cape May Point, Villas, even Erma. Too bad that housing, car insurance, and the general cost of living is triple that of this area. To top it off, there are only two bowling centers in the whole county... you know I'd have a hard time dealing with that.... although, Icould open my own Pro Shop down there! :)

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up, and keep the tissue box close by!
TS

Something to be said for service...

What a weekend... here it is with service updates.

1. Saturday morning at my favorite salon: excellent... any massage works for me
2. Saturday afternoon... office supply store, very good... discount store, very good... national drug store, good (better than before)... donut shop, very good
3a. Saturday night... the one national chain restaurant next door to Hersheypark, I ordered chicken parmigiano pasta but with grilled chicken. After 20 minutes, the manager explained they had made mine first with crispy instead of grilled. Nice of him to explain. I apologized to my fellow diners for being difficult. All in all, service was commendable. Lotsa crying babies, too.
3b. Saturday night... outlets... the one clothing store ended up making several matching suggestions. The shoe store was very good, too.
3c. Saturday night... minigolf... one of my fellow golfers wore a Dallas Cowboys shirt. The attendant, an Eagles fan, struck up a nice conversation. My only peeve was that they said they were closing at 10. The website said 11. At least they kept the lights on for us after not finishing right at 10.
4. Sunday morning... my parents and I went to one of their favorite restaurants. After 20 minutes, Mom was a bit restless. Turns out our order was ready to be delivered, but wasn't for a few minutes. The coffee wasn't strong, her french toast wasn't the best, and later said the service hasn't been the best lately. I guess we'll be hitting a different restaurant next week.
5. Sunday afternoon... national membership department store... it takes just as long to get checked out as it does to actually shop. When there's an item that doesn't scan, a supervisor has to come around and get the price. This supervisor who went price-hunting had no sense of urgency, nor any idea how many people were waiting in line... 10 lines were five-deep. At least I did what I could to re-pack the cart quickly. We were checked out in about 90 seconds.

I'm sure you have similar stories... one day good, next day questionable, next time yucko.

Best advice I can give is that if you don't like the service of a certain place, talk with your wallet.

Buckle up,
TS

The Ultimate Sugar Rush

I am experiencing it now... considering I have a long night ahead of me... after Sparks After Dark, of course :).

You might start shaking too after eating an entire box of Frankenberry, and a 2-liter bottle of A-Treat Cream Soda. Nothing beats it.

Good luck to my fellow Keystone State Games competitors this weekend in York.

Buckle Up, and thanks for reading.
TS

Back from the Falls

Hello... apologies for not updating this... I was on vacation for the last 12 or so days.

I'll tell you all about my trip throughout the show tonight.

Looking forward to being back with you at 6:00.

Buckle Up,
TS

Summertime...

Yes, I was in New Jersey this past weekend. No, I didn;t get to AC or the shore. I had a lot of friends tell me this about New Jersey... you can't turn left!

It's true... jughandles, traffic circles, it's Route 61, only more of it!

And what's up with posted hours? My friends and I went to a miniature golf course, and the sign said closing at 11PM. Yet, we walk in at 10, and they said they were closed, even with people out on the golf course. They will be getting a complaint letter.

Hot weather this week... looks and feels like summer.

I will be at Freedom Toyota in Hamburg live this Friday from Noon to 3PM. Hope to see you there.

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

A dear friend of mine...

Allow me to share some thoughts about a man who means a lot to me. He was the chairman of the Mass Communications Department at King's College. He now produces and hosts Windsor Park Stories on WBRE-TV Sundays at 11:30am. Dr. Tony Mussari guided me through one of the toughest school years of my life... my last one. Between Senior Seminar, my internship, and the death of my grandfather, he and his wife, Kitch, provided with a lot of help, challenges, and inspiration.

It's now 10 years since I received my diploma... and nearly blacked out when I got on stage, because I couldn't believe I finally reached the summit. When Doc read my name, the journey was complete, and my adult life officially started.

I got an e-mail from him tonight, as part of the big list of people he e-mails every week with show highlights. Tomorrow, he goes in for open-heart surgery. I couldn't help but try to reply quick enough that he would read it before going to bed. I did, and he responded in his usual simple, yet elegant manner.

Among his teachings was the Stephen Covey book, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." He gave us a video reminding us in the Class of 1997 of those seven habits.

Doc taught me the power of affirmation. It's amazing how much weight the phrase "Thank you" carries. I carry that with me every day.

I just had to watch that video again tonight. I miss the 39 people I spent so much time with. In the last few years, I've only seen two of them and gotten e-mails from one or two others.

"To live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy..." -Stephen Covey

Monopoly Money Picks

The horse that Herb couldn't think of was Lil E. Tee, the 1992 Kentucky Derby winner, who was born here in Schuylkill County.

Our monopoly money picks for the Belmont

Travis:
$38 show on Imawildandcrazyguy
$2 exacta box on Rags to Riches, Curlin, and Imawildandcrazyguy

Herb:
$2 exacta box on Hard Spun, Curlin, Tiago
$3 trifecta box on Curlin, Hard Spun, Tiago, Imawildandcrazyguy
$2 win CP West

Talk with you at 6:00, then see you on WVIA-TV all day tomorrow.
Wager responsibly. Buckle up.
TS

How does he do it?

...a line that Larry O'Rourke used all the time, in trying to figure out how I acquired so many football scores at once.

How do I do it tonight... ancient Chinese secret. You can hear me on T102 tonight as usual, and watch me on WVIA-TV tonight. Can't guarantee that I'll be selling any squirrel-proof bird feeders or salad shooters.

I would give you more thoughts, but my sinuses are messing with my synapses.

Talk with you tonight, in a number of ways.

Buckle up,
TS

RIP, CNR

We lost a true talent last weekend with the passing of Charles Nelson Reilly (76, pneumonia). We all remember him from Match Game. He was also the Bic Banana, and a gifted actor. I am eager to watch his one-man show that he toured the country with a few years ago, "The Life of Reilly." Hopefully it gets released soon. His classic verbal fisticuffs with Brett Somers on MG made great comedy.

....

We in the sports media, for the most part, are a tight-knit group. We rarely see each other outside of sporting events, but it's like we never miss a beat when we're all together for some sort of function. Our PA "fraternity" lost one of our own, the Times-Leader's Jerry Kellar. He covered Penn State football and the sports in the Wilkes-Barre area. I met him at a Big 33 news conference in 2000... very nice guy. All the tributes I'm reading prove that he was a generous guy.

....

Well, it turns out that SpareTime Lanes isn't closing for good. The developers are giving the bowling center a second life... they'll close for a few weeks, and should have things reopened by September. Plans include a restaurant and bar. How about nonsmoking in those plans, too?

....

Congratulations, Class of 2007. My cousin, Samantha, graduated from MMI in Freeland last night. She received numerous awards, and her hard work at school paid off. I was very impressed by the ceremony for the 21 graduates. My kudos to Dr. Shergalis (a former preofessor of mine at King's College) and everyone at MMI... a beautiful little school tucked away in Downtown Freeland.

Be careful this weekend. Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

Summer's here...

...you can tell by all the pollen flying through the air, and the gasoline prices flying through the roof. Between all the money being spent on gas and allergy medicines, nobody will have anything left for fun stuff.

I have a feeling that any companies dealing with getting people out of debt will see an upsurge in business, as long as the gas prices are over $2.999 a gallon.

Oh well, if you have the $$, get out and enjoy the weekend.

Check out www.acweekly.com for a list of places with Beach Tag prices. Most places are offering discounted rates before June 1.

Buckle up,
TS

I guess I'm good luck...

I went to the Hershey Bears game again this past Saturday night... 9,001 in attendance. Bears win 7-2. They won again on Sunday. They're up 2-0 on Manchester in the AHL Eastern Conference Finals. The Bears are 3-0 when I'm in attendance.

I love going to the games. I can't sitting in traffic afterwards waiting to get out. Add together 9,000 plus me at the game, Hersheypark traffic, graduation traffic, and whatever else was happening there, and it made for a 40-minute wait to get to Red Robin. The ride (I mean crawl) was made a little better by all the rowdy fans beeping horns and celebrating at the top of their lungs. I played solitaire on my friend's i-pod while joining in the crawl.

With Summer unofficially starting this weekend, I'll be giving you beach and shorecasts for The Jersey Shore and Ocean City, Maryland every night during the 7:00 hour, now through September.

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

Preakness Monopoly Money Wagers

$50 of monopoly money...

Travis's picks:
$2 to win, place, and show on #8 = $6
$2 to place and show on #3 & #7 = $8
$2 exacta box on #4, #6, #7, #8 = $24
10-cent superfecta #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 = $12

Herb's picks:
$3 to win, place, and show on #1, #3, #7, #8 = $36
$2 to win on #5 = $2
$2 exacta box with #4, #7, #8 = $12

Wager responsibly. Talk with you at 6:00.
Buckle up,
TS

Rain

I'm glad we had a shower roll through today. The pollen buildup on my car is causing my sinuses to go into overdrive.

I've put up with allergies just about all my life. About 5 years ago, all of a sudden, I became allergic to some of my favorite fruits and vegetables... lettuce, carrots, bananas, and celery. Haven't figured that one out. I have 4 months to go on my second round of allergy shots.... the first round lasted 11 years, then was gone a few years later.

I find it ironic that my shots and my car payments conclude right around the same time. Hopefully I won't have to restart both anytime soon.

Triple Crown Preview returns on WPPA Friday at 9:30am. My picks and Herb's picks, and a special guest will join us.

Curmudgeon

That's the word of the day... a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man.

I've always liked the not-too-overly-cranky commentators who leave you bobbing your head in agreement.

People like Woody Paige of the Denver Post, who is on ESPN's Around The Horn everyday. He's half-crazy, but he's usually always right, and is a great writer. www.denverpost.com

I'm also a fan of Mike Buchanan on WTOP radio in Washington DC. He's a former TV anchor and crime reporter, and has the kind of delivery that straddles blood-and-guts with crankiness and matter-of-factness. www.wtopradio.com and search "Buch Stops Here" for his podcasts... a good 45-seconds every day.


I also like Paul Harvey, the dean of radio newscasters. Just the right selection of stories, features, and anecdotes. www.paulharvey.com By no means is he is a curmudgeon, but knows his stuff.

Give them a read or a listen... after you listen to me, tonight. Buckle up.
TS

Results & Thoughts

Street Sense won... awesome ride by Calvin Borel. If Liquidity hadn't moved a few inches to the right when Street Sense was bearing down on him near the 1/4-pole, then Hard Spun may have gone the distance.

Herb's bets: lost $44.40
Travis's bets: lost $23

Lucky for me, there was no 10-cent Superfecta wagering at Churchill Downs, so I didn't lose anything on superfectas.... although I applaud who ever hit it for $29,000+.

I got my first look on Saturday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs... excellent job!

I also bowled in the Pennsylvania State Bowling Association Championships this past weekend... if it weren't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all. I think my friends and I all go to laugh at each other's misery. My high three-game series for the weekend was 588... which was the highest for all of us.

I did meet a few people from this area... especially Dan & Erica, formerly from Tremont. Dan beat me in a bracket by 2 pins on Sunday... oh well... that's why I get for bowling a 159 game, 60 pins under my average.

One of these days, I'll stop missing so many 10 pins.

One more thing... Paris Hilton, enjoy your time in the most popular hotel in the world... jail. Party's over, kid.

Buckle up,
TS

Triple Crown/Kentucky Derby

Herb's monopoly money wagers:

$3 to win, place, and show on #2, #14, #15, #16 = $36
$2 exacta box on #7, #14, #15 = $12
$1 trifecta on #14-#19-#16, #15-#19-#16 = $2

Travis's monopoly money wagers:

10-cent superfecta box on #6, #13, #14, #16, #18 = $12
$2 to win, place, and show on #8, #10, #20 = $18
$2 show on #2, #7, #15, #19 = $8

If you missed the show this morning on WPPA, Philadelphia Park track announcer/PR director Keith Jones was our guest, and was very informative. Great to have him join us.

He liked #7 Street Sense... so does our Larry O.

Wager smartly. Buckle up,
TS

Comcast of Pottsville

I haven't complained too loudly about our Comcast system since Game Show Network was added in 2002.

I feel it's time to bring up and old complaint.

There are two channels missing from our system that we could use...

1. WFMZ Allentown - Wire TeleView carries them, why can't we? They're making inroads into Schuylkill County to cover this area. You've probably seen the billboards touting that 69News can be seen locally on the East side of Route 61. Technically, WFMZ is a "Philadelphia" station, but we sure could use it on our system.

2. Another CBS station - If WYOU gets knocked off the air for any reason, like the tornado last fall, we have no CBS station. We have 2 ABC's (WNEP & WPVI), 2 NBC's (WBRE & WGAL), 2 Fox's (WOLF & WTXF), 2 CW's (WSWB & WLYH), and 2 MyNetwork TV's (WPHL & WWOR), but just one CBS. Why can't we get WHP out of Harrisburg or KYW Philadelphia?



Just my 2 cents.
Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

One huge garage sale...

I enjoy following what's happening with the gaming scene in Atlantic City. Haven't gambled there in about a year, but I'm still watching what's happening.

The legendary Sands Casino was bought last year, and closed in November, to make way for a bigger place in a few years.

Today's Atlantic City Press reports that a huge garage sale will be held starting Thursday, to sell off all sorts of merchandise... except slot machines. Those were transferred to other properties owned by Pinnacle.

Here's the link: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/top_story/story/7457174p-7352231c.html

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle Up,
TS

Breakfast

Where is your favorite place in Schuylkill County to eat breakfast? Email me your responses to tcsparks@pbcradio.com. I'm curious to know.

Have a relaxing weekend. Buckle up.
TS

USA Today's 25th anniversary...

USA Today celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year... I read it every now and then. Growing up in the 80s, the full-color weather maps caught my attention. I would always spend 50 cents when I had my allergy doctor appointments on Friday, just so I could read about everything going on... especially in Sports.

On their website, they have top 25 lists of things that have happened in the last 25 years. Here are some of my views on "25 Trends That Changed America." ...at least my cynical view. Go to usatoday.com for the full list.

Millions living longer -
I now end up waiting in the doctor's office longer...

Global warming -
This debate won't end until we all melt into the Pacific.

Are we safe? -
No.

Snuffing out smoking -
I'll comment on this as soon as I wash the smoke smell out of my clothes

Obesity crisis -
I've regained 10 pounds, thanks to potato chips and ordering out for lunch

Spreading out -
I'm 6'5", of course I need room to stretch my legs.

Supersizing
#4, supersize, with diet coke... how oxymoronic.

Luxury goes mainstream
I still don't like driving the hummer.

Electronic cash
...taking credit cards to the penny candy shops. LOL!

Living alone
Yes????

College stress grows
DON'T BOTHER ME!! ...sorry. Bad memories of 10 years ago.

Sexualization
I'm still a virgin.

States bet on gambling
Kaching!

Makeovers for the masses
I cut my own hair, does that count?

Buckle up.
TS

NBA = Nottoomanypeople Botheringtowatch Anyofthegames

I'm not alone in this statement... one columnist says there's one thing lacking from this year's NBA playoffs. Relevancy. A buzz. A sense of 'must-see TV.'

I was spoiled in the 80s and 90s with all the big-name superstars, and great level of play... not to mention the excitement surrounding the 1992 Dream Team... Jordan, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Malone, Ewing, Mullin, Drexler, Pippen, Robinson, Stockton, and Laettner.

Yes, the Bulls ruled the decade. Thanks to Jordan's retirement to minor league baseball, the Rockets got two titles. I rooted for the Portland Trailblazers... I liked Clyde Drexler, and those were good teams the Blazers had in the early 90s, who always ran into hot teams in the end. I was happy for Drexler when he got his title with the Rockets. The Blazers had another chance in 2000, but blew it in the 4th quarter of the Western Conference finals to the Lakers. After that, Portland became the JailBlazers, with some of their miscreants ending up in jail, and eventually out of the playoff picture for quite a while.

I also kept my eye on the Cleveland Cavaliers... I liked how scrappy they were in the early 90s, then followed them during the years that Bob Sura, when I knew from high school, played for them.

The lockout of 1999 soured me a bit, and it's been tough to follow the NBA since. I keep my eye on Denver, just to watch AI and Carmelo.

I have the same approach the NHL... liked it for a while, especially when my Avalanche were winning. But when Colorado traded Chris Drury, that bummed me out. I'm following Nashville and Buffalo to a degree now.

How long until football season?

Talk with you at 6:00... buckle up.
TS

...as promised...

...I would let you know when the Coliseum in Mechanicsburg opens up... today's the day. Sara Bozich of the Patriot-News reports that the Coliseum Family Fun Center is now open. They open at 11am each day. http://www.coliseumfun.com

From Pottsville, I-81 south to I-83 south to Route 581 west to the Mechanicsburg exit. Off the exit, bear right, then turn right onto 641 west. Go under the bridge, then turn left onto St. John's Church Road. Have fun.

I stopped in the new WalMart in Hometown yesterday. I guess the trend at Wallyworld is an warehousey-type feel to it. This WM looks like the one in Shippensburg... things went well for Day #1. Once everything else is finished, I'll give it another visit.

Talk with you at 6:00.
Buckle Up,
TS

Orange and Maroon...

...the Virginia Tech colors.

If you're going to the Penn State Blue/White game this Saturday, a group of students at PSU want you to wear Orange & Maroon... here's the link from the Centre Daily Times.

http://www.centredaily.com/116/story/71903.html

Buckle Up,
TS

Catching up on the past week...

First Phillies game in Philly... as I felt a cold coming on, my buddy Matt dragged me to a Phillies game. We got to the game a half hour after first pitch, thanks to traffic on the Blue Route and 95. When I saw it was college night, I knew I was in for a show... and not necessarily by the players on the field. 40-degree temps and a 40-mile an hour wind made sitting conditions rather adverse. It was worth the dollar dogs and BBQ pork from Bull's. Some drunk college kid ran onto the field in the 6th inning... what an idiot. Phillies didn't play much better, losing 9-6. Charlie Manuel won't last past June 1st at this pace.

Speaking of Weather... it all depended on where you were with this freaky storm. We only had two inches of snow here in Pottsville. Climb the grade up to Frackville, and you had 12-inches of snow and more. My friends in Alaska are still laughing at me.

Carrie Underwood... is it okay to admit that I have a crush on her? I'll admit that I was stupid for passing up a chance to see her in concert two years ago at the York Fair. I'm still kicking myself for that.

Virginia Tech... I was sitting here at the station when I saw the first report come in of the first set of casualties... then I was floored when I saw what happened later in the morning. I do know someone who goes to Virginia Tech, and was relieved to see that she was okay. If you know one of the victims of this senseless act of violence, my heart goes out to you.

I remember the day that Columbine broke out. My Dad was still teaching at GAR High School in Wilkes-Barre, and was worried for him. When I heard his calming voice, I was okay, but still shocked.

The level of security at schools has changed dramatically since I was in high school in the early 90s. Our doors were never totally locked. There was a level of assumption that nothing would happen, and that no one could ever ransack the place or bring in a firearm. Columbine changed that.

I went back to GAR to speak at career day about a year and half later. All the doors were locked. There was the ever-present buzzer outside the main office. Signatures, ID, badges, the works. I believe students had to wear ID badges. It just wasn't the same... amazing what one event can do. Dad retired at the end of the 00-01 school year. He wasn't around to see the immediate reaction of everyone to 9/11... that's another rough memory for another time.

Depending on how my voice sounds, I may talk with you tonight. The worst of this cold is hitting me. Buckle up, and take your vitamins.
TS

NFL Scheduling

The NFL releases the rest of their regular season schedule today... I plan on commenting on it during tonight's show. One of my friends is getting me Steelers/Seahawks tickets... I hope it's a Sunday night or Monday night game... the Seahawks are at Philadelphia this year, too, but I think Heinz Field would be better. Sorry, Eagles fans, just my opinion.

Kentucky Derby: Teuflesburg is my early pick if he runs, followed by Hard Spun, and Tiago. I'm not sold on Nobiz Like Shobiz yet.

Kentucky Oaks (the Derby for females): Panty Raid! How can you not bet on a horse with that name??? LOL

Talk with you at 6. Buckle up.
TS

Happy Easter

Hope you are having a relaxing holiday and spending it with family and friends.

Baseball season is here... the Phillies are 1-4, and my Orioles are 1-4. Yuck.

Make it three bowling centers in this half of PA that have burned to the ground in the last year... first it was Jay Lanes in Douglassville (electrical), then it was Lansbowl in Lansdale (suspected arson), and last Wednesday it was ABC East in Harrisburg. Of all things, it was caused by an improperly discarded cigarette. How much longer do we have to wait before there's no smoking indoors in any buildings at all??!?

One of my friends got me to do something I hadn't done in over 20 years... go to the movies. I saw Wild Hogs with John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. A little bit of each of their characters remind me of me, either past, present, or future. Go see it. 3 stars.

On this Easter Sunday, I find myself doing one of my favorite things while waiting for relatives to come for dinner... watching horse racing. The Kentucky Derby is less than a month away, and I don't really have a solid pick for the Derby yet. Eventually, I will have to.

A programming sneak peak... I'll be hosting a Triple Crown preview show on AM 1360 WPPA the Friday morning before each Triple Crown race at 9:30am. More on that later in the month...

Hockey playoffs start later this week... since the Flyers stunk this year, does anyone care about NHL hockey? You either have to be a diehard hockey fan or a casual AHL fan to know that. Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are in the playoffs. That's all that matters to me. I'm not even excited about the Avalanche as much as I used to be.

Website of the day: www.theahl.com

Buckle up. Talk with you Monday at 6pm.
TS

...o'er the land of the free hooters... and Route 222

You have to be a Hershey Bears fan to understand that line...

6-5, another Bears win on Saturday night... another round of free wings at Hooters!

I have mixed feelings about Route 222.

1. I'm glad to Road To Nowhere now leads somewhere. It's a heckuva lot easier getting from Lancaster to Reading these days.

2. 222 sucks from Kutztown to Laureldale. It'll probably be another 7 years or so before enough funding is gathered up for expansion or relocation of that dreadful part of 222. It's a two-lane road the whole way, with about 10 traffic lights. It's not uncommon for the line from one light to go all the way back to the next.

If it's prime driving time, I take 662 through Fleetwood, then pick up Route 12. Yeah, it's a little bit out of the way, but I hate standing still or creeping through traffic.

Bless you people who have to put up with that stretch of 222 every day.

Website of the day... www.pahighways.com

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up,
TS

...aaaand, they're off!

I've always been enamored with horse racing... anything with numbers has interested me. Service Electric in Wilkes-Barre started carrying the live races from Penn National sometime around 1984... I remember watching the races almost every night. Then, Service Electric started carrying Philadelphia Park races in 1987.

I was fascinated by the speed of the horse and all the odds... and at one point trying to figure out exact odds... but never realizing how much the government took out of all payouts.

Horse racing in PA was in the doldrums in the mid-to-late 90s... everybody was spending their money at tracks out of states, especially those that had slot machines, like Charles Town in West Virginia and Delaware Park.

Well, the track is a fun place to be at again... casinos have opened at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and Philadelphia Park. The new casino at Penn National opens next year. In fact, two new tracks are open, Harrah's Chester Downs and Presque Isle Downs in Erie.

I haven't been to any of the racinos (racetrack casinos) yet, but I'm willing to wait... the Pocono and Philly slot rooms are temporary, until new facilities are built for just the slot parlors. Will I still go to Atlantic City? Probably. Will I still go to Charles Town? Probably. Will I lose my shirt? Never... I never spend more than $100 at a time... at least while gas is as high as it is.

I'm heading up to Turning Stone in NY this summer, and will probably go to a few of the small tracks up there, like Batavia Downs, Tioga Downs, and Buffalo Raceway... I'd love to go to Saratoga sometime this year too... I'll keep you posted.

Talk with you at 6, buckle up.
TS

Basketball & Closings

Hello... apologies for not keeping up. I've been kinda sleepy since getting back from basketball championships in State College.

Great weekend. I did enjoy the time that the games were in Hershey... but the old barn and the Giant Centre aren't true basketball venues, they were built for hockey. The Jordan Center gave you a true basketball feel because you knew basketball was played there. I kept stats for TV, and had fans just about breathing down my necks the whole time.

The hospitality was excellent, and the guys I worked with were their usual crazy selves. I joked that I was the only guy from Schuylkill County there all weekend. Yes, I would have liked to see one of our area teams make it. Maybe next year.


Count me in among the saddened that Cardinal Brennan is finished at year's end. When CB had those excellent football seasons, I enjoyed driving up to Fountain Springs and the Kempsey complex to watch them play. Jerry Freiler, Mike Nieddu, and Fr. Maco always made me feel at home. The cheeseburgers and fries were excellent. I remember being there for a homecoming game. If I had known that the reigning queen had no escort, I would have dressed up more and been one. Oh well...

With CB's closure and Hafey's closure, there's no more regularly scheduled Saturday varsity football games within 30 miles or so. Looks like more trips to Pen Argyl, Wilson, Pius X, and Dallas.

This makes 5 or 6 closings in this area... Bishop Hafey, Bishop O'Reilly, and Bishop Hannan are all lost in the shuffle. CB kids will spread out to Nativity, Marian, Lourdes, or go to public schools. Hafey students will either go to Marian, the new Holy Redeemer (formerly Bishop Hoban in Wilkes-Barre), or to public schools. In Scranton, Hannan and Bishop O'Hara will combine to form Holy Cross High.

I under$tand why thi$ i$ being done. The writing ha$ been on the wall for quite $ome time. I've been wondering how long CB would last with its enrollment.

For some kids, last days of school are either joyous or sad. I think there will be a little more sadness come June in Fountain Springs, at Maple Manor, and the other schools.

Talk with you at 6, buckle up.
TS

Food. Yummy. Now, leave me alone.

Website of the day: http://health.msn.com/centers/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100149886

What an interesting article... never realized a large order of fries had a negative mental effect on our bodies.

Talk with you at 6, buckle up.

TS

Two thumbs up...

...to the Pottsville Streets Department. The roads were passable by Saturday morning at 6:30. Thank you to those ladies and gentlemen.

It was fun filling in on Saturday morning... granted it was a weather-filled show, but it was still fun.

Another kudo to Penndot for having the majot routes cleared by Saturday afternoon. I had to be in Lancaster County most of this weekend... and the only bad spots were where drifting was unavoidable.

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

Great, just great...

...more snow is coming. I thought it was gonna be 61 today. Now, 3 to 7 inches of snow is expected. Well, I guess Mother Nature is being nice to you college basketball bracketologists, by giving you an excuse to stay home tomorrow.

The way we played the tournament here is that 16 of us picked 4 teams out of a bag. How the heck do I end up getting both Texas A&M and Texas A&M Corpus Christi? Interesting. One of my 4 teams will probably be the first to be eliminated... Davidson. They play Maryland in the first game at 12:20. In all the brackets I filled out, I have Maryland winning that game.

Website of the day: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2007-03-13-tournament_N.htm with matchups, times, and announcer teams. Excellent broadcast teams.

Buckle up. Talk with you tonight.
TS

Stop and chew the food...

...don't I mean stop and smell the roses? Kinda.

We've all been in a rush sometimes to hurry up, eat, and get to work or whatever's next on the mile-long to-do list. Yet, even when we're in no hurry, we end up chewing so fast because that's what we're used to.

Well, our bodies have different ways of telling us, "Whoa, Betsy!" I had one of those moments... I swallowed a nice chunk of chicken sandwich, then it kinda go stuck in my esophagus. I wasn't choking, because it was below my windpipe. But for about 2 1/2 agonizing minutes, it didn't wanna go anywhere. Burping didn't do anything... finally made my way to the rest room to place myself as horizontal as possible.

I'm guilty of letting my eyes become bigger than my stomach... maybe this explains why I've gained a little weight lately. I remember my Mom always commenting on me not cutting up my food well enough. I'm still guilty today.

Raise your hand if you eat in the car, regardless of where you are. I have the grease marks on my seat to prove my guilt. The worst was spilling a large vanilla shake in my first car. I'm curious to see what previous meals I will discover the next time I vacuum my car.

Basketball tonight at 7:00, talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up, and don't trust the five-second rule in your car.

TS

I understand...

...that this blog is being used for educational purposes. Hi, Mr. Elias.

I bowled my 4th 299 last week... solid 10 pin. All I wanted was the 11th strike... whatever I got on the 12th shot was gravy, as long as I didn't throw in the gutter.

March Madness is in full swing on the high school level... good luck to our three local girls teams still alive.

I just finished filling out my college brackets on ESPN. They let you fill out five different brackets. Just in case, I have five different winners. My craziest pick... Texas A&M Corpus Christi wins in the first round. I'll work on the women's brackets tomorrow. Are there bracket contests for the NIT & WNIT?

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

Sleep

What a great conversation starter...

You never hear anyone say, "I get too much sleep." It's always not enough.

I have friends who can sleep for 12 hours with no problem... I'm lucky if I get 8 hours in a row, and that's even after my surgery to fix my deviated septum and remove half my uvula.

It's strange how I feel sleepy, take a nap, then stay up twice as long that night.

...and then the stuff I dream about... yikes.

Last night, I had a dream about the finish of a horse race, and that a cat was the winning jockey of the race, where all the horses were falling in the stretch run. Weird.

When this happens, I usually check out www.dreammoods.com for some answers, which are usually correct.

Hopefully, you aren't having problems with the snow, especially with no possibility of ice buildup. Talk with tonight at 6. Buckle up.
TS

Free Hooters!

I knew that would get your attention...

I picked the right time to go to my first Hershey Bears game. My friends and I waited for our one other friend... by the time we made it to our parking spot and into the arena, the first period was halfway over. No problem, no score.

Hershey played Binghamton in front of me and 9,530 of my closest friends, which explains the usual traffic problems trying to get in and out. Binghamton scored the first goal... almost utter silence in the building.

It took me a while to get used to where I was sitting, considering every other time I was at the Giant Centre, it was for basketball. Section 126 is to the right of the press box, the north end of the stands.

Hershey scored two goals in the first period, and the crowd got into it fast. Down in the corner near where I sat, a scuffle ensued. You know how fans bang on the glass when there's a fight nearby... well, a fan held a little girl up so she could pound on the glass. Our whole side of the arena laughed.

During each intermission, junior hockey teams took to the ice. It was fun watching the little lads score goals. Two more goals in the second period made it 4-1.

The only disappointment was that none of the souvenir stands had any clothing in size 2XL... oh well.

Hershey dominated the game. The only thing my buddy Dave and I wanted was Hershey to score two more goals... the Bears have a deal where if they score at least six goals in a game, fans get free wings at the local Hooters.

Score! 5-1... then the fun began... fight at center ice. Just about everyone involved. Then the Binghamton goalie skates across the rink to pick a fight with the Hershey goalie. I could see the reaction of the Hershey goalie as if he were to say, "What the hell is this guy thinking?" They battled to a draw, and the Binghamton goalie got ejected with a game misconduct.

New goalie. Fresh meat. GOAL! Free Hooters! Wings, that is.

Yet another goal made it 7-1. What a great game. Traffic wasn't as bad on the way as I thought it would be. Overall, we all had a great time.

Website of the day: www.hersheybears.com

Talk with you at 6:00. Buckle up.
TS

A legend semi-retires...

Usually when you grow up, there's someone who catches your eye or ear, and you want to be like them when you grow up.

Way back in 1984, I remember being up late at night at my grandparents and watching "The George Michael Sports Machine" at about 12:30 on a Sunday night... considering they didn't have cable, there was no ESPN to see any sports highlights. I stayed up and watched it. Then I was with my family in Maryland in 1989, and was listening to the radio, and I heard this George Michael guy again, not the Wham! singer, the sportscaster. I was hooked again... then I saw him on Channel 4 in DC later that night. I loved the way he presented highlights, and made you laugh every once in a while.

Channel 28 brought back the Sports Machine on Sunday nights around '91. I would tape Sports Machine and watch SportsCenter.... you couldn't miss both. Then, 28 dropped Sports Machine, and I later found that KYW showed it at around 3am the next day. When Channel 10 flipped to NBC in '95, they picked up GMSM at midnight... and Channel 8 carries it at 11:35.

Little did I realize that prior to becoming the host of the Sports Machine, George Michael was one of the most-loved DJ's in Philadelphia. His resume is one I would dream of... as he put it, "I was the only white fella promoting records for Motown." He worked in St. Louis, and Denver. He came to WFIL Philadelphia in 1966, and was King of nighttime radio in Philly for the next 8 years. He also worked at legendary WABC New York from 1974-79. He also worked Islanders hockey games and did weekend sports for WABC-TV. He got out of radio in '79, and hooked up with Channel 4 in DC in 1980.

Tomorrow night, George retires from day-to-day duties. Those who learned from him say he was one of the hardest workers ever, and most devoted to his work and co-workers. It showed on all his broadcasts. His last sportscast as a full-timer is tomorrow night. The last George Michael Sports Machine is expected to be taped within the next few weeks.

If you're into the glory days of pop music radio like I am, go to www.famous56.com, or www.musicradio77.com to hear George Michael in action. Despite how hard I could work at it, I'll never be half as good as he was/is.

Good Luck, George. Thanks for being a great person to look up to.

Short show tonight with basketball. Talk with you later. Buckle up.

TS

I'm too excited to sleeeeeep...

...classic line from a kid in a Disney commercial.

I'm going to try to do more new stuff this year, whether is be work-related or fun. I went to my first college basketball game this past Saturday, the Lehigh women against Holy Cross. This Saturday, I'm going to my first AHL hockey game at Hershey. My one friend keeps telling me that I'm going to a Phillies game with him later this year. Plus, one of my closest friends promised me Seahawks/Steelers tickets this fall.

If all goes as planned, the only things I will have yet to attend are college football, NBA, and NHL. Honestly, NBA doesn't appeal to me the same way it did about 15 years ago. I still haven't recovered from the NHL strike of a few years ago.

Short show tonight due to basketball... buckle up.

TS

My attention span...

...is short enough that I never am able to watch a full-length movie unless I don';t have anything else going on (which is rare). This perhaps explains why I have been to see a movie in a theatre since Karate Kid II at the old Gateway Cinema in Edwardsville in 1986.

I goes through phases once in a while where I'll watch a movie if it looks good... last one I watched at home was Slapshot II. I saw the last hour of Miss Congeniality this past Saturday. Sandra Bullock kicked butt.

I guess I'm saving up seeing all these movies I'm missing for when I get older... and catch up when I'm home retired and babysitting.

My record for movies in a weekend is five... I did some part-time broadcasting for the old Hershey Wildcats soccer team in 2000. I went on a bus trip to Rochester with the team... we watched Booty Call, Outside Providence, a great hockey movie Mystery Alaska, and two other films... nothing like being in a bus driving down Route 15 on a late Sunday night watching a movie with 20 guys who just lost a close soccer game.

Website of the Day: Longtime Washington DC movie critic Arch Campbell now has his own blog at archcampbell.com, where he gives a short critique and rating of each film.

Buckle Up,
TS

Couldn't pass this up...

A second website of the day:
http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=7307&TrackingID=523934&BannerID=566942&menuid=6&GT1=9066

Good article for single folks.

Buckle up,
TS

Interesting sign message... and punishment

Buy two earrings, get one free.

I can just imagine what a youngster would think when they saw that... yes., that appeared on a sign here at a Pottsville shopping place. The sign actually means buy two pair, get one pair free... but I thought it was funny.


I was at the doctor's today for my monthly allergy shots. I sat next to a mom and her daughter... I'm kinda disappointed with how this certain young lady acted and reacted... no pleases or thank yous, just gimme gimme gimme. Then when mom didn't understand what she said, her jovial response was 'you're so stupid.' Now I may have thought that, but I never said it out loud, let alone in a public place. It's amazing what kids get away with these days. I admit, I've been grounded, I've been told no TV, I've been punished for lying and other offenses growing up... as late as 20 years old.

I'm not a parent, but plan to be before I turn 50. I'm kinda upset with a general lack of parental discipline these days. I can't count how many times I see someone misbehaving and not being punished for things where if I was caught, I would have been grounded for a year with no TV, no radio, and no phone... backtalking, badmouthing, temper tantrums, lying, etc. They say kids aren't what they used to be, neither are parents. I wonder how in-tuned parents are with their kids... do they check homework assignments, e-mails, cell phone bills, other bills etc.? Just a thought.

Website of the day: www.schuylkill-league.org

Talk with you at 6:00, if you aren't grounded from the radio.

Buckle Up,
TS

The Neverending Football League

That's what NFL stands for now.

Norv Turner is back with the Chargers... he was offensive coordinator with them earlier in the decade. He was the only coach available with experience as a head coach. Former Bears Defensive Coordinator is now the Chargers' linebackers coach. Interesting.

So which head coaching gig will open up next?

AFC East: Who knows how long Bill Belichick will stay at it? When he does, his explanation will be short... as was his post-game interview after the loss in the AFC Championship.

AFC North: Cleveland's Romeo Crennel was on the hot seat at the end of last year... give him another year and a good draft. Let the QB's develop.

AFC South: Tennessee's Jeff Fisher was supposedly the next Cowboys' coach. I think he'll end up a Giant within three years.

AFC West: This division will be stable for the next two years.

NFC East: Hopefully, legal trouble won't keep Andy Reid away much longer. NY's Tom Coughlin has a short leash this season... could be done by '08.

NFC North: No changes here for quite a while...

NFC South: I just hope Jon Gruden stays with Tampa Bay for a while. No other changes.

NFC West: As an ardent Seahawks fan, I really like Mike Holmgren. He'll be around for at least three more years. Everyone else has only been around for less than two years.

Good luck to all the teams playing basketball tonight. Buckle up.

TS

This blog...

...has been on a 2-hour delay, then 2-day, then 4-day delay, pretty much like everything in this county.

Rant #1: Why aren't 61 and 183 clean yet? I drove 183 yesterday and there's still about two inches of slush in the passing lane. On the Berks County side of both 61 & 183, everything was dry in the main lanes. My guess is lack of equipment.

Rant #2: The interstates... HAHAHA! Channel 8 had a great story on Friday on how the turnpike's snow removal methods and different than Penndot's. The turnpike scrapes down to the pavement/concrete, while Penndot leaves snow on the ground for traction. Yes, this was an unusual event with both sleet and snow, but I think we had enough advance notice that this was gonna be a big one. Unfortunately, it looks like all interstates will be closed when we get the next threat of sleet and snow.

Rant #3: What's the big deal about the King of Prussia Mall? I used to think it was. It's beautiful, reminds me of the mall in Boca Raton. Finding something affordable? That's another story. Grand total spent, $4.51 on a smoothie. Enough said. I got more value at The Works on one game of air hockey... down 6-0, get back to 6-5, before losing 7-5.

Rant #4: The Daytona 500. My drivers (#48 and #99) both wrecked. Why wasn't the caution thrown before Clint Bowyer went upside down? Wasn't the scenario in the split seconds prior to that dangerous enough to warrant a caution? I thought Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s comments were funny that DEI didn't have good cars this week... then an hour later Harvick's in the winner's circle. Correct me if I'm wrong, the race was supposed to start at 3:00. It started a half-hour late. I didn't get a chance to see Kelly Clarkson perform because I was watching bowling. But the best comment came from one of the guys I was watching the race with... it would have been better if instead of singing at the Daytona 500, Kelly would have sung for everyone stuck on 183 last week.

Rant #5: Deal Or No Deal. I liked "Tickle Me Tony" from Chicago last night. But why do you take the bad offer when you still have three big money amounts up there? It turns out he had one of the three big amounts in his case. Butkus shoulda knocked some sense into the guy.

Rant #6: Will someone please build a Sonic around here? It's worth the drive to Ephrata for a breakfast bistro sandwich and a apple juice slushy.

Okay, I think I've calmed down.

For those of you who celebrate it, a blessed Ash Monday. Lent starts for me today. I'm giving up McDonald's for lent.

Short show tonight... Schuylkill League Championships will finally be played tonight.

Website of the day: www.paturnpike.com

Buckle up,
TS

Snowtime

Do I need to say anymore? LOL

The parking lot at home never got plowed, so I got stuck for a little bit both leaving and coming back. This is a whopper of a storm, with wind chills about -20 tonight.

Schuylkill League basketball is rescheduled... girls games are Thursday, boys games are Friday, and finals are Saturday.

Talk with you tonight at 6:00. Stay off the roads. Buckle up.
TS

Let it snow...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

The only question now is whether the weather will let me blog from the station or from the comfort of my apartment... depends on how well Market Street in Pottsville and my neighborhood are plowed. Odds are you won't have to drive anywhere tomorrow. Snuggle up by the radio.

Buckle up.
TS

Cupid is sending us snow on Wednesday. I usually just blame one of my friends in Alaska for sending us all this sub-zero weather and snow.

Starting Wednesday morning, it's our Valentine's Day Top 30 Countdown. Hopefully, you've been sending us your suggestions here at t102radio.com.

I don't necessarily have rankings for my favorites... here are some of my favorite love-related songs:
Frank Sinatra "Fly Me To The Moon"
Ambrosia "You're The Biggest Part Of Me"
Cheap Trick "The Flame"
Celine "Because You Loved Me"
Aerosmith "Don't Want To Miss A Thing"
Billy Joel "Just The Way You Are"

...and my all-time favorites...
Rascal Flatts "God Blessed The Broken Road"
Maroon 5 "She Will Be Loved"
Jesse McCartney "Beautiful Soul"
Luther Vandross - just about anything by him

Website of the day: www.happenmag.com

Stock up on everything for french toast tonight... take me with you after 6:00. Buckle up.
TS