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