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
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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
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
Thursday, November 8, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
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
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
Monday, October 8, 2007
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
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
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