September 23, 2009 - Posted by Jim - 0 Comments
A 17-year-old unidentified student was arrested after bringing a BB gun to school in Christiana, Delaware. The student brought the BB gun and some live ammunition to his school, Christiana High School, on Wednesday. Another student noticed the suspect with what appeared to be a gun and some ammo in his hand down near his waist and then notified his teacher. The teacher then notified school officials, who confronted the suspect.
It was found that the suspect had in his possession five .45 caliber rounds and a BB gun that looked like a .357 or .40 caliber weapon. The suspect was charged with possession of a weapon in a safe school zone and carrying a concealed dangerous instrument. Thankfully no one was injured during the incident because of the quick thinking and actions of another student who notified a teacher.
This was an incident that could have become a tragedy if no one acted quickly. There have been numerous gun incidents at schools all across the country over the past couple of decades, with the most notable one being the attacks by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. The two students killed 15 students and teachers, including themselves and injured 24 others in the massacre.
Many tragedies have been averted in schools across the country by quick thinking students and teachers. Even though the most recent gun incident included a BB gun there still could have been people injured if they were shot at close range. The student has yet to be identified to the media.
August 23, 2009 - Posted by Jim - 0 Comments
The newest addition to the Philadelphia Eagles, a franchise known for shying away from bad character players, has caused quite a stir not only in the tri-state area surrounding Philadelphia but also across the country. Groups such as the Pennsylvania SPCA, PETA, and other organizations have protested the signing of Michael Vick by the Eagles. Vick finished his 24-month prison sentence for running a dog fighting ring and treating dogs using inhumane practices.
Vick claims that he is a reformed man and that he learned his lesson while serving his prison term and his home confinement term. Vick wants a second chance from not only the organization, which he has received, but also the fans of the Eagles and the entire National Football League. Vick signed a one-year deal for $1.6 million with a team option for a second year worth $5.2 million. None of the money is guaranteed, so if Vick doesn’t work out for the Birds they will not take a financial hit whatsoever.
When Vick was introduced in Philadelphia, at the NovaCare Complex, he was flanked by Eagles head coach Andy Reid and former Colts coach Tony Dungy. Dungy has become Vick’s personal consultant since being released from prison. Dungy, along with Reid, felt that Vick deserved a second chance after serving time in prison for his heinous crimes.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, an avid dog owner and lover, said that he needed to do a lot of soul searching prior to signing Vick. Lurie claims that the decision was the most difficult to make of his career as the owner of the team and hopes that it works out for both interested parties.
August 3, 2009 - Posted by Jim - 0 Comments
There have been plenty of funny movies over the years, especially from recent years, but can one new movie go down as the funniest movie ever? Many people think “The Hangover,” a recently released film, might be one of the funniest movies in the history of comedy. Some of the most recent comedy movies have included “Wedding Crashers,” “Anchorman,” “Just Friends,” “40 Year Old Virgin,” “Tommy Boy” and “Dumb and Dumber.” Now you can add “The Hangover” to the list.
But how funny is this new comedy? Without giving away any catch phrases, punch lines, or part of the plot in this post we will discuss exactly how funny this movie is and how it stacks up against its recent competition.
Let’s begin with how funny the movie is. Honestly, I haven’t laughed that much at a film since “Wedding Crashers” hit the theaters. You know its a funny movie when you are laughing so hard that you miss the next joke. This means that you have to see the movie a second time to catch everything. If this is true then the writers did their job to the best of their ability. I had to see the movie twice and it was even funnier the second time around.
How does it stack up against the rest? Well, a couple friends of mine who absolutely loved “40 Year Old Virgin” and “Wedding Crashers,” claim that “The Hangover” is in a league of its own. They think that this movie is funnier then the rest. I won’t lie, I don’t disagree with them either.
June 17, 2009 - Posted by Jim - 0 Comments
Each of the four major sports host their amateur drafts during the spring and summer months. The NFL draft is in April, the MLB draft is in early June, the NHL draft is in late June and the NBA draft is in late June as well. The only sport that is still active when their draft takes place is Major League Baseball. All other sports have finished their previous seasons by the time their draft rolls around.
Amateur sports drafts are surrounded by a lot of pomp and circumstance these days because all four of them are either aired on television, on the Internet, or both. Major League Baseball was never aired on television prior to the 2008 draft. Then, this year’s draft was moved to prime time on the MLB Network, which debuted on January 1, 2009.
The commissioner of each league will walk up to a podium with the league emblem on it and read the name of an amateur player being selected by a professional team. Of the four major sports only baseball does not allow the trading of draft picks between two teams in the league. Football, basketball, and hockey teams trade draft picks all the time for other picks or players during and after the regular season.
Being the first pick in the draft for any of the four major sports does not mean that you will become a star on the field, the court, or the ice. More often then not the number one pick does become a star but every now and then the number one pick never pans out as an athlete.
June 17, 2009 - Posted by Jim - 0 Comments
Interleague play is in full swing in the world of baseball and some of the best matchups in the game came and went this past weekend. The New York Mets got their first taste of the New Yankee Stadium while the past two World Series winners met in the City of Brotherly Love. The Boston Red Sox visited Citizens Bank Park to take on the 2008 champion Philadelphia Phillies this past weekend, taking two of three from the Phillies.
The Mets and Yankees played three at the new stadium in the Bronx, with the Yankees taking two of three from the struggling Mets. The first game of the series was going to go to the Mets until the bottom of the ninth. Francisco Rodriguez was in to close out the game with runners on first and second and the Mets up 8-7. Alex Rodriguez swung at a 3-2 pitch and popped it up to second baseman Luis Castillo. He dropped the ball, allowing two runs to score, and giving the Yankees a 9-8 win.
The second game went to the Mets and the third game went to the Yankees by a score of 15-0. Johan Santana went three innings, allowing nine earned runs while taking the loss. The Mets are now visiting the Baltimore Orioles while the Yankees are playing the Washington Nationals.
The Phillies are hosting the Toronto Blue Jays this week and then the Orioles while the Red Sox are hosting the Florida Marlins right now at Fenway Park. Interleague play has been in effect in the Majors since 1998 and hasn’t been a popular topic with fans, players, and team officials.
June 7, 2009 - Posted by Jim - 0 Comments
Summertime means the arrival of a lot of things from days on the beach to nights on the boardwalk to days at the ballpark and to nights alongside the grill. That’s right, summer is the unofficial season for barbeques. Barbeques can be the best time with family and friends that you will never forget. Light up the charcoal and wait and see what happens next. Some of the best conversations happen around the grill. Bonding occurs between father and son at the grill while bonding occurs between mother and daughter whenwaiting for their hamburgers and hot dogs to cook.
How many summer birthdays did you celebrate with a barbeque? How many of your family members celebrated graduation with a barbeque? How many Memorial Days and Labor Days did your family throw a barbeque or attend one? It is unavoidable. Summer is the unofficial season for barbeques. Barbeques are just as much a National Past-time as baseball is in the United States. Grab a beer and put on some music and enjoy the evening outside with friends, family members, and neighbors.
Barbeques also feature kids splashing in kiddie pools, friends tossing around the football or a baseball, a friendly game of horseshoes, a friendly game of wiffle ball, a friendly game of washers and so much more. Many barbeques last well into the nighttime, sometimes even past the hour of midnight, because people just don’t want to leave a fun party. So, if you have the opportunity to throw or attend a barbeque this summer don’t hesitate to do so. You might just have a good time.
June 7, 2009 - Posted by Jim - 0 Comments
The Jersey Shore is a popular destination for people all over the East Coast to visit once the summer months roll around and the kids are done school for the year. The state of New Jersey doesn’t have many great spots to boast for tourists except for the Jersey Shore. Cities like Wildwood, Cape May, Long Beach Island, Ocean City, Sea Isle, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights and many other towns bring in millions of dollars each summer from tourists.
The Jersey Shore has miles and miles of beautiful beaches for tourits to work on their suntan or grab a swim in the ocean while their family makes sandcastles or feeds the seagulls. The Jersey Shore features casinos, plenty of bars and restaurants, Lucy the Elephant, a couple of award winning boardwalks, rides, the Cape May Zoo, outlets, Ferry rides and much more.
When visiting the Jersey Shore make sure you eat all of the Jersey Shore summer favorites such as fudge, pizza, ice cream, curly fries, funnel cake, salt water taffies and much more. Don’t go out in the sun without applying the sun screen, even if it is a cloudy day, because the sun’s rays are quite harmful. Enjoy the Jersey Shore this summer and take in all it has to offer.
Many people from New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland have plenty of childhood memories from growing up at the Jersey Shore, one of the most magical vacation spots on the entire Eastern Seaboard. If you can’t get to the Jersey Shore for a week this summer at least to spend a day there; you won’t regret it one bit.
April 26, 2009 - Posted by admin - 0 Comments
We all know about the recent capture and release of the American captain taken by Somalians a few weeks earlier. Americans have typically been avoided by these gorilla warfare tactics. However, their desperation and tactics have hit new levels. Navy Seals ended up taking the boat over with simultaneous head shots to the stranded pirates. The pirates haven’t slowed though as they continue to haunt the seas off the coast of their war stricken nation.
An article released today stated that a German cruise ship was a recent target of theirs. Apparently, the pirates tried to board the ship 500 miles off their coast via a small watercraft. Their efforts were deterred by on board Israeli Security Forces that laced the intruders with high pressure water hoses and gunfire. We need to come up with a solution to stop these criminals before more attacks happen.
April 20, 2009 - Posted by admin - 0 Comments
I started my softball league today and it was hot. We do a Sunday Jamboree where all teams play. I played basketball over the Winter, but I am still not in the shape I should be. Last year we won the championship and everyone is hunting for our heads. We got killed by the other team as we usually do for the first two games.
We have about 15 players from age 25 to 55. Most of our teammates actually show up for the party in the parking lot afterwards, not the actual game. I played a lot of sports as a child, but I stopped playing baseball after middle school because it was boring. It is safe to say that softball is a lot different than baseball, but it’s still hard to remember strategy and on field calls.
April 12, 2009 - Posted by admin - 0 Comments
Obama’s 100th day has come and gone. I can’t but help and think back about other Presidents that have had such a bad deal put upon them and come through. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had one of the most profound first 100 days in office in America history. His predecessor, Herbert Hoover, claimed that the free market would rectify the Great Depression and that the poor were lazy.
16 Million people were out of work and over 1.5 million were living in shanty towns. In FDR’s first 10 days of office, he declared national holidays, cut the deficit by $500 million, and delivered multiple fireside chats that would prove to be decisive in correcting Hoover’s failures. The stock market soared 15% and people began to withdraw their cash from their mattresses.
The administration passed multiple revolutionary laws like child labor reform that changed the well being of our citizens. I hope that the recent recession upswing is evidence that Obama can lead us from doom.