Don't mess with band girls

As someone who has been in a marching band since 7th grade, I found this story quite funny, as did an area music teacher.

A 17-year-old girl in Quartz Hill, Calif., beat back two would-be muggers with the help of a marching band baton.

According to the Associated Press, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Michael Rust says the Quartz Hill girl was walking to school April 24 when two men approached her from behind, tried to grab her coat and demanded money.

Instead, one got a punch in the nose and the other a kick to the groin. Rust says the girl then beat both of them with her band baton before she ran away.

The men had not been caught. But Rust says there's a clear message to take from the encounter: "The moral to this story is don't mess with the marching band girls, or you just might get what you deserve. Final score: marching band 2, thugs 0."

To read more, go here.

Alumni band concert on Saturday

By Mercury Staff

BOYERTOWN — The Boyertown Alumni Marching Unit will present its 33rd annual spring concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at Boyertown Junior High West, 2nd and Madison streets.

Selections will include “Emperata Overture,” “Jupiter,” “Tapestry of Nations/Chaos,” “Hollywood Milestones,” “Selections from Mamma Mia!,” “Freelance March,” and “The Great Locomotive Chase.” There will also be a tribute to jazz legend Chuck Mangione.

Tickets are available at the door.

To see what the unit is doing for the rest of 2009, click on the link above.

Vote for favorite "Simpsons" stamp

It's time to vote for your favorite Simpson.

The post office wants folks to vote early and often for their favorite among the five new stamps honoring the nation's funniest dysfunctional family.

The Simpson stamps will be issued May 7, portraying Homer, his wife, Marge, their son Bart, daughter Lisa and baby Maggie.

The characters, created by cartoonist Matt Groening, have become pop culture icons in 20 years on Fox television.

The 44-cent stamps went on display at 8 a.m. Thursday at www.usps.com/simpsons and votes can be cast at that site until May 14.
The price of a first-class stamp goes up 2-cents to 44 cents in May.

Is golf dying?

Last year, I played 11 holes of golf one night after work. That was it in 2008, 11 lousy holes. But it wasn't much less than in 2007, when I played 2 full rounds.

I love the game and have made several golf trips to Myrtle Beach, S.C., in the past, but finding time to play and the expense of a round of golf is the problem.

But it's not just with me, according to an article in Advertising Age magazine.

According to Golf Datatech and the National Golf Foundation, the number of rounds played in 2008 dropped 1.8% from the number played in 2007. At America's unofficial golf capital in Myrtle Beach, S.C. -- where there are 74 courses, including 10 of Golf Digest's Top 100 Public Courses -- rounds played in 2008 were down 8.5% compared with 2007.

It wasn't just that fewer rounds are being played. According to the article, by nearly all accounts, sales of golf clubs, balls, apparel and other accessories fell in 2008 compared with 2007.

If I can get out for at least one full round this year, I will consider it progress.

Play ball!!!

After a shorter-than-usual offseason, the World Champion Phillies -- I never get tired of saying that -- open the 2009 season tonight against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

Last year, I picked the Phillies to finish third behind the Mets and Braves and finish with only 86 wins. I guess I was wrong.

This season, I expect this team to exude the confidence of a World Champion. Remember that last year, Jimmy Rollins had a subpar offensive year, Chase Utley was hurt for the last half of the season and Ryan Howard didn't get into an offensive groove until September.

Closer Brad Lidge won't go another whole season without blowing a save, but I wouldn't expect Brett Myers to get sent to the minors for 5 weeks, either. The Phillies pitching staff is a strength, and there's some depth in the farm system, too. The only thing that would keep this team out of the playoffs is Cole Hamels' bad elbow.

So here we go: I see 93 wins, and another dogfight with the Mets, with the Phils prevailing again for the NL East flag.

What happens in the postseason? Who knows? Who would have thought the Phillies would go 11-3 last year?

Here is what FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal sees the MLB season. I was pleasantly surprised.