Unbe-LEE-vable



In a stunning development, free-agent pitcher
Cliff Lee is returning to the Phillies.

Before heading off to bed Monday night, I went on the computer to see what was going on in the world. Much to my surprise, several sports outlets were reporting that the Phillies had become contenders for prized free agent left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee -- whom the Phillies had traded last December in the blockbuster deal to acquire Roy Halladay.

I shrugged it off, thinking they were just being used by Lee and his agent to drive up the price -- which was pretty high. Lee was already offered a 7-year, $154 million contract from the Yankees, and another significant deal from the Texas Rangers, whom Lee pitched to the World Series in October.

But what's the first thing I see Tuesday morning: that sources were reporting that Lee was returning to the Phillies.

I was stunned.

All indications are that Lee enjoyed his 4 months with the Phillies in 2009. And because of that the Phillies got Lee for a bargain: 5 years, $120 million.

So when the Phillies take the field in 2011, they will have quite the

 poker hand: Four aces. With Halladay, Lee, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, the Phillies have the best starting rotation in baseball. Any of them could be the top guy with any other team; the Phils have all of them.

What it will mean next October, who knows? But if all four pitchers stay healthy, it should be a fun season.

Oh, and if this bitter cold pre-winter weather has you down, spring training starts in just 2 months, on Feb. 13.

The cost of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

For the 27th year, PNC Wealth Management has estimated the cost of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." And if you wanted to buy the 364 items repeated in the song, that price tag would be close to $100,000.

The total is $96,824, an increase of 10.8 percent over last year, according to the annual Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management.

The 27th annual holiday index has historically mirrored the national Consumer Price Index, but not this year. The PNC Christmas Price Index grew 9.2 percent from last year, compared with just a 1.1 percent increase in the much broader Consumer Price Index.

Read more here.

Man says vending machine told him to attack

Here's an odd story out of western Pennsylvania.

According to the Associated Press, a man was arrested on assault charges Tuesday and told police that a vending machine "made him" attack his mother, breaking her wrist.

David Huffman, 33, was jailed after he was unable to post bond.

New Sewickley Township Police Chief Ron Leindecker told the Beaver County Times that Huffman's father said his son was "flipping out" and attacked Ethel Huffman. Police say Huffman claimed "that the Pepsi machine at Costco made him hurt his mother" and he repeatedly apologized for his actions after his arrest.

Spectrum memories

AP Photo
Security workers take a photo of the Spectrum prior to
the building being demolished on Tuesday.

Today, I say farewell to another part of my youth.

More than six years after watching the implosion of Veterans Stadium, a wrecking ball will be sent through The Spectrum as the building once known as "America's Showplace" gets demolished to make room for an entertainment and retail area in the South Philadelphia sports complex.

I don't have as many great memories from The Spectrum as I did from The Vet, but I saw dozens of events there, mostly basketball games. For a stretch covering 16 years, two of the greatest players in NBA history -- first Julius Erving, then Charles Barkley -- called The Spectrum home.

I didn't see a concert at the venue, but I do remember in college taking a trip to The Spectrum to watch a World Wrestling Federation card that featured WWF champion Bob Backlund fighting to retain his belt against Big John Studd.

And on those rare occasions our seats were in the third-level, the smell of marijuana wafting through the air.

There are a handful of moments that standout, but only a few games that are etched in my memory. So here are my top 3 Spectrum memories, in ascending order:

No. 3: Feb. 17, 1979. This was the first -- and only -- Flyers game I saw at The Spectrum. The Flyers were playing the hated New York Rangers when the blade of an errant stick jammed through the eye opening on the mask of Flyers' Hall of Fame goalie Bernie Parent. Parent's eye was permanently damaged and he had to retire.

No. 2: May 16, 1980. Unfortunately, another negative for the home team. It was Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Sixers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had sprained his ankle in Game 5 and didn't make the trip to Philadephia. So Lakers rookie point guard Magic Johnson volunteered to play center and had one of the best games of his career 42 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the Lakers' series-clinching 123-107 victory. It was a tough blow for a soon-to-be 17-year-old kid.

No. 1: March 28, 1992: This one I just watched as a college basketball fan. It was the NCAA East Regional championship between Duke and Kentucky. The seats were great. Fourth row on the floor to the left of one of the baskets. The only thing better than the seats was the game itself. It went into overtime, and with Kentucky leading 103-102 with 2.1 seconds left, Duke's Christian Laettner took a length-of-the-court pass from Grant Hill, dribbled once, turned and fired a shot that hit nothing but net in the basket just feet away from our seats to give Duke an improbable 104-103 victory. Laettner was perfect for the game, shooting 10-for-10 from both the field (including a 3-pointer) and the free-throw line for 31 points. For many experts, it it considered the greatest college basketball game of all time. Duke went on to win the title.

So farewell, Spectrum. And thanks for the memories.

A little extreme, don't ya think?

I'm not a fan of "Dancing With the Stars." On those rare times I do tune in, it's usually to watch a so-called star (I think the show should be called "Dancing with the D-List and Has-been Stars") I don't care for fall on their rear end -- like Kate Gosselin this season.

STEVEN COWAN

But I do know who is on the show, and a lot of people question why Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol, is on the show. Like I said, the show should be renamed because why is she a star?

From what I"ve read, Palin is an awful dancer, yet continues to move on as call-in voters continue to get rid of other contestants. After Tuesday's show, Palin advanced to the final 3 with a chance to win the title next week.

Well, one man in Wisconsin was so upset by this that he took out a shotgun and shot his TV. According to investigators, this led to an all-night standoff with a SWAT team.

According to the Associated Press, Steven Cowan, 67, was arrested Tuesday morning after officers coaxed him out of his house in Vermont, a farming community near Madison. Cowan, who is accused of threatening his wife with the gun after destroying the television, appeared in a Madison courtroom Wednesday on a charge of second-degree reckless endangerment. His bail was set at $1,500.

Cowan's wife, Janice Cowan, told investigators that her husband suffers from bipolar disorder and had threatened her life in the past.

Read the full story here.

One more year for "The Simpsons"

As anyone who reads this blog (and the two of you know who you are) knows, I am a fan of "The Simpsons," though because of commitments, I'm not as religious a viewer as I was through the series' first 20 seasons.

But I was still glad to hear Friday that Fox has picked up another season of the longest-running comedy in television history. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie will be back for a 23rd season in 2011-2012, which when finished will have 515 episodes in the books.

"Like many 22-year-olds, 'The Simpsons' is extremely happy remaining at home, on Fox, and hopes it doesn't have to go out into the real world for many years to come," executive producer Al Jean told Reuters.

The animated series has won 27 Emmys, and patriarch Homer Simpson's catchphrase "D'oh!" has even earned a spot in the Oxford English Dictionary.

 I don't think the show is as good or as funny as it was over the first 15 or so seasons, but it's still worth watching.

Eddie Munster in rehab

Butch Patrick, who as a child star played Eddie Munster in the 1960s television sitcom "The Munsters," checked into a drug and alcohol treatment facility in New Jersey, it was reported Thursday.

According to the Associated Press, Patrick's agent, Jodi Ritzen, says Patrick is in rehab "to deal with a lifetime problem of substance abuse." Ritzen wouldn't disclose the name of the facility where he's being treated.

Patrick, at right holding a book he recently wrote, moved to the Philadelphia area earlier this year after being contacted by a West Chester woman who was a fan of "The Munsters" back in the 1960s. She announced last week that they had split.

Phillies prediction

It's hard to look at things objectively when you expect the Phillies to win.

If one team can equal the Phillies' starting pitching trio of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, it's the San Francisco Giants, the Phils' opponent in the NLCS that begins tonight, who can pitch two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain.

I think the Giants have a better bullpen, the Phils a better offense and defense.

And I think the Phils are a better team.

Despite the Giants' pitching, I expect the Phillies' offense to come to life and hit better than .212 as they did against the Reds in the NLDS.

Look for Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and yes, Jimmy Rollins, to carry the Phillies to their third straight World Series. It's going to be a tough one, but I see the Phillies winning in 6 games.

Phillies prediction

An hour before first pitch, it's time to make my prediction on the National League Division Series between the Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds.

I expect the Phillies to be in the World Series, so why am I so worried about this match up?

The Phillies' three starters of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels are better than who the Reds are pitching. What concerns me is the Phillies' offense, which has had several stretches of ineptitude during the season. Now would not be a good time for another one, and Placido Polanco is out of the lineup for game one because of a sore back.



When the Phils hosted the Reds in a 4-game series in July, the Phils swept the series. But the first three games the Phils won in the final at bat. In fact in the third game, Reds' pitcher Travis Wood had a PERFECT GAME against the Phillies heading into the 9th inning in a game the Phils won, 1-0. The Phils won the final game, also 1-0, with Hamels on the mound.

The Phils need to jump on the Reds started and get a lead. The Reds bullpen is pretty good, and with lefty reliever Aroldis Chapman and his 100-plus mph fastball coming in to face Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the late innings, it would be nice if the Phils were ahead when he came into the game.

But I expect the Phils' starting pitching and post-season experience to come out ahead in this series. Phillies in 4.

Happy 50th anniversary, Fred and Wilma

On Sept. 30, 1960, "The Flintstones" -- a modern stone-age family -- debuted on ABC. It became the longest-running animated series when it finished on April 1, 1966, a record which stood until being shattered by "The Simpsons."

So tonight, Fred and Wilma Flintstone, along with their neighbors, Betty and Barney Rubble, are celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Yabba, dabba, doo!

Wow, what a run!



Phillies celebrate Wednesday's victory
over the Atlanta Braves./AP Photo

Two months ago, the Phillies were floundering.

Just two games over .500 at 48-46 on July 21, the two-time National League champions were in third place in the National League East,  7 games behind the Atlanta Braves.

I'll admit, I thought this was going to be a lost season: Too many injuries, too many players having below-average seasons.

Since that day, the Phillies have the best record in baseball at 44-15 and have turned the 7-game deficit into a 6-game lead -- thanks to the recent 3-game sweep of the Braves -- with just 9 games left in the season.

At 92-61, they also have a 6-game advantage for best record in the National League and are just behind the New York Yankees for the best record in baseball.

If the Phils finish with the best record in the NL, they will get an extra day off during the NL Division Series, which means Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt can pitch on regular rest. And thanks to the NL's All-Star Game victory, they'd have home-field advantage in the World Series, should they get there.

Another Red October will soon be upon us. Let's hope it ends with a November parade!

We're getting fatter

And the U.S. is leading the way.

At least that's what the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developmet said in its first-ever obesity forecast released Thursday that states that citizens of the world's richest countries are getting heavier.

According to the study, three out of four Amercans will be overweight or obese by 2020, which will then lead to skyrocketing health-care spending and disease rates. I'm trying to reverse that trend, eating a little healthier and exercising regularly. I'm still not where I'd like to be, but I have lost 20 pounds in the past 12 months.


The Paris-based organization, which brings together 33 of the world's leading economies, is better known for forecasting deficit and employment levels than for measuring waistlines. But the economic cost of excess weight -- in health care, and in lives cut short and resources wasted --- is a growing concern for many governments.

In the Associated Press story, Franco Sassi, the OECD senior health economist who authored the report, blamed the usual suspects for the increase.

"Food is much cheaper than in the past, in particular food that is not particularly healthy, and people are changing their lifestyles, they have less time to prepare meals and are eating out more in restaurants," said Sassi, a former London School of Economics lecturer who worked on the report for three years.

Mmmmm, donut. Mmmmm, burger

State fairs have been known for inventing interesting food ideas. Most of them recently have involved deep frying a favorite dessert: Twinkies, Oreos, or candy bars.

But a vendor at the Wisconsin State Fair may have gone over the top: a Krispy Kreme cheeseburger!

That's right, a cheeseburger between two halves of a Krispy Kreme glazed donut. The calorie count: 1,000. And for an additional cost, chocolate covered bacon is added to the burger.

This burger didn't originate at this year's Wisconsin fair, but that's how it is gaining its notoriety. As a fan of Krispy Kreme donuts I'd love to try one, though it definitely goes against the healthier-eating kick I'm currently on.

The Allentown Fair is in two weeks. Maybe it will show up there.

Philles Phans Phlock to Phlorida

I just returned from a visit to Walt Disney World and August must be a popular time for Phillies fans to visit Central Florida.

Everywhere I turned throughout the four theme parks, I noticed an abundance of people donning a Phillies shirt or hat. In Epcot, I walked passed a man in a Phillies shirt who asked me how I was doing, just based on a Phillies batting practice jersey I had on. Moments later, another guy in a Phillies shirt fist-bumped me. Our paths then crossed again in the Rose and Crown Pub in the United Kingdom in the World Showcase.

Based on observations, the Phils were far-and-away the most popular team for Walt Disney World visitors when I visited. The Yankees were a distant second, followed by the Red Sox.

Gus Portokalos was right

Don't know how many are fans of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but the one thing that I"m reminded of about that movie is how dad Gus Portokalos, played by Reading native Michael Constantine, walked around with a bottle of Windex and squirted it on everything to make it work.

Well, thanks to the hot, humid weather, we've been having some trouble with a 20-year-old French door that leads to our deck. For about a week, the dead bolt lock was stuck and we couldn't use the door to get on the deck. We tried WD-40 and that didn't work.

So the other morning, just for the heck of it, I grabbed a bottle of Windex from the cabinet under the kitchen sink, walked to the back door and squirted a few streams of Windex into the lock. I waited about a minute or two and ... Voila ... THE BACK DOOR OPENED!!!!

I don't know how much of it was because the heat and humidity was a little lower Monday morning or because the Windex actually worked, but....thanks for the tip, Gus!

5 best summertime songs of all time

This isn't my list, but found it interesting any way. It's the top 5 summertime songs of all time.

Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" is No. 5 and "California Girls" is No. 1. I'm not too sure about the others. I would have found a way to put "Beach Baby" by First Class on the list and probably Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville."

Things are getting worse for Phillies

The Phillies are only 3 1/2 games out of first place, but as the season goes on, you just have a feeling this team isn't going to the postseason.

The latest reason came Tuesday afternoon, when the Phillies placed both second baseman Chase Utley, at right, and third baseman Placido Polanco on the disabled list. Utley injured his thumb sliding into second base Monday night against Cincinnati, while Polanco has been out of the lineup since Friday with an injured elbow that has plagued him all season.

With catcher Carlos Ruiz also on the DL, 3 of the team's regular 8 players are out of the lineup.

Since the start of the season, the Phillies regular lineup has been on the field together for 5 games -- all in the first week of the season. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins spent 5 weeks on the disabled list earlier this season. In addition to Ruiz, Utley and Polanco, pitchers Ryan Madson, J.A. Happ, Antonio Bastardo and Chad Durbin are also on the DL.

Kobayashi won't compete in hot dog-eating contest

The biggest event of July Fourth weekend could be without one of its most prominent players.

It looks like a contact dispute with Major League Eating will keep Takeru Kobayashi, at right, out of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest on Sunday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Kobayashi, a six-time winner of the event, is currently No. 3 in the world in the MLE rankings.

Ranked No. 2 in the world is Bob Shoudt of Royersford.

Read more here.

Sixers trade Dalembert

After years of attempting to get rid of overpaid, underperforming center Samuel Dalembert, the Philadelphia 76ers have finally found a taker.

According to The Associated Press, the Sixers have traded Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings for center Spencer Hawes and forward Andres Nocioni.

Dalembert, shown at right, has been with the Sixers since 2001, when he was a first-round draft choice out of Seton Hall. He averaged just over 8 points and 8 rebounds a game for his career.

Calif. man arrested trying to kill bin Laden

A Calfornia man was arrested in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday and told officials he was there to kill Osama bin Laden and fight the Taliban.

Gary Brooks Faulkner was carying a pistol, a sword and a scimitar when he was picked up attmpting to cross into Afghanistan. According to reports, Falukner had visited the region 7 times before his arrest.

He had expressed his intention to fight the Taliban and bin Laden, reports stated.

For more, click here.

2009 ugliest dog dies

The dog who won Animal Planet's "World's Ugliest Dog" contest in 2009 has died near Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Miss Ellie, a small, bug-eyed Chinese Crested Hairless Dog, was 17 and had starred in shows at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge, according to The Mountain Press.

Last Nov. 12 was "Miss Ellie Day" in Pigeon Forge to help her owner raise money for the local human society. Over the years, the dog helped raise more than $100,000 for the county human society.

For more, click here.

Guaranteed win

The Phillies are struggling right now, but if you tune in to WPHT 1210-AM or 610 WIP tonight at 7 p.m., you are guaranteed to hear a Phillies' victory. That's because both stations are re-broadcasting Roy Halladay's perfect game from Saturday night.

3 runs in 5 games

Are you kidding me?

The Phillies just got shut out in three straight games by the hated New York Mets. Counting the final two games of the previous series against the Boston Red Sox, including one game in which they only got one hit, the Phillies have scored in only 1 of the last 45 innings!!!!

That has to be some kind of record. And it's not like this is a bad hitting time like the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Seattle Marines. These are the two-time defending National League champions, for crying out loud!!!

Making this worse is that the Phils are in the midst of a 9-game road trip in which they now travel to Florida and Atlanta.

It better change soon.

'Field of Dreams' up for sale

The owners of the site in Iowa where the baseball movie "Field of Dreams" was filmed more than 20 years ago are putting the property up for sale. The asking price is $5.4 million.

The farm has been in the family of Don Lansing for more than 100 years. He and his wife Becky are ready to retire and want to sell the property. Up for sale is the baseball diamond, a two-bedroom house, six outbuildings, including a concession stand, and a 193-acre parcel that included the cornfield from where "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and others emerged to play baseball (shown above).

The "Field of Dreams" is in the middle of a cornfield near Dyersville, Iowa. The movie, starring Kevin Costner, was released in 1989.

Phillies great Robin Roberts dies

Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts died Thursday morning at his home in Temple Terrace, Fla.

Roberts, inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976, won 286 games in his career and holds several Phillies pitching records.

The Phillies held several tributes to Roberts before Thursday afternoon's game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. At right, a Phillies wreath is adorned next to a statue of Roberts at the first-base entrance to the stadium.

For more, click here.

Another stupid fan

As if Monday night's incident involving a fan on the field wasn't enough, a copy cat struck during the night inning of Tuesday night's Phillies game.

The idiot was identified by police as Thomas Betz of Warminster, Bucks County, who apparently is an aspiring DJ. But unlike the Boyertown teenager who was Tased by a Philadelphia police office on Monday night, Betz gave up quietly and was led off the field by security guards.

Another difference? Betz is 34 years old, unlike the teenge in Monday's encounter.

Betz jumped onto the field in the top of the ninth inning with the Phillies leading, 1-0, and Cole Hamels on the mound trying to complete the shutout. Only Hamels knows for sure if he was distracted, but the next two hitters had doubles to tie the game and send Hamels to the locker room.

According to the Associated Press, the crowd booed Betz as he was led away and some people chanted "Tase him."

Based on the above photo, he should have been Tased for wearing those pants!

Boyertown teen Tasered at Phillies game

In case you missed it, a Boyertown Area High School senior was Tasered at Monday night's Phillies game. Here is a story I wrote for the paper culled from video interviews with his mother, with home he lives in Gilbertsville, and his father, who lives in Upper Pottsgrove.

Bad loss for Phillies

There are losses, then there are bad losses like the one the Phillies suffered Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Leading 3-0 with 2 outs and a man on in the bottom of the ninth inning, closer Ryan Madson gave up a two-run home run to Troy Glaus, then a game-tying blast by rookie phenom Justin Heyward to send the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Braves' Nate McClouth blasted his first homer of the season off Jose Contreras to win the game.

This was about as bad a loss as it can get. It spoiled a great pitching performance by Kyle Kendrick, who blanked the Braves on 4 hits through 8 innings. It was also the Phillies' fourth loss in five games.

It's why they call it March Madness

The NCAA men's basketball tournament started this afternoon, and it was March Madness once again.

In the first three games of the tournament, one game was decided by 1 point, a second game went to overtime, and the third game went to double overtime. Villanova, the No. 2 seed in the South Region, escaped with a three-point overtime win over 15th-seed Robert Morris.

And there are still 61 games left to be played!

Tragedy on Hilton Head Island

A tragedy happened on the beach on Hilton Head Island, S.C., Monday night when a jogger was struck and killed by a single-engine airplane that was making an emergency landing.

Gary Jones, a 38-year-old salesman for GlaxoSmithKline on a business trip, had ear buds in as he was listening to his iPod while jogging and couldn't hear or see the plane as it tried to land after losing its propeller. Oil was smeared over the windshield of the aircraft, making visibility difficult for the pilot, authorities said.

The plane was "basically gliding," said the coroner.

To read more, click here.

One week to go

As we dig out from under another 20 inches of snow brought on by Wednesday's blizzard, here's a happy thought: The first workout for Phillies pitchers and catchers is next Thursday in Clearwater, Fla.

Just 7 days away!!!

Indy bus drivers may get Super Bowl Monday delay

Those of you who have to get up for work early on the day after the Super Bowl know how difficult that is and would love to go into work a few hours late.

Well, they might just be doing that in the Indianapolis School District on Monday.

With the hometown Colts playing -- and favored -- in the Super Bowl, the school district has scheduled a two-hour delay for Monday to give bus drivers a few more hours to get to work. The only problem? State education officials don't like the plan because the big game doesn't count as an emergency.

After the Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007, so many bus drivers -- who are scheduled to report at 5:30 a.m. -- called in sick that the school district had to cancel all classes.

Eat pie on Saturday

In case anyone didn't read the Sunday, Jan. 17 edition of The Mercury, Saturday is National Pie Day.

So be sure to grab a slice of pie on Saturday and celebrate!

Four weeks to go

Let the countdown begin. It's only 28 days until Phillies pitcher and catchers report to Clearwater, Fla., for spring training.

Woo hoo!

Lidge undergoes second surgery of off-season

Just five weeks until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Phillies closer Brad Lidge, above, had surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his right knee. Lidge spent time on the disabled list last year with a sprained right knee.

The surgery was Lidge's second of the off-season. In November, the right-hander had surgery on the elbow of his throwing arm.

The Phillies say Lidge could miss the start of the season, which is April 5 in Washington.

Vote for Reading Phillies' Team of the Decade

The Reading Phillies, the Double-A affiliate of the two-time National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies, are asking fans to vote for the R-Phils All-Decade Team.

According to a press release, continuing each Monday for a total of 8 straight weeks, fans can vote for their favorite R-Phils from the past decade. The team will be announced on the team's Web site, www.readingphillies.com, and will be featured in a 2010 photo and T-shirt to be given away at a game later this season.

Every Monday, a new group of players, categorized by position, will be announced. The vote started on Jan. 4, with fans asked to pick the best right-handed pitcher of the last 10 years.

Among the players to pass through Reading in the last decade are 2006 National League Most Valuable Player Ryan Howard, 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers and Michael Bourn

For more information, click here.

Must have been a lousy hamburger

I've had some bad food before at fast-food restaurants, but never thought of doing something like this.

A woman trashed a McDonald's in Kansas City, Mo., after not being satisfied with her hamburger and now police are looking for her.

According to the Associated Press, the woman caused thousands of dollars in damage when she became upset the restaurant wouldn't refund her money. She refused the offer of another hamburger.

A video released by police (a still photo from the video is shown above) shows the woman throwing a sign and a bucket of water over the counter and pushing off a glass display case and three cash registers.