Friday, September 18, 2009

Two holes in one -- in one round.

The sport isn't this easy.

Twice within the past week, two people have hit two holes-in-one in one round on the golf course. And no, they didn't have to knock the yellow ball through the windmill.

The first was done by former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass, who carded two holes-in-one in a span of 11 holes during the team's annual alumni golf outing.

The other was accomplished by 64-year-old Ruth Day of northern England, who shot two holes-in-one in the same round at Whitley Bay Golf Club, where she is a member.

"A hole in one in itself is usually pretty amazing," Day said in Friday's edition of The Journal, a newspaper in northeast England. "But I couldn't believe it when I did the same thing 10 holes further on."

Day, a retiree, said she has been playing golf for about 10 years.

"Some people go through their whole life and never get a hole-in-one," Day said. "I think there's only a very small number of people around the world who have done it twice in one round."

The feat is rare. Golf Digest estimates the odds against a golfer having two holes-in-one in the same round at 67 million to 1.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Bye bye Baskett -- and Kendra

The Eagles added suspended quarterback Michael Vick to the 53-man roster on Tuesday so he will be able to practice with the team prior to being allowed to play in the season's third game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

To make room for Vick, the Birds released wide receiver Hank Baskett. Baskett was an average receiver, but his biggest claim to fame is that he married "Girl Next Door" and former Playboy Playmate Kendra Wilkinson, shown at right, this summer.

Baskett got a lot of air time this year in Wilkinson's reality show "Kendra" on the E! network.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Numbers align for Wisconsin baby

I find this hard to believe: A baby born in Wisconsin on Wednesday 9/09/09, at 9:09 a.m. weighed, get this, 9 pounds, 9 ounces.

To read more, click here.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Missouri nursing homes hold beauty pageant

The crowning of a new beauty queen will take place tonight in Kansas City, Mo. It's not Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss World, Miss Universe, or Miss Informed.

No, this pageant is the 29th annual Ms. Missouri Nursing Home Pageant, a three-tiered, statewide competition.

The pageant's c0-chairwoman Carla Lungren, who works with the Missouri Health Care Association, is proud of the pageant.

"That's totally why we do what we do everyday in long-term care," said Lungren. "To touch people's lives and make them meaningful until the very end."

According to an Associated Press story, there ares no extravagant prizes or evening gown competitions, though some women prefer to wear a fancy dress or adorn their wheelchairs with flowers as they tell stories of growing up during the Great Depression and World War II. Some reminisce about vacation mishaps or decades-long marriages — and of their children, grandchildren, even great-great grandchildren.

Georgia, Alabama and California also have long-running pageants, and West Virginia held its event for many years before the death of its organizer.

To read more, click here.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Now this is a cupcake!!


My stepdaughters love to bake, but I hope they never try to bake a cupcake this size.

The world's largest cupcake -- a 1,224-pound triple vanilla cupcake with pink frosting -- was unveiled Aug. 15 at the Woodward Dream Cruise classic cars event in Royal Oak, Mich.

A Guinness World Records representative was on hand to certify the cupcake's girth. The cupcake weighed more than 8 times the size of the previous record holder.

Some of the other insane numbers: the cupcake took 12 hours to bake, and included 800 eggs and 200 pounds each of sugar and flour. The cupcake was made by New Hampshire-based Gourmetgiftbaskets.com. Owner Ryan Abood told a newspaper the cupcake had an estimated 2 million calories.

Slices of the cupcake were served in exchange for donations to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer organization.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Pa. man guilty of groping Minnie Mouse

A 60-year-old Schuylkill County man was found guilty Tuesday of groping a woman in a Minnie Mouse costume at Walt Disney World.

According to the Associated Press, John William Moyer of Cressona told the judge he is innocent. His son said before sentencing that his father would never inappropriately touch a woman, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Moyer was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to write the victim an apology, serve 180 days probation and complete 50 hours of community service. Moyer must also pay $1,000 in court costs and possibly undergo a mental evaluation.

The victim says she had to do everything possible to keep Moyer's hands off her breasts.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Rough start for Eagles at training camp

The Eagles are considered among the favorites to contend for the Super Bowl this season, but the first 10 days of training camp have been difficult for Andy Reid's squad.

First, the team received the devastating news that longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson and succumbed to cancer. Since being hired by Reid in 1999, the Eagles defense has been among the best units in the league.

First-round draft pick Jeremy Maclin did not sign until late Monday night and missed 9 days of camp.

Starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley is out for the season after tearing an ACL in a knee during a practice Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

Then early this morning, defensive end Juqua Parker was arrested on a marijuana possession charge near the team's training facility at Lehigh University.

According to the Associated Press, Lower Saucon Township police said Parker was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation at 12:33 a.m. near Lehigh University, where the Eagles train.

Parker was carrying "a small amount of marijuana" and was taken to Northampton County Prison, police said. Parker was released after posting $1,000 bail later Wednesday morning, a prison official said.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said he was aware of the incident.

"It's in the law's hands right now. As time goes on, I'll know more," Reid said. Reid said the team curfew was 1 a.m.

So most of the news coming out of Eagles camp has been bad. As a fan, I hope that isn't a pretense to the regular season.