Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
Snowmageddon total for Vienna, Va. 21.5 inches - William World News
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Snowmageddon total for Vienna, Va. 21.5 inches
VIENNA, Va. -- Our Vienna Bureau Chief (aka WHY or Dad) sent in this photo from his backyard (table top I believe). 21.5 inches is the official total over there. In Alexandria it was 20.5, so they win the snow challenge I guess.
I just dug out one of our cars. That was exciting. I will be shocked if the federal government is open tomorrow.
Final Snowmageddon total for Alexandria, Va. - 20.5 inches - William World News
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Final Snowmageddon total for Alexandria, Va. - 20.5 inches
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The final total for Snowmageddon is unchanged from my afternoon update -- 20.5 inches of snow on top of the 2.5 already on the ground. I must have gotten out there right before it stopped.
This is a record breaker, but not the three feet that was being hyped, though I understand other parts of BeltwayLand approached that total. This isn't officially the biggest storm in Washington D.C. history, but it is close. Totals right here are held down by the fairly low elevation and the proximity to the urban heat island.
Tomorrow is the cleanup day with a lot of digging to get one or more cars out. Last time it took about two hours to get one car out, but that was with beautiful powdery snow. This stuff is much wetter, so it could be a very long day.
Snowmageddon! 20.5 inches of fresh snow in Alexandria, Va. at 2:30 p.m. - William World News
Snowmageddon! 20.5 inches of fresh snow in Alexandria, Va. at 2:30 p.m.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The latest snow total for Snowmaggedon is in -- 20.5 inches of fresh snow from this storm. Of course, that is on top of the 2.5 inches leftover from the previous storm. It is still coming down steadily here in the West End.
10:30 a.m. A violist in Wincester, Va. reported 28 inches 12:00 p.m. A teacher in Harrisburg, Pa. reported 16+ inches 2:00 p.m. A director of social media from Brookland, Washington D.C. reported 21 inches 4:00 p.m. The Maryland Bureau Chief reported 31 inches
The Maryland Bureau Chief after shoveling earlier:
Snowmageddon! 17 inches of new snow at 8:30 a.m. in Alexandria, Va. - William World News
Snowmageddon! 17 inches of new snow at 8:30 a.m. in Alexandria, Va.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Last night West End Alexandria received another 13 5/8 inches of snow, raising the total on the ground to 19 inches! Capital Weather Gang says another 5 to 8 inches to go today, so we'll have a new record for the highest amount of snowfall I've ever seen in Northern Virginia, surpassing Snowpocalypse's record of 20 inches -- only one more inch to go. I guess we won't see 30 inches here though which is a bit disappointing.
According to The Maryland Bureau Chief, Columbia, Md. has 24 inches of snow.
Snow day theater: Redskins vs. 49ers '83 NFC championship - William World News
Friday, February 05, 2010
Snow day theater: Redskins vs. 49ers '83 NFC championship
I recently sent a Joe Posnanski blog post about Steve Sabol and NFL Films to my friend and fellow NFL Films aficionado David the other day. He replied back that it was great but also that Hulu had several NFL Films features available including the NFC Championship game between the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers that was played at RFK Stadium after the 1983 season. I actually remember that game pretty well or at least I think I do, I let you know after I watch this video.
The Redskins went up 21-0, but the 49ers stormed back to tie it. Mark Mosely kicked the game winning field goal after missing four earlier in the game. I recall there were too pass interference penalties against the 49ers that were controversial and that their Bill Walsh looked like somebody he loved had just died at the end of the game. When the game was played neither me or David were Redskins fans then like we are now and oddly enough David lives in San Francisco.:
49ers
They went 10-6 that year after having an awful '82 season after winning Super Bowl XVI. I think they won the division by beating the Dallas Cowboys on the final Monday night of the season after the Cowboys had lost the NFC East and 1st seed to the Redskins the week before. WR Dwight Clark was injured late that year and the 49ers barely beat the Detroit Lions the week before with Eddie Murray missing a late field goal at Candlestick Park. It was also the only season Joe Montana wore that style of facemask.
Redskins
That team was a juggernaut, they only lost twice in the regular season and both of them were on Monday night by 1 point each. John Riggins picked up where he left off in the '82 playoffs by scoring 24 touchdowns in the regular season behind the Hogs. Joe Theismann was a Pro Bowl QB. Mosley set scoring scoring record with 161 points, the year after being MVP.
Snowmageddon! 3 3/8 inches new snow at 6 p.m. in Alexandria, Va. - William World News
Snowmageddon! 3 3/8 inches new snow at 6 p.m. in Alexandria, Va.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The first official William World News snowfall measurement of Snowmageddon has been recorded. 2 1/2 were inches left on the ground from the last storm and to that total another 3 3/8 had accumulated since the snow began around 10 a.m. That is pretty low thus far, but reports are saying this could be the biggest snowstorm in Washington history (We Love DC)!
Nats single game tickets will finally go on sale March 2 - William World News
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Nats single game tickets will finally go on sale March 2
PRESS RELEASE - Washington Nationals individual tickets on sale Tuesday, March 2 at 10:00am - The Post I don't know why the Washington Nationals wait so long to put single game tickets on sale every year. I'm sure they will say so that they make sure season ticketholders get the first dibs, but this is ridiculous. When you are drawing less than 2 million in a market as big as D.C., you ought to be maximizing opprutunities to sell tickets. Any way, starting March 2 at 10 a.m. the public sale is on.
The promotions schedule is also updated. If I am one of the first 20,000 on Opening Day fans, I will get that ugly batting practice hat. There are also Ryan Zimmerman and Nyjer Morgan bobbleheads being given out during the season. As for hte "fan choice bobblehead" it has to be Tony Plush.
Rather than pay for service fees, is there a season ticketholder who will order 2 Opening Day tickets for me? I'm looking for $20 tickets behind home plate in the upper deck. Unless you can get me lower deck tickets for $20 :)
Actually, if you're one of the first 20,000 on Opening Day you won't get that ugly BP cap. You'll get a cheap made-in-China facsimile of it, which will probably be even uglier.
# posted by Anonymous :
Thursday, February 04, 2010 1:15:00 PM
How the Bullets became the Wizards - William World News
How the Bullets became the Wizards
Why Abe Pollin went from Bullets to Wizards - DC Sports Bog, The Post Dan Steinberg goes into the archives and puts together a timeline of the Washington Bullets changing their name to Wizards.
As I have said before, if Ted Leonsis does acquire the team, the name "Wizards" stays because Leonsis has so much respect for Pollin. The colors will change back to red, white and blue, but perhaps not until the team is ready to be good again.
For the record, Dragons would have been a good name since they play in Chinatown, but what is done is done.
Penn State National Signing Day recruits - William World News
Penn State National Signing Day recruits
Thank goodness that's over.
National Signing Day has come and gone, so college football fans can stop getting excited over whether 18 year old boys will come to their favorite school. Apparently, Penn State has a top 10 class. Whatever, the real ranking only comes 3-5 years from now when these guys are playing. In the meantime, read Ken Denlinger's For the Glory and get over recruiting already. These guys aren't players to me until they are on the 3 deep roster.
Yeah, sorry for bombarding your Facebook or Twitter with recruiting updates yesterday! It looks like a really good class, but you are right. Call me back in 3 years when it really matters on the field.
# posted by Kevin McGuire :
Thursday, February 04, 2010 6:09:00 AM
so.....if it doesn't matter, why blog/tweet/post about it? I'm not worried about it.
# posted by TMBC :
Thursday, February 04, 2010 9:16:00 PM
Post a CommentSnowfall totals: Alexandria & Tysons Corner - William World News
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Snowfall totals: Alexandria & Tysons Corner
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- After missing the weekend snowstorm, I'm back with more snowfall measurements. In front of my condo, I measured 5 3/4 inches of wet fluffy snow. This includes accumulations from the weekend storm.
TYSONS CORNER, Va. -- At work, I measure 6 7/8 inches.
This snow is already melting and probably won't make it through tomorrow if even today, but don't get used to seeing the ground again. We're in for a doozy this weekend:
Joe Riley: The man, the cocktail - William World News
Joe Riley: The man, the cocktail
Spirits: How liquor wholesalers hobble consumer choice - The Post I believe my friend Joe Riley (a former Nats blogger) is the first person I know who has a cocktail named after him. Why does he have a cocktail named after him? Because he's a frickin' American hero, pilgrim -- a single combat warrior against the liquor wholesalers who limit consumer choice.
In what Joe describes as "quite possibly the oddest segue in spirits-writing history" the author of the link above wonders aloud if Sarah Palin will call out the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America when she gives the keynote address at their convention in April. It is really an unnecessary setup for the main point -- Joe is relentless is finding that liquor you want. That dedication inspired The Passenger to name a cocktail after him. The cocktail is wheated bourbon with falernum, Domaine de Canton Ginger and elderflower liqueurs and lemon juice. Sounds interesting, I'll have to check it out soon. COCKTAIL RECIPE: Joe Riley - The Post
Capitals beat Bruins to win 11th straight - William World News
Capitals beat Bruins to win 11th straight
Washington Capitals defeat Boston Bruins 4-1 to win record 11th straight - The Post Not only is 11 consecutive wins a Capitals record, but it might be tied for an all-time Washington sports record. I can recall the Redskins going 11-0 in 1991, but that is probably the only time that a D.C. team had that many consecutive wins, I'm pretty sure the Wizards/Bullets, Nationals, Senators and DC United never pulled off the feat.
UPDATE 6:11 p.m. Actually, the Senators did it two better in 1933, according to DC Sports Bog, the last year a pennant was won by Washington. DC United did it in 1999 and won the championship.
This is a great milestone for the Caps, but they are looking for the biggest one. As Ted Leonsis says "we have miles to go before we can sleep."
I have been using Blogger for this blog's content management for nearly six years, but that is coming to an end. Blogger will no longer be supporting FTP starting March 26, 2010. While they provide a migration tool, that won't get the job done for me since I want everything to reside on yurasko.net (or yurasko.com) and I am not about to put the domain in Blogger's hands. So, I need to find a new content management solution, something I have considered several times over the years.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- For several years now, I've been wanting to try Yocco's The Hot Dog King on the way back from my annual ski trip in the Poconos. Yocco's goes back to 1922 and is perhaps the best known Lehigh Valley eatery. We stopped by the location near Lehigh Valley International Airport, just off of the Airport Road exit of US 22-Lehigh Valley Thruway (or the Double-Duece according to my friend Tom).
Going in, I had heard mixed reviews of Yocco's. Tom said "really, Yocco's?" while another acquaintance gave it the thumbs up. Tom's contention was that Yocco's wasn't bad, but nothing special. After eating there, I have to agree with Tom.
My wife and I each ordered two hot dogs each with chili sauce, onions and mustard. She also added cheese; Kraft singles or something similar that is put in the bottom of the roll. The franks are Hatfield, a tasty brand that are the official hot dog of Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. Ours were not very fresh though, having sat on the cooler side of the stove for an indeterminate amount of time. The chili sauce was fairly tasty, but not very hearty and overall nothing special. One cannot expect much for $1.24 each I suppose. I also ordered the crinkle cut french fries which were fine, but nothing special. Mrs. T's pierogies are also available as a side, but we did not order them.
Yocco's is so named because the indigenous Pennsylvania Dutch population had trouble pronouncing Iacocca, the family who opened the restaurant and runs it to this day. Yes, it is the same family as former Chrysler chairman and Snoop Dog pal Lee Iacocca -- he's the nephew of the founder. Know run by a fourth Iacocca generation Yocco's has six locations. They also have a great "hot dog king" logo that looks like the kind of sticker a pre-teen's skateboard might have on it.
Yocco's is cheap, decent and the backstory is good, but nothing really special. I may stop a Yocco's again some time if I'm in the Lehigh Valley, but I am not going out of my way to do it.
So how do their chili dogs rate vs the Vienna Inn?
# posted by TMBC :
Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:39:00 PM
Yocco's chili dogs aren't as good as the Vienna Inn's by a long shot.
# posted by WFY :
Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:51:00 PM
Post a CommentA snowy weekend recap - William World News
Monday, February 01, 2010
A snowy weekend recap
The latest snowstorm to hit BeltwayLand happened (for the most part) while I was in the Poconos skiing with my wife. We were at Camelback and it is pretty much the same as it always is except that my favorite slope, the Nile Mile has been changed to a blue square from a double green circle. That makes a lot of sense to me, the slope is not too hard, but is not easy either. I love attacking that hill, it take me about five minutes to get down when I really push myself.
Oh and we finally hit Yocco's for their hot dogs on the return trip. I'll have a review of that over the next two days.
On the way back, we hit snow at about the Mid-County interchange of the Northeast Extension (I-476) and yet saw no snow removal equipment. As we got onto I-95 the conditions were quite slushy, until we hit Maryland. Let me praise the Maryland Transportation Authority for the superior job they did on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway section of I-95 -- the conditions were exceptional given the weather. We could comfortably go over 50 m.p.h. DelDot and PennDot, you blew it. The former I expected, despite numerous boasts about Pennsylvania's snow-readiness by expatriates when compared to BeltwayLand, to do much better. For shame PennDot, for shame. Delaware, most I-95 is a toll road in your state, so you don't have any excuses either.
Back in Northern Virginia, I did not get a chance to measure the snow. Sorry internet, I know how much you like photos of rulers in snow. I did take my son sledding at my folks house in Vienna though. That was pretty sweet. Grandee got to pull her grandson around the block in a little red sled too.
It looks like we're in for more snow later this week (Capital Weather Gang), so I'll be better about the ruler everybody.
Again, why no Nats single game tickets for sale? - William World News
Again, why no Nats single game tickets for sale?
I couldn't make it to NatsFest or any of the Winter Caravan this year, but based onseveralaccounts, these events were well-received. There was also a number of media appearances by members of the organization which is also refreshing in the dead of winter with spring training still a few weeks away. I still have a big problem with all of this though:
WHY CAN'T I BUY SINGLE GAME TICKETS YET?!
A full week of good PR that is not getting turned into ticket sales. What's the deal Stan Kasten? I thought you were the genius of the 1990s Atlanta Braves, this stuff shouldn't be too hard. The reality of it is, the longer this kind of thing goes on, the more I'm reminded of Homer Simpson, union negotiator.
Bill Waterson of Calvin & Hobbes Q&A'd - William World News
Bill Waterson of Calvin & Hobbes Q&A'd
Bill Watterson, creator of beloved 'Calvin and Hobbes' comic strip looks back with no regret - Plain-Dealer (Cleveland) There isn't much insight from the creator of "Calvin & Hobbes" in the Q&A, but I'm posting it anyway. I haven't read the comics regularly since "Calvin & Hobbes" and "The Far Side" went away. Let me know if anything is in their ballpark for brilliance.
I grew up on Peanuts, but Calvin & Hobbes and The far Side were my next favorites. I have not read a Comics page in years with any interest. I've tried a couple times with my local paper but there just is nothing to keep me coming back.
# posted by Kevin McGuire :
Monday, February 01, 2010 12:27:00 PM
Ted Leonsis blogs about Wizards, Verizon Center sale - William World News
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Ted Leonsis blogs about Wizards, Verizon Center sale
An Update on Today's News - Ted's Take Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis issued a statement via his blog about the recent Post article on his bid to buy the Wizards, Verizon Center and the D.C. Ticketmaster franchise outright from the estate of Abe Pollin. This is a "calm down everyone" move, but perhaps also a "hey, Pollins remember we had a deal" move on his part.
Until a time comes that Leonsis completes the purchase, Washingtonians are going to holding their breath because the last time a D.C. team owner died (Jack Kent Cooke), things did not go according to plan and we got...Dan Snyder.
I now expect this will be a long and nerve-racking process. Hopefully, the good guy wins.
The Capitals broke a 1-1 tie with the Anaheim Ducks in the 3rd period and charged to a 5-1 win. Eight wins in a row, not bad, how about doing it in May and June? :)
VIENNA, Va. -- Our Vienna Bureau Chief (aka WHY or Dad) sent in this photo from his backyard (table top I believe). 21.5 inches is the official total over there. In Alexandria it was 20.5, so they win the snow challenge I guess.
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