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.
World Series: Can my Yankees do to the Phillies what my Nats couldn't? - William World News
Monday, October 26, 2009
World Series: Can my Yankees do to the Phillies what my Nats couldn't?
After Six Years, Center Stage Again - The Times The New York Yankees winning their 40th American League pennant is cause for celebration in and of itself. The 2009 World Series has more going for it than that, though. For the third time, the Yankees have won the pennant when they open/re-open a stadium -- 1923 Yankee Stadium's first year, 1976 renovated Yankee Stadium, and 2009 new Yankee Stadium. The Northeast Corridor chauvinist in me is happy that the Series features two teams from it as the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League pennant setting up a rematch of the 1950 World Series, which was won by the Yankees. For Mets fans, this is probably a nightmare series, but who cares about Mets fans? It is kind of a battle for the state of New Jersey too -- though I doubt the Phillies have many Jersey partisans above 40° N. This years series is all of these things, plus one more. For me it is a chance for baseball redemption, perhaps even revenge.
Long-time readers know that my friend Cliff (aka The Ombudsman) and I have an annual wager on the outcome of the Washington Nationals/Phillies season series -- the Cheesesteak/Half-Smoke Challenge. After I won the inaugural challenge in 2006, Cliff has taken it three years running. This year, he ran away with it, winning the season series 15-3. No, I'm not going to reopen the Challenge, nor would I suggest that his half-smoke be taken away from him in the event of a Yankees victory, but some revenge courtesy of the Yankees, would be a nice condiment on that half-smoke, no? We'll see if being a baseball bigamist pays off.
The neon sign, erected in 1935, celebrates Trenton's industrial legacy. I don't know how industrial Trenton still is but Taylor Pork Roll comes from there and that's good enough for me. It is also the state capital of New Jersey.
Oddly enough, I have been a legal resident of New Jersey and Virginia and I had never so much as set foot in either state capital until this last jaunt up the Northeast Corridor. On the way back, I hopped off the platform and snapped a quick photo on the platform of the Trenton train station. That probably marked the first time since 1979 that I had set foot in the Garden State on three consecutive Saturdays. As for Richmond, maybe someday, no rush.
Philadelphia's thumb drive skyscraper - William World News
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Philadelphia's thumb drive skyscraper
PHILADELPHIA -- Back in 2007, I shared my disappointment with the Comcast Center, a new skyscraper in the city of brotherly love. At 976 feet, it raised the roof, so to speak, on the Philly skyline. Prior to the Comcast Center's construction, the skyline was nearly symmetrical and featured 1 Liberty Place, an elegant modern building with a climatic spire, as its centerpiece.
I am still not too fond of the Comcast Center, it sticks out like a sore thumb or actually, like a USB thumb drive. However, from the south end of 30th Street station it actually fits in pretty well.
Newark, Del. might have been my college town - William World News
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Newark, Del. might have been my college town
NEWARK, Del. -- On our way back from the Jersey Shore last month, we had no timeline for getting home, so we took a more leisurely pace. After leaving New Jersey we entered Delaware and found ourselves getting hungry which is advantageous since there is no sales tax there. Our son was ready to be out of the car too, so we wandered into Newark which is pronounced by the locals as "New Ark" as opposed to Newerk (New Jersey) or Nerk (Ohio).
I am somewhat familiar with the second largest city in the First State having toured the University of Delaware as a high school senior and stopped at the McDonald's on Route 896 scores of times over the years. I was pretty impressed with Delaware's campus and location at the time and surely would have happy to apply had they sent me an application. Newark strikes me as a pretty good college town, better than say, College Park, Md. or New Brunswick, N.J.
We decided on Klondike Kate's, a local saloon with an outdoor patio. I ordered a pretty good cheesesteak which was and my wife enjoyed "The Soprano," an Italian hoagie. Our son had grilled cheese and applesauce, free during the summer, information that may come too late (sorry!). We'd go there again sometime. A co-worker of mine from Delaware agreed it with us that it is a good place. It was also much more affordable than the Friendly's on Route 896:
Oh and no regrets about not applying to Delaware. While everybody I know who went there really enjoyed it, Penn State was and is pretty good to me. I'm glad I am a Nittany Lion and not a Fighting Blue Hen. ;)
Wish Pat Devlin felt the same way! I'm worried, if Clark goes down, so does Penn State's season. My wife grew up there (actually Elkton, MD) but very close. Newark is a nice college town but it's no State College.
# posted by Exec Comp :
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 11:54:00 AM
Why does New York get their own Pepsi cans? - William World News
Monday, August 31, 2009
Why does New York get their own Pepsi cans?
NEW YORK -- Since at least the mid 1990s, Pepsi cans sold by food carts in Manhattan have always said NEW YORK. I don't recall seeing this in any other city. Granted the other cities that tend to buy from food carts are Washington and Arlington (actually a county, of course) so I can't speak to say Boston or Chicago, but I have a feeling its just a New York thing. Why don't other cities do it?
By the way, a Sabrett and a can of Pepsi is a requirement of any trip to New York for me.
Might it have something to do with the 5-cent (or whatever) deposit that (I'm guessing) you can get back for turning in your Pepsi can in New York for recycling? Again, I'm just groping here, but it would keep New York from shelling out money on out-of-state Pepsi cans.
Do Coke and other beverages do this, I wonder?
# posted by Hendo :
Monday, August 31, 2009 6:58:00 PM
That is a pretty strong theory Hendo. I believe other cans do have "NEW YORK" on them
# posted by WFY :
Monday, August 31, 2009 8:23:00 PM
I own a Pepsi Route in Lower East Side, and that is exactly right. The NYC on each can is so we can identify them easily when looking for product from other states...
# posted by Anonymous :
Saturday, September 12, 2009 11:57:00 PM
The Pepsi-Cola bottling co. of NY puts that on all of their cans of Pepsi products. They also make Canada Dry products, but they don't put the "new york" on on those, only Pepsi products. Both say on the back "PREPARED BY PEPSI-COLA BOTTLING CO. OF NY, COLLEGE POINT, NY 11356", but only Pepsi products say "NEW YORK' over the logo. Strange how that works.
You probably don't see them anywhere else because they only have Pepsi bottling territory in the 5 boroughs and Westchester Co. They have Canada Dry territory as far south as Monmouth, NJ.
It has nothing to do with the refund. I buy drinks in NJ which are made by Pepsi Bottling Group and have no "NEW YORK" on top, but it still says "NY-5cent Refund" on the back.
# posted by Araman Osama Muhammad :
Monday, September 28, 2009 6:48:00 PMPost a Comment
In which find a similiarity between New York and West Hazleton, Pa. - William World News
In which find a similiarity between New York and West Hazleton, Pa.
NEW YORK -- When I was student at Penn State Hazleton, many of us often passed an intersection that had a "WAIT FOR GREEN" sign next to a traffic light in West Hazleton. Obviously, this from the Redundant Department of Redundancy Department, so we we made fun of the borough of West Hazleton/PennDot for posting it. As much as I like New York, I have to poke fun at them now too.
Maybe next time, they'll post the more appropriate DELAYED GREEN sign and spare themselves my mockery.
Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side - William World News
Friday, August 28, 2009
Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side
NEW YORK -- I visited my friend David for six hours last Saturday. We wound up at the Lower East Side's Doughnut Plant after breakfast at a dive near his apartment in the East Village. Had I known beforehand about Doughnut Plant, I would have insisted we just go there for breakfast. The bakery, with its very small customer area, stays open until they run out of donuts.
David talked up the creme brulee donut and awful lot, so I went with that one. It met his high expectations. The standard yeast raised glazed was also quite good. I might even make a special trip the next time I'm in Manhattan.
Cheaper Northeast Corridor Amtrak this summer - William World News
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cheaper Northeast Corridor Amtrak this summer
Amtrak cuts Northeast fares 25 percent for the summer - Bloomberg/The Inky This summer many one way fares to New York from D.C. will be $49. This is pretty good news, since I have been thinking of spending an afternoon up there to catch up with a few people. This is also good news for people trying to take a daytrip to catch a ballgame, like we did last year.
Congratulations Ombudsman, Martha, RUTS, PSUgirl, Dan the Fan, Ramblings, my dad's cousin - William World News
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Congratulations Ombudsman, Martha, RUTS, PSUgirl, Dan the Fan, Ramblings, my dad's cousin
Your Phillies won the World Series(The Inky)! This is their second championship and first since 1980. It is also the city of Philadelphia's first major championship since 1983 when the 76ers did it. Now we won't have to hear about how Philly hasn't had a parade anymore! We also won't see yet another title go to Tampa Bay -- that estuary already has a Super Bowl and Stanley Cup this decade. Martha was right too -- Phillies in 5.
I did a little research and found out that since the Ombudsman was born, the Phillies have have played in the NLCS nine times, won four pennants and now two World Series. In other words, this has been a pretty good run for the Fleas and their fans can't complain for at least another 15 years about title droughts or anything of the kind.
Just remember though, that this year has no bearing on next and I plan to defend the half-smoke and conquer the cheesesteak in next year's Cheesesteak/Half-Smoke Challenge.
Noted hatchet man and satirist Joe Queenan has been much too quiet about his team being in the World Series. If Google News is to be believed, Queenan has not had anything published about the Fleas pennant. C'mon Joe, we need something from the guy who said in his book True Believers, "To me, the Phillies and Eagles are exactly like nicotine: a preposterously noxious semi-hallucinogenic substance capable of giving great pleasure for brief periods of time, but that will ultimately destroy your health."
World Series: Cheering for the NE corridor team - William World News
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
World Series: Cheering for the NE corridor team
I am not expecting to watch much of the World Series, though I guess I am rooting for Philadelphia. I have some friends and extended family who are Phillies fans so it would be good for them to get a win. Also, I like Philadelphia and have always had a good time there. I have never been to Tampa Bay or any of the cities that comprise it and I think the next Rays cap I see will be the third. Also, I'm kind of bitter that Tampa Bay got an expansion team before we got a team.
From the Nats perspective, I want to see them have success in the way the Rays have and then start spending like the Phillies do.
I hate to be the one to report this, but on his podcast today, Beano picked Penn State to win 31-14 in Columbus on Saturday. He also is sure that PSU plays for the national title this season.
Don't shoot the messenger.
# posted by The Maryland Bureau CHief :
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 6:29:00 PM
Beano Watch is set to publish at 9:30 this morning.
Oh and another reason to be anti-Rays -- they play indoors on a fake field.
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, October 23, 2008 7:56:00 AM
Post a CommentWhat is wrong with this picture? - William World News
Friday, August 22, 2008
What is wrong with this picture?
Um, nothing?
THE BRONX -- Forgive me if I find the case for building a new Yankee Stadium less compelling than say, Nationals Park. The building is old and the corridors are steep, but overall it remains a perfectly viable venue. While I have little doubt that it makes more financial sense to build a new facility, I think Yankee Stadium was special enough and the fan base is strong enough that they could have stuck it out in Yankee Stadium -- four million fans a year can't be wrong. It is all a moot point now, and perhaps when I walk into the new Yankee Stadium someday, I will forget about the old one. After all the new Yankee Stadium will look more like the original Yankee Stadium (in some respects) than the current one. Perhaps I am just being sentimental because my grandfather was born and raised on 161st Street, watched the stadium get built, and could hear the crowd from home when Babe Ruth hit a home run. Also, my mom worked there for the Yankees before the renovations. At least they are staying in the Bronx.
Yesterday's NYC tabs had same frontpage headline - William World News
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Yesterday's NYC tabs had same frontpage headline
Mayor Bloomberg wanted to put wind turbines on top of buildings and bridges and that drew obvious responses. Don't worry, it is not going to happen to any of your favorite landmarks.
Riding the rails of the Northeast Corridor - William World News
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Riding the rails of the Northeast Corridor
I have used "Northeast Corridor" as one of my blogger labels for some time now. I use it as a way to organize posts about the Washington-to-Boston corridor since cities like Philadelphia and Boston don't get enough coverage here to warrant their own label. I could use it for The District as well, but I figure it is redundant. Anyway, the actual Northeast Corridor is the electrified railroad tracks between Union Station, Washington D.C. and South Station, Boston. I have been along it via NJ Transit and MARC trains and alongside of it on the PATH and of course I-95 and its spurs and loops, but never on Amtrak, which succeeded the Pennsylvania Railroad as the carrier along the line. We determined that it was the most practical way to make our trip to Yankee Stadium.
I ordered our tickets online at amtrak.com and was surprised to see that the standard fare was significantly less than the AAA fare. So, if you are going to be using Amtrak, make sure you check and don't just use AAA or another discount out of habit. For a 6:20 a.m. departure from Union Station and a return trip from Penn Station at 7:55 p.m. it cost $196 total for the two of us. There was a $19 parking fee for that duration at Union Station as well.
The train left right on schedule and and proceeded through New Carrolton, BWI Airport, Baltimore, Aberdeen, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, New Brunswick, Metropark (Iselin), Newark and finally into Penn Station. I enjoyed looking out the window and "seeing everybody's backyard" as my father put it, as a different view of the major cities we passed through. Naturally, I had my camera out and uploaded about three dozen shots of the journey.
It is hard to beat the convenience we experienced on the ride up. The train puts you right in the transportation heart of Manhattan with several subway lines and other trains available. You can't get that driving or even taking the bus and forget flying. We hopped on the 2 line and switched to the 4 in the Bronx. The snack car was also reasonably priced compared to other travel, no wonder Amtrak is having funding shortfalls.
On the way back, it was dark, so taking photos proved to be impossible for me. We ran into trouble too -- overhead wires were malfunctioning, possibly from a fire. That led to single-tracking between Wilmington and Aberdeen which added an hour to our return trip. Ah, deferred maintenance, you are just as bad as I have heard. Even with that, I was pleased overall with the decision to take the train, and will strongly consider it again, although they need to bring back names like the Yankee Clipper for these trains, which would be fantastic.
THE BRONX -- I can't help be amused to see the superintendent for the subway station next to Yankee Stadium has the same name as the long-time Speaker of the House from Massachusetts.
Or perhaps, I could turn the question around and say, MTA, how could you?
Jim Hall is a worthy successor to Bob Shepherd - William World News
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Jim Hall is a worthy successor to Bob Shepherd
THE BRONX -- Bob Shepherd has been the voice of Yankee Stadium since Joe DiMaggio's final season which was also Mickey Mantle's first. Shepherd who is not that far off from 100 years old, has been unable work this season. One of the substitute announcers is Jim Hall, who has a similar voice to Shepherd. Hall will never be Bob Shepherd, but his voice is quite good and I think he would be an upgrade over most p.a. announcers.
Music Tuesday: Theme from "New York, New York" - William World News
Music Tuesday: Theme from "New York, New York"
Since the end of the Yankees game, I have not been able to get this out of my head. This actually wasn't originally sung by Frank Sinatra, but Liza Minelli. However, he took it and made it his own and now they play it after every Yankees game. They used to play the Liza version after losses, but she was not real happy about that for obvious reasons. By the way, what this "to the ball team that lost" stuff Ol' Blue is talking about?"
Oh and I can't help but think of this whenever I think of the Chairman of the Board.
At the Hammond Organ...Ed Alstrom - William World News
Monday, August 18, 2008
At the Hammond Organ...Ed Alstrom
THE BRONX -- The Yankees have had an organ since 1967 when then Yankees president Michael Burke bought a Hammond organ and brought Eddie Layton over from CBS, the Yankees owners back then. Layton retired about five years ago and died shortly thereafter. I am glad that the Yankees kept the tradition going by bringing in a new organ player instead of recordings.
A final visit to Yankee Stadium - William World News
Sunday, August 17, 2008
A final visit to Yankee Stadium
THE BRONX -- Erica and I took her parents to their first game at Yankee Stadium. It was my fourth and final visit, the first being 20 years ago. Like that day, the Yankees played the Royals, but this time they won. It took 13 innings and heroics of CF Brett Gardner to win it after an exciting and frustrating day of Yankees baseball. Thankfully, it was a beautiful late summer day and we were sitting in shade, so the nearly five hour long game just flew by.
The Bronx Bombers stranded about ten runners, including leaving the bases loaded at least twice. Were it not for several Kansas City errors, the Yanks might have been shutout. The day also featured the awkward experience of cheering for a pitcher that lacked the character to even play for Peter Angelo$. To his credit, Sidney Ponson pitched a pretty good game.
We were not able to get in the Monument Park line before the game, so I still have not been there :(. I will have to settle for the new Monument Park across the street someday.
I will have several posts about our trip over the next few days.
It looks as if you were only a few sections over from my girlfriend and I. We sat in Tier 14. Great game! My g/f was pretty bored by the end, but she was a trooper.
# posted by A :
Monday, August 18, 2008 11:05:00 AM
My wife and her mother sat in 14 for a while, then moved over to 5 where we were.
# posted by WFY :
Monday, August 18, 2008 11:22:00 AM
Post a CommentFavre to Jets means 3 tabloids use same bad pun - William World News
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Favre to Jets means 3 tabloids use same bad pun
I really hoped I would not have to post anything about Brett Favre, but he got traded to the Jets, so I knew tabloids would all pretty much look the same today. The little twist is that the NY Post made "JET FAVRE" the top headline, but had a bigger focus on the anthrax story.
Oh why did he have to go to New York? The nightmare of Favre coverage may just be getting started.
Prediction -- Favre will have a season ending injury before October, rendering the whole ordeal pointless.
Seeing double, almost triple on NY tabs backpages - William World News
Friday, July 18, 2008
Seeing double, almost triple on NY tabs backpages
The Mets' ten wins in a row have vaulted them into first place. Even with that, I think the "First & 10" headline is not terribly strong and is kind of forced. It did not stop with the two city tabloids' back pages either.
Newsday, Long Island's paper of record, went with the identical sounding "First & Ten" headline, but used a different photograph than the other two.
The Ombudsman can't be too happy to see his Phillies in second place.
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# posted by
Amy :
Monday, October 26, 2009 4:11:00 PM