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v12

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.

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A license plate that screams WTF - William World News

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

A license plate that screams WTF

WTF2?!
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- I saw this and had to photograph. The people parking behind it were laughing as well. I'm sort of surprised Maryland let "WTF2" get through as a vanity plate too.

How long until We Love DC uses this in one of their posts?

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posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM | |

I used to have "WTF EH." Virginia sent me a letter when I requested it, saying that it potentially had objectionable language, but they eventually approved it.

# posted by Blogger DCSportsChick : Tuesday, March 09, 2010 11:10:00 AM  

Do you still roll with "NATS EH"?

# posted by Blogger WFY : Tuesday, March 09, 2010 1:13:00 PM  

Yup!

# posted by Anonymous DC Sports Chick : Tuesday, March 09, 2010 5:51:00 PM   Post a Comment

Joe Paterno gets his eyes fixed! - William World News
Thursday, February 11, 2010

Joe Paterno gets his eyes fixed!

The Eyes Have It - Fight on State
So, that's why Joe Paterno is auctioning off his glasses (Penn State Live)!

Paterno, 83, recently had surgery at Philadelphia's Penn Scheie Eye Institute and no longer needs glasses. However, ever the hipster, Paterno will continue to wear glasses even though he doesn't need them because he feels strange without them. The new glasses will have thinner lenses though.

So, I can't help but wonder what the ramifications of Paterno actually being able to see again will have for the Nittany Lions.

Also, be sure to read this recent article Sporting News Conversation: Joe Paterno. Surely make Mike Leach is very jealous of Paterno's player old-school player relations.

H/T Deena, on Facebook

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posted by WFY @ 4:50 PM | |

Snoverkill snow measurement -- 22 inches total? - William World News
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Snoverkill snow measurement -- 22 inches total?

Snoverkill total 22 inches?
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Yesterday morning, I took a measurement of the snow on the ground -- 19.5 inches. This evening, my brother Christopher took a measurement and it came back 22+ inches. It has been snowing all day long and certainly more than 3 inches has fallen, but do to the blizzard conditions I cannot say how much. A lot has blown around.

One more night of this and then we get a respite.

Bur for how long?

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posted by WFY @ 9:16 PM | |

Meteorite hits in Lorton, Va. - William World News
Friday, January 22, 2010

Meteorite hits in Lorton, Va.

Almost-close encounter: Meteorite hits Lorton doctor's office - The Post
Since the meteorite that hit Dr. Frank Ciampi's office didn't hurt anybody, it's awesome. That should be an interesting claim to the insurance company.

Funny thing, I just mentioned this to my co-workers as I was typing and one of them goes "oh my sister was talking about that on channel 9." It turns out her sister is chatting about it right now on The Post's website.

Small world, err universe.

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posted by WFY @ 12:19 PM | |

Nats ticketing needs to get its act together - William World News
Thursday, January 21, 2010

Nats ticketing needs to get its act together

Up on the wrong end of the B/W Parkway, single game tickets are going on sale for the upcoming baseball season this Saturday*. Meanwhile, here in the Nation's Capital, our Washington Nationals don't even know when single game tickets go on sale. On Twitter, I asked new follower @NatsTix when they would be on sale:
Single game #Nats tickets should go on sale by the end of February. Once I get a firmer date, I'll let you know.
Yes, that sounds familiar compared to other seasons, but why wait? The official reason is they are still selling season tickets, but really, they can't do both at the same time?

I don't blame the @NatsTix and appreciate the outreach, but let's have it go both ways. In a sensible world, single-game tickets would be available before Christmas because; I'd like some of them in my stocking. The person I'm blaming, well...

KASTEN!

One of the three pillars that Stan Kasten talks about is customer satisfaction and I don't think waiting until a month before the season helps meet that criterion.

*Listen, I don't like sounding like the pucksandboots of the Natmosphere, but be a good Washingtonian and just don't buy O's tickets. That's a bad franchise owned by a really bad man. See previous rants.

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posted by WFY @ 12:26 PM | |

Alaska Nanooks hockey intro video - William World News
Monday, January 18, 2010

Alaska Nanooks hockey intro video

As from the obvious Top Gun reference, possible inspirations include Strongbad, Voltron, this Calvin & Hobbes and of course narcotics:



H/T @edsbs

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posted by WFY @ 8:34 PM | |

Gilbert Arenas suspension bumps Mike Shanahan hiring to below the fold - William World News
Thursday, January 07, 2010

Gilbert Arenas suspension bumps Mike Shanahan hiring to below the fold

Wizards' Arenas suspended indefinitely as new details emerge in gun incident - The Post
Wow, the suspension of Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas is being played bigger than the introduction of new Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan on WTOP and washingtonpost.com (and the print edition too, though the image is only good today). By the way, nice to see Dan Snyder sit in the audience and not pull out the Super Bowl trophies that were won under previous ownership.

As for the Arenas situation, I don't have a problem with NBA commissioner David Stern suspending Arenas indefinitely or the Wizards agreeing with it. The photo of him cocking his fingers to "shoot his teammates" shows that Arenas just isn't being serious about a really bad situation for himself, the Wizards and the league. I'll admit I laughed though, shame on me. Shame on the NBA for trying to hide the photo though.

Last night when I drafted this post, I had written in length about how in addition to appropriate punishment, Arenas badly needed counseling because he was not a malevolent person, he just sees the world very differently than most people. However, as more details emerge, I am having trouble believing that any more. Javaris Crittenton, the injured player that Arenas taunted, is alleged to have loaded his own handgun and cocked it after seeing Arenas had left the four unloaded guns in his locker. That isn't a good idea either, but I can see why Crittenton allegedly did it, what Arenas did is a serious provocation. I expect Crittenton to be charged too.

What a mess.

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posted by WFY @ 6:10 AM | |

NY Post: Wizards Arenas, other teammate pull guns on each other - William World News
Friday, January 01, 2010

NY Post: Wizards Arenas, other teammate pull guns on each other

NBA gunpoint guards in standoff - NY Post
Hey, now we know why the Washington Wizards (nee Bullets) are 10-20. Gilbert Arenas allegedly pulled an unloaded gun on teammate Javaris Crittenton during an argument about a gambling debt, according to Kendrick "Bookie Ball" Long a friend of Crittenton. Long said that Crittenton then pulled a gun out as well. Arenas denied the incident.

Well, that is a headache for D.C. sports and the NBA. Arenas' carrying in the locker room came out over Christmas, but the article above says that became known only after the incident.

I have some a little bit of skepticism about this whole thing -- why would a "friend" of Crittenton go off and tell a New York tabloid about this incident? Either Crittenton wanted him too or the dude is not a very good friend methinks. I am sure there will be a lot on this story over the next few days. I wonder if the Wizards would use this to void Arenas' monster contract?

Thankfully, no shots were fired and no one was hurt. If true, I'll be really disappointed because I have always like Arenas. He is the quirkiest pro athlete D.C. has had in a long time, if not ever. I am glad this did not happen when Abe Pollin was alive.

So, do I get credit for "breaking" this story on twitter because @dcsportsbog saw it and retweeted me?

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posted by WFY @ 9:00 AM | |

Wow. Arenas is usually a pretty mild mannered dude.

# posted by Anonymous Ryan : Friday, January 01, 2010 3:14:00 PM  

Post a Comment

George Lucas considered David Lynch as Return of the Jedi director - William World News
Thursday, December 10, 2009

George Lucas considered David Lynch as Return of the Jedi director

Why David Lynch turned down Return of the Jedi! - Sci Fi Wire
It is pretty hard to even comprehend David Lynch directing Return of the Jedi, yet George Lucas sought him out for it.

If there are any more Star Wars Robot Chicken episodes, they really need to do some Lynch-ian parodies.



H/T The Ewoks Are Not What They Seem - The Official Star Wars Blog

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posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM | |

This is actually common knowledge. And it wouldn't have been Lynch's first attempt at sci-fi, either, because around the same time that Return of the Jedi came out, Lynch released his big-screen adaptation of Dune (which admittedly hasn't aged as well as Jedi).

# posted by Blogger Fritz : Friday, December 11, 2009 8:34:00 AM  

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Massive layoffs, change of strategy coming to The Washington Times - William World News
Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Massive layoffs, change of strategy coming to The Washington Times

TWT announces new structure, layoffs - The Wash. Times
Washington Times to cut staff to reach goals - The Post
WashTimes cutting staff up to 40 percent - Politico
UDPATED 6:00 AM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009

Rev. Sun Myung Moon has apparently gotten tired of not making money -- his Washington Times is giving up as a general interest daily newspaper after 27 years. Massive layoffs (40% is being mentioned) are on the way, probably 60 days from now. This is an about-face for the paper which as recently as three years ago had serious plans for getting its Web site into the "top 10" in overall traffic. That goal was never realistic though. Even a year ago, they were still pushing forward with the hiring of the John Solomon as managing editor. He left the paper last month.

The paper will follow The Washington Examiner model of circulation and be distributed free in certain zip codes, plus some "premium price home-delivery" and newsstand sales. The content will be the paper's bread and butter -- commentary from and for political conservatives. Local coverage and sports appear to be casualties of the reorganization and that is a real shame. Having two local sports sections available in town was great for sports fans and their Metropolitan section got some stories the Post did not. I'll have more on the sports tomorrow.

Despite the crazy man that owns the paper, The Wash. Times has been an important part of D.C. media for a long time and it will be missed.

25 years of The Wash. Times - May 17, 2007

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posted by WFY @ 9:06 PM | |

Gotta hope (or wish) the Exam can find a way to fill the sports void. They'll never have a better opportunity.

# posted by Blogger Hendo : Wednesday, December 02, 2009 9:45:00 PM  

I'm addressing that in a post tomorrow morning.

# posted by Blogger WFY : Wednesday, December 02, 2009 9:51:00 PM  

Post a Comment

No Safeway I would not like to make a donation to breast cancer - William World News
Tuesday, November 03, 2009

No Safeway I would not like to make a donation to breast cancer

No I don't want to support breast cancer Safeway
FRANCONIA, Va. -- Every time I go to Safeway, I'm asked if I want to make a donation to breast cancer. What are they doing donating to breast cancer? It sucks and doesn't need any help!

Oh, this is supposed to be an anti-breast cancer donation -- why didn't you say so?!

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posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM | |

Penn State vs. Minnesota: Stay classy Goldy - William World News
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Penn State vs. Minnesota: Stay classy Goldy



Between this and the spinning head, I'm pretty sure that Goldy Gopher is satanic.

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posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM | |

Update: Key Bridge jumpers - William World News
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Update: Key Bridge jumpers

Remember the other week when I blogged about two guys jumping off of Key Bridge? I figured it was just a fun little post about a rather remarkable video that would be up a day and pretty much go away -- traffic analysis supported that theory by the way.

It turns out the story has not just gone away.

I received an email containing this:
Please remove your September 22nd regarding the YouTube video "Descending from Heights" from your blog ASAP!

These students are under threat of expulsion because of this post and the Casual Hoya blog post. I'm sure they appreciate the notoriety, but an administrator who follows Casual Hoya saw this and brought it to the attention of Student Conduct. The YouTube video is no longer accessible, and the Casual Hoya post and other blog posts have also been removed. It would greatly help if the post from your site was removed, as a Google search for the appropriate terms brings up your blog. Please remove this so these students don't get expelled.
That was an interesting email and obviously, I disagree that my blog or any other could be responsible for any expulsions; those unnamed jumpers knew what they were doing and put a bit of planning and production into their jump and video. However, having taken media ethics in college, I figured I would go beyond my initial instinct and think it through. I also presented the question to several other bloggers, friends, journalists, lawyers etc. -- people who have had formal ethics training. Most of them had similar sentiments to mine, though the other blogs did take their posts down.

After sending out that email, I did a little more research and discovered a fascinating fact. The sender of the email had the same name of someone who was famous in the 1800s for claiming to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. What an amazing coincidence!

I will advise others though that trying to cover up something tends to have unintended consequences. We Love DC blogged about this as well.

Ultimately, I have gone with my gut instinct and left that post up. I feel I would be compromising myself if I removed it. It certainly has been a fun little exercise for a media studies major though.

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posted by WFY @ 12:56 PM | |

Video: 2 guys jump off of DC's Key Bridge - William World News
Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Video: 2 guys jump off of DC's Key Bridge

If your friend jumped off a bridge would you do it too?

Mr. Irrelevant found this video of two college-aged dudes wearing Burger King crowns jumped off the Key Bridge. Guido D'Elia would approve of the use of "Song 2."



Just because you can survive it doesn't mean its smart. Nice to know that you can survive it relatively unharmed. I'm sure these dudes are legends now though.

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posted by WFY @ 9:15 AM | |

Loverro wants the Nats to spend a night in the box like Cool Hand Luke - William World News
Friday, July 17, 2009

Loverro wants the Nats to spend a night in the box like Cool Hand Luke

THOM LOVERRO - Franchise's new face has same blemishes - The Wash. Times
Was Cool Hand Luke on TV recently? Loverro wants Nats players to spend a "night in the box" when they screw up. Frankly, there are no "Lukes" on this team -- well not since Robert Fick left, right? After six or seven beers Adam Dunn might make a good Dragline though. There are plenty of streets around Nationals Park that could use some paving though and well, let's not even talk about Lucille and Loverro in the same paragraph. Is Mike Rizzo The Man With No Eyes?

This is still better than most Dick Heller columns though.

I think I have to dig out my Cool Hand Luke soundtrack now.

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posted by WFY @ 9:00 AM | |

The death of Leon Kompowsky has been sadly underreported - William World News
Monday, June 29, 2009

The death of Leon Kompowsky has been sadly underreported

Leon Kompowsky



Requiescat in pace

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posted by WFY @ 8:15 AM | |

Courtesy is a strong suit of D.C. area drivers and soon John Hinckley will be one of them - William World News
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Courtesy is a strong suit of D.C. area drivers and soon John Hinckley will be one of them

Road rage: D.C. drivers 6th most courteous - WTOP
Uh huh. Four percent of those surveyed think ramming ones car into another is appropriate too, but apparently they always remove their hat before doing so. What gentlemen! Or ladies!

I'm mainly posting this obviously incorrect news as an excuse to put the Mr. Wheeler cartoon up.



In other motoring news...

Hinckley to Gain Driving Privileges, Longer Visits - The Post
That's John Hinckley, Jr. would-be presidential assassin, not Mike Hinckley who was merely a bad Nats relief pitcher. I know the Reagans will not be happy (neither am I), but what about Jodie Foster?

Man, I wish I could commute via Metro.

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posted by WFY @ 12:00 PM | |

Mr. Wheeler returns!

# posted by Blogger Fritz : Wednesday, June 17, 2009 3:30:00 PM  

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Steroid anixety comes to D.C.: Alleged dealer names Caps, Nats - William World News
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Steroid anixety comes to D.C.: Alleged dealer names Caps, Nats

This morning Washington sports fans woke up to news that an alleged steroids dealer in Florida named the Nationals and Capitals as clients following his arrest. As Dan Steinberg notes of DC Sports Bog notes, the situation is being played up by the authorities for sensationalism.

This story is just starting and very little is actually known. We know from the Mitchell Report and other sources that past Nationals who have tested positive include Mike Stanton, Jose Guillen, Gary Bennett, Nook Logan and Paul Lo Duca, all thankfully not part of the organization. Current reliever Ron Villone was also cited, but he just joined the team. Frankly, that list (and the Nats record) is pretty good argument against using PEDs, isn't it? MLB has testing now and nobody on the Nats has been busted yet so I am not too worried about the Nats.

I don't know much about the NHL's testing though, so I don't know what to make of it.

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posted by WFY @ 12:10 PM | |

Star Wars > Star Trek - William World News
Friday, May 08, 2009

Star Wars > Star Trek

I've blogged a little about Star Trek lately and I am looking forward to seeing the new movie, but Star Wars is still way cooler.



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posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM | |

Uptown not showing Star Trek - William World News
Thursday, May 07, 2009

Uptown not showing Star Trek

I just assumed that the new Star Trek would be playing at the best theater in the area -- D.C.'s Uptown always gets the blockbusters, especially the space operas. Instead of showing Star Trek Uptown has State of Play. I was really looking forward to going to Cleveland Park for this movie. I so rarely go to the movies that I like making it an event and going up there. What is AMC Loews thinking?

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posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM | |

I agree, Uptown would be an excellent venue for Star Trek. My last visit there was almost a year ago, for Indy 4.

# posted by Blogger Fritz : Thursday, May 07, 2009 2:03:00 PM  

I think the last time I was there was for Spider-Man 3. Overall, the movies I've seen there are:

Spider-Man 3
King Long err Kong
Superman Returns
Star Wars Episodes I-III
Spider-Man 2

I am probably forgetting something, but I did see Star Wars movies there a few times.

# posted by Blogger WFY : Friday, May 08, 2009 6:09:00 AM  

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Really, I was joking when I suggested a Snuggie tailgate - William World News
Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Really, I was joking when I suggested a Snuggie tailgate

DIY Nats Snuggies
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When I saw these two women in do-it-yourself curly W snuggies, I just had to take a photograph. A while back I was joking on Facebook friends about a Snuggie tailgate. It turns out these Suzanne Igo of Manhattan Beach and Colleen Kennedy of Ashburn had the same idea and they executed it. Dan Steinberg of DC Sports Bog saw them too and got the whole story.

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posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM | |

Stan Kasten should know better - William World News
Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Stan Kasten should know better

Stan Kasten Sings a Hymn to Philly Fans - DC Sports Bog
Dan Steinberg keeps saying that the Nats will be a big draw once they start winning and I agree with him. Until that time being a Nats fan is going to be a tough road for those of us "true believers" who are just so damned happy that a team wears Washington on its jerseys. That being said, it would be preferable if those running the club would stop going out of their way to be embarrassing.

After a tough, but image enhancing spring, Stan Kasten has gone out and blown a lot of good will by taking a page out of the Abe Pollin playbook and marketed Nats Opening Day to another team's fanbase. In this case, he went on a Philadelphia radio station and plugged, unprompted Opening Day tickets to Phillies fans. I though Kasten was smarter than that -- pennywise, pound foolish. How about going on D.C. radio stations to shill tickets? Duh! Call it a hunch, but maybe the (potential) fanbase in your own neighborhood might be a better long-term investment. Doesn't Kasten realize that the franchise has been in disarray since the Montreal days and there is still a great deal of negativity surrounding the team. They have a lot of things working against them, so perhaps they ought not be chasing away the fans willing to pay for their poorly regarded product.

Earlier today, I was going to ask why the Nationals were such a punchline when there are worse franchises in the sport, but now I won't be asking that any more.

The tone of this post was not helped by the fact the Nationals were down 8-0 in the fifth inning when I started it.

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posted by WFY @ 8:36 PM | |

Perhaps Yogi Berra is not as transcendent as I thought - William World News
Thursday, March 26, 2009

Perhaps Yogi Berra is not as transcendent as I thought

I do not think I am suffering from the myopia of being the son of a former Yankees employee and grandson of a 161th St., South Bronx native when I say I was shocked to learn a co-worker was completely unfamiliar with Yogi Berra. I find it hard to believe that an American, one from the east coast even, could get through life this long (she is almost exactly two years younger than I) and not know about Yogi, even though she has no interest in sports. I thought Yogi was shared cultural capital in this country.

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posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM | |

Blogger does not know what day it is - William World News

Blogger does not know what day it is

Blogger does not know the date
This is a capture of a notice on Blogger's dashboard. It has been up since last night.

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posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM | |

PENN STATE BEATS ILLINOIS AGAIN! - William World News
Friday, March 06, 2009

PENN STATE BEATS ILLINOIS AGAIN!

Lions battle to last second - The Collegian
Talor Battle drove almost the full length of the court and hit the game winner with .3 second left as Penn State beat #23 Illinois again, 64-63. It looks like it was epic -- David Jones of the Patriot-News calls it a miracle comeback. The final rebound was grabbed by Jamelle Cornley, who had earlier left the game with what sounds like a dislocated shoulder. Did the students storm the court? You bet!

13,091 were there last night, but about 50,000 are going to claim that they were.

A win over Iowa this weekend probably seals a tournament bid, though a loss there can probably be made up for with a strong showing in the Big11Ten tournament.

ESPN.com lead with this game today:


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posted by WFY @ 5:36 AM | |

I agree. Beat Iowa and its a lock. That could be a tough game, given the really short turn-around (how did the schedule makers give PSU a road game that TIPS OFF 41 HOURS after their previous one?) Iowa is tough at home too.

I "think" we are in now. Winning a game in the Big Ten tourney could be tough, especially if we end up playing Wisconsin.

# posted by Anonymous TMBC : Friday, March 06, 2009 8:20:00 AM  

I could watch that all day! Go State!

# posted by Blogger Kevin McGuire : Friday, March 06, 2009 9:35:00 AM  

The Iowa game isn't just a win-and-in game. We're talking about revenge from football season!

Huck the Fawkeyes!

# posted by Blogger Brad Stratton : Friday, March 06, 2009 4:27:00 PM  

It will take a lot more than a regular season basketball win to make me forget football losses to Iowa. Penn State will have to defeat the greatest Iowa football team ever in Kinnick Stadium with the captains marching off the field with the daughters of the head coach and great-great-grandaughters of Nike Kinnick jumping into the arms of the senior co-captains, forsaking their Hawkeye heritage and pledging eternal devotion to Joe Paterno.

# posted by Blogger WFY : Friday, March 06, 2009 4:47:00 PM  

Well, seeing as how Bowden now has to forfeit 14 wins from the '06 and '07 seasons, that pledging thing shouldn't be all that difficult.

# posted by Anonymous Muha : Friday, March 06, 2009 7:48:00 PM   Post a Comment

Report: Smiley Gonzales is a phony! - William World News
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Report: Smiley Gonzales is a phony!

Nationals prospect falsified identity - Sports Illustrated
Remember when the signing of Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez was the ballyhooed signing that was suppossed to be an example of The Plan working? Well, it turns out that 16 year old prospect is really named Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo and four years older than he said.
"This signing is symbolic of the Lerner family's and incoming club president Stan Kasten's pledge to become an industry leader in scouting and player development,'' Washington general manager Jim Bowden said at the time of the deal.
Nearly three years later, it certainly is a symbol, isn't it?

Yet another reason to fire Jim Bowden. Remember, he and assistant GM Jose Rijo (former Red), are under investigation from the FBI for their actions with Dominican prospects.

More reactions in the Google Reader links on the right and at lunch.

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posted by WFY @ 6:45 AM | |

I think I'll be quitting Facebook over their new Terms of Service - William World News
Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I think I'll be quitting Facebook over their new Terms of Service

Revised TOS Gives Facebook Perpetual Rights to User Content - Marketing Vox
The headline just about says it all. Frankly, Facebook is not that important to me and if they don't change these terms by COB Friday, I'm done with the service on Saturday morning.

Facebook has a rebuttal up, but I am not satisfied with it -- change the TOS if you really mean it, Zuckerberg.

H/T: Ted's Take

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posted by WFY @ 8:00 AM | |

Nats predicted to go 78-84 -- really?! - William World News
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Nats predicted to go 78-84 -- really?!

As noted by Chris Needham of NBC Washington, stats guru Nate Silver says the Nats are going to win 78 games.
Silver created a method of predicting baseball stats called PECOTA. Basically, it looks for players who've had similar careers, played similar styles, and have similar physical talents. Silver punches all in to his supercomputer, and it spits out likely stat lines for our favorite players.
Okay, that still strikes me as incredibly optimistic and I expect a big improvement this year. I would take it though.

Last year Silver predicted 72-90, in case you were wondering like I was until I asked Needham.

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posted by WFY @ 3:00 PM | |

Baseball Prospectus is predicting a 79 win season for the Nationals.

# posted by Blogger Kevin McGuire : Wednesday, February 11, 2009 9:19:00 AM  

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Phyrst, family split - William World News
Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Phyrst, family split

Phamly feud leads to new home - The Collegian
The Phyrst Family is no more -- for now at least.
The band and the bar cut ties after sparring last month over payment for a Saturday show at which three Phamly members performed in place of the usual four. According to an e-mail from Hesketh posted on a "Boycott the Phyrst" Facebook group, "As we were gathering our equipment to leave, the owner showed up at the bar, headed straight for [banjo player] Steve [McQuay] and shoved him. It then took two to three bartenders to break them apart."

The fight began after Phyrst management suggested paying the band less because not all of the band's members performed, according to the post.

Phyrst manager Mike Fullington said.

representatives from the Phyrst had no comment by press time Tuesday.

A statement released by the families of former Phyrst owner and band leader Ernie Oelbermann and Phyrst Phamly founder Terry Countermine said Saturday night "Phamly" shows are a Phyrst tradition and will continue with a new lineup. A new Phamly will resume the weekly Saturday sing-along this weekend.
Sounds pretty ugly, but I'd bet a beer at the Phyrst (if I knew when I would be able to complete the wager) that they reunite by fall semester.

I used to go to the first on occasion, in fact it was the first "bar" I went to in Happy Valley after my 21st birthday. Other than table wars (too fratty), I liked the place, but I probably have not been back since 2002 Homecoming.

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posted by WFY @ 7:30 AM | |

Don't forget Blue/White 2006! When it was a torrential downpour and the Hammes, Basiles, Yuraskos, and company ended up watching the game at The Phyrst.

# posted by Blogger Fritz : Wednesday, January 14, 2009 8:42:00 AM  

Of course -- the Phyrst family wasn't there though.

# posted by Blogger WFY : Wednesday, January 14, 2009 8:50:00 AM  

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Happy Birthday J.J. - William World News
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Happy Birthday J.J.



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posted by WFY @ 7:47 AM | |

Milton Bradley on Bowden's radar; Paker Bros. apparently unavailable - William World News
Friday, January 02, 2009

Milton Bradley on Bowden's radar; Paker Bros. apparently unavailable

Nationals in serious pursuit of Bradley - nationals.com
Why? Bradley is a malcontent/misanthrope and the Nats already have 37 outfielders. Getting another one won't exactly make the others easier to trade for quality either, no?

GM Bowden not done improving Nats - nationals.com
Has he even started? *rimshot*

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posted by WFY @ 12:32 PM | |

Misanthrope compared to whom?

Barry Bonds? Brett Myers? Keith Olbermann?

# posted by Anonymous Hendo : Friday, January 02, 2009 1:03:00 PM  

Bowden is not trying to sign those guys.

Yet.

# posted by Blogger WFY : Friday, January 02, 2009 1:06:00 PM  

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You are on thin ice with me Blogger - William World News
Wednesday, December 31, 2008

You are on thin ice with me Blogger

Here is the problem. If you are seeing this post, they have fixed it -- at least temporarily.

I am leaning towards moving to a real CMS, but have been advised Joomla isn't great for blogging. What about Drupal? I would hate to put the effort of upgrading everything for just WordPress.

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posted by WFY @ 12:02 PM | |

Monkey its what's for dinner - William World News
Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Monkey its what's for dinner

Monkey Meat Is Confiscated at Dulles - The Post
Customs officials searching the bags of an African man who flew into Dulles International Airport on Friday discovered three charred monkeys in his luggage, as well as deer meat and dried beef, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said yesterday.
While it is very odd and possibly concerning, the monkey meat found in someone's luggage at Dulles Aiport means at least one thing -- a replay of Mike O'Meara's classic "Monkey, its what's for dinner" ad.

I still miss Monkey Tuesday.

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posted by WFY @ 1:30 PM | |

The Star Wars Holiday Special at 30 - William World News
Friday, November 21, 2008

The Star Wars Holiday Special at 30

Happy 30th "Star Wars Holiday Special"! - starwars.com
The RSS teaser said: "A whole week commemorating the 30th anniversary of "The Star Wars Holiday Special" starts today."

Why?! Its awful, even worse than Star Trek V.

If you get the chance to watch this, don't! Not even to speculate on how much booger sugar a certain actress must have snorted before singing the Life Day song.

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posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM | |

Penn State elms in grave danger - William World News
Friday, November 07, 2008

Penn State elms in grave danger

Disease threatens to wipe out Penn State elms - CDT
The stately, century-old elm trees on Penn State's campus are in danger of falling victim to elm yellows. The disease, spread by the elm leafhopper insect, has no cure. According to a University Relations, the prospect of losing what is perhaps the nation's largest strand of elms is very real if not likely.

This saddens me tremendously, I really enjoyed the elms on the Allen Street Mall between the University Gate and the Pattee library. I admired them from my favorite spot in front of Carnegie building and really hope they can be saved. Over the years I have given to the Class of 1996 Elm endowment, but I fear it won't be enough.

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS PRESS RELEASE: Tests show elm yellows disease still threatens campus trees | Frequently Asked Questions about Elm Yellows and the Penn State Elms | Still Life: Elm yellows disease threatens campus trees

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posted by WFY @ 10:15 AM | |

Snubbed in D.C., Gillick basks in glory of Phillies parade - William World News
Friday, October 31, 2008

Snubbed in D.C., Gillick basks in glory of Phillies parade

Thom Loverro: Hey, Nats fans: Gillick could have been yours - The Wash. Times
In 2004, Pat Gillick openly campaigned for the Nationals GM job, but was not even interviewed for the job at a time when MLB owned the team. Gillick instead took the Phillies job and well, right now he is in a parade on Broad Street in the city of brotherly love. Whether MLB (remember, Bud Selig thinks we could have a flagship franchise here) did not interview him due to incompetence or fear of upsetting the cowardly Peter Angelo$ is unknown. What we all know too well is MLB hired a GM with a track record of 1 playoff appearance in a decade, an affinity for toolsy outfielders, scrap heap pitchers, segways and leather pants. Unfortunately, Nats fans are still stuck with this GM, Jim Bowden, because ownership likes him kissing their butts.

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posted by WFY @ 12:57 PM | |

Huh? AC/DC on music distribution - William World News
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Huh? AC/DC on music distribution

He's also concerned about the concentrated power of iTunes. "I get scared when one big monster rules music. Maybe I'm a bit daft and old-fashioned, but I see shades of George Orwell."
-- Brian Johnson of the band AC/DC. The only retail outlets carrying the album are Wal-Mart and Sam's Club.

(Source: USA Today)

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posted by WFY @ 12:03 PM | |

Yeah this is senseless to me. Why limit the buyer's choices to purchase the album? AC/DC is clearly stuck in a time when they really did mean something.

# posted by Blogger Kevin McGuire : Tuesday, October 21, 2008 1:00:00 PM  

Oh LawdBabyJeebus,

Please fulfill my satirist's secret wish that WalMart one day will re-name some advertising peridiocal of theirs the "Big Saver".

TWH
MofP of the WWN

# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : Wednesday, October 22, 2008 10:21:00 AM  

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Hey comrades! - William World News
Monday, October 06, 2008

Hey comrades!

Joe McCain Says Inner Suburbs Are "Communist" - The Post
A presidential candidate's brother says I live in a communist city and used to live in a communist county. That must be why property taxes are the lowest in the region in my new home. I could not afford to buy a house in my previous municipality, but I hear that they lowered property taxes too (We Love DC).

The candidate's brother apologized. The worst part about all of this is some McCain campaigners stopped by yesterday and I had not heard the news yet. Oh that would have been fun.

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posted by WFY @ 7:00 AM | |

ESPN Gameplan NOT working! - William World News
Saturday, September 27, 2008

ESPN Gameplan NOT working!

For the second week in a row, I'm not seeing the game. Apparently, ESPN is having trouble delivering the GamePlan feed to Comcast in Alexandria.

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posted by WFY @ 8:22 PM | |

Yeah. I tried to order ESPN GamePlan for today's (friday's) Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State Game. They said "are you sure the game is today? it is listed for tommorrow". I said, "YES! I'm looking at it right now on the ESPN website!!. Incompetence. They were nice on the phone, but they had no clue had to get the game delivered to me. I could even press "info" on channel 701 and see "Mississippi vs. Mississippi State", but they still couldn't order the game for me. Terrible.

# posted by Blogger Bert : Friday, November 28, 2008 4:24:00 PM  

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Ted Lerner needs to back off - William World News
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Ted Lerner needs to back off

Nationals 'miserable' on, off field - The Wash. Times
Team in crisis
According to this article, Ted Lerner is way too involved in running the franchise and is nickel-and-diming everything.
"Clearly, every decision of any significance is made ultimately by Ted," a city official familiar with the Lerners' baseball operation said. "The decision-making and the whole approach starts at the top and remains at the top. And I don't think anything is going to change significantly as long as Ted is running the team."
Ultimately, this story just confirms the suspicions of many.

Stan Kasten does not have the control he was expecting and may be leaving; others have already. None of this comes off as surprising at this point, but is still incredibly disappointing nonetheless. Obviously, what needs to happen is Lerner and his sons need to back off and let the baseball people run things. You almost feel sorry for Kasten.

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posted by WFY @ 12:10 PM | |

Somebody screwed up: BTN overflow channel on Comcast not working - William World News
Saturday, September 20, 2008

Somebody screwed up: BTN overflow channel on Comcast not working

ARGH! None of the Big Ten Network overflow channels are showing a picture, meaning that we cannot watch the Penn State vs. Temple game that is going on right now. I called Comcast and they are aware of it, in fact the rep said, "Penn State?" when I mentioned the game was not on.

I'm kind of annoyed that Penn State is not the regular telecast here anyway since it is about 215 miles away from here and Temple is even closer. BTN proper went with OSU vs. Troy instead. I don't believe either school is within 450 miles of here.

I will be calling Comcast's billing dept. for a refund on Monday.

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posted by WFY @ 12:28 PM | |

The telecast finally came on with :29 left in the first half. I'm eager to get an explanation of what happened.

# posted by Blogger WFY : Saturday, September 20, 2008 3:39:00 PM  

We had a similar problem during the 1st game vs. Coastal Carolina. That PSU game was on the ONLY overflow channel that wasn't working. Fortunately in our area today, they had the PSU game on the main channel so there were no problems. You didn't miss anything in the first quarter. I did call Comast to complain that day and it took them most of the first half to fix the problem.

# posted by Anonymous The Maryland Bureau Chief : Saturday, September 20, 2008 4:32:00 PM  

Why are you staying with Comcast? Comcast could not be any worse even if they declared 'screw the customer' was their official business slogan & philosophy.
Go get a dish! I did, and I am never making complaints (except when heavy storm clouds knock out reception for 10-15 minutes.

# posted by Blogger SoloVita : Saturday, September 20, 2008 5:35:00 PM  

solovita: The triple-play is a pretty good deal and they have been pretty reliable overall. I barely watch TV, so I'm not sure if getting the dish when I still need phone/internet is cost effective.

FIOS, on the other hand...

# posted by Blogger WFY : Sunday, September 21, 2008 7:53:00 AM  

i followed comcast's troubleshooting tips.

i lost all digital channels, including btn and overflow channels. i then had to wait around for a rep to come out. they said they woud be there between 12-3.

they arrived at 5. i missed the game, and wasted my afternoon.

in short, i hate comcast, and cannot switch due to not being able to have a dish on my townhouse.

# posted by Anonymous jd : Sunday, September 21, 2008 12:35:00 PM   Post a Comment

Pa. dentist apparently responsible for medical waste in Avalon - William World News
Friday, September 05, 2008

Pa. dentist apparently responsible for medical waste in Avalon

Montco dentist reportedly admits dumping medical waste in Shore - The Inky
A fishing boat rocked against a dock yesterday at Dr. Thomas W. McFarland's scenic Shore home. But the Wynnewood dentist apparently has been doing more than jigging for flounder.

McFarland turned himself in to Avalon, N.J., police on Tuesday in connection with the dumping of needles, cotton swabs and other medical waste into the waterways, several news organizations reported.
What this Pennsylvanian is alleged to have done gives the whole Shore and state a black eye. If this guy is convicted, I hope he spends a long time behind bars; Rahway would probably be a good spot. Oh and if he had done this the week I was up there, I would have sued him.

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posted by WFY @ 6:30 AM | |

Half of D-line suspended for Oregon State - William World News
Thursday, September 04, 2008

Half of D-line suspended for Oregon State

Paterno: Evans, Quarless, Koroma will not play against Oregon St. - The Collegian
Penn State defensive tackle Abe Koroma, defensive lineman Maurice Evans and tight end Andrew Quarless will not play Saturday against Oregon State, Joe Paterno said on the Nittany Lion Hotline tonight, adding cornerback Willie Harriott has been removed from the team.

Police said they found on Tuesday a small amount of marijuana at a Nittany Apartments residence, whose most current residents are Quarless, Evans, Koroma and cornerback A.J. Wallace, according to a search warrant. No charges have been filed in the incident. Police have said they are still trying to determine who had possession of the marijuana.
Basically, there was a noise problem the cops came and asked to search the place, the residents said no so the cops got a warrant. In doing so, a little bit of weed was found, probably not enough to get anybody convicted, BUT any is way too much for a football letterman to have in his apartment, no? They may not have even known, but they choose to make a lot of noise that the cops get involved.

Stupid.

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posted by WFY @ 9:16 PM | |

They all look the same - William World News
Monday, August 11, 2008

They all look the same


Wow, John Lannan looks a lot like Ryan Zimmerman. He seems to be wearing the same number too.

I forgot which blog I stole this bit from, thanks though. Nothing like making a copy editing mistake look like more than it is, right?

After the Walks, a Walk-Off in Milwaukee - The Post

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posted by WFY @ 12:33 PM | |

Overheard: Henny's to be sold, demolished - William World News
Monday, August 04, 2008

Overheard: Henny's to be sold, demolished

024
STONE HARBOR, N.J. -- I was surprised to hear the rumor that Henny's, now in its 77th summer, may not see a 78th. Apparently, the land is for sale and a potential buyer has been found. The new buyer would knock the venerable Stone Harbor institution down and replace it with a hotel.

When I was a kid Henny's had honey-dipped fried chicken that I thought was out of this world. When I started going back to Avalon/Stone Harbor, I was kind of disappointed they did not have it. Henny's has been Yurasko favorite for most of those 77 years, it will be sad to see it go if this rumor is accurate.

UPDATE: Some specifics from Cape Cuisine, courtesy of Jen Miller of Down the Shore with Jen.

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posted by WFY @ 9:30 AM | |

Henry Aaron disagrees - William World News
Monday, July 28, 2008

Henry Aaron disagrees

On Saturday evening, Erica and I were watching the Yankees vs. Red Sox game on FOX. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver were talking about Boston starter Tim Wakefield's rookie season with the Pirates when he won two NLCS games against the Braves. Of course, those wins merely prolonged the inevitable for Pittsburgh as they lost in game 7 when Francisco Cabrera knocked in Sid Bream to win the NLCS. McCarver then added it was the most famous hit in Atlanta sports history.

Huh?



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posted by WFY @ 9:34 AM | |

Tim McCarver hasn't said anything intelligent...EVER.

One Henry Aaron does disagree, but everyone in Pittsburgh knows that Barry "I don't do 'roids" Bonds didn't get the ball to the cutoff guy cleanly (maybe because he didn't hustle like you're taught way back in Little League), allowing Bream to make it home.

Funny how it's easy to blame State College's own Stan Belinda for leaving one out there to hit, but it makes more sense that Bonds drug it out.

# posted by Anonymous Muha : Monday, July 28, 2008 7:18:00 PM  

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WTF is going on at the Vienna Inn?! - William World News
Saturday, July 26, 2008

WTF is going on at the Vienna Inn?!

Police: Vienna Employee Injured in Malicious Attack - WJLA
An employee got stabbed at the Vienna Inn early this morning:
Police say they received the 911 call from the victim himself, who said he had been attacked. Police responded to the 100 block of Maple Avenue in the town of Vienna shortly before 3 a.m. Officers say the victim suffered from life threatening stab wounds and was given first aid to control the bleeding until rescue crews arrived on the scene. It has been reported that the victim was stabbed inside the Inn's restaurant.
Yikes, hopefully the employee will recover and the assailant will be brought to justice.

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posted by WFY @ 5:07 PM | |

You were quite cavalier about the stabbing at Tony's Big Easy, but when its YOUR bar...

# posted by Anonymous M.C., M.A., WWN O'man : Monday, July 28, 2008 9:35:00 AM  

The Big Easy lost its standing with me before the stabbing.

# posted by Blogger WFY : Thursday, July 31, 2008 8:32:00 AM  

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copywrite
 William F. & William R. Yurasko
 December 20, 2009
 Alexandria, Va.
 Photo by Erica Yurasko

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