Blogs List
Momsense
 Betsy Bethel |
Christmas concert meltdownTue, December 23, 2008 @ 4:32PM So there Emma and I were at the B.E. Taylor Christmas concert last night, one of my most anticipated events of the holiday season. Some years I get so excited for this joyous celebration that my nerves take over and I can't fully enjoy it because of a stress headache or upset stomach. I end up sabotaging the whole thing! This year, however, I managed to keep myself in check, and I couldn't wait to see Emma's reaction to the sights and sounds of the concert. To pump her up, I told her about the drummers that play during "The Little Drummer Boy," a crowd favorite. Knowing Emma's affinity for drums, I was sure it would be a hit, no pun intended. In the half-hour prior to the show, all Emma could talk about was "the drummer boy." We killed time by walking around WesBanco Arena and chatting about Christmas-y topics -- cookies, houseguests, church services -- with friends we encountered. Then the house lights went down and colored spotlights began whirling around the arena. Taylor's distinct voice and the jazzy cry of a soprano sax played by Jamie Peck hit our ears, and then B.E., a.k.a. Bill, and his phenomenal band took the stage. Through the first few classic Taylor-made carols, Emma had a ball -- she danced herself into a frenzy especially during one of my favorites, "We Three Kings." I'm not sure when things started to go downhill, because it seemed to happen so fast.
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Sports Views with Hughes
 Mike Hughes |
Seriously?Wed, December 24, 2008 @ 9:07PM I think I know why the National Football League isn't struggling as much as other professional sports leagues in terms of the state of our nation's economy. And that reason is the ridiculous fines being handed out by the league office. I'll be honest, what prompted me to write this blog is the fact that New England's Wes Walker was fined $10k for doing a snow angel following a touchdown last Sunday in a game against Arizona. A snow angel? And a week from Christmas at that, totally unnecessary. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would have sufficed. Yes, it wasn't needed and he should be flagged. But fined $10k for a snow angel? That's absurd. But that pales in comparison to the fines handed down for legal plays and hits. The player whose wallet seems to be most penalized by the league for doing nothing wrong is Pittsburgh's Hines Ward. I think we all know that Ward plays full-throttle from quarter to quarter and isn't afraid to drop the hammer on unsuspecting defenders while blocking. More than once he's received fines on plays that were perfectly legal and not flagged. That's moronic at best. Ward isn't the only one that's suffered the same fate either. If the NFL needs money, fine. The league should come out and say so. I'm sure that's not the case, but what puzzles me is the logic behind these fines. Actually, there's not any logic behind them, so who really knows.
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Politically Fashionable
 Joselyn King |
Shooting Hoops With The Future PresidentThu, December 18, 2008 @ 5:25PM It's been no secret that President-elect Barack Obama loves basketball, and that pick-up games are his preferred form of exercise. He's even quipped he might just replace the White House bowling lanes with a basketball court after he takes office. Such a venue could see a lot of action based on his picks for a presidential cabinet. Recent picks indicate that many of those close to Obama have a basketball background. Here's a cumulative roundup of what's been reported of the B-Ball skill of some of Obama's potential advisers: * Arne Duncan: 6'5 -- Obama's pick for education secretary and currently the chief executive officer for the Chicago school system was co-captain of the basketball team at Harvard and played professionally in Austrailia. (Obama vehemently denies he selected him for his cabinet based on his basketball ability.) * James L. Jones: 6'4 -- Obama's choice for national security adviser, played forward at Georgetown. * Reggie Love -- Obama's personal aide played on a Duke team that won the NCAA title. * Illinois state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, another Obama insider, played basketball professionally in Greece. * Eric Holder -- Attorney general pick played at Columbia University. * Susan Rice : 5'3 -- U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was a star player in Washington D.C.-area high school basketball.
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Myer on Politics
 Mike Myer |
Bailing Out More Homeowners?Mon, December 8, 2008 @ 2:10PM It has been reported that as many as 2.25 million homes will be foreclosed upon in the United States this year. At some point soon, Congress no doubt will discuss how to "help" the owners of those homes. Given the fact that millions of potential votes are involved, expect lawmakers to do something. Not with my money, please. Tens of millions of families are making their mortgage payments every month - even during times of economic trouble - because they were realistic when they bought homes. They took out mortgages that, after examining their finances, they were certain they could pay. Are some of those having trouble merely victims of the times? Probably. But many of them simply weren't cautious in buying homes. Let the banks take their homes back and dispose of them in foreclosure sales - quite possibly making the American dream a reality for hundreds of thousands of people who could not have afforded homes otherwise.
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Reality According to Rine
 Shawn Rine |
*Ohio State Is a JokeMon, January 5, 2009 @ 8:26PM The asterick in the title of this is to note this blog was written at the very beginning of the Fiesta Bowl. I have the same issue -- sort of -- with Notre Dame fans, who just can't seem to understand their beloved program is not what it used to be. What I can't understand about Buckeyes fans, is why can't you understand you don't belong among the nation's elite? Seriously, how many times do you have to get taken behind the woodshed before you refuse to come back out? I'd also like to know why Ohio State is the only two-loss team in the BCS? The only response is because it travels well, which shouldn't mean a thing when it comes to who does or does not deserve a spot in the "prestigious" games. I know it all comes down to money, but why do we keep putting the Ohio State's and Notre Dame's of the world in BCS games? Maybe you like kicking a guy when he's down?
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"Out There"
 Phyllis Sigal |
A Taste of NostalgiaFri, December 26, 2008 @ 3:12PM I love to eat at high-end restaurants in big cities. I love to try new and exciting eateries with top-notch chefs at the helm. But there is still nothing like a good home-made meal at a little mom and pop place, and we in the Ohio Valley are lucky to have a few such places. One of our favorites — especially for breakfast — is Sonny Boy Restaurant at 881 National Road in Bridgeport. Just try eating breakfast for $2.49 anywhere else! You can barely make two eggs, toast, potatoes and your choice of sausage, ham or bacon for $2.49 in your own kitchen! The service is very fast, the waitresses are quite efficient and seemingly born to be waitresses. The potatoes are not greasy, and the eggs are always done the way we order them. And every time I'm there, I say I'm going back just for pie. The pies are huge and piled with meringue. So yummy looking! And a piece of pie is only $1.95. There's also rice pudding and bread pudding on the menu. Also on the menu is hot roast beef and mashed potatoes, for $3.59! Cabbage rolls and mashed potatoes, $3.79. It's like a time warp! We were there one weekend — before election day — and Belmont County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Berhalter was stumping, and all the waitresses were wearing T-shirts urging voters to choose him. It's his aunt and uncle who run the place, he told me.
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Heather's Corner Desk
 Heather Ziegler |
Fire FightFri, January 2, 2009 @ 11:32AM Anyone who read the comments on the newspaper Web site regarding the New Year's Eve fire might be astounded to hear such rude comments out of supposed adults' mouths. The bashing of Wheeling firefighters and the way they handled the fire is uncalled for. That structure was fully engulfed when they got there. Anyone who could do the job better is welcome to step up to the plate, take the test and prove it. Yes, I am the wife and sister-in-law to two retired Wheeling firefighters. During their years on the department, Wheeling saw some of the biggest and most devastating fires (many arson) but the entire town didn't burn down as some predicted when Bernhardt's burned or when Kara's Bridal store burned. How about the Bing's furniture store fire, a second-alarm or more blaze that brought firefighters from everywhere to downtown because at the same time, the Country Western bar next to Independence Hall also was going up in smoke. At that time, there was mutual aid from across the river departments brought in to Wheeling. Everyone worked together. But unless there is a mutual aid agreement between departments, there are liability issues when someone wants to just jump in and help. I will not jump in the middle of the paid vs. volunteer battle because I have my bias on some of those issues. However, the Wheeling fire department is a young department once again as is cyclical in all departments of the city.
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