Freedom Tower

The new Freedom Tower on the World Trade Center site will pass the Empire State building today as the tallest building in New York. When completed it will be 1776 feet and the tallest in the USA.

Bill "Moose" Skowron

Moose was an 8 time all star and a key player for the Yankees during the 50's and early 60's. He died yesterday at 81 years old. He was one of my favorite players when I was a kid growing up in the NYC area. In fact I got him to autograph a baseball bat for me. I still have it.

NFL Draft

Big news in sports yesterday with the start of the NFL draft. To no one's surprise the Colts selected Andrew Luck of Standford as the number one pick. He's got a tough job ahead of him trying to replace future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, but he should do well. He had a terrific college career.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins season ended last night with a 2-1 OT loss to the Washington Capitals. It was a very close series with all seven games decided by only one point. Anyway it was very disappointing to go from the Stanley Cup winner last year to a first round loser.

Metta World Peace

I find it amazing that a guy, who (as Ron Artest) charged into the stands to fight some fans in perhaps the worst moment ever for the NBA, would change his name to this. It certainly didn't change him much as he was just suspended for 7 games for elbowing another player in the head. This guy is a train wreck. He's a lousy dancer, too.

Rio

There is starting to be a lot of talk, especially on NBC, about the Olympic games this summer in London. I'm sure that they will be great, but what I'm really waiting for are the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. They should be spectacular. London has loads of history, double decker buses, and bad food. Rio has great weather, beautiful beaches, and tiny bikinis. That's an easy choice.

Crazy Weather

It's the end of April and yet western PA and NY are getting a big snow storm. It was all rain on the Cape, but we did get some high winds, too. Actually we needed the rain, so it was welcomed.

Gas Prices

Believe it or not, but gas prices have actually gone down just a bit. In fact the average price now is almost exactly the same as it was a year ago, and there is talk that they might have peaked for the year. That would be good for everybody's pocket book and certainly the economy, but I doubt it. I still think that we'll hit $4/gal easily.

Fenway Park

Fenway Park is 100 years old today. Needless to say it's the cause of a huge celebration in Boston. All the local tv stations were broadcasting live from there starting at 4:30 am this morning. Quite frankly I like Wrigley Field in Chicago better.

Dick Clark

Tributes are pouring in for another American idol, who passed away yesterday. Dick Clark was the "worlds oldest teenager" and beloved by 6 generations of Americans. He shaped the music business and gave starts to many of the biggest stars.

Fishing

As I understand it, the rule of thumb is that strippers return when we get yellow outside. That is to say daffodils, forsythia, and dandelions bloom. Well I don't know if the fish are back or not, but I've certainly got lots of weeds in my lawn.

Tax Day

Today is the final day to file your income tax return. I've already e-filed mine, but need to mail in my check for the balance due. I haven't gotten a refund in a long time.

Boston Marathon

Today is Patriot's Day and the running of the Boston Marathon, which is probably the most famous race in the world. Unfortunately it's going to be hot. They are expecting record high temperatures. That's very dangerous for the runners. I'm sure that they will slow down and drink lots of water, but I suspect many will end up with an IV in their arm to rehydrate them.

Laphroaig

Last night I opened up a bottle of Laphroaig single malt scotch whisky. It's great stuff: full bodied with a strong smoke and peat taste. Today I registered at their web site and now own (actually lifetime lease) one square foot of land on Islay alongside the Killbride stream. That's cool.

North Korea Missile Launch

North Korea launched a missile yesterday or at least they tried. It only lasted 81 seconds before it blew up. I think it's safe to call it a "dud". Maybe if they fed their scientists, they might do better. It's hard to concentrate when your stomach is growling.

It's Over

With Rick Santorum officially dropping out of the Republican primary, Mitt Romney now becomes the nominee. Neither Paul nor Gingrich have enough delegates to possibly win.

Wild Fires

The dry conditions and high winds have red flags flying up and down the east coast. There are even some wild fires burning in the NYC metro area. That's virtually unheard of, especially this time of the year. It's been a very unusual weather year so far.

Mike Wallace

Tributes are pouring in for one of greatest TV interviews ever.  He was "tough but fair" with an emphasis on tough.

Masters Golf Tournament

After two rounds the leader board at Augusta is packed with the top pros and even the old favorite, Fred Couples. He loves that course. Noticeably absent is Tiger Woods. He's way back and not playing well. It should be an exciting weekend. It's certainly nice to be talking about golf and not about female membership in the club.

Cheating Death

A New Jersey roofer is lucky to be alive today. While working on a roof his nail gun jammed. He's cleared jams hundreds of time, but this time he had the gun pointed at his chest, and it fired a 3 inch nail into his heart! How his guy survived is a miracle.

Vodka

I have found what I consider to be an amazing buy in vodka. The local liquor store carries Ruskova. It is produced and bottled in Russia and distilled six times. It tastes great and is very smooth. Today I bought two 1.75 liter bottles for only $13.99 each. That's a great deal.

Dallas Tornadoes

The Dallas area got hit by a number of tornadoes yesterday. These were very powerful storms. The videos showed track trailers being tossed around like toys. Fortunately no one was killed.

Kentucky Losers

Kentucky won the men's NCAA basketball title Monday night, but the university was the big loser because their "fans" rioted in the street for the second time in three days. Meanwhile the Kansas supporters showed their class by being gracious in defeat.