On the Human Cost of War

It's terrible "...if the weather is nice, and it's during the day..."

On Representing

On the field of Beaver Stadium at half-time of the Penn State vs. Iowa game on September 26, 2009. Despite the outcome of the game, it was a great experience! To my right are the representatives of the Penn State Dickinson School of Law and my left are representatives from the Penn State York campus. The lovely girl holding the other end of the College of Medicine banner is Jill Steiner, another student from Penn State Hershey.

On boondoggle...

I can't admit to being very supportive of many of the Obama Administration's initiatives over the past few months. But I'm TOTALLY supporting bringing the Olympics to Chicago in 2016! We'll find out Friday. However, some members of the GOP think that Obama's travel to Copenhagen to support the Chicago Olympic bid is "boondoggle..."

______________________________________

Boondoggle (noun)
Pronounced boon-dog-gle
1. Wasteful pursuit - an activity or project that is unnecessary and wasteful of time or money, especially one undertaken for personal or political gain
2. Politically motivated government project - a government project of little practical value funded to gain political favor

On Customer Service

Here's what to do when you think you've gotten bad Customer Service

On Foreign Policy

"Diplomatic engagement" .

It's brilliant.

On Legislation

Is there anyone so goddamn stupid and lazy they really believe it's too much to expect legislators to read the legislative bills they vote on? Of course, I mean other than Congress and the press.

On Lycoming College Football

Lycoming fell 32-29 to Bridgewater yesterday in a rain-soaked affair in Bridgewater, VA.

Biglerville alums Ryan Wagaman (Jr) and Parker Showers (Fr) both played well.

Wagaman hauled in 4 receptions for 68 yards and Showers posted an 85 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.



Fast forward to 1:31 of video to see Ryan Wagaman reception on an inside screen. Video courtesy of WOLnews.com.

Slide show containing some nice photos (10-14) of Showers kick return can be found here.

Lycoming falls to 1-2 on the season. The Warriors open conference play next Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, PA against King's College.

On Administration Policy

"Brilliant."

On Taxes

How can the President raise taxes when he doesn't know what a tax is?

It's a "brilliant" defense of Administration policy.

Link is now fixed.

On Health Care Reform

"...Shut up or else" is the prevailing tactic by the President and Democrat party leaders in support of their Health Care Reform proposals. Unfortunately for all of us, this is what qualifies as "brilliant" political leadership.

On Lycoming College Football

Lycoming defeated Susquehanna 37-23 yesterday in Selinsgrove, PA and remains in proud possession of Staggs Hat. Parker Showers played on Punt Return, Kick-off Return and Kick-off Coverage.




Ryan Wagaman ( a Biglerville High graduate) also had a good game. The Junior wideout caught 4 passes for 51 yards.

091209: Reporters Notebook - "Wild Wiffleball Slugfest"

It was another wild slugfest Monday afternoon, during the annual Labor Day Wiffleball Game at Sterner Field, along the banks of the Susquehanna River near Wrightsville.
The veteran Aunts & Uncles Team hung onto an 11-10 victory, marking the squad’s first victory in the heated rivalry since 2005.
Undermanned but overly determined, the Aunts & Uncles built an early 9-4 lead, thanks to a pair of homers from Uncle Dan, and a leadoff dinger from Uncle Jeff, who homered on the first pitch of the ballgame off ace hurler Jamie Lynn Pitzer.
“I don’t think I got on base again the whole afternoon,” Uncle Jeff laughed after the game.
But the upstart Nieces & Nephews Team rallied, knotting the score at 10 runs a piece heading into the seventh and final frame. After two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh, Aunt Patti and Uncle Dave reached base safely, after generous calls from the umpiring crew.
Uncle Stan then legged out an infield single, scoring Aunt Patti from third base with the running run.
“We just wanted it more,” said an exhausted Uncle Stan.
A raucous celebration ensued, and a sell-out crowd gave the team a standing ovation from the outfield bleachers.
“Heart, baby,” Gregg Pitzer, my father, told the Associated Press. “It’s all about heart.”
The game featured several sensational grabs in the outfield, where quirky dimensions made “routine” plays quite difficult. Dad robbed several base hits away from the Nieces & Nephews Team, with nifty catches overtop a dangerous utility line.
Additionally, young cousin Stephen Mentzer leaped against Aunt Vickie’s Toyota Prius deep in centerfield, robbing Uncle Stan of a monstrous homerun.
“Look for that on ESPN tonight,” said Grandma Mentzer.
Still, the Nieces & Nephew Team will have to wait until Memorial Day to get back on the winning side of the rivalry.
Tickets are now on sale now for the "can’t-miss" event.
“Every game is unpredictable,” Umpire Pappy Mentzer said regarding the back-and-forth contests, where legends are born and history is made.
You don’t want to miss the excitement.
~ Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter

On Football

Yesterday, for the first time in 12 years, I attended a Lycoming College (my alma mater) football game. Lycoming dropped their season opener to Rowan by a score of 29-7.

The draw was a freshman tailback named Parker Showers out of Biglerville High School (also my alma mater), who is the son of a close friend and a young man I've known for several years.

Showers wears Number 1 for Lycoming and saw playing time in his first collegiate contest on punt return, kick-off return and a little mop-up duty at tailback.

Showers delivered some nice blocks on several punt and kick-off returns. As one of the two deep backs on kick returns, he got the opportunity to return one kick-off, bringing it from the 2 yard line back to the 28.

In mop-up duty at tailback, he had 3 carries for 9 yards.

Next Saturday, "The Battle of the Boot" vs. Susquehanna in Selinsgrove, PA.



Our protagonist takes the field for his collegiate debut.

On Health Care

When the Democrats say the Republicans "have no plan for Health Care Reform", they mean "except for the 32 bills proposed by Republicans."

On Sincerity

"...raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure."

- Senator Barack Obama

The text of the whole speech is here.

On Gingerism...

The world in which we live has many problems. I suppose soon the gingers will want to have their own annual parade too?

Felix the Bat

In the 26 games he's played since the All Star break, Felix Pie is hitting .317 with 6 HR and 16 RBI and a Slugging Avg of .610. Those 26 games include one in which he hit for the cycle.

On Politics

Of course. What could the problem possibly be?