Rise and Shine --- Where is Pete Best?

Good Morning and here we are back on the air-conditioned train!!!

So, took in something called 'Beatlemania Again' at Rose Tree Park last night. It was a nice show on a nice night and met a lot of nice people.
Saying that, I really never understood the need for kind of groups.
Wouldn't it be just as entertaining if they went up and played Beatle songs without actually trying to look like the Beatles. It's like those Elvis impersonators. None of them really look like Elvis. You know the person is not Elvis.
The same goes for the Beatles. The nostalgia thing never really stuck with me anyway, so just go out looking like yourself and play the songs. Probably would have been just as many people there last night.
Here's a kicker for you. We were hoping to get a member of the band to join us for our Live From the Newsroom broadcast. We were told, though, they wouldn't come out unless they could be in character and would only be interviewed as if they were the Beatles.
While it would have been humorous on one end to see Gil Spencer trying to interview a fake John Lennon, it was a little too much.
Having said that, I would recommend getting to one of these concerts before the summer is over.

Rise and Shine --- Ho hum, the NFL

Good Morning and if that was a break in the humidity this morning, I have a bridge for sale!!!

Don't you just love it when billion dollar people argue with millionaires about how much more money they can make. Finally, when they decide to meet in the middle, people celebrate when it would have been far more interesting to see them continue to argue.
Sure, the NFL is going to have a 2011 season. Was there ever really any doubt in your mind? When the players started to feel the real pinch of missing paychecks and the owners realized that TV money (not to mention the other stuff that goes with NFL games) might dry up, the deal was going to get done.
The legions will come back with their cheers and claps. The game will be called "more popular than ever" and life will go on as it was going.
Now, what would have been a better deal would have been if the players would have demanded the owners lower ticket prices. After all, without you spending a couple hundred on a Sunday, where would they all be anyway.
Of course, that will never happen.
Those that have the money can keep making it. The rest, well, just deal.

Rise and Shine --- Swimming

Good Morning and welcome to (supposedly) a break from the heat!

The plan at the beginning of every summer is to join a pool and take advantage of it when it gets really hot. The plan falls apart every summer when I remember how much it costs to join a pool.
So, we take advantage of Grandmom and Grandpop's hospitality and jump. As the summer sun continued to bear down last week, their pool was a welcome respite.
When the heat was there again Saturday morning, I thought it was a good idea to stay in the air conditioning. So, we hit a couple of stores and saw a small, throwaway pool for $3.
OK, I thought, it would be perfect for those days when I didn't feel like driving. Saturday being one of those days, we got the pool home and filled it up.
So, with bathing suits on, one foot went into the water when the unbelievable came.
"It's too cold!!!"
Too cold, I said, it's like 150 degrees out here today. Walk around the house once, then you'll be ready to go in.
"That's not going to work. The water is too cold. It needs to be heated!!!"
OK, I continued, we'll stay outside until you're ready to get wet.
Lasted about 10 minutes. Now, I want it too stay hot for a few weeks.

Rise and Shine --- Oh that A.C.

Good Morning and where's the nearest pool!

A decent Facebook discussion yesterday centered around air conditioning. The crux of the back-and-forth was the need for air conditioning. After all, there was a time when there were no air conditioners.
I remember talking to my Grandfather once about it and he said something like it wasn't something you thought about. Some had fans. Others just opened the windows and hoped for a breeze. I even heard about people who would put shirts in the freezer.
For the first time in my life, I have central air in the house. It certainly has made a difference the last couple of days.
I used to be one of those who would just grin and bear it. There were ceiling fans, floor fans and a couple of window units to keep area's cool. Most of the time, the air conditioner stayed off.
Which is exactly what it was like growing up. We had air conditioners in the bedrooms, but the rest of the house was A.C.-free.
Somehow, we survived, sure, but it's a lot nicer surviving in a cool house.
Here is some history of air conditioning

Rise and Shine --- Summer and the TV

Good Morning and turn down the heat!!

I can remember back to the days when the only new thing on nighttime television during the summer was the Phillies game. The rest of the channels (we only had seven back then) would show reruns or bad movies.
Well, OK, maybe they weren't so bad. There seemed to be something starring Burt Reynolds on every week.
Much like everything else these days, things have changed.
The Phillies are still there, but so are some shows that make those 9-11 hours pretty entertaining.
I was thinking about this while watching "Falling Skies" last night. It might not be the best acted show, but it kind of serves as a barbeque for the brain. After spending the day outside in the heat, somthing like a bunch of people fighting an alien invasion seems just about right (no matter how hokey).
There are also shows like "The Glades" or "The Closer" to bring out the vegetable in us all.
Sometimes, you just need that.

Rise and Shine --- Don't eat there

Good Morning and what a nice one it is today!

So, a big story earlier this week was about a Pittsburgh restaurant that banned children.
From some corners of the world, the owner garnered all kinds of praise. "Way to go!" they said. "We don't want to be bothered looking at children while we eat."
To me, this smells like nothing more than a publicity stunt. In this economy, restaurants are getting hurt worse than any other business. You have to differentiate yourself from the competition.
It's really no different than that wahoo down in Philadelphia who demands his customers speak perfect English. He needed a boost and, boom, got national publicity.
Look, if the site and sounds of children in a restaurant bother you so much, than stay away from the Friday's, Applebees and the like. There are plenty of places people just don't take their children to eat. Choose one of them.
Oh, wait, it's easier to just complain. I forgot about that.

Rise and Shine -- On the grill

Good Morning and I can stand the heat!

So, every spring when I first fire up the grill, I can't wait to get the hot dogs and burgers going. Then, as the summer approaches, it's time to get maybe some corn on there as well.
By July, though, the burgers and hot dogs are no longer so exciting.
This year, it's time to try other things.
This past weekend, pineapple and peaches have shown up on the fire. The result was a fruit that became extra-sweet. Tasty enough, in fact, to become dessert.
This weekend, veggies and, oh no, pizza.

Rise and Shine --- Back to the grind

Good Morning and, man, it's hot out there!

So, probably one of the worst weeks of the year is that week after a vacation. Well, at least for me, the vacation mindset is still there, especially when you have a great time.
Spend the last week in Orlando checking out Disney World. Had a fun time. Didn't have to wait in long lines, ate too much and spent too much money. All factors of a great vacation.
Now, it's time to get back to work. Time to forget about the pool at the hotel and the laughing children and the yummy ice cream.
OK, maybe not yet. Check back next week.