Saturday, May 25, 2013
Chase Utley joins a growing list of injured Philadelphia Phillies so far this year.
Add Chase Utley to the list. Just when you thought the Philadelphia Phillies second baseman might make it through the year injury-free, Utley has now been shelved by an oblique strain. He's the latest casualty on a growing list of players that could sink the Phillies season before we hit June. Utley's out. And he joins Carlos Ruiz, who has a foot injury that will keep him out of action for several weeks; fifth starter John Lannan, who got knocked out after a few starts; Roy Halladay, possibly out for the year after shoulder surgery, and Mike Adams, the key set-up man to closer Jonathan Papelbon. And don't forget that Ryan Howard is battling injuries that could linger all season. It's not looking good for a team that needs every player …
Friday, May 24, 2013
Looking for something other than a Camry from one of the world's largest automakers.
My car’s rear seats don’t fold down. They did on my previous car, which was a coupe version of my current car, but my car’s first owner didn’t pony up the money for the cold-weather package … so now I’m stuck with a small trunk and no headlamp washers. First world problems, I know. And because my seats don’t fold down, whenever I want to go skiing, or surfing, or just carry a long stick in my vehicle, I’ve got to run to my mother. She drives a 2001 Toyota RAV4. It’s cavernous, can plow through 2 feet of snow with its gas-guzzling, always-on 4-wheel drive system and 70-series tires, and is probably the slowest vehicle I’ve ever driven. I’m always welcome to drive it when I need to take a tortuous trip to Ikea and I love it. But, being a …
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Former Quarterback Donovan McNabb announced this week that he is going to retire as a Philadelphia Eagle.
With the Philadelphia Eagles in mini-camp this week, a lot has been discussed about the team's quarterbacks. Who will emerge as the starter among Michael Vick, Nick Foles and rookie Matt Barkley. But then another quarterback's name entered the picture. And while he's not fighting for a roster spot, he's gunning for a legacy in Philadelphia Eagles history. Donovan McNabb announced this week his intentions to retire as a Philadelphia Eagle. And the team is planning a ceremony that will enable McNabb to be honored with Coach Andy Reid and his new team the Kansas City Chiefs in town. Ah, No. 5 and Big Red. Those were the days... And don't you miss those days? Maybe we took it for granted that McNabb put the Birds in playoff position every year…
Friday, May 17, 2013
Eric Savage left the VW/Audi world to work on MINIs and BMWs in Manayunk.
It’s possible to walk past Helix Motorsports on Umbria Street in Manayunk and not know what happens in the building. Nestled between row homes and close to a bar, an elementary school and a purveyor of tomato pie, Helix’s headquarters could pass as a law or a dental office. It’s modest, just the way owner Eric Savage likes it. Savage comes across as a mellow guy, but he’s taken some risks in his career … and they seem to have paid off, as his MINI and BMW tuning business is now a pretty heavy hitter in the car community. In 2001 Savage left AWE Tuning, a Willow Grove-based VW/Audi-focused company, to start something of his own. He then bought a MINI, rented some brewery space and then moved to Manayunk. “Basically, the way we started, we…
40.030615
-75.230063
4648 Umbria St, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/helix-motorsports
/locations/9398783
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay may be riding off into the sunset with the team if he returns to pitch this year.
You hate the "What If's." You wonder what if "The Rotation" held up and made it through the 2011 season healthy. Would it have brought the team another World Series championship? We may never know. All we know is that Roy Halladay—once the franchise ace of the Philadelphia Phillies—may be riding off into the sunset. Doc's tenure with the Phils is bound to come to an end this year now that he is on the shelf facing shoulder surgery next week. Maybe he comes back at the end of the year and pushes the Phils into the playoffs for a World Series run. Doc's contract is up at the end of this year and there's no way the Phillies will pick up his $20 million option. So Doc may win that elusive World Series. But it just might be with another team …
Friday, May 10, 2013
How and where not to drive your car, from the car manufacturers.
I don’t find car commercials particularly interesting. Sure, a handful of car ads have been entertaining, and they’re usually for Volkswagens (remember the ad with the guy trying to race to the church?), but the most part, the ads are trying to peddle mass-produced people haulers and grocery getters. They usually don’t focus on the car, or how it performs, rather they feature an announcer shouting words at the viewer, accompanied by lots of numbers on the screen. What I do find interesting, or just plain absurd, are the warnings slapped on the ads. In fine print at the bottom of the screen, the warnings tell me what not to do with a particular vehicle. Drag racing on city streets? Don’t do that. Pegging the speedometer to the right as you…
Monday, May 6, 2013
After two and a half years, taking a brief sabbatical.
Patch has been a great forum for me the past two plus years to share my attempts at forecasting. It's been a great experience to hone my writing skills and engage with you via the electronic realm while firing up a forecast that was decent sometimes, awful at others, and perfect every once in a while. Kinda like Ryan Howard, only with much less pay, far lower expectations, and the ability to hit the occasional changeup or slider. Weather is within my blood and it's a part of my conversation, far more than it is for most people. I have been through blizzards, near tornadoes, experienced a little bit of everything meteorological and am fascinated with how the atmosphere works, evolves, and changes. I enjoy talking about it and also enjoy …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The Philadelphia Eagles made some big picks in the recent NFL Draft and pulled out a few surprises.
There's a lot to get excited about if you're a Philadelphia Eagles fans these days. For numerous years, the fan base has shaken its head after hearing the news about who the Philadelphia Eagles took in the NFL Draft. Does anyone remember Mike Mamula? How about Freddie Mitchell? At least he had great hands—well, Mitchell said he did. So when the Birds were gearing up for the recent NFL Draft, many fans were cringing over who their selections would be. We had visions of Andy Reid dancing in our heads. And even though owner Jeff Lurie absolved general manager Howie Roseman from blame for past drafts, we weren't really buying it. And then the Birds began selecting... Now offensive linemen aren't the sexy picks we all love, but they usually …
Friday, May 3, 2013
No one likes to be left out, and car companies are no different.
I was driving to work the other day and a silver car with LEDs and a gaping front end came up behind me pretty quickly, stopping next to me at a red light on Henry Avenue. Though the car could have been anything … with its LEDs, and gaping grill, I gave it a quick glance. According to its front caliper, it was an Audi R8. Being not your typical grocery-getter, it qualified for a quick thumbs-up … as is customary. The driver smiled and nodded in appreciation … as is customary. Five years ago, I would have thought that this car was either a manufacturer’s prototype, never meant for production … or a spaceship. The R8’s 12 LEDs look like single units from some distances and look like one strip of light from other distances. The look was …
Monday, April 29, 2013
A slow progression of weather is in the offing over the next few days as a couple of slow-moving systems foul up weather in portions of the country. One likely impacts us early in the week, with a possible second system for next weekend.
After a brilliant weekend of sunshine and mild temperatures, the upcoming week will be less ideal. A slow moving pattern has setup across the country and Atlantic thanks in part to a large storm system near the Azores Islands. This blocking pattern is yielding a slow-moving pattern upstream to the west through the rest of the Atlantic and across eastern North America. Unfortunately, when a storm system moves in, this pattern means things will linger around for a while and lead to an unsettled stretch of weather for the first part of the week. Showers and drizzle will be with us for Monday and Tuesday as a weak disturbance tracks to our south. This weak low, in tandem with high pressure over Nova Scotia, will push east breezes into the…
Kevin Huff Sr.
8:53 am on Saturday, May 25, 2013
Everything is OK. The new Head Cheese is the current third base coach. Charlie Manuel can go now and all will be forgiven. They had a good run but the Phillies are older now and if I may quote the Roliing Stones,who know better than anyone,"time waits for no one,and it won't wait for me". more ›