Search Results for: blog angels in the outfield 1994

Angels in the Outfield (1994)

This feel-good family film tells the story of Roger Bomman, (Joseph Gordon-Leavit) a boy who has been placed in foster care by his shiftless widowed father (Dermot Mulroney). Roger has been living in Maggie’s foster care home for a number of months, all the time holding on to the hope that his father will come get him, but when his father does come, it’s to tell him that he will be given over to the state permanently. His dad just can’t get it together enough to take care of him. When Roger asks, “When will we be a family again?” … Continue reading →

The Wedding Planner (2001)

“The Wedding Planner” stars Jennifer Lopez as Mary Fiore, a young woman who has built up a career as a wedding planner. She has all the organizational skills to run a high-class business, but she hasn’t been so lucky in love herself—her fiancé cheated on her with her best friend. Feeling that her chance for happiness has passed her by, she instead spends her time helping others find their happily ever after. One day while crossing the street, her shoe gets caught in the middle of the road. Out of nowhere comes a dashing knight in shining armor who pulls … Continue reading →

Prevent Pitching Injuries

Baseball season is on the horizon. Every year, it seems like more and more young pitchers end up with serious injuries to their arms — like torn rotator cuffs. So how do you protect your baseball star? A study from Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas found that something as simple as playing catch during the off season can cut down on the risk of pitching-related shoulder injuries. David Lintner, the head team physician for the Houston Astros was involved with the study. Lintner pointed out that many high school athletes play multiple sports. They often go from a fall sport … Continue reading →

The Road to Paris – Nikki Grimes

Paris Richmond is an eight-year-old girl who has already seen more of her fair share of difficulty in her life. The daughter of a black mother and a white father, she has darker skin but blonde hair, which gains her curious and often critical looks from people she meets. What’s worse, though, is the fact that her mother is an alcoholic and her father hasn’t been seen for years. Neither has her brother Malcolm’s father. These two children wouldn’t know what to do with a full-time father in their lives. When the Department of Family Services finds out just how … Continue reading →

Sports This Week: Two Baseball Deaths, Bonds Closes in on a Record

Two Baseball Deaths I found it somewhat odd today that I read about two very different baseball deaths that occurred Sunday. One was that of minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh. Mike was hit in the head by a line drive during a game between the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, for whom Mike was a first base coach, and the Arkansas Travelers. After he was hit, CPR was administered and he was taken to Baptist Medical Center in North Little Rock, but pronounced dead at 9:47 pm. Mike had two small boys and another baby on the way. What struck me as … Continue reading →

Holes (2003)

This movie, based on the book by Louis Sachar, was very odd. Shia LeBeouf stars as Stanley Yelnats, a teenage boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. While walking home from school one day, a pair of sneakers comes sailing and hits him on the head. His dad is a scientist, working on a formula for foot odor, and so he picks up the shoes, thinking his dad can use them. However, it turns out the shoes were donated to a homeless shelter by a famous basketball player as a fundraiser, and as Stanley was the … Continue reading →

Tinospora

Folk legend in India says that a climbing plant with heart-shaped leaves was responsible for keeping the angels eternally young. They call it “giloya” — heavenly elixir. But the plant known as tinospora (tinospora cordifolia) has more mundane uses as well. Tinospora has long been used in ayurvedic medicine to enhance longevity, promote intelligence, and prevent disease. Research in more recent years has focused on that last element: preventing disease. A 2004 study at Miami Children’s Hospital showed that tinospora can help trigger activity in white blood cells — your body’s natural defenders. A special carbohydrate in tinospora seems to … Continue reading →