BASEBALL SEASON HALF OVER

It is hard to believe that our high school baseball is half over, it just seems like yesterday that we started practice. At the half way point the Colonials are 6-4 overall and 2-2 in the Central District 1 game behind the CD leaders Thomas Dale, Matoaca and Dinwiddie. This week we will visit Meadowbrook on Tuesday and play at home Thursday against the Crimson Wave of Petersburg. It has been kind of up and down year so far for the Colonials. Jimmie Johnson won last night Sprint Cup race at Phoenix last edging Clint Bowyer for the win, Jeff Burton still leads the point standing by 80 over Kyle Busch and 86 over Dale JR. The Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers both will be in NHL playoff action today, the Rangers look to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series over the Devils while the Caps look to push there lead to 2-0 over the Flyers. Andrew's little league game was washed out last night . Today is Scott's moms birthday, I don't have a picture of her but I though I would wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, I am sure Scott & family are going to take her out for a birthday dinner. Where has everybody been the last few days here on the blog, it looks like I might have to no publish anything on the blog to get everybody's attention again, there are several members who have been MIA from Mickey's Place. Well I think I am going to go for a run outside this morning and see how the pollen is. MICKEY

Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.
St. Thomas Aquinas

1954 - Hank Aaron debuted with the Milwaukee Braves.
1957 - The Boston Celtics won their first NBA Championship. They beat the St. Louis Hawks 125-123 in Game 7.
1963 - Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) got his first hit in the major leagues.
1972 - Major league baseball owners and players agreed to not make up the games lost to the players strike. It was the first strike in the history of major league baseball. Players had walked off the field 13 days earlier.
1979 - The world's longest doubles ping-pong match ended after 101 hours.
1985 - Howard Cosell was a guest on "Saturday Night Live."
1986 - Jack Nicklaus, at age 46, won his sixth Masters.
1997 - Eldrick "Tiger" Woods became the youngest and the first African-American person to win the Masters Tournament at the age of 21. He also set a record when he finished at 18 under par with a tournament-record score of 270.
2002 - Barry Bonds hit his 574th career home run. He moved past Harmon Killebrew and into sixth place.
2003 - Mike Weir became the first Canadian to win the Masters Tournament.

Lyle Waggoner Actor 73
Edward Fox Actor 71
Lanford Wilson Playwright 71
Paul Sorvino Actor 69
Jack Casady Rock musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) 64
Tony Dow Actor, director 63
Al Green singer 62
Ron Perlman Actor 58
William Sadler Actor 58
Peabo Bryson R&B singer 57
Max Weinberg Rock musician ("Late Night with Conan O'Brien" bandleader, E Street Band) 57
Sam Bush Bluegrass musician 56
Jimmy Destri Rock musician (Blondie) 54
Gary Kroeger Actor, comedian 51
Saundra Santiago Actress 51
Joey Mazzola Rock musician (Sponge) 47
Gary Kasparov Chess champion 45
Page Hannah Actress 44
Davis Love III Golfer 44
Caroline Rhea Actress, comedian 44
Marc Ford Rock musician (The Black Crowes) 42
Capleton Reggae singer 41
Ricky Schroder Actor 38
Lou Bega Singer 33
Glenn Howerton Actor, producer 32
Courtney Peldon Actress ("Boston Public") 27
Nellie McKay Singer 26

Communication Skills and Training Definition: Effective Communication Skills By WikiHow.com

Here are some guidelines for developing good communication skills that you can practice anywhere and at anytime.

Steps

1. Make eye contact. Whether you are speaking or being spoken to, looking into the eyes of the person you are in conversation with can make the experience much more successful. Eye contact conveys interest, and encourages your partner to be interested in you in return. In less intimate settings, when giving a speech or when in front of several people, holding the eyes of different members of your audience can personalize what you are saying and maintain attention.

2. Be aware of what your body is saying. Body language can say so much more than a mouthful of words. An open stance with arms easily to your side tells anyone you are talking to that you are approachable and open to hearing what they have to say. Arms crossed and shoulders hunched, on the other hand, suggest disinterest in conversation or unwillingness to communicate. Often, communication can be stopped before it starts by body language that tells people you do not want to talk. Good posture and an approachable stance can make even difficult conversations flow more smoothly.

3. Have courage to say what you think! Communication skills begin with simple communication. Take time each day to be aware of your opinions and feelings. When you are aware of what you believe on a certain issue, you can better convey those thoughts to others. Individuals who are hesitant to speak because they do not feel they have worthwhile opinions need not fear: what is important or worthwhile to one person may not be to another and may be more so to someone else. In a world so very big, someone is bound to agree with you, or to open your eyes to an even deeper perspective. The courage to say what you think can afford you the opportunity to learn more than you did before.

4. Speak loudly enough to be heard. When you are saying what you think, have the confidence to say it so as to be heard. An appropriate volume can inform listeners that you mean what you say, you have thought about what you are saying, and what you are saying is worth hearing. An appropriate tone and volume ensure your listeners hear exactly what you are saying, and decreases room for misunderstanding.

5. Practice. Communication skills can be practiced every day in settings that range from the more social to the more professional. While some people feel the need to take a special college course on communications, or to attend community lectures on giving speeches, you might find that these simple behavior tips can open up new communication opportunities to you. New skills take time to refine, but each time you use your communication skills you open yourself to opportunities and future friendships.