And I'm sure his parents are so proud.

Police say a New York University student has been ticketed on a trespassing charge after he burst onto the field at Yankee Stadium during his graduation and darted through the diamond in his academic gown and underwear. I hadn't realized that the basic graduation outfit has changed so much.

William Lopez tagged third base and was making for home plate when a security guard tackled him during Wednesday's ceremony. Students had been told to stay off the storied field.

The 21-year-old film major tells the Daily News he did it out of "happiness and spontaneity." But NYU spokesman John Beckman calls the stunt disappointing, saying the university expects students to abide by rules.

Lopez has been released until a July 14 court date.



I hadn't realized that the basic graduation outfit has changed so much. I'm truly grateful that he had on underwear at all and I'm hoping he at least had on clean underwear.


Here is your Today in History -

May 15, 1886 -



Emily Dickinson finally heard the buzzing of that fly in her room on this date.

This day is little remembered and yet of great import. It was on May 15, 1916, that Sir Mark Sykes of Britain and Georges Picot of France, with Russia's assent, confirmed their agreement to carve up the tottering Ottoman Empire between them. In brief, here are some of the some of the issues these knuckleheads were trying to sort out were -

Russia vs Turkey vs Greece over Constantinople, the Straits and Thrace

France vs the Arabs vs Turkey over Syria

Britain vs France vs the Arabs vs the Zionists over Palestine

Greece vs Turkey vs Italy over Smyrna and southwest Asia Minor

Britain vs France vs the Arabs vs Turkey over Kurdish northern Iraq

France vs Turkey over southeastern Asia Minor and Alexandretta

Russia vs Turkey over Armenia and The southeast Black Sea coast

Most of the mess that was the 20th Century can be traced back to the accord. America, for once, wasn't in on the deal.

May 15, 1918 -
The US Post Office Department (later renamed the USPS) begins the first regular airmail service in the world (between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC). The flight set the standard for airmail service to come: the first flight got lost and the mail bags had to be deliver via train service.

In honor of this special date the Postal Service raised the rate of First Class Postage three days ago. Hooray!!!

May 15, 1928 -
Plane Crazy was the first animated cartoon to feature Mickey Mouse as well as Minnie Mouse (Mickey's girlfriend). The short was co-directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Iwerks was also the main animator for this short and reportedly spent six weeks working on it. Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising were credited for assisting him; these two had already signed their contracts with Charles Mintz, but he was still in the process of forming his new studio and so for the time being they were still employed by Disney. This short would be the last they animated under this somewhat awkward situation. In case you don't know it kids, these guys are the giants of animation and they all worked on this one cartoon.



May 15 1960 -
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik IV, a three-ton spacecraft containing a "dummy cosmonaut." The mission goes fine until they attempt to retrofire. A bug in the guidance system had pointed the capsule in the wrong direction, so instead of dropping into the atmosphere the satellite moves into a higher orbit.



May 15 1972 -
Hoping to gain everlasting infamy, Arthur Bremer pumps five bullets into Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace during a campaign stop in Laurel, Maryland. In his haste, the gunman forgets to yell his carefully-chosen catchphrase, "Penny for your thoughts!" And when Wallace survives the assassination attempt, albeit confined to a wheelchair, Bremer's name is soon forgotten.


May 15 1985 -
Graduate student John Hauser loses most of his right hand in a UC Berkeley computer room when he opens an innocent-looking box attached to a looseleaf binder. It is the second device left in this building from the Unabomber. In fact, the engineering professor who applies the tourniquet to Hauser's arm was the victim in the previous attack, three years prior.

May 15 1991 -
Alan Cooper stands trial in England for "committing a lewd, obscene, and disgusting act on the 12-foot dolphin called Freddie as they frolicked for 20 minutes off the harbor mouth at Amble, Northumberland." Cooper responds by claiming that his accuser was a sworn enemy and had trained dolphins for a movie to jump out of the water and tear off a woman's bikini bra. He is eventually acquitted of masturbating the cetacean. Hey, literally, I guess whatever floats your boat.



Happy Birthday Michael. Johnny V get well soon.

And so it goes