Brian Walker

Rocket Guy is way behind schedule. If things had worked out as planned, he'd already be the first person to single-handedly launch himself into the stratosphere. He'd be making the talk-show rounds, telling audiences about how this slightly wacky toy inventor took a childhood dream and made it a reality. He'd be bragging about how he boosted himself 30 miles straight up in a rocket he made in his home workshop. Or, perhaps he might be dead. Rocketry, after all, is fraught with peril.

Ashley Caswell had never been a believer in love at first sight. Then she met Army Sgt. Brian L. Walker, a fellow military policeman at Ft. Bragg, N.C., who hailed from Lucerne Valley, Calif. "He had me at 'hello,' " she said. Like her, he had blond hair and piercing blue eyes, and it turned out that they had a lot in common. "We could do anything together," she said. "We loved everything outdoors -- fishing, hunting, camping, hiking. " On Dec. 11, 2010, they were married in Las Vegas, and one year later they both deployed to Afghanistan.

Junior punter Brian Walker, a transfer from Bakersfield College, has impressed Cal State Northridge's special teams coach Jeff Kearin during the first week of practice. "He's punting real well," Kearin said. "He puts the ball up high, so we'll get good coverage." Walker last season averaged 40.0 yards and was an All-Western State Conference Northern Division selection. He replaces Joe LaFirenza, who graduated after averaging 40.4 yards last season, second best in the Big Sky Conference.

Above all, the underground comix of the late 1960s and early 1970s were dirty. Unlike the newspaper strips of the era, which featured clean lines and obvious gags, underground comix were jam-packed with scuzzy, hallucinatory images, offering surreal plot lines that often veered toward incoherence.

Ashley Caswell had never been a believer in love at first sight. Then she met Army Sgt. Brian L. Walker, a fellow military policeman at Ft. Bragg, N.C., who hailed from Lucerne Valley, Calif. "He had me at 'hello,' " she said. Like her, he had blond hair and piercing blue eyes, and it turned out that they had a lot in common. "We could do anything together," she said. "We loved everything outdoors -- fishing, hunting, camping, hiking. " On Dec. 11, 2010, they were married in Las Vegas, and one year later they both deployed to Afghanistan.

Brian Walker spent two years at Big Bear High School searching for a home-field advantage. This involved the little matter of finding the home field, which was usually covered by a blanket of snow. At Big Bear, the boys of summer had to wait until the spring meltdown before they could throw out the first pitch. "We didn't really have a field most of the time," Walker said, "because there was snow all over it. We practiced in the gym. I remember my freshman year . . . we played two home games.

Brian Walker continued his torrid hitting with a home run and two singles as Saddleback defeated MiraCosta, 6-1, in a nonconference baseball game in Mission Viejo. Walker, a sophomore transfer from Loyola Marymount, has reached base in 18 of his past 26 plate appearences with 14 hits and three walks. He was hit once. Walker is batting a team-high .413.

Above all, the underground comix of the late 1960s and early 1970s were dirty. Unlike the newspaper strips of the era, which featured clean lines and obvious gags, underground comix were jam-packed with scuzzy, hallucinatory images, offering surreal plot lines that often veered toward incoherence.

Pitcher Brian Walker of Capistrano Valley High School has signed a letter of intent with Loyola Marymount University, Capistrano Valley Coach Bob Zamora said. Walker, a 6-foot 1-inch, 185-pound left-hander, is 3-4 this season with a 1.81 earned-run average and 46 strikeouts. He was 4-0 last season and helped the Cougars win the Southern Section 2-A championship.

In other Orange Empire Conference games: Saddleback 13, Fullerton 12--Brad Porter had a two-out bloop double to cap a five-run rally in the ninth for host Saddleback (12-15, 4-9). Brian Walker had four hits and two RBIs for Saddleback (12-15, 4-9). Darby Carmichael had five hits, including a home run, and Ed Garcia (a grand slam) and Sal Mancuso had home runs for Fullerton (19-12, 6-7).

Rocket Guy is way behind schedule. If things had worked out as planned, he'd already be the first person to single-handedly launch himself into the stratosphere. He'd be making the talk-show rounds, telling audiences about how this slightly wacky toy inventor took a childhood dream and made it a reality. He'd be bragging about how he boosted himself 30 miles straight up in a rocket he made in his home workshop. Or, perhaps he might be dead. Rocketry, after all, is fraught with peril.

Junior punter Brian Walker, a transfer from Bakersfield College, has impressed Cal State Northridge's special teams coach Jeff Kearin during the first week of practice. "He's punting real well," Kearin said. "He puts the ball up high, so we'll get good coverage." Walker last season averaged 40.0 yards and was an All-Western State Conference Northern Division selection. He replaces Joe LaFirenza, who graduated after averaging 40.4 yards last season, second best in the Big Sky Conference.

Brian Walker continued his torrid hitting with a home run and two singles as Saddleback defeated MiraCosta, 6-1, in a nonconference baseball game in Mission Viejo. Walker, a sophomore transfer from Loyola Marymount, has reached base in 18 of his past 26 plate appearences with 14 hits and three walks. He was hit once. Walker is batting a team-high .413.

Brian Walker spent two years at Big Bear High School searching for a home-field advantage. This involved the little matter of finding the home field, which was usually covered by a blanket of snow. At Big Bear, the boys of summer had to wait until the spring meltdown before they could throw out the first pitch. "We didn't really have a field most of the time," Walker said, "because there was snow all over it. We practiced in the gym. I remember my freshman year . . . we played two home games.

An open tryout held by the Cal State Northridge baseball team Saturday yielded no budding All-Americans or even anyone Coach Mike Batesole was interested in inviting to the first official practice Monday. However, five new players were at practice, including left-handed pitcher Carey Novits, who pitched for Northridge last season and returned after an unsuccessful tryout at Cal State Fullerton. Two additions are Northridge football players.

IT'S wandered from Connecticut to Westchester County to Florida over the last three decades, but now, it seems, the National Cartoon Museum will finally have a permanent home. At least, that's how the founders envision the collection scheduled to take up residence early next year in New York's Empire State Building.