Baker, Harrison and Querrey Get Wildcards into Cincy

The first men's wild cards for the 2012 Western & Southern Open have been awarded to Americans Brian Baker, Ryan Harrison and Sam Querrey. Their countrywoman Venus Williams had previously been announced as the first women's wild card recipient for the August 11-19 tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

Baker is enjoying success following a remarkable comeback from five surgeries that kept him from the game for six years. The 2003 French Open junior finalist, Baker underwent left hip surgery in 2005, a sports hernia operation in 2006, and in 2008 underwent Tommy John surgery in addition to operations on both his left and right hips. While rehabilitating, Baker served as an assistant coach at Belmont University in his native Nashville. He returned to pro tennis in 2011, and this season reached his first career final in Nice and the Round of 16 at Wimbledon to approach the Top 75 in the rankings.

Harrison travels back to Wimbledon this week to represent the United States in the 2012 London Olympic Games. The 20-year-old attained a career-high ranking this month after reaching three ATP World Tour semifinals this season - at Newport, Eastbourne and San Jose. Last year he was a two-time semifinalist during the Emirates Airline US Open Series. Earlier this year he played his first Davis Cup ties, and in April was the first US teenager to play a live rubber since Andy Roddick in 2001.

Querrey is a past quarterfinalist at the Western & Southern Open who began 2011 in the Top 20. Early last summer he underwent right elbow surgery, and his comeback from that injury was realized in June when he reached the semifinal at Queen's Club prior to Wimbledon. This week he is competing at the Emirates Airline US Open Series event in Los Angeles where he is a two-time champion.

The addition of these three wild cards brings the men's entries to 47 for the 56-player field. Williams is the 38th player named for the 54-player women's field. Additional wild cards will be announced for both the ATP World Tour and WTA fields, in addition to further players being added to the fields via the qualifying tournaments that will be held August 11-12.

The complete player lists as well as ticket information for the Western & Southern Open can be found online at www.cincytennis.com.

Today's Google Doodle: Amelia Earhart

Today's Google Doodle celebrates the 115th birthday of this female aviator.

Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

In honor of the iconic pilot's birthday, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery is headed to Hawaii in hopes of discovering the wreckage from the plane that crashed on Amelia Earhart's final flight. The group believes that 75 years ago, this month, she crashed her navigator plane into a reef off an island in the Pacific Ocean. The group has already collected a large amount of video and sonar footage of the area and will use it before and after their voyage this week. They're already planning another trip for next year to search the land where Earhart is believed to have survived after he plane went down.

Amy Adams recently played the role of Amelia Earhart in Night at the Museum 2.

My 7/19/12 Appearance on CJAD News Talk Radio 800 AM in Montreal

I talked gadgets for the summer road trip with Tracy.

If you are getting ready for a summer road trip with the kids, have a listen.

listen to ‘Talking Summer raod trip gadgets with CJAD 800 AM in Montreal’ on Audioboo

Kindle Free Pick of the Week: The Hostage

Meet Elmore Ackerman. He idolizes Sarah Roberts from afar, and has done so for more than five years. He has studied her pictures, memorized her news clippings and now waits in the dark for the day when he can make Sarah his hostage.

A steel cage waits for Sarah, where Elmore has practiced what he will do to her. The other girls he has practiced with now lay discarded, buried about his property. He keeps their fingernails and toenails to roll between his teeth, to savor their strength, to feel the nails weaken and give in, just as his victims do.

Elmore has a plan for Sarah, and she walks right into his trap.

Sarah Roberts is his hostage and no one knows where they are.

In Sarah Roberts Book Four, The Hostage, Sarah is in a fight not just for her freedom, but also her life.

By Jonas Saul, a thriller you should get.

21 Treated for Burns at Tony Robbins Firewalk

Amid inspirational talk, chanted mantras and shouts of victory at a late-night firewalking event attended by thousands Thursday came agonized shrieks from followers whose soles were scorched by the superheated coals, witnesses said.

At least 21 people were treated for burn injuries after taking part in the crowning event of the first day of a Tony Robbins function downtown, including at least three who went to the hospital, a San Jose fire captain said.

The people who suffered various second- and third-degree burn injuries were among more than 6,000 who attended the motivational speaker's event at the San Jose Convention Center called "Unleash the Power Within."

After the event, which ended about 11 p.m., the crowd walked across the street to the park, where 12 lanes of hot coals measuring 10 feet long and 2½-feet wide rested on the grass.

t took about 90 minutes for everyone to walk across the coals, fire officials said. It is not known how many of the people who attended the conference took part in the firewalk.

San Jose Fire Department Capt. Reggie Williams said event organizers had emergency personnel on standby and had obtained an open fire permit from the San Jose Fire Department, Williams said. A fire inspector from the department was at the event to make sure there was no accidental fire.

A statement released Friday from Robbins Research International, said, "We have been safely providing this experience for more than three decades, and always under the supervision of medical personnel ... We continue to work with local fire and emergency personnel to ensure this event is always done in the safest way possible."

On the Tony Robbins website, he promotes "The Firewalk Experience," a process where people walk across coals between 1,200 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

But that's not something the San Jose Fire Department recommends, Williams said.