Summer

Here's a word of advice to readers with cellphones: Check your bills for mysterious charges. I found a few on my last T-Mobile bill, and it wasn't pretty - some $350 over the last year for services I never ordered from third parties I never heard of. Apparently, there's a lot of this going around. "People are finding charges on their mobile phone bills that they say weren't authorized, including mystery text services that appear out of nowhere and charge for content that people believed was free.

Kids were reading this summer - and in a big way. Baltimore County Public Library officials said this week that the recently completed 2012 summer reading club recorded the most participants in its 35-year history. A total of 48,413 students, an increase of more than 2,400 students from 2011, took part in this year's club. When BCPL started keeping statistics for the program in 1984, there were 3,522 participants. The largest single branch in regard to participants was Cockeysville, which saw 5,741 youngsters sign up. Next was Towson, with 2,808 participants (although the countywide bookmobile technically did a tad better, with 2,856 participants)

Th 25th edition of SummerSlam ended with Brock Lesnar standing tall, having defeated Triple H by tap out with the Kimura Lock. Though their match certainly had some slow points, it was a simple, effective, and (in my opinion) necessary conclusion to this match. With Lesnar winning in clean fashion, he remains a "killer," Triple H doesn't lose anything in defeat, and the Kimura continues to be seen as a devastating finishing maneuver. Lesnar has been announced to appear in the opening segment on Raw on Monday night.

SummerSlam has long been one of WWE's top pay-per-views each year, but this year, the stakes are even higher as the event marks its milestone 25th installment. WWE has been slowly building to this event, teasing confrontation between Brock Lesnar and COO Triple H. Other matches have come together well, too, in recent weeks. On Sunday, SummerSlam emanates from its recently perennial home in Los Angeles. Here's a look at the card and predictions from Ring Posts' Arda Ocal and Adam Testa.

Sabastian and Mason Chizhik enjoy science classes, but they say their teachers often ask questions about nature that leave them searching in vain for answers. Now, having gone to the Earth Art summer camp this week at the Howard Conservancy, the brothers from Marriottsville say they've gained a wealth of knowledge about the great outdoors that they will retrieve when called upon in class. "Last year, my teacher, she liked nature, so she kept asking us questions," said Mason, a rising third-grader.

Anthony Allen may not have the decisive edge in a four-way battle to back up starting tailback Ray Rice, but his weight won't be an issue. The 6-foot-1 Allen said he weighs about 225 pounds, which is 10 pounds less than his weight from last season. He said the weight loss coincided with shaving five percent of his body fat - all in the name of being a better back. “I just toned up,” he said after Wednesday's practice at the team's headquarters in Owings Mills. "I just wanted to get a little faster, a little quicker.

Tens of thousands of shoppers are expected to converge on the Baltimore Convention Center this week for the 32nd Annual Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, an event that has grown to become the largest indoor antiques show in the country. Serious collectors, casual shoppers and the just plain curious will have their pick of hundreds of thousands of items. Everything from fine art, posters and decoys, to estate jewelry, antique armor and exquisite furniture will be featured as some 575 antiques dealers and 90 rare-book sellers participating in the Antiquarian Book Fair set up shop in downtown Baltimore.

As an undrafted rookie last season, Bryan Hall was happy to make the Ravens' practice squad. But the second-year defensive tackle has made it known that a repeat trip to the practice squad is not one of his objectives. “I told the coaches from the jump that I'm not going to be on the practice squad this year, and I'm going to show them why,” he said after Monday's practice at the team's training facility in Owings Mills. “I've been up here this whole time working my tail off. I just want an opportunity to come out and play for the Ravens.” So far, it appears that Hall is being rewarded for his effort.

"Ping Pong Summer," an indie film starring Susan Sarandon, Amy Sedaris and John Hannah, is set to start filming for six weeks in Ocean City next month, the state announced today. The Maryland Film Office estimates that producers will hire 90 local crew, actors and extras, as well as purchasing and renting goods and services from 140 Maryland businesses. The economic impact: $2 million, according to estimates by the state. The film is written and will be directed by Maryland native Mike Tully.

These dog days of summer, when concert halls are terribly quiet around here, are a perfect time for classical music fans to do a little homework that will pay off in the new season. Folks who have never heard, say, Leonard Bernstein's "Kaddish" Symphony, or any other off-the-beaten-path works scheduled in the months ahead can get a lot more out of those experiences with some preparation now. Let's face it: Audiences don't spend much time diligently reading their program books before a performance starts.