SouthSide Works Exposed 2010!
We’re using the really old SSW Exposed web banner, because, simply, we’re to lazy to pull down the new one and crop it.
That’s just the way us bloggers are.
Past the useless crap, and on to the good stuff:
It’s Exposed weekend again. Click Here for the info.
Check it out … Carrie is bringing in the artists again, and Pam from SSW has done another excellent job of mixing up the entertainment.
So, if you have nothing better to do this weekend, get down to Exposed and check out the artists and bands. If you have something better to do (daughter’s wedding, kid’s birthday, etc) nix it and get down to Exposed anyway. I’ll be there (my cousin is showing, and I’m working with Pam on some other stuff) – so if I don’t make an appearance, I’ll hear about it from someone. Nobody said being a weasel was easy.
If you are looking for a breaking during the outside gigs, stop in at Tusca on Friday during Happy Hour for half priced drinks and a Happy Hour menu in the bar area. I’ll be there spinning the background tunes. Help us out by making friends with “Tusca Tapas” and liking “Tusca Global Tapas” on Facebook.
See Ya At Exposed!!! ….. and buy something besides that cheap $3 Steelers bracelet – artists occasionally like to be able to eat something other than dollar store mac and cheese.
-SWB
PS – Contrary to popular belief, artists have real jobs.
Catching up with life and Penn DOT
Ok, we’re back from catching up with life.
At least for one day a week, until school starts.
Like many, in the summer people like me (ones with kids we actual acknowledge) start to get a little caught up figuring out how to entertain a child we can’t afford to have in full time daycare (to give the cluelesss and idea of cost … we pay $320 per month for two days a week of daycare – full time would be over $600 in the summer). So with entertaining a child, trying to make some money (my new job only starts at the end of August (but at least I know I have one – many don’t)), keeping up with yard work, etc – not much time is left for blogging … so my sarcastic self is getting pent up about being caged it. Just ask my wife.
BTW … raising and caring for a child has carries huge rewards, so those of you that vow to never have children in your life may want to think about that.
Anywayz (this is the PROPER Pittsburgh spelling of ‘anyways’), that’s why I’ve been out a bit. I didn’t over dose on ice cream, or get depressed, or anything like that. I’m not that lucky to get to the point where I can file for disability and be a slacker for the rest of my life. I’m destined to be a hard worker (or sucker – whatever you call us types these days).
K – on to the Penn DOT issues (at least I think it’s Penn DOT - correct me if I’m wrong):
I get to travel scenic RT65 almost every day to either the city or the South Hills for work and such. Right now, like every place, there is road construction with lowered speed limits. I actually try to watch the speed I go and attempt to watch out for the workers. Considering I wouldn’t want to do a job where I can get easily picked off by a typical ticked off PA motorist engulfed in road rage, it’s the least I can do. Admittedly I’m not perfect at it, but at least I try. Soooooooo, when you run into (not literally) to a road worker that more or less ‘eggs on’ that motorists, he deserves a ‘clueless idiot’ spot in my post:
Yup, driving through the road construction on RT65 near Bellevue (I think) at about 22mph (8 mph under the construction limit), one of the workers was giving the finger to at least three of the cars ahead of my, and almost completely sticking his face in my car as it passed, yelled “SLOW DOWN!!!!”
Now, to the complete idiot that did this (realizing you are lacking in brain cells), you may want to think about the following:
- Startling ANYONE like that sets them up for veering off the road and killing one or a few of your co-workers. If you are low enough of a human being to live with that, I hope you have a big enough savings to support all of their families.
- Giving the motorists the finger IS NOT good P.R. for any road worker that actually wants to be safe. ie. The petroleum companies overcharging for add ins to gasoline that make it safer for the environment doesn’t work well when spilling millions of gallons into the ocean killing off our food supply (ticking off motorists doesn’t make them want to keep you safe while you are working).
- Treat people the way you want them to treat you … and even though you are really screwing up their lives with your work, they will blow that off and keep you safe realizing that you have a family too.
That’s it … for now. We may be back tomorrow morning.
-SWB
PS – Just because road workers smell like asphalt, doesn’t mean they aren’t people too … and that coating of tar keeps them warm in the winter – envy them.
Teens proving their stupidity
When we do things in PA, we do then right.
Even the teens. When I was young, many of us did our best to show our stupidity by doing dumb things like egging a car, T.P.ing a tree … fairly non destructive stuff. Well, each generation tries harder and harder … and I think this generation’s teen have hit a historic milestone in the heights of stupidity.
In this article by Margaret Harding of the Tribune Review, teens did damage to 21 vehicles by running and jumping on them (fortunately someone did have a camera pointed that was, so maybe they can determine the fate of some of those teens). It’s nice to know courtesy of today’s quality of teens PA will most likely head into history looking like a state full of idiots (and we though the politicians would end up doing that for us).
Full SWB Clueless Award to these kiddies (and hopefully a few mug shots too)
-SWB
PS – Parents … keeping your kids feeling all good and happy via no discipline enables them to do things like this – oh who am I kidding voicing this to parents that don’t wanna hurt their kiddies feelings because the world is sooooooo hard.
BTW … The Port Authority said the cameras they ordered for the parking lot have not come in yet (translation: We didn’t order any and we’ll wait till this blows over so we don’t have to).
Roaming The Streets
Yep … you guessed it. We found one of those news tidbits that just makes you go “where the ***** were the ******* parents???”
Here it is. In this article by Jim McKinnon as seen in the Post Gazette, a wandering toddler was discovered it Lawrenceville.
Obviously nobody told the toddler he had to head in after his all night party – with exception to the school crossing guard that found him.
I’m not one to condone those stupid leashes they use on kids (to me they are demeaning and embarrassing for the child) … but maybe we have found a parent or parents that they need to be used on to keep them in a place where they can watch their kids???
-SWB
PS – We won’t give them a full clueless award yet, as this could be an honest accident – but we will categorize them as confused as to where there eyes should be (obviously not on their kid at the time).
Social networking for food
OK … so somehow I’ve been out of work long enough I’m starting to do social networking for food. This is kind of strange, because even with promoting the blog, I’m not a heavy twitter person.
How did this happen?
Beats me.
Do I wish it would stop? No exactly. It just confuses me, that’s all.
Anyway … enjoy my latest road bump in getting a real job again.
Maybe those don;t exist any more?
-SWB
PS – Gripe, groan, whine …. an all that other stuff.
Explaining Behaviour in the sun
Many times you see people doing things that makes you go – huh?????
I’m part of that just as much as the next guy.
Right now, with a nice, sunny, 80 degree day in our midst I’m sitting in an air conditioned coffee shop NOT enjoying the current odd day for Pittsburgh (sun and happiness are about as prevalent here as they are in London).
So why am I not taking part in this nice day?
Who knows.
Normally Pittsburghers don’t take part in days like this because there is cold beer cracked open in some air conditioned cubbyhole deemed a bar – but I’m drinking coffee (currently up to about 3 shots of espresso via quickly downed iced lattes), which mean I’m probably in a comparable state to a 6 can power drinking IC Lighter.
Hmmm … time to ponder (just scream out loud when your brain hurts).
-SWB
PS – Latte goooooood ……. espresso goooood …….. walking speed faaaaaaaaast.
Review: Lost On Planet China
Very few times do you see us review a book, but when we find one that just stands out like a proper sarcastic verbal lashing … we have to tell you about it.
While checking out the bargain books at Joseph Beth in SouthSide Works, we came across “Lost On Planet China (*or how he became comfortable eating live squid)“. That’s just one of those titles you can’t pass up. We’ve never read anything by J. Maarten Troost before, but I can tell you – we will be reading the rest of his books.
If you like a little sarcasm with a life adventure topped of by the mystery of another land …. Lost On Planet China is definitely a find. It’s a true tale of a typical guy like you trotting through China (his wife wanted to move to Monterey). How can you resist hearing about delicacies like Yak, stories of the Red Guard, and the lovely customer service at hotel check-in desks?
The style is that of either SWB or PittGirl (that’s church) in China … really.
At point blank, you discover through his writing that the China of past history is gone, and a new China has emerged – quite different than you typically hear of – but never having lost it’s quirks.
At last check, there were a few left at about $7 at Jo Beth, so grab ‘em while you can. Make sure you have some read time – this isn’t one of those books you can read at a few pages per day.
-SWB
PS – It’s a true story – which makes the tales of going through China even more amazing and real than ever.
Thoughts For The Strange – deep thinkers list
Here’s some stuff to think about – don’t try real hard, we have no funding for lawsuits if your brain melts.
- If you put a car with a manual transmission in gear and push it backwards on the path you drove it forward on, will it scoop up the exhaust and reformulate it back into gasoline allowing the most green action possible by a motor vehicle.
- While pushing that car, can you avoid a hernia?
- If you call pigeons the dirtiest animals on earth, don’t you hurt the feelings of most pigs?
- If kayakers are padding up the river when the sewage plant releases overflow, are they now paddling up s**t crick?
- Are Hollywood people really THAT far out there with their behaviors? – or are you really just that boring?
- If you are clueless and constantly talking and immune from the pain of your cluelessness, will someone else’s head eventually explode from the pain of your ceaseless empty thoughts? (this could be a scientific study here)
- Is the number ’7′ real?
- Which do you think is more likely to happen: A) People helping a dying man on the street after he’s been stabbed -or- B) People helping a mob boss load a body back into the trunk of his car?
- Which smells better …. standing in a field of wildflowers -or- standing a virtual reality field of wildflowers.
- When life gets tough, do the tough really get going … or do they just flex a bit?
-SWB
PS – think long and hard, eventually the pain will stop …
Speeding for God
It’s time for that colorful Clueless and Confused sign to show up in preparation for a trophy hand out.
This time it’s for the ‘messiah’ … yup, he showed up in Squirrel Hill (click here to check out the PG article by Sadie Gurman). If you want to find him, just look for the newly wrecked smoking car.
There’s nothing like plowing into a synagogue at a high rate of speed with a car to show off your messiah like qualities. It’ll definitely convince people you just kicked off the second (or first – depending on your beliefs) coming of the promised one.
It also gets you the latest Clueless Trophy from SWB. You can’t beat that – unless you get a real replica made and hold it in a death grip during your insanity trial.
Anyway – it’s nice to see that the clueless have improved so much of their capability to become even more clueless.
-SWB
PS – Just read the article, it just says it all about this Darwin Award wannabee.
It’s Getting Cleaner Here
We’ll, according to an article from The Post-Gazette as written by Don Hopey (click here to read it), the air here is getting cleaner and we’ve lost our status as worst air in the U.S.
Just like Pittsburgh to lose another title that gains us notoriety – we used to have one of the best baseball team (look where that status is now), one of the biggest world industries, and now we’re losing our pollution levels!
When is it going to stop ?!?!?!
Ok … for yinz folks that have a hard time recognizing sarcasm, those sentences above (including the inappropriate and bad grammar) included a tad bit of sarcasm.
This is actually a good thing, as less air pollution means you can enjoy another cigarette (for the clueless – a tad more sarcasm here).
Anyway – if you get a chance, click here to read the article – it’s very informative and something we can actually take pride in, because it is something that will inspire people to live here (breathing clean air is a fairly good thing for most humans).
-SWB
PS – No, we’re not promoting smoking (unless it’s sausage, chicken, ribs, or ham, etc)
Review: Big Dog Coffee
A shot of Dig Dog Coffee … click it to go there.
It took us a while, but we got here.
I always love checking out the privately owned coffee venues in the area. It’s where you really get a taste of the community (along with the local beans).
We visited around lunch time. Parking was available, but tight on the street. Additional spaces available at the SouthSide Works garages very close to the venue. Big Dog is easy to find and very accessible and it’s definitely inviting.
We ordered a typical latte with caramel, nothing fancy. It was quickly made with great service and it tasted great. The atmosphere inside was extremely welcoming (it was like walking into your house). Not load, relaxing music (but not typical local radio) playing, and extremely clean.
The pricing was extremely reasonable – either cheaper or in line with typical pricing at other coffee spots. We didn’t get to try the food, but as reported by others, it’s great too.
The representation Big Dog gives on it’s website is very accurate (if you like the website, you’ll love the place). They are also involved in the community – which is a major plus for a local business.
Free wireless – Yes, but they will give you a password at the counter.
We will shortly add this to SWB Recommends, as it’s definitely a go to place to relax and sip some hot java.
Update: We tried the stuffed pepper soup — excellent!!!!!!
-SWB
PS – If anyone has had a change to have the food, please leave a review comment.
Art All Night Walkthrough Videos
For all of those that did not make it to Art All Night (I don’t know what could be more important that going to Art All Night, but …..), we have kindly posted four videos giving you a 31 minute total tour of Art All Night 2010.
Check them out here (FYI – we did not edit out anything, so view before you share with the kiddies):
AAN Tour Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
These are YouTube videos, so if you are at the office of have that blocked for the kiddies, correct the situation 
.
It’s Concert Time!
OK, so I’m scanning through The Pittsburgh City Paper looking at all the cool concerts I’d like to go to this season, and I run across Alter Bar’s block of ads.
It looked hot … three grudgy and harder band in the lineup and …………. Level 42?????????
If you aren’t familiar with Level 42 – it’s an 80s band … the kind of music you hear coming out of an open Mercedes convertible driven by Mr. Yuppie with a scarf tossed around his neck.
Not that I don’t like Level 42 (you’ll hear me play them at Tusca), but doing three cool harder bands and then Level 42 is kind of like a rock star DJ mixing some hot grungy rock/rap with heavy metal cuts and then dropping in a nice quiet concerto from Beethoven.
When that happens, even the classical music lovers in the crowd say “WTF??????”
-SWB
PS – Altar Bar is cool … but that one just miffed us.
Like It Matters
… and that post title was ripped right off another guy’s blog.
Yup … we admit it. It’s from a blog called Like It Matters.
If ur smart enough, you’ll click on the linky thing to check it out.
Yeah – it’s a blog by a Reverend that is a licensed marriage and family counselor in a church. We normally just add a blog to out link list when we find a cool one, but whether or not you believe in what the writer believe (or whether we do or not) … this one is really good – along with a bit edgy and ranty. We like that.
It’s not just about religion – but everything.
In other words, check it out. If your views mesh, still read it. Discuss it. Think (that’s that lost process humans did allot in early days).
-SWB
PS -
Don’t Wanna
Did you ever have a day when you didn’t want to write anything?
This is mine.
Enjoy the silence.
-SWB
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