The Geek Thing

Alright, I’ve been out a bit not blogging because I’ve been doing the “geek thing”.  In other words I’ve been trying to get VMWare to run on Ubuntu Linux Server using Webmin to control it all after Ubuntu did a kernel update that threw off the installer for VMWare.

… that should have lost ya.  But then again, remember, if there weren’t geeks you wouldn’t have blogging.

What does that have to do with Pittsburgh?

Well, for one, there are lots of geeks in Pittsburgh (notice places like CMU).  Lot’s of the advances in technology get started here. Some of the entertainment technology you enjoy was or is developed here (the interactive TV systems on cruise boats were initially developed here, and some of the virtual rides you go to Disney to enjoy are created and tested here).

Didn’t realize all some of that, did ya?

There are many things in Pittsburgh people forget about … and the geeks of the city made them happen.

So, when you see themz types of people working outdoors on their nifty netbooks – thank them.  If they weren’t alive, you might actually have to write to a single pen pal, or actually remember directions in your car, or play a board game with your kid.

-SWB

PS – We are officially calling next month (May) techie geek appreciation month.  If you see anyone working on a netbook, you should buy them a cup of coffee and a Dunkin Donut.

City Life In Used Shoes

Is this another one of those posting where we use a catchy title just to get someone to read the posting so we get hits on it?

Probably.

But someone will read it.

While Market Square downtown is getting completed around me and the sounds of some uncoordinated idiot dropping something in the food court of PPG place sing in my ears I figured I write about my used shoes in the city.

That’s right … they are starting to crack, they smell, and now the same color as the bricks on the walkway.  I know that the only thing you want to know about is that they smell … there’s gotta be a few people into weird things like that.  I’ll put them up for sale on Ebay if anyone is interested.  They’re the original shoes used to walk most of the grounds while shooting pics for Pittsburgh By Mini Cam, so the collectibility value is up there.

That’s the whole post … I mean how much can you write about old shoes???

What did you expect?  Substance?

Oh, Get Real People!!!

They’re old, they hurt my feet, and they smell bad … that’s it!

-SWB

PS – If yinz can get some of the local politicians to do something stupid I’ll have something better to write about (with lots of substance … which means you probably won’t read it).  Geez.

Fight Tha’ Change … c’mon now, Fight Tha’ Change!!

Well, writing about typical Pittsburgh again … scream with me now “Fight Tha’ Change … c’mon now, Fight Tha’ Change!!”  – I JUST KNOW we can make this the new Pittsburgh hit tune.”

This isn’t one of those SWB postings where we rant about Burghers that are against stupid things like planting roses instead of tulips in front of government buildings … nope.  We’re going much further!!!

It’s Mother Nature!!!

Lots of changes are happening in the city …. some good, some bad, some political … but the big deal is the fact that not only do Pittsburghers now fight back against even the good changes that are happening to our city … Mother Nature is doing it too!

How?

Well, look at the debilitating snow fall … it’s depleting our Spring funding that is used for changes, it stopped construction, travel came to a halt, and more.  Now the earlier than normal 80+ temps are threatening to cause heat illnesses in our elderly, construction workers that are out in the heat, and later I’m sure the asphalt roads will buckle.

So Mother Nature even fights change in Pittsburgh … somehow I feel we’ll never get to move on.

{{groan}} It’s the never ending Pittsburgh cycle, “Fight Tha’ Change!”

-SWB

Working Off Those Perks

You’ve heard us mention going into the city and parking far away for the purpose of getting some exercise. It really is a great way to do that, but sorry to announce,we have some ulterior motives.

Here are a few of them:

• The first one, and most important is donuts … the city has one of the few nicer Dunkin’ Donut stores around.
• The second, and almost as important is the exercise walk … which helps us burn off enough calories to make room for at least three or four donuts.  This is important as we aren’t trying to slim down, but at least keep to a point where we can walk off some calories.
• The third … there is just nothing like seeing the people.  All those happy smiling faces glowing with the rewards of their jobs. Alright … they’re really frowns, but if you hang upside down from one of the store signs, they look like smiles.
• The fourth … the construction now going on in Pittsburgh.  There is no need to join the Army or Marines to obtain access to a good obstacle course now.  The city has provided that for us. Fortunately, if you fall into a hole, you can usually land  on the next subway car and ride until the next stop.  If they don’t see you on the roof, they can’t charge you.
• The fifth … the ability to get a fifth from at least five wine spirits shops in the city. This can quickly make your day brighter (especially if it’s a typical partly cloudy Pittsburgh day), and also helps dull the pain from hitting the T-car after you fell into one of the holes in the street ending up in the subway.

So, as you see, strategic parking allows you to work off some perks and gain some too.

-SWB

PS – For those a little light in cerebral material … we WERE kidding about falling into the subway.

Pittsburgh Education

This photo is in my photo blog Pittsburgh By Mini Cam, and when I looked at it more closely I noticed one item in the pic that you normally don’t see even close to a beer house … a school bus.

Now, this won’t be ranting about some bus driver stopping by for a brew or getting drunk while joy riding the kiddies around the Burgh … but about the cool reasons the bus is there (and maybe one or two not cool, but humorous reasons).

Think about it:

• There could be an actual field trip … if there is, I want to talk to whatever school is doing it – because I got shafted and only got the standard field trips like Laurel Caverns, Children’s Museum, etc … and I WANT my beer field trip.
• Someone could actually likes the place enough they’re camping out in a Blue Bird bus.  I wonder if HB would run private taps out to them. Considering Blue Bird buses are actually considered “hip” now, SSW would probably like this.
• The Iron City folks are trying to intimidate the HB folks out of the city … and the HB staff is actually making a run for it.
• The patio is flooded, and the general manager thought a school bus would be a cool overflow area.
• The bus is actually rented for St Patty’s day to return the VIP’s to Claddagh.
• Use your imagination … the sky is the limit when good beer is involved.

… a few thoughts for the strange (who else would pick up on a school bus in from of HB?)

-SWB

It’s Spring!

Birds are singing.

Snow is melting.

Potholes are blooming.

Green shamrocks are growing in the potholes.

You get the idea … it’s turning Spring in Pittsburgh.

—————

So what other signs of Spring do we have in this wonderful city of ours?

Let’s see:

• The pirates are starting spring training with aspirations to actually become a baseball team again.
• The waters are threatening to crest and carry Pittsburgh’s Primanti sandwiches out to sea.
• The Cultural District smells like a well tuned engine with the performances of Grease (or could that be the oil leaks from the buses?).
• Orange pylons are emerging from winter storage as Pittsburgh’s roadway obstacle courses are set for the Spring and Summer seasons.
• In The Strip, dogs howl as the sweet voices of the Opera blend with the musical tones of the local bird song.
• The aromas from the open doors at Pittsburgh Popcorn enlighten the senses (and unfortunately distract the drivers … that kitty never had a chance).
• Vendors in the strip finally shed their winter garb, thaw out, and begin wakening from hibernation (it was sad how people just stole their stuff when they were sleeping over the winter).
• Oh, and did I mention the potholes?  Well, we’re not going to make fun of the city crew, since this is really going to be a sucky Spring for them … although they fill all probably end up fitter than a fiddle (until St. Patty’s Day … along with everyone else).

-SWB

PS – Yup, Spring is in the air … so is the job market, fuel prices, home values.  Such appropriate crisis’ for the Spring 😉

Pittsburgh Dreary

The Strip on a Dreary Day – click the pic to go to our Flikr low res camera photo stream.

Nothin’ like a typical Pittsburgh dreary day to make you feel like you’ve moved to London … at least that what the people from London living in Pittsburgh tell me.

Maybe we should change out unofficial city motto from “Partly Cloudy” to “Partly Dreary”.  I mean, were not like some other places with so little daylight that people are waiting in line atop of tall building to jump to their death … we just have people with constant “hangdog” looks to them.

Unfortunately makeup doesn’t help that a bit.

I’m old, so it’s even worse.

Pittsburgh adds a uniqueness to “dreary”. We create some fairly good dark poets, have produced (and sometimes still do) some great industrial bands, and of course … we make heavy use of “the blues” here.

Although we got the dreary stuff back, I’m glad the snow melted (I finally found my dog).  I think she’s a little ticked we didn’t try to search for her a little harder. We lost her the day of the big snow storm. When we realized that, we opened the door to go look for her, but in the typicalness (is that even a word??) of the Pittsburgh dreary took hold … we took one step, didn’t see her … and just figured she’d come back at some time.

… don’t go runnin’ to call PETA, we didn’t actually do that.

-SWB

PS – It’s partly dreary ‘n at (yep, that sounds cool)

More Signs Of Spring in the Burgh

So far I have my fig trees out of dormancy, seedlings started for corn, tomatoes, corn, etc … and no flowers. I’m trying, give me time. Maybe I’ll just leave it up to Phipps this year to fill me spring flower needs.

———

Anyway … the signs of spring in Pittsburgh are starting to become more bountiful:

• The Pittsburgh Pirates are in spring training and are hoping they won’t get beat by the pee wee teams again. Click Here for PG reference article.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming together under the new coach and we’ll get to see next season if they still hold it together. Click Here for PG reference article.
• Parents are worried about tuition and if it will be there. Click Here for PG reference article.
• Pitt dropped the ball, but at least Penn State still has a shot. Click Here for the Tribune-Review reference article.
• Long lost diseases are springing up from the ground. Click Here for the Tribune-Review reference article.

SWB ‘s signs of spring:

• I moved out of an apartment so I now have to start cutting the **** grass again.
• The doggy poop cans in the park  starting to get thaw and get ripe.
• Rust on Pittsburgh bridges is coming into full bloom.
• The salt coating on the car is starting to melt off … taking most of the paint with it.
• Band camp is starting … why … oh … why???
• Spring drivers are out and wrapping themselves around telephone poles.
• BBQ grills and corner drug transactions are starting to pop up.
• Romantic interludes happening in public places (this item added for my friends at The Cork Factory)

Things SWB misses at the beginning of spring:

• Seeing the river through the walkway on The Smithfield Street bridge.
• The return of the pretzel guy downtown (stale pretzels never tasted so good).
• The smell of coming from underneath the bleachers at Three Rivers Stadium.
• Sweating in a PCC Trolley while riding out to South Hills Village.
• Seeing people almost fall into the Fort Pitt Bastion at Point State Park before it was buried.

PA Wine and Spirits stores getting customer service training

The clueless award goes to the PA Wine and Spirits for thinking of a great way to waste money. I’m with everyone that was interviewed on WTAE TV today that agreed the associates at the Wine and Spirits stores are very courteous and helpful, and always have been. What the state should have trained in is:

• Dressing and looking like you didn’t practice with the Pittsburgh power-drinking team the night before work.
• Knowledge of products – Since more wine collectors are being attracted to the PA Wine and Spirits stores, don’t you think it would have made more sense to train some knowledge into these folks instead of wasting the training on customer service skills, which they already have?

-SWB

PS – let’s give people credit for what they are already doing right, and train them for what they can improve on …. not the reverse, which just wastes their time and our money.

The Sun is out again!

It looks like this is going to be a preview of the weather this year – the sun coming out right after a light rain to make it nice and sticky, and it’s only March.

Oh, well ….. at least we are not getting one of those mid-March 24-inch dumps … although the shoveling out might get some of us the exercise a winter hibernation requires.

I’m sure we’ll get to the typical Pittsburgh 100% partly-cloudy days soon enough to help us discover the other Pittsburgh weather love …. potholes.

-SWB

My Wayward Ways

I was just blasted by what I now consider a “once friend” that I have veered from my writings of meaningless whining about Pittsburgh and it’s surrounding areas and gone to writing something meaningful.

My apologies to all … I have an abundance of work lined up in the next few months that should cause me to kill enough cereberal material to revert back to complete brainlessness by mid-summer at the latest … providing ample babblings instead of the writings with substance I am doing now.

-SWB