Teens proving their stupidity

When we do things in PA, we do them 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 their way, 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 thought 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).

With This Driver, Stupidity Reigns!

This must be a highlight day in the Pittsburgh for dolts in the news.  This little tidbit actually did happen.

27 year old (probably 10 mentally) Brad Crawford, drove onto the Parkway West going the wrong way with his headlights off.

Click Here for the Trib’s posting about the incident.

They’re doing tox tests.  Hmmmm … wonder if they thunks this may have a bit to do with controlled substances?

Anyway, enjoy this little this little “so stupid it actually did happen” snippet from the news.

-SWB

PS – the true things that are happening in society are validating reality shows so much more every day.

Two For One: Waived Snow Days and Pitt Anarchist

First … Happy real St Patrick’s day to y’all.

Now, on to the gripe … it’s two for one idiots in the news article day, so feel special.

Snow Days:

This is just a joke … the state (or county) is deciding who gets waived snow days.  Now, when I went to school you just made them up.  There was no question about it.  Family vacations and other things did not take precedence over the importance of being in school or making up days.  This is just dumb, but what makes it worse is someone after the level of storms we had is deciding who gets waived. I’m sure they will quickly forget that we were in this together.  You can almost guarantee that certain areas will be waived over others, and not due to the level of winter issues in that area … use your imagination, you can dream up the reasons. We’re not going to highlight any articles to go to, just check out the Tribune-Review, Post-Gazette, KDKA, WPXI, etc as there will be enough stories to just catch one.

The Pitt Anarchist:

What do you do if you are a popular college in the area to get news coverage and perk up your income?? … that’s right!!, you got it!! … you invite the guy that was affiliated with the group bombed your city in the 70’s to come speak on his anti-US views.  Real winner, Pitt.  Maybe you should fire all of your American teachers, put a ban on them, and outsource your school, since by inviting an anti-Pittsburgh, anti-US speaker to the city he helped bomb (11 buildings by the way) you’ve proven your views.  Click Here to check out the article from the Tribune-Review by Chris Togneri.  Free speech is one thing … but this is another thing.

-SWB

PS – Oh well, at least our top universities and politicians prove they can consistently work at the same level of stupidity.

Stimulus Projects to Watch

Oops … we posted before we caught another article in the PG about stimulus funded internet projects that will happen in the area.

Click Here to read that article from the PG, and Click Here for the article from the Tribune-Review.

This is just a quickie post, but knowing the industry these projects are in, they do have the potential to soon create a good batch of initial jobs, and maybe quite a few long lasting ones.

Keep a watch on this.

-SWB

PS – I’m not happy with how the stimulus packages were handled, but I need a job like everyone else.

Go Mayor! Go!

Kudos to the Mayor for getting in the faces of the local press.  They deserved every word!

I’m sorry, with a small amount of exception our local press had digressed to that of The National Enquirer paparazzi.  Maybe they should all get together and start a new media business called The National Inquisitor (and go back to using a torture rack to obtain the news).

Come on folks, Pittsburgh basically started the news business with KDKA … let’s try to not put it into historical oblivion from complete digression due to greed for ratings.

I’m mean geez …. making up the story of him running off the Mardi Gras.  I have a feeling the media has more beads around it’s neck than the Mayor does.

As for the Mayor, if he was telling the truth (I don’t get to talk to the guy first hand) I applaud him (even in leu of any other mistakes he has made) for trying to be proactive.  Maybe he was seen as not doing that at first, but if he is learning that quality that is more important than anything.

No job demands 24/7 access to any human’s life (even the President of The United States) gets private time – so if the media here thinks they are that privileged then that means they also condone the Communistic Marxist attitude toward no privacy at all for anyone.  Put’s things into perspective, doesn’t it?

Nothing like sensationalism to kill a perfectly legitimate industry.

Us bloggers are out here just waiting to take your journalism jobs  – considering the public takes us more seriously than the professional media now, those jobs may not be too far from our taking.

Click Here for a link to The Pittsburgh Channel’s Video of Mayor Luke.

-SWB

PS – When reporting anything to the public, besides humor keeping you feet planted on this planet is somewhat of a requirement.

BTW Mayor … may the force be with you (sorry, just couldn’t resist even in a rant post).

Robo-World … Cool Stuff

Looking for something to to with your kids since they are home now from school … or at least something to keep them from continually saying “I’m boooooooooored ….”?

Take your kids (small and big) to Robo-World at The Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh starting June 13th.

Exhibits range from a robotic air hockey game to a basketball shooting robotic arm to Andy.  This is definitely the stuff that makes kids of all ages jaws drop and go “oh …. ahhh, neat!”  It also give you a little “new reality” of what is to come.

Click Here to check out the article by Michael Machosky of The Tribune-Review, which also contains a very informative list of Robot Hall Of Fame inductees.

Kudos to the science center for creating one of the world’s biggest robotic exhibit.

-SWB

PS – SkyNet and Terminator ….. here we come 🙂

Bicycle Cafes have hit Pittsburgh with the OTB Bicycle Cafe

This is one of those FYI / Cool Stuff posts about a concept that has been around in other bike-friendly cities for a while – but has only arrived in Pittsburgh recently, so it will be a quick post with a highlight link.

Pittsburgh is getting more bike friendly by the minute, but of of the problems with riding is sometimes finding a place to safely and event securely park your bike.  It’s not a crime problem, it’s simple fact that most restaurants cater to cars, not pedal energy vehicles.  Well, the OTB Bicycle Cafe at 2518 East Casron Street in Pittsburgh’s SouthSide is changing that, along with adding to Pittsburgh’s bicycle friendliness with a bike-friendly bar and restaurant.

Click Here to check out the article by Michael Machosky of The Tribune-Review.

The food and drink are reportedly good, and SWB will make an effort to visit and review the newly arrived establishment.

-SWB

PS – OTB stands for “flying over the handle bars” …. we’re hoping that does not the customary way to enter the bar 🙂

It’s Alive …. It’s Alive!!!!

No, it’s not a horror movie review, nor an alert about an actual alien showing up. If you got your cameras out, we apologize for getting your hopes up 🙂

It is a highlight on a cool article by William Loeffler of the Tribune-Review done in the light of the movie “Night At The Museum“. They asked the curators what they would like to see come alive in their museums. Anyway, if you don’t want to read our blabbering, Click Here to read the article.

It cool because you get a little insight into the imagination of the curators that run the area’s museums. Taking part in the article are curators from the Heinz Museum, Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, The Carnegie, and such. It let’s you get to know the people that run the museums a little, considering you may actually never run into them in the museums they curate.

Check it out.

-SWB

PS – Hmmmm … we don’t know what we’d like to see come alive in a museum. Probably anything we don’t have to run from – we’re getting old.

Your life, part of the screen

We’re just going to to a quick highlight of an article by Allison Heinrichs of the Tribune-Review this morning. Click Here to check it out.

It’s about the exploding cyberworld around us. The article has a good section of interview with Robert Kraut of CMU and gives a little insight on who is really benefiting from this, who is getting caught off guard, and who is having difficulties with the “explosion” of online life.

It’s a great article to read, especially of you are one of those texting teens that can’t understand why Grandma, who is still learning to dial her cell phone, can’t keep up a day long texting conversation with you. It’s also great for those people wanting information to help understand where the digital world stops, and the digital addition begins. As “jack of all trades” article, it’s one of the better ones about the new expanding digital world.

Anyways, enjoy … Click Here if you missed the link that said Click Here up above.

-SWB

PS – Weasels don’t text, we send our messages via aroma.

Clueless Award: Rock Throwing Dolt

SWB knows the title of the blog post wasn’t the best or most professional. Honestly we don’t care, because “dolt” was the strongest description of an idiot we would use within the WordPress Terms Of Service to describe the idiot whose extra-curricular activity consisted of throwing rocks at cars to specifically cause accidents over two years.

Click Here for the article by Bobby Kerlik of The Tribune-Review on the arrest of this most smart person or (updated) Click Here for the article by Daniel Malloy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The Trib’s site appeared to be having difficulties when we originally applied this post.

If you are not familiar with the issue, over the last two years a person has been throwing rocks near the Carnegie exit of the Pittsburgh Parkway West, causing accidents and/or scaring drivers. They finally found him.

And, of course, you know what’s coming next:

Yep … Mr Jeffrey A Ramous gets today’s “Clueless Trophy”. If you’ve seen him on the news clips, I’m guessing this guy is clueless enough to actually wait for reception of the trophy in his jail cell.

Anyways … god riddance, at least for a while.

-SWB

——————

PS – It amazes me that the guy is 50, has done this hundreds of times, and still kept on going like the Energizer Bunny of Parkway West nuisances.

Finding A Place to Lounge Around

Tired of hanging around the city wondering if the “UltraLounge” or “Lounge” you are going to walk into is more of a newbie/wannabe power drinkng spot than an actual grown-up venues? (ie … you don’t consider the fun part of your nightlife getting in the middle of a fight between two intoxicated jocks over a local bar fly.)

Well, your prayers have been answered. The Tribune-Review compiled an excellent list of grown-up style lounges you can check out. How do we know they are legitimate? We’ve been to most of them, and one that we always highly recommend is Tusca. So, we know that The Trib is thinking in the same lines as we are.

Anyways, Click Here to check out this priceless info (especially if mentally you are over 14).

-SWB

PS – We always like places where the customers know that “top shelf” actually doesn’t mean that the bottle of Smirnoff is sitting on the top shelf.

Spock is from Green Tree

Besides the fact that the new Start Trek is out, and geeks generally run blogs – one thing about the new movie that is considerably cool, is the fact that Spock is from Green Tree.

Zachary Quinto grew up in Green Tree.  If your not a fan and don’t know, Zachary is the new “Spock”.  Along with other famous beings that have ended up in the movies he also has some CMU Drama edu in his past as a 1999 graduate.  He also acquired a Gene Kelly award.  The Tribune-Review has a great review on the “rebirth” of Star Trek, along with some past history and timelines – Click Here to view it.

Considering the new special effects available, and the fact that J.J. Abrams, who does “Lost” and “Alias” is directing … this one might actually be worth it.  SWB has to give J.J. credit for having the guts to start from the beginning and retell the story.

-SWB

PS – I wonder if Scotty messes up beaming someone, they now end up getting beamed into an abandoned section of Parkway Center Mall.

Defect! Defect! Specter Defect!

What do you do when you are in a political party that is failing heavily in the “we like you polls”? The same thing citizens do from other countries do when their country is falling apart. Defect.

Specter will be running in 2010 as a Democrat.

Whether you agree with Senator Specter, think he is doing it to keep his career (think about how many times you’ve kissed the boss’s behind to keep your job before criticizing him on that one), or believe he is a traitor to his original party … you have to give him credit for at least following though. Think about it – high profile politicians usually don’t have the guts to do anything way off the standard from their current party for total fear of career suicide. If he is following through on this major event, he may actually follow through with other promises – something different in comparison to the “normal” American politician.

Is SWB a fan of Senator Specter … no. He hasn’t helped us get any of the “citizen reporter stimulus money” either. Our real point is with his positions on various political bullet points, it really doesn’t matter what party he is in. He doesn’t really 100% fit in with the republicans, nor the democrats, and he definitely isn’t an independent. I think sometimes he may end up being a little like the “Charlie Brown” of the political scene. If he isn’t now, he probably will be after the republicans are done with him.

On a side point: Do you think if the Republican Party stops the massive, ear splitting in-fighting, people might take them seriously again? People don’t take advice, nor follow leaders whose house is in greater disarray than theirs. Thus the saying, “Clean up your house before telling me how to clean up mine.” Senator Specter might be the sign of an exodus starting within the Republican party.

For those that want the story from the legitimate press, Click Here for a piece on Senator Specter by Mike Wereschagin of The Tribune-Review.

-SWB

PS – Quotes from Britney Spears always tend to make me think of the Republican Party. “Oops, I did it again” seems to apply here.

BTW – We are in no way against The Republic Party… actually if you look at some of the earlier history of the party, it tends to be pretty solid. SWB just feels the party needs a good soaking in Oxyclean at this time in their life.

Coach Bylsma now on full time

Kudos and congratulations to Coach Bylsma!

The Penguins moved Bylsma off the interim list and into full time. Considering how he has turned the team around in such a short time, he deserves it.

Click Here to read the Tribune-Review article on the announced upgrade for the coach. It also has some links to other Penguins articles. Although we originally posted concern about The Penguins rushing to switch coaches, we applaud Coach Bylsma for stepping up to the plate with his “A game” and moving forward proving his worth to the team. He gave a clear answer to the challenge he was given and didn’t step down nor stutter.

-SWB

PS – Maybe he can work with the Pirates in the off-season?

Pittsburgh’s Favorite Monopoly finally gets called out

If you live in Pittsburgh and the first four letters that come to mind when you read that post title are U.P.M.C. … you got it right.

Organizations are finally getting tired of a for-profit business working under the guise of a non-profit business taking advantage of Pittsburgh (although, if our politicians would collectively “grow a set” they probably wouldn’t be able to). They are also getting tired of them trying to eliminate the competition (otherwise known as the Microsoft-effect by some).

Well, in the latest chapter of UPMC, West Penn Allegheny Health System is suing UPMC for anti-trust and price fixing with Highmark, and probably rightly so. UPMC is accused of depressing rates to insurers while increasing costs to consumers amongst other things. Considering UPMC did it’s best to try and eliminate West Penn around 2000, I’m hoping West Penn shakes up UPMC perfect next a little … or at least causes is to break up into smaller organizations. The amount of damage UPMC would do to this area if it ever failed is unimaginable. That fact that if continually takes advantage of Pittsburgh by putting it’s profitable businesses under the cover of non-profit is just plain wrong morally and in business.

Click Here for a reference article from the Tribune-Review.

-SWB

PS – Supporting a local business is good – supporting greed monopolizing idiots is not.

UPDATE:

SWB wanted to re-post part of a comment from a reader that goes by “Truth Williams” so you can see the other side of the story, here it is (the only information we give you other than Truth’s comments is that the reply came from an UPMC IP address, which AOL so nicely furnishes … that doen’t mean the information presented is not legit):

“If a hospital has $200M in operating profit (forget the $600M always quoted…400M was investment income and its likely all gone now)…they spend 175M on capital…there is 25M left in the fund balance, that gets rolled over to the next year when the capital requirements could be higher than the operating profit (so using my example, if they have $200M in profit the next year and spend $225 on capital…then all of the “profit” that you want to tax is gone. If hospitals had to pay a 30% tax on profits…then, in my example…$60M a year would be sent to washington DC and Western PA would see none of it. Instead, there would be $60M a year less in capital expenditures/construction…and/or jobs would be cut to decrease salary expense and maintain profit so that dollars would be available for needed capital.

It is a closed loop system….the profits can’t go back to anyone…there are no shareholders…it has only a board of directors. Hospitals have a charitable mission so ALL spending needs to be for operations or to further its mission.

The only question you should ask…is it being run well? is it efficienet? does it deliver world-class care?”

SWB would like to thank “Truth Williams” for contributing to this post.