KDKA TV Weather Staff Changes

Last Friday, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette first reported that KDKA TV had fired meteorologist Valerie Abati and hired freelance, veteran meteorologist Dennis Bowman to replace her. I check my blog stats from time to time with Statcounter, and I was amazed to see the number of page loads on my blog was well over 100 last Friday and yesterday, Monday. My normal daily page load is somewhere between 25 and 35. The most visited post on those 100 plus page load days was a post from last October when KDKA first hired Abati. I did not realize how much Pittsburghers were interested in who presents the local TV weather forecast. The article in the Post Gazette does not state a specific reason why Abati was fired, but it does mention that viewers were critical of her coverage of thunderstorms on the 11:00PM June 29 newscast. Also, some viewers on a local TV chat board complained about her voice. Pittsburgh is a tough media market for TV personalities. When KDKA TV announced the hiring of Abati in October, I always wondered why they did not hire Dennis Bowman instead. Bowman has a lot of experience, is well respected, and his voice is clear and crisp.

4 Year Mugshot

Yesterday I went and got my new 4 year mugshot - my new Pennsylvania Photo ID Drivers License. I took a late lunch and strolled into the Driver License Center around 1:00PM. A greeter met me and asked me what service was I there for. He then gave me a numbered ticket - it was like I was at the deli in Giant Eagle. There was no waiting at all and my number was called almost instantly. The signature capture pad device which captures your John Hancock was pretty bad, I opted not to try it again. The photographer then took one head shot. He asked if I wanted to try again and I said not really, but he insisted, so I took another one. The photog even encouraged me to flash my pearly whites. The second photo looked better than the first one, so I went with the second one. Compared to my previous license, the older license had more of my upper body in the pic. My new photo license is more of a head shot. My signature is so small, I am not sure why it is on there. Can I live with this for the next 4 years? Yeah, it is not too bad, not too good.

The Return of Mark Madden ?

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported yesterday that former ESPN 1250 sports talk host Mark Madden may join WXDX FM. Madden was fired from ESPN 1250 after making derogatory remarks about Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

If Madden returns to WXDX, he would most likely be on the afternoon drive time slot from 3PM to 6/7 PM. The format of the show would probably be a mixture of music, talk, and sports.

What about the time slot that was vacated on ESPN 1250 when Madden was fired? No decision has been made yet, but it seems like ESPN 1250 would like to have a permanent solution for their afternoon drive time slot near the opening of Steelers training camp.

Even though Madden was let go in late May, I still listen to ESPN 1250 on my way home from work. To me the content of the afternoon sports talk show is more important than the host of the show. Since Madden was released, ESPN 1250 has used a variety of hosts. It has actually been refreshing listening to different opinions and analyses.

Love Hate

I am in a Love/Hate relationship right now - with summer insects. I was mowing the lawn Tuesday evening later than normal because of the humid weather and the bugs were out in force. There must be something about my body chemistry, bugs love to bite me. I prefer the quick bites where the bug just bites you quickly and gets it over with. I particularly dislike the long, drawn out bites, where you feel the bug penetrate your skin but it does not want to let go. My insect repellent of choice is Off Family Care Unscented. It is unscented and not as powerful as some of Off's other products, so it works well enough for me to finish mowing the lawn.

Let's Fat Finger The Dog Kennel

When I got home from work today I had a message on my answering machine inquiring about making a reservation for a dog at a dog kennel. I have received messages in the past about dogs, maybe twice a year max and never thought about it. My curiosity got the best of me, so I looked up dog kennels near my zip code on Yahoo's Yellow Pages. The results showed a dog kennel near me with a telephone number only one digit different than my home telephone number. My home telephone number has a "9" in it while the dog kennel has a "3" in it. If you look at a telephone keypad, you will see that there is one entire row of keys between the 9 and the 3. Someone must have really fat fingered it. As I said, I only get maybe 2 calls a year like this, so it is no big deal to me.

Loopy

I got up early this AM so I could ride my bike at North Park. I left my house around 9:45AM and it started to drizzle. As I arrived at North Park, the rain became more steady to the point where I did not want to ride. I decided to tough it out and waited until about 10:10AM, then the rain finally stopped. The rain had scared away the usual amount of walkers and bikers, so I took advantage of this and knew I would be riding with very little traffic. Another biker said a friendly "Good Morning" to me as I unloaded my bike from my car. I could sense she was happy as I was about the light traffic. I forgot how many loops I completed, but each loop was 1.4 miles, maybe 4 loops at the minimum, meaning 5.6 miles minimum. I felt pretty good except at the end of each loop, my right elbow tingled like I had hit my funny bone. I think part of it is the "death grip" I use on my handlebars. I have to learn to relax more, meaning ease up on the grips. I am thinking of replacing my standard bike grips with some grips from Ergon, which are supposed to be ergonomic and rated/reviewed very positively. I am tired now, not so much from riding, but from the combination of waking up early and doing physical activity in the AM. I am more used to working out late in the PM. Happy Trails!

I Want My DTV, Maybe Later

I do not have cable or satellite TV, so I will need to buy a DTV converter box before February 17, 2009. I applied for the government sponsored coupons the first week you could apply in early January 2008. My coupons actually expired on 6/17/2008, and I did not buy a DTV converter box yet. Why you ask? There are several reasons:

• I am hoping the government either 1) allows consumers to re-apply for the coupons or 2) extend the expiration date for the coupons.


• There is not a large variety of options to choose from to buy in store. There are plenty of choices on line, but they are more expensive. The choices in store are as follows: 1) Wal Mart – Magnavox; 2) Radio Shack – Digital Stream; 3) Best Buy and Circuit City – LG model branded as Insignia at Best Buy, and Zenith at Circuit City. Wal Mart is supposed to have an RCA model, which I have read is the best of the bunch so far, but I have not seen them in any of the 3 Wal Marts I checked. There are also reports that some stores have shortages of the DTV converter boxes.


• A $40 model is supposed to be released this summer from Dish Network called Echostar. All models currently available in store are either $50 or $60.

I took the suggestion of a writer who wrote about problems with the DTV converter box coupon program and asked a relative, my brother, who does not need a converter box, to go ahead and apply for the coupons.

I do not watch a lot of TV, so I do not need cable TV or satellite TV. I am happy with watching the free major television networks. Signing off.

Sunday AM Bike Ride

This past Sunday, I decided I have had enough of learning to ride my Trek 4300 mountain bike in an empty parking lot at a local community park, and ventured out to North Park. I have not been to North Park since I was a little kid. All I can remember is the paddle boats at the Lake. I originally thought that I would try out the 5 mile paved bike/walk loop around the lake, but it was very crowded with both walkers and bikers. I am not that confident yet with my biking skills, and I was afraid I would run over someone.

I read that there was a bike/hike trail near the Pool and the Pie Traynor baseball field, so I headed there to discover that a charity event called “Ride and Stride” was in progress. More crowds of people, but not was crowded as the loop around the Lake. I could not find the trail, so I opted for the one way, paved S. Ridge Rd. The loop was about 1.0 miles long, and I completed at least 3 loops.

I am still a novice. I was easily spooked by cars and other bikers passing me. I still need practice shifting gears at the right time and gaining confidence while riding. So, how is my elbow tendonitis doing? I may have tweaked it a little, so I am going to rest it for a few days. It was a great day for a Sunday ride!

WVU President Will Resign September 1

WVU President Michael Garrison announced that he will resign on September 1. His announcement comes after pressure from faculty, students, and alumni over the bogus MBA degree that was awarded to Heather Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia governor Joe Manchin. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette has followed this story since they first reported it in December 2007. Here is a list of articles about the controversy.

An Anonymous reader posted a comment about this on one of my previous posts: "I'm sure all of you have cheated in one form or another." Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but having 22 credits added to your transcript for a 48 credit degree requirement is not a simple case of cheating.

Penguins Win Game 5, 4-3 in Triple OT, Stay Alive

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Redwings 4-3 in triple OT to win Game 5 and stay alive to play Game 6 in Pittsburgh on Wednesday 6/4 at the Mellon Arena. Detroit leads the series 3-2. Marc Andre Fleury was spectatular, especially in the OT periods, and stopped 55 of 58 shots on goal. Let's Go Pens !

Mark Madden Removed from 1250 ESPN

The Post Gazette is reporting that Sports Shock Jock Mark Madden has been removed permanently from the air at 1250 ESPN radio. On his radio show last Wednesday, Madden said the following about Sen. Kennedy, who days earlier had been diagnosed with brain cancer: "I'm very disappointed to hear Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated."

I have to admit, I listened to Madden's radio show from 3PM to 7PM while driving home from work every week day. He offered some interesting analyses, especially of the Penguins. However, he had a huge ego, was rude to callers (and just about everyone who disagreed with him), and ultimately had to go.

XP SP3 Killed My PC or Not?

Microsoft released Service Pack 3 for Windows XP on 5/6/2008. I decided to install it on my 7 and a half year old Dell GX110 desktop PC and it literally killed my PC. Or did it? After completing the installation, shutting down, and forcing a restart, my PC would not boot or even start the POST process. No output on the monitor, I could not access the BIOS. The power light was solid amber, pointing to a hardware, not software problem. The fan on the power supply was running and I even swapped out a spare power supply, but no success. The problem is either the motherboard or the processor. I bought this PC refurbished from Dell to use a my backup PC, and my primary PC is working great. I know it is a hardware issue, but it seems too coincidental that my PC croaked after installing XP SP3. There are tons of articles out there documenting problems with HP PC's that have AMD processors. I had a working Dell with an Intel processor, so it really does not explain my situation.

I have been procrastinating about building a new PC for myself. I have most of the less expensive parts already - case, power supply, video card, and SATA hard drive. It looks like I will be using part of my Economic Stimulus Payment for the more expensive parts - processor, motherboard, and RAM. Thank You Bill Gates!

Hop in the Cordoba baby, we're going dancing with Lord Stanley!

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers today 6-0 to advance to the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. WOO-HOO ! Mike Lange, Pittsburgh Penguins radio broadcaster, proudly proclaimed "Hop in the Cordoba baby, we're going dancing with Lord Stanley!"

WVU Faculty Votes for President Resignation

Yesterday, WVU faculty members voted 563-35 to demand that President Mike Garrison resign over his administration’s decision to award a bogus MBA degree to the governor’s daughter, Heather Bresch. Last week, the Faculty Senate passed a similar motion of no confidence.

A new group at WVU, called the Mountaineers for Integrity and Responsibility (MIR), has an online petition that you can sign requesting the resignation of Garrison. MIR is made up of faculty, students and alumni at the university.

WVU Faculty Votes to Oust the Prez

The WVU Faculty board voted Monday that President Mike Garrison should resign because of the controversy of awarding a mythical MBA degree to Mylan Inc executive Heather Bresch, who is the daughter of West Virginia governor Joe Manchin. A motion of no confidence passed in a vote of 77-19. The motion demands that Garrison step down, or the that the WVU Board of Governors can require his resignation. There are so many political connections involved with this controversy, it is just unbelievable. Here are just a few:

• Mylan Inc. Executive Heather Bresch is the daughter of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.
• WVU President Mike Garrison is a longtime friend of Heather Bresch.
• Mike Garrison once worked as a Mylan lobbyist.
• Mylan's chairman, Milan "Mike" Puskar, has given tens of millions to the university, which named its football stadium for him.

Garrison has stated previously that he will not resign. Last week Provost Gerald Lang and business school Dean R. Stephen Sears resigned from their administrative posts. Both intend to continue teaching at WVU. Will Garrison step down gracefully or will he be forced to resign? He seems more interested in his own personal reputation (which is already tarnished) instead of WVU's reputation.

Workout Rewind

I have not posted about any of my workouts because I was out of commission due to my four week Easter cold which was also my worst cold of the past decade. I have actually been working out the past two weeks, cardio and weightlifting. I am fine doing cardio. However, when I am weightlifting, I suffer from exercise induced asthma. This has happened to me in the past when I have had a very long break from working out. For now, I am using a Primatene Mist inhaler before I work out. From past experience, the amount of time I have taken off from working out is usually the same amount of time it takes me to get back in shape. So, in another two weeks, I should be good again.

WVU Panel Reports Poor Judgment in Awarding MBA to Heather Bresch

Today, a WVU Investigative Panel released a 95 page report to the public detailing its decision that Mylan Inc Executive Heather Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, did not earn an M.B.A degree from West Virginia University.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette highlighted key findings from the 95 page report. Phrases like “poor judgment”, “failures of processes”, and “failures of leadership” are included in the report. The 95 page (4.4 MB) report can be downloaded from the Post Gazette here. Course titles, grades, and credits have been un-highlighted with black marker.

When I first heard about this story, I thought there would be a cover up. I am glad that the investigative panel did not try to cover this up. I am disappointed that a major university gave in to political pressure. I, like most people, am very proud to say that I worked very hard to earn my college degree.

Heather Bresch’s WVU MBA Was BS

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette is reporting from a source that a five member panel has unanimously concluded that Mylan Inc chief operating officer Heather Bresch, daughter of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, did not earn an M.B.A degree from West Virginia University and that administrators acted improperly in granting her the degree retroactively in October. Ms. Bresch is a family friend and former business associate of WVU President Michael Garrison.

The panel was formed after a Dec. 21 Post Gazette article that questioned how university officials granted the degree in October, almost 10 years after Ms. Bresch left the program, even though official records showed she was 22 credits short. University records show that 22 credits were added to Ms. Bresch’s transcript, almost half of the 48 credits required for the degree. Changes including adding six courses with grades that previously were not on her record and changing two incomplete courses to letter grades.

Ms. Bresch stated to several media outlets that she made arrangements in September 1998 with WVU finance professor Paul Speaker, the head of the M.B.A program at the time, to substitute work experience for 10 credits she needed to graduate.

I do not know Ms. Bresch or have a grudge against Mylan Inc or WVU. I am a proud Pitt M.B.A. graduate who earned my degree the honest way, with hard work. I grew up in a two bedroom apartment with my two brothers and my parents. My parents combined income was so low in high school that I qualified for free school lunches. I lived off campus at home to save money when I attended Pitt for my B.S. degree. I went back to Pitt for my M.B.A. degree because I could not find a job after earning my B.S. degree. My family did not have any business or political connections to help me. I worked hard to earn both of my degrees. Shame on Ms. Bresch and WVU.

Penguins Sweep Senators, Move to Round 2 of NHL Playoffs

The Pittsburgh Penguins completed their first postseason sweep since 1992 by defeating the Ottawa Senators 3-1 tonight. The Penguins Round 2 opponent has not been determined yet. Since the Penguins were able to sweep the Senators in 4 games, they will get a well deserved rest before Round 2 begins. Let Go Pens!

Terrible Two

My blog is officially 2 years old today, Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! So, how do I feel? I am proud that I have been able to keep this blog going. My goal was not to gain a large number of readers. I simply just wanted to express myself and let others know me a little better. I have also improved my writing skills. Blogging has helped me become more of a local Pittsburgh news junkie. I am more in touch with what is happening in Pittsburgh. Blogging has been a very good growth experience for me.

Penguins Clinch Atlantic Division Title

The Pittsburgh Penguins clinched the Atlantic Division title by beating the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2, tonight. It is their first division title since 1997-98. Sidney Crosby scored two goals. Whoo Hoo !!!

On the Shelf

I am still recovering from the cold I picked up from my younger brother over Easter weekend. This is probably the worst cold I have had in the last 6 years. Worse meaning duration and intensity. I have been so healthy the last 6 years, I have not had to use my prescription drug plan health benefits. I could not even find my prescription drug plan ID card. I was able to log on to my prescription drug plan website and asked them to send me a new ID card. Time for another shot of Nyquil before I go to bed.

RIP my CRT

The CRT monitor attached to my second PC died this weekend. It lived for 7 years, so I am pleased with how long it lasted. I do not use my second PC that much. I use it primarily as a file server to backup my data on my primary PC. I took a quick peek at websites like BestBuy, NewEgg, Staples, and Sam's Club, and it is hard to find a CRT monitor. Most monitors sold these days are LCD monitors. How technology has changed and improved for the better! I have a keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch somewhere in my basement pile of old PC parts, so I will hold off on purchasing a new LCD monitor until after I get my tax refund.

Brotherly Love

My younger brother brought his cold from Ohio with him this weekend to my mother's house for Easter. A great example of brotherly love. I woke up with a sore throat this morning. As the day progressed, sinus pressure increased in my head, I had the chills, I felt a little disoriented, and I just felt run down. I started talking Cold-EEZE zinc lozenges at work. I still feel crappy, but I mustered up the energy to listen to the Penguins game and watch CSI Miami. I actually plan on going to bed early this evening. Lights out.

Winter Weather Forecast Pet Peeves

I am getting annoyed with the Pittsburgh media hyping up the Winter Weather forecasts. Here are my pet peeves (or conversely the media's sly techniques) for overblowing the winter weather forecasts:

• Teaser Trailers - these are short teasers less than 5 seconds in length telling you of impending doom, but you will have to watch 15 minutes of the newscast before the forecast is revealed.


• Live Reports - TV stations feel there is a need to have a reporter on the spot showing and telling you the current conditions. A few Saturdays ago, KDKA TV had Ivy league educated cutie Alison Morris reporting live from a Giant Eagle parking lot in Beaver County. It was ridiculous. There was no precipitation at all, so the camera panned to a snowpile that was created from a snowplow plowing the parking lot.


• Snowfall totals spanning 2 or more days. If the amount of predicted snowfall for one day is not newsworthy, the snowfall totals are predicted over a span of 2 or more days. This makes the total snowfall amount more dramatic.


• If the snowfall totals in the Pittsburgh area are not going to be significant, the Teaser Trailers hint at more significant snowfall totals. However, when you see the forecast, the significant snowfall total was for a "surrounding area" like Altoona or Erie. There are TV stations in Altoona snd Erie.

I am hoping Spring arrives soon.

Vernal Equinox

From http://www.weather.com/, here is today's weather forecast for the first day of Spring, the Vernal Equinox: High 36 degrees. Intermittent snow showers and windy this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Lovely, do I really enjoy the joys of all four seasons?

Widget1000 Spam

Here is the text from a comment left on one of my blog posts:

anthony bremond has left a new comment on your post "Pittsburgh Penguins Season Opener - 10/5/2007":

Dear Mr,
I'm an intern with startup widget 1000 and I created a news widget for Pittsburgh Penguins News.It's updated every hour with Pittsburgh Penguins headlines from several different sports websites like ESPN, FOX Yahoo,etc. (Take a look: www dot widget1000 dot com). Can we add Pittsburgh Penguins blog to the widget,too? That means that every time you post to your blog the headline of the post will show up on the widget and link directly to your post. Anyone who puts this widget on their start page or on their website will see your Pittsburgh Penguins posts too. It's a powerful and free way to publicize your site. Finally, would you add your Pittsburgh Penguins News Widget to your site so that others can see it? Everyone who grabs the widget will automatically link to you so it's great for your search engine rankings. Plus, it shows a lot of stories about Pittsburgh Penguins and since it's updated every hour it is fresh and will make your site even more appealing than it already is.
What do you think?
Go Pittsburgh Penguins
Anthony Bremond

I am all for free enterprise, but I did a search on Google for "widget1000" and found the above text on a bunch of other blogs. The only thing that was different was that the name of the sports team had been changed. Google also found advertisements for widget1000's paid services. Obviously, I rejected this comment on my blog. You are not going to make a buck off of my blog.

Sunglasses of Justice

CSI: Miami has become my favorite of the 3 CSI franchise television shows. I used to really like the original, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, but have lost interest recently. The original CSI always had interesting, odd, puzzles to solve, which was the main appeal to me. David Caruso's portrayal of Horatio Caine is the reason why I like CSI: Miami so much. At times, his acting can be a little over the top. Horatio always gets the bad guy, and he does it while being as cool as a cucumber with a heart for the victim. Horatio Caine is infamous for his one-liners at the beginning of each show. The content and delivery of the one-liners make them unique. Here is a YouTube link to a whole 7 minutes of Horatio Caine one-liners, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcD0Mmyp3f4. Enjoy!

Driver Pet Peeves

Here is a my list of pet peeves about drivers:

1. Talking on a cell phone while driving - this is my absolute #1 pet peeve about drivers. I have tried to drive and talk on a cell phone at the same time, but I only have two hands, not three. If you are going to use your cell phone while driving, please use a handsfree headset.


2. Driving slow in the passing lane - Why is it that slow drivers in the passing lane are totally clueless that they are causing a huge backup of vehicles? Cars do come with something called mirrors.


3. Non use of turn signals - cars have turn signals for a reason, to let other drivers know you are changing directions.


4. Leaving you turn signal on - this is almost as bad as not using your turn signal. Are you turning or not? It only takes on quick flick of the wrist to turn off a turn signal.
   

I will stop complaining now.

I Scream for Ice Cream

National Blog Posting Month has a theme for March, LISTS. The goal is to post every day for a month. Obviously, I am already ten days late, but LISTS are an idea that I have overlooked to add variety to my posts. Even though I watch my diet very carefully, I do have some "cheat" foods, and Ice Cream is my favorite cheat food. Ice Cream has changed - you can buy sugar free and double/slow churned versions with less fat. Another thing that has changed is the container size - no more half gallons. Anyway, here are my top 5 favorite flavors, starting with my most favorite:

1. Cookies N Cream - brings me back to the days as a young kid eating cookies and milk before going to bed.


2. Mint Chocolate Chip - the chocolate chips and the mint ice cream are a great pairing.


3. Vanilla - a classic, sounds basic, but you can add almost any topping to Vanilla ice cream and it still tastes great. I particularly prefer brands where you can see the vanilla bean specks.


4. Moosetracks - the perfect combination of everything that is bad but tastes so good.


5. Chocolate - double, triple, with fudge, chocolate chips, or anything with chocolate ice cream as the base is just outstanding.

Yes, I still eat ice cream in the winter, even if my body temporarily gets the chills after eating a few scoops.

Workout Rewind – February 2008

In February, I decided I needed to get back in shape after my layoff from tennis elbow. I managed to fit in at least one, sometimes two, and one week actually three weightlifting sessions. I aggravated my tennis elbow a few times due to removing snow and/or ice from my car. For my upper body, I have limited my range of motion to only partial repetitions. The elbow still bothers me, so I am reluctant to complete full range of motion repetitions. Maybe I am being too cautious, but I do not want to re injure myself.

The Power of The Pensblog

My favorite Pittsburgh Penguins blog, The Pensblog, is known for it's creative photoshops. Another blogger recently "stole" some photoshops from The Pensblog. Not a smart move. The Pensblog and its readers basically flooded the photoshop thief with comments and the thief had no choice but to take down the stolen photoshops. Readers of The Pensblog are numerous, united in their love of the Pens, and united when it comes to a cause. Do not underestimate the power of bloggers, in particular, the Power of the Pensblog.

Myron Cope Passes Away at 79

Mryon Cope, writer, legendary broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the inventor of the Terrible Towel, and a pioneer in sports talk radio, died today at the age of 79. My prayers go out to the Cope family.

Pittsburgh Penguins Blogs

With the Pittsburgh Penguins having another great season and the blockbuster Marian Hossa trade, I thought I would list my favorite Pittsburgh Penguins Blogs. So here goes:

• Pittsburgh Penguins, The Official Web Site - No explanation needed here. Go here for the official schedule, stats, etc.
• THE PENSBLOG - This is a great website run by a group of die hard Pens fans. The guys here make liberal use of reader submitted Photoshop pics, which at times have made me fall off of my chair laughing. Warning, do not visit this blog if you are easily offended my male, testosterone driven humor.
• Faceoff-Factor - a little bit more cerebral than THE PENSBLOG.
• Pittsburgh Sports Insider - these guys usually have the latest breaking news. Not just the Penguins, but all Pittsburgh Sports teams.
• 105.9 the X - the official radio broadcast station for the Penguins games. You can listen to the games live on 105.9 FM, or listen live on the internet.

The Symphony Over Lunch?

I brought my vehicle to the Sears at Ross Park Mall to get my tires rotated. I was pleasantly surprised that the Three Rivers Symphonette was performing at the mall. The Symphonette is comprised of 35 students, aged 10-15, strings only. Classical music usually is not my thing, I am more of an alternative rock kind of guy. These kids were very good, their parents should be proud of their hard work and dedication. Hats off to the Ross Park Mall for bringing these kids in to perform.

Winter Driving Tips

The last two days have been an adventure driving to and from work. I feel fortunate that I do not have to drive on any of the Parkways to go to work. I live in Northern Allegheny County and drive up Route 8 to Butler. Even though I avoid the traffic jams of the Parkways, I have to deal with Penndot's less than desirable snow and ice removal on Route 8. You know immediately when you have crossed the Allegheny/Butler County line. I am not an expert on winter driving, but I wanted to share information on how to drive in the winter. Rather than me writing my personal observations, I used Google, and found what I believe to be, one website with very good overall winter driving tips. I could have provided links to several sites, but I found that AAA has a downloadable publication which seems to cover just about everything. It is called "How To Go On Ice And Snow". Please take the time to read it and be safe out there.

Year of the Rat

Happy Chinese New Year! 2008 is the Year of the Rat. If you are interested in the Chinese Zodiac, some attributes of the Rat are: Rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. The Chinese New Year is sometimes called the Lunar New Year. If you collect stamps, see the stamp issued this year by the United States Postal Service.

Back on the Bench

Yesterday, I made my first attempt in 3 months to exercise my upper body. I have been on a self imposed, but wise, decision to let my elbow tendonitis heal since the beginning of November. My elbow is not entirely healed yet, but I really need to do something before my body turns into Jello. My weight and percentage bodyfat has not changed significantly in 3 months, but my body seems to have re-distributed itself. I do not want to re-aggravate my elbow tendonitis, so I was very careful with my workout. Yesterday, I attempted some bench presses with a few differences from my normal routine. I dropped the poundages to one-third of my normal poundages and I completed only partial repetitions so my arms were not fully extended with elbows locked. So how do I feel? My chest is actually a little sore. It is probably a result of my inactivity and not the actual poundages. I also completed the partial repetitions very slowly and with good form. One of my objectives from last night was to get my body accustomed to the movement again, muscle memory as it is called. My elbow is not sore today, so it seems like I accomplished what I wanted to. I am pleased that I am taking baby steps to getting back into the groove of things.

Tennis Elbow Update - 2/4/2008

I saw my hand surgeon this AM for a follow up visit after receiving a cortisone shot one month ago. I had an 8:30AM appointment and was pleasantly surprised by the non-existent wait time and the very pretty receptionist who could have a second career as a model. Anyway, my grip strength has improved but is not quite equal to the grip strength in my good arm. The Doc recommended gripping/carrying items with my elbow bent versus elbow extended straight out. Also, I should carry items palm up versus palm down. This puts less stress on the elbow. My Doc likes to spread out cortisone shots every 3 months if necessary. I should also wear a Band-It elbow strap as needed. He did not schedule a follow up appointment. Instead I am supposed to schedule an appointment if my progress starts to go backwards.

Later Sunsets

As I was driving home yesterday after work around 5:30PM I noticed something strange - the sun had not set yet, there was still some daylight, the days are actually getting longer ! This winter has been blah for me. I stopped working out in November to let my elbow tendonitis heal and I really have not been able to get back into any type of consistent workout routine. My physical therapy sessions were $30 a session, even with my insurance covering the rest of it. I am not looking forward to my credit card bill next month. Shopping for winter clearance clothes is even depressing - everything is either black, gray, navy blue, dark green, or dark red. Winter colors are so boring. I need something to snap me out of the winter doldrums. Hopefully, more sunlight and an earlier Daylight Savings on March 9th will energize me.

Al Gore, No Inconvenient Truth Today

Al Gore, there is no"Inconvenient Truth" today, it is damn cold. Even though I should be acclimated to setting my thermostat at 69 degrees, it is a very cold 69 degrees. Here is a breakdown of what I am wearing today inside my house: Head - Nike baseball hat turned backwards; Upper Body - Reebok Play Dry compression T-shirt, Reebok Play Dry Thermal Long Sleeve Mock Turtleneck, cotton full zip front sweatshirt; Lower Body - Champion Duo Dry sports brief, Under Armour Cold Gear leggings, cotton sweatpants; Feet - wool socks, Nike running shoes.

Tennis Elbow Update

I saw my hand surgeon this morning for a re-evaluation of my tennis elbow after 6 weeks (12 sessions) of physical therapy. My Doctor measured my grip strength and said my strength had not dramatically improved. My Doc said it can take 6 to 9 months to fully heal. He gave me the options of allowing more time to heal by itself, or have a cortisone injection. He recommended the cortisone shot since my grip strength did not improve a lot. My physical therapist suggested 2 weeks (4 sessions total) of additional physical therapy and my doctor agreed to this. I will see my doc in one month to see if the cortisone shot worked. I will keep you updated.

Drive Time

No, this is not a post about being stuck in traffic on the Parkway. The second DVD drive that I installed in my PC died yesterday. It was a Sony DVD writer and only worked for almost 3 years. Of course, it only had a one year warranty, so I replaced it with a DVD writer drive that I was saving for my unbuilt new PC. I sent an e-mail to Sony tech support complaining about the quality of the drive. I doubt if they will even reply since I was not asking for tech support. The drive is dead, trust me. The very first DVD drive I installed 4 years ago was only a reader, not a burner. It was made by a no name company, Pacific Digitial, and died about one month after the one year warranty. My PC is seven years old and surprisingly the original CD writer drive still works. It is very slow compared to today's technology and makes a horrible grinding noise, but it still works. I also took some time to dust out my computer case, the cooling fans, etc. I will have to wait and see how long this drive will last.

Happy 2K8

Happy New Year to everyone!

Letterman Strikes Deal With Writers/Bloggers

Worldwide Pants, the production company for "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson", has reached an interim agreement with the Writers Guild of America. So what does this mean? Most late night talk shows are scheduled to return to the air next Wednesday. These two late night talk shows will be the only ones with material written by professional writers.

What have the Late Show writers been doing since the strike began? Blogging of course. Here is a link to the Late Show Writers Blog. You will find the infamous "Top 10 Lists" along with a lot of short videos. If you have not guessed, yes, I am a night owl.

Private Practice

Being the day after Christmas, there was not much to watch on TV, so as I was channel surfing, I came across ABC's "Private Practice". I thought it was a good show. However, in real life, you will never find a private practice where the doctors, both male and female, are so good looking.

Annual Pitt Christmas Luncheon

I had lunch today with two buddies who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering. It is an annual tradition that started some time ago. I actually graduated the same year as Jim. Gerry graduated about 10 years earlier than Jim and I. Jim and Gerry grew up together and act like younger and older brothers. Jim and Gerry followed their engineering education and are actually employed as real engineers. I got my MBA Degree from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, worked in Finance, then moved on to the IT field, my true calling, my gift, my curse. I have no regrets and am very happy working in the IT field. We have been lunching at a Pizza shop on Fifth Avenue for who knows how long. The conversation, pizza, and company was good - as it always is. We will probably get together again later next year for our annual Pirates game. Hopefully the annual tradition of a Pirates losing season will not continue.

Merry Christmas

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas !

Christmas LED Pics

Cynthia from My Brilliant Mistakes asked me how my LED Christmas lights look compared to regular incandescent bulbs. Here are a few pics I took with my Canon A520. This is the first time I have taken photos in the dark with my camera, so I am not sure how these will turn out. The LED lights were placed inside the window and not outside. The window glass kind of softens the LED's and creates some glare. They would look much better from outside, if they were placed outside. I enjoy viewing the lights from inside, and I think the LED's are just as bright as incandescent bulbs. I will let you judge for yourself. The lights are not perfectly straight, so I will never be able to compete with the Griswold's. This is a view from the street:






This is a view from the sidewalk:

This is an interior view from one of my bedroom windows:

When I bought these LED's at Wal Mart, another shopper spoke to me and said we live in a throw away society. He preferred to pay $2.00 for a 50 light incandescent set versus $10.00 for a 60 light LED set.

This year, the Capital Christmas Tree in Washington, DC was lit with LED lights.

Green Christmas

I decided to have a Green Christmas this year. Instead of the usual incandescent mini lights in my windows, I bought LED mini lights from my local Wal Mart. They were reduced from $10.00 to $7.00. Sure they are more expensive upfront, but in the long run, I will save money in energy costs. Just do not expect me to compete with Al Gore for the next Nobel Prize.