I have avoided blogging about the UPMC/Highmark issue. It's a true sign of the times that two non-profit organizations whose missions are to provide health care and health care insurance are engaged in this farce of a battle. I don't have anything good to say about Highmark. It is a health insurance company that is now in the hospital business, having recently acquired the Allegheny Health Care System, UPMC's only remaining local hospital competition. So, now both UPMC and Highmark are both medical systems AND insurance companies. I don't know exactly how that works, but I'm sure it makes a lot of non-profit profits. Regarding UPMC, from my observations and those of others whose opinions I trust, it appears clear that UPMC's Jeffrey Romoff is a first-class douchebag. UPMC is an important part of the Pittsburgh landscape and community. UPMC does a lot of good, admirable things in our fair city. But nowadays, when I hear the term "UPMC," it usually makes me ill.


Grinch Romoff
Monday, 28 November 2011 09:45
Written by Rob Rogers

Jeffrey Romoff is sticking to his greedy, bull-headed boycott of Highmark. He and UPMC are more concerned with making profits than treating patients. Maybe it is time to pull their ridiculous non-profit status.

As some of my vast and loyal readership may recall from previous posts, I get almost all of my pants and jeans from Gap (formerly THE Gap). One of the the things that I have always liked about Gap jeans and cords was that the back pockets were plain. I don't like stitching on my back pockets. I just don't. But this year's Gap has added stitching to the back pockets of jeans and cords. Stitching.

DAVE: What did you text me? A dancing Elmo Thanksgiving turkey?

JIM: Happy Thanksgiving!

Actually, all I did was forward to you a text that someone sent me. And I have no idea who it was who sent it to me.

DAVE: Did your family end up having a nice day?

JIM: Yes. It was nice.

but then I did end up getting conned into having to go to wal-mart at 11:00 last night, if you can believe that. That was not a pleasant experience (and of course a complete waste of time).

DAVE: I have never wanted anything badly enough to go to a store on Thanksgiving night or Friday. I will pay the extra money to shop online.

And then have my credit card number stolen.

I've had a day to reflect on this, and I am still a little fuming.

West Virginia beats Pitt tonight.

JIM: Really going out on a limb there, huh?

I was supposed to go to the Pitt-Penn basketball game at the Palestra tonight (which is being played at the same time as the football game). A friend of mine called me a week or two ago and asked me if I wanted to go. I think he called me on a Thursday, maybe it was Wednesday. I don't know. I was on my way to a funeral when he called and I told him I would have to check my schedule and talk to my wife and get back to him in a couple days. I knew that Kathy was probably working today at some point, but it wasn't certain yet and I didn't know what time. He seemed cool with that. So I called him back over the weekend to tell him I'd go. He didn't answer his cell phone and then left me a message that he decided he couldn't wait so went out and got tickets without me.

So I guess I'll just sit here tonight and flip back and forth between both games. Of course, my daughter is having a friend stay over and my wife only works until 8:30, so I probably won't really have much of an opportunity to watch either. I've already been kicked off of the big TV in my den because my daughter has decided she needs to watch a movie on our iPad and have the iPad plugged into the TV and that is the only TV with an HDMI connection (I offered to rent them a movie from redbox so they could watch something they haven't seen, but they want to watch a movie they've already seen just so I can't enjoy the game.) So it's looks like I'm relegated to either the basement or my bedroom to watch Pitt. Until my wife gets home and then she'll probably insist that I'm not allowed to watch TV in either of those places.

DAVE: You make it all sound so glamorous.

Ethical Franco
Monday, 21 November 2011 08:42
Written by Rob Rogers

Franco Harris defended his friend and mentor Joe Paterno. While I don't agree that Paterno was blameless in this, I understand why Franco would stand up for a friend under siege. It doesn't mean that he endorses child abuse, as Mayor Luke Ravenstahl would have us believe. Ravenstahl, who has had his own ethical problems in the past, was quick to point fingers and asked Harris to step down as chair of the Pittsburgh Promise.

For this cartoon I decided to show the Pittsburgh airport statues of Franco Harris and George Washington. Maybe the mayor should wait until he gets his own airport statue before he criticizes someone with Franco's record of integrity and ethics.

As I've previously mentioned in my blog, one of my many youthful crushes was on a young woman named Leigh. She was two years older than I was, which makes her 44 now, and she had her eighth child in July. The last I knew, she was not Catholic, but rather Presbyterian. And a conservative one at that. According to her Facebook page, she is against marriage that is not between a man and a woman. But apparently, she and second (?) husband Ken do not see the benefits of birth control. Eight fucking children?! In 2011?! In this economy?! And the ridiculously high cost of college without any guarantees that there will be jobs after college (or graduate school, for that matter)?! And check out the names of her huge brood.

I must say that she was pretty sexy in 1984, though. Either that, or I was just stupid.

Brewed On Grant: Hide and Seek
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 09:26
Written by Rob Rogers

The day after being elected as County Executive-to-be, Rich Fitzgerald criticized the mayor's work ethic. Then, Boy Mayor shot back about Fitzgerald's temper. Sure, they later said they would have no problem working together, but it could make for an interesting dance.

This is ridiculous and sad. I would take the moral standards of Franco Harris (aside from being associated with gambling resorts) over Luke Ravenstahl every time. No debate.


Franco Harris steps down as Promise chairman
Friday, November 18, 2011
By Bill Schackner and Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Franco Harris stepped aside temporarily as chairman of the Pittsburgh Promise board Thursday while expressing sadness that defending his former coach and mentor at Penn State University, Joe Paterno, was seen by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl as disregard for child sex abuse victims.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," Mr. Harris said, defending recent comments he made in the Penn State sex abuse scandal. "My heart aches for those young people and their families who were violated in the deplorable events at Penn State.

"Those who know me will be aware that during my many years of public service to the Pittsburgh regional community I have held steadfastly to the conviction that the protection and well-being of our children are paramount," he said.

Saleem Ghubril, executive director of the Pittsburgh Promise, which provides college scholarships to graduates of Pittsburgh Public Schools, said Mr. Harris will remain on the board as a full voting member. The Promise board, meeting for several hours Thursday night, will meet again in the next few days to further discuss the matter.

"However, we did affirm without hesitation Franco's integrity, Franco's character and his clear and evident lifetime of service to children," Mr. Ghubril said.

Mr. Harris, who played football under Mr. Paterno decades ago, said university trustees were wrong to fire the famed coach last week because Mr. Paterno did what he was legally required to do in 2002 by informing a superior about allegations that assistant coach Jerry Sandusky had sexually assaulted a boy in a campus shower.

Mr. Ravenstahl apparently chafed at that opinion.

"I had to re-read it several times to fully comprehend the callous disregard and indifference for the victims of sexual abuse at Penn State," he stated in the email sent Wednesday evening to the Promise board.

"To so adamantly and vocally defend one man while maintaining silence for those powerless to defend themselves, shows me that you are the wrong man to represent the Pittsburgh Promise and the ideals it embodies.

"When I personally asked you to join the Board of the Pittsburgh Promise, I had every confidence that you would exercise sound judgment in your public life. Sadly, these statements show no regard whatsoever for the well-being of the young victims of sexual abuse and have led me to question your position of trust with the Pittsburgh Promise as Board Chairman.

"It is my ethical and moral responsibility to recognize that you are no longer a suitable representative for any organization, let alone ours."

Mr. Harris said neither the mayor nor his staff contacted him before sending the email.

Mr. Harris said he has attempted to "place the victims and their families at the forefront of my concerns while questioning the seeming rush to judgment in the treatment of Joe, who I know is deeply pained and distraught by events now under investigation at Penn State."

Earlier Thursday, Mr. Ghubril defended Mr. Harris, calling him a "dedicated and respected" leader of the scholarship program.

Mr. Ghubril said Mr. Harris has shown "compassionate and dedicated mentorship to our students, and [worked] as a tireless advocate of the program within our region and beyond.

"His integrity in all aspects of his service to The Promise is unquestionable," Mr. Ghubril said.

Penn State officials, including Mr. Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier, who stepped down by mutual agreement, faced growing criticism over the university's failure to alert law enforcement to allegations that Mr. Sandusky sexually assaulted a boy in a campus shower in 2002.

Have you heard that The Meadows Racetrack and Casino fired Franco Harris as one of its duo of pitchmen (along with Rocky Bleier)? He was fired because of his vocal support of Joe Paterno, for whom Harris played at Penn State. Well, it gets even better. The Lukester has gotten involved. It's always fun to hear from his moral compass.


Pittsburgh Promise defends Franco Harris
Mayor calls on former Steelers great to step down as chairman
Thursday, November 17, 2011
By Eleanor Chute and Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The executive director of the Pittsburgh Promise today defended ex-Steeler Franco Harris after Mayor Luke Ravenstahl demanded Mr. Harris resign as board chairman because of statements regarding the Penn State sex abuse scandal.

Saleem Ghubril, the executive director of the Pittsburgh Promise, said Mr. Harris is a "dedicated and respected" leader of the scholarship program.

Mr. Harris, who played football at Penn State under Joe Paterno decades ago, said Penn State was wrong to fire the famed coach because Mr. Paterno did what he was legally required to do in 2002 by informing a superior about allegations that an assistant coach had sexually assaulted a boy in a campus shower.

Mr. Harris issued a statement later today, saying he was greatly saddened that his personal opinions about a friend and mentor had been interpreted as a disregard for the victims of the alleged abuse.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," he said. "My heart aches for those young people and their families who were violated in the deplorable events at Penn State.

"Those who know me will be aware that during my many years of public service to the Pittsburgh regional community I have held steadfastly to the conviction that the protection and well-being of our children are paramount," he said.

He said he has attempted to "place the victims and their families at the forefront of my concerns while questioning the seeming rush to judgment in the treatment of Joe, who I know is deeply pained and distraught by events now under investigation at Penn State."

Mr. Harris indicated he has no intention of stepping down, saying the Promise's greatest potential lies ahead and as chairman "my mission is far from complete ... I aim to see the Promise's potential fulfilled."

Neither the mayor nor his spokeswoman, Joanna Doven, could be reached for comment today.

But in an email to Promise board members Wednesday evening, the mayor pointed to what he said was Mr. Harris' statement saying Penn State trustees failed to give Mr. Paterno the backing he needed.

"I had to re-read it several times to fully comprehend the callous disregard and indifference for the victims of sexual abuse at Penn State," Mr. Ravenstahl stated in the email.

"To so adamantly and vocally defend one man while maintaining silence for those powerless to defend themselves, shows me that you are the wrong man to represent the Pittsburgh Promise and the ideals it embodies.

"When I personally asked you to join the Board of the Pittsburgh Promise, I had every confidence that you would exercise sound judgment in your public life. Sadly, these statements show no regard whatsoever for the well-being of the young victims of sexual abuse and have led me to question your position of trust with the Pittsburgh Promise as Board Chairman.

"It is my ethical and moral responsibility to recognize that you are no longer a suitable representative for any organization, let alone ours, and demand that you resign immediately from the Board of the Pittsburgh Promise."

The Promise board of directors is expected to discuss the matter at its meeting tonight, and Mr. Ghubril said the organization would have no further comment about the mayor's remarks until after that session.

Mr. Ghubril said today that Mr. Harris has shown "compassionate and dedicated mentorship to our students, and (worked) as a tireless advocate of the program within our region and beyond.

"His integrity in all aspects of his service to The Promise is unquestionable," Mr. Ghubril said.

Penn State officials including Mr. Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier, who stepped down by mutual agreement, faced growing criticism over Penn State's failure to alert law enforcement to allegations that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted a boy in a campus shower in 2002.

I almost forgot about the Tunnel of Love. I don't see any mention of costs in this little article.


North Shore Connector ready for tests next month
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
By Jon Schmitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Port Authority's North Shore Connector project is 98 percent complete and on track for the debut of passenger service on March 25.

Project manager Keith Wargo told a committee of the authority board this morning that testing of trains on the new system will begin next month. Workers have been running tests with cutouts that match the profile of Light Rail Transit vehicles to ensure that proper clearances exist on the 1.2-mile extension, which includes a new Gateway Center station, an underground station next to PNC Park and an elevated station beside Heinz Field.

Trucks also have towed pantagraphs, the arm-like devices that connect rail vehicles with the overhead power lines, through the system.

The Gateway station is 93 percent complete and the Romare Bearden mural from the old station has been refurbished and reinstalled. The two stations on the North Shore are more than 99 percent complete, Mr. Wargo said.

Now, I openly admit that I don't believe the reported results of any standardized achievement tests from the Pittsburgh Public Schools or virtually any other school district in the country, but this story is classic. The A+ Schools annual report states that in just 24 short years, black students and white students could be performing at the same achievement level. Public education getting the job done. In 2035.


Racial achievement gap closing faster in Pittsburgh schools
Monday, November 14, 2011
By Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

While Pittsburgh Public Schools still has a significant racial achievement gap between black and white students, the gap has begun to close at a faster pace.

That was the conclusion of the annual report to the community released today by A+ Schools, an education advocacy organization.

The report showed the gap between the percentages of white and black students scoring proficient or advanced on state tests went from 34.9 percentage points in 2008 to 30.6 percentage points this year in reading and from 28.5 percentage points in 2008 to 27.2 percentage points in math.

Carey Harris, executive director of A+ Schools, said that the performance of both white and black students improved, but the black student performance improved more.

A+ Schools reported that if the gap continues to close at the same rate as the previous four years, it would take 40 years to close the math gap and 34 years for reading.

With the improved pace of the past year, the gap in both subjects could be closed in 24 years.

"It's far too long," said Ms. Harris, but she said, "Hard work is making a difference."

Cyber weaknesses should deter US from waging war
LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press
Nov 7, 9:36 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- America's critical computer networks are so vulnerable to attack that it should deter U.S. leaders from going to war with other nations, a former top U.S. cybersecurity official said Monday.

Richard Clarke, a top adviser to three presidents, joined a number of U.S. military and civilian experts in offering a dire assessment of America's cybersecurity at a conference, saying the country simply can't protect its critical networks.

Clarke said if he was advising the president he would warn against attacking other countries because so many of them - including China, North Korea, Iran and Russia - could retaliate by launching devastating cyberattacks that could destroy power grids, banking networks or transportation systems.

The U.S. military, he said, is entirely dependent on computer systems and could end up in a future conflict in which troops trot out onto a battlefield "and nothing works."

Clarke said a good national security adviser would tell the president that the U.S. might be able to blow up a nuclear plant somewhere, or a terrorist training center somewhere, but a number of countries could strike back with a cyberattack and "the entire us economic system could be crashed in retaliation ... because we can't defend it today."

"I really don't know to what extent the weapon systems that have been developed over the last 10 years have been penetrated, to what extent the chips are compromised, to what extent the code is compromised," Clarke said. "I can't assure you that as you go to war with a cybersecurity-conscious, cybersecurity-capable enemy that any of our stuff is going to work."

Clarke, along with Gen. Keith Alexander, who heads both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, told the conference crowd that the U.S. needs to do a better job at eliminating network vulnerabilities and more aggressively seek out malware or viruses in American corporate, military and government systems.

But Clarke was more strident about pushing for broader government regulations to enforce such improvements, despite political reluctance. The problems, he said, will not be fixed unless the government gets more involved.

He added that the U.S. also needs to make it clear to countries such as China that efforts to use computer-based attacks to steal high-tech American data will be punished.

In a forceful and detailed public report last week. U.S. intelligence officials accused China and Russia of systematically stealing sensitive U.S. economic information and technologies for their own national economic gain.

The report called on the U.S. to confront China and Russia in a broad diplomatic push to combat cyberattacks that are on the rise and which represent a "persistent threat to U.S. economic security."

On Monday, Clarke said that until there are real consequences for the massive espionage, countries like China will still keep stealing.

Pope JoePa
Thursday, 10 November 2011 01:27
Written by Rob Rogers

Joe Paterno offered to retire after the season. Instead, the board of trustees decided he and Penn State president Graham Spanier needed to go immediately. Then the students rioted. This is understandable but I think the students' anger was misdirected. Paterno and Spanier were wrong not to act to prevent more atrocities. Their punishment is mild compared to the years of suffering experienced by Sandusky's sex abuse victims.

Good move, Uncle Tom . . .

Corbett signs bill to ban texting while driving
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG -- After state Sen. Robert Tomlinson called the practice of sending or reading text messages while driving "absolutely deadly," Gov. Tom Corbett today signed a bill outlawing the practice.

"I wish I could say that with a stroke of a pen we'll be able to make driving safer, but it's not that simple," Mr. Corbett said. "We have all heard stories about someone hurt or killed when texting while driving," including a 17-year-old girl in Butler County who died hours after the bill received approval by the state Senate.

He said he hopes the new law -- which takes effect in March -- will stop drivers from texting. It is a primary offense that carries a $50 fine.

Mr. Tomlinson, R-Bucks, has tried for several years to make the practice of texting while driving a "primary offense," meaning police can stop and ticket a driver for doing so. Some opponents, fearing "nanny government," wanted to make it a secondary offense, such as failure to wear a seat belt, meaning a person would have to be stopped for some other offense, such as speeding, before being charged with texting while driving.

More than 30 other states now ban texting while driving.

State police Col. George Bivens said his officers will be able to handle the additional task for looking for texting drivers.

Mr. Corbett admitted there are many practices that constitute distracted driving, such as eating, drinking or changing radio channels while driving, but he said texting was the most dangerous. Some people try to steer with their knees while using their fingers to text, he said.

Mr. Tomlinson said the Legislature next year may discuss whether to prohibit drivers from talking on hand-held cell phones, which nine other states already have done. AAA and AT&T applauded the new law. Ted Leonard, state AAA director, said "Education is important on this," meaning drivers need to be reminded not to text. AT&T President J. Michael Schweder said, "We remind all Pennsylvanians that no text message is worth putting lives at risk."

DAVE: I think they are going to a lot of trouble to keep Paterno away from a microphone. I have told you that in recent years, he doesn't always sound good. I think everybody is afraid of what he would say or how he would sound if he speaks to the media. So, he will retire quietly and go away at the end of the season. If he speaks, he may say things that cause his immediate dismissal.

All of this has other implications. Penn State gets a ton of money from the Marcellus Shale people to do research into how drilling is not bad for us. The rumor is that Tom Ridge could be named the new President of Penn State. He's the state advocate for drilling. Fucked up.

JIM: Joe must go.

DAVE: He's going to. It's just a matter of when. President may be gone today. ESPN is now Penn State TV.

DAVE: There are so many commercials during an NFL game. They seem more obtrusive than ever.

JIM: I hadn't noticed anything much different. Then again, I don't seem to get to watch a lot of football these days.

DAVE: Poor Dad.

JIM: Save your pity. JoePa needs it more.

And yeah, I know that you were just being sarcastic. But your boy Joe really does need your pity.

DAVE: Paterno is done.

And fuck him.

JIM: My friend Pat said:

This gives new meaning to doing things the "Penn State way".

Have you seen the Herman Cain YouTube video? It's fantastic. If you can't watch it at work, then try to remember to watch it at home. It's only 56 seconds, and the last 16 seconds are PRICELESS. You have to see it.

Photo ID
Friday, 04 November 2011 09:22
Written by Rob Rogers

The nation-wide attempt by the GOP to pass legislation making it harder for minorities, elderly, the young and the poor to qualify to vote is egregious. Some have called the photo ID requirement a return to the racist practices of using poll taxes and literacy tests to keep African Americans from voting.

Darwinism.

Half-written text on teen driver's phone at fatal crash
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Kaitlynn Riely, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A teenage girl from Butler County was in the midst of sending a text message when she died Tuesday night in a one-vehicle accident, state police said.

Alexis Lynn Summers, 17, of Saxonburg, was killed when the 2003 Subaru Legacy she was driving hit a tree after 10 p.m. off Hannastown Road in Jefferson, Butler County.

Her vehicle veered to the right berm of the roadway and onto a slight grass embankment, police said. Ms. Summers then apparently overcompensated while steering back onto the road. Her car spun around and hit the tree. The Butler County deputy coroner pronounced her dead at the scene.

"She was actively texting at the time of impact," said Lt. Eric Hermick of the Butler barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police.

Ms. Summers was wearing a seatbelt.

Crash site investigators said they found a cell phone at the scene, with a text message partially sent, Lt. Hermick said. He declined to release information about the message or the intended recipient, citing confidentiality laws.

Ms. Summers, a senior at Knoch High School in Saxonburg, died just hours after the state Senate gave final approval to a ban on texting while driving.

Police frequently receive calls about distracted drivers, including those texting while driving, Lt. Hermick said. He said he hopes the proposed state texting ban, a primary offense, will be a preventative measure.

"We hope it's a bigger deterrent, because it will educate the motoring public that they can't text while driving," he said.

Too many people . . .

Seven Billion
Tuesday, 01 November 2011 09:04
Written by Rob Rogers

That's right. We just hit seven billion. To paraphrase a line from the movie Jaws... we're gonna need a bigger planet!




Of course, Rich Fitzgerald and his wife are responsible for a good chunk of that seven billion.

My friend Andy has added Amway to his other methods of work. Andy and I used to walk dogs together, and he and I think similarly about a lot of things. He is using this fact to try and convince me to sell Amway with him. I am happy for him that it seems to be working out so far. But as for me joining the Amway family? No fucking way.