Is Hillary's message falling on deaf ears . . . ?

A quote from Helen the library clerk on a beautiful spring day . . .

It was such a spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves or grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what.

John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga

From the bitter blogger . . .

I don't know why Barack Obama's comments last week about some people in Pennsylvania being bitter and disenfranchised and finding comfort in guns or religion have caused him any controversy whatsoever.

A) It's so true.

B) I'm a perfect example of a bitter and disenfranchised person living in Pennsylvania.

and

C) I'm so bitter that I can't even find comfort in things like guns and religion. I got nothing. Nothing, man.

Prices keep going up: gasoline, groceries, pizza, and light-rail extension projects . . .

Subway bids are budget busters

Low bid for second contract for light-rail extension is more than 50% over earlier estimate

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
By Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


The apparent low bid for the second contract on the Port Authority's light-rail extension project came in at $48.9 million yesterday, well over budget.

Authority officials wouldn't say how much the bid for the new Gateway Center Station shell exceeded engineering estimates, but the number is well beyond the $25 million to $30 million range discussed two months ago.

The low bidder was North Shore Constructors II, a joint venture of West Mifflin-based Trumbull Corp. and Japan-based Obayashi Corp., who currently hold the initial $156.5 million contract to bore twin tunnels under the Allegheny River for the 1.2-mile North Shore Connector.

Joseph B. Fay Co. of Tarentum submitted the only other bid: $55.7 million.

"We were surprised that there were only two bidders," authority Operations Manager Winston Simmonds said. "It may be because there are so many other civil construction projects out there. The heated construction environment was definitely a concern for us, along with the escalation of labor, concrete, steel and energy costs."

The authority recently revised the contract and decided to close the existing Gateway Center T station for two years during construction as a means of minimizing costs.

"We've cut all the corners we can cut," Mr. Simmonds said.

The high bids do not bode well for the next contract, building the Allegheny Station shell and the elevated superstructure for the system on the North Shore. Those bids are to be opened May 14.

"Escalation is the concern for all contracts," Mr. Simmonds said. "It's reflective of the marketplace locally and nationally."

The Port Authority has a full-funding agreement with the Federal Transit Administration for a $435 million project. As of the end of March, it had spent $162 million for consultants, insurance, other associated costs and construction completed to date.

With another $76.5 million still to be paid for the first contract, and if it decides to accept yesterday's low bid, the authority will have spent and/or committed a total of $287.4 million, leaving $147 million to cover four remaining contracts that include station finishes, signals, rail installation, traction power system, communications, escalators and elevators.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato has previously declared $12 million as the limit on the county's share of project costs.

Mr. Simmonds said he and other officials would discuss what they expect for the project's financial future after reviewing the latest bids.

"We want to clearly understand the differences" between bids and engineering estimates, he said. "We want to gather more information."

Even Bill agrees that Hillary is not number 1 . . .

Apparently, Hillary is not "number 1" . . .

Hillary may have gotten the Steelers jersey from Uncle Dan Onorato, but Obama got the endorsement of Dan Rooney.

From today's Post-Gazette:

The Steelers chairman released a letter endorsing Mr. Obama. "As a grandfather and a citizen of this community I think Barack Obama's thoughtful, strategic approach is important for America," the letter addressed to "fellow Pennsylvanians" said. "When I hear how excited young people seem to be when they talk about this man, I believe he will do what is best for them, which is to inspire them to be great Americans."

21-gun salute . . .

Charlton Heston died last Saturday. What I want to know is if there was anyone there to take the rifle from his cold, dead hands.

Did Dan Rooney approve of this . . . ?

This issue very much troubles me . . .

I've been making some quiet and some not so quiet observations about the direction of the economy (read: money) for several years, but now, with an election year and all, everyone seems to be getting on the bandwagon. It must really be bad.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08101/872071-85.stm

Dear Penthouse Forum . . .

The young woman who has been cleaning my teeth for several years is cute. She is attractive (even though I mostly see her with a dental mask obscuring much of her face) and she has a fun personality. Having my teeth cleaned by her has made the typically unpleasant experience of going to the dentist a little less unpleasant in recent years. She's married and has a young son. That having been said, there always seems to be a little bit of chemistry between us, at least for the 30 minutes twice a year that I spend with her in my mouth, err, working in my mouth. And it seems that almost every time I visit her, she says something during the course of my appointment that is ripe with sexual innuendo. But because I am a mature adult, I let those little tidbits go by without batting an eyelash. All right, that's not true. I probably bat both eyelashes and raise one eyebrow to much greater heights than its matching partner. But I don't say anything, and the little remarks just fade away as the six months pass between appointments. That is, until yesterday.

A typical appointment, complete with what I consider to be a little bit of friendly banter and perhaps a little flirting. The usual number of dental-issue-comments-slash-sexual-innuendos. Then she was using the Ultrasonic Superduper Teeth Scaler Thingee to clean my teeth, and she was explaining to me how some dental hygienists do not use the machine properly, leading to some discomfort for the patient. She was telling me that the head of the scaler vibrates and gets hot, and if you touch the vibrating tip to a place in the mouth for too long, then it burns the spot. Or something like that. While she was explaining the proper way to use the scaler, I just couldn't control myself anymore. I started laughing and I put my hand up in the air from my reclined position and simply said, "Stop. No more. Please." She started laughing herself and acknowledged that her explanation had taken us in the wrong direction.

It may very well have been my best visit to the dentist. Ever. And only six months until she and I can continue our bi-annual flirtation.

My parents brought a lot back with them from Florida . . .

My family is a mystery. Really, it is. And I know that almost everyone feels that way about their family, or at least they are entitled to. I have never met what I consider to be a particularly healthy and happy family, so I don't even know what that looks like. But I am quite certain that my family is not one of them. Case in point, my Father's sister was treated for cancer for several years, and apparently she now has a clean bill of health. However, while she was dealing with the cancer and its physically ravaging treatments, she developed clinical depression, which she was treated for and dealt with in addition to the cancer. As some experts (and those who have experienced it firsthand) will tell you, once you've been down the often dark and lonely road of depression, even following successful treatment and recovery, it always seems just a little easier to slip down that path again in the future when certain triggers emerge. And apparently that is what has happened, following my Aunt and Uncle's recent move from their longtime house in Virginia to a retirement community in a different part of the state.

My parents tell me that my Aunt is suffering from depression again. She doesn't like the "really old" people that are her new neighbors, and she greatly misses her "girls," the women that she has called her closest friends for many years. She says that their friends just don't call them anymore and she is lonely. Although many in today's world consider retirement communities a necessary evil when people reach a certain age and they need progressive help with taking care of themselves, many others consider retirement communities a waiting room for death. And while I'm sure that it was time for my Aunt and Uncle to make the move (especially since I'm told that my Uncle suffers from some dementia issues himself), it has obviously been very tough on my Aunt.

And really, the saddest part of all of this is that my parents just don't seem to understand. Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I do know that depression is very difficult. And while it's certainly challenging for those around the person suffering, I can assure you that there is no worse a position to be in than the person who is experiencing depression's steely grip. So, now my parents seem to be talking about my Aunt as though she's somehow "broken." Like there's nothing that they can do for her. And that's because my parents just don't understand. They have demonstrated that so many times over the course of my lifetime that I feel very comfortable making that pronouncement. They just don't understand. And they make seemingly no effort to change that.

My Father is my Aunt's only sibling. I don't know if there is anything that he can do or say to make my Aunt feel better. But the sad part is that I doubt he will even try, beyond an occasional email or phone call to her. That's pretty much what you get from my parents.

My Father . . .

My Mother confided in me that my Father has been sending money to Barrack Obama's campaign. Apparently, he told her, if he gives a certain amount, then he gets invited to an exclusive lunch with Obama.

PNC Park at dawn on Opening Day . . .

While hope still springs eternal for a constantly shrinking number of Pirate fans, PNC Park always looks beautiful from the outside. It's when you're inside watching the team play that what you see can turn very ugly. But hey, that's why the team added a new all-you-can-eat section for this season. No matter how the team is playing on the field, Pittsburghers still come for the overpriced food. So, now I am officially out of touch with the new generation of Pirate (or rather, PNC Park food) fans. Play ball!

My father turns 74 tomorrow . . .

My parents returned from their winter home in Florida yesterday. They looked well, seemed well. But they also seemed older than the last time I'd seen them six months ago. Older, slower, not as sharp, not as logical. A little lost in Pittsburgh, things familiar in Florida still fresh in their memories. My father can't drive. Safely. But he hasn't been able to do that in years. Being his passenger is an act of faith. And hope. I caught him falling asleep a couple of times on the way home from dinner. He came to a complete stop at a green light before I encouraged him to proceed. Scary stuff. They have gotten "old" at a younger age than I had expected, but then again, what experience did I have to draw on.

This is a warning to all of you out there driving the streets of Pittsburgh. My father is back in town, and he drives a lot in the summer, mostly to and from PNC Park. So, beware.

It's Saturday, but this blogger never rests. I have some questions . . .

If the City of Pittsburgh were to merge with Allegheny County, who would be the head honcho of the whole shebang? Uncle Dan or the Lukester? I'm guessing that it would be the Lukester (God help us all) because Uncle Dan will be too busy helping Uncle Ed move out of the governor's mansion so that he can move in.


How come the Lukester doesn't seem to get along with the same members of City Council that he formerly shared the big wooden table with in Council Chambers? Whenever Council suggests a good idea for the city, the Lukester vetoes it and then institutes the same suggestions on his own. What's up with that?


It sometimes takes me several days to get the driver's seat in my car back to exactly the right position after it has been moved. Is that weird?

Who IS Ron Paul?

Uh, hi there. I'm Ron Paul. I'm running for President as a Republican.

Nostalgia . . .

Today I threw away a CD that my college girlfriend Julie gave me for Christmas in 1993.


It was a lousy CD.

Apparently, as a lover, I'm right on time . . .

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08093/869779-32.stm

Email news from Jim . . .

I just read in USA Today that deer penis, turtle blood and angelica root potions have been added to the list of banned substances for the Chinese Olympics. As far as I know, these substances are not banned in baseball. You should try sending some over to the Pirates clubhouse. Who knows? Maybe if Jason Bay starts eating some deer penis sausage to replace the steroids that I am more and more sure that he was on after every time I watch him play, he can get back to being the monster that he once was.

Now, THAT'S a campfire . . .

Dave and Mom emailing about TP . . .

Dave: What kind of toilet paper do you use? Quilted Northern?

Mom: Yes, I think that is the one, why?

Dave: I'm changing toilet paper, and I thought I might try what you use.

Mom: I have found it to be much softer, it does not shred, and you don't have to use as much because it is thicker.

Dave: Well, that must be the "quilting."

At this weekend's "Obama Bowl-o-rama" . . .

Now, this guys knows how to run for President.

Check out the shoes.

Stainless, yes. Smudgeless, not so much . . .

Stainless steel kitchen appliances are all the rage right now. And I'll be the first to admit that I think they look pretty sharp. But have you noticed how easily they get smudged? Try having a dog that sticks his wet nose up against the appliances all of the time. Smudges, my friends. Lots of smudges.

Is the race about race in Pennsylvania?

Hillary may have gotten the endorsements of Uncle Ed, Uncle Dan, and the Boy Mayor, but it looks like the Senators are sticking together, with Senator Barack Obama getting the thumb's up from Senator Bob Casey Jr. this morning here in Pittsburgh.

Out of alignment . . .

Do you know what happens when an old school road of cobble stones is paved over with about four or five inches of asphalt? I like to call it a "recipe for future potholes." In Pittsburgh, they call it "road surface management."

Seriously?!

Goodbye and thanks for coming . . .

Even though Barack Obama is vacationing with his family in the Virgin Islands while Hillary Clinton is running all over the state of Pennsylvania campaigning, I'm done with Hillary. I have seen her appear in interviews too many times where she doesn't sound sincere to me. She sounds too staged, like she's holding back and keeping it simple. Like Gore. Like Kerry. She's a tough lady, and I wish she would run for President like one. I have been very disappointed in both her campaign and her in general. So, I'm finally ready to throw my complete endorsement behind Obama. I suppose in the scheme of things, despite some lack of years in politics, he's still far smarter and more qualified to be President than Bush ever was. Now, he just has to keep up his tough and intelligent talk, and defeat the crazy old Little General. A tall order, to be sure. Is America ready for an African-American President? A black man in the White House?

I hope so. I really do.

I think someone has been having a little too much fun with her color printer . . .

This just in . . .

www.stamps.com is not exactly what you would think it would be.

And the winner of the St. Patrick's Day flair contest is . . .

Today's blog post is number 200. There should be cake . . .

I tawt I taw a putty tat . . .

Adult swim . . .

Even though it was from a movie, Gertrude keeps looking for a magic pool that has alien pods sitting at the bottom of it.

After spending some time in the Homeland Security Yukon . . .

Go ahead and throw me some beads, but I'm not going to show you my . . .

It's all about the green, baby . . .

Dan, where is that nice young man with the Homeland Security Yukon? I could sure use a drink. I feel like I'm the only person at this parade who isn't loaded.

At Friday night's Democratic jamboree . . .

Overwhelmed by the excitement of being invited by Uncle Dan and Uncle Ed to sit on the big boy stage with Hillary Clinton, the Boy Mayor started leading the crowd in a rousing version of the Village People's classic 70s disco anthem "YMCA."

Dave goes Downtown . . .

I've just returned from one of my rare, daytime trips to Downtown Pittsburgh, and I must say that I don't like going there. The Downtown skyline sure does make for a picturesque view, but at street level, it's dirty and dreary, and you can't navigate the discarded chewing gum mottled sidewalks without having to weave your way in and out of hoards of loud, often cigarette puffing folks congregated around popular bus stops. I see many more people milling about, waiting for buses than I see "business people" going about their, well, business. Maybe I don't go there often enough to have a true notion of what Downtown is like on a day-to-day basis. But from what I do know, I'm glad I've never had to work there.

I used to love Pittsburgh. I just don't anymore.

And speaking of political "indiscretions" . . .

I suspect we'll be seeing "more" of this gal in Playboy in the coming months. I hear that appearing naked in the magazine can be good for the career of a hot and sexy young woman trying to make it in New York City.

We still love the guy . . .

WHAZZUP, BILL!!!

Do you have daughters? Uh, I have some bad news for you . . .

I must not have had nearly enough sex in my lifetime, because I don't have any STDs. I feel a little left out.

St. Patrick's Day: a day for the children of Pittsburgh . . .

Today the Boy Mayor of Pittsburgh announced that this year, in an effort to make this Saturday's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade more "family-friendly," the City plans on enforcing the law against people walking around with open containers of alcohol. Now, the parade is an event notorious for bringing hoards of folks downtown on Saturday morning donned in all shades of festive greenery and beadery to drink all day and into the night. It's probably the most activity that downtown Pittsburgh sees all year. Many years ago one of my oldest friends met her husband in Market Square on just such an occasion. But the Mayor says that people won't be able to walk around with their green beers in hand this year.

So, my question is where is the Mayor himself going to be drinking his green beer on Saturday? Do you think he "borrowed" the Homeland Security Yukon again?

Is this the last we've heard from Twanda Carlisle?

Today is the day that former Pittsburgh city councilwoman Twanda Carlisle will begin her sentence of one to two years on corruption charges.

Plenty of time to get some sharp-looking tats to always remember her time inside.

Friday night in Bradenton . . .

Do you want to know what it's like to watch the Pirates at Spring Training in Florida? Last night's game got rained out and they shot off fireworks.

Just like here.

March in Pittsburgh . . .

I just love Pittsburgh at this time of year.

They should really be wearing scarves . . .

You see, Jim. Ugg boots are very fashionable, even in Alaska.

I hate inflation . . .

In the last two years, the price of my favorite frozen confectionery treat has gone up 15% at Giant Eagle. Sure, the price of cable TV has gone up, so has electricity, and postage, and natural gas, and, of course, gasoline. But why Popsicles? What are the Popsicle-loving children of our society supposed to do if their families can't afford a 15% price increase?

It's just a little more quiet in Pittsburgh today . . .

In addition to everything else that Myron Cope meant to Pittsburgh and the Steelers, I'm told that he was a decent person.

California raisins . . .

I love these little "Ads by Google" that are conveniently positioned above this blog (at least right now they are). I admit it, I sold out. I gave in to The Man and agreed to have little ads appear on my blog. I doubt it will result in any money for me, but I did it. I'm a sellout. Blah, blah, blah.

But my favorite thing about the ads is that they are chosen based very loosely on any major keyword that appears in your recent blogs. So, for instance, while I was making fun of Ugg boots, little ads for Ugg boots were appearing at the top of my blog page. That's messed up. I feel betrayed.

Just reporting the news, folks . . .

Gateway 'T' stop to close for 2 years

Port Authority move will cut costs during work on extension

Saturday, February 23, 2008
By Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Figuring that energy, steel and cement prices will continue to escalate significantly, the Port Authority is cutting more corners on its $435 million light-rail extension to the North Shore.

Some T riders will have to sacrifice, too, by walking a few extra blocks or transferring to a shuttle bus at the Wood Street station.

Authority officials yesterday disclosed that the Gateway Center station will be closed for two years starting in mid-2009 to make it easier -- and cheaper -- to build a new, nearby Gateway subway station under Stanwix Street, in front of Fifth Avenue Place.

Bids for the block-long concrete shell of the $25 million-plus station are to be opened March 26. If the board receives an acceptable low bid, construction would get under way about four months later.

Instead of phasing work to maintain service at the existing Gateway station, the contractor will be allowed to close it along with a track loop that trolleys travel to change from inbound to outbound service, thereby saving time, labor and -- the authority hopes -- several million dollars.

The Gateway station is to be closed at some point in April to June next year and remain closed until mid-2011, when the 1.2-mile North Shore Connector is finished and open for business.

While trolley service is terminated at the Wood Street Station, the authority will operate shuttle buses to and from the Gateway Center area for riders who choose not to walk the extra four or five blocks.

The change represents the second cost-cutting move for a new Gateway Center station. More than a year ago, station designers eliminated a public plaza and modified other architectural features to cut costs. However, a glass-enclosed subway entrance, partly funded by $1 million from The Heinz Endowments and $100,000 from The Pittsburgh Foundation, remains in the plans.

"We're doing what we can to mitigate the impact of escalating construction costs without compromising safety or the integrity of the project," Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Steve Bland said. "I'd be living in a fool's paradise if I said there's no problem [about containing costs]."

Operations Manager Winston Simmonds, who's overseeing the project, said the authority is looking at other cost-cutting measures, such as using concrete instead of steel poles to support the overhead power system and entertaining value-engineering suggestions from contractors.

"Costs are a major concern for our design group, construction managers and the board," Mr. Bland said. "If we can't keep the costs down, the question becomes, 'How do we fund it?'"

The Port Authority has a $435 million funding agreement with the Federal Transit Administration that requires it to build the system it proposed, including twin tunnels now being bored under the Allegheny River and two North Shore stations.

"You just can't lop off a quarter-mile of track or one of the North Shore stations," Mr. Bland said. "We're walking a fine line."

In June 2006, before the authority made a commitment with the FTA, it raised cost estimates by 10 percent, to the current $435 million estimate. The amount includes about $22 million for contingencies, including cost escalation and unanticipated costs.

The new Gateway Center station contract will be the second of 16 necessary to build the North Shore Connector. The first one, for $156.5 million, was awarded to North Shore Constructors, a joint venture of West Mifflin-based Trumbull Corp. and San Francisco-based Obayashi Corp., covering boring the twin tunnels and the majority of the civil work.

In project-related business yesterday, Port Authority officials reported that the special tunnel boring machine has completed the first 165 feet of tunnel heading toward the river from the 55-foot-deep "launch pit" at the northwest corner of PNC Park.

Friday . . .

Jim: Hey, check this out:

http://www.thesuperheroquiz.com/villain/

I was The Joker.


Dave: Lex Luthor. But only 43%.

And just 4% more than Catwoman.


Jim: I guess you don't make a very good villain.

FF's night at the theatre . . .

Dave: How was "Amadeus?"


FF: Beautiful to look at but boring and less than perfect performances. We had a candy eater on our right that was "shhh'd" multiple times by the fur coat clad big-haired bitch in front of us. We had a conservative tight ass on our left, who apparently was unaware that Mozart had a fascination with women's bottoms and the word "shit". She was very vocal with her disgust. Rock me Amadeus.

I can't take it anymore . . .

Too much Oprah Winfrey. I'm Oprah Winfrey-ed out.

It's the season between Valentine's Day and Easter . . .

As the snow melts away around here, it leaves behind in its wake an equally hazardous road condition. Potholes. It is full-blown Pothole Season in the City of Pittsburgh. They are everywhere. No neighborhood is immune. They are the great equalizer. The roads in posh neighborhoods like mine will fall just as big a victim to this plague as the roads in every other neighborhood. Potholes don't play favorites. Unfortunately, Public Works crews do.

And this is what happened to the library clerk's father on Sunday . . .

My father fell on the ice today. Bruised his knees really bad. Had to call off work. Unfortunately, the stairs in question where he had his fall were his own.

This is what happened when Jim went shopping with his wife on Saturday . . .

Honest to god, Dave, I tried to get my wife to buy a pair of Ugg boots today.

I have Edgar Snyder on speed dial . . .

You know what I can't believe? I've been living in this oh-so-posh neighborhood of mine for more than nine years now, and I still can't believe that some people don't clear their sidewalks of snow and ice. I mean, at least thrown down some salt or something. Don't these folks know that all it takes is one "slip and fall" and then it's time to call a lawyer? It's not worth the risk.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a long walk around my neighborhood.

In pennyloafers.

Email from Jim . . .

I just went to your blog for the sole purpose of looking at the picture of the Ugg boots.

"Sole" purpose, get it? God, I crack myself up.

What happened while I was at work?

Uh, Sidney, is there something you want to tell me?

And who's your new friend?

It's the end of the world as we know it . . .

I can't believe that I'm saying this on February 13, but I think it's over. The election for the next President. John McCain won. That's it. Over. And I don't want to think about it or talk about it. It truly sucks.

And speaking of weird trends . . .

This young woman is so . . . orange. I've seen that shade before . . .
And if you haven't already heard, the price of first class postage is going up. Again. Up one cent to 42 starting in May. Time to stock up on those "Forever" stamps. The Postal Service pisses me off.

UGG!!!

Today I saw a fellow on my street wearing Ugg boots. It was not pretty.

Tales from the city . . .

Sometimes when I take my dog Sidney out for a quick bathroom break in the hedged-in yard behind my building, I don't put trousers on. Now, I am wearing boxer shorts, which I think more than adequately cover me for a quick trip outside with the dog. When he goes number two, we have to take a short walk out of the yard to a dumpster where I can deposit his deposit. I have been doing this since I got him at the beginning of October without incident. My neighbors don't say anything, except when it's really cold, my one neighbor comments on the fact that I go outside in shorts. But that's it. And she's crazy.

So, yesterday I took Sidney out back, and he did his thing. We were walking briskly to the dumpster, where I saw there was a man rummaging through the trash. This has become an all too familiar sight behind my building, but I try not to think about it. I don't know if it's always the same guy or not, but it's not a pleasant thing. Anyway, the guy turns around and very politely says to me, "Sir, you're wearing underwear." To which, I replied with a friendly smile, "Yes, and you're going through my trash." Pause. "I guess that makes us even." He smiled, and then he said, "I guess it does."

The NFL has suggested a new logo for the Patriots . . .

The three puppeteers . . .

Really? These are my choices? No Al Gore? No Ralph Nader? No universal healthcare? Are we even going to leave Iraq? What the hell is going on here?

Nice face, Hillary.

Where there's a Will . . .

Read me the one about Prince Hamlet again. Please! That one's my favorite.

Not perfect anymore . . .

Apparently, it's not as easy for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl when they don't have videotape of their opponent's final practice before the big game. Maybe next year, Belichick.

From my friend the library clerk . . .

We found a card in one of the return books today from a woman telling her boyfriend or husband that she is leaving him because after three years of being with him she is pretty sure she is gay.

Just another day at Dr. Cyril Wecht's office . . .

You, there. Yes, you. Listen, uh, I need you to walk my daughter, uh, Ingrid's dog. When you, uh, get back, I'll give you, uh, $25.

Oh, Cyril . . .

Is someone following me? Is it the CIA? I told them what I thought about JFK's assassination. I didn't lie about that. I lied about everything else, but not that. Not JFK.

Was Bessy cloned . . . ?

So, how's YOUR portfolio today?

And just in case you didn't already know . . .

It's never a good idea to fuck with a tiger. Even in a zoo.

She's come a long way from "Mystic Pizza" . . .

Let's see now. What else do I need? There's foundation, blush, eyeliner, lip gloss, concealer . . . yeah, lots of concealer.

That's just cruel . . .

Two buddies just hanging out, talking about oil . . .

"It's good to be the King. I mean, President."

Introducing the Tata Nano . . .

Cool little car. But I think I'll wait for them to come out with the Tata iCar.

I don't need a groundhog to tell me that . . .

A recession is coming. And it's going to be a big one.

Muck the Port Authority . . .

Apparently, the downtown side of the North Shore Connector project (the "Little Dig") is making quite a mess. A lot of muck down there, I hear.

It's deja vu all over again . . .

Lousy special teams, good field position for the other team, and bad interceptions thrown by the quarterback. Yep, pretty much sounds like the recipe for any playoff loss under Bill Cowher. Mike Tomlin is proving to be a fine replacement.

No more boxes for my TV . . .

Just in case there is some confusion amidst my loyal readership, only a small proportion of the American public needs to worry about the transition to digital TV on February 18, 2009. While it seems like everybody is scrambling to get their hands on one of these $40 coupons from the government to help pay for a digital converter box, you don't need a box (or a coupon) if you have satellite or cable TV. You only need the box if you receive television signals through rabbit-ear antennas (kind of like the TV pictured above). And the Nielsen Co. estimates that that is only about 13 percent of the total television households in the nation (and that figure seems to high to me). But for the rest of us, we don't need those new boxes. So, don't print out a coupon. And don't waste your money on a box. You've been warned.

So close . . .

http://davethequietobserver.blogspot.com/2007/09/word-from-delphi-is.html

I'm telling you, if yesterday's game had really meant something to the Steelers, I would have been right on the money. Oh, well.

No predictions for the playoffs from me, I'm afraid. I don't know what the heck this team is going to do. Special teams, a porous defense, and no Willie Parker are likely to put much of the burden on the shoulders of Ben Roethlisberger. I think he is capable of leading them to victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars next week. Whether or not it will happen, however, I really don't know. I expect a good game. Hopefully, the Steelers will find a way to win it.

The Friday after Christmas . . .

Jim: I'm bored. Go out and quietly observe something so I can read about it on your blog.

Dave: I'm pretty bored myself. Other than Christmas, this has got to be the biggest week of nothing of the year. The time leading up to Christmas is always frenetic, Christmas comes and goes so quickly, and then blam! Nothing. And we're too old to get all tweaked up about New Year's Eve. Plus, you have kids, so no late night fun for you. And then January comes and it's dark and dreary until hints of spring start showing up in March. Life in our part of the country, I guess. It's freaking beautiful in Florida. Maybe I should move there.

While you were being joyous and full of good cheer . . .

For those of you who might have missed this little news item during your holiday revelry, the final cost for the completion of the "Big Dig" (the nation's most complex and costliest highway project) in Boston came in at $14.8 billion. When the project began, the cost was expected to be $2.6 billion. That's a modest cost overrun of almost 470%. Four hundred and seventy percent.

Meanwhile, back here at home, the "Little Dig" is underway to bore the first of two holes below the Allegheny River between downtown and the North Shore at a projected cost of $435 million.

The meter's running.

Those Spears girls sure are fertile . . .

What are Jamie Lynn Spears's plans for her future baby? Well, she says she plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana - "so it can have a normal family life."

Yeah. Uh, good luck with that.

Nothing worse than a cold wiener . . .

Did you hear about this . . . ?

So, the much ballyhooed Mitchell Report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball came out yesterday. The report included a list of players allegedly linked to the drugs. There were names of Yankees and Red Sox and Dodgers and Phillies. But there were no names of Pirates on the list.

It's as if they're not even trying.

Your mother was right . . .

Never take candy from a stranger.

Where are the headphones . . . ?

I don't mind losing, but . . .

The Patriots are a great football team. Maybe the best ever. But I would be hard-pressed to call them humble or classy. Starting with the smug coach and his gameday sweatsuits. Cheating asshole.

I was just thinking . . .

Sausage is weird.


But very tasty.

But they're still digging that big hole under the river . . .

From today's Post-Gazette:

After long and heated debate, Allegheny County Council yesterday adopted a $727.5 million county budget for next year that includes a new 10 percent tax on poured alcoholic drinks and a new $2-a-day levy on car rentals.

Revenue from the new taxes is earmarked for public transit.

County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, who included the new taxes in his budget proposal to council, had vowed to veto any budget with a property tax increase.

Mr. Onorato last night called the budget "a victory for all property owners in Allegheny County," noting that it was the fourth consecutive year without an increase in the . . . property tax rate.


Well, it's a gamble for the County Chief Executive. He raised the price of poured drinks (which Pittsburghers love) in a continuing effort to not raise property taxes (taxes which Pittsburghers don't love). So, the question is, is all of this enough to pave the road to the governor's mansion for Danny Boy? And will he take public transportation there or rent a car?

Slip an extra Barbie on the barbie . . .

After being part of PNC Park since it opened in 2001, the Outback Steakhouse has closed. The Pirates say, "We're creating a new concept that will be open to all fans before, during and after all games." My suggestion: stop catering to the little kiddies and put a strip club in that space. Build it and they will come.