Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Gunking up the page

Since it has been a while since I had posted anything on here, save for a couple of updates on fantasy hockey and swagbucks, I figured I would take another personality test, just so you could get to know me a little better, and face it, you really do want to know me better even if you can't admit it to yourself.  As for how the test turned out, (the IPEP NEO test if you really want to know), here it is

Extraversion

Extraversion is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented, individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves.

Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and disengaged from the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression; the introvert simply needs less stimulation than an extravert and prefers to be alone. The independence and reserve of the introvert is sometimes mistaken as unfriendliness or arrogance. In reality, an introvert who scores high on the agreeableness dimension will not seek others out but will be quite pleasant when approached.

Domain/Facet............ Score

Extraversion...............38

Friendliness.............47

Gregariousness...........21

Assertiveness............63

Activity Level...........49

Excitement-Seeking.......26

Cheerfulness.............46

Your score on Extraversion is average, indicating you are neither a subdued loner nor a jovial chatterbox. You enjoy time with others but also time alone.

Extraversion Facets

  • Friendliness. Friendly people genuinely like other people and openly demonstrate positive feelings toward others. They make friends quickly and it is easy for them to form close, intimate relationships. Low scorers on Friendliness are not necessarily cold and hostile, but they do not reach out to others and are perceived as distant and reserved. Your level of friendliness is average.
  • Gregariousness. Gregarious people find the company of others pleasantly stimulating and rewarding. They enjoy the excitement of crowds. Low scorers tend to feel overwhelmed by, and therefore actively avoid, large crowds. They do not necessarily dislike being with people sometimes, but their need for privacy and time to themselves is much greater than for individuals who score high on this scale. Your level of gregariousness is low.
  • Assertiveness. High scorers Assertiveness like to speak out, take charge, and direct the activities of others. They tend to be leaders in groups. Low scorers tend not to talk much and let others control the activities of groups. Your level of assertiveness is average.
  • Activity Level. Active individuals lead fast-paced, busy lives. They move about quickly, energetically, and vigorously, and they are involved in many activities. People who score low on this scale follow a slower and more leisurely, relaxed pace. Your activity level is average.
  • Excitement-Seeking. High scorers on this scale are easily bored without high levels of stimulation. They love bright lights and hustle and bustle. They are likely to take risks and seek thrills. Low scorers are overwhelmed by noise and commotion and are adverse to thrill-seeking. Your level of excitement-seeking is low.
  • Cheerfulness. This scale measures positive mood and feelings, not negative emotions (which are a part of the Neuroticism domain). Persons who score high on this scale typically experience a range of positive feelings, including happiness, enthusiasm, optimism, and joy. Low scorers are not as prone to such energetic, high spirits. Your level of positive emotions is average.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others'. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.

Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others' well-being, and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others' motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.

Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity. Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics, or soldiers.

Domain/Facet............ Score

Agreeableness..............35

Trust....................51

Morality.................50

Altruism.................57

Cooperation..............18

Modesty..................11

Sympathy.................73

Your level of Agreeableness is average, indicating some concern with others' Needs, but, generally, unwillingness to sacrifice yourself for others.

Agreeableness Facets

  • Trust. A person with high trust assumes that most people are fair, honest, and have good intentions. Persons low in trust see others as selfish, devious, and potentially dangerous. Your level of trust is average.
  • Morality. High scorers on this scale see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank, and sincere. Low scorers believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. People find it relatively easy to relate to the straightforward high-scorers on this scale. They generally find it more difficult to relate to the unstraightforward low-scorers on this scale. It should be made clear that low scorers are not unprincipled or immoral; they are simply more guarded and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth. Your level of morality is average.
  • Altruism. Altruistic people find helping other people genuinely rewarding. Consequently, they are generally willing to assist those who are in need. Altruistic people find that doing things for others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than self-sacrifice. Low scorers on this scale do not particularly like helping those in need. Requests for help feel like an imposition rather than an opportunity for self-fulfillment. Your level of altruism is average.
  • Cooperation. Individuals who score high on this scale dislike confrontations. They are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny their own needs in order to get along with others. Those who score low on this scale are more likely to intimidate others to get their way. Your level of compliance is low.
  • Modesty. High scorers on this scale do not like to claim that they are better than other people. In some cases this attitude may derive from low self-confidence or self-esteem. Nonetheless, some people with high self-esteem find immodesty unseemly. Those who are willing to describe themselves as superior tend to be seen as disagreeably arrogant by other people. Your level of modesty is low.
  • Sympathy. People who score high on this scale are tenderhearted and compassionate. They feel the pain of others vicariously and are easily moved to pity. Low scorers are not affected strongly by human suffering. They pride themselves on making objective judgments based on reason. They are more concerned with truth and impartial justice than with mercy. Your level of tender-mindedness is high.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time constraints require a snap decision, and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Impulsive individuals can be seen by others as colorful, fun-to-be-with, and zany.

Nonetheless, acting on impulse can lead to trouble in a number of ways. Some impulses are antisocial. Uncontrolled antisocial acts not only harm other members of society, but also can result in retribution toward the perpetrator of such impulsive acts. Another problem with impulsive acts is that they often produce immediate rewards but undesirable, long-term consequences. Examples include excessive socializing that leads to being fired from one's job, hurling an insult that causes the breakup of an important relationship, or using pleasure-inducing drugs that eventually destroy one's health.

Impulsive behavior, even when not seriously destructive, diminishes a person's effectiveness in significant ways. Acting impulsively disallows contemplating alternative courses of action, some of which would have been wiser than the impulsive choice. Impulsivity also sidetracks people during projects that require organized sequences of steps or stages. Accomplishments of an impulsive person are therefore small, scattered, and inconsistent.

A hallmark of intelligence, what potentially separates human beings from earlier life forms, is the ability to think about future consequences before acting on an impulse. Intelligent activity involves contemplation of long-range goals, organizing and planning routes to these goals, and persisting toward one's goals in the face of short-lived impulses to the contrary. The idea that intelligence involves impulse control is nicely captured by the term prudence, an alternative label for the Conscientiousness domain. Prudent means both wise and cautious. Persons who score high on the Conscientiousness scale are, in fact, perceived by others as intelligent.

The benefits of high conscientiousness are obvious. Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring. Unconscientious people may be criticized for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and failure to stay within the lines, but they will experience many short-lived pleasures and they will never be called stuffy.

Domain/Facet............ Score

Conscientiousness..........65

Self-Efficacy............67

Orderliness..............18

Dutifulness..............88

Achievement-Striving.....84

Self-Discipline..........47

Cautiousness.............72

Your score on Conscientiousness is average. This means you are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled.

Conscientiousness Facets

  • Self-Efficacy. Self-Efficacy describes confidence in one's ability to accomplish things. High scorers believe they have the intelligence (common sense), drive, and self-control necessary for achieving success. Low scorers do not feel effective, and may have a sense that they are not in control of their lives. Your level of self-efficacy is average.
  • Orderliness. Persons with high scores on orderliness are well-organized. They like to live according to routines and schedules. They keep lists and make plans. Low scorers tend to be disorganized and scattered. Your level of orderliness is low.
  • Dutifulness. This scale reflects the strength of a person's sense of duty and obligation. Those who score high on this scale have a strong sense of moral obligation. Low scorers find contracts, rules, and regulations overly confining. They are likely to be seen as unreliable or even irresponsible. Your level of dutifulness is high.
  • Achievement-Striving. Individuals who score high on this scale strive hard to achieve excellence. Their drive to be recognized as successful keeps them on track toward their lofty goals. They often have a strong sense of direction in life, but extremely high scores may be too single-minded and obsessed with their work. Low scorers are content to get by with a minimal amount of work, and might be seen by others as lazy. Your level of achievement striving is high.
  • Self-Discipline. Self-discipline-what many people call will-power-refers to the ability to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks until they are completed. People who possess high self-discipline are able to overcome reluctance to begin tasks and stay on track despite distractions. Those with low self-discipline procrastinate and show poor follow-through, often failing to complete tasks-even tasks they want very much to complete. Your level of self-discipline is average.
  • Cautiousness. Cautiousness describes the disposition to think through possibilities before acting. High scorers on the Cautiousness scale take their time when making decisions. Low scorers often say or do first thing that comes to mind without deliberating alternatives and the probable consequences of those alternatives. Your level of cautiousness is high.

Neuroticism

Freud originally used the term neurosis to describe a condition marked by mental distress, emotional suffering, and an inability to cope effectively with the normal demands of life. He suggested that everyone shows some signs of neurosis, but that we differ in our degree of suffering and our specific symptoms of distress. Today neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress.

At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings; frequency of positive emotions is a component of the Extraversion domain.

Domain/Facet............ Score

Neuroticism................56

Anxiety..................55

Anger....................82

Depression...............22

Self-Consciousness.......39

Immoderation.............77

Vulnerability............48

Your score on Neuroticism is average, indicating that your level of emotional reactivity is typical of the general population. Stressful and frustrating situations are somewhat upsetting to you, but you are generally able to get over these feelings and cope with these situations.

Neuroticism Facets

  • Anxiety. The "fight-or-flight" system of the brain of anxious individuals is too easily and too often engaged. Therefore, people who are high in anxiety often feel like something dangerous is about to happen. They may be afraid of specific situations or be just generally fearful. They feel tense, jittery, and nervous. Persons low in Anxiety are generally calm and fearless. Your level of anxiety is average.
  • Anger. Persons who score high in Anger feel enraged when things do not go their way. They are sensitive about being treated fairly and feel resentful and bitter when they feel they are being cheated. This scale measures the tendency to feel angry; whether or not the person expresses annoyance and hostility depends on the individual's level on Agreeableness. Low scorers do not get angry often or easily. Your level of anger is high.
  • Depression. This scale measures the tendency to feel sad, dejected, and discouraged. High scorers lack energy and have difficult initiating activities. Low scorers tend to be free from these depressive feelings. Your level of depression is low.
  • Self-Consciousness. Self-conscious individuals are sensitive about what others think of them. Their concern about rejection and ridicule cause them to feel shy and uncomfortable abound others. They are easily embarrassed and often feel ashamed. Their fears that others will criticize or make fun of them are exaggerated and unrealistic, but their awkwardness and discomfort may make these fears a self-fulfilling prophecy. Low scorers, in contrast, do not suffer from the mistaken impression that everyone is watching and judging them. They do not feel nervous in social situations. Your level or self-consciousness is average.
  • Immoderation. Immoderate individuals feel strong cravings and urges that they have difficulty resisting. They tend to be oriented toward short-term pleasures and rewards rather than long- term consequences. Low scorers do not experience strong, irresistible cravings and consequently do not find themselves tempted to overindulge. Your level of immoderation is high.
  • Vulnerability. High scorers on Vulnerability experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress. Low scorers feel more poised, confident, and clear-thinking when stressed. Your level of vulnerability is average.

Openness to Experience

Openness to Experience describes a dimension of cognitive style that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more aware of their feelings. They tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals typically score high on Openness to Experience; consequently, this factor has also been called Culture or Intellect. Nonetheless, Intellect is probably best regarded as one aspect of openness to experience. Scores on Openness to Experience are only modestly related to years of education and scores on standard intelligent tests.

Another characteristic of the open cognitive style is a facility for thinking in symbols and abstractions far removed from concrete experience. Depending on the individual's specific intellectual abilities, this symbolic cognition may take the form of mathematical, logical, or geometric thinking, artistic and metaphorical use of language, music composition or performance, or one of the many visual or performing arts. People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion, regarding these endeavors as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty; they are conservative and resistant to change.

Openness is often presented as healthier or more mature by psychologists, who are often themselves open to experience. However, open and closed styles of thinking are useful in different environments. The intellectual style of the open person may serve a professor well, but research has shown that closed thinking is related to superior job performance in police work, sales, and a number of service occupations.

Domain/Facet............ Score

Openess to experience.....19

Imagination..............28

Artistic Interests.......8

Emotionality.............75

Adventurousness..........5

Intellect................48

Liberalism...............34

Your score on Openness to Experience is low, indicating you like to think in plain and simple terms. Others describe you as down-to-earth, practical,and conservative.

Openess Facets

  • Imagination. To imaginative individuals, the real world is often too plain and ordinary. High scorers on this scale use fantasy as a way of creating a richer, more interesting world. Low scorers are on this scale are more oriented to facts than fantasy. Your level of imagination is low.
  • Artistic Interests. High scorers on this scale love beauty, both in art and in nature. They become easily involved and absorbed in artistic and natural events. They are not necessarily artistically trained nor talented, although many will be. The defining features of this scale are interest in, and appreciation of natural and artificial beauty. Low scorers lack aesthetic sensitivity and interest in the arts. Your level of artistic interests is low.
  • Emotionality. Persons high on Emotionality have good access to and awareness of their own feelings. Low scorers are less aware of their feelings and tend not to express their emotions openly. Your level of emotionality is high.
  • Adventurousness. High scorers on adventurousness are eager to try new activities, travel to foreign lands, and experience different things. They find familiarity and routine boring, and will take a new route home just because it is different. Low scorers tend to feel uncomfortable with change and prefer familiar routines. Your level of adventurousness is low.
  • Intellect. Intellect and artistic interests are the two most important, central aspects of openness to experience. High scorers on Intellect love to play with ideas. They are open-minded to new and unusual ideas, and like to debate intellectual issues. They enjoy riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers. Low scorers on Intellect prefer dealing with either people or things rather than ideas. They regard intellectual exercises as a waste of time. Intellect should not be equated with intelligence. Intellect is an intellectual style, not an intellectual ability, although high scorers on Intellect score slightly higher than low-Intellect individuals on standardized intelligence tests. Your level of intellect is average.
  • Liberalism. Psychological liberalism refers to a readiness to challenge authority, convention, and traditional values. In its most extreme form, psychological liberalism can even represent outright hostility toward rules, sympathy for law-breakers, and love of ambiguity, chaos, and disorder. Psychological conservatives prefer the security and stability brought by conformity to tradition. Psychological liberalism and conservatism are not identical to political affiliation, but certainly incline individuals toward certain political parties. Your level of liberalism is average.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Asshat - More than names

Ricky Smyrnes, 23, Robert Masters Jr., 36, Melvin Knight, 20, Peggy Miller, 27, Amber Meidinger, 20; and Angela Marinucci, 17
 
I could stop right there, really I am loathe to mention anything beyond their names when it comes to handing out this week's Asshat(s).  If anything, their very existence is proof enough for me that evil exists, that some poeple are just not good and no amount of empathizing or excuse making is going to make me change my mind.  Some times there is a simple black and white, good and bad.  And this is bad, very bad.  Sadly all I can do is hand out Asshats here, because the death penalty is above my pay grade, and make no mistake I would have no problem seeing any of these people executed.  As for what they did, well here you go.
 

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Asshat - The update edition

Two weeks ago I handed the Asshat award to our mayor for his lack of response to the snowstorm that all but shiut down the city and the subsequent tepid response to actually clearing streets to get the city functional again.  While some I am sure would deem my words to just griping, the stakes have just been raised a tad.  Now we find that someone has died and why may you ask?  Because the ambulance couldn't get there.  And why couldn't the ambulance get there?  Because the streets weren't cleared.  10 calls to 911 and the result is a man sits in his home suffering in pain until he dies.  Inexcusable.

More free stuff

As well as the previous post where I mention getting my most recent Amazon gift card I also snagged another $10 check from here, which is currently in transit to my grubby little paws.

 

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Asshat - Today it is the Fox and the hound

Ever one to have people do the hard work of Asshat-ary for me, it is nice when people step up and broadcast it for millions to see, which brings us to the "Today" show.  While gearing up for NBC's coverage of the Olympic games, the "Today" crew are all gathered around wondering just who it will be that will light the Olympic torch for the Vancouver Games.  Merideth Viera chimes in that maybe it will be Betty Fox whose son, Michael Fox,  died of cancer.  Except, of course, that he didn't.  Michael J Fox is very much alive and is an avid spokesperson for Parkinson's research, a disease with which he suffers.  More likely is that Miss Viera is referring to Terry Fox,  who did die from cancer.  Most notable of Terry's achievements was his "Marathon for Hope", a cross Canada run which Terry did with one prosthetic leg to raise money and awareness for cancer research.  Every September now many places have a Terry Fox Run in honor of his effort, and it has become the world's largest one day fundraiser for cancer research.

Bad enough that Miss Viera would confuse the two Foxes, but worse was that the production guys back in the truck followed suit, first by posting a picture of Terry Fox and then following it up with one of Michael J Fox, because apparently they didn't know which one was alive or dead as well, so it was best to post both pictures.  In any event the combined efforts of the "Today" shows on air and production talents, or lack thereof, win this week's coveted Asshat crown.  And for some video evidence, let's go to the tape.

 

Friday, February 12, 2010

Asshat - Snowed over

I will not revisit the snow of Friday/Saturday, where the forecasters called for 4 to 8 inches and we got 2 feet, or the subsequent Snowmaggedon we were supposed to receive this week but of the 4-12 inches we saw maybe 2 to 3, save for one asshat, which will go to the mayor of the city of Pittsburgh, Luke Ravenstahl.  If I neede a reminder of why he wins it this week, consider that a week after the big snowfall I just walked to the laundrymat and the three streets I take (McKee Place to Zulema Street, Zulema Street to Welsford Street, Welsford Street to laundrymat) have yet to be touched by city services, the only tracks through them are the ruts created by cars trying to get through.  Even as I was coming back in from said laundrymat someone was stuck outside my apartment.  Public transit is still running delays, heck 10 bus routes are still completely out of operation and others are still running detoured routes because of the lack of street cleaning and that falls on the shoulders of the mayor.  For his lack of preparedness and subsequent slow to non moving cleanup he wins this wek's Asshat award.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The commute from hell

While the snow is falling (again) outside I figured I nmight go ahead and tell a little story about the ineptness that is Pittsburgh. 

For those that didn't check out my photo entry (and really why not, it was quite good by my meager standards) Friday night/Saturday morning and afternoon saw the the city of Pittsburgh get dumped with about 2 feet of snow.  That by almost any standard is a large amount, in fact it was the fourth largest snowfall in a 24 hour period in the city's history, or at least since they have been keeping records for such things.  The result was something like a nuclear winter, people just sort of milling about outside, no traffic, very few businesses open, just a whole lot of nothing.  The city was unique in its quietness, which made taking photos all the easier.

That being said by 2pm or so on Saturday the snow had stopped, and while the city was all but shut down there was ample time to begin clearing the main streets and getting the city in a semi functional state for Monday and the beginning of a new work week.  Public transportation on Saturday was all but non existent, with only one bus running in the East End and that was only between a a couple of communities, nothing in the city was moving.

By Sunday a few of the bus routes had opened up, nothing to write home about by any stretch.  I had planned on going grocery shopping and doing my weekend trip to breakfast but with very little moving I opted out of that plan and stayed in, monitoring the city's port authority website to see when and if the buses would start running again, since I usually use public transportation to get to and from work most days.  Not that I couldn't walk, but at about 4 miles it takes me close to an hour to walk into work from where I live on a normal day.  Obviously trying to do it while trudging through snow would make that walk a little longer, so I wanted to make sure my bus, the 67H, would be running come Monday morning. 

By Sunday night the Port Authority had posted on their website that they hoped to have about 50 more routes open for Monday morning, but they didn't specify which routes those would be so I was up early enough Monday morning that I could make plans for either taking the 67H, walking into Oakland and taking another bus or just plain walking.  I wake up and check the page and I am geeked that the 67H appears to be running.  So I go ahead and get dressed and head out to the bus stop.  I think about getting my corner store coffee for the wait but the store owner is late in getting in, the store hasn't opened yet so I figure I am better off just waiting for my bus, don't want to miss it after all.  As I am standing there one of my bartenders from Jimmy's walks by, I see him most mornings while waiting for the bus and he and I usually chat for a few minutes.  While we are talking I see two buses headed in the opposite direction, which to me is a good sign, if buses are traveling the boulevard then chances are better my bus will soon be arriving..  Next I see the store owner  but I decide I better just remain planted, after all I have seen two buses, it is only a matter of time until mine arrives, right?

Except it never does, I end up standing there for better than an hour and no bus.  At this point I could either go home and just say I can't make it in, try walking but that means I will be two hours late until I get there or cut across Oakland and see if I can't catch one of the many buses that travel 5th Avenue in hopes that I can get in a late but at least I will be there.  I opt for plan C and start the walk across Oakland and arrive at the required bus stop where I actually don't have to wait too long, maybe 15 minutes, before a bus arrives.  All looks good for me making it to work except the city did such a poor job on the roads that traffic is literally backed up from downtown for 2 to 3 miles, all single file, wilth cars getting stuck on the side streets, and even on the main drag.  It is a nightmare.  It goes so bad that about halfway there I just get off the bus (an option that was also employed by about half of the bus riders I might add) and walk the last mile and a half and still beat the bus into town.  All told, a commute that should have taken 15 minutes tops took 2 and a half hours.  All because the city of Pittsburgh, with two full days to work on the street, still couldn't get them passable by Monday morning.  But we all sleep safer knowing that the mayor made sure that his street was plowed.  Fucking bastard!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Super glog

Sunday, 5:54pm

I can't say as I entered today with a desire to blog or glog for that matter, but since today is the Super Bowl I should probably make somewhat of an effort. Besides, it is one of the days were a bunch of new ads come out and we all know how I rip into the commercial breaks during normal broadcasts, this might just provide some fresh material on that front.

I am also in the midst of making one of my tuna casserole type things. I have the egg noodles working right now, and I plan on adding some mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, peas and tuna. I would call it good eating, I am betting you would not.

Anyway, we are about half an hour away from kickoff between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. Since every prognosticator and many others have come out and said who they think will win today's game, I guess I might as well also. Some of them are trying to be polite, others are hoping for a good game so people will not turn it off by halftime. Others want to talk about the city of New Orleans post Katrina and how much the Saints have uplifted the community. I am far to much of a realist for that, I can't see how the Saints defense gets the Colts offense off of the field. My prediction, Indianapolis 48 New Orleans 17.

I have a Scratchix reset coming up in just a couple of minutes. I am trying whenever possible to hit the reset time to increase my odd at winning something, however small those odds may be. I am up to 191 friends there, so that is 191 more chances to win if I hit the reset time. I won some more cash this week, $7 actually, but I just throw that stuff back into tickets. In order to get money you have to get to $25, and then it gets credited to your Paypal or Spare Change account. You can use you existing balance to also purchase more tickets, which ois what I always do. To me it isn't money lost if it is never in my hand. I also won another iPhone token, that makes 2 of the 40 needed for that prize, but I lost another DVD of the Month token when the calendar switched from Jan to Feb. Considering I can't get 10 tokens for a prize in a year I don't know how tthey expect anyone to get them in a month for the DVD or Game prizes.

They are introducing the starting lineups, so we are nowhere close to beginning yet. The halftime show is supposed to be The Who, because the halftime show of the Super Bowl, ever since the nipple slippage incident, is all about getting the tamest out of date act known to man and trotting them out there like they are still relevant. Consider that since the nipple incident we have been subjected to the following acts; Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and Prince. Only one of those acts (Springsteen) has anything closely resembling a hit song in the last 15-20 years and you start to think that the clock is ticking on a Steppenwolf and Kansas halftime show in the near future, provided of course they can be pulled from their national tour of carnivals, amusement parks and rib festivals.

Up next is the NFL Man of the Year, the player who has done the most humanitarian work during the last year. And your winner is Brian Waters of the Kansas City Chiefs. If you are wondering who that is, so am I. Okay, he is an offensive lineman. The riddle has officially been solved.

Hope everyone liked the snow pictures I posted. The blizzard, and unlike most media hype for any time there is a cloud in the sky, and I believe 2 feet of snow can be called a blizzard, was the fourth largest snowstorm ever here.

Carrie Underwood with the singing of the National Anthem. It is okay at best, not great, not terrible. Still no match for when Whiteny Houston did it many years ago. That was before the days of the Bobby Brown ass kickings which made her and him the butt of many jokes.

This casserole stuff isn't bad, a little on the blandish side, but not bad. Better than my canned chili and ramen noodle experiment from yesterday.

We are still in pregame, Truth be told the pregame show started hours ago, I am just now starting to watch it. The hockey game was on earlier and far more entertaining than listening to a bunch of guys babble needlessly about a game that is still hours away.

The coin toss is next. The Saints call heads and heads it is. New Orleans will opt to receive the football to start the game.

I went ahead and posted my Super Bowl prediction ahead of time, no need to run from it or try to change it after the game is over. If I miss I will gladly take the subsequent ribbing that goes with it.

Opening kickoff and New Orleans will take over on their own 23 yard line.

First play of the game is a 2 yard run by Pierre Thomas, followed by a 6 yard pass by Drew Brees to Thomas bringing up 3rd and 2.

A deep pass is overthrown and it is 3 and out for the Saints on their opening possession.

42 yard punt with no return and the Colts will begin with the ball on their own 27 yard line.

First down and Peyton Manning throws to Dallas Clark, 18 yards and the games first first down.

1st and ten and its a handoff to Joseph Addai for 2 yards. Second down and Manning throws to Addai short for 4 yards, leaving third and 4 for a first down. Again Manning finds Clark and again it is a first down. 7 yards on the completion.

First down and a pass to Clark is batted down incomplete, bringing up second down and 10. Manning throws a wide receiver screen to Pierre Garcon, which gains just three yards creating a thrid and 7 situation. Again the Colts convert, Manning to Austin Collie for 14 yards and the Colts opening drive continues.

Addai with his second carry of the game, good for 3 yards.

First penalty of the game, false start on the Colts pushes them back 5 yards and makes it second down and 12. Manning throws short again to Addai, getting 7 of the 12 yards needed and creating a 3rd and 5 for the Colts. Incomplete pass to Pierre Garcon and it is 4th down and the Colts will try a 38 yard field goal attempt. The kick is up and good and the Colts lead 3-0.

First set of commercials and we have been underwhelmed by the a Bud Light, Snickers and Focus on the Family commercial. Of the three, the FotF commercial received the most pregame buzz but it wasn't all that good, nor were the other two for that matter.

The Colts kick off and Courtney Roby fumbles the return but a teammate is there to keep the Colts from getting the ball right back.

Boost Mobile spot that was a spoof on the old Bears Super Bowl shuffle, the best of a sorry lot of commercials to this point.

1st and 10 from the New Orleans 26 and Brees' pass in incomplete. 2nd down and Brees hooks up with Marques Colston for 5 yards. Third down and Brees again looking to pass and find Reggie Bush, good for 16 yards and the Saints first first down.

Bush gets his first carry of the game, a three yard run. 2nd down and Brees spots Colston in the open and Colston drops it, leaving the Saints with a third down and 7. Third down and another incomplete pass and the Saints will punt again.

A good punt, 46 yards and no return and the Colts will take over on their own 4 yard line.

Wow, more just stupid commercials. For all of the talk of a bad economy, these companies are just flushing money down the toilet with these spots.

First down and Manning finds Donald Brown for 15 yards and another first down.

Manning tries to find Brown again but the pass is incomplete. 2nd and 10 and Addai gets another carry and breaks a decent run, good for 16 yards and another first down.

First down and Manning looks to Reggie Wayne and the pass is incomplete. 2nd and 10 and much like the last 2nd and 10, Addai gets a carry and runs for a first down, this time gaining 11 yards on the carry.

First down and Manning throws to Wayne for the second time this game and this one is complete, good for 5 yards. 2nd down and this time Brown gets the carry,he picks up a couple leaving the Colts with a 3rd down and 1 to go. Addai with his third big run on this drive, a run up the middle that gets 26 yards.

First down again Manning's pass this time is incomplete. 2nd down and the pattern established in this drive continues, a run by Brown, good for 4 yards and it is 3rd and 6. Manning looks up top and finds Pierre Garcon, good for 19 yards and a touchdown. With the extra point it is now Colts 10-0, capping a 96 yard drive.

A Coke/Simpsons ad. Okay for it's uniqueness, but not all that clever. Followed by a GoDaddy.com spot, where like all GoDaddy spots, they tease sex to sell web domains. Move along, nothing to see here.

Roby takes the ensuing kick in his endzone and returns it to the New Orleans 20 yard line, but a holding call on the Saints will push them back 10 yards.

Sadly the fiddling beaver spot by Monster.com looks to be the best commercial to this point. And anyone who bought spots in the second half may be wondering if anyone will actually see them if the Sainst don't find a way to get their defense off the field without yielding points.

First down and Mike Bell gets his first carry of the game, 4 yards and that ends the first quarter with the Colts ahead 10-0.

Brees throws to Colston again, and Colston hangs on, good for 11 yards and a first down.

First and 10 and Bush gets the call again and runs for 8 yards. 2nd down and Bush again for 1 yard but a personal foul on the Colts tacks on 15 yards and gets the Saints another first down.

First and 10 and Brees throws to Thomas, who breaks a couple of tackles and turns a short pass into a 9 yard gain. 2nd down and Thomas with the carry for two yards and a first down.

First down at the Colts 39 and Brees finds Colston for 10 yards for another first down, the best drive by the Saints so far this game.

First down and a Thomas run nets nothing, leaving a 2nd and 10 for the Saints. Bres is almost sacked but gets the pass away to Devery Henderson for 6 yards. 3rd and 4 Bress is sacked by Dwight Freeney for a 7 yard loss. 4th down and Garrett Hartley to attempt a 46 yard field goal and the kick is good, the score now is Colts 10 Saints 3.

Interesting commercial for the Late Show with David Letterman, if only because Jay Leno was in it. Wonder if NBC signed off on that bit of promotion, having the man they want back on the Tonight Show pimping the other networks late night show.

The Saints kickoff and return from Chad Simpsongets out to Colts 22 yard line where they will take over for their third possession of the game.

First down and Manning throws to Addai who gets 9 yards. 2nd and 1 and finally Addai is stopped on a play, -2 on a rush attempt leaving the Colts with a 3rd and 3. Manning over the middle and Garcon drops it and the Colts will have to punt for the first time today.

The punt goes 44 yards and no return by Bush so the Saints will take over on their own 28.

The commercial efforts continue to be tired at best, bad at worst. Certainly nothing memorable to this point.

First down and Brees' pass is almost picked off by Antoine Bethea, but falls incomplete. 2nd and 10 and Brees throws to Thomas for 7. 3rd down and Brees again throws, to Colston this time and picks up 13 and a first down.

First and 10 and Bush with the carry, good for only a yard. 2nd and 9 and Brees finds his tight end, Jeremy Shockey for 7 yards leaving a third and short. Third down and Brees finds Lance Moore wide open and with the yards after the catch the play gets 21 yards.

First down and a reverse to Henderson fools no one, losing 7 yards. Second down and Brees throws down the middle to Colston who is open and gets 27. The Saints are inside the Colts 5 yard line now with a first down.

First and goal and Brees throws to Moore for no gain. Second and goal and a false start on the Saints pushes them back to the 8. Second down again, a run by Thomas gets 7 yards leaving the Saints third and goal at the 1. Two minute warning with the Colts leading 10-3 and the Saints threatening.

Third down and Bell with just his second carry of the game and he loses a yard leaving the Saints with a decision here, fourth and goal from the 2

Wow a Dr Pepper commercial with KISS and midgets. Damn these are bad. I don't know which will be worse, the commercials or the tired halftime show.

4th down and the Saints go for it and fail, a running play to Thomas that gains nothing and the score remains 10-3.

1st and 10 from the 2 and Mike Hart carries the ball for 4 yards. 2nd down and its Addai again, 5 yards, pushing his first half total to 60 on just 7 carries, and the Saints call timeout with a 3rd and 1. Hart again with a carry, but gains nothing leaving the Colts with a 4th and 1, where they will most definitely punt the ball.

The Colts punt it 46 yards and Bush returns it 5 so the Saints will take over on their own 48 yard line.

First down and Brees finds Henderson deep down the middle for 19 yards and a first down.

First down and Brees spikes the ball to stop the clock, 20 seconds left in the half. Second down and its Brees to Henderson again for 6 yards, but he doesn't get out of bounds, forcing the Saints to use their last timeout with 11 seconds left. Brees throws short to Bush for 2 yards and it is 4th and 2 with 5 seconds left. Hartley comes on to try a 44 yard field goal and the kick is good as the first half clock expires. At the half it is the Indianapolis Colts 10, the New Orleans Saints 6.

I am using halftime to catch up with some friends on facebook, I suggest you find something equally entertaining to amuse yourselves.

Okay, survived the halftime show where Pete Townsend embarrassed himself. He sounded awful, Daltry was passable, but Townsend sucked ass.

On the bright side, at least the game is close so people will have to stay tuned in though after watching that halftime disaster the merits of a Lingerie Bowl have increased dramatically.

Second half kickoff and the Siants try an onside kick and after a giant melee it is the Saints who come out with the football. What an amazing call, certainly unexpected.

First and 10 for the Saints on their own 42 and Brees finds Thomas for 10 and a first down.

First down again and its Bress again, this time to Henderson for 9 yards. Brees and Henderson hook up again for another first down on a 5 yard pass.

First down on the Colts 32 and Brees throws to Colston for 9 yards. 2nd and 1 and Thomas with the carry and he gets 8 yards and the Saints and on the march again. The Colts have run 6 plays since the first quarter.

First and 10 from the 16 and Brees passes to Thomas again and scores on a 16 yard touchdown catch and run. With the extra point the Saints have their first lead of the game, 13-10 in the third quarter.

The Colts finally get the ball back and start from their own 24.

First down and Manning throws to Clark for 7. Addai from Manning for 5 on second down and a Colts first down.

First and 10 and Addai with the carry for 11 yards and another first down.

First down on the Colts 47 and Manning throws short to Collie for 2 yards. 2nd and 8 and its Addai again on the ground, good for 4 yards. 3rd and 4 and Manning throws over two defenders and into the hands of Clark for 26 yards and a Colts first down at the Saints 20 yard line.

First and 10 and Manning's pass to Clark is batted away incomplete. Second down and it is Brown with the carry for 5 yards, leaving the Colts with a third and 5. Manning to pass and he finds Clark again for 10 yards and the Colts have a first and goal from the 5.

First down and it is Addai on the ground carrying the ball into the end zone and letting the Colts retake the lead. With Matt Stover converting the extra point it is now Colts 17 Saints 13.

The Colts kickoff and with Roby's return the Saints will have he ball on their own 34 yard line to start their next drive.

First down and Thomas carries the ball for 5 yards. Second and 5 and Brees dumps the ball over the middle to Bush for a 13 yard gain.

First down and a swing pass to Bush goes off of Bush's hands and falls incomplete. 2nd and 10 and Brees finds Henderson for the 6th time this game, good for 12 yards and a first down.

First down and Brees picks his seventh different target this game, Robert Meachem, but the play gains nothing. Second down and Thomas runs for just 3 yards, bringing up a 3rd and 7. Brees throws short to Shockey, good for just 4 yards bringing up a fourth and 3 yards for a first down. Hartley is on again for the field goal attempt and from 47 yards it is good and the lead is 1, Colts 17 Saints 16.

Siants kickoff and Simpson is pinned on the return, only getting the ball back to the Colts 10 yard line.

First down and Manning to throw and he finds Collie for 9 yards. Second and 1 and Brown with the carry and the first down on a 5 yard gain.

First down and Manning throws short to Collie, good for 4 yards and that play will end the third quarter with the Colts ahead 17-16.

4th quarter underway with the Colts facing a second and 6. Manning throws over the middle to Garcon for 17 yards.

First down and a delayed handoff to Addai loses yards, 2 to be precise. 2nd down and a deep throw to wayne is underthrown, bringing up 3rd and 12. Manning throws to wayne but the pass is short of the first down bringing up 4th and 2. The Colts go for it and convert, Manning finds wayne in man to man coverage and completes it for 14 yards.

Addai with the carry on first down and he gains 2 yards on the carry. 2nd down and a wide receiver screen to Collie is blown up, losing 3 yards. 3rd down and Manning throws deep down the middle but the pass falls incomplete. Matt Stover to try a 51 yard field goal and the kick is no good. The score remains 17-16.

The Saints take over possession on the missed field goal on their own 41 yard line.

First down and Bush with the carry and he busts through a hole for 12 yards.

First down and Brees looks downfield before dumping the ball off to Thomas for 5 yards. Second down and Brees finds Henderson for another first down, gaining 6.

First down again and again Brees is back to pass, finding Bush in the flat for 7 yards. Second down and 3 and Brees throws to Colston who catches the pass while going out of bounds, gaining 8.

First down and Brees again to poass, Meachem is the target and ge gains 6 yards. Second and 4 and the Saints second tight end, Dave Thomas, catches his first pass of teh game, good for 9 yards.

First and goal from the Colts 5, Thomas to run and he gets a couple yards. Second and goal from the 3 and Brees throws to Shockey for the touchdown.

The Saints are going to try for 2, Brees throws to Moore who can't hang on and the conversion fails, the Saints take the lead but only by 5, 22-17.

The Saints are challenging the ruling on the field, and they may get this call overturned. The ball wasn't knocked loose until after the ball had broke the plane of the goal line. And the refs have overturned the call, so the score is New Orleans 24 Indianapolis 17.

Siants kick off and Simpson returns the kick to the Colts 30 yard line.

First down and the Colts are called for a false start, pushing them back 5 yards. Manning rolls to his left and throws all the way back across the field to his right to Garcon for a first down.

First down and Manning's pass is nearly picked off. Second and 10 and Manning again throws to Garcon for 10 yards and a first down.

First and 10 and Manning again to throw, he finds Wayne for 12 yards and another Colts first down.

First and 10 from the Saints 36 and Manning looks for and finds Wayne for 5. Second down and Manning looking for Collie but the pass is incomplete. Manning to throw on third down and we have the game's first turnover, Tracy Porter steps in front of Wayne and returns it 74 yards for a touchdown. With the extra point it is now the Saints leading 31-17.

The Saints kick off again and after a holding call on the return the Colts will take over on their own 14, down two touchdowns with 3:12 remaining.

First down and Manning throws to Clark, good for 5 yards. Second down and Manning looks for Clark again, 11 more yards and a first down.

First down and Manning goes deep to Collie for 41 yards anmd a first down, but the clock has reached the 2 minute warning and the Colts are still trainling by two scores.

First and 10 from the Saints 30 and Manning throws to Addai for 17 and a first down.

First down and again Manning throws to Addai, and the Saints get flagged for a personal foul, stopping the clock and giving the Colts an automatic first down.

First and goal from the Saints 3,a nd the Colts are flagged for offensive pass interference, a 10 yard penalty. First and goal from the 13 and Manning throw to Addai for 10 yards. Second and goal and Manning's pass is batted up in the air and falls incomplete. 3rd down and 3 yards to go and a handoff to addai is stuffed for a 2 yard loss bringing up 4th and goal. Manning's 4th down pass intended for Wayne is incomplete and that should be the game.

The Saints take a knee and the clock runs out and the Saints, a 5.5 point underdog coming in, win the game 31-17 by holding the Colts to just 7 points after the first quarter. Let the ridiculing of me begin. I am going to do a quick spell check and then I am off to blog posting land.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Breaking news - "I wasn't shot"

Sometimes I am all but oblivious to the world around me, as was the case yesterday evening.  I say this because things were transpiring in my neighborhood and I was well unaware, at least until today, almost 24 hours later and even then only because of a couple of phone calls.  I worked later than normal, so I missed the first phone call from Rich, but not the second from my mom, both of which asked the same question as to whether or not I had been bullet riddled.  Well Rich's called asked that on the message, my mom just asked for me to give her a call and then when I did it was because my family, mainly my aunt Mary, had seen about a shooting on the news.   I returned the call to my mom and started getting bits and pieces of the story, there was a shooting in Pittsburgh (not a rare occurence) near a pizza shop (again, not all that rare a locale) and was I okay.  With my mom on the phone and me at my computer I tried ferreting out some information, a skill set I have somewhat after 12 years of ferreting out info for radio shows.  But the intial information I was given was St James Street, of which there are quite a few in Pittsburgh, the closest being well north of my location, on the border between North Oakland and Shadyside.  With the idea that a) I hadn't been shot and b) it didn't look like it was close to my apartment, my mom and I chatted for a few more minutes before wrapping up our conversation.

I proceeded to take a nap, and when I woke up I decided to see if there was any new info on this story that almost had me in my grave.  Lo and behold there was no new info, but at least the paper had the non update update of the suspects are still at large.  Why that is important is because it corrected something my mother had said, but also made more sense of the phone calls I had gotten.  It seems it wasn't St James Street where the shooting occurred, it was St James Drive.  Why this might ring a bell for a reader or two, St James Drive is .........

Crack Alley, from Pittsburgh Walking Tour Fame, literally right around the corner from my apartment.

As for the specifics of what happened, here is the Post Gazette non update update.  By the way, I wasn't shot!!!!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Don't try to make sense of this

Saturday 9:31pm

I am thinking that the idea of time stamping my entries might be a good one, given how often I walk away from a blog entry only to come back to it at a later moment in time. And trust me, I will be walking away from this one too, I have no intention of blogging tonight and then turning around and glogging tomorrow.

I did suggest that I would keep everyone posted on the radio matter that came up last week and all I can tell you now is just about what I knew then, which is little to nothing. I do know that KDKA AM did hire someone to host the 6pm-10pm slot, so if that was what the phone call was about then that position is no longer available, but if it had anything to do with the FM sports station they are launching then I am still all kind of Alicia Silverstone "Clueless". I know they have been hiring some people as hosts, but if that was the station they were asking me about I tend to think it would have been as a show producer and not a host. Since they don't have their lineup completely squared away as of yet, I doubt they are done with looking into who to hire for all of the positions that they will need to fill. I may drop Marshall Adams another note this week, just to see if I can't pry some info from him, but as of this here very typing I am still a full time employee of Smithfield News and nothing more.

A few entries ago I had mentioned that the plan this year was to see if I could get to 2000 Coke points, just so I could claim something from the highest prize level they offer. Well so far that has been a pipe dream and little more. I have 129 points so far but my main cash stream for points, work, has all but shriveled up. Bad enough we are once again in a dispute over our pricing levels and are not receiving any products from Coke until it is resolved, worse is that Coke has joined our other vendors in now taking their out of date product back rather than crediting us on sight for it. So before if I had say a case of out of date Sprite, the vendor would come in, see it was out of date, give us credit for it and then it was our responsibility to dispose of it. That was fine with me, I could just dump it down our slop sink and then keep the caps, bring them home and redeem them to my total, but now it looks like we have to actually return the returns, that is, put the out of date stuff back on the truck when and if they ever deliver again. The policy isn't new, most of our vendors work that way, but I was happy to take advantage of the fact Coke doesn't, or at least didn't. Now I have to do more scrounging to come up with the points for my free stuff.

Sunday 11:29am

Okay, I am getting settled in for the glog portion of this blog. While some weekends this would be about the time I was getting out of bed, today I was, dare I say, motivated. I actually got up before 6am and got dressed, with a plan of going to WalMart to spend the last monies left on my gift card and maybe sneak in breakfast as well. Of course the temps are not helping out around here, as I left my place and made it to the corner gas station for a cup of coffee to jostle me into a relative state of consciousness, the spinning bank sign with the time and temp had the temperature at a robust 14 degrees. Definitely not for the weak willed. The plusses were that it wasn't snowing and the wind wasn't blowing, so there wasn't much of a wind chill to worry about, but still standing outside in that weather can prove to be a bit bone numbing. I made it out to WalMart by about 7:30am which gave me time to do a hearty breakfast at Kings, where I learned the answer to one of the mysteries that has plagued my mind. Some may remember on my last trip there I had mentioned about The Castle, which was their large ass dessert made for slobs like me, and the fact I couldn't find it on the menu. I wasn't sure if they had gotten rid of it or not, or if anything on the dessert menu had replaced it. I did know that one of their desserts now was the Frownie, which is basically a brownie with a pissed off look on it's icing face. I am sure that it is a play on their primary local competitor, Eat N Park, which sells Smiley cookies. E & P has their Smiley Cookies and King's has it's Frownie Brownie. Well as I am looking at the menu after finding what I wanted for breakfast but before I could place my order I think I have found what replaced The Castle and it is called The Angry Mob. From what I gathered about the dessert from the menu it consists of 24 scoops of ice cream and 24 mini Frownie Brownies. I didn't look at all of the toppings that come with it, I would assume hot fudge is one of them, but my waitress showed up before I had a chance to get a list of all of the ingredients involved in a Mob.

Anyway, after breakfast I made my way to WalMart, bought a pair of jeans, a pair of sweat pants, some AA batteries for my flashlight, some pens for work and some groceries that I needed around the apartment. All told, after my gift card I spent $15 and left with 6 bags of stuff, so I can't complain.

On the way home I stopped by the newsstand to use the little boys room and buy some lottery tickets. I ended up spending $25 and winning $30, so I guess it pays to pee.

I have some other stories about the trip that I hope to get to through the course of this entry, I actually made some notes at breakfast, but for now I am going to set the scene for today's hockey game.

On tap for today is a tilt between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins live from our very own little hamlet of Pittsburgh. This is the first of two meetings between these two clubs this year and the last time they met was the Stanley Cup Final to end last season. Actually the last two Stanley Cup Finals were between these two clubs, with Detroit winning in 2008 4 games to 2 and Pittsburgh last year 4 games to 3. This year Pittsburgh currently finds itself in 4th place in the Eastern Conference and a comfortable 11 points ahead of 7th and 8th place Atlanta and Montreal respectively. The top 8 teams in each conference qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the Western Conference, Detroit is currently on the outside looking in, 9th place overall, but a mere one point behind 8th place Calgary and two behind 7th place Nashville.

Sorry, the pregame is on and already I have something to bitch about. Some of the locals may know this, others I doubt do, but Pennsylvania is one of the states that partakes in the Powerball drawing twice a week. It is a multistate lottery where the jackpots start around $20 million and increases until someone matches all of the numbers. Now apparently Pennsylvania is also going to be a state that is part of the Mega Millions drawing, another multi state game that draws twice a week with jackpots starting at $12 million and increasing until someone matches all of the numbers. So what should pop up on my TV but a teaser for a special report on the Tuesday newscast with the line "Two large jackpot games and you only have one dollar to spend, which game should you play?". Apparently the story will cover which games offer the biggest jackpots and which ones have the best chances to win, but my question is, if you only have one dollar, what the fuck are you doing buying lottery tickets to begin with? Go to Kinko's and make some copies of your resume and find a damn job already. It's one thing if you have a few bucks laying around and can afford a game of chance, if you have one dollar and you are buying a lottery ticket might I suggest your priorities are completely fucked up.

Okay, I have got my sportsline.com window open in case I miss anything important, but we are getting very close to game time so I guess I better start getting a little bit serious here.

And we are underway from Pittsburgh with Detroit taking the opening faceoff. Pittsburgh has been controlling the play early here in the first period, registering a few shots, but nothing that got past Jimmy Howard, who is in goal for Detroit this afternoon. Howard has been a bit of a surprise for Detroit this year, clearly outplaying Chris Osgood in goal and all but winning the job, at least teporarily. We saw this last year when Ty Conklin was the back up and posted very good numbers but come playoff time it was Osgood who carried the bulk of the work.

Pittsburgh will get the game's first power play opportunity, Pavel Datsyuk gets called for a high stick and it is 2 minutes in the sin bin for Mr. Datsyuk.

The power play ends, with little action by the Penguins until very late and no goals to show for their rather lethargic effort with the man advantage. And we have our first TV timeout.

McDonald's commercial about their breakfast menu and some guy telling poeple around him "Not before I had my coffee". He proceeds to walk into McDonald's and when greeted by the cashier, he cuts her off with the :not before my coffee" line. She proceeds to offer him McDonald's coffee. This is why I don't work there, someone cuts me off like that I would just tell him to fuck off.

Matt Cooke had the games first really good scoring chance on a breakaway but shot the puck high, over the net and up against the end board glass, so technically it wasn't even a shot, the goaltender didn't have to make a save on it. Still we are halfway through the first period and the Penguins have the advantage in shots, 9-3, but on the scoreboard it is still 0-0.

We have learned one thing early on, I need to dust off my TV screen. Just too much crap on it.

Second power play of the game and again Pittsburgh will get the man advantage, this time Valtteri Filppula gets called for a hook and it is two more minutes of 5 on 4 action for Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh has been a little more active on their second power play, but again Jimmy Howard has been up to the task and the game remains scoreless.

I think I found a dead body under all of the gunk that was on my TV screen. If not a body, then at least its fossilized remains.

4:01 left in the first period and now Detroit will enjoy a man advantage, Sergei Gonchar is sent off two minutes for tripping and Detroit will have a chance of applying some extended pressure on the Penguins for the first time this game. As of now the Penguins have enjoyed a 15-4 advantage in shots, so maybe this is what is needed to get Detroit back into the flow of this game.

Nothing for Detroit on the power play, Gonchar is back out of the box and we are once again skating 5 on 5.

Pittsburgh has another flurry of activity in the Detroit end in the last minute of play in the first period, a period they pretty much dominated from a puck possession and actual gameplay perspective, but Detroit has weathered the storm to this point and after the first period it is still 0-0.

I am using this opportunity to break out my newest present from work, a big cigar ashtray that one of our vendors gave us and management subsequently gave to me. And also to get a little more comfy, ditching the sweat pants and throwing away some trash. Sadly it is not nearly enough trash, but it will have to do for the time being. God forbid I am trying to make some sense of my desk. I also needed to dig up my blog notes from breakfast. By the looks of things I will not be getting to them just yet, we are getting close to the start of the second period.

Second period is officially underway.

Detroit has come out with a little more jump here to start the second period. Nothing that would change the score, but they are just a little more active in the offensive zone.

Over 5 minutes into the second period, the shots this period are in favor of Pittsburgh, but just 2-1, good defensive hockey for those that like that sort of thing, but it will not win many new fans to the game. This is a game that would be far better to see in person than on TV, you would get a better appreciation of just what everyone is doing on the ice to keep the game scoreless.

Penalty on the Penguins, setting up power play #2 for the Red Wings, it looks like Evgeni Malkin is the culprit here, tripping and that's two minutes for you young man.

During the commercial break we were treated to the fact that NBC will have golf on next weekend. Apparently the game exists even without Tiger Woods, it's just that no one will watch it. And the sad part is I doubt the announcers talk about Tiger all that much either, for fear they will not have access to him when he does eventually come back. Here is a piece of advice, you want access to Tiger Woods, grow a vagina.

The Penguins killed off the second power play opportunity and the game remains scoreless.

Finally we are starting to see some end to end action, a good scoring opportunity by Crosby is denied on a rebound and two Penguins go to check the same man, creating an odd man rush the other way forcing Marc Andre Fleury to make a big save on his end to keep the game scoreless.

5:38 left in the second period and Pittsburgh will once again go a man down, not that either team has done anything with the man advantage to this point, but Mark Eaton is the guilty party, 2 minutes for holding.

And like the other four power plays this game, no goal comes from it and we remain scoreless.

We have a goal, Sidney Crosby with a pretty backhand move on Jimmy Howard on a pretty pass from Alex Goligoski. The goal is Crosby's 34th on the season and Evgeni Malkin gets credit for the other assist.

The second period comes to an end, after some rather uneventful play the last few minutes of that stanza and after two periods it is Pittsburgh leading 1-0.

I will use the second intermission to play off my remaining few scratchix cards. Barring an unforseen miracle I will one again be losing DVD of the month token. Unless I can pull another 9 tokens in one day I am not going to be winning that prize.

The change meter broke the $140 mark. I added another .55 since my last update, so the new total is $140.33 since it began many, many moons ago.

During the intermission we are treated to a Touch of Gray commercial, which is basically a hair dye for men, with two people allegedly deciding which guy to hire for a job from behind, based soley on their hair color, even though it turns out both are the exact same guy. Trust me, the amount of gray has nothing to do with how good or bad a worker is, I have met plenty of lazy fucks with a full head of undyed hair.

Back to hockey and the start of the third period.

Detroit gets the first shot of the third period but Marc Andre Fleury turns it away and coming back the other way Jordan Staal is denied by Jimmy Howard keeing it a one goal game.

Matt Cooke gets called for goal tender interference and Detroit will get their fourth power play of the game. Valtteri Filppula misses a wide open net and Detroit is called for a penalty, 2 minutes on Drew Miller for high sticking and we skate 4 on 4 for a bit and then Pittsburgh will get a shortened power play.

Neither power play amounts to anything and we go back to 5 on 5 action with 6 minutes gone in the third period and Pittsburgh clinging to a 1-0 lead.

Almost halfway through the third period and scoring chances are few and far betwen with theses clubs, Pittsburgh has a 33-15 advantage in shots, but not many shots by either team here in the third period so far.

8:30 left in the third period and Daniel Cleary ties the game on a deflection of a Brad Stuart slapshot from the point, his 11th goal on the year, and Detroit is playing with more energy now than I have seen all game. Pittsburgh is just trying to get the puck out of their own end, nevermind actually getting any pressure. Stuart and Henrik Zetterberg get credit for assists on the goal.

Mmmm, chocolatey goodness. I forgot that I bought a couple of Reese Big Cups yesterday, they were on sale 2/$1 so I had to get me two. Now sounds like as good a time as any for a snack.

We come back from commercial break and Pittsburgh has two good scoring chances but Jordan Staal misses on a backhand off the crossbar and a deflection by Staal also hits the crossbar and stays out of the net, keeping the game tied at 1.

Wow, Pittsburgh with lots of pressure here but Jimmy Howard has been up to the task. When they hand out the three stars after this game, if he doesn't get one it is a crime. He has singlehandedly kept Detroit in this game, 37 saves on 38 shots so far.

Another deflection by Staal goes just wide, a redirection by Howard keeping the puck out of the net.

2 and a half minutes remaining and Howard's save total is now 40. He has been outstanding for Detroit in this game.

1 minute remaining and Pittsburgh with another rush up ice and a shot by Tyler Kennedy is also denied by Howard. Two more shots, one by Malkin and one by Brooks Orpik in the final 20 seconds are also turned away and we are headed to overtime tied at 1-1. Worst case scenario both clubs will get at least one point out of this contest, now we are just playing for the additional point in the standings.

5 minutes of overtime here in Pittsburgh have gotten underway. In overtime teams skate 4 on 4 and early on it is Pittsburgh controlling the play.

1:38 left, Pittsburgh continues to build on their shot advantage but they have nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Instead it is Sergei Gonchar taking a penalty and for the remainder of OT Detroit will be on the power play on the hooking call.

Pittsburgh kills off yet another power play and after OT we are still tied at 1-1 and are now headed to a shootout to detremine a winner.

Kris Letang leads off for the Penguins and is turned away by Howard

For Detroit it is Pavel Datsyuk and he too fails to score

Sidney Crosby for Pittsburgh and he beats Howard up high and Pittsburgh leads in the shootout 1-0

Jason Williams for Detroit and Fleury again makes the save.

Evgeni Malkin for Pittsburgh in the third and final round of the shoout out and he slides the puck in behind Howard and that clinches the win for Pittsburgh, the final score is 2-1.

Now I am going to take a nap. I am sleepy after getting up so early.

Monday 9:37pm

Quite a nap wasn't it? Actually it was just a nap, but when I woke up The Simpsons were on, then Family Guy and I just couldn't be bothered with blogging. Now tonight I have watched Chuck and followed that up with a link I found in a chat session that allowed me to watch the Pittsburgh-Buffalo hockey game tonight on Versus. Of course by the time I learned of this link and actually tested it I only got to watch the third period, but that has been pretty much my lot today. It was just one of those days where I felt like I was spinning my wheels. First my grocery order arrived very early, 7:30am to be exact. Normally early wouldn't be a proble, but when I come in at 7am and I spend the first half hour mostly fixing weekend fuckups, I haven't even got about stocking the coolers and all of a sudden I have a bunch of other stuff to put away, plus sort out three different cigarette orders and try to find some place for a rack that Ed ordered that we have absolutely no use for. Plus Wayne, my partner in crime most mornings, wasn't scheduled until 9am (usually he works 7-3 with me) so by the time he arrived I had all but put away most of the order but hadn't had the remotest of chances to start stocking the coolers. I no more than start putting together cooler lists and begin that task when another one gets thrown my way, finish that and lo and behold it is another truck I end up catching and putting away myself. All of a sudden it's 12pm and I haven't done a damn thing that I need to do yet. Throw in a visit from one of our vendors who was pushing some new items and I was happy to be close to done by 3pm, though I am sure I missed quite a few things.

Well I didn't get to finish reading my fourth book in Jan. I came close, I have probably 20 or so pages left but I just couldn't find the time to finish it before the calendar flipped.

I did get credit for another $5 amazon gift card from Swagbucks today, which is good because I really bled the account down considerably. First I had gotten my Andrew Vachss book, then on the ride back from my aunt's house picking up the subs that I mentioned in my last blog, part of the conversation my uncle and I had involved the fact that he tinkers with a guitar. I am not sure how good he is with it, but he did mention that he was watching some instructional videos on Youtube and then trying the stuff he saw there. With that in mind I remembered that while looking at Keb' Mo' videos a while back, one of the things I came across was a video he put out on playing blues guitar. So I looked it up on Youtube and got the title, then sought it out on Amazon. Sure enough they had it, so I spent some cash ordering it and sending it to him. It was almost a blog giveaway except it didn't really involve the blog, save for me telling you about it and the winner of the prize was predetermined. I don't get to do enough for my family, so sometimes if I can sneak in an out of the blue gesture like that by simply paying attention to a conversation and then acting on it, well it almost makes me feel like I did something decent, which is not par for the course by any stretch of the imagination.

Prime example, I was sitting here alone on Saturday night when I got the not so wise idea to see what names I could come across and since I had Facebook open I decided to just pop a few names into the search to see what I could come up with. Of course anyone with half a brain knows exactly where this is going, I ended up looking up ex girlfriend names and did come up with two. I guess I should be thankful that I only messaged one, not that I did anything mean spirited mind you, just a hey, saw you on here, blah, blah blah. Not that I would want to revisit that in any event, as the addage goes, there is an ex in front of that for a reason, but just sort of a semi polite saying of hello and much belated congratulations on her nuptuals (her new last name being the big clue). I didn't try to go two for two because the other one was the one where the last time I treaded down that crazy path (and that would be crazy with a capital PSYCHOPATH) it ended up with her shooting herself . Not fatally mind you, but that would have more to do with the skill of some doctors than her lack of effort. As luck would have it, I got an equally nice reply to my message to the one I did send out. No long drawn out diatribe, just a "hey, what's up" kinda thing, along the lines of what I had sent as well.

Sorry but I have to turn up the radio here. I am listening to The Spy online from Oklahoma and they are playing some good old Annie Lennox, "Missionary Man". What an awesome song and I haven't heard it in ages. This may be Karaoke Friday worthy.

Tuesday 10:33pm

This really needs to be my last entry, this is turning into less and less of a blog entry each time I put off writing. Besides there is enough on my plate in the coming days that the chance I am going to want to sit down and blog about any of it is slim and none and slim just left town.

Basically it comes down to this, Ed is coming back for a brief visit. He does this every year, sticks his head in the shop for a day or two mid winter then goes back to Florida to finish out winter before coming back for good in March. It is sort of like the swallows and Capistrano, minus the coolness. Not that I dislike Ed, or Brian for that matter, but this is when the clashing of cultures takes place, Brian's desire to keep everything running on the lean side versus Ed's desire to have a bunch of back stock. Now Brian is all nervous that we will not have enough stuff in shop, so he takes his frustrations out on everyone. Meanwhile I am just stuck in the middle, trying to be all things to all people and instead being no things to no people. It is frustrating to say the least.

Worse still is that I am still trying to break in a new Pepsi vendor and at the same time trying to deal with new drivers as well. Heck if it wasn't for my extraordinary ability at recall they wouldn't even have pulled all of our stuff off of the truck on Tuesday, it wasn't until I asked about stuff that I requested that didn't drop down the chute that they went back to the truck and saw in fact it was there and they didn't grab it. Wayne was impressed that I didn't even need to look at the invoice to know some things were missing, I just knew.

And all told, I can't complain about how things have went in Ed's absense, we managed to dig ourselves out from under some bookings that he did that left us with way to much product, like the $13,000 of Easter candy he dropped on us the Friday before Easter, or the 40 cases of frosting that, trust me, you really do not need in a news stand, or the great pop tart disaster of 2009 that saw us we three cases of blueberry pop tarts. It has been a productive winter and I am happy with the successes we have had. I have gotten most of the ordering under control, though by running lean we do occasionally run out of a thing or two between deliveries, now I am catching flack for those things, even though we can get them usually within a day or two. I would like to sit these guys down and just say 'hey, I got this" but I don't think simple reason will work right now. I'll admit that it all can be quite draining, an 8 hour day at work this week feels like a 12 hour day most anywhere else.

I came home from work today and was asleep by 5pm. Of course that now means I am up and who actually knows when I will get back to sleep. Probably doesn't help that I have put down a pot of coffee, but I didn't feel like drinking water so coffee it is.

There are a number of things I could get into right now but this blog has been so long and disjointed that maybe I am better off just not going there. Not that any of them are bad per se, just this doesn't seem to be the time or place. Plus I'll be honest, I just don't know if I have the gumption to do it, motivation is somewhat lacking. Plus typing is becoming harder and harder because I think I broke my thumb. Well maybe not broke it, but there is definitely something wrong with it. Anytime I push it toward the middle of my palm there is a decent amount of pain involved, as there is any time I bend it. I have no idea when it even occurred, it just seems like I woke up one day and it hurt and has been doing so for the better part of a week now. I wish I could say there was a defining moment where I might have fucked it up, like shutting it in a door or something, but there really isn't and it is becoming quite the annoyance and it doesn't get any better with me sitting around typing. So I guess I will just do a spell check, where I will miss at least a couple of errors, and call it a night.

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