The Mayor

The Mayor of Pittsburgh, Bob O’Connor has been fighting cancer for several weeks and yesterday the word on the street was that he died ... then last night the news explained that many of the local leaders - not to mention citizens are waiting for word on the condition of Mayor Bob O’Connor. In the eighth week in O’Connor’s battle with primary central nervous system lymphoma, the mood across the region is grim. Thursday, family members remained at his side, and several members of city council paid visits to UPMC Shadyside, where O’Connor has been undergoing treatment. The City of Pittsburgh awaits the final outcome.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

I had a interesting weekend to say the least, not sure where to begin so let's start Friday... after work I went to happy hour - yes another banking crew happy hour! I do miss the old FedEx crew happy hours at Quaker Steak with Matt, Anthony, Jason, Dave, Chris and of course good old Urbanic. It was fun but I made sure that I did not over do it like I did on Thursday night you see when I get drunk I tend to do dum things, say things and ... email people so for those that got a email from me please except my deepest regret for that. Anyway back to Friday night after I left the bankers happy hour at the Ulgy my brother called and invited me to his company's happy hour so I went over to meet him. My brother typicaly does not stay out late so I half expected to leave by 11ish but not that night. I have to say no one parties like computer programmers! There was nine people all together but the three that I remeber are Dan a.k.a. the man - now he was funny, Chris (not to be confused with Goose) and his new girl Lisa, and Mika. Mika is from Texas and like any Texan he know how to talk big and well he ended up picking up a bar tab that was ... lets just say it was a weeks's wage for me. Now I never had an Irish car-bomb before in fact Dan laughed when instead of dropping the entire shot glass into my Guniess I poured it. It must of been about midnight that I was just exhausted and had to leave so I thanked my brother and his coworkers and departed for home.

Saturday was different, I went to church and I learned something very useful ... forgiveness. What I found interesting at church is the power of forgiveness, Pastor Jay gave spoke a great deal about forgiving, letting go of anger and gave examples from the bible such one that I found interesting is “above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” It’s from proverbs 4:23, I took notes for the first time in church so that’s how I could remember it. He went on to explain that anger leads to bitterness, to rage and the anger then manifests itself into brawling, slander, and all kinds of malice. It explains how I have been leading my life and after that night anytime I feel that old time anger raising within me I remind myself of Pastor's Jay sermon. I tried to express that more in depth in my other blog but like I mentioned earlier I did not do a very good job of it so I saved it as a draft. I forgive all those that I have long held a grudge with and God bless each of them and may he protect them and keep them from harm. I forgive them because as Pastor Jay went on to explain that if you allow anger to take hold in your heart it will ruin your life. Well I am a living testament to how anger can ruin your life and I don't want anger to rule my life any longer. Pastor Jay went on to explain that anger can be prevented from running your life by forgiving. He used a bible passage from Ephesians 4:31 –“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…” Forgive those that you feel have wronged you, look back on all the seasons of your life and from the bottom of your heart forgive them. Don’t expect anything in return just forgive them and your spirit will be lifted.

After church my brother called me and said that he was going to take his new girl, yes he has a new girlfriend down to the Tavern so I told him i really did not plan on going out but I meet up with him. The tavern is jumping after ten and it's a refreshing change - a night club on carson. Big brother showed me some moves and at one point shortly before I parted company with him I took a photo of him and his new girl ... hey Shawn if you read this this one is a keeper just make sure she ain't no gold digger! Now Sunday was different, I went to my mom's house in Coraopolis for dinner - my brother was there and he clued me in on what I missed after I left him and his girl at the tavern. I also sent the photo i took of him but my fear is I sent it first to someone else by mistake. It's a mistake I won't make again as that day I clean my electronic phone book up too. Deleted numbers I have no use for anymore - yeah me!

A break

I need a break, a break from blogging - last couple of months I have been going through the motions nothing more. For one week I am not going to blog... thanks Kaz for the idea.

A email

I got this as a email forward, not my work email but my personal email so without any firther delay enjoy!

Divorce - Communication
A judge was interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce, and asked, "What are the grounds for your divorce?"She replied, "About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by.""No," he said, "I mean what is the foundation of this case?""It is made of concrete, brick and mortar," she responded."I mean," he continued, "What are your relations like?""I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, and so do my husband's parents."He said, "Do you have a real grudge?""No," she replied, "We have a two-car carport and have never really needed one.""Please," he tried again, "is there any infidelity in your marriage?""Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don't necessarily like the music, but the answer to your questions is yes.""Ma'am, does your husband ever beat you up?""Yes," she responded, "about twice a week he gets up earlier than I do."Finally, in fr ustration, the judge asked, "Lady, why do you want a divorce?""Oh, I don't want a divorce," she replied. "I've never wanted a divorce. My husband does. He said he can't communicate with me!!"

Beam me up Scotty

Beam me up Scotty, growing up I use to hear that often it got to a put that I hated that tv show and now I seem to can't get enough. The original Star Trek was great then the next generation came along and it was like so fake... like the entire galaxy speaks English? Get real! And then there was Star Trek Enterprise and it was like ... a star trek that was for real where we humans are shown in our true color. Flawed, prone to mistakes, not perfect like the next generation but able to admit we do error and always working to improve our character - it was refreshing! I also like that Star Trek because I have a little crush on her, yes her name is Jolene Blalock and besides Star Trek Enterprise she also starred as Medea, the mythic princess and sorceress of the Isle of Colchis in the 2000 NBC miniseries "Jason and the Argonauts" I am sorry I missed that one! Other television credits include guest spots on C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation, Dick Wolf's D.C., JAG, G vs E and Veronica's Closet. But she has made her biggest mark on me as the Vulcan sub-commander T'Pol on Enterprise. Those ears ... ummmm I would mind melt with her anytime! :) Back to the main topic of this posting ... William Shatner.

For an actor almost universally associated with a single character -- Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise -- William Shatner has found diverse ways to stay active in the public eye, even spoofing his overblown acting style in a way far more hip than desperate. Years after he last uttered "warp speed," Shatner remains a well-known face beyond Star Trek conventions, re-creating himself as the spoken-word pitchman for priceline.com, and starring in a popular series of smoky nightclub ads that featured some of the most cutting-edge musicians of the day.

The Canadian native was born on March 22, 1931, in Montréal, where he grew up and attended Verdun High School. Shatner studied commerce at McGill University before getting the acting bug, which eventually prompted him to move to New York in 1956. He initially worked in such live television dramatic shows as Studio One and The United States Steel Hour in 1957 and 1958, as well as on Broadway. His big screen debut soon followed as Alexei in the 1958 version of Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Throughout the 1960s, Shatner worked mostly in television. His most memorable appearance came in a 1963 episode of The Twilight Zone entitled "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," in which he plays a terrified airline passenger unable to convince the crew that there's a mysterious gremlin tearing apart the wing. He also appeared in such films as Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) and the bizarrely experimental Esperanto-language horror film Incubus (1963). In 1966, he got his big break, though neither he nor anyone else knew it at the time. Shatner was cast as the macho starship captain James Kirk on Star Trek, commanding a crew that included an acerbic doctor, a Scottish engineer, and a logician with pointy ears, on a mission "to boldly go where no man has gone before." However, the show lasted only three seasons, considered by many to be high camp. After providing a voice on the even shorter-lived animated series in 1973, Shatner must have thought Star Trek too would pass. A costly divorce and a lingering diva reputation from Star Trek left him with few prospects or allies, forcing him to take whatever work came his way.
But in 1979, after a decade of B-movie labor in such films as The Kingdom of Spiders (1977) and a second failed series (Barbary Coast, 1975-1976), Shatner re-upped for another attempt to capitalize on the science fiction series with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This time it caught on, though the first film was considered a costly disappointment. With dogged determination, the producers continued onward with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), at which point fans finally flocked to the series, rallying behind the film's crisp space battles and the melodramatic tête-à-tête between Shatner and Ricardo Montalban.

Shatner had to wrestle with his advancing age and the deaths of several characters in Star Trek II and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), but by Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), the actor got to indulge in his more whimsical side, which has since characterized his career. As the series shifted toward comedy, Shatner led the way, even serving as director of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), which many considered among the series' weaker entries. During this period, Shatner also began parodying himself in earnest, appearing as host of Saturday Night Live in a famous sketch in which he tells a group of Trekkies to "Get a life." He also turned in a wickedly energetic mockery of a moon base captain in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). Shatner made one final appearance with the regular Star Trek cast in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), then served as one of the crossovers to the new series of films in Star Trek: Generations (1994), in which endlessly theorizing fans finally learned the fate of Captain Kirk.

The success of the Trek movies reenergized Shatner's TV career, even if it didn't immediately earn him more film roles. Shatner played the title role on the successful police drama T.J. Hooker from 1982 to 1987, directing some episodes, then began hosting the medical reality series Rescue 911 in 1989. Shatner returned to the movies with another parody, Loaded Weapon I, in 1993, and in 1994 began directing, executive producing, and acting in episodes of the syndicated TV show TekWar, based on the popular series of Trek-like novels he authored.
In the later '90s, Shatner was best known for his humorously out-there priceline.com ads, but also guested on a variety of TV shows, most notably as the "Big Giant Head" on the lowbrow farce Third Rock From the Sun. He also appeared as game show hosts both in film (Miss Congeniality, 2000) and real life (50th Annual Miss America Pageant, 2001). In 1999, Shatner suffered public personal tragedy when his third wife, Nerine, accidentally drowned in their swimming pool. The champion horse breeder and tennis enthusiast owns a ranch in Kentucky and remains active in environmental causes.

My thought on the State of the Union

It interested me, as I had never really thought of why the US has become hated worldwide. I mean, I had some idea (world domination, problems with foreign policy, general Ugly Americanisms), but I never really thought it out. I didn't buy Idiot Bush's idea that the "terrorists hate us for our freedom."I guess I am as guilty as anyone else in some extent. I was 21 when the Cold War ended. To a republican, that worldwide tension had been solved by Ronald Reagan in the most Rambo-like, and would never really impact my life. As I got older, I started to understand that Korea and Vietnam were the two most famous battlegrounds in the Cold War, but those were both over years before I was born - well Vietnam was just a couple years over. I moved on, and assumed the rest of the world did as well.But think about it. For 50 years (or so) all these little countries had been the pawns in a chess game, where checkmate would have meant the end of all life on planet. They were basically considered expendable, the citizens worth about the same as used matchsticks. They weren't considered important except for how they could be exploited. Even today, what does the average American feel for people dying overseas? It is doubtful that 10% of us Americans even know where Darfur is, and if they did know, they wouldn't care. The people there can't buy American goods, they can't sell us oil, does that make sense? many still live along tribal lines; they're just images shown on PBS newsprograms. I think the average American-me include is more interested in getting a plasma TV or going on that perfect vacation than in people who pop up on CNN maybe once per month. And that would be enough reason for resentment to grow. But there is more.(and I know I'm paraphrasing the article, so sue me.) America is supposed to be a symbol of democracy and freedom where we embrace diversity, individuality, tollerance and the opportunity to better one's self. But is that still true? How much control does the average US citizen have over the decisions made by their government on any level? Take the Presidential elections that we hold. They are in fact nothing more then a popularity contest every four years, send people off to a big city on the East Coast, and basically just let them do whatever they want. And we've been doing it for years. It is easier to just let someone else take care of "it," whatever "it" is. My home state Senatorial race is a perfect example: we have two canidates here, saying basically the same thing (with very slight differences), screaming at each other to win a chance to forward their personal agendas. When whoever gets there arrives, we won't have any say in what they vote for. We can call them, send them letters, e-mail them, even walk into their offices and tell them what we think, and they still have the right to vote however they want. Most experts agree that it might take generations to fix the problems between the US and the developing world. I think it will take a complete change in the US. Maybe even an end to the US as we know it.

A theme song?

My theme song for this evening ... haven't had one of these in ages! But this is coming from that old time class by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Yes I said Tennessee Ernie Ford . Who is Tennessee Ernie Ford you ask? Well I am going to tell you! He was, is a great entertainer from Classic Country, circa: 1950-1964. On to more trivia stuff ... The song is titled 16 tons and the song's chorus came from a letter Merle received from his brother lamenting the death of World War II journalist Ernie Pyle, killed while covering combat in the Pacific in 1945. John Travis wrote, "It's like working in the coal mines. You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt." Merle also recalled a remark his father would make to neighbors when asked how he was doing: "I can't afford to die. I owe my soul to the company store. " This referred to coal-company owned stores where miners bought food and supplies with money advanced by the company, called "scrip".

Later released on Capitol's 1947 LP "Folk Songs From The Hills", the song almost immediately began to generate controversy, causing Travis himself, problems, in the anti-communist, Cold War hysteria of the late forties. Some in government saw songs dealing with workers' woes, and folk music "activists" as potentially subversive. It made no difference that Travis was a true American patriot. Veteran Capitol producer, Ken Nelson, who worked at WJJD radio in Chicago in the late forties, recalled in a 1992 interview that FBI agents advised the station not to play Travis' records, because they considered him a "communist sympathizer," which was, of course, completely untrue.

Sixteen Tons
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't a-get you
Then the left one will

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

Moose times, steelers, dad, and one firm boobie

I had a good weekend, Friday night my cousin - my little cousin Josh and his band played another show at the Smiling Moose. Silly me thought I could keep up with 22 years olds drinking beer ... I tried but well that is another story. Now before I went to meet my cuz I had one long day at work ... I got a reset. Whats a reset? A reset is when you made a error that can not just be changed in the system but the whole loan has to be RESET from scratch. Anyway I booked this loan a week ago and I get it back on Thursday of last week from audit asking why I used this specifc customer number and not this one. I looked at it and at first I was like ... the names are different and also the tax ids. Of course I did not say that cause some auditors are mean. I took the loan back looked it over and tried to figure the problem that they saw with it and then I noticed it. On a screen not often used I saw the name of my new loan and below that the letters "FKA" short for Formally Known As. I took it to my manager and explained that I think this is a reset, she looked it over and said she would have to agree but ask Mary Lou - the bigger manager she looked it over and said well it's going to be a mess to clean up what do you think we should do? I said, "As much as I do not want to do a reset I have to." My Friday afternoon was spent getting that processed and now on to my party night with little cosuin and his band. We chatted for like 45 minutes before his bad went on stage, now the music is all heavry metal rock. I have to say that in some small way I sort of envy him because he is 22 and has his whole life ahead of him - he is living his dream of being a musical artist and best of all he has no responsbilites to hold him back. No wife, no children, no major bills this is his time and I wish him the best. Oh he and his band ROCK the Moose!!!

My dad gave me tickets to Saturday's Pittsburgh Steelers game, had to pick them up on Friday at his house. I did and then I stayed visitng him and his wife, my stepmother. After I left his house I headed back down to my place in scenic Southside but before I go any further I do have something else to add about my dad. I never had a healthy relationship with my father and thats all I am saying on that note for now but last week my dad was in the hospital I went to see him in the hospital to wish him the best and to say "I love you dad". As a son should say to his father but I did not, I love my dad, I love my mom and I like my stepfather too I just could not say those three simple words to my own father. I do care about my dad but why could I not tell him that? Well on to other topics after my visit to my dads I headed down to the moose to meet up with cuz and I left te moose sometime after 1am not sure exactly as I was really drunk from trying to hold my own with the 22 year old crowd.

Saturday night was different because those steelers tickets I had - I sold them to my manager and then watched the game at The Town Tavern and during the game this woman came over and sat next to me she was ordering drunks for her party ... it was one of those wedding parties when the bride and her dridal friends go bar hopping to get drunk the weekend before her big day. Well anyway I was talking to this woman who was older then the rest who introduced herself to me as Wendy. We talked for a bit, I made her laugh then she asked me to do her a favor. I asked sure, so she explained her daughter's friend is getting married and she is sort of shy so she asked if I could come over and sign her shirt. I was like sure be my pleasure I go over with her and her daughter's friend the future bride she had a skin tight shirt on and there was 10 questions on it and I had to answer question one which was Do I wear boxers or briefs or those really skinny things for guys and then over to her right boob was the line I had to sign it was right smack over her boob. I tell you this much her boob was firm and I could also tell she was cold and it was a cheap thrill to me.

Oh BTW here is a picture of my little cousin

We can all get along if we remember ...

The Core Rules of Netiquette or Netiquette, or network etiquette, or whatever you like to call it is the set of ground rules in Cyberspace. Kind of the electronic equivalent of "keep off the grass" and "don't spit", netiquette is a loose set of rules for how folks should behave online. The following list is taken (with or without permission - notsaying which) from an excellent book, aptly titled "Netiquette", by some chic. This slim book does an excellent job of helping those new to Cyberspace learn the basic tenants of netiquette. Chapters cover the netiquette of e-mail and of discussion groups as well as providing excellent netiquette guidelines for business, home and school use. Particularly useful sections cover Electronic Style (looking good online, tone of voice and signature files) and the "core rules" of the online world. One chapter covers copyright issues and another the etiquette of e-mail privacy. There's even a chapter on "Love & Sex in Cyberspace". Dam Its been ages since I had cyber-sex!

A couple of ground topics 1. Remember the human.
and 2. Never forget that the person reading your mail or posting is, indeed, a person, with feelings that can be hurt.
Corollary 1 to Rule #1: It's not nice to hurt other people's feelings especially when that person is Swedish, (BTW this is flam baiting).
Corollary 2: Never mail or post anything you wouldn't say to your reader's face unless you bash a friend.
Corollary 3: Notify your readers when flaming. Special note: not to be confused with flaming humroids)

Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
Corollary 1: Be ethical.
Corollary 2: Breaking the law is bad Netiquette but only if your caught.

Know where you are in cyberspace. Many times I surf the web and find myself look at boobs, butts and wicked women.
Corollary 1: Netiquette varies from domain to domain to domain.
Corollary 2: Lurk before you leap.

Respect other people's time and bandwidth.
Corollary 1: It's OK to think that what you're doing at the moment is the most important thing in the universe, but don't expect anyone else to agree with you.
Corollary 2: Post messages to the appropriate discussion group.
Corollary 3: Try not to ask stupid questions on discussion groups.
Corollary 4: Read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document.
Corollary 5: When appropriate, use private email instead of posting to the group.
Corollary 6: Don't post subscribe, unsubscribe, or FAQ requests.
Corollary 7: Don't waste expert readers' time by posting basic information.
Corollary 8: If you disagree with the premise of a particular discussion group, don't waste the time and bandwidth of the members by telling them how stupid they are. Just stay away. Corollary 9: Conserve bandwidth when you retrieve information from a host or server.

Make yourself look good online.
Corollary 1: Check grammar and spelling before you post.
Corollary 2: Know what you're talking about and make sense.
Corollary 3: Don't post flame-bait.

Share expert knowledge.
Corollary 1: Offer answers and help to people who ask questions on discussion groups.
Corollary 2: If you've received email answers to a posted question, summarize them and post the summary to the discussion group.

Help keep flame wars under control.
Corollary 1: Don't respond to flame-bait.
Corollary 2: Don't post spelling or grammar flames.
Corollary 3: If you've posted flame-bait or perpetuated a flame war, apologize.
Respect other people's privacy. Don't read other people's private email.
Don't abuse your power. The more power you have, the more important it is that you use it well.
Be forgiving of other people's mistakes. You were a network newbie once too!

You think you are having a bad day?

Fire authorities in California found a corpse in a burned out section of forest while assessing the damage done by a forest fire. The deceased male was dressed in a full wet suit, complete with scuba tanks on his back, flippers, and face mask. A post-mortem revealed that the person died not from burns, but from massive internal injuries. Dental records provided a positive identification.

Investigators set about to determine how a fully clad diver ended up in the middle of a forest fire. It was revealed that on the day of the fire, the person went for a diving trip off the coast some 20 miles from the forest. The fire-fighters, seeking to control the fire as quickly as possible, called in a fleet of helicopters with very large dip buckets. Water was dipped from the ocean and then flown to the forest fire and emptied. You guessed it. One minute our diver was making like Flipper in the Pacific, the next he was doing the breast stroke in a fire dip bucket 300 feet in the air.

Apparently he extinguished exactly 5'10" of the fire. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed - This article was taken from the California Examiner, March 20, 1998

STILL THINK YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY?

A man was working on his motorcycle on his patio and his wife was in the kitchen. The man was racing the engine on the motorcycle when it accidentally slipped into gear. The man, still holding onto the handle bars, was dragged through the glass patio doors and along with the motorcycle dumped onto the floor inside the house. The wife, hearing the crash, ran into the dining room and found her husband lying on the floor, cut and bleeding, the motorcycle lying next to him, and the shattered patio door. The wife ran to the phone and summoned the ambulance. Because they lived on a fairly large hill, the wife went down the several flights of stairs to the street to escort the paramedics to her husband.

After the ambulance arrived and transported the man to the hospital, the wife righted the motorcycle and pushed it outside. Seeing that gas was spilled on the floor, the wife got some paper towels, blotted up the gasoline, and threw the towels in the toilet. The man was treated and released to come home. Upon arriving home, he looked at the shattered patio door and the damage done to his motorcycle.

He became despondent, went to the bathroom, sat down on the toilet and smoked a cigarette. After finishing the cigarette, he flipped it between his legs into the toilet bowl, while seated. The wife, who was in the kitchen, heard the loud explosion and her husband screaming.
She ran into the bathroom and found her husband lying on the floor. His trousers had been blown away and he was suffering burns on the buttocks, the back of his legs, and his groin. The wife again ran to the phone to call the ambulance. The very same paramedic crew was dispatched and the wife met them at the street. The paramedics loaded the husband on to the stretcher and began carrying him to the street. While they were going down the stairs to the street accompanied by the wife, one of the paramedics asked the wife how the husband had burned himself. She told them and the paramedics started laughing so hard, one of them slipped and tipped the stretcher, dumping the husband out. He fell down the remaining stairs and broke his arm - Taken from a Florida Newspaper.

So it's hump day Wednesday

Wednesday is hump day. Why is it called hump day? Well as far as I know, its because it is the middle of the week, so basically monday and tuesday are uphill climbs to get to the weekend ..once wednesday rolls around we have hit the peak of the week and then the rest of the week is just a downhill stroll. That kinda makes sense to me. However, for me wednesday is more like a weeks end. My pay week ends on wednesday ... usually so over the last few months I have considered wednesday my friday. A few things here and there have altered how i spend my wednesday nights, but in general, wednesday is my end of the week. Ok that was a ramble that just spilled out, hope it makes sense to somebody.

I have a million thoughts and things running thru my head, many of which I would love to write about in here. However, as I sit here and think of what to write, the particular thought I am on gets focus in my head and causes me to think more in-depth on that particular thing which then sprouts feeders off of that thought which then leads to another which continues on with more feeders, and before I know it my head is flying with thoughts, many of which I can't put into words but most of which I can't type fast enough to get them to come out right. And then there are those thoughts that I want to wite about, but being the moody person I am, I know from past experience that my opinion and ideas will change and if I type them here, then I am committed to what I said here and at some point that could be held against me, and ....oh lord ..ya see my mind is just whacked.

LOL I love you blogging babes! That is it for now, I need a beer and even though it is not even 8:30 PM I am gonna crack a Power Trip and do something, even if its wrong. And considering my mental state and the circumstances around me , it probably will be wrong. Until next time... peace out.

Blogging blahs today

When I first entered the subject today and started to type I had a whole train of thought as to why I don't blog with a carefree attitude anymore. I have now had this same page opened for close to 30 minutes at work, and I have had at least a dozen different interruptions. So my train of thought changed just a bit. Hopefully I will be able to get my original rambling train of thought entered here, but aside from that, the constant interruptions is a big reason why I do not do this more often. Now, lets see if I can get into words my thoughts. I feel a blog is a place to openly and honestly share your thoughts and opinions on life in your own words. Well, as most of you know I am a moody son of a bitch, therefore my thoughts WILL change drastically from day to day. Lately my mindset has been postive compared to the rather nasty and negative posts a blog ago. Many things and people are and have been aggravating the heck out of me. I know most of the things that are bothering me wouldnt be bothering me if my mood were different, but it is what it is. I can't and haven't been able to pinpoint why my mood is turning shitty. I "think" my outward disposition has seemed normal to most at the bank, except for a few occassions by the few that know me well, where my ugly attitude has really come out. I am normally not an argumentative person, because arguing is usually pointless to me - I typically lose a arguement. I usually do not argue my points and views for a few reasons. I will try to list them below:
1) My way is right and I dont have to prove myself to anyone, so why argue.
2) I am very stubborn, whether my opinion is right or wrong it is mine and I will do things my way.
3) My opinion doesn't matter. Whether it is right or wrong, my opinion will have nothing to do with how things will actually be. It is out of my control, so why argue.
4) Rather than argue my thoughts and opinions, I would rather let someone do it there way and fuck up, then come to me for the right way. WOW! That was a lot of shit spilling out of me. Anyways that is enough for me for now. In short my attitude towards others sucks lately and I would rather stay quiet and go with the flow than speak my mind and hurt or offend anyone and run the risk of being told "fuck you" again. Just one more general thought.
5) You know I noticed my blog has been visited by a few fake bloggers, or perhaps it just one individual with many fake blogs? what's a fake blog? Much like a person a fake blog is something that hides it's true identy so like this or this or this . I given some thought about creating a fake blog of my own perhaps I should create one much like ring leader of the wicked. I often wondered why anyone would take the time to create a fake blog? Is it to hide your identy, well all the time leaving little insulting messages on other peoples blogs... ummm perhaps I will but on myspace?

Scotty out ...

To teach that is the question...

Before the summer begin I was wrapping up my final term at Duquesne University and I also was enjoying the new job at the bank. I was more glad to be out of a negative environment where I was treated like f'ing number and regardless of what or how hard I work I knew I would not be going anywhere. I promised myself that at the start of the summer I would not think about anything but enjoying my summer. However, it was anything but that. It’s funny the more you do not really want to think about a specific topic the more you do and the less you want to think about a topic the less you do. Did I make sense with that last line? Moving on … for a bit I was actually thinking about giving up on my quest to teach but I think it was more of the happiness of being able to quit a job that I came to hate and also being in an new environment that excited me hence my confused earlier thoughts about giving up that desire to teach. As the time progressed over the summer I had thoughts of pushing ahead then I had thoughts of giving up, and not spending another dime on my higher education and just work – work for a bank, a company any business. I was at a point of total confusion as to what I want for ME – for my FUTURE. It was Thursday night and I was going through a nightly prayer and I just came out and asked God that I need some guidance – direction in life. I asked for a sign and last night I feel as if I got my request. It’s strange for me to write this as I find it difficult to really open up and share my religious beliefs with the world. This evening they have a made for tv movie on about a man named Ron Clark. Who is Ron Clark you ask? Well Ron Clark is a urbanteacher that has charm, determination and a stubborn resistance to defeat. He was honored for so many stunning classroom accomplishments that he has become the Tiger Woods of teaching. The Ron Clark story was produced by The Walt Disney Co. who also named him the American Teacher of the Year in 2000. His first book, "The Essential 55," is a best-seller and also this fall marks the opening of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. He is a man who made teaching not just his career but his life’s work to make a difference – a positive difference on the lives of children. That’s what I have always wanted for the longest time I want to do something, I want to have a sense that my life had meaning and I want someone to say that Scott made a difference in my life. As a aspiring teacher I promise never to tell a student that they are dum, incapable of learning or just giving up on them but I promise

Weekend activities, Cash and Dees

Ok so I had registered on line with a local but also a international dating site cated match. It went well, I might two women so far the one seemed nice her name is Maria and she is the girl I posted a picture of a few days ago. There is one problem with her and it requires a long explaination. She is a foriegn extra student here and well I got the impression on the 3rd date she is more interested in obtaining a greencard then in getting to know me. As for the other girl I met on linewell it's going ... well. We talked on the phone a few times but that is extent for now. She asked me friday if I wanted to meet, I explained that this weekend was not the best as I did already make plans with Big Brother but also I am not 100% sure that this one will go anywhere. I am losing faith in match. Well anyway Friday I went out with big brother as he was in between girlfriends this weekend. We ended up going to his favorite joint ... Saddleridge and when we were there they played a Johnny Cash song, guess what happen next? I liked it! So the next day I ended up going to bestbuy and I purchased one of his cds, specifically this one. My favorite song so far is Help Me I also liked God's Gonna Cut You Down but most of the songs on that cd are good.

I have decided that I have to stop visiting Dees Cafe because when I am there and I had one, or two ... or three ... okay any more the three I start thinking of bygone days and I get all depressed because I miss my old friends then and that is not good so I am going to find a new place a place more up scale so I can build some new memories and perhaps make a new friend or two. Excuse me for now as I got to call my match friend as I promised I would earlier.

General thoughts

I watched the game yesterday, watched it up until half time and my team was down 14 to 3 so I said it's time to go. I was originally going to blow off church yesterday and stay and watch the game but as they were losing I realized that perhaps I should go to church. When I got to church I was just a little late but I did get there in time for the sermon which was moving, made me think about so many things in my life. I have been so stupid for so long, I know the only job that will ever make me happy is the teaching but for a bit there I allowed the new job to distract me but that is not all. I said I was going to take the summer months off and just think it all over, and then after I had time to think about it I would make my decision. Well the summer is almost over and besides the fact I won't miss the summer's humidty I also have decided that I will not give up my dream of teaching. I have so much more that I want to say, but I am finding it hard to put into words... stay tuned

They lost!!!

They Lost their first game! How could that have happened? Ben Roethlisberger's appearance to open the extravagant new home of the Arizona Cardinals was as brief as it was fruitless. Then Kurt Warner christened the place with a touchdown drive, and stayed awhile longer.Warner threw for two first-half scores and the Cardinals celebrated the long-awaited unveiling of their $465 million stadium with a 21-13 preseason victory over the Super Bowl champs in front of a capacity crowd of 63,400. Roethlisberger, who lobbied his way into the starting lineup two months after sustaining serious head and facial injuries in a motorcycle crash, played one series. He completed 3 of 4 passes for 29 yards, the longest an 11-yard screen pass to Verron Haynes.Warner played most of the first half, going 9-for-13 for 118 yards. The 35-year-old former NFL and Super Bowl MVP even ran for five yards.Roethlisberger drove the Steelers to the Arizona 26 but was sacked by Bertrand Berry on third down, and Jeff Reed's 54-yard field goal try was wide left.Then the Cardinals drove for a touchdown on their first possession in their new home.Warner was 5-of-6 for 59 yards, capped by a five-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Johnson. Four of the completions came on third down, including a 20-yarder to Larry Fitzgerald on third-and-13 to the Pittsburgh 7.After Reed's 48-yard field goal, Warner directed an 11-play, 71-yard touchdown drive. Johnson's one-handed grab of a 20-yard pass highlighted the drive. The catch came on third-and-nine at the Arizona 46.Fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo took a short pass from Warner and rambled 15 yards for a touchdown to put the Cardinals up 14-3 with 3:31 left in the half.The arrival of star free agent acquisition Edgerrin James had no immediate impact on what has been a woeful Arizona running game. James carried twice, once for a two-yard loss and once for no gain.With rookie Matt Leinart still unsigned, Arizona backup John Navarre was intercepted twice - both by rookie Anthony Smith.On the first, Navarre was hit as he threw and Smith picked it off at the Cardinals 35. Third-string quarterback Shane Boyd threw 13 yards to Quincy Morgan to set up rookie Mark Brubaker's 24-yard field goal that cut the lead to 14-6 as the half ended.Diamond Ferri ran five yards for Arizona's third touchdown with 9:41 to play. Omar Jacobs threw a 1-yard pass to fellow rookie Isaac Smolko for the Steelers' lone touchdown, with 1:25 to play. The Cardinals recovered the subsequent onside kick and ran out the clock. Next week, the Steelers return to Heinz Field to take on the Minnesota Vikings at 8 p.m.

date number 3?

Shhhhhhh can you hear that?

A picture is worth a thousand words! The first Pittsburgh Steeler game! The beloved Steelers will take on the Cardinals on Saturday August 12, 2006, @ 4:05 PM in Cardinals Stadium. Over the last several weeks I have reviewed all of the Steeler players that were unfamiliar to me, which was basically all except Big Ben, Troy and the Bus because up until last season I was not so into the game. Did not get into it until hummmm the last eight weeks when they become the ROAD WARRIORS. Anyway those reviews are scattered over half-a-dozen web sites and blogs. With the approach of the first preseason game I think it is time to reorganize all of those fine sites I read into a single thought of my own which I can then consult as the rest of training camp unfolds. I hope others find this comment interesting as well. How about it Brian are you as excited as I am? Of course we will have to wait until Sunday, Sept 24th for the first game between the Steelers and Bengals.

Gimme two large on Pittsburgh

Various sports lines have opened with the Steelers as 3-point underdogs for Saturday night's preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. I know because I got a insideman in Vegas!

This, is going to be a Blog 'n' Gold shortly, and it's not sheer lunacy after all I do live in the capital of STEELER COUNTRY. The funny thing, the defending Super Bowl champions are underdogs to the Cardinals. (Although frankly, any team being an underdog to the Cardinals -- in any capacity -- is absurd on its face, but that's another matter.) So here is a tip. If you bet against the Steelers this coming Saturday then chances will be good you will pay up to these gents that will come collecting. What Blog 'n' Gold can't wrap its small blog around is the fact that Vegas oddsmakers can and do offer lines on a preseason game, presumably with a straight face. Furthermore, the notion that someone would wager beer money -- let alone a mortgage payment -- on the hopes that Omar Jacobs thus far has sufficient grasp of the Whisenhunt offense that he can successfully lead 10 other scrubinskis -- most of whom will never crack the practice squad -- down the field to paydirt, is, well ... dumb? Of course, Scott doesn't gamble on sports so maybe I am way off on this. Anyone besides the hopelessly addicted or fabulously wealthy betting on the game this weekend? Buisness will be good for Anthony.

Do you believe in Deja-Vu?

Have you ever been talking about someone you haven’t seen in many years, in fact you don’t even know how to find them and then out of the blue later that day or a few days after they walk in the room. Or simpler things like you may think of an off the wall phrase or word and within minutes that exact phrase is repeated on the tv or radio. Or you feel as if you have been in a specific environment or event? You get the idea, right? To me it proves fate, before you are sent to earth you are told the story of your life before you live it, Deja vu is your mind remembering parts of the story just before they happen or so they say.

I want to hear about your experience with this phenomenon called synchronicity, two seemingly unrelated events which in fact do seem related.

fill in the blanks

Before you fill this out for me, please know that I just copied and pasted it. If words are spelled wrong it's because I was to lazy to fix them. And, of course if you post this poop on your blog I will fill it out for you. I'm lame like that. Ok. God speed.

Name:
Age:
Phone Number:
Hair:
Eyes:
Piercings/tattoos:
Drink/smoke:

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY
Personality:
Eyes:
Face:
Hair:
Clothes:
Humor:
Manners:
Friends:
lDecisions:

WOULD YOU...
Go out with me:
Give me your number:
Kiss me:
Let me kiss you:
Watch a movie with me:
Drive me somewhere private:
Be my bf/gf:
Take me home to meet your family:
Let me sleep in your bed if I didn't have one:
Tell me the truth no matter what:
Lie to make me feel better:
Hold my hand:
Keep in touch:
Try and solve my problems:
Love me:
Ditch me:
Use me:

DO YOU...
Think I'm cute:
Want to be with me:
Want to kiss me:

AM I...
Smart:
Hot:
Funny:
Cool:
Interesting to talk to:

HAVE YOU EVER...
Thought about me:
Thought there might be an "US":
Found yourself wanting to kiss me:
Wished I were there:
Wanted to ask me out:

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF...
I said I liked you:
I kissed you:
I touched your a**:
I was hospitalized:
I got in a fight and you were there:
I got dumped:
I pissed you off:

WILL YOU...
Re-post this so I can fill it out for you

Steelers Offensive Linemen Arrested

With about a week before the first exhibition game an Steelers Offensive Linemen arrested
early Sunday morning. Police arrested Steelers offensive lineman Barrett Brooks on the South Side on charges of eluding and fleeing the police. They say Brooks was allegedly driving erratically at around 2:30 a.m. on the 1700-block of Carson Street, running multiple stop signs. (Hey I have done that, the problem is they have to many stop signs so I do one of those slow rolling stop signs things) I heard that Brooks did have a minor incident in which he laid his motorcycle down. He then allegedly tried to get back on the motorcycle and leave the scene and that is when he was arrested. I heard he was tested for driving under the influence at the station and at that time the Police say Brooks was under the legal limit.

The changing face of travel to Cuba

This week Fidel Castro temporarily ceded power as he underwent surgery, spurring much speculation about post-Castro Cuba or at least for me. Here at Adventure Beat I wondered what a change in leadership might mean for American travelers, who for years have been frustrated in their curiosity about our near-neighbor in the Caribbean. I once read a book by Tom Miller that gave a insight on the matter. The book titled, "Trading With the Enemy: A Yankee Travels Through Castro's Cuba," is as close as most of us have been able to get to Cuba.

For decades now, long before I was even born the quickest way to get a laugh on the streets of Havana has been to tell a joke about Fidel Castro — his policies, his temper, and, yes, his longevity. Even the jokes that don't mention him criticize life on his island. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" the little Cuban boy was asked. "A tourist!" he replied. HA HA HA this jokes comes to us via the NY Times, you know that ultra left leaning newspaper?!

And why not? Tourists have access to much of Cuba that natives can't enjoy. Canadians and Europeans and Australians arrive by the charterful, whisked to Club Med-type resorts where the only Cubans they run into are the help and the entertainers. However for Americans like me I can go but I can not spend a dime for it is against the law to spend a penny in Cuba. Why is that? Industrial tourism has overtaken sugar and mining as the country's leading hard-currency earner, second only to cash sent by overseas relatives. More inventive tourists come in smaller groups or solo, to catch a whiff of one of the only Communist countries around. Bicyclists, scuba-divers, naturalists, vintage car enthusiasts, Marxists, Hemingway devotees— they crowd the streets of Havana and Santiago, they linger in small towns, they pause in coastal villages to inhale the salty Caribbean air.

Among the many questions I have is this: now that Castro is closer to death than life (go ahead, Fidel, prove me wrong) is this: How much of travel to Cuba will change? Will I be able to travel and spend my money on Cuba? I have always wanted to go to Cuba, in fact I once purchased a autobiography on Fidel - I always respected the man and his policies.

Summer almost over

The summer is almost over and in a small way I am glad of it not just because of the heatwave that swept the nation - that was horrible 98 degree weather and a humidity that made you sweat just walking two block to the corner store - ahh bar. I can do without that the humidity! I am also looking forwards to the start of Point Park - I transferred my credits from Duquesne to Point Park because one PPU is less money for the same degree and two i liked PPU. I got lots of fond memories there... I got nothing planned today except attending church this evening.

A christian thought of thanks

I posted this on another blog of mine and it was asked why did I not post it to my other blog because after all it is still my thought so I copied it over and deleted that one. My original post begins: Sometime ago I took three classes at Northway Christian Community, my church at the time. The classes were part of their Journey 101: connecting with our church family and I earned a certificate on the top part of that certificate it is written "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers..." it's from l Thessalonians 1:2 and well when I think about everything in my life I have so much to be thankful for. I must give thanks for my job, it's challenging at times and also a bit frustrating at times, I also want to give thanks for my health, my family especially my big brother Shawn P. for it was him who first introduced me to Northway. I know that I have not gone in ages but when I think about that time in my life it was picking up steam getting better with each passing day. I had a wonderful job, I was making money, I was saving, digging myself out of debt and I was not stressed about anything. I also had made some wonderful friends that I wish I could express how much being their friend truly meant to me but most important I had a sense that as long as I trusted in the lord he would take care of me. Here is a confession when I was still temping at FedEx before they hired me I was so stressed about them doing the final background check on me. That background check was checking with my then ex-employer PNC Bank and anyone who recalls the story I told about my PNC days will know. Anyway it was a Friday and I gave my completed application to FedEx HR and they were checking the reference and I was so stressed that they were not going to hire me I drove down to Mckeesport to this other company that was always hiring and I knew I would get hired but when I got their I parked for a second then drove away and as I drove away I said "Trust in the lord and the lord shall provide" I also asked him to help ensure that all goes well and they hire me. Thats not the only time, there was another time when I was giving up on higher education because I was enrolled in a major that was not in my heart, I picked it because others told me to do it as once I completed it I would make boo-who bucks anyway I got to the point where I did not want to continue and I felt like a total loser because I spent all this money and I had nothing to show for myself then as I was driving out to church one Saturday I asked God for direction, I was lost and I did not know what to do. Could not go backwards, could not continue on my present course and then it hit me ... go to Point Park. They have degrees that you can earn in less time then it was taking you at the other college so that Monday I called Point Park explained what been going on and applied. They accepted me about a week later and I got my acceptance letter later that week. Those are just two examples that when I believed in the Lord he came through for me and I felt better about me because I had something more in life. It's hard to describe so with this blog I plan to explore my spiritual side again.

University life

I register for the upcoming fall term, I am taking three courses - a total of nine credits. I also spoke with my enrollment advisor and he said once he gets the official transcript from Duquesne those courses I already took there will fall into the three almost identical courses at Point Park. If you log on at Pointpark and go to the graduate degrees you will see the masters program in education. There are two the first one is a master in education without the teacher certification, they always had that but the new one is below it. The differences are this: more courses are required by the State of Pennsylvania to be certified as a public school teacher. First day of class is August 28th and if I am successful I will complete all the course work by the end of next summer and in the fall of 2007 I do my student teaching. I'll make sure not to repeat my buddy Anthony's mistake! Little humor, I did talk to him earlier and he is enjoying what life is like in Vegas according to him the poon patrols are easier to obtain that goal.

At work today the upper managers where out of town today, it must of been about maybe 10 am I get a email copied to the whole department that the section manager is having a meeting today at 11:15 and we were all told not to be late. So we all gather in Eric's old office and the conference call begins. First of all he explains the latest accomplishments then explains that our customer service center in the great State of Michigan is laying off a few dozens employees. They explained that they are new hires and the department had prediction that they would need ex number of employees to handle the expected call volume but then realized they overstaffed so they decided to reduce staff to cut costs. New employees were let go first! Made me think but also it made a number of other people think about it to and this one gentleman named Bob who has a little more the 34 years with the company left that meeting upset. He does not trust them at all and he explained to me that if he had it to do over again after his last position was transferred to Cleveland he would of took the severance package that offered to him. You know teachers don’t get downsized or outsourced!

Hump day thoughts

Get your minds out of the gutter, its the middle of the week! I was tired last night. So tired in fact, that I fell asleep while watching Life according to Jim. Along with the TV, I switched off the control freak in me, and settled into bed. I hardly ever allow myself more than 8 hours of sleep. Of course the mobile rings the second I slip into a comfortable state of unconsciousness. Grunt, sigh, grunt, click. 30 seconds later I'm lying face up, then on my right, then left, up again. I can almost hear the minutes tiptoe past. I try to think about sheep, work, vacation, and what to wear to work the next day. And I'm filled with evil thoughts about the untimely caller. More tossing, kicking at the quilt, plans to work overseas. I wake up this morning, still thinking evil thoughts. I snooze the alarm, steal someone else's 15 minutes - the very golden pulses stolen from me the night before. I brace myself for a busy day. One of linking cells to endless spreadsheets, gazing at ... sweet Amber, and looking forward to morning break, then lunch, and idle mid-afternoon chats. I had agedashi tofu for lunch (I'm attempting a tofu-first: carb-free lunch). I thought about plans and fulfilling hopes, about travelling, buying land, and making money. I am beginning to feel an urgent need to whip up a goal. Something short-term, something to look forward to, work towards, feel excited about, save money for, make come true. I need to get off my inertia-ed arse and make semi grownup plans. I need to find what I want for myself, and make it happen. I've never craved for much - because things always seemed to just fall into place. Or I somehow stumbled into the right spot. I need to feel passionate enough about something. Enough that it hurts if I can't have it. It certainly felt right last year when I had a clear cut goal - teaching. Walking down East Carson street, I was so unafraid, so sublimely ignorant. Having endured the lonliness of the past four months, occasional helplessness, not to mention the dusty carpets, I find it hard to marshal enough courage to do it all over again. I know it's what I'll be thinking about in bed tonight.

A beer in one hand and a blond in the other

A ice cold beer in one hand and a cute blond in the other, yes some men have all the luck! Whom am I speaking about? Well I am talking about no other then Mel Gibson! He made such classic movies as Lethal Weapon, braveheart and The Passion of the Christ but I always liked him in Mad Max... the first one. The original one before the world got nuked and he played the part of a Aussie highway patrolman out for revenge. "Nightrider" You got to have seen the first Mad Max to understand that! It was also the movie in which Mel was still a unknown American actor in Australia. The first time I saw that movie I must of been about maybe 8, but I do remember I thought Australia was a lawless land of gangs and sands dunes with only one city - Sydney. Now I know a great deal more they got one large beach, one reef and two cities. (Just joking Australia has much to offer but do not take my word for it click here) Well anyway lets get back to basics ... Mel Gibson has done so much to entertain us and lets not let one little slip of the tongue well drunk effect us on how we feel about Mel and his movies.

Real Name: Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson
D.O.B: January 3, 1956
Place of Birth: Peekskill, New York, USA
Height: 5'11"
Spouse:Robyn Moore (1980-present)
Children:Hannah, Edward, Christian, William,Louis, Milo, Tommy

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