Things that make you go...hmmm (Special Pittsburgh Edition)

Let me begin by stating that I do love my hometown. If I didn't, I wouldn't have moved back!

That said, I can still find things to laugh about...

Take the accent for example. Some people's are more pronounced than others but the following video is indicative of a large part of the population...



I was sitting at the AAA yesterday (still in what might be a 4th vain attempt to get my title transferred from Nevada to PA) and overheard a woman whose voice and accent weren't too far from what you saw in the video.

Needless to say, I cringed. I remember when I went to school in Milwaukee (Algonquin for "the good land" for those of you who saw Wayne's World) and people remarked that they were surprised I didn't have an accent. I said "That's because I'm intelligent."



Then again, I've been wrong before! ;)

The local news had a special report on air pollution in the city and Pittsburgh was listed as one of the worst cities for particle pollution. You can read about it here.

Apparently, we're deemed as a city where "it can't get any worse". Hey...look at it in a positive light. Nowhere to go but up!

As I waited to go into Barnes & Noble today, I glanced at my watch and it was about 9:50. The store opened at 10am. I stood outside, just lingering about (not loitering because that would be against the law) when a woman walked up to the door.

Clearly marked on said door was a huge sign posting the hours of operation. So what did the woman do? She yanked on one of the two doors which failed to open. Then, undaunted, she immediately pulled on the other with the same result. I chuckled, turned my head in the direction of another store across the street and a woman was doing the very same thing at that establishment!

(I included that anecdote merely to show that stupidity runs rampant no matter where you live. I just thought it was funny.)

Finally, the once red hot Pirates (who swept the 11-1 Marlins last week), buckled under to the Brewers today in Milwaukee. The score was 1-0 and, from what I understand, Brewers' pitcher Yovani Gallardo threw a gem.

He was also responsible for the only run, smacking a dinger in the 7th inning.

I hold no illusions that the Pirates are even in the realm of contending this year, but I somehow find it hard to believe that some nights, the Pirates look like the Gas House Gorillas...



Other nights, they (in the words of the immortal Tommy Lasorda) "couldn't hit a beach ball with a log".

At least I can find humor here...that's why you gotta love the 'Burgh!

Childish Things

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
--First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

(NOTE: Ok, it is RARE that you will see any sort of a religious reference in this blog...but, since this was the quote that came to mind, it seemed appropriate that I use it.)

Isn't it funny sometimes how seemingly unrelated things can all coalesce when you really put them in perspective? Take today for example...

While shopping for magazines at Barnes & Noble, I picked up a copy of Fangoria. I can't remember the last time I read that magazine and I used to get it regularly when I was a kid.

Later, while walking the dog, I smelled the incredible scent of a charcoal grill off in the distance that made me think of past cookouts.

Before I made dinner, I watched part of the original Star Wars (unfortunately, it was the "special edition" that blows but still a million times better than that horrible new trilogy) and remembered when I sat in the theater amazed at the cinematic wonder before my eyes.

Finally, my good friend from Vegas called and reminded me that tonight was his annual 80s party (not to rub it in, but to express dismay that I couldn't attend). I had gone last year as Magnum, PI and had a blast. However, it would have been a stretch to commute this year, being about 2,500 miles away.

Though it wasn't until I was reading through the latest issue of Wired that all of these events hit me.

You see, the new issue is all about mystery. There are articles on magic, points of interest around the globe (like the Bermuda Triangle, Area 51, etc), and other "mysterious" items such as the Kryptos sculpture at CIA headquarters. In the end, it was the short feature by guest editor JJ Abrams (creator of Lost, Alias, Felicity and Fringe) that helped me to arrive at the conclusion that...

...there really is no sense of "mystery" anymore.

Well there is with certain things, but not to the extent as it was when we were kids. People have taken all the fun out of life.

Sometimes, on days like these, I can recall how much fun it was to just...have fun.

In fact, a friend I hadn't talked to in a while texted me tonight and asked what I was doing. I replied with a question...

"Nothing. But you know what I wish I was doing?"

For some reason, she thought it was something dirty.

Nope.

I confessed that, with as warm as it is, I just wanted to go and find a cool miniature golf course, grab an ice cream cone and just enjoy the weather.

Of course I told her that she could feel free to do something dirty, but, gyrating on that clown's huge tongue on the 11th hole is really going to be detrimental to my making par. It's hard enough to get that ball up the ramp without a nympho flailing around on it. It's even more difficult since my friend lives a few thousand miles away. Actually, it would be even more difficult since most miniature golf courses suck these days and don't even have clowns with long tongues as an obstacle. (Carrying those and the windmills around in my car are getting a tad tiresome too. But hey, I need challenges!)

Anyway, I never want to completely put away childish things. We all need to have more fun in life, even if it's with the simplest of actions or events.

And let's not allow people to ruin even the smallest of mysteries...