omitted.net

For as long as I've lived in Pittsburgh, the downtown Hilton has been under some sort of construction. It is right next to Point Park, and it looks horrible. They have the sidewalk and part of the street closed in front of the building, so you take your life in your hands trying to walk through that part of downtown. I found it rather amusing that, instead of finally finishing the construction, they are going to "spruce it up" for the G-20 in September.

...spruce up the partially completed steel frame at the Hilton entrance in advance of the G-20 economic summit in September. Among the remedies discussed were to cover the steel frame with some type of canvas or canopy...

Some type of canvas? Classy! Maybe they could Bedazzle it first?!

The turd shining doesn't stop there! Today we're getting "graphic makeovers" for a bunch of vacant buildings. Score. Welcome, world leaders to Potemkin Pittsburgh!

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership today will begin installing the first of more than 30 graphic "makeovers" to vacant Downtown storefronts to improve their appearance for the G-20 economic summit.

Posted by Dan at 11:05 AM | Permalink |

So May is open enrollment time in insurance land, and my timely human resources department mailed me my information today. This is the time of year you can change plans without gaining or losing a family member. It is also the time of year they can jack up your premiums. My lovely human resources department sent me this very well crafted letter outlining these increases, hemming and hawing about how times are tough and costs are going up. Here is one gem:

After hours of working with the Committee and the insurance companies, with a few meaningful changes in the plan's co-payments, we were able to reduce the overall increase to 6.6%.

I first read that and thought, "wow, they worked so hard and reduced my costs! That is great!". Not believing that they reduced something, I read it again...

Posted by Dan at 11:58 AM | Permalink |

There are a few shows from my childhood that stuck with me into adulthood. Chief among them is Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Not only did Fred Rogers host nearly 1000 episodes of the show, he composed all the music for them, did all the puppet work, and championed congressional funding for PBS programming. One of the most inspiring youtube videos I've seen is Mr. Rogers testifying at a congressional subcommittee, explaining to all the staunch politicians how important it is that he get his message out to children. (video below)

Mister Rogers rocks, need I say more? If Mister Rogers were still around today, March 20th, 2008 would be his 80th birthday. The nonprofit company started by Rogers back in the early 70s is asking that people take this day to remember Rogers. All you need to do is bust out your favorite sweater. I already have my knit zip up sweater picked out, and I'm looking forward to wearing it on March 20th! (video below)

And yea, I'll be sending my self portrait to them.

Posted by Dan at 11:49 PM | Permalink |

Below is a video of Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) mocking the suggestion that bicycles may alleviate some dependance on foreign oil. I put over 4,000 miles on my bike last year, and not even a quarter that many on my car. I fill up with fuel every other month or so. The reason I can do this is because my city invested in a bicycle infrastructure (a few signs, bike lanes, tunnels, paths, and even a couple bike signals) that allow me to pedal to the store, work, school, etc.

Rep. McHenry - maybe a bike would also help you and your constituency shed a a few pounds?

Watch the Video

Posted by Dan at 11:57 AM | Permalink |

I can't explain how much I enjoy living in Davis. A friend just sent me a link to a lovely little tune about my wonderful city. Enjoy! (Yes, we think very highly of ourselves here..)

I've lifted a copy of the lyrics as well:

Continue reading "The Davis Song" »

Posted by Dan at 02:26 AM | Permalink |

I usually pop into a coffee shop in the morning to enjoy a cup of coffee with my daily dose of reading material. Today an elderly couple sat down at the table next to me, and I could help but giggle a little eavesdropping on their conversation. It went something like this:

(she picks up his newspaper)

Him: There is an article in there about fat people.
Her: What about them?
Him: They think that the reason they're fat is because of their genes.

Her: What, they get fat enough so their jeans will fit?
Him: No their genes.
Her: What about them?
Him: Genes like DNA.
Her: I don't know anything about those fancy jeans. People spend too much money on those.

Posted by Dan at 03:17 PM | Permalink |