The State of the Union

AP source: Obama picks Carney for press secretary

Related articles

• A New Face at the White House (themoderatevoice.com)
• Who Will Be Next Press Secretary? (abcnews.go.com)

The Country Gets a Little Eastier

The Big East Conference announced today that Texas Christian University has accepted an invitation to join the conference and begin competing, athletically, in the 2012-13 academic year.

As far as the Pitt Panthers are concerned, adding the Horned Frogs in football will do nothing to ensure The Wanstache's employment past 2015, as they are a legitimate BCS Bowl team (the "adult table" that Dave's Panther's can't seem to get a seat at) and should have no problem adding "L"'s to the Pitt stat sheet.

For the basketball team,as it says here, the move only gives DePaul company in the Big East basement.

But geographically speaking, how 'bout some truth in advertising? Reminds me of a riddle that went something like this: How far can a dog walk in to a forest?*


Just sayin'.

*HALFWAY.  After that, he's walking out of the forest.

Related articles

• Texas Is The New East Coast (withleather.uproxx.com)
• Report: TCU accepts offer to join Big East Conference (sportingnews.com)
• Big East To Add Some Texas Beef To Plate (blogs.forbes.com)
• University Confirms TCU's Intent To Join Big East (sbnation.com)
• Boise State Football: TCU's Big East Move Leaves the Broncos in the Dust (bleacherreport.com)
• Big East Snags a Big One: TCU Accepts Offer To Join Conference for All Sports (bleacherreport.com)

Tomayto, Tomahto

Via Mondesi's House: No wonder I refuse to watch that show.

Now For A Word From Our Sponsors...

Can someone tell me why these two hilarious commercials are played only on late night cable?





Childish? Maybe. Immature? Probably. Funny as hell? Definitely.

But...

If we give up sophomoric humor, don't the terrorists win?

Just sayin'.

Ancient Mariner Indeed

What she thinks...

The weather started getting rough, The tiny ship was tossed, If not for the courage of the fearless crew The Minnow would be lost, The Minnow would be lost.

Without the spin...

Oh Man! Norma Rae like a Mofo, huh?

Buy Union! Vote Union!

From the Sacramento Bee...

Medical marijuana growers join Teamsters union

Their newly negotiated two-year contract provides them with a pension, paid vacation and health insurance. Their current wages of $18 per hour will increase to $25.75 an hour within 15 months, according to the union.

First the users, now the growers. Go Teamsters!

As the Teamsters go, so go the Dems.

Fightin' tea with pot. Nice.

About 100 workers in Oakland's retail medical marijuana dispensaries joined the United Food and Commercial Workers in May. The Teamsters have never tried to organize dispensary workers, because retail has never been an industry in which they have been traditionally involved, Marchetti said.

Kinda like how the Corleones respect the Tattaglia's turf.

Oh yeah, the punchline....

"The Teamsters would never organize an illegal business," Marchetti said.

So, I Was Wonderin...

• ...is it actually a better idea to take your chances on the roads of Pittsburgh after closing time than it is to try to walk home? And yes, Mr. Thomas W. Brown, unless they're teaching alcoholic arrogance and self-entitlement at Carlynton these days, connecting these two events is nothing but irresponsible sensationalism.
• ...where is it cooler to party these days? Da Strip or the Sahside?
• ...is anyone who thought #7 had a shot at a reduction to 3 games reeeaaally  that much more out of touch with reality than those who thought he'd get a 6 game suspension?
• ...can you say WTF? From the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:
  
  
  

  you do not have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your own driveway — and no reasonable expectation that the government isn't tracking your movements.

• ...what can be better than this for your Labor Day entertaining? (h/t Bluzdude)

Burgers, Dogs, Bacon, Cheese. The 4 Basic Food Groups. Covered

Finally!

With all the talk these days about racism and reverse racism, racists and reverse racists, and all sorts of reverse refudiation (amen, Chad)- FINALLY, the answer to the question....

"Are you a Racist? "

Ahh.. sweet sweet closure.

July 8, 2010- JACKPOT!!!

• 2 Words- Table Games. HIP, HIP, HOORAY!! First of all, when is the great Commonwealth going to learn to get something done all at once, rather than in a half-assed piecemeal fashion? I mean, is there a single person who thought that our casinos could survive on slots alone? How about, just once, Pennsylvania leads the way instead of waiting for other states to show the way. Next, what's with Rivers and Meadows being packed at 6AM? Didn't anyone have a job to go to? I guess unemployment is why they were all jackpot hunting. Finally- does anyone find it a little fishy that the state lottery system went down for a half-a-day? Just wonderin'.
• Biggest Winner-O-the-Day (Local Division)- Michael Lanese. With the luck Ol' Mike had today, it's a too bad he wasn't at the casino. Long story short- Mike leaves his 9 year-old twins to clean guns, and lo and behold, one ends up shooting the other in the head. Then, father-of-the-year runs away to Vietnam to escape prosecution. Luckily, he landed in the courtroom of Judge Jill ""The damage here is done and it's not repairable." Rangos, who sentenced Mikey to time served. The really interesting piece will be if this 49 year-old grandmother from Homewood draws the good Judge Rangos for her trial. All the classic matchups here- man v. woman, Mt Lebanon v. Homewood, etc.  September 18 - October 18 2008 clearly not a good month for kids in Pittsburgh.
• Biggest Jackpot Loser-O-the-Day (Universe Division)- All of Us. LeBron James to Miami. Please (insert deity of choice here)- let there be more than five more years of this droning. Pleeeease.

Think About It....

Have you ever seen them together?

Just sayin'.

Let Me Get This Straight....

So, it seems that this morning, at 3:57 AM, an armed assault team went a-shoppin' for Home Electronics at an East Hills apartment. From the PG:

A 13-year-old East Hills boy told police he was awakened early today by four armed men who pistol-whipped and beat him to unconsciousness and tied him up before stealing a car and electronics equipment.

Four armed men beating and pistol-whipping a 13 year-old? Outrageous! 

The youth, whose name was not given, was sleeping in his residence in the 2300 block of Park Hill Drive when, at about 3:57 a.m., he was awakened by a man wearing a ski mask and brandishing a handgun. The suspect, who was accompanied by three others, one of whom had a shotgun, put the weapon in the youth's face and told him to get up. He was forced into the living room, pistol-whipped and struck in the back of the head, causing him to black out. 

 The victim reported that when he regained consciousness he was lying on the couch with his hands bound behind his back. He complained that the bindings were cutting off his circulation so the actors cut him free. The victim told police the suspects dragged him from the home to a wooded area and continued to kick and beat him and then, using keys stolen from the victim's home, fled in a tan 1993 Ford Crown Victoria towards Penn Hills.

So, four guys break into an apartment at 3:57 AM in search of loot. Hey, it happens. They happen upon a resident. Again, it happens. Then, they pistol-whip this kid till he blacks-out. Huh? They tie him up but, apparently, the bindings are too tight and they cut the kid free after he wakes up and complains. Whaaaat? Then they drag this little innocent into the woods and beat him some more.

The victim went back into his home and called his sister who lives two blocks away on Park Hill Drive. She went to the youth's home, took him back to her house, and called 911.

The sister told police other items taken from the home included a PS3 game, laptop computer, and cell phone.

OK, that's enough.

• A 13 year old is awakened, at gunpoint at 3:57 AM. Not "around 4". Not "it was really late". Not even "Gee, officer, I'm not sure what time it was, what with I was sleeping and all. Not to mention the fact that there was a gun in my face when I awoke." But 3:57 AM.
• I'm  not going to go into a rant about the state of the nuclear family unit in American society, but no mention of parent (natural or foster), a guardian or, dare I say, an ADULT in the apartment at 3:57 AM? Musta been that George Bush so screwed the economy that the caregiver for this 13 year old was working a third job at that time of the morning. Ya know, just to make ends meet.
• The youngster then calls sis (again- parent? guardian?) who picks the kid up and takes him back to her place. Sis gives the cops an inventory of what was stolen. The kid didn't see?

I just can't wait for the rest of this story to come out.


Check out WPXI's video here. Pay special attention to the "friend of the victim" who "was outside with friends" (doesn't anybody sleep in this neighborhood?) when he saw the bloody kid looking for help:

 Hmmm, red bandana and red do-rag. Seems to me, back in the day.....

Justice Ain't Blind, It's Cross-Eyed

On April 20, 2010, Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin:

• Sentenced Nancy J. Kane for a DUI. Kane, 41, has to serve 30 days to six months in prison under the terms of Baldwin's sentence, which the judge made effective at 9 a.m. April 25.He also sentenced her to pay costs, $800 in fines, a $100 SAEF payment and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street.
  Kane pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to DUI, driving an unregistered vehicle and improper turning movements, which Schuylkill Haven borough police had charged her with committing on April 4, 2009, in the borough.
• Another defendant, David A. Bevan, 50, of Auburn, will spend 48 hours to six months in prison, pay costs, a $750 fine, a $100 SAEF payment, $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street and a $194.58 bench warrant fee under the terms of Baldwin's sentence, which the judge made effective at 6 p.m. today.
  Bevan pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to DUI, which state police at Schuylkill Haven charged him with committing on Sept. 6, 2008.
• In another April 22 hearing, David C. Kemmerer, 47, of Barnesville, will spend 60 months in the intermediate punishment program, which combines supervision and treatment, under the terms of Baldwin's sentence.
  Kemmerer pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to DUI, driving under suspension-DUI related, careless driving and seat belt violation, which state police at Frackville charged him with committing on March 5, 2009.
  Kemmerer also must pay costs, $3,535 in fines and a $300 SAEF payment and perform 40 hours community service under the terms of Baldwin's sentence.

It's probably a good thing a certain city fire captain was arrested in  the City of Champions rather than Barnesville.

For pleading guilty to two DUIs, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Beth Lazzara sentenced him to 
"a week on house arrest" as well as "serve nine months of probation, pay $1,500 in fines, attend safe driving classes and pay court costs."

In return for pleading guilty, prosecutors  dropped several other charges. With minimal effort, those additional charges can be found online. Interesting reading.

"You, sir, have a position as a role model in the community. Little kids look up to you," Lazzara said. "A guilty plea to two DUIs is certainly not living up to that."

Is it any surprise there seems to be a we're-teflon, can't-touch-this mentality within the ranks of the city payroll?

Oh yeah, obviously the captain is a safer drinker than he is a driver. Hope the classes help.

Check out the Pittsburgh Comet for a related story.