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Steelers Trivia
2008-07-08 13:48:00
I received a Pittsburgh Steelers calendar as a gift last December which proudly sits on my office desk. It is a daily calendar which alternates between a Steelers fact and a Steelers trivia question. Unfortunately, the calendar seems to focus on a Steeler player drafted recently and spends at least a week on this individual. I feel like I know more about Marvin Philip and Trai Essex than most people should. Last week?s featured player: Clark Haggans.July 2: Linebacker Clark Haggans began his college career at Colorado State as a walk-on defensive end before going on to become the school?s all-time sacks leader.July 3: Steelers linebackers Clark Haggans and Joey Porter were college teammates. At what school did they play together?Really? Besides the fact that Joey Porter hasn?t been on the Steelers since the 2006-2007 season, does the maker of the calendar really think you have no short-term memory? Even if you didn?t know that Haggans attended Colorado State, I would hope tha...
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Liberal Media?
2008-07-05 15:20:00
The New York Times has a great article titled "36 Hours in Pittsburgh " in this weekend?s travel section. The title is self-explanatory, but here?s a sample:Pittsburgh has undergone a striking renaissance from a down-and-out smokestack to a gleaming cultural oasis. But old stereotypes die hard, and Pittsburgh probably doesn?t make many people?s short list for a cosmopolitan getaway. Too bad, because this city of 89 distinct neighborhoods is a cool and ? dare I say, hip?city. There are great restaurants, excellent shopping, breakthrough galleries and prestigious museums. The convergence of three rivers and surrounding green hills also make it a surprisingly pretty urban setting. And if the Pirates are in town, head over to PNC Park. Besides the game, the ballpark offers a great excuse to explore downtown Pittsburgh and the river views.The article continues by discussing things to do such as visiting the Andy Warhol Museum and Nationality Rooms at Pitt?s Cathedral of Learning and plac...
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Neil Rocks
2008-07-03 14:45:00
What better way to celebrate Independence Day than with a post about Neil Diamond! Admit it; you know you want to sing along to America. If you?re a closet Neil Diamond fan, it?s OK to come out now after all these years. Neil Diamond is cool (again). Not only did Diamond produce his first ever #1 album in May but Yahoo music recently wrote the 5 Reasons Why Neil Diamond Will Always Rock...Softly. Although Yahoo could have easily found several other reasons why Neil rocks, including his terrific appearance in Saving Silverman, it?s nice to know that there are other Diamond fans out there.Enjoy your July 4th and Neil Diamond!
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Play a Doctor on the Internet
2008-07-02 13:48:00
I spent much of Monday night and Tuesday looking at my left eye and eyelid. When I arrived home Monday evening after a game of pick-up ultimate frisbee, my wife greeted me by saying, "What?s wrong with you eye?" My response: "Huh?" It turns out that my left eyelid was slightly red and a bit puffy. (I wonder if this would have happened if I went to trivia instead.)Anyway, when I awoke Tuesday morning, it was even worse. My primary concern was whether or not I had pink eye. I actually considered taking pictures of my eye and asking for readers? opinions, hence the title of this post. (In full disclosure, I did take pictures of my eye, but they did not come out well.) After searching WebMD and other online medical sites, I determined that I did not have pink eye since there was no itchiness, tearing or discharge. Therefore, my theory is that I either got a bug bite on my eyelid as there were lots of gnats around (not Ryan Zimmerman or Dmitri Young ) during frisbee or it is a Br...
More About: Internet , Play , The Internet , Doctor

What Do I Have in Common With Hillary Clinton?
2008-07-01 13:51:00
A: Shots of Crown RoyalWhile there are numerous pictures of Clinton taking a shot of Crown Royal during an April campaign visit in Indiana (including the one below), there are no published pictures (I hope) of the several shots of Crown Royal I took during a wedding reception I attended on Saturday. Fortunately, nothing like the brawling newlywed incident took place this weekend. Photo by Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press / April 12, 2008.
More About: Hillary Clinton , Common , Hillary

Netflix Questions
2008-06-30 16:39:00
In another attempt to join the 21st century, we are thinking about subscribing to Netflix . According to the Netflix website, the service is greatest thing since sliced bread. (Actually, the website proclaims Netflix as "The BEST Way To Rent Movies.") So today?s questions are all about Netflix. If you have/had Netflix, is it worth it? What type of plan do you have? Is Blockbuster better than Netflix? Please feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.Thank you!
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Grocery Store Challenge: Last Call
2008-06-27 06:50:00
The "Does Wegmans Rule?" Experiment ends on June 30, and we are still looking for more participants. All that is required is going to a grocery store near you, pricing several items, and sending the results to me and lacochran. I?ll make it even easier for you. Instead of asking you to send an e-mail and then waiting for me to reply with the checklist, I?ve included the checklist in the comments section. While you will not receive the neat badge (pictured to your right and created by Swapping Tales), this will save a step, and show you how easy this experiment really is. Although we would still prefer if you send the results by e-mail to seanramblings(at)yahoo.com and/or lacochran(at)hotmail.com, if you really, really want to, you can post your results in the comments. Have fun!
More About: Store , Challenge , Call , Grocery

News & Notes
2008-06-26 08:48:00
Am I only one entertained by the recent dispute playing out in the pages of the Express? Almost everyday, the "Look Out People" section, which posts news/information about somewhat famous people, features a two-line story about Amy Winehouse. Twice in the past few days, a letter to the editor asks Express to stop with the Winehouse stuff. In response, Express featured another snippet about Winehouse on Wednesday. Personally, I don’t understand why people are so upset about the Winehouse coverage. If you don’t want to read anything about this train-wreck, turn the page and read the Blog Log, Pearls Before Swine or play Sudoku!Thanks to everyone for providing their votes and comments about attending a game at Yankee Stadium. Please keep them coming, although at this point, I’m probably leaning towards visiting New York.The Naked Cowboy is suing Mars Inc., the maker of M&Ms. Is Edgar Snyder on the case? (Call 391-2101; 391-2101! I will remember this phone number – even...
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Yankee Stadium Poll
2008-06-24 18:49:00
2008 marks the final season that the New York Yankees play at Yankee Stadium . "The House That Ruth Built" opened in 1923 and is the third oldest stadium in baseball behind only Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston. No baseball field has hosted more World Series games and some of the greats such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and Roger Maris called Yankee Stadium home.Although I have attended baseball games at over a dozen stadiums, Yankee Stadium is not one of them. I think there is an expectation from passionate baseball fans that I should attend a game at Yankee Stadium before it closes at the end of the season. However, with limited time available to attend a weekend game over the next few months (it is doubtful that I would be able to take time off from work to go during the week) and the high cost of tickets, I am questioning whether or not I should try to go. In addition, in his book "God Save the Fan," Deadspin’s Wil...
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Athletes Websites
2008-06-23 07:39:00
Have you ever wondered what your favorite athletes do when off the playing field? Well, many of them have websites that provide small glimpses into their lives. While most sports fans know about the blogs/websites of the Washington Wizards? Gilbert Arenas and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, here are a few sites that you may not have discovered:On Dolphins? running back Ronnie Brown?s website, you can take a poll to see which team will win Super Bowl XLII: the New York Giants or New England Patriots. The Patriots are huge favorites, so I don?t see how they could lose.Although he?s not a current player or manager, Tommy Lasorda writes frequently on his website, including an entry last week in which he proudly writes about earning Best in Class at the 2008 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition's inaugural Wine World of Sports, which pitted sports celebrities' vintages against each other. Lasorda?s Pinot Grigio (I never thought I would write those three words together) ...
More About: Websites , Athletes

Happy Weekend
2008-06-20 14:11:00
Today is Friday (or Saturday or Sunday depending on when you are reading this) and you are likely getting ready for the weekend. Does your weekend plans include a trip to the grocery store? If so, why not price a few extra items during your excursion and share your experiences with others? It?s so easy, a caveman can do it (or something like that)! We?ve had several people express interest thus far and have even received two completed checklists. More information is below, but all you need to do is send us an e-mail, and we?ll provide you a checklist with the items to price and a special badge you can wear (wearing the badge is optional).
More About: Experiment , Weekend , Happy

Friday Fun Link
2008-06-20 07:55:00
Enter zip codes to see U.S. Census data for your neighborhood and beyond.Am I the only one bothered by the fact that Pahoa, Hawaii (96778) is only 11.8% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander?From Have a Good Sandwich via Scribbled Noise.
More About: Link , Friday

The End of Israeli Baseball?
2008-06-18 14:53:00
It?s a sad day. Actually, it was a sad day several weeks ago when Haim Katz, president of the Israel Association of Baseball , told The Jerusalem Post that the Israel Baseball League has been cancelled for 2008 and its future is in jeopardy. I just learned about this recently through Walk Off Walk. Anyway, there seems to be a disconnect between the Israel Baseball League and its website. The IBL website still has a countdown to opening day featuring a rematch of last year?s championship game between the Modi'in Miracle and the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox on June 29, 2008. I hope that they are not still selling tickets! (Update: When I originally drafted this post, the countdown was active; it is not anymore.) I was actually very excited about the league and briefly wrote about it last year. Although it was essentially another minor league, the fact that it started from scratch and included players from all over the world was unique. It seems that the league was more than just a gi...
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The "Does Wegmans Rule?" Experiment
2008-06-17 09:22:00
I enjoy going to grocery stores. I think this may be some type of family disorder or just in our genes or both. Whenever we went on a family vacation, my dad would take us to the local grocery store to take a look around to compare the stores to those in Pittsburgh. He would also search for Hamburger Helper?s Rice Oriental. During our April vacation in Seattle, we went to Uwajimaya, one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, one of the highlights of our Alaskan cruise four years ago was stopping into a small grocery store in Skagway. (They also sold Hamburger Helper?s Rice Oriental.) Based on my lifetime experience of visiting grocery stores, I feel like I am qualified (at least in my mind) to state that Wegmans is the greatest grocery store of all time.Last week, Lacochran?s Bloggery, which has become one of my favorite daily reads, wrote a post about a rather interesting experience she had at her local Shopper?s supermarket. Almost co...
More About: Experiment , Rule

John Rambo vs. Jason Bourne
2008-06-16 08:54:00
Here?s an extremely important question to start your week: Who would win in a fight between John Rambo and Jason Bourne? Let?s go to the tale of the tape:John Rambo ? Green Beret? Vietnam War Veteran? Skilled in many aspects of survival, weaponry, hand-to-hand combat and guerrilla warfare? Awarded Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, Silver Star and Bronze Star among honors? Disliked by Brian Dennehy? Partnered with Estelle Getty in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot? Likely took human growth hormone (HGH)? Married and divorced Brigitte Nielsen? Played outfield and first base for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the late 80s.Jason Bourne? Army Special Forces Captain? Part of a secret CIA black-ops program? Highly adept at hand-to-hand combat and also shows an immediate ability to utilize lateral thinking to solve problems. (ex. used a pen to stab an assassin and a book and towel as defense.)? Seems to run into Julia Stiles fairly frequently? ?Fucking Sara Silverman?? Stuck to Greg Kinnear? Probably did n...
More About: Sylvester Stallone , Matt Damon

Friday Quiz
2008-06-13 09:13:00
To start your weekend, take the Independence Day quiz made up of 30 questions, 20 of which are found on the actual United States citizenship test. The last ten questions are a bit harder, and according to the site, "a score of around 24 out of 30 is considered a passing grade." (What does around mean? Can you pass with a 22 or 23?) I scored a 23, which does not seem very good, but is better than the average score of any individual state.Take the quiz and feel free to share your results.
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Greg Lloyd Will Watch the Steelers-Browns Game at Your House
2008-06-12 07:33:00
As part of the DC Steeler Nation listserv, I received an e-mail on Wednesday with the following offer, which is currently listed on eBay:THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET!!! GREG LLOYD WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE TO WATCH THE STEELERS DESTROY THE BROWNS SEPTEMBER 14TH 2008!!! PLEASE READ ALL THE DETAILS BELOW OR CALL US AT 864-517-7799 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.WHERE AT: YOUR HOUSE ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT STATE YOUR IN JUST AS LONG AS ITS IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY DONT CALL IT "STEELER NATION" FOR NO REASON! WE ARE EVERYWHERE!! HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!!Does that mean that Toronto or Montreal is out even though they are much closer to where Lloyd lives (I believe near Atlanta according to a recent PSAMP post) then say Walla Walla, Washington?WHEN: 8:15 PM KICKOFF STEELERS VS BROWNS SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALLPlease stop with the CAPS!DETAILS:GREG LLOYD WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE TO WATCH THE ENTIRE GAME WITH YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS. ITS A SI...
More About: Watch , House , Ben Roethlisberger , Joey Porter , Pittsburgh Steelers

More Metro Problems
2008-06-11 18:27:00
For the third time in a week, Metro ?s orange line was a mess during the evening commute. According to Metro?s press release (which was not online when I left the office at 5:00), the cause was a heat ?kink? in the rails that was discovered at 3:15 p.m. between the East Falls Church and Ballston Metrorail stations. A heat kink is a bend in the rails due to high temperatures. A heat kink?!? Kink is now a technical term?The release says continues by stating that trains are currently sharing a single track and that passengers should expect delays of 30 minutes or more. Shuttle buses are also available.Here was my commute home. I arrived at the Court House station at 5:00; waited for a few minutes for a train; boarded train; stood on train that did not leave the station for five minutes before hearing announcement that shuttle buses would take passengers from Ballston to the four remaining stops; exited the train to see when the next train was going towards DC (the opposite directio...
More About: Problems , Commute

Metro Commuting
2008-06-10 08:10:00
It was been a rough few weeks for those of us who rely on Metro ?s orange line to go to and from work. Last Wednesday, thunderstorms brought down a power line on the tracks between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church stations causing major delays as service was suspended. Even before I left the office, I received e-mail updates from Metro informing me of the outage and the notice that shuttle buses would be available at East Falls Church to take folks to the remaining three stops. Despite the many announcements we received from the train operator prior to arriving at East Falls Church, the station was a mess. There was no one to guide people to the buses or to give announcements with updates. Although I stood outside the station for over an hour, I didn?t move far enough to even see a bus. By then Metro service was restored, and I took my normal route home. The usual 50-60 minute commute took almost 2.5 hours! What I learned from last week?s experience is that we are ...
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Take That Detroit (Lions)
2008-06-09 17:23:00
MJD at Yahoo compiled a list of the coolest helmets in football history. The Pittsburgh Steelers placed first as you probably suspected (since I wouldn?t write a post about the Cleveland Browns or Baltimore Ravens helmet). Anyway, here are a few fun facts from the article:? It's the only professional helmet to use a logo that was once a corporate logo before it became a football team logo (other than the short-lived and now defunct Miami Hooters of the Arena Football league).? It is the only helmet in the NFL to have a logo on one side, but not the other.? There are two colors present in the helmet logo that exist nowhere else in the Steelers uniform: red and blue.
More About: Lions , Detroit Lions , Detroit

Celebrate Fairfax 2008
2008-06-05 16:49:00
Celebrate Fairfax , Northern Virginia?s largest community-wide celebration, takes place this weekend, June 6-8, 2008 , at the Fairfax County Government Center. Celebrate Fairfax features live concerts on seven stages, an interactive SciTech Center and Children?s Avenue, Laser Show, fireworks Friday and Saturday night and hundreds of exhibitors and crafters. This year?s headliners include OK GO, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Bowling for Soup and Emerson Drive. Plus, there?s lots of great food options (mmmm; funnel cake!).This will be my seventh year involved with Celebrate Fairfax, and I enjoy the festival every year. Even without stopping at the carnival, grabbing food or listening to music, I can easily spend hours walking around the site visiting the different booths and exhibits, particularly the County Expo area where more than 40 county agencies have various interactive educational displays. (While I realize that this doesn?t sound exciting, it is definitely worth checking ...
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Great Season
2008-06-05 05:09:00
What a tough way to end the season. I can?t write that I?m upset because the Penguins playoff run has been incredible. It?s not like the Penguins were heavily favored and lost tough game sevens like they did in 1993 to the New York Islanders or in 1996 to the Florida Panthers. Despite not winning the Stanley Cup, 2007-2008 really was an amazing season. Personally, I?m going to remember the unbelievable game five win, "The Shift" by Brooks Orpik, Malkin?s breakaway, slap shot goal from game one of the Flyers series, the Winter Classic victory on New Year?s and watching the Penguins defeat the Capitals twice in person in Washington (including the Backstrom own goal game).If you?re looking for something positive, hopefully you will never see another commercial for The Love Guru, hear the California Soul song from the Dockers ad, see the ridiculous Edge shaving cream spot or question why the US Women?s soccer team would drive to Brazil instead of flying.
More About: Great , Pittsburgh Penguins , Season

Name That Tune
2008-06-04 02:21:00
Welcome to a new edition of name that tune. Lyrics from five songs are listed below. Your challenge is to name the song title and artist. Please try not to search the internet for the answers. Either you know the songs or you don't. There is also a specific connection for all of these songs or artists. Feel free to guess this link/puzzle as well. (I'll give a hint if needed.) 1. He smiled so I got up and asked for his nameThat don?t matter, he said cause its all the same2. It starts out easy, something simple, something sleazy, something inching past the edge of the reserve.3. Springsteen, Madonnaway before Nirvanathere was U2 and Blondieand music still on MTV4. So bring your good times, and your laughter too5. Daddy wrestles alligatorsMama works on carboratorsHer brother is a fine mediator For the presidentGood luck!
More About: Name That Tune , Tune

Game 5 Recap
2008-06-03 14:22:00
I?m awake...barely after staying up for game five of the Stanley Cup finals. Although I managed to fall asleep during part of the second overtime, I was wide awake for the third overtime and Petr Sykora?s winning goal. I was so excited by the goal that I had difficulty falling asleep. While I was lying in my bed, I couldn?t get the "California Soul" song from the Dockers commercial out of my head.Anyway, what an amazing win. When Detroit took a 3-2 lead in the third period, I though the series was over. However, Max Talbot?s goal with about 30 seconds remaining in regulation kept the Penguins alive. Despite Detroit dominating play in the overtimes, Marc-Andre Fleury made 55 saves leading the Penguins to victory.Here are all of the links you need for more about the Red Wings-Penguins game:- Coverage from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette- A special thanks to Seth Rorabaugh of the P-G?s Empty Netters for conducting a live-blog of game five. I was able to read what I missed in the sec...
More About: Pittsburgh Penguins , Game , Detroit Red Wings , Recap

WOW!
2008-06-03 06:46:00
GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLL!!!!It's 12:47am Eastern time and Petr Sykora just scored a goal in the 3rd overtime for the Penguins against the Red Wings. We're on to game six in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night (and I'm going to sleep). Much more tomorrow/today!

Question of the Day
2008-06-02 18:50:00
Many GPS systems and online maps have options to choose routes in which you can avoid highways or toll roads. Is there a feature where you can avoid a state? I?ve written about this before, but there has to be a way to skip Delaware on any drive from Washington to New York or New Jersey.
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Useless Information
2008-06-01 23:35:00
I have watched each of the first four games of the Stanley Cup Finals in a different state.Game 1: Herndon, VirginiaGame 2: Silver Spring, MarylandGame 3: Orlando, FloridaGame 4: Atlantic City, New JerseySince the Penguins only won while I was in Florida, I think the team needs to fly me back to the Sunshine State to ensure the team?s victory.I have also had french fries from five different restaurants over the past five days.Tuesday: Wendy?s ? Dulles AirportWednesday: Friday?s ? Orlando, FloridaThursday: Silver Diner ? Reston, VAFriday: Five Guys ? Arlington, VASaturday: McDonald?s ? Gaithersburg, MarylandIt looks like I?m going to have California Tortilla for dinner tonight, so the french fry streak will end at five. Yes, I need to eat healthier.
More About: Information , Useless

Breaking News: Bear Sighting
2008-05-29 15:25:00
I woke up yesterday in Orlando to the following news: A young bear was spotted outside the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. Every local news station followed this breaking news story including at least one station providing live helicopter coverage. Of course, all anyone saw was pictures of the Hard Rock's pool. To prove that I am not making this up, here is the story from WFTV.As of this morning, the bear has not been found, but the Hard Rock pool remains closed. The helicopters are back to showing unexciting traffic instead of pictures of the empty pool.All I know is this...let the bears pay the bear tax; I pay the Homer tax. (That's home owner tax!)
More About: News , Breaking News , Breaking , Bear

Live From Orlando
2008-05-27 22:56:00
Hello from Florida. I wish I could share an exciting story about my flight from Dulles to Orlando but it was uneventful and a shuffleboard tournament starts at 4:30. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I?m too late for the shuffleboard tournament. Oh well.In response to lacochran?s comment about mah jongg, here is some of Wednesday?s activities:Aquafusion (fitness in the pool) ? 10:00 AMUnderwater Treasure Dive ? noonPoolside Puppet Palooza Show ? 2 PMCreative Coloring T-shirts ? 2:30 PMDive-in Movie: Alvin & The Chipmunks ? 8 PMIt?s too bad I have to work.
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Detroit Red Wings Job Opening
2008-05-26 16:35:00
Although we are in the midst of the Stanley Cup finals, the Detroit Red Wings are advertising for a job opening. No, this is not a joke about the age of defensemen Chris Chelios, who was a healthy scratch in game one, and the fact that it may be time for him to retire.Instead, the Red Wings are seeking a Director of Group Sales. This makes some sense as the team has struggled with attendance this season (as noted by Sports Illustrated and in my experience attending a game in December) despite being the best team during the regular season and now advancing to the NHL finals. The Director of Group Sales position requires a Bachelor's degree with preferred concentration in communications, journalism, marketing, business, and/or management and five years related industry experience and/or training. Some of the responsibilities include:? Coordinate programs that will maximize event ticket sales to groups, including but not limited to school organizations, senior citizen organization...
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