17-Syllable Odes to What Makes Pittsburgh Great

The Mullet

Business in the front.
Party in the back. Your hair
is really ugly.

Steel Mills

Toxins in the Mon,
smog in the sky, food on our
plate. You sustain us.

Heinz Ketchup

Hamburgers, french fries,
and eggs all go well with you.
There’s no substitute.

Pop

Cold, carbonated
beverage. Them fools tryin’
to call you soda.

Sports Teams

Penguins own the ice.
Steelers: hard-hitting, smash-mouth.
Pirates? Nice ballpark.

Parking Chair

Faithful white deck chair,
you endure the elements,
preserving my spot.

Heel

You ain’t on my foot.
You’re steep and my car slides down
you in the winter.

Potholes

Roads, you resemble
the surface of the Moon. Please
don’t swallow my car.

Pittsburgh

Most Livable, the
City of Champions. Let’s face
it — you’re the best.

For Your Virtual Coffee Table

Download the book:

Note: the first and last page are the cover and the back, and the middle (wider) pages are meant to be the folded inner pages of the book.

The Living Desert

The Living Desert is pretty much a desert zoo. It has some some neat animals and plants, most specific to the desert (go figure.)

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

My family took the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the top of Mount San Jacinto, which is a state park. There were some great views of Palm Springs from the tramway, and some beautiful scenery once we got to the top. Also interesting, the temperature at the summit of Mount San Jacinto (at around 60 degrees) was 40 degrees cooler then at the base (where it was about 100 degrees that day.)

Joshua Tree National Park

Last Tuesday we met up with my dad’s cousin to go to Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua trees are a mix between a tree and a cactus. Truthfully, I wasn’t terribly impressed by the Joshua trees, but it was nice to spend time with my cousin (once removed) who I haven’t seen in a while.

Rosarito, Mexico

We took a 4 hour bus tour trip to Rosarito, Mexico, which is about 20 miles south of the Mexican-US border. It was neat to visit Mexico and nice to walk on the beach, but it was sad to see the poverty-stricken people living there. As you walk down the streets they would practically beg you to purchase some of their merchandise.

My Cousin’s House + Golf Cart

Near the end of the week we visited my dad’s cousin in her exclusive golf course retirement community where you have to be over 55 years old to live. Even though she doesn’t golf, my aunt has a nice golf cart to travel within the community. It was nice to spend some more time with her and visit her house. Driving her golf cart was especially fun.

The trip to Palm Springs with my family was very enjoyable. Palm Springs is an interesting city with unique sights. However, even though it has 360 sunny days a year, I don’t think think that I could handle the 100-125 degree temperatures during the summer.

Heading anywhere for vacation this summer?

91-92 Penguins

As every true Pittsburgher knows, the last time that the Penguins made it to the Stanley Cup Finals was in 1992 when they won their second Stanley Cup in as many years. I was only 3 years old at that point, but I remember wearing the classic Penguins Back-to-Back Stanley Cup t-shirt for a long time afterwards.

The Players, Then

In the 1991-92 seasons, Pittsburgh had some tremendous talent on their roster. The Penguins were led by the veteran play of Lemieux, Francis, Trottier, Coffey, and Barrasso and energized by the talent of rising star Jaromir Jagr. I am happy to say that I was still able so watch some of these players as I grew older.

2008 Penguins

The Penguins season this year has seen its high and low points. After a mediocre start, the Penguins began to play better as they approached the New Year and the Winter Classic, which was part of an 8 game winning streak. They also went through a period without their star, Sidney Crosby (due to injury,) when Evgeni Malkin led the team. Currently, they have been playing very well as a team, dominating each of their post-season opponents.

The Players, Now

Todaay’s Penguins are a bit different from those of 16 and 17 years ago. Then, led by skilled veteran play; now, led by fresh, raw talent. Crosby, Malkin, Stall, Malone, Gonchar, and Fleury are the current face of the blossoming Penguins.

Stanley Cup Finals: Penguins – Red Wings

This is one of the more highly anticipated matchups in recent NHL Finals history. It has been a while since two classic hockey towns have fought for the rights to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup. I am expecting tough, skilled play from both teams, starting tomorrow.

Experience vs. Exuberance

Much like the Penguins of 92, the Detroit Red Wings are a season team with a lot of experience. For example, Chris Chelios won his first Stanley Cup before 5 of the current Penguins, including Crosby and Malkin, were even born.

However, even though the Penguins are young, I like their chances against the Red Wings. Their energy and quickness have gotten them here, to the Finals, and I hope that it’s enough to enable them to overcome Detroit.

Concluding Thoughts

It’s tremendously exciting to have the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals this year. I think that it’s also neat to look back on the Penguin’s past success, even though the characteristics of the team have changed since the early 90′s. So, what are your memories of the Penguins? Have a prediction for this years Stanley Cup Finals?

My Bicycle

A few months ago I found an add on Craigslist for a free bicycle. There were no pictures available and only a brief description of an old road bike from the 70′s. However, when something is free, you don’t ask many questions; you just take what you can get.

Free adds usually go pretty quickly (at least with anything semi-worthwhile,) so I sent a request to this person with little hope of getting a positive response. However, I soon received a reply saying that the bike was mine. I was happy to have gotten the positive response, but still had no idea what to expect from the bike. With low expectations, I went to Squirrel Hill to pick up the old, mysterious bicycle, only to be surprised to find an older bike still in pretty decent shape.

Since then, I have been enjoying my Concord Freedom Deluxe 10-Speed. I have been using it to travel locally, and really take pleasure in not having to drive a car everywhere I go. I think that there are a number of reasons why riding a bicycle is beneficial, some of which I would like to share.

The Benefits of Riding a Bicycle

Exercise

The first benefit of riding a bicycle is the exercise that you get. Obviously, cars are still necessary for most traveling, but if you are able to replace frequent short trips with a bike ride every once in a while, it can be a great way to stay healthy.

Saving Money

Again, if you can replace short easy trips with a bicycle rather than a car, you can also save money. Gasoline isn’t getting any cheaper, you know.

Relaxation

A third benefit to bicycle riding is that it is simply relaxing. It feels great to be able to get out on a bike and just clear your head.

Biking to Work

A great opportunity to exercise the tips that I just mentioned would be during a commute, possibly to work or school. I recently read an article in USA Weekend talking about the benefits of biking to work. The article, citing Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists, mentioned the physical and financial benefits, and also had some tips to keep in mind when commuting by bike.

• Get a helmet. I don’t use one, but I guess that I’m just young and foolish.
• Test your route. Clark suggests that you do this on a weekend so you can take your time and get familiar with the route. I tested my route particularly to gauge the physical difficulty of the ride and to see how much time it would take.
• If your commute is long, consider driving to a location that’s only 5 miles from work, then biking the rest of the way. This is a really practical suggestion for anyone discouraged by the length of their commute.
• Keep in mind that you don’t have to bike to work everyday. “Two of three times a week has great health benefits,” Clarke says. This is another great tip. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing decision when decide that you want to bike to work. I only ride my bike to work if the weather is nice.
• Always follow this rule: “Be predictable and visible.” When you are biking, safety is a big concern. So, be careful, especially when you are around a lot of motor vehicles.

Conclusion

So, if you have a chance, find a bike and begin riding it. Start small if you need to, but I hope that after a while you can find a way to work bicycle riding into your regular routine. Cycling is both physically and financially beneficial, but I hope that it’s something that you can also enjoy.

“Bike to Work” was written by Jorge Cruise, FitSmart Editor for USA Weekend.

My Oma, a woman with a heart for animals, has been interested in alpacas for some time now. She read about how alpacas are friendly animals and became fascinated with them, so we decided to take her to see some.

Alpacas

Alpacas are pretty weird animals. They are related to the lamma and have long, skinny necks. Alpacas are valued for their wool, although they are eaten in some South American countries.

They are defenseless animals and kind of skittish, as I learned after visiting them. In general, they were less friendly than I expected, but there was a young male alpaca named Colonel Mustard (nice Clue reference) who was very dog-like and would let you pet him.

Overall, it was a nice trip with the family, and I’m happy that my Oma enjoyed herself.

1. Work

This Monday, two days from now, I will begin working as a Software Engineer Co-Op at Vocollect, where I will be for the entire summer. I am really excited to start applying the programming skills that I have learned in school, and also hope to learn a lot of new things, becoming a better programmer in general. In addition, I will be working with a friend of mine, which should be fun.

2. Cycling

I recently got a free road bike off of Craigslist. I plan on riding the bike to work everyday, weather permitting. Vocollect is only a couple miles from my house, which makes commuting on a bicycle possible. I see this as an opportunity to save money on gas while getting some exercise. I have really found cycling to be enjoyable, so I’m hoping to use my bike as much as possible this summer.

3. Personal Computer Projects

Now that I don’t have schoolwork to worry about, I have a lot more time to spend working on other personal projects. There are a couple websites that I should be working on, and now I actually have the time to get them done. I’m also hoping to learn some Objective-C, the programming language of choice for writing applications for Apple’s operating system.

4. Watching Play-offs

Right now both the NBA and NHL playoffs are taking place. I am engrossed with the NHL playoffs at the moment, especially due to the Penguins being a part of it. The NBA playoffs have been a little disappointing for me so far, especially some teams from the West, but I think that things should pick up after the first round. I will probably be writing more on this topic soon.

5. Nothing

Noting isn’t a plan, but I’m looking forward to being able to relax, and not having to spend most of my time doing schoolwork. Being outside, in the warm beautiful weather, for any and all reasons, is also something that I hope to do as much as possible.

So, as summer begins, these are things that I am excited for. What are you looking forward to as you pre-summer lives finish?

Jayhawks — Tigers Chanpionship Game

This was definitely one of the most exciting games of the tournament. Both teams pushed the ball up the court offensively, making for a very fast-paced game. There were many lead changes, the largest lead being only 9 points. Speaking of 9 point leads, Memphis was leading Kansas by that amount with 2:12 left in the second half. The Jayhawks didn’t give up, though, and were able come back and tie the game at 63 with a 3-pointer by Mario Chalmers with only 2.1 seconds left in regulation. It was truly one of the most exciting moments of basketball that I have seen in a while.

Memphis

My other thoughts concerning this game turn to Memphis. I believe that Memphis lost the game, missing 4 of their last 5 free throws (and a number of other shots from the floor), which gave Kansas a chance to come back and tie, and then ultimately win, the game. They were absolutely helpless in overtime, and couldn’t anything to stop the Jayhawks. A record 38-2 is still pretty impressive though, almost as impressive as 18-1*.

Davidson and Stephen Curry

My favorite story of the tournament was Davidson, and the run that made, led by Steven Curry. It was exciting to watch them play and easy to get behind them as they continued to win. Steven Curry probably played better than any other single player in the tournament, scoring at least 30 points during the first three games of the tournament, and averaging over 30 points for the entire tournament. They ended up loosing to Kansas by two points, but still had a shot at the end to win it. I still wish that PTI’s April Fools joke was true.

Upsets

This tournament, unlike other in the past, wasn’t plagued by upsets. There were a few upsets in the first round and a couple of 12 seeds to make it to the Sweet 16, but except for Davidson, West Virginia, and Michigan St. (as well as the aforementioned 12 seeds), every single 1, 2, 3, and 4 seed made it to the third round. The Final Four, as you know, was all No. 1 seeds, the first time in history that this has been done.

I like to see some good upsets, they are what make the NCAA tournament exciting. However, whenever Cinderella teams make it, say, to the Final Four, it can sometimes set up lopsided, boring games, which is why I sometimes enjoy when the “good teams” make it to the Final Four. Although, even with all four 1 seeds, both Final Four games were, surprisingly, very lopsided.

North Carolina

I think the game that surprised me the most was Kansas defeating North Carolina. The lead that Kansas had in the first half was ridiculous, and it’s a good thing that they didn’t let the Tar Heels get back in the game after playing sloppy basketball.

Also, I think that Tyler Hansbrough is overrated. He had a good regular season, but when it came to games that mattered (games where UNC wasn’t blowing teams out), he didn’t perform. I don’t think that he is going to do very well in the NBA. Most of his success was based on effort, but effort alone won’t make you successful in the NBA where there are so many talented players.

Big East

Being Big East biased, I was a little disappointed with the overall performance of Big East teams in the tournament. Out of the 8 that made it to the tournament (the most of any conference), only three made it to the Sweet Sixteen (Louisville, Villanova, West Virginia), and only Louisville made it to the Elite Eight. Though, I was more displeased by the performance of Pitt, especially after they won the Big East Championship. They have been disappointing the past few tournaments, but I high hopes in their team this year.

Overall, though, the tournament was very exciting and enjoyable. There plenty of great games and exciting finishes to hold my attention. The fact that my tournament bracket did so miserably is a good sign, I think.

Those are my thoughts on thoughts on this years tournament. What were your favorite moments of this years tournament?

Also, sorry that this a little belated. Finals are in a couple of weeks, so things are getting busy. Expect more infrequent posting.

Chris Garrett

Chris Garret is a designer from the UK who specializes in user-experience design. I like the grid layout of his website and the general spacing of everything. I also like the colors that he uses, especially with the dark background. The hidden “skip to content” link at the top is also a nice touch.

Website: www.chrisgarrettmedia.com

Seed Conference

The Seed Conference is an annual conference for designers (print, web, or video.) The Seed Conference website consists of a single page that has a lot of information concerning the conference.

I love the typography that is used, which is why I chose to share it. It’s a different kind of beauty on the internet, but one that I feel is very important aspect of design. I hope that you like it.

Website: www.seedconference.com

If you haven’t seen “The Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld, here is a brief summary. The Soup Nazi makes the best soup in New York, and is extremely popular for it. He, however, had very strict rules about conduct in his store. You have to know what you wanted to order, have your money ready, and move quickly in line, or else you will banned from his restaurant and not allowed to purchase any soup. It is really one of the most hilarious episodes of Seinfeld, so if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it.

Anyway, even though the The Original Soupman opened in Pittsburgh a couple months ago, I didn’t have an opportunity to eat there until yesterday. I went with two friends from Pitt, Scott and Mike, also dedicated Seinfeld fans. It was definitely worth the wait. Here are some of my thoughts and opinions concerning the experience.

The Service

In the episode from Seinfeld, the Soup Nazi and the other people who worked in his restaurant were very unfriendly. When I went to The Original Soupman for the first time, I was expecting much of the same, so I made sure to get my order straight before entering the restaurant.

However, upon entering The Original Soupman, I was surprised, being met with friendly and talkative employees. The people working there were very kind, and even joked about Seinfeld-related things. Not only were they friendly compared to what I anticipated, but they probably more friendly then most, if not all, employees at other restaurants where I have eaten. I was very satisfied with the service at The Original Soupman.

The Soup

The real thing of interest, and the entire reason for my trip, was to try the soup. After much deliberation, I decided to order Lobster Bisque, one of the classic recipes of the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld. Simply put, I was blown away by the explosion of taste. The Lobster Bisque was undoubtedly as good as Seinfeld made it out to be. Truthfully, the Lobster Bisque is the best soup that I have ever tasted.

I was also able to try Mulligatawny (another classic Soup Nazi soup) and I think that it might now be tied for my favorite soup. In all seriousness, The Original Soupman knows how to make soup. The soup lived up to the hype, and exceeded my taste expectations. I hope to be able to try more of The Original Soupman’s soup very soon.

A Brief Interview with Philip Scott

One of The Original Soupman’s employees, Philip Scott, was kind enough to answer of few of my questions. Mr. Scott is a Senior at Pitt, studying Mathematics, and works at The Original Soupman as an Assistant Manager.

When asked what it was like to work under a Nazi regime, Scott said that it was tough, being forced to work long hours, but it was worth it because of the free soup which he received. He also mentioned that Yankee Bean with Bacon was his favorite recipe of the Soupman.

Scott said that he has sometimes banned people from the restaurant for not picking up orders that they call in, or trying too many soups (trying four or more soups is really pushing the limit, he said.) Scott said that he has never met the Soup Nazi, but he told me that the Soup Nazi monitors the in-store security cameras to keep a close eye on what is going on.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, my trip to The Original Soupman was superb. The service and soup that I received were extremely friendly and tasty, in that order. If you ever have a chance to eat at one of The Original Soupman locations, I would definitely recommend it. For more information about The Original Soupman and a list of locations, visit www.originalsoupman.com.

Special thanks to Philip Scott for taking the time to answer my questions, and to Mike Maksymowych for the photographs.

Senator Obama shared his empowering message of change in preparation for Pennsylvania’s Democratic primaries being held on April 22nd. Obama is not expected to win the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, predicted to be 23% to 8% behind Senator Clinton, depending on the poll. However, even narrowing the margin to single digits would be encouraging to Obama’s campaign.

Just as a note, Obama is not necessarily my first choice for a presidential candidate. I’m a bit more conservative when it comes to most political issues, and usually side with the Republican party (which is where I’m registered.) Though, out of the Democratic candidates, Obama would be my first choice. If it came down to websites, however, Barack Obama would definitely be my first choice.

Special thanks to Duncan Spencer for the photographs.