tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27934709786690721352011-07-28T18:37:09.836-04:00An occasional rumination on the ups and downs of thingsChris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.comBlogger911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-38192556099212472302009-11-12T10:31:00.004-05:002009-11-12T10:56:15.645-05:00

Here I thought that serious, complicated issues took a considerable amount of time to address. Turns out you can get it done in one day.From the Post-Gazette:Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Pittsburgh Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt this morning kicked off a summit on high school dropouts, one of more than 100 nationwide sponsored by the America's Promise Alliance, a nonprofit group affiliated

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-16439389635715194282009-06-12T23:11:00.003-04:002009-06-12T23:29:21.377-04:00

(Photo: AP)I moved to Pittsburgh in August 1997. In the 12 years since, I have witnessed three championships. That's 1 every 4 years.Most Livable, indeed.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-69695177769058328782009-06-12T09:33:00.002-04:002009-06-12T09:34:23.147-04:00

Yesterday I celebrated the fact that the EPA is going after the electronics recycling operation that worked with local Humane Society’s. Now EarthECycle is getting it from below, too.Some of the electronics collected through a free recycling campaign on behalf of several charitable organizations earlier this year were dumped on the property of a former auto repair shop in Homewood, according to

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com176tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-51302895750468215372009-06-11T10:42:00.002-04:002009-06-11T10:47:48.403-04:00

So, I’m glad this story hasn’t gone away and I’m even more glad that some higher authorities are getting involved.The Oklahoma company that worked with a number of area charitable organizations in a free electronics recycling program earlier this year violated at least seven hazardous waste management regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency, officials said.The federal regulatory agency

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-26530753372156701722009-06-10T09:37:00.005-04:002009-06-12T08:49:55.121-04:00

Another day, another recognition as the Most Livable City in the state/country/world. …Pittsburgh once again is the most livable city in the United States -- and 29th worldwide -- in a 2009 survey by British magazine The Economist…(Post-Gazette, 6/10/2009)And again I say, take that, East St. Louis!The Economist Intelligence Unit -- which publishes numerous surveys and studies for paying clients -

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-21982697620634333382009-06-09T11:01:00.001-04:002009-06-09T11:03:18.458-04:00

I guess the Post-Gazette headline writer and I have a different take on “vibrancy.”East Liberty becomes a vibrant communityI just don’t know about that.East Liberty has gone from being a neighborhood in need of someone to invest private money to being a beehive. Sixteen developers are at work there currently. Two new hotels are coming, the first hotels in decades. The Eastside complex that

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-56905675918948260402009-06-03T11:50:00.004-04:002009-06-03T11:56:26.187-04:00

Due to personal culpability - or at least compliance - I figured I should post some thoughts on the story about the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society and its charitable electronics recycling program.For those who don’t know, the Humane Society was collecting old computers, cell phones, printers, and various other electronics. The items were collected under the premise that they would be

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-60335005509557598172009-06-02T13:14:00.003-04:002009-06-02T13:20:35.944-04:00

I can admit it:A lot of the items listed on Stuff White People Like apply to me. I guess that’s what makes that website so hilarious: it’s funny and true. Case in point: this classic post from last March. As a proud owner of the first four seasons of The Wire (not the fifth season, though, because it’s not as good; if there’s another thing us white people are good at and like to do, it’s going

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-36415869710063936342009-05-26T12:03:00.002-04:002009-05-26T12:57:12.855-04:00

The highly-encouraged daily reading of The Radical Middle has an excellent post today on the topic of the sanctity of marriage. The whole topic of gay marriage - or at least the frequent proposals to legally demonize it - has always stuck in my crawl, and TRM has one of those classic “let’s have fun and point out how stupid this is” posts, so I recommend you check it out.Fortunately for me, that

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-51567724107801071592009-05-20T15:02:00.003-04:002009-05-20T23:42:51.539-04:00

The cliché says that you can judge a society by the way it treats its prisoners. By the same token, you can judge a city - or town or region - by the way its local television stations handle news. In that regard, Pittsburgh’s interest in the election of its next mayor could be described as secondary, at best. Of course, this isn’t news for anyone who has watched this city live in inertia since

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-89497957296479931792009-05-19T23:13:00.006-04:002009-05-20T06:43:12.266-04:00

Talk about being gracious in victory. On Channel 2 after being declared the winner, re-elected Mayor Luke Ravenstahl touted his "positive campaign" and said (as transcribed by me):"Patrick [Dowd] was very offensive to me. I hope he would offer an apology. We asked for it many times."Ravenstahl then said that he looks forward to working with Councilman Dowd, but cautioned that "[Dowd] has some

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-43988544044601217852009-05-19T22:50:00.002-04:002009-05-19T22:53:01.193-04:00

Luke wins.http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09139/971285-455.stmNot that it's a big surprise. Just disappointing.More tomorrow.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-57811757554197740952009-05-19T06:33:00.000-04:002009-05-19T06:34:13.364-04:00

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-77474902302846268272009-05-18T09:26:00.006-04:002009-05-18T14:20:42.766-04:00

- Any other 6th or 9th warders out there looking forward to the trip to St. Mary’s Lyceum on Tuesday? - Is it just me or does Tonya Payne have the biggest campaign ads of any candidate in the city? - Upon seeing one of those omnipresent “Ravenstahl Getting It Done” signs, has anyone else had the urge to knock on that person’s door and ask just exactly what Ravenstahl has gotten done for them?- Is

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-90156449803337579982009-05-15T16:19:00.002-04:002009-05-15T16:22:33.845-04:00

While my blog has been largely dormant for the past two years - with only smatterings of activity, generally between May and July - I haven’t lost touch with Pittsburgh’s online community. The list of links on the right side of this page includes the blogs I read the most, and if you keep a regular diet of those sites, you’ll generally have some sense of what’s going on in Pittsburgh. Anyway, if

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-68652604089595857242009-05-12T09:22:00.000-04:002009-05-12T09:23:24.004-04:00

Photo: Post-GazetteIn the past few weeks of blogging about next week’s Democratic primary, I think I’ve been pretty up-front about my opinions regarding the three candidates for the party’s mayoral nomination: Luke Ravenstahl, Patrick Dowd, and Carmen Robinson.Not surprisingly, I’m pretty firmly in Dowd’s camp for a number of reasons. But lately I’ve been thinking back to the first time I met the

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-27155799897351919552009-05-11T10:52:00.005-04:002009-05-11T11:01:22.144-04:00

The first - read: only - big issue on this blog came two years ago with the sordid tale of the Parkway West Rock Thrower. With a vigilance and, dare I say, exuberance virtually unmatched in just about any other area of my life, I paid daily diligence to the story as Jeffrey Angelo Ramous, aka The Parkway West Rock Thrower, was identified and arrested. And after his arrest, the story gained even

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-22712024644935629302009-05-11T10:44:00.002-04:002009-05-12T09:23:56.497-04:00

Patrick Dowd was probably already the popular choice in the local online community. Now the local mainstream media is on board as well: The Post-Gazette endorses Patrick Dowd for the Democratic nomination for mayor on May 19.The editorial board starts off its approach to the primary the way most of us have:By pointing out why you shouldn’t vote for Luke Ravenstahl. The string of youthful missteps

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-45195655980027978772009-05-08T09:13:00.004-04:002009-05-08T09:23:08.669-04:00

Okay, so you’re Major League Baseball. You’re hitting the second month of the 2009 season, and you’re going up against:1 - One professional sports league that currently has its three best players going head-to-head in the playoffs2 - Another professional sports league with its own two best players seemingly on track to run into each other in the championship series3 - A third professional sports

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-40401917082646039942009-05-07T12:13:00.005-04:002009-05-07T12:20:27.054-04:00

In the aftermath of the first televised debate, I wrote two weeks ago about how Patrick Dowd’s shot at the pay-to-play culture in Pittsburgh missed the mark slightly because it was somewhat overwrought/over-worded/over-spoken. I argued that Dowd’s claim - which I agree with - would have been more effective if issued in simpler terms.It’s not dumbing down your position; it’s making it more

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-25260287941481133552009-05-06T10:32:00.005-04:002009-05-12T09:24:24.339-04:00

The third and final debate was held earlier this week. Channel 11 WPXI/PCNC originally broadcast the debate Monday night and re-aired last night. More or less the debate looked a lot like the previous two, and near the end one of the candidates observed that they have been answering the same questions and arguing about the same topics. Not too much has changed throughout this trio of debates, but

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-33316856378694186072009-05-01T08:55:00.010-04:002009-05-01T11:35:15.032-04:00

The mayoral candidates squared off again last night, and while that debate won't be available for public consumption until the hot primetime hour of 7 P.M. on Saturday night, the Post-Gazette got to witness the events in real-time live-action (I'm pretty sure the Trib was probably there, too, but for some reason the Trib's website is very unpredictable on my computer; today is one of those days

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-46910827721700801712009-05-01T00:17:00.006-04:002009-05-01T00:24:20.941-04:00

And sometimes that's all the reason you need. And because sometimes you need to be reminded that it's possible to be both dorky and soulful.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-60849504034424646702009-04-28T12:26:00.003-04:002009-05-01T09:25:58.990-04:00

Let’s face it: Pat Dowd and Carmen Robinson probably aren’t going to win the upcoming Democratic primary in the race for mayor of Pittsburgh. It’s just not likely. There’s a unique brand of apathy that leads a voter to the polls without really paying attention in the months - and years - leading up to the election, and that seems to be the prevailing approach for the greater Pittsburgh public.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-4683173314022807362009-04-27T11:00:00.007-04:002009-04-27T11:36:21.525-04:00

Remember when Barack Obama said this?"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-46254128880845148952009-04-23T11:46:00.002-04:002009-04-23T11:51:03.950-04:00

I’m all for personal liberty and avoiding the over-legislation of personal acts, but I think the state House probably dropped the ball a little bit this week.From the Post-Gazette:The House yesterday defeated a measure that would have banned drivers from using hand-held cell phones, but legislators decided to hit drivers in the wallet if they drive carelessly while using a hand-held device.The

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-25528135230515573092009-04-22T12:10:00.006-04:002009-05-07T12:17:08.602-04:00

It’s been two days since the debate with Luke Raventsahl, Patrick Dowd, and Carmen Robinson, and I still think the Mayor “won” the night, based largely on the old adage of “it’s not what you say but how you say it.” The Mayor’s points were largely based on half-truths and misleading statements, but for the city’s residents who were looking to the debates for guidance on which candidate presents

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-76457693859297320752009-04-21T20:27:00.005-04:002009-04-21T21:28:50.315-04:00

The Steelers might be the kings of the town, but the Penguins are becoming political players (in a different way this time). Apparently someone at Ravenstahl campaign HQ heard that the Pens-Flyers series is drawing good ratings. The first commercial of the first intermission during Tuesday's Game 4 was a pro-Luke ad. Now, I don't watch much local network television, but I think I watch enough to

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-26000587944153458852009-04-20T19:56:00.003-04:002009-05-01T09:26:40.762-04:00

Pittsburgh democratic debate with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Councilman Patrick Dowd, and attorney Carmen Robinson just wrapped up. Each candidate appeared to have his or her own Word of the Day calendar. My approximation of what each of those calendars said this morning:Dowd: "Leadership"Robinson: "Disingenuous"Ravenstahl: Not sure, but it must have been something funny, since he was smirking the

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-62626494305843621932009-01-20T16:53:00.004-05:002009-01-20T20:10:46.808-05:00

This is my dog. His name is Blue.Since I work at home, he pretty much does what I do. If I sit around all day, he sits around all day. If I go to the park, he goes to the park. If I spend all day playing synthesizers…well, Blue can’t do that because his paws are too big for anything more precise than block chords, and while I have a certain appreciation for experimental approaches to music, I

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-44620328229142069522009-01-06T20:35:00.008-05:002009-01-06T20:39:56.757-05:00

Since it’s been two and a half months since the World Series, I figured maybe I should wrap up the Cheapskate standings sometime before spring practice starts. To refresh: the Cheapskate recognizes the Major League Baseball team that did the most with the least in the 2008 season. To arrive at that conclusion, we took the four franchises with the lowest team salaries to start the season. At the

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-23573547785448564222008-07-16T10:57:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:33.795-05:00

Since it’s the All-Star break, I thought I’d update the standings in the running for the first-ever Cheapskate Award. For those who came in late (or just forgot since I haven’t updated these standings since mid-May), the Cheapskate rewards the team that is able to spend the least amount of money per win. Here are the numbers we’re working with.Total salaries (according to this list published by

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-22046956094698963202008-07-11T11:02:00.004-04:002008-12-08T20:27:34.102-05:00

I really want one of these t-shirts, but the price gets lower as the quantity goes up. So, here's my question to you:Would you pay $15 for a Johnny Utah No. 9 Ohio State t-shirt? I would.I'm being completely serious about this. If you would like a Johnny Utah t-shirt, let me know.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-43883358220874829322008-07-10T16:10:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:34.235-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album: ElephantArtist: The White StripesReleased: 2003Track listing: 1. Seven Nation Army2. Black Math3. There’s No Home for You Here4. I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself5. In the Cold, Cold Night6. I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart7. You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket8. Ball and Biscuit9.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-49828881264006563512008-05-19T09:50:00.001-04:002008-12-08T20:27:34.456-05:00

It’s been five days since the last Cheapskate update, and all four of Major League Baseball’s lowest-salaried teams have not been faring well. Tampa Bay, who had won six in a row heading into last Wednesday (the day of the most recent Cheapskate update), lost to the Yankees that day, and though they rebounded with a win over the Bronx Bombers and then took the first game of a series in St. Louis,

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-13982463530684715472008-05-16T10:00:00.001-04:002008-05-16T10:00:33.904-04:00

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-79599637945020712432008-05-15T11:02:00.003-04:002008-12-08T20:27:34.604-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album: The Devil’s Rejects: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackArtist: Various artistsReleased: 2005Track listing: 1. Midnight Rider – The Allman Bros. Band2. Shambala – Three Dog Night3. Brave Awakening – Terry Reid4. It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels – Kitty Wells5. Satan’s Got to Get Along Without

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-18551093823660307852008-05-14T08:49:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:34.744-05:00

I should probably amend that logo that I used on the last Cheapskate update. Instead of showing a roller skate on fire, it should be the Tampa Bay Rays’ logo en fuego, because the Rays are one of the hottest teams in the MLB right now, let alone the Cheapskate standings. Tampa Bay has the longest current winning streak in the league as winners of six in a row, and that streak of success has

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-25510074185374934082008-05-12T08:58:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:34.890-05:00

And I thought the Cheapskate teams were on fire in the last update.Look out, big-money markets of Major League Baseball:Here come the bottom-feeders.Every single one of the four teams in the running for the first-ever Cheapskate award is on fire. The unbelievable Marlins continue to sit in first place in the NL East on the strength of a seven-game winning streak. The amazing Rays of Tampa Bay are

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-66835712406449174182008-05-09T09:49:00.004-04:002008-12-08T20:27:35.002-05:00

Oh man, the Cheapskate teams are really heating up now. I mean, for spending next to nothing (in baseball terms, at least), the four teams in the running for the first-ever Cheapskate Award are putting on quite a show. The Marlins and the Athletics have been at or near the top of their respective divisions all season, so there’s not much new there, but all four teams are currently out of the

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-92820096456987912008-05-08T10:09:00.003-04:002008-12-08T20:27:35.057-05:00

So, in Mount Oliver on Tuesday evening, police officers exchanged shots with a 19-year-old, resulting in the deaths of the young man as well as a police dog. By most accounts, such as those in the P-G and the Trib, the story went like this:Police officers were responding to reports of shots fired on Arlington Avenue when they see 19-year-old Justin Jackson standing on the street. The cops, with K

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-72698449476018877342008-05-07T10:30:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:35.163-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album: DesireArtist: Bob DylanReleased: 1976Track listing:1. Hurricane2. Isis3. Mozambique4. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)5. Oh, Sister6. Joey7. Romance in Durango8. Black Diamond Bay9. SaraAllmusic.com review: If Blood on the Tracks was an unapologetically intimate affair, Desire is unwieldy and

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-25256963470190323812008-05-05T09:32:00.003-04:002008-12-08T20:27:35.428-05:00

The Cheapskate has started to permeate my life in new venues.I was on a radio station in Louisville last Thursday to talk about a few Big East topics. I felt like the segment was headed in the right direction when they came out of the commercial break with “Statesboro Blues,” but things took a downturn when the host began bemoaning the fact that the Baltimore Orioles had lost an afternoon game to

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-18608097422319135552008-05-04T10:09:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:35.534-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album: Come Dancing with the Kinks – The Best of the KinksArtist: The KinksReleased: 1986Track listing:1. Living on a Thin LineLike many people (I assume), I first became aware of “Living on a Thin Line” after hearing it on the episode of The Sopranos titled “University,” a brilliant third season episode

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-44850979259070352812008-05-02T12:00:00.002-04:002008-05-02T12:00:50.953-04:00

The Chicago Bears have nothing on the Glasgow Diamonds.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-91713346892183499702008-05-01T09:43:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:35.895-05:00

It’s a momentous occasion. The first shake-up in the history of the Cheapskate standings has finally happened: the surging Tampa Bay Rays, who have won 8 of their last 10, vaulted past the stumbling Oakland Athletics to take over second place in the initial standings of the Cheapskate Award, presented annually to the Major League Baseball team that accomplishes the most with the least. In

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-56686391959576795332008-04-30T09:31:00.004-04:002008-12-08T20:27:36.148-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album: Broken Boy SoldiersArtist: The RaconteursReleased: 2006Track listing:1. Steady, As She Goes2. Hands3. Broken Boy Soldier4. Intimate Secretary5. Together6. Level7. Store Bought Bones8. Yellow Sun9. Call It a Day10. Blue VeinsAllmusic.com review: It's hard to call the Raconteurs a genuine supergroup

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-71795650021303324902008-04-29T09:59:00.004-04:002008-12-08T20:27:36.212-05:00

A weekend sidetrack created a five-day lull in updating the Cheapskate standings. Thank God I’m the only person who is actually interested in this wholly irrelevant system of ranking Major League Baseball teams. Anyway, I still do find it interesting, so I’m going to continue updating the Cheapskate standings. Just to refresh, here are the numbers.Total salaries (according to this list published

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-7637744477190435432008-04-24T09:00:00.005-04:002008-12-08T20:27:36.377-05:00

Ordinarily I probably wouldn’t do a Cheapskate update two days in a row, but there is major moving and shaking going on with the four cheapest teams in Major League Baseball, as they combined to go 4-0 last night. And what’s more is that the two bottom-feeders in this group (Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay) have now each won two in a row, climbing out of the basements in their respective divisions in

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-87076286660585106612008-04-23T20:28:00.004-04:002008-12-08T20:27:36.489-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album: Bringing It All Back HomeArtist: Bob DylanReleased: 1965Track listing:1. Subterranean Homesick Blues2. She Belongs to Me3. Maggie’s Farm4. Love Minus Zero/No Limit5. Outlaw Blues6. On the Road Again7. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream8. Mr. Tambourine Man9. Gates of Eden10. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-83951297911420980772008-04-23T09:27:00.002-04:002008-12-08T20:27:36.635-05:00

Two days of action did little to affect the standings in the running for the first-ever Tired Huddled Masses Award, also known as the Cheapskate, presented annually to the Major League Baseball team that spends nothing and wins the most by doing so. In effect, we are recognizing the MLB franchise that does the most with the least.According to this list published by the Associated Press, the four

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-52089999744672227622008-04-21T09:46:00.001-04:002008-12-08T20:27:36.755-05:00

The Florida Marlins continued their dominance of bargain-bin baseball, taking two out of three against the Washington Nationals over the weekend and maintaining their first-place standings in the National League East in the process.More importantly, the Marlins held onto their decided advantage in the running for the first-ever Tired Huddled Masses Award, also known as the Cheapskate.Obligatory

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-5361372800276834582008-04-18T10:33:00.003-04:002008-12-08T20:27:36.864-05:00

Time for another update in the running for the first-ever Tired Huddled Masses Award, otherwise known as the Cheapskate, presented to the Major League Baseball team that does the most with the least. The contenders are the four MLB teams who decided to spend as little as possible this season. For further explanation on how the figures were reached, look at previous entries on the topic.Here are

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-90275724499924122522008-04-15T09:38:00.009-04:002008-12-08T20:27:37.097-05:00

Time for an update in the running for the first-ever Tired Huddled Masses Award, otherwise known as the Cheapskate. To refresh: The Cheapskate will honor the Major League Baseball team that does the most with the least (formula explained here). The contenders are the four teams with the lowest annual salaries (according to this list):Pittsburgh ($49,365,283)Oakland ($47,967,126)Tampa Bay (

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-81566909401501909642008-04-14T11:54:00.001-04:002008-12-08T20:27:37.217-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album title: The Best of the PoguesArtist: The PoguesReleased: 1991 (1986)Track listing:1. The Body of an AmericanThis is the first of a handful of single tracks I have on my iPod. After hearing “The Body of an American” a few times during the detective wakes on The Wire (if you haven’t seen the show, you

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-1311232946578088062008-04-13T15:41:00.003-04:002008-12-08T20:27:37.370-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my iPod)Album: Beggars BanquetArtist: The Rolling StonesReleased: 1968Track listing:1. Sympathy for the Devil2. No Expectations3. Dear Doctor4. Parachute Woman5. Jigsaw Puzzle6. Street Fighting Man7. Prodigal Son8. Stray Cat Blues9. Factory Girl10. Salt of the EarthAllmusic.com review:The Stones forsook psychedelic

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-69446709218532325982008-04-11T08:21:00.015-04:002008-12-08T20:27:38.155-05:00

Hereby creating the MLB Tired Huddled Masses Award (to also be referred to as the Cheapskate), recognizing the professional baseball team that does the most with the least. Here’s how it works:I’ve taken the four MLB teams with the lowest 2008 salaries in the league (according to this list published by the Associated Press):Pittsburgh $49,365,283Oakland $47,967,126Tampa Bay $43,820,598Florida

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-55018000400415377102008-04-11T08:13:00.003-04:002008-12-08T20:27:38.558-05:00

Vote Obama.Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-22511739108296828382008-04-07T21:35:00.003-04:002008-12-08T20:27:38.739-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GB on my iPod(Being the continuing alphabetical series of the contents of my 2 GB iPod. Previous entries include Duane Allman Anthology and Appetite for Destruction)Album title: Back to BlackArtist: Amy WinehouseReleased: 2006Track listing:1. Rehab2. You Know I'm No Good3. Me & Mr. Jones4. Just Friends5. Back to Black6. Love is a Losing Game7. Tears Dry on Their Own8. Wake Up

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-37563216718099284282008-04-07T10:32:00.013-04:002008-12-08T20:27:39.033-05:00

Or: how I fill up 2 GB.(Just to refresh, in lieu of any real creative thoughts to post on this blog, I'm going through my diminutive iPod (2 GB) album by album, alphabetically, and writing about each one. This is entry #2; #1 was Duane Allman: An Anthology)Album title: Appetite for DestructionArtist: Guns ‘n’ RosesReleased: 1987Track listing:1. Welcome to the Jungle2. It’s So Easy3. Nightrain4.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-6462494329290771302008-04-03T11:11:00.005-04:002008-12-08T20:27:39.240-05:00

Or: How I fill up 2 GBWith nothing else to blog about (I mean, it's not like there's a presidential election going on or a power struggle in local government to write about), I've decided that a proper mismanagement of time would be to go through my iPod and elaborate on each album that I currently have loaded. Now, since my iPod is small (2 GB), this won't be all that difficult; right now, I've

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-47172650013886906662007-07-18T14:35:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:39.538-05:00

Just as heads of state have gathered annually to deal with the world's major economic and political issues, so did the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday prior to the Buccos' evening game against the Colorado Rockies.The Pirates were suffering through a four-game losing streak, a run of futility that began on the occasion of the beginning of the "official" start of the second half of the season. That

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-49583416532954159932007-07-13T12:16:00.002-04:002008-04-03T11:14:16.631-04:00

Admit it: they're awesome.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-86965815017474718452007-07-13T12:01:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:39.776-05:00

As I said in the last blog entry, I've taken up yoga as a means of physical activity in the interest of weight loss. However, my first few attempts have been handicapped by a lack of suitable yoga space. As such, I've had to work on achieving stability, proper breathing, and balance in the following cramped conditions:I shall not be dissuaded. I will persevere. I will achieve 191.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-49375263445925672802007-07-13T10:44:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:39.913-05:00

So, I've set the goal for my weight loss at 191 pounds. Generally speaking, I'm looking for a transition similar to the one in the photo at left. I don't think that should be too tough.The next step, then, is to define the parameters of my weight loss program. In addition to a diet regimen that won't be detailed here, I've determined that a reasonable amount of physical activity will be necessary

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-41265175731088932002007-07-11T19:21:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:40.450-05:00

It was pointed out to me recently that my blog posting, since April, has slowed to nothing. Largely that is due to my revolving door of ambition and creativity, a door that always swings out and rarely opens in. In lieu of having anything to say about current events or the like, I have decided to simply report on the mundane tactics I employ to use up the hours of the day. Having already

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-77735912849003735882007-04-26T09:31:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:40.772-05:00

For Littlefield so loved the Pirates that he acquired his only begotten left-handed first baseman, and whosoever shall believe in him (and stick around for 16 innings) shall not perish, but shall bear witness to a dribbling grounder that represents the end of a slump.The Lord works in mysterious ways, and sometimes the mystery circles around the exploits of a career .274 hitter with 65 home runs

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-67522177567463456662007-04-11T12:19:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:40.912-05:00

Due to certain professional and social obligations, I’ve been off the clock a bit on all the latest news on local rock-throwing. But I’m back at it now, and not a moment too soon.Let’s review:Thursday, March 22 - State police arrest Jeffrey Angelo Ramous, the alleged Parkway West Rock Thrower. Ramous admitted to two years of throwing bricks and large stones. State police say that they know Ramous

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-83301114602451460292007-04-11T09:12:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:41.074-05:00

5. The term "Vinsanity"4. Anyone associated with Outside the Lines 3. Any mention of Don Imus2. The obligatory but unnatural urban influence of Stuart Scott and Steven A. Smith 1. Any reference to Entourage

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-31612746022906597292007-04-03T10:35:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:41.210-05:00

I know it was just one game out of 162, but the Pirates opened the season last night with a 10-inning win over the Astros in Houston, and by God if they can do it there, where they didn’t win a single game last season, they can do it anywhere. Don’t forget, these are the Pirates who opened the 2006 season with an 0-6 record, so by starting 1-0 they’re already ahead of the game.But last night’s

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-24906608348324473522007-04-02T15:14:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:41.452-05:00

Let us go then, you and I,When the evening is spread out against the skyLike a patient etherized upon a table;Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,The muttering retreatsOf restless nights in one-night cheap hotelsAnd sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:Streets that follow like a tedious argumentOf insidious intentTo lead you to an overwhelming question . . .Oh, do not ask, ‘What is

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-75628832183818430942007-04-02T10:37:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:41.690-05:00

I’ve been a bit busy the last few days and haven’t had the time to sit down and really dissect the preliminary hearing of Jeffrey Angelo Ramous (aka The Parkway West Rock Thrower) that was held on Thursday. I’ve got a lot to say about it, but mitigating circumstances have prevented me from devoting the necessary time.That’s not entirely accurate, though. See, I had time yesterday to put together

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-73382746751907674852007-03-30T13:25:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:41.948-05:00

About eight or nine years ago I shared an apartment with several other college students who, like me, couldn’t quite afford the luxury of expanded cable service. In fact, we had to rely on an antenna, and our antenna was so cheap that it only picked up one station. That station was WPXI, Channel 11 in Pittsburgh. This limited access to television led to watching a lot of programs that I wouldn’t

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-29794362418654802592007-03-29T12:57:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:42.104-05:00

I missed the news last night, so this story passed me by until this morning when I saw it online. Yesterday around 2:30 PM, a car on the Parkway East was hit by a wrench socket. The socket went through the windshield of the van, which was driven by Kenneth Gantt of Jeannette.This story is available at the websites of the Post-Gazette, the Trib, and the TV stations: KDKA, WTAE, and WPXI. The

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-70129120593219120092007-03-28T19:46:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:42.594-05:00

Another welcome diversion from The Parkway West Rock Thrower case appeared today when I noticed an odd-sounding headline on my Hotmail home page. Quite frankly, I can honestly say that this might be the greatest story I have heard in quite some time, and it successfully distracted me from thinking about rock-throwers and evil-doers and protecting the homeland that is the Parkway West.Therefore I

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-45724950500181401702007-03-28T14:51:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:42.707-05:00

Well, my last six blog posts have been about The Parkway West Rock Thrower, so I decided it was time for a diversion. A sexy diversion.A lap-dancing diversion. A dollar-bill-waving-at-a-dirty-G-string diversion. And when I want that kind of diversion, I head on over to the Pittsburgh Comet. Okay, so maybe I don’t go to that blog when I want that kind of diversion. But I did go there today in

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-27576877782938180842007-03-28T11:54:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:42.827-05:00

Well, it’s been three days without any rock-throwing attacks on the Parkway West. More specifically, it’s been three nights since the last attack, which is the proper designation since all of the rock-throwing has taken place at night. As such, there isn’t much to report, and the major local news outlets reflect this lack of new information. But I’m not a major local news outlet, and this case is

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-48099567772937054472007-03-27T12:23:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:42.947-05:00

I guess since nobody threw any rocks last night or Sunday night, the mysterious case of The Parkway West Rock Thrower and The Copycat Rock Thrower isn’t much of a news story anymore. None of the TV stations’ websites have anything new or updated, save for a few recycled quotes repackaged as a fresh report. And the Post-Gazette didn’t see fit to devote any space in today’s paper to one of the most

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-73033898171306895682007-03-26T10:05:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:43.064-05:00

When I first posted yesterday about The Copycat Rock Thrower, the details were sketchy but terrifying: three days after the arrest of Jeffrey Angelo Ramous, aka The Parkway West Rock Thrower, someone took up Ramous’ cause, throwing rocks at cars traveling on the Parkway West Saturday night. I based yesterday’s post on the report that appeared on the Channel 2 website in the morning, but most of

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-67407079060519443642007-03-25T13:28:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:43.339-05:00

Just when we thought it was over, our worst fears have been realized.Three days after the capture of Jeffrey Angelo Ramous, aka The Parkway West Rock Thrower, a copycat has taken up Ramous’ cause: on Saturday night, someone threw a rock from an overpass near the Greentree exit. You can take your pick of source info on this one: Channel 11, Channel 2, Channel 4, or the Post-Gazette. I assume that

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-22776140136687442802007-03-24T11:21:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:43.573-05:00

Yesterday I posted about state police arresting The Parkway West Rock Thrower and the mysterious circumstances surrounding this particularly vile villain. If you haven't been following this ongoing tale of criminal intrigue, I suggest you peruse my post on the topic.Well, while it is notable that state police took down this terrible thrower, this hurler of horror, this proverbial large stone of

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-3929783285509734712007-03-23T13:44:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:43.738-05:00

One of the most horrifying travel dangers in recent Pennsylvania history came to an end this week when the state police arrested The Parkway West Rock Thrower. This story is available on most of the local news websites, such as Channel 11, the Post-Gazette, and the Trib, but my main source is the report on Channel 2. I couldn’t find anything on Channel 4, but they do have this handy Parkway

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-89912042747223424852007-03-23T01:26:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:43.902-05:00

Okay, let’s say the obvious: Pitt lost in the Sweet Sixteen. Again. Fourth time in four tries. Fourth time in six years. Nevermind that they got there; it only matters that they died there. Again. Is it out of the way? Good, because I don’t want to hear it. This isn’t a program problem. Those four losses featured two different head coaches and a dozen or two different players. It’s hard to say

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-67776350286618592752007-03-22T23:40:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:44.075-05:00

I meant to post on this when it first came out, but several other things happened (namely Bob Smizik’s overwhelming excitement, Bill Peduto dropping out, and the Pirates having a good inning), so I got a bit distracted. But those digressions have passed, and now I can get back to a recurring subject on this blog:The continuing saga of members of the Pitt men’s basketball team refusing to address

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-68334082722679309342007-03-22T10:29:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:44.207-05:00

One of the unforeseen shortcomings of this "Peak and Gutter" gimic that I've been basing this blog on is the fact that those are subjective terms. I've also come to realize that, by and large, the application of "Peak" or "Gutter" is really quite relative to the topic I'm ruminating on. As such, this post is listed as a "Peak," but that's largely because the standards are so low for the

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-92003942609176771032007-03-21T23:44:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:44.299-05:00

Bill Peduto has pulled out of the race for the Democratic mayoral nomination. As a result, my great plan of political action has gone down the toilet.Let me explain:Several years ago I thought I would make our nation’s two-party mandate work for me. So, despite my generally liberal/libertarian views (although those two don’t always overlap), I registered as a Republican. My line of thinking was

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-25697950885050587282007-03-21T21:19:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:44.517-05:00

So the Pitt women’s basketball team lost to Tennessee last night. No big surprises there. Tennessee is one of the best women’s basketball programs in the country, while Pitt is, in reality, still a program on the rise.Nevertheless, if not for the shootings at Duquesne and the Penguins’ beyond-expectations performance, the Pitt women’s team could be the sports story of the year in Pittsburgh.

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-38902647698657311182007-03-19T11:58:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:44.635-05:00

Some ups and downs from the recently-passed weekend…Peak: Saturday was St. Patrick’s Day and thousands of Pittsburghers celebrated with drunken revelry.Gutter: I made the poor decision to celebrate in the Southside, where every single one of those Pittsburghers jammed themselves into every single bar on Carson Street. Peak: Marc-Andre Fleury had another superb shootout performance on Sunday,

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-86277966671941331142007-03-15T15:54:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:44.785-05:00

So, as I was saying, an unpleasant theme has been developing on the Pitt men’s basketball team this season. No, it’s not the team’s on-again/off-again shooting. No, it’s not the team’s apparent inability to beat the best opposition. And no, it’s not the repeat losing performance in the Big East championship game. As a matter of fact, the theme I’m referring to has nothing to do with things that

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-32194793553616416612007-03-14T17:32:00.000-04:002008-12-08T20:27:44.956-05:00

Let me set the scene:It was Tuesday, March 13th, and the Pitt men’s basketball team was preparing to leave for its bus trip to Buffalo, where the Panthers play Wright State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. A small gathering, probably numbering somewhere around 12 or 13, of media had assembled on the loading dock outside the Petersen Events Center, waiting for the

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2793470978669072135.post-50671144008599415042007-03-11T14:40:00.001-04:002008-12-08T20:27:45.134-05:00

There’s something to be said for pure human emotion.Sitting in a banquet/meeting room on the third floor of the Sewell Center at Robert Morris University on Saturday afternoon, in the wake of the RMU women’s win in the Northeast Conference championship game, the full range of emotions was on display.There was RMU senior forward Sugeiry Monsac, a native of the Dominican Republic who scored 21

Chris Peakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04459990969054956222noreply@blogger.com0