Sunday, December 8, 2013

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Monday, November 11, 2013

#102 - Glorious Pronunciation

The Setting: Valenciennes France, 2006. An American Engineer is out for dinner with a French Engineer and the French / Spanish interpreter after a two long weeks of training. A few beers are consumed. Some small talk about French vs. English languages, pronunciation, etc occurs.

"In Pittsburgh, we have several towns with French names. However, the pronunciation isn't quite correct."
(Interest is piqued among the French Engineer and Interpreter)

"For example, there is a town called Charleroi" ( American Engineer pronounced it 'ˌSHärləˈrwä-ˈroi')
(heads nod)

"And a place, which would be Nord Versaille"
(heads nod)

"We pronounce them CHARLEROY and NORTH VERSALES"
- American Engineer

(Hands thrown in air. Growns of disbelief.)



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Saturday, September 28, 2013

#101 - Primantis Power Lunch

A group of executives out Parkway East (North Versailles if you want to be precise) decide to take customers out for a Power Lunch.  12 or 15 of them, suits, ties, nice Italian leather shoes and personal secretaries holding all calls. The place they decide to hold this meeting?  Primantis.

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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

#100 - Southside


"I love the Southside, warts and all. God Bless it. Have some gin?" -  paraphrasing my Irish mother-in-law

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#99 - Small World


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Biking home from work one day I saw a couple, obviously overnight trail riders, with maps and GPS's out trying to get their bearings in Southside Works. Offered my help and dissuaded them from staying in Oakland (it's up a hill! and not much to see!) and suggested Holiday Inn Ex on 10th.

Fast forward a few days and I'm out for a solo trail ride Southside -> McKeesport and back and headed southbound are the same couple - stopped mid bridge, asked about their trip - a couple from NYC who did a Cumberland -> Pittsburgh -> Cumberland ride, and couldn't say enough great things about Pittsburgh, Southside, the people, the food, the architecture. Arnold is a photographer and shared some of the images he took of their trip and the city.

http://www.arnoldsoshkin.com/download/bike_trip/photos/

Monday, June 3, 2013

#98 - Pretzel Shop Yinzers

I get mad at the yinzers jaywalking across E Carson to and fro The Pretzel Shop, except when I'm that yinzer.



#97 -Top Ten Lists

Read a "Top Ten US Beaches" list on Forbes.com and was momentarily appalled Pittsburgh didn't inexplicably have a place on the list.



Monday, March 11, 2013

#96 - Street Sweepers

It's been a long few months of knuckle dragging d-bags partying and puking on the back patio, skewing the love/hate feeling in the 'hate' direction. 

Walking home from some garage maintenance broom in hand, I see a random with a push broom sweeping dirt dust and crust from the street. 

My intention had been to sweep up the pile of glass, ever present but larger than usual, and call it a day.  

I dropped off my bucket of tools, grabbed my broom, and headed out to sweep up half our block with a newly known neighbor.


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#95 - Green Parkway Traffic

In a state of utter disbelief, furiously refreshing Google Maps after it showed the parkway being green in both directions during rush hour and almost crashing your car.

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#94 - taking turns

It is completely acceptable for all parties involved when a car is cut off in a merging intersection so long as it is the cutters 'turn'



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#93 - Charlie Batch

Retweeting Charlie Batch

When U were born, U cried & the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when U die the world cries & U rejoice -Indian Saying



Friday, February 8, 2013

#92 - Yinzer and Brothers Roofing Company

Mentioning to your friends or family you want to replace your roof and rather than giving you contractor #'s they figure out "how many shingles and how much beer it's gonna take to get it done this weekend..." and they do it and will run out of your house like you caught them sleeping with your wife if you try to pay them. That's Yinzer.

- Ryan "Skip" Kennedy

Saturday, February 2, 2013

#91 - Hard Selling Pittsburgh

Lone native Pittsburgher among a group of ex-pats from places far and wide, looking forward to the challenge of hard selling Pittsburgh to the skeptical couple of new arrivals.

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

#90 - The way things were

Spotting a never noticed lump of steel and twisted
ringlets climbing out of the river
once used to secure economic barges
now rusting and returning from whence they came.

a seldom noticed reminder
of the way things were

A bar top, hands glance across a faded
'est 1984' screened on wood
and a hand wraps around a pint glass
and the mind thinks of these rungs

as hands once wrapped these rungs
while the mind wrapped itself around a pint.

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#89 - Rick Sebak - again


Following random people on Twitter just because Twitter suggests them as similar to Rick Sebak.

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