August 10, 2007
From The Continuing Decline of Western Civilization Dept.
What the hell is wrong with people?
A worker at the Subway on Jacktown Hill was assaulted by some clueless idiot who threw pepper juice or some sort of hot sauce in his face through the take-out window.
My old colleague and cow-orker at the Tribune-Review, Jen Reeger, had the story.
It happened last Friday night, and apparently the horse's ass was copying something he'd seen on YouTube. Some jerk in South Greensburg did the same thing at a Burger King, while the Taco Bell at Norwin Hills shopping center was also hit, Jen wrote in a follow-up story.
She quotes a Seton Hill University therapist, Rebecca Harvey, as saying that it's a "bullying" activity (no kidding) and the product of an "increasingly aggressive and violent" culture.
. . .
It's always tempting to "blame pop culture" for incidents like this, but yeah, TV and radio have certainly been on a steady race to the bottom for at least 20 years, fueled by FCC deregulation that refuses to police content ... unless we see a glimpse of Janet Jackson's nipple or hear the F-word:
- Want to show someone getting the crap kicked out of them on a reality show? There's no prohibition against violence on TV.
- Want to show two people screaming at each other on "Wife Swap" or "The Apprentice"? The network's standards and practices team and lawyers won't even blink.
- Want to show nudity during a Shakespeare dramatization on PBS? Expect a quarter-million dollar fine from the FCC.
This is also the product of a pop culture that increasingly mocks the weak and not the powerful. Opie & Anthony, Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and a bunch of other popular entertainers and commentators pick mainly on groups of people who are unpopular (gays or the overweight) or can't fight back (the poor and retarded).
It encourages people who think they have power (like young so-called tough guys in pickup trucks) to beat up on people who don't (like kids the same age who have to work at a fast-food restaurant). Sorry, but this gets up my nose.
. . .
OK, off the soap-box. In the Jacktown Hill incident, township police are looking for a white male in his teens with short brown hair. He's got a late-model, red Dodge Dakota extended cab pickup; it's got a tinted bug shield on the front hood, tinted window shades, Lund hood scoops, brush-bars, fog lights, and a black tonneau cover.
Someone in the Norwin or White Oak area has to know who this turkey is. Drop a dime to the North Huntingdon police at (724) 863-8800 before he or his mouth-breathing friends actually hurt someone.
. . .
In Other Business: Also in North Huntingdon, the
Starbucks and Walgreens planned for the site of Chesterfield's Restaurant (the former Ben Gross Supper Club) is on hold temporarily,
according to Patti Dobranski in the
Trib. The planning commission is asking for changes to be made to the entrances and exits, and also wants the facade to be re-designed.
Meanwhile, another former colleague, Norm Vargo, reports that the township's First Ward Commissioner
George Fohner faces a hearing in Westmoreland County Court on Sept. 21 on charges he stole his opponent's campaign sign. Former commissioner Dave Herold defeated Fohner in the May Democratic primary, but Fohner won the Republican nomination with write-in votes.
Fohner is the former fire chief at Strawpump; he's charged with theft by unlawful taking, which is a third-degree misdemeanor. That seems like a bit much, since the sign was valued at only $14, but the law is the law. Details in the
Post-Gazette.
. . .
Around Town: Deputy City Fire Chief Tom Balin is retiring after 36 years with the department. Eric Slagle has
a nice profile in the
Post-Gazette.
Balin is bullish on the city's future: "Everything feels as though it's becoming rejuvenated,'' he said. I like to hear that kind of optimism, and I support it, but I think people who live up along Evans Avenue, for instance, may need some more convincing. Those empty buildings with the windows smashed out don't look very rejuvenated to me.
Also by Slagle and in the
P-G:
A preview of International Village, which opens at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
. . .
To Do This Weekend: St. Martin De Porres Parish, Market Street, Downtown, holds its
church festival tonight, tomorrow and Sunday on the grounds of St. Peter Church. Call (412) 672-9763 ... Want to
see the Mon-Yough area from a plane? Wings For Children holds "Fly Around Town For Pennies a Pound" tomorrow and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Flights depart Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin; passengers donate 20 cents per pound of their weight for the aerial tour. Proceeds benefit free transportation for sick children who need medical care. Call (412) 469-9930.
August 09, 2007
The Big Story
In Other News: Worst. Mascot Name. Ever. "Steely McBeam"? It's almost like the Steelers purposely tried to come up with the lamest possible sobriquet for their giant, grotesque, foam-headed freak show.
What was the selection process? I envision a scene similar to the one on The Simpsons when Poochie was announced as the new character on "Itchy and Scratchy":
ART ROONEY II: The rest of you PR guys start thinking up a name for this funky steelworker; I dunno, something along the line of say... "Steely McBeam," only more proactive.
KEVIN COLBERT: Yeah!
[Rooney, Colbert and the lady leave]
PR GUY: So, Steely McBeam okay with everybody?
ALL: [reclining in their chairs] Yeah...
I'm not sure why the Steelers felt the need for a mascot. I understand why the Pirates have so many mascots --- they're trying to distract people from looking at the field --- but do the Steelers need to goose attendance with a mascot?
Maybe it's a clever strategic move by the Steelers. Every time Steely comes out on the field, they're hoping the opposing team collapses in laughter.
And yes, I know the name was submitted by a fan. To paraphrase H.L. Mencken, no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of fans.
"Steely McBeam"? Holy hopping Pirate Parrots, that's just terrible.
. . .
UPDATE, 4:35 P.M.: OK, so when Danny O. declares a
state of emergency, I guess rainstorms have legitimately become a big news story.
I apologize if anyone was offended; when I wrote the
Almanac early this morning, things weren't as bad as they got later on.
So I took down this morning's sarcastic commentary, because I felt it was no longer appropriate.
And everyone knows we run a classy website here.
By the way, numerous reports indicate that Route 837 (River Road) is closed between Clairton and Dravosburg because of a mudslide, so avoid that area.
More information:
August 07, 2007
Ask The Shrill Answer Man
I haven't done this for a while, so let's peek into the ol' mailbag and see what crawls out. Alert Reader Nathan writes:
Jason, sir, I am at wit's end here. My friends and I look forward to going to the International Village every August, and have faithfully gorged ourselves on three days of ethnic foods straight for the past five years.
My question: When, when, when is it this year? I've found numerous dates online, all for past events. I cannot seem to find one news article about this year's Village, and am beginning to wonder if it's *gasp* discontinued? Please, tell me I'm not going mad.
Dear Nathan: I have no idea if you're going mad. (I do know where I'm going, but why am I in a handbasket?)
Anyway, International Village has not been canceled. I spent most of Friday morning at Renzie Park, and construction of the booths was already underway at Stephen Barry Field. The Village opens next Tuesday, Aug. 14, and runs through Thursday, Aug. 16.
And then the
"CountryFest" food and country music festival runs Friday through Sunday; it benefits the American Cancer Society. The headlining act each night is the Dallas Marks Band; other performers include Lois Scott & Plum Loco, Girlz in Black Hats, T.J. Houston, Cranky Yankee, Southern Discomfort, and "many, many more," as they say on TV.
Incidentally, you can find information about upcoming events at the McKeesport Recreation Commission's website, which is at
mckrecboard.freeservers.com.
Why isn't there a link on the
city's website, you may ask? You crazy kids! That would make it easy. We only want people to come to the Mon Valley who really, really are willing to work for it!
It's part of a new tourism campaign called "The Mon Valley: It's So Crowded Nobody Goes There Any More." I think
Yogi Berra is the honorary chairman.
. . .
While I'm on the subject: City controller Ray Malinchak had a letter to the editor in last night's McKeesport
Daily News and Trib Total Media Joint that's well worth reading. Malinchak says the International Village Committee has refused to allow the city to audit the admission fees collected at the gate.
He also notes that according to the report provided to the city, last year's admissions at International Village totaled something like $33,000 and 78 cents.
Since admission to International Village is $1, where the hell did 78 cents come from? Either someone stiffed the Village for 22 cents, or someone's not keeping very good track of the money collected.
Personally, if I balance my checkbook three times, I get three different results. I see no harm in having the city controller's office look at the books; if someone from the Village committee wants to explain their reasoning, I'm happy to give them a platform here.
OK, off my soapbox.
. . .
Alert Reader Jack writes:
Being a constant reader of Tube City Almanac, I enjoy your work.
(Editor's note ... oh, you're the one!)
You really bring back old memories of the McKeesport area. I basically left the area about 55 years ago. I have not returned for about 10 years. My, what a change, unfortunately most of it for the worst.
I have a question and perhaps you would be kind enough to answer it for me. I noticed in one of your postings that former Mayor Joe Bendel had passed away. My question is, when did he pass away, and how?
Joe and I were good friends, we graduated from McKeesport High in 1949, and he was one of my groomsmen when I married in 1957. Happy to relate we just celebrated our 50th. We have lived all 50 years here in Florida.
Dear Jack: Joe Bendel was a one of a kind, even though he used to make fun of me for growing up in Liberty Borough. ("Oh, Liberty Borough, but you brag to everyone that you're from McKeesport!")
The former mayor died Oct. 24, 2003 of complications following heart surgery; Bill Heltzel had a
fine obituary in the
Post-Gazette. He was parochial in the best tradition of McKeesport mayors, but community-minded to a fault, and was gifted with an innate ability to cut through crap. I haven't yet met Jim Brewster, but he seems to carry on in that same tradition.
If you graduated with Joe, then you also must have graduated with Duane Michals, the photographer (in fact, I have a picture somewhere of the two of them together from one of the MHS yearbooks). There was
a documentary made about Michals' life a few years ago.
There was quite a diverse lot of talent at McKeesport High in 1949! There still is, actually ... next time you come back, see if you can take a look at the projects some of the students at the
"Voke" are working on, for instance.
. . .
An Alert Reader who shall remain nameless sent this comment about the
Norwin Band license plate that the
Almanac mentioned a few weeks ago:
Our (high school band) director always used to be sure to tell us about Norwin's robust team of choreographers, instructors for each instrument, etc. Whereas our guy had himself, an assistant, and one part-timer to coach the flags, majorettes and rifles.
It was actually pretty amazing how good Norwin's band was back in the day. Competing against them was like watching the Steel Valley Ironmen take on the Steelers. I'm sure they're still on top, although from what I understand a lot of other bands now come close. (Gateway's included.)
Dear Alert Reader: Are you trying to say other bands "come close" to the Norwin band?
You're on dangerous ice, my friend. That's why I haven't printed your name. If the Norwin band ninjas should learn your identity, neither God nor
Kenny Ross could save you.
. . .
Finally, Alert Reader Mr. B. answers one of the
editor's questions ... namely, did
Ed Sigmund Moving have pink trucks?
We got into this discussion some four or five years ago on our forum. During the '50s I lived around the corner from their house where they parked the trucks on the lot facing Stewart and saw them almost every day. They certainly did have at least one pink truck.
God bless you, Mr. B., for confirming this. These are the kinds of questions that keep me awake at night. (I don't have much of a social life.)
. . .
P.S.: Don Morrow, who was the "Shell Answer Man" for seven years, has his own
website (of course).
August 06, 2007
The 'Tinplate Liar' of McKeesport
A McKeesport councilman was once denounced in The New York Times and on the floor of the United States Congress as a "tin-plated liar" for arguing that American workers could produce tin-plated steel as good as that imported from Europe.
Indirectly, he helped to elect William McKinley to the presidency in 1896.
You probably didn't know that, did you? Neither did I until a few weeks ago.
And you may know that the part of McKeesport and North Versailles Township that's under the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge is known as "Demmler." In fact, the CSX Railroad facility there is still called "Demmler Yard."
But do you know who Demmler is named after? I didn't, either, until recently.
Read all about the growing pains of the Mon Valley's steel industry in "The 'Tinplate Liar' of McKeesport." It's the latest article in Tube City Online's new "Steel Heritage" section.
Published weekdays (usually), except holidays (and when we have something better to do) at McKeesport, Pa., by Tube City Online LLC, P.O. Box 94, McKeesport, Pa. 15134.