Explore the Concrete Beach

Yesterday was my hooding ceremony for my Masters Degree, woo! So things should start moving along here a lot better. It was an early morning as the ceremony started at 9AM and I had to be there by 8AM.

This is why:

Yep, water. Today I was volunteered for the Pittsburgh Marathon. I was at a water station in front of the Rivers Casino on the North Shore with a few people I’ve met on Twitter. After all these cups were filled with water and stacked two tiers high there was more water in the form of rain. Yep right as the first set of wheeled racers zipped by it started raining then as the day went on it went from pouring to a slow rain to pouring down again.

The runners didn’t seem to mind, a lot of them looked to be enjoying it. I could never do a marathon, or the half, maybe if I walked it…maybe.

I did get to see a lot of people I know so congratulations to them for finishing their race despite a bomb scare near the finish line. It was a good time and thanks to the location, I got to play some slots afterward.

Well there goes another anchor at WTAE.

I just found out that Jake Ploeger is leaving the station.

Just to make it clear he is not leaving as a budget cut which led to the departure of Jon Burton, but he’s going to work for his Father-in-law, Cliff Rowe at P.J. Dick Incorporated, Trumbull Corporation and Lindy Paving. Rowe is the CEO for the companies.

Ploeger started at the station in 2000 as a sports reporter and moved to anchor of the weekend newscasts in 2002.

Lately he’s been doing sport segments due the short staffed sports department and will continue to fill-in during his last weeks at the station.

According to his bio on WTAE’s website The Pittsburgh Channel:

Ploeger says one of the best aspects of his job is that he does something different every day, and that means he has a chance to meet a lot of people throughout the region. Some of the memorable stories he has worked on include the Quecreek mine rescue, the homecoming of Pfc. Jessica Lynch and the Sago mine disaster.

He was also a local reporter as he grew up in the North Hills it says.

My take:

Like I said before when I wrote about Jon Burton, it’s always sad to see someone you see on TV everyday leave. I’m glad this wasn’t a budget move and I hope this move will be good for Ploeger.

I’ve enjoyed watching Ploeger as both a sport report and an anchor. I think WTAE has the best weekend broadcast with Ploeger and Shannon Perrine. They always seemed really comfortable with each other and the camaraderie was there. I guess you can say I’m a sucker for a little fluff and light conversation between anchors and WTAE as always pulled that off better than the other two stations.

I will say I’m not sure what’s going on at WTAE lately as it seems people are dropping like flies, but for now I will say it’s just “the business,” and this is most likely a personal decision by Ploeger, but he will be missed.

You can read more in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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Yep, I made the title as bad as the story. Maybe I should right news copy. It’s mostly fluff  and puns, right?

I guess it is time for the after Christmas “Beware of…” story.

WPXI (my number 3 station in Pittsburgh) did a story on the dangers of the Nintendo Wii, specifically older people or less active people picking up a controlling and playing Boxing or Tennis that can lead to…wait for it…”Wii-itis”. OK, I think they made that up.

Full story and video HERE.

Darieth Chisolm warns to start off slow and don’t over do it. The doctor, Dr. Fred Harchelraod from Allegheny General states that they see 2-3 cases one week then none the next. 

So basically be alarmed folks, people lack commonsense and have to go to the emergency room or a doctor for a pull or a strain because people who lack commonsense don’t end up in the ER except due to Wii injuries.

These motions may be DANGEROUS! (sarc)

We get a bunch of common sense tips like, take breaks, rest your eyes as it can give you headaches or eye strain. Um…I have to stare at a computer for 8 hours at work doing the same thing over and over again in crappy lighting, but I’m not playing Wii. Does this mean computers should have been in this story too?

I just want to know where the value is in this story.

Plus isn’t WPXI suppose to be the no fluff, we give you the news station? I’m sure someone will say it’s providing some information that could be life or death or, in this case, a co-payment to a doctor. So I guess this is a “We’ll save you money” story.

Sir,put down the Wii-mote, you are buying a ticket to the emergency room.

The kicker for me is in the comments section.

Someone using the name Star said,

“I would like to comment on the WII fit . I broke my ankle in 4 places because the instructions do not stress the distance you need to move the footpad away when you are doing the jogging part of this activity. Running in place while keeping an eye on the screen, you do tend to move a small distance from where you start from. My foot hit the foot pad that was at least 2 feet away and I fell and broke my ankle. Surgery was required, a metal plate inserted,and a scar and therepy along with 6 weeks of no weight on my ankle was a bonus I got when I tried to get fit with WII fitness. Not what I bargained for.”

Um… Star you were just dumb and lacked some common sense and balance. Enjoy your “therepy” whatever that is. I know I’m not a great speller and I admit that, but I laughed at that for some reason. Probably because they might use Wii Fit for therapy.

Oh, and going back to the title “Wii Have A Problem.” It’s a real site so you can go check out some Wii mishaps by clicking here. I love all the broken windows.

That’s all I got for now.

Later!

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Tuesday morning and I am tired and bored at work. You gotta love these holiday week though as things seem to slow down day by day. Today should be busy and so should tomorrow, well, in the morning at least. But we’ll see because at 8:45 I still got nothing to do, which is kinda odd.

But what can you do except wait and blog.

Local news can be entertaining at times. Here in Pittsburgh it’s no exception, as November sweeps come to it’s final weeks we’ve been getting the usual does of consumer reports stories, the “As Seen on TV” testing of infomercial products, the city council member who is leaving work early to go shopping (Now say in that fear striking voice of disapproval) “YOUR DIME”. Yes it’s redundant, and we’ll see the same stories in February, but the public eats up these stories along with anything Steelers, Penguins related. Sorry Pirates no one cares.

It’s all fluff, but people like fluff. But then you get that one news station that pulls out the oddest story and uses it as an investigative report. That odd story belongs to WPXI Channel 11, who by the way prides themselves on “no fluff” newscasts, for a deeper investigation of the “Swinging in Pittsburgh” story. And no this is not a revival of swing dancing…well maybe some people call it that but this is no “Dancing with the Stars” or “So You Think You Can Dance” stuff.

A few months ago there was a story of a “church” filing for some kind of legal permit or something to operate. Well it turns out it was a “church” for swinging. When I first heard the story I lol’d and said whatever. Every news station had there off-camera interviews, the no face interviews and the, what I call, “dark shadows, change my voice” interviews. I sort of laughed it off because in the back of my mind I found it funny. Apparently there were people, as usual, appalled by something like this going on in their town. The kicker is they all new it was going on but no one said anything for a long time.

Side Note: I do not approve or condone swinging, but I am in the opinion of laughing at the nosy neighbors who probably like they idea of it, but cover it up by acting appalled, but if you want to go have a swinging time, go have fun if that’s your thing, because that’s your personal decision.

Before you make a decision and think it may be a sexy time, watch this story first and see if the people they interview get you hot and bothered. My guess they will make you varmitzva into tomorrow.

Click HERE to watch the news report.

OK, so honestly who made it through the whole thing without that baby throw-up feeling in you mouth and who honestly is all horned up now?

Ewwww that guy was just :shudder:

Ok, so now you know there is “Swinging in Pittsburgh,” and probably every other state in this country and maybe every country in the world to, so swinging Pittsburgh isn’t that special. If anything, some horney people know they can have random group sex somewhere in the city, so I guess you did a niche group a favor.