They're Everywhere: People and Plates from Out of State

Something interesting is afoot around Pittsburgh. It might not be obvious if you're walking around, looking about town. But, hop in your car and travel about the airport corridor. Look at the cars around you. Look at the licence plates. Specifically, look at the states of the plates around you. There are suddenly a lot of out-of-state people coming to Pittsburgh.  

Like most kids, I grew up playing the licence plate game on trips. Playing the license plate game always had to be on trips, because, at the time I was growing up, people were leaving the area--not coming here. 

Around here, it was always just PA plates and you'd have to hope for the occasional over-the-road truck passing through with an out-of-state plate. As a result, punch bugs, counting cows or cemetaries had to suffice for trips within the area. 

But, that has seemingly changed recently. Even on my 30 minute commute, it's nothing for me to see license plates from 15 states, which is awesome. It means people are coming to Pittsburgh from other places. And, it's not just people passing through. These are people here daily for the business commute. 

Maybe it's a result of more movies being filmed in town. Maybe it's because Pittsburgh is continuously voted a most-livable city. Maybe it's because our property is relatively inexpensive, stable and spacious. Maybe it's the emerging green living trend here in Pittsburgh. Maybe some of it is rental car traffic through the airport. But, popular consensus seems to be that a lot of these people are here to work.

People are coming to Pittsburgh to work for Google or CMU. People are coming to Pittsburgh to work in medical research. People are coming to Pittsburgh to work in the natural gas drilling boom that's happening in the area. Jobs are bringing people to Pittsburgh. That's something I haven't seen most of my life. 

It's been more than a couple of generations since Pittsburgh was stood on its head by unemployment from the fall of the industrial age. There's a reason that Steelers fans are everywhere. It's not just because they're an honorable, winning franchise. It's because Pittsburghers were scattered about the nation in search of work after our industrial heritage became passe. 

So, to see people coming to the area--in some cases, coming BACK to the area, is fantastic. It's validation that Pittsburgh has turned the corner and is returning to its prominance as more than a place to visit--it's a great place to live. Take a look the next time you're out and about. See how many plates you see representing people coming to our area. 

Life Axiom: All the Drama

• Life Axiom: A person uttering the phrase, "I'm done with all the drama," is positively correlated to being a contributing factor in said drama.
  • Add the word SO to that phrase, "I'm SO done with all the drama" and they're defnitiely the source of said drama.

Can I Kindly Choke to Myself?!

Nope, this isn't a blog about those winter flu, germ spraying circus seals that spread their funk about without a thought about covering their mouths. This isn't as serious as a drunken Republican lodging a pretzel in his throat in the recesses of the White House on NFL Sunday. This one's about me. Sitting by myself, at a restaurant, as I try to hide the fact that I've sucked a hunk of Arby down the wrong pipe like a pigeon into a jet engine. *HOOOARK* 

You know how it goes, I'm sitting there at lunch and paying attention to just about everything except the food going in my mouth. Reading sports scores, Tweeting about the food I should be paying attention to and *thunk* I have the Augustus Gloop of Arby bun inhaled into my windpipe. 

I can breathe. It's not heimlich worthy, but it's kind of quiet around, I'm in a visible seat and I don't want to make a production.

If anybody was looking, they probably saw me failing to be subtle about aggressively mouth breathing like the big, bad wolf prepping to blow down a multi-story steel structure. But, let's assume that wasn't the only symptom of my predicament. 

Apparently Arby's sauce, while innocuous in flavor, becomes rather spicy when creeping about your lung corpuscles. So, my eyes start watering like a colicky baby. That, of course, inspires a watery nose, which is hard to battle when you lack the wind to suck it in, or blow it out, as well as the long sleeves to go all third-grade smear tactic. (on a completely unrelated topic, I'm going to recommend against ever Googling images for scorching hot sauce without safe search on. MY GOD, who knew!?) 

But, back to me. I've got it together. I'm pretending to actively read my Twitter stream and not scream out the Yetti call that would easily dislodge the mishap. So, I'm subtly grunting like something that would be a great hit among the Tuvan throat singing crowd. At the same time I'm looking around to see if anybody is noticing. 

Well, nothing gets people to notice something meant to go unnoticed like looking around to see if anybody's looking. Dude in the booth adjacent to mine whispers to his wife, then subtly gives me the raised eyebrow, like, "you going to live man?"  I gave him the little wave, letting him know I'm a jackass and forgot how to eat, but I'll make it. He gives me the nod, chuckles and whispers it back to his wife, who has to look.

I'm pretty sure that attracted a few more looks as well. But, I hunkered down for the most intense 140-character reading session I could muster while trying to dislodge a flaming Pinto from my windpipe. 

Eventually I quietly rattled things loose enough to get me through my meal and wind service returned to normal. But, all wasn't clear yet, that is, until I got into the parking lot and finally let out that Yetti cry that sent Augustus Gloop flying from the pipes. I'm pretty sure I heard bigfoot return the call in the distance when, the guy from the restaurant emerged again and gave me the look. I, again, gave him the wave, and said, better now! He chuckled. 

 

Scrabble Players Needed for Charity Tournament

So, you think you're the best at Words With Friends, how about trying your skills against others in a Scrabble tournament to benefit Adult Literacy Action Penn State Beaver? 

Adult Literacy Action is hosting its Second Annual Scrabble Tournament at the Beaver Valley Mall on October 20. I'd like to encourage you to participate. If you're an experienced player--or even a beginner, it's for a great cause. 

Adult Literacy Action is a non-profit organization that depends on the generocity and community involvement to provide service within Beaver County. For more than 30 years, Adult Literacy Action has actively promoted a literate Beaver County by offering free adult education in reading, writing, math, GED preparation, distance learning, English for Speakers of Other Languages, workforce education and family literacy. Last year, volunteer tutors and Adult Literacy instructors served over 800 adults at libraries and learning centers throughout Beaver County. 

In these tight financial times, more people need these services than ever before and your Scrabble Tournament entry of $25 will go further to help Beaver County.

Here's your chance to show off your skills:

When:   Thursday, October 20, 2011
Time:    5:30 - 8:30 PM (tournament begins at 6:00 PM)
Where:  Beaver Valley Mall --- Center of the Mall
RSVP:  Call 724.773.7810 to Enter Today 

Jesus Google! Really?! Sometimes suggestions are helpful, then other times there's this?.

Much Ado About Facebook Subscribe

So, Facebook now has a subscribe feature. Yawn! Subscribe is essentially a bandaid for the superuser and has very little to do with the average user. Superusers have left Facebook in droves for greener pastures. And Subscribe lets them share certain public posts into subscribers' streams without letting the general public into their personal account.

One of the numerous issues Facebook has always had was segmenting audiences. Quite simply, it's difficult to tell that vendor, or office acquaintence, no, I don't want you as a friend on Facebook. Likewise, it's difficult to manage your friends and family's urges to post those cute little pictures of you from years ago -- or last night. And, since most users seem to think aloud via status messages, you don't want everybody seeing what's on your mind--especially when it concerns them. 

Many people, like myself, were forced to manually segment their audiences by creating multiple identities online. Sure, Facebook eventually gave you ways to group your friends. But, to say that system is unweildy is an understatment. Facebook is an endless maze of privacy settings and options. Even advanced users get caught in the cluster of customizations. 

Enter Google+. Google+ is by no means revolutionary. Its core funtion is to share--much like Facebook. But, what Google+ brought to the game was 'Circles.' Google+ Circles is Facebook's group feature on steroids, without the rage and pocked face. Circles is a clean, simple way to group your friends, acquaintances and other audience groups. Circles is a central feature to how you share every single post in Google+. There's no pull-down box, that leads to a pop-up window, that leads to an auto-complete list of who you do and don't want to share with. It's easy and straightforward. 

All that glitz and glam is great and all for Google+, but there's one problem....the critical mass is still on Facebook. Sure, the net elite have declared Google+ their new country club. But, meanwhile, our friends, family and other luddite associates are all still seated in Facebook. People decry the injustices of Facebook, but much like bitching about work, they still show up every day. So, until that critical mass leaves, Facebook only needs to manage the hemorrhaging. 

While MySpace went the route of WordPerfect, Facebook is going the route of Microsoft. Facebook has the hold on the market and simply emulates the best features of any potential threat (i.e. Google+). Facebook subscribe is using this emulation as a tool for managing that hemorrhaging. It's placating the 'super user' with giving them a way to communicate with the outsiders without actually 'friending them.' Not, very social for the social leaders.... I've heard them lament of having to re-orginize their entire friend group and complaints of the like. But, in reality, the average Facebook user has 135 friends. To, that level of user, my kind of user, subscribe has little-to-nothing to do with how I use it. And, it has done nothing to solve my need for multiple identities.

Fact is, as long as the critical mass is on Facebook, and it is where my friends, family and co-workers are, then I need to be on Facebook. While everybody is still looking for the next, best thing, most are still keeping their feet in the Facebook waters. For that reason alone, Facebook can continue its current strategy without any great threat. Like Microsoft, Facebook will have to try really hard to shake its core of users. Some of us will make use of Google Docs to replace Microsoft. Some of us will use Google+ to replace Facebook. But, it would take a major event for either to lose their core. 

So, congrats to Facebook on Subscribe. Yawn...

First mile was ok, then after that the shit hit the fan with the heat: