Introducing ....

Introducing Lewis Lehe and Justin Jacobs...

Both Lewis and Justin are senior editors at The Pitt News and columnists.

And they both have blogs now, too.

Justin, the A and E editor, covers music at GravityRidesEverythingBlog.blogspot.com

Lewis, the Multimedia editor, posts his musings -- both funny and serious, particularly when he writes about economics -- at BlogOfTheAllies.blogspot.com

Check 'em out!

Reporters, dead bodies, Detroit, Oh my!

Here's the Craziest news story of the day/News story most likely to become an instant urban legend.

You know you live in a football town when...

... the day after the Super Bowl, your area school district gives everyone a free two-hour delay so they can recover from the night before.

Really? The superintendent should have just said, "Look, we know people are going to be hung over, and we'd rather they woke up enough to teach class before they come into work." I guess it makes a certain amount of sense, but it would be nicer if they would just, I don't know, encourage professionals to act like professionals. I mean, people can't get a day off of work for Election day (much less actual weather emergencies) but they can for the Super Bowl? And not even the actual Super Bowl, but the day after. Welcome to Steeler Country, I guess.

-Richard Brown

Snow days a big debate

It's not just Pitt students doting about the spat of winter weather this week. Pittsburgh's neighbor to the South, Washington, D.C., faced its own snow debacle yesterday.

While students' (and the TPN editorial board's) wishes for a snow day yesterday weren't granted, Barack Obama spent his day complaining that D.C. froze up and shut down.

Check out the Washington Post's editorial in response to him.

Pittbsurgh's day in the sun

According to a recent article in the Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh is going to be emphasizing alternative energy in an effort to become an alternative-energy powerhouse. The only issue? The alternative energy we're trying to harness is solar power.

Is it just me, or does this seem a bit backward? According to weather data, Pittsburgh is the 19th-cloudiest city in the United States, with an average of 203 cloudy days a year - not including days that are only partly cloudy. And even though the city is one of 25 Solar America Cities, a distinction that makes it available for a $200,000 grant for the development and implementation of solar infrastructure, even the article notes that the city was awarded the title because "the city's enthusiasm shines brightly." Not because we have the best sun, but because our attitude is good. If only solar power was powered by hopes and dreams, we'd be golden.

It's true that direct sun isn't absolutely necessary for solar power, but it still seems like this proposal is a little misdirected. Maybe wind power would be a better choice, given Pittsburgh's high hills and our general lack of most other renewable resources. But if enthusiasm is enough to warrant a government grant, then hey, go for it. Maybe I'll be enthusiastic about solar power and get a grant too.

Obama hates snow days

According to this Associated Press article, President Obama has a problem with snow days. 

According to our president, "...When it comes to weather, folks in Washington don't seem to be able to handle things." Apparently, in Chicago, children enjoy their recess outside, even if it is 10 below and icier than Beyonce's disgustingly large wedding ring.

All I have to say is Obama better watch himself.

Taking on Republicans or Hillary Clinton is one thing. But the children of America? That's a death wish. And mark my words, they will never forgive him for this. 

Hasn't Obama ever seen the Nickelodeon classic, "Snow Day?" Doesn't he realize how much physical abuse an unruly mob of school-wary elementary students can inflict? Lest we forget, children are little monsters. I heard Chris Elliott couldn't show his face for weeks after the release of that movie. 

If Obama continues his assault on snow days — which are an American tradition, I might add! — I can only imagine the worst will happen:

One minute he'll wake up, toasty and warm in his White House bed — he doesn't have to brave the harsh, arctic conditions of the bus stop — and the next, the children of Washington will be throwing snowballs in his face and making off with Air Force One. 

I can only implore that Obama rescind his comments immediately ... before it's too late!

- Molly Green

University still open

As of now, Pitt's classes are still on for tonight. A spokesperson from the Chancellor's office added that individual staff members should take their safety into consideration tonight, though.

Professors individually can choose to cancel classes. And many have tonight because of predictions of heavy snowfall and ice. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Western Pennsylvania today until 7 p.m. tonight.

The Chancellor's office would make the decision whether to close or keep open the University in the case of inclement weather.

Two years ago, the University closed because of hazardous winter weather.

Super Bowl riot precautions

Looks like the Pittsburgh police will be shutting down Oakland Sunday, closing intersections from McKee to Bigelow along Forbes and Fifth Avenues near the end of the Super Bowl game.

Check out the complete listing here.

Department reshuffling?

Pitt's English department, which offers two majors (one in literature, and one in writing where students choose between different "tracks"), held a focus group of students and professors on Monday to discuss possible departmental changes.

All English majors, lit or writing, were invited to attend to the focus group and offer their thoughts on some pressing issues in the department: Whether or not to collapse the Journalism writing track in with the Creative Non-Fiction track for one program of study, or to keep Journalism separate.

Three English majors attended the discussion, plus one non-major (two of the student participants were Pitt Newsers). Dr. David Bartholomae, who is serving in his last year as department chair, led the focus group.

We're not sure where the department stands on the issue after the meeting, and we're still forming our opinions, too.

No matter, it looks like there's going to be some serious consideration on the Fifth Floor of the Cathedral as to what a "Non-fiction writing" program should be, and if it's valuable to keep around a liberal arts-based Journalism course that's neither J-school nor pre-professional development.

We'll have more on the fate of the English department as the story develops ...

Why we love the Internet

If watching the news last week wasn't enough, relive the Hudson River plane debacle here.

The Pittsburgh Elections and Facebook

Really interesting stuff From Progress Pittsburgh:

The Race for PGH on Facebook

Image via Wikipedia

If you are a Facebook user, you know that it was hard to avoid Obamamania on Facebook in the past year.  And you certainly can’t avoid Steelers super bowl fever on Facebook - there are hundreds of Steelers fan groups on Facebook.

Can Facebook play a roll in the Primary elections here in Pittsburgh?

Lets look at some of the candidates and rumored candidates for mayor and their Facebook groups:

Mayor

• Students for Ravenstahl - 256 members
• Young Republicans that Support Luke Ravenstahl - 90 members, doesn’t look like it has been updated since 2007
• I Like Luke: Re-elect Luke Ravenstahl, Pittsburgh’s Mayor - 92 members
• Is Mayor Luke Ravenstahl stupid, corrupt or both? - 9 members
• Patrick Dowd for Mayor of Pittsburgh - 366 members (On Jan 20, the group had 81 members)
• Students for Patrick Dowd - 132 members
• The UNOFFICIAL Doug Shield for Mayor of Pittsburgh Group - 222 members

City Council

• Brendan Schubert - 52 supporters
• Recall Tonya Payne from Pittsburgh City Council - 2 members
• Bill Peduto - 149 Supporters

Other Races

• Hugh McGough - 252 Supporters

Other Elected Officials on Facebook

• Don Walko - 17 Supporters
• Mike Doyle - 299 Supporters
• Bring Back Mike Veon - 7 members

Are there any others that we are missing?  Who would you like to see on Facebook? Do you support your favorite candidates by joining their facebook groups?

What do you all think? Anyone supporting anyone yet? Seems a little early to me, but then again I hear they're already starting to poll people about it.

Tell us what you want

Back by popular demand, "This Day in History" now sits on the left side of this page. Scroll down to check out this popular former-Page Two feature.

If you, the readers, would like to tell us what you think about The Pitt News, please do. I'll be reading comments on this site religiously to see how you feel about our coverage and determine how we can better serve you. Please feel free to comment, or if you'd like to keep it private, drop me a note at editor@pittnews.com

We also might pitch some ideas and upcoming projects here, so stay tuned!

Revamped TPNLive

Judging by the raging success of our Inauguration coverage, we going to stay plugged into the Blogosphere and keep bringing you news and commentary on this blog!

Check back frequently for updates about Oakland and beyond from our vast array of voices on staff, including your favorite columnists, Molly Green and Lewis Lehe, along with other editors.

In the meantime, browse around Pittnews.com for multimedia packages and stories you might have missed in our print edition.

We're on Twitter, too: Follow us @ThePittNews

Ben Stein is Disconnected from Reality

In this piece, called "Everybody's Business," Ben Stein showcases how insulated the wealthy can be from the rest of society. Consider the account of his friend:

She lives in a lovely home in a stylish inland enclave. It has an interest-only mortgage of about $2.2 million that requires a payment of $12,000 a month, very roughly. It was last appraised at $2.7 million, but who knows if it’s now worth anything remotely close to that price.

The woman...has no job or other remunerative employment. She has a former husband, an entrepreneur whose business has suffered recently. He pays her $20,000 a month, of which roughly half is alimony and half child support. The alimony is scheduled to stop this summer.

She has a wealthy beau who pays her credit card bills and other incidentals, but she is thinking of telling him she is through with him. She has no savings and has refinanced her home repeatedly, always adding to indebtedness and then putting the money into a shop she owns that has never come close to earning a dime. Now she is up all night worrying about money. “Terrified,” as she put it.

What a typical American tragedy! A modern day Grapes of Wrath, really. Is there no justice?

A grown woman has absolutely no job skills, but runs a shop because that's what she read that's what self-actualized modern women do. She has an "interest only mortgage," and let's be frank: an interest-only mortgage is not a real mortgage, because you don't actually build up any equity in your house. It's a 30-year lease, and it's an amazingly stupid thing to do unless you're desperate. The only reason it exists is an idiotic fluke in the income tax code that lets you deduct mortgage interest payments but not rental payments.

This lady lives mainly off of $20,000 of alimony and child-support from her wealthy ex-husband, but in a shocking turn of events that she knew was going to happen for some time, the alimony is ending. The rest of her income, which is spent on "incidentals," comes from a different rich man in her life, who pays off her credit card every month. However, she does not fancy him so much lately. Also, she has refinanced her house and accumulated a ton of debt.

These are the sobering problems that Americans face each and every day in this wintry economic climate. Across America, alimony is ending and people want to break up with their rich boyfriends. Hundreds of millions of Americans risk losing the basic shelter of a $2 million house in a stylish inland enclave. It's easy to dismiss the plight of the handicapped, the ignorant, the poor, the drug-addicted, but when not even your stylish inland enclave is safe, then it's "Everybody's Business."

Why does the Times let Ben Stein write a column? He writes about economics, generally, but he is not an economist, or a broker, or a businessman, or a personal finance adviser. It's from his perch as speechwriter and novelty actor/endorser, that he gets the authority to doll out profound nuggets of wisdom like:

I have been pondering what advice to give them about money. What I keep coming up with is this: Do not act like typical Americans.

Don't act like typical Americans? Check!

From the Man Who Brought You The One Hundred Trillion Dollar Bill

Here is a Newsweek interview with the Central Banker (Ben Bernanke/ Alan Greenspan) of Zimbabwe. It is funny.

If you don't know, most countries have "central banks," which are banks that are kind of run by the government. They don't make profits really, but instead have a public mission to control how much money there is flowing around, to manage inflation and investment and employment.

Zimbabwe prints money like crazy and have really bad inflation. They recently started printing a one hundred trillion dollar bill, which is worth about thirty dollars.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the interview:

"I still lay claim that I am the best tea maker in the world."

"I decided God had been on my side and had come to vindicate me."

"those who have studied the history of economies know that we are down, but that the only thing hat can happen is we will move up. That is a certainty."