Watching the festivities surrounding Super Bowl XLII in Phoenix this week reminds me of my trips to the Super Bowl. I have always been a big fan of "Super Sunday" and I have had the fortune of going to the NFL"s title game - and the circus that surrounds it - twice. Contrary to public opinion, the local Pittsburgh TV stations do not go to the big game every year. It's expensive and - as we have seen during the week - there is little local interest until Super Sunday.

As for this year's game between the Patriots and the Giants? Who do I like? You will have to wait until tomorrow morning when the entire Channel 4 Action News This Morning makes their fearless predictions.

The news that a Save-A-Lot store may coming to the Hill District, giving the area a much-needed supermarket, should be welcomed news for residents and community leaders. However, they have concerns. They are hoping for more than a supermarket. They would hope it would have pharmacy and a bakery.

This is the contention of many who study businesses which cater to the inner city. While Save-A-Lot has not been accused of this, there have been many other business over the years which have come into urban areas and sold groceries of lesser quality ( high fat and sodium content ) or offered a stunning lack of selection. Residents are reduced to buying whatever is being offered there because of it's proximity to their home and the fact that they can buy large amounts of food without worrying about how to get it home without a car.

I thought I would let you know about a new segment we're starting on Channel 4 Action News tonight starting at 5. Actually, it's not new but rather the return of an old favorite with a new twist.

Another first on Channel 4 Action News this Morning. I actually went through a two-hour show without a single cup of coffee. I consider this a major achievement given the time of day I get up. However, as I was making coffee for the crew, I just didn't have that "Java Jones" this morning. Even Kelly was wondering if I was not feeling well. Actually, I'm fine ... and I guess I'm just taking a break from the caffeine circuit. Then again, I have been feeling kind of weired recently. I didn't eat anything yesterday even though I worked out at the gym and hit golf balls for a solid hour at the indoor driving range at Neville Island.

I was thinking about having a cup though when I read about this: A U.S. spy satellite that has suddenly lost power, is out of control and could crash to Earth either next month of early March. What's worse is that government officials not only do not know where it's going to land, but also they are takings teps to - in their words - mitrigate any possible damage.

OK, am I the only one alarmed by this? I don't trust the government to get much right but I would hope they could keep a satellite from crashing back down to Earth - and possibly landing in my backyard or worse. I know the odds of that are long, but the fact that we should even be thinking about the possibility is frightening to say the least.

Maybe it's time to get back to my coffee routine.

(WTAE city skline backdrop, courtesy Matt Robinson & PittsburghSkyline.com)

I have often wondered who commission all these studies we report about on the news. I used to think someone just sat in a room and thought, "Hey, I wonder whether couples who fight are healthier than those who don't".

Well, someone has actually done a study on that very topic.

The University of Michigan has tracked 200 couples over the last 17 years and found the mortality rate is twice as high among couples that do fight than those who suppress their emotions.

Looks like I'm headed to an early grave.

I'm the one in our marriage who hates conflict. I would rather let a problem fester than deal with it immediately - which is the exact opposite of the way I am at work. I hate to procrastinate.

Sharon, on the other hand, loves to talk things out. She's not afraid of sharing her feelings and concerns.

Now, while I feel there are way too many studies in the world, I do think this particular one gives all couples reason for pause. In the end, whether it's about your lifespan or just being happy, we all need to share our feelings with the people in our lives.

It's never an easy thing to be honest - especially with yourself. However, that might be the only way to find true happiness - whether it be at work or with your wife. With that in mind, maybe I'll try to open up a bit more - and maybe even get into the occasional shouting match with the Mrs. After all, I would like to be around as long as possible.

I told you a few months ago about Sharon and I - and our attempt to sell our house amid the worse housing market in years. We wanted to move closer to the city because, even though we love where we live, after four years the commute from Washington county was just killing us .. especially yours truly.

However, real estate is one of those unpredictable things. Just last Friday, after more than a year on the market, someone came by our house and loved the look and made us an offer. We had the home under contract in 24 hours. Great! Then, a day later, a guy pulls up to the house in his white Mercedes and says he's interested in looking inside and buying. When it rains, it pours!


Now for the down side. Our buyer loves our little abode so smuch, theyt want to get into the home in six weeks. Since they are buying, who am I to say no. But the speed of the sale has Sharon and I in one of those strange situations where we have to find a place to purchase -- and fast! That kind of takes the fun out of casually shopping for a new home.


So where do we go ... and what will we buy? When you are under the gun, it makes you think about what is truly important. For us, it's about being close to the city and still being close to our friends. It's about convenience to I-79 & I-279 which takes Sharon to work and takes me into town. It's about a place where there is someone to do outdoor work and maintenance because I hate to mow the lawn.


But most of all, it's about finding a place to go home. I have been a nomad much of my life, always leaving half my belongings unpacked because I think I'm going to have to move at a moment's notice. I know it's kind of silly for someone who has been in Pittsburgh for 13 years, but that's my quirky hang-up.


Wish us luck as we engage in the speed round of house shopping. At least it's a buyer's market.

It was an on-going mini-series on my blog Friday.

I'm speaking about my reaction to the Golfweek cover photo showing a noose in reaction the controversy involving comments made about Tiger Woods by a TV announcer. The cover photo which somehow sneaked past the sensibilities of the Golfweek editorial staff.

As you might remember ( feel free to scroll down a few lines in case you have forgotten ), as a Golfweek subscriber I e-mailed a letter to editor Dave Seanor criticizing the choice of cover and cancelling my subscription. Well, about a half hour after that, Golfweek fired Seanor. I'm not taking responsibility for that. I doubt my single e-mail made a difference. Rather it was the collective e-mails of thousands of offended people.

Well, last night I received a response from Golfweek's new editor. Craig Horan acknowledged my letter and apologized for Golfweek's error in judgement. Golfweek went onto say that Seanor never viewed the cover in question before it went to print.Then, he asked me if he could use my letter - along with dozens of others - as part of a special issue due out this week apologizing for the cover photo as well on their website.

I never expected to hear a word from them .. and was honestly surprised that I not only received a response but was asked for permission to use my letter. I guess sometimes one lone voice is heard.

I'm thinking about e-mailing the oil companies next.

Hope many of you are enjoying this three-day holiday weekend. I'm at work, but I still intend to celebrate the MLK Holiday .. by taking a day off from blogging. Don't worry, I will be back bright and early tomorrow morning with more musings on the world from my point of view.

Please enjoy the day off .. and please take a few moments - as I will - to remember the work of Dr. King and the sacrifices he made so that all of us are able to live in a more color blind world.

Update, 11:14am: ( Associated Press ) Golfweek apologized today for putting a noose on the cover of its magazine to illustrate the controversy over a Golf
Channel anchor's use of the word "lynch" in a comment about Tiger
Woods. The editor responsible for the cover, Dave Seanor, was replaced.

I would like to say this was my doing - but it wasn't. I just think I was one of a growing number of voices who said "you are wrong". Nobody wants to see someone lose their job and one can only hope the next editor will be a bit more thoughtful in choosing the cover.

Update: At 9:45am, I called to cancel my Golfweek subscription. I also sent an e-mail to the editors of the publication to express my feelings regarding the cover and to notify them of the cancellation of my subscription.

Frequent readers of my blog have no doubt noticed one of the more popular topics of discussion here in race ... and racial issues. It's not because I'm attempting to stir up the pot or become the on-line alternative to Al Sharpton. I just feel that this forum allows me to cast a light an issue which is not discussed in a frank and public manner. Just like sex, we tend to have a bit of prudish nature as a country when it comes to discussing race.

I know many of you that watch the morning show might also get home in time for the 6pm news. If you are one of those people, you may have done a double take last night and asked the following questions: Was that Andrew Stockey sitting next to Sally Wiggin .. and was he wearing the same suit and tie he had on this morning? The answer to both questions .. is yes.


It's not the first time I have done the morning and the evening shows. This time, Mike Clark was a bit under the weather so I came back later to anchor the 6pm broadcast. This morning, I'm paying the price. I'm exhausted and - after staying up late talking with Sharon about vacation plans - I'm going on four hours sleep. I'm also going on adrenaline.


There is nothing like an adrenaline rush to get you going. When I was younger, I got that rush from playing football .. and as you can see below .. I had a little bit of success as a running back. When you get older and your playing days are long done, you need to find something else to excite you. For me, it's that rush of working in the non-stop world of TV news.

photo courtesy: My Dad

From anchoring the live show for two hours every morning .. to going out and shooting a story during the day about security in Market Square .. to coming back and anchoring the 6pm news, it was a non-stop day of excitement. I didn't even mind returning those phone calls.

Plus, I figure I will have time to sleep this weekend. So if you see doing the 6am and 6pm, don't worry. Know that I'm having fun because I'm doing something I enjoy and something I know I won't get to do forever.


By the way, digging through the old photo file I found another picture from my past:




It's me hanging out in high school with two of my dear friends at the time. Heather, on the left, is a mom living in Massachusetts and Ann, on the right, is married and has a home business in New York. I thought it was a cute picture of three friends before we left the bubble of high school and embarked on life in the real world.

First up, thanks for all the coffee suggestions. I never knew there were so many different types of coffee .. or flavors. I think I may take up coffee sampling as a hobby and try to surprise the folks here each morning.

Now, onto today's post, and I have decided not to pay my taxes this year.

No, I'm not doing a Wesley Snipes here and acting as if I don't have to pay taxes - and chances are I will end up giving my share to the IRS anyway. But if I could, I would not give the government a dime after what I witnessed on TV yesterday. You probably saw it as well.

The congressional hearings into steroids in baseball continued on Capitol Hill. Another great use of your tax dollars at work. What is the world is congress doing getting involved in this steroid issue? There is a war going on , the economy is tanking and we desperately need campaign finance reform and where does congress decide to spend its' valuable time? Asking whether or not baseball players cheated a decade ago.

It's a game, not life and death and at the time those drugs were not illegal. If congress really wants to be involved in stopping the use of drugs, how about focusing on the drug problem that is killing young people in the inner city instead of the drugs used by millionaire ballplayers to hit the ball better?

I cannot believe my elected officials have nothing better to do that focus on whether someone cheated in a game. If that's the case, when will they hold hearings into the sport of wrestling? Ladies and gentlemen, it's entertainment and nothing more. Baseball is just a game and to spend congressional manpower and hours on what amounts to a cheating scandal seems not only a waste but also an insult to those of us in this country with real problems.

OK, I will pay my taxes so I won't get into trouble. However, I'm doing it under protest

First up, let me apologize for being off yesterday. I really was not feeling well and the only reason I apologize is because I rarely get sick. I can count ( on one hand ) the number of sick days I have taken here at WTAE. I hate being sick but I hate missing work even more because there is this incredible feeling of guilt when you are laying in bed instead of being at work.



Jennifer Sloan ( right ) with our former producer Dana Brown

Inspiration can be found in many places ... even your public restroom.

In the past year I have purchased an iPod as well as an iPod touch with wi-fi, and while I have not bought the latest phone or Blackberry, I know when my contract anniversary kicks in and I get that free upgrade, I'll know exactly what to buy. I can honestly say that Ashley is able to dig up something that I will find interesting or provide a "wow" factor every morning. It also depresses me to some extent, because I know that whatever I end up buying, she will tell me two weeks later about something better and faster. Such is life in the world of rapidly changing technology.

IN 1972, the campaign of Democratic candidate Edmund Muskie came to abrupt end when on a snowy day in New Hampshire when he emotionally tried to defend himself from personal attacks. He spoke amid a snowstorm and snowflakes were hitting his face during his emotional statement. To the untrained eye, it looked as if Muskie was crying. That was it for Muskie's presidential bid. How could America ever elect a President who cried or showed emotion?




Fast forward to 2008.

Once again, we are in New Hampshire and witnessing another emotional moment. Only this time, it's Hillary Clinton who appeared to be on the verge of tears when asked about how she was holding up during these grueling days of campaigning. Her answer and her emotional display has become the buzz in political circles and the lead story on all the news broadcasts.

But instead of it being the downfall of her campaign - a la Muskie - some are wondering if this is the turning point for her suddenly slipping Presidential bid. It's amazing to see how far we have come as a society that we are not only seriously looking at a woman as our next President, but we are also looking at emotion as a strength rather than a weakness.

However, in showing both our partisanship as well as our cynicism, there are many wondering aloud if the whole thing was a calculated move on the part of Hillary's camp. A last desperate attempt for votes and to appeal to the human side of New Hampshire voters.

I don't know and I don't care. However, I will say this: I want my candidates to show that they are just like me. That means sometimes showing their frailties, whether it be sadness or anger. I want to know that - in some way - perhaps my leaders feel the same things I feel when confronted by great tragedy or great joy.

I'm not saying I'm voting for Hillary Clinton based upon what I witnessed. I'm merely saying that I wish more of those running for office would drop the shield of the standard blue tie and the canned stump speeches and really tell it like it is. Really tell me how you feel instead of telling me what you want to hear.

Photo Courtesy: ABC News

One of the cool things about having your own blog is that you can always send a "shout out" to anyone you want. Can't always do that on TV without coming across as self-serving and perhaps a bit pompous.

Hey, can you keep a secret? I don't want to get everybody too fired up, but there is a playoff game at Heinz Field between the Steelers and Jaguars. Just thought I would let you know.

Never been to Iowa.

Happy New Year!