RAVES to the life -- and what an exciting life at that! -- and memory of the late Danny Federici, ace organ, accordian and keyboard player for Springsteen's East Street Band. He passed away this afternoon in NY after a three-year battle with melanoma. Click on and see him on the left side of your screen and his friends pull off an unprecidented 9-minute tune on commercial television with "Kitty's Back," or with Bruce on accodian for a funny performance of "Fire," ... and the video of the tune that brought quite a few of us to tears today, "Sandy," recorded last month when he returned to the tour for a show. Sympathies to his family, some who live in the area, and all of you who feel as though we all lost someone special today. We did. (17 Apr 08)
RANTS that the government Cheeses who didn't have time to notice staff illegally billing Medicaid for dead people, and who got another Cheese position approved through civil service and county government heads because they're so busy... but had time this morning for a 30+ minute social to discuss sandals. Yes, certainly it's an improvement from past vulgar fashion discussions such as the one walking by asking someone, "Do you think I'll get f***ed tonight wearing these boots?" or "Look at my cameltoe in these gouchos," but your priorities are still sooooo warped. Down 5 of 13 staff right now, and facing a couple federal harassment and retaliation charges and a civil service grievance in the works, don't you think the focus should be on retaining staff and improving the hostile workplace? Look down at your own Flinstone-looking feet before you go on and on about who should and should not wear sandals or discuss whatever will Valleygirl do with her toe ring tatoo if the county cracks down on tatoos and she wants to wear sandals... Duh! It's called a band-aid! (17 Apr 08)
RAVES to WYEP (91.3FM) for playing music that Danny Federici made outside the East Street Band. Forgot all about him playing on Graham Parker's 1980 "Steupofaction," and included it in the early afternoon tribute to him. Raves to everyone writing in wonderful stories from Europe to Jersey of meeting Danny Federici and relaying how down to earth and nice he was. You guys really need to share some of those on the video notes on You Tube, especially the one link above for "Sandy." (18 Apr 08)
RAVES to the fashion conscious for writing, "Duh! Tell Valley Girl it's called a toe ring!" So we pass along another helpful alternative to cover the toe tatoo to relieve the stress. (18 Apr 08)
RANTS to the Fayette County Assistance Office for screwing up so badly for an area family making a mid-morning emergency application for services. At the desk, the woman said she didn't mind waiting a half-hour or even longer if needed for a caseworker when the receptionist suggested she wait days for an online application to process instead. It was an emergency for reasons we won't address here. At noon when her name was called, the woman was introduced to a worker who said up front that he had to leave work by 12:30, that few people were working because "too many vacation days were granted." As a result, her "emergency" application might have to wait till next week, up to 5 or more days, to process even for food stamps. When the woman started to cry, he left to see a supervisor who approved him to stay longer than 12:30 to finish. At 12:40, the woman was taken in the back to enter a PIN number for an Access card that was printed for her on the spot. She left relieved. Major Rants, though, because the worker and his supervisor did not do their jobs correctly. Neither actually followed through and notified the state electronic system to deposit funds into the account, as the woman discovered today when she shopped and called the toll-free number for customer service. Rants that three others were turned away at the front desk because their caseworkers "are off on Fridays" while eight workers sat outside enjoying the day. Rants that some government workers do such half-ass jobs and wouldn't last long at all in the private business world. (19 Apr 08)
RAVES of the quiet and hard to imagine heartbreaking kind to the South Carolina parents who had their 18-year-old academically strong son arrested after discovering a year-kept diary of horror and enough chemicals to build bombs and kill classmates as he planned to do. Those parents also uncovered a tape recording that he planned to leave following his mass murder-suicide plan that detailed why he wanted to kill his classmates. The teen is said to have been in awe of the Columbine killers and is described by police as "an angry young man." He is charged with possession of materials to make bombs. Lets hope that's enough to keep him detained for a long time. However, this site's legal beagles expressed doubt today that he'll be incarcerated quite long enough for my comfort unless actual bombs had already been built and were confiscated. (20 Apr 08)
RAVES -- and such a hearty laugh picturing this -- to our governor, much braver than I thought, for escorting Chelsea Clinton out on a Friday night run of the gay bars in the city of Brotherly Love to campaign for her mother. Rants to the one major news source that ran unedited video that aired the quote of one excited woman who exclaimed, "I got to grab her ass!" Nobody reportedly molested the governor, though. (20 Apr 08)
RANTS again to the county Public Assistance Office for the poor attitude expressed this morning in regard to the emergency application for services previously mentioned above. Rather than assume ownership and responsibility for misinforming the applicant, the worker said that he did his job properly three days ago and released the funds to the account, contrary to what the DPW customer service rep said two days ago. When she pointed out that he wrongly assured her that the funds would be in the food stamp account by 6 AM two days ago, he blamed her for not applying months ago for services and asked just how much of an emergency could this really have been? Rants that he reminded her that he stayed 10 extra minutes to complete the paperwork -- for which she already thanked him several times last week. Bottom line is that he nor his supervisor knows the system that they represent. (21 Apr 08)
RANTS once again to the Fayette County Assistance Office for providing more misinformation. Yesterday the same worker, who took the previously mentioned emergency application for food stamps on April 18 and misinformed by saying those emergency benefits would be available on April 19, continued misinforming yesterday when he said the benefits would be available today... but today remain still unavailable to an area family. (22 Apr 08)
RAVES to the governor's office and Mrs. Cruz-Resta at the PA DPW for tracking the problem with the MIA emergency food stamps previously mentioned three times above. Rants to the arrogant local worker who entered the funds into the state system into a wrong account. Rants that government continues to employ some unprofessional workers who are incompetent, rude and arrogant workers who would not last long in the private business world. Raves that Fay supervisor and former college classmate Mr. Mozden stepped in today when the state called to try to figure out a solution to this mess -- which may involve the family having to drive another 40 miles back to the Uniontown office to have a new EBT card issued because of staff error. Unreal! (22 Apr 08)
RAVES that so many of us voted today. Regardless of which candidate you selected, pat yourself on the back for getting out there and making for an exciting election day here. Only I wish so many of you hadn't voted for before I did... There was no more to die for peach pie left at the election bakesale when I got there by 9:15. (22 Apr 08)
RAVES that the MIA emergency food stamps issued 4-18-08 that were supposed to be available 4-19-08 were finally available this morning for an area family. Raves again to the Harrisburg staff who made sure the problem was resolved. Like the governor or not, he has ace staff for sure. (23 Apr 08)
RAVES and a warm hello again to Mr. Bill Deasy, who got in touch wanting to talk about his new CD, "The Invisible Ocean." He teamed up in Los Angeles with Rich Jacques, formerly of Brownie Mary, on the new project. Look for that article soon to follow. Bill's a Pittsburgh gem in the music industry, formerly of The Gathering Field, and as many of you know, also a published author these days. Mom knows him as the guy easy on the eyes who sang the "Good Things Are Happening" theme song for t.v.'s "Good Morning, America." (23 Apr 08)
RANTS to an Allegheny government Bad Cheese for getting so angry and vindictive because a female staff began to have a miscarriage during a meeting. He terminated her for leaving the meeting to run to the restroom before he "excused" her. Insubordination? Oh, really? Rants, too, and even more so, to his Head Cheese for not quickly putting out the fire before it got to the level that it has -- i.e., preparing for federal court. Settle now with the poor woman for back wages! Reinstate her because her work evals are glowing reports and her previous supervisor for 9 years up to two months before the miscarriage still has nothing but praise for her work. What exactly ticked him off? He kept invading her personal space and his shoes and slacks were soiled when she miscarried. Rants that her health insurance terminated with her firing and Rants that he last week was suspended with pay, pending the outcome of an internal investigation that should have but did not begin immediately then last November. (23 Apr 08)
RANTS of a chillingly sad kind on a sunny spring day enjoying a ride through the country to hear radio news of 5 traffic deaths of residents and staff from a Mental Health Association's Beallsville residential group home, reportedly because staff ran a stop sign... and then Rants of a chillingly frightening kind to learn of a hostage situation in a McKeesport bank, involving a robber reportedly with a bomb strapped to his body. Fortunately, the tense situation ended with the arrest of the robber and no injuries to the hostages. (24 Apr 08)
RAVES to so many new and regular readers, old and new friends, acquaintances and former co-workers who checked in this week in high numbers to say hi, send compliments and discuss what you've read here. Thank you for your interest and support. Raves to the die-hard preview group who read 6 new fiction pieces this week and asked if there are any more! lol You guys and your contacts forwarded on the stories in such high numbers that there really is no need to link the pages to this site. A sincere thank you to so many who say that those 6 are the best yet that you've read. (24 Apr 08) ________________________________________________________________________
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