I love game shows.  And when I’m playing in my living room by myself, I’m unstoppable.  I routinely win both showcases on The Price is Right.   I consistently double my money in Final Jeopardy and I always get big bucks and no whammys.  Card Sharks, Family Feud, Match Game…Game over!

But the only problem is, when you turn off your TV to read another awesome blog post by yours truly, you don’t have the chance to win a fabulous genuine simulated-wood dining room set, or a spacious waterbed, or a trip to exciting Acapulco.  Well, that’s about to change.  I’m giving you a chance to test your knowledge of Pittsburgh.  Will you shine or will you be the weakest link?  It’s time to find out on…..Are You Smarter than a 5^th Grader, or a 1^st Grader for that Matter?  (Cue the fancy music and lighting effects!)

Ok, actually there are no 5^th graders who could possibly get any of these questions right, but I needed a title.  Here we go:

1.  In square feet, what is Western Pennsylvania’s biggest shopping center?
Answer:  This is a tricky one.  You’re probably thinking the traditional mall route like Ross Park Mall or Pittsburgh Mills.  Well, the answer is The Waterfront which has 1.5 million square feet.  To me, it feels like the inside of Dave & Busters is 1.5 million square feet.

2.  What does the beacon on top of the Grant Building in downtown Pittsburgh spell at night?

Answer:  Before we get to the answer, here’s what it doesn’t spell; 

Cleveland Sucks

Go Stillers

Give me more fireworks

James Harrison is god

I love chipped ham

Damn it’s cold up here

And the answer is…P-I-T-T-S-B-U-R-G-H.  The building has been sending the signal since it opened in 1927.

3.  Who was the host of WTAE-TV’s Bowling for Dollars?

Answer:  You remember Bowling for Dollars right?  I remember loving this show as a kid and I’m surprised no one has tried to bring it back.  Maybe not bowling, maybe Jarts for Dollars or Curling for Cash would be better.  Anyhoo, the host of Bowling for Dollars was Nick Perry.  You also may remember Mr. Perry for something else but I won’t get into that here.

4.  How many panes of glass are in the six building complex at PPG headquarters downtown?

Answer:  This is an easy one and I can’t believe you haven’t answered yet!  Want a hint?  The answer is between 19,749 and 19,751.  Yes!  You got it!  There are 19,750 panes of glass.  I have always wanted to do a pick-up game of baseball in that courtyard.

5.  Ok, here’s an easy one.  The submarine USS Requin is docked on the Allegheny River next to the Carnegie Science Center.  Is it longer or shorter than a football field?

Before I tell you the answer, Dave and & were actually kicked off that sub for fencing.  Yes, you read that correctly, fencing.  In our defense, there was no sign.  Ok, the answer is, it is longer than a football field – 11 feet, 8 inches longer than a football field.  But, if you can’t fence on the sub, you probably can’t play football either.

How’d you do?  Well, tomorrow I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself.

Alex Trebek was not harmed in any way during the writing of this blog.  -  Dave R

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but a number of our shows over the years have been about beer.  Beer glorious beer.  So I guess the secret is out, we like beer.  And what we’ve found here in Pittsburgh is a rich environment for the frosty beverage, so let’s talk about some of the great stops that need to be on your Burgh Beer Map.

When you talk about Pittsburgh beer, whether you like it or not, you have to start at the Iron City Brewery.  They been in and out of financial trouble over the years, and you should probably never provide them with water because they won’t pay you back, but Iron City beer is Pittsburgh.  Of course, the most brilliant marketing ploy was putting our sports teams on their cans.  When we were there, at the end of our shoot they left us alone in their Oberbrau house with free beer on tap – I’m surprised we ever left.  I highly recommend their Augustiner beer.  www.ironcitybrewingcompany.com

A few doors up Liberty Avenue from the brewery sits one of the best micro-brew places in the city, the Church Brew Works.  Ok, for an old catholic-school kid like myself, drinking in a beautiful old church riddles me with guilt, but after one, you get over it.  The inside is spacious and the beer is tasty, but unfortunately it is so nice that the crowds are getting a little too big.  www.churchbrew.com

Another great micro-brew place is Penn Brewery on the North Side.  You can always find 4 great beers on tap; Gold, Dark, Pilsner and Weizen.  Dave H always gets the Dark, I always get the Pilsner.  We’ve been quite fortunate to be celebrity bartenders at the brewery over the past few years for Animal Friends and it’s always one of the highlights of our summer.  Here’s an idea; on a warm summer night, head down there and sit in the outside beer garden while sipping your Penn Dark or Penn Pilsner, and don’t forget to order some authentic German food.  It’s the best.  www.pennbrew.com

On a slightly smaller scale is the East End Brewing Company comprised of one – yes, one – employee named Scott Smith.  Scott doesn’t run a brewpub, just a tiny little Point Breeze brewery that churns out delicious beer.  But you can’t pop in there anytime you want, you have to time it for the few hours per week that he lets people come in to fill up their growlers.  In case you were wondering, growlers are just really big jugs of beer.  We like to call it the micro-ist brewery around.  www.eastendbrewing.com

If you like Belgian beer, than you have to head to the Sharp Edge in Friendship. (They’ve opened a few other locations that might be nearer to you so check out their website.)  You would be hard-pressed to find a bar that has more beers on tap than the Sharp Edge and my favorite thing about it, for each Belgian beer they have on tap, they have a special glass that it is served in.  It makes you feel classy.  Ok, the beer is a bit pricey so if you’re heading out with plans to drink in volume, you might not want to head here.  But if you are adventurous in your beer drinking, make this a priority.  www.sharpedgebeer.com

One of our favorite discoveries has been D’s Six Packs & Dogz in Regent Square.  The main drew here besides the Chicago dog and the great root beer on tap, is the beer cellar in back.  You can buy beer by the bottle, mix and match your own six packs, and they got over 900 different beers to try out.  And since they’ve expanded into the building next door, getting a table is more do-able.  Since we shot there a number of years ago, a bunch of similar places have sprung up across the region.  Someday we hope to visit them all.  http://www.regentsquare.net/ds6pax.html

And here is one more location for you to visit but it requires you to hop on I-79 North and driving to Slippery Rock.  It’s called North Country Brewing and is run by Bob and Jodi McCafferty.   They brew a bunch of their own beers and I would recommend you get the sampler which will give you a small glass of each to see which one is your favorite.  I liked the Station 33 Firehouse Red.  But their building is even better than the beer.  It was constructed in the early 1800’s and the McCafferty’s renovated beginning in 1998.  Take a walk around the building to see all the different wood carvings throughout the space.  It’s amazing!  Their outside beer garden is pretty nice as well.  It’s well worth the hour drive north.  www.northcountrybrewing.com

So there are a few recommendations for your next beer tour of Pittsburgh.  Hopefully soon we’ll make it over to the new Hofbrau Haus at the Southside Works.  It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

No hops were harmed in any way during the writing of this blog.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of Carnegie Mellon University or CMU, I think of engineers, computers, expensive text books and pocket protectors.  And yes, they produced a lot of computer experts and engineers but, until a few years ago, I never realized what a big-time theater school CMU has sitting right next door to us here in Oakland.  For one week every year, WQED donates our big Studio A to their School of Drama, and it’s begins today.  Seniors with the college write, act, build sets, shoot, and direct their own short plays and we tape them for their future resume reels.

 Did you know that CMU’s School of Drama was founded in 1914 and is the oldest actor-training program in the country.  In addition to the week-long taping they do here every year, they also have a showcase in New York and LA for their students to show off their skills for industry big shots.  And the proof is in the pudding.  Check out just some of the famous alumni who have come out of CMU.  Are you ready for this?

Ted Danson from Cheers and Becker

Rob Marshall, Oscar nominated director of Chicago

Jack Klugman

George Romero

John Wells, creator of The West Wing and ER

Blair Underwood

Laura San Giacomo

Holly Hunter

Cherry Jones, currently playing the President on 24

Judith Light

Steven Bochco, of Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue and L.A. Law fame

Rene Auberjonois

Barbara Feldon

Ming-Na

Frank Gorshin

Zachary Quinto, Sylar on NBC’s Heroes

Josh Groban

And that’s just the really famous people.  There’s plenty more, so that’s pretty cool.  On the downside, all of these future stars are walking through our parking lot so I hope I don’t hit them with my car.

No Tartans were harmed in any way during the writing of this blog, yet.  – Dave R  

It’s Sunday and I’m officially half way through my 10 posts in 10 days.  Since it’s Sunday, and you probably skipped church, I thought I could give you some things to think about, reflect upon, and put into use.  Here are some Deep Thoughts:

It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. “Oh, no,” I said. “Disneyland burned down.” He cried and cried, but I think that deep down, he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but it was getting pretty late.

Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.

The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.

When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges.

To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.

We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can’t scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me.

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.

Better not take a dog on the space shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you’re coming home his face might burn up.

The memories of my family outings are still a source of strength to me. I remember we’d all pile into the car – I forget what kind it was – and drive and drive. I’m not sure where we’d go, but I think there were some trees there. The smell of something was strong in the air as we played whatever sport we played. I remember a bigger, older guy we called “Dad.” We’d eat some stuff, or not, and then I think we went home. I guess some things never leave you.

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is “God is crying.” And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is “Probably because of something you did.”

If you saw two guys named Hambone and Flippy, which one would you think liked dolphins the most? I’d say Flippy, wouldn’t you? You’d be wrong, though. It’s Hambone.

If you go parachuting, and your parachute doesn’t open, and your friends are all watching you fall, I think a funny gag would be to pretend you were swimming.

Children need encouragement. If a kid gets an answer right, tell him it was a lucky guess. That way he develops a good, lucky feeling.

Whether they find a life there or not, I think Jupiter should be called an enemy planet.

Instead of trying to build newer and bigger weapons of destruction, we should be thinking about getting more use out of the ones we already have.

I think a good gift for the President would be a chocolate revolver. And since he is so busy, you’d probably have to run up to him real quick and give it to him.

Just because swans mate for life, I don’t think it’s that big a deal. First of all, if you’re a swan, you’re probably not going to find a swan that looks much better than the one you’ve got, so why not mate for life?

If you ever catch on fire, try to avoid looking in a mirror, because I bet that will really throw you into a panic.

Sometimes I think I’d be better off dead. No, wait, not me, you.

Jack Handey was not harmed during the writing of this blog.

Sometimes our show is funny.  Of course my Mom tells me all the time we used to be a lot funnier than we are now.  Boom – roasted!  So that got me to thinking what are the funniest shows of all time?  And since I’m at blog post #4 of 10, I need to fill some space. So, as I see it, here are the top 5 sitcoms of all time:

1. Seinfeld  It’s not even close.  The most quotable show of all time and for some reason, it seems like there is no situation in life where you can’t dig up a Seinfeld reference.  Season 4 was by far the best when they were writing the pilot for NBC, in fact, it may have been the most perfect season in sitcom history.

2. M*A*S*H*  Yeah, it got a bit preachy at the end and the series finale – while being the most watched program in TV history – was extremely lame.  But, it was also one of the best written shows of all time and had more jokes per square inch than just about any other.  Ferret Face – c’mon!  That’s gold Jerry!     

3. Cheers  The whole Sam-Dianne thing got in the way of a lot of humor but the sight the George and Cliffy sitting at the bar makes me laugh every time.  I still have always wanted to order a Screaming Viking when I walked into a bar.  And yes, I would want my cucumber bruised.

4. The Office It’s only a few years old, but it is already one of the best ever.  Like Cheers, the Pam-Jim relationship gets in the way of humor, but there’s still enough left over to please.  And Dwight K. Schrute is a TV classic, much like Kramer from Seinfeld.

5. The Simpsons  It’s been on the air for 20 years, and somehow, it is still funny.  Homer Simpson may be the funniest character ever on television.  Doh!

And here are 6 more that are great but just missed the cut in my mind:

 6.  Arrested Development   I was really pissed when FOX axed this show.  Very funny and very clever.  This is one of those shows like The Office and 30 Rock that needed a year or two on the air to find an audience but typical network executives – if it doesn’t get immediate ratings, it’s gone no matter what the quality.  Makes me have a hankerin’ for frozen bananas.

7. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia  This is actually my favorite comedy on TV right now.  Unfortunately, FX only airs the new episodes and never the repeats so you have to wait 10 months between seasons.  Still, it’s worth the wait because this show is like Seinfeld on crack.  Get the DVD box set of the 1^st two seasons and you won’t be disappointed.

8. 30 Rock  Thank you NBC for allowing this show and The Office time to find an audience.  From Day 1, this has been a great show thanks to Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin.  “I want to go to there.”

 9. Curb Your Enthusiasm  Larry David is god.  And on HBO, his demented mind can go ever farther than it could on Seinfeld.  Cringe-worthy humor every week.

10. South Park  I have to admit I don’t watch this show as much as I used to, but when it first came on the scene, there was nothing like it.  Poor Kenny.

11.  The Larry Sanders Show  This is a blast from the past, but another very funny show that you don’t hear much about.  It’s probably the only show I liked with Gary Shandling.  Ok, it was probably the only thing he was in.

Feel free to add you comments if you see something that is missing.  The sitcom genre went away for a while but seems to be coming back.  Dave H insists I start watching The Big Bang Theory but I just can’t get into it, and, I think I can find a Seinfeld reference for why I can’t watch it – “It’s not you, it’s me.”

Kenny was not harmed during the writing of this blog, although he was later killed.  You bastards!  - Dave R

Ok, so when I bragged about making 10 posts in 10 days, maybe I didn’t think it through.  I can get through to Monday but them I’m in trouble.   Perhaps you have questions, I can answer them like Dear Abby does.   Anyone?  Bueller…Bueller…

So if you have any ideas, let your voice be heard now.  And no, this doesn’t count among the 10, although….

I’m sure most of you out there have normal offices at work.  Maybe you have a lot of awards or photos on your walls, loads of important papers waiting to be signed.  An in-box, and out-box, a stapler.  Well, my office here at QED is a little different.

First off, my office is on the first floor here at QED. (There are 4 floors total)  I live right next door to QED cooking legend Chris Fennimore.  He’s the program director at WQED but everyone knows him as the “cooking guy.”  We call him Cookie.  If you have any questions about a recipe, let me know and I’ll ask him though the wall.       So here’s my desk.  Pretty clean ‘eh?  Some highlights above my desk is the fish mobile in the upper left, my collection of press passes including my most prized possession – our Super Bowl XL passes.  I got Fuzzy dice, and genuine New Orleans beads, and an FBI hat from the FBI training academy.  There is some legitimate work stuff but if you look above the computer monitor, you’ll see a red blur.  This is the Bloody Bison.  My daughter Madison came in one day when she was about 3 and drew that picture.  I think she meant for it to be a dog, but it looks more like a bloody bison so that stuck.

Ok, next wall over is my black velvet Dogs Playing Poker.  I got this when I was in college and for some reason after I got married, my wife Pattie allowed me to take this to work instead of displaying it at home.  Below that is my “rolodex,” which involves about 23 post-its and various pieces of paper with phone numbers written on them.

On the opposite wall is my bobbleheads underneath my black velvet paintings.  If you’ve seen our Belt Show, we stopped at a garage sale in the South Hills during the blue belt or maybe the green belt story, and I got these Reyes paintings.  Between them is the pig catapult, which I successfully kept out of my kids’ hands.  On the left if a map of Pennsylvania which is where we are going for our state shows.  Around the map is lots of fan mail that I saved including a guy who says our show helps with hangovers, and one guy who wanted us to help build him a house. 

I like to think of it as dorm-room-chic.  Someday I promise that I will grow up.

No dust mites were harmed in any way during the writing of this blog. – Dave R

Here’s a question – where can you find Jesse Jackson standing next to Jesus?  Where can you find George Bush hanging out with Beethoven?  And where can you find Ulysses S. Grant posing with PA State Representative Tim Solobay?  Simple – on the shelf in my office.

I collect bobblehead dolls.  I didn’t mean to, it just happened. 

About 5 years ago, my sister-in-law Carol gave me a Joey Fatone N’Sync bobblehead doll for a Christmas present.  I think it was a joke, but I thought it was funny so I brought it into work.  And as many people have pointed out, it bears a striking resemblance to the other Dave.  Since then, the collection has grown to over 30 bobbles.  I didn’t buy any of them, they just seemed to find me.

I even got a bobblehead doll of myself thanks to a shoot a few years back with Walt Srocki.  This segment just happened to generate the most feedback of any story we’ve done because Walt will make you a one-of-a-kind bobblehead doll if you send him a few photos.  It’s bigger than your normal bobblehead and he will only make one copy – he won’t make a mold because he sees it as a work of art.  I really like mine.  If you want one from Walt – you can call him at 412-782-5551.

Here’s a couple I really like.  I was able to strong-arm OnQ’s Tonia Caruso out of her Tim Solobay bobbleheads.  Mr. Solobay is the PA State Representative from the 48^th district.  I actually have 3 Solobays, in 3 different action poses. 

Of course, the Pirates have about 77 bobblehead nights a year so I got a lot of forgettable Pirates on my shelf.  I got future Hall-of-Lame players like Ronny Paulino, Oliver Perez, Mike Gonzalez, and Craig Wilson.  I even have a Potato Pete who is one of my 4 favorite pierogies.

I do have some really famous people like Plaxico, Jimmy Krenn, Jesus, George Bush, The Woodright Shoppe’s Roy Underhill, Bill from the Red Green show, the Empire carpet guy and Rosie the Robot.  Oh, if they could only talk, the conversation they would have….

Of course, these guys are just a small part of the strangeness that is my office here at QED.  Tomorrow, I’ll show you the rest, in all of its insane glory.  You’ve seen “MTV’s Cribs” right?  Ok, this is just like that, but without the pools, home theaters, and Escalades.

No bobbleheads were harmed during the writing of this blog. – Dave R

Since I’m calling 10 blog posts in 10 days my March madness, it only seems appropriate that the first post talk about the NCAA tournament that begins tomorrow.

It’s March and that can mean only one thing – potholes and the NCAA Tournament.  Ok, that’s two things but only one of those is enjoyable.  For my money, this is the best sporting event of the year.  You can keep your Super Bowls, your World Series, your Westminster Dog Shows – give me a month of great college hoops and I’m happy.  And the reason it’s the best event is because everyone is the country is gambling on it.   The tournament bracket pools make even the most holy folks among us turn into John Daly.

I know you throw your money into these pools, you don’t have to hide it.  Yet year after year you lose to people like Janet in accounting or Herb in sales.  Well enough is enough.  I’m here to give you helpful tips that I guarantee will help you make some noise in your office pool.

I like to call these Rhodes’ Laws (Actually, it doesn’t roll off the tongue that well but it looks cool in print).  If you follow these guidelines, you will come out healthier, wealthier, and wise.  (Ok, maybe not the wise thing but work with me here).

Rhodes’ Laws:

1.  Put North Carolina in your final four.  I don’t care if it is 2009, 1979, or 1949, pick them.  Powder blue works real well in March.

2.  Never, ever pick a 15^th or 16^th seed in the 1^st round.  C’mon!  Who are you trying to impress?  The guys on these teams are not NBA lottery picks – they are the future Quality Control Specialists for mid-sized paper companies.

3.  Pick upsets in the 1^st two rounds.  Yeah, I know, that goes against what rule #2 says, but here’s what I’m saying – pick realistic upsets, especially some #10-13 seeds.  And when you nail one of these games, it just feels so good.  Like maybe Mississippi State?  Hmm?  Hmm?

4.  Don’t pick Marquette to win it all.  They haven’t done that since 1977.

5.  Don’t pick San Francisco to win it all.  They haven’t done that since 1956, and that should continue since they didn’t make the tournament.

6.  Don’t pick the City College of New York to win it all.  They haven’t done that since 1950.  In fact, never pick the City College of New York for anything outside of an off-Broadway musical.

7.  Stay away from universities that have lots of directions in their name.  Teams like East Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, and Southwesteastnorth Texas College of Mortuary Science.  I don’t know why, but the more directions mean less wins.

8.  Don’t pick a team from the Ivy League.  Teams like Harvard, Penn and Princeton…let’s face it, these guys are probably more focused on their Political Science mid-terms than b-ball, and who wants that in their college basketball team?!?

9.  The ACC is good.

10.  The TAAC is not.

11.  If there is a clear cut #1 team in the country, don’t pick them to win it all.  Everyone else is doing that, so go out on a limb, pick a good team but not the overwhelming favorite.

12. Just because “Radford” sounds cool doesn’t mean you should pick them.  If you see them in the brackets, move on.

13.  Morgan State.  See #12.

14.  Portland State.  See #13.

15.  If for some strange reason you have a pool for the women’s brackets and I don’t know why you would, pick UCONN to win.  As for the rest of the picks, flip a coin.

16.  UCLA’s coach Ben Howland is a genius, except this year.

17.  Do you know what the “F” in Stephen F. Austin stands for?  Failure.  Don’t pick ‘em.

18.  As much as this pains me to type – Pitt is not going to win it all.  I’m sorry.  But you can do yourself a favor by getting them knocked out somewhere in the Sweet 16 – Final 4 range.  Everyone else will be picking them to go farther, so you can make up some points here. 

19.  And finally, always tip your bartenders and waitresses.  Actually this has nothing to do with the tournament, but I thought I’d throw it in anyway.

Congratulations.  If you’ve taken my advice, you will be winning your pool in 3 weeks.  Now fill out those brackets and this is very important, make sure you stop working at exactly noon on Thursday.  If you don’t have a TV or radio in your office, call in sick because you need to be rooting for Virginia Commonwealth.  And this will probably be the last time you ever root for Virginia Commonwealth.

No diaper dandies were harmed in any way during the writing of this blog.  – Dave R

Since we haven’t been shooting too much the past few months, our blog has become pretty barren.  Tomorrow, that will change.  I am planning on writing 10 new blog posts over the next 10 days.  Crazy?  Yes.  Do-able?  Maybe.   Can I find 10 things to talk about to make this happen?  Probably not.  Will the creativity drain out of me by Day 5 as my writers-blocked mind warps with sloth?   Likely.  Will I just keep asking questions like this?  No, I hope not.

So, beginning tomorrow, March 18th, you hopefully will find 10 new posts and I will win this challenge or you can vote me off the island.

And since I’m calling this my March Madness – I will kick it off by telling you how to win your office NCAA tournament basketball poll – guaranteed.

- Dave R