My Personal Blog

While I was messing around with ChatGPT following the conclusion of the season of Jeopardy! Masters on Tuesday night, I asked how would my Jeopardy! tournament champions Melissa Eaton, Beth Work, Nick Cerroni, Derek Work, Cody Work and Peyton Columbus compare to the six players who participated in Jeopardy! Masters (Yogesh Raut, Victoria Groce, Andrew He, Paolo Pasco, Long Nguyen and Juveria Zaheer). ChatGPT told me that my six champions would make up a Mercer County All-Stars team going up against the very top tier of televised Jeopardy! champions.  It is a fascinating comparison, especially with my tournaments having a different purpose and structure. My very first champion Melissa Eaton would be compared to 2024 Masters champion Victoria Groce.  Like Melissa, who has earned one each of gold, silver and bronze in my tournaments, Victoria has done the same thing in Jeopardy! Masters. Beth Work, the winner of the Summer 2013 Tournament, would compare to Juveria Zaheer. Nick Ce...

What an end to the 2026 season in the Lawrence/Mercer County Church Softball League! Once again, the Covenant Speed/Power dominated the league and remains the league's kingpins, winning its tenth consecutive Chet Cameron Memorial Trophy.  The team only lost one game and only allowed one home run all season. Covenant's ability to prevent runs is their defining strength even against more explosive offenses.  Opponents rarely beat the Speed/Power with the long ball in a league where home runs can often change a game quickly.  It's the kind of season people who follow the Lawrence/Mercer County Church Softball League will likely remember for years, much like an undefeated or one loss championship team.  What Covenant did in preventing home runs forced teams to string together multiple hits instead of scoring with one single swing.  Covenant's defense turned a lot of hard-hit balls into outs.  In a one-loss season, Covenant was strong in reliable pitching (Eric ...

The recent reports this week out of Cromwell, Connecticut have the PGA Tour having the desire to play tournaments in major cities across the country. A Facebook page called Fried Egg Golf suggested courses in cities such as New York City, Washington DC, Denver and the like where they should go and where they'll likely end up. If the PGA Tour does a tournament in Pittsburgh, where should they go?  Simple:  Oakmont Country Club.  But where will they likely end up?  There's Sewickley Heights Golf Club, Quicksilver Golf Club, the Club at Nevillewood, Southpointe Country Club and Nemacolin Mystic Rock.   If they do a tournament in Hampton Roads, where should they go? I can only think of the River Course at Kingsmill Resort.  But where will they likely end up?  Virginia Beach National, Sleepy Hole, Greenbrier Country Club, or Bide-A-Wee.   If they do a tournament in Cleveland, where should they go? Easy.  Canterbury Golf Club.  But where ...

There has been a lot of discussion in recent years about the Class of 2020 and how many young people lost milestone experiences such as prom due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Ever since then, I have occasionally wondered whether the Shenango Valley could support a different kind of community nostalgia event - something along the lines of a cross-generational 80s/90s throwback formal night for adults. I'm not talking about a literal recreation of high school prom, but a relaxed and welcoming evening built around the fun atmosphere people remember: music from the 80s and 90s, dancing, balloons, retro decorations, prom-style photos, colorful lights, and the kind of upbeat energy that defined those eras. In many ways, it feels surprising that Mercer County has never really developed a signature event catered around that kind of nostalgia.  The area already has banquet halls, DJs, community venues, and people who clearly enjoy retro-themed gatherings and music from those decades. The ...

I arrived at church before mass this morning expecting a normal lector assignment.  Ministry Scheduler Pro, the church bulletin and an email I received Thursday had all listed me as scheduled, so I was simply preparing to serve as usual. Shortly before mass began, I was given a different instruction from another ministry.  It wasn't dramatic, but it did create a moment of uncertainty - especially because it didn't match what I had seen in the official schedule.  In the end, everything proceeded and the mass was celebrated, but that brief confusion has stayed with me throughout this Sunday and made me reflect on how important clear communication really is for those of us who volunteer. Serving as a lector has helped me appreciate how much coordination happens behind the scenes.  Most of the time, communication through Ministry Scheduler Pro, email and the church bulletin work very well.  When those align, everything is clear and straightforward, and I can focus o...

CAUTION:  This entry is about a sensitive topic that I have spoken about for many years. I have said for many years that bullying in schools continues to be a major problem.  It isn't just an issue in Hermitage, Altoona, or Wyalusing.  It isn't just in issue in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  It's a national epidemic that too often leads to kids who are being bullied take their own lives, which is too many young lives lost due to incidences of bullying. I previously said that the states should place the onus on the schools to implement stricter zero tolerance policies regarding bullying and enforce them to their fullest extent by punishing those who bully and protect those who are being bullied and/or are witnesses lest they face the forfeiture of half of their state funding that comes from their state legislatures (e.g., Harrisburg).  Then there was the next best thing of local municipalities put local laws on the books that prohibit public bullying of other...