Thankful

I haven’t been here for a few days, since I’ve been busy being thankful for my parents coming to visit.  They were excited about the planned weird warm Thanksgiving weather and brought all short sleeve shirts, but they obligingly brought just enough chill with them to make me feel good.  It sort of feels like [...]

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Rubber penises and other internet fun

1.  Front-page news at the Post-Gazette today includes this riveting story about two guys in California who sold a “device” to try to fool drug tests – they have been brought down by a federal court in Pittsburgh.  I wasn’t clear on how these dudes ended up on the radar of the Western Pennsylvania Federal [...]

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Nerd’s Paradise

Ever since I spotted this article about the Pittsburgh Regional Indicators Project, I’ve been nerdily perusing the project website, PittsburghToday.org.  The Post-Gazette article is kinda rough in their handling of the data, proclaiming PGH unhealthy and lacking in diversity, but if you actually look at the nicely color-coded bar graphs for the fantastic array of key indicators, [...]

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Charming Pittsburgh-oriented media #4: Trouble in River City

I admit I had pretty high hopes for Pittsburgh.  I think Jeff Goldblum is fairly funny, and I actually like the musical around which this mockumentary centers, The Music Man.  I can sing a lot of the songs still.  And no, I won’t sing them now – ask me after beer.
This movie about Goldblum staging [...]

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About last night…

1.  Game Day in Central Texas always brings up the same question:  Bikinis or Legends?  Those are our Steeler bar choices, and it’s an issue that always demands serious consideration.  Bikinis Bar and Grill is considered by our sliver of the Steeler Nation to be the place to watch the game – the rowdiest fans show up there, [...]

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So beautiful, our Pittsburgh

The amazing photo above of fans watching the Pirates win the 1960 World Series from high in the Tower of Power (er, Cathedral of Learning) is from Google’s newly hosted archive of pretty much every photo ever taken for LIFE magazine.  Included among them are many breathtaking photographs of Pittsburgh.  Everything I want to say about the [...]

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But, PittGirl, how am I supposed to be just like you when I grow up now?
It was The Burgh Blog that sparked my interest in writing about the city I love so very much, in making it funny and sweet and most of all making other people think about seeing Pittsburgh the way I do.  [...]

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Congratulations, you’re weird. I hate you.

Everywhere I go in this town I am exhorted by t-shirts, bumper stickers, and alternative newspapers to “Keep Austin Weird.”  At first, I found this clever - the original aim of Keep Austin Weird was apparently a drive to promote local businesses and fend off the encroachment of big-box sameness – not unlike Pittsburgh Brewing Company’s (may [...]

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In Which I Discuss the Bucs’ Secret

If you’ve been reading (ha ha), you may recall that I know a little secret about the Buccos.  Well I do.  The secret is that they could be doing better.  Much better.
Oh yeah, big revelation, right?  The former pride-and-glory, now total laughing-stock of the National League has room to improve?  No kidding, eh?
No, I mean, there’s potential.  [...]

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Reasons you’re glad you live in Pittsburgh #4: Work ethic

If you’re not listening to the sound of pink muppets mispronouncing The Troy’s name, you’re listening to the sound of Steeler fans’ hearts breaking.  Sunday’s game against the Colts was gut-wrenching.  I don’t feel the need to relive it, or to provide commentary about the game itself.  You saw it.  It sucked.
The team’s response to [...]

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