Sep 26, 2017: Tova was accepted into Pitt's undergraduate nursing program today!
Jul 13, 2016: This is my year of freedom.
May 13: I might need a new favorite song. I wonder...
May 12: Hey it's Tom Hoffman. Hi, Tom.
Jan 13: Saw half moon walking this morning. ...Taylor Negron!
Dec 10: Indies from the middle.
Jan 14: Started a class at Pitt, for free under my staff benefits, in urban planning with James Hassinger. ...Need to read through these Five From the Fire pieces.
Dec 2: Thanksgiving last Thurs was great - we hosted. Sarah took off from work the day before and prepped a ton of food. With some help from me she made: two turkey breasts, one herb garlic and one with bbq spices; stuffing, one veg and one not; cole slaw, one dairy and one not; green beans with mushrooms and crispy onions; fresh cranberry sauce; gravy; mashed potatoes; sweet potatoes; salad, and apple crisp. I made pumpkin pie and Ruth made coconut cream pie. Corbin and Theresa joined us and it was excellent!
Nov 13: We ate some amazing food last weekend at Estadio. Also enjoyed Bier Baron. Also
enjoyed GBD though we were drunk from the Bier Baron, which may have biased us. Visited a museum we'd never tried before,
and saw some great Faith Ringgold paintings from before she started quilting. Hirshhorn's current "Damage Control" exhibition includes Bruce Conner's 'A Movie'
which was very good. Saw muhly grass for the first time. Made it to Eden Ctr for tasty lunch. Staying with Bob and Bernie was really inspiring, too.
Oct 23: Tova turns 13 today! :) Amazing child. ...Some recs - Daughter and Adria and Michelle Tea.
Oct 9: Bucs still in it! ...ASX ...Billy Larkin and The Delegates - Pigmy part 1 and 2...HAIM.
Sep 17: Headed to Pirate game tonight!
Aug 13: Music links: Nilsson Schmilsson, a Get Lucky cover, deep soul at b-side and sir shambling.
Aug 5: Friday dinner at Cantina with Matte, then Unblurred crawl. Slept in Sat, took bike to shop, got some snazzy Paul Smith trousers at Hey Betty. Date night with Sarah with roof top confab, then on to Nico's, then to Curto Park for fireworks. Gorgeous Sunday: lox omelet courtesy of Mom, coffee with Ed and Lil, finally back home after renters left, jogging, hanging with Ian, supper at Thai Cuisine.
Jul 29: Friday had drinks with Momjo at Howler's. Saturday saw Turbo with the Boviers then cooked them a decent dinner at home including teeny, tiny orange tomatoes from the garden. Sunday super chill, lonely, but included a run about 4pm, and a walk with kids to Mercurio's after supper. Kids at Almost Authors this week. ...Writer (band). ...Kubrick film list.
Jul 24: Baltimore weekend was worthwhile; glad I got to catch up with Chris Coker. On Tuesday evening I was given a beautiful sunflower. ...How bout some country?
Jul 12: Learned today that Tova got into CAPA high school. Tomorrow I turn 44 and you can find me then at the Yo La Tengo concert.
Jun 17: Thursday, my mother-in-law treated for ice cream at Page's for the last day of school. Friday night we had supper at mom's then took kids to the Arts Festival at the Point downtown. We heard Red Baraat, saw lots of friends and acquaintances, had beautiful weather, saw and made giant bubbles near the fountain. Sat we hit up Penn Ave Arts in Motion, played some badminton, Sarah and I ate a good meal outside at the Cantina. Sunday my wife cooked us huevos, then we went to see the Pirates. Got downtown early, saw some Pride paraders, got great parking as usual, walked across the bridge in the rain. During the rain delay had a great meal and service at the Hall of Fame club, then watched 2/3 of a great game, then drove 45 mins north for volleyball which was very fun. Even phoned my dad, who was in the middle of getting a transfusion at home. Beautiful weekend.
Jun 10: Fri skipped opening night of arts festival and watched Pens lose their final game of the season. Sat walked early and got strawbs at farmers market, made unglaublich strawberry-rhubarb pie from Pie, hockey w Des out back, played in Tova's last soccer gm of the season, then Desi's bday party at Jen's. Got to listen to Paula talk and found out dad is ill. Over-carbed and crashed hard! Sunday drove to Better Maid but they were closed. Took Abby to summer reading extravaganza at CLP. Biked to Regent Sq, down and up part of the Braddock Trail in Frick Park, saw the really good Frances Ha, lots of fresh fruit all weekend, lots of time outside.
Jun 5: Today is Desmond's birthday. He is beloved to me.
May 28: This was one of those long weekends hard to remember what we did. Fri night asked the kids to pick dinner out and unanimously they voted for Jimmy Wan's, then watched the Pens at home. Sat hit the ELib farmers market for rhubarb, took Tova to art store, moved a buncha belgian block and soil around, made pie, had supper at OTBicycle, and Sarah prepped slaw and beans for Sun. Sun made brek at home, then picnic at Ruth's in Wilkinsburg. Mon was cycling from Wash Landing to casino and back, then drove to Clem's in Blairsville (good, but not worth an hour drive). Not too hot yet. Super relaxing weekend.
May 22: Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better – Camus. ...Change your bird. ...Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel, and Joan Rivers in (not on) Letterman.
May 16: Here's something new about Leipzig and Dresden. Here's something from 1979 about Biafra. ...Taking you back to '82, Royko on 16" softball.
Apr 22: Fri nite: Manilow. Mom had a great time. Pasta trio at Lidia's can't lose. Sat morn: Julie R's move cancelled, so went to Better Maid instead. Learned they are OPEN SUNDAY wtf this is excellent news dunno how this fact escaped me. Then, another perfect gyro omelet at Lindo's. Sat noon: tried to hit up Amazing Books, but they have no Saturday hours.
Sat 2pm: daughters soccer game freezing wind at Schenley oval, team lost. Sat eve: heavy but tasty dinner with Sarah, a good step meeting, then a lovely gathering tho maybe the last at Madge and Rich's in Mt Olly. Sun: Mike and Heidi visiting from Bklyn, hosted brunch at our place so they could see a bunch of their old friends at one shot. Plus, sunshine. Plus, stopped in to see Katie and Christa's great progress on their home reno around the corner. Plus, a bike ride right before sunset which woke me up after all that brunchin'.
Apr 15: A lovely weekend! Movie and pizza Friday at home with the kids: Tova had Sabrina over, adults watched Perks of Being a Wallflower downstairs. Saturday chilly and sunny included morning workout with Desi in tow, Tova's soccer game. Sat night anniversary date at Stagioni and Inn Termission. Sunday chores, biked to tacos, much warmer.
Mar 4: Fine long weekend while Sarah was living it up in NOLA. Normal weeknight Thurs, had Erika over Fri for old fashioned chat, took Abby to ceramics Sat morn, Kiran and Malikah came over, enjoyed Jack the Giant Slayer in 2d. Sunday was mac-n-cheese omelets, snow tubing, soccer, groceria, airport. Forgot what it's like to all the cooking and all the cleaning! Very satisfying but not sure I would want to do it all the time. We have good children.
Feb 28: Payday! Hard to get used to being paid monthly. Sarah left this morning for NOLA for four days with three other married lady friends. Too bad our kids are not yet trained cooks or bartenders!
Jan 28: Spent a chill weekend with my gorg wife and kids this weekend. Watched Skyfall and Golden Boy, put bunk beds together, bought a dress suit (Alfani, made in India, at Macy's) and a new waterproof biking shell, went to the first mayoral debate. Seemed like Bill Peduto was a bit flushed and flagging by the end of the 80 minutes; the mayor seemed in trouble on police issues; Lamb seemed informed and competent.
Jan 2: Just back from a beautiful trip to Chicago with Sarah. Weds we drove through the snow and bad roads to Maumee, OH to hand Abby off to her grandparents. Many hours and miles later, checked in with the great Hampus and Maggie then over to Stacey and Dinesh's for vino and catching up. Thurs was Art Inst and Al's Beef (ok) and figuring out the trains (exc) during the day, Thai food with JFen at night. Friday was Frontera
where my food (pork meatball taco, mole trio) was excellent but Sarah was disappointed, plus MCA, drinks on the 96th floor, and later thee excellent Heligoats and Ezra Furman at the Hideout. Saturday was an early trip to Edelman and then Sarah's best lunch ever in the US (!) at Ikram, shopping in Wicker Park, Big Star tacos, drinks at Violet Hour and Waco Bros
at Schuba's. Yup.
_________2012_________
Dec 11: It's bad enough that staunchly anti-union workplaces like Wal-Mart give "temporary part-time" employees, that actually work there for years, so few hours and so little pay that the workers rely on public assistance to support their families. But it's even worse when the same practices are followed by a non-profit, non-taxpaying employer like UPMC. And then, on top of it all: this outrage.
Dec 10: This week's going to be crazy busy with Abby choir stuff, Chanukah stuff, Bill Peduto fundraiser and hosting brunch next Sunday whilst sober. Weekend good, Steelers bad.
Dec 3: A nice weekend. Planted trees Saturday morning all along our street, organized by TreeVitalize and City Forestry dept and ELDI. Burgatory and ARGO Sat night. Sunday was 5-year anniversary of meeting Sarah! We went out to the same place we met: brunch at Max's Allegheny Tavern. Thank God I met Sarah. ...Then the Steelers won.
Nov 29: Made a pie! Came out good. Cranberry and pear with cardamom and cinnamon and a pistachio crumb crust.
Nov 28: Darlene (boss) finally returned. I dared to go say 'hi' and she was pleasant as usual. She apologized for not looking over my work yet. Now I'm invited to a 2pm meeting. Found cardamom and pears but no pecans at the indian mart, so I got some pricey pistachios already shelled for this pie tonight. ...Black Angels.
Nov 27: NYC wrap up! Arrived Weds at our traditional spot, the Budd Lake Holiday Inn, then went out to see Lincoln. In the morning, the egg-sammy joint was closed for Tgiving but four yards later we found a small diner open. Arrived at Mike and Heidi's place in Sunset Park. Lunched at the excellent Rico's Tacos a block from where we were staying.
Supper Thursday at my sister Tmima's was amazing: her stepson Yossi made as many dishes as there were folks in attendance. Saw Joel and Dvora and Phyllis and Albee there and spent some time with Tmima's daughter Zahava and Yossi's daughter Eliza.
Spent the day Friday at MoMA where we saw many great things; I especially liked the drawn studies for sculptures by Alina Szapocznikow. Friday night we attended the informal Tappan Zee HS reunion happy hour in Nyack, where many drinks were drunken and we got to hang with Andy and Lesley Malin, Marc Egezarian, Joe Galarneau, and Jen Ullman.
Sat morn brought the first egg sammies. We visited the Earth Room and The Broken Kilometer, walked around SoHo and watched a short docu at the Tenement Museum. Late lunch was at the incredible Mission Chinese.
We heard Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers play their last show ever, at Webster Hall. Almost everyone there was a huge fan and we didn't know anything about the band. Sincere stuff, not always the most artful lyrics, but good. Caught the Notre Dame game at Standings on E7th. Got a very late bite at Parm.
Sunday we took our hosts and their charming kids H– and S– out for brunch at 606 R&D where I had an exc horseradish sammy with egg and bacon. Then to The Distinguished Wakamba Cocktail Lounge which was odd and not endearing, for one drink, but then to Hibernia in Hell's Kitchen for Steelermania and one of the worst games our team has played in a long time.
Sweet Nick Monsour met us there at 4. At 7:30 we went to Asssscat 3000 for pretty good improv including Bobby (Snooki) Moynihan. On our way out Monday morn, had to get one more egg sammy (love it when the counter girl asks 'salt-pepper-ketchup?') at Generoso's. Whew!
Nov 19: This Weds we are leaving for NY. Thurs at Tmima's, Friday night in Rockland, Sat night at Webster Hall to catch Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, Sunday brunch with Mike and Heidi and Sunday night seeing UCB. Hoping for a peaceful trip.
Nov 16: Henwood's Behind the News.
Nov 14: Prediction - after running and winning twice while explicitly advocating raising taxes on families making over $250,000 a year, Obama will head off the fiscal cliff (aka austerity bomb) by compromising again on this policy and will again not follow through on making this happen.
Nov 9: Note to self - look more into public banking.
Nov 5: What a great weekend! Wreck-it Ralph Friday. Super-long Saturday: time with Sarah in the morning, Rotary pumpkin pancake breakfast, chores, Tova's parent-kid soccer match, homemade soup, trick-or-treating, Pitt-Notre Dame, art show at Shannon's new space. Sunday knocking doors for Barack, lunch with Will, and Steeler victory.
Oct 23: Tova turns 12 today! ... Poor Jack. ...Walked to get some wingtip johnston+murphys at Eons for $20. Nice out.
Oct 19: Do you really really care about coffee? Elliott breaks down the local. Me, I just want drip coffee that doesn't suck in a comfortable spot. Often the shop is overheated (Tazz) or is just too clean and uncozy (Voluto) or they can make espresso but somehow their coffee sucks.
Oct 15: Friday saw Bill W with Will and Andrew. Sat was soccer games during the day, date at night including Dish Osteria and tasty Lambrusco. Sun to the Strip early, then E2 brunch and chores. Beautiful weather all three days.
Oct 11: Pgh energy innovation, and at Phipps. ...Authors no one reads.
Oct 9: Corbett's edu sec'y called out about AYP. ...Corbett pushing out DCNR chief to grab resources for business.
Oct 8: You should sign up with Citizen Power for greener energy at the same cost. ...Also, worm pahr.
Oct 5: Tunes, at chanceswithwolves. ...I hear the Samoas are good.
Oct 4: Incredible Pgh punk resource. ...Romney wins debate one. ...ALF this weekend.
Oct 1: Free movies online. ...Gorgeous out there today. Sarah in Fla, tho. Looking forward to the debate Weds.
Sep 27: Learn about the Trans-Pacific Partnership. ...More locally: Bill Peduto for mayor!
Sep 24: Leftovers from yesterday's brunch, today for breakfast. Parma sausage and Better Maid donut: perfecto. ...Need to buy a balaclava. ...Madge says she is going "back to Prograph" so that means she and Rich are staying in Pgh - yay!
Sep 10: Sometimes I'm told it doesn't matter what you say, only what you do. Then, later, I'm told I'm not communicating enough. ...The Smooth Maria.
Sep 4: Nice brunch Sunday with mom and aunt Phyllis. ...Did 60 pushups along with my 45 minute walk this morn. ...Tonight we shall feast on cole slaw made from Abby's cabbage. ...Working 10a-9p this Saturday at the Big Pour.
Aug 31: RIP Chef Paul. ...Biked from Dilworth today instead of from home. New roads were great because I hit all the lights: Collins to Penn Cir E / Centre to Negley. ...After about 6 weeks of new diet and more exercise, down 15 lbs, wearing 32 waist and small shirts again. Goodbye, fat medium. ...WHOA CLINT
Aug 29: Taibbi takedown: Debt, greed, Mitt Romney "the frontman and apostle of an economic revolution, in which transactions are manufactured instead of products, wealth is generated without accompanying prosperity, and Cayman Islands partnerships are lovingly erected and nurtured while American communities fall apart." ... Similar piece at Bloomberg.
Aug 28: Nice cemetery walk with Abby last night ... some new-ish photos posted as part of the long process of moving Facebook stuff to here.
Aug 27: Friday night, we took Abby and Desi to the Pirates. Saturday day, Kate K and Kiran came over for playdates. Sat night had folks over for drinks and sports on tv. Sasha back from Costa Rica. Sunday came and you trashed me out again! No, Abby went to How to Train Your Dragon with Sylvia and I took T+D to Highland Park pool where we ran into Selena. Gorgeous weather all weekend.
Aug 23: The problem with men explaining things ... Coming to Shadow Lounge on Sep 1: Champagne Champagne ... However, we will be at the Pretty Lights show instead.
Aug 20: Today, Tova starts an internship at Pgh Filmmakers with Jasdeep! ...That was one crazy Pirate game yesterday.
Aug 16: Three new Beck songs, from a videogame. ...Some pretty good #burghbands. ...Current state of PATransit and sewer overflows.
Aug 15: Wonder how long it will take to move FB photos over to here. First update in two years! ... This week get some hunky food at Int'l Village ... Hilarity at Horsey Surprise ... Two articles on Paul Ryan.
_________2010_________
Apr 14: I suppose today is the day to get state and local tax prep done. Recently rewatched: Zoolander, My Neighbor Totoro, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Donnie Darko. See you Friday at PCA?
Jan 8: Besides a lot of walking and riding the R train, we also had a great time in NYC between Xmas and New Year's. We ate! At Shopsin's and Sfoglia and Perilla and Superfine and Jacques Torres and a couple places in Sunset Park. We braved lines and cold to see a few big shows: Orozco and Kandinsky and Man Ray. Plus Wishful Drinking and Hurt Locker and the Promenade. NYE itself: met Joanna Brief for drinks, and finished with Felice Bros at Southpaw. Jealous?
_________2009_________
Dec 21: Friday was Yo Rita and Sync'd. Saturday: the farmers' market, Barb's, took kids to The Princess and The Frog, shopped Waterworks, grilled some locally-raised steak. Sunday brekkie with the kids, couple vintage stores, more Waterworks shopping, cooked beets-and-apples, Steelers, dinner at Shan's, then It's A Wonderful Life on the big screen!
Nov 2: The annual film festival starts Friday. There's an excellent preview by Andy Horbal.
Sep 17: The G20 haiku contest I originated was on the front page of the Wall Street Journal ! ! !
Sep 10: Congrats to Desi on first day of kindergarten! ...Video of Devo - Satisfaction.
July 24: A bit long since my last update. Desmond turned 5, I turned 40, and the Lawrenceville house sold easily and at a great price. Moving a week from today into new, 100-year-old palace that desperately needs repairs in 'SLiberty! There are fresh photos of the kids.
May 27: The buyer for my house on 38th backed out. Please pass the word to any one in the market for a sweet row house; I'm selling one.
May 8: House sold in two days. ...Also, do you recall King Missile?
Apr 27: Perhaps you should buy my house.
Apr 15: Want a Passover recap? WEDS – drove 6 hours to NYC ... settled into spare bedroom at uncle's friend's ... walked across Central Park to see what was at Guggenheim but didn't look interesting. nice weather ... walked to Beyoglu for artichoke salad and bread and pilsener ... walked back across the park and then grabbed a cab to Lincoln Center where I watched Sacred Places in the African Film Festival ... then walked 30 blocks to my uncle's great Seder which ended at 1:30am. THURS – slept in, subway to MoMA where I watched The Pope's Toilet ... subway to Rego Park for my aunt's Seder which didn't make it past the second cup! Lame but I got to see cousin Vicky and the matzah balls were great. FRI – lunch with Nick M on Rector ... walked 100 minutes up to Chelsea where I stopped in a few galleries, the highlight of which was a four-projector installation of a restored Paul Sharits work ... walked across town to meet Mike R at work and we subwayed out to Sunset Park for Shabbat dinner and his daughters showed off for me. SAT – lunch at Habana To Go and caught the new show at New Mus and left another note for Shari ... pilseners at Burp Castle where barmaid Melissa was chatty ... saw Film #23 at AFA, then walked around a bunch ... exc pork sliders and more pils at Wilfie and Nell. SUN – breakfast with Chris D at Friend of a Farmer ... later, got a ticket for driving too fast on Rte 80! ... saw Gold Diggers of 1933 on the big screen back in Pgh and had a great homecoming with Sarah. Thanks everyone!
Mar 30: Happy belated birthday to sfina30. We had a great time celebrating, with a cla$$y March weekend just squeaked in b4 April. Stayed at Baricelli Inn in their little Italy. Had one of the best lunches of my life at La Dolce Vita: calamari with zucchini in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. Walked to and thru the 2/3-closed art museum. Free valet parking downtown courtesy CIFF! Ate well at Lola – I had beef cheek pierogi w horseradish cream, and lobster soup; she had hanger steak w pickle sauce and the best fries I think I ever ate. Drank forreal cheap at Ontario St Cafe and watched Pitt lose. Enjoyed the new Johnnie To film. Then spent Sunday on a self-guided driving tour and saw so many cool buildings and park spaces and industrial stuff and shoreline. Brought back some cannoli. Cleveland (apparently) rocks.
Mar 27: Cleveland cherry about to get busted.
Jan 2: Here's a kooky idea: make the needy auto companies produce a "national" car that does not change from year to year, is inexpensive, fuel-efficient and easy to fix at home, like the Beetle was in 1938. If they don't agree to produce a minimum number of these cars for 5 straight years, then no bailout. The companies would still be able to produce as many other car styles as they like.
_________2008_________
Dec 10: The whole Police bootleg can now be downloaded at Sendspace. ...Another sweet weekend in NYC, thanks to Sarah and Sheila and Ken (and Baxter).
Dec 2: Track two is posted. I will leave track 1 up until next week, then I'll remove it and put up track 3.
Nov 25: As a service to freedom-loving peoples everywhere, I will post the 14 tracks of this fine bootleg for all to download, one at a time. Track one is Next To You. In about a week I will take down this song and post the next one.
Nov 12: Thanks to Dave in Chicago, I will soon have (again) my favorite Police bootleg – Oct 2, 1979, 'natch!
Oct 20: Three Rivers Film Festival schedule is now online. ...Couple fresh photos of Desi now posted. ...Keep watching 538, and pray for victory.
Aug 28: Here we see Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, and Joe Biden, lovin it, in a jeep.
Aug 14: Vacation last week! I was lucky to get an apartment to myself in Park Slope Brooklyn because my friend Madge
was visiting Pgh. I saw art at New Museum, Guggenheim, Whitney, Mann Gallery, Green Naftali, Cheim & Read, and at PPOW. I
got to eat well at Po, Red Cat (crispy skatewng with artichoke hearts and cold cucumber-herb sauce, mmm), pizza
at Two Boots, Telephone Bar & Grill (stilton fritters and cranberry relish, mmm), and Chip
Shop. I got to drive back and forth with Ian, and we heard Lila Downs at Prospect Park free. And a lovely visit with Mochan! And ate turkey burgers at my cousin MIke's
annual b-b-q! Walked Central Park with my uncle Joel ... and got to see the Mets win on the last at-bat. I walked a LOT, rode the subway, and had a pretty relaxin
time overall. Thanks NYC!
July 1: A home video (warning: Beastie Boys soundtrack) has been added on this page.
Mar 3: DC appreciation: found a room for $90/night five blocks from the White House ... decent Capitol tour from Rep
Doyle's staffer ... the Hirshhorn is amazing and in addition to being free and having a ton of great sculpture, has a great video show right now ... Dengue Fever was fun at the Black Cat, which (like all DC venues) is no smoking ... Tabard Inn: one of the best dinners out I've had in months ... the Metro and being able to walk almost everywhere really suits my vacation style ... It was sweet sharing gelato by the underground waterfall and seeing all the Calders with Sarah.
Jan 11: Don Allen car dealerships closing, the new
DOC-Economou Baum-Liberty site, and the media kit (best online renderings, though still very low-res).
_________2007_________
Dec 13: Thanksgiving photos posted. ...All alone with me and we're waiting for the sunlight.
Oct 30: Fake FEMA press conference (link)
Vote for Luke; there was a debate Sunday (link)
Three Rivers Film Festival starts Friday (link)
Sep 11: There's an art opening at PCA on Friday in the main galleries building (which is yellow) and concurrently a student art show in the school building just up the hill. There should be a time capsule of Tova's in the student show, and it's really good! 5:30-8:00 this Friday the 14th.
Jul 31: Twenty-five years ago today I was getting bar-mitzvahed. ...My mom has been going out way more than me, as a volunteer usher. She told me recently that she thought Dweezil Zappa was better than Interpol. ...Saw 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre' on Sunday - thought it was only OK. Looking forward to 'This is England' at the end of Aug. Also, I've been simpsonized.
June 5: Happy birthday to Des! ...Just two new photos.
May 30: Got me a new car. Yay!
Apr 24: Reading suggestions. ...New record from Air and Gainsbourg.
Apr 18: Dropped off tax forms, out my car window to a friendly postal worker, on a street corner downtown just after 9pm in a continuation of anther great local tradition. ...Dynamite chicken. ...Moistworks.
Apr 5: Happy passover, all. ...720 podcast. ...Spoon and Weird Paul at CMU Carnival.
Mar 19: Waiter donates one night's tips each month as an arts grant. ...Paperrad in the latest ANP. ...pfetish.
Mar 14: Beware the ides! ...gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooogle.com ...Six retired generals that spoke out. ...'rock star without a band'.
Feb 25: My fave new candy. ...An old Neil Young song. ...Dan Cohen's now CEO of pageflakes. ...Check out Glyphjockey. ...Congrats to Jeff R! ...Some new photos finally.
Jan 3: The latest chapter in PATransit woes. The P-G reported in Nov that what had
been estimated to be a $31.5mil deficit in this year's $347.5mil operating budget would end up at about $20 million as a result of savings and a few small gains in revenue.
Weren't these gains in revenue due in some great part to high gasoline prices? I believe public transit, and less so the roads and bridges maintenance, are a matter of
security. Maybe not "national security" but call it what you like - maybe "commonwealth security." If there were really some emergency, it would of course be easier to
make sure 8 bus depots were supplied with gasoline, instead of 2000 private gasoline stations. Add a dollar to the state gasoline tax, which will both push people to use the
public transit more, and fund the shortfalls in the state budget for transit and road and bridge maintenance. I hate when Orie and other state senators want to say this is a
regional and not a state problem.
_________2006_________
Dec 7: Luke to Stillers: thx for grease! ...Good-bye Capital Asset Research!
Dec 6: Long time no post! Happy Thanksgiving you two remaining readers! ... Design disease ... GfY ... Bill Miller.
Oct 22: 3rff schedule online. ...pghalleycat.
Oct 5: Some images from Fox about the Foley scandal - 1, 2, 3.
Sep 7: Pittsburgh podcasts - icewhistle and hardtravelin.
Aug 22: New Gladwell. ...Vintage video mag Radical Software.
Aug 16: Mazel tov to the new parents — Aimee and Andy, proud parents of Donovan Noel Johnson (8/8/06, 7 lbs 7.4 oz 20 in), and Boris and Erika, begetters of Finn Ansgar Bartlog (8/14/06, 8 lbs 8 oz, 20 in)!
Aug 3: Film things I should be collecting in the column at right: invisiblecinema, theeveningclass.
Jul 28: 412 going national: Girl Talk reviewed in Pitchfork; Yaris picks Budai to illustrate their whole site!
Jul 17: Beat the heat with all the Vader scenes from Star Wars (ep4), with the dialogue replaced by words James Earl Jones said in other films - video.
Jul 5: Thanks again to Sheila, Erika, Theresa and Carol for donations this weekend to casa de la 38th!
Jun 29: New partisan project. ...Movie trailers 1919-present. ...Spent last night at new address! :-)
Jun 14: Tonight on Dave - Colbert, Mark Cuban, and Neko Case. Life's jes that exciting.
Jun 5: Happy birthday, D.Mo! Thanks to Jen and all the guests for making such a great party!
Jun 1: Starting tomorrow, the annual TRAF: art, plus free concerts including Andrew Bird, Eels, Tragically Hip.
May 29: Had you been in Allentown this weekend, you might have gone to Mayfair and Yocco's and La Placita Mexico.
May 18: Guvnor Ed visits Fri at 4:30 (225 Ross St; if rain, City-County Building Portico at 414 Grant).
May 15: If Charlie Parker were a gunslinger... Don Caballero and Zombi this Friday.
May 8: Happening all week: greek food fest in Oakland. ...Starting Friday, Silk Screen FF.
May 2: The saddest thing you own. ...The Clash live in 1980, part 1 and part 2.
Apr 27: Congrats to John Allen Gibel, local video artist and Filmmakers artist member, on the very nice mention on p26 of the new New Yorker.
Apr 24: Fresh photos: Desi Loses His Long Hair. ...This coming weekend: Carp and Art All Night, and Washington Antiques Fair.
Apr 10: This is what you get for a handful of shekels these days. ...Cinetrix is at Full Frame Film Fest - 1, 2, 3. ...This Saturday the 15th, Zombi at Gooski's.
Mar 30: Tomorrow night - Lost Film Fest, free at CMU.
Mar 24: Tonight at 31st street pub: Exene, just $10! With the Cheats.
Mar 13: Tonight at 9 at Brillobox: The Skinks, Eagle Seagull, Boxstep. ...Friday at Howlers: microwaves, Magic Wolf, Sh*t Mayor.
Mar 6: I think Jon Stewart started a bit slow but lots of funny stuff in the show. The Colbert fake ads were great, and I thought Ben Stiller was great - he even read the nominees' names funny. Stewart had a couple of great lines after 36Mafia won. I liked Clooney's speech and I thought the president of the academy's speech was great too. Streep and Tomlin were excellent, and Streep might have been the best dressed of the night. I teared up when Witherspoon talked about her granny. I am a sucker for this show every year. Altman gave a good speech. Overall it was a good show I thought. I felt terrible for Lauren Bacall - she should have gotten a standing ovation as soon as she appeared on stage, and they gave her this huge introduction to say. Compare it with the three-line intro they wrote for Samuel Jackson to say, and it was just not right.
Mar 1: Katrina c'est mort. Laissez bontemps roulez!
Feb 16: PNC scores $2bn in deal, just days after getting city tax break. Then, councilman who approved the tax break worries we are giving too many.
Feb 15: Places you can go: vcomp, cereality.
Feb 10: This blog never includes real writing. Mebbe as Bovier says, it's time for a change of pace. Now that I'm rockin it (more like emo-ing it) single stizz, you can see me regularly mopin it quietly and catching some great tunes at the hott spots of the east end. And that means I can see you too. Though long gone from the blogworld, I seen Jilly the other day; and long-since-returned-to-town is scenemacher Juli, looking better than ever and helping to make me feel not too too old (thx also to George and Lloyd for this ;). Guess everyone, even Ms Frannie, 's going to the t-shizz show tonight; not sure I'm feeling up to it. ...I think I know what my first-in-forever magazine piece is going to be on. Okay, I knew the confessional staww wasn't my thing. Bye.
Feb 8: Congrats to the Steelers! And nice job by 200k people at the parade. ...This is a good reason to give $20 today to Common Cause. ...On NSA spying, from former WSJ and Nat'l Review editor.
Feb 2: Three new photos. ...5_trope. ...Tomorrow, We're Wolves and Black Tie Revue at 31st St.
Jan 24: Some how I missed the intro of this new mag. ...Go Stillers!
Jan 18: I wonder if this news really means savings for the city, or just a shift in police spending. The P-G doesn't get into the politics of why a supposedly good commander is being moved from a higher-crime area to the new mayor's neighborhood, doesn't comment on the mayor's seemingly large influence on decisions that would seem best suited to the police chief (the mayor just replaced the chief with a temp, who'll be followed by a cop who's not been on the Pgh force in years). City council seems out-of-the-loop on this, especially, though not surprisingly, Twanda Carlisle (chairwoman of council's Public Safety Committee). And no comment from anyone in the police union leadership? ...Congrats to the Union Project.
Jan 10: Upcoming rock show news - AirAxeMag and Modey Lemon, Jan 21, 10pm at Gooski's. Don't be a fool. ...Better late than never: Hanukkah in Santa Monica (5.2 Mb).
|
I C W E B L O G
Email ............... About
Photos .............. Rich's wishlist
4 1 2
Post-Gazette ........ FILMMAKERS
CP .................. TCA
Pgh Comet ........... JBarnes
NTMTO ............... Briem
Daily Reads
MorningNews ......... Vulture
David Hudson ........ coudal
538 ................. boing boing
More
Nevver .............. politico
TalkingPoints ....... Hitchens
Hit+Run ............. ignant
Viceland ............ Onion
Wet/Dry ............. SOS
T O O L S
Mapquest ............ Google
TinyURL ............. Translate
Download ............ Dictionary
Chowhound ........... MRQE
Recipes ............. IMDB
M U S I C
Aquarius ............ Other
WRCT ................ Stereogum
|