Iron City Weblog

Iron City Weblog - archive

Jan 3: Happy frickin frackin new year. Thanks again to Andrew, Lesley, Sheila, Ken, and Joel for hosting me over Xmas weekend. And special thanks to the special person who turned my nice new year's eve into a hell. ...In regional religious news, the founder of 'His Place' died.

_________2005_________

Dec 19: Intra-US spying, then and now.

Dec 6: Meanwhile at my alma mater, there's this story about this piece of tripe (nsfw) movie.

Dec 5: Dems find Iraq pullout plan elusive? Put together some forces from other countries, preferably neighboring countries, to replace our troops. ...Regarding my last post, about the symphony: djhlights replied, "The PSO gets a million in RAD funding because it is specifically earmarked for the PSO international touring which is done every year. They have consistantly received this amount for the past several years to help w the cost of the tour and in support of the international recognition the city receives from the touring." To which I say: pheh. That is a silly reason to give one group a million every year. How about they get that money once every 10 years and, for the other nine, we sponsor tours for nine other groups?

Dec 3: Fresh photos. ...Doesn't $1m for the Symphony seem a bit high? ...Best of best of 2005.

Nov 29: US Congressman resigns after pleading guilty to taking millions in bribes from defense contractors.

Nov 23: Meet John Rendon. ...Mod furnishings. ...Nice mp3s.

Nov 3: A pair of out-of-town writeups on the film fest - WaPo and Greencine.

Nov 1: You can see me tomorrow night at 7:30 on WQED-TV, talk about the film fest.

Oct 31: Dug the Kertesz and van Gogh shows.

Oct 27: Floyd Skloot coming to town.

Oct 24: Lunch this Thursday with Mayor Murphy, Chris Moore, Evan Stoddard and Patricia Besson. ...caseyvsantorum.blogs.com. ...Aesthetics lecture today.

Oct 23: Happy Birthday, Tova Rae! Also born on this day: Augusten Burroughs, Sam Raimi, 'Weird' Al Yankovic, Dwight Yoakam, Pelé, 'Baby' Jan Holzer, and Johnny Carson.

Oct 21: The festival films and schedule are finalized, and the guide is at the printer. Here's the lineup – At Last, Ballets Russes, Beyond the Rocks, Blackmail, Breakfast on Pluto, Côte d’Azur, Darwin’s Nightmare, Das Bus, Dear Wendy, Derailroaded, Dogplayers, Dorian Blues, Dumpster, Electric Edwardians, Film Kitchen, Filmic Achievement, Harlan County, USA, Harry Knuckles and the Pearl Necklace, Iron Island, Jesus, Mary and Joey, Keane, La Petite Jérusalem, The Last Victory, Local Short Films, Lost Embrace, Manderlay, The Memsahib, Mutual Appreciation, My Beautiful Girl Mari, Nickelodeon 5-Cent Screening, The Ninth Day, The President’s Last Bang, Pride and Prejudice, Pure, Reel Paradise, Shorts Competition Programs, The Squid and the Whale, SQUONKumentary, Story of a Fructiferous Society, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, À Tout de Suite, Video Data Bank Program, Why We Fight, William Eggleston in the Real World, The World, The World’s Fastest Indian, X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes.

Oct 13: Two new from Chan Marshall, one with Handsome Boy Modeling School, and one from her forthcoming jawn.

Oct 10: Casey gets some general help from the P-G, but this is still a piece about Santorum. I want to know about the money lining up behind Casey, and I'd sure love to hear Casey question war profiteering vs increasing employment by enlarging the armed forces, and senators who take their marching orders from radical government shrinkers and radical malists. ...the conglomerate.

Oct 5: In a couple Sundays, Augusten Burroughs visits. ...This Friday, MLemon CD release at Mr Small's.

Oct 3: Check it aht - yinzer.net. ...One month to 3RFF.

Sep 26: Tonight's the final, free, late-nite tour of the great Richardson jail.

Sep 21: Aehhhhhhhh happy autumn. Yuengling, which has been so good to us, had to bail as beer sponsor for the film fest. But KDKA-AM is in, which is big. ...New Modey Lemon. ...CnL.

Sep 12: Tomorrow night – membership meeting at Pgh Filmmakers, and Jessica Fenlon reads new poems at Spotted Salamander. ...Thursday, Circle at 31st St. ...Pgh Sculptors annual, online.

Sep 9: This Sunday, Cindy Sheehan in Pgh. ...James Reece & the Progressions, from 1969: m4a.

Sep 6: Condi in eye of storm. ...Thu, Of Montreal.

Sep 2: In the spirit of not busting on the federal government in the middle of the crisis, here's something smart about the New Orleans disaster, by David Brooks. ...Songs by Thee More Shallows - one, two.

Sep 1: Last weekend in Boston was great - Nathanial was amazing during his bar mitzvah, and it was a pleasure to meet some relatives for the first time, especially some from Boroughpark and Israel. Chanan, good luck in locksmith school. ...What's sure to be one of Pgh's finest blogs: FMT. ...Tomorrow night: Caustic Christ, Pay Toilets, Warzone Womyn @ Howler's Coyote Cafe. Sat night: What Is It? at the Oaks.

Aug 25: New New Pornographers. ...See Medium Cool on Sunday and tell me how it was - I have to go out of town.

Aug 19: I didn't notice this for a week - Baghdad Mayor Is Ousted by a Shiite Group and Replaced. ...Sat nite: GBuffet, Sunday night: Wild Bunch.

Aug 3: Pgh Dish. ...This is closing weekend of "To Gillian..." at Red Barn Theater. ...New Salt and new Unicorn Mountain releases this weekend. Friday at Howlers in Bloomfield - TSLL and Microwaves; Saturday at Gooski's - Oneida and DFaces. Friday - Gogan photo opening.

Aug 1: Happy birthday, to my cousins Mike Ser and Mark Glazer. ... Saw Mysterious Skin last week and Me and You and Everyone We Know this weekend; both are recommended.

Jul 27: New Jarmusch film with Bill Murray. ...Today's the anniversary of the 1st "illegal" meeting opposing the Whiskey Excise tax.

Jul 22: Tomorrow - vid art, then WPoor/DFaces/HBrains at 31st St. ...mp3s at gvb.

Jul 13: Born this day – Nathan Bedford Forrest, Isaac Babel, Harrison Ford, and myself. So, dinner ~~out~~ out.

Jul 11: Shauna Marowitz called from NY; x your fingers w me. ...You may have just missed D. Faces and the clean-cut Constantines (audio) at GA.

Jul 9: Friday night was video art at Wood St., brief stop at Future Tenant, then great screening of Boom with Dean Novotny standing in for the missing 2d reel.

Jul 6: Your land is my land.

Jun 30: I've seen a lotta movies lately. To wit: Save the Green Planet! was funny and well-shot and great. The Harder They Come rooled. I couldn't understand every line of dialogue but damn it was cool. In the Company of Men too wordy but pretty good. I'd heard a lot of really positive things which may have built it up too much for me. Batman Begins was good, though I wanted to see Batman athletically thrash people, at least a little, but they put the camera too close to the action and make the cuts too short and you can't tell what's going on. I liked it, but left unsatisfied on that count. Also the machine stolen by the "bad guys" was scientifically silly. Street Fighter with Sonny Chiba. Rented this to scratch the itch that Batman did not, and it worked perfectly. Chiba thrashes everyone mightily. Now I know what Christian Slater was talking about at the beginning of True Romance. Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou was alright, especially the second half, after Bill Murray kicks the pirates off his boat. Cate Blanchett amazing as usual and the Portuguese versions of the Bowie songs were wonderful. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest -I had to take a break from this after about the first hour, then another one after about another 20 minutes, and then I never finished it. Batman and Save the Green Planet were in theatres; all the rest were from Dreaming Ant.

Jun 27: John Doe is really, really nice. Thanks to him, Daryl Fleming, Buzz Miller, Gern, Sue Abramson, the other participating artists, and all the volunteers and staff that helped make Media Tonic II go so well!

Jun 21: Five days to Media Tonic. ...Cope retires! Steelers games will be less flavorful without 'im.

Jun 16: Plenty going on this weekend. Fri - Soulcialism; Sat - Hothouse; Sun - Aimee Mann.

Jun 13: Blogga, please. Two more from the 412 - Jonny Barnes and Eli Cates.

Jun 10: 'sup cat.

Jun 6: Happy first birthday, Des! Friday night i was at the Nanci Griffith concert at the arts fest, and handed out hundreds of flyers for Media Tonic. Saturday I had the kids from noon to 11 and then was sitting Jim and Heidi's kids in Forest Hills until 2:30am. Sunday was Desmond's 1st birthday party - he was so sweet eating his alligator cake, and is really such a beautiful child. Then softball, then Piper's Pub (Stu, Lou, et al, you need to come out for this game more regularly). Then back to the arts fest to hand out several hundred more flyers for Media Tonic. I got to hear some great music (the Mosquitos and Madeline Peyroux) and the weather was so fine. Ran into Theresa, from back in ye olde Balcony days, and Ann, an olde friend of Nick and Maura from the same era. Tonight's my mom's birthday.

Jun 2: Dirty Faces, Sunday at the Quiet Storm.

May 18: Tonight, Steve Martin's "The Underpants."

May 16: I'd also like to urge to not to vote for Bob O'Connor for mayor. ...Here's something about Bill Peduto (warning: this is 20mb!).

May 9: I urge you to vote against Pete DeFazio for sheriff, against Tom Flaherty for judge, and against Jean Fink for school board.

May 6: Mayoral debate Monday: 6 at PCA.

May 5: Saturday: microwaves. ...Tuesday: Film Kitchen "Your Pictures, Our Sound" contest.

May 4: Desmond Moses in the NYT!

May 3: Russian film symposium starts tonight. ...Manny mellowing.

Apr 18: Latest John Doe record. ...Latest Sarah Vowell tome.

Apr 8: Tinsy.

Apr 5: My deepest sympathies go out to the great professor Dan Boyarski.

Apr 1: Biennial tonite $4. ...Spring ahead your clock Sunday!

Mar 24: Graba**. ...High school film competition. ...White Raspberry Truffle ice cream at Bruster's in Atlanta tastes exactly as great as it does here in the 412. ...Happy Purim!

Mar 9: ProgressPittsburgh.

Mar 8: Jason Wishnow, whose Oedipus was one of my favorites at the last 3RFF, has a new national column.

Mar 3: New photos today.

Mar 2: Friday's Unblurred includes UNHABIT, media-based installations by Steve Boyle, Olivia Ciummo, Eric Fleischauer, Lori Felker, John Haptas, Thad Kellstadt, Gordon Nelson, Paul Nicholson, Ross Nugent, Liz Richards, Becky Rothhaar, Kris Samuelson, and Jessie Fay Silver, at 4913 Penn Ave.

Feb 21: RIP HST. ...Andy Newman hits the NYT.

Feb 16: Thundercrack.

Jan 28: Poison-Control.

Jan 20: Steelerbaby.

Jan 3: Tom and Ulrike - your visit was suspiciously and directly followed by a vicious, though short and nearly-over-now, bout of illness. It did help bring me, Jen and Tova closer for '05. May it be a far sight better than '04. ...Desi started crawling this week: 0 to 60 (ok, maybe 35).

_________2004_________

Dec 13: If I'm not mistaken, the Electoral College votes today.

Dec 10: Tonight, the Ho Ha's at BBT perform Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas!

Dec 2: Someone musta put the screws to Shields et al, because they all changed their vote pretty quick. ...The semi-annual All-Clad sale - Fri, Dec 3 and Sat, Dec 4. This year it will be held at the Washington County fairgrounds and at The Crate cookware store in Greentree.

Dec 1: Doug Shields, I cannot find many words to express my dismay. You suck.

Nov 22: I was a bit disappointed by the turnout for this year's film fest, and by the P-G coverage. Did you go? ...I'm sore today after spending yesterday scavenging about 400 orange bricks from a demolished house in Hazelwood, then unloading them in F'ship for a new walkway. ...4 new photos posted.

Nov 17: New photos posted.

Nov 15: RIP ODB and Ron Weiskind ...The Three Rivers Film Fest winds down this week. Today, the 15th — the final screenings of Bright Leaves and Unknown Soldier, and the first of Chain's two screenings.

Tuesday the 16th — Robbing Peter and Catherine Breillat's latest get their second (final) screenings of the fest, and at the Melwood, Short Films Program I.

On Weds the 17th, five screenings including Tarnation's last show of the fest, and at the Melwood, Short Films Program II.

Closing night of the fest is dedicated to the great, new, local documentary, Duaneland. Ticket holders for the early show can attend a reception with artist Duane Michals afterwards.

Nov 12: The front page of the Pgh Filmmakers website has been redesigned, after 5+ years of stasis.

Nov 11: Tonight — two documentaries screen at the Harris at 8pm and the 412 Non-Fiction Conference will hold a discussion following. And at the Melwood, Barbara Hammer's Resisting Paradise and Jandek on Corwood get the first of their two screenings.

Friday the 12th — at the Regent Square, Reconstruction gets its second screening, and Godard's Notre Musique gets its first. While down at the Harris, the Short Films Awards Program will be followed by a reception at La Prima Espresso and SPACE Gallery.

On Saturday, the 13th, eleven films will screen. Highlights include director Ross McElwee presenting his Bright Leaves and director Ben Meade presenting his Bazaar Bizarre.

Sunday marks the second screenings of Distant and Year of the Bull, plus a special presentation of F.W. Murnau's 1927 classic Sunrise, with live musical accompaniment.

Brought to you by Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Dollar Bank, and many other participating local businesses. Nov 9: Is it ok to be this light, so soon after the unhappy election result? Not sure, but give it a try with Late BP Helium.

Nov 8: The shorts winners and hon mentions should be posted sometime today. Thanks to all who helped make opening night such a blast! ...Pgh's own btezra won honorable mention in contest. ...Pgh's own chessclub.com.

Nov 4: 3RFF starts tomorrow! Featured on OnQ tonight. ...According to Grata, 55.2% of operating expenses at PATransit are covered by the Commonwealth. Yet, they want to raise fares to $2.50 and cut all night and weekend service. Does this mean it's costing them and average of $5 to take each rider to their destination? That seems like a very high number. According to this 2002 report, our system cost $0.73 per passenger mile. Good luck to those attending today's hearing.

Nov 3: I'm not sure whether to blame the Kerry campaign for not getting the messages "fewer jobs, less healthcare, bigger deficit, illogical war" through in a way that the average voter would appreciate. Kerry may have sounded intelligent enough to me, but I guess he just wasn't playing to people's hearts. On the other hand, it's easy to blame voters who are so different from me that I have little insight into their mental processes. To wit, in the waning hours before the vote I had an email exchange initiated by my new friend J--- of E. Liverpool, OH. He wanted to know how, when Kerry's judicial appointees would be pro-choice even on partial-birth abortion, anyone could vote for Kerry. My responses about the Bush administration's disinterest in helping the majority of Americans have a better government fell on deaf ears. "I give you 4000 innocent lives snuffed out at the moment of birth, and you give me Hallioburton?" my friend wrote. And in fact "moral issues" was a leading factor in people's voting decisions. I guess it's very easy to say "death for innocent fetuses is wrong absolutely" and I guess the Democrats just haven't built these issues (environment? progressive taxes?) that inspire voters that the Dems are Right. What I'm trying to say is - I hope Ohioans choke on their votes.

Nov 1: Thanks again to John Kerry for not embarrassing us, especially during the debates. More talk about health care would have suited me better, but in all a much better campaign than Gore's. My prediction - the race will not be as close in WI, MN and IA as predicted, and Kerry will take at least 2 of the 3 key states PA, OH and FL. Kerry will finish with 290-to-310 electoral votes, and one of the big reasons other than Dem passion and registration drives will be that Republicans, especially women, will stay home by the thousands and not vote because they are fed up with Bush's adventure in Iraq, deficits and the large number of us without health care. ...Tova b-day photos coming soon.

Oct 27: Yesterday I was videoed by Minette for OnQ (airing Nov 3 at 7:30 & 11pm, Nov 4 at 12:30pm) about the festival, and then after lunch I pushed Brady Lewis around downtown in a wheelchair (no he doesn't need one, it was just for filming) to get footage for the festival trailer. I need to cut back on cigarettes. ...My picks for the film festival? Bright Leaves, The Big Animal, Chain, Cowards Bend The Knee, Don't Call Me Crazy on the Fourth of July, Duaneland, Jandek on Corwood, Moolaade, Notre Musique, Reconstruction, Robbing Peter, Sunrise, Tarnation, Unknown Soldier, War, and Year of the Bull.

Oct 25: Duane Michals in person for his exhibit, plus the Signs Project, this Friday night.

Oct 20: 23rd annual Three Rivers Film Festival website is now up. ...Thanks to dwhudson for linking the fest.

Oct 19: Oakland native Todd Albright wins film award. Todd's film Automation will be in at least one of the three Shorts Programs in the Festival. ...Pat Clark, aka Mr. Smoove, helped set up this site - everybodyvote.com.

Oct 16: If you don't have a ticket, you might want to avoid the CMU area this Weds.

Oct 15: Shout aht to Lee Skirball, ex-yinzer. ...Opening tonight, Outfoxed, with the final screening of the evening followed by these speakers – tonight: Bill Peduto; Monday: Bill Steigerwald; Tues: a spokesperson for the Kerry campaign; Weds: Post-Gazette exec editor David Shribman.

Oct 11: PILGFF ad ~~rejected~~ will run. ...Local wins Bush slam (via Jilly).

Oct 8: Bush wired (via cflf)? W's resume, with links. ...McNulty column, latest J Barnes. ...Tonight – Shopping (mp3).

Oct 6: New photos posted today. ...Cheney Edwards transcript. ...I got to have dinner, Scotch and smokes last night with, among others, one of my heroes, Christopher Hitchens. And Bernard-Henri Lèvy was there with a French film crew. Thanks to Andy Newman and the Gypsy Cafe! Here's a photo. ...P-G says Michael Moore cancelled his planned appearance at CMU today.

Oct 4: Tomorrow - Hitchens and Kissinger downtown, VP debate.

Sep 30: I love John Kerry. That was the most satisfying debate I have seen in my lifetime. Praises be! ...Here's the transcript, but if you didn't watch it live, you didn't feel the tone. I score this one Kerry 85, Bush 15.

Sep 28: No more Dick Skrinjar? This town is turning upside-down. God is not in his heaven and all is not right with the world.

Sep 20: On Oct 5, come ask Hitchens the differences he sees between Kissinger's Vietnam and Bush's Iraq. Harris Theater at 8:15.

Sep 14: CMU CS gets $20 mils from Bill Gates. ...Today's Zippy prominently features Pittsburgh's own, currently shuttered, Charlie's (Scotty's) Diner. ...F'ship House Tour tix on sale now.

Sep 13: Keep your eyes peeled for the next Pgh weekly - The Front. They plan a photography section and a lit section. 40000 copies, first issue Sept 20. Being started up by the folks from Red Guitar Media.

Sep 9: Bad news on guns: assult weapons to become legal next week. ...Final word on Bush Guard duty? ...Dave Dycus.

Sep 2: Panty protest at the RNC. ...Tonight, Magic Visions. ...McElwee interview.

Aug 30: Yesterday in WVa, Dubya said "My opponent says, 'We'll tax the rich.' You've heard that before, haven't you? You know how that works. The rich dodge and you pay." Isn't it the job of his administration to stop tax dodgers? This seems an outrageous thing to say while running for prez.

Aug 25: Andy, we hardly knew ye. ...Rumsfeld castigated re Abu Ghraib. ...Voting machine testing hush-hush. ...Sept at Filmmakers theaters - Brown Bunny, Control Room, Ramones doc, The Killing.

Aug 24: I thought Bob "three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they're all superficial wounds" Dole had some class. Local swift boat vet responds. ...Tonight, SLF at the Rex, but it's $17.

Aug 23: In local education news: RLA opening, PCA closing. ...White House West.

Aug 21: Looks like my first time in Mr. Smalls will be Yo La T's Tour of Swing States To Try and Help John Kerry Get Elected. ...The accomplished chesh.

Aug 12: TCA has the latest on Chiodo's (good idea, Brian), sweet Ebert snaps, and mentioned this about Paczki. I've had them (I think) here and Giant Eagle, both very good, a jelly doughnut with an eggy dough. ...I'm still trying to bring Wanda to a screen near you. ...Minnie Driver sings the Boss.

Aug 11: If you have my cell phone number, I urge you to call me soon. ...Errol Morris ads for MoveOn PAC: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. ...Bill Murray and Elvis.

Aug 9: Three new photos. ...New metrovisions piece from Sunday.

Aug 6: Sq Hill shootings. ...Banks robbed during duelling Bush, Kerry visits. ...House Cindy.

Aug 4: Norman Mailer interviewed by his son, on politics. ...Ali G's So our country can be free.

Aug 2: Happy birthday to my cousins Mike and Mark! And happy 0th bday to Anja Bartlog! ...More on SF: Sat night Sara and Andreas and Sebastien hosted a great welcome party for us. We got to see Dan and Allyson, meet Mark and Megan, Tom and Ulrike were in from AArbor, Aimee and Andy from LA, and a good time was had by all. Sunday was dim sum brunch at Yank Sing, shopping at 826 Valencia and Aquarius, and dinner at Liberty Cafe with our hosts Leslie and Todd. Monday was lunch with Tom and Ulrike and Andy at the Pork Store, sightseeing the Presidio and Golden Gate, then Jen's reading. Thanks again to everyone who attended! ...Though it had to be pointed out to me (guess pundits are useful for something, once in awhile), I love that Kerry's speech had two textual digs at the opposition: one, "restore trust and credibility to the White House" was a beautiful twist on Bush's pledge four years ago, and two, "help is on the way" is a pointed swipe at something Cheney said. ...Plus, information visualization as artistic practice.

Jul 29: Thanks to everyone on the left coast for a great time, especially Leslie and Todd and A Clean Well-lighted Place for Books! ...I read the Gore speech, listened to the Clinton speech and watched the Edwards speech. Seems like the way is clear for Kerry to give the best speech of the convention. See John and John, Teresa et al this Saturday in G'burg.

Jul 23: Romero interview. ...Off to SF!

Jul 22: I admit I am always waiting for an inspirational political speech. They seem rare to me, and I love a really good one. So, I look forward to the Democratic Convention. I remember Mario Cuomo's "ship of state" speech, and I think i still have one by Jesse Jackson (was it from '92?) on VHS somewhere. Here's the lineup this year. Monday the 26th: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore. (Jimmy, we still luv ya.) Tues the 27th: Howard Dean, Chris Heinz, Teresa Heinz, Carol Moseley-Braun, Barack Obama. Weds the 28th: Elizabeth Edwards, John Edwards, Kucinich, Fast Eddie Rendell, Sharpton. Thurs the 29th: Madeline Albright, Joe Biden, Max Cleland, Wes Clark, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry.

Jul 19: This local blogger sometimes makes films. One is about walnut-shaped pastries and the machine that makes them; I watched it and learned that the blogger/filmmaker is my old classmate Pete Berger. Hi, Pete!

Jul 16: Friday, July 30, in the parking lot at Pittsburgh Filmmakers: Rickety Records' 10-yr anniversary party "The Rickety Decade-Dance." Bands: Oneida, Modey Lemon, Dirty Faces, Harry Hope & The Pipe Dreams. Films by Mulekicked Visions. At dusk, rain or shine. All ages (free beer over 21 w/proper ID), $10. ...Local film - Stuffed Shells; anyone know more? ...Finished my first I. J. Singer novel: good stuff.

Jul 13: Happy birthday to me: 35 today. Phhhhhhhhllt. ...The mark of the beast! The mark of the beast!

Jul 9: I just won 4 tix to Lyle Lovett from KQV! Awright.

Jul 8: Art discovery in Phila schools. ...Another war doc, Gunner Palace.

Jul 7: Kerry gets shot in the arm, in Pgh. ...Capote on Brando.

Jul 2: Tom Nichols's 0th wedding - congrats! ...Another Pgh blog: Someone found a future as a statue in a fountain.

Jul 1: Amy Goodman, 7/16 at CMU. ...Keep Thompson. Maybe if Murphy announces definitively that he will not run for mayor, then (we can all sleep a drop better and) they can spend a lot less time and money on this investigation? ...The goodness keeps on comin' from TCA; might he be the next Pulp ed? ...The World, closed.

Jun 30: Let's frickin hear it for Hertzberg, Udin, Shields, Peduto and Ricciardi! Nice vote, fellers. To my councilman, Len Bodack, I'll see you soon at the polls, you ninny.

Jun 29: A recent review of Inventing Victor. ...Film Threat story on Pittsburgh's Project: Valkyrie. ...F--- Cheney. ...Local toonz over at Grainbag.

Jun 21: Happy solstice. I'm back hard at work. Want to sponsor the 3RFF? Email me! ...This Saturday, Psychic TV.

Jun 15: More photos. ...Go Pistons. ...Get involved.
Jun 14: More photos. ...RIP Pulp?
Jun 7: First five photos!

Jun 6: Desmond Moses Engel was born June 5 at 8:49am, weighing 8#15oz! Everything went very well for baby and mom and we were home less than 12 hours after the delivery. Labor tales available upon request. Thanks to everyone who helped, especially Nancy from the Midwife Center and nurse Lisa. Stop by our place this week or next! L'chaim! ...Happy birthday today to my mom! ...Riegert condom pack design tops competition; and Yasko's Partisan Project make up today's local links.

Jun 3: Afflicted powers; related: Tenet resigns. ...Tonight, John O'Brien and his new film. ...Added two new links under 412.

Jun 2: Still no baby! Give Jen a phone call of support, please. ...Haven't had a long satisfying sit-down for TV sports in I don't know how long, but last night's Pistons game followed by the final set of Capriati besting Serena was exc. ...Bookish blog. ...No sleep till Brooklyn.

May 24: Still waiting on baby #2! Meantime, here's a snap of (l to r) Ella Prytherch, Tova and McKayla.

May 21: It's not until August, and I heard about it via Ticketmaster spam, but kinda cool that Modest Mouse is playing a wacky venue like the Rostraver Ice Garden in Belle Vernon, PA. ...General Zinni speaks out.

May 19: Thursday is the "Super Size Me" sneak preview at the Regent, and it got made a sticky. ...David Byrne on Pgh, see his May 14 entry [via perfesser pixblog]. ...No formal system in place to monitor instructions given to military guards in Abu Ghraib.

May 18: Dave Copeland, a seemingly sensible guy when you speak with him in person, and formerly a decent business reporter, has lately become both a weak columnist and a tepid apologist for the WoT. That being said, his identifying the latest piece by the normally-charming Jonathan Barnes as a piece of light hackery is not too far off. Copeland's bit on Barnes's piece, though, seems to miss the point. While busily making personal, parenthetical attacks against Barnes's integrity (of which he possesses a great deal more than Copeland) and blankly against all government subsidy, Cope takes the blogger's way out - the less nuance the better - or is it the columnists's way out? While Barnes's piece does seem to be lightweight and pro-construction, with lists of big figures cast in a non-negative light, both the Pulp piece and Copeland's rant ignore the details of the government-redevelopment system. Which are: too often plans like the North Shore are too large and make life easier for big corporations, add little to the city, and cost the taxpayers money; yet, when done correctly at a more moderate size, as seen in both Friendship and the Lower Hill, government subsidy can improve the city for all. Both Barnes and Copeland ignore the elephant in the neighborhood, which lies directly between the NShore and the residents of the NSide - Allegheny Center, the last big government mess that ruined the NSide. If the tax money being spent on NShore redevelopment was spent fixing Uptown/Soho, or connecting some of our highways (ever notice you can't get onto the Veterans Bridge from the North Side? or that you can't get onto 28 South from the Vets bridge? or that you can't get onto 279 South from 28 without going onto E Ohio? or from Bigelow Blvd to 376 West?) or undoing Allegheny Center, the city would have been better off. ...Today's beat Bush link: Vanishing votes, via goose35.

May 17: Weekend was packed, bro: happy hour at DeeCee's, gardening, Dora Live (not horrible), Alex and Josie's for ravioli in Stanton Heights, painting, softball (what weather!), gardening, grilled bison at Mom's. ...Fresh photos. ...Had to skip Neko Friday, due impending childbirth. ...Even Colin Powell wants regime change at home, so beat Bush (and Rummy).

May 13: Let's hear it for my man Jay: kudos, kudos. ...Beat Bush to the rhythm of JK's old band.

May 12: Pgh rox the WaPo; via KBeck. Mo' music: LPD Tue May 25 8 pm all ages Brew House Art Space, and Fountains of Wayne and others free at Hartwood. ...Stay near us, at F'ship suites. ...PA GOP wins battle; let's start winning the war by beating Bush.

May 11: Jen had a really bad experience with City Computer. Without going into the details, I heartily recommend you avoid them. On the other hand, my friend Steve Factor is a total sweetheart and makes housecalls. ...Tonight, Film Kitchen. ...Local Justice Clothing, via CP. ...JK calling for Rumsfeld's dismissal. JK related to Dubya; beat Bush anyway.

May 7: Tonight: happy hour for Save Our Summer; poetry at Gist St. ..Get to know Kerry; beat Bush.

May 5: Disney and Michael Moore's new film. ...Many online films, including Icarus of Pgh. ...Beating Bush is the least we can do to repay for this abuse.

May 3: Carnegie International line-up. ...Starting Weds, first films from Russia. ...Seamus Press. ...Beat Bush on the environment.

Apr 29: 2nite, Fast Times. Plus, 30¢ movies every Monday in May, at the Harris. ...Here's the delegate results, and it looks like Ferlo and Domike are staying home, darn. ...Crony capitalism in the Iraq War is another reason to beat Bush.

Apr 28: An important new image has been added to this site. ...Yesterday I got to vote for Steffi Domike as a potential delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Anyone know where the delegate results are? ...Sign up to register voters. ...The Local History Co. ...In the former Road to Karrakesh location: Maggie's veg resto. And in other chowhound news, the ever-popular St. Nick's fest is just around the corner. ...Beat Bush.

Apr 27: Madge's big bro Jim and his steady opened a resto on SSide today, the Gypsy Cafe. Check it out at 14th & Bingham, 412-381-Gypsy. ...Jen's uncles recently started making and selling this nifty tool. ...Todd Haynes's first film, Superstar. ...Beat Bush in OH.

Apr 26: Vote tomorrow. ...RIP Jane Fisher. ...Dennis Lehane to speak Friday. ...Remember the Masquerade book mystery? ...Moms everywhere say beat Bush.

Apr 23: Johnny Lee, HCI student at CMU and film tech (via riotnrrd). ...Hitler vol 2, Dreher's latest. ...Stephenson interview. ..If you have not heard Shopping, get thee to the Garfield Artworks on the morrow. ...Beat Bush.

Apr 22: If this guy and the other North Shore property owners' ties to the GOP aren't the reason for the serious consideration of the moronic dual under-river tunnels, I'll eat my hat. ...Another impressive musical lineup for this year's 3RAF. ...Lethem on comics and youth. ...Don't call it a comeback. ...Cannes lineup; with Tarantino as chief jurist, I'll predict an Asian winner. ...This Earth Day, don't forget we need to beat Bush.

Apr 21: This Saturday, Art All Night. ...On G.C.Murphy. ...This week's CP cover story (syndicated, natch) is also today's beat Bush link.

Apr 20: I'd always forseen the inital terminus of the east-end light-rail line being at Schenley Plaza, but looks like there are other plans for that prime spot. ...John Yinzermullet has a piece in the PinUp show, along with Brett and PFM's own Sue Abramson. ...Let's see if I can end each entry between now and November with a 'beat Bush' link. Beat Bush.

Apr 19: On Woodward's new book. ...Apr 25 is World Pinhole Day.

Apr 16: Jen will appear tomorrow, on a panel of working writers at Chatham. ...Pgh Opera is running Sister Helen Prejean around this weekend, just in time for the NRA convo. ...Wine and cheese at Melwood tonight. ...4/22: The Fall, $20 at Brew House. ...Just finished listening to Amnesiac & the vocals sounded plenty like Rufus Wainwright to me. Odd.

Apr 15: Even friendly Bill's Produce doesn't carry ramps, but both of these festivals are too far to entice me. Bring some back for me, if you go. ...Yesterday, the buffet lunch at Indica was great. Tonight, Typhoon?

Apr 14: Jen's a got a new reading scheduled at a great shop, July 26 at A Clean Well-Lighted Place! ...A9. ...Let's hear it for Mellon – they not only have several ex-Printcafe employees there (I'm looking at you Skolnick), but have in the last few months hired an old and a new friend of mine. Mr. Carroll and Mr. Musacchio, this is your official online "mazel tov."

Apr 13: Tune in to Radio 9. ...Piles of music events upcoming at Modern Formations. ...This past weekend was beautiful! After an easy 10 hour drive, we spent 2 days in Brookline with cousin Ed, Lillian, Margalit, and Nathaniel. Then a day with Chris Dreher, and his Nanny, mom and stepdad. Then an afternoon with Tova's pal Caroline and her family Mark, Maureen and Katie. Then an evening and brunch with Justine and Louie in Amherst. We even found time to see Harvard Yard, Walden Pond and the Old North Bridge. Massachusetts was really pretty and seeing everyone was great. I might peg Nanny's meatloaf dinner as the highlight. Thanks everyone for the horse brutality.

Apr 6: Some tired non-local bits – Franken on the air, Pollack back online. ...This Thursday night, Goeff Kelly will give a talk after The Battle of Algiers. ...4/18 opens pickup softball season at ole Bandi Schaum off Mission St, 1pm!

Apr 5: Some contributed links: from the BGC Bulletin, National City to reopen their Garfield Branch; from Jonny Barnes, We The People; from rabEye, 4/9 at Garfield Artworks is Billy Nayer. ...Enon on 4/16. ...Thursday: love one another and wash yer feet.

Apr 2: Today's Pgh Business Times says (story not yet online) there are a few PNC Park luxury suites remaining unleased, and the Bucos are going to lease them top the public in packages as small as 10-games. Craig B, sign up, I'm in! ...Emmett Frisbee. LemonAd.

Apr 1: Tonight, Caligari. Tomorrow, Gist Street. ...Sign up soon for this summer's local, organic veggie delivery. This will be our 5th year doing it.

Mar 31: Fact-check Kerry and Bush. ...Opening for Keb Mo here on 4/4, is Kaki King.

Mar 29: Got to see Mr. Tom from Ann Arbor and Miss Maura from NYC here in the Burgh this weekend. Caught the Oranges Band with Mr. Tim (who recommends I check out Decemberists and Enon); we were joined in the audience by Craig WhatTheHellHappened and Michael Grainbag. Had dinner Sat nite with Teddy Carroll and his charming family. Painted. Cooked. Moved big furniture. Took the blanket of leaves off the ole tomater patch.

Mar 27: Did you get your invite to the Elsie Awards? ...Also April 1, a film & live-music event at the Regent Sq.

Mar 26: Condoleeza Rice contradicted by her peers. ...I have somehow never linked to reprodepot. I used to steal images from their site and turn them into light-switch plates. Decoupage, yo. ...The hebi at Kaya last night was terrific. American Shorts had a nice crowd last night, lots of friends and familiar faces. ...A short Oranges Band mp3. ...Tonight's the opening night for The Battle of Algiers and the Amnesty Film Fest.

Mar 25: Pittsburgh signs. ...Dean's fall. ...Been to pgh.food? ...Tomorrow nite, Mates of State and The Oranges Band.

Mar 22: This Thursday – American Eagle College Night at Filmmakers. ...Because The Frame's website is way out of date, here are your springtime opportunities to see senior art shows at CMU. Openings are Fridays at 7pm. 3/26: John Kim & Gina Lee. 4/2: Patrick Rowe & Lindsay Cortese & Christina Murcado. 4/9: Jeannine Biunno & Nick Wylie & Claire Perry. 4/16: Dan Barret & Tommy Macker & John Bush. 4/23: Fiona Wilson & Leslie Vega & Maureen Antkowski. 4/30: Christina Lazar & Ashley Harwood. 5/7: Leslie Klasterka & Maxim Tsvetovat. 5/14: Ryan Murray & Luke Meeken.

Mar 19: Not only is my friend Geoff in Iraq, so is my friend Jeff. The latter is there helping our government do reconstruction in a more environmentally-sound way. He's emailing updates, and I'm posting them to a weblog. ...On CMU campus today it is Tepper-mania. ...Prez donations, by zip - fun! Shows Ritchie Scaife gave to both sides, other notable locals. ...Happy bday, Dad.

Mar 17: Here's a pro-Kerry poll that might never see the light of day, from conservative group AFA. ...What's $100 billion amongst friends?

Mar 16: Pgh white rap stars Grand Buffet play the Rex tomorrow night and ultrrra-hip Pianos Saturday. ...Romero's DOTD re-released and remade. ...Make your own xword.

Mar 15: Thanks to Bill Toland for not making me look too foolish in the P-G. And for those of you visiting this site for the first time, please buy my wife's great book. ...Tova's friend Caroline's new home in Boston.

Mar 12: Jen's latest publication - Unexpected Tide. ...via ultragrrl here's an mp3 by Bloc Party. ...Oscar shorts playing this weekend, got four stars from Barry Paris.

Mar 11: Pgh urban planning sent up. ...My copy of Baghdad Without A Map was actually borrowed from Aimee in LA, and is now going to make its way to Baghdad with Geoff. So best. ...Rawk this Saturday night with Reid Paley at 31st St, or Pain Dogs at Gooski's. ...Neuskool's fotolog.

Mar 10: Dave Kent's fotolog. ...As PBT correctly noted, the primary for mayor (which decides the election) is about a year away, gearing up. ...Just in time for St. Patty's Day, a lecture on Irish films by Dana Och this Sunday. Speaking of St. Patty's Day, will O'Riegert get it together for one more party?

Mar 5: Sunday, donate to Pulp editor's Geoff Kelly's Iraq trip, at the QStorm. ...Also ~~Sunday~~ Mar 14, look for a piece on blogging in the P-G by Bill Toland, which should have quotes from me that I hope will not sound stupid. ...Manny maturing, thoughtful.

Mar 4: Local film festivals this month - JIFF, Amnesty, CMU. ...Latest Jonny Barnes. ...Some libraries that have bought Jen's book: The Chinese Library of Hong Kong; Brown U. and UNLV; Wellington, N.Z.; Waukesha, WI; Belmont and Brookline, MA; Tulsa, OK; Keene, NH; Norwalk, CT and Arlington Heights, IL!

Mar 2: Hitchens flogs Mel Gibson. ...Big day for Kerry today. ...Did I mention Julie's karaoke party Saturday was such a blast? It was! ...Local record labels – f**keroo & how green was my valley.

Mar 1: Last night's show was one of the least remarkable - no great or terrible speeches, no one looked amazingly good or bad, and few surprises. Crystal was not so funny. No surprise that the birds with whom I was watching all hate Zeta-Jones, Julia Roberts, and especially Zellwegs. Sofia Coppola seemed slightly livelier than she has in the last few weeks; glad she won for writing. Bill Murray looked like the only one not politely smiling when Sean Penn won as everyone knew he would. Errol Morris's win for Fog was a surprise. Would that they could give an award to Hackman every year; his speech was so good. ...I need to say that last Thurs our 10th anniversary dinner at Lidia's included the best octopus dish I ever had. They said they poach the tentacles with corks, to ensure tenderness, before grilling em.

Feb 27: Happy anniversary, Frí.

Feb 26: Six new photos posted. ...Ever been to the James Gallery? Me neither, but here's a great reason: James Nesbitt of W2Wall has a show opening March 5. ...If yer fool enough to skip the Black Maria Film Fest and Julie's Murr-eoke party on Saturday, there is yet a third option I can recommend (via Jilly): Shopping will play Gooski's.

Feb 24: All Filmmakers, all the time — thanks to all who came out last night to talk about "The Fog of War" at the Quiet Storm, a really great turnout and discussion; hope to see more good crowds for our Doug Dubois opening Thursday, and for the Black Maria film fest on Saturday. ...Also on Saturday, for those that know, Bill Murr-eoke at Julie's!

Feb 18: Just a few months makes all the difference. Dowd sworn in as school board member, new school board pres results, and the foundation money will be reinstated. Kudos to Muzz and the rest of the Highland Park & L'ville activists who got Dowd elected. ...Opening Friday at the new space Space, Petite Enveloppe Urbaine, a group show of Montréal and Pgh artists. ...Savannah was beautiful. Did lots of walking and ate well.

Feb 13: Great pic of first same-sex couple married in US. ...BFVF closed. ...Thanks to Roberta for hosting last night's shindig for baby Maeve and Stacey. ...Savannah, here we come! ...First new Optic Nerve in 2 yrs.

Feb 11: The annual NRA convention is here April 16-18, and their tentatively-scheduled keynote speaker for Saturday night the 17th is Dick Cheney. This is also just 10 days before the nearly-meaningless PA Dem primary vote. I think John Kerry should hold a massive rally and sell tickets like Ralph Nader did 4 years ago. Here are some strong anti-NRA statements from JK: 1, 2, 3, 4. ...Franken in Pgh Feb 21.

Feb 10: Shop and give to Filmmakers. ...Freaky: age-maps. ...Film note: log of script sales, via pov.

Feb 9: This explains why our Prius mileage is so low this winter. ...Local bus system site, an alternate to ridegold.com. ...via dreaming ant. ...Ratings for teachers at my old HS.

Feb 5: Even tho Cara feels the entire cuisine is overrated, some of us are anticipating the opening of Abay. ...Sophie Crumb's first issue of Belly Button. ...New, indy Bettie Page movie. ...Sedaris returns. ...Dean out if no win in Wisconsin. ...Cheney staffers suspects in Plame matter. ...Latest Dreher.

Feb 3: Friday Feb 6, Filmmakers is honored to have Robert Boudreau speaking & answering questions after the film "My Architect." Showtime for opening night is 7:30 at the Harris Theater downtown. Mr. Boudreau is the founder and conductor of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, which tours on a barge designed by architect Louis Kahn, the subject of "My Architect." Boudreau knew Kahn for over a decade, appears in the film, and is currently back in Pittsburgh after a long European tour. I had a conversation with him and he's brilliant. Boudreau's very close with Kahn's son, Nathaniel, the film's director. Some of the barge archives. A recent review. See you there! ...PghArt? ...New Fukuyama.

Feb 2: That game was fun to watch. Thanks to the JBB crew for the fine time. ...Grainbag fundraiser Friday. ...Baum Centre corridor. ...1/3 of Iranian parliament resigns.

Jan 28: Here's all the Golden Globes commentary you need. With info like this I'm not sorry I didn't watch. ...Sunday's game: at Stu's? ...Anyone got restaurant or hotel recommendations for Savannah?

Jan 27: Oscar nominations are out, and Pgh Filmmakers has 4 playing now or in the next few weeks - Weather Underground, Triplets of Belleville, Fog Of War, and My Architect. Woo-hoo! Bill Murray got his first nomination! Mighty Wind got a nod for Best Song. Early predictions - Holly Hunter will win for Thirteen, Charlize Theron for Monster, and Lost in Translation will get (only) Screenplay.

Jan 26: Matt Weiner is one of Pitttsburgh's finest characters, currently teaching in the great state of Utah. He's also got some Opiniatrety. ...Blog from The Nation. ...Bagelface is current high priority. Good to know.

Jan 23: Couldn'ta been easy: somehow the well-trodden ground of lesbianisme and Auschwitz did not seem stale during last night's performance. And the Casablanca Bistro came thru with haste, just prior, though slightly overpriced twas verry tasty. ...FMKT bought by Ariba. Arriba! ...RIP Cap'n Kangaroo. A good show, but he always seemed like a scary dad to me. ...Tomorrow at 5 at the Cage, new-ish coalition of small publications shall drink. ...Blog that jumps the bloggin shark?

Jan 22: New polling method being tested here. via Pulp. ...Franken's radio show to be on this fledgling network. ...Can't wait for FOW. ...Will DCM blog again evah? And when is that Pulplog gonna go up?

Jan 20: NYC trip was great. F-111 was worth the trip, Clem Snide was charming and so much more soulful than snide (plus there was Yuengling on tap and amazing bartenderettes), and on the way to cuz Mike's accidentally discovered the classic Applegate Farm. Nick and Maura say 'hi' back to everyone. But would the trip have been better if my blog was popular? ...Dean seemed rabid (in a bad way) last night. Kerry is so very. ...Friday, take your turned-out, shivering tuchas to the glam rock cabernet. ...Pittsburgh's hottest academic export has a new essay. Link via dc.

Jan 16: Let me suggest (again) that a building like this one has space for parking, a grocery store, and apartments. URA, please don't try the same shite any more. ...How can this Chi-chi's have had a 3-hr wait yesterday, yet I can't manage to get people to go see (great) movies at the (non-hepatitis-inducing) Harris. ...Smarty new colonist back in tahn. ...Oscar fever begins. I'm tepid this year. Mystic River? Ehh. Speaking of film, the great Filmmaker mag has started a blog, though so far no way to contact the authors or post comments. ...Dem fever begins as well. Seems like Kerry is hitting his oratorical stride. I thought everyone'd already decided that southerner Edwards is the presumptive veep nomimee, but not everyone.

Jan 14: Looks like this weekend will be in NYC! Looking forward to Gorky, Rosenquist, Snide shows. (Anyone need a ride there Friday night? Headed back here Sunday night.)

Jan 12: PghFilmmakers' own Jesse McLean won one of 13 First Prizes in this year's Black Maria Film Festival, for her short "Celebration of Lights." The BMFF will be in Pittsburgh on Feb 28 @ the Melwood. ...'Burgher, former cabinet official, former Alcoa chief Paul O'Neill critical of W. ...It's surely a faux pas to post this before I've had a chance to speak with him personally, but Matty's dad died, so please reach out to Matty. RIP.

Jan 9: Thanks to all the great gift givers and their gifts. Some items that have been ticked off my wishlist - Al Franken's latest (great, as expected), DVD player (wit the fine silver finish), Mr. Show's 3d season (exc), Ben Stiller show (not as good as I'd remembered). ...Check this letter from Chuck Seroky giving props to QStorm and PghFilmmakers. ...Lesbians, yes lesbians, and in Español no less, opening tonight downtown.

Jan 6: New photos. ...Long piece on Dean in NYer. ...Not terrible: online tv show stbd.

Jan 5: Having the last two weeks off goes to show it's good to be in the non-profit world. Lady Lake, FL was dreamy - family, campfires, Christmas morning, canoeing, picking fruit, Drew's guitar playing, Tova and Anna together, it was all great. Photos soon. Then last week we got a visit from Ilene, Jonathan and Dina, my mom left for FL, & we found out Kris K is engaged! ...Our best bud Andy spent most of the last week praying for success (step 10 on this page was pretty much the responsibility of Andy's software) - and it worked! Congrats!

_________2003_________

Dec 18: Deadline is today @ 5pm. On Friday, Dan Onorato's Board recommendation team will be reviewing resumes & making recommendations for the following 5 County Boards: Sports & Exhibition Authority, Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (Alcosan), County Housing, Port Authority, Airport Authority. Note: An Onorato rep stressed how high profile & time consuming these boards are. If you are interested in one of these positions, submit a resume and cover letter indicating the Board you are interested in. Onorato's office says this will increase your chances of consideration, versus a resume without a specific board interest. Send nomination to resumes@danonorato.com.

Dec 17: I heard the news today - oh boy (girl, actually!). Congratulations to Stacey and Dinesh! Maeve Mascarenhas arrived on December 11 at 11:01PM after a long labor. She weighed 7# 9oz and measured 20.5". ...The Inventing Victor page has been updated with a new review from the Sharon (PA) Herald, and this Sunday's reading.

Dec 15: Important gerrymandering case at Supreme Court regarding PA. ...Latest, greatest Dreher, on ideological books for kids. ...A gift for Tammy? ...50 NY pahr punks under 35.

Dec 11: WAR, a film shot in Warren, PA was selected for Sundance 2004. The filmmaker needs $40000 this week to transfer the film to 35mm so he can actually be in Sundance.

Dec 8: Survived the drive Friday nite to Philly. Sue and Chip were gracious hosts and Duncan is so cute! We had a nice snowed-in Saturday making soup and watching Holes.

Dec 5: Still in beta - online bboards at PghFilmmakers. ...New New Yinzer incl snaps by my man Craig.

Dec 2: Primary schedule. ...Next Monday: Tom Savini, the man behind the makeup: A Talk, Demonstration, Video, Q&A and Signing @ 7pm, Alumni Hall Auditorium, 7th Fl., 4200 Fifth Ave.

Dec 1: Holiday weekend was so fine! Adam seemed to enjoy himself and his girlfriend seems very cool. Turkey was moist Thursday and my salmon was a hit Saturday. Having Chris & Tom & Lesley visit was terrif. ...Started reading this book Chris gave me. ...Pgh Filmmakers in Moviemaker magazine!

Nov 26: Baby want sauce? ...John's moved the pics of Fiona and Kitty to kittyjulian.com. ...Have a peaceful holiday.

Nov 21: Single-bullet theorist Arlen Specter, US Senator from PA, will joust with his longtime critic, local megalomaniac (and perfectly good coroner) Cyril Wecht at the Wecht Institute. ...Tomorrow night - Oakley Hall at Gooski's, Rufus at the Byham. ...Sunday - Debt Begins at 20.

Nov 19: Tonight - Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, plus Alan Licht, DJ Olive, Tim Barnes will improvise to Text of Light and other films by the late great Stan Brakhage. ...Also tonight 'hump' at meet-here, which is drinkin' followed by a Quantum performance. ...Some personal notes: Tova is growing up fast, y'all. This past week she had her first sleepover, at her grandma's, and it went well. Last night she and Lisa caught a sneak preview of Cat in the Hat together. And she's practicing writing capital letters, though she's best at those in the words 'Tova' and 'Thank You,' from making thank-you notes. Jen's in Austin to read at tonight's Book Punk, so last night Tova wrote her a note, using her new calligraphic skillz.

Nov 18: It's been like a year since I visited Fametracker, and today it made me laugh. ...Rickety is featured in the back pages of the new Index, though it's not online, I've read it, and it is good.

Nov 17: Better late than never? craigslist ... via Pittpunk.

Nov 15: Fresh photos today.

Nov 13: More great coverage of the 3RFF this week - CP, Pulp, and Trib. ...Election watch begins! The New Hampshire primary is on Jan 27, just 75 short days away. It's quickly followed on Feb 3 by critical primaries in SC, OK, AZ, MO, & DE, as well as caucuses in NM & ND. Caucuses in MI & WA follow closely on Feb 7. ...Ira Glass Q+A.

Nov 12: Stone Reader, which includes an interview with Pitt prof Bruce Dobler, got 3.5 stars in the PG. ...Art Carney, Oscar winner: dead and buried.

Nov 11: Read about the olde punke rocke of the Burgh.

Nov 10: Inventing Victor reviewed very favorably in the SF Chronicle!

Nov 7: Mazel tov!!! To John, Kitty and Fiona. ...Go to the opening night of the 3rff!

Nov 6: Krugman in NYRB. ...Hearty thanks again to CP, Pulp, and Trib for the terrific Film Fest coverage! Mervis, make my day tomorrow. ...Ain't nobody mentioned it's nanowrimo agin.

Nov 5: Q+A with Chomsky. ...Fresh New Yinzer.

Nov 4: Tomorrow, all 80000 issues of the City Paper will have a 12-page insert with the full Three Rivers Film Festival schedule. Please attend the opening night gala this Friday!

Nov 3: I am an old man: after dealing with a candy-loaded 3 year old, had to crash on Friday and skip Flux. Even after a day's rest, had to skip DKent's and MRescher's parties (having no costumes had something to do with it). Pics of Tova in costume soon. ...Kill Bill was fun. And there was a nice turnout for The General; the print looked great and Tova kinda liked it. ...New album from The Speaking Canaries. ...This site says Inventing Victor will be reviewed in the SF Chronicle Sunday.

Oct 31: Tonight, Tovey will be bedtime bear, from the Care Bears - so cute. ...Filmmakers - news item. Also look for the 3RFF piece on OnQ next Thurs.

Oct 29: Some new photos are up, of Tova's 3rd birthday party. Thanks for taking such great shots, Julie! ...Local: B V W. ...Fluffy: Low culture.

Oct 27: Post-Gazette endorses Republican Roddey for Allegheny County chief exec, 3rd-highest post in Pennsylvania.

Oct 24: More local sites: Creosote, Madgeblog. ...Nice writeup for Mark Scheer. ...Craig has some cork factory shots up.

Oct 23: Happy birthday, Tova!!! ...Non-Carnegie library, in Bellevue. ...planZ of Jackson St 15206. ...Holy Pittsburgh hip-hop.

Oct 22: Humble and heartfelt thanks for the positive comments from Greencine Daily about the festival, and Ms. Jill about the festival site.

Oct 21: The Three Rivers Film Festival website is up. If you have the chance in the next day or three to peruse it, please let me know what you think. I'm already aware that the website looks terribly wrong using Netscape 4.xx. It should look correct using Netscape 7.x or Internet Explorer, or Opera, or Safari. If you can't tell by looking, it was hand-coded by yours truly. Some of the films I'm looking forward to seeing are Crimson Gold, Long Gone, Melvin Goes to Dinner, To Be and To Have, Triplets of Belleville, and of course The Forgotten. ...Chicago is so gorgeous during Indian summer, it was a great reunion with Roberta, and the breakfasts! ...My old friendster Jill points us to the cute and colorful site of (the very foxy) Elizabeth.

Oct 15: Two mentions in advance of Jen's Chicago reading this Friday - NewCity and Sun-Times.

Oct 14: Tonite - Neal Pollack. Tomorrow nite - Vic Chesnutt.

Oct 13: Bicas, tomorrow night at Film Kitchen. ...Riegert photo page.

Oct 10: George Clinton at Mr. Small's (was this announced more than a few days ago?), and Peaches at the Warhol! I'll miss them both.

Oct 9: On the 17th, Zoe Beloff will speak at her opening at Melwood, and Black Sheep 5 begins. ...PittEdTV's last program for 2003 is Oct 21 at the Warhol. ...Art and Halloween - AmShorts will be Oct 30 at Mellon Mansion on Chatham Campus, with films and readings, and your friendly neighborhood Flux on the 31st.

Oct 8: Two local indie films - Bundle of Joy, Blue Myst Road. ...Rephotos.

Oct 6: All reports from attendees of Friday's opening of Garden of Art were very positive. ...PILGFF starts Oct. 17. ...Pgh and film industry. ...Heard a rumor: The Cricket is closing? ...'03 MacArthurs.

Oct 3: 1st local story on Inventing Victor. ...Organize Pgh. ...Wesley Clark's campaign-kickoff book.

Sep 30: 3rff.com. ...America's funniest male cowriting Strangers With Candy for the big screen.

Sep 29: Jen's next to Madeleine Albright on this Miami book fair page. ...This spring Golan Levin will be teaching at CMU. ...Lies and the lying liar who tells them. ...RIP George Plimpton, lit hero.

Sep 26: Look for a profile of Jen and possibly a book excerpt in the next CP. ...This Sunday, F'ship House tour 11am-5pm. ...Upcoming.

Sep 25: Last nite Tim reminded me how out of touch I am with rock. He reported good times were had at Ted Leo & Broken Social Scene & My Morning Jacket shows during the last two weeks. ...Tonite, Biederman. Tomorrow nite The Journey opens for a weeklong run at the RST.

Sep 24: Another Simonds film (see Sep 18 entry), one he edited, will see its first light. "ONE SHOT: The Life and Work of Teenie Harris" will premier on WQED tomorrow at 8pm, & again on November 6 at the same time.

Sep 23: Froelische geburtstag, bruder! ...North Side's A.I.R. ...From the old shul - the Au Pairs.

Sep 22: Jen's next reading is booked, for Friday October 17 at Quimby's! Don't miss Neal Pollack there the night before. ...This Friday, get with the JBBs and Jon Langford, 8pm at the Warhol.

Sep 18: Local scion Henry Simonds's new film "The Forgotten" will open the Three Rivers Film Festival on Nov 7. ...I thought there were strict rules about moving capital money to operating budgets. If anyone wants to enlighten me on the subject, please email. ...How to, by you.

Sep 16: Jen reports that Atlanta is a most welcoming place, and brings back greetings from Adam G., Kris K. and Jeff, who all helped make her reading/signing go swimmingly and brought out a crowd. Thanks, y'all! And thanks to CLA for reviewing the book before the event! Here's the AJC listing.

Sep 15: Now Tova's back in day care, & I miss her. Photos soon I promise. ...First two weeks at PF have been really lovely. Lots of congrats from folks, though several people at public events in the last two weeks have gone out of their way to express their personal qualifications for the position. I feel lucky lucky to be back working, and luckier still to be at a non-profit with a worthwhile mission. Let's hope my current immunity from all the old stories and old games lasts a long time. Now that I'm an official film world denizen, I've been checking out sites like GreenCine, and if you know of others I should check out, pass 'em on. ...Tom Nichols was here this weekend and we had a ball at Sue Abramson's show Friday night and then at Melissa's and Corey's, even though I was burdened by Friel's entourage. I was honored to meet Gordon at the same party, where also Ian was cracking. me. up.

Aug 28: Belated congrats to Sue and Chip on the birth of Duncan! ...Jen's been invited to read in Austin in November by the Greatest Living American Writer. See the Victor page for details. ...More on the LA trip: Gueleguetza was so tasty. In Sequoia we saw a tarantula, what we think was a California king snake, and many waterfalls, marmots & cattle. Plowed thru 3 good books in the last week: Girl in Landscape & Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, and Perfume by Patrick Suskind.

Aug 27: LA was fab: Jen's reading at Dutton's, the bbq afterwards at Aimee and Andy's, then a trip to Sequoia where we saw the General Sherman tree, Moro Rock, Mineral King's valleys and swam in the ice cold water. ...Newsflash: I assume it's now OK to annouce my new position, director of marketing for Pgh Filmmakers. Thanks to Charlie, Dorinda, Carol, Gern, Gary, and anyone else who had a hand in the decision. ...Got my first cell phone. Sigh. ...Dreher scores two more.

Aug 14: Becky Mingo, neighborhood treasure, regional asset, foxy mom, and director of the Friendship Development Associates, has finally been honored with a Pittsburgh 40 Under 40 award. Her methods at the FDA should be studied and replicated throughout the city. Cheers, Becky! ...Leroy of Millvale.

Aug 13: So when projects like the Wabash finish, why isn't there a fund of money which is invested conservatively, so the interest from the fund pays for the maintenance and operating costs that are related? ...Send emails to these senators, and Ferlo, who thinks the city should start raising taxes. ...Onorato managed to say nothing related to the city finances at his presentation of his economic platform? ...I heard on the radio some flack for the mayor say there's no fat anywhere in city budgets, followed by Peduto's response that there are almost an infinite number of changes that could be made to save money.

Aug 12: Thx again to Tim McNulty who is tirelessly documenting the situation here in Iron City. Mayor Murphy has serious cojones if he runs for reelection again. He continues to take the path of least resistance, using short-term solutions like selling the water authority, borrowing to pay debts, asking for tax increases, and now making layoff announcements before meeting with the police, even using crossing guards and city pools to play on the emotions of voters who are really sick of him. I feel bad for having voted for him 3 times, but I didn't really have any better choices, especially in the last election.
     ...Some other measures need to be taken to repair the budget. Perhaps Peduto's right, giving up some authority to an austere plan that would be vetted by Harrisburg or the county or a special panel, would be worth doing to get the control away from the current bunglers. At a minimum the fire department should be highest on the list, regardless of their no-layoff contract. The URA should reduce to a skeleton crew for a year and the $45 million or so they're sitting on should be used to help make this year's payment on the city's $1.6 billion long-term debt. And reducing City Council from 9 to 7 seats would save a half-million $ per year. But these points have been made by others.
     ...Maybe Onorato could make it part of his platform to call for county and state participation in the relief of city debt and also to relieve the city of some of the responsibilities it has mishandled. Because it's critical regionally, when in fact there are some signs of life here, to bring the city's basic structures under control, in order to keep the city working and the businesses downtown where we want them. Someone needs to cut some hard deals fast.
     ...If we need legislation to get us out of the bad contract with the fire department, do whatever you have to, Mayor, to get Harrisburg or the labor arbitration board to include some per-capita limits on the size of the public safety forces here, so when the population goes down, there's automatic cuts. ...I would think the highly profitable service businesses downtown like Mellon, PNC, Federated and others would pay for the privilege of keeping their nearly tax-exempt status, if approached correctly. Why wouldn't they agree to pay $52 per year per within-the-city employee, instead of taking it out of their employees' pay, if the legislation creating this tax contained Act-47-type caveats about how the money was spent? If this tax was committed to at-least-temporary oversight by a regional or state board, and was used to support maintenance of roads, rail stations, and other amenities that directly benefit the downtown business environment? Are the feds really going to put Maglev stations here if the City can't cope with its own basic functions?
     ...And how can City Council approve a coal mine when the guy wants to use trucks on roads that are already at full capacity? Couldn't they have forced Betters to use rail lines or the rivers? I guess CSX railroad and the Port Authority would have been a tougher nut for Betters to crack than Council so now the roads in that area are going to be a disaster? ...Re: the Lord + Taylor building, perhaps it's a better location for the proposed African- American cultural center, instead of threatening eminent domain to take space next to the convention center that private developers are already lining up to re-do.

Aug 11: A listing of Jen's upcoming LA reading. ...Chris D's first Wash Post byline. Nice work!

Aug 5: Mine OKed by Pgh city council. Ugh. Peduto for mayor! ...Interview with Charlie Crystle, recent Dem entrant in the race against Arlen Specter. ...I finally reinstalled my sound card, then listened to some stuff online and bought Vic Chestnutt's latest.

Aug 1: My life is recently preventing me from doing things like seeing off my friend Matt Weiner and breaking in Lisa and Geoff's place. Luckily Chris Dreher stayed his last week in Pittsburgh with us and we dragged each other around town and had a great time, though I drove dangerously drunk. All last weekend's festivities that I missed are expounded upon tipsily by DCM. I'll try to make his Garfield going-away but I may not know too many there, so, if you see me, come over. Monday afternoon, just 20 hours after returning from the weekend in Knoxville, my in-laws arrived, also due to the funeral which brought them north from Florida 10 days earlier than planned. We've been visiting, drinking, fixing our house & sightseeing all week. ...Happy bday to my first cousins Mike and Mark!

Jul 31: More redistricting hijinks in TX: now senators have left the state. ...Up Copeland's alley: tech and journalism. ...On this date in 1982, I had my bar mitzvah.

Jul 30: The memorial service in Morristown, TN, was lovely and many people spoke movingly. ...Lawrenceville's Slaughterhouse Gallery will host a poetry reading by Bob Pajich & Scott Silsbe this Friday at 7pm. ...I'm guessing the passengers on any cross-country or international flights would each pay a buck to foot the hotel bill for their air marshal.

Jul 24: Jen's grandpa died yesterday. Rest in peace, William Bannan Sr. We'll miss you, Pop-pop.

Jul 24: Much music this weekend. Ween, one of my faves, Friday at Laga. Weird Al's Friday show seems to have sold several tix to our friends. Saturday's got the New Alcindors at Brew House, and JBBs at Gooski's.

Jul 23: Some interesting results are already coming in from GoogleAlert: the library in Wayne County, NJ ordered a copy of Jen's book, and someone posting on Yankeeracers is reading it. ...ActPgh event Jul 26, 12-4pm @ Brew House. ...Local, not shy: balledup.

Jul 22: If you hadn't already heard, shop tomorrow at Whole Foods and 5% of their profit goes to m'local PAAI. ...Also if you hadn't heard, Cara G's having a drinking spelling bee, & the first one's Thursday at 7 at the fab Chart Room. If you have been putting off visiting the Chart Room, you can stop now. ...And the 3d hadn't you heard is: Jenny Luvv talking sexy fiction at Amurrican Shorts, Jul 31 at Mattress Factory.

Jul 21: GoogleAlert. ...via Daniel Abeshouse, cheeseracing! ...via exitstageleft, Did senior Bush officials blow the cover of a US intelligence officer working covertly in a field of vital importance to national security--and break the law--in order to strike at a Bush administration critic and intimidate others?

Jul 18: Sorry for the lack of posts, o ye, my faithful handful of tuners in. Just been enjoying the summer - trying to arrange play dates for Tova, going to the city pools, creating my first website as a freelancer, interviewing for some less-technical jobs. My birthday was great last Sunday: played two 9-inning softball games on Mission Street, grilled some food at home and packed it up to take to the Ralph Stanley show. Great weather and company. ...Just found out that Weds night Maxwell John Colafella (7#13oz), was born! Kudos, Doug and Meg! ...Madge and her handbags look great in Pulp this week. ...Looking for odd events in Pgh? Something tells me no one reading this blog knows anyone headed to this. ...Sentences has been pretty good so far.

Jul 15: Neal Pollack's forthcoming novel was an excellent quick read, though I did not read many of the lyrics interspersed with the prose, nor did I use the companion CD. I got a reviewer's copy from Dreher. It's the tale of a visionary loser, the world's greatest rock critic, who, Forrest Gump-like, moves from one to another of the birthing places of rock history, underwritten for much of the book by insurance money from when Elvis ran over his dad. It's utterly self-conscious but light and witty enough to maintain momentum. ...Wigfield. ...Lodge45. ...Pgh in top 10 in this city literacy study.

Jul 12: Fresh Polaroids, from today's festivities. ...Pittsburgh Clear Sky Clock.

Jul 11: Wesley Clark for prez? ...Amber Beckers swept thru Pgh last month. ...What's with the dates at AnnOnline? ...Oligopolywatch.

Jul 9: With the likelihood of a recall election for Cali governor, perhaps tune in to this Sac Bee weblog. ...This Sunday, legend Ralph Stanley plays a free show. ...The agitator.

Jul 8: Farrah at the Warhol. ...Almost forgot: cinema in the park. ...Virtual book touring.

Jul 7: Eric Fox this Saturday at Boxheart. ...Dreher's latest: 1, 2. ...And on and on and on she kept on.

Jul 4: Happy birthday, USA. ...I have a small piece in this week's Pulp. ...Teenie Harris show starting. ...Can the US walk a different interventionist line, in Liberia? Of course there is a compelling historical reason to continue to participate in the country's affairs. Dean is pro-intervention. It would help Bush to show his change of mind about nation-building is not restricted to countries where there is obviously money to be made by American companies that support his regime. Liberia's ongoing civil war atrocities have implicated children as fighters.

Jul 3: Added Community Connections to the PGH section of my sidebar. ...Our buddy Dave editorializes in the P-G! ...Our bud Craig seems to be publishing less poetry on his new blog, so here's a link. ...I cannot help but write long comments on Copeland's blog.

Jul 2: Local pollution increasing drastically; ACHD spokesman could not explain the increase. ...Blogs by journalists. ...Katherine Hepburn, legend, died. Buddy Hackett died. Make it three - Leon Uris died.

Jun 29: Thanks, to everyone who came, for making last nite's shindig so great! ...Some Tennessee photos added. ...NMftDS.

Jun 27: City performance study in which Pgh (#96) ranks ahead of Cinci (#130), behind Baltimore (#91). It seems to lean heavily on high-tech job factors, and probably doesn't take into account municipal debt per capita. ...Up Madden's alley: one word. ...Looking forward to seeing Stacey & Dinesh tonight!

June 26: Whoa: Krugman. ...the2ndhand. ...American Shorts tonite at Hunt Armory. ...Non Compos Menticism.

Jun 25: Geoff K keeping a proper eye on Betters and City Council. I wonder where Mario wants to put his hockey arena + racetrack? ...My kinda rant. ...Blogumentary. ...American Splendor.

Jun 24: We had a great trip to Knoxville, seeing almost Jen's whole family. The turnout for her reading at Borders was great and it was her best yet. Thanks to everyone who helped, especially Tammy! ...If you had not heard (perhaps I have an outdated email address for you?), we are hosting a housewarming party this Saturday, after supper, at our new place. Come on dahn! ...The PghEdTV event last night was good.

Jun 17: Inventing Victor page updated with readings dates. ...Americonski tonite at Modern Formations with JBBs and X27.

Jun 16: More info on The Family, which operates a townhome in DC where Pittsburgh's Congressman, Mike Doyle, lives.

Jun 15: Asbestos gets the best of us - 1, 2, 3, 4. ...Monthly Review.

Jun 14: Good news one and two. ...This week, be QaF. ...Backgrounders on lots of practical topics.

Jun 13: Pittsburgh finishes 'first' again in pregnant smokers, maintaining our streak since '91, with 24%. The P-G article ends "Women who quit smoking during pregnancy reduce the risk of having a baby with low birthweight by about 20 percent." Psst: having a baby with low birth weight is the reason given, anecdotally, directly to me, for smoking by several local pregnant smokers, to keep the baby's weight down & make delivery easier; this is what passes for folk wisdom on pregnancy in this town. I suppose 24% is a big improvement from our 32% mark in 1990. ...Harpers week in review.

Jun 12: Latest Fareed Zakaria. ...CC weblog.

Jun 11: Hungover Gourmet. ...Jim Shooter, former ed-in-chief for Marvel comics started writing comics professionally as a 13-yr-old Picksburger. ...Pgh's vortexkomix. ...Pgh's Usef Dinero.

Jun 9: Copacetic in Sq Hill. ...Who said JPL guys have no sense of humor?

Jun 8: Pgh Educational Television's next event is June 23. ...Raymond Simboli.

Jun 7: Copeland's latest column is disingenuous. ...The post-Flux party at Stu's was right on. ...Had a quicky burger yesterday, at one of the former White Tower locations. The really nice owner and his Native American buddy told me they're going to be White Tower again, now that the original company is gone and the name is available. His distributor (and therefore the food) hasn't changed since it was a WT. Mm-mm-good.

Jun 6: This is the weekend for yinz to see and be seen: Neil Pollack will be at Flux. My lovely Jen will be at Hothouse. Our bud Madge will be at the arts fest. ...More local links - Steel Cactus, Nevin Robinson. ...Pending cases at the highest court.

Jun 3: Here's the newest New Yinzer, with a little piece by me and Copeland, and a nice one by Cara Gillotti.

Jun 2: Help! ...Another Pgh photo site. ...Nobody's doll. ...Pgh's Dinomite Daze.

Jun 1: Thanks to Critical Connections for the mention.

May 31: It's rhubarb time of year, so here is my favorite rhubarb recipe.

May 29: Inventing Victor was favorably reviewed by Kirkus - read the review!

May 28: Knoxville-area readers, Jen will sign copies and read from Inventing Victor on June 21.

May 27: Superfox Heather Mull. ...Pgh activist heart of darkness. Protest this Thursday. ...Price of ignoring Congo.

May 25: MaineRX upheld. ...Recommended: NHNursery. ...Monthly, outta Bloomfield. And salt. Both coming soon.

May 20: Vote today - Patrick Dowd for school board, Mitch Kates for city council, and Marlene Russell for county council. ...PA gets worst ranking for regulation of lobbyists.

May 19: New photos posted. ...A couple of "it's official" announcements - Jen's book's on Amazon, and the Allegheny RE page has updated the owner info on our place. If you're thinking of ordering copies of Jen's book, please buy it directly from us. ...It was great to see Friel, Barnes, Demarest, Alan & Jen & Lexi, Erika & Boris & Maren, and Jackie & Jeff & Nico this weekend!

May 16: Dan Onorato well ahead of Roddey, sez early poll. ...Here's what our bud Andy Johnson has been busting on for the last 18 months. ...I've been imagining some overhead art lately. Much lower than airplane-skywriting stuff, but higher than the highest billboards. Kind of like a Christo thing, with some section of the sky blocked by a big piece of art. Can anyone point me to some examples of this?

May 15: Total eclipse tonite.

May 14: TX Dems on the lam, via exitstageleft. ...Great ahtdoors week ending.

May 12: Stop the FCC. ...Got kids?

May 10: Graham's announcement speech.

May 8: I'm going to have to recommend to my Indiana readers not to vote for this guy for gov.

May 6: Dreher has sold this story three times - nice work, Chris! ...NYinzer founder exiting. ...P-G royal visits F'ship.

May 4: P-G has a PATransit poll today: how would you save $14 million? Their list of choices doesn't include the salaries of top officers, or rent in the luxurious Heinz building downtown, or any of the other possibilities for solving this problem. If the City can carry $1 billion in debt, why can't PATransit do the same, until they can figure out how to increase ridership and control their costs? Also, PAT should stop pursuing bad projects like dual tunnels under the Allegheny when there are umpteen bridges going across it.

Apr 30: US pulling outta Saudi. ...Pgh radio and tv.

Apr 29: Unblurred on Penn's schedule for May 1-2 is up at fpg's blogspot.

Apr 27: All about Ray Sprigle. ...My neighbor Dan (whom I've never met) graduated from humanities at CMU same year as me, and has been involved in lots of great community development.

Apr 24: My post of April 12, below, was published as a Post-Gazette letter. And did you see my little piece in Pulp last week?

Apr 22: Does a $726bn tax cut which "will" create 1.4m jobs seem expensive? Perhaps aiding the states would be more sensible. ...More on the religious group noted yesterday.

Apr 21: Six Congressmen, including our own Mike Doyle, live in a Capitol Hill townhouse subsidized by a secretive religious group.

Apr 18: Coverage (Pulp, P-G, Trib) of Garfield Rite Aid's planned closure. ...Seders were great, thanks to Joel, Dvorah, Albee and Phyllis! Saw two good exhibits and had great Turkish grub with the inestimable Nick and Maura who brightened our spirits so much. And had the joy of introducing Tova to her great-uncle Mark. Nice trip this year! The Shelburne was great, too; thx to Barb Bayone!

Apr 14: CMU press release re: Jen's book. ...Beck's grampa's tale of the shooting of Andy Warhol.

Apr 12: Sala Udin, with whom I often agree, does not know how to best use redevelopment capital ["Councilman threatens land seizure"]. When presented with (what I would agree are) blighted properties next to a new, taxpayer-supported facility like the convention center, it should be obvious that more public investment is not currently needed. Private investors are willing to buy and redevelop these properties; that's why taxpayers are willing to fund things like the convention center. If an African-American Cultural Center is to be built, why not make it a central piece of the redevelopment of a blighted area that hasn't got enough public investment yet, such as Uptown or the Hill? That's where much of the local, black history has taken place, and there's a potentially lovely, historic-landmark theater that's been sitting idle on Centre Avenue for at least 15 years, just a minute's ride from downtown. Sala, we want to support you, but please be sensible with our dollars. Or, at least, explain why this project really needs to be downtown.

Apr 11: Penn Ave stakeholders opposing imminent Rite Aid closing. According to the store's manager, they are closing due to pilferage, not lack of sales. ...Coming shortly: Art All Night.

Apr 10: Gunsmith school in Pgh. The local mortuary school's right in my 'hood. To become a Pilates instructor, you might have to go to Eighty-Four.

Apr 8: Painful Barbara Bush quote. ...Used to be once a week, almost every week in the spring semester, would be a gallery show opening for a different CMU Art senior at what is now The Frame, 412-268-2081. ...W.Pa blogger.

Apr 3: Jen's readings Saturday will be at 7pm on Euler Way, & 7:45 & 9:30 at Kiva Han. ...The inestimable Dave Kent's photos. ...~~Next stop, TechWrite?~~

Apr 2: The ethicalist. ...Spoon will be playing CMU, for only $5. However, the show is in classroom 2210 in Doherty Hall - a terrible venue, if it can even be called that, and no tix are available in advance. They're going up against Les Savy Fav and Flux the same night. We'll be at the latter.

Apr 1: Rumsfeld making errors. ...Good time to increase competition at the airport. USAirways should have a smaller percentage of the flights in and out of here, if any of the other carriers are still in business. ...More arts on Penn: Project 1877. ...Believer, from Eggers & co. ...Bucos going .500 this year? Sanders breaks in Reds' new park for them. ...I read this book faster than any I have in a long while. Tova's illness helped.

Mar 31: Three new photos added at the top of the early '03 page.

Mar 28: Jen and Julie both fluxing. ...Spoon coming April 5? Activites Board at CMU has no signed contract, official date or time or ticket price. ...Arrggh! Missed the 1st installment of this cool new thing: American Shorts. Not talking about Jams, but, rather, fiction readings. ...Patriot Act 2 on the way.

Mar 27: A few pictures added, click pic above. ...One of my legislative heroes has died. RIP Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Mar 25: Getting a few more hits here, thanks to people searching for the intrepid reporter. Speaking of the war, Wesley Clark has a lot of smart things to say. ...Dan Buczynski's site. ..How did Julianne Moore manage to dress so badly for the Oscars? Too bad Eminem didn't show up to give a speech; I'm glad his song won cuz the others were so dreary.

Mar 21: Baghdad blog. Is raed real? ...For those following Rendell's initial adventure. ...Today the sun rises exactly in the east, travels through the sky for 12 hours, and sets exactly in the west. Unless something really drastic happens.

Mar 20: A project I've been working on since September is starting to come to fruition. The Pgh Dtown Partnership is trying to start a 5-bus biodiesel pilot project. I gotta tell ya, this was entirely my idea. I met with PATransit people about it, got their general approval, but had run aground trying to get funding. I then went to a PDP meeting about their downtown circulator bus project, and at the meeting I presented my research on the benefits of biodiesel, and the proposed scope of my pilot that I reached with the help of PAT. I tried to propose joining the circulator and biodiesel projects. Even though I was underdressed and there were big shots there from RKMellon foundation and the like, the reception was very warm, though it was obvious the projects should be separate since the circulator was going to be using an interesting gas-electric hybrid system anyway. When I mentioned the funding trouble, I was, understandably, pretty much stonewalled by Kathy Stefani who was running the meeting and trying to focus on moving the circulator forward. But, today I got a call from one of my contacts at PATransit, asking if I knew the best place to get fuel for the project, because the PDP has taken it up as a good idea and has apparently found some money for the project! Three cheers for Kathy Stefani! I called up Dick Morchesky of Export Fuel and he agreed to set up a temporary fuel station near downtown, for free, if he gets the fuel-supply contract!

Mar 19: Al Gore is his own worst enemy. I simply cannot believe this press release was allowed to go out today, on the eve of a unique war. There are many savvy Democrats out there who were trying to continue to think he might just kept his head down (notice you don't hear much from Bill and Hillary the last week or month), and then, just before the primaries start, announce he's changed his mind about running. I mean, it would be easy to come up with an excuse for changing his mind about running, because world events are so grave, etc. If anything, now might be a good time to be in the media assisting the governor of Tennessee prepare his state's emergency services. But no, somehow it got announced today that Gore joins the board of Apple! Not even the board of RAND or some other public policy organ, but Apple Computer, which is just barely relevant in the business or the computer world. Why not announce you're meeting with Kofi Annan or the Egyptian government, Al? No one wants to hear about Al Gore after today. He's hopeless. (link)

Mar 19: Happy birthday, Dad! ...The latest Hitchens. ...The Drawer Boy was good. ...Spain & Italy won't be sending any combat troops, unless Turkey is attacked? Japan supports the US policy. And France will send troops if Saddam uses WoMD? Wacky stuff. ...Drooooool.

Mar 18: Josh Marshall breaks it down - why resolution 1441 doesn't give us sanction. ...How Bush made enemies of our allies. ...John Kerry, Jew. ...The festival of Purim commemorates a major victory over Persian oppression and is recounted in the Megillah, the scroll of the story of Esther. ...Pgh biz cal.

Mar 17: Top of the blarney to you, and have a good war. ...Bush to speak this night.

Mar 12: More lying and cheating from Jeb Bush. FL owes the feds $500m according to this audit, but the audit was initally "postponed at the request of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's office during his 2002 re-election campaign." How did he not even get close to losing that election?

Mar 11: Turrell tomorrow. ...Just signed up for our fourth year of Kretschmann's organic deliveries.

Mar 10: Today Jen got her first two copies of her first book, Inventing Victor, a collection of short stories! The rest are en route to warehouses at Cornell and CMU. It looks great! ...We were blessed to meet Alexandra Rae Friedman this weekend. ...Some Friendship blogs - wife and hub team Elizabeth Perry & Mark Stroup, and the FPG. ...Finally watched Donnie Darko, and Jen stayed awake and interested to the end, which says a lot.

Mar 7: This seems to be Matty Dunegan's weblog. How did I miss it? ...Cat Power was great for the first 12 songs or so. Then she curled up in a ball on the floor of the stage, and the band wished the audience good night. Then she sat at the piano and tried to play a song and kept stopping and asking for more piano less vocals in the sound mix, then restarting the song. This happened maybe five times before she got through the song. I think what was bothering her was the noisy talking from the bar area in the back of Laga. It was bothering us a little, but she could have just asked for quiet. During the second solo number, we just had to go. But she played Rockets and American Flag and sounded great and rocked, while the full band was up there.

Mar 6: Gov. Rendell may veto his own budget. This is foolish. He may have made a mistake by not including his stimulus items in his budget, but too late now. It's not clear yet if he did this as a strategy, or simply because his team did not have the final version of the stimulus prepared. (I'm referring to their plan to lower property taxes, and modify funding for education and economic development.)
    I think instead he should be saluting the Republicans for being so eager to pass a plan that he wrote. A good, austere plan is something to be proud of, and if they like the way his team wrote it, perhaps they'll also appreciate the way his team writes a stimulus plan. I think Rendell has assembled a very intelligent team, and that their stimulus plan will be a good one.
    If the Republicans pass his austerity budget and then refuse to pass or vote on his stimulus, I would think Rendell is in a win-win situation. He can take credit for tightening the state's belt when the previous budget (created with a Republican governor and legislature) did not, and if the ecomony doesn't pick up growth, he can blame the legislature for not passing his stimulus. I think voters believe the legislature should really consider passing his stimulus plan since he did just win the election by a good margin, i.e. with a reasonable mandate from the citizens.
    To veto one's own budget would really paint the governor as a fool. I predict he will sign this budget and then his stimulus plan will also pass, later.

Mar 6: My reputation in the world of weekly newspapers is ruined, because I quit the Murrysville Star this morning, after one day there. Oops. I don't think they made it all that clear to me that I would be spending 3-4 hours every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night away from my family, covering council meetings and the like. For the money they pay, I don't wish to be apart from my family that many hours.

Mar 4: Laissez les bon temps rouler.

Mar 3: ~~Starting this Wednesday, I will be a full-time reporter for the Murrysville Star!~~ ...Kissinger and Brzezinski on Iraq. ...Carnegie libraries: history and future.

Mar 2: Yes, I'd heard that Mr. Rogers died, that we betrayed the Kurds again, that a bunch of innocent head shops got busted, but others have said it better already. ...We spent our anniversary at AWP. I was mostly chillin' with Suzy Belle. ...See you at the Cat Power show this Thursday?

Feb 26: In order to vote almost immediately after you move, you need a court order. I found that out yesterday. I had to go to the county registrar, then to a judge, then back to the registrar, and then back to Friendship to vote. And my guy came in 2nd anyways. ...The Iraq-Bosnia connection.

Feb 24: Neil Pollack strikes again. ...White House seeks testing exemption for missile defense. ...One photo, from the annual Bill Murray hoedown, added thx to Julie.

Feb 23: And now we return to our regularly-scheduled DSL service, thank goodness. ...Bush admin neglected to include reconstruction $$ for Afghanistan in '04 budget? ...Manufacturer of 46% of US duct tape is a major GOP giver. ...Photographing snowflakes.

Feb 19: Have I mentioned I love my new $20 Lomo Flash? Fresh photos today. ...Urban design in Portland and Vancouver. ...New Cat Power.

Feb 18: Just in time for the 20-or-so inches of snow we've had in the last two days, there are new photos of Tova in a grass skirt. ...Finally catching some new episodes of Dinner for Five. Last night's was with Eggers and Garofalo, and Favreau had no idea who Eggers was. David Byrne & Joe Pantoliano were surprisingly not annoying. Last week's episode was useless except for genius Carrie Fisher. Next week Will Farrell.

Feb 17: We are all moved into our new place; I mean, not every picture is hung, but for being here 10 days we are looking exceedingly good. I love my new kitchen, and Tova likes her new room. She is graduating from crib to full size bed! Jen would be happier if the DSL was working. Our phone number has not changed (so call!). ...Some news I have not discussed here yet: one of our dearest friends, Kris K., is moving to Atlanta and we are so saddened. Bonasso: don't mess this up! ...Suzy S. came from Philly by train, but it was too brief! The snow has been no hassle as far as shovelling and driving, because I know what I'm doing, but having the libraries and Manchester Craftsmen's and WeissHouse closed was somewhat annoying. ...I am still looking for work. I can't believe it, really. TrueCommerce was the last place to interview & then tell me 'no thanks.' I'm going to finally scan in my old-ass journalism clips and send them off to the Trib, I think. It is your duty to help me! ...Jilly did a noice revamp of the QS site. ...My site was named PA Destination of the Day for Feb 10. Har!

Feb 8: This may be the last post from the South Fairmont outpost. Almost everything is over to the new house, including the gatos. Verizon is giving us the business, but everything else has worked out well. If you need to reach us, you may have to call Jen's cell phone. Once Verizon gets their act together, our old phone number will be ringing in the new place. Please drop by!

Feb 5: On the docket.

Feb 2: Moving, moving. Thanks Boris and Jeff and Jackie! I am happier about our new place all the time. I need to get some color film before I can take some photos of it. It probably looks better now than it will with our beat furniture in it. The woodwork on the first floor there is just amazing. ...Mario Batali's rookies show was only OK. ...I'm disappointed to learn all three Schwartz's Bagels closed.

Jan 29: Some local stories today: Robert Downey Jr has really made a comeback. Heinz House to grow. Pgh native Irene Diamond, major philanthropist, died. Convention ctr doing decently. I still don't get how the Baum Blvd corridor in Shadyside is 'blighted,' but I guess if crappy TIF financing can be used downtown for the benefit of PNC and Mellon, it can be used to spiff up my neck of the woods too.

Jan 28: Daily Show correspondents interview. ...New fiction editor at NYer.

Jan 27: All about shipping on the three rivers. ...The Tangible Voice, Phancy, and Shikencho. ...Just ask the Axis.

Jan 25: Purdy. ...That was a great sendoff last night! Thanks everyone for turning out. ...Community Workshop for the former St. Joseph's Nursing Home now boarded up on Penn Ave. between Aiken & Atlantic: Weds., Jan. 29, 7-8:30pm at St. Lawrence O'Toole (5323 Penn Ave.). Pfaffmann + Assocs architects will conduct a workshop about the site and explore possible new uses. This is one of the most beautiful properties in the city with a huge courtyard with some outbuidings and an old brick wall around it. I want to go just to count the number of people who say they want somthing like the JCC in Squirrel Hill. For more info, call 441-6950 or 665-5204. Transportation is available. Organized by the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation, Garfield Jubilee Association, Friendship Development Associates and Pittsburgh Mercy Health Care System.

Jan 24: Party's tonight. ...Link Wray coming. Sad to say I have never been to Moondog's. ......Rumsfeld starting to come apart? Calls France and Germany 'problems' and part of 'old Europe.' Recently he said draftees added 'no value, no advantage, really, to the United States armed services.' Later apologized for both statements. ...Thacker has already resigned from panel - how did Bush admin pick this guy? Same way they picked Kissinger, I guess.

Jan 23: Before heading to the Cynics' show at Gooski's, please have a wine at my place Friday night. It's our last house party on Fairmount St.! ...Jilline Ringle's long-ass run is finally over at the City Theatre. I liked her last show but once was enough. ...Sounds like Onarato is going up against some big money.

Jan 22: Lively discussion about smoking-free restaurants in the pgh.food group. Before we solve this one, we should get health insurance for all the employees. Single-payer anyone? If that was solved, many fewer people would be militant about getting the smoke out of the lungs of the workers and other patrons. I like Pittsburgh as a smoky city. It's part of the natural character of this place. Aren't there enough joints where the smoking is limited enough that it doesn't bother you? I go out to eat all the time and I think so, though I live near Shadyside so perhaps that's why. Maybe if drinking at the corner bar was more my thing I would have fewer options. ...Pgh industrial arts collective. ...The MLK you don't get to see.

Jan 19: It was cold in DC yesterday! ...Bush is now going to allow states to limit emergency care for poor Medicaid patients, while trying to pass a $600b tax cut of which 75% of the benefits will go to the wealthiest 5%.

Jan 17: The number of $1m-plus jury verdicts in PA med mal cases declined by half, from 44 in 2000 to 22 in '02, while the total amount of those awards declined by 75%, from $415m to $93m. ...House GOP just dumped several rules they imposed in '95, including term limits, limits on lobbyists, and raising the nation's debt ceiling.

Jan 16: Saw Pumpkin and Corky Romano at Lorraine's in Maryland. Last night saw Punch-Drunk and loved it. ...The scrum.

Jan 15: Eldred lost v. Ashcroft. ...Easy Lover a cappella. ...Added this site to geourl. ...The Pisco.

Jan 14: PA passed med mal insurance reforms in March '02. More tort reform may only fix a portion of the problem, according to Public Citizen. And Rendell's early proposal is not too popular. Any tort reforms need to be balanced by implementing better safety practices. The rates are going up mostly because the stock market has been going down. ...The stock market is also affecting the Carnegie, which is scrapping its acclaimed film program. Write to their board & ask them to reconsider! ...PA may join other states in two good-sounding new partnerships: a prescription benefits group and a teacher licensing group. ...Edwards interviewed. ...I'm hoping Sharon goes down to defeat. ...Rally against Iraq war this Sat.

Jan 13: Chief justice Rehnquist may undo the 'personhood' of corporations in this upcoming case. ...Interesting-looking books on urban life at New Colonist. ...For Andy Johnson - cheaper visual simultaneous localization and mapping. ...There are fresh photos.

Jan 7: Other people's stories.

Jan 6: Question of the year, with answers. ...Norman Mailer on current affairs.

Jan 5: Our realtor is a pain, but I guess everything will go faster with her leading the charge. Mom is gone for the winter. We'll be gone one weekend this month to Columbia, MD (shout out to Wilde Lake high)! NYE was mellow, playing dorky games with other parents. Go steelers! There are pictures, and the about was updated.

Jan 3: I've already devoured the latest from Sarah Vowell, and it was just as good as her last one. ...Jonathan Lethem loves to play Mafia. ...N.Korea primer for ya.

_________2002_________

Dec 30: Receiving pants, Target gift certificates, and items from my wish list; and lots of drinking and shooting pool with the menfolk; that's what Christmas should be all about! Tova had a blast in Tennessee especially with Jamie; pictures soon. ...For Dan C: robot pleasure. ...We are in all likelihood moving into (and repairing extensively!) this house. Wish us luck.

Dec 20: A nice photo portrait of Tova has been added. Probably no updates here for the next 10 days, so fröhlische Weinachten!

Dec 19: So, "religious organizations receiving Federal contracts are [now] able to take their faith into account in making employment decisions"? Yoi. ...Mayor Murphy staying put. ...This is an embarassment for the city. ...The rant. Everything must go. Heretical idears. ...We're waiting impatiently for this year's trip to Knoxville.

Dec 16: Mayor Murphy moving on up?

Dec 14: Cyprus is one of the invitees to the EU? ...Maysles films. ...Tomorrow night: 6 to 9 pm at Coca coffeehouse located in Lawrenceville on Butler Street at 40th, it's "Art for the People," a show by John Riegert & Jen Saffron. $15 at the door gets you an artwork of your choosing and an evening of wine and schmoozing. See you there.

Dec 12: Introducing Miss MAREN BARTLOG, born to Erika and Boris this morning at 1:22 am, and currently weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces! ...Added 6 more pics.

Dec 10: Allow me to clarify - we are selling our house so that we can buy a bigger one in the same neighborhood. Wish us luck! ...Four photos from Thanksgiving in Texas have been added.

Dec 9: We are selling our house! Three bedrooms, no yard, very updated, nice neighbors. ...Not sure what to give someone for a holiday gift? Worth's annual list of the 100 best charities, which includes Pittsburgh's MCG this year.

Dec 6: Clinton's speech from earlier this week. ...Louie & the Humans.

Dec 3: Bonnie's Thanksgiving was awesome! Ari and Elianna are beautiful and so sweet! ...I'm still looking for a job. Help! ...Been cooking a lot and catching up on some reading. Headed to the Springsteen show with Adam tomorrow.

Nov 27: My old buddy Andrew sold one of these on Ebay long ago, and I finally ran into them via metascene.

Nov 26: My Pulp piece is up. ...Watch Walker v. Cheney. ...Moore's the pity, a critique of Bowling for Columbine. ...Vote for our neighbor Eve in this contest.

Nov 25: McCain, Lieberman, Schuster, Gingrich talking turkey about the Saudis. ...2nd trip to Zarra's Saturday confirmed this is a great place for traditional Italian!

Nov 21: Today I have a piece published on McSweeney's! ...Never heard of this film until today. I heard about it from this big interview with Michael Moore. ...DK. ...Say something ketchuppy.

Nov 20: Homeland security department passes into law, with 'ironclad promises' to later rescind 3 bad provisions. ...Krugman on W's privatization of 850,000 federal jobs. ...On Dems and war.

Nov 19: I have redone the We Three section at right. ...You cannot put apparel on your Amazon wish list. ...Poetry mag gets $100 mil bequest. ...Something not negative about Nancy Pelosi.

Nov 18: Jonathan Richman was good & the East End Cafe was smoke free! Sat nite we had nice Cambodian at 7th and Wolf, then on to the Standard Tap; Sunday had nice brunch at N3. Thanks Sue and Chip (and Charlemagne)! ...Catching up with Al Gore.

Nov 14: NYC seeking money from commuters too. ...Crescent elementary in Homewood outscores Colfax in Squirrel Hill. ...Four new scans in Lomo section.

Nov 12: The payroll prep tax is being portrayed in the PG as a tax that will be paid by businesses including non-profits. Does that mean it won't be coming out of the checks of wage-earners? That's not too clear in the PG, but the Trib says, yes, it is not going to appear on wage-earners checks as a tax they directly pay. ...The PGH 21 task force actually recommended initiating a 0.5% tax on all wages paid by all businesses within the city limits. I have thought it made sense for a long time to do something like this. This is similar to how things work in Philly, though I think theirs is a tax directly on wage-earners. Philly has also combined the city and county governments, I believe, and that should be the next step here too. I hope the city can get a break from the firefighters as well. Tell your Harrisburg reps how you feel about the "payroll preparation tax."

Nov 11: Is it OK to make several Allegheny County gov't positions appointed instead of elected? That's what the Citizens for Democratic Reform want. Sounds like they want to reform Democrats and not democratic reforms. They claim $36 million can be cut from the offices' budgets of $45 million, which seem like pretty steep cuts to me. I especially don't see why we would want to stop electing a controller independent of the county administration. ...Headed to East End Cafe, for a show Friday. ...Qualia.

Nov 10: This goes to show why it was so important that the GOP controlled Congress and got Ken Starr appointed during the Clinton presidency. We should hold Bush to the same standards.

Nov 8: Syria, Russia and France all on board. ...I think John McCain will be long dead before practices like these are eradicated in America. ...11 stories about crossdressing.

Nov 6: That didn't go too well. My man James Carville said it last night (when he didn't have a trashcan on his head) and it was also put succinctly by Josh Marshall, Democrats "don't really have a politics, a vision, or a message -- or perhaps, better to say, the courage and imagination to get behind one." I did like the lack of exit polls. Besides avoiding the debacle of premature calling of the races, it also made the TV coverage less frenetic and easier to watch.

Nov 5: VOTE! ...Anthony Lane's blog. ...Met today with PATransit, then spoke with guy who ran St. Louis's million-mile biodiesel pilot (He found INCREASED mpg with B20!), then spoke with Kathy Stefani of the Pgh Downtown Partnership who is going to try to incorporate my ideas for biodiesel into her grant proposal for 3 years of funding for an electric-diesel hybrid circulator bus downtown! Woo frickin hoo!

Nov 1: Here's M.Albright's take. ...Are they really going to use the unchanged, 2-yr-old, error-riddled list of 94000 supposedly ineligible voters in Florida? Vote Jeb out! ...In general, the Democrats have completely avoided mentioning (to patriotically support the President during these trying times) that the public largely knows that nothing has changed regarding the threat of terrorism. We know the airports are almost unchanged. We know that the short term problems are not being addressed: the various departments are not communicating better, & no new legislation has passed regarding homeland security. We know the long-term problems are not being addressed: our foreign policy is becoming less cooperative, and a Palestinian state is not nearing a real beginning. This has got to be a big part of why there are so many tight Senate races.

Oct 30: Yet more photos posted! ...Iron City Weblog is about Richard Engel. Richard Engel is a talented Pittsburgher. This is a test for Googlism.

Oct 29: YYYs were good, not great, and the Liars were very good. ...Number 50 includes yins.

Oct 28: Pittsburgh leads the nation with the most combined sewage overflow. ...News from Qatar. ...Check aht madgeworld! ...This little piece I wrote appeared in greenworks.tv.

Oct 25: Got a USB card and scanner, finally. Several photos added. ...The Lincoln Highway from NY to Pgh. ...Someone buy these gentlemen a beer!

Oct 23: TODAY IS TOVA'S 2ND BIRTHDAY! ...Learned on my recent visit that NYC is no longer recycling glass and plastic. ...News on one of my dream projects, the cork buildings. ...via TMN: The top 100 political donors since 1989. Also, the top 100 recipients of the money. ...Copeland's Pgh as Wall Street post. Someone should take this project on immediately.

Oct 22: Recent Hitchens in the WashPost. ...Cat Power's return. ...Hyde Park review of books.

Oct 18: Bjork's mom takes on Alcoa. ...Dick's goes public. ...Enron exec guilty of manipulating California system. ...Kinnear does it again? ...Oakley Hall and JBBs at Gooski's tonight. ...I'm off to Bklyn. ...Steve Leeper is no friend of yours.

Oct 17: National book awards finalists in fiction are all relative newbies. ...Spent 2-1/2 hours at the Rendell campaign on 2nd Ave yesterday, gumbanding piles of 50, making copies, and moving boxes. Picked up a yard sign for my house, too, to Jen's chagrin. ...Hmm.

Oct 16: Teabags was nice! Who knew? ...I gave to McBride's campaign today. Here's some old background on Jeb Bush's businesses. ...Nice world statistics at GeoHive. ...Will Congress be allowed to extend copyrights?

Oct 15: Finally, Teabags. ...Funkuncle. ...As of August '01, the largest US airlines were - in millions of passengers - Delta: 8.85, United: 5.92, American: 5.58, Southwest: 5.48, US Airways: 4.13, Northwest: 3.88, Continental: 2.97, TWA: 1.96, America West: 1.49, American Eagle: 1.09, Alaska: 0.959, ATA: 0.522.

Oct 14: Saturday morning I rented a truck & got rid of some old Young Navy things that were too big for a car, and got a few things from my mom's, including a big glass jug of wine that the guy left behind when he moved out of the apartment downstairs. Went to the Panopticon with LL Kirchner, then Kris Kelly's birthday bar hopping. We went to Bossa Nova to watch old guys look for trophy wives, then on to Havana which was the same guys but 15 years younger, then to Soba. It was fun actually, our group was funny. Sunday went to Piper's with Dreher, then Inn Termission for the first half of the Steelers and saw Potter there, then caught 24 Hour Party People which was only OK. ...Can't wait for Punch-Drunk Love.

Oct 9: The fourth-grade literacy cliff. ...Mississippi Review. ...Public Scrutiny. ...Gots to get more Springsteen CDs before the show.

Oct 8: Klein on Gore's last speech. ...Computer-assisted reporting, & a blog on it. ...Mammoth Books. ...Johnson's picks returns. ...John, nice work on the wall. Here's my guess on the origin of the symbols - each quarry man or quarry team was paid by the block and so they put their team's symbol on there so they'd get tallied correctly.

Oct 7: The AFCC bought the Louise child care center on S Aiken. ...Oil negotiations between US, France and Russia realpolitik prior to UN vote. ...Ted Rall interview. ...Stiglitz reassesses the '90s boom. ...Loveletter to Damon Che.

Sep 27: Say what you will about Laga, they're hosting the bands you want to see - Antibalas, Mooney Suzuki, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bright Eyes. This leads me to dub next month "Rocktober." Karen O, if you're reading this, I'll be wearing a 'Breastfeeding: It's Your Right' t-shirt and swaying in the drinkers' cage. ...Jen's Pollack connexion came through this piece in Salon by Chris "our Kramer" Dreher. ...Back to Winner's today for the first time in years. This will be yet another test of my parking space mojo. ...The Abduction wasn't bad and it wasn't goth either. They have something of a Polish theme with some weird beers and cool art prints. The bingo-hall-sized back room doesn't smell, has four pool tables in nice shape, the two guys who quietly jammed on guitar and harmonica were great, and the bartender was nice. Dan C and John R, Robin G and her pal Sue made it all the better. And, across Butler Street, the Thunderbird wasn't bad either - it was even interracial, and that's not too many places in this town.

Sep 20: The greatest living American writer has agreed to read Jen's book, and may donate a blurb for it. I have been quietly pimping him for years, especially his pieces about Chicago and Philly. Thanks, Mr. Neal!

Sep 17: I feel like I should move to Florida for the next two months to try to get Jeb Bush out of office there. With the massive problems in their foster children's program, and the continuing problems with voting system, I would think Floridians would be ready for a change in the governor's office. And if Americans hear that Jeb got voted out, maybe it will be easier for them to vote Dubya out.

Sep 16: In search of Al Qaida. ...The voice recognition software at American works really well.

Sep 12: Regarding Sep 11: Norman Mailer, David Sedaris. ...NY lottery drew 9-1-1 yesterday.

Sep 11: Kristin Kovacic, your piece today is great. Thanks! ...Copeland has a good post today, as does Tom Tomorrow's weblog. ...Since I didn't move to Boston, San Francisco, or another city that can be a whole world unto itself, it almost feels like, looking at the bombing of New York from here, I might as well be in Bombay or Bologna. New York City is a country, and though some of the people there are trading up or down the price of the Carlyle Group's holdings, it only looks from far away like "New York" is itself something that can do wrong, something you might want revenge against. Visiting there it didn't seem like anything had changed, and really what can anyone do to dent New York or stop the people there? It is a strong place. ...Today is good day for remembrance and contemplation. L'shana tova tikatavu.

Sep 10: P-G printed my letter. Earlier, Copeland referred to my comments and tried to link what I was saying about the success of Friendship, which was engineered with a light touch by the FPG and FDA with government money, to South Side, Bloomfield and other neighborhoods that he says are examples of "what happens when you leave development to market forces." I don't think always leaving everything to market forces works for every neighborhood. Residents can't always wait for (or persuade) some developer to swoop in and save them, and they can't always start developments themselves, without a little help.

Sep 9: Agassi gave it his best but it wasn't good enough! Even from the last row at the top, Arthur Ashe stadium was great. And, the girls' juniors final was hotly contested. ...PS1 was much better and bigger than MOMAQns. ...Someday I will have to scan & post photos I've been taking with my new Lomo.

Sep 5: In Editorial: Sound of silence / Downtown waits for the mayor's developer, the P-G implies that downtown needs a redevelopment plan similar to those the mayor has been exploring for several years. And they say plainly "any Fifth and Forbes redevelopment should be launched as a single package." From experience, the city should have since learned that's not how good, organically-generated redevelopment occurs. In neighborhood development, when all-at-once schemes are tried (Penn Circle, Allegheny Center, Civic Arena) they fail, and when one-bit-at-time schemes are tried (Friendship is one of our few examples) they succeed. The best way to get downtown redeveloped is to repopulate it. A fast, reliable, public transit system that would bring people -- I'm thinking especially of residents of Monroeville, Cranberry, Sewickley, New Kensington, Robinson -- into town on weekends and home on weeknights, would cause downtown to bloom with life like no Plan X full of planned attractions ever will.

Aug 31: Pretty funny site, even though the candidate running it is (1) going to lose badly, and (2) obviously ripping off ebay which I would think is some kind of misdemeanor in and of itself. ...See you at Joe's!

Aug 30: After 7 years at Prograph/Printcafe, I have been laid off! My email address there will no longer work. Please use the hotmail address (link is at the top right of this page) until I send you another. ...UFE. ...Back in the IC: Plesur.

Aug 27: Ridgeway: Iraq war after midterm elections. ...P-G shoots the sheriff. ...Tom Tomorrow puts on penguin suit. ...IC ferrets and rockets. ...Miss Kittin slightly narsty. ...USOpen started last night. Every match with Johnny Mac on the mike is one worth watching.

Aug 23: Flip flops flyin'. ...Zarra's was good; can't believe we waited this long. ...Jeffrey is here!

Aug 22: Santorum coming to Pgh. Tell him you don't want another Bush war with Iraq. ...Tammy is 40, and she's not thrilled. ...Fark has lots of good links, and doesn't shy away from fun porn like this. ...Latest Neko, first Jazzy Jeff released. ...Let Smoove take you away.

Aug 21: Totally '80s: the US buildup of Iraq's military. ...Justice refusing to detail how USA Patriot Act is being used, even to the House Judiciary Cmte, which may subpoena Ashcroft about it. ...12XU the label. Hear Wire's 12XU and Three Girl Rhumba. ...At the soon-defunct Ames, picked up nice trike for La Tova last nite. ...My signed Teenie Harris print is up again in the Pcaf offices.

Aug 20: County funds for court-appointed lawyers dry. ...Pirated sites. ...Local rock: Lorelei.

Aug 19: War already under way, but Russia just signed 5-yr econ pact with Iraq. ...Interpol.

Aug 16: Light fare today: let the bodies hit the Flo. ...R.Rodriguez interview. ...The weekend of Sep 8 I'm going to see art, tennis, and more art, all in Queens. ...Sassafrass has linked to me. ...I think this is positive work-related news.

Aug 15: Jose Padilla probably innocent, but we need to treat more US citizens as we treated him, sez Ashcroft. ...Hooters-Vanguard alliance may usher in new era in air travel. ...John, you need to write little reviews too.

Aug 14: Pgh's Human Brains sound different in the studio than live. ...Hitchens on Bush vs. Iraq. ...Installment 13 of Git Yer War On. ...You can read this but you can't read me if you're too busy reading yourself. ...Beth Orton.

Aug 12: Bush drops protections on medical records. ...USAirways bankrupt. ...Ridge slammed for Philly school deal. ...Had a fun weekend with Tammy and her kids. We went to Kennywood and Sandcastle! Plus Chiodo's and of course the best pizza they ever had. After making me and Jen promise we'd allow her to consume only Pepsi One all weekend (and we did promise, so what does that say?), Tammy proceeded to down five helpings of my chili the night they arrived. ...Got my second roll of Lomo-shot photos back and some are really nice, so I must get to a scanner soon. ...Sedaris's brother, the rooster, at the hitching post. ...Blurb this.

Aug 8: Dinosaur Dick Thornburgh to be WorldCom case examiner. ...State Dept trying to protect Exxon from human rights case in Indonesia. ...If you see a suspicious terrorist type, call America's Most Wanted show. ...Howard Dean for Prez? or Edwards? ...Tammy arrives today!

Aug 6: Egyptian leader jailed for promoting democracy; Bush admin "disappointed." ...If you have missed the ugly DynCorp story, here is the latest development. ...And it's Hiroshima Day. ...Tonight & every Tuesday, legend Buddy Hackett does 3 minutes with Kilborn. ...Robert Evans meets the Onion.

Aug 5: The current administration is not the one we need to change Iraq. ...Geeks driving from Pgh to St. Louis built a wireless network between their cars. ...Movies about tough Jews. ...Anna Nicole: she's huge, she was wasted almost the whole time they were filming, & it wasn't that funny. I hope she gets her settlement though, so I guess I sympathize with her. I hope they spend more time on her son and lawyer. I think if (as she says) she hasn't been laid in two years, it's for the best. ...Finally met Fredman & Jilly's bro, and proceeded to drink myself sick. Now that's a good time.

Aug 1: Birthday wishes to cuzzes Mike and Mark! ...10000 psi hydrogen storage approved for vehicles. ...Five short clips of the forthcoming Spoon album. ...My neighborhood is one to watch, saith AOL.

Jul 31: Here's more garbage from the Bush admin. ...Scott Ritter thinks war against Iraq is not justified. ...Four military men returning from Afghanistan allegedly killed their wives recently. ...How can Roddey make plans to publicly fund another new arena before the needed multi-billion dollar sewage fixes are funded? ...Blueprint. ...Flying to Chicago will probably get pricier. ...Ft Pitt outbound opening one month early. ...v9n6. ...The Vines. ...On this date I was bar-mitzvahed 20 years ago.

Jul 30: Ate, hiked, drank, went to Seal Beach, smoked. Took pictures with new camera. Saw great exhibit at LACMA. Cooked some, did some yardwork on my hosts' new house. Saw I Am The World Trade Center who were fun, at Spaceland. Stopped in the Red Lion. Saw Minority Report at brand new, swank, hi-tech theater. Took the redeye back to Pgh.

Jul 25: When is Murphy going to stop making sense on this issue? I know eventually he will support this wasteful project. ...Rigas arrested. ...Pulp finally has content online - keep it up Geoff. ...In such weather, Chiodo's Tavern is a must.

Jul 24: Prick is kind of a strong name to call someone, especially someone you haven't met. I am supposed to have a beer with Dave C tonight, and I'm not nearly as articulate as some, so I was thinking 'What's a good way to defend my fair city?' This is the topic so many people I know like to hash & re-hash at parties. To me one of the big attractions of the city is that there is still work to be done on it. If you think, 'Uptown should be bought up and redeveloped, I can't believe no one's done that yet,' or, 'the Mon Valley Expressway is throwing away waterfront property,' you can try to do something about it here. If you think another recording studio and skate park would be good, you can open one. If you think the Shadyside-East Liberty border could work better, you might be right. I like the fact that I always know someone in the 40 under 40 lists.
     Imagine you live in Chicago or New York. Would you ever say to yourself, 'I bet I could get a few people together and take over this block of cool buildings and change the neighborhood'? You can't afford to do that in those cities, all your dumb/cool ideas have already been thought of, & almost everything interesting is owned by someone with their own plan. It's much easier to break into Pittsburgh, if doing something noticable to change the city is your bag. Of course that's not the only, or the main, thing I like about Pittsburgh, and I'm sure many would say the fact that there's this much left to do here shows how sad things are.
     The audience for cool spots is small, there's no ethnic population to speak of, the politicians are weak ... I know the problems. I drone on about them until people are sick of hearing it. But I'm not a prick, at least not most of the time.

Jul 23: Please help me make this year's Farm Aid a sold-out show. ...Latest Krugman editorial. ...Are we really sending bags of cash to Afghan warlords? ...Follow-up to the 2nd article blasting modern fiction I linked to on the 20th. Yardley adds the great Exley to his list of a dozen worthy modern novels. ...Celery plus gravity. ...Mao wins the poetry slam. ...Pete Gray died.

Jul 22: Who bought Dubya's stock? ...Can liberals save capitalism again? ...Roads, sewers, public schools: these are the basics of gov't a Pdone hexregh has a problem with at least two of these. How sewer problems are contributing to lack of job growth.

Jul 20: Folk anthropologist and field recorder Alan Lomax died. ...Should airline security be allowed to require your ID? & contacts for the plaintiff. ...Blasting modern fiction 1 and 2! ...Drunk 'Burgher built Lewis and Clark's keelboat. ...Dodging taxes with art.

Jul 19: What George W is doing for Jeb in FL. ...Nader on corporate socialism. ...New PA wind farm pending. ...$8b in PA health spending unaccounted for. ...Read this little gem yesterday; reminded me a little of this other little gem; also, it made me feel closer to 40. ...Tonight at the Attic: KH3, 10pm.

Jul 17: NYTimes on the Pgh school board story. ...Newsweek, WashPost on Halliburton, which apparently sold pulse neutron generators to Iraq. ...On a lighter note, just got the beautiful new McSweeney's #8, guest edited by Paul Maliszewski.

Jul 16: The shares of Harken that Bush sold were locked-up. ...The alphabet Julen. ...Doing a little research for friend who was thinking of buying a bar-restaurant, I found out from the PLCB that sale prices of liquor licenses are not made public. So if you're buying a building with a liquor license and the building costs X plus the liq.lic. costs Y, you have nothing against which you can compare Y. Why would all sale prices of buildings be public, but not those of liquor licenses? With the massive amounts of liquor regulation in this state, this was a shock to me. She's not going to buy it anyway; probably a good omen for my liver.

Jul 15: Aymara candidate opposed by US in Bolivia making progress. ...US allowed to launch war from Jordan. ...Phat Man Dee gets what she asked for: a column in Seen. ...Lucinda Williams was excellent! ...Grainbag points us to Luxenet. ...Grim amusements. ...7900 things.

Jul 12: Brooke makes a good point about corporate taxes and inflating profits and revenues. ...Kinsley thinks we don't care about Iraq. ...Mothra song! ...Let me know if rearranging this page has made things uglier. Also: my place, tomorrow night?

Jul 11: Mr. Mildew. ...This is a magazine. ...New Beck song is a little boring. ...I have taken down the movie of Tova from this page, because it was huge. ...Some sites that sit on the same server as mine - food blog, weenies, bird adoption, a molecular physicist working in Denmark. ...Dynamite Walls. ...Big beauties. ...Most popular names 2001, 2000.

Jul 10: Pgh schools lose support of three local foundations. Will Jean ("Rat") Fink resign? What will Mayor Murphy say today? I wish these foundations had set up some framework for getting the school board on the path to getting the foundation funding back. ...Also in local news, preliminary monies keep coming in for plans to add a tunnel under the Allegheny to the stadiums. One boondoggle on top of (or under) another? Yoi! There are five bridges between the Point and the 16th Street Bridge, one of which is a railroad-only bridge right next to the new convention center. Remind me again why we're not connecting the convention center to the subway system and killing two birds with one stone here?
     ...Richard Florida's chapter on Pgh, thanks to Dave Copeland. ...On a related note, two more big brains are leaving the 'Burgh - Laurie & Jeff will be missed. ...Cheney being sued by conservative org Judicial Watch, and a promo video he made for A.Anderson just surfaced.

Jul 8: Weekends should all be that long. Fresh photos, thx to Julie, so click through the picture above! ...Let's hear it for the USA. ...McCain calls for change and the head of the SEC. ...Thomas White hangs on. ...Soviet.

Jul 5: US leaks war plans for Iraq. What are we doing? Josh Marshall explores why. ...Supremes OK big expansion of drug testing in schools. ...Stiglitz [recent interview] on corporate malfeasance.

Jul 3: Four local lecture series. ...Michelle Williams's latest. ...The clean layout of erasing. ...On Friday I am going to go to Rohrich Toyota and I am going to get my way.

Jul 2: J.K. Galbraith: "the wise on Wall Street are nearly always silent. The foolish have the field to themselves and none rebukes them." ...Alton Brown might be the best thing on FoodTV after Mario. ...More mashups. ...In case you forgot about Open Letters. ...Movies on Flagstaff Hill.

Jul 1: Stooges + Salt 'n' Pepa. ...One of the three known 18th-century buildings in Pgh is boarded up and condemned, seeking an 'angel.' ...Liberal Arts Mafia. ...Dos and don'ts.

Jun 28: Woohoo! Xerox is f'ed as well. ...Philly has a wage tax for non-residents, though the state legislature is reducing it somewhat. I have said all along we need one here. ...Had a dream that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died. Coincidentally, the Supremes think its OK to spend tax dollars sending kids to religious schools. ...Why is Enron allowed to continue to operate and seek government funding? Shouldn't they have had their corporate charter revoked by now? Where's the AG of Texas? ...Amtrak carries only 64k passengers per day?

Jun 27: Dayton's still got their trolley system. ...I must go to Palmer's soon. I used to pass it every day on the way to dropping Jen off at PPG 6. It always looked like terrible decor and lots of smoke, but the place was usually kinda full with people having coffee. I wonder why there are so few pleasant places to have coffee downtown except La Prima, Au Bon Pain and Starbucks. The only old school place that seems great is the Tic Toc. Maybe the Rosebud delis and the new Schwartz's are nice places to buy coffee but they certainly don't feel like a coffeehouse. I think Pittsburghers just like chain restaurants. Walking from my movie-star parking space to the Bucos game the other day, I saw that Curtain Call just started serving Prestogeorge sandwiches, which are so good.

Jun 26: More on Hugo Chavez. ...Dig infinity. ...Prefuse 73, Sonic Youth. ...Survival Research Labs. ...Someone help me plan a trip on the beer train this summer.

Jun 25: Tova rocked her first day of day care. All went much better than first time she had day care, for 9 weeks when Julie broke her ankle playing hockey. The caregivers were pleasantly shocked and Jen got a lump in the throat because La Tova is growing up a little. ...Leaflets dropped over Afghanistan. ...High finance run amok. ...Coupland on Canada. ...Pgh oddness: Sucka MCs, Girl talk.

Jun 24: Bukowski audio. ...Alexander Graham Bell did not invent the telephone. ...Painter Albert Pinkham Ryder. ...Lowe's servaline genet. ...RTFM.

Jun 22: The news is depressing, the stock market is depressed, the heat is beastly, but I feel like I'm holding steady. My mantra is Bologna. ...Seems most of the searches landing on this page are people looking for Catriona LeMay Doan pics, Knoxville, orgasm calculator, lyrics or videos for bands whose songs I post, sometimes Germans looking for angels sexy or otherwise, & rarely a Lisa Lopes seeker.
      ...It's budget crunch time in this state and there's a big gap. The governor wants to save a big portion (and use a big portion) of the rainy day fund created in the last several years. What will the PA GOP do? Start taxing food and clothing? Raise the cig tax? Privatize the liquor stores (please charge a lot for these licenses and keep the prices low!)? My limited reading on the subject seems to indicate a lack of taxes on services. Here's a summary about taxes on services: "While the sales tax systems in most states were originally designed to tax transactions of tangible goods, a number of states have been able to incorporate various types of services into their sales tax bases." This says somehow our rates are high but overall PA is below average in total tax, which again sounds like the rates are OK but what is taxed could be expanded.
      ...From jilly to uffish to kungfugrippe to shiftedlibrarian, and from simka to 3WA to deliciousjuice.

Jun 21: Supremes bar execution of mentally retarded. Makes me think of how disgusted I was when Clinton did not stay the execution of Ricky Ray Rector. The current national Dem leaders don't look much better than Clinton did. States like PA, that until now allowed such executions, will have to create a standard for mental retardation. ...Pittsburgh wireless nodes with maps! ...Find of the week.

Jun 20: Will recent events lead to new info on the OKCity bombing? ...Test drive fonts. ...Sexy socks.

Jun 19: My whine for updates on the intra-US dragnet against terror has been answered by today's Salon cover - 147 remain in custody. ...Webby awards 2002. ...All about blood. ...After Vivo, next to try will be Calla Lily. ...Hot Snakes.

Jun 18: Have there been any good updates on the number of people being detained in the War On Terror? Last I read it was over 1000 people, but that was months ago. Have they been charged? Released? How many are still in custody? Do I just not read the papers? Actually, a search seems to reveal the number was about 325 in March. ...They Might Be Giants! ...PJ Chmiel. ...Cartier-Bresson gallery.

Jun 17: How Texas became polluted. ...Matt Damon literally kicked ass in this. ...Interpol, Mark Kleiner, Spaceheads.

Jun 16: I'm getting information about my employer's finances from the paper now. ...It was great to see Rachel & Crissy last night. A girl -- Jill pegged her as a starmatch for the watergirl -- recognized me from YNavy & remembered Tova Rae's name somehow! Human Brains were good but Tim said it, they sound like they might never leave their basement, or Pittsburgh. They sounded like they had a little Iron Butterfly, some Cars and Kinks. They were heavy and fun. ...Happy father's day.

Jun 14: Allegheny Rhythm Kings will be at the Quiet Storm tomorrow at 9pm, but Human Brains show at Gooski's at 10. ...I finally removed Metascene from the masthead because the guy hasn't updated since Valentine's Day. ...LUPEC having a big week: they made the ed's picks at Yahoo. ...Mel-ilsa's pics of Friendship; the house with the Camaro could be a palace if someone would fix it up.

Jun 13: Someone finally bought the Heppenstall complex, one of my dream properties. And it looks like Friendship's own Edge Studio has a bigass new project - go Gary and Dutch! ...I'm pretty sure Fidel Castro is making good sense in his speeches these days. ...Alas. ...Yet another reason to love Pgh is the fact you can blab your favorite places to all your buds and never have to worry about them getting ruined by the crowds, tho Gooski's might be an exception in the making. ...I must say I rock for updating this page every freakin day for your amusement (OK, I do it for my own sanity mostly), but I must also say that I am a whore for adding snarky comments to the items on my wishlist and for pimping the wishlist two days in a row.

Jun 12: Tried bubble tea last weekend at Rose Tea Cafe, 5880-½ Forbes Ave in Sq Hill, and it was great. I had the almond and Chris D had some berry flavor, both with tapioca boba on bottom. They show you everything they're doing and have a cool (if you like that sort of thing) shaker appliance. ...357 mag. ...May 10, below, I linked to a Microwaves track from their latest record which has now been reviewed by Pitchfork.
      Forget father's day, my birthday is a month from tomorrow and this is fair warning. I've never gotten flowers before so feel free to start a new tradition - no lilies though, please. Sex, chocolate, drunken flirting, magazines, sex, books and music are my faves.

Jun 11: Rove doctrine. ...Mohammed Atta and three of his cohorts applied for federal loans with this woman. ...Lucinda Williams on her way here, free.

Jun 10: Centralia, PA update. ...Sculpture show in Garfield. ...Serena wins French. ...I thought Kelly Osbourne's "Papa Don't Preach" was good on the MTV movie awards last week; you?

Jun 9: Added more Tova photos, from Xmas and St. John, to the site. Check 'em out! ...Mefi kicking ass today: here's a link between Reagan and the FBI crackdown to liberals at UCBerkeley, and here's punk rock aerobics, which led me to La Petite Zine. ...The continually engaging TPM says this is recommended reading about intelligence failures.

Jun 7: Choke City rocked last night. I only heard the end of the last And You Will Know Them By The Trail Of The Dead song; didn't seem like I missed that much. ...Goddess Catherine Keener's latest. ...How become star without leave house. ...Hunter on Vegas.

Jun 6: Happy bday to Mom! ...Dreher hits the cover of Salon again today! ...The name for our profits is democracy. ...Ralph Nader really wrote to the NBA about the officiating?

Jun 5: Almost 1000 missing kids in Florida's dept of children and families. ...LUPEC hits MeFi! ...New Flaming Lips.

Jun 4: Finally a movie of Tova on this site: check the early '02 section by clicking through the pic above. Thanks to the inimitable Chad Whetsell for shooting it! ...Word o the day - vexillology.

Jun 3: GWB wonders if they have blacks in Brasil. ...Blogging course. ...Everyday design at No relevance, ex jilly. ...Winona's new, cute, li'l gut.

Jun 1: More bad news from Colombia. ...Black Sparrow Press going thru changes. ...The mating mind.

May 31: The long tale of Cromley News Service. ...All about Ari Fleischer. ...More dos & don'ts. ...Wallet trouble: Aquarius added online ordering.

May 30: Technicolor postcards. ...Ugly Casanova. ...New pancake hahse in Pgh.

May 29: Saw this in Chicago, and the free zoo, and Stacey Grieff's great new studio. Saw a dog frolic in Lake Michigan. Had Costa Rican food - oh that banana nutmeg shake - and grilled everything in sight on Sunday. Finished up at the Twisted Spoke. Had a lovely time overall - thanks Dinesh and Stacey, Aimee and Andy, Michelle and Pat, Joey, Lyssa and Grace, Kashka and Nicola! ...This Saturday: massive event at Mattress Factory; also, fundraiser for the Quiet Storm.

May 24: Tonight, I will miss the two finest spring events I can think of, the Mayqueen fest and the Neil Pollack/JBBs show. We will be traveling to the city of big shoulders. ...Wilbur buds. ...Spin.

May 23: Ploughshares is available almost entirely online, with no delay after the print version. According to the managing editor this has increased subscriptions.

May 22: Local results are all great by me - Rendell, Ferlo, Wheatley all winners. Allegheny county went for Casey, though, which surprises me. For the 1st time, PA's next Lt Governor will be a woman, unless a 3d party candidate wins. ...Bush's DOJ to investigate disenfranchisement in 2000 election. ...One of Citysearch's four best burgers in the US is Pgh's Tessaro's and I could not agree more. ...Get your war on, pt 11. ...Copyright case headed to Supremes. ...Preston School of Industry, Beehive and the Barracudas, Lauryn Hill, Deadsy.

May 21: Nothing too heavy today. New Bright Eyes, Yo La Tengo. ...Adam Sandler, Emily Watson team up with Paul Anderson. ...Miya at the controls; more. ...Thora. ...Pgh downtown parks get wi-fi.

May 20: Let me encourage you to vote tomorrow. The only pro-choice candidate in the field for governor is Ed Rendell, so that should be an easy one, people. ...PA fight against factory farms. I support the CELDF. ...Lorraine, when are you moving back to the 'Burgh? Sorry we were not at Susie's first bday. ...The Yoda-Dooku fight was pretty cool.

May 18: The case of Getu Tewolde. ...Let's hear it for Bellevue! ...I admit it, I have never been to Gus and Yia Yia's. ...RuPaul's weblog. ...The Cortland Review. ...More people should have links to this page. ...Richard Hell.

May 17: Unocal's Afghan oil pipeline, continued. Remember: most Afghan players e.g. "interim ruler" Karzai are in charge because of US, & previously worked for Unocal. ...Report on US training of foreign troops. ...Latest issue of US Army War College quarterly. ...The following three items are swiped from girlhacker. ...Vegetarian weblog. ...Powerpuff Girls movie July 3. ...Did you know airliners are retired with a water salute? American Airlines retired their last Boeing 727 Tuesday with one.
....With this weather looming, I am uneasy about the yard sale. I don't want to hang out in my garage for 5 hours and have no one come by, but I suppose that's what I'll do. I have a lot of books and jeans from YNavy to sell. Julie has a beater couch for sale. And I have the fixtures from YNavy, too, if you ever wanted to turn a spare bedroom into a closet. We'll have Sierra Nevada Pale Ales to share if the mood is right. After the sale (by 12 the crowds will probably be very thin) perhaps we'll cruise up Penn.

May 16: 34 of my neighbors & I are holding a yard sale Sat. & Sun. this weekend, though not all houses are expected to have sales both days. I'll have lists with maps to the other houses. Hope to see you, thrifty types! ...Hang tough, Mr. Schmeiser. ...On WWing last night Fitz and Leo were talking about some historical examples of war conflicting with international law, and of course they were going too fast but this is one thing they mentioned. ...Old animated flick to rent at Classic. ...Famous book, famous cast which includes Julianne Moore and Toni Collette, but what are Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman doing in there jinxing this project? ...Cheesecake and beefcake.

May 15: Friday in my 'hood - Unblurred N^o. 6. ...Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound, funny, but it's still rock 'n' roll to me. ...Oh, Mr. Pants. Thanks to you for Pimpadelic Wonderland link. ...Tight Bro's From Way Back When (remixed by Elders of Zion) - Show Me.

May 14: Interview with official WTC photographer. ...Cool photo from today's Post-Gazette.

May 10: Another big ice shelf gone. ...More on the Patriot Act. ...Guerilla signage (video). ...Pittsburgh's Microwaves, Public Enemy vs. Dexy's. ...Have a good weekend; see you at Dollywood! ...Next week: Greek food fest.

May 9: Should Stanley Tools move to Bermuda? ...Readerville. ...Freenet. ...Will Farrell leaving SNL. ...Yankee Hotel Foxtrot samples. ...Fresh dos and don'ts. ...F'ship flower fest (buy) this weekend.

May 8: Where will this 2-horse town be without Juli? Certainly I will be more clued out: today she informed me Rico Bell is at my neighborhood coffeehouse. ...Reizenstein Middle and Fort Pitt Elementary schools not making adequate progress, but the article doesn't say what the schools' scores have been over the last few years. How poor has their progress been? ...It seems wrong to say parts of a public university campus are 'free speech zones' and others aren't. A solution might be a free speech zone that was indoors, with seating, like part of this was, so fewer people would want to demonstrate elsewhere. This would probably only work if people regularly came to listen and debate. ...Opening soon on McKnight Road - pancakes!

May 7: New Eminem video is hee-high-hilarious. ...New Lauryn Hill dropping. ...Kaufmann's back office leaving Pgh. Stories like this make me want to <rant> know the real amounts that the city budget gets when jobs are located in town. (Don't get me started on the sweetheart loans the May Co. will never have to pay back.) The story says the 1200 employees cost May about $40 million in salaries, benefits and office support per year. Since the Kaufmann's HQ was here, does Kaufmann's pay city tax on their gross sales or profits? Do they show profits? Or since they're part of May, which isn't hq'ed here, do they not pay any corporate taxes into the city coffers? And the employees, who probably earned at least $30 mil in salaries (1200 people * 25k per year), how much did they pay in city tax? $10 per year each, plus 3% of the salary of those who lived inside the city. Is it impossible for the P-G to get the percentage of the 1200 who lived in town? </rant>

May 6: Aung San Suu Kyi released again. ...Enron scar on SA. ...Perhaps microbiology is not the field to go into? ...Crumley's reading on Friday was great. ...Orgasm calculator, ex jilly. ...Gnocchi & nothingness. ...When I hear about people moving out of town, my first reaction is always being pissed off. Maybe that's just my reaction to a lot of things in general but I somehow take it personally when someone rejects my great town. Even if they're not rejecting it, and even if where they're moving is objectively cooler. Even if what they're doing is better for them, my (doubtless immature) tendency is to say 'screw them for leaving.' I'm starting to get past this, but not fully, yet.

May 5: Detroit Cobras, Herman Dune.

May 4: What? Is it cool to be in Pgh now? Don't tell anyone, just go (to Neko and May Queen, natch). ...The Enron Nine. ...Seymour Hersh sounds right to me. ...Stiglitz on Soros. ...I saw lomography long long ago but it seems there were no earlier links to it on the page. So here's one - lomo. ...It's too bad I don't know where the first month-or-so's-worth of links are, that no longer appear at the very bottom of this page. I like the whole history on the front page, and of course because of the Sept 11 turning point in it. I noticed with The New Yorker, that I don't want to see any magazines from the year or three before Sept 11.
May 3: OK all hold hands now. ...P-G comes out against Ferlo. ...Adamson awards tonight. ...Icon orgy!

May 2: Perhaps the Saudis are starting to show some real leadership? ...Kerry's amendment to fast-track
...........trade promotion. ...This cracked me up, though it's old. ...Royal City. ...No Wimpy Wines!

May 1: Billy Bragg sings the Internationale. ...Paid time off outside the US. Grrr! ...The Overlooked film
...........fest. ...Terrorism detainments judged unconstitutional. ...Wilmerding at its most pleasant. ...Blogs
...........to check out someday soon - wnp?, spacecheese, raising hell.

Apr 30: Remnick's latest on Arafat. ...Peter Parker (no not that one) has died. ...Saloon. ...Awaiting
............Sevigny's return - this looks like a nice cast (Udo Kier!) but for N.Kidman.

Apr 29: If it's not cloudy, look WNW tonite. ...Work in America. ...Russian avant-garde book. ...Solvent.
...............Apparently Denmark & Sweden are connected by a bigass bridge. I really need to get out more.

Apr 28: Today's links swiped from wannabegirl. ...Broke 530 tossing a spear. ...Google smackdown.

Apr 27: Gerrymandering the USA. ...One of my favorite rayographs.

Apr 26: Let's hope the latest energy bill dies in conference. ...French bakery to try. ...Eco-demolition.
...............Grandpaboy. ...Super cutey Lisa Lopes killed.

Apr 25: Biodiesel in Cincy, Seattle. ...Rainer Maria free tomorrow. ...As originally reported here on Apr 5,
............Neal Pollack and the JBBs will team up at Gooski's on May 24.

Apr 24: Moussaoui speaks. ...Cottonelle needs some different images.

Apr 23: Can Gore call this a tax increase please? ...Robert Pelton has been on the ground in Afghanistan.
...............New local caterer. ...Wilco's YHF gets perfect score. ...Casket Lottery, Fridge reissue. ...Anyone
............seen Donnie Darko?

Apr 22: On Greg Palast. ...Pgh is home to 25% of US green-certified buildings! ...Jim Daniels's forthcoming
............books. ...In Mono radio (not actually in mono). ...Grow lots of veggies....The Convocation Of.

Apr 19: Another look at the Sharon-Arafat summit of 2000. ...Henry Darger, whose work we saw at the
............new folk art museum. ...More on the VW Vortex. ...Firecracker packaging. ...After last night's
............shag, and a bite at Ali Baba, we sat thru only the first (long) act of Sondheim's "Company" last
............night. It wasn't bad, but it was late. Some of those songs are tough! First time at CMU's new
............Purnell ctr theater, and I'd say it's as nice as the O'Reilly downtown.

Apr 18: Venezuelan coup plotters got $100k each from a Miami bank? (via TPM) ...Art All Night coming
............soon! ...Another local online lit mag, this one outta Butler. ...VW 100km per liter car. ...Frailty
............review. ...McBeal cancelled; I always liked Richard Fish and, of course, pneumatic LNC.

Apr 17: Local folk art cache. ...RFK, Jr on Bush mining policy. ...US vs OPCW. ...US plane was at Venezuela
............prison where Chavez was held; US State dept on Latin America. ...Girls w/ glasses. ...Greasecar.

Apr 16: Bush and Venezuela coup. ...Znet on Venezuela. ...Palestine primer. ...Local whistleblowers.
...............Wim Kok says Dutch gov't resigning. ...A Certain Ratio. ...After seeing Minus Man, I don't know
............how it is that so few people consider Janeane Garofalo & Mercedes Ruehl to be gorgeous.

Apr 15: Forced to move to Win2k! ...Monsoon Wedding was amazingly good. ...Gore tees off. ...Bush
............unaware again. ...Chavez returns. ...Gilligan and Plato. ...US deepening ties with abusive nations.

Apr 11: Trashcanistan [foreign policy]. ...Zipcar [eco]. ...K-OS videos [fun rap]. ...GBV coming May 12
............[indie rock]. ...Queen picks bad poem. ...LSilky's periodic table of funk. ...Yet more on the Mon-
............Fayette [Pgh]. ...JBBs this Sat., Gooski's, 11pm [rawk].

Apr 10: Dreher on Bush. Nice work, Chris! ...Trial of Slobodan. ...Soft money & 527 groups.

Apr 09: Pentagon seeks aid power. ...PA deregulation. ...'90s economic summary. ...Labute. ...Futurism.

Apr 08: Oil policy. ...Pgh mag and monkey art, swiped from jilly. ...Personal monorail.

Apr 07: Hanssen report on FBI. ...Latest Eels, Radio 4. ...Fortune 500 co I'd never heard of, hq'ed in Pgh.

Apr 06: Developing story on BushII-China connection. ...Let me know if this color scheme is worse.

Apr 05: The Carlyle system stinks. ...Goines. ...Readymademag. ...Punk rock karaoke. ...Go bucs! ...NP
............will be appearing with the JBBs in Pittsburgh on May 24.

Apr 04: Jen's story is in the new Passages North! ...New Tova pics, thanks to Adam. (Click photo above.)
...............F'ship flower fest (buy!). ...The new roommate.

Apr 03: Interview with Israeli defense minister. ...Into the Buzzsaw. ...P!nk is coming. ...JBBs website.
...............Walkmen. ...This site is the place to come for Pakistani weddings in New York!

Apr 02: S.517. ...J-1 program nixed. ...Smoochy not for everyone. ...Anti-pop Consortium. ...End of 3
............strikes? ...PEN/Faulkner winner announced.

Apr 01: Bush energy irony. ...Bio of a cow. ...Bush's pollster. ...nidus.

Mar 27: More on the Mon Fayette boondoggle. ...From the inspirational Jim Hightower. ...Drugs now legal.
...............More from sexy, sexy Neal. ...Worst dressed at the Oscars. ...New Wu. ...L'chag sameach!

Mar 26: The marriage problem. ...Alabama mining co accused. ...Halliday against an attack on Iraq.
...............Airport screening unimproved. ...Reese W looked great but Gwyn did not. ...Country tunes:
............Uncle Tupelo cover of Stooges classic, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts. ...Rap tunes: ODB, NERD.

Mar 25: US spent millions to supply Afghan schoolchildren with textbooks filled with violent images and
............militant Islamic teachings. ...Oscars were good last night, especially Halle's dress, Broadbent's
............win, and Poitier's speech; it was hilarious when Redford acknowledged his "lady" and of course
............Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson's skit rocked. ...It had to happen someday: e-mohel. ...Looking over
............the last 10 yrs in Seattle. ...A funny look at Arlington, Mass. ...Ye olde Elvis Costello.

Mar 23: Sorry about Dresden.

Mar 22: Robbie Trosper's band! ...Why haven't I seen this movie? ...Cannibal Oxtrumentals.

Mar 21: Forced drugging OKed. ...Can feds lie to the public legally? ...Would you eat this? ...Poems win
............massive prize. ...Slavery today.

Mar 20: Pulp. ...Plan C. ...Ossabaw island. ...David Axelrod. ...If you didn't know, pimps don't pay taxes.
...............MakeLessMoney.com is available. ...Mum.

Mar 19: Happy bday Dad! ...Dreher on fight night. ...Pgh litter crackdahn. ..."Cheree" by Suicide, c. 1981.

Mar 18: Tariq Ali interview. ...Project Syndicate. ...Saudi police stopped girls from escaping burning building
............because they were not properly dressed. ...What if they win?

Mar 15: Environmental law clinic to stay put. ...It's official: Vanilla Ice is a loser. ...Nappy Roots. ...This
............Saturday, return of the Rex.

Mar 14: Our dubious envoy to Taiwan. ...P-G likes plan C. ...Latest Chomsky interview. ...Go Panthers!

Mar 13: Noice vacation! Pictures soon. ...BinLager auction cancelled by ebay! ...Riegert in the P-G, CP.
...............US torturing suspects. ...Rehabbing Poindexter. ...Selling morality. ...WorldRPS. ...Music: Tacit
............Blessing, The Notwist.

Mar 06: OsamaBinLager.com for sale. ...Enron's Afghan pipedreams. ...Desapar ecidos' first. ...Whitney 2002.

Mar 05: Support HR 3795 which would create a gov't body for corporate auditing. ...On globalization &
............Enron. ...Think there should be a special prosecutor in the Enron case, sign here. ...Bush goes
............for the steel tariff. ...Killing the Buddha.

Mar 04: Gadfly interviews Dan Clowes. ...Sedaris on style.

Mar 01: Please change beliefs.
Feb 28: Did Cheney's task force meet with Taliban? I'll betcha. ...Dad arrives today! Hmm. Let's hope
...........it goes better than the last time we got together. ...Corporate personhood and why it is bad.

Feb 27: Happy 8th anniversary, Frí - you're still my girlfriend. ...Moore (such a romantic) on O'Reilly.
..............Cleveland's congressman's very brave prayer for USA. ...How overseas ballots rigged 2000
...........election. Will there be any real change in Fla? ...Pgh's New wave cabaret. ...Shalabi Effect.

Feb 26: Tori Amos covers Joe Jackson, & Pretenders and Emmylou Harris cover Gram Parsons. ...Pgh
...........contractors change slowly. ...US ambassador: foreign policy key to "confidence of our investors."

Feb 25: US military mission expanding to Tbilisi. ...CT loses in Enron deal. ...Ouch. ...More from James
...........Woods on the hijackings. ...Due to its tugging at heartstrings & overplotting, I predict Monster's
...........Ball will not garner any Oscars, though the actors, including Sean Combs, were good.

Feb 22: Tonite in Knoxville, TN: The High Score, Robby's new band.

Feb 21: Update the PSLRA. ...Future ice. ...Der Spiegel. ...Waking Life @ Oaks 11:30 only Fri + Sat.

Feb 20: Airwave limits in doubt. ...1st Monday. ...NYT's Amtrak sense. ...Nader on tour. ...Play a game?

Feb 19: Scott Ritter on GWB vs Iraq. ...Oscars dish. ...Fresh do's and dont's. ...1995 Yo La video.

Feb 18: War reportage improving? ...Boards of Canada.

Feb 16: Understanding USA. ...Kinder reading at CMU Tuesday.

Feb 15: More on Shays-Meehan. ...Nippaz.

Feb 14: Shays-Meehan passes! ...PBS's 7 missed signs 9-11 was coming. ...The Frequency: Solving the
...........Dan Rather Beating Riddle. ...Catriona LeMay Doan rocked last night. ...Pitchfork best of 2001.

Feb 13: PCAF filed again. ...Dreher on Salon's cover. ...Energy forever. ...Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Feb 12: WISHING A HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST GIRL IN THE WORLD - FRIATI !
..............The religious experience of Philip K. Dick. ...Yeah Yeah Yeahs. ...Joke tips.

Feb 11: Enron & Argentina. ...Local auction for autism. ...Font blog. ...Online museums.

Feb 10: Slow food, slow cities. ...Cool video site: Howie Beck, Ladytron, Daft Punk, more.

Feb 08: Rumsfeld talked big but surrenders. ...The Hives: Die, Alright!

Feb 07: Gist St. ...Shift.com. ...CORO Pgh. ...Hemingway's son's end. ...Skilling testifies today.

Feb 06: Sesame St. makeover. ...Scrunching paper. ...Light-tunable plastic magnet. ...Sunshine Fix.

Feb 05: PNC part of the problem? ...Corrupt USA. ...Torrid togs for chunky punks. ...Mighty Flashlight.

Feb 04: Gore returns. ...Lay won't testify today. ...Shorter lines at Six Flags.

Feb 02: Slowwave illustrations of dreams.

Feb 01: Smells like Bootylicious Teen Spirit!

Jan 31: GWB in the Garden of Gethsemane. ...Pgh grocery delivery. ...Wellington wired. ...New Brevity.
..............3d Man at the Frick. ...Beck.com. ...The quotable Paul Lynde. ...War College Quarterly.

Jan 29: Unpopular boardgames. ...Forgot to thank Will Smith for not making a novelty rap song for "Ali."
..............Ireland's huge wind power project. ...Tom Tomorrow's weblog. ...Rufus W, Mr. Lif, Stereolab.

Jan 28: Steelers' run game stopped! Hayes needs canned. Who'll QB the Pats next Sun? ...Sea worthy.

Jan 25: GWB: union buster. ...Campaign finance reform won't stop future Enrons. ...Grafica Obscura.

Jan 24: Objects don't fall smoothly. ...Pinburgh. ...Somehow missed this place. ...Congo conflict.

Jan 23: Mariah learns lesson: have bad year, get $28m. ...Bring Neil Bush home. ...Local hap's.

Jan 22: Yep, it's Golden Shower. ...The Funky 16 Corners.

Jan 21: Koop. ...Watched Golden Globes for 1st time last night. ...Go Steelers!

Jan 18: War blogs. ...Pizza & porn at prison in Canadia. ...Korea Web Art. ...Skyscraper National Park.
..............Energy efficiency as power source.

Jan 17: I can't believe there is no news story yet written about the fact that osamabinladen.com is owned
...........by the aptly named Computer Reflexes International, headquartered in Pakistan! How is it possible
...........I am the first person to do that whois?! Spelled backwards it's owned by someone in the US.

Jan 17: Big ups to http://www.pittsburghstress.com. ... Beck meets ACDC. ...The Adventures of Prince
...........Achmed. ...Brain, Child.

Jan 16: Reviews of purty websites at linkdup. ...Gene Kelly statue in Pgh: story. ...Congrats to Mike W
...........and Kitty J on their (separate) impending nuptials! ...I made the faves list of fellow burgher Jilly.
..............Jen, let's move here. ..Next Tuesday Papa M is here.

Jan 15: WTO appellate body ruling against US law providing tax breaks to US corp's operating overseas.
..............Bobby Conn this Fri at Empty Bottle. ...All checked bags to be screened starting Friday.

Jan 14: Pedro the Lion. ...Dreamworks bought rights to this for $1m. ...Hiptop. ...Does this work in all
...........time zones? ...Bill Gates dressed as Harry Potter. ...Youngstown supermax prisoners sue. ...Just
...........another night in NYC. ...I'm taking GB +10 against my CTO.

Jan 11: Farm subsidy db. ...Google News. ...Ashcroft & US att'ys in TX recuse selves from Enron case.
...........Posted about The Royal Tenenbaums back on Nov 1. Finally got to see it last night; it was great.

Jan 09: The Caganer . ...Esquivel dead.

Jan 08: Boeing boondoggle. ...Our Xmas decorations are put away for the next 49 weeks. ...Sexiest
...........female athlete? I'd pick Marion Jones. Anna K is surely the favorite. ...The Stereo.

Jan 07: Best obscure albums of the year? ...Adam's profile.

Jan 06: Zapotoczny.com. ...Good show (& champagne & hors d'oevres) opened today at the Frick.

Jan 05: New Yinzer is a magazine coming soon from this guy. ...Going to the aviary today, probably.

Jan 04: Ward recommends this adult comic. ...Earthjustice. ...New Billy Bob film best of 2001? ...Breszny
...........predicts expedited growth for Cancerians this year. ...New show at skinnybuilding.

Jan 03: Resolutions for this year are as follows. 1: dress better. Iron your shirt, tuck it into your pants &
...........people at work start mentioning it after only 2 days; this was a good decision. 2: get more done
...........between 6 & 8am (so far, not so good). 3: do at least 20 pushups every other morning. 4: get
...........taxes done before Apr 15. Last year was 1st year that didn't happen. 5: less ice cream! ...Robbie
...........gave me this excellent Spoon CD. Thx!

Jan 02: Had a great time in TN again this year. Tova loved all her cousins. Tommy's new pool room rox.
...........Tried an Egyptian resto. Got some killer duds from Jen. Thanks to all in TN for everything! ...Got
...........our new Prius finally, on NYE. ...Alan's NYE party was great. Wish you had been there. Good luck
...........to all this year. ...Mom leaves for FL tomorrow morning. ...Xmas pics of Tova Rae ASAP, as long
...........as Tammy sends us prints! ...More food for thought from Christopher Hitchens.

Jan 01: New Wu ... Now Its Overhead ... Casiotone For The Painfully Alone. ...Happy new year 2002!
...........Whoever stole our 1991 Mazda on Christmas day: you are low-down! Regrets to Andrew Kelly,
...........who was supposed to inherit the car.

_________2001_________

Dec 21: US occupying Comoro? Possibly not. ...Finally one airport to screen all bags. ...Let's hope this
............isn't true. ...Argentinian president resigns. ...Olivin by Peter Schirmann . ...TN here we come!
............Instant runoff voting. ...Where we're headed for our anniversary. (Thanks for the idea, Dusty!)

Dec 20: IBM's chemical supercomputer. ...Map of Simpsons' Springfield. ...Interview w/ Kumar Pallana.

Dec 19: Appleseed Cast. ...I write this page in a text editor, then use Leech to upload to my host.

Dec 18: Rufus Thomas has died. ...Can the Iraq hawks' plan work? ...Our own Sharon Dilworth won a
............2002 Pushcart Prize for A Little Learning.

Dec 17: Enron the Whitewater of the current admin? ...Guys who once called themselves Talibs switch
............to something called the Northern Alliance, and we call this a victory. ...Simms flips sides, kills
............local living wage bill. ...New Pgh school board trying to keep some white schools open, unfairly.

Dec 14: On the new network-state and Sep 11. ...Trouble for Winona. ...Aronia berries are good for
............you and purty. I want to grow some. ...Group questioned after requesting stamps without flags.
...............Ashcroft avoided Vietnam service with an occupational deferment granted to those who hold
............critical civilian jobs - his was teaching biz law to undergrads at Southwest Missouri SU. ...Pg 6.

Dec 13: More corporate unaccountability: 110 murder charges dropped. ...Dreher published in Salon.

Dec 12: We have moved the headquarters of the 3rd Army to Kuwait! ...All the Cat Power lyrics. ...If I
............were a work of art, I would be Pablo Picasso's Three Musicians because: "I am colourful and
............provoking, always looking to break out of the mould and to pioneer new ways of doing things.
............I have a jaunty outlook and although I am a bit weird, most people have some idea what I'm
............about." Which work of art would you be?

Dec 10: World's tallest structure, a generating station, proposed. (Thanks, Boris!)

Dec 07: Bush + war = ? ...Otto "Cuba".

Dec 06: We're still hearing about this every day. Similar situations exist in Africa and South America but
............don't make the daily news here. All I know is we need to get off the oil, which is mostly why we
............care about Israeli conflicts.

Dec 05: Another by Tamim Ansary. ...Rough week in Friendship/Garfield. ...Available domains. ...Mrs.
............de Klerk murdered. ...Finally a Dark Knight sequel.

Dec 04: Waking Life. ...Bought annual gift haul from Amazon today: whew. ...Reveillon tradition. ...Pg 5.
............What would have happened if Gore were prez. ...Found magazine.

Dec 03: I'm ready for this. ...Lehigh Valley's federal rep in the House has some problems. ...Lovage.

Nov 30: US started ousting Taliban prior to 9/11 - link 1, 2, 3, 4.

Nov 28: Sing a song called Yatta. ...David Mamet rewrite of "2001". ...On a heavier note here's the story
............of the recent prison riot in Afghanistan. ...TJ O'Pootertoot's, and all the other episodes, too.

Nov 26: Photos of Afghan liberation. ...Not sure whether to be proud or embarassed by this.
Nov 20: New print mag. ...Strange name for diet pill. ...Iraq here we come?
Nov 19: Music for ya: Four Tet, Caterine Caselli. ...Cheep stuff. ...Hello Kitty ewww. ...All-in-one phone.

Nov 16: Fulbright awardee neuroscientist kicked off plane; let's hope the new fed employees do better
............than this. ...Santanarchy. ...Now, to save the Afghans.

Nov 15: Even Safire thinks Bush admin has gone too far. ...Push button thoroughly; take holy picture.
...............Hitchens likes bombing. ...Franzen takes Nat'l Book Award over Egan, Erdrich, and Straight.
...............Although the 31st Street Pub's website doesn't indicate an opening band for last nite, there
............was one, and even though it says that shows Monday thru Wednesday start promptly at 9, it
............didn't. All this means that if you have a babysitter who expects to get home at a decent hour,
............you will not get to hear Quasi play. Perhaps we need a cooler babysitter with no day job.

Nov 14: You need all the TMBG lyrics. ...Bossa Per Due.

Nov 13: Kabul abandoned by Taliban. ...Mentally increase muscle size. ...Page 4 added. ...Lynne Cheney
............shows stripes. ...Are we bombing Al-Jazeera now? ...Not quite ready to remove the burqa.

Nov 11: This weekend I heard about the semi-annual All-Clad sale. Next one is Nov 30 - Dec 01, at the
............Meadows. While down there, we might have to visit the trolley museum.

Nov 10: The week 9 picks article is what internet writing should be all about. ...Oh yeah and Ashcroft
............needs to be put alone in a room with Susan Faludi for a while. Look at this steaming pile of his.
...............Cousin Chuck makes good.

Nov 09: Quasi plays at 9 pm, Nov. 14, at 31st Street Pub. ...So busy at work I missed West Wing and
............forgot to pick up the Kretschmann's. ...On Nov 05 I wrote my vote for mayor this week was my
............first vote ever for a Republican but I remember that's not true: I voted for Roddey for county
............exec over the nutty Wecht.

Nov 08: Hospitals dumping patients. ...Warren Leruth died, leaving behind recipe I'll try. ...Marley Marl
............and Natalie Merchant return. ...Selling illegal drivers' licenses in Pgh. Ack! ...Terrorism by truck.

Nov 07: Monbiot on the upcoming WTO talks in Qatar. ...Neu tunes from Cornelius, Pinback. ...Free show
............at CMU: Cannibal Ox et al, Nov 9 at 1pm.

Nov 06: Can't believe Lieberman thinks he has a chance, especially after he kid-gloved Cheney in their
............debate. Daschle and Gephardt (so uncharismatic it's a joke) are putting their toes in, as are Gore
............and John Kerry. ...Don't forget to vote today, even if it's just to vote against Mayor Murphy. This
............will be my first vote for a Republican but with the $1 billion deficit and his attitude about the
............stadiums & 5th-Forbes, I hope others like me will get a message across to him. ...Big races for
............VA and NJ governor, and NYC mayor. ...Treasury Secy O'Neill, who seems smart but not too
............powerful up there, called the stimulus package "show business" & in House Financial Services
............committee hearings seemed to agree with Dems. GOP's now calling for his head. ...Music from
............This American Life, for those of us into the new easy listening. ...Is it just me or is the New
............Yorker publishing the best American coverage of what TV news shows are so strangely calling
............"America's New War"?

Nov 05: Been putting off announcing this here until Jen told people in person, but now's the time finally.
............Jen's collection of short stories will be published by Carnegie Mellon University Press next fall.
............Stories in the collection will soon appear in Passages North & Another Chicago Magazine.
...............Relaxing weekend tending to li'l Tova, who was not feeling well. Actually I was cooking for Jen
............who was tending to Tova. See latest baby photos by clicking the picture above.

Nov 02: Genesis of Osama bin Laden. ...On the home schooling movement. ...Even Business Week calls
............the stimulus plan wrong, saying some provisions are "little more than special-interest tax breaks
............for a handful of well-connected companies," and in another piece "more about ideology and political
............favors" and that "far too much of the House bill is geared toward satisfying corporate interests."

Nov 01: Today is the day of the dead, and yesterday was Reformation Day. ...Ciao Tuvalu. ...The NYT
............says it "spoils its perfection by insisting on it" but I'm sure it will be the best new movie I've seen
............in awhile. When do I get to be OW? ...Creme tangerine and Montelimar. ...End war profiteering.
............Pittsburgh's 20th annual Film Festival starts shortly. ...Sunday at Roboto is !!! who sound catchy.

Oct 31 : Gratuitous cursing still cracks me up. ...Egyptian in DC recommends policy rethink. ...Tried "Lil
............Pakistan" today. I had a cauliflower dish, an okra dish, and rice, for $5. They are open 7 to 7,
............except Sundays. A good hole in the wall place for a quick bite. Inexpensive and tasty. It's on
............Penn Ave near 16th St bridge; 412-355-0844.

Oct 30 : How can they make this without saying the name? ...Ender's Game coming true. ...More good
............journalism on Central Asia from the New Yorker: Pakistan. ...Gov't websites with info removed.
...............And Tim Burton dumps the fabulous Lisa Marie for fairly yucky Helena Bonham Carter.

Oct 29 : More unbelievable crud from "our" federal gov't. ...Filmmakers anniversary party.

Oct 26 : China is using the war on terrorism to brand the Uyghurs of Xinjiang. ...Privileged children of
............millionaires square off. ...WWII propaganda from Disney. ...Most recent Chomsky. ...Ballistic
............missile defense is a go. Yay. ...Foreign media reactions to US Dept of State. ...US agrees to limit
............airstrikes against Taliban front lines.

Oct 25 : New club. Be safe, gay people. ....Speaking of MacArthur Foundation grants, here's this
............year's winners. ....Robot Bastard! ....NYTimes doesn't like the stimulus either. ....Simon
............Jenkins on why we should stop bombing. ....Oops: man carries gun on plane. ....Jailed
............Pakistani dies in FBI custody. ....New Aphex Twin, Stereolab, Papa M, Coen Bros film.

Oct 24 : Pgh Tech Council's annual 50 fastest growers, and state of the industry report.
............Down with the latest "stimulus" packages ........ Hey! The Norwegian gov't resigned.
............Java Zork ...... How did NAFTA's Chapter 11 originate? ...... I knew we missed some things in
............Montreal, but we were looking right at this sucker, thinking how cool it looked from the outside.
............Anthrax mailer being tracked ...... Some good reading at PoliticalWire.

Oct 23 : Marijuana possession no longer an arrestable offense in the UK ...... MJ needs to feck off.
............Here comes the insurance industry bailout ...... Big-selling folk artist Finster died.
............Vincent Gallo, auteur of "Buffalo '66," has a new record. Here and here are samples.
............Flux 5 is coming ...... Some people this weekend said they never heard of MacArthur grants.
............In Pgh, the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild dude won one a few years ago.
............Hope our customers don't feel this way ...... I think we missed a good show at the Getty.
............Had killer Mexican breakfast in Philly & got all laid back 'n' 'at with Chip and Sue. Thanks, guys!

Oct 19 : Worthwhile reading in M.E. Newsline ........ Interview with Hitchens, who's given up on socialism.
Oct 19 : This sucks: Ashcroft is changing the FOIA policy.
Oct 19 : More Pittsburgh fun: MAS was totally worth checking out.
Oct 19 : Let's hear it for Dan (Personity announcement) and Allyson (Glass Center opening tonight)!
Oct 19 : Joke pacifiers ........ War humor.

Oct 18 : Is this the new new science? ........ Summary of the conflict over Jerusalem.
Oct 18 : Office of Homeland Security is calling for new tech. Perhaps Mantas will get a nice contract.
Oct 18 : Last night Neko Case & the Corn Sisters slayed me at the Club Cafe.
Oct 18 : What happened when an SF family got a Times Magazine with white powder in it.
Oct 18 : Germ expert says panicky people can iron mail.
Oct 18 : Why would we want to sell military equipment to Indonesia and China?
Oct 18 : Animated documentaries at FiguresOfSpeech ........ Full texts of many journals.
Oct 18 : Books: Jennifer Egan's latest and the Robert Mitchum story.

Oct 17 : Stratfor: Taliban official, in Pakistan, through Pakistani officials asked Colin Powell to enter U.S.
............into negotiations. Abdul Wakil Muttawakil, Taliban foreign minister, reportedly said Taliban
............moderates need pause in bombing to regroup and talk Mohammad Omar into giving up bin Laden.
Oct 17 : Today's Quaker anti-war positions ........ Smallpox as weapon.
Oct 17 : Bitchin' comic about the current war ........ Murakami on Aum Shinrikyo and al-Qa'ida. Thanks, Juli.
Oct 17 : Bush headed to China ........ Ontarioans (?) seem relieved their premier is stepping down.
Oct 17 : Saudi interior minister calls for end to bombing ........ Powell still trying to make sense.
Oct 17 : Saudi royals vulnerable ........ Condi Rice not getting it across.

Oct 16 : Our allies are cautious on 'Bush Doctrine.' Russia says Chechens are terrorists; India says the
............same of Pakistanis in Kashmir; and of course Palestinians and Israelis believe the other side is the
............terrorist side. Time for us to stop the bombing. If we have proof of the guilty parties in the WTC
............attack, we should let the UN or the ICC hunt them down. Then let the UN take over Jerusalem
............so it can be peacefully shared. Let's end this crap already.
Oct 16 : New album from Wilco coming soon. Listen now.
Oct 16 : Trailer for Ocean's 11, directed by S.Soderburgh.

Oct 15 : German chancellor's office and US Senate majority leader's office received anthrax by mail.
Oct 15 : Ariel Sharon takes responsibility for extra-judicial killing of Hamas leader. I predict Sharon will
............be out of office within 6 months.
Oct 15 : 700 pounds of explosives stolen in Houston ........ Polaroid bankrupt.
Oct 15 : Anthrax all over ........ Stupidity unaffected (and inspired) by WTC tragedy.
Oct 15 : World's leading IMF critic wins Nobel ........ Anti-money laundering legislation delayed.

Oct 12 : Probably the last American to interview Masoud.
Oct 12 : We should make a strong case against bin Laden's message, but are not.
Oct 12 : Director-general of the Pakistani ISI stepped down this week, possibly because India proved he
............was directly connected to one of the WTC attackers. This pro-Northern Alliance site also thinks
............the ISI coordinated the attacks.
Oct 12 : Edward Peck, ambassador to Iraq under Reagan, said on CNN the proof we have publicized about
............bin Laden is "not proof," that nothing "gives us the right to decide who rules Iraq," and that
............attackers of the US don't hate our freedom but "hate us because of things they see us doing to
............their part of the world that they definitely do not like."
Oct 12 : Times of London also reports Russia's troops are on the ground in Afghanistan. Might this be a
............reprise of when they "startled Western allies by grabbing control of Pristina airport during NATO’s
............1999 operation in Kosovo"?

Oct 11 : Watch out. Tova Rae is walking!
Oct 11 : Time to federalize anthrax vaccine production?
Oct 11 : Apparently Bert was really in the posters at this pro-bin Laden rally.
Oct 11 : Russia is reportedly in or heading in to Afghanistan with troops, against Washington's wishes.
Oct 11 : On the airline lobby.

Oct 09 : Too many do not know Arthur Dove's work, the earliest American abstract art.
Oct 09 : We might use low-yield nukes soon.
Oct 09 : The OIC will hold a special session in Qatar this week.
Oct 09 : Bin Laden's ties to official Saudi Arabia.
Oct 09 : We may be getting ready to intervene in Nicaragua, again.
Oct 09 : We may be getting ready to bail out the US insurance industry.
Oct 09 : The United States has formally notified the U.N. Security Council that counterterrorism
............attacks may be extended beyond Afghanistan.

Oct 08 : Spent the weekend with beautiful Tova and reading the New Yorker's last two issues, mostly stories
............on Afghanistan and CIA. Last night we start the attack on Afghanistan. Of course it was an illusion
............that the US was actually going to stick to covert operations and diplomacy, of course we have to
............always bomb someone. No going through the UN or the international courts for us, nope. Here's
............Gelwan's take. Jami's getting weary. Robert Fisk warns us about bad alliances. NYTimes warns us
............about being surveilled. More on money laundering. RAWA denounces the Northern Alliance.
Oct 08 : On a lighter note here and here is some groovy Finnish music. Oh, and Tori Amos covering Slayer.

Oct 05 : Robert Fisk on the evidence the US and UK has compiled against al-Qa'ida.
Oct 05 : More good sense from Noam Chomsky.

Oct 04 : Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing has proven to be astonishingly effective at
............helping victims of severe trauma.
Oct 04 : Someone reminded me this week that Halle Berry - the most beautiful woman on earth other
............than my wife - is featured "prominently" in the movie Swordfish. I went to the Blockbuster site
............(weird to have not been there before, but then again why go there) to see when it would be
............released. It says Oct 30th, but then I wondered: will Blockbuster be editing her bare breasts
............out of their copies of the video? This is the truly important stuff we Americans worry about,
............instead of studying the Koran.
Oct 04 : 2 things Clinton would never have been able to get away with: a stimulus package & hiding
............his gubernatorial records. I hope the stimulus package extends unemployment benefits, but
............look for corporate handouts instead.
Oct 04 : Indian flight hijacked. And we are doing some bombing.
Oct 04 : To make this page (and others) look better in IE, try the View--TextSize--Smallest menu item.

Oct 03 : Gore will win the '00 election. I hope he doesn't win the primary in the next one.
Oct 03 : I was thinking today that the airlines bailout should include the laid off workers. Seems unlikely.
Oct 03 : Another reason to visit Cleveland: Ethiopian food.
Oct 03 : After-effects of US's 1998 bombing of Sudan.
Oct 03 : As the Pentagon gets ready for a massive money influx, the Bush administration is poised to
............accelerate weapons sales to the Middle East.
Oct 03 : US has been lax on money laundering. Why? Joseph Stiglitz, former chief economist of the World
............Bank, said "It's in the interests of some of the monied interests to allow this to occur."
Oct 03 : Comparing health care systems worlwide, via Ethel.

Oct 02 : Saudi Arabia's place in US foreign policy.
Oct 02 : Our house looks new, thanks to a paint job which happened while we were on vacation.
Oct 02 : Juli had a good ole time in Cleveland, which I still have never visited.
Oct 02 : Super-cute photo, thanks to DFG.

Oct 01 : Montreal was very fine; ask us about it. Try these fun tracks from Filippo Moscatello: 1 and 2.
Oct 01 : The Gist Street reading series continues this Friday in Uptown.
Oct 01 : Proper news is propaganda. So spin on this.
Oct 01 : Comparing US bombing of Belgrade to the Current Situation.
Oct 01 : American ignorance of foreign affairs.
Oct 01 : More worthwhile reading from Chomsky.

Sep 26 : Robert J. Gardner on not hearing the Star Spangled Banner recently. I had noticed this as well.
Sep 26 : Russia could regain control of central Asian republics as a result of upcoming US ops there.
Sep 26 : Tuesday's comments by Colin Powell.
Sep 26 : What to tell your kids.
Sep 26 : Fidel speaks on Infinite Justice.
Sep 26 : The first Anglo-Afghan War.
Sep 26 : Pittsburgh happenings. Thurston Moore (see below) has cancelled this week's show, but there's
.............a Richie Hawtin show @ Irish Center, Sep 29, $20. Bikes can be rented downtown now. Opening
.............of new riverfront trail segments: Sep 29, 10am, 600 First Avenue. Abstract animated films by
.............Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, Len Lye & Douglass Crockwell @ Boxheart in Bloomfield, Sep 29, 8pm, $5.

Sep 25 : There are people who think OJ or cranberry juice mixed with barley water is tasty.
Sep 25 : Dymaxion x 4 + 3 is 18 works of brilliantly fractured retro-futurist art rock, sez Other Music.
Sep 25 : A Piece of The Action, recommended by Fritz Le Chat.

Sep 24 : Hitchens: Western governments are responsible for many wrongs in the Muslim world, but that
.............does not justify fascist fundamentalism. ...[T]he bombers of Manhattan represent fascism with an
.............Islamic face, and there's no point in any euphemism about it. What they abominate about "the
.............west", to put it in a phrase, is not what western liberals don't like and can't defend about their own
.............system, but what they do like about it and must defend: its emancipated women, its scientific
.............inquiry, its separation of religion from the state.
Sep 24 : Some great writers, on the Current Situation.
Sep 24 : Israel fingers two possible orchestrators of the terrorist attacks on the US.
Sep 24 : What happens next? Six options with TV metaphors.

Sep 21 : Local rock Sep 22 outside at CMU.
.............ZOWIE 4pm, Hi-Frequencies @5, Mofones @6, Kitty Pryde @7, Lonely Planet Boy @8, Dirty Faces @9
Sep 21 : US considering easing sanctions on Pakistan. If that means starting to sell them weapons, I'd
.............say it's a bit premature.
Sep 21 : Tom Ridge to head US office of Homeland Security. This is straight from the Hart-Rudman report.
Sep 21 : Much background on our relationship with the Taliban gov't in Jul 20 Senate hearing.
Sep 21 : More good efforts from the Sec'y of State.
Sep 21 : Enjoyed Home Movies last night. Also, Jon Stewart should stick to comedy.

Sep 20 : Chick Corea & Miles Davis, et al, take you there on Mar 07 1970.
Sep 20 : A few relevant words from Richard Dawkins.
Sep 20 : More indications Iraq may have had direct involvement.
Sep 20 : L'shana tova! Happy new year!

Sep 19 : Pittsburgh happening on Sep 28, 7pm, $10. A member of the critically acclaimed band Sonic Youth,
.............Thurston Moore has been involved throughout his career in side-projects such as his recent
.............collaborations with DJ Spooky and Yoko Ono. For his show at The Warhol, Moore will perform
.............with an all-star trio including Jim O'Rourke, and Charles K. Noyes, veteran percussionist/
.............composer. Opening the show are the Portland-based Microphones and locals Arco Flute Foundation.
.............Call 412.237.8300 for ticket information. 117 Sandusky St.
Sep 19 : Stratfor: Federal authorities charged three men in Detroit with fraud and misuse of immigration
.............documents, in the 1st criminal charges filed by feds investigating last week's attacks, AP reported.
.............Authorities found the men with airport diagrams and phony immigration documents.
Sep 19 : Interview with Noam Chomsky on Belgrade radio.
Sep 19 : Second attack planned for Sep 22?

Sep 17 : Stratfor: The supreme leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban will reportedly let a grand council
.............of Islamic clerics decide whether to hand over Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in last week's
.............terrorist attacks, to the United States, the Washington Post reported, citing Taliban-run radio.
Sep 17 : Germany and Norway opt out.
Sep 17 : These are the first comments I've read by Hitchens on the Current Situation.
Sep 17 : Stratfor: China, Iran, & Syria may cooperate more than we thought; Russia may cooperate less.
Sep 17 : Matthew Parris thinks September 11 is a consequence of trying to impose world order, not a
.............wake-up call to redouble the attempt.
Sep 17 : The Taliban are not Afghanistan.
Sep 17 : Human intelligence against closed societies & secret outfits has long been almost impossible.
Sep 17 : Mencken defends anti-war speech.
Sep 17 : Try Jane's report on the Sep 9 death of the leader of the anti-Taliban forces.
Sep 17 : NYT: Pentagon Tracked Deadly Jet but found no way to stop it.

Sep 14 : Stratfor.com says: Pakistan has closed its border with Afghanistan, and the Washington Post says
.............Pakistani military officials report that Pakistan is willing to open its airspace to air strikes
.............against suspected hideouts of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Bear in mind we supported &
.............trained bin Laden and others like him when they were expelling the Soviet army from
.............Afghanistan in the late 1980's.
Sep 14 : You should soon be hearing the name of the island of Diego Garcia much more often.
Sep 14 : Some background on the suffering of Afghans at the hands of the Taliban.
Sep 14 : Earlier this year, the US sent $43 million and anti-drug advisers to help the Taliban, who have
.............been committing apartheid against women in addition to harboring bin Laden.
Sep 14 : Here's something I haven't seen much of, probably because I'm not watching a lot of TV right now.
.............People around the world showing support.
Sep 14 : Some positive thinking by Jami's friend Cinde who suggests "It would be a beautiful thing if
.............they rebuilt the World Trade Center and powered it with sustainable energy."
Sep 14 : Here and here are pieces criticizing the US.

Sep 13 : If the US declares war on another nation, insurance companies might be off the hook.
Sep 13 : This is still very sad. Thanks to Rudy Giuliani for showing great character through these events.
.............I have been surprised at how much talk there has been of life going on, as it relates to work or
.............business. I heard Madelaine Albright say something about it, and I've heard top officials in the
.............government say it, too. I agree with some economists who say people won't pull out of the stock
.............market out of patriotism, and I guess it's possible that many will continue to work hard at their
.............jobs for related reasons (though I've seen increased kaffeeklatching and surfing for news at my
.............own "dot-com"). But I certainly don't see why it would be such a crime against the nation if
.............people shopped less. So many talking heads are referring to how the US consumer has been holding
.............off worldwide recession, but it wouldn't surprise me if people were just much quieter in all their
.............actions in general. It just doesn't seem right going out and buying drinks or new shoes. Buying
.............gasoline certainly feels strange. Let me know what you think.
Sep 13 : Stratfor.com says: The Times of India has published a report originally carried by an Arabic online
.............newspaper, saying that the Taliban has placed Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden and several of his
.............assistants under house arrest in Afghanistan. A diplomat at the Taliban embassy in Abu Dhabi
.............could not confirm the report.

Sep 12 : People are being detained in MA and FL.
Sep 12 : Stratfor.com says: The Taliban said today that any retaliatory strikes by the US on Afghanistan & on
.............Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center & Pentagon, would
.............fail and that Washington would not be able to find any person it targets, AFP reported, citing a Taliban
.............spokesman. Bin Laden is living in Afghanistan under the Taliban militia's protection. The United Nations
.............has ordered all 80 of its employees out of Afghanistan.
..................Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden today congratulated the people who carried out the terrorist attacks
.............in New York and Washington, D.C., but denied that he was involved, AP reported, citing Abu Dhabi
.............Television's bureau chief in Islamabad. U.S. Embassies in Yemen, Kuwait and Oman and the United Arab
.............Emirates announced that they are closing indefinitely.
Sep 12 : Some worthwhile links at FmH already, such as this and this.
.............Not sure I have anything to say about the attack that hasn't been said. Just waiting like everyone else
.............for the perpetrators to come forward or be found. Spoke with mom and dad a few times and all our NYC
.............relatives seem to be OK including Heshe Rosenfeld, our only close relative who works in the World Trade
.............Center itself, who decided for no particular reason to stay home yesterday. Is this an occasion to say
............."Gam zu l'tova?"

Sep 11 : Huge event at World Trade Center. Hit by plane or planes. They are saying terrorists. Stay tuned.
Sep 11 : Cranberry now has a reason to exist: the first Krispy Kreme in the area opened there today.
.............I just ate one, thanks to a co-worker.
Sep 11 : U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, Anne Patterson, acknowledged recently that the amount of acreage
.............under illicit cultivation in Colombia has grown despite the eradication effort. After a year of our
.............Plan Colombia, they are starting to consider legalization.
Sep 11 : Bertelsmann's Mohn Media has agreed to purchase a substantial printCafe Prograph software installation.
Sep 10 : New photos added, finally; just click le bébé above. Tova said more words this weekend: "baby" and "dad"!
Sep 10 : Pam was 'the medical student' who got her way. Judd was 'the struggling cartoonist' from Dix Hills, N.Y..
.............Yes, the NYTimes is now covering weddings of people who meet on TV. These two met on the only Real
.............World series I watched at all, the SF one.
Sep 07 : Apparently while with Jen at her weekly writers' workshop on Wednesday, Tova said her first
.............words, several times and several people heard them. She was looking at a photo of Julie's
.............cat Titus, and was heard to say "cat" and "Titus." Apparently her "cat" sounds a little like "get"
.............but she said it a few times and according to Jen "looked different" than when she says nonsense
.............words. I have still heard nothing! Soon enough.
Sep 07 : Our next ambassador to the UN? Here's a short history of John Negroponte.
Sep 07 : Just in time for the start of the regular season, the NFL Picks column returns.
Sep 06 : The Gist Street reading series continues this Friday in Uptown.
Sep 06 : Last night I caught some of the excellent Sister Wendy's new art series.
Sep 06 : Tonight I might have to try the new Brak show.
Sep 05 : Quasi's latest, "The Sword of God" includes F*** Hollywood and Better Luck Next Time.
Sep 05 : Music to test software by? Works for me.
Sep 05 : Shall we play a game?
Sep 04 : Chuck E. Atchley, Jr. has been appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of TN. Mazel tov, cousin!
Sep 04 : Oy. Grand Royal is closing down!
Sep 04 : New issue of Brevity is online.
Sep 04 : Recommended by thinking man Steven Pinker: AL Daily and SciTech Daily.
Aug 31 : Added "The War Against Silence" to the music list above.
Aug 30 : Ladies and gentlemen, the Samuel Jackson soundboard.
Aug 29 : The evolution of the Lego company.
Aug 29 : The UV Loop is back.
Aug 28 : Kennywood was awesome last night. I recommend going on weeknights.
Aug 26 : The 1st installment's backgrounds were Pittsburgh photos, & it uses "jagoff" in the 2nd. Must be from here.
Aug 24 : I can never remember the name of the Continental. He's cool, a looker and has been in so many great movies.
Aug 24 : I'm sure you already knew that I support revoking the charters of bad corporations.
Aug 23 : Zadie Smith on book tours.

This is the home page of
Richard Engel (Tappan Zee High School Class of 1987, Carnegie Mellon B.A. in Professional Writing 1991)