Cyber-Local Tuesday, with Localism!
Current local Etsy finds include Christmas cards that feature aliens, and earrings made from bullets.
TV Alert: The Hour
BBC’s newroom drama The Hour returns for a second season
Seminar on estate planning, other legal issues for LGBT community planned
LGBTQ mental health wellness center Persad Center will present The State of Your Estate this week. The forum will address same-sex marriage issues, estate planning, healthcare directives, domestic partner agreements, health, Medicare and other issues facing LGBT people as they age. The free event will be held at 6 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 29, at Rodef…
More on district 8: Dan Gilman makes candidacy official
As I noted earlier this morning, Jeanne Clark wasn’t going to have the field in District 8 all to herself for long. In fact, she didn’t even have it to herself when I hit the “post” button: While I interviewed her last night, and posted the story from home this morning (I was blogging old-school,…
Activist Jeanne Clark to run for city council (UPDATED)
Here’s some sobering news for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s 2013 re-election effort. Even if he wins the Democratic primary, he could end up facing one of his sharpest critics on city council next year. Jeanne Clark, a longtime activist and East End political veteran, will be running to fill the council seat left vacant by Bill…
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Nov. 27
As noted here yesterday, city councilor Bill Peduto is gearing up for a formal announcement that he’ll be running for mayor next year. Not to be outdone — or, more to the point, not to allow Peduto’s effort to preemptively clear the field to succeed — city controller Michael Lamb has also confirmed long-held expectations…
Lynn Cullen Live 11/27/12
Video Archive Snow flurries in Pgh; indifferent bus riders; brain activity alterations while driving; some audio books help burn more calories than others while jogging; when you do two ( or more ) things at once, there’s always a cost; how Anne Hathaway lost 25 lbs. for Les Miserables; new Lincoln movie; celebrity weight loss;…
New Regional Literary Prize Offered
Honor includes month-long residency in Brussels for published writers
Rally in support of Israel tonight
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will hold a rally in support of Israel tonight, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center, 5738 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. While a cease-fire agreement was recently announced, the Jewish Federation is calling upon local supporters of Israel to gather and show their solidarity with Israelis,…
Is it just me, or does it sound like Bill Peduto might be running for something?
Not that I’m an expert in reading political tea leaves or anything, but does it sound like Bill Peduto might be trying to … tell us something via Twitter this morning? Then there’s this e-mail he sent around … which would be perhaps the shortest campaign announcement in political history since “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (postcards…
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Nov.26
A powerful piece on the op-ed page of today’s Post-Gazette, in which conservation biologist Mollie Matteson decries state game officials for failing to act on the collapse of the state’s bat population. As we first reported four years ago, a mysterious fungus is killing off untold numbers of bats — who among other things kill…
Lynn Cullen Live 11/26/12
Video Archive Guest: Theresa Brown, nurse / author; quit college professor career to go back to school for nursing; Pitt’s Accelerated Nursing Program; how documenting first year of nursing became a book; “Bedside” blog; dealing w/ patients: doctors vs. nurses; hospitals overworking nurses; nurse to patient ratio; a typical nurse’s day; dealing w/ death of…
Introducing Larry Lovestein & The Velvet Revival
An internationally known Pittsburgh rapper has added a new alias to his arsenal with the soulful, jazz-inspired Larry Lovestein & The Velvet Revival. The debut EP, You, is a love-struck work of art. The heart-felt lyrics are accompanied by standard jazz arrangements. On this project, the artist puts all else on hold as he pursues…
Anti-war rally this Saturday
Several anti-war groups are planning a rally to speak out against and raise awareness of the U.S. use of unarmed drones in Pakistan, Yemen and other countries. The rally will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Sat., Nov. 24, at the corner of Forbes and Murray avenues in Squirrel Hill. “This type of warfare…
Heads Up: Morning headlines for Nov. 21
The 2012 election was weeks ago, which means it’s long past time for this space to start linking to articles about … the elections of 2014. Veteran Philly journo John Baer offers his take on possible Democratic challengers. Among the names being bandied about — none of which Baer seems convinced will run — are…
Black Yoga brings Om and om together
BLACK YOGA meets Tue., Wed., Thu., various locations. $10. Visit blackyoga. blogspot.com for more information. Yoga, as it’s practiced in this country, tends to be a warm, bright affair, associated with orangey light, wood floors, soothing singing bowls and nature sounds. But yoga instructor Kimee Massie wanted to offer something different. As she puts it,…
Slate Bistro
Slate Bistro 24 Donati Road Bethel Park. 412-833-7000 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 5-10 p.m. Prices: Starters and salads $5-15; entrees $22-32 Liquor: Full bar Talking about neighborhood places for gathering, eating and drinking tends to bring to mind the humble corner bar, breakfast joint or coffee shop. But our lives extend beyond the merely humble, and we…
CD Reviews
The Homeless Gospel Choir Luxury Problems (Self-released) Derek Zanetti sounds sometimes like a folk-punker and at other times like Craig Finn on this, his most recent record under the name The Homeless Gospel Choir. (It actually came out a few months back.) Zanetti — who’s also released work on My Idea of Fun in the…
White Cube, Green Maze explores how architecture can open up to nature.
WHITE CUBE, GREEN MAZE continues through Jan. 20. Carnegie Museum of Art 4400 Forbes Ave. Oakland. 412-622-3131 or cmoa.org In a series of essays published as the book Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space, critic Brian O’Doherty broke down the walls of the typical modern art-exhibition space in pointed metaphorical fashion.…
Critics’ Picks: November 21 – 27
[BEATLES] + SAT., NOV. 24 Think of it as a convergence of good things: The Beatles meet AcoustiCafé meets charity. Tonight, for the fourth year in a row, the open-mic organization at Club Café features a special show featuring local artists covering the Fab Four. There are actually two shows (early and late) featuring music…
Deborah Kass wrestles with Warhol’s legacy … at The Warhol.
DEBORAH KASS: BEFORE AND HAPPILY EVER AFTER continues through Jan. 6. The Andy Warhol Museum 117 Sandusky St. North Side. 412-237-8300 or warhol.org Art is often in dialogue with itself, as artists commune with their antecedents and peers. So to fully appreciate their work, it helps to know the references. Viewing the mid-career retrospective Deborah…
Want to privatize schools? You might want to buy up an election cycle or two first.
State Rep. James Roebuck has been in politics for a quarter-century, but he’d never before faced the kind of primary fight he had this spring. His challenger, Fatimah Muhammad, was a political upstart with little history in the district. Yet she was able to raise more than $230,000 for her campaign, seemingly overnight. “I felt…
City Theatre’s South Side Stories
SOUTH SIDE STORIES continues through Dec. 16. City Theatre 1300 Bingham St. South Side. $35-55. 412-431-2489 or citytheatre company.org Once word gets out, I seriously doubt there’ll be many left to go around, so right now put aside this review and get as many tickets as you can for South Side Stories. The new work…
“If you’re going to use river water as your drinking water, you shouldn’t discharge bromide.”
It’s something of a mystery: Levels of chemical compounds called bromides have been rising and falling in the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers and no one knows exactly why. Wastewater from oil and gas drilling might be implicated, but in any case, further increases could spell trouble for the region’s drinking water. Bromides are salty compounds…
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Good People
GOOD PEOPLE continues through Dec. 9. Pittsburgh Public Theater 621 Penn Ave. Downtown. $23-55. 412-316-1600 or ppt.org The history of Boston is a tale of two cities: On one side, there’s Harvard, the Green Monster and the Liberty Trail. On the other, there’s Whitey Bulger, the busing crisis and the Big Dig. Over here, Ivy…
Silence
In Silent Spring, published 50 years ago this fall, Rachel Carson warned of a season when the birds, and all of nature, would fall mute to chemical poisoning. These days, though, I’m worried about the silence of a different animal: the humans making all the pollution. Not that Springdale native Carson missed her mark. Silent…
Point Park Conservatory’s Seven Guitars
SEVEN GUITARS continues through Dec. 2. 222 Craft Ave. Oakland. $15-27. 412-392-8000 or pittsburgh playhouse.com. First things first: Seven Guitars, by August Wilson, is receiving a very solid production at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. If you have never seen Seven Guitars, rest assured that Point Park Conservatory does the play justice. The ensemble is young, but…
Savage Love
I am a 22-year-old straight female. I used to babysit for a wealthy family. The dad of this family is very into martial arts/fighting and has invited me over for “self-defense training.” I have accepted his invitations a few times, and it has always started off as a normal workout in their home gym. But…
Braddock Avenue Books joins the indie-publishing fray.
The founders of the region’s newest publishing outfit, Braddock Avenue Books, have a simple motto: Uncommon Books [for] Uncommon Readers. Robert Peluso and Jeffrey Condran are longtime friends and fellow English instructors at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh; Condran is himself a fiction writer. They set up shop in the struggling milltown of Braddock, in…
Short List: November 21 – 27
Thu., Nov. 29 — Stage William Shatner: actor, director, recording artist and, most recently, app creator. He’s a cultural icon whose CV includes everything from Star Trek to Priceline Negotiator. Now, at 81, he’s touring with his one-man show, Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It. He recently spoke with City Paper via telephone from…
Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook Directed by: David O. Russell Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro Well, first, let’s get one thing out of the way. Silver Linings Playbook: worst ending ever. Now don’t worry: Nobody dies. (I wish.) It just has one of those cowardly Hollywood third acts (i.e., the last half hour) that wants…
Cut backs in state funding mean leaner times for area food banks and pantries
The food pantry’s shelves at the Northside Common Ministries are missing a crucial staple: canned goods. The cans used to come freely from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. But the elimination of state funds in this year’s budget forced the food bank to increase the food prices that it charges to the 400 community…
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part Two
The Twilight series grew dopier with each installment, but I hoped this final episode would bring closure to an increasingly muddled story at least. But alas, Breaking Dawn: Part Two, directed by Bill Condon, failed to deliver even this small comfort. The narrative gets even loopier, with loads more violations of Standard Vampire Rules. In…
Veteran bartender Marie Perriello can teach you to craft your own cocktail
Marie Perriello knows her way around a bar. Over the last 10 years, she’s bartended at a private golf club and a high-volume nightclub, as well as cutting-edge restaurants Nine on Nine and Meat & Potatoes. She’s travelled to New York and Paris to hone her craft, and has worked with Pittsburgh bars on creating…
Keep the Lights On
Ira Sachs’ drama charts the relationship of a gay male couple over nearly 10 years, beginning in 1997. Erik (Thure Lindhardt), a Danish filmmaker (and a bit of a slacker) living in Manhattan, meets Paul (Zachary Booth), a publishing lawyer, during a casual hook-up. But the two quickly develop an intense relationship, and move in…
Phipps walks the walk, switching out soda at its café for a healthier fruit sprizter
Last October, Phipps Conservatory made a decision that they knew some customers wouldn’t be crazy about — it removed soda from the Oakland attraction’s café. “There were concerns about doing this from some on our staff because we make a lot of money on soda,” says Richard Piacentini, executive director at Phipps. “But that didn’t…
Red Dawn
If you wake up in the wee hours panicked that North Korea might invade America and put all our high school cheerleaders into re-training camps made from shipping containers, Red Dawn will confirm your very worst fears. Similarly, if you’re fretting that Hollywood is so bereft of ideas that it has turned, in desperation, to…
Life of Pi
If there’s anything Ang Lee can’t do, and do well, then he hasn’t done it yet. He’s a most gifted, even daring artist, determined to create intelligence, humane yet highly entertaining commercial cinema. In Life of Pi, Lee puts a teen-age boy in a lifeboat in the middle of an ocean with only one companion…
Rise of the Guardians
In this digitally animated adventure-comedy, the children of the world are imperiled when an evil fella named Pitch Black (voice of Jude Law) wants to steal all their joy and hopefulness. So it’s up to the time-honored guardians of kiddies — Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the…
Light Up Night
The city’s dramatic skyline is the backdrop for an evening of holiday activities, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display. Near 80,000 people were in the Golden Triangle for the 52nd annual Pittsburgh Light Up Night celebration, the official kickoff for the Pittsburgh holiday season. Pittsburgh City Paper was in attendance giving away prizes & having…
Smashed
Thirtysomethings Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Charlie (Aaron Paul) are married, live in a quirky part of Los Angeles and generally have a good time. But much of their fun is fueled by drinking massive amounts of alcohol, because hey, everything goes better with tequila, right? But things have not-so-subtly shifted from good times to…
Lynn Cullen Live 11/21/12
Video Archive Guest: Chris Potter. Lincoln Movie, SUNI Buffalo shuts down SRSI scholarships, Natural Gas Industry says violations decreased from 2008-2011, but in reality they increased. Corbet and Clairton School District funding cuts. “Students First” & “Fighting Chance” allow for ‘money laundering.’ Scientific ways of changing the weather, iron oxide in the ocean to change…
Carousel takes a new EP for a spin
CAROUSEL 12-INCH EP RELEASE with SISTERED, SECRET TOMBS. 9:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 30. Belvedere’s 4016 Butler St. Lawrenceville. $6. 412-687-2555 or belvederesultradive.com The classic trope of the young musician goes something like this: He or she grows up in the suburbs, wants to get into weird, unique music — esoteric chamber-pop, experimental sounds, electronic —…
Heavy-metal band Lamb of God soldiers on despite running into trouble in the Czech Republic
LAMB OF GOD With IN FLAMES, HELLYEAH, SYLOSIS. 6 p.m. Tue., Nov. 27. Stage AE 400 North Shore Drive North Side. $35-38. 412-229-5483 or stageae.com When asked how Lamb of God has managed to hold together for more than a decade, bassist John Campbell doesn’t hesitate: “Success plays a part,” he says. “It’s an incredible…
