I’m at the waterfront to see Harry Potter, and Barnes and Noble has a special cafe pairing for each house. Pictured here, is the Hufflepuff, my house. Although the Ravenclaw sounded good too!
A crew testing a new Boeing plane flew from Seattle to Pittsburgh…to get Primanti’s. Not that I blame them, of course.
Shank told the paper: “Everybody loved it. They were all like, ‘Who would have thought to put fries and cole slaw on a sandwich?’ It was comfort food for me, something that reminded me of home.”
The test director is from the Ligonier area, but didn’t get coleslaw on his sandwich. Sacrilege!
The county government is considering selling naming rights, advertising space and sponsorship rights (whatever that means) to bridges.
The plan also allows for the same type of naming rights at the county parks and the airport.
Bridges already named for famous citizens (such as the three sisters bridges of Clemente, Carson and Warhol) are “unlikely” to be renamed. The “unlikely” part has me worried.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’d probably look at whatever banner is above the bridge I’m going over, we already see them for community and ethnic festivals. And hanging them off the sides (hopefully better than the protesters did at G20), wouldn’t be too bad. But renaming bridges I don’t think will work.
It’s been, what, nine years since the Homestead High-Level bridge was renamed. And even though I love that it was named for the Grays, we all know that ‘Burghers give directions by what used to be there, not what currently resides in any location.
I doubt we’ll be calling the West End Bridge anything other that just that, at least anytime soon. Just ask Star Lake.
If you turn into KDKA (and probably the other news stations as well), you’ll be seeing shots of Fifth Avenue Place which comes from Ken Rice (@kenricekdka):
Monday is the season two second half of the first season premier of The Baristas, one of my favorite web series, shot and set here in Pittsburgh.
I won’t be able to watch until Tuesday, but I wanted to pass the word along to anyone looking for a new series to get into.
If I had the money, I would totally buy Affogato, and I do love that not only is it in upheaval in the show, but also up for sale in real life.
Couple fun things coming up. First up, later this week, Quantum Theatre invited me out to see “Twelfth Night,” so once more, I”m going on an adventure! I always look forward to trips to Quantum, as it lets me explore Pittsburgh a little bit more (even though I get a little nervous about finding a legal place to park), and this time is no exception. I’ll have more about that later this week.
Also, I’m helping out CMU (when will I ever be able to type those words again?!) with the beta test of their new Tiramisu Transit app for Android (already released for iOS). I’ll be making my way to Oakland later this week, as I try to avoid the Batman filming, to get it installed on my phone. But I’m really excited to try out a new transit app, esepcially one that utilizes crowdsourcing. RouteShout doesn’t always like to work, and of course, is based entirely on the time tables, not actual conditions.
I have a couple other things in the works as well, so keep an eye out as I ramp back up after my light summer schedule.
I thought it was illegal to sell fireworks in pa
Quantum Theatre was gracious enough to once again invite me out to see their latest production, “Twelfth Night.” While I was enamored by “When the Rain Stops Falling” and I fell in love with the music of “Maria de Buenos Aires,” “Twelfth Night” kept me entertained and laughing inappropriately to myself (more on that in my next post) the entire night, and kept me engaged in a very cool way.
Ample parking, I promise
I love going to Quantum, since it is an adventure unto itself. This time, the show is at the former West Penn Research Foundation building, next to the East Busway and under the Millvale Street Bridge. I’ve seen this street and building many, many times (at least when I’m awake) on my commute into town, and have always wondered what it was. The building is not being used at the moment, and the parking lot/loading dock around the back, with the addition of risers and seats, creates an awesome outdoor stage. I was a bit nervous about looking for parking, but Quantum provided volunteers to help guide you to the ample parking spots available, so when you see the phrase “park where available,” which would normally conjure fear in Bloomfield, don’t worry.
I’ve never seen or read “Twelfth Night” before, although I’ve read a lot of Shakespeare. Like his other comedies, this one is fairly predictable in terms of plot, but enjoyable nonetheless. However, the location that Quantum has chosen adds a lot of uncertainty. Since it is so close to the railroad tracks, when trains go by, the play stops, all the characters come out (after a cue from a really cool wooden train whistle) and put on some additional entertainment until they could be heard again. I found myself hoping for more trains to go by, just to see what else the cast and crew had up their sleeves.
Honestly, I don’t know much about theater. I judge just about everything by its music, and the pieces in “Twelfth Night” were a lot of fun. I know nothing about costume work, but they all looked really awesome, kind of like Renaissance Fair mixed with going-out-to-a-club (but probably in the Strip or the Cultural District, not South Side).
What impressed me the most though, was something I didn’t expect, but really should have: the passage of time. The play starts at 8 p.m. and runs until 10:15 (with intermission, although I’m guessing times may vary depending on how many trains go by). The play starts during the daylight, or at least, pre-dusk, and ends in darkness. I think bringing the play outside, and allowing it to exist, maybe not part of, but at least right next to, nature, is a wonderful thing. The falling darkness pulled me deeper into the play, and even though at a few points, the characters make light of it being a performance, I found myself forgetting I was with a crowd of strangers, instead convinced I was watching real life unfold in front of me.
Certainly, you should go see this show. Go for an adventure. Enjoy nature a little bit, get some culture, and laugh a lot. It’s a great night out, and you can be urban explorers without too much fear! “Twelfth Night” runs through August 21, and once again Quantum has partnered with local restaurants, so make an evening out of it (get the pre-show picnic, it sounds really cool) and enjoy the show.
As an alumnus of Saint Vincent, this is big news (not quite as big as when the Hollow Tavern burned, or more importantly, Route 30 Beer), but the Adult book store just off campus was set on fire. I drove past it (heading out past Ligonier for work) and the building is just decimated.
Now, here’s the thing. There are a couple of businesses between Fraser Purchase Road (where Saint Vincent sits) and Route 981, which, depending on which way you turn, either takes you to the Arnold Palmer airport or into downtown Latrobe. However, those businesses are either obscured from the road, or down in a small gully, so you never really notice they are there to begin with.
Fun story though, a year or two after I took the class, a group was getting ready to film their music video for the introduction to video production class. They talked with the owners and were going to see if they could use some of the stage space during the day for their project. While they were waiting to speak to said manager, they were admiring the printed profiles of the ladies who worked there, which were pinned to a bulletin board just inside. Low and behold, one of the dancers took her picture with a very distinctive desk which was only found in one building: the lobby of the Freshman dorm.
As Ginny’s Bandwagon finds itself with more and more seats, the Pirates continue their losing streak. But don’t lose faith, instead, watch this awesome video from Benstonium (which I”m not sure if it will show up embedded below):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY1Vs-KmWNQ&feature=youtube_gdata[/youtube]
