Tomorrow is the anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s Atlantic crossing (1932), the first solo flight crossing the Atlantic by Lindbergh (1927), the Homestead Act (1862), Norman Rockwell’s first Saturday Evening Post cover (1916) and the international accord setting up standard Weights and Measures (1875).  Birth anniversaries include actor Jimmy Steward (1908), French painter Henri Rousseau (1844), First Lady Dolly Madison (1768) and French author Honore De Balzac.

A friend is going through something I’ve seen for sometime now.  It’s the same company doing the same thing, but they have “let all their current staff go” and the staff are welcome to “reapply for the new positions”.  I can’t get into specifics, because I don’t want to get my friend in trouble, but what the sh*t?  It’s a legal and easy way to either get rid of staff you don’t want and the company is too lazy to actually do your homework to document poor performance, lousy attitudes, attendance issue, etc.  Or it’s a ruse to get rid of obligations like legacy costs or to reduce your payroll by taking the same job position and “redefining” it so there’s a reduced wage or benefits.  I don’t know who’s worse, the lawyers that dreamed this twisted method of dealing with issues or the companies the turn to it.

While I’m on a rant, one of the clocks I purchased from the previous owner is an Ansonia.  Ansonia an American company that’s heyday was in the Victorian ages (it’s the clock on the dining room mantel with I guess it’s Lady Liberty on the top).  It hasn’t worked since I bought the Inn (and the clock).    I saw a clock repair shop on Brownsville Road in Mt Oliver and dropped it off shortly before last Thanksgiving for repair.  The owner of the shop was working in the shop at the time and informed me it wouldn’t be ready for the holidays (Christmas).  I was disappointed, I thought five weeks should be enough, but he was up front about it and I was OK with it.  I called about it in February and was told “he’s still working on it”.  I called in March and got the same response.  I asked the person that answered the phone to ask the clock repair person to call me and left my phone number.  I never heard from him.  I called in April and he answered the phone and said it was at the shop in his house and he was working on it.  I called the end of April and the lady that answered the phone said  he wasn’t in the shop, I asked for him to return my call, which he never did. I called the next week and he answered the phone and said it was repaired, but he wanted to watch it for a week to ensure it was repaired.  She called me Thursday to say the clock was correctly repaired (six months later!).  It is back in the dining room and keeping time I might add.

What a nice guy, Mike Sotace of the Pittsburgh chapter of Information Systems Security Association is.  With money his company collected, they just donated $8,000 to the Plum Food Pantry.  In 2011, Sotace read that the Plum Food Pantry didn’t have enough vouchers for all their clients to get a turkey for Thanksgiving and he decided to help out.  Sotace says no one in America should go to bed hungry.  All toll, ISSA has donated $14,000 to the The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (of which the Plum pantry is a part). Joe Utterback of the pantry was taken back last Tuesday when Sotace walked in with the check.  Utterback says they service about 180 neighborhood residents and available food runs thin at times and this certainly helps them keep their selves stocked.  their need is a bit higher in the warmer months because most people think hunger with the cold weather and donations are lighter than during this time.

After a series of meetings with the local residents, The Aspinwall Riverfront Park has completed their master plan.  The first phase will be the western area of the park first.  Plans include play grounds, a community pavilion, 1/4 mile walking trail, boat ramp, marina, picnic areas and general green park spaces.  An anonymous family has pledged to match contributions of from $5,000 to $350,000 (very nice).  All proceeds from this fund raising campaign will go to opening the park, not overhead.   To donate or get more information go to their web site.

Can we talk dirty for a minute?  Get your mind out of the gutter, that’s not what I’m talking about.  Muck It in Wampum, PA is having their muckfest Saturday, May 25.  Run through moon sized craters of mud, a gigantic steel constructed obstacle course and many other challenges.  Get as dirty as you want. Register by May 22 and the entrance fee is $90, $100 after that.  You get a lunch and two free beers and ALL proceeds go to the National MS Society.  There are muckfests all around the country, so if you are not a Pittsburgher, go to their web site and find a local event.

Also on May 25, the new Talons! show will open at the National Aviary right down the street from me.  Before their big expansion completed last year, the Aviary used to hold their free flight shows outdoors, which ended up being pretty funny sometimes.  The birds are well trained, but the occasional blimp flying overhead on holidays or big sporting events would spook the birds and they’d take off.  Natives of da ‘burg knew if they saw a strange bird in their neighborhood, to call the Aviary.  Those days are gone with the largest free flight theater in the world.  They even dim the lights for the segment of the show for nocturnal raptors.  Pretty cool to be up close and personal with these magnificent creatures.  There’s a $5 entrance fee in addition to the $13 regular Aviary admission.   More information at their website or by calling 412-323-7235.

Speaking of birds, I’m becoming quite the aviary myself.  Besides the normal morning doves, robins and black birds, have I have a red bird family, blue bird family and just saw the canary came back.  Very colorful and I’m in the city.  I haven’t seen the peregrine falcon in awhile.  I don’t know if he found better hunting grounds elsewhere or is hiding in the leaves.

I’m getting ready to replace twenty windows, massive.  The windows came in Friday and I got them all unpacked and lined up.  I have two weeks to get them stained, varnished for the inside and painted for the outside (they came factory primed).  So in addition to selling lots of rooms (sold out Saturday through Wednesday!) and painting the Carriage House, I’m pretty busy.  Here’s the windows:

I’m so excited.  It’s the twelve windows to replace the bay windows facing the parking lot in the Dining Room and African Tulip, the six front windows in Lady Palm and the two Bird of Paradise bathroom windows.  Five of the windows are larger than doors.  They are thermo double paned with e-gas and tinting.  They should make a huge difference in heating and cooling the Inn.  The Mike Wanner, installer, suggested TrimLine, a Pennsylvania company outside Philly.  They don’t have the huge advertising budget Pella, Marvin and the other big guys have and are much less expensive (I’ve had multiple bids) and the windows certainly seem as sturdy as those name brand windows.  They’re slated to be installed starting June 3, Mike says he can do it in three days, I’ve blocked four, just to be safe.

Well, four more check-ins for today, busy, busy, busy. 

Have a great one,

ed

Tomorrow’s anniversaries include the Iranian attack on the USS Stark (1987), the New York Stock Exchange was established (1792), first Kentucky Derby (1875), the first Same Sex Marriage in the U.S. in Massachusetts (2004), and the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs the Board of Education.  Birth anniversaries include actress Maureen O’Sullivan (1911), baseballer James “Cool Papa” Bell (193) and English physician Edward Jennifer (1749).

Angelina Jolie had a mastectomy.  It’s her body and her right to do it.  When she made it a public issue by pushing for more of them among women, she opened the door for my opinion.  She’s a role model for many women and I think she’s giving out a bad precedent.   If a woman wants to take radical steps when an illness hits, I don’t agree with it, but again it’s her body.  I believe in the least invasive, least amount of drugs, the minimum of everything.  You can always up the anti if needed.  But having both of your breasts remove because you carry a gene that predisposes you to that cancer is like not crossing a bridge because if you fall off you would probably die.  I know I’m pushing the analogy, but I think it makes my point.

The group Paddle Without Pollution is always plying our waterways for recreation as well as cleaning up all the litter in the water and on the shores.  Their event is all oar powered craft, as you can tell from the title of their event.  They’re official clean up on June 8 is looking for help.  Their event last year had about 500 volunteers that removed 15 tons of debris.  (As a side note, you don’t actually have to go in the water, they need volunteers land side to sort and process recycling from trash and other tasks).  There are 86,000 miles of waterways in Pennsylvania.

The fired president of Penn State received $2.9M compensation in 2011-2012 school year, the HIGHEST compensated president of ANY of the 212 public research universities.  Spanier is fighting accusations that he orchestrated cover ups of the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal.  Greed knows no bounds and integrity is not in some people’s vocabulary.

The market for for first class office space Downtown is the strongest in the country (92.9% for first class office space).  As older buildings are being converted to condos, lofts and apartments, the more affordable space is being eaten up adding to the high occupancy rates.  In addition to office space, Pittsburgh has one of the highest apartment occupancy rates in the country which is the driving force behind the push for 2,400 city residential units either under construction or in the planning phase.

Every three years since 1997, the Fiberarts Guild holds the juried exhibit of international artist that is widely considered a benchmark for documenting trends and innovations in the field.  This exhibit at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Society for Contemporary Craft has 79 works by 63 artists from across the globe.  The Best in Show award went to Japanese artist Naoe Okamoto for her piece A Laughing House, made of knitted and felted wool, hemp and silk.  Kate Kretz’s The Final Word is on black cotton velvet with a deliberate cut on the top with a crude patch job with a white tied sacrificial lamb on the bottom made of thousands of tiny French knots.  (She posted a picture on her Facebook page on April 29, just scroll down a bit).  Though most assume the inspiration was Japanese, Naoe was inspired by the ancient stone houses in the English countryside.  Admission is free at Contemporary Craft and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is asking for a $5 donation.  It runs through August 18.  More info at their respective websites or by calling 412-261-7003 or 412-361-0873.

A year ago, the Trib did a poll on Pittsburgers which surprised me.  I’m making these number up, but they are fairly close-54% of the responders to the poll had attended a cultural event and 35% attended a sporting event.  The cultural events were not all high brow symphony and ballet, they were rock concerts, high school plays, etc.  But still …… I found something like 133 concerts this summer in Pittsburgh and 34 of them were free.  Since the ones making money can do their own advertising, I’m only listing the free concerts:  On May 31 at the South Park Amphitheater the CLO will be performing at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  The Pittsburgh Opera will perform at Hartwood Acres at 7:30 on June 2 (412-350-2528).  At the South Park Amphitheater on June 7 at 7:30 it will be Italian Night featuring We Three, Vito DiSalvo and Giorgia Fumanti (412-350-2528).  Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will perform on Dollar Bank Stage on June 7 at 7:30 (4112-471-3191).  Cello Fury and Scott Blasey will perform on the Dollar Bank Stage on June 9 at 7:30 (412-471-3191).  Hartwood Acres will host Bob Mould on June 9 at 7:30 (412-350-2528).  On Dollar Stage on June 10, the Pittsburgh Symphony will perform at 7 pm (412-471-3191).  Grupo Fantasma will perform on the Dollar Bank Stage at 7:30 on June11 (412-471-3191).  Glen Hansard will perform on the Dollar Bank Stage on June 12 at 7:30 (412-471-3191).  Lucius will perform June 13 on Dollar Bank Stage at 7:30 (412-471-3191).  Tommy Castro and the Painkillers will perform June 14 at 7:70 on South Park Amphitheater (412-350-2528).  Red Baraat will be on the Dollar Bank Stage June13 at 7:30 (412-471-3191).  (I think there’s a typo, can’t have Red Baraat on stage the same time as Lucius-need to look into that).  The Vogues will perform at Hartwood Acres on June 15 at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  The Wailers will perform at South Park Amphitheater on June 21 at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  Langhorne Slim and the Law will be at Hartwood Acres June 23 at 7:30 pm (412-350-22528).  June 28 brings BNY Mellon Jazz Monty Alexander at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  The Pittsburgh Symphony will perform at South Park Amphitheater on July 6 at 8:15 pm (412-350-2528).  David Cassidy will take stage at the South Park Amphitheater on July 12 at 7:30 (412-350-2528).  Great Big Sea will perform at Hartwood Acres on July 14 at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  The Stickers are featured July 19 at South Park Amphitheater at 7:30 (412-350-2528).  Sixpence None the Richer command the South Park Amphitheater on July 26 at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  Joy Ike, Johnny Miller will be at Hartwood Acres July 28 at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  The August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble will take the stage at South Park Amphitheater on August 2 at 7:30 (412-350-2528).  The Yellow Jackets will perform at Hartwood Acres on August 4 at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  Los Amigos Invisibles on August 9 at 7:30 pm will appear on South Park Amphitheater (412-350-2528).  Galactic will perform August 11 at 7:30 at Hartwood Acres (412-350-2528).  James Hunter at 7:30 on August 16 will perform at South Park Amphitheater (412-350-2528).  Pittsburgh Ballet Theater will take the stage August 18 at Hartwood Acres at 7:30 (412-350-2528).  The Duquesne University Tamburitzans will perform on South Park Amphitheater August 23 at 7:30 pm (412-350-2528).  Rickey Lee Jones will be at Hartwood Acres on August 25 at 7:30 (412-350-2528).  The Hometown Music Fest featuring JD Eicher, Caleb Lovely and Danielle Barbe will be on South Park Amphitheater’s stage at 7:30 August 30 (412-350-2528).  Finally, at Hartwood Acres September 1, the Allegheny County Music Festival starts at 7:30 pm with Rusted Root, Joel Plaskett (412-350-2528).  Pant-Pant. 

On Saturday, June 8, City of Asylum will feature Exiled Voices of China and Tibet from 1 until 10 pm under a tent on the 1400 block of Monterey Street here on the Northside.  All sessions will either be in English or with English translations.  To reserve your seats for this free event, visit their website or call 412-323-0278.  Very low keyed, very nice group of people trying to make a difference in the world.

The tomorrow the odometer was invented in 1847, the Netherlands celebrates the 1,150 wind mills still in operation, Native American Rights were recognized in 1879 and King George VI’s coronation was in 1937.  Birth anniversaries include actress Katharine Hepburn (1907), baseballer Yogi Berra and British artist & author Edward Lear (1812).

Three years ago I spoke about the tragic death of John Metzler (I’ve been blogging three years, wow).    He’s the conservationist that founded The Urban Tree Forge and was killed by a U-Haul trailer that broke free from it’s hitch while John was using a chain saw on a log outside his studio.  I case you don’t recall or haven’t been following me that long, The Urban Tree Forge was founded to save the wonderful resource of old trees that no longer are viable.  Various government and private tree removal folks would contact John when they were involved with a pretty notable tree and John and his crew would come out and collect it.  They would then make furniture, sculpture, I think even tooth picks (just kidding here) to save as much of the majestic tree as he could.  Jason Boone came to Pittsburgh as a full time architect and wood working hobbyist.  When Jason ran out of room in his apartment for his projects, he threw in the towel in on being an architect and pretty much became a full time tree guy.  His relatively new  new organization Urban Tree has taken up residence in a shop in Homewood is modeled after John’s.

Last week, South Carolina elected Sanford as their representative to the House of Representatives.  I really could care less about his extra marital affair, I care that he repeatedly lied about his where abouts.  Trust is huge with me.  Which brings me to Joan Orie Melvin’s sentence.  She has house arrest for two years (much harsher than prison I guess) and she has to sign 500 pictures of her in handcuffs and send an apology to her fellow jurists.  Common Pleas Judge Lester Nauhaus thinks that’s tough enough!  She wasn’t just a judge, she was a Supreme Court Justice, and she repeatedly lied about stealing from the state.  Then she got an attorney to fight the charges in a courtroom!  I’m sorry, I hold myself to a higher standard than Dee (my housekeeper/manager).  All justices should be held to a higher standard everyday citizens, and a Supreme Court Justice………

Anyone looking to be in a reality TV show?  Depending on their respective orbits (Earth and Mars), you could be between 35 million miles and 250 million miles from home.  A lot farther than any of the Survivor series had.   If you win, it’s a one way ticket and they hope to have it “off the ground” (their pun, not mine) in about seven years-if they get enough funding.  Already 78,000 Earthlings want to give it a try.  If you go to Mars One (a Netherlands based group) and submit an application, the fee is $38 and they want to know:  “why you want to go to Mars”, “how you feel about never returning to Earth” and they want to know about your sense of humor.  Good luck, if you choose to leave. 

Brighton Heights Citizens Federation recently opened their new office and they’ve included an art gallery for local artists in it.  Susan Benn, a BHCF board member entered the new space as it was opening this spring, saw all these long white walls and thought, this should be a gallery.  So she recruited three Brighton Heights artists; photographer Kent Noble and painters David Horvath and Ann Heckel to provide art for the space.  What a great idea, your local civic association supporting your local residents (in this case artists).  Something could be learned here by other not named Northside community groups…Nod Nod Wink Wink. 

Northside Common Ministry’s are sponsoring their Magical History Tour on June 8 with registration starting at 9:30 and the walk kicks off at 10am.  This leashed dog friendly event will be featuring 1K, 3K and 5K courses.  Participants will learn about Northside history and pass the houses of Gertrude Stein, Mary Cassatt, Martha Graham and Ferris wheel inventor George Ferris.  The Ministry’s run Pleasant Valley, the men’s homeless shelter on Brighton Avenue, they run the local Northside food bank servicing 1,000 challenged local households, they help out in figuring out health care issues and even GED programs for locals.  It’s a non-profit, so there is no fee, but if you care to donate $30 (or more), you get a free Magical History Tour t-shirt.  More info at their website, by e-mailing Jay at jay.poliziani@ncmin.org or by calling 412-323-1163.

The section of Three Rivers Heritage Trail that runs along the Allegheny over here on the Northside is getting a facelift.  Roughly from the Rachel Carson Bridge up to the 40th Street Bridge is the area with a lot of ruts, pot holes, etc.  So they are planning on regrading it so water doesn’t sit on it and regrading with recycled asphalt.  This $200K update isn’t costing Friends of the Riverfront anything.  Pittsburgh City and Allegheny County are donating labor, the asphalt and other items valued at $100K.  Three anonymous Foundations donated the other $100K.  About 4K people use this trail daily, though you can use the trail on weekends, the parking is going to be closed during the renovations for construction equipment.

Just opened Sky Zone out in Leetsdale is a trampoline exercise and play center.  Sky Zone has five courts for dodgeball and basketball, a Foam Zone filled with 34 foam blocks 9′ by 9′ for individual play.  They only allow one person in each block, but family/friends can get adjacent blocks to hop around in.  You can burn 1,000 calories jumping around for an hour.  They offer SkyRobics, kind of like a specialized aerobics class.  General admission is $10 for 30 minutes, $13 for 60 minutes, $17 for 90 minutes and if you have the stamina 120 minutes is $20.  More info at their web site or by calling 724-251-6100.

Kayak Pittsburgh started renting kayaks under the 6th Street Bridge (right by PNC Park) this weekend, through the end of May, it’s just weekends.  Kayaks will be available 7 days a week starting Memorial Day.  North Park and Millvale locations will start May 25.  I’m not sure if they are renting bicycles already, or if that will start later.  More info at 412-255-0564 or at their website.

The 4th Annual Art Museum Day is officially May 18, but the actual days are different for the various museums participating.  The Andy Warhol will be offering free admission from 10 am until 5 pm on May 14, phone 412-237-8300.  The Carnegie Museum of Art is offering free admission on May 16 from 4 pm until 8 pm, 412-622-3131.  The Frick Art and Historical Center is offering free admission on May 18 for docent led tours and reservations are strongly recommended, phone 412-371-0600.  And the Westmoreland Museum of American Art will be celebrating free admission May 18 from 11 am until 5 pm, phone 724-837-1500.  More information on their individual websites also.

Have a great week,

ed

I finished this post Saturday and thought I had posted it, obviously not.  It’s like me setting my breakfast table and forgetting to put orange juice glasses out.  I scare me sometimes.    It was really nice, again, watching the Marathon runners run past right out front of The Parador.

I’m hosting the regional meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers, PABBI.  Some of the Board of Directors are staying and meeting at my Inn this evening in preparation for tomorrows meeting.  Mildly nervous about my breakfast tomorrow morning being served to my peers. 

Tomorrow is the anniversary of eruption of Mount Pelee on Martinique in 1902, there’s a lot of European nations celebrating the surrender of the Nazis, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia and France.  Birth anniversaries include Red Cross founder Jean-Henri Dunant (1828), President Harry S Truman (1884), President Kennedy adviser Ted Sorensen (1928), boxer Sonny Liston (1932) and father of the Mexican Revolution Hidalgo Y Costilla (1753).

An expanded Meadowcroft Rockshelter opens this weekend.  Normal hours are Saturdays from noon until 5 pm and Sundays from 1 until 5 pm.  In case you’ve been living under a rock (pun intended), they have found evidence of tribal life under the rock overhang dating back 16,000 years ago.  Heinz History Center that operates it, has a recreation of a native American village as it would have been 400 years ago and a 200 year ago settlement by Europeans.  One of the new additions is a frontier trading post to show similarities and differences between the native American settlements and the European colonist’s buildings.  Admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors and $6 for children.

There’s a new service being offered by the major theme parks that you can expect to see it expanded across the board.  For $299 each on top of the admission price at Universal Studios in Hollywood you can pick up the VIP package.  For this VIP price, you get lunch, a private escort (there may be more than just the two of you in the private group) to the front of lines and access to areas not normally accessible to other park goers.  For a mere $1,200 at Seaworld San Diego, among the other perks, guests get to feed endangered turtles and moray eels and pet bottle nose dolphins.   Many of these VIP packages are customized like A Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps where you a get behind the scenes tour of the mechanics behind all the illusions and even access to the apartment Walt lived in on Main Street during construction of Disneyland.  A specialized Universal Studio’s tour gives you access to the prop warehouse and costume department where you can see clothing worn by the likes of Barbara Streisand’s Funny Girl dress.  A more modest Pittsburgh take on this is Kenneywood’s VIP pass lets you cut the line for between $5 and $18 depending on time of day and season.

May 8 – 11 the Benedictine Sisters in Ross are auctioning off their possessions as they down size.  They are down to about 50 nuns from about 200 in the 1960′s and no longer need the huge convent.  Highmark bought the campus last year for $2.7M and the nuns have a new facility being built they are currently moving into.  For sale will be religious items like pictures, statues and the such; kitchen equipment like a dough mixer, commercial potato peelers, refrigerators and freezers; furniture including book cases with leaded glass, baby grand piano and a pipe organ; as well as architecturals like a larger than life cast iron St. Benedict.  To see items being sold, go to the link at Barkey Auctions and scroll down to the Benedictine Sisters listings May 9, 10 and 11.  Each date has it’s own pictures of what’s being sold that day.

The Cold Storage Building in the Strip previously owned by Wholeys was sold to a developer who intends to convert it into a 144 unit apartment building.  They hope to pull permits this summer and have an opening in about a year.  I’m not sure which building this is, but I’m thinking that huge ugly building across from Lydia’s Restaurant with the Wholey’s lit fish on the side facing Downtown.  The building has no personality that I’ve noticed.  Up till now, the Cork Factory, Otto Milk building, the condo’s Joedda did across from the Smallman Street Deli and further down on the other side of Smallman that pinkish building next to the 31st Street Bridge all have a lot of charm looking at them from the outside.  If the Cold Storage Building is the one I’m thinking, I imagine the architect can come up with some dramatic treatments for the exterior.

The August Wilson Center is holding three joint Solo Exhibits: Leslie Ansley, Jo-Anne Bates and Tina Brewer through June 29.  Leslie’s ten pieces are titled Heirloom and she was influenced by Marie Antoinette and the 17th century French aristocracy.  Although French society at the time seemed to have endless power, wealth and prominence; they actually had a lot of insecurities and Leslie sees that much like us today and she shows the vulnerabilities in her classic influenced works.  Jo-Ann’s 16 multilayered, abstract monotype prints are based on her travels to South Africa.  With the prints having titles like Pretoria and Johannesburg  it’s easy to see her inspiration.  Giving these prints dimension, there’s “ribbons” attached that are actually receipts from her travels there.  Finally, quilter Tina Brewer tried to connect modern urban lives with the past.  She uses a circular concept in her quilts, a mandala, that combines different fabrics, colors and imagery.  All three shows are open separately together from 11 am until 6 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays.  Admission is $8 adults, $4 seniors and $3 children.  More info at their websites or by calling 412-258-2700.

Those stone lions that have guarded Dollar Bank on Fourth Avenue since 1871 have returned.  After being taken to a refurbisher in Ohio in 2006, they have been totally cleaned and restored and are on the inside of the bank now.  While the statues were in Ohio, sculptor Nicholas Fairplay  created two new identical statues that will grace the outside of the bank starting June 5.

Pictures next post of the paint job we’re doing on the Carriage House.  Kevin’s doing a real nice job prepping and priming and I’m doing the finish coats.  It’s amazing how you get used to something looking kind of shabby and take it for granted.  A fresh coat a paint really makes the house.

Enjoy,

ed

Happy May Day!  It is the anniversary of Berlin surrendered (1945), the King James bible was first published (1611), Osama Bin Laden was killed (2011), the birth anniversary of Henry Roberts (the author of Roberts Rules of Order, a standard parliamentary guide and the death anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci (1519).

Anyone that knows me would never accuse me of being a slave to fashion.  In fact, most would say that word wasn’t even in my vocabulary (clothing wise at least).  Leeann Marie Golish of Cecil was named by national mall owner and developer Simon named her one of 40 style bloggers out of 700 applications.  You can follow her blog by following this link.

LMS Greenhouse and Nursery in Allison Park (just past Hartwood Acres) are sponsoring Fairy Gardening 101 in four sessions.  Fairy Gardening is a miniature garden complete with structures like gazebos, trellises and live plants.  First debuted in America, this Japanese art form at the Chicago world’s fair of 1893.  The four classes will be held on May 9 at 6:30 pm, May 11 at 10:30 am, June 4 also at 6:30 pm and June 8 also at 10:30.  This kid friendly class encourages children to wear fairy wings and wizard hats (I suggest adults also wear them).    Let’s set the tone.  Please, I shop at LMS, if you are an adult and wear fairy wings and wizard hats, tell them I sent you that way (they may not realize who blogger ed is, but they may ban me from buying plants in the future).    More info at their web site or by calling 412-767-7020.

I hate the Center for Post-Natural History, they get a Google ranking of 5 out of 10 and I can’t seem to get above 4 out of 10.  Just kidding.  This Penn Avenue, Garfield museum created by CMU professor Richard Pell should not surprise me that a CMU graduate has a web site that beats mine.    He has created the only museum in the world dedicated to “lifeforms that have been intentionally altered by humans”.  One of the exhibits in his museum is the famous sea monkeys invented in 1957 by motorcycle racer Harold Von Braunhut.  Through slick advertising, Braunhut made a fortune selling “sea monkeys” that he had scientists deliberately create by extending a long dormant cycle in the egg stage of brine shrimp.  Pell has chicken eggs used to incubate influenza viruses to create flu vaccines, glowing fish made from zebra fish with genes from bio luminescent jellyfish and coral.  His biggest coupe is a stuffed goat he’s hoping to receive within the next few months.  The goat is a BioSteel goat developed by Nexia Corporation in Canada that were genetically altered to produce spider silk.  Very interesting story.  Admission is free, hours that the museum is open are very limited.  Currently it’s open from noon until 4 pm Sundays and from  5 until 8 pm Fridays.  Pell’s looking for donations and or volunteers to be able to have the museum open more.

Spring markets are just around the corner.  One of the oldest and largest is on the lawn in front of Phipps from 9:30 am until 7 pm May 10 and from 9:30 am until 5 pm on May 11.  The market is free and they’re offering half price admission to the Phipps.  Various local garden clubs, nurseries, farms and other vendors will be on hand selling flora, giving advise and more.  More info at Phipps website or by calling412-622-6914.  Greensburg Garden Center’s annual May Mart will be held from 3 to 7 pm on May 3 and from 9 am to 1 pm on May 4 behind the Center on 951 Old Salem Road.  They will be featuring specialty woody ornamentals, heirloom plants, annuals, perennials and other plant related items.  They also will have the Shred-A-Thon where you can bring documents you want shredded to be shredded.  More info at their website or by calling 724-837-0245.  Also in Westmoreland County the Penn State Master Gardener program will hold their annual plant sale from 8 am to 1 pm on May 11 at 214 Donohoe Road in Greensburg.  More info by calling 724-837-1402 (I’ve included a link to all the PS Master Gardner sales).  On May 4 at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve the Audubon Society will be holding their Spring Native Plant Sale from 9 am until 1 pm.  They will explain characteristics of the individual plants and their benefits.  More information for this sale at 614 Dorseyville Road is at their website or by calling 412-963-6100.  In Swickley, the 49th Annual May Mart will be held on May 11 on Broad Street from 9 am until 1 pm.   Garden plants, accessories, heirlooms, advise will all abound.  More info at their website.  The Indiana Garden Club’s 38th annual May Mart will be held from 10 am to 7 pm on May 17 and from 9 am to 5 pm May 18 at 495 East Pike.  Local nurseries, 100 craft vendors and food items will be there.  More info at their web site or by calling 724-349-8763.  The West Overton Garden Club will hold it’s 9th Annual May Mart on May 11 from 9 am until 1 pm at 109 West Overton Road Scottdale.  They will have a plethora of plants, hybrids, food and a swap table.  More info at their web site or by calling 724-640-4180.  Finally, the 9th annual Butler Spring Garden Market and Home Show on May 18 in Alameda Park from 9 am until 4 pm.  They will be featuring specialty foods, craft vendors, landscaping materials, plants and more.  More info at their web site or by calling 724-283-2222.

The Three Rivers Arts Festival is coming up soon, June 7 through 17.  They are scheduling the unveiling of the totally renovated fountain on the Point complete with new lighting and water features and even a laser show from the top of PPG place to the top of the fountain for the first few days.  Here’s the musical line up for the Festival:

June 7: Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros.

June 8: Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley.

June 9: WYEP Regional Showcase with Cello Fury, Joy Ike and Scott Blasey of the Clarks.

June 10: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Opera resident artists Jasmine Muhammed and Kyle Oliver in a concert that kicks off the Pittsburgh Opera’s 75th anniversary.

June 11: Grupo Fantasma, Grammy award-winning Latin funk band.

June 12: Glen Hansard, songwriter from The Swell Season and The Frames.

June 13: Lucius, Indie-Pop band.

June 14: World Music Day with Red Baraat.

June 15: The Airborne Toxic Event, Indie-Rock band.

June 16: Gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama.

Since we’re talking music, I thought I’d included the Allegheny County Concerts in the Park schedule for this hear.  Here’s the musical line up:

Hartwood Acres

June 2: Pittsburgh Opera

June 9: Bob Mould

June 16: Father’s Day car cruise featuring The Vogues

June 23: Langhorne Slim & The Law

June 30: Sarah Watkins

July 7: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m.

July 14: Great Big Sea

July 19-21: Pittsburgh Blues Festival, times vary

July 28: Joy Ike with Johnny MillerAug. 4: The Yellowjackets

Aug. 11: Galactic

Aug. 18: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Aug. 25: Rickie Lee Jones

Sept. 1: Allegheny County Music Festival with Rusted Root and Joel Plaskett

And the line up for South Park follows:

May 31: “A Gleeful Evening, Vol. 3,” with Gene Kelly Award winners

June 7: “Italian Night,” with We Three, Vito DiSalvo and Giorgia Fumanti

June 14: Tommy Castro & the Painkillers

June 21: The Wailers

June 28: Monty Alexander

July 6: Pittsburgh Symphony, 8:15 p.m.

July 12: David Cassidy

July 19: The Stickers

July 26: Sixpence None the Richer

Aug. 2: August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble

Aug. 9.: Los Amigos Invisibles

Aug. 16: James Hunter

Aug. 23: Duquesne University Tamburitzans

Aug. 30: Hometown Music Fest

I hired a new housekeeper, Savanah, to compliment Dee and a guy to paint the Carriage House, Kevin.  Unfortunately, Kevin has very limited experience painting, but a great attitude and he’s doing a nice job prepping (prepping is 3/4 of the painting job.  If the prep is done right,the actual painting’s a breeze and the paint job lasts twice as long).   So I’m showing him how to paint and he did a nice job today priming a section of eave.

 Have a great evening and enjoy this wonderful weather.

ed

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the worst disaster of an American steamboat, the unexplained explosion of the Sultana cause the loss of an estimated 1,800 mainly union soldiers returning home in 1865.  It is the Independence Day for both Togo and Sierra Leone.  It is the death anniversary of Portuguese explorer Ferinand Magellan (1521) and the birth anniversaries of Coretta Scott King (1927), Ulysses S Grant (1822), creator of Woody Wood Pecker Walter Lantz (1900) and Samuel Morse (1898).

Heads up for Butler events this summer.  We’ll start with the Butler County Chainsaw Carving Invitational occurs May 10 – 12. Next up, the annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival June 14 – 16, a Father’s Day tradition at the birthplace of the iconic Jeep.  And then at the end of June, the 158th Annual Big Butler Fair will be the event  will be held June 28 through July 6.  The other July event (21 – 27) will be the 2013 National Unicycle Convention.  August 3 & 4  will be the 15th Annual Regatta at Lake Arthur.  The lastscheduled summer Butler event will be the 65th Annual Butler Farm Show.

Architect Paolo Soleri would design futuristic cities where people/cities/manufacturing/business was put in tight quarters leaving the balance for parks/recreation/agriculture.  Though extensively studied in architectural school, very little of his designs were ever actually built.  So to support his family and the apprentices working for him, he made bronze and ceramic bells and wind chimes.  Mercy Hospital has two of them, the big one is suspended over the main stair case and the other is outside the chapel.

There’s a contest to name to pair of Bald Eagles nesting out in Harmar.  If you would like to make a suggestion, go to the Audubon Society and make your suggestions.

This summer is the 150th anniversary of the July 1 through July 3 Battle of Gettysburg.  The Gettysburg Foundation has activities planned from June 28th through July 7th.  Lots going on, they are expecting in excess of 200,000 visitors for the festivities.  Lots of activities are planned, the time line is at the Foundation’s website. Gettysburg is not a day trip from here, if you are going out, a good friend had a wonderful Inn, The Stone Manse Inn.  Myra, Phil & Alex’s in is the oldest occupied structure in York county.  The summer house was built in 1737 (I think).  Random plank floors, huge stone hearth with a bread oven and swivel iron rod for cooking the pot of stew over the flames.    Very cool, great breakfast and hosts.

Speaking of Inns, we had the Pittsburgh Bed and Breakfast Association meeting last week at Doone’s Inn at Oakmont.  Innkeeper Lorna was a gracious hostess at this beautiful Inn.  You can see the world renown golf course from the Inn just across the street.  So if you have any golfers coming into town (or your a golfer and want to make a weekend of it), give her a call.  It’s always nice to meet up with other Innkeepers to see what they’re up to and swap tips and tidbits.  In a couple of weeks (May 8th), I’ll be hosting the fairly new Pennsylvania Association of Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers.  PABBI has been around just over a year and they are holding meetings around the state to get input from Innkeepers that are PABBI membrs and non-members.  In less than a year, I think PABBI has about half the bed and breakfasts in the state signed up.

Phipps is starting one of my favorite combinations they do, Glass in the Gardens.  Somehow glass artwork and flowers just seem to compliment each other.  When Dale Chihuly had his exhibit at the Phipps several years ago, I had a number of Chihuly groupies stay at my Inn that plan their vacations around Chihuly exhibits and they all said it was the most spectacular they had ever seen.  I’m not a major fan of his, I do like a lot of what he does, but I’m more into smaller local artists like Gary Guydosh’s 8′ glass sunflower that’s in the visitor’s center.  Daviea Davis created a mosaic pillar for the Serpentine Room that’s very cool.  You don’t have to break your neck to get over to see it, the show runs through October 6.  More info at the Phipps website or by calling 412-622-6914.

Speaking of me not being a fan, then there’s always Justin Bieber.  Last week his grandfather did an expose interview somewhere about being destitute and going to loose his house, gramps complains Da Biebs doesn’t talk to him.  Justin travels with a 17 week old capuchin monkey?  When he entered Germany Tuesday, the customs agents seized the monkey.    And I think it was his concert this week in London the the police searched his bus and confiscated a yet to be identified “controlled substance”.  I have no details on any of this, I just have noticed the last week snippets on NPR and in the newspaper. Sounds like he may be traveling down the road of Lindsay Lohan. 

The Cultural Trust‘s galleries at 707 and 709 Penn Avenue have two very different looks.  One of the Trust’s installers has his own exhibit he calling Adult Arcade in the 707 gallery.  It’s kind of a dark showing (illumination wise) that’s lit by the glow of red lasers on his paintings.  It is accompanied with a futuristic sound scape.  In 709, curators Vicky Clark and Cindy Lisica pulled works of 6 artists that all had used characters or character identity in their art.  Mark Newport of Detroit made four life sized super-hero suits made out of macrame, while former Pittsburgh resident Jeff Schwarz did some whimsical ceramic busts that blend some self portrait characteristics and those of the original inspiration.  My favorite is Mexican artist Mr. Glaubitz from Tijuana’s “Punk” portrait.  Punk is not on his website, but you can get a feel for his graffiti style influence.  As always, admission is free and these both run through May 17.  More info at their websites or by calling 412-456-6666.

Even with being closed for two full weeks in February for a wonderful trip to Costa Rica and the Steelers AGAIN not making the playoffs, The Parador has gone over last years sales, year to date.  And we’re just coming into “season”.  Yeah!  Enjoy your weekend,

ed

Tomorrow is Earth Day, so something appropriate please.  It is also the anniversary of Babe Ruth’s pitching debut (1914), the discovery of Brazil by Pedro Alvarez Cabral (1500), the first solo trip to the North Pole by Norwegian Borge Ausland (1994), the Oklahoma Land Rush started (1889) and the birth anniversary of Nikolai Lenin (1870).

Here’s a post from the trade group PAII (Professional Association of Innkeepers Internation) that’s pretty funny.  Just click on the image of the hotel clerk to watch the video.  Obviously, owning a Bed and Breakfast, I laugh at the “big guys” (hotels) that feel so threatened by us “little guys” (Bed and Breakfasts) that they need to offer “Bed and Breakfast Packages”.  I’ve been watching this trend grow for years.  It started with the economy chains offering “free breakfast” about ten years ago with was actually just a continental (which I admit many Bed and Breakfasts do).  Then to out do each other, they then added frozen waffles which they heated up.  Finally, the mid-priced chains started adding Bed and Breakfast Specials to their “specials”.  Coming from a hotel background, I have found it amusing (and disconcerting) how they offer half the truths.  Yes, you can get water from hotels-minibars was one of my largest sources of profit.    I could go on for hours on how hotels are expert on “up selling”.  “Oh, you want a bed in the room, that will be an additional $50.”    Just watch the video and think of me, I’ve probably seen it seven times (from various sources) and laughed each time.

I have battled slugs since I moved here.  I saw one over six inches (I swear) a number of years ago.  Since starting composting several years ago, I haven’t seen them or their slimy trails in the mornings, except in the composting bin.  I’ve murdered them one by one, but they have always come back.  Most days I’d find at least a few.  Jessica Walliser writes a gardening column for the Trib and she takes questions.  I asked her about the slugs and she recommended any product with Iron phosphate in it.  I bought a container of Bonide Slug Magic at one of the big box Lowe’s or Home Depot and oh my.  I sprinkled it in the compost bin and haven’t seen a slug in a week.  It’s safe around pets & wild life (RJ’s squirrel’s safe ).

Here’s one for you, China overtook the United States as the global leader in clean energy investment last year.  They’ve had such a huge push to be the leading exporter over the past several decades that their environment really took a beating.  Now that their economy is changing and they are seeing the effects of all this pollution, their leaders are have invested $65B last year in clean energy while the US dropped our investment 40%.  To keep things in perspective, we started figuring out that we need to clean up the mess we made during the early industrial revolution decades ago and started our “clean up”.  We still have a long way to go, but China is just starting to take their environment seriously.  Also, with the fall in orders for solar panels in particular (which the Chinese where the world’s largest producer), someone had to buy the panels.  I’m not knocking them, I wish them the best and hope they put the effort they put into being the world’s largest exporter into being the world’s greenest country.  They have a loooong way to go to beat out the Scandinavian countries.  Sweden recycles 96% of it’s trash, which pretty amazing.  They had built a trash to energy plant that they can’t keep supplied with trash to burn.  Norway is currently paying Sweden to burn their trash and the Swedes are currently looking at contracting with other European governments to burn their trash. 

If you want to “get your game on”, there’s options in Pittsburgh other the the big box national chains of Dave & Busters and Chuck E Cheese.  Just of 18th Street on the Southside is Games N’at at 2010 Josephine Street, they are celebrating their 10th anniversary.  They have all kinds of old school and new school games and naturally prices vary according to the game you choose.  More info at their website or by calling 412-481-2002.  West View has Pinball Perfection at 231 Perry Highway which is part museum, part store, part pinball restoration and part game room.  It hosts 220 games including many rare, classic and vintage.  More info at their website or by calling 412-931-4425.  If you are into pinball, the Mecca of pinballing is quite possibly located Scott Township, PAPA (The Professional and Amateur Pinball Association ).  Generally, this facility with over 450 games is not open to the public.  But they are sponsoring the World Pinball Championships August 8 through 11 and will be open to the public for this charity fundraising event.  More info at their web site.  In North Fayette near Robinson is Latitude 40.  This huge entertainment complex has about 70 games, movies, restaurants and bars.  More info at their website or by calling 412-693-5555.  In North Park is Wildwood Highlands has many seasonal activities like miniature golf and snow tubing; but they also have an arcade with several video games.  More info at their website or by calling 412-487-5517.

The National Aviary is celebrating the arrival of their newest, a Eurasian eagle owlet.  The staff brings the baby out occasionally on a daily basis for visitors to see.  It is the cutest thing.

Dormont’s Hollywood Theater’s latest fundraising program is a Secret Santa, or more appropriately a Secret Cinema.  The next one will be Friday, April 26.  Of course, Hollywood Theater knows what the movie is going to be ahead of time and they commission local artists to create an original movie poster for this screening.  The event starts with music, micro-brewed Latrobe based Flat Rock Brewing beer, new pieces of art from local artists with a 1980′s horror theme of the movie and a booth by Lawrenceville based House of the Dead.  After the film, if you bought a “poster pass”, “date night” or “VIP date night” package you get a copy of the film’s poster.  You can buy any extra posters after the three packages get theirs, if any’s left.  Proceeds are split between the Hollywood and co-sponsor Toonseum.  More info at Secret Cinema website.

Point Park Project 1: Kaleidoscope is a collaboration between the Warhol and Point Park University and it runs through May 12.  Nicholas Chambers, Milton Fine Curator of Art at the Warhol worked with four art students from Pitt to create this exhibit.  Chambers worked with the emerging artists for four months viewing other exhibits, talking about their strengths and weaknesses and deciding how to proceed with their own ideas.  Although these four artists use various styles, they worked together to create a cohesive whole. The exhibit is on the ground floor of Lawrence Hall on the corner of Wood Street and Blvd of the Allies and some of it is even visible from the street.

Finally, did you know how much of America is protected by volunteer firemen?  69% of all firefighters are volunteers, of the 30,145 fire departments in the US, 20,200 are all-volunteer and 5,530 are mostly volunteer.  It is estimated that these volunteers save the overall economy $130B annually. Risking their lives, taking on risks that aren’t clear cut, time spend training and responding really adds up.  Next time you pass one of there “boot” collections at an intersection, remember this.  We owe them. 

Enjoy our unfolding spring,

ed

Tomorrow is the anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride (1775), the first time Japan’s mainland was bombed in WWII (1942), San Fransisco’s earthquake (1906), Zimbabwe’s Independence Day (1980), the Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 which replaced the the British North American Act of 1867 created by the British and the failure of the 34-D Titan Rocket failure (1986).

I have been very busy and it looks like I will be for the foreseeable future.  There was the Frozen Four last week, this weekend I’m pretty much sold out already and next weekend is Pitt’s graduation.  I have a bunch of rooms sold for three or more nights.  And I’m pretty slow early in the week and this week I journeyed up to Leesburg and went antiquing.  I like to play with my Victorian/Caribbean thing and I had this old Victorian picture I put in a tropical picture frame when I first started this project.

I’ve been looking for more old Victorian photo’s for a couple of years now without success.  Well, guess what I found at Leesburg Station Antique Shop?

Here’s one of the new pictures in a frame I’ve had for awhile:

And then I found this incredibly tacky, but I love it at the Leesburg School House Antique Shop:

I don’t know how I’m going to use this, but I’m sure I’ll find the right spot. 

The 43rd Earth Day is this coming Monday.  Lots of family friendly events coming up over this weekend.  Citiparks, teaming with Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, will be hosting a community campfire at the Frick Environmental Center (2005 Beechwood Blvd) from 6 pm until 9 pm on Friday.  This event is free, they are providing the fire, sticks and warm cider-you supply marshmallows, cups for the cider and your own fireside stories.      On Saturday, also at Frick Park there will be a tree planting event you can volunteer for.  This is from 9 am until 1 pm and includes a lunch after your toils.  Registration is required for this event and you can do this at Pittsburgh Parks website.  On Sunday guided Nature Walks  will take place from noon until 3 pm through Frick Park’s 151 acres, weather permitting.  On site registration is required for this walk that will show edible berries, birds, squirrels (RJ won’t be invited)  wildflowers and trees.  More info on all events at CitiParks website.  Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium is also hosting Earth Day festivities on Saturday from 11 am until 3 pm.  They will have eco-friendly crafts, the zoo’s mascot will be hanging around, recycling games and representatives of various local non-profits will be showing how you can help mother earth.  More info by calling 412-665-3640 or by visiting the zoo’s web site.  Westmoreland Earth Day 2013 will celebrate earth on Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.  This free event will have a petting zoo, green cars, kid’s energy activities, energy companies and representatives of various green non-profits giving tips and advice.  The college will also be offering free tours of it’s campus.  More info at the their web site.

The iconic Sloppy Joe’s has just reopened for the first time since the Cuban revolution closed it in 1965.  Some thought it had deteriorated too much to be saved, but through a lot of work and effort, it has been restored to it’s original appearance that drew the jet set, before there were jets.    From photographs, they reproduced the plaster moldings, dark wood paneling, brightly colored bottles of alcohol behind the bar.  Original photographs of the bar’s heydays adorn the walls and they have brought back the bar’s signature drink of a cool refreshing blend of brandy, port, Cointreau and pineapple juice.  The location is ideal for success, it’s right in the midst of the new hotels and renovated area of touristy bars and restaurants.

In life, accidents happen.  No one is perfect, including you, me and big companies.  It’s how you step up to the plate when an unforeseen incident occurs.  The oil industry isn’t known for stepping up to the plate when something happens.  Back in 1989, the Exon Valdez tanker grounded in Alaska by a drunk pilot and and spilled a lot of oil.  It cause massive environmental damage. Exon used every tactic in the book to delay doing ANYTHING.  I believe there are law suites still in courts over that.  There was the pipe line spill in Arkansas on March 29 this year. Exxon had a 12″ pipe rupture and 63,000 gallons of oil escaped and much ended up in the Yellowstone River .  And now the talk about the Keystone Pipeline, TransCanada wants to expand the size of the existing pipeline from 30″ to 36″ and create new routes.  That’s a lot of oil if there’s an accident.  Again, accidents happen, but #1 who’s going to IMMEDIATELY pay the price?  Us.  By immediately we don’t have drinking water in almost an entire state (Nebraska’s  Ogallala Aquifer is right under it’s path).  #2 IF we have the economic wherewithal to fight the big lawyers representing the oil companies in the courts to get our “just dues”, that’s one thing. But how many years and how much money do we have to expend?  #3 I don’t trust TransCanda.  They are already taking property through eminent domain along the path they want to create in Texas and elsewhere.  I thought eminent domain was created for public projects that benefit the public good.  Some mega foreign company that has the wherewithal to underhandedly use eminent domain, spend huge amounts of money lobbying our government and litigate all over the place is not someone to be trusted.  Typical of Exxon, they have been fighting a New Hampshire law suite for groundwater contamination because of the additive MTBE for decades.  It took the jury just 90 minutes to find Exxon guilty and just 20 minutes to settle on a fine of $236M.   My point here is I think America is getting fed up with the big corporate BS, cover ups, litigation, etc.  Ninety minutes and twenty minutes speaks volumes about America’s attitude these days.  ):

Lets talk prisons.  For one, a number of them have been turned into upscale hotels and hostels.  At one point in history, they were a major statement for cities.  Like the county jail Downtown designed by HH Richardson, which is currently siting pretty much empty.  Wouldn’t that make a fabulous hotel.  (Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with my 9 guest rooms). 

Speaking of prisons, photographer Mark Perrott has chronicled the Western Pennsylvania Penitentiary when it closed with photographs.  Back in the 1980′s, he chronicled the Eastern State Penitentiary near Philadelphia and that turned into the book Hope Abandoned.  This new project, developed over several years is spawning his latest book, E Block.  A lot of what caught his attention is the graffiti he found in many of the cells like one he found in the in-processing block for new inmates that says Welcome Home Convict.  He focuses on the messages in the graffiti that are raw, mainly rage, longing, hurt and remorse.  Many of the original photographs of our prison are on display at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Galleries at 477 Melwood Avenue in Oakland through June 15.  Admission is free and there’s more info at Filmmaker’s web site and by calling 412-681-5449.

Starting Friday, we have the Second Annual Craft Beer Fest through April 27.  There are over 200 events on their schedule.  A big thing this year the organizers are excited about is Collaboration Beers, this is where one brewer goes to another brewers facility and they brew together learning from each other.  (Kind of like an Innkeeper staying at another Bed and Breakfast).    There’s something like 14 independent craft brewers in the Pittsburgh area.  Check out their schedule you beer drinks support local.

Well, that’s about it for now, have a great week/weekend,

ed

Tomorrow’s birth anniversaries include one of the three founders of the NY MOMA (1929), first black woman to graduate from Yale law school Jane Matilda Bolin (1908), Brenda Starr creator Dale Messick (1906) and pharmaceutical pioneer Percy Julian (1899).  Other anniversaries include the Ugandan’s Independence Day (1979), Spellman College was founded (1881), Liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp (1945) and the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, exactly one week after the assassination of Rev Martin Luther King.

If you come to visit me, it should not be a surprise that I will answer the door when you arrive, please hang up the phone.  I am giving you my undivided attention for more time than any hotel and most Inns.  If you don’t want the tour or directions/recommendations, I’m fine with that.  Just tell me you would rather be on the phone.  It saves at least twenty minutes in my life.  Obviously, I had a recent arrival and the gentleman was on the phone the entire time I gave his wife the tour and check-in.  At least this guest acknowledged his rudeness and apologized.  I admit, I am on the phone at times when I should be devoting all my attention to my guests at check-in.  When the phone rings, I always look at my caller ID and if I am anticipating another check-in that may be lost or experiencing other problems, I will excuse myself, accept the call.  Most times it’s not an anticipated check-in and I inform the caller that I am with a guest will will return their call as soon as I can.  And I am guilty of sometimes answering my phone in a check-out line.  I try and minimize this and cut it as short as I can without being rude to the caller (unless it’s a telemarketer).  I truly hate telemarketers.

Two local artists are teaming up for a show at Christine Frechard Gallery at 5871 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill.  Laura Jean McLaughlin, has her own gallery in Garfield.  She works in ceramics and creates lighthearted whimsical figures.  While Jane Ogren, of Pleasant Hills is known for masks and figures that seem to have a tribal influence and maybe somewhat of a spooky in appearance.  The show runs through May 2 and admission is free.  More info at their websites or by calling 412-421-8888.

What began as a Tongue in Check campaign has become a major component of the CDC’s outreach for disaster preparedness.The Zombie Apocalypse Campaign has been quite the hit and according to CDC director Dr. Ali Khan said “If you are generally well equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse, you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake or terrorist attack.”  Pretty much makes sense. 

There’s a couple of spring home and garden shows coming up just outside Pittsburgh.  The 18th Annual Westmoreland County Home Show will be held this coming weekend (April 13 & 14) at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds in Mt Pleasant Township.  they anticipate around 150 vendors spread over the six buildings.  In addition to the expected home and garden vendors, they will have an antiques appraiser, a Pennsylvania wine pavilion that will have 75 PA wines to sample.  Admission is just $5, but bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the food bank and they will give you a BOGOF admission.  The show is from 10 am until 5 pm and more information is at their website.  The other is at the Butler County Home Show also this coming weekend.  It’s being held at the Family Sports Center from 4 pm until 9 pm Friday, 10 am until 9 pm Saturday and 10 am until 5 pm Sunday.  Admission is free on Friday and $5 on Saturday and Sunday.  They will be featuring hands on demonstrations, organic gardening, and remodeling advice with more than 100 vendors.  More info by calling 724-482-2199 or by visiting their web site.

Clive Cussler’s latest collaboration with Justin Scott is the book Striker.  It is set in Pittsburgh during the turn of the century and is pretty accurate as he talks about landmarks.  The story is based on the coal miners effort to unionize and the owners attempts to curtail it.  Pittsburgh’s singing sweet heart Jackie Evancho turned 13 on April 9 and is in a new movie as Robert Redford’s daughter in the move The Company You Keep due out April 26.  Finally, in my little Pittsburgh blurb (or is it burg here?), there’s a video game that uses Pittsburgh as a back drop as Joel & Elle make their way across the country battling zombie like creatures.  Rated M for Mature, the Naughty Dog game The Last of Us is due out on June 14.

Great American Country Network (GAC) has Butler County King Family featured as season 2 kicks off Thursday at 9 pm of Farm Kings.  It is, hands down, the biggest hit on this country music station of non music entertainment.  GAC signed them up for 13 episodes featuring the nine twenty something brothers and one sister.  It is supposedly a non-scripted reality show and it showcases the challenges of farming and the bro’s are pretty naturally hams, so they have fun doing it.

I attended the Western Pennsylvania Bed and Breakfast Association meeting yesterday at Wester Farm Bed and Breakfast Cottages up in Mercer.  I was using my Garvin going down a basically dirt road when Garvin said “In .4 miles turn left to destination.”  I was literally passing the sign for Al and Betty’s Inn at the same time.  I jammed on the breaks and as I start backing up, the Prius ends up in a very deep drainage ditch.  Al does his bed and breakfast concierge thing and gets me a tow truck that promptly saved the day.  A very nice farm stay up there and not far from Volant, such a cute little town.  It’s just past the Grove City Outlet Mall (which I hate) and just an hour north of Pittsburgh, well worth the trip. Make it an overnight adventure and stay at Al & Betty’s which is about twenty minutes away.  Ryan and Molly’s Terra Nova House and Howard and Carolyn’s Candleford Inn Bed and Breakfast are both just minutes away.  As always, talk to the Innkeeper for suggestions.  There’s a lot of small shops and interesting things up there.

I really hate someone shoving something down my throat and the well greased, well funded and well organized NRA is really upsetting me.  They are the prime example of a vocal minority that knows how to get a grassroots minority out to make the most noise.  As I’ve said in the past, I very much support and demand out 2nd Amendment Rights.  This attitude of absolutely no compromise is for the birds.  I think the majority of Americans also think mentally dangerous persons shouldn’t be able to purchase arms.  Persons buying arms for a criminal should he held accountable.  Assault weapons and extended clips are not needed to go sport hunting.  I can see where some may want them “to be able to defend themselves from an overbearing government.”, but if we could have saved on of those kids in Sandy Hook, it would have been worth it.  I can’t make this any easier, here is the link to your senators, just scroll down even if you don’t know who represents you, there’s only two per state (in case you have totally forgot your high school civic’s class).  Tell him/her your feelings.  I don’t really care if you are for or against gun control/gun regulation/whatever you want to call it.  And this is actually easier, to find out who represents you in the House of Representatives, just follow this link and put your zip code in.  It can’t be any easier.  Seriously guys, you don’t have to write a lot, you don’t have to be eloquent, I don’t care what side you are on.  I just don’t want the NRA to keep thinking they are speaking for us.  I have.

Sorry for the rant, but they really drive me nuts.  I’ll stop now.  Isn’t it great winter is over?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    It was winter this past weekend and now it’s spring.  The yard’s cleaned up, the water feature’s working, I’m in short sleeves and sandals, I’m lovin it.    I hope you are as well.

ed

Tomorrow’s birth anniversaries include actress Bette Davis (1908), educator Booker Washington (1856), actor Gregory Peck (1916) and actor Spencer Tracy (1900).  It is also the anniversary of Anne Sullivan plunging a resistant Helen Keller’s hand under water and spelling out w-a-t-e-r in sign in 1887.  Helen grasped what Anne was doing and learned thirty more words that day.

It’ s been since Bill Clinton was president the last time we had a major “brood” of cicada’s hatch.  Like locusts, they go through cycles and some years there is more of them than others.  They have been know to top one billion per square mile during these large broods.  Their life cycle starts with the females laying about 600 eggs in the trees, about six weeks later the nymphs emerge (kind of look like ants) who drop to the ground and burrow beneath it.  They feed on sap from the roots for 13 to 17 years.  These basically harmless creatures emerge from the ground for only about three weeks to breed.   We have a bit to wait for the phenomena to occur, the ground temperature has to reach 64 degrees for them to become active.  Two web sites dedicated to cicadas are one run by entomologist Michael Raupp of U of Maryland and cicada enthusiast Dan Mozgai of Metuchen, NJ.

South Carolina ex-governor Mark Sanford received the GOP endorsement to run the that state’s House of Representatives.  It’s none of my business he had an affair, that’s between him and his wife.  I do care that he lied about it, repeatedly.  And that the GOP gave him the nod, this “conservative” party that’s always lecturing what’s moral and right and in just three years he’s “their man” says a lot.    (I know this is twice I hammered the Republicans, believe me, I can do the same to the Democrats).

A trend that may or may not be growing (depending on who you listen to) is “on-shoring” or “re-shoring”.  A huge obvious advantage is transportation costs from Asia.  The time it takes for delivery is also talked about.  Another huge concern is theft of intellectual property rights.  It’s hard enough to keep a lid on it here with all our laws about property rights, it’s next to impossible in most Asian countries.  With the raise in wage rates in Asian countries and finally addressing pollution concerns is another factor leveling the playing field.  Locally MCC International out in Cecil has increased manufacturing jobs from 47 to 58 since 2008, not huge, but this is where America is strong, small business growth.  I have recently talked about DAWAR here on the Northside, they intend to add ten more jobs within the next year to their current forty-seven.  Over in York, Unilife Inc moved their production from China  back here and have gone from 35 employees in 2009 to more than 140 now.  They manufacture syringes.

Lawrenceville is becoming quite the gourmand destination.  There’s Piccola Forno, Pastitsio, Pusadee’s Garden, Coca Cafe , Barb’s Country Kitchen,  Mauramori Cafe, Cure, Tamari, Industry Public House, New Amsterdam, Round Corner Cantina, Remedy, Frankie’s Extra Long, Nied’s Hotel, Salud Cuban-American Restaurant and Lounge, Matteo’s, Tender Bar & Kitchen, Franktuary, Dozen Bake Shop, La Gourmandine and Wild Purveyors.  The list includes mainly restaurants, but also some bakeries and an upscale grocer.  Most are new, some have been around for a bit and some have relocated.   Some are excellent (I recently ate at Tamari-I recommend eating at the bar, we really enjoyed watching the kitchen staff prepare the food and talk about it).  Some are OK, I also recently ate at Round Corner and wasn’t too impressed.  What I like about it is Lawrenceville doesn’t seem to be fallowing in Southside’s foot steps with bars that serve food to restaurants that have a bar. 

The Night of the Living Dead fund raiser at Hollywood Theater last month brought in almost $17,000, towards the $70K they need to fulfill their Go Digital or Go Dark campaign.  It a nice start towards converting the projection system to digital so they can continue showing films.  (The film industry is switching from 8mm and DVD/Blu-Ray in an effort to curb pirating).  Up coming events include Annie on April 7 sponsored by the Girl Scouts, April 13 it will be Earth Girls are Easy, April 26 will be the Steel City Secret Cinema art show, May 3 will be the second anniversary celebration of the Hollywood’s move to non-profit and May 11 will be the Battle of the Bands.  These events are themed and the theater turns the evenings into special occasions.  Managing director of the Hollywood, Chad Hunter, feels between the special events and their drive for corporate sponsors they will meet their goal before this year is out.  What impressed Chad was the amount of small donations that raised this amount, over 300 donors.  With a donation (depending on the size I guess)  you get discounted admission, free concessions and invitations to special events.  If Chad reads this, maybe you should think about selling naming rights to chairs, like they do with bricks in many parks as a fund raiser.

For any of you from the south hills, as I was, the intersection of routes 51 and 88 has always been a nightmare, getting worse over the years.  They are finally starting on the upgrade this spring after all these years of talking about it.  The first couple of months most work won’t be that noticeable, moving utility lines, etc.  The earth moving starts in June and will continue for about two years.  At no time will there be less than two lanes in each direction during rush hours. The project will include rebuilding six deficient bridges, razing about 20 structures, building a jug handle behind the Rite Aid for left hand turns from 51 north bound onto 88.  Turning from 88 towards the north bound 51, traffic will have to turn south on 51 and go up to Fairhaven/Provost to make the  U-turn to go north.  Now the next step PennDot should start is no left turns along 51, unless there is a designated left turn lane.  At least during rush hour.

According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, of people with a disability at least 16 years old have a 20% labor participation rate compared to 68.8% of non-handicapped.  To offer educational options on post-secondary education, employment and training opportunities available, nine school districts have teamed up to sponsor the second annual Northern Area Transition Fair at  AW Beattie Career Center at 9600 Babcock Blvd in McCandless from6 to 8 pm on April 18.  This expo is not limited to high school kids of the nine sponsoring school.  More info by e-mailing  Beth Sipe as bsipie@pinerichland.org or Erin Rushe at erin.rushe@beattietech.com or by calling 412-847-1925.

Last fall, Sheila May-Stein went to Manchester K-8 school for what she thought was just a library rehab.  She was so shocked at what she saw that she posted pictures and a rant on her Facebook page.  It went viral and the school has received over 10,000 new and gently used books, computers, a world map, reading tables and even a flat screen TV.  Isn’t it great what potential social media has and good can come from it.

Trey’s Laundromat and Brighton Cafe is hosting Cheryl Capezzuti exhibit of lint sculptures.  Yes, you heard right, sculptures made out of dryer lint and paste.  Cheryl, who has moved on to puppet making and other artistic endeavors decided to a “lint project” to help her neighborhood laundry and cafe.  While attending Penn State for art, her and friends played in this medium.  This isn’t Cheryl’s first foray into lint exhibits in laundries.  She did one at Duds ‘N Suds on the Southside that ran through 2004 and was even featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2005.  This current exhibit is running through April 27 and if you want, on closing day between 10 am and noon, you purchase a sculpture for about $10.  They are flying creatures ranging from super heroes to flying creatures.

Finally, a fabulous week weather forecast, I can’t wait.

Enjoy it,

ed