Not a day goes by that I don’t fantasize about creating an endowment for the library. Dressed to the nines, with winning PowerBall ticket in hand, I will call a press conference in the Reference Department. There, in a speech designed to make the angels weep, I will finish the job Andrew Carnegie began by [...]
Posts Tagged as ‘Pittsburgh’
October 26, 2009
Rejected by the PMI, or form letters for the ages.
Recently, Kathie (illustrious manager of our Music Department) introduced me to our collection of bulletins, announcements, and programs from the Pittsburgh Musical Institute.
Among the 38 volumes of assorted stuff representing the years 1915 to 1955 is this gem of a rejection letter, from the 1948-49 school year.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of [...]
October 6, 2009
Car Free Trails
Pittsburgh is a city of hills and valleys, rivers and plateaus. And while it may not seem to have the most bike-friendly terrain, there are many ways to enjoy the Steel City by bike. With the help of the bicycle advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh and a rising number of people getting around by bike, cyclists [...]
June 15, 2009
Repairing your Boneshaker
It’s prime time to be out and about on a bike, whether it be for health, monetary, or environmental reasons. But no matter how skilled a cyclist you may be, something will (eventually) need to be repaired. If you have never attempted to maintain or repair your own bike now is a great time to learn. [...]
May 29, 2009
Welcome to the ‘Burgh presidents, officials, dignitaries n’at!
Welcome to the ‘Burgh yinz dignitaries n’at! Pittsburgh will soon have the honor of playing host to the world’s most powerful leaders on September 24th and 25th!
According to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, Pittsburgh was selected because it’s a great example of a region that has reinvented itself. “It’s an area that has seen [...]
May 13, 2009
bird’s eye view
Last week, I met my new favorite Pittsburghers, who live on the 40th floor of the Cathedral of Learning. They are Dorothy, E2, and a brood of newly-hatched peregrine falcon chicks. A video feed that the National Aviary in Pittsburgh installed in 2007 updates every few seconds, so anyone can witness the birds’ daily activity [...]
May 4, 2009
Pittsburghers Sing to Spring Pt. 3 — Maxine Sullivan spotlight
In my last post, I guided you through some springtime jazz made by Pittsburghers. Now I’m going to stop and park right in front of one of my favorite spring time songs: Maxine Sullivan’s version of “It Was a Lover and His Lass.”
Maxine Sullivan (1911-1987) was born in Homestead, PA and performed in the [...]
March 31, 2009
Pittsburghers Sing to Spring, Pt. 2 — Jazz
Last year, I posted about the springtime sounds made by Pittsburgh classical musicians. Now I’d like to guide you through this season with music by many talented jazz musicians from Pittsburgh.
Almost Spring
Start with “Almost Spring,” written by a Pittsburgh bass player named Mickey Bass and performed by pianist John Hicks. Although he was born in Atlanta, [...]
February 23, 2009
Not Chickens, Poetry!
If you had attended Pittsburgh’s first International Poetry Forum event, you might have worn your fashionable miniskirt, parked your new $27oo Buick, and entered Carnegie Lecture Hall humming “The Sound of Silence” or the theme from Dr. Zhivago. It was October 19, 1966, and you would have been part of a standing-room-only audience about to listen to a [...]
February 18, 2009
Economic Stimulus Made Simple
So, I’m no economist, but I gather that this much-talked-about economic stimulus package that Congress passed on Friday, February 13 is kind of a big deal. Because it’s so important, here are some articles and resources that provide basic information.
You can read the full text of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(ARRA) at whitehouse.gov (where you can also view a slideshow of [...]
