St. Patrick's Day!!

What a day! St. Patrick's Day (more like St. Patrick's Week...) is one of my favorite holidays. Besides the usual revelry and hooliganizing that comes this time of year, I also appreciate the chance to celebrate Irish heritage and culture (hooleys, bodhrans, or grog anyone?).

Growing up in Pittsburgh, like many northern cities, St. Patrick's Day was like Christmas come early. Parade attendance was virtually mandatory, regardless of your background (though nearly everyone I knew growing up claimed some Irish ancestry) and every civic group, marching band, politician, and pub fought for the right to march. Then there were the competing festivals and musicians following the parade, and the obligatory bar crawls. My Irish Father usually rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath about "Americans igits and their parades. F***ing amateurs...", but even he eventually gets into the spirit.

More importantly, after 8 years of that teetotaler in the White House, we finally have a president who knows how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I'm not usually a particular fan of our new president, but today he's come a long way in my book. First of all, the water in the fountains at the White House have been dyed green in honor of the day. As is traditional, the president is meeting with Irish leaders in the White House today as well; first with Taoiseach Brian Cowan in the Oval Office, and later with the two leaders of the power sharing government in Northern Ireland (Robinson and McGuinness). After a nice luncheon on Capitol Hill with Speaker Pelosi, President Obama is hosting not 1, but 2 cocktail parties at the White House! I have every intention of finding a way into one...

Most exciting of all: Obama announced this morning that Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney has been appointed Ambassador to Ireland! Great man, from a great city, representing one great nation to another. America!!

Thursday Morn

Happy Thursday!

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Victory!

First order of business, our great friend Cocktail (aka Marc) has posted a long-overdue note on his blog (Marc's GChat Status Expanded). Some will recall that we led a successful write-in campaign for Marc to include Pittsburgh as a separate entry in his 'Why do people like being from...' series. Well, I ran into Marc last weekend and he promised if the Steelers won the Super Bowl he'd do the post asap.

Well it's finally ready.

If you like Pittsburgh, it's worth a read. If you hate Pittsburgh, it's worth a read, too. While trashing on some of our (my) worse habits, he also admits to some of the good things.

Read it here

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Iceland: Gay

In other news, Iceland new PM is an open lesbian. Johanna Sigurdardottir took over after her predecessor stepped down for health reasons, after announcing that elections are to be held later this spring.

Leave it to Iceland figure out the wisdom of putting a gay in charge after their entire economy has collapsed. In any case, good luck!!

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You're getting very sleepy...

It looks like someone may take on Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman in 2012. Those of you with a conscience will remember that Ned Lamont won the Democratic primary against Lieberman a few years back. But Lieberman (DINO) still won the seat. He now identifies as an "Independent Democrat" in the Senate. What does that mean? It means he does what he wants, endorses the Republican candidate for President, speaks at their convention, and yet somehow retains the Chairmanship of a powerful committee while the Democrats have a strong majority in the Senate. The only possible explanation is that he's a hypnotist. Perhaps a witch-doctor. In any case, I hope this guy has what it takes to get rid of this Democrat in Name Only.

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More later, it's still early...

The Day the Music Died

Today, Feb 3, marks 50 years since that a sudden plane crash took the lives of 3 Rock n Roll up-and-comers, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper. Don McClean's "American Pie" goes on that this was the day the 'music died' and how it influenced an entire generation.

Well, there's a great article here about how the music didn't die, but instead Holly's influence lives on.

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In other news, those of you paying attention know that Skank, SHEAm, and I routinely ride the 42/43 bus line for our morning/evening commute. Well, apparently we're in somewhat famous company. MSNBC reported yesterday (yes, from that plump pumpkin of a commentator, Keith Olberman. I know, I don't usually like him either...) that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld attempted to board a crowded 42 last week, just north of Dupont Circle. Instead of boarding he was booed by passengers and told that the bus was too crowded to accommodate him. He reportedly walked instead.

I have personally seen Rummy on 3 occasions in the past few months, sometimes in the Dupont area and sometimes in the Golden Triange south of Dupont. Have you seen Rummy recently??
We are going to start a Rum-Sighting series here on Connetiquette. Email or post anytime you see Rummy!!

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In Cabinet news, the Senate voted and we now have an Attorney General (whoo hooo!) who doesn't promise to not prosecute the war criminals from the last administrations. Thank God.

Similarly, Republican Judd Gregg was announced today for Commerce Secretary. Though this came at the price of Democratic New Hampshire Governor John Lynch promising to appoint a Republican in Gregg's place, so as to not change the balance of power in the Senate. If the Dems get one more seat they'll have a 60-person supermajority that will be able to withstand a filibuster. As it stands now, on most issues there are one or two moderate senators who can be picked off and convinced to join the majority. But it's still an interesting little dance they're doing.

Finally, HHS nominee Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader, has withdrawn his name from consideratino. He's gotten a lot of flak over the past few days on some tax issues (seriously- this is the 3rd Cabinet nomination to have this prolem. Was nobody looking into this?!). While I personally think Tom Daschle is a great man and would do wonders for this country in the realm of healthcare (especially leading a task force on universal care), I have to agree that these issues are a best a distraction from everything. I just hope that he's still around for a non-cabinet appointment to work on healthcare reform. It would be a waste to not put his experience and relationships with Congress to good use...

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Finally, just a small note on this weekend. What a game! I'm still surprised it went from snooze-fest to a really exciting, edge-of-your-seat game. I've already commented on my pride in the Steelers and the Steel City, but there were also some great ads. In lieu of posting my own recap of each ad, I'm actually going to defer to fellow blogger-extrordinaire Cocktail and his commentary. I fully agree (be sure to check out his upcoming post on the Emerald City). Some of the best were the movie previews. I'm absolutely obsessed with the fact that this summer so many great movies are coming. We have Transformers 2, GI JOE (so pumped), STAR TREK (even more pumped), and the newest Harry Potter flik (which has been uber delayed). I can't wait. There will be posts on all of this very soon.

That's all for now folks

Update: Obama and Bob Casey are Great Americans!!

According to NBC News, President Obama invited several members of Congress over to watch the Superbowl at the White House. John McCain and John Kyl were invited to watch their Arizona Cardinals (*ahem* be defeated), but both men declined. The Steelers were represented by the Pennsylvania Senators, Democrat Bob Casey and Republican Arlen Specter. Though Specter has said he probably won't come, Bob Casey plans to attend and has announced he will bring Pittsburgh-icons the Terrible Towel and Eat'n Park cookies! This literally made me ILOLAW (more here) and jump for joy. I've already discussed the Terrible Towel at length here, but Eat'n Park is proably new to most of you.

As Pittsburghers know, Eat'n Park's the "place for smiles" and is best known for its legendary smiley faced cookie, like the Steeler-themed one shown above (free for kids!). It's a Denny's-esque (though infinitely better) 24 hour diner chain that is local to the Pittsburgh area. Nearly every weekend night of my highschool years eneded up at EnP- after football games, concerts, parties, everything. Needless to say, Casey (though a Philadelphian) just won my vote for his re-election. Specter: the ball is in your court.

Go Steelers!

Here we go, Steelers...

Anyone who knows me is familiar with the following: I'm not generally much of a sports-enthusiast, I'm absolutely an irreconcilable Pittsburgh-enthusiast, and I can be bullheaded and rarely keep my opinions to myself. With that in mind, here is the Superbowl post that my friends have been dreading:

Pittsburgh is a town that is accustomed to being the punchline of many a joke ('shittsburgh', 'armpit of America', etc), regardless of the civic renaissance that has occurred over the past few decades. With that being said, there is an intense pride in the Steelers that rivals any team in the NFL. The Terrible Towel is a hallmark of the SteelersNation, and a unifying symbol that other teams have unsuccessfully attempted to recreate. Recently I've put my sports reluctance aside in favor of my natural hometown pride. Go Steelers!

If (when) the Steelers prevail, this will be their record-breaking 6th Superbowl victory. They are currently tied for 5 with the Cowboys and 49ers. The Arizona Cardinals have... never even been to the Superbowl (despite being the oldest continuously run American football club in existence).

As a proud Pittsburgher, I realize the absolute bias I present in assuming/looking forward to a stunning Steeler victory on Sunday. However, nearly every major prognosticator/commentater has gone on the record that this is essentially the Steelers' game to lose. The most compelling to my non-scientific mind? Legendary prognosticator Ernie Epps (who has accurately predicted the last 10 Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA champions, as well as the last five Presidents and the past fifteen Oscar-winning films) has predicted a Steeler victory.

Giving due deference, I also point you to our friend Cocktail's latest blog entry on the matter, in which he sizes up the Cardinals' great offense against the Steelers' legendary defense.

On a final note, there are some very entertaining things coming out of this whole lead-up to Sunday. Particularly, I point your attention to a great version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" adapted for the occasion:




In any case, I'll have my Iron City Beer and Terrible Towel in hand and look forward to an excellent Superbowl. Happy Superbowl everyone!

For an Example of Economic Success Turn to... Pittsburgh!?

Yes, denizens: Pittsburgh. My beloved home town has done it again. While I obviously have a very biased opinion on all things Pittsburgh, I promise this is a reliable story from a reliable source.

The New York Times (SHEAm calls it a record paper or something...) has a story yesterday about the economic recovery of the former Steel City and it's current (relative) prosperity.

Now, I'll be the first to openly admit that Pittsburgh is not a perfect place and has gone through some considerable hard times. But as the Times points out, while other industrial cities slid into a terrible stage of depression, Pittsburgh pulled itself out of the much by expanding into education and health care. Given the state of the economy now and the tough times ahead for places like Detroit, maybe Pittsburgh should serve as a model for these cities to replicate.

David Streitfield says it best himself:

This is what life in one American city looks like after an industrial collapse:

Unemployment is 5.5 percent, far below the national average. While housing prices sank nearly everywhere in the last year, they rose here. Wages are also up. Foreclosures are comparatively uncommon.

A generation ago, the steel industry that built Pittsburgh and still dominated its economy entered its death throes. In the early 1980s, the city was being talked about the way Detroit is now. Its very survival was in question.

Deindustrialization in Pittsburgh was a protracted and painful experience. Yet it set the stage for an economy that is the envy of many recession-plagued communities, particularly those where the automobile industry is struggling for its life.

It goes on:

Entrepreneurship bloomed in computer software and biotechnology. Two of the biggest sectors are education and health care, among the most resistant to downturns. Prominent companies are doing well. Westinghouse Electric, a builder of nuclear reactors, expects to hire 350 new employees a year for the foreseeable future. And commercial construction, plunging in most places, is still thriving partly because of big projects like a casino and an arena for the Penguins hockey team.

One of the points of the story is that part of Pittsburgh's current-enviable situation is due to the fact that it played things very by the book in recent years. There wasn't a large real estate bubble (so one didn't pop), and house prices are up about 2% as of Sept 2008 while nationally they fell 4%. PNC Bank, a big local bank (and my FAV!) didn't take a lot of risk in the midst of the sub-prime bonanza, and being cautious served them well: while other banks are folding in spades they just acquired several Ohio-based banks. The moral of the story: don't go nuts just because everybody else is doing it; it if seems to good to be true it probably is.

In any case, it's worth a read, especially for those of you in the new Rust Belt looking for some inspiration. There was life after steel, and there will be life after automobiles...

Victory!

While I'm sure I'll have time to post some of the day's interesting stories later on, for now a very quick and important announcement:

Cocktail has ended his campaign of injustice against the denizens of Pittsburgh! In a post he wrote yesterday, he finally relented and has agreed to write an entire entry dedicated to the Steel City. He specifically noted the hard work of many of you, dear readers, in convincing him to change his policy. Good work!! Read the announcement here.

Here's a copy of another email from a good friend (Dan!) who emailed Cocktail to lobby him for this great cause:

I noticed that in your planned series on 'going home' you are planning a section about the 'rest' of PA, but not Pittsburgh. I strongly encourage you to include an independent post about the Steel City. The home of the "Stillers" is far different than surrounding communities of the Amish. Pittsburgh has its own joie de vivre -- unique from that of the rest of the state and worth exploring in its own right.

When you cover it, please discuss such local traditions as pierogies, Primanti Bros., Heinz Ketchup and the Strip District, not to mention Shady Side for the arts, the Incline, the difference between the South and North Hills and of course other neighborhoods that have their own traditions and unique characteristics.

I hope none of you are are at work today. Unfortunately, I do...

A Call to Arms!

Dear Readers,

I'm sure you're all aware of our friend Cocktail's blog, SHEAm has mentioned it a few times. Cocktail (aka Marc) has decided to do a little series on why people enjoy their home state/city/region. Quite a noble idea, and sure to be entertaining. You can check out his first post on the Philly area here.

He also published his schedule for future posts. In doing so he included some sure-fire winners like Ohio, "The South", Texas, etc. He also included on the list "The Rest of Pa". Now as I'm sure all our dear readers know, Pittsburgh (like Philadelphia) is quite different from the rest of Pa. The middle part is affectionately known as "Pennsyltuckey"; full of hillbillies and gun-nuts. James Carville famously noted that Pennsylvania is comprised of "Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Alabama in between".

So I'm asking you, dear readers, to help me lobby and educate Marc. I encourage you to contact him and let him know that Pittsburgh, with it's fair hills, winning teams, beautiful spires, 3 rivers, etc is worthy of it's own entry. If you, like me, love the Steel City: comment on Marc's blog If you hate Pittsburgh, but love the outlying areas of PA and don't want the two associated with one another: comment on Marc's blog. Alternatively, you can write to me or comment here and I'll make sure he sees it.

My dear friend Dave already wrote to Marc imploring him to include the Pittsburgh area in a separate post. Here is Dave, in his own words:

I understand the instinct to call Pennsylvania a state defined by Philadelphia and "everywhere else." As a New Jerseyan, I'm rather jealous, because I live in a state that is entirely composed of "everywhere else." But to ignore the importance and relevance of Pittsburgh is do a grave disservice to the state of Pennyslvania and the residents of Pittsburgh.

Why consider Pittsburgh? Media treatment dictates that Pittsburgh be relegated to the same heap of small and largely irrelevant midwestern cities that are close together and lack distinction like Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee. Just because the media elite believes that relevant cities must be located on the coasts (in the case of Chicago, the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan) and be defined by financial centers and white collars does not mean you have to fall prey to such embarrassing assumptions. Consider the following:

Pittsburgh has three major professional sports teams: The Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates. Some of them have been fantastic. And, if you hate the Pirates as much as they probably hate themselves, well at least you can watch a better opposing team in what is a beautiful ballpark.

Pittsburgh is a great college town. Pitt, Duquesne, and Carnegie Mellon all call this fair city home. It has a vibrant nightlife and Allegheny cemetary provides ample opportunities for morning soul searching after wasted freshmen realize they drunkenly urinated on some of the nation's greatest leaders of industry.

Pittsburgh's downtown is a beautiful and quaint little area. They too have a coast, seated quite nicely along three rivers. Its up-hill carts along old steel and coal mills allow breathtaking views of beautiful architecture and topography in the area. Bringing your kids? Make them a student of economics and understand the spoils and risks of capitalism as you help them understand how changing markets and free trade can make or break what was once a bustling and cosmopolitan part of the country. Teach them history by describing the days of the gilded age.

Marc, while I recognize that Philadelphia, that liberal bastion of sports loser-dom (I still refuse to recognize the Phillies victory because all World Series won after the first snow of the year are null and void) is an easy target for a vacation spot, let us be mindful that there is much more than that scandal-ridden city where the bells are made so poorly they break. Remember that Ben Franklin got the hell out of Philadelphia for Europe. That's right, Philadelphia actually made him hate America so much he left! Had he lived in Pittsburgh, well, perhaps he'd have been with us for far longer. Besides, have you ever tried to ride the SEPTA system or watch Eagles fans get wasted and throw up on fans of the opposing team? You can't tell the zoo from the stadium!

Pittsburgh is a city of simultaneous grit and class. If Pittsburgh was indicative of "everywhere else" in Pennsylvania, believe you me, this world would be a much better place. Unfortunately it is limited to this small swath of land that Corrupt once called home.

Steelers vs Titans

I'm going to do something today I haven't done in forever: go watch a Steelers game with friends. Besides the great (read: vastly unhealthy) food, I'm excited to see the Steelers cream the Titans. The black and gold are the AFC North Champs and are 11-3. The Titans are 12-2 but we've come from behind the past few games, so I look forward to another victory! Happy Sunday!

FOOD

Because Charlie is so enthusiastic about my Pittsburgh series, I've decided to do a post in his honor.

I haven't had a chance to focus on one of the things that distinguishes any region: food! While there aren't many Pittsburgh-only foods that I'm aware of, there are a few that come to mind.

Pittsburgh, like many places, is home to a wide variety of ethnic groups (with particularly large Irish, Polish, Greek, German, and Russian populations) and naturally the foods of each group will follow. Pittsburgh is famous for pirogies, but those are by no means unique to Pittsburgh.

There are two companies that make very unique products that can only be found in this region. The first is my very favorite, Isaly's (in Pittsburghese: "ahhhs-lees") chipped ham. Isaly's is a Pittsburgh institution and I'm fortunate enough to have one of their restaurants in my very own little corner of the region. The ham is cut up into very thin disorganized pieces and is perfect for just about any sandwhich (in my opinion).

The other, and more famous, institution is Primanti Bro's sandwhich makers (in Pittsburghese: "Primanny's"). Primanti's is almost as ubiquitous as Starbucks in many parts of the city. While similar to many small sandwhich makers, Primanti's has a very unique way of serving their sandwiches: with the fries and coleslaw right on the large oversized sandwiches. It's a greasy unhealthy delight, and something you should be sure to have if you're ever in the region.

Pittsburgh's Youth Revival

Many of you (and people across the country) think of Pittsburgh as an older, polluted, dying city. While I can certainly understand that perception and it is frequently reinforced by the media (in news, movies, tv, everything), there are several important ways in which this is not true.

As a member of the Millenial generation (post gen-X) and someone who is relatively politically aware, I'm very proud of the fact that Pittsburgh has the youngest Mayor of any major American city. Regardless of anyone's thoughts or ideas on the matter, it is true that Pittsburgh is a very Democratic city. In fact, there hasn't been a Republican Mayor or member of the City Council since the 1920s. Pittsburgh Mayor and eventual Pennsylvania Governor David Lawrence led a Democratic resurgence and eventual dominance as a champion of President Roosevelt's New Deal agenda. This has unfortunately resulted in a pretty organized machine of Democrats 'waiting in line' to become Mayor, leaving little room for new ideas and for younger people getting a seat at the table.

When Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor passed away, 26 year old Council President Luke Ravenstahl succeeded him and won a special election to fill the term. Mayor O'Connor's death was a tragedy for the city, but Mayor Ravenstahl has led a series of initiatives to help re-invigorate the city. He's been a very successful public face for what has previously been thought of as only an older, degenerating city (with great appearances on the late-night circuit and the Sunday shows). He's also been instrumental in bringing free wi-fi to downtown Pittsburgh, steamlining the city-county services (saving $$$), and bringing new economy jobs to the region. We've seen unprecedented growth in the region, redevelopment, and investment downtown. Keep it up, Luke!!

The gays

1. Morgan, please stop copypasting wikipedia entries about Pittsburgh on this blog. It's a lovely city, I'm sure, but we are all capable of researching the merits of Pittsburgh at our own leisure. I promise to prepare a 20 page research paper of the wonderful contributions that Pittsburgh and its people have made to society ... if you simply stop copypasting from Wikipedia.

2. Jon Stewart recently had a great bit on his show about gay marriage while interviewing Mike Huckabee. I think Jon Stewart really hit the nail on the head in this interview. The core of the gay marriage issue is, in my opinion, the social conservative notion that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice. My favorite line:

Stewart: “I live in New York City, so I’m going to make a supposition that I have more experience being around [gay people],” he told Huckabee. “And I’ll tell you this: religion is far more of a choice than homosexuality.”

Until the masses understand that homosexuality is not a choice, we will continue to hear the arguments that gay marriage will lead to polygamy, marrying animals, etc. Until people understand that you have as much choice on your sexual orientation as you do on your race or ethnicity ... we're never going to get anywhere. Beyond the complex legal or religious arguments, people need to understand that homosexuality isn't a choice. Plain and simple.

Check out the clip:

Famous Pittsburghers (Abridged)

Below please find a partial list of some of the more famous people from the Greater Pittsburgh area. They've been divided into general categories for your convenience. You can find a more comprehensive list on Wikipedia

Actors, artists, broadcasters and musicians

• Christina Aguilera — singer and songwriter
• Charles Bronson — actor
• John Buccigross — host, Sportscenter on ESPN
• Theodore Crawford "Ted" Cassidy — actor, best known as Lurch on The Addams Family
• Perry Como — pop music singer
• Chip Ganassi — NASCAR and Indycar Team Owner
• Jeff Goldblum — actor
• Charles Grodin — actor
• Holly Hunter — actress
• Jesse Joyce — comedian seen on Comedy Central
• Michael Keaton — actor
• Gene Kelly — dancer, actor, singer, director, and choreographer
• Henrietta Leaver — Miss America 1935
• Oscar Levant — pianist, talk show host
• Rush Limbaugh — Disk jockey at KQV, on-air name "Jeff Christie"
• Henry Mancini — musician and composer
• The Marcels — 60's doo-wop group best known for their #1 hit "Blue Moon"
• Dean Martin — actor, pop music singer
• Dennis Miller — Comedian
• Demi Moore — actress
• David Newell — actor, best known as "Mr. McFeely" on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
• Zachary Quinto — actor, Heroes (TV series)
• Fred Rogers — "Mister Rogers"; famous American children's entertainer. Of course Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was also filmed in Pittsburgh
  
• George Romero — director, best known for Night of the Living Dead
• Ian Rosenberger — reality show contestant on Survivor: Palau
• Justin Sane — lead guitarist and co-singer/songwriter of the political punk rock band Anti-Flag
• David O. Selznick — film producer, Gone With The Wind (among other films)
• Gertrude Stein — writer, poet, playwright, and feminist
• Jimmy Stewart — actor and Air Force officer
• Tamara Tunie — actress best known as "Dr. Melinda Warner" on Law and Order: SVU
• Andy Warhol — artist
• August Wilson — playwright

Athletes

• Ken Griffey, Jr. — Outfielder 1989-present
• Ken Griffey, Sr. — Outfielder 1973-1991, World Series
• Bill Mazeroski — Only player ever to decide a World Series by a 7th game Home Run
• Honus Wagner — Hall of Fame member
• Michael Moorer — Heavyweight Champion of the World 1992-1993, 1994, 1996-1999
• LaVar Arrington — Linebacker 2000-2006- Went to North Hills High School!
  
• Bill Cowher — head coach 1992-2007, two Super Bowls
• Mike Ditka — tight end (1961-1972) and coach (1982-1999), three Super Bowls
• Tony Dorsett — Heisman Trophy winner (1976) and running back 1977-1988, two Super Bowls
• Dan Marino — quarterback 1983-1999, Hall of Fame, Super Bowl
• Joe Montana — quarterback 1979-1994, Hall of Fame, four Super Bowls, three Super Bowl MVPs
• Joe Namath — quarterback 1965-1977, Hall of Fame, Super Bowl MVP.
• Lynn Swann — Wide Receiver 1974-1982, Hall of Fame, four Super Bowls, Super Bowl MVP
• Arnold Palmer
• Kurt Angle — 1996 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and current professional wrestler for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Business and industry

• Eric F. Buell — founder and chairman Buell Motorcycle Company
• Andrew Carnegie — Steel tycoon and philanthropist, founded what became U.S. Steel
• Henry Clay Frick — Steel tycoon, Chief operation officer of what became U.S. Steel
• Charles Martin Hall — Aluminum producer and founder of Alcoa
• Henry J. Heinz — Founder of H J Heinz Company
• Samuel Martin Kier — father of the American Oil Industry
• E. W. Marland — Oilman founded what would become Conoco Oil and also became the governor of Oklahoma
• Andrew Mellon — served as chairman of Mellon Financial helped to found Westinghouse, Alcoa, Gulf Oil and General Motors, became the longest serving United States Secretary of the Treasury in both years and administrations.
• Paul O'Neill — Alcoa CEO and United States Secretary of the Treasury
• Richard Mellon Scaife — runs descendants of Mellon fortune, has published the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review since 1969.
• George Westinghouse — Engineer and inventor

Culture

• William D. Boyce — Founder, Boy Scouts of America
• Rachel Carson — author and ecologist
• David McCullough — historian and author
• Donald Wuerl — eleventh Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, current Archbishop Archdiocese of Washington
• Admiral Robert Peary — the first person to reach the North Pole

Educators, scientists, and researchers

• Jonas Salk — physician and inventor of first polio vaccine
• Jesse Steinfeld — United States Surgeon General under President Richard Nixon

Politicians and governmental leaders

• Robert Bork — United States Supreme Court nominee, and acting United States Attorney General in the 1970s.
• James J. Davis — Secretary of Labor under Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover
• Harmar Denny — United States Congressman from Pennsylvania from 1825 to 1837.
• Mike Doyle — United States Congressman serving Pennsylvania
• Orrin Hatch — United States senator for Utah from 1977 to present.
• John Heinz — United States senator for Pennsylvania and United States Representative 1971-1977.
• Philander C. Knox — United States senator for Pennsylvania 1901-1904 and 1917-1921, United States Attorney General 1901-1904, and United States Secretary of State 1909-1913
• Janet Napolitano — Arizona Governor
• Ron Paul — United States Congressman serving Texas, and 2008 presidential election candidate.
• Tom Ridge — governor of Pennsylvania 1995-2001 and the first Secretary of Homeland Security under George W. Bush
• Rick Santorum — United States senator for Pennsylvania from 1995-2007
• Dick Thornburgh — governor of Pennsylvania 1979-1987 and United States Attorney General for Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
• Tom Vilsack — governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007, Secretary of Agriculture-Designate
  

More on Warren

I know I keep posting about this, but here is a great explanation of just how insulting the Warren pick is from a civil rights perspective (from Obama's hometown paper the Chicago Sun-Times)

Also, here is a link the the petition started by Equality California.


More Pittsburgh posts to come, I know you're excited!

Pittsburgh History!

I've reviewed some of the great ideas, inventions, and innovations to come out of Pittsburgh as well as some of the general highlights of the city, so today we'll explore the history of the great city itself!

The area surrounding the headwaters of the Ohio was originally inhabited by the tribes of Allegawis, Adena, Hopewell, Delaware, Jacobi, Seneca, Shawnee, and several settled groups of Iroquois. The French were the first Europeans to settle here and they founded Fort Duquesne on the site. During the French and Indian War General John Forbes's troops succeeded in taking the fort. Afterward Forbes ordered the construction of Fort Pitt, named after British Secretary of State William Pitt the Elder. He also named the settlement between the rivers "Pittsborough".

In the early days of the country Pittsburgh was home to the Whiskey Rebellion. The Civil War boosted the city's economy with increased production of iron and armaments. Steel production began by 1875, when Andrew Carnegie founded the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works in North Braddock, which eventually evolved into the Carnegie Steel Company. The success and growth of Carnegie Steel was attributed to Henry Bessemer, inventor of the Bessemer Process.

In 1901, the U.S. Steel Corporation was formed, and by 1911 Pttsburgh was producing between a third and a half of the nation's steel. During World War II, Pittsburgh produced 95 million tons of steel. By this time, the pollution from burning coal and steel production created a black fog (or smog), which even a century earlier had induced author writer James Parton to dub the city "hell with the lid off".

Following the war, the city launched a clean air and civic revitalization project known as the "Renaissance." This much-acclaimed effort was followed by the "Renaissance II" project, begun in 1977 and focusing more on cultural and neighborhood development than its predecessor. The industrial base continued to expand through the 1960s, but beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, the steel industry in the region declined with massive layoffs and mill closures.

Beginning in the 1980s, the city shifted its economic base to education, tourism, and services, largely based on healthcare, medicine, and high technology such as robotics.

The city is on the Allegheny Plateau, where the confluence of the Allegheny River from the northeast and Monongahela River from the southeast form the Ohio River. The Downtown area between the rivers is known as the Golden Triangle, and the site at the actual convergence, which is occupied by Point State Park, is referred to simply as "the Point." In addition to the downtown Golden Triangle, the city extends northeast to include the Oakland and Shadyside sections, which are home to the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Museum and Library, and many other educational, medical, and cultural institutions

Pittsburgh is often referred to as the City of Bridges or the River City. Situated as it is on three rivers with many smaller bodies of water in the region and many hills and valleys, Pittsburgh has more bridges than any city in the world.

Pittsburgh often places high in lists of the nation's most livable cities. After placing fourth and first in the first two editions of "Places Rated Almanac", Pittsburgh went on to finish third in 1989, fifth in 1993, 14th in 1997 and 12th in 2000, before reclaiming the number one spot in 2007.The survey's primary author, David Savageau, has noted that Pittsburgh is the only city to finish in the top 20 of every edition

In 2005, The Economist ranked Pittsburgh and Cleveland the top most livable cities in the United States, and tied the cities for 26th worldwide.

Preview of upcoming editions: Famous Pittsburghers and other exciting info!

You Can Go Home Again...

Earlier this week, dear friend and blogger Cocktail wrote about the strangeness of people having such pride in their homes. Well, dear Cocktail, there's much to go home to. Granted, I only go home 2-3 times a year and for generally short periods of time (my current exile in PA notwithstanding).

True, this is no sunny vacation spot. It's freezing cold here and I traveled through snow-logged high ground to get here. And it's not a massive sprawling metropolis either. However, Pittsburgh has a certain charm that is hard to replicate. We're fiercely loyal Steelers fans (even those of us who otherwise hate football), we speak our own intricate language (see the link in my earlier post on Pittsburghese), and we have a rich history of American firsts.

Among other things, Pittsburgh was the first place to use Mr. Yuk stickers, pull-tabs on cans, and the emoticon. Imagine the internet without smileys! We also had the first bingo game, ferris wheel, and radio station. Continuing my series on the City of Bridges, here are some Pittsburgh firsts:

• The First Internet Emoticon - 1982
  The Smiley :-) was the first Internet emoticon, created by Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Scott Fahlman.
• First Big Mac - 1967
  Created by Jim Delligatti at his Uniontown McDonald's, the Big Mac debuted and was test marketed in three other Pittsburgh-area McDonald's restaurants in 1967. By 1968 it was a mainstay on McDonald's menus throughout the country.
• First Mr Yuk Sticker - 1971
  Mr Yuk was created at the Poison Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh after research indicated that the skull and crossbones previously used to identify poisons had little meaning to children who equate the symbol with exciting things like pirates and adventure.
• First Heart, Liver, Kidney Transplant - December 3, 1989
  The first simultaneous heart, liver and kidney transplant was done at Presbyterian-University Hospital.
• First Night World Series Game - 1971
  Game 4 of the 1971 World Series was the first night game in World Series history, a series that Pittsburgh went on to win, 4 games to 3.
• First Pull-Tab on Cans - 1962
  The pull-tab was developed by Alcoa and was first used by Iron City Brewery in 1962. For many years, pull-tabs were only used in this area.
• First Retractable Dome - September 1961
  Pittsburgh's Civic Arena boasts the world's first auditorium with a retractable roof.
• First U.S. Public Television Station - April 1, 1954
  WQED, operated by the Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Station, was the first community-sponsored educational television station in America.
• First Polio Vaccine - March 26, 1953
  The polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas E. Salk, a 38-year-old University of Pittsburgh researcher and professor.
• First Zippo Lighter - 1932
  George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932 in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The name Zippo was chosen by Blaisdell because he liked the sound of the word "zipper" - which was patented around the same time in nearby Meadville, PA.
• First Bingo Game - early 1920's
  Hugh J. Ward first came up with the concept of bingo in Pittsburgh and began running the game at carnivals in the early 1920s, taking it nationwide in 1924. He secured a copyright on the game and wrote a book of Bingo rules in 1933.
• First U.S. Commercial Radio Station - November 2, 1920
  Dr. Frank Conrad, assistant chief engineer of Westinghouse Electric, first constructed a transmitter and installed it in a garage near his home in Wilkinsburg in 1916. The station was licensed as 8XK. At 6 p.m. on Nov. 2, 1920, 8KX became KDKA Radio and began broadcasting at 100 watts from a make-shift shack atop one of the Westinghouse manufacturing buildings in East Pittsburgh.
• Daylight Savings Time - March 18, 1919
  A Pittsburgh city councilman during the first World War, Robert Garland devised the nation's first daylight savings plan, instituted in 1918.
• The First Gas Station - December, 1913
  In 1913 the first automobile service station, built by Gulf Refining Company, opened in Pittsburgh at Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in East Liberty. Designed by J. H. Giesey.
• The First Baseball Stadium in the U.S. - 1909
  In 1909 the first baseball stadium, Forbes Field, was built in Pittsburgh, followed soon by similar stadiums in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and New York.
• First Motion Picture Theatre - 1905
  The first theater in the world devoted to the exhibition of motion pictures was the "Nickelodeon," opened by Harry Davis on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh.
• First Banana Split - 1904
  Invented by Dr. David Strickler, a pharmacist, at Strickler's Drug Store in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
• The First World Series - 1903
  The Boston Pilgrims defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three in baseball's first modern World Series in 1903.
• First Ferris Wheel - 1892/1893
  Invented by Pittsburgh native and civil engineer, George Washington Gale Ferris (1859-1896), the first Ferris Wheel was in operation at the World's Fair in Chicago. It was over 264 feet high and was capable of carrying more than 2,000 passengers at a time.
• Long-Distance Electricity - 1885
  Westinghouse Electric developed alternating current, allowing long-distance transmission of electricity for the first time.
• First Air Brake - 1869
  The first practical air brake for railroads was invented by George Westinghouse in the 1860s and patented in 1869.

Greetings from Pittsburgh!!

I'm sorry it's been a couple of days since my last post (and I'm sure all 10 of our readers sorely missed me...). I notice Tim has been kind of enough to blog every 3.7 minutes, so I doubt anyone has been lacking something to read.

I'm joining you from the great American city of Pittsburgh, PA! I'm here for the next week or so visiting family, taking care of business, and all that joyous stuff. I've got some fun posts planned and I hope I can get to them all while I'm here.

Since I've mentioned the Steel City, how about some fun facts about America's heartland:

First, some lingo- if you're ever in Pittsburgh you should know:
We don't say rubberband, we say gumband.
We use jimmies not sprinkles on our ice cream.
It's pop, not soda
It's a sucker, not a lollipop


For a Pittsburghese pronunciation guide, go here.

As you and all my friends and acquaintances now know, I'm very proud of my Pittsburgh roots.

Also, this year the Pittsburgh Steelers are headed to the Super Bowl!! Or so I believe. But they are the AFC North Champs!

There's much more to come, look for my other posts later this afternoon! I'm going to incorporate a Pittsburgh theme into as many as I can. :-)