My Pittsburgh Parking Court Battle

When I visited Pittsburgh in December, I helped the economy by staying at a hotel, eating at restaurants, and visiting several attractions. Sure, there were taxes associated with all of these purchases, but I also gave money directly to the city of Pittsburgh courtesy of a parking ticket. I paid the ticket by mail but then received a letter regarding late fees. I was not happy, so I sent my own letter back appealing the fee. I'm sharing all of this since the statute of limitations may have expired by now. At least, I hope they expired.

Dear Pittsburgh Parking Court,

I am writing regarding parking ticket number [redacted]. I received the ticket on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 after the meter expired near Mercy Hospital. I was in Pittsburgh visiting [redacted again] for [a reason] at Mercy Hospital. 

Sean's Note: I probably should have combined these two sentences, but I wanted to make a point that I was at a hospital and not just galavanting around town.

I paid for 2 hours of parking, and when the meter was about to expire, I attempted to add more time using the app. Unfortunately, I had difficulties using the app and then assisting [redacted one more time] during the discharge process. By the time I returned to my car, the meter expired and I received the $40 ticket. I am not disputing the ticket itself.

The reason that I'm writing is about the late fees currently on my account. On January 19, 2023, I called the Pittsburgh Parking Authority since I knew the ticket due date was January 18th, and I was concerned that the check had not been processed and my account showed a late fee. The representative I talked to assured me that there would be no late fee as long as the envelope was postmarked by the due date. However, as of today, January 31st, there is now a second late fee even though the $40 check has been processed. When I talked to the Pittsburgh Parking Authority representative today, she said that the payment must be received by the due date in order to avoid late fees which completely contradicts my conversation two weeks ago. She also suggested that I could appeal the late fee by writing this letter. 

Again, I am not appealing the ticket and paid the $40. I am appealing the additional $38 from two separate late fees since I feel that I paid my original ticket on time. In addition, I question why there is a second late fee when I was led to believe that my original payment was sufficient. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Although I never received a response, when I checked my account balance online several weeks later, it showed $0. I guess case closed!

Now might also be the time to mention one key point to this story. The reason for the late fee was because I didn't want to pay the $2.95 processing fee for paying the parking ticket online. Instead, I spent 60 cents for a stamp to mail the original payment, another 60 cents for another stamp for the appeal letter, and way too much time talking with officials in Pittsburgh (or waiting on hold before talking to them) and writing the letter. I definitely showed that online payment system!

Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse

A friend of my parents refused to ride over the George Westinghouse Bridge in North Versailles. For my non-Pittsburgh friends, Versailles is not pronounced like the palace in France. It's Ver-sails (like he sails the seven seas). Ah, I miss  the pronunciations of Western Pennsylvania. Anyway, she had a dream that the bridge collapsed when she was on it and found routes to completely avoid the bridge. I always thought this was a little ridiculous.

Of course, most people who read this blog know that the Fern Hollow Bridge, only 6 miles away from the Westinghouse Bridge, collapsed on Friday. This bridge goes over Frick Park and links Point Breeze and Regent Square to Squirrel Hill. Again, for my non-Pittsburgh friends, this bridge is at the start of Forbes Avenue, one of Pittsburgh's most essential streets, which goes through Squirrel Hill, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and into downtown. As another reference, this bridge is about 2 miles from the Tree of Life synagogue. And I've gone over the Fern Hollow Bridge hundreds of times.

Amazingly, there were no casualties or even serious injuries. While four people went to the hospital, this could have been disastrous. A lot of talk is naturally going to be about infrastructure. And it should be. The fact that more than $4 billion in PennDOT revenues from the state's Motor License Fund was "diverted to other areas of state government, including  $2.45 billion to the Pennsylvania State Police to help subsidize police coverage in communities without local law enforcement" is certainly problematic. Pennsylvania has one the highest gas taxes in the country, and the turnpike brings in millions (if not billions) in revenue each year. That money is supposed to go to roads and bridges. Overall, I really hope that states do some serious review of their infrastructure. I guess the federal government actually gets some credit for doing something in passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That money needs to turn into action.

Photos by Gene J. Puskar/AP and Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive

The End Of The O

News came out on Saturday that The Original Hot Dog Shop, better known as "The O," closed. Props to my friend Alan for publishing the first article about this at Pittsburgh Sports Now. Anyway, The O is, I mean was, (I'm going to jump between past and present tense a lot in this post) located in the heart of the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. Even though it's not technically part of the University of Pittsburgh campus, the restaurant is across the street from the law school, a few buildings down from some residence halls, and close to several university hospitals. While hot dog is obviously in the name of the restaurant, The O may be best known for its French fries. An order of small fries is enough for 2 people. A medium can easily serve 3-4. The best way to eat the fries is to order a side of the cheese sauce, especially since you only get one ketchup for a small and two for a medium. 

I just went through my blog archives, and while I mentioned The O several times, I never described what the restaurant meant to me. My great uncle used to take me there as a child, and I'm pretty sure I ate there before a few Pitt football games with him and my dad. We definitely ate there as an entire family. On the last day of my senior year of high school when seniors got out early, I went there for lunch with some friends. I had several drinks there after I turned 21. Even though I haven't lived in Pittsburgh in many years, I still tend to eat there nearly every trip back. I'm glad that I can say that all of my kids ate at The O during our visit last summer.

Restaurants come and go. It's a tough business. I think we're going to see a significant number of restaurants not return once COVID-19 is gone. However, I never thought that The O would be one of those restaurants. It's an institution. It's a place where doctors and professors eat lunch and where college students eat and drink late at night. The O wasn't supposed to close. I'm really going to miss it.

More information about the closing is available via KDKA and The Pitt News.

Dave Grohl, Big Bird And Elmo Visit Pittsburgh

There’s a lot going on in the world. There was another mass/school shooting on Thursday, this time in Santa Clarita, California. Impeachment hearings are occurring in the House. The Steelers played horribly in last night’s loss against the Cleveland Browns, yet all anyone is talking about (probably rightfully) is Myles Garrett swinging a helmet and smashing Mason Rudolph’s head with it. Oh, the Cortaca game at MetLife Stadium is also happening on Saturday.

So with all of this going on, I’m writing a post about...Sesame Street. Dave Grohl of Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and The Moopets did a song called "Here We Go" with Big Bird and Elmo, and they all traveled together around the country. Here’s a picture of their stop in Pittsburgh.

I think Grohl, Elmo, and Big Bird picked an excellent spot seeing the entire city skyline from Mt. Washington.

The full video of their adventure is here:

One Year Later

The horrific shootings at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh occurred one year ago this weekend. I shared my thoughts in the immediacy of this tragedy and wrote another post about the victims. So what has happened in the last year? Did Pittsburgh become a turning point and become the last mass shooting in America? Sadly, we all know the answer to this. Shootings in El Paso, Dayton, and Virginia Beach rightfully received significant coverage, but there have been even more shootings in the last 12 months. "Time" listed those that occurred through in 2019 July. Did the government finally decide that enough was enough and enact legislation for background checks or restricting certain types of weapons? Of course not. With that written, I’ll give Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto credit for trying to do something, even though it will likely be tied up in courts for years.

So what has changed in the last year? I’ll write about my personal experiences 250 miles away from Tree of Life, the synagogue I attended growing up and where my brother and I had our Bar Mitzvahs. My current synagogue underwent a security assessment resulting in numerous changes including things related to locks and cameras with the most notable being an emergency alert system inside the building. (It’s basically a fire alarm system, but instead of pulling it to immediately contact the fire department, this immediately contacts the police.) Naturally, none of this was in the budget which necessitated a fairly substantial fundraising campaign. There are always police at the building for services and during religious school. My kids probably don’t think twice about this and are used to seeing police every time they go to the synagogue, but I am not. Yes, I’m glad they are there, but I don’t want them to be there. I don’t like having to think about someone potentially attacking the synagogue and needing a police presence to discourage or stop this every time I go to pray or to drop off my kids.

What really struck me was the rabbi saying that she was encouraged (presumably by law enforcement) to keep her cell phone on during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in case she needed it for an emergency. I get that cell phones are everywhere, but the sanctuary is one of the few places where you don't expect them, and particularly on the podium used by the rabbi.

I’m sure that my synagogue isn't alone. Many churches, mosques, and other religious institutions around the country have likely done similar things. So what has changed in the last 12 months? Besides additional security and the costs associated with it, I don't know. I wish that I had some type of insightful or meaningful conclusion here, but I don't. The people who lost family and friends much too soon certainly honor and remember their loved ones. This will especially be the case this weekend on the anniversary. You just hope and pray that something like this doesn't happen again. You thank the police officers for helping protect people (particularly the Pittsburgh police officers who were wounded in the line of duty when responding to the Tree of Life shootings). And perhaps we can also see more instances of people coming together like what happened in Pittsburgh in the days and weeks after October 27, 2018.

Pittsburgh Vacation

We took a family trip to Pittsburgh recently, and I thought I would share some pictures of the trip which included stops at the Children’s Museum, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and PNC Park for a Pirates game. Enjoy!

I have family that live on Mount Washington, and I went into their home for the first time during this trip. If I lived here, I don’t think I’d ever leave. The view is just spectacular.

I know that I’ve shared memories of this place before, but I love going to The O. This is a medium order of fries!

We took the kids to the Phipps, and this was the first time I’d been there in over a decade. It’s so beautiful. There was a Vincent van Gogh exhibit, and the Phipps staff deserve major credit for creating a scavenger hunt booklet where kids need to find replicas of van Gogh paintings. The Moose (8) and Pedro Tulo (5) were all about completing the hunt. They also had a special project where kids could dig and make and take a plant. The picture above is Pedro Tulo before he got dirt all over the place (including on his cast). Not pictured is Luigi (1 & 1/2) falling causing a bump on his forehead and a cut above his lip.

These are from the Children's Museum. On Thursday, he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.

I was really hoping to have llama AND iguana during this trip, but sadly this place in The Strip District was out of iguana.

One of my favorite things to do in life is attend a Pirates game. As an added bonus, it was fireworks night!

Until next time, Pittsburgh!

Remembering The Victims Of The Squirrel Hill Synagogue Shooting

Now that we know the victims of Saturday's horrific shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, I want to share some of their stories. I really don't want to hear about the gunman and his hatred. Law enforcement, lawyers, and a judge and jury will take care of that. This post is to remember those who tragically lost their lives just for being at synagogue. Please note that stories below are from friends who posted them on Facebook as well as links from newspapers and websites.

Dan Stein

* Yesterday was the worst day of my life! My dads life was taken at the Tree of Life shooting. My mom, sister and I are absolutely devastated and crushed! Our lives now are going to have to take a different path, one that we thought would not happen for a long time. My dad was a simple man and did not require much. In the picture below he was having a great day doing two things he loved very much. He had just finished coming from synagogue, which he loved, and then got to play with his grandson which he loved even more! We love you dad more than you’ll ever know! Thanks in advance for all the love and support!

* Dan was an inspiring man. Hands down the best coach I ever had. With a big heart filled with compassion, he helped us young boys become the men we are today. Our thoughts are with you.

The Tribune-Review also published an article titled "Squirrel Hill shooting victim Dan Stein remembered as a kind soul."

Mel Wax

* Mel Wax was a fixture in my synagogue growing up, called New Light. He was my informal bar mitzvah tutor, I guess you could call it, helping teach the prayers. He *always* told jokes. He treated me like a real person, not just a kid. We were a small synagogue, and if there wasn’t a minyan (a minimum of 10 people) on a Saturday morning, he’d use the Temple’s phone to call me to get the hell down there. (They had decided you could use the phone on Shabbat if you were trying to put together a minyan. Sensible rule.). I’ve worn tefillin exactly once in my life, but it was Mel who had the patience to show me what to do and take me through the ritual. He was probably the one person besides our parents to give positive feedback on the Purim plays that [name redacted] and I would write together, which looking back on it were *insane* (setting the Purim story in the middle of the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings, with lines for each member on the Judiciary Committee? Why not!). I have a very distinct memory of Mel shaking his head watching a Steelers-49ers game all at the Temple when a rookie Barry Foster forgot to field the kickoff, resulting in the longest onside kick in NFL history. And he greeted me warmly when I came home for the high holidays my freshman year of college, asking me how life was all the way on the other side of the state.

Mel Wax was a good man. You all know a Mel Wax, at your church or synagogue or mosque or school or in your neighborhood. A person who makes an impact on others just be being themselves and doing what they do week in and week out. Mel Wax was murdered yesterday in a terrible act, along with 10 others — including other parents or friends of friends — doing what he did every single Saturday morning for his entire life, precisely *because* of what he was doing.

Mel, your memory is a blessing.



Cecil and David Rosenthal

* When you hear the names Cecil and David Rosenthal today, please know they were joyous men who overcome so many challenges and obstacles to life. They were so much more than our neighbors in Stanton Heights. With a mother named Joy, they couldn’t be anything other than a love to their parents and siblings and our entire community. Our family has so many great memories of them from Cecil giving me a joyous cheer during my Bar Mitzvah to their constant presence throughout Sq Hill especially at the JCC to the great big hugs Cecil loved to give. They died doing something they loved and have done every week, practicing our blessed and ancient religion of Judaism. We and everyone who interacted with David and Cecil were lucky to have done so. A monster may have taken their bodies, but he did not steal our memories, our faith or our collective resolve. Our hearts ache for the entire Rosenthal family and all the families of those who were senselessly taken by that monster.

* As a child, I would sit in the congregation and look for the dedicated brothers that were always there to worship. I admired their dedication, though I didn’t share it. They were always there. It was such a huge part of their lives. My heart breaks that they were taken away. The last time I attended Tree of Life was 2 years ago. I brought my kids to Rosh Hashanah services. Before I could focus on the Rabbi, I needed to find the brothers. There they were. I told my kids about them, their love for worship, and the community. I will always think of them. I am so incredibly sorry for all of the families’ losses.

Both the Tribune-Review and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had articles about Cecil and David.

I also highly recommend checking out The Washington Post, Post-Gazette, and Buzzfeed who all have profiles and more about each of the 11 victims.

Let's also pray or share positive thoughts to those injured in the shooting, including several Pittsburgh police officers.

Finally, I attended a vigil on Sunday night at my Northern Virginia synagogue. One person in attendance wore a Troy Polamalu jersey. That just seems so Pittsburgh, and I will always love my home town!

The Attack At Tree of Life Synagogue

I am sad and I am angry, but I'm mostly sad. On Saturday morning, a gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh, killed 11 people, and wounded several others including 4 Pittsburgh police officers. Tree of Life is the synagogue I belonged to growing up. I attended Hebrew and Sunday school at Tree of Life and had my Bar Mitzvah there. Therefore, Saturday's shooting hits really close to home.

For a little background, Tree of Life was a massive synagogue. The main sanctuary can seat over 1,000 people, and when I was young in the late 70s and early 80s, they used to hold two services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to accommodate everyone. Basically, there was an A service and a B service. The membership numbers have dropped over the years for a variety of reasons including the fact that there aren't as many Jews that attend conservative synagogues in Squirrel Hill as there used to be. Since Tree of Life is still a large building though, there were three separate services for three separate congregations occurring on Saturday.

Although I moved away from Pittsburgh years ago, I'm sure that I still know people who attend Tree of Life, and I definitely know people who live near the synagogue. I already learned that the father of someone I know was killed. He recently became a grandfather, and I feel awful for the family. I may know others when the victims' names are released on Sunday (or at least I'll know someone who knows someone). We've now seen shootings with multiple casualties in places of worship such as Charleston, South Carolina and Sutherland Springs, Texas in the last few years. This is in addition to shootings at Virginia Tech, Stoneman Douglas High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, a concert in Las Vegas, an Orlando club, countless workplace shootings, and so many others. This is where I'm angry. Mass shootings happen ALL THE TIME. Outside of Pittsburgh, Saturday's shooting at Tree of Life will be likely be out of the news cycle in a few days.

After Saturday’s shooting, President Trump spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One. As part of his remarks, he said, "If there was an armed guard inside the temple, they would have been able to stop him."



I don't swear on this blog and rarely due in person, but fuck you. Seriously, fuck you. You have no empathy whatsoever. You're blaming the victims because there wasn't an armed guard immediately after the shooting occurred. Four highly trained police officers were wounded when facing the shooter. There was certainly plenty of security in Las Vegas when over 50 people were killed at a concert. Why is it assumed that an armed guard would be successful in stopping someone with multiple guns including an automatic weapon in a surprise attack? Plus, why would we want to live in a country where we need armed guards at places of worship? Do you really want armed guards at every restaurant, grocery store, daycare, hardwood store, laundromat, etc.? Guns are definitely part of the problem. I know I've written this before, but I attended a school district that had the day off for the first day of deer hunting season. My high school also had a hugely successful rifle team. In general, I don't have an issue with guns. What I do have an issue with is the types of guns available and that we don't have laws (or enforce laws) that make it difficult for people to obtain them. Why don't we have universal background checks or require a license to own a gun? I'm really not interested in having a debate about this as mass shootings continue to happen. And if you think a good person with a gun or having armed personnel everywhere is going to solve everything, you're delusional. How many accidental deaths will there be from a "good person with a gun" shooting someone they think is a bad person with a gun? Will all of these guns be properly secured? Let's say there is someone with a gun with the intention of doing harm. If everyone has a gun, will people just start shooting anyone else with a gun thinking they are the bad guy? How will police distinguish the bad guy in this situation?

Back to the sad part. I spent Saturday with my family knowing that the shooting in Pittsburgh occurred and wanting to know more of what was going on, but I wasn't about to turn on the TV in front of the kids. How do we explain to our 7 and 4 year-old kids that there was a shooting in a synagogue? They see police at our synagogue during the High Holidays, but they don't understand why. Now, it seems like they will be there all the time. My one year old will likely always see police at synagogues. And this makes me sad. Why can't we pray and be part of a community where we don’t have to worry about our safety? Maybe I’m being naïve here. Something has to change. We don't need more VegasStrong or PittsburghStrong slogans.

Trip To Pittsburgh

We took a family trip back to the 'Burgh last weekend, so of course I have some notes (and pictures) from the trip. This never gets old.

* I had never been on the USS Requin before. While I found it very cool, I would not recommend taking an 11-month old on it as you have to climb from compartment to compartment. Not very easy to carry a kid through this. Who knew that submarines weren't designed for infants?

* Major props to Eat 'N Park in Homestead for having this sign in the bathroom.

And yes I bought Smiley Cookies from, um, Smiley Cookie as one person once said. (This gaffe alone should have disqualified Donald Trump from the presidency.)

* I've gone to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (the dinosaur museum) since I was a young child and I've always parked on the street. For this visit, I parked in the garage behind the museum. Has the garage always been there or is it brand new?

* There was a guy wearing a Jurassic Park T-shirt at the Carnegie Museum. I thought about taking a picture, but that would have been rude (and I couldn't stealthily take one without getting his face and/or his kids in the picture).

* A highlight for the kids was the blue slide at Frick Park. The blue slide isn't quite as blue as it used to be.

By the way, very nice job by the people who use the playground. People left cardboard boxes there so that kids could use them to slide down.

* Who would travel to Pittsburgh and wear Pittsburgh sports gear just walking around the city without going to a game? Makes no sense!

* Speaking of places where kids shouldn't be, I had an opportunity to be a guest on The YaJagoff! podcast. However, John and Rachael were broadcasting from The All-Star Craft Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival at PNC Park where you had to be 21+ to attend. None of my kids can pass for 21, so maybe next time. (I should have had my kids stand on each other's shoulders while wearing a trench coat. That would have worked!)

* This is the third consecutive trip to Pittsburgh where I did not stop at The O. Stupid Pennsylvania Turnpike traffic (and very heavy rain) for ruining my lunch plans!

* I drove by the house where I grew up which is currently for sale. My parents sold the house about 8 years ago. Anyway, it looked the same from the outside, but I'm not sure if the current owner moved out or is just lazy or unable to attend to the yard, and I couldn't get past how awful the yard looked. Grass was overgrown and you could barely see the concrete path in the front yard leading to the door. And now this song is in my head.

* Oh, it was also odd seeing my elementary school not there anymore. It was an administrative office for many years, and apparently it was torn down a few years ago. Now it's just grass.

* Naturally, I randomly ran into my brother's first grade teacher and her daughter who someone I knew from when I was in high school. Because Pittsburgh.

Hopefully, I'll be back to the 'Burgh again soon.

Eating In Pittsburgh In 24 Hours

I made a somewhat impromptu visit to Pittsburgh this weekend. While it was extremely odd driving on the Parkway East and not seeing the Greenfield Bridge, I thought I would share what I ate over the past few days.

- Filet-O-Fish and fries at McDonalds

- Pierogis, pizza and the Pious Monk Dunkel beer at The Church Brew Works.

- Whatever drink this is at Hidden Harbor.

(By the way, Hidden Harbor is such a random place. It's a tiki bar right by the corner of Shady & Forbes in Squirrel Hill. I was also at least 10 years older than just about everyone in the bar. I guess this is the new hip place? Squirrel Hill has hip places? I remember a day where you went shopping for clothes at Newman's and London Dock on Forbes. In related news, I'm old.)

- Vanilla milkshake at Eat 'n Park.

- French toast and orange juice at Eat 'n Park (not at the same meal as the milkshake)

- A burger and a side of pasta salad at Benjamin's on the North Side.

- A cinnamon sugar pretzel from Sheetz.

So I didn't really eat "healthy" this weekend. Well, there were some apples on the burger. Milk is part of the milkshake, so that's got to count for something, right?

Speaking of healthy food, this is now two consecutive trips to Pittsburgh where I didn't go to The O. That needs to change on my next trip.

Pittsburgh Festival In Washington

Perhaps it's because Celebrate Fairfax is only days away, but I'm getting into the festival mood. I also realize that it's unlikely I'll be able to visit Pittsburgh this summer (this year?) and that makes me a little sad. Therefore, why not put the two together. That's right. I want to create a Pittsburgh festival in the Washington, DC area.

I could worry about the details like location (Dulles Expo Center?), insurance, security, etc., but today, I'm going to be an ideas man. There are thousands of Pittsburgh transplants that live in the Washington area (see the 2008 Steelers game at FedEx Field and the Post-Gazette series detailing Pittsburghers that moved away) and even more if you expand this to Baltimore. Why not celebrate our Pittsburgh-ness and expose the city to the greater Washington DC area?

The first step would be to partner with Visit Pittsburgh, the official tourism office for Pittsburgh. They are the experts on all the great things to do and see in Pittsburgh.

Here is what else this festival should have (some of this is unrealistic but others could definitely work):

- Food: You can't have a Pittsburgh festival without Pittsburgh food. Primanti's sandwiches, Quaker Steak & Lube wings, hot dogs from The O, Potato Patch fries, Peppi's Roethlisburger, pierogies, Eat 'N Park Smiley Cookies, anything from the Oakmont Bakery, Prantl's Burnt Almond Torte, Vincent's pizza, Sarris Candies, Dave & Andy's ice cream and lots of Heinz condiments. Yes, there will be Iron City beer too. I'm getting hungry!

- Some type of presence from current or former Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. Heck, we can have some Riverhounds or Maulers too. Yes, I'll even allow a visit from Steely McBeam.



- We need to have some type of Kennywood exhibit. Maybe they can build The Racer or Thunderbolt for this festival.

- Music: Let's get Wiz Khalifa, Rusted Root, The Clarks and Mac Miller, who recently wrote "I am Pittsburgh" on Twitter.

- Admissions officers from Pitt, Duquesne, CMU, Robert Morris, Chatham, Point Park, and Carlow to help recruit high school students.

- Bring a dinosaur from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum. With the dinosaur hall at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History closed until 2019, folks in DC will want to see a real dinosaur skeleton.

- An exhibit from the Andy Warhol Museum.

- A Mister Rogers and/or Daniel Tiger exhibit. Mr. McFeely could make the trip to DC again.

- Birds from the National Aviary.

- Have a giant poster showing the view of Mt. Washington where people can take a picture standing in front of it.

- Booths from some of Pittsburgh's biggest employers such as UPMC, Giant Eagle, Highmark, US Steel, and PNC Financial Services to recruit potential employees.

What else would you want to see at a Pittsburgh festival? Do you think this could happen?

Watch Out Consol Energy Center

Pittsburgh has a storied sports tradition. Perhaps because of this tradition, Pittsburgh's athletic venues have been subject to more sinister plots than anywhere else. The first occurrence took place at the Civic Arena during the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals. Fortunately, Jean-Claude Van Damme saved the day.



Then in 2011, Taylor Lautner ran around PNC Park. I don't know what was going on, but I feel like people in addition to Lautner were in trouble.



Sadly, Heinz Field was decimated by Bane and company in 2012. This was not unexpected after seeing now former mayor Luke Ravenstahl as the kicker and Hines Ward returning the kickoff.



Since the city (or was it some villain?) demolished Three Rivers Stadium in 2000, the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins since 2010 is the only current professional venue where nothing out of the ordinary happened. I hope that security remains vigilant (or that a new movie utilizes the arena for some cool scenes)!

Pittsburgh, Virginia?

Are you a Pittsburgher living in Virginia and looking for a last minute Christmas gift? Here's your chance to show your Pittsburgh spirit by, um, wearing a T-shirt with the word Pittsburgh over the map of Virginia.

While I don't get it, I'll let Teespring, the company designing these shirts, explain:

There are many Pittsburgh fans in the state of Virginia, but unique Penguins fan gear is hard to find. (Sean's note: It is even more unique to find Penguins fan gear that doesn't include anything about the Penguins on it.) Be one of a kind with this Virginia for Pittsburgh limited edition shirt. (You certainly will be one of a kind.)

Each shirt is printed on super soft premium material and remember we always offer a money back guarantee! (Not just soft, super soft!)

This shirt would be perfect...if you lived in Pittsburgh, Virginia. According to Google maps, although there are several Pittsburgh Paints stores in Virginia and a Pittsburgh Tank & Tower Corporation in Virginia Beach, there is no such place as Pittsburgh, Virginia.

Anyway, an ad for Virginia for Pittsburgh T-Shirts appeared on my Facebook feed. In looking at the reactions, plenty of other folks were confused, or worse (several NSFW comments), about these T-shirts. Ah the holiday spirit!

Return To The 'Burgh

The Taylor Allderdice High School Class of 1993 held its 20-year reunion this past weekend, so this seemed like a good excuse to visit Pittsburgh. Of course, I didn't attend Allderdice and wasn't invited to the reunion, so I just returned home to see family and friends and be a tour guide/tourist. Here are some notes from the trip:

- Attorney Edgar Snyder is everywhere! You can't drive two miles without seeing his picture on a billboard. I think he could win an election to become the next Pittsburgh mayor but that position would probably be a significant pay cut.

- While there probably isn't any type of statistical data on this, my guess is that more people wear professional sports merchandise in Pittsburgh than anywhere else in America. Most of these people wear Steelers gear including the LaMarr Woodley and two Troy Polamalu jerseys I saw at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. Sure, the people wearing the jerseys could have been going to the Steelers pre-season game later than evening, but my guess is that they just wore the jerseys because it was Saturday.

- The Children's Museum was a huge hit for my son. There were numerous interactive games and exhibits including a Clifford exhibit that he really enjoyed. The only downside was that we visited the museum on the same day as the Kindergarten Here I Come program where incoming kindergarten students could visit the museum for free. Although he held his own, my son was a little overmatched by all of the bigger kids. On the plus side, there was a school bus outside the museum that kids could enter, so that went well. Mr. McFeely of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was there too, but my son didn't notice him or know who this was.

- Is it bad that I said my son was under two so that he could get free admission into the museum? The cost for kids two and over is $11 (with the AAA discount).

- It's amazing how lost I got driving around downtown and the North Side. Despite growing up in Pittsburgh, I relied on a GPS to navigate through these areas. While I can blame construction for part of my difficulties, the reality is that I struggle with all of the one-way streets.

- We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites in the Strip District directly across the street from the Heinz History Center. The hotel was nice, the free breakfast was an added bonus, and the staff was friendly and accommodating. I wanted to get my son milk during one afternoon, but there was none for sale. Fortunately, one of the staff members got him a cup of milk from the kitchen for no cost. I’d be very happy if the Hampton Inn and Suites Pittsburgh – Downtown became the official hotel of Sean’s Ramblings. How can we make this happen?

- Sharing a hotel room with a kid can be tricky. On the first night at the hotel, we put out son in his pack-and-play, and I went into the hall until he fell asleep. About 20 minutes later, I thought it was safe to go back into the room. Unfortunately, I realized that I left my room key and cell phone in the room. I didn’t want to knock on the door on the chance that I could wake up my son, but I had my Kindle, so I tried to e-mail my wife. After about 10 minutes without a reply, I figured she already fell asleep. Naturally, I tweeted live updates about the experience.

Just realized that I don't have my room key. Carl.

— Sean's Ramblings (@seansramblings) August 10, 2013

@seansramblings maybe Carl has your room key.

— Phil Catelinet (@PhilCatelinet) August 10, 2013

@seansramblings better sleep in the lobby. You can’t be too careful.

— Phil Catelinet (@PhilCatelinet) August 10, 2013

When I went to the lobby, the staff hooked me up with a new room key. Again, amazing staff at the hopefully official hotel of Sean’s Ramblings.

- I haven’t been to Market Square in several years, but it looks really nice now.

- To the store in the Strip blasting the “Here We Go” song on a constant loop – Please mix in some other songs. Play “We Are Family,” “Pittsburgh Steelers Polka” or even “Call Me Maybe.” The 19th incarnation of Here We Go shouldn’t be played over and over again particularly in August. (Playing it once in January after the Steelers win the AFC Championship game is acceptable.)

I really wanted to show my son some of my favorite parts of Pittsburgh, but I was only able to hit a few of these spots. Of course, he’s only two, won’t remember anything about the trip and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to make it back to Pittsburgh. More importantly, my family and friends got to spend time with him, so even if he won’t necessarily remember them, they will remember seeing him.

Why Did Buffalo WR David Clowney Get An HIV Test In Pittsburgh?

One of the big stories on the internet yesterday was Buffalo Bills wide receiver David Clowney tweeting the results of his HIV and Hepatitis tests. He's clean. Before we answer my question in the title, let's look at Mr. Clowney. According to Wikipedia, Clowney was born in Amityville, New York though ESPN lists him as born in Queens. After attending high school in Delray Beach, Florida and going to college at Virginia Tech, the Green Bay Packers drafted Clowney in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. It appears that the Packers cut Clowney at some point since he signed with the New York Jets part-way through the 2007 season. Clowney played in 18 games for the Jets over the 2008-2010 seasons before being released by the team and signing with the Carolina Panthers where he played 10 games in 2010. It doesn't appear that Clowney played in 2011. Overall, Clowney has 22 career catches for 341 yards and 1 touchdown. That's basically 2-3 games for Mike Wallace.

I bring up Clowney's background since there doesn't appear to be any Pittsburgh connection. Why does this matter? Take a look at the medical results.

The testing was performed by Quest Diagnostics located at 875 Greentree Road (Parkway Center) in Pittsburgh. Did Clowney drive all the way to Greentree to take the blood test and then drive through the Fort Pitt tunnels? Clowney probably had the test done in Buffalo, but why was the testing performed in Pittsburgh? They don't have any Quest Diagnostics or anywhere else to test blood results in Western New York?

Pittsburgh Is In (According to the Washington Post)

As part of the Washington Post’s 2012 In/Out List, authors Monica Hesse and Dan Zak included this:



Hyperbole is out! The Mayans were right!

Of course, based on the title of this post, you know that I’m going to briefly discuss the Portland-Pittsburgh line. As a native Pittsburgher, naturally, I’m happy anytime that my hometown receives positive recognition. Sure, National Geographic naming Pittsburgh one of the 20 world’s must-see destinations was huge (Pittsburgh and Sonoma, CA were the only two locations in the US). All of the movies filmed in Pittsburgh in 2011 also provided wonderful exposure. However, living in DC and seeing this in the Washington Post was a nice surprise.

The cynical me might suggest that the Post’s inclusion of Pittsburgh in the "In" column could be related to the full-page ad by VisitPittsburgh promoting Pittsburgh on the back page of the December 11, 2011 Travel section. However, since I agree with this selection, I would never suggest such a thing.

The Post’s Maura Judkis has more about the "Pittsburgh is in" selection.

When Did Pittsburgh Become a Rap Town?

In 2007, I wrote a post questioning when Pittsburgh became a country town. The Povertyneck Hillbillies appeared to be on the verge of country stardom, the Pittsburgh Pirates promotional schedule included several country acts following games and Kenny Chesney was about to sell out Heinz Field. Four years later, Kenny Chesney is still selling out Heinz Field, but there are no country acts on the Pirates schedule and the Povertyneck Hillbillies seem more like the answer to a trivia question than the next Sugarland. Instead, two of the biggest musical acts in the country, Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller, are rappers from Pittsburgh. How exactly did Khalifa & Miller become the most significant musical export from Pittsburgh since Rusted Root and Donnie Iris?

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette attempted to answer this question a few months ago in showing how Khalifa, Miller and Girl Talk (not a rapper but doing quite nicely for himself) got to where they are today. It’s a good article, but is missing one important part. In my mind, Wiz Khalifa truly hit the big time with “Black and Yellow” which became the unofficial song of Pittsburgh Steelers in their run to the Super Bowl last season. It even because the “official” song of the Steelers as Khalifa performed at Heinz Field prior to the AFC Championship game. The song was everywhere, not just in Pittsburgh, but across the country. Wiz hit the late-night circuit; Hoda and Kathie Lee used the song on the Today Show; and the song was used in dozens of parodies (my favorite was Sally Wiggin by the 96.1 Kiss FM Morning Freak Show). Eventually, it hit #1 and is still around today (see below), months after the song reached its peak.



Wiz’s follow-up song Roll Up may not match the success of Black and Yellow, but it is still a current top ten hit. Meanwhile, Mac Miller, a 19 year-old white, Jewish rapper has followed nicely in Wiz’s footsteps. Finding Miller’s videos on YouTube (many of which have over 10 million views), you can see how his songs have improved from just a few years ago to now. He may be new to me, but not to his thousands of fans, and likely the city of Pittsburgh. Plus, Miller gets huge bonus points for using the lyrics “keep a smile like an Eat ‘N Park cookie” in a song. Knock, Knock also features the best use of counting in a rap song Coolio's 1995 hit "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)." Check out Knock Knock for yourself below, but note that some lyrics may not be suitable for work.



Call it the magic touch of Benjy Grinberg, a former intern of L.A. Reid and the guy partly responsible for the success of Khalifa & Miller (and also a guy who went to the same elementary school and camp as me). What do Khalifa, Miller & Grinberg have in common? They all attended Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill. The fact that two of the biggest solo rap artists in the country went to the same high school is amazing. The fact that two of the biggest solo rap artists in the country went to Allderdice High School, a place where my aunt used to teach and where the majority of my fantasy baseball and football league attended, seems incredible (implausible could be another word to use).

Not living in Pittsburgh anymore, I’m guessing that Pittsburgh is still not a rap town. However, the success of Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller might make it that way someday.

Visit Pittsburg Or Pittsburgh

The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro, Massachusetts just outside Boston published a story yesterday titled "So you think you know Pittsburgh?" where author Paul Kandarian describes a recent visit to the Steel City. It's a great article and you can tell that Kandarian enjoyed his trip and encourages others to visit the 'Burgh. There's just one minor problem with the article. See it? (The title of this post might be a clue.)



The by-line (is that the proper word?) shows the story as from Pittsburg. How can you misspell the location that you're writing about? For shame Son, I mean Sun Chronicle. For shame!