Category Archives: Kids ‘burgh

BIG SOCIAL

Big Brothers Big Sisters BIG SOCIAL.  I have a friend who volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and raves about it.  The Big Social is an easy way to learn more about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program here in Pittsburgh.

If you ever thought about volunteering as a mentor, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh is hosting a bash with you as the guest of honor. After a long day at work, let loose and enjoy a live DJ, food and cocktails as you network and talk about what mentoring is like with current Big Brothers and Big Sisters in the Pittsburgh area. There is no obligation needed. Just consider it an excuse to have fun.

Big Social
Thursday September 6, 2007
5:30-8:30pm
AVA, Corner of Baum and Highland

Party for Potter

Sorry I am not talking about a party for Chris Potter editor of the city paper (Chris – we will have a party for you) – I am talking about the man of the hour Harry Potter. I am one of the few people who is not crazy for Harry Potter but I love that so many other people in Pittsburgh are excited for this book.

I came across this party at Joseph-Beth Booksellers and I thought I would do a little google search to see who else is celebrating the latest Harry Potter book. Guess what – every one is having a party for Mr. Potter.

Here are the independent book sellers (shop local!) that are hosting parties. You can see the entire list of Harry Potter Parties at the bottom of the Tribune-Review article. (even more events, movies and parties are listed in the Post-Gazette).

  • Joseph-Beth Booksellers: The festivities begin at 10 p.m., and will include an owl from the National Aviary. SouthSide Works, 2705 E. Carson St., South Side. 412-381-3600
  • Mystery Lovers Bookshop: The Oaks, the nearby movie theater, will give a special showing of the new “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” film at 9:30 p.m. Patrons can then walk to the store to get their books at midnight, although the store will host in-store events beginning at 9:30 p.m. 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. 888-800-6078
  • Munchkin’s Bookshelf: Party kicks off at 11 p.m., and includes a store-created Harry Potter Macarena. At 11 a.m. for Morning Madness, representatives from the National Aviary will bring an owl. 10616 Perry Hwy., Pine. 724-933-6257

Help Pittsburgh 6th Grader with a New Baseball Field

So I am just catching up on the IheartPGH emails and I was more than happy to read this one from Ellen M.

Hello I Heart PGH BLOG,
I am Ellen McCague and I’m a 6th grade Creative Writing Major at Rogers Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts. I have just recently won the Pittsburgh Regional Briggs & Stratton Diamonds In The Rough. I am now going for national but I need votes.
Go to www.briggsdiamondsintherough.com and vote for Ellen M.
It takes 10 seconds. Go to the website, fill in the dot next to Ellen M., put in an e-mail address, and click submit! It would help so much.
Diamonds In The Rough is an essay contest which can help me get a new field for my school. I go to Roger CAPA but I play softball at Sunnyside Elementary which is on Stanton Ave. in Stanton Heights. If you could put this on your blog for everybody to see it would help so much.
Thanks So much again,
Ellen M.

Git Aht! – Things To Do This Weekend

(Things to do while trying to figure out how to get into Folino’s without proper ID…)

Friday, October 13
Scitech Spectacular, 5:30 p.m., Carnegie Science Center, North Shore Side

do_and_dont
Correct (left) and then, y’know… not so much.

“Ride a Freakin’ Segway!” is what this one boils down to. Oh, ok, those guys that did the Mentos/Diet Coke dancing Waters thing are gonna be there too this weekend, (I hope accompanied by a tape of Claire De Lune) but really, this is all about the opportunity to look as White & Nerdy as possible, captaining the device that was supposed to “change the way cities are built” around an obstacle course in the best possible time. If there aren’t prizes, there damn well should be. I dunno, pocket protectors or something… Gold-plated 20-sided dice maybe…

The Scitech Spectacular is full of cool things to do beyond the Segway, like the Rinspeed Senso, a car that ” senses the driver” and looks like the kind of thing you’d hop into to chase down people running away from Carousel. There’s a Hi-Tech (their spelling, not mine, some sort of marketing thing, I think) Sports and vehicles show, river education tours (Like, you get educated, not the river. The river was home-schooled and anyway, it don’t need your education, it don’t need your thought control), and all manner of other events, but allow me to reiterate: Ride A Freakin’ Segway. End of story.

Sound Bytes, 9:00 p.m., Wood Street Galleries, Dahntahn
kilmerWood Street Galleries continues it’s Sound Bytes series, a mixture of Art and Music with Natura Nasa, who are described as sounding like “something like a nightmare and a flying dream”. Gotcha, I dig it. I love flying dreams, personally. Hell, I just enjoy dreams. Like… Anyone else have that dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid, with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you? No?

Saturday, October 14
St. Benedict The Moor/Epiphany Nationality Food Fest/Frankie Capri, 2:00 p.m., Uptahn
This weeks winner of the prestigious “Longest Item Title” award…

I received the following important communique from the Dishers

“The man, the myth, the legend, Frankie Capri is performing at the St. Benedict the Moor/Epiphany Food Fest this Saturday from 2-5. Heck, I thought he was dead. If you haven’t seen Frankie before, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.”

“Ethnic food and the complete and utter lunacy of Mr. Capri. What’s not to like?”

I couldn’t have said it better myself, which is probably why they’re what I like to call “writers” and I’m more of a scribbler. Or a typist with a gift for googling local events. Whichever. The Fest runs all weekend and also has a Tiki Lounge. One more thing, and I have saved the best for last: they will be serving free beer during the Steelers game on Sunday. Lemme say that again: FREE BEER. Do I have to draw you a drunken picture? ‘Cause if I do, it’ll be a charcoal rendering of Sienna Miller. In the style of Renoir, if you know what I mean. Yeah!

Speaking of which, Sienna, baby doll, you never wrote to me. What’s up wit dat? My sweet limey love muffin, you’re only in town for a couple more days, and we need to make the most of it. I can get you into Folinos, no problem. They know me there.

OUTrageous Bingo/Flaming Fall Frolic 6:30 p.m. and whenever, Goodwill, Sahsside, then The Sideways 8 Club, Shadyside
“Drinking For A Cause” makes a strong return this weekend with two events that serve as fundraisers for the Shepherd Wellness Community, a local AIDS outreach program. First on the fabulous docket is something called “OUTrageous Bingo”. Allow me to quote from the release: “A very VERY gay old time with a drag show at intermission.” I’m not sure about the booze level at this first one, since it’s at Goodwill, and I don’t think they’ve got a liquor license yet, but it’s located on the Sahsside, so it’s only a matter of time, really. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., games start at 7:30. $15 at the door. Tickets available in advance are $12 and can be purchased at:

  • A Pleasant Present
  • Banner Coin Exchange
  • Klavon’s Ice Cream
  • Tuscany Cafe

And after you’ve had your fill of giggling like Beavis and Butthead every time “O 69” gets pulled from the old ball bucket, (I went to one of those Sunday Night Catholic Church Bingo bashes once, and there was an older lady there who had New Years Eve noisemakers just for when O 69 was pulled), head on up to the Ol’ Sideways 8 Club, which is real life is called the 5801 Video Lounge on Ellsworth (formerly New York, New York just to fully confuse the issue) for the “Flaming Fall Frolic”, where you’ll enjoy $1 off all drinks, free appetizers and the piano stylings of Al Snyder.

Drink and Draw: Burlesque Style , 5:00p.m., Brillobox, Upper Larryville
sallyrandThis one will give me the chance to brush up on my charcoal rendering techniques in advance of my session with Sienna. Brillobox is hosting drop-in model sessions for artists beginning in October, and this is the first one. How it works is, you pay a fee to get in, bring your art supplies, and draw (or paint) the models that will be on hand to pose for you. This session’s theme is burlesque, drawing inspiration from the vaudeville queens and their outrageous costumes. Short description: two models, one in feathers, the other in satin and Lace. No photography or oils, dry mediums and water-based paints acceptable. If the one wearing feathers looks at all like Sally Rand, let me know so I can get up there and propose marriage immediately. Any further questions, call them at 412.621.4900.

(Thanks to Susan for sending this one in… )

Sunday, October 15
Gold Diggers of 1933, 8:00 p.m., Regent Square Theater, Regent Square (Duh.)
kanyeI ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger…

This is a film that was shot in the five year period between the advent of talkies and the enforcement of the Hays Code, so it’s something of a groundbreaker and historical oddity. Filled with sex, money, power, it’s the story of how far a good girl can go before she becomes a bad girl. (Short answer: The Firehouse on a Saturday Night)

The opening scene is chorus girls wearing giant gold coins. Sold.

Long Ago And Far Away, 8:00 p.m., Manchester Craftsmens Guild
ACFFA6Billed as “an original interactive performance created by Kim Nazarian of New York Voices”, Long Ago And Far Away doesn’t have anything to do with Star Wars, from what I can gather, but it still seems to be a good thing to do of a Sunday Evening, and the Steelers will be done by the time this starts. (Hell, they might be done done by the time this thing starts if the offense can’t get something going.)

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Got an event planned? Would you like a whole flock of yinzers with disposable income to show up? Let Git Aht know by sending the electronic mail to gitaht@gmail.com.

Git Aht: Things To Do This Weekend

(Things to do while getting ready to sing “Oh Say Can Yinz See”)

Friday, June 30
Nine Inch Nails, 7:00 p.m., Post Gazette Pavillion
Mercer High School band member Trent Reznor brings the Nails to town, so pale yourself up and enjoy the angst. Openers are 80’s Goth stalwarts Bauhuas and the delightfully reserved and timid Peaches. (She of the greatest post break-up song ever, I won’t link ’cause we’re a family site, but if you know Peaches, you know the song I’m talking about.) Incredibly Awesome Reznor Trivia: Trent played Professor Harold Hill in his high school production of The Music Man, so see if he’ll shout out a couple choruses of “Marian The Librarian” at the show tonight.

Grease, 8:00 p.m., Benedum Center
Please, don’t stand up and shout “What was Shatner like to work with on TJ Hooker?!?” when Adrian Zmed is on stage as the Teen Angel character. I mean, he’s probably heard that one before. Besides, we all know Shatner’s a pain in the ass to work with anyway, so there’s no point in asking Zmed again. Let’s all move on.

Saturday, July 1
Satruday Light Brigade Live Broadcast, 10:00 a.m., Pittsburgh Children’s Museum
Local radio, live at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. This is your “family” event for the weekend, or at least, the family event I found that seems to be the coolest. Hell, it makes me wanna get a family for the weekend, maybe like, I dunno, rent one, just so I can go to this thing. SLB is a local show, produced out of WRCT for like, ever it seems. So get local, and go support Larry and Rikki Berger and the rest of the crew.

Pittaburgh Three Rivers Regatta, All Day, Downtown
“Float On” said the Modest Mouse… There’s so much going on, we just don’t have the space to describe it all… So some highlights for Saturday:

  • Grand Prix Powerboat Races, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Jet Ski Stunt show, 11 a.m., 1:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m.
  • The Mister Rogers Sing-Along Movie Shoot, 5 p.m., Main Stage at the Point. Breen mentioned this the other day here
  • The Violent Femmes add it up at 8:30 p.m. This is the highlight if you’re an old guy like me.

The Space Pimps CD Release Party, 7:00 p.m., Mr. Smalls, Millvale
Local Pop-Punkers (Punk-Poppers? I dunno…) The Space Pimps throw a gig with a bunch of local bands the celebrate the release of their new disc “Turn It Up” at the great Mr. Smalls Theater compound. The Pimps are gearing up for national tour including some Warped Tour dates, so catch them before they get all famous and start puttin’ on airs n’at.

Sunday, July2
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 8:15 p.m., Hartwood Acres
Mozart, Bruch and Beethoven rock the funkin’ hizzy Sunday night, and the PSO goes along for the ride. Note to single guys: The Violinist is really cute, but I would advise against throwing your hotel room key on stage as any shiny flying objecs will distract the drummers and interrupt the show. We percussionists are easily distracted, see, because we’re not real bright. Seriously, one time, the bass player in this band I was in locked his keys in the car and had to break a window to get me out.

March of The Penguins, 9ish, Flagstaff Hill
FREE! FREE! FREE! No, this isn’t a film about the possible exodus of our beloved hockey team, this is the one about the birds that caused all the ruckus last year. Seriously, how did this great little documentary become a political football? Just let me watch my damn penguin movie! Anyway, maybe all the shots of Antarctica will cool you down in the midst of high Summer. Go see this and enjoy the night air and the dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman describing the mating habits of flightless waterfowl. Rent a tux, get into the spirit of the thing.