Archives: August 01, 2006

BlogFest wrapup

Thursday, 31 August 2006 06:59 PM

How much fun was BlogFest 7? So much fun. Very big fun. Fun fun fun.

True, there was a smaller turnout than we usually have. It was bigger than the sign-in sheet would lead one to believe -- not everyone seems to have caught the sign-in fever. One of these fest we'll manage to get everyone to check in. (Click the image for a larger version, and then click individual names to jump to the relevant blogs.)

But still, the crowd was high quality, low-ish quantity. This may have been because it’s August, or because people were in shock that the Pirates had won that day in extra innings, or because everyone was preparing for the Steeler game today.

Most likely it was because they knew Woycheck wasn’t going to be there.

But all the same, there was still much fun, good discussions all around, some new faces, many old friends. Thanks all, and we'll see you again in November.

The greatest rock and roll band in the world

Tuesday, 29 August 2006 07:50 PM

Today in "I know people who are connected with the movie industry" news, my buddy Peter K sends a link to the trailer for The Pick of Destiny with Jack Black, the other Tenacious D guy, and a weird green guitar pick that rules the rock world. Also Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller, whose presence in the film is almost enough to keep me from watching it. But then I notice Meat Loaf and that guy from "Numb3rs" in the cast list also, and I realize I can't miss this one.

Peter's sister Georgia is one of the executive producers for the film. Her credits also include "Syriana," "Blow," and "Gattaca." I'm struggling to think of any other connection between "The Pick of Destiny" and "Syriana." How about this: Jack Black and Matt Damon have both been stunt cast on "Will & Grace" at one time or other.

But then again, who hasn't been stunt cast on "Will & Grace"?

Endgame

Wednesday, 23 August 2006 09:45 AM

I'll echo the stellar reviews for Endgame now playing at the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre.

PICT is, I think, the best theater company in Pittsburgh, and they've thoroughly proved my love by producing not just one Samuel Beckett play this year, but all of them. Endgame marks the start of BeckettFest, with all nineteen of his stage works showing between now and September 10. What deliciously absurd, apocolyptic, tragicomically ironic bliss!

Find out more about BeckettFest at the PICT website.

ALSO: Simon Bradbury, I love you. You're so terribly fun to watch, and that Mancunian accent melts me. Please never leave Pittsburgh. I know you're slated to take your play Charlie Chaplin Goes to War on tour next year, and it's a really great play so you should do that. But when that's done please come back and be Actor-in-Residence at PICT for all eternity. Thanks.

Ain't too proud to beg

Monday, 21 August 2006 04:23 PM

I don't know much about baseball, but even I can tell that 47 - 77 is not a good record. On the chance that new ownership could improve the situation, some of us pulled together an open plea to one of Pittsburgh's favorite sons.

There's a link at the end of the letter to add your own personal plea, rant about the Pirates, or explain why the whole thing is a silly idea. Make yourself heard.

Angels with an attitude: Ditty Bops in Pittsburgh TONIGHT

Saturday, 19 August 2006 03:40 PM

Tonight, 8pm, at the Garfield Artworks, catch the Ditty Bops live. WYEP listeners will remember "Sister Kate" from the previous record; I'm not sure what the single is from the current CD but I can say it's all good stuff and well worth a listen or three. My personal fave today is "Angel With an Attitude."

See videos, hear song clips, and check out their tour blog at their official website.

BlogFest 7 & BlogDay 2006

Wednesday, 16 August 2006 12:46 PM

Ending the summer with a bloggy bang, it's...

WHAT: Pittsburgh BlogFest 7
WHEN: Wednesday, August 30th, 2006, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM and beyond!
WHERE: Finnegan's Wake (near PNC Park, 20 General Robinson St., North Shore, 412-325-2601), in the Pub Room
WHO: All of you bloggers
AND: Creating Text(iles), Inner Bitch, Grabass (in absentia), and My Brilliant Mistakes.

As always, if you plan to attend, please RSVP by e-mailing blogfest AT closkey.com.

We planned this BlogFest to coordinate with this year's International BlogDay. BlogDay is dedicated to discovering new blogs, in other regions and areas of interest. Find out more here.

BlogDay is actually on 8/31, but that also happens to be the night of a Steelers home exhibition game -- as sensible Pittsburghers we chose not to compete with the world champions for attendance (not to mention parking on the North Shore).

But it's all for the best, because we can attend the BlogFest, meet new bloggers there, and then blog about them the next day. Glorious!

Hang on St. Christopher

Tuesday, 15 August 2006 09:41 PM

Some things I learned during my epic Motor City Madness Weekend:

• If one is truly motivated and a little lucky, it is possible to drive the 282 miles from Butler, PA to Detroit, MI in 4.5 hours.
• The final mile of exiting the highway onto downtown Detroit streets will take another half hour.
• A little luck won't help you find parking in downtown Detroit on the night of a Detroit Lions exhibition football game. For that, you have to be a lot lucky.
• I am a lot lucky.
• If you have an extra ticket to the show, you will have not the slightest bit of trouble selling it. At least one person will be waiting near the door with a wad of cash, and he will be ecstatic to buy a seat from you.
• The Detroit Opera House is a gorgeous place.
• An opera house full of Tom Waits fans is a noisy, noisy place.
• During this tour, Mr. Waits is performing mostly songs from his newish album, Real Gone. But he may not play all the songs in a given performance, and he will mix it up with some older songs.
• During every performance, when they bring out the piano, there will be red roses on it. Every performance, he will say the same thing: "You know the only thing that's better than roses on your piano? Tulips on your organ." Then after the laughter dies down, he will say, "I can't believe I said that." Even if you hear this more than once, you will laugh every time.
• "Going Out West" is a terrific, terrific song when played in a slinky, bluesy style.
• The concert will last two hours. There will be encores. The crowd will be insane, and you will be insane, and it will be wonderful.
• If your choice for seeing Tom Waits is between a 4,000-seat venue and a night club with capacity of 1250, choose the night club.
• But really, either one will be great.

Going out west where the wind blows tall

Friday, 11 August 2006 02:20 PM

Friends, I'm hitting the road to Detroit, there to see Tom Waits in concert tonight. I am so happy I could scream.

I then have the joy of spending the weekend with lovely people, watching the Steelers pre-season game in the suburbs of Detroit with Steelers fans, and whiling the vening by a bonfire.

More friend time Sunday, and then I head over to Cleveland, to the House of Blues, to meet up with other friends who will just have caught Waits's performance in Akron. And we'll all crowd into the House of Blues to see him perform again, there on the shores of Lake Erie.

It's a gorgeous day today, perfect for driving. I'm three hours late leaving. Wish me well.

The mixologist is in

Friday, 04 August 2006 07:34 PM

Has this ever happened to you?

You're out with friends, at a restaurant or a bar, or maybe a high-end party. The waiter or bartender asks what you'll have, and you discover you have no idea. You're tired of wine. And tired of beer. Ordering a rum and Coke seems so juvenile, and asking for those one of those bottled alcopops would be even worse.

No, what you want is a distinguished drink, something that requires the bartender to shake it up and pour into a chilled, stemmed glass. Or something straight, or on the rocks. Maybe something stirred? You want something that Cary Grant would order. Something he'd jump behind the bar to mix himself, with a wink, a flourish of ice cubes and jiggers, and a dash of bitters to make it just right.

But the thing is, you don't know any of those drinks. You're pretty sure a gin and tonic involves gin and tonic, and lime, but that isn't quite what you want today. What you want is something special, something perfect, something served up cold and crisp before you, to delight your palate and send the evening off to a swinging start.

And you have no idea what that something is.

Fortunately, I do. I know lots of drinkable somethings, and I know how to discover which is exactly the right drinkable something for you at this moment.

The problem is that I'm nowhere near you and your beverage predicament. I'm typing away at a computer somewhere, or enjoying my own drinkable something in the company of witty and charming people. So how can you get in touch with me to ask my beverage advice?

It's simple: Call the Happy Hour Hotline. 1-888-MY-ETHER (that's 1-888-693-8437) extension 01702843. You'll be connected to me wherever I am, and I'll talk briefly with you, determine your ideal beverage, and tell you what to order. All lickety-split.

"Wonderful!" you say. "But surely such a marvelous service isn't free."

And right you are -- it costs 99 cents per minute. But be assured that I won't keep you on the phone any longer than necessary. I want to get back to my own drink before it gets warm, you know.

Alternatively, if you need other alcohol-related advice -- what and how much to buy for a party, which small batch bourbon to give as a retirement gift, what wine to serve with Beef Wellington -- I can help you with that too.

You may not need to call now, but take a moment to sign up for an Ether account and to program the Happy Hour Hotline into your phone right now. Remember: 1-888-MY-ETHER (that's 1-888-693-8437) extension 01702843.

You never know when a beverage emergency will arise.

Copyright © 2004 – 2007 Cynthia Closkey