Make Room For Kids (#30)

Once upon a time there was an online contest where you could vote for your local Children's Hospital, where the winning hospital got a playroom from X-BOX filled with fun stuff for sick kids to take their minds off being a sick kid.
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh did not win.

Enter Ginny Montanez, a.k.a. PittGirl, from the defunct BurghBlog and the totally awesome why aren't you reading this if you are from The Burgh That's Church


Ginny has a thing about sick kids. She also has a thing about helping them. When CHoP lost out on that online voting contest Ginny decided she was going to raise the $10,000 needed to give an awesome X-Box/computer/games/playroom to CHoP, using just the awesomeness that is the people of Pittsburgh.

She contacted the Mario Lemieux Foundation, who is involved in something called The Playroom Project,that places playrooms in local hospitals. What Ginny wants to accomplish would be the first "big kid" playroom the MLF has been involved with.

Ikea of Pittsburgh also stepped up to the plate, amazingly offering $5,000 of furnishings for the playroom so that the MLF will not have to use any of the money raised on anything other than games and their accessories for the kids.


The MLF will be collecting the donations on behalf of Ginny and anyone awesome enough to donate to this cause.
You can donate HERE through PayPal and the Mario Lemieux Foundation

This is an amazing opportunity to do something good.
$1.00
$5.00
$10.00
Anything you can give will go to help a sick kid have a little bit of time where they can stop thinking about being a sick kid, stuck in the hospital.

Callapitter. (#17)

Ginny (a.k.a. Jane Pitt, a.k.a. Pitt Girl) posted this link on her Twitter account.

In April of 2009 Amy Ambrusko lost her children Peter,4, and Kate,6, in a tragic car accident.

In August of 2009 Amy started a blog, a place to vent, to reminisce about her beautiful children, a place to grieve over her loss and to relive the joys and memories she has. It's not always pretty, or always happy but it's beautiful and haunting and sad and so many other words I can't pull out of my mind right now.

"Callapitter" is Amy's story. Her journey through life after losing her children. I'm grateful this strong woman is giving people a chance to follow.

Pittsburgh Brew Fest 2009 (#14)

Friday night was Pittsburgh Brewfest at Steelhouse/Barroom/Saddle Ridge down in Station Square.

This was the second part to the awesome contest I won from the guys at Should I Drink That (If you are a beer snob you should be listening to this.)
I was excited for my second event, and a little nervous about getting to meet a lot of the people I talk to online...I guess you could call it my first Tweet-up, though I hope to get involved in more. I took my friend Natalie to the fest, and while she isn't a huge fan of beer she did find some stuff she liked. It wasn't as home brew centered as Brewing Up A Cure was, but I still had a really good time. Southern Tier, Great Lakes, Rogue, Straub, Atwater Block, Tommyknocker and Troegs to name a few (of my favorite things...)

Even better than sampling some awesome beer was meeting people I have up until last night only talked to on Twitter and Facebook, and through reading their blogs.
I had already met Doug Derda, one half of the SIDT beercast, but I also got to meet Brad (Sickpuppy) who is the other half of SIDT, Michael,Jenn,Bobby and Bethany. There were a few others there I recognized, and Michael was nice enough to point out who everyone was to me (srsly, I was like the new kid who comes into class halfway thru the year), but I didnt get a chance to meet them, it was seriosly crowded.
All in all I had a wonderful time, and am definately looking forward to attending next years event, as well as hopefully getting to hang out with some of these awesome people again.

Way-gup! Way-gup! Way-gup!

See that over there...
That loooooong assed blog roll?

Cuttin it down folks.

If it tells me you havent posted in 4 months or more its gone.

Seriously, that thing is too long.

So, yeah. Thats all.

Aaaannnndddd......DRINK!

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I proudly present....

The PUCK HUFFERS.com
OFFICIAL STAAL BROTHERS DRINKING GAME

RULES
Drinking begins at puck drop.
Pre-game media is totally masturbatory anyway, and you will be guaranteed maximum exposure. They're trying to sell the game they are about to show you to casual fans who might change the channel. Don't drink to anything they say until the first period begins--it's very dangerous. Intermissions, as you will see, are still fair game.

Single shot to be taken if:
- it is mentioned that the Staals are brothers
- if it is mentioned that there are other Staals, not present, who are also in the NHL
- if a phrase such as "sibling rivalry" is used
- if it is pointed out that BOTH STAALS ARE ON THE ICE
- if anyone mentions the sod farm
- if any random facts are introduced about the present Staals or the Staal family
- if the Staal parents are mentioned
- if any Staal reference occurs that would simply not occur in a one-Staal game

Doubleshot to be taken if:
- a comparative Staal brother graphic is shown on the screen
- if they are verbally compared AT LENGTH by the announcers (use your own discretion in deciding what "length" is)
- if a video clip of the brothers/family is shown
- if an interview with a Staal brother happens at intermission (add an additional shot if the Staal brother is asked anything about playing against his brother)
- if the Staal parents are in attendance (this cancels out taking a single shot if the parents are mentioned, but not if they are mentioned separately from the fact that they are in attendance)

If you're playing an advanced version of this game, you can mix yourself a drink and keep it nearby.
You can work on the mixed drink if:
- there is an intermission feature on the Staal brothers
- there is a mention of a Staal on Staal play, such as a Staal delivering a crushing check on another Staal, or a Staal being stripped of the puck by another Staal (This is part of the game and understandably both Staals are players and may occasionally be forced to play against one another. It's the NHL for Christ's sake. We make this mixed drink territory for the sake of your health.)
- if the game is over and the team you were rooting for shit its pants

Stop if you feel sick/want to stop. We will not be held responsible for any shit that happens to you playing this game. You play at your own risk, kids.

SOME CAUTIONARY SUPPLEMENTS
The first time we played this game, it was a regular season broadcast of Versus for the Penguins @ NYR with Jordan and Marc. Marc is a defenseman and it was the regular season and as we played strictly to rules (as long as we could even fathom the rules, that is), we were fucking waaaaaaasteddddddd. Imagine a playoff series. Imagine a forward line matchup. JStaal's line may often be given the duty of boxing in a top scoring line, much like EStaal's. This could get bad. For this reason:
- Feel free to just use mixed drinks and take one big sip for a single shot and two big sips for a doubleshot. In mixed drink territory, just drink like you normally would if you were drinking for pleasure and not giving a shit about a drinking game.
- Feel free to drink to every second or third reference.
- Feel free to wait until Game 3 or so when the novelty of the brothers matchup may have lost its luster to a certain degree and the announcers are more into the groove of hockey as opposed to hype.

Welcome to Tampa, Mayor DamnYouHaveGotBallsNstahl!

As if the Douchbaggery of Mayor Attentionwhorenstahl changing his name for the AFC Championship game wasn't enough, now we have to add to the arrest, the celebwhoring and abuse of power and the misuse of government property and all the other unprofessional petty crap, with this...

City Sources Say There Will Be No Parade If Steelers Win Super Bowl
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 – updated: 7:18 pm EST January 28, 2009

PITTSBURGH -- City sources told Channel 11's Alan Jennings on Wednesday that if the Steelers win the Super Bowl, there won't be a parade in Pittsburgh.

Concerns are that the cost would be a budget buster and the parade would cause safety issues. The last parade drew a quarter million people into the Golden Triangle and was a public safety nightmare.

Steelers fans Jennings spoke with said there has to be a parade.

"I'm for celebrating the Steelers," said Steelers fan David Lineburg.

In 2006, the Steelers Super Bowl win was done in great fanfare. Thousands jammed Pittsburgh for the parade. Toni Gentile was there.

"I was right next to Highmark. I'll never forget it," said Gentile.

Some fans created a safety havoc by running up to the vehicles carrying the players. Crowd control was a challenge.
Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com.

So let me get this right...holding a parade for the Steelers, if they were to become the FIRST TEAM IN NFL HISTORY TO WIN SIX CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES is a "budget buster"
But Mayor Luke Imawalkingjokenstahl and Dan Drinktaxoroto can head down to Tampa for the superbowl, with 2 Asshatnstahl brothers and some security jags and thats not straining the budget?

Ravenstahl taps campaign funds for Super Bowl trip
By The Tribune-Review
Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said today he will take a jet chartered by the Steelers to attend Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla.

Ravenstahl, 28, plans to leave Friday and return Monday. He said campaign funds — not taxpayer dollars — will be used to cover the cost of the plane ride, three days' lodging and a $1,000 ticket to the big game.

The mayor's brothers, Brad and Adam, will accompany him to the game, as will the mayor's two police security guards, who will travel separately. All costs will be covered by campaign funds, Ravenstahl said.

It's a great opportunity and a minimal expense for the amount of exposure that Pittsburgh will get," said Ravenstahl, who said he has been asked to appear on CBS and NBC's Today show while he's in Tampa.

The mayor said Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and his wife, Shelly, also will be on the chartered flight.

The Super Bowl showdown between the AFC champion Steelers and the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Ravenstahl predicted the Steelers will beat the Cardinals 37-20.

"It's going to be a much higher scoring game than anybody thinks," Ravenstahl said
.

Whats that Mayor Pittsburghismyownpersonalplaygroundnstahl? You are using Campaign Funds for this? You say its a legitimate Campaign expense? Can you please explain how Mayor TampaisnotinPittsburghsotheyreallycantvoteforyounstahl?

I personally dont care what you think MayorDickheadnstahl. You sauntered into this job full of piss and vinegar and people, myself included, said wow, a young mayor, full of new ideas, someone to pull Pittsburgh out of the hole its been put into, how wrong I was...thanks for helping up sink a little deeper

Head on over to Mind Bling's blog, she has a few words for Mayor Clownshoenstahl too.

Goodbye BurghBlog.

Thank you PittGirl.
Thank you for pointing out the silly, the sad, the wonderful and the beautiful about our city.
Thank you for making me laugh. Making me think. Making me remember just what it is about Pittsburgh that I love so much
Thank you for giving me a new vocabulary to spread amongst my friends.
Thank you for the nicknames, which brought knowing smiles and random high fives when yelled out during games.
Thank you for saying the things we all wanted to say sometimes.
Thank you for being a voice we all looked forward to hearing from every day.
Thank you for being Pittsburgh.

We will miss you.

I am PittGirl

I hope Karma is good to you.

Meaning...

I hope you wake up tomorrow deaf, blind and dumb if you had anything to do with this...

From www.post-gazette.com

Butterfly Girl, a bronze statue in the Children's Garden at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, has been stolen.

"It's very disheartening. These kids don't have access to another barrier-free sanctuary like this," said Todd Reeves, executive director and superintendent at the more than century-old school.

The theft, described by school officials as coldhearted vandalism, was part of the damage discovered at the $720,000 garden around 7:30 a.m. yesterday when staff began arriving for work.

A similar statue of a boy was found toppled, face down, in the herb and flower garden. An arch sculpture of fruits and vegetables, with a giant fork protruding near the top, was broken in half, the broken section lying on the ground.

The Children's Garden, though aesthetically attractive, was equally important as an outdoor classroom and recreation space for the 175 blind students ages 3 to 21 who attend the North Oakland campus.

The arch, sculpted by Pittsburgh artist Robert Qualters, was one of several attractions in the garden that students could use to enhance their sensory awareness.

On a sunny, warm day like yesterday, many of the students would have been escorted to the garden to play, to touch and feel the sculptures and experience the sun and open air in a safe environment.

"The students would have been out ... on a day like this, but not with all of this mess," said Jillian Pritts, a spokeswoman at the school.

The broken and toppled artwork lay in place until police could investigate.

A resident in the area reported that building sensor alarms sounded around 2 a.m., and a possible suspect was seen running up the street.

No arrests had been made yesterday, police said.

The Children's Garden was built in 2003 with grants and donations from 23 foundations and 250 individuals who bought engraved bricks for the garden walkway.

It is fenced in with a locked gate.

Ms. Pritts said the children had been able to enjoy the outdoor facility year-round.

She said she hopes the Butterfly Girl statue, cast by artist Peter Calaboyias, will be returned.

"We couldn't replace a one-of-a-kind artwork that someone made just for us," Ms. Pritts said. "Who knows why [vandals or thieves] would choose this venue? It's just a shame."

It takes a hard calloused soul, or lack thereof to do something like this.

Thanks to PittGirl at The Burgh Blog for the links.

Seriously?

From the AP

Police say Steelers' Holmes had pot during stop
By JOE MANDAK – 4 hours ago

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes will be charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession after a traffic stop in which police smelled burning marijuana and found marijuana-filled cigars in his car.

"He's going to be summoned," said police Sgt. R. Griffith, meaning Holmes was not arrested after the incident Thursday, but will receive notice of the charge in the mail.

The charge, possession of a small amount of marijuana, is punishable by up to a year in jail but probation or a fine is common in most cases.

Police said the 24-year-old Holmes acknowledged having marijuana when stopped and pointed out the blunts to officers.

"We're aware of what happened and are still gathering information at this time and will not comment," Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said Friday.

But the team will deactivate Holmes for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Holmes and his agent could not immediately be reached.

The third-year player didn't have his license when police stopped him about 4 p.m. near Mellon Arena, the home of hockey's Pittsburgh Penguins.

Police stopped Holmes driving a dark sport-utility vehicle with out-of-state license plates. Officers in the area had been alerted that a similar vehicle was believed to be carrying a large amount of drugs. Holmes' vehicle matched the description but was not the one police were seeking, Griffith said.

Holmes is second on the team behind Hines Ward with 22 catches for 360 yards and a touchdown. A first-round draft pick out of Ohio State in 2006, Holmes has 118 catches for 2,037 yards and 11 touchdowns, in his career with the Steelers.

Holmes has had two other run-ins with the law since the Steelers drafted him. In June 2006, he was charged with domestic violence in Columbus, Ohio. Those charges were dropped when the mother of one of his three children declined to help prosecute the case and prosecutors were assured that Holmes received anger management and domestic violence counseling through the NFL.

In May 2006, Holmes was arrested for disorderly conduct by police in Miami, who also later dropped the charges. Holmes is from Belle Glade, Fla.

Or, as better said by PittGirl over at The Burgh Blog

Santonio Holmes, realizing he hasn’t done anything truly asshatworthy since he let some chick, at least I assume it was a chick, snap a photo of his freshly showered giant penis, decided it was time to live up to his Burgh Blog moniker once again.

Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes will be charged with possession of marijuana after three blunts were found inside his vehicle Thursday afternoon in Uptown, Pittsburgh police said.

Holmes was stopped about 4 p.m. near the intersection of Centre Avenue and Mario Lemieux Place by officers searching for a vehicle with a similar description.

When officers approached Holmes’ vehicle, they smelled an odor of burning marijuana, police said.

Smoking marijuana when you’re being paid millions of dollars to keep yourself in top physical shape? Asshattery.

Risking an arrest knowing it could get you suspended which affects your whole team? Asshattery.

Driving while smoking marijuana, instead of doing it in your home where you’re less likely to get caught? Asshattery.

Driving while smoking marijuana, greatly affecting your response time, greatly raising your chances of taking an innocent life? Asshattery!

So now we’ve got The Asshat on public drunkenness, babymama choking, giant public penis, AND misdemeanor drug possession.

Should we rename him Super Asshat? He can be like a superhero for the doofi of the world.

Yeah, then the doofi of the world could put out the Asshat signal all, “Super Asshat?! Help! Help me shove my head further up my ass!”

Gawd.

Thank You!

To any of you who clicked onto BurghBaby's post.
She raised some money for the Flight 93 memorial and had a pretty amazing amount of people click onto her site.

In other news, just watched the VP debates.
Not gonna talk about my personal likes and dislikes when it comes to the candidates, but I think they both did fairly well.
Palin wasnt as deer in the headlights as she was in the Couric interview and Biden didnt fall into the Al Gore *sigh* *humph* *harrumph* *groan* trap.
The whole Marge Gunderson thing...wearing thin tho.



Ear Candy Brasil Soulfly

Ginormous Give Away for a Good Cause!!

One of my favorite blogs to read, BurghBaby, is giving away nifty cool amounts of awesome loot at her site today in an attempt to do something good.

BurghBaby's mom is trying to raise money for the Flight 93 Memorial Fund by donating any and all revenue her site earns in the month of September

Since today is the last day of September give her a hand won't you?
Head on over to her place and start clicking around. Help raise some coin for a really good cause!