Buzz

Pittsburgh movie to premiere at Sundance film festival

Post Gazette blog Wednesday, December 05, 2012

"Congratulations are in order to the Pittsburgh makers of "Blood Brother."

The documentary will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It's one of 16 films in the documentary competition and just 113 features (chosen from thousands of submissions) at the Jan. 17-27 festival in Park City, Utah."

Read the full blog here.

MAYA designers on their new book, Trillions

Huffington Post Wednesday, December 05, 2012

In this excerpt from "Trillions: Thriving in the Emerging Information Ecology" by Peter Lucas,
Joe Ballay and Mickey McManus (Wiley, 2012), the principals at MAYA present the challenges we face in this information age.

"There are already many more computing devices in the world than there are people. In a few more years, their number will climb into the trillions. Moreover, we are quickly figuring out how to make those processors communicate with each other, and with us. We are about to be faced with -- not a trillion isolated devices -- but a trillion-node network: a network whose scale and complexity will dwarf that of today's Internet. And, unlike the Internet, this will be a network not of computation that we use, but of computation that we live in..."

Read the excerpt here in the Huffington Post.

Original fries among the best in the US says CNN

CNN Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Original Hot Dog Shop. At this family-run stalwart, the mountain of fries that comes in even a small order borders on the ridiculous -- so no wonder the college kids keep coming back. Located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, "The Dirty O" has a reputation for decadent spuds: hand-cut and peeled Idaho potatoes, twice fried in peanut oil, and served golden and crunchy on a cafeteria tray. The Original even has its own dedicated fry station, where you can order them with sides of gravy, cheese, or ketchup. 3901 Forbes Ave.

Travel + Leisure: World's most delicious street foods

See the entire list here.

Pittsburgh named as Under the Radar Cultural Destination

Departures.com Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Scene: Struggling industrial center turned cultural breeding ground.

The Signature: Museums. Visit the iconic Andy Warhol Museum (117 Sandusky St.; warhol.org) for an infusion of pop art, the Carnegie Museum of Art (4400 Forbes Ave.; cmoa.org) for an upcoming exhibit on modern decorative arts and the Mattress Factory (500 Sampsonia Way; mattress.org) for “room-sized” installations of contemporary art.

Insider Knowledge: While Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater (fallingwater.org) is the city’s most famous architectural landmark, H. H. Richardson’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church (emmanuelpgh.org) is worth a visit. The building features Tiffany windows and a wood interior reminiscent of an inverted ship’s hull.

Don’t Miss: The Pittsburgh Glass Center (5472 Penn Ave.; pittsburghglasscenter.org), where visitors can tour galleries of ornate glasswork or take a glassblowing class themselves.

Read the Pittsburgh and other blurbs here.

South Side Stories rap by Tami Dixon

YouTube Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Tami Dixon, who wrote and is currently performing in South Side Stories at the City Theatre, performs this rap number that is in the show, a tongue-in-cheek perspective on partying on the South Side.

View the video here.

Butler named as one of 20 best small towns of America

Smithsonian magazine Wednesday, November 28, 2012

"Mines and factories come to mind when people think about western Pennsylvania, but forests and farms stretch across the state, punctuated by small towns like the seat of Butler County north of Pittsburgh in the Allegheny River watershed. Butler (pop. 13,800) is an American classic that grew up along a trail blazed by George Washington, sent in 1753 to discourage French settlement along the frontier. Farmers followed, giving the region its country character and prized hand-built barns. The town serves as a business and cultural hub, with its own baseball team, thriving downtown, community symphony, theater and barbershop chorus. The Maridon Museum, founded by local philanthropist Mary Hulton Phillips, houses an excellent collection of Asian art, and the Butler County Historical Society maintains an old settler’s cabin, schoolhouse and the landmark 1828 Lowrie Shaw House. Butler owes its star on the map to the Jeep, invented just before World War II at the town’s American Bantam Car Company and still celebrated in August at the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival. -- SS"

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/The-20-Best-Small-Towns-in-America.html#ixzz2DRkPkcg7

Read the article here:

East End Brewery gets a new home

Civic Commons Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Last week, after eight years of operating in a 4,000-square-foot brick building in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, Scott Smith and his coworkers at East End Brewery relocated. They quadrupled their size in a warehouse that Smith purchased in nearby Larimer.
“It’s been a long climb,” says Smith with a chuckle. “But it’s still the most satisfying job I can imagine. We still have so much ahead of us to get us all moved in. But it’s awesome.”

Read the story of this much-loved brewery here.

Tower at PNC Plaza wins green award before it's even built

eco-structure.com Wednesday, November 14, 2012

"PNC's new tower at Fifth and Wood just won the 2012 Evergreen On the Boards award. "A request to build the greenest high-rise in the world is a tall order. But that’s precisely what Gary Saulson, executive vice president and director of corporate real estate for PNC Financial Services Group, asked of the design team behind the company’s new headquarters, the 33-story Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, which will exceed LEED Platinum standards when it opens in 2015.

"The design team, including Gensler and sustainability consultants Paladino & Co., established three pillars that guided each design decision: community building, workplace innovator, and climate responder. The tower’s passive and active features encourage employees to take ownership of their workspaces. The breathing building is wrapped by a double-skin façade with a motorized outer layer and manually operable inner layer. Outdoor spaces interspersed throughout the building include a semi-conditioned atrium, dubbed the “community porch,” as well as green terraces at setbacks, providing a diverse array of collaborative workspaces."

Read the full story here.

Pittsburgh's education collaborative lauded

edu-cause.edu Wednesday, November 14, 2012

"The Greater Pittsburgh Region is a 21st century model of a creative, collaborative, and connected community committed to creating remarkable learning experiences for children and youth that enhance achievement in science, technology, and the arts.

Researchers, university labs, cultural institutions, and child-serving agencies are working across disciplines to forge dynamic partnerships with educators and administrators of public, private, charter, and virtual school systems, civic leaders, and the burgeoning entrepreneurial private sector focused on technology and media.

With millions of dollars invested, thousands of children and youth engaged, hundreds of dedicated practitioners active in dozens of organizations, and a thriving ecosystem to support and sustain this work, Pittsburgh's approach has yielded tangible results for children, youth, and the community at large..."

Read the full story here.

Allegheny Conference reports on regional progress at annual meeting

imaginepittsburgh Wednesday, November 14, 2012

More than 600 people jammed the ballroom of the Fairmont to hear remarks from Dennis Yablonsky and business leaders at the annual meeting of the Allegheny Conference.

Read the blog with all the details here.

Where in the world is Suzi Pegg? (Hint: she's with the Symphony)

Imagine Pittsburgh Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wherever she goes, Suzi Pegg, vp of global marketing for the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, finds a Pittsburgh connection. See what gets her heart racing in Lisbon as she travels with the world-class Pittsburgh Symphony.

Read her blog here.

Adam Snow, Pittsburgh teen, receives miracle liver transplant

Huffington Post Wednesday, November 14, 2012

In a last minute effort, the parents of Pittsburgher Adam Snow pleaded for a liver donation to save their son. And they got one.

Read the touching story here.

Kyle Abraham's latest work in NY is set in East Liberty and Pittsburgh neighborhoods

New York Times Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Although Hurricane Sandy marooned the set’s chain-link fence in New Jersey, Pittsburgh native Kyle Abraham and his six dancers had no trouble creating the right sense of place at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse over the weekend. “Pavement” is set in East Liberty, Homewood and the Hill District, all neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Mr. Abraham’s hometown. But the work’s more general milieu is urban black America, indicated by audio clips from the 1991 film “Boyz N the Hood.” When gunshots erupt, the dancers notice but don’t seem surprised.

Read the full story here.

Steelers praised for giving up their hotel during New York visit

The New York Times Wednesday, November 07, 2012

In an unusual turn of events, the Steelers flew in on Sunday for game later that day with the Giants, breaking a routine but gaining admiration for their "noble" gesture.

Read the full story here.

Pittsburgh ranked #2 as best airport to be stuck in

ABC news, Fresno Wednesday, November 07, 2012

In a survey, the Pittsburgh International Airport came out # 2 as best airports to get stuck in. And why not? With the shops (without typical markups in price) and the restaurants (that include Michael Symon's latest) and free wifi, Pittsburgh's airport is a cut above.

See the rankings here.