Growth and Destruction

GROWTH......

Pop City reported today that Knight Vision (creators of a special type of animation that was used in the movie "Avatar") is partnering with CMU and 31st Street Studios to bring a (Brand Spanking New) state of the art motion capture facility to Pittsburgh.  This studio will be the first of its kind outside of Hollywood.  James Knight, founder of Knight Vision, will be starting a new company in conjunction with the facility, called Knight Vision 31 (get it?).  The joint effort represents a huge "win" for economic growth here in Western PA.

The joke around town is that 'Burgher's should start to get ready for their close-ups, but there is more truth to that than meets the eye.  Local talent is more cost effective, and the movie-makers receive more tax credits.  Smile for the camera!

DESTRUCTION....

Well, we all knew it was coming, but the specter of a partially demolished arena left most fans coming and going from the (Brand Spanking New) arena this weekend stop and stare in shocked silence.  No matter how you felt about the Igloo's imminent destruction, this was a heartbreaking moment.  Banners still proudly hung inside as if in defiance.  Also, am I the only one who thinks that they are waiting for that one piece just to fall off on its own?

Gearing Up

This past weekend was the Pittsburgh International Auto Show at the David L. Lawrence Convention center.  The show itself ranks as one of my "must-go-to" events in the 'Burgh, but also gets me super-psyched for the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix,which is right around the corner!
The Marque for the Grand Prix was unveiled, and it is none other than the iconic MG!

I think Daddy-o shed a little tear when he saw this one, since his beloved MGB GT was replaced 41 years ago by a more (a-hem) "child friendly" VW Bug.  Sorry dad.

Looking for Love - The Biggies Bullies Adoption Event at Petagogy

Are you looking for someone(dog) to love this Valentines Day?  Well, how's this for some puppy dog eyes you just won't be able to resist?

Mikey

Ripley

Vega

If that doesn't make your Valentine's Heart melt, then we think you might be a robot.  Ripley, Vega and Mikey will all be in attendance this Sunday, February 12th during the Biggies Bullies adoption event, running from 12-4pm at Petagogy on Ellsworth Avenue.

During the event you will be able to meet all three pups, learn more about the organization, and enjoy some Valentine's Day refreshments.  Of course, you can shop your "heart" out (sorry, I'll stop), since Petagogy is donating 10% of its total sales to Biggie's Bullies.  I feel the need to mention here that they recently got in a new shipment of toys, many of them "stuffing free" (my fellow dog owners know that this is key), that you and yours will find impossible to resist.  Also, their wide range of healthy pet foods and treats (I'm talking about you Beer Biscuits!) are almost impossible to beat. Forget a box of chocolates (actually please do, chocolate is bad for dogs, for reals) and opt instead for a box of "Good Dog" PB&J Treats!

Although Petagogy is a pet-friendly stop (and one of my pups favorite destinations I might add), they do ask that you refrain from bringing your four-legged furballs to the event to keep it stress-free for Vega, Mikey and Ripley.  They are, after all, the stars of the show!

If you still have any lingering doubts about the breed, let me introduce you to Pele, my sisters dog:

Oh, so ferocious.

For more information about the Biggies Bullies Valentine’s dog adoption party at Petagogy, please 

visit www.petagogypgh.com or call 412-362-7387

Petagogy offers Pittsburgh’s best selection of premium and natural pet foods and supplies for dogs, 
cats and small mammals. Our goal is to offer the best pet products on the market, as well as educate 
our customers about the wide variety of healthy, fun and innovative products available to meet their 
pets’ individual needs. Petagogy is located at 5880 Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside. Store hours are 
Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

The 'Burgh Brewery Tour

Photo: www.mollystrolleyspittsburgh.com

How's this for a good day?  Four  hours, a tour guide, two breweries, drinks and food.  Oh yeah, and someone to drive you around.  It's no wonder that the 'Burgh Brewery Tour, organized by Your Active City and Molly's Trolleys, is a popular event!
The monthly tour (available dates currently run Feb 10th through July 13th) travels between Penn Brewery on Pittsburgh's North Side, to Full Pint Brewing Company in North Versailles.  To ease the road weary, samples are offered during the tour from such sponsors as East End Brewing Company (hey, we know them!), and Draai Laag Brewing Company, among others.  Friendly tour guide Sara Petyk (of Your Active City) chats you up with some information and trivia on the history of some of the 'Burgh's finest brews.  Says Sarah, "The history of the City can totally be told through beer!".  Amen.
Tickets for the event can be purchased from Molly's Trolleys, or from Your Active City.  The all-inclusive ticket price is $75, and purchasers must be 21 to participate in the tour.
Bottoms up!

What to Do: Old as Funk

If Joe Wos is right, then I am, indeed, as old as Funk. Older, actually, since "Funky Turns 40"  opens at the ToonSeum this week and is celebrating with a huge exhibit opening and par-tay following the Gallery Crawl on January 27th, and I turn 41 in mere weeks and it will largely be a non-event.  So, to re-cap, Funky is younger, cooler and has more friends than I do.
Seriously, ToonSeum's latest exhibit, according to Wos, celebrates "the legacy of the first wave of positive Black animated characters of the 1970's."  He adds, "Until the Civil Rights movement of the late 1950s and 60s, African-Americans were treated as second-class citizens. While prevalent in music and popular culture, Blacks still faced extreme political, economic, and social prejudices. In comics and animation, Blacks were largely ignored or were depicted in broad, derogatory stereotypes. But as laws and attitudes began to shift, the Saturday morning cartoons of the 1970s became a direct conduit of social change, introducing a host of new Black characters. For the first time, audiences were exposed to positive, relatable images of Black life through animated series like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, The Jackson 5ive, Josie and the Pussycats, I Am The Greatest, The Harlem Globetrotters and Star Trek: The Animated Series."
Undoubtedly a reason to celebrate.  "Funky Turns 40" is co-curated by Pamela Thomas of the Museum of Uncut Funk. The exhibit runs January 18th Through March 10th.  The ToonSeum will open at 8pm on Saturday, January 27th for the event, which runs until 10:30.  Tickets are $5 for ToonSeum members, $10 for non-members, and a special $50 Donor admission will get you a free gift!  You can purchase tickets here.  Attendees must be 21. Can't make the it?  Consider making a donation, so the ToonSeum can continue to offer great events like this in the future!

For more information contact:

ToonSeum

945 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA  15222

412-232-0199

I am a proudly serving member of the ToonSeum Board of Directors.  Ask me how you can get involved!

Casting Call: Want to Move to Paradise?

We've all done it.  Traveled to an exotic locale on vacation, and pondered the "What-if's".  "What if I never went home?", "What if I quit my job and lived here FOREVER?".  Well, an upcoming reality show is putting those questions to the test, and a local casting director is looking to give the perfect Pittsburgher their 15 minutes (or more) of fame.
Here is what they told me.....(lazy cut and paste alert ahead):

Do you, like everyone else, know someone that has been saying that they're going to quit their job and move somewhere tropical? Or maybe they're tired of their life up north, in the snow, and yearn for California. Whatever their dream residence, a major cable network has an opportunity for them. We're casting a pilot that will give this "dreamer" a real look at their ideal locale, discuss the feasibility of actually quitting their job and living comfortably in a new environment. They WILL get to travel to their dream location to investigate realistically. At the conclusion of the episode, they'll have all the information needed to actually follow through on their claims -- or return to their life and job back home. The ideal candidate is 30+, has a job and family that will be impacted by their decision, and has a destination in mind (for the first episode, we're focusing on North America and the Caribbean). Candidates will be expected to film a short, 3-5 minute video of themselves answering a series of questions. Please send the following information to the e-mail address below, and I'll respond with the video instructions FULL NAMES (your own, your spouse's, any children or family members who will be involved) MARITAL SITUATION (single, married, divorced, etc) AGES (of everyone) OCCUPATIONS (and the duration at current job) CURRENT LOCATION (city and state) DREAM LOCATION REASONS FOR A CHANGE OF SCENERY (will be more in-depth in the video, just a summary) CONTACT INFO (phone numbers and e-mail addresses).


Michael Petrella Casting Director 
casting@michaelpetrella.com
www.michaelpetrella.com


Good Luck!  

'Burgh Watching - MCG Jazz

We are back at the Manchester Craftsmens Guild, with an epic episode!  Of course, an exploration of MCG Jazz could be no less than epic, with all that they have accomplished over the last 25 years.  A very special thanks to my talented panel (Executive Producer Marty Ashby in particular for our musical interlude).  Of course, 'Burgh Watching is made possible as always by the hard work of Producer Ron Modro and the staff and crew of RAM Productions.  I just show up.
Enjoy!