Along With a New Mayor, Pittsburgh’s City Council Will Have A New Look In 2006 Bob O’Connor becomes mayor of the City of Pittsburgh in just a few weeks, taking over for longtime chief Tom Murphy -- who after three terms, and what many critics say was a “can’t possibly win” slip in popularity, decided ... more

When I was a kid, I loved reading the “Little House on the Prairie” series. (I know; I was never cool.) In one of the books, little Laura Ingalls receives an orange and a peppermint stick from Santa Claus. On Christmas morning, she is elated that Santa Claus remembers her and her family after they ... more

The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is currently displaying seven small exhibitions of individual artists and artist groups, including Anderson B. English; Dai Morgan; a collaborative project by Pittsburgh’s Group A and Washington D.C.’s Gallery 10; Richard Hurst; Jill Larson; Ronald Nigro and William ... more

Probably the most fun thing about small business is that it really can be like the life Forrest Gump describes as "a box of chocolates -- you never know what you're gonna get." In the video business, there is always something or someone making news or waves. When Michael Moore's documentary, “Fahrenheit ... more

In the shadow of the mighty Penn Brewery on Pittsburgh’s North Side, resides a neighborhood gem of a bar called the BierHaus. Even the pronunciation is pure Pittsburgh-ese. “Haus!” Dave and I paid a visit on a Thursday after work at about 5pm and were greeted by the barmaid Beth Ann who pleasantly ... more

In our top story, doctors in France have completed a partial face transplant. The surgery took only 6 hours, besting the previous face-transplant-record of 20 years by Michael Jackson. President Bush was among 600 potential jurors summoned to report for jury duty in McLennan County, Texas where his ... more

Oh, the fun of American politics. Immature name-calling, mindless rhetoric, and rampant manipulation of truth -- how can anyone take this shit seriously? It’s the adult equivalent of high school, with the Republicans playing the role of the ignorant jocks and cheerleaders, mired in white privilege and ... more

“Our civilization is founded on the shambles and every individual existence goes out in a lonely spasm of helpless agony. If you protest, my friend, wait till you arrive there yourself.” -William James How can anyone relax with a piping hot toddy with that bit of moodiness hanging over his or her ... more

Those of us who still believe in Santa Claus know that in his annual, travel-everywhere night, he has places he loves a lot, hardly likes and just can’t stand. This final column of 2005 offers five locations that likewise describe the following array of films: ***** - Paradise Valley, CA **** - ... more

This column is dedicated to the people who are always watching movies, but are never quite satisfied. If there’s any justice in the world, this column might open your eyes to some films that are probably collecting dust in your local video store -- not because they’re not great, but because there are ... more