When you check in to see how the Steelers game is going and you see a hockey score

Erin Koper running on a “Pittsburgh is a violent hellhole” platform, losing her city council race by 49 points in a district Trump lost by 33 points and then immediately declaring she is selling her house and leaving Pittsburgh has got me cackling in some kind of way this morning. Girl, bye.

This year's Yinzer Gift Guide is now fully out of control. I've got like 60 amazing locally made items on it so far and I've got a bunch more to add because our local makers have been so busy this year creating little drops of beauty and whimsy. Pittsburgh, you're doing great, sweetie. Keep it up.

This year's Yinzer Holiday Gift Guide will publish at the end of next week and it is AWESOME. I still need some affordable locally made stocking stuffers to toss on the list. Hit me with some of your best Pittsburgh-made goodies that are affordable and small. Keychains? Lip balms? Whatever!

What in the AI hell is this "Pittsburgh skyline ornament" being sold on Etsy by a Carlisle, PA-based shop? Is the Pittsburgh skyline in the room with us right now? Straight to jail.

I already had a vast shortage of respect for Kim Kardashian, but her claiming the moon landing was faked has erased it all. Only the most willfully ignorant sectors of society adopt this disrespectful conspiracy theory. She can rot. Please read my column: www.pittsburghmagazine.com/anti-science...

My latest Breathing Space is here and we have GOT to talk about the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame fiasco! breathingspace.substack.com/p/pardon-me-...

Me handing my autistic teen Tylenol for her pain: “Here. Take your autism. It’s extra strength.” Her: *dies laughing* #momjokes

Had a fantastic time teaching the Great Fire of 1845 to a capacity crowd at South Park Township Public Library this week! (Photos courtesy the library)

How is Pittsburgh going to create a whole Walk of Fame and not include Gene Kelly in the first class?

Yinz guys’

In 2005, when Walmart wanted to open a store in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, residents rallied to keep it out. But Walmart found its way back to Monroeville 20 years later. Instead of building a new store, though, the retailer bought an operating mall with 120 tenants for $34 million.

Not for nothing, but I’m on a 71B bus that just FLEW through Downtown Pittsburgh thanks to these bus lanes — at 5 PM on a Friday More busways! MORE!! FASTER!! 💨

An extremely Pittsburgh post: Today I learned that Zachary Quinto‘s great-grandfather was none other than P.J. McArdle. 🤯

Was going to remind you all to register to attend my lunchtime history talk next week on Pittsburgh’s Great Fire of 1845 at South Park Library, but it’s now at capacity with 55 people. You snooze, you lose. I‘m at my best when I get to teach Pittsburgh history, so make sure you catch the next one!

On this day in 1972, Roberto Clemente recorded his 3,000th and final hit. A moment forever etched in Pirates history.

Spoiler alert: The 2026 Pirates don’t have a chance, and everyone including Bob Nutting knows it

Published a Breathing Space today! Lots inside like bike lanes and vape shops and Pittsburgh history and Burghy Halloween goodies and more! breathingspace.substack.com/p/bike-lane-...

In Altoona today. Did you know if you go to the Boyer candy company factory, you can get a bag of Clark Bars in the form of “imperfects”? So good! Not an ad. (No, I’m not eating Altoona-style pizza while I’m here, because I don’t hate myself.)

Those angry about my column in Pittsburgh Mag are saying, "But questioning science IS the scientific method." Sure, provided you question the science WITH MORE SCIENCE. Science already did that with vaccines and autism and found no link. I'm begging y'all to read more science and history books.

Recording AwesomeCast live at 7 tonight to talk about all the things. Watch here! YT: youtube.com/live/TUSkv5K... FB: www.facebook.com/share/14FUfE...

I wrote a column about how the anti-science movement and associated conspiracy theories are an insult to Pittsburgh's rich history. I'm sure you can imagine how well conspiracy-minded and anti-vax yinzers are handling it. www.pittsburghmagazine.com/anti-science...

You can now read my graduate masters thesis on Pittsburgh and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. I'm expecting to turn this thesis into several popular history pieces that tell the story in more depth. scholarworks.umb.edu/masters_thes...

Went into my second shingles vaccine shot WAY too smugly after handling the first like a champ

So much fun supporting my pals at the Lemieux Foundation last night at Steve Byrne’s comedy jam. Laughed my face off at Billy Gardell, Bill Crawford and more. The Mandalorian, Brendan Wayne, was there too! And I’m officially old enough that front row seats means your friend handing out ear plugs 😂

Mad world. Good dogs. ❤️

What a gorgeous morning in the City of Pittsburgh to launch the Allegheny Cleanways Immaculate Collection litter cleanup initiative with the mayor and county executive! Stop littering and illegal dumping, you jags 🖤💛

Reading all the John Harbaugh discourse like

Pittsburgh. The moon. Go find it. Trust me.

Got a sneak peek at the Pittsburgh Glass Center’s Art on Fire auction items and, you guys, i am always amazed at what humans can create.These two stunning vases are my faves. Go check it out. Not an ad!

Every single news report about the CDC feels like the opening newscast scene of a pandemic disaster movie right before it cuts to Patient Zero’s origin story in a remote jungle. We’re cooked, y’all.

In this piece I’m quoted about the role the CDC plays in humanity’s fight against infectious disease and how with it crippled by RFK Jr, every human is less safe and US is less resilient to any biothreat triblive.com/local/region...

If you’ve never seen me teach history, you’re in for a fun treat. I’ll be presenting on the Great Fire of 1845 at South Park Library on October 8! Join us! southpark.librarycalendar.com/event/munch-...

In which I share the screamingly dramatic local newspaper headlines from lesser-known disasters in Pittsburgh history. Fire, flood, storm, explosions, and of course, escaped monkeys. "A Day of Riot and Carnage," indeed. www.pittsburghmagazine.com/dahn-memory-...

Accidentally took a perfect picture

At the Oddities and Curiosities convention downtown and accidentally dressed too normal and now I look ridiculous among all the badassery

When I started Pittsburgh Remains to be Seen, I said my goal was to create walking tours of the mapped artifacts. That project became the PastFinders app and today there are now four walking tours that highlight visible artifacts of long-gone structures and places! Give them a try!

While building out Atlanta in the PastFinders app, I discovered this cool monument to higher education made from salvaged remains of a Carnegie library that was razed for a larger (ugly) library a few blocks away. Love this! Photos of monument and original library are here and in the app!

I had a wonderful time reading from my novel at the Hemingway Series last night at Hop Farm Brewing (their sour beer is so good/not an ad). My unfailingly supportive pals came out to hear me read ❤️

For Pirates fans in need of good news, the excellent documentary CLEMENTE will get a theatrical release on September 12. @robowentv.bsky.social reports it will be screened at PNC Park on September 15 and appear on the History Channel on September 23. triblive.com/aande/movies...

Tomorrow evening (Aug 12) at 7, I will be reading a short excerpt from my debut novel “Nothing. Everything.” for the Hemingway Series at Hop Farm Brewing in Lawrenceville. It’s free. Come say hello! ❤️

Pittsburgh. The Moon. Go find where it is rising and be ready for it. A true stunner, loves. 🖤💛

Lorelei in East Liberty is currently having an Alpine Tiki takeover by Hidden Harbor and the drinks are so good and so cute. Not an ad!

I've been saying this since 2021. Downtown Pittsburgh will not reach its full post-pandemic potential unless the city leaders shift away from seeing it as a center of business and start seeing it as a neighborhood and a destination. Less bank branches. More housing. Less cars. More public transit.

Please don’t think I’m a Carnegie fan-girl. I’ve spent a great deal of my graduate work unpacking his shortcomings and lies. I’ve taught these things to my students. I also wrote this … www.pittsburghmagazine.com/andrew-carne...

Along the lines of my previous post, please stop quoting literally one TikTok as evidence of a large-scale opinion shift and calling it “journalism” 🙄. Do better. www.axios.com/local/pittsb...

Arguing Carnegie doesn’t belong on Pittsburgh’s new walk of fame is bananas. He’s a complicated historical figure but he was the major catalyst for Pittsburgh’s industrial might and wealth, and his philanthropy still ripples. We cannot, and thus should not, try to separate him from who we are today.

I saw this on Sunday and it’s so good and the setting is perfect. Not an ad.

My son, now a flight instructor, took my mom up today to fly around over downtown Pittsburgh and boy did she have a great time 🥹

“I know one of God’s apostles was a traitor, but I don’t remember any nitwits.” This entire Trib letter to the editor has me cackling this morning. Bravo.