Pittsburgh City Paper

Taxing Times: Confusion around county reassessment tough on home buyers, sellers

Charlie Deitch — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

"It's not right, but it's all we have to work with right now." by Charlie Deitch In his first week in office, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald struck a blow in a years-old dispute over the reassessment of county property values. Defying a court order to mail out new values compiled by assessors, Fitzgerald ordered county officials to use the old values instead; city homeowners who'd already received newer values, he said, should ignore them.…

Photographer Nadim Sabella documents his own disasters, real and imagined.

Nick Keppler — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

The housing crisis, global warming spark Boxheart Gallery show. by Nick Keppler Photographer Nadim Sabella evokes human tragedy through a notable absence of human beings. The German-born artist's show Little Disasters, at Boxheart Gallery, represents two distinct legs of his work, each inspired by a different global crisis.…

Putting the "Control" in Birth Control

Chris Potter — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

How much should our boss' beliefs cost us? by Chris Potter Over his political career, Western Pennsylvania's own Rick Santorum has made some remarkable statements. There's the time he decried "the weird socialization" kids get in public school.…

MCG Jazz turns 25

Mike Shanley — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

The North Side institution has brought countless concerts and netted six Grammys by Mike Shanley Marty Ashby doesn't like the term "institution." Yet he freely admits the word suits MCG Jazz, the music series presented at the multi-faceted Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, which is about to mark its 25th anniversary.…

Negative interest rates? Money backed by water? Author Charles Eisenstein wants to reform our money system.

Bill O'Driscoll — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Harrisburg man discusses ideas from his book Sacred Economics by Bill O'Driscoll Money, or at least the desire for it, is at the root of our biggest problems, from injustice and economic inequality to environmental destruction. The need for money always seems to make us do the wrong thing: Hoard wealth, strip the land.…

Driving Across Puerto Rico, Fajardo to Isabella

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

A poem by Lisa Alexander Up over the middle, old men playing cards, tiny table & rain, bottled soda, a downpour, up over the green mountains, family party, cop car, cars parked in a yard, a young kid pushes through the crowd. You and I, after spotting chickens at the rest stop, I thought we could die in a mud slide, or by tree crashing down on our car, we could slip off the cliff somehow and I hoped…

Mortgaging a Safety Net: Corbett budget axes bi-partisan HEMAP program that heads off foreclosures

Chris Potter — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

"It's not only helped individual homeowners, but entire communities" by Chris Potter Once again, Americans are in for a political season in which the airwaves will be filled with charges of "socialism," as politicians argue over government's proper role in the economy. And it's natural to wonder: Isn't there any government program that people from across the ideological spectrum support?…

A Separation

Harry Kloman — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

A series of domestic disputes showcase life in contemporary Iran by Harry Kloman A Separation, an Oscar-nominated drama from Iran, purports to revolve around the tangled emotions of a couple facing divorce, and now and then, it does. But writer/director Asghar Farhadi also unfurls an equally tangled plot that diffuses his central issue, and I'm not sure whether its myriad directions are more rewarding than a simpler series of scenes from a marriage.…

The Smiling Moose

Angelique Bamberg and Jason Roth — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

The Carson Street nightclub now offers a top-notch sandwich and salad menu by Angelique Bamberg and Jason Roth We expect chefs to focus on haute cuisine. But we also suspect they have to apply their skills to their daily meals, demonstrating — if only to family and friends — that it is possible to turn a late-night turkey sandwich into something wow.…

Fist Fight in the Parking Lot releases debut album

Margaret Welsh — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

"This is just metal enough for people who like doom bands, and there's enough heavy rock stuff for people who like bands like Queens of the Stone Age." by Margaret Welsh If you've reached that point where you're ready to fight someone in a parking lot, you've abandoned some pretense, at the very least. And for some people — those who on principle disapprove of Mastodon's increasingly slick sound, or who find Priestess too poppy — dropping a little pretense is what it will take to appreciate Fist Fight in the Parking Lot's catchy, radio-ready metal.…

A new national art magazine launches by featuring Pittsburgh.

Dan Eldridge — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Outpost Journal focuses on under-the-radar art towns. by Dan Eldridge Back in 2005, when they were first pursuing careers as working artists, Manya Rubinstein and Pete Oyler lived and worked in one of the artist communities that seem to sprout up every few years in Providence, R.I., home to the acclaimed Rhode Island School of Design. But though the two were neighbors, and serious fans of contemporary art, their friendship didn't flourish until they discovered another shared passion: an eagerness to create a project exploring art scenes in cities that flew under the art-world radar, just as Providence often did.…

Bank Mangement: Before choosing a financial institution, large or small, do your homework

Chris Young — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

"A lot of people like credit unions and small banks because it's much more personalized." by Chris Young Two years ago, when frustration with "too-big-to-fail" banks reached a fever pitch, liberal blogger Arianna Huffington launched the "Move Your Money" campaign — an effort to persuade Americans to transfer their money out of the bailed-out big banks that helped create the global financial meltdown, and into community banks and credit unions that played little, if any, role in damaging the economy. Since the movement began, according to campaign statistics, roughly 10 million people nationwide have made the switch.…

The Secret World of Arrietty

Al Hoff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

This adaptation of The Borrowers is beautifully produced, if a bit slow by Al Hoff A family of teeny-tiny people known as "borrowers" live peacefully under the floorboards of a country home. But then one of them — a young girl named Arrietty who is just learning to go "above" to scavenge — is spotted by a houseguest, a sickly young boy.…

Find handcrafted cocktail mixes at Pittsburgh Public Market

Hal B. Klein — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Vendors offer natural, organic ingredients by Hal B. Klein The Pittsburgh Public Market might be best known for its selection of farm-fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, but it's also a terrific spot when it comes to libations: East End Brewery and Glades Pike Winery have ready-to-drink booze on hand, and there are a couple of vendors offering handcrafted cocktail mixes. Clarion River Organics has discovered a way to preserve its summer harvest while adding a kick to Sunday brunch: They've created a mean Bloody Mary mix ($6).…

CD Reviews

Andy Mulkerin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

New local releases from The Borough Fields, Wires and Cables, and Casino Bulldogs by Andy Mulkerin The Borough Fields The Borough Fields (Authentik Artists) New solo material from Meeting of Important People frontman Josh Verbanets.…

Ruthless! The Musical

Ted Hoover — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

A multi-layered musical comedy lampooning show biz earns its laughs by Ted Hoover What would you do for a part in a play? In the case of Tina Denmark, an adorable 8-year-old, the question is really: "What wouldn't you do?"…

Pay Dirt

Chris Potter — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Digging up employment trends in Southwestern PA by Chris Potter Have you noticed an increase in the amount of bullshit floating around lately? It's not your imagination: Lawyers and PR flacks are among the growing job sectors in the Pittsburgh region.…

Pina

Al Hoff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

This film offers a beautifully produced selection of dance works by Pina Bausch by Al Hoff Wim Wenders' film is a eulogy of sorts for German modern-dance performer and choreographer Pina Bausch. They had been collaborating on a film when she died unexpectedly, in 2009.…

Confused about tipping in restaurants and bars? What about the "tip jar"?

Lauren Daley — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

An etiquette expert and a bartender weigh in on how — and how much — you should tip by Lauren Daley The gratuity is as much a part of any dining experience as the food. "It is important to tip as a way to say, ‘Thank you,'" says Susan Timko, an etiquette-skills trainer and associate director of career services at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.…

Critics' Picks: February 23 - 29

Andy Mulkerin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Local shows by Julia Nunes, Charles Bradley, Annie Crane, Lights, and Soul Rebels Brass Band by Andy Mulkerin [ALTERNATIVE] + THU., FEB. 23 Julia Nunes is the now-classic YouTube Cinderella story.…

Portraits of teens, with text, make for an insightful exhibit

Robert Raczka — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Silver Eye hosts Dawoud Bey's Class Pictures by Robert Raczka Since the 1970s, some photographers have presented text with photographs to clarify social and political complexities or to enable their subjects to explain themselves, with Bill Owens' Suburbia being the great popular success. A contemporary iteration of this approach can be seen in Dawoud Bey's Class Pictures, a traveling exhibit on view at Silver Eye Center for Photography.…

Savage Love

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

You know how Mormons believe they have a right to choose Mormonism for the deceased? Now you can choose homosexuality for dead Mormons! I am a straight female whose fiancé has a fetish where he likes to watch women use the bathroom. I knew this, and I accepted it.…

When You Can't Quit Your Day Job

Andy Mulkerin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Local musicians juggle work and playing by Andy Mulkerin Pete Spynda and Matt Tuite hold up two pretty different ends of the local music scene. Spynda, who's played bass in a slew of local bands, is best known these days as the architect of Pandemic, the monthly world-music DJ night at Brillobox.…

Negative interest rates? Money backed by water? Charles Eisenstein wants to reform our money system.

Bill O'Driscoll — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Harrisburg author discusses ideas from his book "Sacred Economics" by Bill O'Driscoll Money, or at least the desire for it, is at the root of our biggest problems, from injustice and economic inequality to environmental destruction. The need for money always seems to make us do the wrong thing: hoard wealth, strip the land.…

Del’s in Bloomfield gets a makeover from TV chef Robert Irvine and Restaurant Impossible

Al Hoff — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Irvine talks about the upcoming TV show, and how restaurants can lose their way by Al Hoff Late last year, Del's, the longstanding Italian restaurant in Bloomfield, was the beneficiary of a "makeover" from Restaurant Impossible. The Food Network show sends chef Robert Irvine and a small crew to struggling venues, where they freshen up the décor, revamp the menu and sort out staffing and management problems.…