What did I accomplish in 2015?

The Internet of Things

Feature

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, January 16th, 2015

http://triblive.com/lifestyles/morelifestyles/7571936-74/via-bluetooth-samsung

 

Sensitivites Are Eroding Our Freedom Of Speech

Op-ed

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, February 7th, 2015

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/7691868-74/cartoonists-terrorists-speech#axzz3RgWtwtBP

 

George Ferris: A Life of Ups and Downs

Feature

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, February 14th, 2015

http://triblive.com/lifestyles/history/7758800-74/ferris-wheel-exposition#axzz3RgWtwtBP

 

Pittsburgh Ties to Oscar Run Deep

Feature

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, February 21st, 2015

http://triblive.com/aande/movies/7789190-74/pictures-1978-deer#axzz3V8pn1qY9

 

Death of the Art Museum

Op-ed

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, February 23rd, 2015

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/7793729-74/art-museums-museum#axzz3V8pn1qY9

 

No Burgh Bias Here

Op-ed

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, March 22nd, 2015

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/8006112-74/pittsburgh-lists-niche#axzz3V8pn1qY9

 

 

Don’t Think of Fake News as a Modern Invention

Feature

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, March 31st, 2015

http://triblive.com/lifestyles/morelifestyles/8047984-74/mulhatton-joe-fake#axzz3Y062aMOl

 

 

May 4th, Star Wars Day Builds Excitement for New Movie

Feature

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, May 4th, 2015

http://triblive.com/aande/movies/8263786-74/wars-star-film#axzz3ZNk36WjN

 

 

 

Archives Detail Pittsburghers who Sailed on the Lusitania

Feature

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, May 6th, 2015

http://triblive.com/lifestyles/history/8264295-74/lusitania-helen-family#axzz3ZNk36WjN

 

 

Cartooning Stupidity Deep in the Heart of Texas

Op-Ed

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, May 9th 2015

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/8308792-74/contest-cartoonists-cartoonist#axzz3vUEEfdps

 

 

Pittsburgh Has A Big Butt Problem

Op-Ed

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, June 6th, 2015

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/8493827-74/pittsburgh-butts-butt#axzz3vUEEfdps

 

 

 

Yinzer Night Before Chrismis

Op-Ed

Pittsburgh Tribune Review, December 19th, 2015

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/9633378-74/chrismis-arahn-chimley#axzz3vUEEfdps

 

 

 

 

WESA

 

The Consumer Electronics Show 2015

January 13^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/internet-enabled-toothbrushes-and-other-highlights-consumer-electronics-show

 

Film Censorship in Pittsburgh: A History

January 23^rd, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/film-censorship-pittsburgh-history

 

Have We Lost the Ability to Appreciate Art Museums?

February 2th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/essential-pittsburgh-have-we-lost-ability-appreciate-art-museums

 

Pittsburgh’s Oscar Ties

February 20^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/essential-pittsburgh-steel-citys-role-cyber-defense

 

Remembering Mr. Spock

March 2^nd, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/essential-pittsburgh-leonard-nimoys-early-career-pittsburgh

(Begins at 41:00)

 

The World’s Greatest Liar

April 1^st, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/essential-pittsburgh-re-drafting-you-and-police

(Starts at 34:20)

 

Launch of MazeToons

May 4^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/essential-pittsburgh-baltimore-officers-charged-death-freddie-gray

(Begins at 39:22)

 

The Three Little Pigsburghers Book

June 30^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/essential-pittsburgh-pennsylvania-lawmakers-struggle-meet-budget-deadline

(Starts at 38:46)

 

 

The Unforgettable Trial of Harry K. Thaw

August 20^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/unforgettable-trial-harry-k-thaw

 

 

A Century of Steel City Cinema

October 5^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/century-steel-city-cinema

 

Communicating Black and Gold to the Red Planet

October 15^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/communicating-black-and-gold-red-planet

 

 

The Legacy of Magician Harry Albacker

November 2^nd, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/legacy-pittsburgh-magician-harry-albacker

 

 

Peanuts Legacy Continues

November 17^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/peanuts-legacy-continues-65-years-after-debut

 

The Force is Strong With This Franchise

December 17^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/why-force-strong-star-wars-franchise

 

The Yinzer Night Before Chrismis

December 18^th, 2015

http://wesa.fm/post/sights-and-sounds-pittsburgh-holiday-traditions

 

A Yinzer Night Before Chrismis

A Yinzer Night Before Chrismis

(a tradisshunle hawiday pome)

adapted and translated into Pittsburghese by Joe Wos

 

Twas the night before Chrismis and all through dahtahn

not a creature was stirrin, weren’t no one arahn!

The stockings needed hung by the chimley with care,

ahnachanta Saint Nicklas soon would be there.

 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

while visions of progis raced in their heads,

and mawm in her babushka and me in my hat,

had just settled dahn for a long winner n’at;

 

when ahtside I heard a noise on the lawn,

I sprung from my bed to see whawas goin on.

To the baffroom window I flew like a flash,

tore open the shudders and threw up the sash.

My neckstore neighbor was aht with his cat,

I shahted at him- “quit bein nebby n’at.”

 

When what to my ooglin’ eyes I seen there,

but a miniature sleigh, moving my parking chair!

With a little old driver and a toy filled bag,

I knew in a moment it that he weren’t no jag.

 

More rapid than the Penguins his reindeer came,

and he whistled and shahted and called them by name:

Now dawny! Now Rawny! Now Prancer and Vixen!

On Cawmet! On cupid! On, Dahnder and Blitzen!

To the top of the stoop, to the top of the wall,

now dash away, dash away, dash away all!

 

Like a football thrown by Rothelsberger flies

off into the distance and up to the skies.

So up to the ruff the reindeers they flew,

with the buggy full of toys and Saint Nicklas too!

 

And then, a racket, I heard on the ruff

the prancin and stompin of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning arahn,

downa chimley Saint Nicklas came with a bahn!

 

He was dressed in black and gold

from his head to his foot,

And his clodhoppers were tarnished

with ashes and soot.

A bundle of toys he had brung in his sack,

he was round and jolly, like Rick Sebak!

 

His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples how merry,

His nose round and red, like a fresh farkleberry.

His face lit up with a bew-d-ful smahl,

And the beard of his chin waved

like a Terrible Tahl.

 

He smoked like a still mill with a pipe in his teef,

And the smoke circled his head, arahn like a wreef.

He had a broad face and a jigunda belly,

That shook when he laft like a bowlful of jelly!

 

He was chubby n’at, a rill jolly old elf

And I laft when I saw him, in spite a myself.

A wink of his eye and a fluff of his beard

Soon let me to know, I need not be askirred.

 

He dittint say nuffin, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And beside his nose he placed his thumb,

And just lie-gat, up the chimley he clum!

 

He sprung to the ruuf and flew off in his sleigh,

I hollered aht to him “Don’t take the parkway!”

And I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

Happy Chrismis to yinz, and to yinz …Go Stillers!

 

You can hear the story read online at http://wesa.fm/post/sights-and-sounds-pittsburgh-holiday-traditions

Visit www.pigsburgh.com for The Three Little Pigsburghers,

The story of the Three Little Pigs as told in Pittsburghese.

Best of Burghosphere Bloggers: Steel City Intrigue

Steel City Intrigue: a novel approach to blogging

I have been writing for local newspapers, blogs, comics and so forth for a few years now. Writing comes pretty naturally to me. It is just my rambling, blathering, rants typed out instead of shouting these things on a street corner. If I did share my musings via a soapbox and not a blog I would rightfully be locked up. This is my way of saying I am a writer and all writers are one street corner rant from ending up on a Secret Service list somewhere.

So it is appropriate that one of Pittsburgh’s brightest bloggers, J.J. Hensley is himself a former Special Agent with the Secret Service. You might be expecting his blog to be filled with pieces on the inner workings of the Illuminati, government cover-ups about UFOs, and the well-guarded secret Coca Cola formula. Alas he doesn’t tackle any of these great mysteries. He instead explores a much deeper one- How to write a novel.

While he does sometimes delve into the topics of security and strangely Playdoh, his posts on the writing process really standout. I view writing a novel like I view building a bridge. I am pretty sure I know how to do it, but really have no idea where you start? -Either end? The middle? Do you build it first and then haul it into place? No idea.

J.J., who is an award-winning mystery writer, takes the mystery out of writing. His posts are informative and entertaining. After reading his posts you feel empowered with the ability to write rather than rant on a street corner. While he may not teach you how to build a bridge he will teach you how to bridge the gap between day-to-day writing and writing a novel.

I am almost out of literary puns so I will end with declaring him the winner of “The Most NOVEL Blog” award. See what I did there.

You can read his blog at https://hensleybooks.wordpress.com

See more award winning blogs at http://mostwantedfineart.com/2014-events-at-mwfa/best-of-the-burghosphere-2015/