The tri-state’s largest summertime event, EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta, will commemorate its 35th anniversary year with five days of world-class entertainment featuring more power, more pyro, and more fun for the entire family… ALL FREE!
The nation’s largest inland regatta will run June 30 through July 4 complete with some first-time signature acts and activities including a nightly 30-minute laser spectacular in Point State Park, a 40’ x 100’ artificial ice skating rink…and add a new class of motorsport racing—the v-hulled, offshore powerboats of the P-1 Superstock series.
The event will also mark the return of world champion sand sculptor, Thomas Koet of Sandsational who, once again, will turn 150 tons of sand into a grand and gargantuan masterpiece of art.
For the third consecutive year, Regatta will host the F-2 and F-3 North American Power Boat Championships and, of course, as the city’s official Fourth of July celebration, the event will culminate with an “anniversary special” July 4 fireworks show by New Castle –based Pyrotecnico.
Plan now…to join the region’s most anticipated summer festival. More details coming soon. For continual updates about the event, visit www.threeriversregatta.net

Photo by Archie Carpenter

I can’t take all the credit for the work involved in this one.  There are 9 32 x 32 stud plates (which makes this 30 inches by 30 inches!) that I divvied up to the 9 kids in my class this year.  I used software to break a standard image down to 96 x 96 pixels.  Each pixel then corresponds to 1 lego stud, of which there are 9,216.  I then took an output of colors in each of the 96 rows and imported them into Excel, where I could manipulate cell sizes to match up to 32 x 32 cells per sheet.  Each student just had a print off to work from and mark which studs they filled.  The print outs were just black and white, so they had no idea what they were making.  I really liked the concept of using excel as instructions to make large scale mosaics, so I’ll definitely keep that in my bag of tricks for future works.

There are about 5,000 pieces in the mosaic.  The kids had no idea what they were building collectively until the center plate was done and put next to 2 other finished plates.  I did end up having to throw in a bit of time since 2 kids missed class and I wanted to make sure they would be able to finish it in the last class.  Total labor hours is somewhere in the 20+ hour range.

click on the images for larger views. 

Today didn’t go quite how I wanted it to go.  I lost structure and got distracted and demotivated a lot.  We’ll see if I can get better for tomorrow.

7:30 am – Wake up for an 8:00am workday start from home

Noon – quick jaunt to the local post office to send off some last minute gifts, a netflix movie, and a textbook I sold online.  Also stop at the Family Dollar for some milk.

5:00 pm – Return a bathing suit for Kallie to target, then I took a trip over to best buy to pick up new computer speakers.  I was given a $50 gift card to best buy for my birthday, so I was going to pick up something there since my current speakers have a terrible and an unresolvable buzz coming from them.  When I started to browse, I noticed how ridiculously high the prices were.  I pulled up the amazon app on my phone and pretty much every speaker option was $20-$30 higher at best buy.  I was also interested in picking up a nice wireless N router, but those are way too expensive, and still about $20-$30 more than amazon’s prices.  I left without getting anything.

While in transit, I texted 2 separate friends to see if they were interested in grabbing a pint of beer at rock bottom, which used to be a weekly wednesday tradition with some friends.  Both could not go.  I tried not to let it get me too down, but my sails lost some wind.

7:00pm – Come home, move computer desk down stairs to the new lair in the basement.  I grabbed something to eat too, and started to watch “Who’s still standing?”, which is really stupid.  Once I had my fill of stupid, I came back downstairs to keep working at arranging my new set up.

9:00pm – My idea was to organize stuff downstairs for bit after eating, and then go for a run at 9.  Kallie called me pretty much at 9, which was just enough reason for me to lose focus on running.  I have to be up around 4:45am in the morning to make breakfast for the labor halls with the Living Ministry, so I should just call it a night, and hope to rest enough to be motivated to catch up tomorrow.  bed by 10.

I once set out to create a model of Pittsburgh out of bricks.  It didn’t turn out well.  Scale is a hard thing to maintain when constricted to the shapes of LEGO bricks.  So, the mini-series was born.  As I’m inspired, or as requested, I’ll set out to recreate individual buildings and landmarks.  Here’s what I got so far:

The Civic Arena:

The US Steel Tower:

The Cathedral of Learning:

I’ll probably set out to create a “larger scale” version of the cathedral of learning, but I just couldn’t resist this one.

I’m sure you probably heard by now, but Pittsburgh was ranked on of the best places of the world by National Geographic.  I, too, am a little skeptic and possibly embarrassed.  Sonoma Valley, Ca was the only other US location selected.  I mean, Pittsburgh’s great n’@, but I don’t think it’s worthy of the 7 world wonders or anything.

here’s the complete article:  http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-2012/#/botw-main-gallery-pittsburgh_41334_600x450.jpg

Starting Monday, the SEA is free to demolish the old Mellon Arena.  I guess it’s more like taking it apart piece by piece.  They have to remove all the tiles from the roof to get to the asbestos first.  I bet it’s going to look pretty gnarly for a while.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11267/1177238-53.stm

Here’s some interesting past and present pictures of the Hill District.  I can’t even imagine the Hill District being as lively as it used to be.  So many buildings and businesses and people.  It seems like it truly was connected to the hustle and bustle of downtown at one time.

http://multimedia.post-gazette.com/ThenNow/Hill/Center/default.asp

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11226/1166781-53.stm

If you’re in Pittsburgh this weekend, make sure you check out the Three Rivers Regatta!  The Regatta is always a blast and this year there’s a huge sand sculpture!  of course there are fireworks.  There are always fireworks in Pittsburgh.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/divinehammer42

a nice write up in the Wall Street Journal on how houses in the Pittsburgh area keep increasing in value even through the housing bubble pop.  It even goes into some specific houses and neighborhoods around the city.  It’s a great place and time to buy… *cough* *cough*
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576363150295506130.html?mod=WSJ_RealEstate_LeftTopNews

Alright, now that we’re into the summer and for sale signs are posted, here’s a break down of all the houses that are for sale in the Hill District:

113 Erin Street – $143,900 : My neighbor’s house who passed away in February 2011 and now his son is selling it. If you’ve been to my house, it has the same exact floor plan, but has a deck. Listing & County Assessment

117 Erin Street – $63,319 : My neighbor’s house who declared bankruptcy in September 2010. If you’ve been to my house, it has the same exact floor plan, but has a deck.  She also put in expensive tile throughout this house.  You have to do some research on how to get a house on sheriff sale, but come June 6th, this thing will be sold to the highest bidder. Instant equity here. Listing & County Assessment

9 Davenport Street – $93,500 : This house is just across the parking lot from me. If you’ve been to my house, it has the same exact floor plan.  Listing & County Assessment

139, 147, 153 Erin & 129, 139 Davenport = $150, 000 : New constructions in 2010.  Garages and yards.  Listings & County Assessment

There are a bunch more, ranging from older/smaller/cheaper to new/larger/more expensive listed here.  All of these houses are about a mile to downtown and about half a mile from the new Shop n’ Save and YMCA going into the Hill District.