Articles Archive - Page 77 of 156 - Pittsburgh Quarterly

If you haven’t noticed the confusion, static and difficulty of Mercury retrograde as of yet, it might become more obvious this week as Mercury slides back into the sign of Scorpio. Attend to problems with communication and technological issues that may have begun over the last few months, and they will be fixed once and …

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Regional News

Unemployment Stays Low

by Julia Fraser

Southwestern Pennsylvania still enjoys relatively low unemployment, but the region’s rate remains higher than the national average. The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 4.8 percent in October 2017 to 4.2 percent in October 2018, according to recently released data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in October. “The nation’s unemployment …

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Spotlight

Healthier, Wealthier and Wiser: Are Cities with Soda Taxes Better Off?

by Julia Fraser

Improving city schools and parks may not have been novel campaign promises, but when it came to funding such aspirations, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney had something new to say. He championed the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, a 1.5-cents-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages to help fund schools, pre-kindergarten classes, parks and libraries. Last year, Philadelphia became the …

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Creative Capital

Firing Your Financial Advisor, Part II

by Greg Curtis

If you Google “Should I fire my financial advisor?” you will land on a lot of brain-dead articles. If any of the reasons listed in those articles apply to your financial advisor and you haven’t fired him, you’re probably hopeless. But in the interest of comprehensiveness, let’s take a quick look at reasons to fire your advisor right …

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PQ Poem

At Western Psych

by Angele Ellis

On the dayroom TV screen, the Gladiator hallucinates in the desert. Golden lions and ghost horses scream. Filmed light flickers like tears on drugged un/watchful faces. Everyone is shoeless, their socks dark green. The water fountain is bandaged in a towel, leaking like a bad burn. The inmates queue to drink the dribble, scolded by …

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Culture

Indiana County Tree Farmers Keep the Green in Christmas

by John Beale

When your friends in Florida or your relatives in Virginia gather around their live Christmas tree this season, there’s a chance the evergreen was grown and harvested from a hillside in Indiana County, Pa. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”283″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] Flemings Christmas Tree Farm in Indiana is just one of 20 tree farms in the county …

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Opinion

A Turning Point for Troubled Times

by Douglas Heuck

By almost any objective measure, life in America has never been better. We’re not at war. Poverty is low, unemployment’s even lower, and stocks are sky high. Homicide rates are about where they were in 1950 and half of what they were in 1980. And medical care is better than ever with dramatic breakthroughs occurring …

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This Week’s Astrology: Nov. 22–28, 2018

by Judi Vitale

Mercury retrograde may continue to plague us humans this week, but paying more attention to the way you handle things such as communication, travel, and electronics will help. Also, remember to bring extra patience to any and all situations, and be accepting that not every plan can be as perfectly executed as your favorite chef’s …

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Arrivals

Yeh, Taylor, Giovannitti, Chodos, Farmer, McQuaid, Zhao

by PQ Staff

Justin Yeh, M.D. is chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Medicine and co-director of the Heart Institute at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He oversees the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit and holds an appointment as associate professor of pediatrics and critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Yeh, a native of …

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American Spirit

Anne and the Album

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

She could sit here all day, really. On the upholstered, wooden chair without wheels that she’ll push from keyboard to keyboard while she’s creating songs in the studio she has set up in her living room. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”282″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] It’s a sunken space with hardwood floors and a wood beam ceiling, anchored by …

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Creative Capital

Firing Your Financial Advisor

by Greg Curtis

“You’re fired!” – Donald Trump. The incredible—and incredibly long—bull market in both stocks and bonds that has persisted since the end of the Global Financial Crisis is now teetering. Whether or not the market bloodbath that occurred in October continues, the bull will in fact come to an end one of these days. When that …

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Shopping

Unique Boutiques

by Barbara Eichenlaub

As the holidays approach, so does the need for presents and hostess gifts. While it may be tempting to get on your iPad at 2 a.m. and order mass-produced items that will show up on your doorstep in two days, there are unique or personalized options that support local businesses and make you look like …

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Profiles

Pittsburgh’s Leading Newswoman

by Kate Benz

It is a hot, unbearably humid day in late August. There are two LED lights, a heavy, Sony XD camera mounted on a tripod and one monitor propped up on the Baughman Trail in Ohiopyle, just beyond the old train station. Mosquitos relentless, sun managing to beat down through a thick canopy of trees, crickets …

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Regional News

Region Adds Jobs

by Julia Fraser

Pittsburgh may have lost its bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, but the region picked up more jobs in October. The Pittsburgh region gained 10,869 jobs between October 2017 and October 2018, a 1.3 percent increase over the year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other regions, however, continued to add jobs at …

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The Pulse

Scrimping to Get By

by Jeffery Fraser

Paying their housing costs is a struggle for an alarming number of Americans across the country and Allegheny County is no exception. Nearly one-third of Americans spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing. The number of households dealing with such costs has risen from 16 million in 2001 to more than 38 …

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This Week’s Astrology: Nov. 15–21, 2018

by Judi Vitale

Shifts and signals from many of the planets will usher in the uptake in pace that signifies the holiday season. The biggest news is the beginning of Mercury retrograde, which comes on Friday evening. Expect to notice certain glitches in communication and travel even before that occurs. Pre-Thanksgiving travelers may want to leave extra time, …

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Events

First-Ever “Promenade in the Pavilion” Benefits Cultural Trust

by PQ Staff

On Saturday, November 10, members, supporters, and friends of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust came together for the first-ever “Promenade in the Pavilion,” enjoying an elegant, European-style picnic (albeit indoors!) inside one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic buildings. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”281″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] Held at The Pennsylvanian, this fundraising event featured an elaborate strolling dinner, cozy hideaways …

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Creative Capital

On Children’s Literature

by Greg Curtis

“Why do we give children the illusion of a world that doesn’t exist and which all their lives they will compare with a harsh reality?” –Georges Simenon A few weeks ago I published my 300th post since I launched the blog back in 2013. In recognition of this dubious anniversary I’m going to talk about …

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Events

Wings & Wildlife Art Show Supports the National Aviary

by PQ Staff

The National Aviary’s 4th annual Wings & Wildlife Art Show began with an upscale Soiree and Benefit Auction on November 2, 2018. More than 40 talented artists and makers filled the Aviary with a wide variety of art, all inspired by wildlife and conservation. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”280″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] The show featured participants of the …

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Arts

An Exterminating Angel

by Stuart Sheppard

Perhaps all drama should be analyzed as the Kabbalists interpret Torah—on many levels simultaneously, comprising the literal, the symbolic, the metaphoric, and the mystical. This might allow us to understand and enjoy what others may miss or dislike, without resulting in one conclusion that necessitates a myopic choice of perspective. I felt this way watching …

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This Week’s Astrology: Nov. 8–14, 2018

by Judi Vitale

“Refreshing” will be one word you might use to describe this week. Jupiter, the planet that brings opportunity and blessings of all sorts, will make a move from the sign of Scorpio to Sagittarius. This jovial planet makes its way into a new sign about once a year, so all the good Scorpio people have …

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Sports

Painting Pittsburgh’s Ice

by David Aschkenas

This is how it all begins: a man, a stencil, a crayon, and of course a bed of ice. Total time for the crew to paint the ice: about 8 hours. Follow the mesmerizing process of decorating the ice of the Pittsburgh Penguins in this photo collection by David Aschkenas. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”279″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] …

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