UPDATE:  Upon the advice of my counsel, I have deleted references to minors that may or may not be affiliated with Mr. Edgar Snyder as well as comments about the parenting skills of adults that may or may not be the parents of said minors.  My apologies for assuming that the behavior of children (older than age 4) who repeatedly bump into other people and occupy counter seats, intended for other patrons, while they wait for their table might be a reflection of the parenting skills of those supervising said children.  Further, I should not jump to conclusions about the parenting skills of an individual who post their children's ages and gender as well as contact information for their father on a blog.  Or sent his telephone number to the blog author whom he has never met.  In all seriousness, I recently attended a workshop on Internet safety for my job -- it is NEVER safe to post email addresses or telephone numbers in relation to children.  I am deleting that from his comment b/c I don't want to contribute to any harm or danger to children, regardless of my opinion of their parents. 

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This is just a general rant about my weekend.  Nothing too exciting.

Friday, I stayed home and recuperated from a hard week at work.  My boss resigned and moved to Texas (she left today) so I was a bit down that evening. Ledcat made homemade pizza, so that helped.

Saturday, I had to trot off to Boyce Park for our company picnic.  Ledcat chose not to come with as we were fairly sure I would be the token homo at the event.  We was right.  It wa a nice day for a picnic.  After an appropriate amount of chatting and mingling and general revelry, I had to leave when the temperature soared and it became difficult to breathe.  I then faced the odious task of getting home w/o the benefit of the Parkway East, a feat that took 30 extra minutes and a detour through Verona. 

We had a contractor stop by which really excited me. We visited his sister's house a few weeks ago and saw his work firsthand.  Awesome!  Plus, he is one of those really cool people who is just nice. Plus, the dogs liked him.  Check out his band.  I hope we can get him to work on our house. 

Afterwards, dinner with Ledcat's Mom at Muriel's.  We love this place.  I had the grilled chicken over quinoa, which I discovered is an Aztec grain.  Ledcat had the special, Mahi Mahi.  Ledcat's Mom and her ladyfriend had mushroom ravioli.  After a quick trip to say hello to our 19 month old niece (totally awesome playtime), we sent Mom and ladyfriend back to Mercer County and headed over to the cinema at the Southside Works.

So I have to stop here and admit that I was wrong.  I've been dissing the Works for a year as a pretentious, yuppie-filled magnet.  I went to the Cheesecake Factory one time and waited in line against my will for 1.5 hours with a broken foot (long story) only to discover that it wasn't all that and a bag of chips.  So I complained and whined whenever we returned.  However, this time we decided to catch Hairspray at the Works.  It was cool.  No crowds, no whirling lights and no hideous video games.  The staff was nice and the theater was pleasantly uncrowded.  John Travolta was great. 

Plus, in a surreal moment, we ran into two characters from our friend Ehrrin's blog .. E-dawg and Lareese.  We were at the snack bar (small popcorn, no butter and a pepsi to share).  That was kinda cool.

Sunday, we slept in and then headed to the Square Cafe to break our fast.  It was semi-crowded, but nothing atypical.  After being seated, Ledcat points out to me that Edgar Snyder was there with a large party, including several bratty kids poorly behaved individuals who have the horrendous social skills instilled from privileged upper-middle class over-indulged white parents. A few moments later, we saw why when Edgar stormed up to the manager and threw an actual hissy fit because his meal for twelve took a more than ten minutes to prepare.  I almost snorted my waffle when I saw him flailing his arms.  That staff were very cool and composed even as he made a complete jackass of himself. 

I guess all the money in the world can't buy class.  I shared the story at a nearby coffeehouse later in the day, only to have the barista confirm that he's had similar encounters with Mr. Snyder at Whole Foods.  As we had to make a Whole Foods stop, I was a little scared we'd see him again.  Thank goodness, he took his brood to some other post-luncheon locale

We hit up the Co-op for some yummy groceries.  I wanted lentils since my friend made us a great lentil dish a few nights ago after our composting workshop.  Then we hit WF where I, apparently reaching my tolerance for yuppies, almost had a breakdown in the grains section when we couldn't find basmati rice.  It was awful.  Someone almost ran over my foot and another person actually rammed Ledcat's cart.  I really don't like WF enough to put up with that crap.  I'll take Shakespeare Giant Eagle anyday of the week. 

So this weekend sort of turned my world upside down.  Whole Foods is off my list for the time bing until they implement some yuppie control.  Southside Works is back on my list until they install video games in the lobby.  I've got 897 worms living in the basement eating my rotten peaches. I'm going to try and cook lentils.  And I'm seriously contemplating installing this in my backyard.

One final note.  Chris Potter and his posse take us inside the world of buskers.  I have to admit that I hate buskers.  In theory, they are a cool, alternative form of entertainment and I certainly get that they have a right to make a living.  But there's a violinist who plays in front of the Manor in Squirrel Hill.  She takes up half the entrance and is very dramatic.  It is all very charming in a delusional, upscale sort of way.  But I hate dodging her when I come and go.  A few weeks ago, it got worse when this dancing woman showed up.  Not only did the completely block the entrance, but a large crowd gathered to watch.  I made a few attempts to pass by, but I almost got knocked over by whirling girl. Getting into a movie theater isn't an ultimate sport.  So I left.  And I complained to the owner who promised me they would be more attentive to keeping the entrance clear.  Great.  Because that's why I went to the Southside Works this weekend.  I'll go back and give it a try.  Eventually.  When the scars heal.

So that's my busking story.  God bless 'em for trying to make a buck. 

Beth Pittinger, Executive Director of the Citizen Police Review Board and longtime friend to local activists, seems to have changed her tune of late.  Usually on the frontline defending members of the Pittsburgh Organizing Group and other local activists from police-driven infringements on their right to assemble, Pittinger's sensibilities have been offended by local animal rights activists who protested at Dan Onorato's church in response to his decision to kill geese in North Park. 

?We?re concerned about the disruption that occurs to the person?s family and neighbors,? says Beth Pittinger, executive director of the CPRB, who called a recent protest by animal-rights activists at the church of county chief executive Dan Onorato ?offensive.?

?There are plenty of other places a group can take their protest,? she says.

To protect the home as a "safe haven," Pittinger wants Pgh City Council to make pickets at dwellings illegal.

Well, that's an interesting twist.  It is certainly debatable whether protesting at someone's home is tactically sound or in good taste, assuming one is concerned about such things.  But at last check, the Constitution wasn't designed to protect friends and neighbors from being offended. 

I'm perplexed that Pittinger has championed this cause.  She shows up at just about every peace and justice event in town to keep an eye on police conduct.  She pushes for transparency on police procedures regarding crowd control (and the use of tasers).  She seems to actually be trying to protect the civil rights of city residents, even when her organization is dismissed as ineffective and powerless. 

Unfortunately, I believe that Pittinger has failed to deliver on a promise she made to the LGBTQ community in the fall of 2005 when she agreed to work with the Mayor's office to appoint someone from our community to the CPRB.  That was three mayors ago.  So I'm skeptical of her ability to deliver. (It would be great if someone could prove me wrong and identify a current member of the CPRB who was appointed to represent the LGBTQ community.)

I'm even more skeptical of her motive for restricting free speech.  What does she say to housing and community groups that show up at the front door of slumlords who have refused to take responsibility for their properties?  Does the disruption to the neighbors outweight the disruption to the neighbors of the blighted rental properties? 

Is it possible that Ms. Pittinger is looking ahead to a potential City-County merger and what that might mean for her organization?  Is it just a coincidence that she has spoken out when the protest involved the County Chief Executive, the most powerful Democrat in the region? 

I should disclose that Ledcat has ties to the Department of Public Safety, so I fully expect that Ms. Pittinger's defenders would use that to suggest bias on my part.  That is probably true.  However, I also used to work for a statewide agency that served adults with developmental disabilities and Ms. Pittinger was the former divisional director and ongoing legal guardian to consumers while I was there, giving me ongoing indirect contact with her over civil rights issues. More room for bias?  Probably true.  Just want to get that out there.

Personally, I think protesting at a church over the geese issue wasn't tactically sound.  I think killing geese was a stupid option given that there are proven dog herding methods that are more humane and just as effective.  However, I doubt the church folks see it that way.  That being said, they had a right to assemble there. 

But where would it end?  Would survivors of sex abuse at the hands of priests be unable to protest at a church that harbored a perpetrator?  What is a so-called Christian politician engaged in political activity in direct conflict with his or her professed faith? 

If someone showed up to protest my neighbor harboring her drug-dealing, gun toting son and his incessant need to hurl glass bottles all over the street, I'd bring them glasses of ice team and an assortment of pastries.  Alas ///

My favorite example is Fred Phelps of www.godhatesfags.com. He protests at the funeral of soldiers, believing that God is mowing them down to punish America.  Laws are being passed to protect the families of soldiers.  Unconstitutional laws, but perhaps well intended.  Too bad Beth Pittinger and every elected official in the United States didn't feel so moved to restrict free speech when Phelps showed up at the funerals of gay men and women, bearing signs that said "Your son is in hell."    What's more offensive -- geese lovers in the parking lot after Mass or a grieving mother faced with personalized hatred directed at her dead child? 

The degree of offense is not the point. The point is that Beth Pittinger and the City Council are not in a position to protect people from being offended.  Unlike the bubble zone ordinance, this is not a matter of balancing two constitutional rights.  If the protestors prevent people from attending their religious services or trespass on private property, enforce the law.  But don't strip the protestors of THEIR rights.

One can only imagine that police misconduct must be non-existant if Ms. Pittinger has turned her attention to the woes of Onorato's neighbors.  If only that were the case ...