New #ThingsToDo: a List by Maggie, Age 11

New Things To Do Project

Total Lists Submitted: 6 Total Amount Raised for Food Pantry: $60.00 This is our new project #ThingsToDo where we invite youth to create and share a list of things to occupy time and cope with boredom. You’ll fine the details at this link. Your young people are welcome to participate. Here’s the cool thing – in addition to creating […]

Daily Dose of #QuarantineCats Sunday March 29, 2020

Pittsburgh Cats and Dogs

These are difficult times. Our crew wants to help so I’m going to try to regularly post brief video snippets from the assorted four-footed residents of our house including our pets, fosters, the ferals, our dog, and occasional guests. Today’s clip features our feral kitties, Oksana (gray and white) and Mx Pajamas (black) on our […]

Daily Dose of #QuarantineCats Saturday March 28, 2020

Pittsburgh Cats and Dogs

These are difficult times. Our crew wants to help so I’m going to try to regularly post brief video snippets from the assorted four-footed residents of our house including our pets, fosters, the ferals, our dog, and occasional guests. Today we again feature Maisel who seems to love the camera. She’s lying on this fleece/fur […]

Daily Does of #QuarantineCats Friday, March 27, 2020

Pittsburgh Cats and Dogs

These are difficult times. Our crew wants to help so I’m going to try to regularly post brief video snippets from the assorted four-footed residents of our house including our pets, fosters, the ferals, our dog, and occasional guests. Today’s clip features five-month-old Maisel who has discovered birdwatching! You can watch her wriggle with excitement […]

Q&A with Matt Merriman-Preston About the Pennsylvania Primary Election, Mail-In Ballots, and More

This is a very confusing time. We spend hours trying to find toilet paper and disinfectant, worrying about access to critical medications that are being redirected to maybe cure COVID-19, and having our evening news interrupted by a ridiculous puppet President who lies and misleads us every single fucking day. One point of confusion is […]

My Friend Was Admitted to ICU for COVID-19 Testing; She Found a Simple Way to Make It Easier for Health Care Staff

Cell Phones in ICU Covid-19

My lifelong friend, A, is a 49-year-old, white woman with a 16-year-old daughter. She grew up in Pittsburgh, earned a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and graduated from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. She worked until she was fully disabled in 2011 by chronic health problems. She had to turn in her medical license, […]

Q&A: Northside Eatery Bistro To Go Offers No-Contact Delivery & More to Keep Serving Comfort Foods

Bistro To Go Delivers

Highlighting some neighborhood restaurants that are serving the community with specific questions about their new COVID-19 policies and procedures. Bistro To Go has been a long-time friend with delicious comfort foods. I noticed tat they’ve added in-house delivery to nearby communities so I asked them to give us an update. If you business would like […]

Daily Dose of Quarantine Cats: Thursday, March 24, 2020

Pittsburgh Cats and Dogs

These are difficult times. Our crew wants to help so I’m going to try to regularly post brief video snippets from the assorted four-footed residents of our house including our pets, fosters, the ferals, our dog, and occasional guests. Today’s clip features our two newest foster kittens, five month old siblings, Stefano DiMera and Spencer […]

Toilet Paper, Sanitizer, and Social Anxiety in a Pandemic

Toilet Paper, Grocery Shopping

Here’s what I don’t understand – why are items that are available in restricted quantities NOT available to buy online or via a curbside shopping service? Is it logistics? Too few employees to take half a delivery of TP, alcohol, and wipes and set it aside to fill deliveries/shipments and put half on the shelves? […]

Q&A with Ryan Deto about the role of Pittsburgh City Paper in the region’s curent crisis

Ryan Deto Pittsburgh City Paper

Local media outlets are essential to the work we do on this blog. Chief among those has been the Pittsburgh City Paper, a relationship that has had ups and downs over the years. I’ve been through the tenure of four editors, countless staff and beat reporters, and other staff as well as multiple publishers. I’ve […]