Trans Youth 25 and Under Represent nearly 50% of the Reported Violent Deaths of Trans Americans in 2024

On December 1, 2024, the body of Ra’Lasia Wright was discovered in Minneapolis. She was just 24 years old. Nearly a month later, police have not identified suspects or released information about the case. To date, media coverage has been limited mostly to local media outlets. Even the national LGBTQ media has failed to acknowledge […]

Did You Know The John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry Has a Newsletter? Here’s How to Subscribe

pet food pantry newsletter

We call it ‘Tails From the Backyard’ – first issue went out in December. In red and green envelopes no less. Our target audience are the people who live close to the pantry and the Fort Faulsey cat colony in Manchester. But the information is useful across the Northside and beyond …. If you would […]

Hey 19! It’s hard times befallen the sole survivors or how to celebrate 19 years of blogging

‘Bleakly ironic and spent’ might be my word phrase of the year for 2025. It is so amazing to be heading into my 20th year of blogging that I have to remind myself to stop and consider 19 years of blogging first. Most blogs last 90 days, those that continue last 2-3 years, and then […]

Pet Food Pantry Registers Ten New Households

Pet Food Pantry Pittsburgh

Yesterday, we restocked the Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry with recent donations and strategized on the January distribution. We continue to believe that inflation is impacting our pantry households and potential donors. We’ve added ten households – six members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh who are on strike from the Pittsburgh […]

This Year, I Was Home for Christmas

Vintage radio

In case you were wondering, my solo Christmas was actually fine. I had Xmas eve dinner with friends. Then I came home and settled in. I had a sweet roll for breakfast, then heated up my chicken dinner around 2. In between, I watched ‘Call the Midwife’ most of the day. I did take a […]

Video circa 1972: Three 70 year old women talk about their childhood Christmas traditions

This is delightful. Recollections on Edwardian era holiday traditions by a trio of older women in 1973. The oldest recalls Christmases from 1902 and 1903. The host is a bit precious and dismissive of modern traditions, but the stories are good. I will say over and over again – we have a lot to learn […]

Black Trans Teen Cam Thompson Killed in Alabama

Cam Thompson

Cam’s death is the 40th reported in 2024 as of December 25. In a horrifying end of the year turn, violence has claimed another trans teen’s life. Cam Thompson, a Black transgender 18-year-old girl, was shot and killed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on December 16, 2024. Cam died after being shot in the 600 block of […]

I Finally Watched ‘Die Hard’ at Christmas.

Tonight was my first viewing of Die Hard to help ring in my merry holiday. Die Hard is a 1988 action film where the lone cop foils an international terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles office building. There’s a higher body count that in most Christmas movies and a lot more blood. Bruce Willis rose […]

A 24 Year Old Black Trans Woman of Puerto Rican Descent Was Shot to Death in Minnesota. Her Name was Ra’Lasia Wright.

Ra’Lasia Wright was 24 years old when her body was discovered in the years between two houses in a Minneapolis, Minnesota neighborhood on December 1, 2024. Ra’Lasia is sometimes styled Ralasia and sometimes Ralai. Ra’Lasia was a Black Latina trans woman of Puerto Rican descent. The Crime A ping from Ra’Llasia’s iPhone alerted friends and […]

Update on Winter Pet Food Drive – After the Reindeer Are Fed, Remember the Cats and Dogs

We urgently need dry dog and cat food The Winter Holiday Pet Food Drive is underway. We are supporting the striking pet owners of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh along with our colony caretakers and modest income pet owners. Scroll down for donation information. We have 68 households registered caring for over 700 animals. Each […]