Also, I learned recently that my column at the mag has been nominated for a Golden Quill Award. I deeply appreciate anyone who cares about Pittsburgh's history and who reads what I have to say about it.
Pittsburgh was a hotbed of Spiritualist churches. There were dozens in the post-WWI/post-influenza pandemic era as people were desperate to reach lost loved ones through supernatural means. Harry exposed these "reverends" because he knew their magic tricks. You just need to read it. I. LOVE. HIM.
A screenshot of a magazine page featuring a photo of Harry Houdini
I don't see it posted online yet, but my latest for Pittsburgh Magazine about Harry Houdini's final years and how Pittsburgh played a role is one of my favorite stories ever. Like, this man? Wow. Wowowow. He just absolutely refused to let "religious" scammers take advantage of people. I love him.
Pittsburgh mayor Corey O’Connor
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas
Still crazy to me that these are different Pittsburgh people 🤨
The Pirates are winning, the Pens are in the playoffs, the Post-Gazette is saved, City Paper is back, and the Blocks are now completely out of Pittsburgh. I think we need to have one of our cute little group hugs 🖤💛
This exchange was a delight. Carry on.
I basically have anxiety about every single sentence I put out into the world, confirming every assumption to make sure I don’t write something incorrect. Yet there are countless people just gleefully exposing their willful ignorance without a care in the world. Like howwww????
My self-care is that I spend a few minutes each day blocking moon-landing deniers in NASA’s mentions on Instagram. ”We never went to the m-“
Three people stand in a semi-circle chatting and laughing. The men have their hands in their pocket. The lone woman has her head thrown back in laughter.
Five adults stand inside a hospital atrium in front of an electronic banner sign that reads "Game on! An evening of gaming from Microsoft, Mario Lemieux Foundation"
I've been working with these Microsoft legends, Luke Sossi, Russ Caggiano and MIchael Delon (in second pic), for 17 years now on Make Room for Kids. Wow. Yes, I remain a complete dork in my old age. Group hug!
A young boy sitting cross-legged on a black chair while holding a game controller laughs at the screen. Two young girls are also gaming, with one seated while attached to medical equipment. A young man in the background assists a female child with a game.
A teenaged patient in a hospital gown plays Crash Bandicoot with a blue Xbox Controller. The TV is mounted to a cart.
A young man who is a volunteer sits in a black chair next to a young girl with blond hair while they play Xbox.
A patient in a wheelchair plays Cars racing game on Xbox. The TV is mounted to a rolling cart.
Our volunteers (including my nephews) were on hand to help the kids and to game with them. We plan to present the event again soon since it went over so well.
A volunteer helps a young patient with gaming on an Xbox while standing next to a black chair. The Xbox is on a rolling cart.
Two young patients hooked up to medical equipment play an Xbox game. They are seated in black chairs with their backs to the camera.
A volunteer helps a young female patient create a gaming craft at a table with paper and art supplies
A young boy in a red and black shirt and gray pants holds a white Xbox controller while smiling. he is seated in a black chair.
Make Room for Kids at @mariolemieuxfdn.bsky.social continues to work with Microsoft to bring gaming to UPMC Children's Hospital. This week we joined to present Game On! to the patients. We had Xbox gaming stations, gaming-themed crafts and the Minecraft movie on the big screen. The kids loved it.
The accuracy!
Acrisure Stadium on a sunny day with a small scale football field in the foreground
Looking good!
How did I just, in the year 2026, type Three Rivers Stadium into my GPS in an attempt to navigate to Acrisure? My yinzer card will never be revoked.
Unloading and laying 75 bags of mulch and my Apple Watch popped up to shame me for the perceived dismal state of my activity rings and you are out of your mind if you think I didn’t say loud enough for my neighbors to hear, “Bitch, you don’t even know what I’m doing so shut up.”
Me when I hear the Pirates organization spent real money on an actual good thing in this the year of our doom 2026
I’m a hot mess that’s why 🙋🏻♀️
As usual, @woy.lol and I handled the launch like sane adults
I love space so much. What a great day to be a space nerd. Let’s hug again. And cry happy tears.
This current NO-GO on Artemis II is bringing back so many memories of experiencing two scrubs that sent me home from Florida before I finally got to see her fly on the third trip to NASA HQ. It was so worth the wait. I hope she gets to go today. 🚀🌙
A photo of Market Square in Pittsburgh under construction with a modern curved structure behind construction barriers. The PPG Tower rises in the background
Market Square is coming along so nicely! Loving the new horseshoe structure. I hope we can eventually close it completely to vehicular traffic. Make Downtown Pittsburgh more walkable!
Photo of a teenaged Virginia Montanez sitting at a desk writing on a clipboard with a pencil while her glasses rest alongside. A white hard hat with NASA is also there. A fake window behind her shows a 1990s-era space shuttle blasting off the launchpad
Good morning. We are launching humans to the Moon today. Let’s hug.
A cartoon drawing of a Coneman superhero over a photo of gridlocked traffic.
A black and white photo of a superhero dressed as Coneman standing at the lectern in downtown Pittsburgh
Dear Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, you have the chance to do the funniest thing. It's time to bring back Coneman. #pirates
Is the cone the new Zoltan? Please advise.
First shot? Easy.
Second shot? DYING ALIVE.
But so worth it!
The way I cackled. Love it!
A photo from the 1930s showing the interior of Kaufmann's department store. A female sales clerk is assisting a female shopper while a man walks in the background. The flooring is a diamond tile shape.
Interior of a modern Target store showing a shiny grey and black art deco floring in a diamond pattern
One of my fave things we've put into the PastFinders app is the old Art Deco flooring from downtown Kaufmann's. Target uncovered it during construction and kept it rather than rip it up. I lucked out that the archives at the Heinz History Center had a photo of the interior that showed the floor. 😍
My top two were that one and the one that looked like smoke coming from a steel mill. I picked the steel mill one. It was so so hard to choose!
An orange and black floral arrangement in front of a painting of a steel mill with similar colors
A tropical orange, yellow and green floral arrangement in front of a painting of Florida beach with similar colors
A bright, cheery yellow, blue and green floral arrangement in front of a painting backlit inside a window frame
Swung into the Westmoreland Museum of American Art for the Art in Bloom show and, wow, these floral interpretations of the art are perfection. Today is the last day and it’s free. Not an ad!
A plate of pierogi, sour cream, kielbasa and sauerkraut on a marble table
While at Wigle in the Strip for lunch, I randomly decided to order the Burghiest thing on the menu for a change. This whole plate was outstanding. Chef popped out to ask what I thought. Two thumbs up! Not an ad! Eat more pierogis!