Digital AIDS Quilt

2011 marks the 30^th anniversary of AIDS.

In 1987, a quilt created by The Names Project Foundation covered the National Mall in Washington, D.C., memorializing those we lost to AIDS.  During middle school our class was taken to a much smaller scale quilt in Stamford, CT.  The quilt has taken on a new look in this digital age.  Check out some of the quilt or read up on some of the staggering statistics.   

Have some down time at the office tomorrow?  Check out for the World AIDS Day broadcast at 10am on ONE's YouTube channel.  Appearances include President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Bono, Alicia Keys and many others.

Food Stamps in the News

Several of you must have been watching the Today Show yesterday morning or tuned into some great blogs because I received a handful of emails about their segment, How Walmart Staffs Up When Food Stamp Balances Reset. 

While I am still on the fence about Walmart's business practices, their idea to hire more staff for the first of the month is an interesting one.  The number of people who rely on food stamps has gone up 37% in the last two years to 46 million; these are the highest numbers the Federal Government has seen since the food stamp program began in 1939.  

Apparently this was a teaser for the longer program which aired later that night on Rock Center with Brian Williams.  After googling I was able to find the 10 minute clip, check it out.  It helps to give an accurate picture of how hunger affects Americans every day.  

“We’re not the habitual abusers of the system.  We don’t, you know, we don’t use this as a crutch by any stretch of the imagination.  This is to stabilize our family and to help give us a platform to launch ourselves into being able to do it ourselves,” Dougherty said. 

Have 30 Minutes on Your Hands This World AIDS Day?

Take that time to watch this short documentary

Last year (RED) and HBO temed up to create The Lazarus Effect, a film about the positive impact of free antiretroviral drug therapy on HIV/AIDS.  Today the drugs can be as low as 40 cents a day; unfortunatey this is more than most people in developing nations can afford.  Non-profit agencies like (RED) and governmental ones like PEPFAR have provided millions of children and adults with life sustaining medication.

Unfortunately when people think about the epidemic going on around the world, there is frequently only stories of sadness and loss, as well as an overwhelming feeling of despair.  In this documentary, we hear the stories of HIV patients and medical staff and the impact this medication has had on their lives.  It is amazing to see the transformation of these people from skin and bones to a healthy body weight.  
  
The Guardian summed it up best when they wrote:

"It's hard to imagine that there could be a positive story to be told about HIV in Africa – if there is, however, The Lazarus Effect is probably it."

It's All About the Glass

Dinosaur Outside the Museum

Yesterday after hitting up the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, I wandered over to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Art. With my wallet feeling a bit light after paying for admission, I was SHOCKED and AMAZED to find that my Access Card would get me into the museum for $1.  Wahoo!  What was even better, was the fact that that $1 would get me into both museums - it turns out that they are connected on the inside. 

While wandering around I came across the Past Meets Present: Decorative Arts and Design exhibition; towards the back of the room they had a rew pieces of Tiffany Glass.  Recently it seems like Tiffany Glass has been all over so I was glad to see that I would be able to learn about its origins.  Here is the quick and dirty:

• Tiffany Glass is any glass developed/produced between 1878 and 1933 by Louis Comfort Tiffany at the Tiffany Studios
• 9 different types of glass were used in his creations, including favrile, old French for handmade, a technique designed by Tiffany.  This technique allows the glass to remain shiny while also giving it an opaque quality.  The combination of different techniques gave pieces a truly organic and realistic feel - something that became synonymous with Tiffany Glass. 
• After the studio closed, many of the techniques were lost and/or forgotten. Some have been recreated by other glass companies. 
• Louis Tiffany was an interior designer before he began his work with glass.  Some of his most notable works were Mark Twain's house and later the White House.
• Tiffany's father was the founder of Tiffany & Co and was their first Design Director. 
• The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum in Winter Park, FL has the larges collection of Tiffany's work today. 



All this talk about glass reminded me of my trip to the Heinze History Center where there was an exhibition of the glass industry in Pittsburgh.  While most know PGH for its iron and steel production, it was also one of the largest producers of glass thanks to a number of "perfect storm" factors.  First there was an abundant source of coal which meant a never ending supply of fuel for the factories.  Secondly, the Allegheny Mountains to the East protected them from the European market (transporting glass through the mountains was near impossible).  Finally, as we know Pittsburgh is surrounded by rivers which allowed factories to ship their products all across the United States and in some cases as far away as South America. 



By the time the Civil War rolled around, glass could be made cheaply and efficiently; soda lime could be substituted for lead.  In fact, nearly 45% of all the glass produced during the Civil War was produced in Pittsburgh; by the 1920 they had a hold on 80% of that same market. 

Fore more information on the beginning of the US glass business check out the Heinze History Center's publication. 

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

(It's a long post, but it has lots of pictures!)

 

The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens was a gift to the City of Pittsburgh from Henry Phipps, a wealthy business partner in the Carnegie Steal Company and successful real-estate entrepreneur.  In 1893, the gardens were opened to the public and ever since have been used to educate and entertain the public.

The building is a gorgeous example of Lord and Burnham Victorian greenhouse architecture

If you are not careful, the gardens can become a labyrinth.  The docent told me to just keep turning right through the 13 different rooms.  I will say the US Botanical Gardens in DC, while great, has nothing on these gardens!

While wandering around I came across something called a rain chain, pictured here.  A great addition to anyone's garden.  Some people hang them off their rain gutters instead of using a downspout. 

Every so often you are greeted by a Chihuly glass sculpture. He has had a lot of great pieces of work at the gardens over the years.  Check out my recent posting for a look at the pieces on display now and others that have come through their doors.

As with any botanical gardens during the holiday time, there was a train exhibition

as well as a variety of truly decked out Christmas trees!
 

It is hard to tell, but the one on the left has chop sticks on it

One made out of live plants

The main attraction is the Winter Flower Show.  There is a Nutcracker theme throughout the garden complete with a sugar plum fairy and gingerbread house

as well as mice and toy soldiers made out of plants.

You can check out the breathable clocks

or bears made out of tree bark.

If you are around, I would encourage you to go before they close January 8, 2012. 

Dale Chihuly

If someone was to mention to you Dale Chihuly, the first thing to pop into your mind would probably be some of the spectacular ceilings, like this one in the Bellagio Hotel.  

Chihuly is a wildly popular and famous glass sculptor from the United States.  Working in the profession since the early 1970s, he has won numerous awards including a Fublright and two National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist grants.  Today his works can be found in over 200 museums worldwide.  Early on in his career he worked solo, but after a bodysurfing accident, he had to hire someone to hold the glass blowing pipe.  To learn more, check out the documentary Chihuly Over Venice (available on Netflix). 

As soon as you enter the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens you are amazed at the intricate blown glass sculpture in the front entrance. 

While there were bursts of color around thanks to a variety of flowers; other pops were due to the blown pieces of glass interspersed throughout the different rooms.   

The museum has showcased a great number of Chihuly's pieces of the years.  Here are a few that I found while perusing the internet. 

The 3/50 Project

You have heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, how about Small Business Saturday?

Last night (thank goodness) I came across the 3/50 Project, was started in March 2009 by Cinda Baxter with a blog post.  According to their website, the Project's goal is to "increase consumer spending in a way that delivers the greatest amount of financial benefit to local community economies."

• 3:  What three independently owned business would you miss if they disappeared?  Stop in.  Say hello.  Pick up something that brings a smile.  Your purchases are what keeps those business around.  
• 50:  If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 bullion in revenue.*  Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the population did that
• 68:  For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.  If you spend that in a national chain only $43 stays here.  Spend it online and nothing comes home

So go and find your favorite local business and go drop some money!  

I am heading down to the Strip (shocker) and Lawrenceville to see what I can find. 

*Employment stats courtesy US Labor Department 2/6/09 report; 68/43 stats courtesy Civic Economics

50 Ways to Show Gratitude for the People in Your Life

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

- William Arthur Ward

 __________________________________________________________________________________

 

I stumbled across a posting from the The Tiny Buddha yesterday when I came home from Thanksgiving dinner and thought I would share the link with you.  I know that money is tight for a lot of us (yes I am speaking to you, my AmeriCorps buddies), but what better way to share the holiday spirit than showing gratitude for your friends and family.  

While some of them are a bit hokey, I think the overall message is a good one.  Check out the list!  Which ones can you incorporate into your holiday giving?   

Let us know, by pledging your gift of gratitude in the comments section below!

Pittsburgh's Drity Dozen

Before I moved here, I asked Alex about the biking terrain out here in Picks-burgh; he likened it to San Francisco, CA.  Over the past few weeks I have started to see some of the larger hill, but it was not until today did it all start to click.  Today you see was the Dirty Dozen ride.  Bikers, ranging from novice to professional, head out to conquer some of the biggest hills in the city.  While over the years the ride has gotten easier (lower gears on bikes, some of the roads being converted from cobblestones to asphalt), it still continues to kick butts ever year!!

The video is 30 minutes long, but just click through the bottom to get a glimpse of some of the killer hills these people have to climb.

As you can see the riders are ALL OVER Pittsburgh ... 

think the 50 States Ride, but with 13 killer hills

Feeling brave, click here for a cue sheet

The race includes the steepest hill in the world, Canton Ave, which has a 37% gradient.  Walking up the hill was a challenge ... I could not imagine what it would be like to have to ride my bike up it.  While the weather was nice on Saturday, there have been some years that the hills were covered in snow.

Turkey Day Wrap Up

Thanksgiving was a huge success, and from what I hear from the rest of the family, was quite the party in North Carolina.

Picture from http://www.mylifeasamrs.com/

Over the last few weeks all of the foodie blogs have been posting tons of recipes - appetizers, how to brine your turkey, the perfect stuffing, etc.  Another things that seems to be synonymous with this holiday is that people tend to imbibe more than one or two adult beverages.  One of the things that caught my eye, was a recipe for Spiced Apple Cider Sangria.  If you are a lover of sangria and apple cider this is definitely one for you to try out!

The other new find of the day was a potato ricer

which made some mean mashed potatoes without knocking the kitchenaid mixer off its keel. 

While we did not have the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria bread boats at our table

there was definitely enough food to feed an army.  

I also went home with a boat load of left overs! 

 

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is all of the left overs, like Chinese food they always seem to be better the next day.  You get to make delicious Thanksgiving sandwiches like this one:

Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing all in one delicious bite!

SAD

What an awful acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I guess it does sum it up well. 

It seems like everyone has been in a funk with the weather being overcast, cold and rainy.  I guess the Pittsburgh winter is slowly creeping in, and thankfully there has been no snow.  

Thankfully the weather tomorrow is supposed to be a brisk 52 F and sunny!  Perfect weather for running the PNC YMCA 5 mile Turkey Trot.  (Double whammy for getting anyone out of a funk).  Even better I get to have Thanksgiving with my adopted family, the Trempus'.

Good luck to everyone cooking tomorrow (I have already gotten one panicked phone call - never fear, the crisis has been averted) and safe travels for anyone flying or driving tonight/tomorrow!

Address is Approximate

In case you all have missed the uber cute video Address is Approximate circulating out in cyberland, voila!  What is it about good lighting and well placed background music that can make your heart go out to inanimate objects. 

Story: A lonely desk toy longs for escape from the dark confines of the office, so he takes a cross country road trip to the Pacific Coast in the only way he can – using a toy car and Google Maps Street View.

A Hard Turn: Steering Away From Bad Diets

Ok by now we know I love me some NY Times and yesterday they had a great article on the current health of truck drivers and what some companies are doing to integrate prevention (all be it secondary prevention).

"Eighty-six percent of the estimated 3.2 million truck drivers in the United States are overweight or obese, according to a 2007 study in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association."

For the quick and dirty, big trucking companies are looking at ways that they can integrate primary and secondary prevention into their employee's lives.  Some are starting up Biggest Loser competitions and offering discounted gym and weigh loss program memberships while others are integrating nurses wellness coaches.

One of the most staggering statistics I read in the article:

"In 2010, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 13 percent of all fatal occupational injuries, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A 2007 report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that 87 percent of crashes involving truckers stemmed to some degree from driver error. Twelve percent of these cases were because the driver was asleep, had a heart attack, was in diabetic shock or had some other health problem."

Life on the road is a hard one, especially when you are driving 11 hours a day with most of your food coming from rest stops and fast food "restaurants".  It just goes to show how big of an impact environment can have on someone's lifestyle choices.  I would love to see a follow up article in a few months/years to see how the rates of morbidity and mortality change with these new measures. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving from me and mine!

The Turkey Trot 5 mile run was a success, albeit a cold one (36 degrees when I left the house).  While I did not burn off enough calories to eat a whole pie, I can say that I will probably be able to make a sizable dent. 

I have been put in charge of stuffing this year.  It seems fitting as that is what I usually make when at home with the crew.  Elise and Ursina will attest that usually as soon as the celery, onions and celery are cooking my mother and I usually have a fight over how the rest of it should go.  

Take a moment to remember what you are thankful for - both the big and the small things.  After the last three months my perspective on what the important things has definitely changed!  While I am bummed that I am not in North Carolina with the rest of the family, I am glad that Alex and his family are just a short drive away.  

On a fun and random note, I thought I would pull in a movie clip from our childhood.  Originally I wanted to put in Turkey Lurkey, but remembered that that was a Christmas song.  Instead I leave you with a clip from the Adams Family Movie.

Monday's Mantra!

While hoofing it up the Smart Stairs, I came across this quote from Will Cross which I am turning into today's mantra.

Cross was the first man with Diabetes to reach the South Pole and attempted to reach the top of Mt. Everest, but had to turn back because of a shortage of oxygen and extreme exhaustion.  Today he continues to climb mountains, but also serves as a motivational speaker.

Heinze History Center

Today was the day folks, the day to play tourist, so I headed over to the Heinze History Center.  As you can see from the picture it is one of the 168 museums in 39 states, as well as Panama and Puerto Rico museums which is associated with the Smithsonian Institution.  While the ticket was not free, my GW ID got me a good price.

As I headed off to begin the tour, I noticed a sign for the Smart Steps program. The museum created an exhibition in their six floor stair well.  Walls are covered with pictures, health statistics and fun facts about Pittsburgh history.  If you climb all the steps and punch your card at each door you are awarded with with a Heinz pickle pin (I received said pin - no worries). 

Like several cities around the country, Pittsburgh has a variety of dinosaur statues painted by local artists which are later auctioned with all proceeds going to the Carnegie Museums.  There were two statues located in the museum.

George Washasarus in the French and Indian War

Pittsburgh Through the Ages

Mr. Rogers

Star of one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE movies An American In Paris, Gene Kelly

Also I had no idea about all the famous people and things who came out of Pittsburgh.  Like who knew the Ferris Wheel was the brain child of George W. Ferris, a PGH bridge builder.  The planners of the 1893 World's Fair were looking for something to rival the Eiffel Tower. 

Other great examples:

• Played an important role in the French and Indian War, War of 1812 and the Civil War
• The Polio vaccine was created and tested
• The Big Mac
• It is the birthplace of Rachel Carson and Andy Warhol (both who have their own bridge)
• Home to the Hinze Empire
• Had the first EMT program
• Mr. Yuck sticker was created

Anyway you get the picture.  For a quick and dirty, seven minute video click here.  Pretty Cool!!