Yesterday, My Friend Created a Venmo to Support My Legal Fund

My friend has long stayed away from online currency accounts. The few times I needed to send $$ to her, I sent it to her son’s PayPal. So I was quite surprised to get her note that she had successfully set up a Venmo account and sent me $20. Sure enough, there it was with […]

The Times I Believed in Easter and How That Traumatized Me

I grew up believing in Easter the way all Gen X kids did – yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s get to the candy. We watched the Rankin and Bass holiday shows, much inferior to the Christmas shows. Wear a new dress, eat some ham. I had no clue, like most Catholic kids. No clue what any […]

Why I Disinvited Both Mayoral Candidates From the 2025 Political Q&A

This was a tough decision. You, dear readers, deserve candidates who follow through on their commitment to answer questions. We see this NOT playing out every single day as federal elected officials avoid town halls or other forms of engagement with their constituents. Both Democratic candidates for Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh agreed to […]

The Pet Food Pantry Needs Paper Towels and Baby Wipes for Cat Colony Spring Cleaning

The Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Projects pet food pantry has been operating for six months. We have 40 active caretakers/households registered and 60 total. We typically give 11-15 pounds of dry and 20 cans of wet each month. We’ve also been working to get people connected with each other, especially neighbors. We’ve […]

Q&A with Shammen McCune, the Actor, Educator, and Artist

Magic happens (like empathy, compassion, respect, passion, trust…) when we take a moment to listen to one another, acknowledge our specific existence in the world without judgment, and respect each other Sometimes it is the show, sometimes it is the actor who connects with you, or me in this case. I find that when it is […]

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Kellianne Frketic, Candidate for Allegheny County Council

My office will prioritize government accountability by increasing transparency in legislative and executive decisions. This includes strengthening ethics oversight, ensuring that government records and processes are accessible to the public, and advocating for independent commissions to prevent partisan gerrymandering or unchecked executive authority.  Meet the Candidate Welcome to the 2025 election season series ‘Political Q&A’ […]

New CBS Soap Opera Reminds Viewers that Black Folx Have Glamorous, Gorgeous Soapy Tales to Tell

I have been an avid fan of soap operas since the mid-80’s when my friend Sherri introduced me to Days of Our Lives during summer vacation. We would plop down and stare in rapture at the hair, the clothes, and the glamour. We watched Dallas, Falcon Crest, and Dynasty. I soon ran home from the […]

April Showers Make Way For Much Needed Flowers

This blog and the work we do is supported by my SSDI check, a few ads, and mostly – you. You subscribe, you share, and you invest. A week ago was my SSDI check date – they divide us by birthrates into the first, second, third, etc week of the month. While watching Rachel Maddow […]

On Trans Day of Visibility, Black Trans Woman Kaitoria ‘Kai’ Bankz, 31, Shot to Death.

An attempted carjacking left a Black trans woman dead and her brother hospitalized on Monday, March 31, 2024 in Autaugaville, Alabama. Her name was Kaitoria ‘Kai’ Le’Cynthia Bankz. The would-be carjacker, Kelmen Merrell King, is in police custody. WSFA reports that Bankz and King communicated online before the deadly incident and met for what investigators […]

Hands Off! Pittsburgh Joins National Resistance To Trump and Musk on Saturday, April 5, 2023 in Downtown

Pittsburgh is one of hundreds of communities participating in the Hands Off! rallies this Saturday. Read on for more details and visit this site for details on nationwide efforts. My crew will be there handing out Protect Trans Kids stickers – look for our tote bags! Time Saturday, April 5 12:30 – 2pm EDT Location […]