Editor's Picks category, Page 243
The mind behind the Rubik’s Cube celebrates a lasting puzzle
NEW YORK — If you’ve ever had trouble solving a Rubik’s Cube, a good piece of advice is to break it down into steps. It’s worth a shot: That advice is from the man who invented it. “Problem solving is a very basic activity of the human mind and if...
Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, musicians pay tribute to Christine McVie
Bandmates, musicians and fans took to social media to express sorrow over the death of Christine McVie, vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player of Fleetwood Mac. McVie’s soulful contralto helped define such classics as “You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere” and “Don’t Stop.” She died Wednesday at age 79. A statement by...
All aglow: More homeowners, businesses hiring pros to put up holiday lights
Justin Rushin still remembers advice he received at the start of his venture into holiday decorating as owner of Christmas Decor of Pittsburgh. “(The instructor) said one thing that really stuck in my mind: ‘You will never be able to look at a house the same and not think about...
Nostalgic 3-day festival offers holiday fun in Vandergrift
When people call Denise Lewandowski “Crazy Christmas Lady,” she considers it a compliment. Lewandowski, of Vandergrift, proudly embraces her holiday moniker. She wore a sweatshirt with that phrase on it while preparing Wednesday for a big holiday event this weekend in Vandergrift. She talked about her passion for all things...
TV Talk: ‘Willow’ returns as Disney+ fantasy seriesVideo
In the ongoing quest to revive and dump everything-and-the-kitchen-sink onto streaming platforms, Disney+ introduces “Willow,” a series follow-up to the 1988 fantasy film about young farmer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) who is tasked with protecting the baby Elora Danan from evil queen Bavmorda. At the time, “Willow” was a modest...
No longer the fringe: Small-town voters fear for America
HUDSON, Wis. — A word — “Hope” — is stitched onto a throw pillow in the little hilltop farmhouse. Photographs of children and grandchildren speckle the walls. In the kitchen, an envelope is decorated with a hand-drawn heart. “Happy Birthday, My Love,” it reads. Out front, past a pair of...
Rolling Stones to release star-stuffed 2012 live recording
NEW YORK — The Rolling Stones plan to release what they’re calling their “ultimate live greatest hits album,” with appearances by Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Gary Clark Jr. and The Black Keys, early next year. “GRRR Live!” contains songs recorded live on Dec. 15, 2012, at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential...
Greensburg Luminary Night returns with crafts, carols, Mr. and Mrs. Claus
Greensburg’s 53rd annual Luminary Night holiday celebration is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, with most activities taking place along Pennsylvania Avenue. Rows of luminaria will add a festive glow to downtown streets as visitors enjoy seasonal music, activities for kids and shopping at local stores. A Christmas tree...
TV Q&A: How do evening newscast hours differ from one another?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Local news now starts at 4 p.m. weekdays and goes for several hours. At the top of each hour, the anchors sometimes change and they...
Gift shop opens at Pittsburgh Brewing Co. site in East Deer
Barry Wagner of Brackenridge was hoping to score a case of fresh-brewed beer when he visited the newly opened Pittsburgh Brewing Co. gift shop. “I’ve been drinking Iron City since 1972,” Wagner said while perusing the T-shirts and tin signs at the site off Freeport Road in East Deer. “I...
4 reasons for thrift store gifts this year
Thrifting is hot, and Goodwill finds are cool again. But while we’re thrilled to find the perfect throwback tee for our own closet, gifting used goods still carries a stigma for some. It shouldn’t. Secondhand gifts are better for your wallet, your community and the environment. “The planet is drowning...
Holiday ‘Nutcracker’ productions run gamut from classic to hip hop
For many people, taking in a performance of “The Nutcracker” is as much a part of the holidays as the shopping, baking, visiting and general merriment. It certainly is for Natalie Ann Kasievich, executive director of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, who grew up in Allegheny County’s North Hills. “My family...
A day for charity: Nonprofits get ready for Giving Tuesday
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a bright day for the team at the Westmoreland Food Bank. Leaders at the center, which serves upward of 7,000 families in the Westmoreland region, look forward to the day as a kickoff to a wintertime season of giving. “You think about the holidays, and...
Mike Love of the Beach Boys talks about Christmas songs, playing the Benedum Center
When most people think about the Beach Boys, images of surf, sand and summer come to mind. But carving out their signature, sunny California sound did not prevent them from getting into the Holiday spirit each year when Christmas came around. In a phone interview with the Tribune-Review from Los...
TV Talk: Gift ideas for TV fans of Mister Rogers, ‘Downton Abbey,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘V’
For the TV fan on your gift-giving list, consider one of these options: “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” — For those who crochet, this Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood crochet set ($25, Thunder Bay Press) includes 12 colors of yarn and step-by-step instructions to crochet Mister Rogers and finger puppet characters from the Neighborhood...
TV Talk: WPXI-TV off DISH Network just in time for Steelers game
It was odd enough that the ESPN “Monday Night Football” game featuring the Steelers is being simulcast locally on WPXI-TV — for years WTAE-TV has carried the local simulcast — but now it’s even stranger because Channel 11 is no longer being carried by DISH Network. Again, a retransmission fee...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Steelers Monday night move from WTAE to WPXI, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ holiday specialVideo
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including why the local simulcast of tonight’s ESPN Steelers game, usually on WTAE-TV, is on WPXI-TV. It seems likely that WTAE parent company Hearst lost...
Holiday survival tips from 5 financial pros
For Ryan Decker, surviving the holiday shopping season is all about planning ahead. In fact, if he sees a gift for one of his two young sons in March, he’ll go ahead and buy it, instead of rushing through his shopping list in December. “It very much eases the burden,”...
Love holiday movies? Here’s this year’s schedule
DEC. 1 8 p.m. Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas: NBC National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: (1989, Comedy) Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo. A traditional Griswold yuletide backfires in comic fashion. AMC A Tale of Two Christmases: (2022, Romance) Katherine Barrell, Chandler Massey. A woman gets to experience two different Christmases. HALL Serving...
Jennifer Bertetto: Why Trib Total Media is nixing negative political ads
A letter to readers from Jennifer Bertetto, president and CEO of Trib Total Media • Like you, we’re sick and tired of political attack ads. So, we’re getting rid of them. All Trib Total Media publications now have a new policy for political advertisements: They can be about the candidate,...
‘Fame,’ ‘Flashdance’ singer-actor Irene Cara dies at 63Video
NEW YORK — Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy winning singer-actress Irene Cara, who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie “Fame” and then belted out the era-defining hit “Flashdance … What a Feeling” from 1983’s “Flashdance,” has died. She was 63. Her publicist, Judith A....
Alle-Kiski soccer fans cheer on USA in World Cup match against England
It was a full house Friday at the Leaning Cask Brewing Co. in Springdale as Alle-Kiski Valley soccer fans cheered on the United States in a match against England for the World Cup in Qatar. With flat-screen televisions and a projector all showing the game, a raucous crowd dressed in...
Netflix nights still come wrapped in red-and-white envelopes
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Netflix’s trailblazing DVD-by-mail rental service has been relegated as a relic in the age of video streaming, but there is still a steady — albeit shrinking — audience of diehards like Amanda Konkle who are happily paying to receive those discs in the iconic red-and-white envelopes....
Thanks, inflation: Cost of ’12 Days of Christmas’ items nears $200,000
The tune is oh so familiar. Not just the “and a partridge in a pear tree.” We’re talking “more than last year.” Financial services firm PNC has for 39 years compiled the consumer costs for those who would wish to make corresponding purchases for their true love replicating “The Twelve...
4 ways to limit your holiday debt
There’s a magical feeling in the air this time of year, but that magic costs money. Every year, the pressure looms large to spend more to create perfect holidays. This high-cost season can leave you with debt that sticks around. According to NerdWallet’s 2022 Holiday Shopping Report, 31% of 2021...
