Pittsburgh BlogFest 13

Get ready for the next round of that fine festivity we call the Pittsburgh BlogFest. BlogFest is an informal and friendly quarterly gathering of local bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, and anyone who enjoys life on the Internet. It’s more happy hour than meeting: No talks will be given, no credentials required. There may be nametags, but …

Mixology Monday: Brandy

Cognac: Spot, originally uploaded by Shaylor. The first Mixology Monday of 2008 is being hosted by the clever Marleigh of Sloshed! and she has chosen a warm and friendly theme that’s sure to bring a little something for everyone: Brandy. I’ve written about brandy in the past (most notably here). So many lovely drinks can …

I’ll have what she’s having

SAVE $5 PER TICKET TO The Vagina Monologues. Mention the word "BLOG" when you call to purchase your tickets, and you’ll save $5 for each ticket. Tell them you read about the show on My Brilliant Mistakes. To make your reservation, call 412.431.2489 — this discount is available only for phone orders and sales at …

Special for those in the Pittsburgh, PA area

The tortilla soup at Mad Mex is really yummy. Spicy and thick, with chunks of chicken and bits of cheese on top. The crab cakes appetizer is even better. Big hunks of crab meat, clumped in some manner and lightly sauteed, and served on a bed of bean salsa. Mmm. Put those two together, wash …

South Side Mid-Winter Soup Contest

Red Lentil Soup, originally uploaded by R@punseLL. I received an email about an event next month that will both taste good and do good: The 4th annual South Side Mid-Winter Soup Contest presented by Iron & Glass Bank will take place on Saturday February 16, 2008 from 12 – 3 pm.  Dozens of South Side …

What we talk about when we talk about editing

Dept. of Corrections, originally uploaded by p373. Caroline of Pinky’s Paperhaus raises interesting questions about a recent piece in The New Yorker about Raymond Carver, his editor Gordon Lish, and the editing of Carver’s work. The piece is highly critical of Lish, but more importantly it’s unsigned — no indication is made of who wrote …