1. It’s FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I don’t normally use a lot of excess exclamatory punctuation followed by a 1, but I’m still at the mercy of the Brain Bongos.

In other news, I feel like a straightjacket is in my future. You can only take so much in-brain bongo drumming before you start running the streets screaming and tearing your hair out.

2. The City is upgrading to Google mail for email because their archaic system of pigeons and hastily scrawled notes wasn’t working out too well. Although, it’s possible they upgraded from pigeons to Lotus Notes prior to this switch.

Never one to pass up the chance to speak plainly — non-verboserly, if I may just make up a word, Lukey said:

“Adopting this application aligns with our goals to utilize the best, most innovative technology in order to modernize our government, cut costs, and improve operational efficiencies,” Mr. Ravenstahl said.

Thank you, Pointy-Haired Boss.

When I’m mayor, that will read, “This is going to save us a bundle of money, folks, and added bonus: our emails will actually get sent!”

3. This Pittsburgh proposal story is adorable, fresh, memorable and in a way, historic.

It’s the story all about how the lawyer proposed to the doctor at the location of their first awkward kiss.

Check it out! [/Wendy Bell]

4. Last week an Amish woman in Indiana County (that’s an important part of this) died in a laundry accident.

Gizmodo dug deep and got to the heart of the matter.

Amish Woman Dies after Freak Laundry Accident

Well, this is awful. An Indian Amish woman died while doing laundry the old fashioned way—over a flaming pot of boiling water. It appears the flames got out of control, consuming and killing her with burns. Well.

Indian. Indiana County. Same diff.

[golf clap]

(h/t Dan)

5. My new friend at Make-A-Wish, Dana, informed me that Pittsburgh Popcorn Company’s downtown store is featuring  Hazelnut Nutella popcorn the week of June 17-23.

I’ll be the curly-haired, straightjacket-clad chick first in line muttering about “Bongos. Make the bongos stop. Make the bongos stop, for the love of Nutella.”

If I ask for white chocolate drizzle, will they honor that or kick the crazy lady clutching fistfuls of hair out of the store?

6. I love kids. I particularly love sick kids or disabled kids because, what a hand they’ve been dealt, right?

Another person who loves disabled kids is Pittsburgh native Sean Casey who along with his wife Mandi of Casey’s Clubhouse, and Bob Nutting, broke ground for a special Miracle League baseball field that will be accessible to children with disabilites to allow them to come to love playing baseball.

How awesome is that?

The field will be located in the Upper St. Clair Community and Recreation Center in Boyce Mayview Park.

See more pictures from the groundbreaking here!

7. The problem with me being so wrapped up in those who I shall not discuss (Sigh. The curse. It lives. Maybe I am the curse.) is that I’ve fallen behind on what’s happening with the Pittsburgh Power.

According to reader Tracy, with their recent win, they’re now in first place in the American Conference East Division.

I know many of my twitter friends have been attending the games regularly. How is attendance holding up?

I could Google that, but I’m too busy dancing to I’m Too Sexy which is now playing in my brain.

Sooooo sex-ay.

8.  A funny picture sent by reader Chris.

You know what they say — When God closes a door, he opens a bar.

Rep. Gergely might want to get his signage taken down soon.

9. I’ll have three giveaways happening next week. The first on Monday and then on Wednesday, a combined giveaway for two prizes.

10. Genre’s Kids with Cancer Fund is holding their annual golf outing on Monday and their annual 5K race is coming up in August.

Check out the details for both events here!

I plan to take part in the walk part of the race again this year and therefore will be raising money later this summer for it.

Don’t you fret. Have I got some AMAZINGLY embarrassing pictures to help motivate you to pledge to me. The one I found recently includes me with a mullet, a mustache, and a formal dress.

You ain’t ready for that jelly because it’s business in the front, party in the back, and fuzzy on the upper lip.

11. Finally, a new flash mob hit Market Square today, this one for Pride Week and it is rainbowtastic.

That guy in the front in the green shirt? LOVE.

That’s called COMMITTING TO THE DANCE WITH HAIROGRAPHY, BABY!

1. Please choose three objects from the list below.

• Monkey
• Hippogriff
• Taser
• Stick
• Ravioli
• Plunger
• Penis pump
• Turd
• Toilet
• Flatulent butt
• Small pig
• Large rat
• Body odor
• Microwave
• Zit juice
• Ninja
• Bottle of Whiskey
• Live chicken
• Keyboard
• Or just choose your own three objects

Got ‘em? Continue to step 2.

2. Place those three objects into this sentence where you see the empty spaces. Pro tip: Blondes, please do not write directly on your monitor. (hee.)

A Bessemer man was charged after police said he armed himself with  ____________ ,  ________________ and  _____________  to stop a state trooper.

3. Did anyone choose the correct three that ACTUALLY made the real news?

A Bessemer man was charged after police said he armed himself with a toilet, a bottle of whiskey and a stick to stop a state trooper.

For fun, in the comments, tell me the sentence you came up with.

Maybe we’ll get some new band names out of it.

The Zit Juice Ninjas is already a pretty good one.

(h/t Big Bob from 96.1 KISS FM)

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3. Wow, hold your Hippogriffs!:)

But, I DON’T HAVE A HIPPOGRIFF! Where can I get a Hippogriff. Maybe Breville Juicer knows.

2. This is incredibly groovy. While I was reading the blog item, a wolf just ate my pet bearded dragon!

Was it a Hippogriff?! Where did you buy it? I need to know. Breville Juicer is being a shutty-uppy bitch and won’t tell me where to get a Hippogriff.

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BRB. Gotta go have a real quick seizure.

Under pressure following this story hitting the national media, North Allegheny relented and told the young Marine (I realize now that should be capitalized. Sorry, soldiers men? Marines? I GIVE UP!) she could wear her dress blues. Which in turn makes me wonder who called the local media about this in the first place. Has it come to that? We bump up against a rule we don’t like, or a ruling based on that rule that we don’t agree with, and immediately call WTAE? I’m not saying it was Lindsay or her family. It could have been another parent or a school board member, or member of the armed forces who didn’t agree with the decision. This really seemed a knee-jerk WHAT’S THE NUMBER FOR KDKA reaction.

Despite that pressured reversal, following a chat with another Marine, Lindsay Starr has agreed that she should just wear the cap and gown:

Marine Sgt. Lynn Kinney said she had a heartfelt talk with Starr, 17, who is working at the recruiting station during a 10-day leave.

“We talked about what it means to be a Marine and understand policy and support government decisions,” Kinney said. “She understands.”

I’ve enjoyed reading the views in the comments to the original post. Feel free to keep commenting with your opinions on the matter.

It’s interesting that the armed forces members who have commented thus far have indicated that they believe that Sgt. Starr should don the cap and gown, but the Trib featured these:

The school’s original decision incensed local veterans. Ron Conley, director of Allegheny County Veterans Services, said he was “appalled.”

After the reversal, Conley said, “It was the right decision.”

“It is a patriotic school,” he noted. “They do participate in Veterans Day events and the Junior ROTC.”

Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Paul Kennedy is the American Legion district commander for the 32nd District, which includes Wexford.

“If that was my daughter or son, I’d be proud,” said Kennedy of Ross, who served in Vietnam and Iraq.

But no one is saying she shouldn’t be proud or that her family shouldn’t be proud. They SHOULD be proud. Look at what she’s done with her life already!

That’s not it at all. It’s about DISPLAYING the pride in an occasion-appropriate fashion.

Like I wrote in the original post, you don’t always have to shout it.

Ugh that this has become national news, but it has. Front page of Foxnews.com:

“Once a Marine, always a Marine” apparently doesn’t apply at a Pennsylvania high school where a 17-year-old graduate has been told she cannot wear her uniform when she receives her diploma.

Lindsay Starr told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh she wanted to wear her dress blues during Friday’s graduation ceremony at North Allegheny High School in Pittsburgh, but that school officials denied her request, citing the requirement of wearing only the traditional cap and gown.

“I’m just trying to show pride in what I belong to now,” she told the station. “I belong to the United States Marine Corps as a 17-year-old. Like, c’mon, now.”

Everything I am about to write following the forthcoming colon is written under the assumption that she is allowed to wear her dress blues UNDER her cap and gown.

If she is prohibited from wearing her dress blues UNDER her cap and gown, that’s just a stupid rule and PBTHH! to North Allegheny High School and I fart in your general direction. Toot.

Here comes the colon: <—– COLON!

I have never been in the military, but it seems to me that everything I’ve ever learned about being in the military includes a lot of this — RULE FOLLOWING.

You don’t have to like the rules. But you have to FOLLOW the rules.

At least that’s what the movies would lead me to believe and everything in the movies is real, right? Someday my own personal Falcore will come and we’ll go a-flying, right?

Something like God, country, corp, and rules, right?

Wasn’t that in A Few Good Men?

I’m teasing of course. Making light of a serious thing. I’ve been known to do that. It doesn’t mean I don’t take the issue seriously.

My point is that a marine of all people should understand that rules are rules and if they bend the rules for her, then they’ll be forever receiving requests for not only military uniforms, but volunteer firefighting uniforms, and Eagle Scout uniforms, and before you know it, colorguard wants to wear colorguard uniforms and the Trekkies really want to show up in THEIR dress blues. Or reds. Or whatever the heck Trekkies wear when they’re fighting for the … um … galaxy? I need to brush up on my nerd. Or is it geek? Dork?

I don’t think the school district should bend the rules. I think Lindsay should show up in her dress blues and throw a cap and gown on and then afterwards proudly take pictures in those dress blues.

She’s going to be a marine. She’s going to hopefully spend her whole life getting pats on the back from people like me who understand that she’s making a sacrifice for me and you and you and your children. Maybe this is one time to be one of the crowd. To say, “I’m one of you, but underneath this cap and gown, I’m a little bit more. But as a marine, I understand that the rules have to be followed.”

Pride doesn’t always have to be shouted. Sometimes, it can be heard without you even saying a word.

That’s my opinion.

What do you guys think?