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Laura hearts Duran Duran, originally uploaded by cynthiacloskey.

My sister Laura was home this weekend, to celebrate Mother’s Day on her way to Europe for a friend’s wedding.

Laura’s visit always mean a spike of frenzied activity. This time, I think we all managed to have some fun amidst the flurry.

Today she stopped by my house for lunch, and we flipped through a few photos from teenage years. She was particularly excited about this one, which I also especially like.

Laura and I shared a bedroom for our teenage years; her side of the room was more fun than mine, because she had fun posters and a stuffed elephant (which Mom made), while my side was full of books. Good books, but even so.

Me and Mom, originally uploaded by cynthiacloskey.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! Thank you for everything.

The Lanyard

Billy Collins

The other day I was ricocheting slowly
off the blue walls of this room,
moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one into the past more suddenly—
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid long thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that’s what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breasts,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sick room,
lifted spoons of medicine to my lips,
laid cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift—not the worn truth

• @aldocoffee You’re right–The sumatran was pretty bad. Trying TJ’s "Volcano" black tomorrow #
• With the money you can save by buying an Aeropress, I suggest buying a 220-volt electric kettle and the outlet installation. #

I’ve been curious about  the beard style that Penguin captain Sidney Crosby has chosen for the playoffs. Others on his team have gone for more of a full-face look, while Crosby is sporting a slim mustache and chin beard.

I think I may have found his inspiration: 

IMG_2610, originally uploaded by cyfer13.

I have to say, it’s a notable look. A little strange, but it grows on you.

(Marian Hossa and Sidney Crosby photo from the AP, grabbed from the Post-Gazette.)

Photo: "Chinstrap penguins" by Laura Closkey

Penguins are so fun to watch. And sometimes that boat can still float.

Spring has sprung, the grass is riz.
I wonder where the bloggers is.

They’re getting ready for Pittsburgh Blogfest 14!

If you’ve been curious about blogging, podcasting, and other social media — and if you’ve wondered how to integrate social media into your business marketing efforts — Blogfest is a friendly, informal setting for talking with people who share that interest. Everyone is welcome.

WHAT: Pittsburgh Blogfest 14
WHEN: Friday, May 16, 2008, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM and beyond
WHERE: Finnegan’s Wake (near PNC Park, 20 General Robinson St., North Shore, 412-325-2601), in the Pub Room
WHO: All local bloggers, vloggers, podcasters (and their friends!) and Pittsburgh Bloggers
COST: Free to attend
WI-FI ACCESS: Free

Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Finnegan’s Wake, as always. Arrive when you like, leave when you must.

I hope to see you there!

DevHouse Pittsburgh is "the premier Pittsburgh-area hackathon event that combines serious and not-so-serious productivity with a fun and exciting party atmosphere."

We’re about rapid development, ad-hoc collaboration, and cross pollination. Whether you’re a l33t hax0r, hardcore coder, or passionate designer, if you enjoy software and technology development, DevHouse Pittsburgh is for you.

DevHouse is not a marketing event. It’s a non-exclusive event intended for passionate and creative technical and design people that want to have some fun, learn new things, and meet new people.

When: Saturday, June 14, 2008, 2pm - 8pm

Where: Karl Schieneman’s house, 4685 Middle Road, Allison Park, PA 15101

Details of the BBQ are not yet resolved — one scenario is that each person might bring their own grillables, with beverages, sides, and fixings provided. Check the DevHouse Pittsburgh website for updated information, and to RSVP so they have a good guess at a headcount.

It’s sure to be an interesting and fun event. I hope to see you there!

It has been a long day for me. Actually, it has been a long week. It has been a long month already, even — I said as much on May 1, and just over a week later I feel the heavy truth of it. And there are still three weeks to go.

Not that things are bad, you understand. I have a lot going on, and I’m having to work my brain overtime.

What I would most like to do, really, is to not think for a while. Not thoughts. Not even any thoughts about having no thoughts.

It’s times like these that I’m glad television exists.

You know the classic Tootsie-Pop commercial (”A-one, a-two-hoo!, a-three, CRUNCH”). I learned today that this is known as the “Mr. Owl” version, and it’s the short version of a 60-second commercial.

The video above is the full commercial.

Some notes:

• That little boy looked all over the forest for someone to answer his
  question. Also, apparently the forest he looked in was “The Freaky-voiced Animal Forest,” because those are some almost-creepy-sounding
  critters he talked to.

• We’ve played this video a bunch of times today in the Big Big Design office, and Anthony cracks up every time Mr. Cow says “Yeeees?”
• Mr. Cow? Not Mrs. Cow or Ms. Cow?
• The long version doesn’t include the shot of the unhappy boy’s face looking at the stick of the eaten Tootsie-Pop. I miss that.

The blurb on YouTube says this commercial was originally aired in 1969 and that it may be the longest-running TV commercial. It’s certainly among the most memorable.

Related: If you have a darker sense of humor, you may enjoy this parody of the Tootsie-Pop commercial as well. I abhor violence, but I’m kind of with the kid on this.

Urban Flowers, originally uploaded by brunkfordbraun.

I received another poem from Carlos the Mack’rel:

Oh, Cindy-Red or Cindy-Black
(That Closkey hair, I can’t keep track)
Tell me, tell me, tell me true
Just when is our blogfest due?

I can not wait til when it’s time
As you can see this rhyme’s a crime
my meter’s off, tis no mere jest
I need to know the next blog fest.

Week the first in month of May?
Tell me Red, what time? what day?
Or week the next oh, Cindy black
My muse brings forth…I’m stumped, alack!

Happily, I’m able to answer the question that has kept Carlos awake these many nights — and that has surely had you wondering as well.

WHAT: Pittsburgh Blogfest 14
WHEN: Friday, May 16, 2008, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM and beyond
WHERE: Finnegan’s Wake (near PNC Park, 20 General Robinson St., North Shore, 412-325-2601), in the Pub Room
WHO: All local bloggers, vloggers, podcasters (and their friends!) and Pittsburgh Bloggers
COST: Free to attend
WI-FI ACCESS: Free

Food and beverages will be available for purchase from Finnegan’s Wake, as always. Arrive when you like, leave when you must.

SMOKING NOTE: As always, the room in which we’ll be blogfesting will be smoke-free. The rest of the bar allows smoking, so one can hop out for a smoke break. There’s a glass wall between, so the smokers and nonsmokers can stare at each other and see how the other half lives.

As always, if you plan to attend, please send an e-mail to "blogfest at-sign closkey dot com". I hope to see you there!

The Post Gazette profiles the preservation and lighting of Maxo Vanka incredible 22 murals inside Millvale's St. Nicholas Church.

• Mylan Inc. Executive Heather Bresch is the daughter of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.
• WVU President Mike Garrison is a longtime friend of Heather Bresch.
• Mike Garrison once worked as a Mylan lobbyist.
• Mylan's chairman, Milan "Mike" Puskar, has given tens of millions to the university, which named its football stadium for him.

Garrison has stated previously that he will not resign. Last week Provost Gerald Lang and business school Dean R. Stephen Sears resigned from their administrative posts. Both intend to continue teaching at WVU. Will Garrison step down gracefully or will he be forced to resign? He seems more interested in his own personal reputation (which is already tarnished) instead of WVU's reputation.

• I’m really enjoying how Visual Studio does 80% of the work for me. #
• Mmm. Leopard. Now I have video AND sound! Still waiting on the whole booting-without-the-DVD thing yet #