29. August 2008 by admin.

Check out Out’s new look on www.outonline.com.   We are always updating the site with the help of your suggestions! 

And, don’t forget FREE CLASSIFIEDS on www.outonline.com and enter to win FREE GIFTS when you fill out Out’s Reader Survey by September 14.

The September issue of Out is on newsstands everywhere…well almost everwhere.  Mars isn’t accepting glbt publications yet even though we are one of the oldest (if not #1) glbt regional publication in the country. 

Happy Labor Day weekend!
 

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

28. August 2008 by admin.

Got the newspaper OUT today, but now I am OUT…OUT of energy.  Get your copy boys!

We delivered the newspaper into the A.M.  I must admit, it was worth it.  Nothing is more rewarding to a publisher or editor to witness the demand for your product. 

As I entered most establishments that distribute Out, (and let me tell you…we have many outlets) people were coming up to me asking for the new issue.  For example, earlier in the day, I went to A Pleasant Present in Sq. Hill with several bundles of newspapers.  Two gentlemen followed me into the store from their car just for a copy!

I haven’t done happy hour for several years (and to be clear…I didn’t tonight.  I had my delivery guy hat on this particular evening), so to see so many gay men and lesbians OUT so early at 5801, P-Town, Donny’s, Images, Real Luck Cafe, Blue Moon, 941, There and Pegasus was very encouraging.  Some of you guys don’t realize what Pittsburgh has to offer.  I am not just talking about the bar scene.  www.visitpittsburgh.com

Saturday marks the start of college football.  Go Pitt!  www.pittsburghpanthers.com.  Expectations for the Panthers are very high and I for one cannot wait for the season to start.  Ed and I have season tickets and usually go to most home games unless they interfere with Chris’ football games which take priority.  It amazes me how many gay guys we see at Pitt and Steeler games.  I wonder if the draw is the overcrowded men’s bathroom filled with drunk, straight hotties or for the sport itself  (straight and sometimes drunk hotties here too).  I wonder…but don’t care.

Tony

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

27. August 2008 by admin.

Happy Hump-Day Guys and girls.

We just went to press with the September issue (yes, I know summer is coming to an end). :-(  You can pick up this hot-off-the-press edition throughout the region starting Thursday.  It is a very nice issue, but nothing like what we have in store for you later this year!  Don’t you just love surprises…especially BIG ones?

Have you been watching the DNC?  What did you think of Hillary’s speech Tuesday night?  How about the huge applause she recieved after mentioning gay rights?  Or Bill’s speech tonight?  I write their names as if they are my friends.  Bill, Hillary,  you…

I expect Thursday and Friday to be super busy with deliveries.  If you see me OUT and about, please say hi.

Special request from me…Tony.  Please take a few minutes and go to www.outonline.com.  Click on OUT READER SURVEY http://216.235.248.162/survey/216876/171e/?LQID=1&num=63&nam=Pittsburghs%20Out  and answer some questions?  It helps the newspaper and you could win an iPod or airline voucher!  Good luck!

Chat tomorrow.

Tony
tony@outpub.com

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

25. August 2008 by admin.

What’s up with this weather?  It has been much warmer here than the beach town we just left…

It is always nice coming home after a vacation.  I wish this was true for the office.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love going to work and enjoy the people there, but the first couple of days back are always difficult.

I arrived to a stack of mail, phone messages and a few minor problems.   I am not sure “problems” is the right word. 

The September issue goes to press later this week so on top of my typical workload, my other responsibilities need to get done.  I have proofing, typesetting and updates to do today and tomorrow.  As always, Jeff and Doe did a good job holding down the office while we were in Rehoboth and took care of some issues that needed to be taken care of while I was gone.  It is never my first choice to vacation the second week of the month, however last week was one of the few the Lighthouse Inn had available.

From the looks of my house and office, it’s going to take a few days to get things under control again.  Some may call me a control freak, but I really don’t believe that to be true.  It is nice to do things in a deliberate way, but I am always open to suggestions. 

The September issue of Out will be available Thursday.  The issue will be much larger than the August issue with a lot of great information for the tri-state region.  Pick up your copy at one of our many outlets or start a subscription today and receive the newspaper delivered by USPS 1st class mail to your home.  Out  is available throughout the tri-state regions, DC, Rehoboth Beach and Maryland.  Although Out is regional, more than 26 states have copies going to individuals and establishments!  Call me or Doe at 412-381-3350 for subscription rates.   It takes a lot hard work by myself and staff to put this newspaper together.  We are very proud of what we do and I believe that is reflected on each and every page.  We are going through some growing pain.  Watch for changes in our upcoming issues in October, November and December!

Our website, www.outonline.com continues to do well.  We have been receiving new local videos for OTV from our viewers.  National and international artists have contacted us about the website and how they can get involved.  keep watching OTV on www.outonline.com for their shows and promotions.

Did you know classifieds are FREE on Out’s website www.classifieds.outonline.com?   FREE to respond to and FREE to place.  Damn, I love the word FREE!   Click the link and place an ad today.  I am trying to get the classifieds off the ground and need your help.  The numbers show people are reading the classifieds.  Please take a minute and place your FREE classified today.  Did I mention they are FREE?  www.outonline.com.

Have a beautiful and sunny day…  A little rain wouldn’t hurt!  Everything is so dry in the ‘Burgh. 

Tony
www.outonline.com
tony@outpub.com

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

24. August 2008 by admin.

Took a day off today.
Tony  tony@outpub.com

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

23. August 2008 by admin.

It’s over…

The vacation–that is.  We arrived back in the ‘burgh Saturday night around 9pm.  

The day started early.  Ask me…TOO EARLY!  Since Friday was our last night in town, we celebrated at the Blue Moon www.bluemoonrehoboth.com until the wee hours of the morning…Rehoboth time, not Pittsburgh time.  Delaware bars stop serving at 1am and throw everyone out at 1:30am.  This was the second time we visited the Blue Moon during our stay in RB.  The crowd was much better last night then last Saturday.  The place was packed inside and out.  I recommend the trip to the Moon just to see the two shirtless and frisky brothers.  Very friendly and attentive… and very cute and straight.   Our friend Randy, the dj and co-owner kept us entertained while his partner and co-owner Tim attended to  business, but found time to hangout with us throughout the evening.  We ran into our friends from Norfolk, VA (one with Morgantown ties) and Andy from the Royal Rose B&B.  Lots of interesting conversations and eye candy everywhere all night long. 

As we hung out on the front patio, we met two guys from DC and one from Philly.  They were a lot of fun and invited us to RB’s leather bar called the Double L.  We declined because the walk was too far and we wanted to stay near the Lighthouse Inn www.lighthouseinn.net.

Woke up… or I should say was woken up, had some coffee, chatted with Matt and Jerry,  and started packing.   Shopping was on the morning agenda and a quick bite at Nicoli’s for their famous salad and pizza for lunch.   One of our last stops on Route 1 was a pet store called Farmer Girl Exotic Pets.  Ed spotted a pair of Gouldian Finches earlier in the week and decided he wanted to take them home.  The salesman was pleasant, but not real helpful and the owner was very cold.  I can not imagine treating my customers like that.  Very disappointing.  These types of birds are very difficult to find, so Ed decided to purchase them anyway.  The salesperson tacked a hidden charge on our credit card that we only discovered once we were miles away.  Get real!

The trip home took about 6.5 hours including a few stops for food and Starbucks.  We tried getting on the Cape May/Lewes Ferry, but were told we would have to wait until 6pm to board with our SUV.  Ed was concerned with the extended time the birds (and people) would have to be in the car, so we decided against it.

I am glad to be home but will miss all our friends in RB.   If you want to get away this fall, winter or spring, I suggest Rehoboth Beach.  The town is very gay friendly and the guys at the Lighthouse Inn www.lighthouseinn.netare a lot of fun.  The Inn is close to everything and very clean.  Tell them Ed and Tony sent you or you saw their ad in Pittsburgh’s Out.  It is always nice to see businesses supporting our local glbt community through advertisements.  And, while you are there, stop in the Blue Moon www.bluemoonrehoboth.com for a show starring Pamela Stanley (remember her?) and say hi to Randy and Tim. 

Let them all know they have a friend in Pennsylvania!

Tony

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

20. August 2008 by admin.

Hi Friends.

Today we visited Assateague Island www.assateagueisland.com.   The main attraction on this island is the wild horses.  The horses are everywhere including the camping areas, beaches, streets and parking lots.  It is hard to miss them.  The trip from RB was around 40 minutes.  Assateague is a short drive from Ocean City, Maryland and worth the trip from RB. 

We spent most of the day swimming.  The beaches are nice, but the bugs are terrible.  Take Off Bug Spray!  We learned this lesson several years ago.  Since it was getting close to dinner time, we decided to head back to RB.  We were invited to dinner at the Frogg’s Pond at 7pm with Matt and Jerry www.lighthouseinn.net.   Unfortunately, we would not make this time, so we decided to stop at Hopper’s Restaurant near the intake at Ocean City.   What a treat for seafood lovers!   All-you-can-eat crab was popular at this restaurant and Ed and Altin took advantage of the offering.  Today, they lost money!

It was now almost 9pm.  The sparkling lights from Ocean City’s boardwalk caught our attention as did the amusement park rides .  We found parking and entered the boardwalk.  When the words “American Boardwalk” were invented, this was what they had in mind.  Ocean City is commercialism at it’s best and the huge boardwalk is any child’s dream.  As we walked, it was obvious that OC is an East Coast destination with more Steelers jerseys and a surprising amount of Pirate hats than I have ever seen outside of the ‘burgh.  I couldn’t estimate the amount of people walking on the boardwalk, but would guess several thousand.  The only things there that out numbered the people were the endless t-shirt, tattoo and ice cream shops…LOL.  If you are into them, tourist trap heaven awaits you.

Time to head back to our home for the week.  RB was only 20 miles away.   As we headed back, I remember the sign at the entrance of RB.  Slow down and enjoy the beach.  This advice I took as I passed several speed traps and police cars.  

Our adventures continue tomorrow.

Tony

tony@outpub.com

www.outonline.com

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

19. August 2008 by admin.

We are having a blast in Rehoboth.  The weather has been perfect and the shopping eventful.  :-)

RB has lots of little shops in town, in the allies and behind everything.  From t-shirt shops on the boardwalk to art stores on side streets, RB has just about it all.  Even several Tanger outlet malls on Route 1.  I can’t wait until Tanger opens it’s new location across from the Meadows Casino www.themeadowsracing.com.

There have been some wonderful and not so wonderful dining experiences. :-)  I love to eat!  Several new restaurants have opened or changed names since last season.  Zeus changed to Shag.  Fusions, one of our favorites, changed their pricing structure from $35+ a dinner to $20 or less.  I am sure, a sign of the times.  We plan to eat there before we head home.  Hopefully, the quality of food has not changed too.  If this is what they need to do for survival, than I wish them luck. 

We have seen many glbt people since arriving and most very open.  It sometimes seems that some of the straight married guys could be bisexual.  Too many wondering eyes at the small amusement park on the boardwalk.  (When you have kids, you learn to enjoy these types of places and if you are like me, you enjoy them especially Wheel of Fortune).   Maybe the gay thing attracted them to RB in the first place. 

Tony tony@outpub.com

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

16. August 2008 by admin.

Plans change.  We slept until 4am and didn’t get on the turnpike until 6am Saturday morning. 

It was our desire to leave a lot earlier, however we had packing to do, dogs to take to our friend Bill’s house and bird and large cage to our Aunt Donna’s place.

Our road trip started fine, but after 2.5 hours on the road, some horrible fried food and a road closure, things took a long and unwelcome turn.  I was driving down Route 70E, making excellent time when I saw a sign saying 70E closed at exit 5!  OK, no big deal.  I have GPS. No problem.  Needless to say, we drove miles and miles out of our way.

Ever visit Virginia and  southern West Virgina by car, in traffic with other confused folks not knowing where the %^#@ you are going?  I must admit, Berkeley Springs looked to be a wonderful little town.  Beautiful.  I think I drove by one of my customers locations that distribute the newspaper.  We are everywhere…us and the newspaper this particular day.

No detour signs, just a navigation system and no real hurray, we proceeded ahead.  We drove through many West Virginia and Virginia towns until arriving in Washington DC.  Yes, DC where we encounter very little traffic and drivebys of the monuments.    Finally, we enter a large highway heading towards the Bay Bridge.  We didn’t encounter heavy traffic until the other side of the bridge.  This was the traffic we were hoping to miss.  Miles and miles of highway, littered with packed SUVs with kids and supplies for week on the east coast’s Ocean City or Rehoboth Beach.  Lots of Pa plates, Steeler logos and even a few cars packed with gay men.

The guys from the Lighthouse Inn www.lighthouseinn.net called to see where we were.  We planned to arrive in RB between 8am-10am.  It was now 2pm!  We stopped at Super Fresh grocery store on Route before heading to RB.  We needed coffee and snacks for the cottage.  We finally arrived in beautiful and sunny RB at 4pm.

We unpacked and after chatting with Matt and Jerry.  At 6pm, we walked to the front area of the inn for wine, cheese and a chance to meet some of the other visitors.  We met some nice guys from NJ, DC, Philly and one ex-Shadysider.  At 8pm, we headed to Nicola’s for our first RB meal.  No matter what time we pull into town, Nicola’s is always our first stop after checking in. 

After dinner, headed back to get the kids ready for bed.  Matt and Jerry, being the great friends and incredible innkeepers they are, asked if we wanted to go out.   They offered to keep an eye on the kids for us.  Their living area connects kitchen to our cottage by a door.  We didn’t expect any problems since our boys are teenagers now.

We headed to place called Aqua.  The place was a short walk away from our Delaware Avenue location.  Most of the employees are lifeguards, shirtless and very cute.  Our visit there lasted an hour. We headed to the Blue Moon.  The Blue Moon is RB’s most famous gay bar.  The owners and good friends, Randy and Tim bought the bar and restaurant in April and made some notable changes.  Pamela Stanley performs there Sunday-Thursday and the restaurant is first class.  The bar was packed with a lot of guys from the 20-40ish age group. We spent most of the time catching up with Randy and Tim.  We met them about 17 years ago and have been friends since.  Thanks for the VIP treatment guys!

We stumbled home late and very pleased with our first night in RB!  Finally, sleep after being up for almost 24 hours.

More on our vacation to come…

Tony

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

15. August 2008 by admin.

Guess what?  Friday went really well and I got all my work done at the office and home.  It is becoming more and  more difficult to go away for long periods.  Kids, school and animals change everything.

Most of our customers placed their ads early.  This really helped me get my control sheet finished and ready for the September issue of Out www.outonline.com.   I did get some last minute new advertisers which was great.  Over all, the September issue looks pretty good!

We are planning to leave for Rehoboth around 3 or 4 am.  Why so early you may ask?  Traffic.  Plus we want to get there early enough to have all of Saturday to do something.

Tony tony@outpub.com

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »