Paula Lysy Designs

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I cannot believe it. In total disbelief. For the SECOND TIME in less than three months, the Northern Lights were visible above Pittsburgh early this morning.

No, this isn't a repost of an image from May. This morning I got into the city a little before 2:00, in hopes of capturing the Perseid Meteor Shower. While I did see a handful of meteors, the star of this morning (no pun intended) was the aurora borealis, which was clear as day above the Steel City.

Getting up this morning was a struggle. After a very early morning yesterday to get home from Orlando, and then getting the house and everything back together, I could have used some sleep. But I wasn't going to pass up a chance to capture the meteor shower, since I've had good luck in the past. So I set an alarm for 1:35, woke up and headed out.

I was texting with my buddy Dustin McGrew Photography and he said that his friend mentioned the northern lights were visible north of Pittsburgh. A quick twitter search later, and sure enough, they were visible as far south as Virginia last night. I thought, "no WAY are they going to be visible above Pittsburgh again".

I headed to Mt. Washington, walked out to the overlook, and my jaw dropped. There they were. Again. A little after 2:00 this morning and they were bright as could be, visible to the naked eye. I hurriedly set up a timelapse (which I cannot WAIT to share) and then captured images as the lights danced across the sky.

The meteor shower was mediocre at best. Like I said, I've had good luck with meteors over the city before, but this morning, not so much. I headed home around 5:00 and went back to bed for some much needed rest.

So many images to come from this morning...and wait until you guys see this timelapse.

Only a handful of matted prints left, but there are still some good ones. 50% off runs through the end of this week, or until they are all sold out!
https://www.davedicello.shop/shop/16096117/matted-printscards

https://prints.davedicello.com/gallery/portfolio/album/17516842 - Northern Lights over Pittsburgh
https://prints.davedicello.com/gallery/portfolio/album/17224683 - 2024 Eclipse prints
https://www.davedicello.shop/shop/16096117/matted-printscards

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝

That's Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe at Kennywood in the early 60's. But the Stooges’ Pittsburgh connection goes back much earlier. Moe, Curly, and Shemp Howard were brothers—and they had another brother named Benjamin “Jack” Howard. Jack was not in show business—he was district manager for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Pittsburgh, and he lived in Squirrel Hill. Curly came to Pittsburgh to visit Jack in the late 1920s and somehow managed to land a job at a music store downtown, singing popular songs. The owner had two such stores at the time—one was at the present-day site of PNC’s Tower and the other was on Smithfield Street in the block where Mellon Square is located. It’s not certain at which of the two stores Curly worked, but if it was the one where the PNC Tower now sits, then it’s the same store that Chico Marx managed some 20 years earlier. Go figure.

The Stooges became popular movie stars in the mid-30s, and for a while, they made the Stanley Theater (now the Benedum) an annual stop on their personal appearance tour. The Stooges likely included Pittsburgh on their schedule so that they could visit Jack Howard. This was the era of “super-Stooge” Curly, the original third Stooge and most popular member of the troupe. The Stooges did four or five shows per day for a full week at the Stanley—and they were wildly popular. The Pittsburgh Press wrote that the Stooges “keep the folks in an uproar,” and that people “actually laughed until they cried.”

Some people, though, had a visceral disgust at the very mention of their name—until they actually saw the Stooges in-person, that is. One such critic was Florence Fisher Parry. In 1936, she wrote in the Pittsburgh Press about how happy she was to avoid seeing a Three Stooges film: "These three horrid men are my pet abomination,” she wrote. But by July 1937, Ms. Parry had changed her tune—after she actually saw them in person: “[T]he Three Stooges . . . are somehow so much funnier before a real audience than they ever are before the movie lot grips that it's almost a pity they ever had to can their stuff. It's low-down, very low-down, but it's funny, and who shall begrudge us our relapses into elemental guffaws over Cury, Moe and Larry? Certainly not I.”

Pittsburgh loved the Stooges, and the Stooges kept coming back to the Stanley. By the early ’40s, the Post-Gazette said that the Stooges “have been around so often they practically think of the place [the Stanley] as home.” The Sun-Telegraph said that the Stooges “probably hold some sort of record for repeat engagements on the Stanley stage.”

Baby boomers remember later appearances by the Stooges in the '60s, after television had resurrected their careers—Curly was gone by then, and they had third Stooge “Curly” Joe DeRita. Paul Shannon told me that “Curly” Joe was extremely funny in person, but by the 1960s, Moe and Larry were retirement age—and the Stooges had turned into a kids’ act, so they had to tone down the physical slapstick (Moe blamed PTAs across America for watering down the Stooges’ brand--he claimed that he never heard a complaint from a parent). Still, their silliness was very popular. They made multiple appearances at Kennywood, and they also appeared at the Allegheny County Fair at South Park, among many other places.

Long post today.

First things first: I was recently nominated for the City Paper's 'Best of' 2024 in both Creative and Cityscape photography. Now I've been absolutely humbled and honored to win the last two years, and so many of you voted for me during the nomination process that I was once again among the Top 5 when voting started yesterday.

As much as I appreciate the support for those who nominated me, I reached out to the City Paper today to have my name removed from the nomination list, and this morning they did that. As thrilled as I was to be voted top photographer by you guys two years in a row, I'm happy that someone else has the chance this year.

Also, as I've said in the past, 'best' photographer is very subjective. Can you REALLY be the BEST artist, a completely subjective matter? You can be the best goal scorer, running back, Rubik's cube solver, hot dog eater...but can you be the best at something that is based on opinion?

To be clear: there is NO way that I would consider myself the best; not a chance. There are an insane amount of talented photographers in this city, and though I would consider myself one of the hardest working, 'best' is not something that I would attach to my name.

I just wanted to make this post to say THANK YOU for the nominations. I didn't ask you to vote for me in the nomination stage; and in fact, two years ago, I asked you guys to vote for my buddy Dustin and y'all voted for me anyways. It TRULY is humbling.

So go vote for Jason, Carla, JP, Carolyn, Nikki, or whoever you'd like. The link is in the comments below to the 'Arts and Culture' page, so make sure to pick your favorite.

Ok, onto today's image. This is another view that I captured this morning, and is, I believe, a BRAND new view. There may be some like it, but where this puddle is, I think makes it a first. The puddle is actually inside the bed where the trees on the North Shore are, not on the side, not on the wall, below the actual trees. Made for a unique view.

https://prints.davedicello.com/gallery/portfolio/album/17516842 - Northern Lights over Pittsburgh
https://prints.davedicello.com/gallery/portfolio/album/17224683 - 2024 Eclipse prints
https://www.davedicello.shop/shop/16096117/matted-printscards

"Keep a Duck Pass a Duck[TM]" Custom made origami Jeep Performance Parts box contains 2 mini rubber ducks | Customize boxes + tags for locations

Working on a "Bettie" series...will be wrapping paper and maybe fabric....still pondering....

Custom made portable bar with custom vinyl graphics. Foldable, durable, lightweight and made from recycled junk. Johnross is a genius ❣️

collage series created to honor all athletes with acceptance and respect. 5 18x24 framed pieces.

FYI ....for todays eclispe.🌒

My newest collage…pinup heaven. .com

Fun new project prototypes. MDF vs. Baltic Birth, stained, water-based poly, snap together origami 2 sided engraved flex box with collectable coin. Magnets, map scroll with enclosure.

We repurposed a free china cabinet into a display case for our acrylic creations. The material was left over vinyl pieces from jobs, aka garbage.

Single light switch, dual engraved red2bk acrylic with or without gold flames “Pinball Pinup”.

Happy Valentin Day! ANDHappy Heavenly Birthday to my dad... wou old

$40 includes shipping, set of 5 handmade, custom designed/illustrated, vintage inspired cocktail stirrers. Dual engraved acrylic, durable, reusable. .com

$40 includes shipping, set of 5 handmade, custom designed/illustrated, vintage inspired cocktail stirrers. Dual engraved acrylic, durable, reusable. .com