u/Spiritual-Iron-9054

No one around me has read this book, if you have please tell me your thoughts.

So I'm asking this with full sincerity, apologies if this isn't the place for it, but there's a phenomenon I'm trying to understand. I don't think it's local to me, though I'm most familiar with my hometown scene so I guess I don't know. I just got back from a party advertised as "retro disco and funk" and until about twelve, that's what it was. Donna Summer, Parliament, The Commodores, all great, all on vinyl. And then around midnight it turned to vaguely-funky shitty techno. And I feel like his happens all the time. If you go to a country dance night at some point all the Dolly Parton and The Chicks and Garth Brooks will turn into awful remixes of Shania songs, even though Shania is already great! New wave night? We could play Adam Ant and Joy Division and Kraftwerk, but what if we just played bad blown-out techno remixes of those things instead?

I don't even dislike techno, it's not my favorite but I can hang with some heavier and industrial dance music, but if you said it's a country night I want actual country music. And I get doing some tweaking or adding small flourishes or bits of percussion. But it seems like DJs don't think music can stand on its own merits, and that audiences can't meet artists where they are and engage with them as they intended? Aside from that, if you advertise an event as having one vibe and then it doesn't have that, it really lowers the chance of people going to your parties again.

I think I may be an old man yelling at clouds here, but I'm trying to understand. Is this mixing for drunk people? Do DJs not have the expectation that their audience is well-versed in the genre? What's going on? I honestly want to know because I want to know how to find folks I can go see who I know will play the set they said they would. I truly love going out to dance and need to understand why this happens every time I go out.

For context, I did Squirrel Hill to West Newton and back last year as my birthday ride in November, which ended up being about 72 miles, and decided this year since I will actually be able to train for it ahead of time I'd like to do a 100-miler for my birthday. I'd like to do something more interesting than just riding 50 miles down the GAP and back, especially as I didn't love the trail once I got below Boston. I'd prefer to keep it on trails or backroads, but it's tough getting out of the city enough to get to the backroads in the first place. That said, I'm not picky about where I go otherwise or linking trails together. If anyone has done a 100-miler and has a good route or can make any recs regarding a good way to go, I'd love to hear them. Ride will be end of November.

Also looking for overnight trips that, again, aren't just riding down the GAP, camping, and heading home (though I plan on doing that, but probably not for the next few months with the trail closures). These don't have to be as long but I'd like to get out of the Pittsburgh metro area; basically if I could hop a PRT bus back into town, I haven't gone far enough. Camping or hotel stay okay, if anyone has recs for anywhere other than the GAP that likes having cyclists come through. I'd also be down for an all-day ride and explore somewhere nearby, since I barely leave the East End, where I would still be home by evening.

Thanks everyone.

Edit to add: I'm starting and ending in Squirrel Hill, no car to drive to a trailhead. Would be open to taking the train somewhere and riding back to town for the 100-miler though.

So obviously Wade has been playing Blue Prince, and a few days ago started The Seventh Guest Remake. I'm almost done with his That's Not My Neighbor vids and really enjoy the vibes of his recent solo let's-plays, but I know he mostly streams with other people. Any recs for other solo work from him? I've found a few old streams but that's it.

Anyone who spends any time in Oakland or Squirrel Hill probably already knows Wilkins and Beeler has been under heavy construction for months, but when riding home tonight the entirety of Wilkins from Beeler up almost to Wightman is unpaved. Not even milled really, just a mess of nothing. Take care.

Hello all! As the title says, I'm almost down to my last Bubbie's pickle and have a nice frothy brine leftover. I rarely make my own pickles from scratch, but I do usually keep jars of store-bought pickles and toss new veggies in there until it starts to get sketchy. I'm guessing I can do this with Bubbie's lacto brine as well? I don't know if this is a different process or not becuse you'd obviously be introducing new bacteria, so I'm wondering:

-Can I do this and if so how to prep the veggies (my usual routine is to just wash, chop, and toss in jar in fridge)

-Is there a good way to add to the volume of the brine? Is plain water good or is there something else I should use?

Many thanks!

Have to go to work tomorrow, co-worker said I should be able to shimmy across the marathon rout at crossings when there's no runners, just checking to see everyone's experience with this. The only part of my normal route that is shut down is Liberty. I should be there around 8:30, before the first runners are even there, so maybe I can just blast down the road?

Alternatively, would it be better to just take the Jail Trail down to the Point and then continue on to the Strip?