Aldo Coffee

	James Hilston, Post-Gazette Click illustration for larger image.

We feel really bad about having not mentioned Aldo Coffee's excellent blog until now. And we felt especially negligent because Aldo Coffee's blog was mentioned by the Kansas City Star: "Aldo Coffee, a single coffee shop in suburban Pittsburgh, has become the coffee hot spot in that city because of its active blog. It's the shop out-of-town visitors ask for when arriving in Pittsburgh." (Hoo-boy. It's gonna be awkward next time The Morning File goes to Mt. Lebanon for coffee.) Aldo was miffed, in a good-natured way: "We got noticed by the Kansas City press. And yet still not a mention in the Trib or P-G."

OK, consider yourself mentioned. The blog, at aldocoffee.com, has also been recognized ("Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?") by a Web site that spotlights small businesses and their blogs -- Aldo's blog was the small business "blog of the day." Perhaps now Aldo Coffee will reciprocate, and name a new drink after The Morning File. (For alliterative reasons, we suggest the Morning File Mocha Frappe.)

- aldocoffee.com

Pittsburgh Dish

While we're at it, we might as well dip into our bag of favorite Pittsburgh blogs, something we'd been meaning to do forever. Pittsburgh's roster of bloggers is growing by the day, as evidenced by the constant commotion at Pittsburgh Bloggers, the online destination for Pittsburgh-area bloggers who want to see and be seen. (In fact, consider it a virtual version of the PG's own SEEN Magazine, without all the photos of gentlemen sporting bow ties and ladies wearing evening gowns.) One of our favorites is Pittsburgh Dish, where Mr. and Mrs. Dish and the occasional contributing writer chronicle the city's foibles, specializing in news from the North Side, which also happens to be Dish Headquarters. You can expect a dry wit and sporadically naughty language.

- pghbloggers.org

- pittsburghdish.typepad.com

Barnestormin'

Because our fair city has one giant inferiority complex, it seems natural that our bloggers should, too. Jonathan Barnes, who writes the Barnestormin' blog, echoed Aldo Coffee's cry for attention, after his blog was referenced by the Allentown Morning Call out east but overlooked back home: "It seems the Pittsburgh media completely ignores my blog," he typed, possibly as he whimpered. Apologies, Mr. Barnes. (Full disclosure: Mr. Barnes is a free-lance writer who contributes to the P-G, among other publications.) The blog is a hodgepodge of essays, political observations and other stuff.

For the record, we are compelled to note that neither Mr. Barnes nor Aldo has specifically mentioned The Morning File, and yet you don't see us complaining, or even bringing it up, for that matter.

- barnestormin.blogspot.com

The Burgh Blog

The Morning File considers The Burgh Blog a must-read, primarily because of the funny photo captions (check out the potty-mouthed little kid sharing office space with Bob O'Connor), but also for its sports rants, its skewering of local media, and its probably unhealthy obsession with television news anchors Sonni Abatta and Wendy Bell. This week, we're privy to an exclusive Burgh Blog report on Sonni Abatta's hair color, which has shifted from blonde, to brunette, then to a sandy brunette. Pitt Girl takes credit for the most recent change, sort of. (Full disclosure: Some months ago, this particular Morning Filer offended the talented, genial and no doubt ravishing Pitt Girl, and was rewarded for his carelessness by being named The Burgh Blog's "Annoying Burgher of the Week." This is our humble attempt to make amends. Won't you have mercy on us, Pitt Girl?)

- burghblog.blogspot.com

Heels, Sox & Steelers

Speaking of sports insights, get your fix of off-beat Steelers analysis from the Heels, Sox & Steelers blog, through which author Ryan Wilson spends a great deal of his personal time writing about his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels, the Boston Red Sox and your World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He's heavy on the Steelers, given their February success, and his Captain Pant Load award, which is the exact opposite of the Pulitzer Prize, is hilarious (except when he picks on columnists from One of America's Great Newspapers, in which case he's sophomoric and ill-informed). For Pirates insight, visit Patrick Lackey's "Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke" and the acerbic Bucco Blog. Finally, for stuff on Pitt, visit Pitt Sports Blather.

- heelssoxsteelers.blogspot.com

- whereisvanslyke.blogspot.com

- buccoblog.mlblogs.com

- pittsportsblather.blogspot.com

Old favorites

The Morning File's trip through the blogosphere wouldn't be complete without regular stops at the political blog Froth Slosh B'Gosh (olfroth.blogspot.com), the self-explanatory Overheard in Pittsburgh (overheardinpgh.blogspot.com), the entrepreneurial Pittsblog (pittsblog.blogspot.com), the general interest "Conversation" blog (jonathanpotts.blogspot.com), Point Park University's Innocence Blog (wrongfulconvictions.blogspot.com), the religion roundup at Powerblog (powerballplace.blogspot.com), the political "Angry Drunken Bureaucrat" blog (angrydrunkbureaucrat.blogspot.com), the media and political critiques at Fester's Place (festersplace.blogspot.com), and the curmudgeonly AntiRust (antirust.typepad.com), which is kind of critical of the Post-Gazette, but we like it anyway.