Pittsburgh: City of Champions

[Steve]

1 hour ago, Mark Rand said:

I doubt it.  They were under the various buildings and not connected to any other.  There are, as far as I know, no entrances to the coal mines in or around the city.  While there are subway and utility tunnels, they don't connect, in real life, to something like the Morlock tunnels in Marvel comics.

That’s fair, but in a Champions Universe more fantastic things can be going on down below. There could be an under city in the nether region between the coal mines and the subway tunnels.

 

Perhaps one of the high-tech companies in the city has  a sprawling underground research facility where they conduct illicit experiments.

 

Maybe VIPER has several active Nests going on deep beneath the surface.

 

Maybe this is where Nightmara maintains an Earthside court for her followers.

 

 

[Mark Rand]

Here's more Pittsburgh media stuff.

Pittsburgh area antenna towers.doc

[steriaca]

2 hours ago, Steve said:

 

 

2 hours ago, Steve said:

Maybe this is where Nightmara maintains an Earthside court for her followers.

 

 

Considering she thrives in spooky, depressing areas, it might just be the one area in Pittsburgh where she can partly manifest enough to send an image of herself through. Also to send things through to our dimension and to manipulate objects via transdimentinal Telekinesis. 

[steriaca]

I ment Shock! to be a national station like Comet (which specializes in Science Fiction, with a smidgen of Fantasy and Horror and related comedy) and Charge! (which specializes in action, usually television shows) and Grit (westerns). It shouldn't actually originate in Pittsburgh, but can be broadcast in the city and surrounding area.

 

Pittsburgh Public Domain Television and Pittsburgh Public Domain Cartoon Television, on the other hand, does originate from Pittsburgh.  It probably is a student run station, and uses public domain programs and movies as a way to keep operating cost down. There are also a few public assess shows also (akin to Wayne's World, local concert shows showcasing local struggling musicians, and a Kung Fu Theater and Horror Theater host [in fact the host by the name of The Spooky Kabuki does both shows]).

[Steve]

12 minutes ago, steriaca said:

There are also a few public assess shows also (akin to Wayne's World, local concert shows showcasing local struggling musicians, and a Kung Fu Theater and Horror Theater host [in fact the host by the name of The Spooky Kabuki does both shows]).

The Spooky Kabuki could easily be an Elvira-like persona, since Elvira gained her fame working as a schlock horror movie hostess. Her type of snark would work well for both bad horror movies and bad king Fu films.

[Mark Rand]

I have two more groups for you.

 

The first is the Panther Cubs, a University of Pittsburgh-based version of Josie and the Pussycats.  The trio consists of a guitarist, a drummer, and a bass guitar player who, occasionally, switches to two tambourines.  Their costumes are like those of Josie and the Pussycats, but have panther (cougar) coloration.

 

The second is the Jazz Angels.  The all-girl group consists of a keyboardist, a guitarist, a drummer, a bass guitar player, a saxophonist, and a vocalist.

[steriaca]

40 minutes ago, Steve said:

The Spooky Kabuki could easily be an Elvira-like persona, since Elvira gained her fame working as a schlock horror movie hostess. Her type of snark would work well for both bad horror movies and bad king Fu films.

That's the general idea about him. His name also sounds like a Scooby Doo villain. But don't hold it against him (or, if you wish, her...but I rather picture Spooky Kabuki is a male),

[steriaca]

The Spooky Kabuki is Melvin Smith, a fan of bad horror movies and bad martial arts movies, he developed the identity of Spooky Kabuki to host public domain horror and martial arts movies. His twin sister Melody Smith sometimes joins him as The Ghastly Geisha (and when Melvin is sick, actually host).  They both also write and produce various shows from PPDTV.

 

The Spooky Kabuki's costume is basically Kabuki makeup, lion wig, and makeshift komodo. The Ghastly Geisha's outfit is a lacored white Geisha wig, outrageous Geisha style makeup, and female komodo. (I'm probably mispelling komodo)

[Steve]

58 minutes ago, steriaca said:

The Spooky Kabuki is Melvin Smith, a fan of bad horror movies and bad martial arts movies, he developed the identity of Spooky Kabuki to host public domain horror and martial arts movies. His twin sister Melody Smith sometimes joins him as The Ghastly Geisha (and when Melvin is sick, actually host).  They both also write and produce various shows from PPDTV.

 

The Spooky Kabuki's costume is basically Kabuki makeup, lion wig, and makeshift komodo. The Ghastly Geisha's outfit is a lacored white Geisha wig, outrageous Geisha style makeup, and female komodo. (I'm probably mispelling komodo)

I really like the name of The Ghastly Geisha, and it sounds much better to me than the first one. If she’s well-built, I suspect Melody could build up a pretty decent fan base. Her clothing choices could also branch out into various kinds of cosplay outfits.

 

Did you mean kimono for her clothing?

[steriaca]

18 minutes ago, Steve said:

I really like the name of The Ghastly Geisha, and it sounds much better to me than the first one. If she’s well-built, I suspect Melody could build up a pretty decent fan base. Her clothing choices could also branch out into various kinds of cosplay outfits.

 

Did you mean kimono for her clothing?

Yes. For both.

 

Right now it is the Spooky Kabuki's show. But yes, Melody is posed to take over when Melvin graduates. But being twins, Melody is only a year behind her twin, so they have to do something to keep Melody around.

 

But Melody and Melvin are a package deal. She won't accept stardom without her brother. Besides, this was Melvin's idea in the first place. 

[Steve]

18 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Right now it is the Spooky Kabuki's show. But yes, Melody is posed to take over when Melvin graduates. But being twins, Melody is only a year behind her twin, so they have to do something to keep Melody around.

 

But Melody and Melvin are a package deal. She won't accept stardom without her brother. Besides, this was Melvin's idea in the first place. 

Twins graduating a year apart? Sounds like Melvin is the smart one and got advanced a year. Maybe he writes most of the show’s dialog.

 

Their program could be a draw for supernatural hijinks now and then, like being forced to interview Nightmara or one of the dark magical girls in the city. Imagine if one of those villainesses becomes enamored of Melvin’s persona and want to make him their Dark Prince.

 

Some drama could also evolve if Melody ends up becoming far more popular than Melvin ever was, even if the show was his idea.

[steriaca]

3 hours ago, Steve said:

Twins graduating a year apart? Sounds like Melvin is the smart one and got advanced a year. Maybe he writes most of the show’s dialog.

Either he advanced a year or Melody is a year behind. Either works.

3 hours ago, Steve said:

 

Their program could be a draw for supernatural hijinks now and then, like being forced to interview Nightmara or one of the dark magical girls in the city. Imagine if one of those villainesses becomes enamored of Melvin’s persona and want to make him their Dark Prince.

If Queen Nightmara ever is there in the flesh, the world is in really bad shape and there will be no interview with her, as most people would be either killing themselves or others because of her nature. 

 

As for wanting Melvin to be there Dark Prince...or Melody to be there Dark Princess, anything can happen.  It just won't involve Queen Nightmara directly, as she can't feal love, or even lust. The best she can manage is obsessed hate.

3 hours ago, Steve said:

 

Some drama could also evolve if Melody ends up becoming far more popular than Melvin ever was, even if the show was his idea.

True. But that is what roleplaying is for.

[Mark Rand]

It has been the headquarters for Gulf Oil Company and a nesting spot for Peregrine falcons. And now one of Downtown’s most iconic buildings may become a stop for travelers and a haven for residents.

 

Gulf Tower, a 44-story skyscraper that opened 90 years ago, could be converted into a luxury hotel and condominiums or apartments under a plan being explored by New Jersey-based owner Rugby Realty.

 

Aaron Stauber, Rugby principal and president, said Thursday his company has started talking to potential developers about partnering in the venture.

 

“The preliminary discussions we’ve had over the last couple of days is that this is something we want to move forward with,” he said.

 

The conversion is being considered at a time when the historic skyscraper — built to be the headquarters for the Gulf Oil Company — is about 50% occupied after a fire shut it down for nearly six months last year.

 

Mr. Stauber said the blaze actually served as the genesis for internal discussions about the future of the building, which might be best known for the brightly colored weather beacon that sits at its very top.

 

Rugby, he said, spent about $40 million rebuilding some of the tower’s infrastructure in the aftermath of the incident. The fire also gave the firm a chance to figure out what might be the best plan for the building going forward.

 

From those discussions emerged the idea of a possible conversion that would include a luxury hotel and residential units.

 

The building, located at 707 Grant St., lends itself to such a change, Mr. Stauber said, because the elevators run up the center of the structure. That would make it easier to alter the floorplates to accommodate hotel rooms or residential units.

 

While plans are still in the very preliminary stages, Rugby is looking to put a luxury hotel with 150 to 170 rooms on the first 12 to 13 floors of the tower, with 190 to 215 condos or apartments above that.

 

Although Gulf Tower has 44 floors, only 38 currently are used for offices. The rest house mechanical, air handling and other equipment needed to run the building.

 

Rugby also is considering converting one of two basement floors now used for storage into parking.

 

On the hotel side, Mr. Stauber is aiming high — hoping to attract a high-end operator like Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons or St. Regis. “We’re talking about a grand hotel that would be one of a kind in the city,” he said.

 

Some of those operators, he added, have done in Florida the kind of hybrid hotel-condo development that he is contemplating in Pittsburgh. Those have been very successful, he said.

 

“That got us to exploring the notion of turning the Gulf Tower into a similar concept,” he said.

 

Rugby still hasn’t decided whether it will do condos or apartments on the residential side. Another possibility would be to offer condo hotels — an arrangement in which the condo owner offers the space to the hotel to rent when he or she isn’t there.

 

As for the Gulf Tower’s current office tenants, they have leases, Mr. Stauber noted. Since the discussions involving a possible residential and hotel conversion are still in the exploratory stage, there’s no need to engage them right now.

 

“Once we have all of our ducks in a row, we can have discussions about what we want to do,” he said.

 

But he added those that have heard about the plan have provided “positive feedback.”

 

Since 2001, the opening of PNC Park across the Allegheny River, fans have noticed that after Pittsburgh Pirates home-runs, the “beam” light flashes in celebration.  Recently it was revealed that the afternoon and evening receptionist at the lobby desk was the one responsible for this fan favorite, following the games on her cabinet radio.  The slogan “Flash the beam, Regina – that one’s out of here!” has gained popularity among Pirates fans recently.

 

The KDKA Weather Beacon, the most recent weather beacon to adorn the pyramid atop the tower, was officially dedicated on July 4, 2012.  In partnership with KDKA-TV, the Gulf Tower has been retrofit with a modern, automated LED weather beacon that will tell a more complete forecast than ever before.  The Design concepts were created & implemented by the Design Team of Cindy Limauro and Christopher Popowich of C & C Lighting, LLC., a Pittsburgh based company.  It will also feature holiday displays.  Hearkening back to the original 1950’s beacon, the entire pyramid will once again change colors at night depending on the current weather conditions.  The new color-coded, tiered system works as such:

 

Floor By Floor Breakdown

• 44th floor – temperature
• 43rd floor – temperature
• 42nd floor – temperature
• 41st floor – precipitation
• 40th floor – humidity
• 39th floor – wind speed

Temperature
	Dark blue	–	<0 °F (−18 °C)
	Med blue	–	0 to 32 °F (−18 to 0 °C)
	Light blue	–	33 to 49 °F (1 to 9 °C)
	Amber	–	50 to 65 °F (10 to 18 °C)
	Orange	–	66 to 79 °F (19 to 26 °C)
	Red	–	>80 °F (27 °C)

 

 

Precipitation
	Red purple	–	>.25 in (0.64 cm)
	Blue purple	–	≤.25 in (0.64 cm)

 

 

Humidity
	Light green	–	<50%
	Dark green	–	≥50%

 

 

Wind Speed
	Magenta	–	>10 mph (16 km/h)
	Pink	–	≤10 mph (16 km/h)

 

 

Sources: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (information about possible conversion) and Wikipedia (Gulf Tower lighting)

[Spark]

20 hours ago, Mark Rand said:

I have two more groups for you.

 

The first is the Panther Cubs, a University of Pittsburgh-based version of Josie and the Pussycats.  The trio consists of a guitarist, a drummer, and a bass guitar player who, occasionally, switches to two tambourines.  Their costumes are like those of Josie and the Pussycats, but have panther (cougar) coloration.

 

The second is the Jazz Angels.  The all-girl group consists of a keyboardist, a guitarist, a drummer, a bass guitar player, a saxophonist, and a vocalist.

 

Interesting, but why diminutize the female version. Can they be the Iron Panthers?

[Steve]

How does the Mayor and the city council view superhumans? Are they pro-superhero sorts, giving a team of heroes a taxpayer-funded base or anti-superhero types that think the likes of J. Jonah Jameson are speaking the truth? Somewhere in between?

 

Are there individual police detectives, or maybe a dedicated unit of police, trying to root out secret identities and arrest the masked vigilantes?

 

How about the state government? They have more funding than a city would, so maybe they have a task force that interfaces with superhumans.

 

Or maybe it’s all federalized, and local law enforcement is constantly running into jurisdiction spats with the feds.

[Mark Rand]

39 minutes ago, Spark said:

 

Interesting, but why diminutize the female version. Can they be the Iron Panthers?

I might just call them "The Pussycats".  The ladies could wear clip-on black tails and headband ears with their blue and gold street clothes.  The paint scheme on their van includes the phrase, "The Pussycats Prowl With Pitt".    

[Mark Rand]

28 minutes ago, Steve said:

How does the Mayor and the city council view superhumans? Are they pro-superhero sorts, giving a team of heroes a taxpayer-funded base or anti-superhero types that think the likes of J. Jonah Jameson are speaking the truth? Somewhere in between?

 

Are there individual police detectives, or maybe a dedicated unit of police, trying to root out secret identities and arrest the masked vigilantes?

 

How about the state government? They have more funding than a city would, so maybe they have a task force that interfaces with superhumans.

 

Or maybe it’s all federalized, and local law enforcement is constantly running into jurisdiction spats with the feds.

It should be the GM's call. 

 

For my game, they'll be neutral with some detectives willing to assist, provided that they get credit for the arrest.  PRIMUS has a couple of intelligence agents in the city who get into jurisdictional spats with the FBI.

[Mark Rand]

Tourism officials would ‘love’ to follow Chicago, stage NASCAR street race in Pittsburgh

 

Adam Bittner

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

abittner@post-gazette.com

Jul 29, 2022

5:30 AM

Next year, NASCAR will stage its first street race since the 1950s in Chicago, right along the shores of Lake Michigan.

 

And if Pittsburgh tourism officials have their way, it’s possible we could see stock cars flying down the Boulevard of the Allies or through Schenley Park at some point, as well.

 

“We would love to host a NASCAR event in Pittsburgh, especially one that would create another iconic event on our annual calendar,” SportsPittsburgh executive director Jennifer Hawkins told the Post-Gazette in a statement. “The opportunity to provide a unique live-event experience for drivers, spectators and international media is perfect for Pittsburgh.”

 

Spokesperson Shannon Wolfgang later clarified that the organization has not had any advanced discussions about the possibility of hosting a NASCAR event previously, but views the Chicago announcement last week as a possible jumping off point for planning a credible bid.

The expressed interest comes amid an experimental phase for the sport and the growing popularity of road and street course racing worldwide, primarily driven by the elevated profile of Formula 1, which has enjoyed a surge of interest thanks to a companion Netflix reality series.

Since the start of the pandemic, NASCAR has pushed the number of road races on its top-echelon Cup Series schedule from the traditional two to as high as seven. Those changes have generally been greeted warmly as a welcomed change of pace from oval racing, which can become monotonous with its relentless left turns.

 

The experimenting hasn’t stopped there, though. The Cup Series has also run dirt-surface races at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for the past two years. And back in February, it built a temporary short track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and staged an exhibition event that brought it closer to millions or urban-dwelling fans.

 

It’s for that reason that the Chicago street race is more than a one-off. It’s part of a deliberate strategy to add novelty, creativity and new markets to a Cup Series slate that had grown rather stale previously.

 

Pittsburgh could fit into that strategy for a few reasons.

 

For one, it’s one of the biggest markets that exists in a relative racing desert. The closest Cup Series tracks are all about a four to five hour drive at a minimum. That means it’s hard for millions of fans both locally and regionally to consume live events.

Only Seattle and Denver really challenge Pittsburgh — and if we want to talk about them together, Cleveland — in terms of racing isolation domestically.

 

Developers had wanted to change that at one point around the turn of the century, when NASCAR’s popularity nationally was at its peak. They proposed to develop an indoor speedway out near Pittsburgh International Airport in 1999.

That project fell through, though, and there has been no serious push to revive it or something like it, as NASCAR has slipped in popularity. That’s made a Pittsburgh race a non-starter.

 

Until now, at least. With NASCAR indicating it will consider street races moving forward, Pittsburgh has a compelling case to make for another reason: know-how.

 

It already stages an annual street race in Schenley Park. Granted, the Vintage Grand Prix cars that zip around the grounds there every summer don’t have nearly the horsepower of a Cup Series Chevy Camaro or Ford Mustang.

 

But the event’s success — it was expected to draw 50,000 fans to the park last weekend — and its 40-year history show that a street race would be far from a foreign concept here because the city already stages one with regularity.

 

Sure, the scale would be different. The safety equipment NASCAR would require — hefty barriers and spectator protections, for example — would require a lot more than the Vintage Grand Prix does.

 

Then again, Chicago is sorting through those same issues right now. And whatever lessons NASCAR learns there could, in theory, be easily applied here.

 

Throw in some stunning cityscapes that would really pop on television, and it’s a formidable package if NASCAR were to seek to add street races in the future.

 

Imagine, for example, Denny Hamlin pushing Chase Elliott for the lead while screaming through the Fort Pitt Tunnel, across the Fort Pitt Bridge, through the Point and onto the North Shore, where there are plenty of wide avenues between PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium for the cars to race on.

 

Fun right?

 

Obviously, there would be a ton of steps between where we are now and that vision becoming a reality. The markets and speedways that have races now will fight bitterly to keep them, and it’s possible NASCAR would prefer to stage races in bigger cities, even if the already have existing tracks nearby.

 

But at least on paper, a NASCAR race in the region is probably closer than it’s ever been to being a real possibility — something that makes more sense logistically than it did before Chicago opened a new door for what’s possible.

 

Adam Bittner: abittner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @fugimaster24.

First Published July 29, 2022, 5:30am

 

[dmjalund]

i would prefer to all an all female band Pantheress

[Mark Rand]

21 minutes ago, dmjalund said:

i would prefer to all an all female band Pantheress

Purrrrrr!

[Spark]

15 hours ago, Steve said:

How does the Mayor and the city council view superhumans? Are they pro-superhero sorts, giving a team of heroes a taxpayer-funded base or anti-superhero types that think the likes of J. Jonah Jameson are speaking the truth? Somewhere in between?

 

Are there individual police detectives, or maybe a dedicated unit of police, trying to root out secret identities and arrest the masked vigilantes?

 

How about the state government? They have more funding than a city would, so maybe they have a task force that interfaces with superhumans.

 

Or maybe it’s all federalized, and local law enforcement is constantly running into jurisdiction spats with the feds.

 

I love this!! Oh, and there's so much more...

 

There HAS to be two groups on social media, one that hates everything (and even spreads lies) and the other that are all fanboys. And, of course, a third that is simply the official line.

 

As for how to include this in the book, I think the best approach would be to do some sort of columned presentation. If we allow three columns, each with a different approach that the GM/players could take. Of course the middle column is the moderate, middle of the road, approach. What would these three be?

 

1. A "Golden Age", heroic, almost Homeric view where the heros are always supported and seen as saviors. Think of the original Superman movies
2. A moderate view where the heros are sometimes good and sometimes bad and the official line will always support the heros, but some undercurrent would not. This would be similar to the MCU
3. An extreme approach where villains are actively stoking negative social media views against the heros, the government is ready to arrest any super that isnt' one of "their guys". This dystopian viewpoint would be similar to most of the Batman movie approaches...POST 2000.

15 hours ago, Mark Rand said:

I might just call them "The Pussycats".  The ladies could wear clip-on black tails and headband ears with their blue and gold street clothes.  The paint scheme on their van includes the phrase, "The Pussycats Prowl With Pitt".    

 

I'd stay away from "Pussycats" altogether since there could be copywrite issues. Remember, the go-to costume of EVERY genX college girl (at least on the campuses I was on) was to wear something revealing, and clip on what could best be described as a "Josie and the Pussycats" ears and tail.

[Mark Rand]

3 hours ago, Spark said:

 

I love this!! Oh, and there's so much more...

 

There HAS to be two groups on social media, one that hates everything (and even spreads lies) and the other that are all fanboys. And, of course, a third that is simply the official line.

 

As for how to include this in the book, I think the best approach would be to do some sort of columned presentation. If we allow three columns, each with a different approach that the GM/players could take. Of course the middle column is the moderate, middle of the road, approach. What would these three be?

 

1. A "Golden Age", heroic, almost Homeric view where the heros are always supported and seen as saviors. Think of the original Superman movies
2. A moderate view where the heros are sometimes good and sometimes bad and the official line will always support the heros, but some undercurrent would not. This would be similar to the MCU
3. An extreme approach where villains are actively stoking negative social media views against the heros, the government is ready to arrest any super that isnt' one of "their guys". This dystopian viewpoint would be similar to most of the Batman movie approaches...POST 2000.

Detective Eve Belding of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Burglary Squad is usually willing to give the heroes advice.  She might steer the heroes to Geena Fallon, a cat burglar she rehabilitated.  In my campaign, Geena is the 3 to 11 PM tender of the Smithfield Street Bridge, a lift-type drawbridge that once carried streetcars.

.      

[Mark Rand]

3 hours ago, Spark said:

 

I'd stay away from "Pussycats" altogether since there could be copywrite issues. Remember, the go-to costume of EVERY genX college girl (at least on the campuses I was on) was to wear something revealing, and clip on what could best be described as a "Josie and the Pussycats" ears and tail.

They're going to be the Pantheress (name suggested by dmjalund). 

[Mark Rand]

On 7/30/2022 at 10:55 AM, Mark Rand said:

Detective Eve Belding of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Burglary Squad is usually willing to give the heroes advice.  She might steer the heroes to Geena Fallon, a cat burglar she rehabilitated.  In my campaign, Geena is the 3 to 11 PM tender of the Smithfield Street Bridge, a lift-type drawbridge that once carried streetcars.

.      

Geena and her two fellow drawbridge tenders love to dress like cat burglars.  Quoting Eve, "They're masked at night when they're off duty and awake." 

 

Geena Fallon was named for Geena Davis who played Grace Fallon in the Knight Rider second season episode K.I.T.T. the Cat.

[Scott Ruggels]

How close are you guys to getting this thing into PDF or Print?