The PSE Blog

As an American Citizen, your vote is your voice. You can have a say on important issues that affect your community and hold elected officials accountable for their decisions. On Election Day, every vote matters. Here are some helpful suggestions that we here at PSE compiled to help you plan out your Election Day.

Be Prepared!

Approved forms of photo identification include:

• Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card
• ID issued by any Commonwealth agency
• ID issued by the U.S. Government
• U.S. passport
• U.S. Armed Forces ID
• Student ID
• Employee ID

You can also use:

• Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth
• Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government
• Firearm permit
• Current utility bill
• Current bank statement
• Current paycheck
• Government check

Where to vote:

Here is a link to find out the closest place to vote.

Click Here!

October 30 was the deadline for Absentee Ballots. If there is an emergency and you cannot vote on November 6^th you can fill out an Emergency Alternative Ballot before 8PM on Election Day by clicking the link below.

Click Here!

Voting system demo:

Curious on how voting works? Here’s what to expect before you arrive to vote.

Click Here!

People are spending a lot of time and money on their mobile devices. Everyone has a smartphone these days and it is constantly by their side. This makes the smartphone the single most consistant connection to your consumer.  But are you making the most of this connection?   If your business is not optimized for mobile use then you are missing out on a valuable stream of revenue from mobile users. If your business is not optimized in order to allow for easy viewing by mobile users, it should be! 

10% of the global Internet traffic is from mobile devices (See chart below). Purchases made on mobile devices are about $6.7 billion of the total online sales and are expected to double to $11.6 billion in the U.S. this year. The mobile sales are forecasted to reach $31 billion by 2015 in the U.S.

Many businesses are frustrating potential customers with tricky navigation and slow loading times.  A recent survey from Google underlines the damage you might also be doing to your brand by not having your site optimized for mobile. The survey, which tallied responses from 1,088 U.S. adult smartphone owners, found that:

•          Mobile sites lead to mobile purchases.
•          If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, shoppers will go elsewhere.
•          A bad mobile experience can damage a company’s brand

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh invite you to be a part of the ONE YOUNG WORLD WELCOME EXCHANGE
Friday, October 19, 2012 - 8 to 11 p.m.
Special Night Haunts Live event takes place Saturday, October 20

Pittsburgh, PA: The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh invite local residents to welcome more than 1,200 One Young World attendees from around the world to the heart of the Cultural District. One Young World is the premier international forum for the world’s emerging leaders to address global issues ranging from education and sustainable development to the role of government and global business.

On Friday, October 19, from 8 to 11 p.m., Pittsburghers have an opportunity to engage directly with these young minds, to serve as ambassadors of our region and to advance the reputation of Pittsburgh as a model city for transformation and growth. This Welcome Exchange is set in the Cultural Trust’s galleries and spaces throughout the Cultural District. In addition to the Cultural Trust, PDP and World Affairs Council, participating ambassador organizations include: Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Pittsburgh Technology Council and Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project. For a map of events and information, visit www.trustarts.org or call 412-456-6666.

One Young World visitors and local residents are also welcome to attend a special event on Saturday, October 20, 2012, at 10 p.m. following the Pittsburgh Dance Council performance of Akram Khan. Night Haunts Live: A Journey through the London Night will be performed live and in the dark by writer SUKHDEV SANDHU and sound artist SCANNER. Admission is $5 to the Peirce Studio at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Arts Education Center at 805-807 Liberty Avenue. Visit www.woodstreetgalleries.org for more info.

ONE YOUNG WORLD WELCOME EXCHANGE
 

Wood Street Galleries | 601 Wood Street
The City & the City: Artwork by London Writers
Guest Curator: Justin Hopper
Caroline Bergvall, Rachel Lichtenstein, Tom McCarthy & Rod Dickinson, Iain Sinclair & Chris Petit, Sukhdev Sandhu
For the artists in The City & the City, London, England is both hometown and inspiration. This groundbreaking exhibition brings together visual artwork by renowned authors of experimental poetry, fiction, history and geography, exploring new ways to combine literature and art in an examination of the modern city.

 

SPACE | 812 Liberty Avenue
Circles of Commotion and Moving Pauses
181: Brandon Boan, Abby Donovan, Tom Hughes, Jason Rhodes
Construction and assembly of a system of interacting, fundamentally digital elements to create and display dynamic perceptual architectures for an exhibition and documentation in catalog form.
Music by DJ Soy Sos and refreshments. Hosted by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

 

Tito and Exchange Way  
Cell Phone Disco
A surface that visualizes the electromagnetic field of an active mobile phone. Several thousand lights illuminate when you make or receive a phone call in the vicinity of the installation. Installation by artist collective Information Lab (NL).

 

Bocce Court & Food Trucks | Penn Avenue and Tito Way/Ninth Street
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Challenge members of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership to a game of Bocce and purchase late-night snacks to feed the conversation.

 

Harris Theater | 809 Liberty Avenue
Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival
Stud Life (Director, Campbell X - UK)
7:00 p.m.
Young love, friendship, and life's choices are at the heart of this 2012 British film about two best friends, a black lesbian, and a cute white gay boy whose idyllic world is upended by the arrival of a beautiful young woman.

Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait Of James Dean (Director, Matthew Mishory – USA)
9:30 p.m.
Breathtaking views of the arid landscape and lush gardens at poolside cocktail parties create a dreamy atmosphere. This sumptuous 2012 film provides a look at the life of iconic actor James Dean (1931-1955) just before he becomes famous.

937 Liberty Avenue

• 1st floor lobby  | Bricolage
  Express Yourself
  What makes a great leader? Listening is a key characteristic of great leadership. Enter our silent space and contribute by writing your thoughts on our walls, doors and floors. Admission is at least one word. Come read what's written. Write something of your own. Make your mark.
  
   

• 2nd floor | 937 Gallery
  CURRENCY
  Jointly curated by Jonathan Chamberlain and Brian Brown
  Cara Erskine, Ryan Lammie, Chris Beauregard, Jonathan Chamberlain, Brian Brown, and Martin Swift A group exhibition addressing current art practice, these new works by Pittsburgh artists will generate new ideas of authorship and authenticity, investigating refined uses of space, and the construction of narrative. This show will look money.
   

943 Liberty Avenue
Path: Installation by Elin Hansdottir
A special maze-like installation incorporating light and space. Held over from “Long are the Days, Short are the Nights,” an exhibit at Wood Street Galleries.

 

Toonseum | 947 Liberty Avenue
Monster Engines and Care Bears: 30 Years of Caring and Hugs!

Toonseum will be offering a special $1.00 admission to one of the country’s top collections of original cartoon art.

 

709 Penn Gallery | 709 Penn Avenue
Derby: Rob Larson
A collection of portrait photography by Rob Larson showcasing the sport of roller derby and its players.

 

707 Penn Gallery | 707 Penn Avenue
Imprinting Place
Erika Osbourne
Imprinting Place... "a collaboration fueled by connection."

Backstage Bar & Cabaret at Theater Square| 655 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh City and Landscapes | Watercolors by David T. Soden

Salsa Friday

Join Jeff Shirley for Salsa Friday in the Cabaret. Free dance lesson from 10:00 - 10:30 pm, music follows by rotating DJs until 1:30 am. OYW attendees are admitted free with conference ID.

Fairmont Hotel| 510 Market Street
Jazz at Andy’s
Jazz vocalist Tania Grubbs performs from 8 p.m. to midnight in the elegant setting of the Fairmont lobby.

Katz Plaza | 7th St. and Penn Avenue

• Join a FREE walking tour of galleries and public art with Cultural Trust guides. Tours will depart at 8:30 p.m.

 

·         Kiyla Kitty & her Kinetic Krew.  An eclectic mix of hoola hoop manipulations, belly dance, and flamey fiery fun all set to the tribal percussive beats of Rich Ermlick.

***

SPECIAL EVENT: Saturday, October 20, 2012 @ 10 p.m.

Peirce Studio | 805-807 Liberty Avenue

Night Haunts Live: A Journey through the London Night

Performed live and in the dark by writer SUKHDEV SANDHU and sound artist SCANNER. Admission $5.

PROJECT POP UP: DOWNTOWN LOCATIONS

 

• Awesome Books  |  929 Liberty Avenue
  An independent bookstore offering new and used books of high quality.
  
• The Steel Curtain  | 1035 Penn Avenue
  The greatest defensive line of all time comes alive in this installation.
   
• Society for the Advancement of Miniature Curiosa | 131 Seventh Street
  A gallery, toy theater parlor, performance space, and workshop that seeks to spark the resurgence of curiosity and wonderment in Downtown Pittsburgh.
    
• Robot Repairs | 210 Sixth Street
  Is your robot experiencing technical difficulties? Consider visiting this place for a potential fix.
   

About One Young World
Pittsburgh is preparing to host nearly over 1,200 young leaders in their 20s from around the world for the 2012 One Young World Summit – taking place Oct. 18-21. The four-day Summit will serve as a platform for delegates, supported by high-profile counselors, to address and identify solutions to the same issues that world leaders tackle every day – including global business and health, education and sustainable development, unemployment, the role of government versus global business, leadership and governance and social business.
http://oneyoungworldpittsburgh.com

Contact: Veronica Corpuz, Director of Special Projects
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust / 412-471-6082

For you newbies (“oldies” skip to next paragraph – you got this),  Pinterest  is a social network that allows users to visually share, create, and discover new interests by posting “pinning” images or videos to their own or other’s pinboards. A pinboard is a collection of pins - not unlike the real-world corkboard - that usually has a common theme.  Once you add the ‘pin it’ button to your browser’s tool bar (It’s easy I promise), you simply pin the most interesting things you come across while surfing the web.  You don’t even have to leave the page you are looking at, the pin-it button works like a pop-up and allows you to type in a quick description of the pin and then select which pinboard you would like the image to appear on and Wallah – you are back to finding the best prices on cruises to Antarctica or ogling Daniel Craig on google images. 

Okay, that’s great, really, but what does this have to do with my business you say?  The power of Pinterest happens when another user, who either follows your boards or just visits your Pinterest page, clicks on your pinned image, it will take them to the website from where the image was pinned from.  Hence – if you are pinning content from your own webpage to your Pinterest page, the user clicking on it will be re-routed to your website.  This helps prospects find you online, foster leads, drive conversation, and measure and improve your marketing.

The key idea to connecting with others on Pinterest and turning them into customers is to be aware of the lifestyle your target audience has.  This enables you to share common interests and preferences. “Connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting”.  Boards such as “Non-Profits We Like” and “Books and Articles We Like” are some examples The Pittsburgh Social Exchange (PSE) is using to connect with their audience. The best trick to Pinterest is to not necessarily to show off your products or services directly but to find a create way to show how your product or services fit into the lifestyles of your audience.  Fellow “pinners” can follow your boards and re-pin them to their own boards, thus spreading your following and helping you gain a captive audience so that the conversation can continue indefinitely. 

The nitty-gritty:  Some sites may not allow you to pin because their site is not Pinterest optimized. Only JPG, PNG, and GIF files are pinable. You may be able to click on “switch to JPG view” and pin the image, which a lot of users do not know. Other sites have a “No pin code” that does not allow users to pin from their website for privacy reasons.

Hey everyone,

You might have noticed some changes in the last several months regarding the Pittsburgh Social Exchange. Over the last year we have done our best to improve everything at PSE. During this time we have started to build ourselves an official website, upgrade our social media, improve our networking events, and create additional value for our members.

One of the things we did was create a professional database for all our members. Now you can build your own professional profile and network with other members outside of PSE events. Just enter your email and password and you'll be able to login. If you forget your password, just click "Forgot Password" and it will be emailed to you. If your password isn't emailed to you, then feel free to shoot me or any other PSE staff members and we can quickly double-check to make sure we have the correct email in our database. You'll also be using your PSE account to register for our future networking events.

We will also be updating the look of the Pittsburgh Social Exchange in the coming weeks. But no need to worry, everyone at the Pittsburgh Social Exchange is committed to continuously improving our networking events, while also finding new ways to add value for our members. So feel free to send us your suggestions to help us move forward as an organization. Thanks again and I'm looking forward to seeing you at our next event.

Matthew Butter

Creative Director
Pittsburgh Social Exchange
matt@pghse.com