Washington, D.C., is a town accustomed to filibusters.
They're normally delivered by senators and congressmen, so it's unusual when the spiel comes from an actress.
But at the Pennsylvania State Society Inaugural Gala Tuesday night, "Basic Instinct" and "Casino" star Sharon Stone took to the stage and, instead of making the expected brief remarks, launched into a lecture, according to the newspaper Roll Call.
Wonder who was listening?
The Meadville native wore a dark gown that went south to her navel as she delivered a 15-minute speech that seemed to lack any focus.
Her topics?
Growing up in small-town America, the Liberty Bell and how nice Pennsylvanians are.
"Stone has a reputation for being, shall we say ... talkative," Roll Call reported. "Most famously, she created controversy last year when she blamed an earthquake, which killed nearly 70,000 people in China's Sichuan province, on karmic payback for China's treatment of Tibet. (Stone later apologized.)"
And while Stone didn't say anything nearly as controversial Tuesday night, she did put a bit of a damper on the otherwise joyous festivities. As our spy put it: "It was like she was giving a dissertation."
THE OFFICIAL BOX SCORE WAS.... Had to watch the Steelers-Ravens game on TV last week because you couldn't get -- or afford -- a ticket?
Some Allegheny County officials didn't.
Mary Conturo , executive director of the Sports & Exhibition Authority, released a list of officials who used the guest box at Heinz Field for the AFC championship game. The names were released in response to a request by the Trib.
Conturo said the request didn't fall under the public records laws, but she'd release the names anyway.
"While this information is not contained in records that would constitute public records, and thus that statute is not applicable to the authority's answering of questions from you, we are nonetheless providing this information to you," she wrote in her best lawyerese.
The authority gets 12 box-seat tickets and 24 tickets for seats in the stands.
The game was attended by The Rev. William H. Curtis , state Sens. Wayne Fontana and Sean Logan , Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Darlene Harris , former Mayor Sophie Masloff and Jake Wheatley , all members of the stadium authority and two staffers from the authority and county.
PRESIDENTIAL PARADOX. Fit to advise the president, but not to lead Duquesne law school?
That's what many Duquesne University students are asking after viewing a photo of Donald J. Guter taken last week with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden .
For months, Guter has been advising Obama on legal matters, including the U.S. prison for terrorists based at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
But Duquesne President Charles J. Dougherty fired Guter about six weeks ago for failing "to perform as a part of the university's administrative team and to effectively manage the school."
Guter, who remains a tenured faculty member at the law school, has rejected that explanation. He argues Dougherty removed him due to reasons of "personal animus." About 175 people marched to protest of Guter's firing -- and other perceived Dougherty injustices -- last week.
POOR SPORTS. The Sports & Exhibition Authority in Pittsburgh advertises that its regular monthly meetings are open to the public, but in reality, only half of them occur in the public spotlight.
Throughout 2008, the city-county authority's five-member board held an executive session before each public meeting. The members used a separate boardroom in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which the authority owns and operates.The closed-door sessions appear destined to continue.
An "executive meeting brief" is scheduled to happen at 9:30 a.m. before every public meeting this year, according to a 2009 schedule of meetings obtained by the Trib.
In a notation at the top of the schedule, it states, "remove 9:30 mtg. when sending to other than board."
We assume "other than board" refers to media members, the public and anyone else who might be concerned that the authority is planning to meet regularly behind closed doors.
NAME GAME . The recently retired television reporter Andy Gastmeyer of WPXI appeared at Allegheny County Council last week for a commendation. During the presentation, Joan Cleary , D-Brentwood, said Gastmeyer had been unnecessarily gracious when invited to the council meeting.
"He has more name recognition than all of us put together, so we all want to get a photo with him," she said.
Gastmeyer, trying to interrupt after the name-recognition comment, quipped, "Except for Councilman (Chuck) McCullough ."
END OF AN ERA. With the closing of the Mountain View Inn in Westmoreland County, the last of the old-style inns along southwestern Pennsylvania's highways is gone.
Brian Butko , historian at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, is writing a book about the S.S. Grand View Point Hotel near Bedford, which in its glory days in the '30s and '40s was one of the best-known roadside attractions in America.
Countless thousands climbed aboard The Ship Hotel to "See 3 States and 7 Counties" before the big boat burned in 2001.
Butko is writing a book about the Ship Hotel and is looking for recollections about the popular spot -- a one-stop place offering gas, food and lodging.
"The ship was larger than life. People adored it," says Butko. "They recall their honeymoon stay, or being stranded there in a snowstorm, or just a Sunday drive with the family."
The Buvett Inn on Route 30 is long gone. So is the Beatty Inn, which was near the Mountain View. One of the last remaining roadside draws is the Summit Inn on Route 40 outside of Uniontown in Fayette County.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE⢠Former Westmoreland County Republican committee chair Perry Christopher has been told the county committee has declared his committee seat open because Christopher publicly supported Democrat Mike O'Barto over Republican Mike Reese in the 59th District.
Christopher said he got the news in a recent letter from current chair George Dunbar .
Christopher believes the edict was delayed until after the Nov. 4 election to lessen the shock waves.
Since Reese's election, Christopher's blog, westmorelandgop.com , has carried nothing but praise for one of the county's newest state representatives.
Christopher said he will remain a staunch GOP supporter despite his ouster.
"I was a Republican before this and it doesn't change my philosophy. My complaint was with the massive, massive negative advertising against Mr. O'Barto," Christopher said.
NEW BLOOD. It's one of the most-debated municipal towing contracts in southwestern Pennsylvania in a long time.
After several months, North Huntingdon commissioners finally decided to split a three-year towing and storage contract between two family-owned businesses in the township, Fix 's Body Shop and Lenhart 's Service Center.
Of course, the dividing lines haven't been drawn yet.
It's been a constant issue at township meetings since October, although no township funds are being spent.
The Fix family has had the contract for 17 years, but the Lenharts improved their property to meet bid specifications for storage. Commissioners directed the township manager to meet with reps from both businesses to try to work out a way so each can earn some business.
That's not too hard in a township with Route 30 running through it.
