Pittsburgh native Lauryn Williams, a hopeful for Olympic gold, came up just short in the 100 meters in Beijing yesterday, as three Jamaican women swept the event. U.S. officials lodged a protest, saying that a false start by Torri Edwards, the other American in the race, which was not called by race officials, influenced the start. The protest was, not surprisingly, quickly rejected.

"I just think maybe it's time for America to humble themselves," said Lauryn who ended the race fourth in 11.03 behind the three Jamaicans. "We're getting a pretty good taste of what it's like to be at the bottom. It's going to make us hungry to get back to the top."

If you're looking for a last hurrah with the kids before school starts back up, there are plenty of great family-friendly events happening this weekend. Four traditional county fairs are going strong in southwestern Pennsylvania with animals, exhibits, food, music and midway rides. At the Pittsburgh Zoo, the Summer Kids' Zoofari is a great time to get "close" to some of your favorite animals. And for more fun with the kids, try Kids' Day at Schenley Plaza in Oakland, where free carousel rides, face-painting, and puppet shows are on tap.

It's a big weekend for music fans too, with Country Fest 2008 at the Allegheny County Airport, The Boogie Hustlers performing a free concert in South Park, the Friday night Summer Street Jam at Station Square, and Judas Priest (Saturday) and Brad Paisley (Sunday) at the Post-Gazette Pavilion. Read more...

Even though Allegheny County no longer holds a county fair, the surrounding counties take up the slack in style. Head south this weekend to enjoy classic county fair fun at the Washington County Fair where a performance by The Clarks, a classic car show and oldies band, and a Freestyle Motocross Jumpoff top off the classic tractor pulls, agricultural exhibits and midway rides. Or head east to Greensburg, where the Westmoreland County Fair promises "fun for the whole herd" with the traditional lineup of animals, exhibits, food, rides, motocross and music. Plus, county fairs are also in full swing this weekend in nearby Lawrence and Somerset counties as well.

It's not just pizza, anymore. Groceries, prescriptions, dry cleaning, and even kitty litter can be now be delivered right to your door. - saving you time and frustration, though not necessarily money. There's the new Kitty Litter We Deliver service that I read about in this morning's Post Gazette - what a great idea! Four Season's Dry Cleaners offers scheduled pickup and delivery of your dry cleaning at no extra charge, with delivery areas in the East End, Downtown, Sewickley area,and the North and South Hills. Several grocery delivery services have come and gone over the last few years, but Pittsburgh Town Shopper is doing well delivering groceries, household items, and even gifts to homes and apartments in the downtown and Oakland areas. Wheel Delivery has been offering home ordering and delivery of food from a variety of Pittsburgh restaurants for over 15 years, while the three-year-old Meals Delivered offers a similar service. Both are geared toward East End residents.

Or, for the ultimate delivery service, Wizard of Errands will do anything that "won't get us arrested or injured," including pickup and delivery of dry cleaning, movies, meals, wine, groceries and library books for a fee ranging from $12 to $20 an hour (20% discount for senior citizens).

Do you have a favorite or unusual home delivery service to share? Click on comments below.