Coolth Pays

The other day while downtown (which we here in the City of Brotherly Love call "Center City", as if it were someplace else) this young man was busy trying to adjust his engine. Using an array of tools from a very fancy wooden chest just visible on the trunk in back, he tinkered away, blocking the bus lane.
Moments after this picture was taken, an world worn geezer in a wheelchair came out to provide guidance to the young mechanic (who seemed to be completely capable on his own) and blocked the second lane of 8th Street at Market. This is not a quiet intersection, especially during the work day.

 



What is notable about all this is that nobody honked their horns, nobody screamed at these guys in English, Spanish or Ebonics, nobody even made obscene gestures. They just waited and gazed at the cool car, and traffic just stopped, including SEPTA's Mighty 47.
Being cool pays.
(some time ago in a similar circumstance, a bus driver, noting a distraught tourist in a failed rental blocking the street, called for volunteers from the passengers, and led a crew to shove the car out of harm's and the bus's way; that car was uncool)

But is it really Art??

So while heading off to New York to visit offspring, gazing out the train window, we caught the work shown below, just past the yards of AMTRAK's 30th Street Station in the Quaker City. Look closely, and especially the person in the center. And the adjacent title to his right - "SZONE". Clearly this mural was thoroughly planned and laid out.

 

Now lots of folks feel that anything called "graffiti" is a disgrace to our society, damage to property and generally an outrage. Unlike murals which appear here and there sponsored and executed by respectable citizens and organizations, much street art is really stupid and ugly.

 

Some street art, however is worthy of admiration. Enlarge this picture and check out the expression on the guy's face - a perfect rendition of the expulsion of viscous matter by rapid pressurization. And note the man's eye, following the trajectory of his discharge, making sure it is accurately delivered to some unshown target.

 

Think also about the logistics of creating this painting. Along railroad tracks carrying AMTRAK and SEPTA trains night and day, some within inches of the painter's canvas. And how much stuff the artist had to lug to the site, probably a couple of gallons of paint at least. One must admire the courage and stamina of the artist, regardless of one's opinion of his (or hers) artistic accomplishment.

 

This piece is so much more than a simple scribbled tag. It is a true work of art. If it was just some crappy graffiti it would look like this-

 

 

 

Wilderness Creeps In

Just a day or so ago, we were visited by a pair of Turkey Vultures, never before seen by anyone we know in our fair city. Usually they populate rural places, where they clean up carrion.

One morning a couple of weeks ago a deer appeared right downtown, perhaps having got off the wrong subway station. Caught by the cops, the deer escaped and headed to New Jersey (so often a bad idea) where it was killed on the bridge by a texting driver.
And we have had three, count 'em three black bears captured or killed in our nearby burbs.
Not to mention giant worms.
What next? Spotted Anchelins??

Poor Little Lost Souls

For the last few years we have been coaching first graders from Philadelphia's Sheppard School, located in our poorest ZIP code. These are kids that hardly have homes, let alone parents that read to them, or support the idea that learning matters. Aside from their teachers, we are, in many cases, the only people that tell them that reading is important.
So much for blaming the teachers and the schools.
Sometimes we make a lot of progress, sometimes we don't, but it is always good to try.
Here is Luis, my kid, diagnosed last month as autistic, who speaks a language all his own. He can read some, does numbers well, and loves his watch and can tell time with it-

Connie has three girls, who are doing pretty well, at least some of the time-

These are the kids our state's politicians have left behind, hoping they will just go away. They won't, I hope.

Winery Exploration - From Eagles Mere PA, the "Avalon of the Poconos"

Our third winery exploration took us far up into the endless mountains of the Keystone State. For those that do not know much about our state's wine history, William Penn planted the first vineyards in North America in the 1600s. By 1900 every one of our sixty seven counties produced wines of various types. Just so you know.
So off we went heading for Eagles Mere, in remote Sullivan County. This is a real summer place, completely deserted between winter hunting seasons and Memorial Day. Lots of real classy big houses, deserted until the summer, just like Avalon. Stayed at the Crestmont Inn, a small remainder of a once grand fancy joint that was demolished to make way for crappy condos in the 80s. A fine restaurant and no Spotted Ancelins.
Started our winery checks with a place called Eagle Rock Winery in PaPorte, county seat of Sullivan County. These folks grow no grapes since "you can't grow grapes around here". Some of their wines are sold in cheap plastic bottles; nice store with wine chochkies. Proprietor may be a relocated New Yorker. She was quite wrong about not being able to grow grapes however. Decent reds, sweets.
Next was Winterland Winery, in Lopez, once known as "Sawdust City" from all the now defunct lumber mills. An eclectic place that buys local grapes from the area and from Erie PA. Some nice whites, cute store.

Winterland Winery in the "Sawdust City"

Next my favorite of all, perhaps the quirkiest of any we've seen. In Lopez PA, the Lopez Winery. Strewn and cluttered with all manner of memorabilia that some would call junk. Looks like the owner, an extremely happy man, serves as much in full glasses as sampling sips, and some locals may mistake it for a bar. Also features, from time to time, free deer stew. Eight types of grapes on 1100 vines planted in 2000. Decent reds and whites.

Real cozy Lopez Winery Tasting (?) Room that seems like a bar

Best ever winery freebie

At Laddsburg Mountain Winery (three vineyards) in Dushore PA one is welcome to write a note on the floor. And lots of taxidermy samples on the wall. Decent whites, reds I think need some work.
Last wine stop was Grovedale Winery and Brewery, in new facility on the east bank of the mighty Susquehanna. Family has been there for 8 generations, and does a nice job making reds (best on this tour), whites, and next door some pretty nice beers.
And then home, after a short hike to some of the 20 odd waterfalls at Rickett's Glen State Park, a fine place for outdoorsy types.

"Its Like You Are My Uncle"

For the past few years we have had lots of fun hosting Fulbright Scholars who gather in the City of Brotherly Love in the Spring. Usually we get four, from all over the world, and they are always bright, modern and engaging. We pick them up downtown, haul them to Germantown on the train and give them dinner, which they always enjoy. And leave little in the way of leftovers.
So this year we had Fernand Franco from Columbia, who fell in love with electrical engineering; Merve Durak from Turkey, an Operations Research lady, Qushay Malinto, from Indonesia, learning more about reproductive technology and who has yet to see his new daughter since he had to leave his wife at the hospital to make his flight to the US; and Iva Kosmos from Slovenia, studying literature and cultural studies.
After dinner we took them to the Art Museum so Fernand could get a good picture of our fair city, and they all jogged up the steps just like Rocky did in the movie.
We are always amazed how similar educated smart young people are, and how much they connect with their families. We have much to learn from them.

Fulbrighters at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Beware the Spotted Anchelin!!

The Spotted Anchelin - "so dumb, so bitch" and is to be found all over the place. Don't know about the Spotted Anchelin? Someday you might.
At any rate some inhabit the great city of New York, which we recently visited to see an Off to the Power of Ten Broadway comedy production of "Laundry Day" put on just for fun by Sara and some of her Girdle (former Penn girls who were Bloomers until they graduated and became Girdles) associates now residing in Gotham, at a hole in the wall in Greenwich Village. Don't know about "Laundry Day"? Well, they had only one show and made a few bucks so that's it.
The Village is a zoo. A livelier  zoo than, say, Fort Lauderdale at Spring Break, but a zoo nonetheless. College kids and the usual big school (in this case NYU) hangers on that just can't leave and who probably should not have arrived in the first place. But fun to see.
Visited Brad and Sasha in Astoria which we found to be very lively and much cooler than its general reputation. Cooler than Brooklyn, if not as hip. They are very big on brunch in Astoria, and they do it well.
No visit to NYC is ever complete without those oh so special subway ads. This one was the best of the crop we saw-well worth the subway fare and much more fun than a cab-

 

Now THIS is ADVERTISING!!!