Monthly Archives: August 2013

Tabatha, Jon, and Marcus

One of my favorite shows has been Tabatha’s Salon Takeover that started it all.  Tabatha, a no-nonsense, blond Australian lesbian dressed in black slacks and vest with wicked stiletto heels, steps into failing beauty salons, quickly sees why they are … Continue reading

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The University of Penn Campus

My planned adventure for the day was to explore the Woodlands Cemetery near the University of Penn campus.  I worked out the route to get there by train and trolley and set out one cool morning to test it in … Continue reading

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Manufacturing Gunpowder on the Brandywine

The history of the du Pont family and of Delaware itself is closely tied to the manufacture of gunpowder (see posting of 11/2/2012, How the du Ponts Came to Delaware).  It was the only product of the DuPont company for … Continue reading

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Hard Times in the Renaissance

“CSI: Italian Renaissance” by Tom Mueller, Smithsonian, July-August, 2013 This angelic girl is Isabella of Aragon, born in 1470, a shining star at the courts of Italy, renowned for her intellect and beauty. She knew Leonardo da Vinci, and there … Continue reading

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Jacquelynn Puriefoy

I was searching the Philadelphia Inquire’s website for news of Lansdowne, and found an article from April 25, 2011, on shifting suburban populations, noting that Sharon Hill and East Lansdowne have joined Yeadon, Darby, Colwyn, and Chester as black-majority communities.  … Continue reading

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How to Feel Unique

In spare moments at my computer, I often check the high quality, full-screen, live webcams showing the Boca Raton beach, and the ports of Ft. Lauderdale, Cape Canaveral, Key West, and Bermuda.  When the weather is bad here, it is nice … Continue reading

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Brandywine Creek Park

A perfect morning to walk along a grassy path cutting through the meadow —early, but not too early.  The hot sun well up in the sky is already heating up the day, but the grass is soaked with dew and … Continue reading

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The Greeter

The Greeter He’s not the Reaper, but he does stop by To say, to everything that’s ever lived, “Nice try.” —Robert N. Watson, The New Yorker, 7/22/2013.

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Instagramming the Beach

A recent BBC article points out there are over 19 million Instagrams with the hashtag “#beach.” I have never used Instagram and only vaguely heard of it, so I had to do a quick search to educate myself.  Instagram is … Continue reading

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On the 5:15

In 1914, Christmas fell on a Friday, and on the following Monday, with the decorations still up and parties still scheduled, Billy Murray, a seasoned, popular vaudevillian Irish tenor with a hammer voice that could reach the back rows, joined … Continue reading

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