Naked People, Terrorists, and Me

As a new notch in the bedpost of interesting stuff I've seen on the streets of Philly, lets add NAKED PEOPLE. I mean bare-naked. Ok, fine, they had aprons on so not full frontal, but definitely full rear. And of course if you looked hard enough at the right moment (when the wind was blowing or they were bending over) you could see a bit more. Not that I tried. The street was full of people taking pictures and pointing, and one guy near me leaned to his friend and said, "I can see it now - major pile-up in Center City caused by naked people on street". Amen. 

This was Wednesday, outside of the environmentally-friendly soap/cosmetics store Lush. They were promoting their products that don't require packing, which is good for the environment because it cuts down on waste and shipping costs. I've never been inside the store, but it smells nice... and I'm interested to see a "shampoo bar"... so maybe next time I'll venture in. And that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm hoping more naked people are inside. 

Flash forward to my subway ride to the Hospital at UPenn (not sick, just going for a yearly). There's this guy sitting near me, and he's decked out in what looks like Muslim garb - a long tunic (over baggy jeans and Timbs, mind you) and a cloth on his head. He's white, but he has a really long beard. Kind of an anomaly, and I wouldn't have thought much of it except that he was talking with a young boy who was sitting across from him and shaking this small blue vial. I thought at first it was a lighter, and maybe he was teaching the kid to shake the lighter fluid (do people even do that?). But I looked closer and it wasn't a lighter, just a small tube-like object with liquid in it. 

Here's the kicker: I got scared thinking this guy had explosives and was training this little kid to use them. I thought they were going to blow up the subway train. I know this is totally irrational and 99.9% most likely not true, but that's what crept into my mind. 

And I wonder what makes us... well... me, because I can't speak for others... think things like that about people we don't even know? Does my society tell me to fear people dressed like Muslims? Does my religious background? The media? I think it's a combination of all of those things. We hear about people flying planes into buildings... who are they? Muslims. We see images of Osama Bin Laden and associate him with danger and violence, and then we see a man who is wearing similar clothing and think the same thing. It's hard to separate the images from the emotions. 

But I think naked people on the street is something we can all agree puts a smile on our faces, right? 

Washington Square is for the birds

On Saturday I had myself a few hours alone while Will was up at school running (jogging) in the alumni race. I decided my first mission was to go to the park and read. So at about 4 I packed up a blanket, a Cosmo, and the most recent City Paper and trudged off to Washington Square. It's really close to our apartment so we go there often, just to sit or watch little kids try and climb into the fountain. 

So there I was, reading about the latest summer fashions and what guys like most about blow jobs, when I notice a sudden influx of pigeons. They're wobbling around my blanket, making that throaty rumble, and they're flying low over my head. 

My first thought was, "Cool! They're filming a remake of that Alfred Hitchcock movie right here in Philly!" But looking around some more didn't reveal any camera crews or boom mics. So my next thought was "I'm gonna get shat on. Where are all these birds coming from?"

Then I saw this guy... 

Yes - a little old Chinese man (shouldn't he be in Franklin Square?) was feeding the birds right near my blanket - hence the fluttery commotion. 

I respect his regard for the animals. Who's to say pigeons aren't worthy of our attention just because they're filthy rats with wings? But seriously, dude. Other people are trying to enjoy the park without getting bird crap in their hair. 

Moral of the story: Sow your seeds in another park. And men really like blow jobs. 

The Sunday Effect

I want you to think back REAL hard to the days when you were in middle or elementary school. There? Good. Remember how Sundays felt? After having a great weekend with no work, visits to friends, sleeping in, and all the lazing around you could manage, Sunday night came and as the sun sank in the sky, an empty pit welled up in your stomach. Back to school tomorrow? Already? It was like you wanted to slow the clocks so Monday would never come.

I hated that feeling. It was the same feeling I got at the end of August when I knew school was about to start. I'd sit out on the driveway, watching the purple clouds swirling in the sky, and I'd wish that I could spend my whole life outside playing instead of cooped up in a classroom. Even in college it was bad. A lot of people I knew couldn't wait to get back to school. Not me. I loved being around my family and having reunions with my high school friends. Also at home there was no pressure to present yourself well every day, no stress of "is there something going on this weekend?" or "am I going to trip and send my lunch flying everywhere in the dining hall?"

And even now... I'm completely out of school, yet I still get that feeling around this time of year. The air starts to get a little crisper. The mornings and nights are colder. You start to see your own breath hang in the air. The sun goes down earlier and earlier... days get shorter. And though there's no "back to school" to worry about, there's still a sense that change is coming. It might just be the season, or it might be something else, something you're not expecting.

I wonder how long it'll be before the Sunday Effect goes away. Maybe never?

Let me wax political

I can't profess that I am a political person. I would last probably 5 minutes in a serious political discussion before I got frustrated/outwitted, and then I'd try my best to move the subject to something lighter like bunnies or the latest Adam Sandler movie. But this election has perked my ears and I've been listening to NPR and reading newspapers to learn about the candidates and the race. It's an important time in our country and in my life, and how better to feel some semblance of control than to be a part of the political process?

I started out a staunch Obama supporter. There was just so much fervor for him, especially among people my age and celebrities I identified with. I appreciated his idealism, his education, and, yes, even his elitism. What I figured was that I'd rather have someone in office who had young, educated people behind him than someone who attracted blue-collar, toothpick chewin', gun-totin' Americans. I admit I was on the bandwagon.

And now that it's much further into the race, I've learned that Obama isn't all halos and hope. I mean he is more so than McCain, who's all straight-talk and patriotism, but Obama's been selling out recently. His ads try to paint him as identifying with the middle class Americans he had put down earlier, and I think that reflects the political system in this country - you have to get everyone to like you to win. It has made me like Obama a little less, but I'm still behind him because his stance on the issues is in tune with mine.

And I'm certainly not a McCain supporter. He's running a much less respectable race. He's bashing Obama and playing on the fears of Americans. Want the economy to slip further? Vote Obama. Want to deny offshore drilling and keep gas prices high? Vote Obama. Want Paris Hilton in the White House? Vote Obama. Now I think this is all ridiculous and nasty, but it's working.

Today Reuter's released a poll that shows McCain leading Obama by 5 points for the first time:
Check it out here.

And yesterday in the New York Times, David Brooks wrote this article about McCain's tactics and their effectiveness with voters:
Read it here.

My immediate reaction to this news is disappointment. It makes me think most Americans are idiots. They'll believe anything blindly (for instance that Obama's a muslim) and they are susceptible to the cheap tactics of fear-mongering and hearsay.

But then I wonder if I'm susceptible to peer pressure and following a candidate just because my liberal arts education tells me it's the right thing to do? I also feel guilty for judging my fellow Americans, and being an elitist in assuming that middle-class, less educated people shouldn't have as much of a say.

Despite all my reservations, I think I'm doing the right thing for me in supporting Obama. I believe in what he believes in, and sure he's doing a shoddy job right now, but he's gotta do what he's gotta do to get in the White House and start making real change, right?

Maybe from now on I'll be a little more open to the other side. That way I'll feel less guilty, and more like my vote is informed and convincing.

Don't want to make this a habit but...

As my title suggests... I don't want making fun of Comcast news headlines to be a daily thing on this blog, but I just HAVE to share these little nuggets from today:

• Amorous disabled turtle on the move
• Campaign encourages buttocks clenching

I mean, if that doesn't make you want to read, what does?

Oh, Comcast

In case you're not from Philadelphia (or you've been living under a rock), the city has pretty much been taken over by communications giant Comcast. They have a huge new building in the financial district which, to me, looks unfinished. But what do I know about architecture? And it's hard in these parts to get any other provider for your TV, Internet and phone.

Point is... Comcast is GREAT, and my cable would probably go black if I didn't say that. But what I love MOST about Comcast is the news headlines on their homepage, comcast.net. Do they get paid per people who read these stories? Because the headlines are nothing short of sensational. Here's a sampling from today's selections:

• Baby whale thinks yacht is its mother (no explanation needed)
• Brooke Hogan sings her pain (who doesn't?)
• Bird droppings in skin products? (better yet, why not just stand outside at the beach?)
• Obama hugs, then tears into McCain (sounds kinky)
• China confiscates bibles from Americans (I thought the "bible-toting" American was just a stereotype)
• Phelps' win extra special at Peete's Grille (WTF is Peete's Grille? And can I have fries with that gold medal?)

I have to admit, they pull me in sometimes. But it's just cheap. This is not real news! Thank god for NPR.

The Festival of Living

This weekend was... in a word... cultural. And it demonstrates another aspect of the city that I LOVE, which is that you can walk a few blocks and always find something delightful going on that you had no idea was happening. 

On Saturday we went on a walk. It was hot, 

but with the breeze as you walk it was bearable. And the way the sunlight hit every building and tree and created shadows on the road made strolling totally worth it. We made our way up Pine Street and found ourselves at a craft fair/farmer's market near South Street. There were vendors selling crafts, photographers displaying their local work, and fresh fruits and vegetables laid out in a colorful array. 

After that pleasant surprise, we made our way to Penn's Landing where we found an Indian (the country) festival going on complete with vendors, performers, and the sweet smell of curry

 wafting through the tents. We stopped to watch some children singing and some women dancing in bright orange costumes and tinkling bells on their ankles. Then we browsed through the clothing and jewelry being sold. Finally we made our way home. 

Then Sunday we went back to Penn's Landing for a Carribean music festival. The acts included rappers, reggae singers, and dancers all wearing colorful flags to represent their home countries. 

We always hear about the U.S. being a "melting pot" of cultures and ethnicities, but a lot of times (and I'm guilty of this) we stick to what we know because it's safer. This weekend was great because we branched out and saw some different populations that inhabit the city -- making it the colorful, diverse place it is. 

Cars under the South Street Bridge to Penn's Landing

Sculpture on the South Street Bridge

Steps up to the back of Independence Hall

All Sounds Considered

Last night, after dinner (frozen-chicken-patty-parmesan and macaroni pasta) there was a half hour or so where Will and I just sat on the couch playing our respective hand-held gaming devices. No TV, no music, no computer. Of course there was the sound of my clicking away on an ancient game boy trying to win Tetris, and Will's stylus scraping as he worked through Brain Age calculations on his DS. But for the most part it was quieter than usual... almost silent.

And it was nice to hear all the sounds of our apartment and the city outside. The steady gurgle of our goldfish's tank. The rattling of our loose windows in the slight wind. The laughter and gossip of people walking by. The whoosh of cars and the heavy revving of buses. And occasionally distant thunder, after large flashes of lightning that outlined Pennsylvania Hospital with a white glow.

One of the immediate things I loved about our apartment was the front windows. We have very high ceilings, and we're the first apartment in the building so we look right out onto the street through high, wide windows. It's something I've always imagined my dream dwelling would have... wonderful, large windows to let in a lot of light and provide a fabulous view. When we're lucky enough to be home during the day, we get just that. And it's just as exciting at night watching people all dressed up and walking to bars with their friends, or strolling holding hands with their sweethearts, or even just seeing the headlights of cars as they roll along Pine Street.

In the city you're never alone, and the sounds and sights from our apartment confirm that. There are constantly people moving, joking, rushing to be somewhere... there's always an open bar or grocery store or taxi cab... a potential dangerous situation or reverential moment.

And that's just one of the many reasons I LOVE living in Philly.

Exit at Callowhill, left on 6th

Welcome to my third attempt at a blog.

Not that my other blogs were unsuccessful (however one measures "blog success"). It's just that I wanted one with more of a general theme. So this is where I talk about living in the city for the first time, trying to find out what I want to do with my life and working toward it, and having a good time meeting people, doing stuff, and seeing places around Philadelphia. Probably also a few pictures of said people, stuff, and places. Enjoy!