|
December 18, 2005
Drink globally -- a Philadelphia Tradition!
I'm late getting to my blog today, and that's because I've been running around with Sean Kinsell, who's visiting from Japan for just a few days. Yesterday afternoon, Sean drove to my place, where he charmed the socks off Coco, who is normally very reserved about strangers. In fact, Coco liked Sean so much that she seemed genuinely willing to share her rawhide chew strip: A rare privilege granted only to a select few, but Sean was so polite that he let Coco keep it all to herself. But Sean did not come all the way from Japan to visit Coco. (No need to tell Coco that, is there?) Following what has now become an annual (if controversial) tradition, we drove to Philadelphia to meet up with Tom Brennan. Anyone who hasn't read Tom's famous Agenda Bender blog is missing out on some of the wittiest, most unpredictable writing in the blogosphere. As I told Tom yesterday, he was one of my first role models (which is saying something for someone who disagrees with the idea of role models). In addition to being a blogger, Tom has now become a charitable entrepreneur (is that the right term?) in Philadelphia's trendy South Street area. With a couple of other people, Tom has started the Philadelphia AIDS Thrift store (aka PAT) at 514 Bainbridge Street. The store has its own blog (written by.... who else!), and unlike many of the gouge-em thrift stores in the area, everything is priced to go, and customers are helping a very worthy cause. Here's what they're about: If you're in the Philadelphia area, do check it out. A busy man, Tom was on a tight schedule, so I really didn't have time to take endless pictures of him posing before every item in the store, but I did catch him posing in front of this very fetching beach towel: But please! Don't anyone think the shark reflects on the store's prices or business practices! The prices are so low I was shocked. Two fine books I'd been looking for for years cost me a total of $1.34. Regular readers who have heard about my struggles with fax machines might remember my stated goal of buying one. Well, I found one there without a pricetag, and they told me it was $25.00. Later on my way out, the price was dropped to $15.00, so I couldn't leave without it. I've checked it out and it works beautifully. Plus it came with a brand new cartidge (worth $25.00 on ebay), and it doubles as an answering machine with caller ID, multiple mailboxes, PC hookup capacity and more stuff than I need or understand. Now I feel really guilty. (So, bear in mind that notwithstanding the picture it's not Tom who's the shark.) From the store we went to have coffee at the Bean Cafe (615 South Street), a great little hangout where we could all dish the blogosphere to our hearts' content. When it was time to go I realized that I didn't have a group picture, so I perched my camera on a nearby shelf and did my best with the auto-timer, jump-in-the-photo feature. Here we are, all wired on caffeine and good times: After dinner, wine, and talk, it was a little too late for Sean to do any more driving, so he stayed here in the guest house. And after breakfast, Sean was on his way back: (Not quite all the way back. I don't think Japan is within driving distance.) NEWSFLASH!! Well, Japan is certainly within blogging distance! I now see that Sean had already written a post about his visit before I did -- and he did so right here, while I was asleep! (Which means I can't blame Sean for my tardiness!) MORE: At the end of the evening last night, Sean and I drank to Steven Malcolm Anderson. If only Steven could have been there in person. posted by Eric on 12.18.05 at 01:03 PM
Comments
Has anyone ever told Sean he looks like Eric Bana? Michael Demmons · December 19, 2005 09:28 AM Not bad. Not bad at all beautifulatrocities · December 19, 2005 10:10 AM Great time! One little thing, though.... "Tom sometimes posts erratically?" If you changed that to "erotically," it would be equally true, except curious new readers would be more likely to click the link. Eric Scheie · December 19, 2005 05:13 PM Michael and Jeff, let's do something like this the next time either of you are in the Philly area. (Or maybe in Berkeley????) Eric Scheie · December 20, 2005 07:28 AM As I am no longer constrained by a relationship, I might actually get to Philly sometime and I'd be happy to visit! Michael · December 20, 2005 07:44 AM Only if Camille Paglia will be there beautifulatrocities · December 20, 2005 11:42 AM Hmmmm.... You drive a hard bargain. But maybe we could get her to show up if she thought Jon Stewart was going to be there. . . Eric Scheie · December 20, 2005 04:10 PM She HATES Jon Stewart. As does any sensible person beautifulatrocities · December 20, 2005 04:55 PM But if she thought he was holding a press conference to denounce her book, surely she'd be there (even if he turned out to be a crazed Jon Stewart lookalike....) Wouldn't the media frenzy make for a fun occasion? Eric Scheie · December 20, 2005 05:18 PM |
|
March 2007
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR
Search the Site
E-mail
Classics To Go
Archives
March 2007
February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 May 2002 See more archives here Old (Blogspot) archives
Recent Entries
War For Profit
How trying to prevent genocide becomes genocide I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight Wind Boom Isaiah Washington, victim Hippie Shirts A cunning exercise in liberation linguistics? Sometimes unprincipled demagogues are better than principled activists PETA agrees -- with me! The high pitched squeal of small carbon footprints
Links
Site Credits
|
|
"From the store we went to have coffee at the Bean Cafe (615 South Street), a great little hangout where we could all dish the blogosphere to our hearts' content."
Just imagine the deliciously naughty things we said about you, everyone....
In addition to thanking Eric once again for his hospitality, I'd like to second the endorsement of Agenda Bender. Tom sometimes posts erratically, so he probably loses readers fairly often along the way; but it's worth checking back regularly, because he's pretty much sui generis in the funhouse-mirror way he sees stuff--everything from hard news to celebrity gossip. (Of course, you should all be reading Eric, too, but if you're seeing this, that pretty much means you already are.)