In what seems to be a sort of annual tradition (except for the absence of Sean Kinsell), this afternoon I joined Tom Brennan for lunch at an Indian Restaurant.

This time the hush-hush affair was held at West Philadelphia's wonderful New Delhi Indian Restaurant.

We had the all-you-can-eat buffet, and both of us went back for seconds and thirds. Finally (when I could barely stand) I asked a waiter take a picture:

Hmmm.... What's with the feet behind us? (Shhh! I shouldn't have asked!)

Regular readers will remember Tom as the very talented Agenda Bender, one of my earliest influences as a blogger. As a blogger, he's unsurpassed; Colby Cosh called him "one of about five or six hitherto undiscovered genuine American geniuses that have been unearthed by the emergence of blogotopia".)

But Tom is also doing great things for Philadelphia philanthropy as a charitable proprietor. Philadelphia AIDS Thrift is already a year old, and it's a great store with a great mission:

Our mission is to sell the lovely, useful and interesting stuff generous people donate to our thrift store and then distribute the proceeds to local organizations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We are pleased to announce that PAT has selected the AIDS Fund to be our beneficiary for 2006. The AIDS Fund distributes money to thirty-one AIDS agencies in the five county Philadelphia region. They pass on the money we give them every month with NO administrative costs taken out.

Tom and I had a great time today, and while we discussed a secret plan to win or lose the election, my lips are sealed as to the particulars.