03.13.09 – Friday

Whereabouts: Philadelphia, PA

Word: altruistic [al-troo-is-tik] adj. unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others

Birthday: Walter Annenberg (1902), Sammy Kaye (1910), L. Ron Hubbard (1911), Neil Sedaka (1939), William H. Macy (1950), Dana  Delany (1956), Adam Clayton (1960),  Common (1972), Danny Masterson (1976)

Occurrence: 1954 – Milwaukee Braves’ outfielder Bobby Thomson brakes his ankle during spring training, allowing then-unknown Hank Aaron a spot on the roster. That is the kind of thing it sucks to be famous for.

Irksome: Once in a while, I read something that puts my daily life in total perspective. Martin Smith’s article in this week’s Philadelphia Weekly was sobering. It’s the story of Michael Kingsley, a homeless man who recently passed away near the corner of 13^th and Chestnut Sts. while pedestrians walked on by. These days, we all tend to think of our lives in terms of our hardships. Well, if you are reading this, chances are you won’t ever have it as bad as Mr. Kingsley had it. His story, while potentially reaffirming on an individual level, exposes some glaring problems on a societal level.

Quotation: We are known among the stars by our poems, not our corpses – Robert Ardrey

Soupçon: Criminals used to shave the edges of coins to gather miniscule amounts of precious metals. Mints battled these fiends by putting serrated edges around some coins, like the quarter.

Tune: When it comes to employing a song to tell a story, there are very few that can rival Elvis Costello. Check out “God’s Comic” a song about a priest who dies, goes to heaven and meets God for the first time. Best line? When God says to the priest, “I’ve been wading through all of this unbelievable junk, and wondering if I should’ve given the world to the monkeys.”

Link: I Am Fuel, You Are Friends – a superb indie music blog run by Heather Browne. Read it daily.

Gallimaufry: My friend Dawn Tancredi is running for Judge in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Click HERE to see her website. Please vote for her this upcoming May 19^th. She’s good people…Do you like to cuddle? Of course you do. So get your affectionate self over to Abington this Saturday, March 14^th for a Cuddle Party. Don’t get the wrong idea, though, this event is just about sharing some human contact. Perverts need not apply…The economy is bad shape. We all know this. But – at least in Philadelphia – things could be worse. Read Bruce Schimmel’s current Op-Ed article, “Cant Beat the Grid? Green It.” It’ll make you feel good…Happy Birthday to my younger brother Jeremy, a so-so brother but a great guy. Just kidding about the so-so brother part. Mostly…Sunday night, head down to the M-Room at 15 W. Girard Avenue and check out local Philly band, The Swimmers. You won’t be disappointed… For those of you inquiring about the next addition of True Story, I’m pleased to announce that I’m making strides and hope to have it ready within the next week or so…Have a great weekend (especially those of you braving The Erin Express) and thanks for reading this week. Come back Monday for some more.