Thursday, September 22, 2011
Evening sights around town...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Twitter is Cool! And on this blog.
Use the twitter hashtag #mycityiscooler to see your tweets on this blog!!!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
American Philosophical Society
This is taken from the American Philosophical Society website, both the website and the about page URLs are listed below.
Launching an Inspired Idea
Launching an Inspired Idea
"The first drudgery of settling new colonies is now pretty well over," wrote Benjamin Franklin in 1743, "and there are many in every province in circumstances that set them at ease, and afford leisure to cultivate the finer arts, and improve the common stock of knowledge." The scholarly society he advocated became a reality that year. By 1769 international acclaim for its accomplishments assured its permanence. Franklin's influence and the needs of American settlements led the Society in its early days to pursue equally "all philosophical Experiments that let Light into the Nature of Things, tend to increase the Power of Man over Matter, and multiply the Conveniencies or Pleasures of Life." Early members included doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and merchants interested in science, and also many learned artisans and tradesmen like Franklin. Many founders of the republic were members: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Rush, James Madison, and John Marshall; as were many distinguished foreigners: Lafayette, von Steuben, Kosciusko.
Yes, that is a statue of Ben Franklin looking ever so stately in the outcove of The Fifth Street façade, Library Hall of the American Philosophical Society
Here is a closer view of him
Here is a closer view of him
Ben Franklin's Firehouse
In 1736, Franklin created the Union Fire Company, one of the first volunteer firefighting companies in America.
Philadelphia Fire Department: Engine 8, Ladder 2
The Philadelphia Fire Department's Engine 8, Ladder 2 station is a direct descendant of Ben Franklin's Union Fire Company. It stands at 4th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia's Old City, between the U.S. Mint and Girard Fountain Park.
Some history: Union Fire Company, sometimes called Benjamin Franklin's Bucket Brigade, was a volunteer fire department formed in Philadelphia in 1736 with the assistance of Benjamin Franklin. The first fire fighting organization in Philadelphia, though followed within the year by the Fellowship Fire Company. The fire company was formed on 7 December, 1736 after a series of publications in the Pennsylvania Gazette by Franklin and others pointing out the need for more effective handling of fires in Philadelphia and remained active until approximately 1820.
I also recall something I read at the Ben Franklin museum about his sister's house or friend's house burning to the ground in a different city, which inspired Ben Franklin to pioneer fireproofing inside houses.
About the Company: In the 1884 book History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, John Thomas Scharf and Thompson Westcott described the organization of the company:
The Union Fire Company was an association for mutual assistance. Each member agreed to furnish, at his own expense, six leather buckets and two stout linen bags, each marked with his name and the name of the company, which he was to bring to every fire. The buckets were for carrying water to extinguish the flames, and the bags were to receive and hold property which was in danger, to save it from risk of theft. The members pledged themselves to repair to any place in danger upon an alarm of fire with their apparatus. Some were to superintend the use of the water, others were to stand at the doors of houses in danger, and to protect the property from theft. On an alarm of fire at night it was agreed that lights should be placed in the windows of houses of members near the fire "in order to prevent confusion, and to enable their friends to give them more speedy and effectual assistance.'
The "Keys To Community" Ben Franklin bronze bust is just to the right of the Firehouse, and is made up entirely of KEYS! There is a small park with a fountain behind the brick wall.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Pride of Philadelphia- USA!
via Twitter
Philly hasn't shown this much nationalistic pride since Rocky fought Ivan Drago.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Much like the Year, it starts with Mummers.
Reason #1. Mummers.
This year I went to my first Mummers Parade ever. I can't believe it took me 24 years of living here, but I did it. The Mummers are hard to describe without actually seeing them. I highly recommend you google yourself some pictures.
According to their website [http://www.phillymummers.com/] The Philadelphia Mummers Parade features unique costumes, music, and pageantry. Crowds line Broad St., from South Philly straight through Center City. The climax of the parade takes place at City Hall and the PA Convention Center where the official judging takes place. The parade itself is one of the longest running traditions in the country. The parade began in 1900 as an official event for the city, however it has been going on since the 1800's as a way to celebrate the New Year.
To explain, there are 5 categories and they dance and perform with fantastically elaborate costumes and portable sets and live music in a huge parade that encompasses the entire city in glory, glitter and men dancing in dresses. There's Comedy, Wench Brigade, Fancies, String Band, and Fancy Brigades. It is, in short an amazing event. There are crowds as far as the eye can see and people dancing in the streets from City Hall to South Street.
The Mummers Dance the entire parade route, there is a specific Mummer dance, it's hard to describe, but they carry umbrellas, usually themed, and bounce them up and down as they dance. The news announcer there said that when you do your Mummer dance, you have to point your two fingers, pointer and middle, and move them up and down to the beat as you dance. I turned to my friend Mark (who loves the Mummers) and asked why they point two fingers, he facetiously responded, "because they're not holding an umbrella." Thanks Mark.
Here are some pictures that I took with my cousin Anna, her boyfriend Amaury, and my friends Mark and Cathy. You can click to see the larger image.
Of course, we're watching a large group of men in white dresses/pirate costumes dancing on by and my cousin Anna says, "Hey! That's my brother-in-law!" We got a random quick shot with Eddie.
Look at that Costume! I LOVE the Peacock feathers!
Look closely at that chicken, those are actual feathers.
Froggies! They were a fun group, also, I estimate they were about a half mile long.
Here are some pictures that I took with my cousin Anna, her boyfriend Amaury, and my friends Mark and Cathy. You can click to see the larger image.
Of course, we're watching a large group of men in white dresses/pirate costumes dancing on by and my cousin Anna says, "Hey! That's my brother-in-law!" We got a random quick shot with Eddie.
Look at that Costume! I LOVE the Peacock feathers!
Look closely at that chicken, those are actual feathers.
Froggies! They were a fun group, also, I estimate they were about a half mile long.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)