Basketball & Rehab

When the San Antonio Spurs won their 1st NBA Championship over the NY Knicks (after the strike-shortened 1998-1999 regular season), I quietly watched the Finals on television (cheering on the Spurs) while being in a Manhattan Detox Facility for Alcohol Abuse.

Note: The 1st time I ever got beer-buzzed was while visiting San Antonio with a friend to play a tennis doubles-team tournament. The night before said match, we watched The Spurs (starring George Gervin aka "The Iceman") play. Our seats were in the upper-level at the HemisFair Plaza Arena. Don't remember opposing team.

Had 3-4 beers.

For the record, We (Doubles-Team) lost our 1st round tournament-match the following day (9 or 10 am.) Was probably either a Freshman or Sophomore in High School at the time.

Abandoned/Chained Cart

Photos taken on Girard Ave., couple of blocks east of Frankford (Fishtown, Philadelphia)

Update: Fridge/Freezer

Philadelphlia: Pier Parking

Philadelphia: Pier on the Delaware River Near The Ben Franklin Bridge

Video/Photos taken Mon., Feb. 27th, 2012 11:15 am -11:30 am

Sweets & Treats

Sweets & Treats

3138 Richmond St.

Philadelphia 19134

Store Hours:

Mon. - Fri. 3 pm - 8 pm

Sat. & Sun. 10 am - 8 pm



^Camera Lens Flaw Exposed^




^Proprietor^



^Proprietor & Apprentice^



Above Painted Mural from the mid-1920's (guesstimate.) Brick Wall was originally exposed to on-coming traffic & the elements advertising "Bull Durham Tobacco" Products.

Note: Video/Photos taken Sat., Feb. 25, 2012, 4ish pm

Backyard: 1st Spring Wildflowers (*)

Above Photos Taken: Sunday, March 11th, 3:06 pm






(*) Or Weeds

Above Photos Taken: Sunday, March 4th, 12:20 pm

Windy Day

Kite Flying Video



Penn Treaty Park, Philadelphia, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012 - 2:30 pm

Note: Video is grainy and kite not very clear. Decided to record after seeing a hawk fly behind the kite and mimic it's movement (not recorded) for about 10 seconds. Sort of like a fish checking out a fisherman's lure.


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Vinyl Siding Video



Windy Day in Philadelphia (Port Richmond)
Richmond St. near Allegheny
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012 12ish pm - 1ish pm

Horticulture Sculpture

"Grumman Green House" by Jordan Griska (2011)

Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) for the newly constructed Lenfest Plaza (Philadelphia).

Sculpture in Background: "Paint Torch" by Claes Oldenburg (2011)

Photo/Video shot: Fri., Feb. 24, 2012, 2 pm

March 2012: Thought For The New Month

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

-- Old Testament, Proverbs 29:18

PSA

Daylight Savings Time starts tomorrow, Sunday, March 11th.

Set your clock(s) forward 1 hour at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Or set clock(s) forward 1 hour before going to bed tonight (Sat.)


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Redirecting Our Energy (Editorial Excerpt)

What Marcellus Shale holds in potential energy is a joke compared to the potential of efficiency. And even better, efficiency won't threaten your water supply - in fact, it goes a long way toward promoting clean air and water by sparing it pollution.

Unfortunately, our economy doesn't put a price tag on clean air and water. But it does reward extraction, which is something big companies make fortunes on. What can we do to change that?

Policies have been put in place in Pennsylvania and around the country to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels. Twenty-four states, including our own, have mandated that renewable energy be part of the energy mix. Pennsylvania has reached a point where the amount of solar energy being produced far exceeds the modest goals of the legislation. This has caused the commodity market based on solar production to crash. Supply has outstripped demand.

Pennsylvania House Bill 1580 is a piece of legislation that aims to restructure the current law. The solar industry predicts that, even in a worst case scenario, energy customers would only see their bills go up $0.04 a month; those representing the coal industry warn that, overall, it could cost billions.

Who do you believe?

Call the office of PA. House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (717-772-9943) and let him know you want PA. House Bill 1580 brought to a vote.

Alex J. Mulcahy
Publisher
Grid Philly

Winter Sabbatical

Automotive Acne (Productions) is currently on hiatus.

Thanks for Visiting.

Sincerely,

"Allan Smithee"

Books: Current Reading Pile

Create Dangerously
by Edwidge Danticat
Published 2010/2011
Vintage Books (Random House)

Is That A Fish In Your Ear
by David Bellos
Published 2011
Faber & Faber Inc. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

56: Joe DiMaggio & The Last Magic Number In Sports
by Kostya Kennedy
Published 2011
Sports Illustrated Books (Time Home Entertainment)

When You Are Engulfed in Flames
by David Sedaris
Published 2008/2009
Back Bay Books (Little, Brown & Co.)

Love Wins
by Rob Bell
Published 2005
Harper One (Harper Collins)

Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen
Published 2005
Broadway Books


Reading Pile Update/Addendum:

Frank Lloyd Wright: Essential Texts
Edited by Robert Twombly
Published 2009
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC
by Mark Evans
Published 2011
Bazillion Points (Books)


Note: FLP Borrowing Limits

You may borrow up to fifty items. Once this limit of fifty is reached, no further items may be borrowed until some or all of these items are returned. In addition, the following limits on material types apply:

Material Type Limit:

Books 40
Videocassettes/DVD 10
Audiocassettes/CD (Children's) 10
Audiocassettes/CD (Adult) 10

Fines:

Fines are applicable even on days that the library is closed. The following rates are effective starting July 6, 2009. If you returned overdue items before July 6, you will be charged the rate that was in effect when the items were returned.

Unpublished: Letter To The Editors

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Letter To The Editors

Re: Exposing Liars Is Enough In Most Cases
(Sun., Feb. 26, 2012, Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Page)

Dear Sirs,

The First Amendment controversy surrounding the Stolen Valor Act is hazy at best. The Stolen Valor Act seems most readably comparable to laws prohibiting/concerning the crime of impersonating a law-enforcement officer or official. The issue of Freedom of Speech towards the Stolen Valor Act seems only tangently relevant, in my opinion, Halloween exempted.

Sincerely,

(Name Redacted)
Port Richmond, Philadelphia, 19134

(W) XXX-XXX-XXXX
(H) N/A

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Letter To The Editors Submitted To The Philadelphia Inquirer
Mon., Feb. 27, 2012

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1st Reply:

RE: Letter To The Editor

Thanks! Your letter has reached The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here's how it works: The Readers Editor reads all submissions and narrows down the number under consideration. Then, if your letter is still in the mix, you will receive an e-mail (in addition to this one) seeking to verify your name, address and authorship of the letter. Please keep in mind that a verification e-mail does not guarantee that your letter will be published.

If your letter is chosen, please be aware that all letters are edited for length, accuracy and conformity with the Inquirer style. Our goal in editing always is to preserve the meaning you intended. If we have any editing questions about your intended meaning, we'll try to discuss them with you before publication.

We appreciate that you took the time to share your opinions with us, even if we were not able to print your letter. Please write again.

Sincerely,

Letters Editor

The Philadelphia Inquirer

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2nd Reply:

The Philadelphia Inquirer - Letter to the Editor

We would like to consider your letter for publication. Please call XXX-XXX-XXXX to verify.

If you get voicemail, please leave your name, address, city, phone number, whether or not we can publish your e-mail address, and the topic of the letter.

Thanks.

The Philadelphia Inquirer Letters Department

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Note: Editorial Cartoon by Signe Wilkinson
For The Philadelphia Daily News
Published Tues., Feb. 28, 2012
(An Edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer)