Recent Comments

1. 3 days ago on Curses

   Well, Doctor John Dee (1527-1608 or 9) was a mathematician, astronomer/astrologer, alchemist and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I.Along with his “Igor”, Edward Kellley or Talbot. (same person, different aliases),he was said to practice necromancy—raising the dead in order to get their advice for the living.He is almost certainly the inspiration for Prospero in Shakespeare’s “Tempest”.

2. 5 days ago on The Other Coast

   Here in Philadelphia, PA, the network affiliates are WPVI (ABC), WCAU (NBC),and KYW (CBS).

3. 5 days ago on Edge City

   Trust me… you’re not the only one!

4. 6 days ago on Heart of the City

   True. And what’s worse is that the lady who gave us Thanksgiving as we know it lived in Heart and Dean’s neighborhood.Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879) was the “editress” (her term) of “Godey’s Lady’s Book” (a magazine, despite its title), for more than 40 years.She grew up in New England, which had a Thanksgiving tradition going back to the Pilgrims, but who was startled, upon moving to Philadelphia in 1831 to edit the “Lady’s Book”, that Thanksgiving wasn’t a national observance. She promoted it in the pages of the “Lady’s Book”She petitioned numerous politicians, including five presidents, to makeThanksgiving a national holiday. The first four ignored her.

   Yes, it’s true that American women had no political power in Hale’s lifetime(she was against women’s suffrage, but that’s another story), but she waspossibly the most influential woman in 19th century America.She popularized, among other things, white wedding gowns and Christmas trees.But, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln (with a little help from her friend Secretary of State William Seward) declared Thanksgiving a national annual observance.Sarah Josepha Hale’s first Philadelphia residence (there are three) is in the 900 block of Spruce Street—-"Portico Row’.

   In the earlier (Tatulli) version of this strip, it was mentioned that Heart and Dean lived on Spruce Street, in the same general area.

5. 6 days ago on Heart of the City

   I’m not sure about trees, but some of my neighbors have had their lawn and window Christmas decorations up before Halloween.

6. 6 days ago on Heart of the City

   A Samoyed. Native to Northern climes, beautiful and always smiling!

7. 7 days ago on Red and Rover

   Fred also dances on the ceiling in “Royal Wedding” (1951). You can find it on You Tube.

8. 8 days ago on Zack Hill

   Nice They Might Be Giants reference.

9. 10 days ago on JumpStart

   Philadelphia was the site of America’s FIRST Thanksgiving Day parade.It was also the home of the lady who is known as “The Mother of Thanksgiving”, and who (along with Secretary of State William Seward) persuaded President Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

10. 10 days ago on JumpStart

    Well, a guy named Gary Cooper would know….