"I haven't been to Jim's Steaks on South Street for a couple years. It's quite a spectacle to see the lineup of cheese steak makers all working as fa ... more -->
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Thursday, July 03, 2008
Pet Sitters for Critters
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Philapets.com
When I was a kid, I faked sick so I could stay home and watch bad daytime TV. A couple of times, I caught episodes of Montel where leery parents stuck a hidden camera inside a teddy bear and busted their babysitters doing gnarly stuff. I thought to myself: what a bunch of paranoid freaks. Flash forward to present day. I don't have kids. But I have a cat, Yoda, that I treat better than I do most human beings. When I go on vacation, I trust very few people to watch him--not even my own family, whose reckless tendency to leave doors wide open have excluded them from the honor of watching my little guy. Then I came across philapets.com. Our sitter, Reba, comes in and checks on Yoda, leaving behind detailed notes of how she and the cat spent their time. She turns the faucet on so he can drink, snuggles when he's needy, and throws catnip toys around when he's rowdy. She emails me with assurances when I neurotically check-in with lame excuses. And I can tell she loves animals. If you're going away, check out philapets. You'll never need one of those stealth teddy cams. |
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Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Ants
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If the "On Our Radar" section of this site is supposed to be an honest expression of what we're thinking about and doing here in Philly, I need to take a moment to write about ants. I've lived in my lovable-but-aging rowhome for a little over two years now without any major bug problems. But this year, for some reason, we got ants. Where I am terrified of roaches and centipedes, ants just make me angry. They're too tiny to squish properly with a shoe, and they always come in packs. Oh, wait, they're not called packs, they're called colonies, because ants try to colonize. I half-expected to find little flags for the ant republic in my cabinets. Before that could happen, however, I found a great solution for these suckers that I'm going to share in case you're having problems as well: baby powder. Sprinkle it everywhere: on the ants' entry point, on their trails, anywhere you see them loitering. My ants were gone within two days. Where'd they go? Probably to your house. |
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Meep Meep!
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PhillyCarShare
I'm a big fan of Smart Cars. On the emotional side I love them because they're tiny and adorable and look more like cereal-box prizes than legitimate modes of transportation. On the practical side, I know that Smart Cars are an economically and environmentally healthy alternative to our SUV-loving culture. Since I'm not planning to buy one anytime soon, I thought I'd have to wait for years to drive a Smart Car. But Philly Car Share has proved itself awesome once again by adding Smart Cars to their fleet! They even have a Smart Car convertible! So if you're as excited as I am about these little buggies, go reserve one on Philly Car Share's website. You're in for one of the most adorable errand runs of your life. |
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Oldfangled Oblectation
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Scoops
Scoops is an ice cream window and it's pretty die-hard. It's open every day, sells 5 cent candy and wiffle ball-and-bat sets, water ice, lottery tickets and pizza nuggets (and so much more). Pizza nuggets, if you're not familiar with this neighborhood delicacy, are fashioned with Philly pretzel pieces, marinara and mozzarella, and microwaved to perfection. Although not as common as Artic Iced Tea, you can see many a street urchin cupping their pizza nuggets close to their chests while patrolling the neighborhood. The most brilliant thing about Scoops is the fact that it's open year round. That means I can have birthday cake ice cream on my birthday and you better believe I'm making it a tradition. And so should you. |
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Friday, June 27, 2008
The CSA
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Greensgrow Market Stand
Community Supported Agriculture. The phrase has sterility to it, but mostly it's just troubling. Do they support the agriculture with weight-bearing rods and old-fashioned pulleys? Or is the community made up of humans with very strong backs? I found out no human pyramids are involved. Just raspberries. Farm eggs. Mountains of kale. Swiss cheese. The CSA is a food program run by a really cool local market/nursery that knows local farmers and bakers and even breweries. They say, hey, these city people need some locally grown food because it sustains Philly's economy and food is healthier and tastes better, etc., and then they get it for you. So I signed up. From May through November (that's 6 months people) I'm getting a "Half Share." For a total of $420 bucks--again, over six months this is $70/mo. Every other week I get to go to Greensgrow in Fishtown/Port Richmond and pick up food. This week I get: Peas, strawberries, Napa cabbage, spring mix, a bunch of kale, homemade pierogies, kohlrabi (what is that? from SPACE?) and my choice of a dairy item. For responsible meat lovers: There's a share especially for you, too. For timid cooks: Each share comes with a newsletter complete with recipes! For all of you who want to sign up next year: It happens in the spring, so make a point to get on the list early! |
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Archived Radars |
The Phanatic vs. Swoop: Showdown
Meg Favreau illustrates a violent encounter between two legendary Philly mascots. Let's get ready to rumble!
Archived Features...
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