The horror stories go on for ages. He’s worked in several schools over the years and it got to where I told him to stop telling me the stories because of how depressing they were.

Thanks for sharing. I wasn’t aware of much of that. I was a child in the 80s, so no Boolean operators for me, sadly.

At the root of my initial shrugging was a sense that a library is almost besides the point when it comes to public schools, to go by my father’s decades of tales as a grade school teacher in the district. Seems precious little learning happens there.

Why are you responding like a smug prick instead of just raising your (good) point civilly?

Pleasure chatting with you.

In a city as poor as Philly, it makes sense we can’t duplicate resources. We’re already funding public libraries, so it’s not as if kids don’t have access to free books. It would be nice to have them in schools, too, but it seems that money could be better spent.

My mind isn’t made up here.

I’ll put my ignorance on display and ask why it’s important that schools have libraries so long as the public libraries are available. I went to private Catholic schools where we had libraries, but in grade school is was basically a free period of goofing off in the aisles, and in high school it was just a place to use a computer.

To put it another way, if funding suddenly became available, would it be best used in opening school libraries?

Legit curious. I’m not acting like I’m into something here.

Funny to think the guy wakes up and thinks, “Time to hit the streets and see how Jeremy Renner is doing with his recovery.”

Nice!

Belligerently insist the bus driver accept this.

Same! I nearly gave up. When it finally emerged, it so quickly popped into view that my eyes widened. Now I don’t understand how I didn’t see it.

It’s like the Grand Canyon: words and photos can’t approach the grandeur of the in-person experience.

Not only functional, but also a real feast for the eyes.

By wishing harm to your car and not your person, the author shows how soft Philly has become.

Since the pandemic, I’ve for reasons unclear found all restaurant-opening announcements trivial. So much frippery.

Not trying to get myself into any pickles with orcs in remote mountain passes.

In a hundred years, parents will still be telling incredulous kids about that time somebody cleaned something.

Must be lost.

I was on tiny alleys of streets, the kinds people try to avoid driving down because you practically have to get your tires up on the curb. Didn’t have a kid at the time and so didn’t mind the lack of kids, but if we come back (doubtful) I’d want to set up my son somewhere on the livelier side, as you experience.

Wild. I lived on two different blocks in that neighborhood but there were no kid, no trick-or-treaters. Picked duds I guess.

My three-year old can slide right into that crew and look right at home.

Nice. If I sit on the steps here, an elderly power walker might pass by, and that would be our excitement for the day.

I’m in Jersey now (sorry for the coarse language) and am missing Philly for the play opportunities for my toddler. I’m realizing I’m going to have to meet other parents (yuck!) and arrange play dates (ugh!) because he won’t be able to run out front and have kids playing up and down the block like it was in Lawncrest where I grew up.

We have kids all over playgrounds, though. Do you have kids playing outside in the street and in driveways, etc? Or am I remembering a bygone age in Philly?

Amazed someone came out. Meanwhile the house next to my parents’ is literally crumbling—rowhomes, to boot—and they can’t get L&I or 311 or anyone to do anything, and this is potentially a live and death matter.

Still, glad some parts of the machine actually work.

Bit overdressed for the occasion, but if you want to strut about like the proverbial cock of the walk, who am I to judge.

Never know who’s listening. Could be someone with designs on my pizza.

Did you look both ways to make sure no one was looking and then do what needing doing?

I think some people have a gene that allows them to enter into collective fantasies, and others don’t. I’ve never been able to convince myself a for-profit outfit of ever-changing players is somehow “representing” Philly any more than the Phila Ballet represents me, but it’s just theater in the end, so harmless enough.