Philadelphia Archives - CohenConnect.com

January 3, 2020

Far worse crimes than a few Mummers in blackface, which was handled

I’ve known Philadelphia’s City Council president, who also represents my district, is out of his mind and his response to the *few* Mummers in…

December 27, 2019

Have you noticed Comcast’s Christmas gift to itself?

It’s that time of year again. No. I take that back. A few weeks ago, it was that time of year again. Regular and…

November 28, 2019

To Thanksgiving, and the best TV episode ever dedicated to it

This year, I reposted a Facebook memory from all the way back in 2018. It contrasts my good feelings about the holiday growing up…

October 28, 2019

“Your rights in Philadelphia as it pertains to anti-discrimination in your employment are solid”

Really? There’s something about catching up on a newspaper or magazine when you’ve fallen behind in your reading. This past weekend, I read both…

October 18, 2019

Haven’t been in touch for a while. This is partly the reason.

To those of you eager to read more blog posts here (this is blog #150!), and news on ThePhillyFiles.com, I’m temporarily sorry. No, I…

August 15, 2019

ThePhillyFiles’ six-week milestone!

I sent the following to subscribers of ThePhillyFiles on Mailchimp: It’s hard for me to believe but today marks *six weeks* since the kickoff…

August 9, 2019

The war on guns, from Philadelphia to the feds

It’s almost a week since gunmen killed 31 people in mass shootings, 13 hours apart, and nothing concrete has been done to reduce the…

July 11, 2019

Netroots Nation’s national conference in town, and how I heard of it

Lots of people interested in politics and next year’s Democratic presidential nomination will have their eyes focused on the Pennsylvania Convention Center through Saturday….

May 3, 2019

Lenny’s update, and the writing and posting you may have missed

You may have actually looked at the homepage of this blog, CohenConnect.com, and thought I hadn’t been writing. It may have looked that way,…

May 2, 2019

Thinking about religion, belief and recent violence

Vacation time is up. We’re into May and I haven’t written a “real blog post” for you in a month and a half, since…

January 11, 2019

Anniversary means time to start something new

It’s Jan. 11 and that means today marks four years since my very first blog post at www.CohenConnect.com. Back then, when I started, I…

January 7, 2019

Odds, ends and new beginnings

It’s always good to be remembered, and hopefully being your last new year’s message of the year will keep some of my thoughts on…

January 2, 2019

Banned from Facebook pages twice in 2 days!

Sometimes, interesting things happen when you read friends’ Facebook pages. I’m not talking about going to look on purpose, which I’ve done before. I’m…

November 28, 2018

Level-headed moderation needed now in The Birthplace of America

Philadelphia is a great place to live. It has so much, so close-by: history, museums, sports. It’s walkable, livable, has green space. No, it…

November 21, 2018

The end of an era, and beginning of this one (Part A of this one)

It was 20 years ago tonight. Not exactly. It was actually four days off, on Nov. 25, but what really matters is it was…

October 28, 2018

Not a good day for political thoughts, the USA as a whole

I’ve known I had another blog post “due” before the election, if you know how I think, but too much on my mind and…

October 2, 2018

News starting out good but going downhill fast

Itâ€™s a happy moment at CohenConnect.com. (Online definition of moment: â€œa very brief period of time.â€ The italics are mine.) Septemberâ€™s blog numbers were high…

September 23, 2018

Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, justice and becoming a Justice

President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will be giving the Senate Judiciary Committee calendars from 1982 to back up his continued denial of…

September 14, 2018

Eric Trump and his shekels

I try not to go more than a week without posting something. Unfortunately, it has been 11 days dues to holidays that wonâ€™t be…

September 3, 2018

Labor Day weekend leftovers

I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure you’ve had a busy week, between getting used to having your kids in school or planning what…

August 27, 2018

Not the typical pet, not the typical vet appointment

What a morning, and I hadn’t even gotten to the vet’s office!It was time for Frisky’s first annual physical. That’s not counting the office…

July 25, 2018

Big merger, big problem, big surprise!

This was starting to get a little hard to keep track of, and I wrote most of this last night. Good thing I waited…

July 15, 2018

You may be right but don’t let some on the left know (and vice versa)!

I tend to stay away from politics that I really, really care about — simply due to my background as a journalist and the…

July 8, 2018

From Philly? How your neighborhood (or one nearby) got its name

Philadelphia may be one of the biggest cities in the country and arguably the most historic, considering it is the birthplace of our country….

June 29, 2018

Certification expiring, definitely done teaching

The first thing I have to say is this blog was planned for today. It doesn’t have anything to do with Wednesday’s Supreme Court…

June 7, 2018

Grave situation for hours outside Detroit

Aug. 26, 2018 UPDATE:Â Grave marker raised and leveled, in early August. I may be back in a few weeks. I don’t go on many…

June 2, 2018

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Who wouldâ€™ve thought of me as some type of music expert? Definitely not anybody who knows me! Iâ€™ve been planning this blog for a…

May 23, 2018

The Big Bang Theory’s wedding episode succeeded where Publix failed

Most of us strive for perfection. Some of us do it too hard, and it can affect our well-being. On the other hand, there…

May 17, 2018

Forget Laurel and Yanny. Did Cecily call Adam a moron?

I donâ€™t know about you but yesterday, I couldnâ€™t stop â€œhearingâ€ about what the people who listened to a certain audio file heard. Most…

May 13, 2018

In defense: The good Facebook can do when used by the right people

First, happy Mother’s Day to everyone to whom that applies. I hope you’re having a great day! Second, today is also the celebration of…

April 25, 2018

Who says everything I write is negative (but correct)?

This is my 90th blog post and like most journalists, I identify mistakes all over and somehow — often through publicity — try to…

April 19, 2018

Sanctuary cities judges show they know justice, not politics

Iâ€™m not writing to take an opinion on the issues of sanctuary cities or illegal immigration, but have to say Iâ€™m pleased a gang…

April 17, 2018

Comey comes alive with tough talk against Trump

I didnâ€™t know much about James Comey until about two years ago. Since then, I thought pretty highly of the guy and that really…

April 3, 2018

Villanova Victory, Volume III

They did it again! Villanova Universityâ€™s men’s basketball team is celebrating its second national championship in three years. According to the schoolâ€™s president,…

March 23, 2018

The Weather Channel’s new owner, a real controversial person

There are two big changes in weather:Â The snow has stopped and The Weather Channel is being sold. Also, you can say the owner is…

March 20, 2018

Be nicer to Mike Jerrick, and other thoughts on what’s making news

People who know me can never, ever say Iâ€™m not loyal to people I like and respect. Youâ€™ll see that in a moment, along…

March 1, 2018

WSVN without Fox? It’s possible if….

Surprisingly, I haven’t seen this reported at all by South Florida media. Yes, they’re still consumed and reeling from the massacre at Marjory Stoneman…

February 22, 2018

Got cable, satellite? You’ll foot the bill for Fox’s Thursday Night Football

How many of you watched the Super Bowl this year? Of course, in Philadelphia, that’s a loaded question with the underdog Eagles in the…

February 8, 2018

School out, Eagles’ championship parade on!

I really didn’t know what to make of school districts cancelling classes for a parade and celebration for Super Bowl LII champions, the Philadelphia…

February 4, 2018

Eagles’ fans give April the Giraffe an ‘F’

Talk about ungrateful and too much attention for a minor story. The only thing major was the size of the animal. About a…

February 2, 2018

Eagle eye: Most Philadelphia media ignore possibility of local terrorism

You would think anytime thereâ€™s a possibility of terrorism in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia media would report it. Apparently that wasnâ€™t the case this week….

January 27, 2018

Facebook, Twitter, and Fox (Fox x 14)!

Two articles got my attention as I recover, tonight. You’ll remember yesterday, I couldn’t read or even think. Now, look how far I’ve come…

January 16, 2018

The rights of TV station owners vs. the public

By now, I’m sure you realize I’m a fan of the underdog. Fly, Philadelphia Eagles, fly! I also strongly believe in holding people in high positions…

January 11, 2018

Follow-up, fewer watching TV news, future president?

First, I have to thank everybody who looked at Monday’s blog post. The analytics were incredible, the best ever (and that’s all that counts, right? 🙂)….

January 8, 2018

The news where I used to work: Unbelievable!

Most of you know I was a web producer for the Fox station in Philadelphia, but fewer of you know I haven’t worked there…

December 20, 2017

Today, Merry Christmas to Comcast! You're welcome!

No waiting until Christmas on Monday. Comcast, you obviously consider yourself too powerful. Today, your hard-earned rate hikes take effect. Santa says you’ve been…

November 27, 2017

Special streets, signs in the City of Brotherly Love (and Sisterly Affection)

Philadelphia street signs are different than in much of the country.For example, there’s no downtown. Locals call that part Center City. If you’re driving,…

November 21, 2017

Lessons on addressing, our government's gift to you!

On Facebook? You’re probably signed up for a lesson on mailing a letter, paid for by the U.S. government, like the one above. I…

November 9, 2017

What is conscience? Elusive in the media, unfortunately

It seems every day in the news, I read about another powerful man resigning, taking time off from a high-profile job, or under police…

October 6, 2017

Update: Storing the car on the mean streets

This blog post I found was written in mid-May, 2016, but never published. It was part of a series on the difficulties I had…

Wine, memories and making plans April 1, 2020
As we write this column, most people are confined largely to their homes as the Coronavirus continues to spread across the country. Like you,... The post Wine, memories and making plans appeared first on The Philly Files.
Coronavirus: Should you be worried? March 31, 2020
So far, according to official World Health Organisation reports as of March 29, the Wuhan novel coronavirus, called 2019-nCoV, has sickened 638,146 people and led to... The post Coronavirus: Should you be worried? appeared first on The Philly Files.
7 ways to boost immunity March 30, 2020
As coronavirus runs roughshod across the country, having an immune system functioning at its peak is critically important. Vitamins and supplements may promise to... The post 7 ways to boost immunity appeared first on The Philly Files.
A spring cleaning to-do list March 29, 2020
Spring cleaning often lands in a perfect spot on the calendar to serve as an annual reminder of your regular home maintenance to-do list... The post A spring cleaning to-do list appeared first on The Philly Files.
Navigating pollen season amid Coronavirus fears March 28, 2020
Spring brings warmer temperatures, blooming flowers and, for millions of Americans, the arrival of pollen season. It also coincides this year with the arrival... The post Navigating pollen season amid Coronavirus fears appeared first on The Philly Files.
Video: Reimagine spring home upgrades March 26, 2020
Spring is an ideal time to reimagine your home and make upgrades to help create a fresh, welcoming vibe. Freshen up your space with... The post Video: Reimagine spring home upgrades appeared first on The Philly Files.
Vintage Bordeaux, without paying big bucks March 25, 2020
With temperatures somewhat chilly as the winter season comes to an agonizingly slow end, there’s still time to haul out some of the older... The post Vintage Bordeaux, without paying big bucks appeared first on The Philly Files.
Why black men are most at risk of kidney disease March 23, 2020
African Americans are less likely to have life-threatening complication under control, new study finds Among people diagnosed with kidney disease and high blood pressure,... The post Why black men are most at risk of kidney disease appeared first on The Philly Files.
5 tips for better home safety this spring March 22, 2020
As people become more active during the warmer months, keeping home safety top of mind can sometimes go by the wayside. However, when it... The post 5 tips for better home safety this spring appeared first on The Philly Files.
Supplement meals with a nutritious addition March 20, 2020
Adding nutrition to meals is all about the ingredients you include. The next time you’re looking to add nutrients to your recipes, consider adding... The post Supplement meals with a nutritious addition appeared first on The Philly Files.

April Fools' DayApril 1, 2020

April Fools' Day is an annual custom on April 1 consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April fools" at the recipient. There are many disputed origins between April 1 and foolishness, but playing harmless pranks upon one's neighbor has been relatively common in the world, historically. It’s only a public holiday in Odessa, Ukraine. People there observe "Humorina" by dressing up in costumes and fooling around, while pranking others passing by.