Philadelphia Archives - CohenConnect.com

May 29, 2020

Are all of these emails really necessary right now?

Pennsylvania’s primary election was supposed to be held April 28 but was postponed until this coming Tuesday, June 2, due to the Coronavirus pandemic….

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

It’s a happy moment at CohenConnect.com. (Online definition of moment: “a very brief period of time.” The italics are mine.) September’s blog numbers were…

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 won’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…

I usually like writing commuter stories because geography is a favorite topic and usually nobody gets killed. On the other hand, there could be…

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

June 2, 2018

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Who would’ve thought of me as some type of music expert? Definitely not anybody who knows me! I’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 don’t know about you but yesterday, I couldn’t stop “hearing” 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

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

April 17, 2018

Comey comes alive with tough talk against Trump

I didn’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 University’s men’s basketball team is celebrating its second national championship in three years. According to the schoolâ€™s president, Rev….

March 23, 2018

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

There are two big changes in weather: 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 I’m not loyal to people I like and respect. You’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 year…

February 2, 2018

Eagle eye: Most Philadelphia media ignore possibility of local terrorism

You would think anytime there’s a possibility of terrorism in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia media would report it. Apparently that wasn’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 was…

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…

February 17, 2017

Beating Welch’s un-kosher coupon policy

I don’t get shocked too much anymore. Maybe that’s from age, or having done a lot of things in a lot of places. Maybe…

February 3, 2017

The media: Certainly imperfect, definitely necessary and trying

This is my first blog in several months, and only my second since arriving back in Philadelphia. The first was shortly after my return, so…

May 16, 2016

Not exactly a warm welcome

I got to Philadelphia and it rained. For a week. And it was much colder than normal for late April. And I saw my…

April 25, 2016

Moving back to Philly!

Yes, you read correctly! Iâ€™m headed back after more than 12 years. I didn’t really think it was going to happen, especially considering the…

November 1, 2015

A great ‘day’ in Lenny’s ‘life’

When you’ve watched a daily TV show on and off for 20 years, even very rarely recently because work gets in the way, it…

Quick, easy and delicious school night meals August 28, 2020
When it comes to back-to-school season, whether students are heading back to the classroom or learning from home, one of the biggest challenges for... The post Quick, easy and delicious school night meals appeared first on The Philly Files.
Factor pets into fire safety planning August 25, 2020
Pets are not just animals; they’re members of the family. While four-legged friends bring joy, it’s important to protect them in the event of... The post Factor pets into fire safety planning appeared first on The Philly Files.
School-night meals that deliver taste at a low cost August 21, 2020
Regardless of what back to school looks like this year, preparing family meals throughout the week does not have to be a challenge. Shopping... The post School-night meals that deliver taste at a low cost appeared first on The Philly Files.
3 tips to support your pet’s immune system August 18, 2020
Up to 70% of a pet’s immune system is contained within his or her digestive system. “The digestive tract has immune cells that provide... The post 3 tips to support your pet’s immune system appeared first on The Philly Files.
Strengthen mental health by embracing culture August 15, 2020
One in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and adult African Americans are 20%... The post Strengthen mental health by embracing culture appeared first on The Philly Files.
Video: Bigger, better breakfast bites August 14, 2020
If you need an on-the-go breakfast option, wake up your morning with bacon, eggs and a biscuit in these simple, tasty Breakfast Sandwiches. Find... The post Video: Bigger, better breakfast bites appeared first on The Philly Files.
5 ways to save big on everyday essentials August 13, 2020
With many Americans spending more time at home, they are also using more common household items such as cleaning supplies, pantry items and snacks,... The post 5 ways to save big on everyday essentials appeared first on The Philly Files.
Childhood fantasy fulfilled: becoming a winemaker August 12, 2020
It could have been a parents’ worst nightmare when 14-year-old Bibiana Gonzalez Rave announced that she wanted to make wine when she grew up.... The post Childhood fantasy fulfilled: becoming a winemaker appeared first on The Philly Files.
Fire safety for furry family members August 11, 2020
If you have a fire escape plan in place for your home, you’re steps ahead of many Americans. According to the National Fire Protection... The post Fire safety for furry family members appeared first on The Philly Files.
Don’t ditch these doctor visits August 10, 2020
We usually decide it’s time to head to the doctor when we’re sick and in need of medical attention, but the key to staying... The post Don’t ditch these doctor visits appeared first on The Philly Files.