Intentionally Lost: THOUGHT - The Curse of Billy Penn: an open letter to Mayor Nutter of Philly

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

THOUGHT - The Curse of Billy Penn: an open letter to Mayor Nutter of Philly

[Emailed to HelpMe@Phila.gov on 29 October 2008]

Dear Mayor Nutter,

I am quite sure you are as proud as any of us that our own Phillies have pulled off what we’ve all thought to be the impossible. The curse is lifted! While this may sound a bit loony, I can’t help but think of how fun it would be to require a statue of Billy Penn on top of the city’s highest building. It would surely be an interesting tourist gimmick: a play on the athletic superstitions that surround any city.

Of course, I don’t see this as a requirement that every building in the city be fitted with a statue. Perhaps just a single statue that gets transferred to the new tallest building of the city. Or, owing to the city’s clear love of Ben Franklin – seeing as quite nearly everything bears his name – I can’t say I’d be terribly against a city chock full of William Penn statues along its skyline.

I know it may sound campy, but it’s my opinion that little cultural twists such as this are what make a city worth its name! Thank you for your time and congratulations to the city for this night’s historic achievement!

Andrew Bossi

[UPDATE 9 Feb 2009 - ...I never received a response]

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Traveling Style

I prefer to travel solo as much as possible. It's not that I'm anti-social; it's just that I grew up an only child and so when I'm on holiday: I far prefer to do what I want to do. So I might join up with some others for a day, or perhaps meet up with friends here and there; but even if I'm traveling with friends, I'll still make efforts to break out on my own during the day.

Mountains are my dearest love, with beaches a close second. Combine the two and there's a dear winner. I also love to get off the beaten path, whether it means hopping marshrutka through the former Soviet Bloc, or just seeking out less-traveled areas of Western Europe.

I generally detest tour groups, though sometimes they're a necessary evil -- such as getting into attractions in Rome, or getting to protected areas such as glaciers or refuges.

When it comes to lodging: hostels and homestays are ideal; though I'll often splurge for a nicer stay at least once during the trip.

Disclaimer

I am first and foremost writing this for my own memory. Some entries are little more than travel logs which may only be interesting if you plan on going or have already been. Some are openings to the deepest workings of my mind: thoughts, rantings, and any variety of other scary mental products.

This write-up is geared toward everyone... and in doing so it could very well be safe for no one. The things that moms & grandparents may not want to know about may be exactly what my friends are prone to inquire about first. The whole way through, though, I'll at least try to keep it semi-clean, partially politically correct, and maybe even a tad entertaining.

Cheers!