Opinion
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OpinionThe Local Lens: Thoughts About the Recent SEPTA Strike
SEPTA strikes in the City of Philadelphia are beginning to have a legacy in the same vein of cataclysmic national events like the assassination of important political figures. One…
Thom Nickels | 11/09/2016 -
OpinionThe Local Lens: Supporting Trump in Philly
I’m thinking about the presidential election and how different this election is from others in recent history. For the first time ever, supporters of the Republican candidate in urban…
Thom Nickels | 11/03/2016 -
OpinionLocal Lens: Life on the El in 2016
I agreed to meet a friend at Jefferson Hospital for a same-day surgical procedure, so I’m standing on the El platform at Front and Girard waiting for the train. It’s…
Thom Nickels | 10/26/2016 -
OpinionThe Local Lens: Every Kid Needs An Auntie Mame
Every kid needs an Auntie Mame. My Auntie Mame was born in 1895. Her name was Dorothy and she was my grandfather’s sister. She took a liking to…
Thom Nickels | 10/19/2016 -
OpinionThe Local Lens
I was talking with a former university professor recently who told me that he was very happy to be retired. He said that he was glad to be out of the…
Thom Nickels | 10/13/2016 -
OpinionThe Local Lens
A man named Richard Wise died a few weeks ago. That name might not mean anything to you, but Google “Richard Wise, Philadelphia”, and you’ll be surprised and even taken…
Thom Nickels | 10/05/2016 -
OpinionThe Local Lens
As the streets of the city become more congested, bicyclists are giving up their bikes because they no longer feel safe. I sold my bike five years ago…
Thom Nickels | 09/29/2016 -
A&E in FishtownDrum Circles Seeking the Spirit at Penn Treaty Park
On September 3rd, there were about 75 dancers gathered at Penn Treaty Park for the giant drum circle on a beautiful and cool afternoon. Dancers from as far away…
Jim McGovern | 09/22/2016 -
OpinionThe Local Lens: Andre Gide, France’s Great Crime Writer
Writing about crime and criminals is not something that all writers do well, but since we live in a world interested in both, most people pay special attention to…
Thom Nickels | 09/21/2016 -
OpinionLocal Lens: The Unfortunate Case of Fr. Engelhardt
The reviews are in and they do not look good for Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. Williams is under investigation because he failed to declare $160,000 in gifts and…
Thom Nickels | 09/14/2016 -
Opinion in KensingtonOur Fathers: Observations From a Muslim Funeral
The coffin was plain wood and painted white. After family members took out the deceased and placed him into the grave, scores of men passed back first the lid and…
Jim McGovern | 09/01/2016 -
OpinionThe Local Lens: A Conversation With Mother Teresa’s Photographer
When Pope Francis canonizes Mother Teresa on Sunday, September 4, one man will be smiling more than most in the sea of people in Saint Peter’s Square. His name…
Thom Nickels | 08/31/2016