Philly Tales

Yesteryear Technology We live in a fabulous technological world! So many great technical feats make our lives better and healthier. For example, in...

“Ties that bind” is an English language idiom that generally refers to shared beliefs that connect people emotionally. Religion would be one tie, f...

It’s odd to look back to my days growing up during the 1950s in Philadelphia’s Kensington section. Kensington today is different from the blue-coll...

People often tell you, “Don’t sweat the small things,” and that’s good advice when it comes to things that disturb you. However, it’s the small thi...

My favorite Bruce Springsteen song is “The Streets of Philadelphia.” It gives me a lump in my throat every time I hear it. This haunting song remin...

When you live in one place for a long time, you get comfortable with your surroundings, get used to the people who live near you, and become accust...

By Harry Hallman Kensington had a lot of hot rods, and in fact the whole country was crazy for hot rods in the ’50s and ’60s. Movies such as Rebel...

Making a Buck By Harry Hallman Ben Franklin famously said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Obviously, he didn’t grow up in the Kensington sectio...

Kensington dads, in my era, came in all flavors. Some drank too much, others were overbearing,  and some ignored their kids. Most dads, however, di...

Aah, the smell of fresh air blending with the salt of the ocean; there’s nothing quite like it.  It makes you feel healthier, invigorates you, and ...

I once told you I have a time machine. Don’t laugh. You have one also. That time machine is my memories, coupled with my historical fiction writing...

Okay, so your ancestors came to Kensington and faced hardships, maltreatment, had to work long hard hours, and learn to adapt to a new way of life. They gave you the gifts they learned living and working in old Kensington. Learning those lessons was enough to make a person curse. Remember this, if you remember anything. The reason you curse so much is that your ancestors paved the way for you and left a few traits in you.