There is now a Starbucks coffee shop in Oxford. Just groove on that for a minute as you realize how drastically Chester County has changed in the past 20 years. (I felt the same way when I saw that there was a sushi joint in Sadsburyville.)
The new Starbucks is in the Walmart shopping center on Route 10, north of town.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
UNIONVILLE: Post office hours
I have a mental block about the hours when the Unionville Post Office is open. Maybe if I write them down they'll finally stick in my head. The window hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (with a lunch break from 1 to 1:45 p.m.) and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
I was there the other day when a very happy customer received a shipment of his special type of tea. "My drugs!" he exclaimed with delight as Mini handed him the box.
I was there the other day when a very happy customer received a shipment of his special type of tea. "My drugs!" he exclaimed with delight as Mini handed him the box.
CENSORSHIP: A timely book
The past few weeks I've had the honor and pleasure of editing a high-profile book about how "hate speech" should be countered not by censorship and "hate speech" codes, but rather by MORE speech and counter-arguments. The publisher has put the book on the fast track because this is such a white-hot issue, so I've been working at all hours with the author, Nadine Strossen, former head of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Ms. Strossen was a delight to work with, thanking me for each of my queries and corrections, taking the time to think through some tricky style choices (should we use the actual odious words or bowdlerize them?) and apologizing when she had to keep submitting updates on this quickly changing topic. She even thanked me, a lowly copy editor, in the introduction.
Not only was her writing polished and clear, but her arguments were brilliant and backed by compelling evidence that "hate speech" codes, no matter how well intentioned and carefully worded, simply don't work and are often used against the very people they are meant to protect.
The book, titled "HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech Not Censorship," is excellent, readable and much-needed and I'll be happy to add it to my CV. I hope it's a best-seller.
Ms. Strossen was a delight to work with, thanking me for each of my queries and corrections, taking the time to think through some tricky style choices (should we use the actual odious words or bowdlerize them?) and apologizing when she had to keep submitting updates on this quickly changing topic. She even thanked me, a lowly copy editor, in the introduction.
Not only was her writing polished and clear, but her arguments were brilliant and backed by compelling evidence that "hate speech" codes, no matter how well intentioned and carefully worded, simply don't work and are often used against the very people they are meant to protect.
The book, titled "HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech Not Censorship," is excellent, readable and much-needed and I'll be happy to add it to my CV. I hope it's a best-seller.
SPORTS: A very hot afternoon
On Sept. 27 the Tally-hos went to Oxford Area High School to watch the UHS cross-country team run against the Kennett and Oxford squads, and we were delighted that the Unionville boys finished 1-2. (These two particular athletes are good friends and usually run together throughout the entire race. Do they arrange ahead of time which one is going to win? Do they alternate?)
It was a sweltering afternoon even for us spectators, more like early August than late September, and I was glad to see that the coaches made sure everyone was well hydrated. Even so, three athletes were overcome by the extreme heat and had to lie down in the shade after they crossed the finish line (tough competitors!). Two ambulances arrived and the paramedics checked them out.
It was a sweltering afternoon even for us spectators, more like early August than late September, and I was glad to see that the coaches made sure everyone was well hydrated. Even so, three athletes were overcome by the extreme heat and had to lie down in the shade after they crossed the finish line (tough competitors!). Two ambulances arrived and the paramedics checked them out.
STINKBUGS: Foul and pestilent
I'm hoping that with the cooler weather that blew in on Sept. 27, the worst of the stinkbug season is over. My Bugzooka vacuum device was busy there for a few days. As soon as I'd clear one room of the disgusting creatures, they'd be all over another wall. The low point was probably when I shook at least a dozen of them out of my bathrobe one morning.
My friend Paul Haldeman wrote to share his experience with the pests:
"During this spell of hot weather we have had large numbers of stink bugs accumulating on the outside of the screens on our porch. Around 3:00 a flock of starlings has been coming by and picking the stink bugs off the screens. The stink bug population on the screens is now almost zero. Is this common in the area?"
I can only report that it certainly has not happened at my house!
My friend Paul Haldeman wrote to share his experience with the pests:
"During this spell of hot weather we have had large numbers of stink bugs accumulating on the outside of the screens on our porch. Around 3:00 a flock of starlings has been coming by and picking the stink bugs off the screens. The stink bug population on the screens is now almost zero. Is this common in the area?"
I can only report that it certainly has not happened at my house!
CONCERT: Take your mom to work day
The son of a friend of mine is traveling around the country as the videographer for an up-and-coming rock band (one of the many career paths for which a UHS diploma prepares you). He invited his mother and older brother to attend the band's hometown show at the TLA on South Street in Philadelphia. They accepted -- the VIP seats and limo sealed the deal.
My friend, who last attended a rock concert back in the days of Peter Frampton, gave a hilarious account of the evening. She said even with earplugs, the noise was deafening. She was baffled by the appeal of the "mosh pit" in front of the stage, where frenzied youths were hurling themselves about and banging their heads together. Part of the fun, apparently, is diving into the arms of your peers, who then (you hope) pass you overhead, conveyor-belt style, toward the edge of the pit.
She reports that two bouncers were assigned to stand at the end of this conveyor belt, reaching up and removing the overhead fans and setting them back on terra firma.
Concerts are not what they used to be, she and her older son concluded.
My friend, who last attended a rock concert back in the days of Peter Frampton, gave a hilarious account of the evening. She said even with earplugs, the noise was deafening. She was baffled by the appeal of the "mosh pit" in front of the stage, where frenzied youths were hurling themselves about and banging their heads together. Part of the fun, apparently, is diving into the arms of your peers, who then (you hope) pass you overhead, conveyor-belt style, toward the edge of the pit.
She reports that two bouncers were assigned to stand at the end of this conveyor belt, reaching up and removing the overhead fans and setting them back on terra firma.
Concerts are not what they used to be, she and her older son concluded.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
DINNER: The Hearth Kitchen
We had a terrific dinner on Saturday at the Hearth Kitchen, our first time at the newest restaurant in the Shoppes at Longwood Village. We went on the spur of the moment and didn't check out the menu ahead of time, but we had heard good reviews and observed that the shopping center's parking lot has been much fuller since the restaurant opened in June.
We found that the menu offers small plates, salads, pasta, pizzas from the wood-fired oven and a selection of creative entrees. I ordered the grilled swordfish with crushed potatoes ($28) and my dinner partner had the garlic chicken with farro (a delicious nutty-tasting grain), mushrooms and green beans ($24). For dessert we had a slice of utterly wonderful cake full of peaches, blueberries, and cinnamon crisp, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and excellent coffee.
From our table we had fun watching the bartenders at work, stirring, shaking, straining and garnishing their pretty-looking cocktails. Our waiter was a calm, well-spoken young man who made us fresh coffee and took his time to check on us even when his other customers kept him hopping.
Our tab for two came to about $70 (we didn't have anything from the bar).
I suggest making reservations on the weekends: we arrived at about 5:30 and got one of the last unreserved tables. As we left every table was full, even the outdoor ones.
We found that the menu offers small plates, salads, pasta, pizzas from the wood-fired oven and a selection of creative entrees. I ordered the grilled swordfish with crushed potatoes ($28) and my dinner partner had the garlic chicken with farro (a delicious nutty-tasting grain), mushrooms and green beans ($24). For dessert we had a slice of utterly wonderful cake full of peaches, blueberries, and cinnamon crisp, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and excellent coffee.
From our table we had fun watching the bartenders at work, stirring, shaking, straining and garnishing their pretty-looking cocktails. Our waiter was a calm, well-spoken young man who made us fresh coffee and took his time to check on us even when his other customers kept him hopping.
Our tab for two came to about $70 (we didn't have anything from the bar).
I suggest making reservations on the weekends: we arrived at about 5:30 and got one of the last unreserved tables. As we left every table was full, even the outdoor ones.
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