Kate Starr's Blog
-
Twitter Nation!
So, like most of you out there in cyberville I'm getting addicted to the Twitter craze. Let's follow each other. :)
http://twitter.com/katestarr
-
a poem to inspire your trip to the polls
ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER, 1884.
From Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass (1891-92):
If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest
scene and show,
'Twould not be you, Niagara—nor you, ye limitless prairies—nor
your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,
Nor you, Yosemite—nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic geyser-
loops ascending to the skies, appearing and disappearing,
Nor Oregon's white cones—nor Huron's belt of mighty lakes—
nor Mississippi's stream:
—This seething hemisphere's humanity, as now, I'd name— the
still small voice vibrating—America's choosing day,
(The heart of it not in the chosen—the act itself the main, the
quadriennial choosing,)
The stretch of North and South arous'd—sea-board and inland
—Texas to Maine—the Prairie States—Vermont, Virginia,
California,
The final ballot-shower from East to West—the paradox and con-
flict,
The countless snow-flakes falling—(a swordless conflict,
Yet more than all Rome's wars of old, or modern Napoleon's:)
the peaceful choice of all,
Or good or ill humanity—welcoming the darker odds, the dross:
—Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify—while the
heart pants, life glows:
These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,
Swell'd Washington's, Jefferson's, Lincoln's sails. -
This Halloween everyone is going as a Phillies Phan!
Current mood:
Monday night I was geared up for game five of the World Series. I said, 'let's go to the lot outside of Citizen's Bank Park so we can be there when the Phills win'. I'm a confident fan. I mean if they were going to take the trophy, it might as well be at home, right?? It was a miserable freezing cold rainy night so, understandably, the final vote was to stay in. Luckily, for the raging sports fan that very seldom creeps out of me, the game was rain delayed.
ecstatic
So on Wednesday when the game continued I decided to make the trek to this year's epicenter of MLB mayhem. There were four of us in the group. Worried about gridlock traffic, we opted to travel to the field via subway.
As soon as we walked out of the station we joined the party in full swing! There are many parking lots around the sports complex, and in all of those lots were groups gathered around RVs and buses w/ BIG screen TVs and sound systems blaring the game. Friends were piled on top of each other sitting in trunks, and standing around cars just yelling "whoooo" whenever they heard cheers. We walked around 3 or 4 lots warming ourselves by the grills turned fire-pits. It was chilly out, but people were in good spirits.
Finally, we stopped to watch the game on a huge projection screen with trucks parked around it serving as bleachers. It was the top of the 9th. Everyone was chanting "three more outs, three more outs". We made friends with the strangers around us as they went down the count. Then it happened. "One more strike, One More Strike!!" and the Ray's batter struck 'em out of the game.
The entire city erupted in celebratory screams. People jumped up and down on the truck bleachers by us. Full beers flew out of hands and up in the air. Fireworks exploded over Citizens Bank Park. People of all ages and sizes ran up to anyone in sight hugging and kissing and smacking fives. As we skipped our way back towards the subway we were almost trampled by an excited mob rushing towards the park.
In the distance, we saw a cloud of dark smoke steadily rising. It looked like a car was set on fire in one of the lots! Cops were absolutely everywhere; even military trucks were in the street.
Swirling all around frenzied heads were red and white rally towels reading "fightin' phils". The pre-game-printed papers with the red headline "CHAMPS!!" were held up on every corner by crier paper boys. "We won!!"
Everyone was wearing red. Everyone was yelling. Everyone was excited!
We decided to get on the train before the mad rush. What a good choice. On the train the celebration continued. Fat sweaty jocks, homeless people, moms with their little kids, drunk people, grandpas; we all were high on the win chanting together "Let's go Phillies" and clapping. The train was rocking even when it wasn't moving down the line. The excitement was more than palpable, it was smacking us in the face!
We exited the subway at our stop at Broad and South Streets, one of the cities most notable intersections. The streets were already filled, not with cars but with people. There were no barricades, no cops blocking the roads. Drivers just knew they couldn't come through. They didn't even try, or want to try. Everyone was out of their car celebrating!
Guys were shirtless, markered up "Phuck YEAH! Phills", hanging from the the tops of stop lights and crosswalk polls on all corners. We saw folks locked in sweet embraces, and then just walk away from one another. Strangers celebrating! What a great scene.
We eventually made our way to the heart of South St. We were going to see the world famous Philly-born DJ Josh WInk. Everyone was too busy dancing in the streets though. The club was empty.
We hooted and hugged out way to old city where more clubs are. We stopped in one watering hole, and I spoke to a lady nervously watching the news. She said, "we are hunkering down here while all of this goes on. It is crazy out there!!"
We continued our journey though. When we got to our next stopping point, Triada Lounge, we realized the club owner was a friend who ran video on one of the floors of the Halloween warehouse party thrown by the legendary Philadelphia Experiment last weekend. What a cool spot that club is. Video projections are everywhere, even on the bar! Check it out if you are ever in Philadelphia. People coming in the club were all a rage about the Phillies!
Joined by some more friends from Triada, we made our way back to South Street. When we got to Fluid we took over the dance floor, and all danced until we couldn't sweat anymore. Finally, about 3:30 or so, we left the club. People were still out in the street screaming "GO PHILS!" What a night.
Now, as I sit here typing this, I'm watching the parade that's going on in Philadelphia. Folks are STILL yelling and going crazy. They have closed the subways going in to town. Streets are closed. Schools might as well have been out. Two sports fields are sold out and filled with seas of 55,000 red clad fans. The crowd is going wild!
This Halloween everyone is going as a Phillies Phan! It's a HUGE party in and around Philadelphia. It probably won't stop until Monday. Maybe not even then. It might just go all the way until next season!
All I know is that Pholks are Pheeling it, Philadelphia is a town of winners. -
URGE OVERKILL / SUFFRAJETT / KATE STARR @ NORTH STAR BAR APRIL 26!
Urge OverkillUrge Overkill is an alternative rock band, formed in Chicago. Their cover of Neil Diamond's song "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" appeared prominently in the movie Pulp Fiction, and became a hit in 1994.$12 21+
ADVANCED TICKETS:
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=254827&interface=northstarbar