Earning Her Chops

illustration by Alexander Ciambriello

I have no interest in slaughtering animals. I have borne witness and it’s intense, hot, primal and best left to the people who are skilled at doing it quickly and humanely. But as a meat-eater, I wanted to “get to know” a whole animal in a visceral way, not just frozen packages

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3 mins read

Going the Distance

Last spring, Philadelphia Runner Outreach Director Ryan Callahan read a text from his boss, spurring him to turn on the TV. It was April 15, 2013, and he watched in horror as multiple news stations reported on the devastation of the Boston Marathon bombing. Three people lost their lives, and about 264 others were wounded

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2 mins read

Chards of Conversation

It all started after overhearing a conversation in Nepali. The Bhutanese couple behind me on the bus was talking about their first days in America. I had learned bits of the language years ago when I worked on organic farms in Nepal after high school, so I turned around and said, “Namaste.” Almost immediately they

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2 mins read

Return to Power: Why we need a new Benjamin Franklin

At the peak of February’s ice storm, 715,000 households in the Philadelphia region were without power. But is being “without power” the same as being powerless? I live in a Montgomery County neighborhood that has managed to escape weather extremes: no tornadoes, hurricanes or drought-induced wild fires. But icy rain and bitter cold overwhelmed us.

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2 mins read
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Learning To Eat

Philadelphia’s Farm to School program expands by lee stabert
Over the last few years, school lunch has scored a prominent place in the national dialogue—whether it’s Michelle Obama’s initiatives, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution or “Fed Up With Lunch,” a Texas teacher’s disturbing blog documenting the daily menu at her school. It’s also an issue that’s poised

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2 mins read
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Review: The Value of Nothing

Raj Patel opens his new book, The Value of Nothing, with an anecdote about being a child playing in his parent’s convenience store. He recalls getting endless pleasure out of the pricing gun—especially when labeling his little brother with a paltry $.01 cent tag.

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1 min read
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Jobs: A Matter of Degrees

The old Frankford Arsenal is now home to solar panel installation trainingby Tim McCullough
A warehouse sits along the banks of Old Frankford Creek, in the Bridesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia. For a century and a half it was part of the Frankford Arsenal, manufacturing ammunition and weapons parts for the military. Opened in 1816, the

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4 mins read
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Feature: A Fresh Start

Prisoners and community gardeners help feed Philadelphia's hungry by Natalie Hope McDonald
Adjacent to a soccer field in fairmount park, in view of what’s left of the Delaware River’s wetlands, the Philadelphia Prison System operates eight correctional facilities for men and women along State Road.

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6 mins read
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From the Editor: Rock On

Regardless of how this World Series turns out, watching the Phillies, and the city’s transformation, has been magical. Bitter and pessimistic fans have become believers; the team itself is fearless. Anyone who doubts that people can change—or that mindsets can shift—should look no further than our beloved Fightin’ Phils.The quest for sustainability isn’t quite as

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2 mins read