Views from Point Breeze

I watched Hunger Games for the second time last night.  I cannot recall how much critical acclaim the movie received from the general public, but I was fascinated by the story line and the survival of Katniss and Peeta from District 12.  I also cried slightly when Rue was killed by a participant of the Hunger Games.  Hunger being a part of the title is symbolic of the poverty in the 12 Districts but also a reality on the 1st Congressional District today.  While Congressman Brady is trying to save the Manayunk Bike race, the district in which I reside remains one of the hungriest in the nation. I was impressed by Katniss in the opening scenes.  She is intent on shooting a deer for her family.  I did not know until I read the review that her Father had died five years earlier.  She is interrupted by a friend as she desperately tries to bring home dinner.  She and her friend share a biscuit and one would have thought it was steak infused by the wa...

The Governor of Pennsylvania recently initiated a lawsuit against the NCAA on behalf of the fines levied against Penn State for its role in covering up the actions of child predator Jerry Sandusky.  Governor Corbett was part of the Board of Trustees that accepted the sanctions when they were levied.  The crimes perpetrated by Jerry Sandusky were so heinous that Penn State was lucky the football program wasn't shut down for at least a season or two.  They will miss Bowl games for three more years after this one and have a limit on scholarships.  Otherwise, fora program that generates $50 million a year between television, gate and parking, PSU will survive. The Second Mile Charity was funded by Jerry Sandusky in 1977 to supposedly help children with less than ideal upbringings a safe place to experience their childhood years.  I know charity wouldn't have been as successful if not for the support of Penn State alumni and its network.  In fact, it was goin...

I had the opportunity to see Django on Sunday.  The movie has generated a ton of publicity for Quentin Tarantino based on the subject matter and the fact that Spike Lee decided to boycott the movie.  The fact that Spike Lee's recent movies have not been commercial successes could be a reason for him to interject himself into to conversation about the movie.  Some press is better than no press at all.  The movie had a serious sound track and it enhanced the plot and subject matter.  It was visually appealing also. The movie dealt with slavery in 1858 in the United States.  The premise was that a bounty hunter kidnapped a slave previously purchased at a slave auction to help him identify three fugitives of the law.  The opening scene was bloody and the gore was pretty constant throughout the movie.  Django was released from the other chained slaves and led on a mission.  It was not his primary goal at this point and time to rescue his wife b...

As I sit on the sidelines and watch the progress of the NFL playoffs, I felt compelled to write this short blog.  I am preparing to play a round of golf but I wanted to express my view point about Peyton Manning.  Peyton has one Super Bowl ring to his credit and that is one more than what we Eagles fans have in our repertoire.  He is considered a sure fire Hall of Famer based on some incredible regular season statistics.  In the playoffs, Peyton is a regular quarterback and yesterday's loss to the Ravens reflects my sentiment. Peyton was released by the Indianapolis Colts for a number of reasons.  He had numerous neck surgeries and had missed the entire 2011 season due to these procedures.  Also, Peyton was looking to remain the number one QB and was up for a maximum long term contract.  Peyton's absence resulted in a 2 - 14 regular season record, the firing of Coach Jim Caldwell and the number one pick in the draft.  The pain was palpable but ...

I enjoyed New Years Eve 2012.  We went to dinner and the casino.  I lost about $30.00 but got four free drinks while doing so.  We wanted to wait for the fire works but headed back to South Philly before they began.  We were going to stop by the Wallace Party but decided to head in.  The perils of approaching 50 called me home :-).  I have experienced some major year end events and I felt much better this morning after not seeing the sun come up.  We had chicken and waffles for breakfast and dinner is in the oven.  It is calm and collected in the Bell household. My wish for this year is that State Representative Jordan Harris has an excellent year in terms of learning the ins and outs of the State house.  I wish Kenyatta Johnson continued success in his first term in City Council.  I want the 36th Ward to become more active.  I also wish that the economy will continue to improve and that small businesses will grow to histo...