I got to thinking alot about writing yesterday.  First Britt had a post about how time is taking out an order of protection against her.  Then PitS had a post about his childhood journal.  Finally I read a story about The Red Leather Diary.  As some of you may remember, I am a huge blank journal aficionado.  I collect them like other people collect Coke Caps or Pepsi Caps for their codes.  I’ve always been a fan… and I have actually filled quite a few pages up, although my ever expanding collection continues to tilt the majority to the blank pages.  There is a lot you can get out of keeping a journal, and in no way shape or form am I trying to dissuade anyone from that… and while blogging is similar on so many levels… there is just so much more that can develop from it.

Like the opportunity to drink some expensive tequila, some okay tequila, some fucking cheap ass tequila, and something that looks like tequila but isn’t tequila in the company of people who have no other reason to get together other than the fact that they blog… or more importantly READ blogs.  The fact that the opportunity is presenting itself in Philadelphia has significance, even though no real significance was sought.

You see, Benjamin Franklin is a big figure in Philadelphia.  As a citizen of Philadelphia, he was responsible for a number of inventions that would change the world, including bi-focal glasses, the lightning rod, and a flexible urinary catheter.  He was also responsible for social evolution by forming the Union Fire Company (one of the first volunteer firefighting companies in the colonies), he helped found the Pennsylvannia Hospital (the first hospital in what would become the United States), and he had a little something to do with a piece of paper called the Declaration of Independence (hey, even Thomas Jefferson needed an editor).  These are just SOME of the things that Benjamin Franklin is most known for.

There is one thing that Benjamin Franklin is not as famous for… yet it pertains to the very group that will set foot in the City of Brotherly Love this weekend.  Benjamin Franklin founded a little society group called The Junto.  This was a group of people who lived in Philadelphia from all walks of life, but they all shared in a desire to know more and to improve upon themselves and their community.  The Junto met every Friday evening and the discussion revolved around a question that Franklin had come up with.  Here is a small sample of the questions:

• • Have you met with any thing in the author you last read, remarkable, or suitable to be communicated to the Junto? particularly in history, morality, poetry, physics, travels, mechanic arts, or other parts of knowledge?
• • What new story have you lately heard agreeable for telling in conversation?
• • Hath any citizen in your knowledge failed in his business lately, and what have you heard of the cause?
• • Have you lately heard of any citizen’s thriving well, and by what means?
• • Have you lately heard how any present rich man, here or elsewhere, got his estate?
• • Have you or any of your acquaintance been lately sick or wounded? If so, what remedies were used, and what were their effects?
• • Who do you know that are shortly going [on] voyages or journeys, if one should have occasion to send by them?
• • Do you think of any thing at present, in which the Junto may be serviceable to mankind? to their country, to their friends, or to themselves?
• • Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?
• • Have you lately observed any defect in the laws, of which it would be proper to move the legislature an amendment? Or do you know of any beneficial law that is wanting?
• • Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties of the people?

Does anyone see a pattern here?  Yes… ladies and gentleman… bloggers and blog readers… Benjamin Franklin not only helped write the Declaration of Independence… Benjamin Franklin is the Originator of the Meme… a blogger’s best friend in those moments of mental drought!

So this weekend, I will be paying my respects to Benjamin Franklin‘s grave site in the Christ Church Burial Ground to thank him for making blogging every day so much easier.

As most of you may have already guessed, my roommate for this trip is Poppy ( ).  Originally, we were checking into the hotel Friday afternoon but then going back into New Jersey for a Q&A with Kevin Smith.  Unfortunately the Q&A got cancelled because of the production schedule acceleration for Smith‘s latest flick, Zack and Miri Make A Porno.  This means not only are we in Philly Friday night, but we’ll probably wake up at a reasonable time on Saturday (unless we end up inebriated until all hours Friday night too).

I’m not sure who is arriving when and where… and sadly I don’t even remember where we’re staying myself… but if anyone wants to get together Friday night for a comparison taste testing of Pat’s King of Steaks vs. Geno’s Steaks (they’re actually across the street from each other) vs. Gianna’s Grille‘s (they serve a vegetarian version of a cheese steak) Philadelphia Cheesesteaks (Cheesesteak Tuesday anyone?) probably around 7:00pm-8:00pm, then let me know either here in the comments or by e-mail.

Saturday… I need to pay my respects to Ben.  As you can see from the map, the burial ground is right by the visitor’s center, and we’re going to do the classical historical tour prior to that evening’s festivities.  So if anyone wants to do that… again… comments or e-mail.  Finally… because I’ll be in Philly this weekend… there’s going to be a big announcement tomorrow regarding Sunday’s post… so if you’ve EVER wanted to be the recipient of a Snacking… make sure to check back tomorrow.