Why is today an exciting day in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia Will Do has a summary of the last several months here (along with a miltonstreeterrific logo).

We've been through Milton Street singing on top of a casket. We've had Bob Brady tell us elephants will return to the zoo in his administration. We've had Tom Knox promise not to show movies at Dilworth Plaza. We've had Dwight Evans ask us not only where the beef is, but also tell us his crime record is beefy.

Michael Nutter told us he'd be opening up a shop to sell Philly-themed merchandise. Chaka Fattah brought out Shaft to attempt to win our votes. Bob Brady didn't know how a pension works. (That's okay, Bob, most of Philadelphia doesn't know what "vested" means either.) Tom Knox didn't know what Gilligan's Island was...

...After today, it will -- let's pray -- all be over and some rich guy will be in position to lead the city for eight years, unless Al Taubenberger has photos of the eventual winner with a donkey who is not his wife. It might be the union guy or the poverty guy or the smart guy or the really rich guy or the "Who's the beef?" guy.

I am relatively new here to this city of Philadelphia and something that seemed strange to me right off was the theme song to the channel 6 Action News. It sounds a little, well, old fashioned. There's a reason for that, as it's apparently been used since the 70s, with the same formula- voice over, with a montage of shots of regular folks around the area - 1981, 1985, 1992, 1993 (youtube)- the same thing, every year.

Well, there's even a wikipedia entry for the theme song, which is titled "Move Closer to Your World."

And get this- it has freaking lyrics. Listen here (realplayer). It's this awesome 70s smooth, Love Boatian deal that just really moves.

I'm not sure what year this one's from.

Papers Scattered On Streets Of Philadelphia (CBS3)

A few things about the video.

1) City sanitation crew? Um, no.

2) Yes, look at those confidential court documents with social security numbers, addresses and criminal records, several of which the reporter has apparently kept?

3) The tag line for the story- "Somebody has some 'splanin' to do." Wow.

"Hm. This is a big live shot on the noon show... I need a good, catchy tag line... Danny Thomas spit take? No... 'Ohhhh, Rob!' No... ah, I've got it!"

This reminds me of the episode in which the court system's Lucy conspires with city hall's Ethel to try to get into reporter Jim "Ricky" Osman's big show at the Tropicana.

Well, we had the first round of going through folks' places. I think one of my favorite parts of all of this is going to be to try to figure out things about the people in the still-occupied ones.

( Traipsing through other people's homes - No. 1 )

Recently, a few blocks from where I live, an odd murder took place. Around 2:30 am, a young black man on his bicycle allegedly reached into the window of a car and took a god necklace with a ring from around the neck of an 70-year-old gentleman. The man then chased the teen with his car, running over him at a park a few blocks away. He then got out of his car and shot the teen several times in the head and chest. But- there are some other factors here- that park and that area, well- at that hour, there are other types of business transactions going on there and usually another reason for guys in Lincoln Continentals to be speaking to teens on bicycles. And, in the video version of this report (video on the sidebar), the first thing the victim's grandmother says, before anything else, is that the deceased was gay. That just seems an odd thing to blurt out. And the description of the shooter by his neighbor- also strange. I think there's going to be more to this whole deal than a simple robbery turned vigilante-style shooting.

With the rise in crime of late, however, some folks are seeing it in simpler terms, as someone found out while stopping by the makeshift memorial at Kahn Park.

As I approached I noticed a well dressed older man with bright white hair and beard, leaning on his cane while attempting to write something on the white piece of paper you see in the foreground of the picture. I attempted to have a look at what he was writing, assuming it was some expression of sympathy for the dead man. He quickly straightened up, gave me a wide smile and said “this was the last time that ingrate will ever rob somebody.” He was not there to express sympathy, but rather to rejoice in an execution. He mocked the teddy bears for a moment and ambled off with a bright smile on his face.

Now I’m not given to confronting people on the street, but I was a bit stunned by this bloodthirsty old man and felt like asking him a few questions. I began walking with him and peppering him with questions. I asked him if he felt that public execution was the proper punishment for petty crime. He said that it was. I asked him if he was happy the man was dead. He said he was overjoyed. He referred to the murderer as the victim. As we made our way down Pine street, he began to sense that I was not his friend and began to talk about his own gun and how much he’d like to use it one day.

Between this and the brilliant thread over at phillyblog titled Vigilantes and Citizens Blowing Perps Away --- Love It! (in response to another story of an old guy shooting a carjacker), I'd really like for winter to come soon, now so everyone's inside and not shooting, okay? Thanks.

Also fun- this and this post in response to the original story.

*BREAKING* ABC6 FINDS NEW "WIRE-LESS TELEPHONE" IN CENTER CITY *BREAKING*

Action News was in Center City Philadelphia for the US debut of the "Chocolate" cell phone. The phone, dubbed "Chocolate" because of its color, differs from Apple's ipod.

Yes, especially in that it is a telephone, where the ipod is not a telephone.

Aside from the murder rate, things are slow here in August, apparently.

THANK YOU, ABC6!

Along the same lines as the 1947 planning exhibition article, here's the 1963 Plan for Center City (47.5MB pdf @ rapidshare-- scroll down, hit the 'Free' button to get to the download page).

( sample pages under here )

Not to get picky over facts or anything, but this week's City Paper has a love letter of an article about convicted former city councilman Rick Mariano, where his little incident at the top of City Hall last fall is addressed (emphasis mine):

To hear Mariano tell it, he has no idea how he ended up in the City Hall observation tower, a move that set off a bloodlust frenzy of SWAT officers, media helicopters and rubberneckers wondering if they'd see a jumper at rush hour on a Friday. Sure, he knew the indictment was coming down. And yeah, he just learned his lawyer was abandoning him.

Of course, to see the jumper at rush hour on a Friday, they would have had to return 24 hours later, hoping that Mariano was still up there or another, equally indicted public official had gone all the way upstairs. You see, that incident took place on Thursday, October 20, 2005.

Really, not a huge deal, but the writer seemed to be using it as some deep point, when, well, it's fricking wrong.

Still have to love the ol' gate in the knee, though:

The headline to today's John Baer column in today's Daily News (The People Paper!): Our scary link to '54 novel.

Okay, that intrigues me. Which novel could it be and how could it possibly relate (in a scary manner, no less!) to Philadelphia? "The Long Goodbye?" "I Am Legend?" "Live and Let Die?" Hell, even "No Time for Sergeants?" None of the above.

In case you missed it, there's a flurry of activity aimed at fighting Philly's increased violent crime. But while politicians looking to keep their jobs or get new ones work the problem - which, face it, extends to the prison cap, soft judges, cop management, etc. - I don't hear much about root causes.

Except from readers.

One asks, "Ever read 'Lord of the Flies?' " It's the classic 1954 William Golding novel about a group of civilized English boys marooned on an island without adult supervision. In short, they turn from society to savagery and bad things happen.

One could argue something similar happens to young boys marooned in urban poverty without adult supervision.

The column then goes on to discuss the high unwed birth rate in the city and county of Philadelphia. Because that was also a big theme in the novel, what with the English schooloboys getting all of the girls on the island pregnant then renouncing responsibility for their children.

Why, why, why do they do this? If you're going to make a connection, make a connection. Please don't sort of barely introduce a half-assed allegory, then drop it like hot lead halfway through, because you know it's only connected by the thinnest of gossamer threads. Please.

Also, adding insult to injury, he neglects to mention the shockingly high rate of asthmar in fat astigmatic children in the Delaware Valley, which is a story that begs to be written.

Tierney to fill role of Inquirer publisher

Brian Tierney, chief executive officer of the investors' group that bought The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com in June, now will also take on the role of the newspapers' publisher, but not the title, after the resignation yesterday of Joe Natoli.

..."While the editorial departments will report directly to me," Tierney said, Gordon Medenica, a consultant to Philadelphia Media, "will serve as the arbiter of editorial concerns and will interface directly with the editors to resolve these issues," especially when Tierney is on the road meeting with national advertisers.

Suuuure, of course that's how it'll work. Guess you'll need to revise that pledge a bit, huh?

To their credit, the new owners are acknowledging the potential problems and falling all over themselves to promise they will be hands-off. In fact, Tierney said he and his merry band have signed a non-interference pledge.

How will said pledge be enforced? Tierney, who grew up just outside the city in Upper Darby, responded in a quintessentially Philly way. He told the assembled staffers of the two papers, "I'll beat the crap out of anyone" who misbehaves.

I'd love to see a man on N. Broad St. in the middle of the day, punching himself in the face, repeatedly.

Excellent article on the city planning problems here in Philadelphia in this week's Philadelphia Weekly.

Phila. has been doing rather well the past few years, in terms of folks wanting to build new things here. The problem? Well, there's no one planning anything. The city planning department is underfunded and the Street administration doesn't really care. Part of the problem is that countless city agencies have to be consulted and greased. Things are going up and being decided piecemeal and the task of planning is defaulting to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, who rejects zoning variances as much as Bush vetoes bills on one day, but will do the exact opposite for another project the next. The fun thing about this is that not a single person on the ZBA has any sort of planning experience whatsoever. They're all political appointees. Now folks are calling for some sort of comprehensive plan, so we're not stuck expensively correcting problems down the road. But, according to Zoning Board of Adjustment chair David Auspitz, whose city planning experience consists of owning a delicatessen, it's all just crazy talk.

Auspitz warns neighborhood groups to not be "fooled" by reform advocates.

"What we've got is a patchwork approach to zoning, but it's also the quilt that comforts and protects you from the cold," says Auspitz. "Fewer restrictions in the zoning code would probably benefit developers, and leave communities with fewer opportunities to participate."

Wonderful. Anyway, if you live here, read the article. This city needs a plan and this must be an issue in next year's campaign.

And now, entry #28 for this year's "Most Strained and Ill-Conceived Metaphor Carried Throughout an Op-Ed Piece" competition- Phil Goldsmith, former Philadelphia managing director, in today's Daily News (The People Paper!)- Philly pols must unite in order to save our city

WHEN I pick up the daily newspapers these days and see headlines about violence, I am not sure at first glance whether they refer to the Middle East or Philadelphia.

I quickly realize, unfortunately, they refer to both.

As rockets were soaring over Israel and Lebanon last weekend, so was the city's homicide rate soaring with nine more slayings, bringing the year's total to 215. Since rain and cold weather serve as natural deterrents to crime, the current heat wave does not bode well for the days ahead.

Obviously, there are differences between the generational violence in the Middle East and the killings here at home, including cause, magnitude and consequences. But the similarities are striking.

Yes, other than these basic fundamental differences in almost every way... they're exactly the same!

And there is another similarity. The political power structure in Philadelphia often resembles and acts like Iraqi or Afghani warlords.

Our Philadelphia-style "warlords" include Gov. Rendell; Speaker of the House John Perzel; state Sen. Vincent Fumo, minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and Mayor John Street. Each has his legion of followers.

Like the warlords in Iraq or Afghanistan, our "warlords" form alliances when it suits their individual political purposes, but they have yet to form a unified coalition when it serves the larger purpose of fighting the insurgents who are terrorizing certain neighborhoods in our city.

In fact, one can argue that the newly comprised Iraqi national government of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds is further along than we are here. That new government at least sits down together and talks.

Wow. Really? You really think that, Mr. Goldsmith? Yes, the violence in Philadelphia is a terrible problem these days- but warlords? Come on, pal.

As part of a big project for early next year, someone here has been doing some research on various city planning initiatives here in the city that loves you back. In the course of that research, he discovered an Architectural Forum article from 1947 that details an elaborate exhibition the city set up in 50,000sf of space at a department store in Center City to educate the citizenry about the merits of city planning and what it could do for them.

Up to now, I'd sort of heard about this and assumed the extent of the display was a massive detailed model of Center City, with rotating panels, that sort of thing. But no- 50,000 freaking square feet of glass panels, reproductions of street corners and row houses, huge aerial photographic maps, models of planned improvements- just an incredible undertaking. It was intended to be a permanent exhibit- some of it was moved to the old convention center across the river, but then was likely mostly disposed of in the mid 60s. The last piece anyone saw was displayed behind plexiglass in the courtyard of City Hall, but was thrown out because of water damage in the 70s.

Well, here it is, if you're interested - Full article pdf at rapidshare (25 mb)

( A few sample pages )

Philadelphia sports fans... Etch-a-Sketch Allen Iverson.

@ Etched In Time, "YOU HAVE ENTERED A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF POP ART CREATED BY GEORGE VLOSICH III"

Last year, I had intended to start an ongoing comparison of two major American cities and their homicide rates. While the updated numbers showed up just about every other day here in the Phila. papers, Detroit's media didn't seem to insert it into every story about every single murder, for whatever reason. But, finally, the FBI has released its nationwide numbers for 2005 and so, represented by their respective mayors, I give you...



Advantage: Philadelphia!*

As for this year- Phila, has 166 so far (up 2 over last year!) and Detroit- well, I have no idea, because in the one article I found about their numbers, there was no mention of this year's rate thus far, which seems like an odd thing.

*Though, to be fair, the city's official count is 380, but that's just bragging

From the Inquirer's architecture critic, Inga Saffron:

...Howard Haas, who spearheaded the successful campaign to save the Boyd Theater on Chestnut Street, convinced the Historical Commission on Friday to put the Strawbridge & Clothier building by Simon & Simon on the city's historic register. That means that, no matter who the future tenant might be, they won't be able to mess with the exterior. Let's hope they treat the art deco interior just as well.

But, of course, no one seems to have any idea what's going to be done with the old store. No buyers have popped up yet.

This is a horrible, tragic story, but... CBS3's choice of photo-


I don't suppose, I don't know, not using a photo could have been an option? I'm pretty sure everyone knows what a toilet looks like, without a shot from the Kohler catalog.

Item! If you live in Center City and enjoy drinking, you have no excuse for missing the first night of Center City Sips, wherein 37 bars around here offer up $2 beers, $3 wine and $4 cocktails 5-7 pm every Wednesday this summer, through August 30. A list of bars and their specials are here.

Is there another non-profit business improvement district within these 80-odd blocks of Center City which loves you enough to do this? No, of course not. Now go, have some drinks, you crazy kids.

Also, if you're bored, stop by the Shops at Liberty Place plaza on Market and 16th and watch CCD drop 400 beach balls. That should be something. Cancelled due to inclemency.

From today's Inquirer (Best to read it every day!)


But doesn't that usually happen after you get to prison?

In today's Inquirer (Best to read it every day!), there's a story which looks at the current debate about immigration reform within a proper historical context. The sources for the article?

1. Political scientist from the Brookings Institution.
2. An historian specializing in Ellis Island and early American immigration.
3. University of Chicago historian and author of a book about the subject.
4. The owner of a cheesesteak place here in Phila. which has signs all around saying "This is America. When Ordering, Speak English."

"If you can't tell me what you want, I can't serve you," he said. "It's up to you. If you can't read, if you can't say the word cheese, how can I communicate with you - and why should I have to bend?

"I got a business to run."

Vento, who lives in Shamong, put up the signs when the immigration debate seized national headlines six months ago.

With Geno's Steaks tattooed on his arm, Vento is used to publicizing things, especially what's on his mind. Speak English signs also poster his Hummer. He has driven through South Philadelphia blaring through the SUV's P.A. system denunciations of neighborhood business owners who hire illegal immigrants.

"I say what everybody's thinking but is afraid to say," Vento said.

Well, then, okay. By that same token, I say that I don't think that your cheesesteaks are very good.

You did it, Philadelphia/Delaware Valley climate- you forced my hand. I had no choice but to lug the air conditioner into the window this morning at 6:50 am. You couldn't wait two measly days, humidity? You couldn't wait until at leat June to hit us, 90-degree temperatures? For shame. The special weather statement about the heat scrolling on the Weather Channel yesterday even editorialized a bit about it. "Like it or not, this is only the beginning of the high temperatures and high humidity for the area..."

Even the weather guys dislike it.

Now, it's nothing but sweaty, warm RJ through the end of September. It's weird- I sweat like a 400 pund guy, a fact which I'm sure you're all just so happy you read just now and envy Laura so very, very much. But it's true. I'm not fat, as much as I like to think otherwise. I mean, I'm a bit softer than I'd like to be, but I'm certain that no matter how in shape I get in my life, I'm just going to break a massive sweat, no matter what.

Aaaaand- thank you, e-mail from the office manager, saying that the building air conditioning isn't working. The current temp in here is 80. Oh, summer.

So, how was everyone's weekend? I saw Andrew Weyth paintings, watched a lousy movie and bought cases of beer. That pretty much filled up the whole four days.

There's a wonderful article in today's Inquirer about the final days of Strawbridge's and the decline of regional department stores in general. On the site, there's a place for folks to leave comments and some are fond rememberances of coming into Center City as kids and going to Gimbel's, Lit Bros., Wanamaker's, etc and some bemoan the current state of Market St., saying we should move all the "undesirables" into some part of the city where people won't have to look at them. But this post- this one here- it's... well, here you go:

"TIMES CHANGES THINGS. WE ARE NO LONGER TRADITIONAL IN ANY RESPECTS OF WHAT WAS WILLED TO US. NO CLASS AND NO DIGNITY. M E M O R I E S ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR LIFE. WILL THE YOUNGER GENERATION HAVE MEMORIES. TO MANY CHANGES AND TECHNOBOWLWORLD MOVES TO QUICKLY FOR MEMORIES. A BIG BOWL AND NO ONE CAN FIND ANYONE. AT THE CLOTHES PIN YOU WAITED FOR SOMEONE. NO ONE HAS TIME."

Okay, then.

Laura and I went to the fixtures sale there on Saturday and there was a 5ft diameter fiberglass representation of the Strawbridge and Clothier "Seal of Confidence." Very cool, but $200 seemed a bit much. They're supposed to be keeping the fixtures sale going for a few more days, as they clear more of the rooms on the upper floors. Sad.

(photo credit: twoeightnine)

The above photo is of the headquarters of the local transit company, SEPTA, at 1234 Market Street, here in Center City. Last week, they installed this massive Times Square-style ad for Dunkin Donuts. One problem- it's illegal.

In fact, I just heard from someone who recently was at a meeting with some SEPTA folks and asked one of them, "How did you get away with it?"

The answer? "Dunkin Donuts is paying us a lot of money for it!"

When informed that putting an ad like that up is, in fact, illegal, the response was, "It is?" So they researched this quite a bit.

Apparently SEPTA is being fined $100/day until they take it down, or even bother applying for zoning permits to keep the thing up. I'm sure that they are being paid much more than $700 a week to have it up there, though.

Also- they've had to put signs in the lobby of the building telling folks that there is, in fact, no Dunkin Donuts located in the lobby of the building, because confused people have been flocking there, like moths to a caffeinated, frosted, fried dough flame. Of course, if there were, they'd have a stronger case for leaving the thing up there. But, likely they don't care anyway. And how much advertising does Dunkin Donuts have to do here in Philadelphia? It's like our very own goddamned Starbucks, with one on every block.

Folks in Philadelphia- Paul Levy's remarks upon accepting the Philadelphia Award

When Milwaukee and Camden, N.J. have better waterfronts than we do, we ought to embarrassed and prompted to action. Chicago puts our public landscaping to shame. Washington, DC has real time information at all their public transit stations. The City manager from Vancouver said it very well: “If we are going to get North Americans to live and work in high density cities, we are going to have to provide them high quality public spaces.”

The good news is: the tide has turned. The old story of decline has ended and we are laying the foundation today for expanding the revival across the entire city and region. But we can not simply pat ourselves on the back or sit complacently on our rear ends. However good it is downtown, 23% of Philadelphia’s population lives at or below the poverty level. In a knowledge economy, 62% adults downtown have college degrees. But citywide, only 18% of adults have college degrees. That is a disturbing and alarming gap.

But we can not fall into that perennial Philadelphia trap of downtown versus neighborhoods or business competitiveness versus social services. That is a misleading and divisive choice that we have to banish from the coming Mayoral election.

Only 4% of the electorate lives downtown and I fully understand that for anyone to get elected citywide, they have to focus on the 96% who don’t live in Center City. But one very small piece of geography - Front Street to 40th Street, Spring Garden to South Street - generates 57% of all wages paid in Philadelphia and those salaries go to residents of every neighborhood of this city[...]

That makes downtown the primary source of the resources we need for redistribution. Every time we fill an office building the size of Liberty Place, we generate enough local taxes to hire 514 new caseworkers in the Department of Human Services, or to put 372 new police officers on neighborhood streets. What we do downtown creates opportunity in every neighborhood in the city.

1955 to 1975 was a period of profound decline for all American cities. We probably hit bottom in Philadelphia somewhere between 1985 and 1990. But the last 15 years has shown us what is possible when we stop looking in the rear view mirror and start believing in our future.

Guns To Be Turned Into Playground Equipment

Police will take 3,000 guns they've confiscated over the last year to Coatesville, where they'll be melted down.

The guns were loaded in a truck Wednesday morning and given a police escort to the Coatesville incineration plant.

The melted metal will be turned into children's playground equipment.

"The bumps tickle my bottom!" (mp3)

Next up for Philadelphia: The Esclator to Nowhere to be built at Penn's Landing and a monorail along the Vine St. Expressway which will rival that of Odgenville.

The Best Video Tour of Philadelphia, Ever! (googlevideo)

And I was wrong. The restaurant's still open for a couple of more weeks.

The record for killings by police in Phila? 18, back in 1994.

This year? Let's go to the tote board!



This time last year, there had been only one.

I'm sure there is some sort of mathematical way to relate the spike in deaths by cop to our impressive gains in folks being murdered in general, but I am eating lunch and am not particularly good at maths.

This is going to be one heck of a summer! Woo!

Ernie Kovacs? Started on televison here in Philadelphia. Some of the first experiments with broadcast television? Here in Philadelphia. Gimbel's, Strawbridge's and Wanamaker's all owned radio stations which broadcast out of their stores. On Walnut street- check out the building that Brasserie Perrier is in. On the floor of the alcove for the building entrance next to the restaurant, the old NBC chimes logo is still embedded in the floor.

Interesting (if you're a freaking nerd) article from Time:
Philly Fifties: TV (Richard Corliss recalls the decade when Philadelphia helped define the new medium of television)

Another good site- broadcastpioneers.com

Just finished reading this last night at 1 am. It made me like living here even more. And- Man, Tom Ridge was a major-league fucktard as governor.