The Potted Evergreen Cicada Makes An Annual Appearance in Roxborough

Artists to the Rescue

Today the Inky has a very thoughtful front page piece about Philly's growing arts community. Someone has to pay the bills since all the factories closed, and all the new, glittering towers in Center City have materialized only after being granted ten-year property tax abatements (much to the chagrin of us schmucks living in "existing" homes). Now for the hard part, moving into and helping to rehabilitate some very poor and physically dangerous neighborhoods surrounding Center City that have been decimated by over a century of economic and cultural injustices. Makes sense (and restores one's faith in humanity) that cutting edge artists would step in before the government.

Coming Soon: Direct Flights from Philly to Shanghai

All things considered, I'd rather be in Philly. At least there's one more option.

Hands Up!

If you're not surprised to read that the guns used in nineteen recent Philadelphia murders were reintroduced into illicit circulation after being seized by Upper Darby Township cops. The Inky has the whole sordid story on today's online front page. The mentally challenged pigs apparently thought it would be a good idea to raise some petty cash by unloading the firearms they seized from local criminals at a local pawn shop [where the criminals could easily get them back after making a donation to a local Republican business man].

Antiwar Rally Photos from Yesterday

I'll start with the sign/banner awards:

Most original,
________________________

most humorous,
________________________

and most sobering.
________________________

Unlike some other major cities, our folks in blue aren't so uptight [not so quick to trade in the blue for riot gear and shows of force when a few people who disagree with the Bush-Cheney junta have a public assembly].

When trying to influence public opinion, it's always better [in my humble opinion, which is based on the golden rule] to entertain commuters rather than inconvenience them [or blow them up]. Most of the folks you see in this photo showed up on bike, foot, and public transit and did not block traffic. Motorists of all different walks of life [except for three very angry white men who gave us the finger] responded mostly with honks, waves, peace signs, right-ons!, or they simply continued to talk on their phones, not noticing us at all [thanks Goddess for the big curbs and bright white lines down the middle of the road]. We got a few curious stares and blank looks—mostly from folks in dark Mercedes sedans with Jersey plates—strange that.

Some folks feel more strongly than others, which is still legal in Philadelphia. I don't know if we accomplished more than cheering up some commuters, but it's better than working late or staying home and doing nothing.
I'm glad William Penn was able to join us. He was a pacifist, too.

Philly Mayor's Race Hots Up

What with all the murders, crumbling infrastructure, and regressive wage taxation, you might wonder why anyone still lives in the city of Philadelphia. Here's one reason: very entertaining local political theater. If this story turns out to be true [and not a cloaked attempt by one of the other candidates' operatives to take a swipe at Brady, which is entirely possible and wouldn't surprise me], it makes me feel better for not endorsing him in this previous post. If you live here and are still undecided, please consider voting for Michael Nutter for mayor.

We are killing each other at an alarming rate, but at least we're not going to lock up some peace activists who tried to visit the offices of former Senator Santorum.

In a vain attempt not to appear antidemocratic, authoritarian, and corrupt, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court abuses the space-time continuum to deny Philadelphians a democratic vote on casino placement without coming right out and saying that's what they're doing.