philly

Markward Park

I'd never been over there before last weekend. It's quite a nice strip of green.

Basketball courts, baseball diamond, dog run, general park area, tennis courts and some more blacktop where people were in-line skating.

The shot above was taken south of Spruce St by the largest open space in the park.

Seen It: Zoe Strauss @ ICA

I mentioned previously how I was planning on attending Zoe Strauss's opening of her Ramp Project at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Lady and I went over to the ICA for the first time and were both blown away by the exhibit.

We searched around for a bit wandering through the ground level pieces and ended up in a back room where I spied a staircase which could be a ramp and sure enough, that was it. We started walking up the ramp and I could see it, the inner side of the huge translucent blowup of the woman hitting her crack pipe. It's qutie incredible. It can be seen on the east side of 36th St, best viewed from slightly further up the street to minimize that huge tree. About thirty or so photos line the next ramp leading up to another set of rooms. In the landing area in between the ramps there's a slide show projected onto the large wall of Zoe's photos.

As we were walking up the first ramp, I started to look for Zoe. I've only seen a couple photos of her and a short video of her. I heard a voice and I thought it could be her. She was talking to someone, but I thought fuck it, she said to butt right in so I did. I tapped her arm and she turned around and she somehow knew it was me without me saying a word. We hugged and chatted for a sec and then I let her get back to the rest of her many many fans there.

Art's a very subjective thing. Honestly, I dislike most contemporary art. I just don't "get" it. A lot of that is my fault. But I just have a hard time relating to the vision behind a tangle of bicycle chains or a video of a picnic. It's just not me. I "get" photography and I love me some photographic art. Zoe's work is wonderful. It is documentaritive [is that a word?], novel and just simply beautiful. I know that many people don't "get" photography. I know that even more people consider photography "fine art" let alone, god forbid color photography! My heavens! How crass! Fuck you. But, then again, fuck me for not liking Jackson Pollack, right? Fuck everyone. Wear a dome.

Getting back on track... Take a stroll though Zoe's world and read up on what she's up to. If you like what you see, head on over to the ICA [118 S. 36th St] and see it in person. If you don't like her stuff, there's always tangles of bike chains, holograms, dioramas, shopping bags, picnic videos and much more fun art at the show.

After the May 16th PA Democratic Senate primary [vote Chuck!] I plan on heading up to NYC to see her 2006 Whitney Biennial work which is going on through May 28th. But before that, her "Under I-95" show is on for May 6, 1p - 3p, under the I-95 ramp at Front & Mifflin Sts. That should be a blast.

This girl is everywhere!

Dear Mr President - Pink

"Dear Mr. President" - (feat. Indigo Girls)

Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pay the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you

.mp3 [4.3MB - 4m34s]

Zoe Strauss: ICA Ramp Project

Philly's everywhere gal Zoe Strauss, [that 2005 Pew grant winning, 2006 Whitney Biennial showing artist with a flare for the other side of the tracks] has been ridiculously busy these past few months.

Tonight is the opening reception at the Institute of Contemporary Art at UPenn. Her Ramp Project reception runs from 6p - 8p at the ICA [118 S. 36th St.]. A little sneak peek as to what's inside over at her blog. I plan on being there and finally getting a chance to meet her in person! This girl needs a hug for all this work.

And yes, that's a photo of a woman lighting her crack pipe, you got a problem with that?

Photo: Zoe Strauss

SEPTA Fire

I saw this piece this morning before I left this morning to head to work. Since I was going in late to work, it wasn't too much of a hassle for me. I took the Broad St line to City Hall and when I got there people were instructing the riders that the westbound trains were not stopping at City Hall and we'd have to walk to 13th St station. One woman started screaming at the SEPTA guy saying that KYW had said the trains were stopping at City Hall by that point. Perhaps she heard that the trains were going through the station and thought she heard that they were stopping at the station? Or maybe KYW mis-reported something around 8.30ish?

The smell from the fire wasn't too bad. The flames were under control by 4a or so. But the smell of an electrical fire was definitely there. While walking up the #4 stair from the Broad St line to transfer to the Market-Frankford line, I heard a few people say that they smelled a fire, maybe they didn't hear the news before they left for their commute. They were assured by the SEPTA people that it was all over and the trains were being rerouted while the platform area was being drained.

Senate Debate Wrap Up & Video

eRobin has a post up on PhillyBurbs.com with a wrap up of the debate as well as a link to the downloadable .mp4 video of the debate [266MB file].

So, there ya go Noz, the link to the video.

PA Senate Debate: Lancaster 6

In their closing statements, the candidates had this to say... Alan said that he tells the truth and doesn't exaggerage and stresses his record as a pension lawyer as proof of his desire to fight for Pennsylvanians. Chuck listed his thirty-three years of coalition building, grassroots organizing and experience on the Hill and in previous winning Senate campaigns. He called on PA voters to bring him to DC because right now, the Dems need a "voice of conscience" in DC. Chuck said that we are experiencing crises right now, but on the flip side of crisis is opportunity and we have the opportunity now to effect change. Bob humbly asked for the vote in the primary [I don't think Schumer and Rendell would know humble if it was dropped on them via a 50 megaton payload]. He seemed stunned at the crowd's overwhelming response to Alan and Chuck's words and seemed worried, but maybe it was the eye makeup he was wearing.

After it was all over, many in the crowd made their way to the stage to speak with the candidates. Chuck was swarmed before he could leave the stage and was talking to the people while crouching down. He's pictured above hugging a supporter from the stage with cameras clicking behind them. We didn't get out of there for a solid half hour. We headed across campus to Ben's Underground to meet with some of the college Democrats for an afterparty. About twenty of us had some yummy greasy food and Oreo cookie milkshakes and discussed the debate, what there is to do between now and May 16th and what greasy foods to get seconds of. We finally headed home on the turnpike back to Center City around 11p.

It was great to get out Lancaster again to see the gang from my trip out there last month after St. Patrick's Day. They're an incredibly enthusiastic and well organized group out there. It was great to sit and watch the debate live and in the flesh. You take a lot more in than via the television, the crowd plays a large part in framing the feel of the debate and the crowd was very receptive to the Progressive message Chuck put forth. I wish they'd have another debate, this time in the Philly area, so that more people could see them all live. But Bob refuses to agree to do so.

I'll be volunteering tons of hours between now and May 16th for the Pennacchio campaign and I am sure that he will defeat Man on Dog in the general election. If anyone would like to get involved, please hit me with an email.

Oooh, and I almost forgot, I got to meet Carrie Budoff, the Inky writer covering this race along with other PA politicos. It's always cool to meet people whose writing you read. Catherine Lucey of the DN was there too, but I didn't know who she was. Meeting Will Bunch of the DN and Dan Rubin of the Inky give an added dimension to their writing. I've been approached at several events, last at the immigration rally, by people who somehow recognize me [there are like 2500 posts on this thing with maybe 5 of them with a photo of me]. I wonder what their first impressions are. I'd guess: "He's much shorter in person and curses like you dropped a 16lbs bowling ball on his big toe."

PA Senate Debate: Lancaster 5

The issue of lobbyist/special interest money came up on several occassions within the context of several questions, but mainly in the sixth question which addressed earmarking of bills and lobbying money. Bob said that the system is broken and that things being earmarked in larger bills [I think this is also called "paperclipping"] deserve the same light of day as the full bill itself. He said that "sunshine is the best disinfectant" and I actually agree with him on that [stop the presses, what time is it?] Unfortunately, he has no problem with taking special interest money and doesn't seem to think that taking money from the same donors as Man on Dog is a problem. Alan is opposed to overnight earmarks and brought up last year's PA pay raise scandal which happened, duh, overnight. He called out Bob for signing all of those checks [he's the PA Treasurer] which were all unconstitutional. Alan stated that he is against lobbyist money, but accepts money from some PACs, but does not have a specific calculus as to which he'd accept money from and which he would turn down money from. Chuck is the only PAC free and special interest money free candidate in the race and agreed with Alan that Bob the illegal pay raises were bad for all Pennsylvanians. He called out Alan for selling out his position on the issue of parental notification/consent to special interests. In an August interview with PoliticsPhilly.com, Alan stated that he was for limited parental notification and consent.

The ninth question addressed the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and whether or not we should withdraw immidately in accordance with the plan Rep. John Murtha (PA-12) put forth and the tenth question asked who were the most serious nuclear threats in the world. Bob said he was against immediate withdrawal and blamed BushCo for lying to get into the war and Man on Dog for being all frothy at the mouth over the war. Bob would have voted for the war with the information at the time and now feels that we need to finish the job since we're there. He called for an independent senator with no ties to big oil to lead; none of the candidates take money from big oil. Bob stated that the US government must leave all options on the table with Iran and North Korea, the two most dangerous nuclear threats. He said that there should be negotiations first, but that the military and The Bomb should still be used as leverage in the end, as BushCo currently feels. Alan favors the Murtha plan and adds that it does not call for an immidate withdrawal as in tomorrow the troops come home, but over a matter of months [I think he said six to nine months]. He said that by the end of 2006, the US troops should be limited to border patrol and redeployment in hot spots. He echoed the Bush categorization of North Korea and Iran as charter members of the Axis of Evil and that coalitions are needed to talk to them as the US cannot do it alone.

Chuck started off by asking his fellow candidates to call for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to a round of applause from the crowd. It was at this point [about seventy-five minutes into the debate] that a Casey supporter [he had on a sticker] behind me said to the person sitting next to him "[Chuck] is making all the right points" to which I grinned. Chuck also agrees with the Murtha plan; he's been calling for a withdrawal since June of 2005. Chuck also favors redeployment in hot spots. Chuck also listed North Korea and Iran as the most dangerous nuclear threats, but stressed that threats of nuclear force is not the way to go. He called for the US to embrace a nuclear non-proliferation treaty and lead by example. He called North Korea the source of the world's loose nukes and stressed that a dialogue must be opened up with Iran as they are currently years away from developing nuclear bomb making capabilities [a Right wing lie!].

The twelfth and final question asked the candidates why they would make a better senator than Man on Dog. Bob listed the 181K jobs lost in PA since 2001 and the 17K who lost health insurance since 2001 [but Bob's expanded healthcare plan addresses child healthcare coverage and not universal coverage as Chuck and Alan espouse and recently the CEO of GlaxsoSmithKline endorsed and called financially feasable]. Alan started off by saying that living in the state of PA would be a start. He cited ties to lobbyist money and big oil by Man on Dog. Chuck reiterated his true independence from special interest money as the PAC free and lobbyist free candidate - the only candidate not beholden to anybody but his constituents. He called Man on Dog an absentee landlord and a preacher of bigotry through hate.

PA Senate Debate: Lancaster 4

All three candidates wore suits this time, I guess Casey got the memo that Thurston Howell attire of a navy blazer and khakis is not appropriate for a fucking Senate debate. However, he did not get the memo that he has a huge unibrow. Sorry, but it's just there, I couldn't stop myself from gawking. It's just as distracting as Peter Gallagher's pair of caterpillars, but not as heavy, but only one continuous line. The opening statements started off with Chuck Pennacchio who corrected the moderator's pronunciation of his name. She was saying it with a soft "ch" sound as in "change" instead of the hard "cc" as in the end sound of "clock". She said she was told to not pronounce it like "Pinocchio" to which Chuck quipped back, "No, I'm not Pinocchio, that's the other guy [Sen. Man on Dog]" to a round of laughter from the crowd. Chuck got the center podium, he looked very comfortable even though he was a little under the weather.

Bob started off by saying that he wanted to earn our votes. This is quite different than the Rendell-Reid-Schumer triangle of "VOTE FOR HIM OR WE WILL KILL YOU" method they've been playing to date. I can't think of a single thing that Casey has done on the campaign trail to earn a single vote other than declare himself a Democrat. He came out for the nominations of SCOTUS nominees John Roberts and Samuel Alito. He said that he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade. He said that we should stay the course in Iraq and keep the nuclear option on the table for Iran. He turned down numerous opportunities to debate in the Philly metro area, home of a third of the voters in the state... If that's "earning" a vote, then I should've "earned" a raise of $1M since I go to work everyday and work. Hearing him live in person for the first time definitely showed me just how boring he is. His voice is upper nasaly and he sounds like he's got a mute on, his voice is muffled. Anyone who has taken a public speaking 101 class or speech class in high school or, say, watched TV every knows that you can't just talk in a monotonous voice. It just puts people to sleep. Casey's good at that; putting people to sleep with his "stances" and when you add in his delivery, you've got Candidate NyQuil.

Alan sounded particulary whiny tonight. Which is better than his normal monotonous tone. Nice guy, I've met and spoken to/with him several times, just not a lively guy. He was much livelier tonight though jumping on Casey for not wanting to rebroadcast the debate to make it more available and for not wanting to debate again in Philadelphia and Harrisburg; he got a round of applause for that, we all wanted more debates.

The debate was moderated by NBC local affiliate WGAL8 co-anchor Janelle Stelson [pictured above speaking with Chuck after the debate] who brought some personality to the moderator position. She was more than a person just reading questions. During the opening statments, she quipped in with a little personal comment to each candidate and interjected between questions with follow ups outside of the alotted time when appropriate.

The first question of the night asked the candidates what their first three pieces of legislation would be. Alan was up first and stressed addressing the problem of global warming to which he said that Congresses in the past had passed up crucial opportunities to help the environment; pensions, with too many corporations getting through too many loopholes in escaping payments; elderly working program where people sixty-three and older, if they were to choose to stay in the workforce, would receive untaxed wages/salaries as long as they made under $30K. Chuck stressed universal healthcare to save $163 Billion by eliminating the overhead from private insurers; bilateral trade allowing fair trade instead of free trade and addressing the immigration issue; a living wage, he noted that 25% of Americans and Pennsylvanians are working and still in poverty and concurrently implementing a progressive tax on the top 2% having them pay 50% in taxes - under Ike, the tax rate on the same 2% was above 90% and that tax base helped establish the US as an economic superpower. Bob wanted early childhood education for four-year-olds; fiscal discipline; ethics reform where he railed on Sen. Man on Dog [speaking of ethics, Bob takes money from the same people as Man on Dog].

The fifth question of the night addressed Supreme Court (SCOTUS) appointments and whether or not one should have a test to determine how one should vote for a nominee and whether or not a filibuster is a proper procedural measure. Chuck started off by saying that the partisanship in the nomination process has been largely Republican as they have control of all three branches of government, they're the ones driving the partisanship. He noted that it was a sham to watch his Democratic colleagues "question" the recent SCOTUS nominees Roberts and Alito and that they took the non-answers as answers. He stressed that he would never ask for permission to filibuster from his Democratic collegues; he would simply filibuster and he would've filibustered the Alito nomination. Bob said that he is against getting rid of the filibuster completely, but that he felt that Alito's testimony was truthful and straightforward. Was he watching the same hearing as I was? He said that there should not exist a litmus test, but a consideration of a nominee's character, experience, judicial temperment and judicial philosophy. I'd say that Alito's a pretty shitty choice based on that, but then again, it seems as if we watched different hearings. Alan had been sounding more and more like he was advertising his firm than simply relating issues to him being a practicing pension lawyer running a small business. He asked about the individual litmus tests on choice, civil rights, labor, environment, womens rights - Alito fails all of those litmus tests [touché!].

PA Senate Debate: Lancaster 3

The debate itself was great. But there were stupid rules. Like not being able to take any audio, video or still photography unless you were a credentialed reporter. Fuck you too. I went inside the building carrying a heavy box of Chuck Pennacchio brochures in my hands with my camera bag over one shoulder and my camera across my chest. Two cops stop me and tell me that I can't bring my camera into the debate. I tell them I'll put it away later. They give me a look as if they want me to put it away right in front of them. And then I say that I can't, you know, with this heavy box of stuff in my hands and all. Whatever. And I put the box down and lay out the brochures on the table and people start grabbing them up as quickly as I'm putting out another stack. I head down the hallway to the gymnasium to get a good seat before they're all taken and I'm stopped again, looks like a PR person. She asks if I'm a member of the press [I still hadn't put away my camera because I wanted to get inside quickly]. For a moment there, I think about lying about it to give myself unfettered access all arond the debate floor. But, I didn't, and told her I'd put my camera away as I got to my seat [which I did].

There is an additional rule against using the official debate footage. The campaigns were not to use any of the video footage from the debate of their opponents [or even snippets of themselves?]. PCN talkshow host and professor at Franklin & Marshall [the host of the debate] Terry Madonna had this to say:

"We didn't want this forum in an academic environment to be used by the campaigns," Madonna said. "We are not in the business of helping people win or lose elections."

Now what kind of bullshit is that? What the hell is the fucking point of a debate if you can't show it to the public? While the debate will be re-aired on Lancaster's NBC affiliate in a couple weeks in two parts and perhaps nationally via CSPAN [sweet], it's not easy to get people to sit down and watch almost two hours of debate. Back and forth exchanges on an issue here and there are more effective methinks. But what the hell do I know, I'm not the one pulling strings behind the scenes like Madonna. His hair seemed weirdly dark to me, sorta like he used some of that spary hair stuff, anybody else notice that?

So, I don't have any photos of the debate. I did reel off a bunch afterwards though once the debate was technically over.

There are already three good play by play liveblogs of the debate, so I won't go into every detail. From Politics Philly, Above Average Jane [who watched the first hour] and Factesque who even adds her own in-line color [awesome] commentary while live blogging; eRobin must be one quick typer.

The AP reported that the crowd was about 500 people attended the debate. There was a walkway above the debate floor where the candidates walked along before the debate. I'm assuming they met upstairs to go over the ground rules and draw for the order of opening/closing statements and the order of questioning. First to walk to the doorway leading behind the stage floor was Bob Casey. A round of "Casey" chants came up from the crowd. Closely behind was Alan Sandals who got some shrieks from the crowd. The same person [or few people] kept on shrieking through the debate. It was such an annoying hi-pitched shriek. A few seconds after Alan was Chuck. The crowd wasn't reacting at first, but then he hit the halfwaypoint to the door and then we all went wild. A huge contingient [more than I had met earlier and more than I had anticipated] got up to a roaring standing applause. He held up his fist in the air to us as he rounded the corner to the door. We kept cheering for another few seconds. The people on the floor with their Casey stickers on looked absolutely stunned at our enthusiasm. I really think they were shocked at the response Chuck got, fuckers never knew what hit 'em.