Penn Institute for Urban Research has partnered with Next American City magazine to host
a spirited dialogue between Philadelphians and representatives of the John McCain and
Barack Obama campaigns.

TONIGHT! (6 October 2008)
6pm-8pm
Center for Architecture
1218 Arch St
Philadelphia, PA 19107

This event is the inaugural lecture of Penn Institute for Urban Research’s (Penn IUR)
Philadelphia 360 lecture series, all 5 of which will be held at the Center for Architecture
this fall and spring semester. Philadelphia 360 is a project made possible by funding by
the William Penn Foundation. The series features national experts addressing the
economic development challenges Philadelphia faces and opportunities to make it one
the of the leading innovators in the country, including issues of elected and private
sector leadership. Future sessions will focus on the latter and, in particular, anchor
institutions.

I am a black conservative black male. I'm ashamed of my black people. Obama represents bigger government and leans heavily on the far left. He believes in raising taxes. How can you be a black entrepreneur owning a small business support him? The government will take 62% of your profit leaving you with 36 cents on the dollar. I'm all for supporting black people but my principles comes first. This man panders and says anything to get a vote. One day he claims to be pro choice now a banner on his pathetic website says he's pro life. My mother always told me the friends and company you keep is a reflection on you. Obama has friends and associates running his campaign who are not good for America. He wants to socialize our nation? Look at Europe? Do we really want our rights taking away from us? Do you really want the government running our life? Everything the government does fails. Look at Fannie and Freddy. I really wish McCain would call names. Connecticut own Chris Dodd needs to do the right thing and step down. New World Order is soon coming.

Politics as Usual!? Philadelphia filmmakers explore politics on the eve of this critical election in a month-long exhibit of independent media presented by the Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association (PIFVA) The show will run at the Projects Gallery from October 10 Through November 8, 2008. The program will be looped during gallery hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 7:00 pm.
Mingle with PIFVA members and guest filmmakers at the Opening and Closing events. The OPENING on Friday, October 10 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm will be hosted by Big Tea Party's Elizabeth Fiend and include a live poetry performance. The exhibit CLOSING on Saturday, November 08 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm will be hosted by Green City Journal's Caryn Hunt and include moderated discussion with local activists. For more information contact PIFVA at 215.382.2579 or email contactus@pifva.org
Films to be exhibited:
• Bush for Peace By Sarah Christman and Jen Simmons (1 min)
• Choose to Choose by Christiane Badgley (12 min)
• A Mural's Message by the Beacon Center Youth (1 min)
• Copy This Tape by Skylight Films (17 min)
• Blockbuster Letter from the Editor by Ken Winikur & John Lumia (1 min)
• Free the (Schuylkill) River Park Documentary by Rob Stuart (15 min)
• Bean Scene by Deb Rudman with AQ Quintero (1 min)
• Casino Free Philly videos by Edmund Goppelt (20 min)
• Asians Misbehavin': Model Minority Man by Anula Shetty & Mike Kuetemeyer (5 min)
• Taking of Bodine: Never Forget by Community Leadership Institute & Scribe Video Center (10 min)
• Ending an Epidemic Act-Up Fight Back by Big Tea Party (6 min)
• Dis Poem by Tania Isaac (3 min)
• Amiri Baraka's Something in the Way of Things (In Town) by Bryan Green (9 min)
• Iraq Veterans for Peace, Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan by Amadee Braxton, Gail Lloyd, Serena Reed (20 min)
Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association (PIFVA), founded in 1979, is a membership organization whose mission is to strengthen, promote and serve Philadelphia's independent media community through programs which provide opportunities to learn, mentor, produce and screen work, advocate for the community and network. PIFVA is dedicated to increasing the creative capacity of the Philadelphia region by supporting and expanding the work of regionally based media makers. PIFVA's education programs promote public appreciation of independent media making and encourage the talent and ability of area's creative community of filmmakers.

Our webmaster wrote about this inicident on his blog, but notes that there is no media coverage and this lasted for quite a while. Here is what Doug has to say as of 9:21 pm October 1st:

SEPTA decided to close Market East Station at 7 PM tonight for "police activity". This stranded myself and several thousand commuters both in the city, and in trains on their way to the city. Market East was completely evacuated. At the time I spoke to a SEPTA employee at Suburban Station around 8 PM, he stated that they were waiting on the "all clear" from the police before they could re-open the station.

Despite what the employee told me in the customer service office, he was almost immediately contradicted by a female employee there who stated that it was a "bomb scare" to another passenger....A crowd of commuters gather at the closed station. SEPTA really dropped the ball here. They had NO signage or personal on hand. There were a few police officers inside of the station that were completely unhelpful in answering queries from stranded passengers. No announcements were made over the PA at Market East nor Suburban Station. Basically, we were left in the dark as to why the station was closed....I eventually got home with the help of a subway, light rail, and a 1.5 mile walk across town.

Just to underscore my comments above, I'm no security expert--there may have been a very good reason for closing down Market East. SEPTA themselves may have not even had a say in the matter, they might have just been told to close the station by police. What SEPTA could control is how they reacted to this crisis. They could have made announcements. They could have made signs. They could have put notices on the train status boards. And they could have drawn up some emergency action plan in advance, that provided alternate subway/rail/bus paths for passengers to take to their destination.

Did I mention I'm paying $116/month for this? You're doing a heck of a job, SEPTA.

Oh! Did we mention that Septa and Amtrak and PennDot will be at a transit summit in Ardmore this evening?

Here are the details:

Thursday, October 2, 2008
WHAT: Congressman Gerlach’s Main Line Transit Summit
WHEN: 7 P.M. to 9 P.M.

WHERE: Lower Merion Township Building

75 East Lancaster Avenue
Ardmore PA

TENTATIVE AGENDA:
7 P.M. Sign-in period and chance to get materials from AMTRAK, SEPTA and PennDOT

7:15 P.M. Welcome and opening remarks

7:25 P.M. Presentation by SEPTA

7:40 P.M. Presentation by AMTRAK

7:55 P.M. Presentation by PennDOT

8:10 P.M. Question-and-Answer Session

8:55 P.M. Closing remarks

With news about the economy growing more dire each day, you may be wondering how well your job will fare in a recession. Some industries have already been hit hard: real estate agents, mortgage lenders, construction workers, and others in the housing industry are likely to be searching for their next move.

If you’re concerned about your job’s susceptibility to an economic downturn, you might begin searching for similar positions in an industry that will remain strong in a recession. It’s best not to try to start a completely new career in a down economy, but that doesn't mean you can't find a recession-proof job you'll enjoy. Your job satisfaction depends in large part on your personality preferences (your Myers Briggs personality type), and there are recession-proof jobs for every type.

In a recent interview with CareerBuilder.com, outplacement consultant John Challenger listed the top five recession-resistant industries: Education, Energy, Environmental Sector, Health Care, and Security. To read more about the jobs in each industry that will be in high demand, and see which jobs are best for your Myers Briggs personality type, visit the PersonalityDesk Myers Briggs Blog.

The employees of Wendell August Forge, a truly American company, are proud to join with our customers in honoring the men and women of the United States Military serving overseas. Our talented craftsmen have created an exclusive ornament, Washington Praying at Valley Forge.

Come into our Exton store and request this ornament for your loved one serving overseas, provide us with an APO or FPO address, and we will mail the ornament with a personal note from you, at no charge whatsoever.

Join with us as we thank 10,000 members of our Armed Forces serving overseas for all they do to protect and defend the freedoms that make America the greatest country in the history of the world.

Quantity is limited to 10,000 in Exton and we can only send 1 ornament per family and per serviceman and servicewoman. Group orders cannot be honored. Address forms and cards must filled out at the Wendell August Forge showroom at the Main Street in Exton -sorry, no phone orders can be processed at this time. Please call 1-800-386-6155 for more information. Hours are Monday - Saturday 10am-9pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. Ornaments will be available 9/27/08 through 10/11/08 or while quantities last.

Max's produce is a great spot right off the square. Whether you need something that is made to pick up and take home and eat "ready made" or are looking for fresh items to cook with, I truly love this spot.

Recently I was making a home cooked meal and Kim was so helpful, she shared with me her suggestions for making the meal, perfect from a visual and taste appeal standpoint. This came in specifically to dessert. I bought fresh mango, raspberries and bananas from Max's along with fresh mint leaves and then ran over to Bacchus to buy dark, dark chocolate sorbet. The colors were perfect and Kim was right, it was the right end to a delicious meal in beautiful glass bowls.

So, for the urban, not so domestic young woman, I was able to make a delicious dessert with visual appeal.

Projects Gallery announces a call to artists for its February 2009 Juried Art Exhibition entitled “Guilty Pleasures”. Icy February is often considered the month of love; but with the advent of Valentine’s Day a wealth of conflicting emotions often emerge. Named for a pious saint, originally a sensuous pagan celebration, now thought of as a purely commercial entity, this holiday is a mass of cultural contradictions. Guilty Pleasures can be that which is desired, that which we love to hate, or that which elicits passion in any direction. Projects Gallery encourages entrants to expand upon the literal and present work that is in the spirit of personal interpretation of the theme. The show will be displayed February 6-28, 2009 at Projects Gallery in Philadelphia.

Eligibility:
Open to all artists 18 years and over. Work must be original and completed within the past 2 years. Works for consideration may be of any media but must be no wider than 24” and in accordance with the theme “Guilty Pleasures.” All work must be available for sale. An artist statement and resume will be required from all accepted artists. Artist is responsible for transportation of work to and from gallery. Accepted video artists must supply viewing equipment.

To Enter:
There is a non-refundable entry fee of $20.00 (U.S.) per artist for up to five image entries. Resumes, artist statements, or bios may be included with entries. All entries must be received no later than December 10, 2008. Make checks payable to: Projects Gallery. Submissions must be digital 300 dpi at least 8” jpg or tiff format on a CD/DVD. Do not send original artwork. Please include a list of entries with the following information: artist name, titles of images, media, date, and dimensions of work submitted.
Mail entries, list of entries, entry fee, a SASE if you desire CD returned, to:
Projects Gallery
629 N 2nd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123, U.S.A.

Calendar
• December 10, 2008 deadline for entries
• January 5, 2009 entrants notified
• January 24, 2009 accepted works due to gallery
• February 6, 2009 opening reception
• February 28, 2009 exhibition closes
• March 1-3, 2009 pick-up work or prepaid shipping returned

Projects Gallery exhibits contemporary figurative expressionistic works. Announcement cards will be produced, press releases will be sent out, and exhibition will be highlighted on website.

Work will be juried by Gallery Director Helen Meyrick.

Questions? Contact at info@projectsgallery.com.

Experts in the field of personality type say that the personality characteristics of political candidates make a strong impact in their political success. Dr. David Keirsey, an expert in the field of Myers Briggs type, has theorized that presidential candidates with a particular personality style (what he calls the Artisan temperament) win elections reliably when pitted against candidates with a different personality type.

This is particularly relevant in the present election because McCain appears to many observers to be an ESTP, one of the four types within the Artisan category. Type theorists are more divided on their guesses about Obama's type; Keirsey has theorized that he is a INTJ, a Rational type, where others have guessed he is an ENFJ or ENFP, both Idealist types. According to Keirsey's theory, this confers a definite advantage for McCain.

I'm not certain I agree with Keirsey's theory about the power of personality type in elections, but I was very interested to study the candidates in light of personality styles. I've written more about my observations and guesses as to the presidential candidates' personality types in my Myers Briggs blog.

WHO: Rachel Unthank & The Winterset, opener Devon Sproule



WHERE: World Cafe Live - Downstairs, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

WHEN: Sunday, September 28th.

Doors @ 6PM

Show @ 7:30PM

MORE INFO & TICKETING:

tickets.worldcafelive.com

rachelunthank.com

devonsproule.com

ARTIST BIO:

"Intimate, epic, overflowing with feeling and musical intelligence" The Independent

Mercury Prize 2008 Nominee: The Nationwide Mercury Prize is for best British or Irish album of the last 12 months.

Dancing down the leftfield and singing in their own lilting Geordie accents, Rachel Unthank & The Winterset are the "inheritors, curators and gleeful distorters" (Ian MacMillan) of Tyneside's traditions.


Elements of blues, jazz, burlesque cabaret, classical and leftfield contemporary music make their take on folk music peerless, fearless and wholeheartedly brave, winning fans as disparate as Robert Wyatt, Kate Rusby, Paul Morley, Phil Jupitus and Joan As Police Woman.

Debut album Cruel Sister won Mojo Folk Album of the Year, and new album The Bairns has been described as "utterly gorgeous" by The Guardian as "a work of towering quality" by The Telegraph. Described as "a bewitching, dream-like, down-to-earth masterpiece" in the Observer Music Magazine's Top 50 Albums of the 2007, The Bairns is already a classic in its own lifetime.

Congratulations, and Happy Belated Birthday Spencer!

Philly.com: Another fallen Phila. officer leaves city reeling:

A 30-year-old Philadelphia policeman was shot and killed yesterday by a wanted felon who fired several times into the fallen officer as he lay wounded on a North Philadelphia street.

"He stood over the top of him and killed him," said Homicide Capt. James Clark, who called the killing of Officer Patrick McDonald an "execution."

The officer's slaying came at the end of a foot pursuit and was followed by a shoot-out that left the felon dead, a second policeman seriously wounded, and the city grappling with the death of another police officer killed in the line of duty.

KIKO's HOUSE: Officer Patrick McDonald (1978-2008):

The murder of any police officer is an outrage, but when Highway Patrol Officer Patrick McDonald yesterday became the fourth Philadelphia cop to be gunned down in 11 months, the financial crisis and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, let alone the presidential campaign, seemed ever more like abstractions.

McDonald, a star athlete in high school and eight-year veteran of the force, was widely admired. The 30-year-old bachelor had bought and lived in the house in the Morrell Park neighborhood where he grew up, and neighbors considered him to be their son, their father and their protector.

For what it is worth, McDonald's assailant also died. For what it is worth, it will only be a matter of time before the handgun the perp used is likely traced through a series of legal transactions until it entered the city's thriving gray market in devices the kill. Because, you see, in Pennsylvania just about anyone can buy a gun with few or no questions asked. Just don't get caught smoking on school property or, heaven forbid, enjoy a puff of marijuana once in a while.

Katey's Kafe: Officers Down:

The POS who shot both McDonald and Bowes is no longer with us, thankfully. He has been exterminated.

I would also like to mention how much of a class act the NYPD is. They flew McDonald's sister from NYC to Temple Hospital so she could be with her brother. Way to go.

Prayers sent to the family of Officer McDonald and those in the Philadelphia Police Department. I'm so very sorry for your loss.

R.I.P. Officer McDonald

WHYY's Its Our City asks Does Philadelphia feel safer now than last year?:

How can the crime rate be lower when things seem out of control on the streets of Philadelphia? That’s what’s been going through my mind lately, especially after yesterday’s shooting death of a Philadelphia Police officer. But if you check the police website you’ll see that the homicide rate is down 20% over this time last year. That’s is a big improvement. But I also remember that one of Mayor Michael Nutter’s goals is also to reduce the fear of crime.

CityPaper.net: The Clog: Voter intimidation tactics are afoot at Drexel

Drexel Dems: Voter Intimidation at Drexel

Philly.com: NJ town blanketed with racist anti-Obama fliers

If you’re looking to buy your first digital SLR, you’re spoilt for choice — or possibly overwhelmed by the options.

In the last few months we’ve seen new entry-level digital SLRs from three of the big names in the camera business — Canon, Nikon and Olympus — and Sony has also entered this market, using camera technology bought in from Konica Minolta.

To be honest, these cameras are more similar than different. All four are aimed primarily at people making the jump from a compact digital camera to an SLR — people who already understand the digital half of the equation and want to upgrade to an SLR to take their photography further. An SLR is more responsive than a compact, allowing you to take photos more quickly; it gives you more control, so you can be more creative; and it’s more flexible, allowing you to change the lens or use accessories such as flashguns and remote controls.

Because these entry-level SLRs are designed for people who are used to pocket-friendly compacts, the manufacturers have kept them small and light. Experienced photographers may scoff, telling you that larger and heavier cameras are easier to handle and hold, but if you’re used to a compact, you won’t want anything too big. If size is absolutely everything, the Olympus E-410 is the smallest and lightest of the cameras featured here.

The Canon EOS 400D Olympus E-410 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 both have 10-mega pixel sensors, while the Nikon D40 lags behind with just 6 mega pixels. This is enough for most purposes, including prints up to A4, but it gives you less scope for cropping your images or making poster-size enlargements. Since many top-end compacts now offer 7 or even 10 mega pixels, you might feel behind the times with the D40, although pixels aren’t everything — you’re still getting the benefits of a physically larger sensor and a bigger and better lens, so the D40 will produce better images than a compact.

The Canon EOS 400D and the Nikon D40 both ship with 18-55mm zoom lens, although the 35mm equivalents are slightly different (because the cameras have slightly different sensors), with the Canon lens offering the equivalent of 29-88mm and the Nikon 27-83mm. The Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 comes with an 18-70mm lens, or 27-105mm in 35mm terms and the Olympus E-410 comes in a twin-lens kit with 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses, or 28-84mm and 80-300mm in 35mm terms.

In the short term, the Sony and Olympus cameras gives you a better zoom range out of the box, but in the long term, Canon and Nikon offer more lenses and other accessories. If you can imagine buying additional lenses in the future — for example, if you might want a telephoto lens for photographing wildlife — go for the Canon 400D or the Nikon D40. Both cameras are compatible with a wide range of lenses, flash guns, remote releases and so on.

What about other features? The Nikon D40 has a beginner-friendly menu system, with sample images that help you choose the right settings. The Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 has built-in image stabilisation for taking pictures in low light (Canon and Nikon offer image stabilisation via special lenses). The Nikon D40 uses SD memory cards, whereas the others take Compact Flash, although the Olympus E-410 also accepts xD memory cards. The Canon EOS 400D, Olympus E-410 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 have cleaning modes that vibrate the sensor to shake off dust.

So which is best? As you can see from the scores, it’s a close-run thing, but for our money, the Canon 400D has a slight edge. It costs a little more than the Nikon D40, but the extra mega pixels will keep you happy for longer.

The Nikon D700 offers a boat-load of features previously the exclusive domain of the D3 and D300 cameras and manages to pack it all in a D300-style body with a $2,000 savings added as incentive. Just like someone said: “With a Nikon D300 and Nikon D700 you would have high ISO, long reach, wide angle FX capability, and two semi-pro bodies that share accessories. Nikon is just filling in the gaps between their models so this is a body for everyone. It could also be a great 2nd body for D3 users who want two cameras that are both FX but one which is smaller and lighter”, it’s a new camera Nikon made for people looking for FX in a semi-pro body.

The headline feature of the D700 is of course its full-frame sensor, with the same 8.45-micron pixel pitch and 12-channel data readout from D3. As a result, the D700 has the D3’s renowned image quality at high ISO, but in a smaller, more affordable form factor. Like the D3, ISO ranges from 200 to 6,400, with Lo 1 (100), Hi 1 (12,800), and Hi 2 (25,600). We’ve noted a few differences in overall performance from the D3’s images, however, with a little better control over red saturation, and detail in the JPEGs that resembles what you get from well-processed NEF files from the D3. The D700 also features the same innovative EXPEED high-speed image-processing system, 14-bit A/D conversion and 16-bit processing pipeline to provide the detail and smooth gradation necessary for outstanding print enlargement and reproduction.The D300’s Integrated Dust Reduction made it into the full-frame D700 as well.

Also pulled from the D3 bag of tricks is the same Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module featuring 51 AF points, the Virtual Horizon Indicator from the D3 (which is now active in Live View mode as well), the two Live View modes (Handheld and Tripod),the high-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor with tempered glass providing a 170 degree viewing angle.

The Nikon D700 additionally shares a number of features with both the D3 and D300. All three sport a powerful 51-point AF system, a high resolution 3in VGA monitor with Live View, the same 1005-pixel metering system, along with an HDMI port for connection to HDTVs – albeit using a mini-jack on the D700. All three are also very tough, offering resistance to dust and moisture.

Much has also been written about how the D700’s continuous shooting and viewfinder are inferior to the D3, the Nikon D700 offers 5fps continuous shooting compared to the D3’s 9fps,but add the optional MB-D10 battery pack and EN-EL4a battery to the D700 body and this can jump back up to 8fps.

Unlike Canon’s full-frame models you can still use lenses designed for cropped bodies on the D700. Fit a DX lens and you can either shoot in a cropped 5.1 Megapixel mode, or with the full sensor area and resolution – albeit with a reduction in quality beyond the DX frame.

Then, who should buy a D700? It’s for anyone who wants to shoot handheld in low light (at higher ISOs than you would ever consider with a D300, like 6400 ISO). It’s for anyone who really wants the advantage of shooting with a 35mm-sized full-frame sensor, and it’s for anyone who just wants better looking images than they’re getting now with a D300 or lower. So, in short, if you’ve dreamed of a D3 without the D3 pricetag, your dreams have finally come true in the Nikon D700.