In my mind, one of Philadelphia's greatest embarrassments is the philthy first impression it gives to visitors riding either the R1 from the Airport or Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor. I have been trying to get something done about all the trash along the Southwest Philly commuter rail tracks for some time now. However, with Barack Obama's scheduled inaugural whistle stop tour along these very tracks coming up soon, I believe there is quite a bit of added importance to cleaning up this malarkey. Does the city of Philadelphia or Amtrak (which is responsible for upkeep of the track area) really want to present the next president of the United States with such an unpresidential backdrop?

As I ride the R2 into Temple U. from Delaware County, the sight of trash pokes me in my eyeballs like a bunch of rusty rods discarded a decade ago on the side of the track. Whether it's a goldmine of Goodyears, or a Sealy store's worth of mattresses, the reality is this trash needs to be picked up. These tracks serve Amtrak and the R1 Airport line, as well as my beloved R2, so plenty of tourists get a not-so flattering first peak at our city. I'm looking to write an article about this squalor, and would love to find sources who are knowledgeable and supporters who would be willing to join me in my quest to get this trash removed.

PIMP MY EXXON

MUSIC IS OUR OIL TO HOST PRESS CONFERENCE AND FREE CONCERT AT ROCK & ROLL EXXON ON OCTOBER 11TH 2008 TO ANNOUNCE THE "MUSIC IS OUR OIL" WORLD TOUR CONCERT/FILM

It's better than the MTV reality show Pimp My Ride and it's happening in Philadelphia on October 11th 2008. An EXXON gas station recently dubbed "ROCK & ROLL EXXON", is getting "pimped out," "tricked out," and rebranded to serve as the venue for a press conference and "BETA TEST" concert to unveil a revolutionary world tour/concert and film titled "MUSIC IS OUR OIL” (MIO). The MUSIC IS OUR OIL world tour, which is scheduled to begin June 19, 2008, will send America's greatest Hip-Hop and Rock artists to oil producing countries to barter music and other essential commodities for 20 million barrels of oil. The 20 million barrels of crude oil will be transferred into 125-gallon MIO gas cards, which will be distributed to 3.2 million Americans thru the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) program.
Organizer, and producer of MUSIC IS OUR OIL, 3Kingdoms Entertainment CEO Mikal Kamil says, "The purpose of this press conference is to introduce to the world a new American model we call "MUSIC IS OUR OIL." We will announce MIO's strategic vision, execution, and expected outcome. We will also encourage the great thinkers, activists, and doers of the world to be a part of this "Great Collaboration." Kamil says, "We are living in very progressive and different times. For the first time in history an African American is running successfully for president of the United States and EXXON MOBILE is hosting a BETA TEST concert on their gas station lot. In a very sexy and cool way MIO will show how gasoline can be used as a positive purchase and as part of the energy solution."
Much of the coolness of the BETA TEST will come from the eclectic personalities involved in the concert. The outgoing cast will consist of grafitti artists, indie rock bands, hip-hop artists, leading members of the music, oil, gas, ethanol, solar and auto industry and surrogates from the Barack Obama campaign. Adding to the list of unusal suspects, ethonol fueled indy cars, electric cars, gasoline tankers will serve as the backdrop for the concert's stage.

MUSIC IS OUR OIL presents
"THE BETA TEST" concert
After the press conference, 3Kingdoms Entertainment, Rock & Roll EXXON and EXXON distributor Lehigh Gas will sponsor a free concert titled "The Beta Test." "The Beta Test" will be held in Philadelphia outside at Rock & Roll EXXON gas station; located at 2330 Aramingo ave. The free concert will feature 10 indie rock bands and hip-hop artists who will barter their musical performances for gasoline. Artists will recieve a full tank of gas and the additional gas will then be transferred into 25-gallon MIO gas cards, which will be issued to low-income residents thru the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) program. In addition all of the staging and concert production items as well as grafitti artists services are being bartered for gasoline. Circumventing the deflated dollar, weak economy is essential in offseting the cost of the event. With an emphasis on diversity, experimentation, linkage, collaboration and being part of the solution, the BETA TEST concert will transform a local EXXON gas station lot into ROCK & ROLL EXXON. The BETA TEST will also serve as a platform for the Obama/Biden and MCain/Palin campaign to push their "GET OUT TO VOTE" intiatitive. Surrogates from both candidates will be attending.

“The rising cost of energy has created a strain on all consumers across the country. In addition to dispersing gas cards through the Music is our Oil program, we’re encouraging people to use E10, a 10 percent blend of ethanol and 90 percent gasoline,” said Toni Nuernberg, executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), a Music is Our Oil sponsor.
The more than 9 billion gallons of ethanol in our fuel supply is helping to keep prices at least 15 percent lower, saving the average American family approximately $500 per year, according to Merrill Lynch.
“The long-term solution to high gas prices is diversifying our energy choices” said Tom Collina, executive director of 2020 Vision, a national group promoting alternative energy. “We need to give consumers more choices such as plug-in electric cars. With plug-ins, you can go from $4 per gallon of gas to $1 per ‘gallon’ of electricity.”
Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) will soon be on the market from GM, Toyota, Nissan and others. 2020 Vision supports the early introduction of these vehicles as well as federal incentives for consumers to make these cars affordable. “These cars are cheaper to drive, use domestic fuel, and dramatically reduce global warming pollution,” said Collina. “They are the ultimate solution to high gas prices.” 2020 Vision will drive a plug-in car to the event.

Other collaborators and sponsors include: Rock & Roll EXXON, Lehigh Gas, International Recipricol Trade Association, Pennsylvania Gasoline Retailers and Allied Trades, Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and 2020 Vision.

The BETA TEST is a test concert of the intended June 09 MUSIC IS OUR OIL world tour concert/film. Aside from the entertainment and oil industry, MIO has a lot of moving parts connecting to one mainframe. The BETA TEST concert is an early step in the development of the MIO world tour concert series. The BETA TEST will serve as the precurser to the start of larger activities with many moving parts. The "Great Collaborators" of MIO will use the BETA TEST to discover whether MIO's entertaining, logistical, marketing, technological, social and philanthropic concepts can be successfully realized.
Starting three years ago, 3Kingdoms Entertainment's Mikal Kamil did the unthinkable; he brought the entertainment and energy industry together to help raise money for low-income Americans that couldn't afford heat. This event was dubbed "Artists For Heat." Mikal Kamil, brainchild of MIO says, "We are also doing The Beta Test for personal reasons. We want to prove the naysayers wrong AGAIN. We want to say WE TESTED THE MIO AND IT WORKS."
On June 19, 2009, 3Kingdoms Entertainment will launch MUSIC IS OUR OIL and revolutionize the world of benefit mega events. Additional details regarding the logistics of MUSIC IS OUR OIL will be disclosed at the press conference. Members of the press and energy advocacy community are invited to attend both the press conference and concert. Tickets to the free concert will be distributed in Philadelphia through local radio promotions, and a variety of other promotional activities.

What: Press conference to announce revolutionary world tour concert/film and
Free concert with alternative Rock and Hip-Hop artists titled "The Beta Test”
Featuring: Leading members of the music, oil, gas, ethanol, solar and auto industry
Indie Rock Bands and Hip Hop artists: Matt Duke, The Feather Tops, Whiskey Livin, The Adam Monaco Band, Preston Swift, Hezekia, Stillicide, Nickelz, Dinner Thieves and Mellow Veneer
When: Press Conference: October 11, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Free Concert: October 11, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. ET
Where: Press Conference: ROCK & ROLL EXXON- gas station-
2330 Aramingo Ave
Concert: ROCK & ROLL EXXON- gas station-
2330 Aramingo Ave
Contact: To RSVP for news conference and concert, contact 3Kingdoms@verizon.net, musicisouroilbetatest@gmail.com

UPCOMING AT STUDIO 34...

6th Annual Bike Part Art Show
A Benefit to support Neighborhood Bike Works
Friday, September 12, 6 to 9 p.m.

Come to Studio 34 (4522 Baltimore Ave.) for a silent auction of bicycle-themed artworks to benefit the youth programs at West Philly's Neighborhood Bike Works. The benefit also includes a raffle, live entertainment, and refreshments. Over 100 artworks, including sculptures, furniture, jewelry, paintings, prints, t-shirts, greeting cards, and photographs, are contributed by artists, cycling enthusiasts, and more. Art not sold during the benefit will remain on sale at Studio 34 through Sept. 14. Benefit is sponsored by Victory Brewing Company and Laborers Local Union 57. For more information, contact artshow@neighborhoodbikeworks.org.

Story Link: Courier Post

Cartoon from Sid in the City

The Siena during the day, will show the hard rock feel, old carved on the details of ancient walls and Shing Mun, the sun, the warm house and the stone Lengleng dialogue with the desire of a small wall Jiazhi Xiang Li, at the foot of the black gravel to towns such as streams, like the bottom of the mystery - the beautiful Kemp Square THE PIAZZA DEL CAMPO. The scallop-shaped square in the centre of town and the lowest point, with ancient Roman theater, like the natural topography, scallop-shaped square with a beautiful cafe, a classical balcony of the family boarding houses, she sold in the shops and things The medieval palace. Kemp Square because of the PALIO twice a year the General Assembly held in the race known. 7-8 every year, the people here for the gun in the glory of the military and become Italy's most famous traditional festivals. Dressed in colorful costumes of medieval procession followed by nude horse racing, fanaticism of the crowd reached the apex of excitement.

Today, not a festive summer, the square is home to the pigeons droves to live in the City Hall Plaza, the largest long-term abandoned buildings on the Qiangduo. Under the sun, Belfry in the square of the shadow cast slender, like the corona, like moving slowly to the ground. Even in Chunhanliaoqiao, there are still many tourists sitting in the open-air plaza coffee chair, the United States and the United States in the sun.

Siena not the Old City, two hours on the city's streets each end. But there are still many people are willing to stay on this day, week, month. I like the present, when you square in Campo Grande, pick a good position to sit down, the sun drying the Italian sun, drink a cup of MACHIATO, Man is also here to see the local people. Air Weiliang, boundless landscape, and lovers stroll in the square, street artists Dan Zhao Liu Xianqin, beautiful vibrato, as if the green leaves across the Jiese movie float glass windows.
商業登記 公司註冊 新娘化妝 婚紗攝影

It's hard to believe that it's only been 12-years since the tire-fire of 1996, and the subsequent closing of I-95 for the emergency reconstruction of a not-insignificant portion. It's even more incredible to realize that the stretch that runs through Center City (and the bane of most of Center City's development worries) has only been less than 3-decades. Furthermore, the whole system wasn't effectively started until 1965, and wasn't completed until the very end of 1985 (with the completion of construction of the airport segment), costing half a billion ($500m) dollars.

Photo from Flickr user kgradinger with Creative Commons license.

Since it's quite likely you may not be making it to work (or home), and you want to get your road-on, try Wikipedia, the Philadelphia Inquirer's map suggesting alternate routes, and PhillyRoads.

With memories of the Minnesota I-35W collapse fresh in our memories, and reports of a crumbling national infrastructure, it's not a bad idea to consider the condition of the roadway (either national, state-owned, or local) passing beneath your bottom, lest you 'kiss your ass goodbye'.

Update: Philly.com has an archived interactive map displaying regional bridges and their ratings. Alas, the newspaper archives require registration.

Here is the newest update regarding the Shut the Duck Up! campaign.

Shut the Duck Up! is a running campaign to quiet down those annoying Duck Tours that literally ruin the beautiful nostalgia in Philadelphia. On April 4th at 10 am, our campaign efforts will be shown through a large protest at the Philadelphia Ride the Duck Tours Penn’s Landing water entrance (Where Race Street meets the water).

Over the past few months the local Philadelphia community has positively responded with arms wide open. In addition to the public and community, the local media has shown an enormous amount of support. Our petition has received over 100 signatures, and since the release of the Shut the Duck Up! Documentary video on YouTube, there has been over 2700 views.

If you would like to join us in our fight to preserve our beautiful city of Philadelphia, and send those ducks back to their pond, please attend the Shut the Duck Up! protest. We will be standing strong and demanding hard so that this mission can be considered a success.

For more information as well as updates please visit the Shut the Duck Up! website at http://shuttheduckup.blogspot.com/. I hope you will help us get the word out!

Best,

Walt Sherman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpynoYuFEBw
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/shut-the-duck-up

News Item:
SLUT makes maiden run in Seattle

Anacronyms, they're everywhere, we use them every chance we get to shorten up a long title, but one has to wonder if that's always a good thing. Back in August of this year, we ran a little blurb [linked below] about a TV station in Hawaii that was assigned the call letters KUNT by the FCC. Now the city of Seattle has more or less followed suit. They've just launched a new urban transportation system called the South Lake Union Trolley, or SLUT for short. Are our government officials starting to do these things on purpose, or are they really that clueless?

Ok... everybody with your hand up, put it back down... we all know the answer to that one.

News Source: Philly.com
Related story: Station KUNT

Cartoon from Sid in the City

A Philadelphia City Councilman would like to make it so; check out this a link for more.

David Landau and Democratic Council Candidates Steer Delco Infrastructure in New Direction

CLIFTON HEIGHTS, PA- On Wednesday, Delaware County Council candidate David Landau unveiled his plan, "A New Direction: Infrastructure Planning in Delaware County" at his campaign headquarters in Clifton Heights.

"Community Revitalization is not just skin deep," said Landau. "It goes far beyond a fresh coat of paint and some new street signs."

Flanked by State Senator Anthony "Hardy" Williams and fellow Council Candidate John Innelli, Landau admonished the courthouse for their lack of long-term planning.

"The courthouse tells us the county is on the right track," said Landau. "Perhaps they should hold off waving the 'mission accomplished' banner and take a look around."

"The number one thing keeping Delaware County from performing to the level of it's peers is the ridiculous limitations of partisan politics," added Sen. Williams. "In my ten years in the State Senate, I have never been invited to county council. Not once. We need bipartisan leadership on County Council."

Landau's "New Directions" White Paper calls for comprehensive technical and planning assistance for municipalities as well as specific policy initiatives. Landau's proposals range from sewer maintenance and street lighting to a comprehensive approach to infrastructure improvements.

The Delaware County Democrats highlighted the importance of planning and leadership.

"We need to think long term and provide a workable and flexible approach when it comes to infrastructure improvement and replacement," said John Innelli.

# # #

News Item:
Necessary bridge repairs number in the thousands

Within the past year or so, I remember reading in one of the local papers about how many bridges in our area were in pretty sad shape. The item was buried somewhere among highway construction reports. The bridge collapse in Minnesota has raised the issue again, and as usual it took a catastrophe to bring something like this to the forefront.

Maintenance of infrastructure in the US quite often sits on the back burner, while state and federal officials load up bills with high visibility projects. Name plaques are attached to the new Senator So-and-So Bridge, ribbon cuttings are held for the Representative Yeh-That's-Me Memorial Highway. No one remembers your name for pushing through a bill to upgrade century old sewer systems, or budgeting repairs to antiquated bridges. Things like that don't make the front page of the newspaper, and a name has to be known in order to get votes.

There are people in this country that are afraid to cross a bridge. Years ago I actually knew one such person myself, and admittedly I thought the phobia was kind of silly. Today in New Jersey, however, more than 700 bridges are rated structurally deficient., and in Pennsylvania the number is a whopping 5,000 plus. The bridge in Minnesota was rated deficient all the way back in 1990, and this week it finally fell into the Mississippi River. Maybe that person that held their breath each time they crossed the Delaware here at home wasn't being so silly after all.

News Source:
The Daily Record - NJ Bridges
Philadelphia Inquirer - PA Bridges

Cartoon from Sid in the City

What happens when you cross PhillyCarShare with bicycles? It's called Velib'