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Archive: March, 2010
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| There were even more: but they fled into the bush. |
Yup: It's a bunch of wild cats just hanging out and apparently mating, but I didn't post that photo right outside Bartram's Garden this past Sunday.
That's all I've got to say about it, except this: they ought to fire up that old cider press out there, and make some cider. Eh?
Fine, I'll post the other one.
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| Ladies and Gentlemen: Spring cometh to Bartram's Garden |
THIS is precisely why people advocate for T-N-R -- trap, neuter, return. It's the humane & cost-effective alternative to the traditional "trap & kill" method of animal control. It's been successful in many municipalities across the country - from big cities to small towns. Check out Alley Cat Allies for info about ferals (WILD) cats & how TNR is highly effective - yes, even MORE effective than killing them.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yancey @YanceyG, philly news now. philly news now said: Dept. of Oh Yeah: Feral cats at Bartrams Garden: There were even more: but they fled into the bush. Yup: I... http://bit.ly/bLsMNA [...]
Best place to find engagement rings?
Looking for a women's ring at a reasonable price that is around 1.5 c at a good cut and clarity. Let me know where the best place would be to find this.
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This might be a really good idea.
Today at Girard College, Mayor Nutter and Paul Brophy, of consulting firm Brophy & Reilly, announced a new redevelopment plan that will target neighborhoods "in the middle" and at risk of blight, in contrast to existing initiatives that only target those already blighted.
Baltimore started doing this a decade ago, naming it the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, and despite some setbacks because of the recession it's been widely regarded as successful. Take B-more neighborhood Belair-Edison, which had been facing large numbers of foreclosures in the late '90s due to predatory real estate practices. After less than two years with HNI, the average house price in the neighborhood shot up 6 percent, and 50 percent fewer houses in the neighborhood were up for sale.
So, sounds like a pretty good idea, right?
According to Brophy's report "Protecting Philadelphia's Backbone: A Strategy for Vital Neighborhoods," though, Fishtown, Fairmount and East Mount Airy are the three "in the middle" neighborhoods that will initially be targeted. Perhaps I'm overly optimistic, but it seems to me that Fishtown, Fairmount (especially Fairmount) and East Mount Airy are "slightly above the middle," and places like Brewerytown and Port Richmond might be better targets.
But again, maybe I'm being too optimistic about those neighborhoods. (Or pessimistic I lived in Port Richmond a couple years ago.) Thoughts, Clogs and Clogettes?
Kyle, I live in PR East of Aramingo, so my daily experience is what drives my opinion of the neighborhood. Roughshod may be a little strong but there enough people on my block who don't give a shit about themselves or their house for me to call it that. Again, my point was the area west of Aramingo needs the help, not the river side. I don't know what is "emerging" about Port Richmond, its been relatively stable for years. If people think this section is where all the hipsters are going to go when they get priced out of Northern Liberties and Fishtown...I would tend to disagree.
I've lived in Port Richmond east of Aramingo for the past 6 years, and we're anything but "roughshod". As with any emerging neighborhood, things change quickly and faster than memory serves from the last time you were here perhaps. There's new construction and a lot of rehabbing going on now, minus the commercial development which has kept PR below the radar, unlike Fishtown. Not sure what is holding up redevelopment of Richmond Street as there are many vacant storefronts and a changing demographic.
If they're talking about the section of Port Richmond on the non-river side of aramingo, I agree...the river side is a little roughshod but there are a lot of very nice blocks.
Any idea of what this initiative will actually involve? And yes, Port Richmond does seem to be a better target then Fairmount at least. Mayfair seems like another good candidate.
I live in Fairmount, and while I'd love to see sidewalks repaired, it doesn't FEEL like we need to be protected from blight. Please don't tell anyone I might want to sell my house to!
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Plenty, it seems. As Holly reported yesterday, Tom Corbett, Republican candidate for governor, has announced that he will join fellow crazypants wingnut AGs from Virginia, Florida and other bastions of insanity in suing to block the health-care reform act President Obama just signed, on account of it being unconstitutional. He's even having a press conference today, at 2:15, to decry socialism or mandates or whatever.
Hopefully, some intrepid Harrisburg reporter will ask him how much taxpayer money he's willing to blow on this epic fail. After all, this one's been pretty well argued, and per usual, the teabaggers have no idea what the fuck they're talking about.
Quoth Jeffrey Toobin:
2. Constitutionality. Various states have threatened to go to court to assert that Congress acted outside its authority in passing the health-care reform bill. Even with a conservative Supreme Court, these challenges seem bound to fail. For decades, the Court has upheld the extensive federal role in health care through such programs as Medicare and Medicaid. This new law is a change in degree, not in kind, and courts will likely stay out of the way.
And Mark A. Hall from Georgetown:
The Constitution permits Congress to legislate a health insurance mandate. Congress can use its Commerce Clause powers or its taxing and spending powers to create such a mandate. Congress can impose a tax on those that do not purchase insurance, or provide tax benefits to those that do purchase insurance. If Congress would like the states to implement an insurance mandate, it can avoid conflicts with the anti-commandeering principle by either preempting state insurance laws or by conditioning federal funds on state compliance. A federal employer mandate for state and local government workers may be subject to a challenge; however, such a challenge is unlikely to be successful. Individual rights challenges under the First Amendments Free Exercise Clause or RFRA are unlikely to succeed, although a federal insurance mandate should include a statement that RFRA does not apply or provide for a religious exemption. Fifth Amendment Due Process and Takings Clause challenges are also unlikely to be successful. The legal analysis presented is likely to endure, as the Supreme Courts current position and approach to interpreting relevant constitutional issues appear to be stable.
In other words, ain't gonna happen. And Corbett probably knows that. But hell, he'll probably raise a boatload of money of this thing, so why should he care about chasing this Republican white whale on your dime.
Go, Tom, Go - it will not fail because those of us in the know realize that if we are FORCED to accept government run healthcare, we will leave PA and take our money and jobs with us. So, no money from us to our brothers and sisters who think they have a right to OUR money. Fend for yourselves. Give me Liberty or give me Death!!
Question: How much of your money will Tom Corbett waste on a doomed political stunt? Answer: As much as necessary to get his name out there for his upcoming run as governor. This is nothing more than political grandstanding at taxpayers expense.
I am glad that Tom Corbett is taking a stand to represent the voters of Pensylvania. For too long the urban politicians have dominated and abused the voters of this Commonwealth. Maybe when he is governor things will changes and we can return to solid constitutional values and not the wishes of special interest groups.
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mitch76256: RT @PhiladelphiaRSS How much of your money will Tom Corbett waste on a doomed political stunt?: Plenty, it seems. http://bit.ly/cTSGJh...
Christine Adkins here with your morning fix:
Kids these days, vol. 1: Would earlier street curfews stop the FLASH MOB PLAGUE? City leaders are looking into it.
Kids these days, vol. 2:Catch and Wreck some new vicious street game. An 11-year-old is accused of assaulting two people.
Obamacare starts today. Can you feel the SOCIALISM?
A man stabbed several elementary school students in eastern China. According to Chinese radio, eight children died.
The Inquirer goes to auction April 2, and due to a new court ruling senior lenders will be banned from using their debt to purchase the newspaper.
The Chinese government lashes out against Googles attempt to give mainland users access to Hong Kongs uncensored site by blocking computers content and questionable search queries.
Not that we expect that this will go anywhere, but still, check out this buzzkill of an e-mail we just got from Attorney General Tom Corbett (who, keep in mind, may just become Pennsylvania's next governor):
Tom Corbett today said that he will file a lawsuit to protect the citizens of Pennsylvania whose rights will be violated when the health care reform legislation, passed last night by the U.S. House of Representatives, is signed into law by President Obama. Corbett said that he believes the courts will find the health care reform legislation unconstitutional. Corbett said he is discussing legal strategy with attorneys general from Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan, Texas, Utah, Washington, North Dakota and South Dakota and Virginia.
I'm glad there are people, like Tom Corbett, who are going to fight against a bill that taxes me just for breathing. I don't need the government telling me what I can afford and where to spend my money. The next step is telling people they can't eat certain foods because they are unhealthy and will cause rates to go up or not letting people do any sports or activities that they deem "high risk" (i.e. rock climbing, skydiving) some of the bill is good but the whole premise is not, it is opening a flood gate of government control
He's a good ole boy, who should run for office in one of the states with whom he has made alliance, like Alabama. Many, many Pennsylvanians have engaged in concerted democratic effort to encourage the passage of health care reform. At least one died due to insurance betrayal before the fight could be won. Some walked all the way from Philly to DC in January. Funny, only the Republican AG's seem to want to undue our assertion that people matter more than insurance companies' profits. Join us in keeping from higher office this opportunist.
[...] reported yesterday, Tom Corbett, Republican candidate for governor, has announced that he will join fellow crazypants wingnut AGs from Virginia, Florida and other bastions of insanity in suing to block the health-care reform act [...]
Someone always has to go and shit in the punchbowl. Thanks for ruining the party Buzz Killington.
Yea, States standing up for their rights as guaranteed by the US constitution is such a stunt. As for people mattering more than insurance companies, if people matter so much why don't you pay their bills? That would be good of you, and not criminal / unconstitutional. 'Good old boy'? You're such a racist.
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| Photo | Michael T. Regan |
We suppose Congressman Bob Brady did this just because he can, right? Pia Varma (pictured, left), who calls herself the "Liberty Belle," was the unofficial Tea Party candidate on the ballot for the 1st Congressional District, until this weekend when Judge Johnny J. Butler ordered that she be taken off because she didn't get the required 1,000 signatures. (Steven Kaplan, an attorney for the Democratic City Committee, filed the challenge.)
On Saturday, she told City Paper that she would fight till the bitter end. "I don't appreciate Brady using conduits to try and intimidate me out of this race. If he wants me off the ballot, have that coward to call me and tell me himself," she says. "My advice to Brady? Stop crying, drop the challenge, take the gloves off and fight like a man."
But on Sunday, she didn't even appear in court, and later blamed her missing signatures on the lack of support from the Republican City Committee. However, Varma said she's still working on a write-in campaign despite being kicked off the ballot.
[...] how we told you a Tea Partier was running for Congress in the 1st District against Bob Brady, but then she [...]
[...] Pia Varma, the young Tea Partier who (sorta) attempted to challenge Congressman Bob Brady this spring, but then didn't get enough signatures, and later didn't show up to a court [...]
Best places offering women's self-defense classes in Philly/Main Line area?
My friend and I are looking to take some reasonably-priced self-defense classes specifically for women in the Philadelphia or Main Line area (preferably near Wayne/Radnor) and I haven't been able to find too much info. Suggestions would be awesome!
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| Photo | Neal Santos |
God, it's nice to remember that biking can be more than a strictly utilitarian way to get around the city again. There are a couple events going on this weekend that may be of interest if you, too, are rediscovering your love of the steel steed:
Your bike hit hard by this year's nasty winter? Head to Neighborhood Bike Works (3916 Locust Walk, 215-386-0316) on Sat., March 20, for its Cheap Bike Sale (which we're told will also include cheap bike parts).
Or, if you're in the mood to wear a costume, ride a bike, and sprinkle seeds around the city like a green guerrilla, check out the Spring Equinox Bike Ride that leaves at Locust and the Schuylkill (the loop at Schuylkill Banks) at 3 p.m. on Sat., March 20. Be prepared to shed a piece of clothing at one of the stop-off points (worry not shy folk, scarves/bracelets/jackets are fair game).
And don't forget about the tiny bike race on Saturday that startern/Showdown-ette Julia West covered over in Agenda.
Know of any other bike happenings this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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