Cycling Takes on Policy with Full Frontal Assault

Less than two weeks from today, on September 4, thousands of local cyclists will come together for the third annual Philly Naked Bike Ride.

Its first year, the Ride drew disbelief and confusion as it seemed to many to be more obscure than anything with riders encouraged to BYO message. Riders took stands on environmental issues, gay rights and of course the importance of sharing the road, but a cohesive statement was tough to identify.

Make no mistake – there has always been a solid cause within the group of scantily clad, painted and full-on naked riders. But it wasn’t until last year that the media and the city fully understood that underneath all the nakedness, there was a message.

The three big ride-wide positions that the Philly Naked Bike Ride Organizers take are to “promote fuel conscious consumption, a popular body image and cycling advocacy,” said Clifford Greer, a PNBR organizer.

“There’s something really natural about the human being moving himself,” said Greer. “Using a bicycle for every-day transportation is a great choice that people can make. You’re not using fuel, you’re not harming the environment and your taking your destiny onto your own hands.”

With the growing number of PNBR participants and the visibility for the cause that they provide, organizers, including Greer have taken up the cause of a more mainstream bike advocacy group. They’ve begun pedaling the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s message, seeking support for specific policies and pending legislations.

For months, PNBR has been reaching out to its 1,600 facebook fans and those who have signed up to receive newsletter updates, in order to spread the word.

“Transportation legislation came to our attention and it makes sense for us to do our part and share the information with the riders,” said Greer. “It was our responsibility because we’re cyclists. As cyclists, we know that cycling is the future. If we do a bad job at stewarding a cycling friendly environment, we’ll have less cyclists and move backwards.”

Sarah Stuart, the campaign director at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has been following the progress of The Federal Transportation Bill and more specifically, the Transportation Enhancement portion of that bill that focuses on walking and biking paths. In our area, it’s been the source of funding for much of the popular infrastructure, including The Schuylkill River Park Trail from Locust to the Art museum, the site of PNBR’s inaugural run (pictured here).

“It’s a very big bill that gets reauthorized every 6 years,” she said. “In 1990 there was a huge cultural and political shift, orienting itself on all forms of transportation; making it federal policy that all forms of transportation were necessary, as opposed to only cars.

The bill wasn’t reauthorized in 2009 and without the support of local riders, taxpayers, and elected officials, the bill may meet a similar fate again because of the republican run House of Representatives, she explained.

Luckily, this is just the beginning of the campaign and local support is going to be an integral piece of pushing this legislation through. After the BCGP / PNBR announcement asking riders to contact their local officials, there were over 600 people who took action, sending letters and emails to their congressman and senators.

The Bicycle Coalition, and cycling advocates nationwide, are all pulling for support of this legislation. They’re confident that the democratic Senate will be able to help fight for their cause, and will be keeping an eye on the bill’s progress.

In addition to the Naked Ride here in Philadelphia, there will also be a non-naked ride, known as Bike Philly, sponsored by The Bicycle Coalition, just a week later, on Sunday, September 11. Registration is open and support, of course, is welcome.



The Naked Bike Ride is set for September 4, and details of the route and after-party will be revealed, as the date gets closer. Sign-up here for updates.

*Naked Bike Ride Photos were taken at the 1st Ride.

Join the Competition to Fix Philly Districts

Every 10 years, the Government collects census information. The most recent 2010 Census data is then taken and analyzed. Municipalities across the country use the data to better understand its neighborhoods.

For us, here in the ever-evolving landscape of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, that means redistricting. The Philadelphia City Charter mandates that within six months of the release of the census data, the City Council must meet and decide on the new boundaries. Though the new boundaries aren’t put into effect until 2015, and are open to changes over the next four years, the lines must be drawn.

This year, a computer program called Fix Philly Districts has been made public to our area, giving everyone the tools and information needed to create their own rendition of the boundaries.

Azavea, the company behind the program in collaboration with Newsworks, Penn Project for Civic Engagement, Philly.com and The Daily News are calling for participants in a contest to “Fix Philly Districts.”

The contest ends on August 28 and winners will be announced in early September. There are prizes for the winner, provided by the programs sponsors and all of that information is available here.

Members of Philadelphia’s City Council including Bill Green, Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Freshman, Mark Squilla were at a public orientation for the program and the competition earlier this week at WHYY.

Quinones-Sanchez promised to do her part in getting the winning maps in front of Council. So there’s a real possibility that a new map could help to change the face of Philadelphia.

There are many factors to take into consideration when “fixing” Philadelphia’s districts. Some are social, many are political and others are fiscal. But for the pure exercise of attempting to do what Philadelphia’s City Council seems to unsuccessfully do each and every decade, this program lets you give it a go.

The program seems most comparable to Photoshop, so with some basic computer skills, jumping into the competition either solo or within a group is a real possibility. For those not so familiar with computer programs, there are training webinars scheduled.

Those interested in giving the program a try, just for fun or for the competition should check it out at fixphillydistricts.com.

Philly’s Sad State of Media: A Personal Essay

Recently, there have been some events (some more outrageous than others), which have led me to boycott and generally lose faith in three of Philadelphia’s most widely known media outlets: local NBC affiliate, Channel 10 and Review Publishing’s Philadelphia Weekly and The South Philadelphia Review.

As a writer in the city, I’m constantly reading, watching and listening to what’s going on around me. From my computer screen, to my television and every publication I can get my hands on, I am constantly absorbing and assessing the work of others. It’s this type of submersion that I’ve come to know as part of my work environment.

Many times, stories can inspire. Other times, they help to engage. But recently, the work that is being passed off and accepted as professional journalism is redundantly uninformative, overly inappropriate or just downright un-newsworthy.

I cannot in good conscience continue to patronize these media outlets. And in making that decision for myself, I’ve decided it prudent to keep others informed as well.

NBC10.
Years ago, during the 9-11 coverage, I became absorbed by the 24 hour news cycle. I watched Channel 10, my local NBC affiliate for hours on end. During that time in our nation’s history, people were scared, myself included and NBC was providing a service, keeping the public notified and updated.

Fast forward 10 years and NBC10 has continued its three-hour span of evening news coverage and yet has let its content become mundane and irrelevant, at best. Giveaways at backyard parties, weather updates and community paper shredding events have overtaken what used to be a time when the most important stories of the day were explained, discussed and reported.

There are things going on in this city that are hardly covered: news that affects real people struggling every day to survive in this city. There are businesses struggling with a slow economy and city bureaucracy. There is redistricting because of the census information, murders and robberies, education that never seems to improve and even parts of the city that still don’t have recycling programs…the list can go on forever. National news rarely makes the cut and lets not even talk about international issues that aren’t even acknowledged.

But NBC10 opts to use its time on the airwaves to revive the same map of the weather from 10 minutes before and to allow anchors to squeal on about phone banks and when the next great shredder event will come to your area.

Instead of covering things that people need to know about, Channel 10 has morphed into some sort of advocate. Just trying to make our lives easier.

Instead of engaging their audience by reporting on important issues, they’ve capitalized on turning viewers’ brains into mush. How many times can you repeat the same junk stories? How many times can Glen Hurricane Schwartz or Tracy Davidson sit in front of a camera and basically sell the NBC brand?

Its NOT news. It’s an insult. And I’m changing the channel.

Philadelphia Weekly.
As a former intern with the Philadelphia Weekly, I’m always interested in what they have to write about. Many of their stories are great and writers like Tara Murtha continue to engage. But because of this past week’s issue, I have lost any and all respect for the publication.

Why? Because just a few pages into my flipping through, I came across the photo of a mustached muff: labia, clit and stash.

I didn’t even bother to read the article. Opening up a celebrated paper to find a picture of a woman’s vagina made me so disgusted that whatever was said beneath lost all value.

I get it. Shock value and all. But is that sort of inappropriate imagery necessary? It’s interesting that online, the vag shot has been omitted, only to show said vag’s owner Tanya Dakin in an almost childlike pose.

PW: Maybe next time you can do a story on OBGYN’s and get a full shot of a chick with her legs up in stirrups. Maybe she has a case of genital warts you could throw on the cover. Make it a genital warts issue.

Maybe that would be appropriate.

With a competitor like the City Paper putting out real stories with interesting and informative coverage, having to reduce yourself to that level speaks to your ethics and morality in general. Let alone what you feel is “good journalism.”

Needless to say, I won’t be picking up this alt-weekly on Wednesday.

The South Philly Review.
As a native Philadelphian, I grew up reading the South Philly Review. Each week’s social announcements were always fun to scan and of course, when my first niece was born, her photo was proudly displayed by her Zia Marilyn.

As I’ve gained perspective over the years, I’ve realized that other than the social announcements, in addition to the food writing, which I feel to be the papers weakest quality, the coverage here is lacking, antiquated and generally sad. In this past week’s issue, an article originally written in 2001 was reprinted because the writer was on vacation.

The article took up half a page. There are writers in this city that would give anything for a chance to write for a real media outlet, myself included. And instead of actually trying to engage their readers with new and interesting stories, the South Philly Review chose to run a piece that was 10 years old.

What a waste of space.Luckily, when it rains the South Philly Review is delivered in a plastic bag, keeping my dog-poo bag collection stocked. Glad it’s good for something.


Journalists have a responsibility to provide their audience with important and timely information. But with the changing landscape of media today, some of the city’s most well known outlets are putting out their shoddiest work to date.

I’m local writer with a fresh and interesting view on the city around me and yet for some reason, I’m left to babble on to my blog audience while accepted mainstream media outlets are applauded for old, inappropriate and generally mediocre coverage.

Disgusted doesn’t even start to describe my feelings. But in my anger and disdain for meritocracy, I’ll just do what I do. Report to my audience. And know in my heart that the bullshit publications that pass as news in this town will eventually fall like the house of Murdoch. And what will be left? Independent reporters.

Skillshare Launches in Philadelphia

Before education was moved to the heights and formality of the Ivory Tower, mentors passed their trades onto apprentices and families continued traditions passing down crafts from father to son. It’s this method of organic teaching that has become antiquated over the centuries. But with the help of the Internet, a newly launched company is bringing back an age-old tradition.

Skillshare is an online marketplace for off-line classes connecting those with something to teach with those looking to learn. Skillshare is out to launch a “Learning Revolution,” which is a big part of the company’s educational view. They believe that learning can happen anywhere and should not just revolve around formal training, like in universities.

Now they’re looking to attract teachers and students in the Philadelphia area. Right now, Philadelphia has nearly 200 signups and once Skillshare reaches 500, Philly’s classes will be available.

Skillshare’s New York City launch has been well received, with some class attendances topping out in the hundreds. There are sushi making classes, SEO intro courses, and even a seminar on how to live rent free in New York.

Teachers and students create a profile and create or sign-up for classes and pay online via PayPal. Skillshare keeps 15% of the revenue and the teachers get the rest. Prices vary from class to class and can cost anywhere from $5 for an intro to knitting to $150 for a day-long motivational seminar.

Classes are held in public places like cafes, bars, offices, and parks and require at least two students, for safety.

Verification that the teachers actually know the skills is relatively simple, thanks to social media and the power of the web, explained Skillshare’s Head of Special Operations in Philly, Brendan Lowry.

Teacher bios allow for teachers to explain their expertise, and link to their blogs, websites, social media accounts, featuring some of their work.

Visit Skillshare’s website for more information or watch the videos below.

What is Skillshare? from Skillshare on Vimeo.

Let's Start a Learning Revolution from Skillshare on Vimeo.

Debt Talks: Social Security Checks Could Be at Risk of Default

In a story originally posted on CBS news, yesterday, President Obama was quoted as saying he would take “significant heat” from fellow democrats over certain elements of the debt reduction deal that he is currently working to secure.

CNN posted an article today stating that in excerpts from a CBS interview set to air this evening, the POTUS warned that he couldn’t guarantee older Americans would receive their Social Security checks next month. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney then confirmed these warnings in the CNN story.

If there is not a solution, and our nations elderly, veterans and disabled were to in fact lose their funding, would that be enough for lawmakers to come to an agreement?

While the republicans and democrats bicker across the aisle and debt talks go through varied states of break down and continuance, America falls deeper into an economic abyss. With the presidential elections around the corner, and top republicans already vying for the Oval office, where is the motivation to fix the problem?

Playing partisan politics in an election year will do nothing but leave America’s gaping wounds open and susceptible to infection. The democratic banter and republican rhetoric is not creating a solution and if the men and women elected to run this country can’t seem to agree on how to fix its problems, than this country is in a sad state of affairs.

Operation Unified Protector: Smells Like Roses & Quacks Like a Duck

For those who are unfamiliar, Operation Unified Protector is the ongoing, NATO led military mission in Libya. It’s not called a war. Not yet anyway. And the United States, though officially supporting the actions of NATO and its Allied countries is technically not at war.

The NATO led effort to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack of by its own leader, Moammar Gaddafi, began late in March.

Managing the effort from bases located in Italy and Turkey, the allied forces first enacted a no fly zone over Libya, allowing only approved military crafts or humanitarian aid into or out of the country. They also began an arms embargo, enforced both by air and by sea.

As of May 31, NATO aircrafts have flown over 9,000 missions over Libya, of which 3,400 were tactical bombings. On June 1, 2011, NATO passed a 90-day extension of Operation Unified Protector to begin on June 27; exactly 90 days after NATO’s initial involvement in the conflict.

The BBC is reporting that the UK and its Royal Navy can stay involved in the effort as long as needed, even up to and beyond the six-month number that is being debated while the Obama administration’s decision to enter the conflict without the proper support or approval of the United States Congress has caused turmoil in America.

Many in the US are calling for legal action against the president claiming that he violated The War Powers Act of 1973. The act was meant to stop presidents from sustaining wars without congressional approval but some see it as just a really big stick that congress can shake at the President.

In a report to Congress the White House argued that America’s participation in the NATO-led effort did not require congressional authorization, insisting that the US forces are only there in a supporting role and with any foreign occupation forbidden in Libya, troops remain off the ground.

But even with America strictly lending air support, it’s reported that the United States has spent over $715 million in military operations and humanitarian aid. Staying on through September will up the price tag to over $1 billion.

While the GOP stands firmly against the President’s decisions, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other party loyalist support the president’s actions. But, with mounting debt at home and no room left to the ceiling, the Republican led Congress has threatened to tighten the purse strings.

The War Powers Act gives the president 60 days to get the proper authorization needed to continue an effort or 30 days to withdrawal and the clock is running out. This key piece of legislature was only entered into America’s legal books when the reality of what had happened in Vietnam became evident to the American public.

Without a proper declaration of war, either then or now, America seems to be walking a familiar path into a grey area we now know to cost more in lives, national support and international reputation than it ever did monetarily.

Phila.gov to Add 75% of L&I Applications by 2012

Yesterday, I wrote an article about the overlaying repetition of wasteful bureaucracy found in government, both nationally and locally and the Obama administration’s “Campaign to Cut Waste” which would begin to consolidate said overlaps.

Headed up by Vice President Biden, the new waste cutting initiative would also be dumping irrelevant .gov websites. Which led me to question the future of the phila.gov/311 site, due to its lack of relevancy.

Low and behold, this morning, I came across this little gem in Technically Philly!
According to the story, Daniel Heitzer, the deputy DOT chief information officer for business improvement services said,“we are targeting to have 75 percent of [license and permit applications] by volume up by end of year, getting contractors, developers and homeowners out of line at the Municipal Services Building and online.”

Phila.gov must have been listening. In an effort to stay relevant and possibly avoid the Vice President’s chopping block, Philadelphia is promising to help things in this city run smoothly!
According to the Technically Philly article, the project was actually laid out in January as a top priority.

Kudos to the city’s press office for a well timed press release.

Click here to read yesterday's article.

Will the Campaign to Cut Waste Affect Philadelphia?

In a recent effort to cut spending, the White House has initiated a new program known as the “Campaign to Cut Waste,” which will be headed up by Vice President Joe Biden, Cabinet secretaries and agency watchdogs.

The results of tighter budgets are felt all over the country, through all levels of government and the private sector. Locally, residents in Philadelphia have heard more than their share of the words “spending cuts.”

A widely read report that circulated throughout the government pointed out that governmental duplication, overlap and waste accounted for billions of dollars each year. Funding went towards many overlapping offices and agencies including 100 different programs dealing with transportation and 15 for food safety. Other areas that would benefit from higher efficiency mentioned in the report were homeless programs, government food programs, and an inordinate amount of government training programs which could be consolidated. Mentioned extensively within the report was the Department of Defense on topics ranging from its wartime budget to its medical records.

Also on the list of waste to be cut are about 2,000 .gov websites, including one in particular that has already been shut down featuring a group of fiddling forest rangers. Seriously.

With so many websites on the chopping block, one questions if the local phila.gov/311 site will make the cut. Considering its ability to somehow retard information, as does the call line, I guess we will have to wait and see.

Philadelphia is notorious for upholding the status quo when it comes to office overlaps. As anyone who has ever tried to get a license / permit / inspection in this city is well aware, wading through multiple levels of bureaucratic overlay when attempting to file / request / follow-up with paperwork in one of the city’s many departments, can be redundant, to say the least. The concept of cleaning house sure does sound inviting.

Understanding The Pentagon Papers

Forty years ago today, Daniel Ellsberg, a government analyst, leaked a Top Secret document known as The Pentagon Papers to The New York Times. Commissioned in 1967, the 7,000-page report detailed the 22-year history and unwinnable reality of American forces in Vietnam.

Today, Monday, June 13, 2011, the 40th anniversary of the leak, marks the first time the Pentagon Papers will be revealed in its entirety without censorship or redaction. Though very little is left to be revealed, the significance of today’s revelation is of importance.

Because of President Obama’s government transparency initiative, many of the government’s Top Secret documents will be declassified. Though the process of declassification will be long and drawn-out, because of the millions of documents classified as top secret each year, it should, in theory, lead to a higher level of accountability on the part of our government and ultimately help to rebuild the trust that was lost during this tumultuous time in America’s history.

The activities surrounding the Pentagon Papers both set and bolstered precedents including reinforcing the media’s first amendment rights as well as the right of the government to prosecute those who leak confidential information.

To understand the present, one must understand the past.

Daniel Ellsberg went from being a key part of the government’s Vietnam advisory team to being considered “The Most Dangerous Man in America.” His 1971 actions were blamed for the decrease in Vietnam’s popularity among Americans, though peace protests started as far back as 1965.

Ellsberg didn’t set out to leak this classified document. At one time he had believed in the mission he was assigned, or at least believed his recommendations would be followed. But after being on the ground in Vietnam, believing the war unwinnable and recommending proper strategies, he realized that the war had been built and was being run on a web of lies that would ultimately span five different Presidents, each making his own contribution to the quagmire. Sound familiar? History usually repeats itself.

Many of the nations top officials shared Ellsberg’s sentiment that the war was unwinnable but none spoke out. Many perpetuated the official stance that victory was just around the corner.

At the time the Pentagon Papers were commissioned in 1967, the US Military’s commitment in manpower had risen to over 500,000 soldiers. Over 2.5 million Americans would serve in Vietnam and over 50,000 would lose their lives.

Considering the mounting numbers of lives lost and lies being told to the American public, Ellsberg became disillusioned. The guilt he felt for his part in Vietnam became too much to bear and he decided the American people must know about what was really happening.

Ellsberg photocopied the Pentagon Papers, volume by volume and released them to The New York Times. When the Nixon administration realized the Top Secret information had been leaked, they sought and won a restraining order against the Times to stop publication.

Ellsberg released parts of the documents to The Washington Post. The restraining order was then applied to them. Determined to have this information revealed, Ellsberg sent excerpts to 18 different papers across the country.

In a precedent setting case, the Supreme Court overturned the injunction allowing publication to proceed, in essence reinforcing all the power the press had been promised in the First Amendment.

The Nixon Administration considered Ellsberg’s actions a criminal breach of wartime security. Ellsberg was charged but the executive branch’s subsequent actions leading up to the Watergate scandal was enough to have the charges dismissed due to the government’s misconduct.

The decision did, however, reinforce the prosecutory response to those who leak information, a practice enforced to this day. But now, government actions like Nixon’s are supported by modern legislation, namely, the Patriot Act.

By the time Nixon left office in 1974, many of the American people’s long-standing belief in government had been broken, replaced by a feeling of naivety and overall distrust. This cultural change in attitude has continued, gaining strength ever since.

The American people had been conned and many lives were lost. Those responsible for our nation’s decision making were not held accountable by the public because the public didn’t know what was really happening.

Political distrust has become the status quo but the transparency that Obama has initiated could, one day, make this sentiment towards the government a thing of the past, requiring those in power to be held responsible for their actions - including the current administration. But with the back log of reports still left to be declassified, initiatives taken today may not be revealed for many years to come.

In a quote from the New York Times, Ellsberg said there were still plenty of lessons to be drawn. “It seems to me that what the Pentagon Papers really demonstrated 40 years ago was the price of that practice,” he said. “Which is that letting a small group of men in secret in the executive branch make these decisions — initiate them secretly, carry them out secretly and manipulate Congress, and lie to Congress and the public as to why they’re doing it and what they’re doing — is a recipe for, a guarantee of Vietnams and Iraqs and Libyas, and in general foolish, reckless, dangerous policies.”

Relevant Links:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/pentagon-papers-to-be-declassified-at-last/2011/06/08/AGA0VuOH_story.html?sub=AR
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/us/08pentagon.html
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/The_Afghanistan_papers.html

Connecting the Dots

Too often news is thrown out to the public in bits and pieces. Audiences are expected to be able to read between the lines, decipher the message and understand the bigger picture all within a few seconds with the help of a quick sound bite, image and short commentary.

Too rarely does anyone actually paint the whole picture, bringing larger issues into focus with regards to recent news. The audience is left to fend for itself, trying to make sense of issues and occurrences that matter, but are far too obscure to put into perspective in a brief mention.

Making sense of the big picture is something I seem to do instinctively. And that is what I will do here. Bring bigger stories into focus for those that care to read them.

News.

Though I've been covering and even making news for some time now now, I've been told that I'm not "qualified" to cover real news. That my experience is in arts and entertainment.

To this, I say bullshit.

And so I begin my coverage of Philadelphia's daily news. I will also be covering national subjects and how they translate to our day to day local lives. This is a site to find today's important happenings. Not just the stuff to take your mind off of the things that seem too big to handle. I will try and keep the opining to a minimum, but sometimes, I just can't help myself.

Stay tuned.