Typewriters Make a Return for a Day

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Saturday was the first Philadelphia Type-In which took place at Bridgewater Pub at 30th Street Station. People were able to buy, sell, trade, and test typewriters from other typewriter enthusiasts. I find it amazing that there are still people using these machines for everyday use. Already I can think of one advantage of a typewriter over a PC; there is no temptation to go on Facebook.

Matt Cidoni, 16, attended as he won the event's type off by typing 55 words per minute. Matt has his own blog called Adventures In Typewriterdom. One very cool thing about Matt's blog is that he types up all his posts on one of his 10 typewriters and then scans them onto his computer.

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Also, check out the blog phillytyper.

I hope to find out about the next Type-In before hand and let you all know ahead of time.

In Case You Haven't Heard; Cliff Lee Cliff Lee Cliff Lee

Original Image: Associated Press 

Even if you do not follow sports, it would be difficult to ignore the fact that Cliff Lee has returned to the Phillies. Since the announcement late Monday night, the city has been buzzing as fans drool over the now best pitching rotation in baseball. Philadelphia has not been this excited since the Phillies won the world series in 2008.

The former Cy Young award winner has pitched for four different teams over the past two seasons, but it seems that he has found a home in Philadelphia when he signed the five-year $120 contract. Lee received offers for more coin from the New York Yankees and his most recent team the Texas Rangers. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that Lee and his wife love the city of Philadelphia and is where they want to settle down.

City Hall Christmas tree is lit...with a side note

The Christmas tree on the doorstep of City Hall was lit with help from Mayor Nutter and his wife Lisa. The annual lighting of the tree puts the finishing touches on the city to celebrate the holidays. This years 28 foot tree overlooks Christmas Village which is in its third year.

The Village is an array of gift shops and crafts. In the days leading up to the tree-lighting, much debate went on when the "Christmas Village" was changed to "Holiday Village." A private company runs the Village which sits on Dilworth Plaza, and made the name change after a complaint was received. There was an enormous outcry to reverse the name and Nutter did so the night before he illuminated the Christmas tree.

I think we are at a point in our diverse society that it is acceptable to share the simple pleasures of one another's religious celebrations, whether we practice that religion or not.

Spectrum Coming Down Tomorrow, Philly Live! to Go Up

Statues being lifted out [Image Source]

A seat-less Spectrum  [Image Source]

Tuesday, November 23rd will officially mark the end of the 43-year-old arena which was once home to the Flyers and Sixers up until the opening of, what now is the Wells Fargo Center, in 1996. "America's Showplace" came at a cost of $7 million back when being built from 1966-67. Unlike Veterans Stadium, the Spectrum will be demolished, not imploded. A couple weeks back people stood in line outside the arena, paid a $25 fee to enter, and got to leave with whatever they could carry with their hands with no reentry. With state of the art buildings like the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park, and Lincoln Financial Field towering over in South Philadelphia, the once celebrated Spectrum will meet with a wrecking ball at noon to make room for a new kind of entertainment venue.

The orginal Philly Live! plan [Image Source]

Once the debris is cleared and the hole in the ground filled, construction for Philly Live! will be begin. Philly Live! plans to be full with retail shops, restaurants, a hotel, and a place for fans to come together while being a part of the game without actually being at the game. Although the Spectrum still stands as I write this, Philly Live! has hit a speed bump.  The once 350,000-square-foot entertainment mecca has shrunk to 40,000 to 45,000 square feet overnight and just include a bar full of Philadelphia sports memorabilia, for now. The main cause for this modification, which I'm sure is no surprise to anyone, is the downward spiral the economy took since the plan was first announced in 2008. With completion set around 2012, who knows what another two years will hold for this project. Nevertheless, Philadelphia's sports complex has already been revived from what was a cluster of rundown warehouses to one of the countries single most premier sporting centers in just a decade and a half.

New Museum Adds More History to the City

This weekend was the grand opening ceremony's for the new National Museum of American Jewish History. The five story 100,000 square foot building is located at 5th and Market, looking over Independence Mall. The festivities this weekend included a black tie gala on Saturday night which included guests like Jerry Seinfeld and Barbra Streisand. On Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden was on hand to help open the museum with an introductory speech. The museum follows the migration of Jews to American and the influence on the country.

While the building itself costs a total of $150 million, the stories that it tells inside are priceless. The museum is not just for the Jewish people, but all Americans. As Americans we have ancestors who emigrated from all different parts of the world, or maybe you have had this experience of coming to America personally. Either way, the museum tells a similar story of the history of most American families.

The NMAJH opens to the public Friday November, 26.

Could Philadelphia Become #1?

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Philadelphia is without question one of the best cities in America, but like any other it has its issues. Here is an interesting article that lays on the line some changes to be made in order to give Philly a brighter future in 10 years. One of the ideas is to close public libraries and another is to build a ferris wheel at Penn's Landing...yeah. Take a read and let me know what YOU think.

Parents Carry Forward Daughter's Generosity

Jillian A. Siegel was just 20 years of age when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. While the Pennsylvannia State University sophomore was at the peak of her battle at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Jillian continued to help organize Thon. Thon is Penn State's annual charity dance marathon to help fight childhood cancer. A few months later Jillian Siegel passed away.

While their daughter was in treatment, Phil and Nancy Siegel  of Blue Bell saw many families that struggled to be there for loved ones because of financial reasons. At the most crucial times in these peoples lives, when they need loved ones by their side the most; it is sad money comes in the way. That is why the Siegel's decided to start a nonprofit organization to help families like this. Jill Just Wants 2 Help gives financial help and a place to stay for families with young adults who are being treated for sickness' like Jillian was. The nonprofit is working with Penn Medicine and hopes to begin handing out grants at the end of next year. In the future the Siegel's would like to build a Jill's House which would give families a place to stay and easy accessibility to their loved ones during treatment.

It says a lot about Jillian that in the midst of her own fight with cancer, she still had the will to help others and the Siegel's look to continue her selflessness.

Read the Full Article Here

South Street Bridge is Back in Business

It's About Time!
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If you drive on the dreadful Schuylkill Expressway this may have felt like an eternity, but the South Street Bridge has finally reopened after nearly two years. Planning for the $67.4 million project began back in 2006 to make the bridge that links Center City to West Philadelphia more pedestrian friendly. The number of automobile lanes have been reduced from five to four. However, bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks have been added to make areas like Pennsylvania University more accessible to non-motorists. Architecturally, the new South Street Bridge may not be the next Ponte Vecchio. This now completed project shows the city is willing to invest in everyday Philadelphians and create an adequate urban environment. 

Obama Visits Temple U: Get Out and Vote

With an important midterm election coming up, especially in Pennsylvania, President Obama spoke at Temple University. Obama spoke to the crowd of 1,500 about the importance of voting and to spread the word to others. Philadelphia was one of three stops scheduled for the President on Saturday. After lunch at Famous Fourth Street Deli, Obama went onto Bridgeport, CT and Chicago, IL for more of the "Moving America Forward" event. Tuesday, November 2 is election day; so GO VOTE!

Homeless Newspaper Honored

One Step Away is a non-profit Philadelphia newspaper that doesn't just cover stories on homeless, but produced by them. The paper is the only one of its kind. Coming up on its one year anniversary, One Step Away received the 2010 award for community service from the local chapter of the NAACP.

The publication is written, edited, and distributed by the homeless men, women, and children of Philadelphia. One Step Away gives homeless a chance to get back on their feet by becoming "vendors." The vendors buy each copy of the paper from one of the participating shelters for 25 cents, which pays for printing . Then they sell the paper on the street, asking for a minimum of a $1 donation. The profit they make is what they keep for themselves. Volunteers can also help out by either submitting articles, helping writers with their articles, or just donating on their website.

City School Library Comes to Life...What About the Others?

Potter-Thomas Elementary School received a much needed renovation of their library. They were one of 32 schools in the nation to win a $200,000 library face-lift from the Target School Library Makeover program. Before, the North Philadelphia school library was a dimly lit storage room filled with books that were 40 years old. Now the school  has a freshly painted, bright learning environment complete with new bookshelves, 2,000 new books and three new computers. As a bonus, everyone of the 400 students was given seven books to take home and share with other children.

Shhhhh: Philly lacks school libraries   Flickr: circulating

While it is great that a school received this generous gift; many other schools in the district lack fully functional libraries. The School District of Philadelphia has a total of 258 schools, but only 120 have libraries. Of that statistic, 71 have librarians. Elementary school is when a child needs to gain a respect for reading to help expand their learning abilities. However, only 25 of the 170 elementary schools in the city have certified librarians. This is a very important aspect that needs attention if Philadelphia wants to improve their school system.  

Read the Full Article Here

Extreme Makeover

Philadelphia is getting a face lift. The city is long over due for renovations of two of their most notable areas. For over a decade plans have come and gone to makeover the waterfront. Other than a few apartment towers and the new Sugar House Casino, Penn's Landing is scattered with vacant buildings and lots. This new plan is different from the previous. Instead of just a nice area to look across the river, the new project for the riverfront is to line it with low-rise residential buildings and shops. Also, ten parks are planned to be built along the Delaware. This will give ten neighborhoods access to recreation, just a ten minute walk away. When and if this project is complete, it will give Philadelphia yet another urban neighborhood to be proud of. 

Future Dilworth Plaza 

One of Philadelphia's most recognizable and historical buildings is also in line for a massive transformation. Dilworth Plaza, the area on the west-side of City Hall, is going to under go a $50 million project that will be completed by the fall of 2013. The now concrete plaza is going to get a large lawn to allow for concerts and other events. Next to the lawn, will be a giant fountain that pedestrians can walk across and in the winter will be converted into an ice skating rink. The plaza will also have a cafe with a number of glass pavilions that will have images projected on. At the same time Dilworth Plaza is in construction, Septa will start a $200 million renovation of it's subway.

With the current state of Philadelphia's economy and spending on the firing line, many will question these projects. However, it's important to invest in the city itself and give us, as a community, something to share and be appreciative of.

Paint the Town Pink

Pink is everywhere. Pink cleats on NFL football players, pink bumper stickers, pink bracelets; must mean it is breast cancer awareness month. In Philadelphia this past weekend was Susan G Koman's 3 day for the cure, a 60 mile walk which concluded at the Navy Yard in South Philly. A total of 2,200 men and women from our area participated in the race which earned $5.7 million for breast cancer research. They all walked for different reasons, but at the same time they walked for the same reason; to find a cure for breast cancer.

Read the Full Article Here

A New Type of Media Comes to Philadelphia

You may have seen these before on magazine advertisements or sales receipts. If you haven't before, these alien like designs are called QR codes. If you have a smartphone, which are almost half of people with cell phones, you can put these codes to use. All you do is download a free QR code reader, scan the box with your phone's camera, and the special content pops up. This code will take you to Tek Lado's mobile website.

Tek Lado is a new print magazine in Philadelphia and they are putting this new technology to good use. Their main focuses are technology and pop culture. What sets Tek Lado apart from every other print magazine in the country is they are the first bilingual publication. This is possible with QR codes placed throughout the magazine. Scanning the code will translate the article from English to Spanish or vise versa. Also, the QR codes will provide direct connection to extra material like pictures and videos. As of now, Tek Lado is a bimonthly publication, with their next issue due in late November. Visit their website to find out where you can pick up a copy.  

If you do not have a smartphone, here is the link to their website: Tek Lado

Read the Daily News Article about Tek Lado

Bringing Phamilies Together at Home

Other than an excuse to replace almost every word beginning with "F" with a "Ph," Phillies playoff baseball is a time when families come together. America's greatest pastime has been doing this for over a century, but in the last few years it got a jolt of life in our area. Some might call those fans who come out of hiding bandwagon jumpers. However, they just want to be a part of something larger than life and those opportunity's do not come around everyday.


Check out this letter from a father asking the Phillies faithful to accept his daughter (bottom picture) into the pack CLICK.

"The fate of our country won't be decided on the battlefield, it will be determined in a classroom."

The quote above is from the new award winning documentary Waiting for "Superman." The film tails a number of proficient students in the criticized American school system. When hearing about studies and information about our school systems, it is mostly an array of statistics. However, some might tend to forget that behind all those numbers and pie charts are stories.

Jalesaa Figueroa, 18, is one of those stories.  Figueroa and her grandmother Damaris Martinez live in North Philadelphia. Even though they receive food stamps and social security,  Figueroa attends Little Flower Catholic High School for girls. This is because Martinez stresses, "education we cannot live without." For three years they have bent over backwards to pay the annual tuition. Figueroa was in danger of having to spend her senior year at a public high school because her and her grandmother could not gather enough to pay tuition. Figueroa organized a fundraiser where her grandmother made home cooked food for guests and Figueroa sang. The fund raiser did not raise as much as hope, but Figueroa has received many checks sent to her school from complete strangers. One check anonymous for $1,000.

While America's schools will continue to be a hot topic, it is stories like these that show on the other end of the dropout rate are the promising future who want no more than a good education.

Read the Full Story Here