POST-APOCALYPTIC WATER GUN FIGHT!

Tomorrow we all meet in Washington Square Park at 3:30PM and have a giant "End-of-the-world" Water Gun and Nerf Gun fight!

WHO'S IN?

Holy Grail - The Troc - May 3rd!

HOLY GRAIL - The Trocadero - May 3rd, 2011

This should be one hell of a show! Holy Grail will be playing the balcony at The Troc, and admission is only $10! So unless you're a starving artist, I think you should be able to make it, have a damn good time, and enjoy some awesome power/thrash metal!

Click here to check out the poster on DeviantArt!

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I sketched out the poster idea about a week before I decided to work on a finish. It wasn't a very developed concept; a woman with snakes. I always like trying to add more and more to a piece like that, and I decided to do an ode to Leviathan.

At the same time, I was looking more and more at the work of my contemporaries, especially Godmachine. His work is consistently amazing, and I wanted to try something in the style he did that seems to be, in fact, the modern illustration style (my opinion, and nothing more). That said, my apologies if its too close!

I'm pretty happy with the result. I worked on it originally as a t-shirt design that I was going to turn into a poster, but I kept running into the same problem; I didn't like how colorful it was, especially on the poster. The original has a LOT of green, and on a whim I decided to make everything red. It worked great for the poster, and so you have this.

A lot of blood, sweat, and annoyance went into this piece. The woman's head was a nightmare to draw, and it's my biggest weakness. I love drawing women's heads, but I suck at drawing them looking up. I think I got it this time. :)

RE: Comcast - My Idea for a Black-Owned TV Station

Hi Comcast!

My name is Larry West, and I am an illustrator/designer from Philadelphia, PA. While surfing the net, I saw a post saying that you were looking for ideas for one of two stations to be owned by African-Americans. Despite not being born in Africa myself, I have been told I'm somehow of African dissent. As such, I feel I should apply.

That being said, my idea would be perfect: A 24-Hour Cartoon Channel!

OK, OK! I know exactly what you're thinking! "We've already got one!" NO, you don't! What you have is a kids channel that shows a lot of cartoons but also a bunch of live-action shows! The cartoons on the channel SUCK, and some of them look like they were done by people on acid (I'm looking at YOU, Problem-Solverz!).

No, I want a REAL 24-Hour Cartoon Channel! 

My idea is simple: Nothing but cartoons. Period. OK, except for commercials and any movie that features both cartoons with Live-Action! At the same time, I want to start hiring talented cartoonists who either had a break and lost it or people who never got the one they deserve. Think about it: Comcast supports the arts!

Who's on my list?

John K.
Harry Partridge
Peter Chung
Joe Murray
Mike Judge
Joseph Krzemiensk
Swinton Scott III

Some of these names may be familiar. Some are not. Click on their name and you'll learn more about who these awesome people are! John K, for example, created Ren & Stimpy and is a remarkable cartoonist! Harry Partridge is well known for his Watchmen and Akira parodies, while Peter Chung (my HERO!) created Aeon Flux, one of the greatest cartoons to ever make it to mainstream TV! Joe Murray created Rocko's Modern Life as well as Camp Lazlo, while Mike Judge created King of the Hill and Beavis and Butt-Head! Meanwhile, Joseph K is a talented animator I knew in college adn Swinton Scott III has worked on The Simpsons, Futurama, and Static Shock.

Also, I want get the rights to a bunch of old cartoons, like The Critic, Animaniacs, Duckman (ESPECIALLY Duckman!), Dilbert, Pinky & The Brain, Swat Kats, Aeon Flux, Drawn Together, and a bunch more! Not to mention show movies like Akira, Wallace and Grommit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Cool World.

Yes, "What the HELL You Starin' At? indeed!

In the morning we would show some classic funnies, like Tex Avery cartoons, and then just show some random stuff during the day (some re-runs of cartoons made by our talented staff would be great!), and during the afternoon have a block of cartoons by our in-house staff for 2 hours! Prime time would allow for more new programs, while the hours of 10PM to 5AM would compete against Adult Swim and WIN! Yes, WIN! How? By having the best classic cartoons and adult-themed animation around!

Yes, Reel Toons (TM! TRADEMARKED!!!!!) would be on from 10PM to 5AM showing the more adult of cartoons we have! Aeon Flux and Duckman would be a given, but we could also get whatever we could from Mike Judge's connections! Its perfect! The man helped to host the Animation Show and the Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation!

Yeah.... LOTS of Aeon Flux!

Meanwhile, we would have a bunch of awesome bumps and promos, and attract the key 5 - 35 age demographic! WE WOULD MAKE MILLIONS!!!!


-Wait, really quick... were you expecting this to just be "Hi, I'm black, so lets make it an 'urban' network by showing a bunch of old black sitcoms, toss in a bunch of sexist and homophobic rap videos, never show anything without black people, and treat our audience like uneducated cattle?" Sorry, dude, but I think trash like The Parkers and Soul Plane are nothing more than modern-day minstrel shows while anything by Tyler Perry continues to prove that he hates black people.

Today's Weather...

A quick artist's rendition of what America looks like today:

Check out some coverage on Gizmodo.

SEPTA to Get Rid of Bus Numbers to Eliminate Confusion

SEPTA, in yet another effort to eliminate rider confusion, has decided to eliminate the number system for buses. The move follows eliminating the “R” system from their Regional Rail service, as some customers would accidentally get on the wrong train and go in another direction entirely.

“We've listened to our customers complain for years about the trains, but we've gotten a lot of the same complaints about our buses, if not more," remarked SEPTA's General Manager. “So in order to eliminate the confusion of going the wrong way, we've renamed each bus route after the final destination. This means you will now know which bus is going where as the final destination instead of having to rely on a number-based system.”

One example of this new and improved system is the Route 18 Bus that runs from Cedarbrook Mall to Fox Chase. Instead of having the bus route called the “18”, as is the shorthand, it will now be called the “Cedarbrook Mall” route and the “Fox Chase” route, respectively.

“I'm glad to finally see this! I can't tell you how many times I go to Center City and get on the wrong bus!”, Samantha Max of the Fishtown section remarked. “I've taken the 33 Penn's Landing bus more than one time thinking it was going the other way! I don't read the entire name of the route on the front of the bus, just the number.” When asked why he did this, he replied, “Isn't that all I need to know?”

The move has been met with some criticism as well from a small, but vocal, number of commuters. “How the hell does someone get confused about which way the bus is going? The route is in the name, for crying out loud!”, replied Mark Harvey of Chestnut Hill. When asked how often he took the bus, he said, “About once a week. It can be a little confusing, but a lot of the bus signs tell you what the final destination is, so it's easy for me to figure out which side of the street to get on.”

“Part of the reason for this move is because we've found that some of our riders do have a problem with 'reading comprehension',” SEPTA's General Manager admitted. “Some of our riders are from out of town, may ride our transit system intoxicated, or in some cases are simply illiterate. In order to make the system better and more efficient for everyone, we feel that making these changes for less than 1% of our riders is a step in the right direction.”

The cost of the project has not been determined, although it is worth noting that twice as many schedules than before will need to be printed. Not only that, but so will any and all maps with references to the bus route numbers, and the nearly countless signs around Philadelphia and the Suburbs with route numbers on them.

When asked if the possibility of selling more naming rights to more stations could possibly effect this even more in the future, SEPTA responded in a positive way. “The hope is that it will. We're currently working on a deal to sell the naming rights to Frankford Terminal to Sprint, thus renaming it Sprint Terminal. The deal would be worth $20 Million.” When pressed further, SEPTA would receive only $3 Million of that money, which comes out to 0.03% of SEPTA's $1.3 Billion a year budget(PDF), as the money would be spread over 5 years.

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DISCLAIMER: The following article was a joke. If you did take this seriously, that proves just how fucked-up the new Regional Rail system idea is! Contact SEPTA directly to tell them so!

Flash Mobs, Violence, and The Media: So Really, Who's to Blame?

Flash Mob.

The terms has been thrown around Philadelphia periodically over the past year, starting back last summer when a large group of teenagers converged on South Street on what was one of the first nice Saturdays in a while. Back in March, they came back on, once again, the first nice Saturday in a long time. Both times they were called "Flash Mobs", a term used in this context to describe a large presence of people descending upon an area at once. This should not be confused with actual flash mobs that do fairly creative and fun things after organizing online.

Criticism has been leveled against the media for hyping the story, and fairly so. In bringing so much attention to this, it actually seems to be increasing the number of them and the number of people coming out to them.

The problem now, though, is that the criticism is getting worse and the real problem is being ignored.

Enter Philebrity, the biggest gossip and news blog in Philadelphia. While I can honestly say I respect them some of the time, I'm frustrated with it the rest of the time. Case in point: Their Racism-bating stories criticizing 6ABC . So what do I mean by the term "Racism-baiting"? They're saying 6ABC uses underlying racism to make the Flash Mobs look worse than it really is. The problem, though, is that they aren't.

Case in point?

Here’s what doesn’t: As Friday night’s lead story illustrated, “FLASH MOB FEAR BLACK TEENS VIOLENCE” has now entered the Action News (and all who sail in them) pantheon of non-stories they can sensationalize the fuck out of, spreading fear and dread to those who desire it most — the ignorant schlubs who actually think that what WPVI is “news.”

The actual video doesn't try to tell that story at all.

All the while, Philebrity ignores the actual issue: WHY kids are gathering like this, and why it is an actual issue.

On July 10th , an estimated 20,000 people descended on South Street around 1AM. The police, in response to these action, shut down 11 blocks. Again, this is 20,000 people in a 11-block area. That's a LOT of people, especially for 1AM on a Sunday Morning. No events, no concerts at that time... nothing. There was a concert earlier at The TLA, but that ended around 11PM. The cops had tried to subdue the crowd for the better part of the night since many kids were coming down because they mistakenly thought that the Greek Picnic Crowd would be there. The truth of the matter is that the picnic has not taken place in Philadelphia since 2007.

Philebrity's response? The cops are afraid of black people, thus the reaction was bad.

SEPTA buses were actually brought in to take the kids home that night, and considering the fact that since anyone under 18 who is out on the street past 12AM on a Saturday Night is breaking curfew, and thus the law... it actually does make sense to call in buses to take everyone home.

The problem with these gatherings isn't that black teenagers are there, or that it's a large group of black kids. No. The problem is that it's a large group of teenagers in general, and that can lead to problems. It's true that only a small number of kids are actually causing problems, but they can, and are, easily magnified when the numbers of actual kids increase and peer-pressure starts to give way to a mob mentality, no pun intended.

Philebrity seems to be ignoring the facts that, yes, violence is happening as part of these large groups of teenagers, the fact that these are mostly black kids does not mean its racist to point that out, and the fact that something needs to be done.

The problem doesn't lie in laying blame on someone, but in the attitude we give to the situation.

So, really, who's to blame? Blaming the media alone is pointless. So is simply blaming parents or even the kids. We really are all to blame in some way for this. The parents are to blame for not being there for their kids, for not being more proactive in some of these kids lives. Yes, parent's can't be there 24/7, and teenagers are still growing up and need things to do and will do things like this. Is the new hive-mind mentality part of the new world we live in?

In recent weeks, the Philadelphia Police have cracked down on large groups of teenagers because of the violence we've seen, and they have been getting better about preventing these gatherings before they get too big... well, sometimes.

The solution isn't simple, it's complicated. Parents getting involved is a start, so is the media not reporting about this is a fairly-glamorous fashion. I can actually say I agree that the biggest problem with 6ABC's coverage is that it puts it as a front-page story when, really, its more page 7, but then again, this was a case where the police dispersed the crowd before it was massive problem. If more stores and restaurants were open late across Center City in general, who knows, maybe that would help. Since South Street is basically the only area open later than 7PM on a Saturday Night, or the only one with a lot of attention.

The quasi-ironic thing, though, is that over the last 5 years South Street started to go downhill in terms of, well, being interesting and fun. Suddenly we're seeing it become at least one, if not the other, and there seems to be no one or any way to make this into a positive thing, or make it fun.

Go Skateboarding Day 2010 - Some Tips

I won't go into the mess that was the last year in terms of go skateboarding day, but it seems to be kinda quiet this year. I won't be able to do much this year, so here's some advice to keep in mind:

• 1. Despite the rumors, no, you can not skateboard at Dilworth Plaza, LOVE Park, or the Municipal Services building on Go Skate! Day. They didn't change the law, they didn't give out permits... don't bother.
  
  
• 2. If you are confronted by an officer, be as polite as possible if they are trying to be polite as well. If they immediately start hassling you, ask yourself A) Am I skating in a place where I know its illegal and B) Do they have a point? If you're able to, simply speak in a calm matter and co-operate. If they become abusive or start by using force despite the fact you are not doing anything to warrant it, REPORT IT! Get a badge number, post it on a blog... get the word out about them! Simply fearing retaliation will do nothing more than allow it to continue!
  
  
• 3. Try to hit the legal places, like FDR Park on Broad and Delaware Avenue. The best way to get there is to take the Broad Street Subway to the end of the line (Pattison Ave) and keep going South. You can't miss it. There's also "5-Block" off Broad and Girard. Trust me, you can't miss it. Just listen and look for a ton of skateboarders.
  
  
• 4. Make sure you always carry a copy of the actual law, §10-610. Skateboarding, Rollerblading and Bicycling on Public Property! If any officer says your breaking the law and you know you're in the right, take this out. It states, and I quote, skateboarding is allowed on "public roads, highways, bicycle and/or skateboard paths, or sidewalks abutting private property....... Recreation Department facilities, which facilities shall be subject to the rules and regulations of the Recreation Department." So if you get hassled for skateboarding on the sidewalk, you're in the right!

Got it? Good!

Have fun and stay safe out there!


EDITORS NOTE: Recent visitors of this article include: North Penn School District and City of Philadelphia. HI THERE!!! :D

In Defense of Pitbulls

I have never for the life of me understood why people seem to hate Pit Bulls.

Growing up, I didn't like dogs at all. I lived next door to a guy who had one for protection that was incredibly mean. All the other dogs on the block seemed to have this thing about wanting to get close to me for a bite, and basically I didn't have anything close to a good experience with one. Up until 4 years ago, I had to deal with one on my block that was never on a leash when it was outside and would chase me. Not fun.

Since then, I've warmed up to dogs. I've always been allergic, so that hasn't helped the situation much. Working downtown and with a lot of people who own and downright love them... well, it's forced me to open up more. I can't do much, though, and I'm still nervous around them.

So when I hear people decry the American Pit Bull Terrier, or the Pit Bull... I'm left scratching my head.

The main argument I've heard are that they're "more aggressive". In my experience, and even statistically... it's basically baloney. Just like most dogs, they're loyal to their masters and family, and friendly to strangers. It's more of a reputation than anything else.

The problem, though, is that a lot of people who get Pit Bulls tend to get them for the wrong reason. Look at Micheal Vick, for example. He used them in dog fighting, making them more aggressive needlessly and forcing them to fight. Sadly, a lot of people do the same thing. You also have people buying them just because they want to look like they have a "tough dog", so they actually try to make them mean as well.

Then you have the people who get them because they simply love dogs.

A co-worker of mine rescued a pit bull from the street out of the rain that wasn't doing too good. A few days later, he found out why the dog was acting so sick; she was pregnant. He now has a bunch of cute little puppies to give away, and he's making sure they go to good homes. The dog is a sweetheart.

Pit Bulls, by and large, are no more aggressive than most other breeds of animals. In fact, there was one that lived down the block from me. Remember how I said most of the dogs on my block tended to have a need to get a little too close to me? This one didn't. She was very nice, sat at her house whenever tied up, and when she was walked, was very nice towards me and respectful. It was a mix of both a boxer and a pit bull. In my life, the dogs that have been aggressive have been the ones that seem like they should be nice... but aren't.

Philadelphia City Council has been trying to ban Pit Pulls for years, and it is simply impossible. The law forbids banning specific breeds of dogs, and for that, I am actually thankful. In fact, a ban would simply make it worse in this city! Can you imagine them being banned? You already have jerks owning them, and they're in the minority. What happens when they're the majority?!

Pit Bulls are, by and large, kind, caring animals, nor worse or more violent than most of the dogs out there. Just treat them with the same love and respect you would any dog and you'll be fine.

Photo Courtesy of Manly's Republic

The Philadelphia Art Scene: Getting Better!

It was roughly a year ago when I last wrote about the Philadelphia Art Scene, and how I ranted that the local blogs only seem to support... well... boring stuff. I recanted, somewhat, saying that good art was out there in the city but it just wasn't getting the attention it deserved.

To a large degree, I still think that's true (especially on the blog end), but I've seen a TREMENDOUS jump in the quality of work being put out in the city.

Tonight on First Friday, I went to the Salt Gallery for the first time. I decided not to display my work because, to be honest, it was just too hot. The gallery celebrates contemporary and up-and-coming artists, and in general has a nice blend of everything, including pop art. Located at 212 Race Street, it is worth taking a look!

But the biggest shocker for me wasn't in the gallery, but on the street. While walking past Christ Church, a few paintings grabbed my eye, one of which I could swear I had seen before.

John McGinn was born in Kingston, NY, and moved here in 1985 with his family. The son of a master painter, John at age 31 paints like an old master and is, without a doubt, the best painter I've ever seen on the streets on First Friday. It was very inspiring, very stunning, and the photos don't do his work justice. If you get the chance, or simply the privilege, you must see one of his painting in person! I asked him about galleries and his answered simply mirrored mine whenever I was asked; "I've actually never bothered to try."

Over at Digital Ferret, the artist Jeremy Hush had an opening on Fourth Friday, and the show will be running through the month. Creating surreal and creepy landscapes. He has absolutely stunning work in the tradtion of other artist such as Edgar Allen Poe... well, if he drew, at least.

The scene is getting better, and I can actually smile now. :)

IMAGE: "Lingerie" © Gouache on Panel 2ft x 4ft by John McGinn

Do Neo-Nazi's Have Rights?

For a lot of reasons, this is a really weird thing for me to actually write about. Not so much because I'm discussing Nazi's, or the fact that I'm dealing with a really odd topic.

No, its because I'm asking if a group of American's actually do have rights.

Now, let me set something straight now: I'm not a fan of Neo-Nazi's. In my personal experience with them, they tend to be quiet. The last time I encountered one was at Ozzfest in 2008. One thing was clear; we both were there because of our love of the music, so personal hatreds and differences aside, that's all that mattered.

That being said, Neo-Nazi's still have rights... right?

On April 23rd, Murphy's Law played the Khyber here in Philly. On Tuesday the word was out around town that 3 men dressed in Nazi attire went to the show. Now, mind you, Murphy's Law has played around with Nazi imagery in the past, but they haven't touched it in a long time. They show up to the show, and the crowd largely ignored them, periodically making fun of them. They wound up leaving the show and going down 2nd Street.

A crowd of 50 people attacked the 3 men.

Straight from Philly.com:

He said the crowd kicked and punched the Nazi-wannabes and used weapons that included beer bottles and cue balls, although postings on other online- message boards describe the attack as more tame.

The only information police have on the incident is that they responded to a report of a disturbance on 2nd Street at 11:33 p.m. No arrests, hospitalizations or assaults were reported, a police spokeswoman said.

That's pretty interesting to hear. Post and comments on Philebrity say the guys basically got their asses kicked and left with bloody noses. The photos and police reports say otherwise, and the entire thing amounted to people stealing their hats.

But as you can see from the comments, the sentiment is that they deserved what they got.

Did they?

The reports indicated that the men didn't do anything during or after the show other than to wear what they wanted. One account says they wore "camouflaged combat pants; woolen, WWII-era coats adorned with SS emblems and authentic Third Reich hats with Nazi insignias emblazoned atop them." Other than that, they were basically just going to a concert to have a good time. Once they leave the place, they're attacked by 50 people.

So, lets go over this again: 3 men were attacked for no reason by a crowd of 50 people simply for standing at 2nd and Chestnut.

In this country, everyone has the right to do and say whatever they want as long as they don't interfere with your rights. To be clear, no, you do not have the right to not be offended. If anything, it's a right to be allowed to be offended. If these guys wanted to stand around and look like SS troopers, they have every right in the world to do so. If you want to stand across the street from them, give them the finger, and tell them to fuck off, you have every right in the world to do that, too. You don't have the right to physically harm someone, though, unless they're actively are trying to kill you.

Isn't going around and beating people who look, act, or think differently than you a Nazi-esq thing to do?

Again, I don't like Neo-Nazi's that much. I also hate racist pricks in general. There's a group of black men who stand on Market Street every Saturday preaching hatred and racism, about how "white people are evil". Yet I'm not allowed to hurt them, no matter how much I want to. These guys are actively preaching hate, but all I can do is fight back by yelling at them and flipping them off. And, in the end, sometimes that's all you can do to stay a little ahead morally.

Photo courtesy of The Fifth Column.

ELECTRONIC SAVIORS - NEW DATE!!! - April 3rd 2010!

Digital Ferret Records, your local home for industrial and metal music, will be holding an art and music show on Friday, April 2nd to help raise money to fight cancer.

There will also be a CD Release Party with TERRORFAKT, REIN[Forced], and PATRICIA WAKE! Not to mention a group art show with a ton of local artists.

Please bring money for artwork to support cancer research!

Digital Ferret 4th Friday Event Series Metropolis Records Present: “Electronic Saviors”: Industrial Music To Cure Cancer

LINEUP:
+ Terrorfakt (NYC)
+ Rein[Forced] (Pittsburgh)
+ Patricia Wake (Pittsburgh)
+ Group Art show w/ 20 Artists
+ DJ's Isaac Cesium 137 & Mighty Mike Saga
+ Q & A with Jim Semonik

Make sure you come out! SHOW GOES FROM 6PM to 10PM!

Digital Ferret is located at 732 S 4th St in Philadelphia, PA.

The "Flash Mob" of 40th and Market: Media-Generated Hype?

Wow, that was fast.

At 11:30AM, Nutter spoke how the city would not tolerate "Flash Mobs".

By Noon, word already went around Philebrity and Twitter of a plan to have another one TODAY at 40th and Market.

Before 1PM, Penn University already found out and warned everyone.

Personally? I actually want to go now. The fact that the media, the city, and civil leaders are saying this is a problem is actually THE problem now. All the reports, discussion, even telling people HOW to organize these things... well, it's pretty cool. The entire point of the Flash Mob when they were created was to create something fun, interesting, and semi-spontaneous.

So, how about this: You turn down the coverage and ignore it to some degree instead of making it the biggest news possible?

OR someone organize a "nice" one to counter it...

Anti-Soda Tax Rally Today

This just came in:

RALLY SET TO OPPOSE BEVERAGE TAX

Hundreds to gather at City Hall to oppose what would be nation’s highest beverage tax

WHAT: “Philly Jobs. Not Taxes” Coalition members will hold a rally against the city’s unprecedented 2-cents-per-ounce tax proposal on sugary drinks. The growing coalition is composed of concerned union workers, businesses, community organizations and individuals that strongly oppose the beverage tax. The coalition believes the tax unfairly burdens consumers, targets one component of the business community and is illegal under State law. The tax would more than double the cost of some beverages and put Philadelphia jobs at risk.

WHO: Danny Grace, Teamsters Local Union 830

Rushdi Mohamed, Owner, Cousin’s Market, North Philadelphia

Philly Jobs. Not Taxes Coalition members

Pete Ciarrocchi, President of Chickie’s & Pete’s and Co-Chairman of Philly Jobs. Not Taxes. (Available for morning interviews only.)

WHEN: Wednesday, March 24

12:00 PM

WHERE: Dilworth Plaza

City Hall (Northwest side)

SOURCE: PhillyClout

Now, I'm not happy that the movement to oppose this tax seems to be centered around union leaders and soda companies, and it actually hurts the movement in and of itself. What we need is a rally of the people, by the people to happen instead. More on that later, as well as possibly footage of the rally itself.

The South Street "Riots" - Update: The Reason This is Stupid

The best way to sum up the general reaction to this is simple:

HOLY CRAP! TEENAGERS ARE GETTING TOGETHER AT ONCE TO JUST HANG OUT!



<--- This is how you and many others are reacting



Now, I'm just as guilty. A year ago, I was actually semi-headlining the group of people who thought this was the start of something big and horrible. That was actually as late as May of last year. Since then, the groups have come and gone.

So this past Saturday, on the first nice Saturday of the year, after a long , cold, snowy winter, the weather was awesome and people did what they normally do on those days: they go out and have fun. In this case, it was 3000 teenagers doing the same thing at the same time; going down to South Street to hang out.

I'm not going to hold back and I'm not going to be elegant: The fact that this is a crowd of basically over 3000 black teenagers is a little unsettling to a lot of people in this city. In fact, its unsettling to... everyone. White, black, hispanic, etc... its a pretty insane thing to witness and be stuck in the middle of. Would it be different if the skin color was different? I doubt it. Its still a large group of teenagers descending on a single area for seemingly no reason.

One thing I saw tossed around was "how is this different than when people go out after the Phillies win"? You basically just answered your own question. It's different for two key reasons: First, its about celebrating after a team basically everyone in the city loves win the biggest game in their career, and the city goes nuts. The second is that said reaction in understood, properly prepared for, and actually has a point.

So, these gatherings... what are we missing here? Easy: They're young. Look, if you grew up in this city during the last 25 years, you know that EVERYTHING shuts down in this city at 7PM, and there isn't anything interesting to do here unless you either have money or drink. Otherwise, your options are limited. So what you did was go down to South Street because it was the only place around where there was anything cool to do. Well, WAS, but you get the point.

Brian Sweeny of Philebrtiy said it best:

But have you noticed that both of the big flash mob incidents lately — the one at Macy’s earlier this month and the one on South Street on Saturday — have occurred in places that, not so very long ago, were vibrant hubs of the city but are now retail dead zones, symbols of civic failure?

God bless, you hit the nail on the head!

The "Soda Tax" Myth Part 3: It's a Slippery-Slope

When people say something is a "slippery-slope", it's considered a informal fallacy because it says there can be no middle ground when people argue a point. I've used the term a lot, and I want to acknowledge that I do see a middle ground in this, but to get there, I have to start with the simple fact that this is the start of something bigger here.

We began with taxing alcohol in 1862 at 20 cents a gallon under Lincoln to help pay for the civil war. Later on, we began taxing cigarettes, largely in part to help generate revenue, but with then a side-effect of helping health. From there, we began smoking bans, and then banning trans-fat foods.

In the end, we accepted all of these ideas and regulations. We realized that alcohol and tobacco was bad for us and we allowed the government to take more and more steps to stop us from, in a sense, killing ourselves. From simple taxation we went to bans. Its gotten to the point where smoking is banned anywhere but your own house, and to be honest, even as a non-smoker, I felt bad for the people who did smoke. In terms of drinking beer, we've agreed that alcohol should be consumed in reasonable quantities and by adults only.

So how does this relate to soda and sugary-drinks?

Sugary-drinks aren't that good for you. Period. Over the past few days, I've defended soda with as much fever and pride as possible. For me, a soda drinker, it effects me a lot. For some people I know, they don't think it will effect them at all, although I am quick to point out that in Philadelphia's case it most likely will.

But they aren't the problem. The problem is with over-consumption, abuse, and not taking personal responsibility for your actions.

That's IT. It's not hard, it isn't difficult, and it isn't much. If you consume too much of anything you run into problems. We seem so quick to run to the government to govern how we live. Why? Why are we so willing to give up our own personal freedoms for the sake of a little ill-conceived safety? We all know and realize that the biggest problem with this tax is that it isn't going to make people healthy in and of itself. We all know that over-consumption is the problem, be it fast food, junk food, or... well, anything.

So, where is this all going?

You may scoff at me getting so mad about this, but consider this: New York State is considering banning additional salt in restaurants. I am not kidding. SALT. Oh, come on, you know why; it's bad for you. Too much salt can give you a heart attack. Salt can kill you. We all know it, we all know its a fact... so why NOT ban it, right? I mean, if the government knows that TransFats will kill you, that soda isn't good for you, they MUST know better than us that salt must be banned as well, right?

Now we're looking at Pizza Tax. Why? Because it's BAD for 'ya! Come on, we all know it! Hell, it's WORSE than salt, let alone soda, right? The government is here to help! They want to make sure you eat right! An extra 10% per pizza isn't too bad, right?

Right?

I think you see my point.

So the soda tax was only the beginning. You, the people, have already shown your OK with the government regulating your day-to-day life and that they should be allowed to tax and/or ban anything THEY deem unhealthy for you. You? You have no say in this. These aren't put up to public vote, only to legislators.

Whatever happened to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY?! When did we all decide that giving up our personal rights? When did we decide that we are no longer a nation of grown adults who should be able to make decisions based on what we know an instead nothing more than children? I was never informed! Never got a memo, never got a IM, never got an e-mail, let alone a phone call.

Is this a "slippery-slope" No. The middle ground is there, and it can be reasonable if we actually start to look for it. If we're too quick to jump to a conclusion and don't look for alternatives, we're going to miss it and wonder why things got so bad. But I have argued that, yes, this is the start of the lost of some of out personal rights.

In the end, that is why I oppose this tax more than anything else. Yes, I may be mad about the fact that I'm finally getting taxed for what I enjoy as opposed to the smokers and drinkers. Yes, I may complain about why I think it doesn't make any fiscal sense. And, yes, I may have spent a ton of time and energy just to get to this point. The bottom line is that this tax is, literally, just the beginning of them taxing away your rights and, even more importantly, your responsibility to keep yourself healthy and alive.

Why do I oppose this tax? Because I want to be treated like an adult!

The "Soda Tax" Myth 2: It Will Help Raise Money

Or, in another way, "Why the Soda Tax doesn't make fiscal sense."

This is going to be a long post, folks, so I'm diving it up into a few sections:

1. The Fiscal Argument for the Tax
2. The Key Problem with the Tax
3. Who's Hurt By the Tax Economically
4. The Social Cost of the Tax
5. What About Jobs?
   
6. How To Raise the Funds Without a New Tax

So, point one:

1. The Fiscal Argument for the Tax

When you look at the economic outlook for the City of Philadelphia... it's pretty grim. Millions of dollars are needed to keep the city afloat another year, and the deficit just seems to keep getting bigger. To make up the money, the city has floated around some really unpopular ideas: Taxing trash bags, taxing plastic bags, closing down libraries and pools... even threatening to shut down the court system in order to get more money from Harrisburg. Yet it never happened. With unions working without a contract and the problem only getting bigger, these new harsh economic times called for new thinking.

Sadly, it wasn't for the better.
The argument for the Sugary Drink Tax is not based on health. Let me be clear; this argument isn't about your health. While other states may have thought about doing this in order to help keep health care costs down and, in turn, add more money to health care, this has NOTHING to do wit that.

Instead, the tax would be seen as a way to make more money for the city.


2. The Key Problem with the Tax

The problem, though, is multi-pronged.

For starters, revenue from soda will go DOWN after the first year alone.

Let me explain: The reasoning behind a "Sin tax", which is a tax that is imposed on certain items because we've deemed them harmful, is to REDUCE consumption of an item. Let me repeat that: The idea of taxing soda in the first place is to reduce the actual consumption of the product. In turn, you guessed it, revenue goes down.

While some analysis think it could bring in $18 Million or so the first year, keep in mind its based on the idea that people would continue to consume soda at their present rate. Adding an extra 40 cents to a 20oz bottle really isn't going to help.

So, we've covered that the tax isn't to make you healthy, and that the tax revenue from taxing it don't make any economic sense. But who else is hurt?



3. Who's Hurt By the Tax Economically

Retailers, namely the small ones, will be hurt most by this tax. But also you.

Without going into the much detail, in a capitalistic society, the idea is that the market itself determines what people want. In essence, supply and demand. Over the past few years in terms of health, we've seen more demand for healthy food and healthy food alternatives, and the market has responded by creating more healthy choices. But we also understand that the government needs to help from time to time to make sure that businesses look out for us.
The Sugary Beverage Tax would be leveled against retailers first.

Here's how it works:

Retailers would have to pay an annual tax of $.02 per ounce based on what they sell during the year. In turn, this will do three things; either force retailers to cut back on the drinks, force them to raise prices on their soda, or force them to levy the fee to their customers by raising prices across the board on certain items. To be honest, I couldn't even guess which route would be taken by most.

But, lets assume that retailers put it across the board to lessen the blow across the board. In the end, nothing is being done to stop you from buying soda because, well, you're only seeing a minor price increase in soda itself.

It also means that if you don't drink any sugary drinks yourself, you are now a victim of this tax. If you are in favor of this tax, you may be taxing yourself in a new way without even realizing it.

Grocery bill will go up if this law is passed. If the tax is spread across the board, and it could, it means that food prices will go up for everyone. The casual soda drinker is still hurt as much as the habitual one.

Wouldn't it make more sense to offer an incentive to both retailers and citizens to cut back on soda instead of taxing them? Allowing retailers who either cut back on selling soda a tax incentive or even if they stopped entirely would be more effective than a tax!



4. The Social Cost of the Tax

Now we get the the toll this can, and most likely will, have on society in this city. IF this tax is levied, do not expect people to simply stop buying soda. As I mentioned yesterday, diet soda wouldn't be effected and thus presents a new set of problems. Businesses will lose money and many corner stores keeping neighborhoods alive may disappear since they would not be able to compete against the larger stores offering lower prices on basically one item that everyone wants that the smaller places couldn't.

On top of that, people will start to simply cross the county or state line in order to get a cheap soda instead, or maybe stock up.



5. What About Jobs?

We're also talking about jobs.

Some people scoff at the idea that Coke and Pepsi, who both have factories in Philadelphia employing hundreds, if not thousands, are in danger of losing their jobs. To a degree, they may be right. But, please, tell me this; If the city where you had a major plant started to pass laws exclusive to you and their area, wouldn't you think twice about having a factory there?

Is job lost feasible under this tax? Yes it is. Demand would be down in the city, but its likely that outside the city demand would grow thanks to people simply going across either the county or state line to grab as much cheap soda as possible. So while it is possible we could see job lost at these plants, I doubt we'll see them shut down.

But the local stores and operators will be hurt and we will see job loss there.



6. How To Raise the Funds Without a New Tax

So, we've seen that the tax isn't about your health but about making money. I've shown that the reasoning for the tax itself doesn't make economic sense and that the impact on your wallet is effected even if you don't drink soda since the tax could be applied to everything thanks to retailers. I've stated that I think we won't see Pepsi or Coke leave town, but jobs were still in trouble at small retailers thanks to the tax.

How do we make the money back?

It's insanely simple: First, we don't need new taxes. The idea of a tax is to raise revenue, and as I've pointed out, there is no reason this one would work.

Instead, we need to start enforcing laws. We can start with tax evaders.
The City of Philadelphia is projecting a $150 Million Dollar Deficit. The City of Philadelphia IS OWED $300 MILLION DOLLARS. So let me make this so easy, even Mayor Nutter can understand:
-$150 Million + $300 Million = $150 MILLION SURPLUS

Easy enough?

So, that solves our short-term problem... what about long terms problems? How do we keep crime down while making money? Again, another easy one based on simply enforcing the law.

Currently in Philadelphia, minor crimes, a.k.a. Nuisance Laws, are not enforced. These laws include jaywalking, spitting, and littering among other things. All of these offenses can also be ticketed, thus revenue thanks to fines. The idea of enforcing these "minor crimes" is that it reminds you that the police are there for a reason; to enforce the law. How many times have you seen someone break the law in front of a cop and the officer did nothing?

If people start to respect the people who are supposed to protect them, crime goes down. If crime goes down, you don't need to much police presence. The revenue from ticketing may go down, but you've also reduced costs as well.

To be honest, I could go on and on about this. I've written twice with ideas on solving this mess, and the ideas always seem to get ignored. With City Council and Mayor Nutter trying to get more funds, I hope they look toward this and start using these ideas.

Tomorrow, I'm going to explore the issue even more and discuss your health, personal responsibility, and what it all means to soda.

The "Soda Tax" Myth Part 1: It Will Make You Healthy

Today, I'm going to take the time to debunk the myth that the soda tax will make people healthier. Now, before I start, I want to say a few things: First off, I'm not with a beverage company, I'm not paid by one, nor am I getting free swag from this. Not only that, I also want to point out that I'm not dismissing the fact that soda isn't great for you, but it isn't inherently bad. It seems so many people want to make it an either/or debate, when really, it isn't. But more on that later.

Soda alone does not make a person fat. In fact, simply put, soda in moderation isn't bad at all. If you have a can of soda once every two days, you're not doing that much harm to your body. If you exercise, you're in even better shape. Every day, you see people eating fast food, buying junk food, and simply consuming what they can either get their hands on the easiest or they enjoy. If, in the end, they exercise, stay active, and balance it with healthy food, really, what's the problem?

The idea of "taxing soda" is that it reduces consumption. There's a few problems with that logic.

For starters, it only taxes soda made with sugar and/or high-fructose corn syrup. You know what it doesn't tax? DIET Soda. So, the guy who wants to buy soda still can buy it without paying tax if he's willing to put something worse into his body.

Wait, what?

Point 1: DIET SODA IS BAD FOR YOU

For starters, Aspartame, the sweetener found in Nutra-Sweet, is commonly used in diet sodas. For me and others, it can actually trigger asthma attacks and other problems not related to caffeine consumption itself. Side-effects of it include dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss, and mood. The FDA has approved it, but it's only allowed in 90 countries out of over 150. In fact, it's 180 times sweeter than sugar. Neat, huh? So all the joy of sugar, but with much more painful side-effects. Throw in the fact that some people seem to ignore the fact that it is just as bad as soda itself, minus the calories, and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. The FDA has approved it, but it's only allowed in 90 countries out of over 150. Just to be clear, the stuff isn't going to kill you unless you drink a keg full of the stuff, and even then you just won't leave the toilet for a week.

Point 2: IT TAXES YOU FOR BEING CHEAP
Now, again, people keep referring to this thing as a "soda tax". The problem, though, is that it isn't a SODA tax; it's a SUGAR tax.

So, lets say you decide to not drink soda anymore because you hate the tax, so you go to the store to buy some juice. You have a choice between Mott's 100% Fruit Juice at $3.99 a gallon or a no-name brand for $2. You go up to the counter, pull out your $2... and then you're hit with a 2-cent per ounce tax! WHAT?!

Well, here's the problem: The juice you just bought has sugar in it. Yep, sugar! That means you would be required to pay an added tax on that juice to make you healthier. Your cost of living just rose thanks to this tax!

So the tax that was supposed to encourage people to make healthier choices may do just the opposite in some cases. Instead, they may buy bottled water which, in some cases, is actually pretty bad for you. It also makes it more expensive to make a healthy choice as well.


Point 3: IT TAXES YOU FOR BEING ACTIVE AND HEALTHY!

OK, lets just say you don't drink soda, and you only drink 100% natural juice. Awesome, and good for you! Personally, I couldn't do it, but still, good for you.

You've just hung out with your friends and played a great game of basketball, or maybe you just got done riding your bike around Fairmount Park, maybe even to work. You've worked hard, you're tired, and now you need to get some nutrients back in your body. So, just like most people, you go into the store and buy a Gateroade, Powerade, or maybe some other sort of sports drink.

BAM! 2 CENT AN OUNCE TAX!

Yes, your sports drink is now taxed thank to this law, so now there's a tax on being active and fit and not paying to drink bottled water. What? When was the last time you saw a water fountain in Philadelphia?

Point 4: TAXING THOSE WHO NEED IT

And now, the final group. Diabetics.

Now, this law, to those who want to point to the health benefits, is supposed to help stop people from getting diabetes, and to be honest, that's a great thing to try and stop. But, sadly, some people have it, and some people develop it at even a young age.

Thanks to this law, their little energy boost just got taxed.

In my life, I only knew of one person with the disease, and I want to state now that I don't know what type it was. I don't know if it was because they had low blood sugar, or if it was high. In the end, I knew they had the disease and it was a problem. Periodically while we were out, their blood sugar would get low and, being out of whatever it was that they may have had on them, we would go into the store and get a bottle of soda, or tea, or anything else with sugar in it to drink.

This tax will effect them as well.




I started by saying that we all want to paint soda in one way or another in this debate. There are people who so easily want, and do, compare it to smoking tobacco when, really, it's apples and oranges. There are also those who may go to far in their love of the drink to say it isn't bad at all. These people are also wrong.

Soda is fine.

We, as a society over the past 30 years, have taken the easy way out in these problems too many times. We seem to look to our government not to protect us, but to protect us from ourselves. This is one of the instances where we must start saying enough. This is when we need to start saying we need to be treated as adults, not children.

Soda isn't great for you. Personally, I drink about 20 - 32oz a day. Everyday. How and why can I do that, you ask? Because I can, and I know how much I can take. Everyone on this planet is different. What's right for you may not be right for me, and vice-versa. As Lemmy Kilmeister would tell you, "Anything that's good for me is fucking poison for a human being!" Actually, that one is true and no exaggeration, but you get my point.

I'm not trying to preach to everyone that soda is great, but I am saying that we need to start treating this just for what it is; a personal health matter.

Parents: Don't give your kid too much soda or sweets, it isn't good for them. A little treat now and then is fine, but not all the time. If you're an adult, just make sure you know how much you can handle and make sure you exercise properly.

In my humble opinion, if the City of Philadelphia cared about your health and that of everyone around, they would instead talk to Trojan and give out free condoms to the people in the city. Considering it's cheaper and easier to prevent STD's than it can be to treat it ($1 a condom if you're lucky)... yeah, lets focus on that and save a few more lives.

Metal Radio in Philadelphia: BACK WITH A F@$KING VENGEANCE!!!!

Thank you, thank you!

Mark Skull Pirate Radio has only been back on the air for a month, but what a month its been!!! After only 30 days, MSPR has done the following:

Nearly 600 Streams Launched!
Gone from 18th to 5th Highest EXTREME METAL STATION!
Rocketed from 6278 to 1666(!) in Overall Rankings!!
AND AN ASTOUNDING 751 TOTAL LISTENING HOURS!!!

WORLD DOMINATION, THY NAME IS MARK SKULL PIRATE RADIO!

So make sure you listen to the station, vote for songs, and bang your head like there's no tomorrow, because Mark Skull Pirate Radio, Philadelphia's Best and ONLY Metal and Punk Radio station, is BACK WITH A VENGEANCE!!!!

Most importantly, thanks to all the AWESOME listeners of the station as well! Without you, there is no Mark Skull Pirate Radio! It may sound odd, but the truth of the matter is, this station exists for YOU. Having this station is to get great metal music to the masses, and introducing people to new bands and sounds they may otherwise not hear. How many radio stations are daring to mix Metallica's "One" with Devin Townsend's "Namtase"?

To listen to Mark Skull Pirate Radio, all you need is a computer, an iPhone, or a Windows Mobile device (Yep, we're on the go!)! So come on! Turn on the station and have one hell of a good time! We're always on, and we're always looking for more people to enjoy the melodies!

Look for more new music as the days and weeks come by, and as always, send in your requests (and donations!!)! We have a few events coming up, so please make sure you listen closely! :D

Philadelphia New Sugary Drink Tax Would Add 2 CENTS AN OUNCE!

2 CENTS AN OUNCE?!

Those greedy bastards are at it again! The details of this stupid, unhealthy, non-beneficial, and ultimately harmful plan have come out.

They want to tax you 2 cents AN OUNCE to drink ANY sugary drink bought in Philadelphia.

The sound of 2 Cents an ounce may not seem like much at first, until you realize what it adds up to. A 12-0unce drink gets an added quarter, 1 20-ounce goes up an added 40 cents, a 2-liter bottle get's an added $1.36, and a 12-pack goes up $2.88! Throw in an added cost of basic sales tax, and things get worse!

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, if you don't drink soda, "Ha ha! Those losers who drink soda are going to have to pay through the nose!" Well, your wrong. This tax effects ALL SUGARY DRINKS.

So say "Hello" to a tax on Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Prune Juice, and ALL Fruit Juices! Oh, and sports drinks are also subject to this tax.

Let me see if I get this straight: The City of Philadelphia, trying to make people "healthy", has decided to impose a tax that would raise the cost of even healthy fruit alternatives so that the low income citizens of Philadelphia will be outraged and unable to afford them, thus meaning that if you want to drink ANYTHING in Philadelphia, your best bet is tap or bottled water. The odd thing being that bottled water IS harming not only Philadelphia's bottom line, but also the environment.

Soda has become a scapegoat in a war to TAX YOU as much as possible.

Folks, welcome to the modern day stamp tax!

Photo courtesy of NorCalLabs

FINAL WARNING: Kreator and Voivod At The Troc! March 4th! 7PM!

CHECK OUT THE POSTER OF DEVIANTART!!!!!!

If you're into metal at all, then I doubt I need to explain why this show is awesome. About a year ago, Kreator came to town and played The Troc with Exodus opening for them. That show was nothing short of amazing! This one? Well, let's just say Kreator is going to make this show even better than last year!

Voivod is sub-headlining this show, and I honestly can't remember the last time they played Philly! They haven't done a tour in 6 years, even including after the release of Katorz about 4 years ago.

KREATOR will be playing The Trocadero March 4th, 2010 at 7PM! They'll be playing with Voivod, Nachtmystium, Evile, and Lazarus A.D.

Check out these videos of both Kreator and Voivod! It should be one hell of a show!!!!

KREATOR:





VOIVOD: