...this is ridiculous.
Thanks to D-Mac at Philly Will Do for covering Al Taubenberger and Michael Nutter's latest idea to settle the choice for mayor: eating contest.
He even got a picture:
Taubenberger bested Nutter 3/4 hoagie to 1/2 hoagie. The contest got out of hand, however, when suprise mayoral challenger, El Wingador, jumped in and ate 11 hoagies. All hail, Mayor Wingador.
Ok, ok... so none of that is true. We'll have to wait until November for the real winner to emerge.
But seriously folks, this event brings up a good question. A major complaint about the Street administration has been that it doesn't play these PR games. The mayor himself has not been known as a "rah rah" guy who can let his guard down and have a little fun. Is it possible for the next mayor, whoever that will be, to do such a thing while incidents like this and this continue to plague our city. Or is it precisely because such incidents happen that a mayor needs to be able to cheer us up by taking part in such events and tell us, "yes, I know things are bad right now, but we continue to work very hard to fix them. It's going to take all of us together, believing we can do it, to make it happen."
How can the next mayor walk that fine line between insensitive to the major problems and major buzzkill with no sense of humor?
Comments (7)
There's a time and place for everything...
Posted by Anonymous | July 18, 2007 4:59 PM
Or as Peter Seeger sang in his 1950s folk song "Turn Turn Turn" (which became a huge hit for the '60s band, the Byrds): "There is a season for every purpose under heaven."
But we human beings at this late stage I don't think could be more out of whack with the seasons. Unlike all other life forms on earth, we hibernate in the summer months -- just as you're witnessing now and signified by the title of this thread -- and become most active in the winter, back from vacation as it were. Back from hibernation.
But if we were to get back to being naturally and properly aligned with the seasons again, summertime would represent a time for bringing about magnificent positive change in this world, just as the "Summer of Love" went a long way in doing back in 1967.
Summertime should not be the season when we totally close our minds to whatever's happening in the world, stupidily saying, "Hey, I'm on vacation, do you mind?! Lay off with all that heavy stuff!", but the season when we open our minds to what is happening in the world the fullest. It should be the grand "come out from hiding" time of year, which is precisely the way all our vacation spots should be geared up for. But right now, of course, they're all being run just the opposite -- all so as not to disrupt and offend those who either don't want to hear the heavy stuff, or those who don't want to see that heavy stuff openly discussed.
And there is an awful lot of heavy stuff that needs to be openly talked about in terms of Philadelphia's future right now. For example, Philadelphia's growing partnership with China. Anybody paying attention to that? Anybody? And how it ties in with the two giant casinos about to be rising up here soon among other things? Has anybody caught how U.S. Airways is pushing to introduce nonstop flights between Philadelphia and China? Anybody thinking out the ultimate implications of that? How it might well prove great for China and certain sell-us-down-the-river Philadelphia-area businessmen and politicians, but for the rest of us?
I know, I know, if our bank accounts are looking good, or our unions tell us not to pay it any mind, none of that's important. And certainly nothing to be discussed this time of year -- when it's vacation time.
Posted by Steve W. | July 19, 2007 1:40 AM
Geez !!! that Nutter child can grub.
Is this the same happening Stu Bykofsky is mentioning in todays PDN.
Hey take this anyway you desire.
I can honor mature policies between candidates when it comes down to mudslinging , back-stabbing and double dealing but Nutter and Taubenberger (FRENCH) kissing every opportunity in the words of Jim Tayoun - Doesn't Make Sense.
One more thing. Olivia , Nutter's daughter is a minor. Will she hold an office in city government and Taubenberger , what is he really , stale bread.
Posted by Jasper Zeigler Jr | July 19, 2007 9:05 AM
When Al Taubenberger first emerged on the campaign trail (re: came out from nowhere) I was totally clueless as to who he was. So as is my custom, I gave him the full benefit of the doubt therefore (hey, the old "innocent till proven guilty" thing, what more can I tell you?) In fact -- and not that I'm ashamed to admit it now, because I honestly didn't know at the time -- I even applauded him when he made a quick whistlestop appearance at the Citizens' Hearing on Philadelphia Parks back on May 30, 2007, assuming only the best about him until I could learn more.
But learning more didn't take long. For there was one simple thing I needed to hear to determine whether he was a man of intelligence, or a complete idiot: Where he stood on the Fox Chase Cancer Center v. Burholme Park dispute
And the instant verdict?
Human beings don't come stupider than Al Taubenberger.
For yes, as it turns out, he fully favors the Fox Chase Cancer Center in its quest to expand on neighboring Burholme Park. And to the degree that it would be totally impossible for him to undo the damage to himself now, while the Fox Chase Cancer Center's plans to fully destroy neighboring Burholme Park are rushing ahead so quickly now (every law being broken for this to be possible) that by the time the November's elections roll around this story will likely be over and done with. Or that part of the story, at least, dispite a few recent tidbits that have come to light that everyone all throughout Philadelphia should know about right before it happens.
Such as:
1) From what can be determined, the Fox Chase Cancer Center does NOT have two Nobel laureates on its research team as it's been telling everyone it has. It did at one time. But that was many many years ago, when it was a totally different thing from what it is now, and under a completely different management (re: before Dr. Young.)
2) Though it's being greatly downplayed at this moment -- and quite understandably why -- the American Cancer Society has fully withdrawn any further funding of it due to how it's crossed the line of what it takes to continue to qualify.
3) Traffic and environmental impact studies that were supposed to be conducted and with the end results made public before the Fox Chase Cancer Center went the next step with its expansion proposal have never materialized. Reason why? No accurate case can be made that the Fox Chase Cancer Center expanding at that remote location could possibly be made workable and beneficial for all.
On a closing note, Dr. Young, who recently resigned as head of the Fox Chase Cancer Center after 18 years, is to remain as its chancellor. As a general rule we don't use that term "chancellor" here in the United States, the good reason why being because the last time this title was used -- at least by any person of note -- was by Adolf Hitler.
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