Fake Disaster Goes Off Without A Hitch

The fake disaster last night was smooth sailing for everyone involved, especially since it was fake there weren’t any dead people. The disaster was actually a terrorist attack, where there were bombings at 30th Street Station and the Art Museum.

A pretend car bomb went off that left almost 100 volunteers wounded or dead on the street in front of the museum. The street was strewn with arms and legs of manikins to add a touch of realism, along with the moans of the seemingly injured.

Did they have recorded moans? How does one volunteer for “injured in terrorist attack” acting? At least we do know we’re safe the next time al-Qaeda attacks 30th Street Station and the Art Museum.

Simulated Mayhem Tests Area Responders [NBC 10]
Yesterday: Let’s Get Pumped For Fake Disaster 2K7!

Leftovers: Welcoming Our New Handbag Overlords

• Today at 30th Street Station (aka Ben Station): The world’s largest handbag! The 22 (width) by 20 (height) by 7 (depth) bag is part of a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Philly non-profit Career Wardrobe and is an attempt to get into the Guiness Book of World Records. Frankly, we’re a little worried it’s for a giant. [Inquirer/It's A Big Dill]

• PW managing editor Liz Spikol has begun videoblogging. Fantastic stuff. Look for the “Dan McQuade Plays With Puppies” videoblog to start up any day now. [The Trouble With Spikol]

• One of the four teenagers accused of attempting a Columbine-style attack on New Jersey’s Winslow High School pled guilty today, citing the fact that threatening to shoot up a school is so 1999. [Inky]

• A SW Philly massage parlor was robbed on Sunday night, which led a patron to tell police he had gone there “for a steam.” Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays? [Daily News]

• Philly Future’s current top post is this 684-word opus about a hole in the sidewalk in Ardmore. Truly, citizen journalism has reached its apex. [Philly Future]

• Breaking: Is Fidel Castro dead? [Wonkette]

‘30th Street Station’ it is!

I’ve already banned myself from mentioning his name anymore, but I have to report on this: B** Station is a no go, Inga Saffron of the Inquirer is reporting.

Pew Charitable Trusts’ idea was to rename 30th Street Station after uberpatriot B** F******* in honor of his 300th birthday this year. F******* didn’t have anything to do with railroads, or trains, or even public transit (as far as I know), but, hey, Pew has a lot of money and could afford to splurge on something like that.

Fortunately, everyone hated the name B** Station, and so Pew eventually realized it was a bad idea and abandoned the campaign. No need to bash them, though. They had an idea, and when they realized everyone hated it, they moved on. In fact, I applaud them.

And now we can get to more important things, like a campaign to rename the B** F******* Parkway the “30th Street Parkway.” I think it has a nice ring to it.

B** Station a no go [Inky]
Earlier today: The man who hates Philadelphia

All about the Benjamin

An editorial in the Inquirer notes today that there’s a possibility that 30th Street Station will be renamed Ben Station.

Look, I like Ben Franklin and all: He founded the college I went to, he did something with a kite and key, he invented about a million different things and he wasn’t a player — he just crushed a lot. But do we really need to name every single thing in the city after him just because he was born 300 years ago? Franklin Field, Franklin Square, the Ben Franklin Parkway, the Franklin Institute, the Franklin Building and that stupid statue near Pine Street aren’t enough?

A guy on Livejournal notes that Amtrak doesn’t like the idea, especially due to its similarness to Penn Station — and there are already two of those, in Newark and Manhattan. (Another guy on LJ says “I think it is great. It reminds me of Ben Franklin, famous intellectual and world-class pimp,” which is the most compelling argument in favor of the renaming I’ve heard yet.)

Anyway, even if they renamed the station in favor of Ben Franklin, everyone would just call it 30th Street Station anyway. (See: West River Drive, Delaware Avenue, etc.) And that’s the way it should be. The Inky editorial board is all nice about it, and that’s all well and good, but let’s say it like it is: This is the stupidest idea since, well, putting a Planet Hollywood at Penn’s Landing.

Uh oh.

Editorial | Name of the game is leave it the same [Inky]
Ben Station? [Livejournal Philadelphia Community]