Leftovers: Ralph Archbold To Sue For Copyright Infringement

• Target has released a talking Franklin Delano Roosevelt doll that… well… is pretty much Ben Franklin. Really, it is. [Wonkette]

• Don’t move to the side when you see an accident? Oh, you’re getting a ticket. Uh, wait, how would one not move when seeing an accident scene? Would you already get a ticket — or at least a higher insurance rate — for plowing into the cars in front of you? [KYW 1060]

• Okay, it’s all Phillies from here on out, so you can stop reading if you’re so inclined. Is Ryan Howard on steroids? Uh, no. No no no. Don’t even mention it. In fact, I bet he takes drugs to make him smaller, just to make it tougher for him. And he still hits 400 homers a game. [Daily News]

• Speaking of Ryan Howard, it looks like the blogoambit has scooped the “Main Stream Media” again! Will Bunch on his blog: “Last week, we were the first to write about the possibility that the Phillies’ Ryan Howard could hit as many as 61 home runs[.]” Somebody get that boy a New Era hat with “PRESS” in it; he’s an old fashioned muckraker in a 21st century media world! [Attytood]

• Best sportswriter in the world DJ Gallo on the Phillies playoff chances: “[T]hey have no chance of making the playoffs. Why? Because their general manager says so…. But then his players went out and started winning, and they seem to have no intention of stopping. Which is kind of rude and disrespectful to Gillick, if you ask me. It’s not right for players to hang their GM out to dry like that.” [ESPN.com Page 2]

• Update, 6:37 p.m.: Brian Rochford, Society editor of The Evening Bulletin, passed away sometime over the weekend. He was 45. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. [The Evening Bulletin]

I Liked Him When He Was Underground

Just wait ’til you hear his cover of Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie.”

New CD Highlights Music of Ben Franklin [KYW 1060]

He’s On Top Of City Hall, Too

I usually try to avoid poking fun of any reports involving KYW 1060’s Hadas Kuznits, since she spent two years in the Israeli army and could probably tear me in two.

Putting personal danger aside, here’s a quote Kuznits got from Mary Porenzi, in a report on preparations for last night’s Friends of Rittenhouse Square ball (originally noticed by The Lighter Side of Rittenhouse):

The square is one of the five squares that Ben Franklin made when he made Philadelphia, and so we want to preserve it and keep it the way it is — and it’s a gorgeous square! It’s probably the busiest square on the east coast.

Wow! That Ben, what an amazing guy.

Rittenhouse Square readies for its ball, to which you’re not invited [The Illadelph]
The Amazing Ben Franklin? [The Lighter Side of Rittenhouse via Blinq]
Hadas Kuznits [KYW 1060]

Leftovers: Fen Branklin, I Presume?

• Ladies and gentlemen, the worst Ben Franklin impersonator ever! [Lookalike.com]

• The Daily Show investigates why New Jersey residents can’t pump their own gas. Turns out, it has something to do with mullets. Who knew? [Video Dog (Salon)]

• Salon also investigates that anti-gay marriage amendment and says it’s just a big ploy to the base that gets kinda queasy when two guys kiss. Really, Salon? Gee, I never knew. [Salon]

• The city had its lawsuit against 17 online tourism companies thrown out, which means not only did we not get the full taxes we said we did in the lawsuit, but we lost money filing this suit, too. But wait! “The city has hired a private local law firm, Berger & Montague P.C., to pursue the litigation. As payment, it will receive 30 percent of the money collected for the city.” Huzzah, huzzah! [Inquirer]

• Let’s end this day with some puppies. [Flickr]

Ralph Archbold Throws A Mean Curve

Let’s hope to God they mean Ben Franklin and not Ryan.

Franklin says he could help Phillies’ rotation [Daily News]
If Franklin Says So [The 700 Level]

Even For Al Roker, This May Be A New Low

What’s the only thing worse than being sent to Philadelphia to interview a Ben Franklin impersonator and a green furry mascot who doesn’t talk? Being sent to Philadelphia to interview a Ben Franklin impersonator and a silent green furry mascot who hits you in the face with his tongue. (Or whatever that thing is.)

The Price Of Gas Keeps On Rising

Hey, remember back in 2001, when we all got that $300 tax rebate? Oh, yeah, not really, because it happened right before 9/11, and we forgot pretty much everything else when that happened. (We especially forgot to, oh, you know, check and see if we had plans for the post-Saddam era in Iraq. But I digress.)

Anyway, we’re going to get another tax break, if some senators have their way: There’s a proposal right now to give everyone $100 to spend on gas.

And not just drivers. Everyone who pays their taxes will get a $100 check. (Take that, illegal aliens!) So, even though I sold my car, I’d still get a Benjamin to spend on gas, although I don’t have to spend it on gas. But since the price of everything is supposed to be going up due to the price of gas — or so the pundits say — I suppose giving the check to everyone makes some sense.

Not that the idea makes much sense, really — I’m no economist, but just giving money out isn’t the best way to spur the economy, is it? — and not that it has much chance to pass.

Or, you know, maybe the senators just want to celebrate Ben Franklin’s birthday in a very special way, eh? Eh?

Senators to push for $100 gas rebate checks [CNN.com]
Spending Your $300 Rebate [Suddenly Senior]
Photo by honan, and if you’re wondering why I didn’t pick a photo of a gas station in this area or even on the East Coast — the photo’s from San Fran — well, uhh, shush. I was going for the ‘76.’ Yeah, that’s it.

First borough

Philadelphia blogger The West End went up to New York this weekend, and spotted the following billboard just a few blocks from Times Square:

Any joke that could possibly be made about this ad has already been done, I’m sure, so I’ll just note it and move on.

It’s up to you [The West End]

The man who hates Philadelphia

Okay, frankly (har!), we’re all sick of the Ben Franklin hype. (I’m using the royal we here.) Okay, he invented more things in one day than I ever will in my life and he was a founding father and he had a lot of sex and blah blah blah. Great. But I’m not really sure how anyone is so excited about the fact he was born 300 years ago.

But, apparently, it’s working. (And, I’m sorry, I’m kind of sick of these stories, too. But, hey, I was here for approximately 20 years when this city was the cesspool of America, and now that we’re suddenly “hip” — allegedly, but I’m as skeptical as these guys — it’s time to soak it in.) The mag Travel Weekly recently held a roundtable of all the top editors of travel mags, and they had this discussion (thanks to all who sent this in):

Veronica Stoddart, travel editor, USA Today: Look at Philadelphia. It’s celebrating Ben Franklin’s 300th birthday, and there’s a huge marketing campaign. The campaign works because the city is really coming into its own anyway — it’s going through a renaissance. It’s right at the top of the list of domestic destinations.

Melissa Biggs Bradley, editor, Town & Country Travel: I am blown away by what’s available in that city.

Nancy Novogrod, editor in chief, Travel+Leisure: It’s definitely on the food map.

Keith Bellows, editor, National Geographic Traveler: And it’s on the art map.

Bellows: Wait a minute. No, no, no. We did a story on Philadelphia because I think it’s the next great American city. That’s where it started. It had nothing to do with any anniversary. I felt this city was ready for prime time.

Bradley: Nancy agrees, Beth agrees, I agree. I mean, there’s a confluence of things going on in Philadelphia, between museums and dining.

Novogrod: Absolutely.

Torkells: We do a thing in (Budget Travel) called Trip Coach, where people write in and we help them out. No one writes in and says they want to go to Philadelphia. They want to go to New York!

Novogrod: But they may want to go to Philadelphia.

Torkells: They may. They very well may — and if they do, it’s because this room has anointed it very nicely.

[...]

Torkells: My feeling is that we all want to go to the same destinations, but some of us don’t have as much money, or if we have as much money, we just don’t want to spend it. I guess that’s why this hunt for the hot destination rings a false bell for me. I don’t want to go to the new restaurant in Philadelphia — I want to go to the Taj Mahal! (quietly) God, I’m going to be struck dead by Philadelphia.

Well, it’s working except for that one guy. He just needs a couple of jolts of Benergy right to the upper shoulder and we’ll be set.

Editor’s Note: Okay. No more Benergy jokes. I swear. In fact, no more mentioning Ben Franklin, ever. From here on out, it’s B** F*******. If I break this, somebody please shoot me.

Consumer travel editors discuss hot topics for ‘06 [Travel Weekly (reg. req.)]
Erik Torkells Is Your Daddy [Gridskipper]

Quickies: Rooks are the new black

• The month of incessant Ben Franklin continues: today, we all learn that Ben Franklin published the first book about chess in Russia. And, not only that, but this column mentions Latvia, quizzo and features characters named Sal, Roz and The Master. (Sounds like a plot for Matrix 4.) [Metro]

• Speaking of convicted sexual assaulter Tracy McIntosh, his job in Milan may be in doubt. But his lawyer says it was due to erroneous press reports in Italy that he was a serial rapist. Because, you know, if you only raped once, it’s not a big deal, right? sigh. [Inky]

• The choking game: “There’s no way to win,” sez a police officer. I’m telling you: if they bring back the old school cable boxes that allow you to kind of see the porn channel in scramblevision, kids will stop doing shit like this. [Bucks County Courier Times]

• Hey, people: Everything’s all peachy keen between Webber and A.I., okay? In related news, the Sixers have won three straight. If you want a different answer, talk to Webber after the Sixers fall back below .500. [DN]