N.J. Transit Going Younger, More Urban

Actual photograph (taken by Arthur Etchells of Philly food blog Foobooz) of Philadelphia-bound N.J. Transit train out of Atlantic City (click to enlarge):

I assume it’s a slow transition: First to Iladelphia, then to Illadelphia, then finally to The Illadelph. I just can’t wait for the Philadelphia accent renaming of the reverse trip, The ‘Lannick Siddy Line.

Leftovers: In My Day, Halfballs Cost A Nickel

• Hey, oldies! Remember halfball? No? Oh, wait, no, of course not. Well, to jog your memory, there’s a documentary being made about that, kick the can, jump rope, hopscotch and all those other games that we kiddies can’t believe actually existed. Photo by Kristin Wolak. [South Philly Review]

• The statue-inspiring film star himself, Sly Stallone, had his 60th birthday bash over the weekend. Sly would watch that halfball documentary and still have no idea what halfball is. (Rimshot.) [AP/Yahoo!]

• Could Johnny Brenda’s be replacing Johnny Goodtimes as the one and only savior of Metro? Time will only tell. [Foobooz]

• Sorry for being behind on the possible Philadelphia ban on foie gras proposed by Myspace City Councilman Jack Kelly. Here’s a big ol’ recap. [Politics Philly]

• If you’re wondering which senators and representatives are in favor of the anti-gay marriage amendment to the Constitution, here’s a helpful list. [AMERICAblog]

• Speedier cheap rail to New York City is possibly coming! Of course, by “cheap” they mean “still expensive, but not quite as bad as Amtrak or a plane.” [Inky]

• And, finally, America must not want the world to get too into our own brand of football, as we’ve sent Ivy Leaguers to Japan to them how it’s done. Actually, Ivy football is lots o’offense, not much defense, so this might work. [KYW 1060]

NB To Stranded Workers: Probably Not The Best Idea To Bash Your Boss In The Newspaper

This morning, commuters up and down the East Coast were stranded due to a power outage. AMTRAK, SEPTA, NJ Transit, etc. were all out. People were stuck in tunnels under rivers. It was a mess. (Thanks to Flickr, there are already photos up of the incident. God Bless the Internet.)

The Inquirer sent three reporters to ask people if they were annoyed at being stranded — in a shocker, the commuters said “Yes!” — and did find a story of a SEPTA worker who was driving people to a bus stop.

They also found this woman, who is totally getting a talking-to from her boss now that she’s in the office:

“It’s been good for a while — for a few months,” said another stranded passenger, Jennifer McCarrick, also of Malvern. “I think, mostly, things have been getting a little better.”

But her boss no longer rides the train, said McCarrick, Web site manager for a law firm.

“He has early meetings he has to go to,” she said, “and he was late too many times. So he drives now.”

Ahh, yes, telling the paper of record that your boss used to be late is surely a way to move up on the career ladder! But, well, stranger things have happened.

Stranded commuters navigate the stress [Inky]
Photo by rklau
Oct 10, 2005: If you’re on the DL, be sure to tell the gay newspaper

Quickies: You’re Welcome

• Hey, the old Visitors’ Center has reopened…. as the Welcome Center! How this is a big change mystifies me, but KYW 1060 has the scoop, of course. [KYW 1060]

• Speaking of our favorite radio station, Phil Neuman has left the station after 21 years, saying that management had its head up its as. As management tends to do. [Inky]

• The question that needs to be asked: What if the Inquirer’s new owners — i.e. not Brian Tierney, but the Royal Bank of Scotland — decide they’re not making enough money? [American Debate]

• Did you get to work on a train this morning? Liar. [Philly.com]