We Are… Not Two Civilizations Clashing!

Uh, that’s great. But what does Joe Paterno have to do with it?

What Clash of Civilizations? [Slate]

Quickies: Media mayhem

• Debris falling from the South Street Bridge fell onto the Schuylkill Expressway yesterday, causing an accident, according to Action News. But wait! The Inquirer says nothing fell onto the Expressway at all and only a plate was shifted! Who can you believe here?

• Albertson’s, parent company of ACME (pronounced Ack-a-me), has sold the supermarket chain to Supervalu, based in Minneapolis. But local managers are going to stay in charge, so really this should mean nothing to you. Not that you all don’t shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s — or, in West Philly, Freshgrocer — nowadays anyway. [Inky]

• A Drexel reserve guard, apparently nervous about the matchup against Gary Neal and Towson, managed to break the backboard in warmups yesterday on a hard dunk. The Dragons won anyway. [Inky]

• Penn prez Amy Guttman has pledge $5 million more in security on campus, with most of it going to lighting. So, soon both Penn and Temple will be places in Philadelphia that, at night, are as bright as standing on the surface of the sun. [Daily Pennsylvanian]

• Downingtown East High School star quarterback Pat Devlin changes his mind on college, spurning Miami for Penn State. Congrats to Daily Local News reporter and friend-of-yours-truly, Dave Zeitlin, who had this first. [Daily Local News]

The Founding Fathers would be pissed

This is the largest injustice ever committed in the commonwealth. Where are you to defend us, Ed Rendell?

Exotic Dancers May Be Restricted At Penn State Fraternities [AP via NBC 10]

Quickies: Run and hit, hit and run

• Only in Mayfair: An argument between a husband and wife turns into a fatal shooting of the husband outside of a day care center. [CBS 3]

• You know, if you’re doing to do a hit-and-run accident, it’s probably best to not hit the mayor of the town you’re driving in (Wilmington) when you do it. [KYW 1060]

• 367-year-old Joe Paterno coaches in a bowl game tonight against 362-year-old Bobby Bowden. There’s nothing to say but “We are! Penn State!” [Inky]

• This article about why USC is overrated is all well and good, but did the author really need pile on 0-11 Temple? “[O]ne could use this method to prove that the 2005 Temple Owls were the greatest team of all time. Fielding H. Yost’s 1901 Michigan team trampled opponents by a cumulative score of 550-0. But, hey, the forward pass wasn’t legal then, and those guys didn’t even wear helmets. The concussions alone would make this a huge Temple blowout.” [Slate]