I Fell for the Facebook Privacy Notice Hoax

That thing about Snopes seemed so legit.

I need to come clean: Yesterday I posted that goofy little copyright thing on my Facebook. And I’m so, so sorry. Like most people, when I first saw it, I thought it looked like bullshit—these things always look like complete bullshit—so I ignored it. I even laughed a little at other people who were posting it. “Hah, another thought virus clogging up the series of tubes,” I thought smugly to myself. I looked away from Facebook to do some work.

5 Coaches Who Changed Philly Forever

Where does Andy Reid fall on the list?

The end is most definitely nigh. Andrew Walter Reid, the large, ruddy man who’s led our dear Iggles lo these last 14 years—barring  a swift reversal of fortune—is likely serving in his last season as a head football coach in this town. Recent developments on the gridiron notwithstanding (this season has gotten ugly and quick), the near certainty of Reid’s departure at the end of the season, if not sooner, will be sad indeed. There are football reasons, of course, to be sad, not the least of which have been an unprecedented tenure at the franchise’s helm (his 14 seasons doubles Dick Vermeil’s run), and unmatched success (at present, he holds the best winning percentage of anyone who’s coached more than one Eagles game). But in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately-world of the National Football League (in which he has done a lot for Philadelphia for a long time), Reid appears to have lost his team and the fanbase. In this day and age that’s a one-way ticket to color-commentator-ville (despite this being the season Reid also lost his son, a tragedy for which some were keen to give him a Mulligan). But to be honest, I don’t really give a damn about the football. To quote a friend’s recent Facebook status, “Every Saturday and Sunday I’m reminded that the rest of the world didn’t lose interest in football when I did.” The thing about Reid is that for a man known for short, cliched answers at post-game press conferences, he's left a sizeable impression (get the fat joke out of your system now) on this town’s collective psyche. In fact, it’s safe to say he’s one of the five most influential—for non-sport reasons—pro coaches or execs to pass through these parts in recent years. Let's take a look:

Mark Squilla’s Complete Streets Bill Is Good for Cars

Drivers who rage at city cyclists should find comfort here.

This Thursday, City Council’s Committee on Streets and Services will introduce bill 120532, and many cyclists will cautiously rejoice. Better known as Complete Streets, the bill's the work of Councilman Mark Squilla. If passed, it could do some great things for cycling in the city. But before the usual chorus of “cyclists never obey the law and should be impaled on the nearest signpost” types chimes in, the bill’s strength is that it offers cyclists more protections in exchange for more responsibility.

Mayor Nutter’s Marathon-Sized Balls and the Era of Doing Big Things Well

What is this "New Philly" you speak of?

You may have read over on Philly.com that Mayor Michael Nutter made a last-second pitch to host the canceled New York City Marathon. Well, over on Be Well Philly yesterday, Philly Mag's health and fitness editor, Emily Leaman, expressed skepticism about the offer—asking, quite fairly, how exactly it was going to be accomplished in such a short window.

Who’s to Blame for Gov. Christie’s “Stupid” Non-Evacuators?

The fallout from a platform built on fear of government and science.

Like much of the Delaware Valley, I spent most of Monday obsessively checking my basement for water, securing any potential projectiles near my house, oh, and watching hours and hours of Hurricane Sandy-related weather porn.

Apple’s Big Announcement: Itty Bitty iPad Mini

And you thought last year’s Christmas gadget wars were tough.

In 2008, Steve Jobs famously predicted, upon its launch, the rapid demise of the Kindle: “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore,” he told the New York Times. “Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.”

Cyclists Don’t Contribute to Philly’s Economy

And other urban biking myths, dispelled.

“Get out of the road!” “Get off the sidewalk!” These are the kinds of things people who ride bicycles in the city are quite accustomed to hearing. They’re also the kinds of things people who write about bicycles in Philly get quite a bit of as well.

A Philly Bike Lane Rises From the Ashes

The 10th Street bike lane lives (in slightly abridged form).

Back in May and June, lots of folks were up in a huff (I may have been one of them) about a bike lane pilot project on 10th Street. With the decision looming about whether to make the lane permanent, stakeholders in Chinatown and near Jefferson Hospital maintained stances that the lane was causing traffic issues. Meanwhile, cycling advocates felt that City Council’s proposed method of ameliorating this issue—granting itself veto power over new bike lanes—added unnecessary bureaucracy while endangering future extensions of the city’s bike lane network.

One Week In, Philly’s New 311 App Has Bureaucratic Kinks

“How can this be complete when now there are TWO shopping carts and more trash?”

Last week, we looked at the city’s brand-new Philly 311 app, a clever bit of high-tech public service designed to make it easier for citizens to report issues, get answers and, ultimately, make those using it better, more informed, more engaged citizens. Along with it being useful and educational (I now know exactly who’s responsible for dead cat removal), it’s even, dare we say, fun to eavesdrop on the collective grumbling of the populace.