I am extraordinarily well-lubricated tonight, having been to both an author interview with Fortune‘s Leigh Gallagher and the Inquirer‘s Inga Saffron, and then Philly Nerd Nite with presentations by SEPTA and MOTU. I have been up many hours, so I won’t be writing things up tonight, but I did want to leave one thought before passing out:
There are two types of people: those who can read a book like Gallagher’s The End Of The Suburbs, and be either cheered or untroubled by it, and those who react strongly negatively because they see an existential threat to their way of life. I and, there’s a strong assumption here, you, are in the first group, as was virtually everyone in the room. The second group has shut down the Federal Government and is threatening default on its financial obligations.
That is way more political than I would like to be with this blog, but there is a cultural-political gap here, the other side of which is poorly represented in these circles. Something to think about tomorrow, anyway.
Sic Transit Philadelphia 
Enquiring ex-Philadelphia mind wants to know: how is the shutdown affecting Center City traffic patterns, ridership, and local businesses, given that numerous entire city blocks are a National Park Wasteland? You can see just as much from the Duck Tour whether the buildings are open or closed, and nobody would be queueing for gelato in this weather regardless, so … maybe it’s just business as usual? But isn’t Washington Square Park technical NPS property? Are there barricades? Does anyone care?
Er, “Washington Square”, that is.