MidnightBlue

Tonight as I walked past City Hall on my way to an appointment with my stylist, I encountered a line of people snaking around the perimeter of City Hall. The police and media were deployed to monitor this traditional citizen's welcome for the new Mayor. Off to the side - waiting to perform - a Mummer's brigade sparkled in the setting sun.

Tuesday's edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer proclaimed "This is our City. We are taking it back." I'd like to ask the newly minted mayor and the editors of the Philadelphia Inquirer- who or what are we taking the city back from? A 60+ year political monopoly? A degraded welfare system that creates generations of dependents? The Boy Scouts? Joey Vento? A homicide rate that at times surpassed that of soldiers murdered in the whole of Iraq? During his campaign, the freshman mayor ran political ads promoting change in Philadelphia by keeping Bush and Cheney accountable,while police officers were murdered on our streets.

This city did not vote for change or to 'take our city back'- The citizens voted for more of the same. What a damn shame.

Speaking of change...The world 'Change' seems to be the hottest buzzword in local and national politics, but what change are we as voters really seeking in this election cycle? Recall that in November 2006, voters in Pennsylvania and across the country voted for change. Political control of the House and the Senate changed hands and in PA the voters swept in a group of untried wanna be politicians into the PA Senate.

Is the change that was swept into PA and the rest of the nation now not palatable to the voters? Perhaps change can be a mistake.

Anyway, just some musings before I delve into the world of Chroma key editing with Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8.