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Philly’s 4th of July celebration.

More pics of Philly’s Fourth of July celebration

The Philly Live 8 stage in front of the Museum of Art.

BK’s Live 8 Flickr Photo Set

A short movie of Will Smith’s intro in Philly

I must admit I didn’t last too long at Live 8. I was already heading away from the stage as opener Black Eyed Peas were wrapping up. However, I did enjoy the unofficial opening act, the Kaiser Chiefs. I had heard a lot about them, but hadn’t actually heard them. Good stuff from the Chiefs.

Anyway, I really went there to experience it…something I missed out on with the Live Aid show in Philly at ol’ JFK Stadium in 1985. I wasn’t all that impressed with the Philly lineup for Live 8 so it wasn’t like I missed out on something. If I really wanted to experience a great concert, I would have hopped on a plane and headed to London for the Hyde Park portion of Live 8.

But I wanted to see my adopted hometown of Philadelphia — the ultimate underdog of U.S. cities — shine with the entire world watching. And — unlike its sports teams (Phantoms excluded) — Philly came through like a champ. Philly has such a bad reputation, but it really is a great city and much of the criticism is unfair and unwarranted.

I saw this quote in a Philadelphia Inquirer story and thought it was telling…

“We could have done this in many places around America, but Philadelphia hit the cover off the ball,” said Live 8 executive producer Tim Sexton.

I am just so proud of Philadelphia for making its part of the Live 8 extravaganza a huge success.

And Philly will get a chance to shine again Monday night when Elton John headlines the Fourth of July concert in the very same location as Live 8. Hearing Elton John perform “Philadelphia Freedom” in Philadelphia on Independence Day was already going to be one of those special musical moments. But Live 8 has instilled in me a heightened sense of pride in Philly that is going to make it even more special.

Well, I have made up my mind. I’m going down to the Parkway in Philly for at least the first two or three hours of Live 8…just to say I was there. As soon as I leave work today, I’m going to go to the nearest SEPTA station and buy my special $8 Live 8 day pass so I can get around the city by rail (actually, since there are no tickets for the event, I guess that will be a nice keepsake).

I will try to put up some mobile photo and audio posts here so I can record some of the event online.

I also plan on going to the big Elton John concert on Monday night, also on the Parkway. I figure hearing Elton perform “Philadelphia Freedom” in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July is a musical moment I should experience firsthand.

But first…I’m going to watch fireworks after tonight’s Braves-Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park (ugh…the Phils are probably going to get their asses kicked again). There are supposed to be some nasty thunderstorms moving through the area this afternoon and evening, though. Maybe a bolt of lightning will just wipe out the Phillies, the Braves can win by forfeit and the fireworks can go off early.

Hey…I know that’s cruel, but I’m really pissed off at the Phils for the way they’re playing right now. It’s embarrassing…and then they are going to embarrass themselves again in front of a national audience when they play Sunday night on ESPN.

But the Phillies always put together a nice fireworks show…even as the team strives for perennial mediocrity. : (

Pat & Curt @ CBP

A woman named Lucy Richardson, a former schoolmate of Julian Lennon, died recently at the age of 47. Supposedly, this is the Lucy who Julian — John Lennon’s son — included in a painting he had done in school as a 4-year old called “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” that influenced the popular Beatles song on their classic album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The pieces seem to fit, but you can read everything for yourself at Lucy In The Sky – the real woman.

Well, this Saturday marks the season finale of the legendary BBC science fiction series, Doctor Who.

After running on the BBC as a series from 1963-1989 and returning with a one-shot, “Americanized” TV movie co-produced by the BBC and FOX in 1996, Doctor Who came back to the BBC as a regular series earlier this year.

I first started watching Doctor Who probably around 1984 when I just happened to catch the episode called “Robot” starring Tom Baker as the scarf-wearing — and most popular — Fourth Doctor (for the uninitiated, the time-traveling character is called “The Doctor” — NOT Doctor Who — and he can regenerate his physical form 12 times for a total of 13 lives) on WOR Channel 9 on a Saturday afternoon. I soon learned that it aired every Saturday night at 9 p.m. on New Jersey Network/PBS and became a huge fan.

I was so excited last year when the BBC made the announcement that Doctor Who was coming back in 2005. Unfortunately, Sci-Fi Channel turned down an offer to air it in the United States and no other broadcaster stepped up to the plate. The original Doctor Who series was known for its clever science fiction and plot twists, but it was also known for cheap sets and cheesy special effects. The 2005 update still has some campiness, but the production values are state of the art, making it a bit more expensive to produce.

Obviously, that means it would have taken a decent amount of money to buy the U.S. television rights…and any buyer could wind up looking foolish if American Doctor Who fans turned their backs on the updated version of the show.

So I have been downloading the episodes via BitTorrent…yeah, I’m admitting it. But I don’t see what is wrong with that. It’s the only thing I use BitTorrent for and it most likely would have been on a cable channel for which I am already paying. Plus, I have every intention of buying the DVD set when it is released in the United States later this year.

Anyway, I have thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of Doctor No. 9 (Christopher Eccleston) and his time-traveling companion, Rose (Billie Piper) through the first 12 episodes of this new season of Doctor Who.

Unfortunately, time is running out for The Doctor as he tries to save Rose and the Earth from the menace of the dreaded Daleks (since Eccleston only signed on for one season, he is leaving the show and will be replaced by Doctor No. 10 to be played by David Tennant…Piper also will be leaving the show at some point next season).

[EDIT: Actually, since this posting, Piper has agreed to return for all 13 episodes in 2006.]

As I mentioned earlier on this site, the season finale is called “The Parting of the Ways.” In tribute to this fine season of Doctor Who, I would like to dedicate my latest song, “Parting of the Ways.”

I had known the title of the season finale for weeks when I wrote the lyrics to the song, which I did by singing into the microphone and keeping whatever sounded decent. When I blurted out “…and doing that means we have to part ways” in the chorus, I knew I had my title.

It’s actually quite appropriate, too. Doctor Who had been off the air practically the entire time I stopped doing music (although it got a year or so of a head-start on me) and had a one-off reappearance that came about the time I wrote my only song of the mid 90s, “The Greatest Love.” And now, I write my first new song in ages and it comes the same year Doctor Who returns to the BBC.

Maybe The Doctor and I are in the same time stream?

Well, maybe he isn’t “telling” the truth, but I think it is rather apparent in this Reuters picture of Ol’ Dubya…strangely, this picture isn’t all that shocking…I mean, I think we all saw this coming…

It goes to 11!

With it being so hot in the Bucks County, PA, area the past couple of days, I have become very familiar with the two air conditioners in my apartment.

I noticed that the temperature controls on both units go up to 11…just like Nigel Tufnel’s amps in the mock/rockumentary “This is Spinal Tap!”

Now, I just have to figure out how to make the AC units produce cold air AND play “Big Bottom” at the same time. That would be freakin’ sweet!

These go to 11!

Mike & I in the office.

OK…this is me and Mike Scott, our graphic designer here in Rider’s office of publications. I was just showing him how mobile blogging works by sending this pic from my cell phone to my blog. This is going to be so cool for road trips!