Hello,

Quick update: Due to issues at the previous host that kept me from gaining the access I needed to diagnose the performance issues Philly Future was suffering, I have migrated Philly Future to a new host. This enabled me to determine that the blog aggregator, The Philly Wire, was the root cause of Philly Future's instability.

I will be upgrading Philly Future to the next major Drupal release to see if this resolves the issue. Going from Drupal 5.x to 6.0 involves major work since the templates that Philly Future employs need to be redone to be compatible. Finding uninterrupted to to accomplish this will be a challenge.

It is possible that this will not resolve the issue since it appears it to be one of sheer growth. The aggregator has grown to a size that a Drupal on any under $100 hosting solution cannot satisfy.

Installing memcached should help as a next step, which I will take, however, the smart, cost effective solution is to go distributed - to host Philly Future's aggregator process on Amazon web services or Google's App Engine. Incur the CPU and memory cost there, and consume the results of that processing here. More than likely, that will be the next phase of rebuilding Philly Future. If and when Philly Future goes this route I plan to document the process for others, and to hopefully build a solution that can be used by others who would like to build similar services.

I'd like to apologize for the issues Philly Future has been experiencing. Attempting to resolve them part-time, in fits and starts, the way I have has been largely unsuccessful.

So it is long past time I do this and practice what I preach - please join me at this google group to start an open conversation about Philly Future's management and its future.

Thank you,

Karl

Hello everyone, Philly Future is still here. I am working with our host to try and discern what has triggered the slow site performance these past few days. During this time, Philly Future may go into maintenance mode where no access is possible, do not be alarmed, we will be back.

Thanks for your patience,

Karl

Cardinals 32 - Eagles 25

'Nuff said...

News Link: The End of the Road

Cartoon from Sid in the City

They're here... or at least they were the other night... or so it seems.

An unusual triangle of lights was seen all around Morristown NJ, a few hours after nightfall.
Local families and a pilot, who has been flying for 20 years, all called in reports.

The sighting was quite similar to thousands, world wide, that have been reported over the years.
You would think, with their superior intellect, and all that advanced technology,
the aliens would be, you know, a little more... stealthy.

News Link: Close encounters of the Jersey kind

Cartoon from Sid in the City

Opening Reception - Urban Organic
Friday, January 9 - 6-9 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: January 9 - 31, 2009

Celebrating the 25th anniversaries of both the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (MAP) and the Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA), Projects Gallery proudly presents the collaborative exhibition "Urban Organic". MAP and CFEVA have been dedicated to providing artists with the opportunities to earn a living from their art and the necessary tools to do so. Highlighting the works of eight artists who have been affiliated with both institutions over the years, "Urban Organic" is an excellent opportunity to discover the similarities that exist between MAP and CFEVA and the artists they support. A joint exhibition was a natural way to highlight the similarities that exist between each institution and the artists they support. Each organization has grown from a grassroots operation founded by a passionate and resolute individual to become a vital part of the region's thriving visual arts community.

Artists are particularly aware of this dichotomy as they strive to find inspiration from the environment while being keenly aware of the influence of the metropolitan areas in which many of them live and work. The selected works of Joseph Brenman, Vincent Desiderio, James Dupree, Jane Golden, Sidney Goodman, Qimin Liu, Pedro Ospina and Josette Urso reveal a link between the urban and the natural worlds, a contradiction that is integral to life in any city. Please join Projects Gallery this Friday evening as we say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Projects Gallery is located at 629 N 2nd St, Philadelphia PA 19123. Gallery hours are Wed & Thurs 4 -7 and Fri & Sat 12 -7.

Blinq: Write This Blog:

So, if you had the opportunity to come up with a new blog that would be featured on Philly.com and in the Philadelphia Inquirer, what would it be about?

What issues would it mine, what neighborhoods would it mind?

What is missing?

Ahh... that first cooling dip of the year.

Never mind that the water can get close to the freezing mark,
or in some cases has actually frozen over.
More than a handful of good folks dive into this annual ritual.
They're not just an isolated clique.

How many? World wide?
That's a good question.

Google News lists well over 100 articles devoted to the chilly phenomenon,
even here around Philly and Jersey, and we really have to ask... why?

News Link: Polar Bear Clubs

Cartoon from Sid in the City

Inquirer: True melting pot helped save libraries:

Stirred by Mayor Nutter's proposal to close 11 branch libraries, the opponents came tumbling off the shelves of Philadelphia society - rich, poor, black, white, homeschoolers from the Northeast, young anarchists from West Philly.

With President-elect Barack Obama's campaign as both inspiration and field guide, they organized, demonstrated and sued, then packed the courtroom for hearings and showered the mayor with boos at his own news conference.

Then, astoundingly, they won. At least for now.

A judge's ruling Tuesday forced Nutter to get City Council approval or a court order to implement his plan to save $36 million by 2013 through closing the branches. Nutter called the ruling an assault on the City Charter's strong-mayor form of government and said he would appeal.

Others called it a crucial victory for communities, even a model for civic participation in public policy.

Tom Ferrick at It's Our City wonders if the outrage Mayor Nutter has earned over this issue is worth it and offers an alternative:

Here’s an alternative: Back off on the library issue, Develop a comprehensive plan for meet the economic crisis that involves sacrifice by everyone –taxpayers, vendors, city employees, the mayor and his top staff — and use the upcoming budget address (for fiscal 2010) to begin the process of selling it to the public.

If people feel that everyone is feeling some pain, they won’t resent as much swallowing their piece of it. If people think the administration has really, actually listened to them and their concerns – and taken them into account – then maybe they will go along with the plan.

In other words, admit you made a mistake and go back to the drawing board.

Brendan Calling: Saturday Brimstone

It's Our City: City controller Alan Butkovitz says he has a plan to save the city almost half a billion dollars. City officials called his report more of a publicity stunt than a blueprint for success.

Library Journal.com: Philadelphia Judge Stops Mayor’s Plan To Close 11 Libraries:

In response to two lawsuits—filed by three City Council Members, seven library patrons, and the library staff union—Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Idee Fox today put the brakes on Mayor Michael Nutter’s plan to permanently close 11 branch libraries at the end of the day tomorrow, saying that City Council approval is required.

Coalition to Save the Libraries Statement on Court Victory:

BREAKING NEWS: Judge Idee Fox rules against Mayor Nutter's decision to close branch libraries without the approval of City Council.

Contact: Katrina Clarke misskatrina@mac.com (215) 272-7091
Milena Velis milena.velis@gmail.com (215) 200-3876

The Coalition will sponsor a New Year's Eve celebration of the past, present and future of Philadelphia's libraries at the Kingsessing branch, 51st and Kingsessing, beginning at 3:30 pm, Wednesday, December 31st.

We would like to commend Judge Fox on her decision to issue an injunction halting the library closings. We would also like to congratulate the lawyers and plaintiffs whose hard work helped to bring about this important victory. Most importantly, we recognize the efforts of every resident who spoke at a Town Hall meeting, attended a rally at their library, and was active in their community on this issue. Because of everyone's passion and hard work, we will ring in the New Year with all our beloved libraries open!

This is a victory for every child, senior, and community member who needs the basic services that our Free Libraries provide every day. We look forward to working together with Mayor Nutter and City Council to continue to improve our library services and to ensure that all Philadelphians have access to the education and opportunities that they deserve.

Follow the news over at Young Philly Politics

Blinq: An Eagles-Cowboys Victory Song

Library Journal.com: New Twist: Philadelphia Branches Slated for Closing Are De Facto School Libraries