The City of Philadelphia is a bit of a joke.  I write that as I sit in my apartment at 11:23 a.m.  On most every other Friday at this time, I’d either be in court or banging out the work from my office.  However, things are different this week.  The courts in the City of Philadelphia are closed from Wednesday through Monday.  Visitors to my office building today must be escorted to the office to which they intend to go.

All of this is because Pope Francis will be visiting Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday.  Yes, I wrote that correctly.  The Catholic Church leader, not the President of the United States, not God, the Creator, is coming to the City.  He’s not here yet.  Nonetheless, barricades are being erected along city streets; at 5 p.m., public transportation will all but come to a grinding halt; and local government has implemented zones throughout the city in which folks cannot drive or even ride a bicycle.

It’s the freaking pope.  Yet, this small-time city is preparing as if Jesus, Buddha, and Allah were set to converge here.  Mayor Nutter, take a breath; you’ve gone terribly overboard.  It is rad to have a 3-day weekend, though!

In other news… Yesterday, I accidentally swallowed some toothpaste as I brushed my teeth in the morning.  First, who does that?  I’ve been brushing my teeth for 30+ years.  I can’t remember the last time that I swallowed toothpaste.  Second, the experience was a nightmare.  Does Crest jam anthrax into its ‘paste?  My eyes teared up, and I coughed off-and-on for more than ten minutes.