John Atwater's Blog

If the Big three all go under, there's a fear millions would lose their jobs.  At this point, it's only clear GM is in dire straights. 

Bankruptcy would spare the country another bailout and it would allow for restructuring that could make the company more efficient.

If money is handed over, do you think GM will be a formidable competitor against imports?

I read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal this morning about iconic architecture and how many visions fall short of achieving that status.

Frank Gehry's museum in Bilbao stands out as a lasting icon in my mind.  I also appreciate some of Santiago Calatrava's forms.

Are there iconic buildings here that you think are or will become icons that stand the test of time?

Above: Gehry's Bilbao Museum

Below: Calatrava's Milwaukee Museum

We've celebrated like we haven't done in almost three decades.  But, at what point does the celebration get ridiculous?  Do you think fans got out of hand when they flipped cars, broke windows, and threw bottles?  Do you look the other way because such celebrations come around so infrequently?

Damage slideshow 1

Damage slideshow 2

I met an East Windsor, NJ, man tonight who's been looking for steady work after losing a good job as a corporate purchaser.

He's started a website to talk about the struggles he faces. 

You can take a look at it:

www.whotookamerica.com

Pennsylvania's smoking ban kicks in on Thursday, but do you feel it's the state's place to regulate smoking in restaurants and other public areas?

Do you think "smokeless" bars would open on their own (without state intervention) if there were a market for "clean air" establishments?

Is a $20,000 fine appropriate for a casino that allowed a 14-year-old to play the slots, walk around, and even talk to a cashier and cash out?  State regulators say the girl and her aunt were at the casino for just over an hour before a guard noticed them.

Are you wondering who's watching the cameras, and who's allowing anyone under 21 cash out?

Here's a link to the story

Visitors got quite a scare on New Jersey beaches when needles and other medical debris washed up on shore, just in time for the ceremonial end to summer.

Watch my video blog below and let me know if you'd get back in the water.

Obama's VP choice shores up the Democratic ticket in many ways. But was it the right choice?

Watch my video blog and start the discussion.

The transportation agency that's thrown hundreds of millions of dollars at projects like the Kimmel Center, the Linc, Campbell's Field, the National Constitution Center, the Camden Aquarium, the new Jewish History Museum, and a new soccer stadium in Chester is now asking you to pay more to use their bridges.

They say they need money for repairs even though around $300 million over the years has gone to finance many economic development projects.

Drivers aren't one bit happy to know their toll money is helping build stadiums, museums, and other venues.  But, the CEO says the prior board should be held responsible for all those outlays.  No more, he says.  But now, it's your time to pay up.  So, now you'll pay $4 to get over a bridge into the city.  All of that money will now go to maintenance of bridges -- the objective of the agency.

If you use the bridges, how does this sit with you?

It's around 1 a.m. and I've returned home from the massive fire in Conshohocken.  My clothes are smoky, my hair is smoky, and I'm still wondering how this fire traveled so quickly.

It engulfed a construction site and even a roadway couldn't stop its march toward a nearly 400-unit apartment building.

The developer says all precautions were taken in the apartment building -- sprinklers, firewalls, etc.  And, he says the city installed enough fire hydrants in the area.  Firefighters say they had several obstacles fighting the fire.  Pressure from those hydrants was down because they had to tap several to contain the blaze.  They were also working in a confined space between the construction site and the apartment building.  They had to retreat at one point because of a wall collapse.

At the end of the day, 11 firefighters were hurt, four fire trucks were damaged, but everyone survived.  The personal stories, though, were tough to hear.  People getting home from work only to find their pets trapped in the building. Many others wondered if firefighters could stop the march.

Did anyone else watch in amazement as this fire stayed well ahead of efforts to contain it?

Here's my video from the fire

The indictment is horrifying.  A defenseless girl with cerebral palsy allegedly starved to death.  She was covered with bone-deep bedsores that were infested with maggots when she died.  And the city agency overseeing her health watched her waste away, according to the district attorney.

The new DHS Commissioner says the department is changing.  There are new safeguards, new checks, and new monitoring.  But the D.A. says the department is deeply flawed and can't fix itself.

Does the state need to step in to correct DHS as the D.A. suggests?  Or does the mayor's new administration have the capacity to restore accountability on its own?

Read the entire indictment (WARNING: some images are very graphic)

Tonight I met a 15-year-old Palestinian who lost his legs and an arm in violence in the Gaza Strip.  A non-profit helped bring Asaad Mahmoud here and Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia is making him prosthetics at no charge.

When I walked into his room, he was on a computer chatting with friends back home.  He was laughing and seemed pretty caught up in his converstation.  Clearly, his injuries have been daunting, but it seems like his trip to Philadelphia has really given him some hope.  If he hadn't come here, he would likely live the rest of his life in a wheelchair.  But, now when he returns home, he'll be able to walk off the plane.

He told me he didn't know if he'd be "accepted" when he came to America.  His impressions have changed quite a bit during his visit.  He's found Americans to be very helpful and caring. 

On the day of this interview, we learned that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be stepping down.  Asaad has fears about going home -- he's afraid of the violence -- but he's also excited to see his family.  Olmert's resignation, though, almost ensures that he will return home to the instability he's known his whole life.

Not sure if you saw this article in the Times this morning:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.h
tml?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

We're all on the internet so much these days, but what about the kids who are growing up with it.  Some don't like books, and many do most of their reading on social networking sites like Myspace (owned by the parent company of my employer) or Facebook.  Or maybe "reading" on the internet is better than watching TV?

What do you think of the 4-day work week some county government's are considering?  The rationale is to save employees some gas.  But, in Montgomery county, if a plan goes through, offices would be open longer (10 hours a day -- there would be fewer employees on Monday and Friday), so it would cost more to keep the lights on and heat or cool the buildings.

Does it add up to much of a savings?