Phawker.com will be showcasing images from the PhillyHistory.org archive on a regular basis. Look for some amazing photos from Philly’s history AND cool “write your own caption” contests. The winner of this week’s contest gets a pari of tickets to see Yo La Tengo at the Trocadero on February 10th. Not bad! Enter the contest here.

I thought Ben Franklin’s 300th birthday year would come and go without me getting too worked up. Don’t get me wrong. I love my history and Franklin’s the closest thing we have in America to a mythogical super hero. He’s one of those guys who can always cut you down to size when you start to feel full of yourself. “Hey Ben, I just made this pretty cool site with animations based on the weather forecast! What do you think?” “Not bad, chief. It reminds me a bit of when I charted the Gulf Stream, or when I invented the lightning rod. I’m sure someone’s life will someday be saved by your work, too.” What a prick.

So now he goes one step too far and insinuates himself in the header of my latest site, Phawker. He just stares out at me, mocking all I do and stand for while making snark all over the Philly “blogosphere”.* It’s eerie. I think his eyes follow you around the room. It’s bad enough that he’s on money. I never get $100 bills anyway. But now the old bastard’s got to mock me from my own work. I think I’ll give him a devil beard if he get’s out of line.

* A term he originally coined in The Poor Richard’s Almanac: “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time on the blog-o-speere; for that’s the stuff life is made of.”