City of Brotherly Love (Kept at a Safe Distance)

Visited Philadelphia on Saturday to observe Syracuse get beat by a team so bad, they're being kicked out of the Big East at the end of the season.

(No, Pat, it's not Rutgers.)

Still, I write because after the game, I visited a local landmark in Philadelphia.


No, not this one.

I meant this one.


And what got me about it was not this history surrounding it, nor its location, but rather the security precautions.

As a result of security, the Liberty Bell Center was fenced off, and visitors need to pass through metal detector screening before being allowed in the facility. You're also not allowed to enter unless you have a timed ticket (that's a ticket assigning you a time you can visit), and they recommend that you arrive at least 45 minutes early to get through OK. Timed tickets, of course, are distributed early and run out quickly. Needless to say, they're long gone before I roll out of bed.

Nowhere in the history or security is it mentioned anywhere that it's a GODDAMN BELL. Though I have issues with the security measures for visiting, say, the White House, I understand that a little more than all this trouble to see the Liberty Bell. The White House got me out of bed at 7AM on a Saturday. This... oy.

So, alas, I'm left with nothing more than just the ability to view it...


from a safe distance... 

...and crush it between Alex's fingers.


I believe the terrorists have won.