Plates

AND ON the first day of free agency . . . the Diamondbacks agreed to terms with their backup catcher. What, you were expecting actual news? The early days of the free-agent signing period, which began yesterday at 1 minute after midnight, are short on drama. And while Phillies fans might be eager to see the offseason unfold, they are likely in for a long wait. Last year, the first major contract was not consummated until 12 days after the signing period officially began.

WHATEVER you think about Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Philly, there's now a lot more discussion about economic inequality and the struggle of many to put food on the table. Food economics is key at Dilworth Plaza, too, as the protesters, with the help of their allies, provide three meals a day for anybody who shows up hungry. Notably, a lot of those meals are vegan. It's not so much from a commitment to nonviolence or to boycott a corporate-dominated agricultural sector. The main reason is that plant-based food is cheap and easy to make - a boon to a built-from-scratch operation like Occupy.

WISCASSET, Maine - "Do we have to eat a lobster roll now ?! We're eating dinner in an hour," said my wife, Elizabeth, ever the practical one. "And, by the way, aren't we on a vacation?" Indeed, we'd come to the coast of Maine for a late-summer family getaway - not the all-lobster-all-the-time eating marathon this trip was quickly shaping up to be. And yet, by some minor miracle, there was only a 20-minute line at Red's Eats , the legendary lobster-roll shack that routinely clogs Route 1 traffic at the base of the bridge leading into this postcard-perfect coastal village.

Lots of Phillies fans love Carlos Ruiz because he's a good defensive catcher who paid his dues in the minor-league system and also is a tough out at the plate, especially in the playoffs. Plus, he can take a punch. Ruiz showed his sturdy jaw again in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the NLDS as he took a forearm to the face from St. Louis centerfielder Jon Jay on a bang-bang play at the plate. Jay was trying to score from second on a two-out single by Rafael Furcal. Ryan Theriot had already scored on the hit to cut the Phillies' lead to 4-3. Jay was looking to tie the score when he barreled into Ruiz just as the catcher received leftfielder Raul Ibanez's one-hop throw.

Lots of Phillies fans love Carlos Ruiz because he's a good defensive catcher who paid his dues in the minor-league system and also is a tough out at the plate, especially in the playoffs. Plus, he can take a punch. Ruiz showed his sturdy jaw again in the fourth inning as he took a forearm to the face from St. Louis centerfielder Jon Jay on a bang-bang play at the plate. Jay was trying to score from second on a two-out single by Rafael Furcal. Jay barreled into Ruiz just as the catcher received leftfielder Raul Ibanez's one-hop throw.

HARRISBURG - School vouchers, a fee on natural gas drillers, privatizing liquor sales, and, now, a move to divvy up Pennsylvania's electoral votes: The Republicans who control the legislature have lined up an aggressive agenda as they begin returning to the Capitol this week for their fall session. They are a different crew than the old guard in Harrisburg, vestiges of which go on trial this week, in a courtroom near the Capitol. But many of the issues they are poised to tackle have been kicking around for decades, without a consensus, without a solution.

HOUSTON - There was no bottle of champagne on Charlie Manuel's desk. Just a can of Diet Coke. "Ain't ready to celebrate yet," the veteran manager said yesterday after the Phillies clinched their fifth straight postseason berth with a 1-0 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. He might be ready today. That's because Manuel could have his regular lineup together for the first time since late August, and for one of the few times all season. With Jimmy Rollins back from a groin injury and Placido Polanco back to his usual level of performance despite a lingering sports hernia, the only missing piece is Chase Utley, who has not played since suffering a mild concussion last Wednesday.

WHEN IT comes to removal of Pennsylvania's natural-gas resources, Gov. Corbett says we Pennsylvanians must let the gas industry operate with tax rates lower than other "competing environments" such as West Virginia, Texas or even Canada. If not, investors will show us the door, and the promise of industry jobs for local Pennsylvanians will go with them. But how many "local Pennsylvania residents" are included in the claim of new employment for 70,000 industry workers? Proof is in the workers' license plates - I call this a "Woodstock economy" synonymous with a rock concert in town, only this time the concert is natural-gas extraction.

'Bomb' was actually a seder plate * Willet Street near Lincoln Drive, in West Mount Airy A suspicious package that led to the evacuation of the Germantown Jewish Centre yesterday morning turned out to be a seder plate apparently placed at a side entrance by someone who wanted to donate it. Senior Rabbi Adam Zeff said the synagogue's maintenance director spotted the package leaning against the building outside a side entrance about...

WHILE redistricting remains the hot topic as City Council returns from its legislative break today, its 17 members are expected to tackle some other big issues this fall. Here are a few items on Council's plate as it kicks off the final session of its current term, otherwise known as the "lame-duck session. " *  Taxes/jobs: Two tax proposals are expected to be unveiled today in an effort to juice business development and job creation. Council members Bill Green and Maria Quinones-Sanchez are proposing to exempt all businesses from paying taxes on their first $100,000 in both gross-receipts and net-income taxes.