NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t

On Fresh Air Today: Timothy Egan is the author of the book The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. Now out in paperback, the book was awarded the National Book Award for nonfiction. Egan is a national enterprise reporter for the New York Times, and was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for a series on race in America. Journalist Stephen Kiernan‘s new book is Last Rights: Rescuing the End of Life from the Medical System. Kiernan writes that doctors are not well-trained in end of […]

This Is Your Government’s Brain On 900 Mics Of Terror

This series of video images shows a typical prison cell extraction of Jose Padilla, an alleged al-Qaeda operative who faces federal terrorism charges after being declared an “enemy combatant” by President George W. Bush. The photos, taken from an unclassified Department of Defense video shot at the Navy brig in Charleston, S.C., show some of the precautions taken by officers (who are dressed in camouflage and riot gear) when transporting the 36-year-old Padilla. After cuffing Padilla’s feet and hands–which the detainee had to stick through openings in his cell door–officers removed him from the cell and placed blackout goggles and […]

SMELLS LIKE JOURNALISM: Inky Puts Boots On The Ground, Does Due Diligence On Tribe’s Quest To Build Riverfront Slot Wigwam & Collect Bluehair Wampum

“The Pequots and other tribes began gambling operations on reservation land under the 1988 Indian Gaming Rights Act. In Connecticut, the tribe was permitted to offer bingo and table games, such as poker and blackjack, which were legal in the state. Slot machines were not, so the Pequots opened a table games casino in 1992 by expanding the original bingo hall.[…] For the 12 months ending June 30, Connecticut took in $204.5 million from Foxwoods, according to the state Division of Special Revenue, the agency that tracks all forms of gambling in Connecticut. It received an additional $224 million from […]

Gaybo: JERSEY MALL HORRORS; LURID TALES OF JAILHOUSE DIVAS PAST; 3SOME OF THE WEEK

TOMMY ZANE REPORTS: My lover Ramon [not pictured, lower right] and I ventured forth into South Jersey this weekend, to spend some time with his family in Vineland. Mamacita was only too happy to see her favorite hijo. It was me, Ramon, Mamacita and his 49 cousins — in a pull out sofa. Or at least that’s how it felt, grabbing and crowding me all the time. Anyway, Ramon got nostalgic to see his old haunts, so off to Cumberland Mall we went. Now, this is no King of Prussia, with four flagship stores. No way. This is your typical […]

STATUS QUO: Low Prices, Indentured Servitude, Predatory Capitalism, and the Occasional INSIDE JOB? Just Another Day At Your Friendly Neighborhood Wal-Mart SO HAVE A NICE DAY!

Arrests made in $300,000 robbery Two men dressed as Wal-Mart employees hit the Northeast Phila. store after hours. One in custody was an employee. BY JAN HEFLER INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Two men clad in standard Wal-Mart blue “How May I Help You?” smocks held up the discount store in the Lower Northeast early yesterday, netting more than $300,000 from a safe and enjoying less than a day of euphoria before city police made two arrests last nightAs the investigation continued toward midnight, Sgt. Joseph Gindele of the Northeast Detective Division said he expected two more arrests.One of the men already in […]

STOP THE PRESSES: 457 Articles About THE STRIKE Add Up To A LOT Of Dead Trees And Not Much News

Taken as mash-up, the incompleteness of this moment, repeated over and over again, is actually quite hypnotic and we find it helps to pass the time until some actual news happens, here you try… Papers, Union Continue Contract Talks Houston Chronicle — United States – 7 hours ago WASHINGTON POST By JOANN LOVIGLIO AP Writer. — 2006 AP. PHILADELPHIA — The largest union at Philadelphia’s two biggest newspapers resumed contract … Philly Papers, Union Talks to Continue Forbes, NY — 19 hours ago By DEBORAH YAO 12.03.06, 1:58 AM ET. The largest union at Philadelphia’s two biggest newspapers reported some progress […]

HIZZONER ’07: Turns Out The Saidel ’07 Mayoral Campaign Nothing More Than CHINESE FIRE DRILL, Candidate Pulls Plug One Week After Announcing Candidacy; ‘What A Rush!’ Sez These Chix

This is a metaphor, people. HIZZONER 07: Maybe It’s The Snappy Name, But We Are Really Likin? This Jonathan Guy From YOUNG PHILLY POLITICS: Jonathan Saidel Makes Me Go, ?Hmmmm? During Bob Brady?s riffing, he started introducing other local politicians in the room, including ?future Mayoral candidate Jonathan Saidel. The reason I bring this up is that I had never seen Saidel speak in person, and frankly do not know a lot about him. But, I would have to say, his speech very much surprised and impressed me, mainly for the fire with which it was delivered. And then, when […]

ARTSY: I Often Dream Of Trains

By SIMONE SECCI ROME CORRESPONDENT Who was Giorgio de Chirico and why should you care? You bet. Almost certainly, the ’50s American school of Abstract Expressionism wouldn’t even existed without him. Considering that this Italian artist whose career was extremely long but so shortly relevant to art history probably seriously influenced the most important surrealist artists of the day, people such as Max Ernst and Salvador Dali. And so it followed that surrealism created a birth place for the upcoming American Abstract Expressionism, people like Jackson Pollack and William De Kooning. But his influence doesn’t just end in the American […]

HEADLINE OF THE WEEK: Supreme Court Takes ‘Bonghits 4 Jesus’ Case, After Telling NY TIMES They Don’t DO Press Freedom Cases; LORD HELP US!

Court takes ‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’ case By MARK SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court stepped into a dispute over free speech Friday involving a suspended high school student and his banner that proclaimed “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.” The justices agreed to hear the appeal by the Juneau, Alaska, school board and principal Deborah Morse of a lower court ruling that allowed the student’s civil rights lawsuit to proceed. The school board hired former Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr to argue its case to the high court. Morse suspended Frederick after he displayed the banner, with its reference […]

We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED: Illumina, Johnny Brendas, December 1, 2006 [FLICKR] EVA SAYS: Whenever I see Illumina, I like to imagine myself up there with them, jumping, dancing, and harmonizing all the live-long day. If only I could play an instrument, the cowbell even, maybe I could aim to be half as cool as these guys. Their whole LET’S START A BAND rockchestra steez is irresistibly fun — what with the cute Asian keyboardist, singing all cute and Asian-like, a small string section demurely rocking out and some crazy drummer in the back blowing on a whistle so sincerely you’re reminded […]