So, as you may well have already heard, the running sore on the city that is THE JOEY VENTO AFFAIR was picked open again today: (AP) PHILADELPHIA ? The battle over an English-only ordering policy at one of the city?s signature cheesesteak joints is apparently far from over. The city?s human relations commission found evidence that the owner of Geno?s Steaks may have discriminated against immigrants by posting a sign telling customers, ?This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ?PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH,?? according to a letter sent to owner Joe Vento [pictured, left] last week. Vento?s attorneys had hoped the matter would […]
BREAKING: ANNA NICOLE SMITH IS DEAD
(CNN) — Reality TV star and former model Anna Nicole Smith was pronounced dead Thursday after being taken to a Florida hospital after being found unconscious in her hotel room, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the case told CNN. Smith, 39, collapsed at a south Florida hotel and was taken to a local hospital, according to news reports. TMZ.com had reported that Smith collapsed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood just after 2 p.m. ET. According to reports, Smith was found unresponsive in her […]
CARTOON: The More Things Change
[Courtesy of Married To The Sea]
NPR FOR THE DEAD: “How Do You Ask A Man To Be The Last Man To Die For A Mistake?” — John Kerry
[Click on image to activate] RADIO TIMES WITH MARTY MOSS-COANE HOUR 1 — Iraq: Resolutions to reality. While Congress debates non-binding resolutions on President Bush’s war strategy, sectarian violence continues unabated in Iraq. We’ll talk about why Congress cares so much about these resolutions, and what message this is sending to those in Iraq and its neighbors. We’ll talk with DICK POLMAN, the national political columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and TRUDY RUBIN, the foreign affairs columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. HOUR 2 — MICHAEL APTED is a documentary filmmaker and director of feature films and TV shows. His most […]
DUNE (Directed by David Lynch, 1984)
A curious blend of the sublime and the ridiculous, and depending on what cut you get either an epic bore or a truncated mess bordering on slapstick. Still, it contains some of the most bizarre and arresting images ever committed to celluloid.
VEGEDELPHIA: First They Took Our Smokes, Then Fumo, Now They’ve Come For Our Biggie Fries
As the nation takes steps toward a trans-fat-free finish line — with 19 states considering bans or restrictions — some local universities have already tightened their belts against trans fats. At most of the schools, the ban was prompted by deadlines from food-service providers such as Aramark, which has about 500 collegiate contracts, and Sodexho, which has 816. Aramark set a March 31 deadline for a trans-fat ban; Sodexho completed its ban in January 2006. Aramark’s switch is a companywide effort, said Jenifer Bland-Campbell, senior director of nutrition program development. “It’s been something that we’ve been considering for quite some […]
MELROSE PLACE: Munchers Mull Fumo & OPM; Old Man Threatens To Kick Reporter’s Ass Into Next Week
By Alfred Lubrano Inquirer Staff Writer South Philly was churning yesterday, the natives at turns delighted and dejected. The loud and conspicuous opera that is currently the life of the newly indicted State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo elicited sympathy and enmity, loyalty and spite. During lunch at the Melrose Diner, prime rib and eggplant were the specials, but at least one customer at the counter was chewing on Fumo, savoring the taste of a man who might be cooked. “Everybody’s day comes, and I do revel in it a bit,” said Randy Dezii, an investment counselor who has done business […]
Freedom NOT Just Another Word For ‘Nothin’ Left To Lose’
BY JANE L. DALTON CHANCELLOR OF THE PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION Many firms with Philadelphia offices are in fact providing pro bono services to Guantanomo detainees, and to dozens of other clients whom the average person might find offensive. They are to be commended. Lawyers who practice in this country are obligated to be mindful of deficiencies in the administration of justice, and that the poor and the near-poor cannot afford adequate legal assistance. Therefore, all lawyers are asked to devote time and resources and use civic influence to ensure equal access to our system of justice for all those who, […]
MEDIA: “I really don’t know whether we’ll be printing the Times in five years, and you know what? I don’t care, either.”–Arthur Sulzberger, Publisher, New York Times
[Source: Gawker] BELATED BIRTHDAY WISHES: Our Benevolent Founder turned 300 last month. Still looks good, too. Damn good.
Stephen A. Smith, Beacon of Clarity In A Fog Of Fools
Jesus H. Christ! If this is what passes for public discourse these days, may God have mercy on us all. [via Deadspin]
OUTERSPACE LOVE TRIANGLE: Houston, We Have A Big Fuckin’ Problem…OVER…Come In Houston…OVER
ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) — Astronaut Lisa Nowak Tuesday was ordered released on an additional $10,000 bond for an attempted murder charge involving a romantic rival. Nowak, 43, had earlier posted a $15,500 bond on charges of attempted kidnapping, battery and attempted burglary of a car with battery. But, her release was halted as Orlando Police brought the attempted murder charge. As a condition of her release, Nowak was ordered to wear a global positioning satellite device, known as a GPS. [Do those things work in outer space?–Ed.) Nowak, a Navy Captain, is accused of accosting Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, […]
HOT DOCUMENT: A Letter From Steve Jobs
BY STEVE JOBS SPECIAL TO PHAWKER* February 6, 2007 With the stunning global success of Apple’s iPod music player and iTunes online music store, some have called for Apple to “open” the digital rights management (DRM) system that Apple uses to protect its music against theft, so that music purchased from iTunes can be played on digital devices purchased from other companies, and protected music purchased from other online music stores can play on iPods. Let’s examine the current situation and how we got here, then look at three possible alternatives for the future. To begin, it is useful to […]
Narcs Bust Papaya Kingpins With $10M Bag of Blow
NBC 10: Authorities said on Tuesday they had seized 100 kilograms of cocaine, worth $10 million on the street. A confidential informant led city narcotics officers to a tractor trailer with Texas tags at approximately 7 a.m. They caught up with the tractor-trailer at a Kmart on Aramingo Avenue. Officers moved in, they opened up the tractor-trailer and found papayas and limes, but based on the intelligence they had gathered and the scent the K-9s picked up, officers kept digging through the trailer. “We get the papayas out, we open up the boxes and they’re right there and everybody just […]