BY MAX FOLLMER/HUFFINGTON POST The man who will oversee the federal government’s investigation into the disaster that has trapped six workers in a Utah coal mine for over a week was twice rejected for his current job by senators concerned about his own safety record when he managed mines in the private sector. President George W. Bush resorted to a recess appointment in October 2006 to anoint Richard Stickler as the nation’s mine safety czar after it became clear he could not receive enough support even in a GOP-controlled Senate. In the wake of the January 2006 Sago mine disaster […]
NPR 4 THE DEF: Giving Public Radio Edge Since 2006
THINK LOCALLY, FUCK GLOBALLY: Gogol Bordello, Trocadero, July 19th FRESH AIR Despite all the negative chatter the issue of immigration generates, the fact is that Americans love the trial-and-error tragicomic saga of fresh-off-the-boat immigrants who try to fit like square pegs into America’s round hole. The latest proof is the runaway success of the movie Borat. Before there was Borat, there was Taxi’s Latka Gravas, Andy Kaufman’s lovable mechanic of mysterious Eastern European descent. In between, there was, and for that matter is, Gogol Bordello, led by human-cannonball front man Eugene Hutz, perhaps best known for his role as Alex […]
THE EARLY WORD: A Phish Called Wanda?
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DAYS OF FUTURE PAST: William Gibson Overdrive
BY MAVIS LINNEMANN BOOK CRITIC William Gibson, acclaimed sci-fi author, noted futurist and coiner of the term “cyberspace,” will be the first to tell you that all his books have actually been about the present — the fact that they feel like the future only points out our chronic alienation from the moment we are in. You see, it’s our fault, not his. His new novel, Spook Country, is actually set in the recent past, 2006 to be exact, and focuses on the edgy exploits of rock star-turned- journalist Hollis Henry, who has been assigned to do a piece on […]
BREAKING: Slim, Shady Ref Does The Right Thing
DISGRACED NBA referee Tim Donaghy and two Delaware County men who have been linked to him in a gambling probe are expected to turned themselves in this morning at federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., a source told the Daily News Donaghy, 40, [PICTURED, LEFT OF KOBE BRYANT] is expected to plead guilty to charges that he bet on games he officiated, a source said. Another source said Donaghy also would plead to a charge of “criminal information,” meaning he used his position to provide information for financial gain outside of his job. Federal arrest warrants are also expected for James […]
GOP CRONY: Master Of Disaster Mine Owner Bragged To Safety Inspectors That He Was Untouchable
BY MAX FOLLMER/HUFFINGTON POST In 2003, when safety inspectors ordered the owner of a Utah coal mine where six workers have been trapped for more than a week to shut down one of his Ohio operations because of repeated safety problems, local press reports say he did not hesitate to flex his political muscle to get the inspectors off his back. West Virginia Public Radio reporter Jeff Young filed a story at the time that said Murray Energy Corp. CEO Bob Murray had a meeting in Morgantown, W. Va. with Tim Thomspon, then a district manager for the federal Mine […]
iLENNON: Working Class Hero
CUPERTINO, California — August 14, 2007 — Apple today announced the debut of the John Lennon solo catalog on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com). Sixteen of Lennon’s solo works from EMI Music are available for the first time on iTunes starting today, with the “Lennon Legend” and “Acoustic” collections making their worldwide digital debuts. For a limited period of 30 days, exclusive video content will be included with the albums “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,” “Sometime in New York City,” “Walls and Bridges,” “Milk and Honey” and the collections “Anthology” and “Working Class Hero.” “John would have loved the fact that his music […]
JAVA WARS: Local Man Buys Saxby’s Coffee Chain, Dreams Of Life In Starbucks’ Grande Shadow
A Philadelphia-area entrepreneur says a new coffee shop chain he has just purchased, Saxby’s, will be showing up all over the area, and he’s brewed up a plan to take it national. Joe Grasso of Walnut Street Capital, who has moved Saxby’s headquarters to the Curtis Center along Independence Mall, feels there is room for the company to grow to second place, behind a dominant Starbucks, which has more than 10,000 locations. A Saxby’s will open next week in Wayne, and there will be close to 60 in the Philadelphia-area by the first quarter of next year, according to Grasso. […]
NPR 4 THE DEF: Giving Public Radio Edge Since 2006
FRESH AIR In his new film, Resurrecting the Champ, actor Samuel L. Jackson plays a homeless, broken-down former heavyweight contender. The movie, directed by Rob Lurie and set to open Aug. 24, is based on the true story of boxer Battling Bob Satterfield. Jackson’s other films include Black Snake Moan, Pulp Fiction, Jungle Fever, Coach Carter, Freedomland and Unbreakable. He studied dramatic arts at Atlanta’s Morehouse College, and after he graduated he originated two August Wilson roles — Boy Willie in The Piano Lesson and Wolf in Two Trains Running — at the Yale Repertory Theatre. PLUS, celebrated salsa king […]
GAYBO: Ramon Writes From Rehab; Dumpsters Still Playin; Sex Dwarf Turns 4, But Not Getting Any Taller
BY TOMMY ZANE GAYDAR EDITOR Okay, fine, I admit it — I haven’t mentioned my former partner and lover Ramon much this summer, and there’s a good reason why. Ever since he cheated on me in a drunken stupor last April, I haven’t forgiven him. My running off to Helsinki in May to cover the Eurovision Song Contest did complicate reconciliation, although it was certainly a great thrill and release to make that trip (especially the local distractions!!). Ramon and I hooked up after gay pride in June and agreed we could be friends with benefits. Shortly thereafter, he stopped […]
HOLLA: Sexy Time At Sabrina’s
BY JAMES “WOOK” DOOLITTLE Bottom line — if the Inky had some balls, they’d let Casi G fill in for Craig LeBan, because let’s face it; Craig hasn’t inked anything as instantly memorable as Places Mutherfucking Casi G Has Eaten. My guarantee — a 3% circulation spike, directly attributed to the things Casi doesn’t want you talking to him about “in the real world.” Don’t look at me…he said it! Casi, my man, don’t be getting all redfaced over your linguistic expressionism. I know that ain’t how they throw down at Fluid, but c’mon…that Sabrina’s review is simply…Sproutastic! So we […]
We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It
BARELY LEGAL: Tokyo Police Club, Johnny Brenda’s, Thursday Night BY AMY Z. QUINN I was almost starting to feel bad for Tokyo Police Club. Here they were, headlining the very-important Thursday night bill at Johnny Brenda’s. Yet in the space of 12 hours, the opening band on the bill, Vampire Weekend, had not only sucked up all the critical buzz, but had the Philly indie/blog scene’s musical tastemaker riding the express bus to Crushville. Vampireweekend. And we don’t know what else to say: It’s love. We spent a whole afternoon earlier this week scouring the web for as many of […]
HOLY COW: Phil Rizutto, RIP
Phil Rizzuto, the sure-handed Hall of Fame Yankees shortstop nicknamed The Scooter, who punctuated his extended Yankee life as a broadcaster with birthday wishes to nuns and exclamations of “Holy cow!” died today. He was 89. His death was confirmed by the Yankees. Rizzuto played for the Yankees from 1941 to 1956. His departure was abrupt. No longer willing to carry an aging, seldom-used infielder, the team cut him on Old-Timers’ Day. Soon after, he began calling Yankee games for WPIX-TV/Channel 11 and did not leave that role until 1996. Rizzuto played an integral role on the dynastic Yankees before […]