I OWN GROUND HOG DAY BY MICHAEL FICHMAN I have a sort of musical synesthesia — all the great albums I have enjoyed in the past are locked into my memory as the soundtrack to a particular time and place in my life. These associations transcend rhetorical constructions: Midnight Marauders is endless hours in the back of the family car on an epic roadtrip. Devin the Dude’s Just Tryin’ ta Live is the summer I drove a construction truck up and down the hills of Pittsburgh. Neil Armstrong’s epic Originals mixtapes are 2003’s kabob and box wine barbeques. And goddamn […]
HIZZONER ’07: Evans Gets Black Clergy Endorsement
BY MICHAEL MATZA INQUIRER STAFF WRITER With an amen chorus of supportive preachers responsively shouting, “He is the man!” Philadelphia mayoral candidate Dwight Evans last night received the endorsement of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, an influential group representing 300,000 parishioners in the politically active world of Philadelphia’s black churches. In a crowded field of candidates, including three African Americans, the group’s nod can provide a boost, particularly if the race is close. “We need a man with vision… and a passion to improve the whole city, not just the downtown, but the whole town. We need a […]
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GUNCRAZY: Son In Kabul Safer Than Mom In Mantua?
Philadelphia was very much on Gregory’s mind before his mother’s death, even as bombs exploded and people died at the hands of the Taliban. He took a few moments to do what military people do when they’re far from loved ones. He got on the Internet and ordered his mother bubble bath and lotion for her birthday. He included a note: Mummy, happy birthday to the best mother and grandmother in the world. Hope you will live to see many, many healthy and happy birthdays. Gregory paid extra to get the gift delivered to his mother’s home in West Philadelphia […]
THE RONETTES: Be My Baby
Phil Spector has criticises The Ronettes’ induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame which will take place on March 12. Ronettes singer and ex-wife of the producer, Ronnie Spector, has said that Phil has attempted to play down the band’s contribution to music. Ronnie Spector said the producer sent a letter, obtained by her lawyers two years ago, addressed to the Rock Hall‘s nominating committee, dated July 11, 1994 detailing why The Ronettes are unworthy of induction. It says: “My first objection to The Ronettes is that they did not record! Of all the recordings they made, only the […]
REVIEW: Das Leben Der Anderen (The Lives Of Others)
(2006, Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 137 minutes, Germany) BY DAN BUSKIRK FILM CRITIC When the subject arises of the U.S. Patriot Act, which allows government increased powers of surveillance, there’s always someone who argues, “Why should anyone care, unless they’re hiding something?” For those without the imagination to conceive of how a Surveillance Society invites abuse, German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has crafted a very patient and engrossing thriller that slowly turns the screws of tension on a character under complete scrutiny. It’s successful enough to make anyone’s inner paranoiac wiggle in his seat. The title crawl […]
GAMBLOR: Anti-Petition Craps Out In Kangaroo Court
But the quick, conclusive ruling by a Court of Common Pleas judge was a victory for the two casinos that have been awarded licenses for giant slots parlors along the Delaware River. The judge upheld a claim that the petition organizers, who submitted paperwork with 27,000 signatures, actually had collected fewer than 7,000 valid signatures of registered voters. “We’re pleased that the judge saw that the claim that there were 27,000 signatures was false,” said Richard Sprague, the Philadelphia lawyer and SugarHouse casino investor who handled the case. “It really was a bad play by those so desperate to knock […]
HIZZONER ’07: Who Bum Rushed The Show?
It seems that page after page of Milton Street’s petitions are in what looks like exactly the same handwriting. Could this mean that the mayoral brother’s circle of acquaintances includes people who share a unique penmanship style? Or could it be that they were…like…phony? Apparently the officials in the elections office have spent much of the past half-hour guffawing over the documents. More importantly as far as the election goes, judges have a tendency to frown upon such sorts of petitions–such as those submitted in 2004 by presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who was soon bounced from the ballot. MAYORPALOOZA: You […]
EARLY WORD: We Gotta Get Outta This Place!
ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS Special Guest TOMMY CONWELL & THE LITTLE KINGS Friday, March 23 Showtime 8 p.m./ Tickets $43 & $33 Visit ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS at www.ericburdon.com
An Amendment To Be
The Amendment Song is a Memphis Soul style parody of the popular Schoolhouse Rock! song “I’m Just a Bill,” even going so far as using the original singer, Jack Sheldon. It is briefly shown as a replacement for Itchy & Scratchy on The Krusty the Clown Show in the episode “The Day the Violence Died.” MORE
TODAY I SAW…
BY JEFF DEENEY “Today I saw…” is a series of nonfiction shorts based on my experiences as a caseworker serving formerly homeless families now living in North and West Philadelphia. I decided not long after starting the job that I was seeing so many fascinating and disturbing things in the city’s poorest neighborhoods that I needed to start cataloging them. I hope this bi-weekly column serves as a record of a side of the city that many Philadelphians don’t come in contact with on a daily basis. I want to capture moments not frequently covered by the local media, which […]
NPR FOR DA DEF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t, Yo
FRESH AIR Singer Mary Weiss first found fame as a member of the Shangri-Las, with hits like “Leader of the Pack,” “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” and “Give Him a Great Big Kiss.” Now she’s recorded her first album of new material since 1965. It’s called Dangerous Game. RADIO TIMES Is casual sex a good thing? Hooking up is a term used to describe casual sexual encounters that don’t involve a long-term commitment. Young adults say hooking up “friends with benefits” is popular and accepted. We’ll hear two perspectives on this, Washington Post reporter LAURA SESSIONS STEPP author of Unhooked […]