RADIO TIMES: Beginning in the 1930’s “Sister” Rosetta Tharpe was gospel’s original crossover artists — a vocalist and guitarist who influenced such rock and roll musicians like Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Issac Hayes. Our guest is GAYLE WALD, professor of English and author of a new book called “Shout Sister Shout: The Untold Story of Rock and Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe.”
POP IN TAPE: Hot Wax In The 215
THIS WEEK: A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO SYNTHETIC SPAGHETTI By MICHAEL FICHMAN Party people seem to fit in to three categories- music nerds, people who only want to hear music they know and people who like partying but don’t care about music. Needless to say I’m in the first category and the last two types of folks really grind my gears. But being a DJ is about compromise. You have to strike a balance between the plebian tendencies of the masses and your own conceit. It’s not unlike working food service, you kind of hate the people on the other […]
FORECAST: Flaccid
[Courtesy of Married To The Sea]
Same Sex Couples Tie Knots All Over Garden State, No Discernible Impact On The Institution Of Marriage
ASBURY PARK, N.J. – Gay and lesbian couples across New Jersey began claiming their right to the legal benefits of marriage early today in ceremonies that formalized their relationships as civil unions. The state law establishing civil unions for same-sex couples took effect Monday. But because there is a 72-hour waiting period after applying for a license, most couples had to wait until today to hold civil union ceremonies. New Jersey is the third state in the nation to offer civil unions, which provide same-sex couples the same legal protections as marriage – but without the same title. Vermont and […]
WE THE PEOPLE: Gen. Wesley Clark Launches Petition
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COMING ATTRACTION: New Flick Combines Classic Philly Soul With Inspiring Tale Of Philly Swim Coach
PRIDE tells the true story of Philadelphia inner-city swim coach Jim Ellis and a group of audacious, talented African-American youngsters who trained with him, conquering inexperience, prejudice, low expectations and their own insecurities to win honors in a sport that had no black role models in 1973. Directed by South Africa’s Sunu Gonera, the life-affirming PRIDE stars Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (HUSTLE & FLOW, CRASH, RAY) and Bernie Mac (GUESS WHO, OCEANS 12, BAD SANTA).Coinciding exactly with the time and place of the explosion of Philadelphia soul in the early 1970s, PRIDE presented an opportunity for the film music […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
[Artwork and Text courtesy of www.gregpalast.com] FRESH AIR: S.V. Date writes for Florida’s Palm Beach Post. He closely followed Gov. Jeb Bush during his eight years in the state house in Tallahassee. Date’s new book is Jeb: America’s Next Bush.
CRIME: Coffee Crooks Working For Chump Change
The most recent splash-and-grab robbery happened early Wednesday at a Wawa convenience store in Magnolia, N.J., police said Wednesday. Authorities in Delaware, Bucks and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, Camden County, N.J., and Wilmington are all trying to determine whether the cases in the three-week robbery spree are linked or involve copycat bandits. “We’re not sure if they’re the same people, but I would think there’s some link,” said Philadelphia police Detective Christopher Morton, of the Major Crimes Division. “The question we have is, ‘Why are they doing it?’ If they were getting a lot of money is one thing. But […]
Introducing: TODAY I SAW…By JEFF DEENEY
[Illustration by Alex Fine] 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 EARLY WORD: New World Order
THE ORDER OF THINGS FEBRUARY 24 + 25, 2007 Wagner Free Institute of Science THE ORDER OF THINGS invites visitors into an ethereal and seductive sound-scape that explores our relentless quest for order, from the private sphere to the vast domains of the natural world. This world premiere piece by British sound artist Scanner (a.k.a. Robin Rimbaud) will feature an electro-acoustic installation and 45-minute performance inspired by and created for the breathtaking space of The Wagner Free Institute of Science. Scanner’s work will celebrate the tercentenary of Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeus, who was the father of modern taxonomy. The Wagner […]
CORPORATE CANCER: Wyeth Trying To Make Appeals Outlive The Plaintiffs?
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ — A state court jury in Philadelphia today found that Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) provided inadequate warnings on its drug Prempro and that the Hormone Therapy drug caused invasive breast cancer in Jennie Nelson, a 67 year old Ohio woman. The jury of nine awarded damages to Mrs. Nelson of $2.4 million and an additional $600,000 to her husband. This is the third time in which a Philadelphia state court jury found that Wyeth’s Hormone Therapy drugs caused a woman’s breast cancer. “We are very grateful to the members of the jury who carefully considered the facts […]
ASK MOTHER PHAWKER: Open Letter To Britney
Dear Britney, I see you’re back in rehab, and I say congratulations. OK, I hear it only happened after your mom threatened to take away your kids, but if she had to tough-love you for the sake of her grandkids, too bad. Those boys deserve better than what you’re giving them right now. Look, honey, you had two babies in two years, saw your marriage fall apart and went a little batshit for a while there. It’s cool, and it happens to every one of us in some way — you just had enough money, enablers and access to publicity […]