DAILY NEWS: The religious cult that Ria Reshma Ramkissoon belonged to shunned health care and formal education. The leaders were known as “King” and “Queen,” and their followers called themselves “Prince” and “Princess.” They were forbidden to interact with loved ones outside the cult without a member’s supervision. And they may be killers. Two days after police found a dead baby stuffed in a suitcase hidden in South Philadelphia, Ramkissoon’s relatives in Baltimore await a phone call that they suspect will confirm their worst fears: that the infant is Ramkissoon’s 18-month-old son, Javon Thompson. Relatives fear that cult members starved […]
MILESTONE: ‘Mission Accomplished’ Turns Five
HUFFINGTON POST: Has it really been five years since we were treated to that breathtaking “Mission Accomplished” scene aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln? I remember watching the president’s plane approach the carrier that day as cable news anchors gushed about the sheer genius of the setting for its public relations power. They talked about the president’s bravery, his mastery of the moment, his leadership skills, his macho. But back then, my skeptical feelings were tremendously out of step. Everyone else in the traditional media lapped up the phony photo op like hungry kitties handed a bowl of warm milk. According […]
NEWS CLUES: Like An Escort Service For The Truth
THE WOOD OF THE SUICIDES: Convicted DC Madame Kills Herself A woman police believe to be convicted Washington escort service operator Deborah Jeane Palfrey committed suicide, officials said Thursday. Police said the body was found in a shed near Palfrey’s mother’s home Thursday morning. There was a suicide note, but police did not disclose its contents or how she killed herself. Palfrey was convicted April 15 by a federal jury of running a prostitution service that catered to members of Washington’s political elite, including Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican. She was convicted of money laundering, using the mail for […]
THE SLAVES OF PENNSYLTUCKY: Rendell Vows To Re-Emancipate The Slaves If It Comes To That
JOHN BAER: Senate GOP Leader Dominic Pileggi said that if Fumo actually believes a majority of the Senate would vote to reinstate slavery, “It’s hard to see how that wouldn’t require an apology.” I wouldn’t count on it. Unless it’s one of those “if I offended anyone” things. Besides, Vince is merely extending (though by some distance) Gov. Ed’s stated view that some Pennsylvania whites won’t vote for blacks. And Gov. Ed’s spokesman assures me that if the Legislature passes a slavery bill, the governor will veto it. MORE PREVIOUSLY: Fumo Confident That A Law Re-Instating Slavery Would Pass In […]
MEGADICK 2: Stay Classy Flyerdelphia
To The Editor, My son and I drove from Montreal to catch Monday night’s Flyers-Canadiens playoff game at the Wachovia Center. Your fans have many reasons to be proud of their city and team, but how they treat their guests at a sporting event is not one of them. As the game progressed, the level of threats and abuse heaped on us grew at an alarming rate. At one point, an unfortunate Habs fan had a glass of beer poured on her head, and her boyfriend thought it best for them to leave the arena. By the end of the […]
MEGADICK: WAPO Sports Columnist Says Women & Children Flyers Fans Look Like They Could Work Security For Megadeth; Flyers Fans Threaten Parking Lot Beatdown; Dave Mustaine Sells The T-Shirts
[Hat tip to ROWDY YATES] WASHINGTON POST: The Caps’ postseason slogan: “Rock The Red.” The Flyers? “Vengeance Now,” which comes across as less of a slogan and more of a sequel to Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish.” The Capitals didn’t come out as Eastern Conference foes; they entered the playing surface like Russell Crowe entered the Coliseum in “Gladiator.” Flyer fans didn’t want to beat Washington as much as see Ovechkin bludgeoned, his teammates emasculated. It’s almost impossible to fathom, but the Capitals took the ice in front of a building as loud as Verizon Center last Friday. The fans wore […]
OVERHEARD: Fumo Confident That A Law Re-Instating Slavery Would Pass In The PA State House; Claims He Was Kidding, But We Have No Reason To Believe Him
INQUIRER: In comments that stunned many who heard them, Sen. Vincent J. Fumo said yesterday that his colleagues in the General Assembly would support slavery if given the chance. The remarks came during an Appropriations Committee hearing in Harrisburg on a bill that would define marriage as between a man and a woman – a measure Fumo opposes. “What you are advocating here is that we take away the rights of a minority. And I don’t think that’s right,” Fumo told Gilbert Coleman, Jr., senior pastor of Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship in Philadelphia, during the hearing. “. . . If […]
REMINDER: Now Playing On Phawker Radio
The new album, Third. HEAR YE: Madonna Hard Candy Now playing on Phawker Radio! Why? Because we still wanna ‘do’ her, ya big dummy! HEAR YE: The Roots Rising Down Now playing on Phawker Radio! Why, because we love you! Ya big dummy!
MEOW MIX: Gay Guvs, Lesbian Islands & Wright Stuff
Will Barack Obama’s official renunciation of his former pastor neutralize GoddamnAmericaGate? In his appearance on Monday before the National Press Club, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, when asked about Obama’s distancing himself, said the candidate was just a politician doing what politicians do. Wright (who will preach in Philly on June 1st) also said he believed the U.S. government was “capable” of creating and spreading HIV to kill African-Americans and obfuscated when asked about the “chickens come home to roost” on 9/11 thing. On the surface, it seems like Wright went batshit and left Obama no choice, but certainly Wright — who’s […]
LISTEN LIKE THIEVES: Your Daily Dose Of ScarJo
DOWNLOAD: Scarlett Johansson (2008) Town With No Cheer (MP3)
NEWS CLUES: Like Blowing Smoke Out Of Your Eyes
CRUEL AND UNUSUAL: Autopsy Scheduled For Kenneth Keith Kallenbach An autopsy will be performed tomorrow on Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, a 39-year-old comedian who died Thursday after contracting pneumonia at the Delaware County jail, where he was awaiting trial. Since 2005, at least eight people have died at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, the state’s only privately run jail. Several of those deaths resulted in lawsuits by family members who say the facility did not provide adequate medical care or proper supervision for inmates. GEO Group operates prisons around the country, and its operations in Texas have been sharply criticized […]