INQUIRER: Old age has claimed another animal at the Philadelphia Zoo. Twigga, who at 29 was one of the oldest giraffes in the nation, was euthanized Thursday at the zoo, her home since 1979. In announcing her death yesterday, the zoo said the giraffe — tall for a female at 15 feet — had been on medications for age-related arthritis for some time. “Based on Twigga’s comfort and behavior, the zoo’s veterinary team decided this week that humane euthanasia was now the best course for her,” the zoo’s statement said. Giraffes typically live into their late teens and early 20s. […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR The American Film Institute (AFI) has named the top ten American films in ten popular genres. From sci-fi flicks to classic Westerns, the lists include some of the most influential works in American cinema. Today’s Fresh Air presents archival interviews with several of the actors and a screenwriter whose work has been recognized on the new list: Eva Marie Saint, star the AFI’s seventh-ranked mystery movie, North by Northwest, speaks with Terry Gross about her career, her Oscar-winning role in On the Waterfront and being typecast as a “sexy spy lady.” Screenwriter Robert Towne and actress Faye Dunaway […]
WORTH REPEATING: Why We Fight
DAILY KOS: In addition to more practical steps, President Carter made symbolic gestures toward saving energy. He began to give his speeches to the nation wearing a sweater to show that the White House thermostat had been turned down. He installed a wood stove in the living quarters of the White House. He had a set of solar water heating panels installed on the White House roof. For the period of 1973 to 1980, the United States refused to walk the 9/11 highway. Rising energy prices lead the charge for near run-away inflation, and the economy wandered in and out […]
TECKNO: Reason #4,478 Why Microsoft Sucks
CNET: Which is the world’s fastest browser? According to Zimbra, Safari runs fastest, though it didn’t beat out Firefox by much. Both Safari and Firefox were roughly twice as fast as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7. Of course, Zimbra was testing for how these browsers perform with the Zimbra web application. Your mileage may vary with other applications. In fact, I’d love to see a wide range of tests for different sites and applications. Who’s next? As an aside, I continue to be impressed at how Zimbra treats non-Microsoft platforms as first-class citizens (along with Microsoft). Firefox is the same way. […]
All Of This Happened While You Were Sleeping
TEXT & PHOTOS BY TIFFANY YOON Ponytail played at the Copy Gallery last night, and if you missed it… shame on you. They put on an effing amazing show. I don’t know how else to describe it without some vulgarity. It was just so effing amazing. Molly Siegel is a tiny tiny girl, but what she lacks in size she makes up for in lung power. The venue, like Molly, was a tad small, but that’s what made it special: an intimate enclave of friends, fans and new listeners. The energy in the room was so positive, both Ponytail and […]
CONFEDERACY OF WHORES: Congress Sells Out Constitution & American People To Telecom Lobbyists
[CLICK TO ENLARGE] NEW YORK TIMES: After months of wrangling, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress struck a deal on Thursday to overhaul the rules on the government’s wiretapping powers and provide what amounts to legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in President Bush’s program of eavesdropping without warrants after the Sept. 11 attacks. The deal, expanding the government’s powers to spy on terrorism suspects in some major respects, would strengthen the ability of intelligence officials to eavesdrop on foreign targets. It would also allow them to conduct emergency wiretaps without court orders on American targets for […]
MAILBAG: Gardening At Night
Jonathan, As with all your concert reviews, your description of Wednesday night’s R.E.M. show at the Mann made me wish I had been there. It inspired me so much that I decided to try to score a ticket to last night’s show at the Garden. (I live and work in NYC during the week, then go home to my weekend wife in Lafayette Hill.) I was warned that my seat would be behind the stage, but when I got there I was amazed that it actually was on the SIDE of the stage – only 25 feet from the […]
IMITATION OF LIFE: Ben Franklin To Wed Betsy Ross
ASSOCIATED PRESS: Wedding bells will ring in Philadelphia July 3 for Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross. Ralph Archbold and Linda Wilde, who are well known for their portrayals of the historical figures, plan a very public ceremony on the steps in front of Independence Hall. They met Sept. 1 after Wilde hired Archbold for a friend’s wedding toast. Archbold had initially declined, saying he doesn’t “do weddings,” but Wilde begged and he relented. The couple then found a love of history and education that soon evolved into love for one another , and this spring announced their engagement.Wilde, a pharmacist, […]
NEWS CLUES: Like A ‘Terrorist Fist Jab’ Of Truth
KNIVES OUT: Alycia Lane Sues KYW’s Ass A fired Philadelphia newscaster sued her former employer Thursday, alleging that the television station maliciously damaged her reputation and contributed to a number of her embarrassing off-camera episodes. Alycia Lane sued KYW-TV in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, alleging the station and its management deliberately got her personal life into the news in order to get free publicity. She is seeking unspecified damages. Lane was fired in January, a month after being arrested in New York City following a late-night scuffle with plainclothes police. In her lawsuit, she said she believed she was witnessing […]
BE VERY AFRAID: John McCain Creeps Out SNL
Not since Eric Roberts in Star 80 have we been this creeped-the-fuck-out by an actor’s performance. John McCain is either an INCREDIBLE thespian or the man has a very, very dark side. From 2002. You be the judge.