[Via FLICKR] TALKING POINTS MEMO: Now that President Obama has signed health-care reform into law, opponents of the bill are pinning their hopes of stopping it on a last-ditch legal strategy. A group of 13 state attorneys general has filed suit (pdf), arguing that the law is unconstitutional. The bid seems far-fetched at first. But the Roberts Court has recently shown a willingness to strike down landmark legislation — charges of judicial activism be damned. So, given the stakes, it’s worth asking: Could health-care reform have made it through the congressional gauntlet, only to end up dying in the courts? […]
GAMBLE & HUFF: Philly International Records Museum May Emerge From The Ashes Of Arson
DAILY NEWS: Sometimes, out of destruction, comes creation. Just hours after the man who allegedly torched Philadelphia International Records in a drunken haze was held for trial, owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff said yesterday that they may create a museum in the building as part of its rehabilitation. In an interview inside PIR’s gift store, producing duo Gamble and Huff said that they’ve spoken with U.S. Rep. Bob Brady about the idea, and that the Smithsonian Institution has shown interest. “It’s all premature right now, but that’s the kind of interest we’re getting,” Gamble said. “You can’t beat the […]
JUDGE 2 PARENTS: Only You Can Prevent Flash Mobs
DAILY NEWS: Over two days of trials, 29 youths have been convicted for participating in flash mobs. All juveniles found delinquent yesterday face up to four years in a state facility, but most who pleaded guilty were sentenced to four weekends at a Poconos boot camp, 60 days of electronic monitoring and two years’ probation, and were ordered to take biweekly drug tests and to attend school every day on time. Those with prior convictions or other glaring problems in their backgrounds were sentenced to state facilities. Dougherty got creative with two teenagers who gave cops a hard time while […]
INSTA-REVIEW: Robyn Hitchcock Propellor Time
BY ED KING ROCK EXPERT Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3’s Propellor Time is an understated release that was recorded, mostly live, in a week’s time in 2006, between the recordings for two prior Venus 3 releases, Ole Tarantula! and Goodnight Oslo. Never having been the world’s greatest Robyn Hitchcock fan, I can’t be sure of the pulse of his fans today, but if anyone’s expecting a collection of jangly songs about the sexual lives of insects and fishes, prepare for a letdown. Hitchcock does not abandon all his patented silly, creepy crawly motifs, such as the verse in “Afterlife” […]
THE PEACE CORPS DIARIES: Letter From Paraguay
EDITOR’S NOTE: Phawker South American Bureau chief St. John Barned-Smith just started a two year hitch in the Peace Corps teaching English in rural Paraguay. BY ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH Paraguay’s hot. Not deal-breaking hot, but definitely toasty. It’s frequently around 35-38C, which means its frequently in the mid 80s-90s. So how to deal with the heat and humidity? Some genius long ago came up with Terere. Terere is the iced version of Mate. Whenever Paraguayans gather, they end up forming a circle, and passing around the stuff. Here’s how it works: you take a guampa, which holds the yerba. Guampa’s […]
Q&A: With Philly-Based Photographer E.C. Adams
PHAWKER: Let’s start with some basic bio info: where are you from, where did you go to school, how did you wind up in Philly, and what was the aha moment that made you want to become a photographer? E.C. ADAMS: I was born in Louisville, Kentucky. My parents died (at different times) when I was a small child; I then moved in with relatives in Lancaster, PA. I attended a small private school in Lancaster. After that, several “prodigal son” episodes were intermingled with stints at a few different universities, the last being Temple, where I was a French major. But the […]
LIFE LESSONS: The Meaning Of Life
With your guru, A.P. Ticker.
SIDEWALKING: The Sheltering Sky
Kimmel Center, Sunday 3:04 PM by JEFF FUSCO
Federal Judge Rules In Favor Of Local Ownership
NEW YORK TIMES: The chief executive of the bankrupt Philadelphia newspapers won a major court victory on Monday, keeping alive his bid to maintain local control of the papers and keep a group of banks and private equity funds from taking control. The financial institutions, who are owed close to $300 million by the company that publishes The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, had sought to make an auction bid that did not include a big cash component, relying instead on the debt they hold to determine the value of their offer – an action known as a credit bid. […]
iCATCHING: Apple Store Architect To Design Philly
INGA SAFFRON: Barely four years after Apple opened the store in the basement of the General Motors tower, Bohlin’s ethereal one-story structure – a glorified vestibule, really – has become a must-see attraction as well as Apple’s highest-grossing location. According to Cornell University scientists who analyzed 35 million Flickr images, the Cube is the fifth-most-photographed building in New York, the 28th worldwide. MORE
QUIET RIOT: Flash Mob Takes South Street
INQUIRER: At about 11 p.m. [Saturday night], as a group of about 50 teens approached 10th and South, trying to head back east, Ball called for assistance. “You need to get me five or six more officers,” he said, “so we don’t lose the ground we just gained.” One youth who declined to give his name explained why he was on South Street. “Some people call,” he said. “They tell you to come down, so you come down.” Sgt. Ray Evers said early Sunday morning police had made three arrests – two for disorderly conduct and one for aggravated assault. […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR Actor Ben Stiller has starred in a wide range of movies, from big comedy hits like Meet the Parents and its sequel, Meet the Fockers, to indie films like The Royal Tenenbaums and Your Friends and Neighbors. In Noah Baumbach’s new film, Greenberg, Stiller takes a darker turn, playing Roger Greenberg, a 40-year-old ex-musician who’s just had a mental breakdown. After recovering in a hospital for several weeks, Greenberg agrees to house-sit at his brother’s place in Los Angeles. Alone in L.A. while his brother’s family is on a long vacation in Vietnam, he tries to reconnect with […]
THIS JUST IN: Passion Pit At The Mann
Sunday June 27th, with Tokyo Police Club. Tickets on sale Friday at 10 AM.