By DAVE DAVIES and DAVID GAMBACORTA Maybe the newborn boy took his last breaths in the cold trunk of the Volkswagen Beetle, his umbilical cord still attached. Maybe he was already dead when he was stuffed into a tote bag under bloody clothes and stashed in the car trunk. Either way, Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood was seething about the discovery of the discarded child on a quiet street in suburban Drexel Hill on Monday night. “The baby was entombed,” an angry Chitwood told reporters at a news conference yesterday. “There’s a lot of other options out there, instead […]
GAMBLOR: One-Armed Bandit Rolls Local Man
A retired carpenter in his mid-50s was playing a slot machine at PhiladelphiaPark Casino on Monday when a gambler next to him leaned over and said, “Hey! It looks like you’ve won a bonus.” Stephen Wilkinson, of Feasterville, could hardly believe his eyes. “My name came across the screen – ‘Congratulations. You are the power player jackpot winner. You’ve won $102,000.’ “ His joy was short-lived, however. Casino officials soon walked over and told him it was a mistake – a system malfunction. They said he had no money coming. “They offered me two comps for the buffet,” Wilkinson said […]
START THE PRESSES: In New Era Of Philly Newspapering, Less Is More, More Or Less
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Inquirer plans to unveil a news “express” section in early February to attract busy readers, one of several strategies to boost readership that also include a sponsored TV guide and new Web sites for local car and real estate listings. “We have a plan to turn this business around,” Brian Tierney, publisher of the Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I don’t want to say it’s going to be easy, and certainly we’re not going to solve the problems of the media industry … but we’re going to […]
NPR FOR THE DEF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
RADIO TIMES WITH MARTY MOSS-COANE New report on the illegal gun market in Philadelphia. We talk with PAUL HELMKE, President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which just published a new report Shady Dealings: Illegal Gun Trafficking from Licensed Gun Dealer. It documents how a small handful of shady licensed gun dealers can flood an area with guns that are later used in homicides. FRESH AIR ON WHYY Legal correspondent for ABC News, Jan Crawford Greenberg writes about the Rehnquist Court in her new book Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United […]
INFINITE JEST: Upper Darby Commuter Memorizes Pi
On Friday, the Upper Darby resident was certified as the North American record-holder for memorizing digits of the mathematical constant. He spewed out 12,887 digits, to be exact — a feat that took him 3 hours and 40 minutes. For those whose math skills are a little fuzzy, that’s the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It begins with 3.14159265 and never stops, never repeating the same pattern — a string of digits that has captivated both numbers buffs and those looking for a deeper mystical meaning. “I was really proud of him that he did it,” said […]
FUNNY: An Honest Car Dealership Ad, For A Change
WARNING: Strong language and adult situations.
EDITORIAL: What Hillary Meant To Say
BY CITIZEN MOM Monday night on ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson, Sen. Hillary Clinton gave the anchor a live interview, offering some early clues as to how she’s going to answer “those” questions — you know, the woman-specific questions that, fairly or unfairly, Obama and Biden and the rest of the Seven Dwarves just won’t get. Every interviewer from here to primary day will find a way to get one in, and Gibson didn’t shy away, though he did throw in the pussyfoot flattery and the “I mean no disrespect, BUT” — can we just lose that shit already? […]
HOT DOCUMENT: Liz Spikol Gets A Job!
—–Original Message—– From: Tim Whitaker [REDACTED] Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 10:59 AM To: REDACTED Subject: Liz Spikol Most of you know this news by now, but in case you didn’t get the official word, it’s true: Liz will be leaving PW as our full-time senior editor. Her last day is this Friday. Obviously, we’re all in denial. The good news is that Liz will continue to do her “Trouble” column, her blog and the “Liz Spikol’s Philadelphia” twice-monthly video with Jess Fuerst. Liz is leaving to become communications manager for the Pennsylvania Prison Society, a nonprofit social justice organization […]
PIRATE ON THE DELAWARE: Ex-Seaport Musuem Prez In The Crosshairs Of FBI Fraud Probe
“This is a case about a man – John Carter of Osterville – who stole about $2.4 million from a museum where he worked as its president for 17 years,” the lawsuit begins, immediately adding that the FBI is investigating. The lawsuit says the Carter used a variety of methods to scam the museum. The suit says Carter: Had the museum pay more than $500,000 to buy and maintain boats that were solely “for his personal use and enjoyment.” It said the vessels included a 38-foot sailboat, a sport-fishing boat, and a power boat – which alone cost $446,000. Spent […]
Bikini Bandits Director Turned Historian Demands 31 Trillion Pounds In Reparations From British Empire
Is this for Real? Yes. Any student of world history will tell you that if he had to pick a single nation to pin all the world’s troubles on, Britain is far and away the obvious choice. There is plenty of precedent of countries paying off their victims in cash. The Nazis had to pay off the Jews. The U.S. government has settled with many Indian tribes, offering them land, lucrative casino rights, and in some cases, cash. We, the International Coalition for British Reparations, are asking that the greatest criminal nation on earth?the British?pay up as well. WHAT Press […]
TEE VEE: News From Baghdad
In all, 137 people were killed or found dead across Iraq, including a teacher who was gunned down as she was on her way to work at a girls’ school in a mainly Sunni area of Baghdad. The toll also included the bullet-riddled bodies of at least 30 people, apparent victims of death squads largely run by Shiite militias.
ROCK SNOB: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Rock Town Hall Is Now Open To All! Let The Great National Debate Begin!
Rock Town Hall was founded to carry on and expand late-night turntable debates on self-important issues in rock. In 2002, we convened as a private discussion list among a baker’s dozen of opinionated, music-loving friends. In time we grew to a virtual Who the Hell Does He Think He Is? among rock musicians, journalists, DJs, record collectors, and assorted rock nerds. Although we continue to possess little power to influence the state of rock ?n roll, we delight in the battle and seek the cultivation of occasionally novel perspectives on the genre. Now we’re throwing the doors of Rock Town […]