Peeple: Frankly, Scarlett We Actually Give A Damn For A Change

Okay, here’s your daily celebrity dirt, bitches. Admittedly, the 215 hook is a bit of a stretch but here it is: We know Tom Waits and we live in the 215. Seriously, you can come over to our place and see the pictures. Actually, you can’t because we never open the door for strangers but there ARE pictures. Anyway, peep this: Scarlett [Johansson], I am told, has signed a deal to make her first record. “Scarlett Sings Tom Waits” is being recorded now and through the winter, with a possible release next spring from Rhino Records’ recently reactivated Atco label. […]

Cover Wars: Whose Artfag Kung-Fu Is Stronger?

Let us introduce you to another regular feature: Cover Wars, in which we will make an entirely subjective call on which alt-weekly has the best-looking cover each week. (FULL DISCLOSURE: Yes, we do tapdance about architecture for PW, but they will get no special treatment from us, paybacks bein’ a bitch, an’ all. Unless they give me a raise, in which case, they win every week). In this corner, we have PW’s Sara Green, a gifted newcomer — and in full-posession of a “great rack”, or so we hear, sorry but we did hear that, so get off your high […]

Pot Calls Kettle: Inky’s Satullo Responds To PW Story Calling Inky Casino Coverage Shoddy; Calls PW Story ‘Shoddy’

Because it’s infinitely more fun to stage these media cockfights instead of being in them, and because this issue is too damn important to be left to the pros, we thought we’d throw a little fuel on a dimming fire. To recap, two weeks ago, PW‘s Steve Volk debuted a new media-watchdog column called Tierney Watch, wherein he wrote a piece about the Inky’s coverage of the casino issue, with all the manifold complications, shortcomings and conflict-of-interest duly noted, and gave the anti-casino activists a chance to weigh in and then let various Inky bigwigs respond. You can read it […]

BREAKING: FBI Raids Curt Weldon’s Daughter’s House In Queen Village

FBI agents investigating U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.) conducted six raids this morning – including at the homes of his daughter and a longtime friend. In all, agents executed four search warrants in Philadelphia and two in Jacksonville, Fla., officials said. In Center City, agents searched the law office of John Gallagher, a Weldon friend who has done extensive business in Russia and former Soviet Republics. In Media, Pa., agents searched the offices of public relations firm formed by Weldon’s longtime friend Charles P. Sexton Jr., and the congressman’s daughter, Karen. Sexton and Karen Weldon formed Solutions North America, […]

PBR: The Lonesome Death Of The Lonesome Organist

PBR is our regular sports column, wherein our man in the Jersey ‘Burbs calls Philly sports and sports-media as he sees ’em. His name is Patrick Berkery and he plays drums for the Pernice Brothers and, get this, he actually gives a shit about sports. Weird, huh? Born & raised on a steady diet of Birds, Phils, Flyers and boiled potatoes. Phillies season ticket holder since 1978. Longs for the days of Jim Barniak & Spectrum Wrestling on Prism. Thinks all sportwriters dress funny and should stay off TV. Except Phil Sheridan. His feelings on the Philadelphia Eagles are not […]

The Banality of Evil: Two Pickets To Tittsburg, Please

Why do you people give a shit about celebrities? Maybe it’s because we’ve met a few, but we could NOT care less. Unless it has to do with Lindsay Lohan. But that’s different. Anyway, the blog consultant we hired was very clear: if we have any prayer of ever getting women and gay men to read this thing, we better have some celeb shit. Christ, the things we do for you people. Okay, I don’t know if everybody else has already weighed in on this but it’s all we got today. Besides, who covers Pittsburgh? Well, we do. Have you […]

215 Fest Leftovers: Phawker Tawks With Get Your War On Creator David Rees

Makin’ Bacon With The War Pigs Somebody important once said that irony is the only rational response to an irrational world. Maybe we did. Who can tell in this crazy, mixed-up Internet world where nothing is true and everything is permitted. As you may recall, in the days after of 9/11 Vanity Fair poobah Graydon Carter famously declared the sudden “death of irony,” as if they kept it in the World Trade Center or something. Well, assuming for a moment that was even remotely true or possible, David Rees CPR’d that fucker back to life and gave it a job: […]